Hamyang County Accelerates Disaster Recovery Efforts in Imho District Hamyang County in South Gyeongsang Province is making steady progress on the "Imho District Improvement Project," aimed at preventing future disasters in Imho Village, which suffered damage from heavy rainfall last year.In preparation for the upcoming rainy season, the county is taking proactive measures to ensure that key debris control facilities function effectively, focusing on building a safety net at the site.According to Hamyang County, the project is part of a recovery initiative funded July 31, 2026

Korean Stock Market Soars as Samsung and SK Hynix Surge Over 20% The Korean stock market is experiencing an unprecedented surge, with explosive gains across the board.On this day, the KOSPI index recorded a remarkable increase of over 14% in just one day. It opened at 6,385.83, while the KOSDAQ index also rose by more than 6%, reaching 683.64, adding vitality to the overall market.The early gains were primarily driven by major semiconductor stocks related to artificial intelligence (AI). SK Hynix, which saw the highest trading volume, surged 22.69% to open at July 31, 2026

HS Hwasung Reports 300% Increase in Q2 Operating Profit, Shares Surge 19% HS Hwasung has seen its operating profit for the second quarter increase by over 300% compared to the same period last year, leading to a surge of nearly 19% in its stock price.According to the Korea Exchange, as of 10:07 a.m. on July 31, HS Hwasung's shares were trading at 47,950 won, up 7,900 won (19.43%) from the previous trading day.On the previous day, HS Hwasung announced that its consolidated revenue for the second quarter reached 430.9 billion won, a 24.9% increase from the same period l July 31, 2026

KB Life Explores Solutions to Care and Isolation Issues from Youth Perspectives KB Life Foundation has released the 'KB Social Lab Report,' which outlines solutions to social blind spots related to care, isolation, and senior issues, developed in collaboration with 29 university students. The foundation announced the results of the first phase of the 'KB Life Social Lab' on July 30 at the KB Life Tower in Seoul. Participants conducted field interviews and research on various topics, including the psychological struggles of young caregivers, the social reintegration of iso July 31, 2026

KGM Finalizes Wage Agreement, Marking 17 Years of No Disputes KG Mobility (KGM) has finalized its wage and collective agreement for this year, continuing a streak of 17 consecutive years without disputes.KGM announced on July 31 that the tentative agreement reached on July 29 was approved by union members, concluding the 2026 wage negotiations.The negotiations began in June and included 18 rounds of discussions, resulting in a tentative agreement that includes a basic salary increase of 75,000 won and a total payment of 3.6 million won, including productio July 31, 2026

BTS Declares Boycott of Grammy Awards, Sparking Industry Debate The group BTS has announced its refusal to submit entries for the Grammy Awards, drawing attention from both the K-pop industry and fans. This decision is seen as a challenge to the global music industry's practice of categorizing K-pop by 'region' and 'language.'On July 29, BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook shared on their social media accounts, "We have decided not to submit for this year's Grammys." They added, "We hope music can be heard and loved for what it is, rath July 31, 2026

KOSDAQ Semiconductor Stocks Surge Amid Global Market Rally KOSDAQ has rebounded sharply, driven by a global surge in semiconductor stocks, leading to increased buying across the semiconductor value chain. Following a recent decline, there has been a notable influx of bargain buying in semiconductor equipment and component stocks.As of 9:40 a.m. on July 31, the KOSDAQ index rose by 52.31 points (8.11%) to reach 697.09, according to the Korea Exchange. Major semiconductor-related stocks in the KOSDAQ also showed strong upward trends.Jusung Engineering, a July 31, 2026

Han Byeong-do Criticizes Jang Dong-hyuk as a Dictator, Warns Against Involving Lee Jae-myung Han Byeong-do, the acting leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, on July 31, calling him a "dictator" for continuing unprecedented disciplinary politics aimed at protecting his party leadership. He also warned against dragging President Lee Jae-myung into political disputes.During a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Han stated, "Jang has lost his reason and continues to make outrageous remarks."He added, "Jan July 31, 2026

Hyundai Terra Tower Guri Galmae Enhances Commuting and Logistics Competitiveness Companies are changing their criteria for selecting workspaces. As the focus shifts from merely securing office space to considering operational efficiency, talent acquisition, and logistics competitiveness, the value of knowledge industry centers with excellent access to Seoul is increasing.Industry analysts note that knowledge industry centers located on the outskirts of the metropolitan area are often less preferred by companies if they lack good access to Seoul. Conversely, locations that of July 31, 2026

Elon Musk Plans Major Donations to Republican Candidates in Upcoming Midterms Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and a major donor to Donald Trump during the 2024 U.S. presidential election, is reportedly planning to make significant contributions to Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections this November.According to a report by The New York Times on July 30, citing two sources, Musk has approved a spending plan of $100 million to $120 million for his political action committee, America PAC, in preparation for the midterms.One source indicated that the program is set July 31, 2026