Iran Targets CIA Facilities; U.S. Investigates Possible Russian Support U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether Russia was involved in Iran's attack on CIA facilities in the Middle East in March. They are looking into the possibility that Russia provided targeting information or advanced drone technology.According to Reuters on July 22, U.S. intelligence is examining the high accuracy of the attacks and the existing military cooperation between Russia and Iran.Iran reportedly launched drone attacks in March against at least two locations, including a CI July 23, 2026

U.S. Congress Calls for Enhanced Cooperation with Allies to Counter China's Shipbuilding Dominance U.S. lawmakers have called for leveraging the shipbuilding expertise and workforce of allies like South Korea and Japan to counter China's dominance in the industry.On July 22, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on "Responding to China's Dominance in Shipbuilding," inviting experts from think tanks to provide insights.During the hearing, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers pointed out that China's control over commercial shipbuilding poses significant vulnerabilities to U.S. July 23, 2026

Hyundai Motor Reports 20.8% Drop in Q2 Operating Profit Hyundai Motor announced on July 23 that it recorded a revenue of 49.2153 trillion won and an operating profit of 2.8509 trillion won for the second quarter of this year.While revenue increased by 1.9% compared to the same period last year, operating profit fell by 20.8%. The operating profit margin dropped by 1.7 percentage points to 5.8%, despite strong sales of hybrid vehicles, due to rising raw material costs and production disruptions caused by fires at parts suppliers.A Hyundai official sta July 23, 2026

NH Union Warns Headquarters Relocation Will Undermine Agricultural Support and Competitiveness "NH is neither a government agency nor a public institution. Therefore, the government cannot forcibly relocate the cooperative NH to a regional area. A hasty headquarters move will lead to reduced support for farmers and ultimately weaken our agricultural competitiveness," said Lee Hyun-in, acting chairman of the NH Financial Industry Labor Union, during a rally in front of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the Government Sejong Center around noon on July 23.Lee ex July 23, 2026

Apartment Prices Continue to Rise in Seoul Amid Loan Regulations Apartment sales and rental prices in Seoul are continuing to rise. Despite a localized wait-and-see attitude, demand is flowing into key complexes and areas with development potential, leading to ongoing upward transactions. The increase in apartment prices that began in core areas is now spreading to mid-priced regions on the outskirts and to areas with strong market fundamentals in the metropolitan area.According to the Korea Real Estate Agency's report on nationwide weekly apartment price tre July 23, 2026

Uber Cuts 10% of Customer Service Staff as AI Usage Expands Uber has reduced its customer service workforce by 10% as it expands its use of artificial intelligence (AI). This marks the first time the company has cited AI as a reason for layoffs.On July 22, Bloomberg reported that Uber has cut 10% of its 'Community Operations' team, which handles customer service.Uber explained that the layoffs are part of an effort to simplify its complex organizational structure and enhance AI utilization. Some employees who were working remotely have been asked to relo July 23, 2026

President Lee Calls for Tripling Property Tax Amid Housing Crisis President Lee Jae-myung stated that if property taxes had been normalized in the past, home prices would not have risen to their current levels. He made these remarks during a national discussion on real estate policy held at KBS in Yeouido, Seoul.President Lee emphasized the need for preparation, even at the cost of political backlash, saying, "It is difficult to take on too much responsibility, but we must be ready for the consequences." He noted that to align with typical levels in developed July 23, 2026

Shinhan Financial Group Reports Record 3.4 Trillion Won Net Profit in First Half of 2026 Shinhan Financial Group reported a record net profit exceeding 3.4 trillion won for the first half of 2026, driven by significant growth in non-interest income despite a slowdown in household loan growth.On July 23, Shinhan Financial announced that its net profit for the first half of the year reached 3.4427 trillion won, a 13.3% increase compared to the same period last year. This figure surpasses market expectations of 3.3087 trillion won. The net profit for the second quarter was 1.8201 trill July 23, 2026

Upstage Unveils Agent-Specific AI 'Solar Open2' for Enhanced User Experience Upstage has unveiled its self-developed open-weight large language model (LLM) 'Solar Open2,' focusing on creating AI agents capable of performing actual tasks beyond simple question-and-answer interactions. The company plans to apply this technology to the portal 'Daum' and public services, aiming to provide AI services that citizens can experience in their daily lives.On July 22, Upstage held a developer conference titled 'Solar Open Weight Day,' where it presented the Solar Open2 model along July 23, 2026

Kumho Construction Shares Rise After Winning Project in Songpa District Kumho Construction is experiencing a surge in its stock price following the announcement that it has secured the Jangji Parking Lot redevelopment project in the Songpa District of Seoul.As of 1:40 PM on July 23, the Korea Exchange reported that Kumho Construction's shares rose by 550 won (5.28%) to 10,979 won. Earlier in the day, the stock had jumped as much as 17.08% to 12,210 won.The increase in share price is attributed to Kumho Construction being selected as the qualified bidder for the 'Jan July 23, 2026