Rising Direct Real Estate Transactions Save Buyers Thousands in Fees Yuri Lee, a 30-something office worker, recently decided to transition from renting to buying a home. While using a licensed real estate agent is considered safer, she opted for a direct transaction recommended by friends. Lee found a suitable listing on a real estate platform: a 13-square-meter, one-bedroom apartment in the outskirts of Seoul. She quickly negotiated the sale price directly with the owner via chat, finalizing the deal at 330 million won. Since it was a direct transaction, there July 23, 2026

Rising Costs Create Wealth Gap in AI Video Production "These days, we hear people say, 'I want to make something good, but I don't have the money.'"At a meeting on July 23 at the Korea Cultural Information Service in Sangam-dong, Seoul, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, industry experts discussed the challenges facing the AI video sector, which has encountered significant cost barriers this year.The meeting included Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young, along with representatives from AI content production com July 23, 2026

Small Business Exports Surpass $60 Billion in First Half of 2026, Led by Cosmetics In the first half of 2026, small business exports reached $64 billion, marking an 11.6% increase compared to the same period last year and surpassing the $60 billion mark for the first time. Notably, cosmetics exports rose 30.7% to $5.07 billion, driven by strong performance in Latin America.The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced these findings on July 23 in its report on small business export trends for the first half of 2026.The number of exporting small businesses also increased by 2.4% July 23, 2026

Weather Forecast: Rain in the Capital Region and Gangwon, Heat Continues in the South Rain is expected to continue in the central region on Friday, July 24.According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on July 23, the capital region and Gangwon will be mostly cloudy, with rain accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms in some areas.Expected rainfall amounts are 30-80mm for the five western islands, 20-60mm for Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi, 20-60mm for inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, and 5-30mm for the eastern coast of Gangwon.In the Chungcheong and southern reg July 23, 2026

South Korea Advances Domestic Semiconductor Production for Defense The South Korean government has outlined a plan to establish a self-sufficient ecosystem for defense semiconductors, which have historically relied heavily on foreign sources.According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the 'Strategy for Domestic Production and Industrial Ecosystem Development of Defense Semiconductors' was discussed at the 11th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting held on July 23.The strategy includes plans to promote 'demand-oriented' development of July 23, 2026

Financial Unions Protest NH Bank Relocation Plans, Large Rally Set for August As discussions intensify regarding the second phase of relocating public institutions, financial unions have initiated collective actions. Concerns are growing within the financial sector about weakened organizational competitiveness and talent loss. On July 23, the NH Nonghyup Financial Group branch of the National Financial Industry Labor Union, along with about 200 union members, held a "Stop the Relocation Rally" in front of the Sejong Government Complex. Speculation has arisen that the gov July 23, 2026

Constitutional Court Rules Against Ban on Political Activities for Faculty Unions The Constitutional Court has ruled that a provision in the teacher union law prohibiting political activities by labor unions composed of university professors and staff is unconstitutional.On July 23, the court announced its decision in a constitutional review of Article 3 of the teacher union law, with a 7-2 majority finding it violates the constitution.The National Professors' Union, the Korean Private University Professors' Union, and the A University Professors' Union filed a constitutional July 23, 2026

IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development Reports 52.9% Increase in Q2 Operating Profit IPARK Hyundai Industrial Development announced on July 23 that its consolidated operating profit for the second quarter of this year reached 122.7 billion won, marking a 52.9% increase compared to the same period last year.During the same period, the company reported sales of 914.6 billion won, a decrease of 21.4% from the previous year. Net income rose to 83.7 billion won, up 58.9%.For the first half of the year, total sales amounted to 1.5886 trillion won, a decline of 23.2% year-on-year. Howe July 23, 2026

Toss Partners with Circle to Enhance Payment Services Toss, operated by Viva Republica, is exploring the potential for building a blockchain-based payment and settlement infrastructure in collaboration with Circle, one of the world's largest stablecoin issuers.On July 23, Toss and Toss Bank announced that they have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Circle Internet Financial to examine collaboration opportunities in blockchain-based payment infrastructure and stablecoin technology.Under this agreement, the three parties will July 23, 2026

Alphabet's Strong Performance Boosts Semiconductor Stocks Amid Anticipation for Tech Giants' Earnings Alphabet, Google's parent company, reported better-than-expected earnings and reaffirmed its commitment to expanding artificial intelligence (AI) investments, leading to a rise in domestic semiconductor stocks. Market attention is shifting from AI semiconductor firms like NVIDIA to the earnings of major cloud companies such as Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon. On July 23, the Korea Exchange reported that the KOSPI closed at 7,096.89, up 299.19 points (4.40%) from the previous trading day. Foreign i July 23, 2026