South Korea and Mongolia Resume CEPA Negotiations to Expand Critical Mineral Supply Chains The South Korean government will begin the fifth round of official negotiations with Mongolia for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on June 8, lasting four days. The discussions will cover 15 areas, including investment and economic cooperation.According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the negotiations will be led by Kwon Hye-jin, head of the Trade Negotiation Bureau, and Batkhuyag Idersh, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Mongolia, with around 40 rep June 7, 2026

SK Telecom to Hold Lottery for 10,000 Gold Numbers Until June 21 A total of 10,000 easily memorable and business-friendly mobile gold numbers will be available to the public. On June 7, SK Telecom announced that it will conduct its first lottery event of the year for popular 'gold numbers' until June 21. The lottery will include numbers with repeating digits such as 1111 and 0002, numbers with specific meanings like 1004 and 1472, and numbers where the area code matches the last four digits (ABCD-ABCD), totaling nine different types. Individuals can June 7, 2026

Hong Myung-bo Focuses on Tactical Refinement Ahead of World Cup Opener Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korean national soccer team, emphasized the importance of refining tactics as the team prepares for their first match in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. In a press conference held on June 6 at the Chivas Verde Base Camp, Hong stated, "The next three days of training will be crucial. The players have undergone a good process during the pre-camp and have prepared well. We will work on any remaining shortcomings June 7, 2026

U.S. Considers Using Iranian Assets for Gulf Nations' Recovery The United States is reportedly exploring the possibility of using Iranian assets to aid in the recovery and reconstruction of damage suffered by Gulf allies. According to a source familiar with the matter, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Vance has instructed a team to assess the extent of the damage inflicted by Iran on its Gulf allies. The source indicated that the U.S. is considering utilizing Iranian assets not only for the reconstruction costs of potential future damage from Iranian June 7, 2026

Record Number of New Home Pension Subscribers Amid Increased Benefits As a result of increased benefits and relaxed eligibility requirements, the number of new subscribers to the home pension program surged, reaching a record high in April. According to the Korea Housing Finance Corporation, there were 2,322 new home pension subscribers in April, marking the highest monthly total ever recorded. The home pension program, introduced in July 2007, allows homeowners aged 55 and older to receive a pension for life or for a set period by using their homes valu June 7, 2026

Jeon Ji-hyun's 'Gunchi' Leads Weekend Box Office, 'Wild Thing' Follows The films 'Gunchi' and 'Wild Thing' have showcased the strength of Korean cinema by dominating the weekend box office. 'Gunchi,' marking Jeon Ji-hyun's return to the screen, continues to draw audiences as it approaches 5 million ticket sales. Meanwhile, the comedy 'Wild Thing,' starring Kang Dong-won, Um Tae-goo, and Park Ji-hyun, is also performing well in its early release phase. According to the integrated ticket sales network on June 7, 'Gunchi' attracted 281,926 viewers on June 6, main June 7, 2026

Samsung and SK Hynix Expected to Continue Record Performance in Q2 Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are projected to maintain their record performance in the second quarter. After both companies exceeded market expectations with their operating profits in the first quarter, there are predictions that they could rank among the top global profit earners for the year, and this positive trend is expected to continue into the second quarter. According to industry reports on June 7, analysts predict that the combined operating profit for Samsung Electronics an June 7, 2026

Jensen Huang to Throw First Pitch and Meet Game Executives Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is continuing his unique activities that bridge sports and gaming during his third day in South Korea. On June 7, Huang is set to make a surprise appearance as the starting pitcher at the Doosan Bears' home game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. He will don a Doosan uniform featuring the number '93' to commemorate the year NVIDIA was founded (1993) as he steps onto the mound in front of local baseball fans. Notably, Doosan Group Chairman Park Jung-won wil June 7, 2026

LG Uplus to Build Largest AI Data Center in the Seoul Area, Targeting $4.5 Billion in Contracts by 2030 "We plan to continue expanding the AIDC based in Paju in the future." On June 5, at the construction site of LG Uplus's Paju AIDC, workers donned hard hats as they entered a site still dominated by concrete frames and steel structures. By 2027, this facility is set to transform into the largest AIDC in the Seoul area, capable of accommodating over 100,000 servers with a power capacity of 200 megawatts (MW). During a press briefing held at the site, Ahn Hyung-kyun, head of LG Uplus's Ente June 7, 2026

Kim Yong-beom Reflects on One Year as Policy Chief: Thanks Supporters Kim Yong-beom, Chief of the Policy Office, stated that while corporate earnings are at record levels with the KOSPI reaching 8,000 points, the exchange rate is hovering around 1,550 won.In a Facebook post on June 6, Kim reflected, "Both good and challenging times present us with unfamiliar tasks." He noted, "Exactly one year ago today, I began my role as Policy Chief, and now I face a different landscape."He continued, "Amid dismal macroeconomic indicators, including 13 consecutive quarters of d June 7, 2026