U.S. House Passes $1.7 Trillion NDAA, Approves Additional Funding for Iran War The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2027, which outlines U.S. defense policy and budget expenditures, passed the House of Representatives on July 22. The House also approved a separate budget of $95 billion to cover defense costs incurred from the war in Iran.According to reports from The Washington Post and others, the NDAA, which authorizes $1.15 trillion in defense spending, was approved by a vote of 216 to 212. The vote largely followed party lines, with all but sev July 23, 2026

Second Quarter GDP Grows 0.6% Driven by Strong Semiconductor Exports South Korea's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.6% in the second quarter, significantly exceeding expectations and continuing the growth trend established in the first quarter. This growth was bolstered by strong semiconductor exports.According to the Bank of Korea on July 23, the preliminary GDP growth rate for the second quarter increased by 0.6% compared to the previous quarter, far surpassing the forecast of 0.2%.Breaking down the second quarter growth by sector, private consumptio July 23, 2026

Qualcomm Expands Partnership with Samsung to Include New Galaxy Smartphones, Watches, and Intelligent Eyewear Qualcomm is expanding its collaboration with Samsung Electronics beyond smartphones to include smartwatches and intelligent eyewear. The strategy involves applying the next-generation Snapdragon platform across the Galaxy ecosystem to connect AI features across devices.At the Galaxy Unpacked event on July 23, Qualcomm announced that the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8 will be equipped with the 'Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5' for Galaxy.The Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra July 23, 2026

Democratic Party Faces Backlash Over Allegations of Shincheonji Involvement As allegations of Shincheonji involvement surface within the Democratic Party, former leader Jung Cheong-rae and his supporters are intensifying pressure on Kim Min-seok, a former Prime Minister who raised the suspicions.On July 23, Jung posted on Facebook, stating, "I will respond strongly to the baseless Shincheonji allegations," and added, "I will act with the intention of saving the party from actions that put it in danger. I will protect the party, so I ask party members to support me." Ear July 23, 2026

KOSPI Opens with 2% Gain as Samsung and SK Hynix Rally The KOSPI index is showing a gain of over 2% in early trading. Expectations for increased semiconductor demand due to Alphabet's expansion in artificial intelligence (AI) investments are driving up shares of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. As of 9:04 a.m. on July 23, the KOSPI rose by 183.40 points (2.70%) to reach 6,981.10, briefly surpassing the 7,000 mark during the session. In the stock market, foreign investors have made a net purchase of 153.8 billion won, while individuals and instituti July 23, 2026

KB Securities Raises Samsung C&T Target Price Amid Discount Rate Expectations KB Securities has raised its target price for Samsung C&T from 400,000 won to 490,000 won, reflecting an increase in the value of its holdings and the potential for a reduced corporate value discount rate. The investment recommendation remains a 'buy.'Jang Mun-jun, a researcher at KB Securities, stated, "The target price was adjusted upward by changing the target net asset value (NAV) discount rate from 45% to 40% and reflecting the increase in the value of holdings. In the future, we can expect July 23, 2026

Ensuring Consistent Quality: Inside Twosome Place's Awesome Pairing Plant On July 22, at the Twosome Place Awesome Pairing Plant (APP) in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, automated equipment was in full operation. Roasted coffee beans moved along rails installed on the ceiling, while yellow 'delta robots' continuously packed the beans into boxes. Only eight workers managed this expansive production line, showcasing a futuristic factory where most processes, from bean input to roasting, packaging, and loading, are automated.Opened in July 2022, APP is a 20,000-squ July 23, 2026

SK Magic Supplies Air Purifiers to Woori Bank Branches Nationwide SK Magic has supplied air purifiers to Woori Bank branches across the country and will also provide regular maintenance services. The company is expanding its business-to-business (B2B) air management operations by combining product sales with installation, filter replacement, and parts inspection.On July 23, SK Intellix, the health platform brand of SK Magic, announced the completion of air purifier installations at Woori Bank branches nationwide.The installed product is the 'All Clean Air Puri July 23, 2026

Research Validates Social Performance Compensation Proposed by Choi Tae-won, Published in International Journal The research on Social Performance Compensation (SPC), supported by the Center for Social Value Studies (CSES), has been published in an international social science journal, providing academic evidence for the policy effects of SPC.According to industry sources, SPC is a compensation system that measures the social value created by social enterprises in monetary terms and provides incentives proportional to their performance. This concept was proposed by Choi Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, at t July 23, 2026

Bithumb Introduces Video Call Verification for Seniors to Protect Vulnerable Users Bithumb announced the implementation of an additional identity verification process using video calls for users aged 80 and above on July 23. As non-face-to-face financial transactions become more common, the risk of financial crimes targeting the elderly, such as identity theft, account lending, and cryptocurrency investment scams, continues to rise. This is particularly concerning for seniors with limited experience in digital financial services, who are at a higher risk of having their accoun July 23, 2026