South Korean President Lee Meets with Big Tech CEOs to Discuss AI Investments South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, and Hock Tan, CEO of Broadcom, in San Francisco on July 24, local time, to discuss expanding investments and collaborations for building Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem and the "Three Major Megaprojects" for national advancement.During the meeting, Huang announced that the business partnership between NVIDIA and SK Group could reach $500 billion. He also outlined extensive plans f July 25, 2026

President Yoon Aims for South Korea to Become a Global AI Hub President Yoon Suk Yeol announced on July 24 that South Korea aims to become a global hub for artificial intelligence (AI) production and an indispensable platform for global cooperation in technology, capital, talent, and ideas.Starting at the end of this year, the 'Everyone's AI' project will be launched, involving all 50 million citizens to integrate AI into public services, welfare, education, and daily life, positioning South Korea as the most dynamic AI market and a global testbed.Presiden July 25, 2026

Rising Interest Rates Strain Savings Banks Amid Real Estate Financing Challenges The rise in benchmark interest rates is becoming a new burden for the savings bank sector, which has been accelerating the cleanup of troubled real estate project financing (PF). As interest rates increase, the financial costs for PF projects rise, potentially delaying their normalization. Additionally, the increase in deposit interest rates could further elevate the funding costs for savings banks.According to the financial sector on July 25, the delinquency rate for real estate PF loans across July 25, 2026

Yoo Si-min Criticizes President Lee, Calls for Restraint from Party Members 범여권 논객 유시민 작가가 '재건축론'·'필패론' 등을 언급하며 이재명 대통령을 연일 강도 높게 비판하고 있다. 여권 내부에서는 친명(친이재명)계를 중심으로 우려와 반발의 목소리가 쏟아졌다. 25일 정치권에 따르면 유 작가는 이 대통령의 중도·보수 확장에 대해 염려 섞인 목소리를 냈다. 그는 지난 23일 MBC 라디오에서 "대통령이 정치적 양극화를 완화하고 국민적 합의가 높은 수준에서 이뤄지도록 국가를 운영하려는 의지를 가졌다고 추측한다"며 "'모두의 대통령'이 되려는 지향을 가지고 국정운영을 하겠다는 의도가 있다"고 July 25, 2026

One Year In: Minister Kwon Oh-eul Connects Veterans' Voices to Systemic Change “The past year has been a time of connecting the voices of veterans' families to systemic change, based on the belief that ‘policies are completed in the field, not at the desk,’” said Kwon Oh-eul, Minister of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, on July 25, marking his first anniversary in office.Kwon pledged to continue his efforts to fill the gaps in veterans' affairs and to create a South Korea where dedication to the nation is especially respected.The Ministry highlighted three major achieveme July 25, 2026

President Yoon Meets Jensen Huang, Announces $500 Billion SK-NVIDIA Partnership On July 24, in San Francisco, President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, and Hock Tan, CEO of Broadcom, to discuss expanding investment and collaboration in South Korea's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem and the "Three Major Projects for National Leap." Huang announced that the business partnership between SK Group and NVIDIA is expected to reach $500 billion. He also revealed plans for extensive collaboration with South Korean companies, incl July 25, 2026

President Yoon Calls for Major Expansion of AI Investment in South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, on July 24 in San Francisco, urging for increased investment and collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).During their meeting at a downtown hotel, President Yoon and Amodei discussed expanding investment partnerships for mutual growth between South Korea and Anthropic, as well as strategies for responsible AI development.According to a written briefing by Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong, President Yoon stated, " July 25, 2026

Weekend Weather: Rain in Seoul and Surrounding Areas Amidst Nationwide Heatwave On Saturday, parts of Seoul, the metropolitan area, and Gangwon Province are expected to experience rain, while hot weather will persist nationwide.According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, rain is forecasted in areas of the metropolitan region, including Seoul and Incheon, as well as in the inland and mountainous regions of Gangwon. Showers are expected to occur from morning to evening in the Chungcheong region and Jeju Island.Expected rainfall amounts are between 20 to 60 mm in nor July 25, 2026

Rising Jeonse Prices in Seoul Ahead of Moving Season, with Gangbuk District Seeing 1.15% Increase The rise in Seoul's apartment jeonse market is rapidly spreading to the Gangbuk and outlying areas. With increasing demand for housing purchases being postponed due to loan regulations and rising home prices, a shortage of jeonse listings has led to a surge in rental demand in relatively lower-priced regions.In particular, both sales and jeonse prices have significantly increased in the Gangbuk area, including Gangbuk-gu, Jungnang-gu, and Seongbuk-gu. Analysts suggest that while prices continue July 25, 2026

Next Week's Stock Market Outlook: AI Investment and FOMC Results in Focus Next week, the domestic stock market will focus on the sustainability of AI investments by major U.S. tech companies and the results of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). The market experienced a sharp decline due to the emergence of Chinese AI models and geopolitical risks in the Middle East, but sentiment around semiconductor investments partially recovered following Alphabet's announcement of increased capital expenditures (CAPEX). However, ongoing military tensions between the U.S. an July 25, 2026