Michelle Steel Begins Tenure as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea 미셸 스틸 신임 주한미국대사가 30일 한국에 부임했다. 도널드 트럼프 2기 행정부 첫 주한대사로, 성 김 전 대사에 이어 역대 두 번째 한국계 대사다. 대미 관세 협상과 안보 협력 등 한·미관계 앞에 놓인 현안을 진전시키는 데 어떤 역할을 할지 주목된다. 스틸 대사는 이날 인천국제공항에서 발표한 성명에서 “한국 국민 여러분께 정중히 인사드린다. 저는 서울에서 태어났지만 미국을 대표해 이 자리에 섰다. 이 자리에 다시 서니 만감이 교차한다”라고 한국어로 말했다. 이어 스틸 대사는 영어로 “미국과 한국 July 30, 2026

Dev Sisters Launches Global Release of Cookie Run: Crumble Dev Sisters announced the global launch of its mobile idle role-playing game (RPG) 'Cookie Run: Crumble' on July 30. Cookie Run: Crumble is the first idle game developed under the Cookie Run intellectual property (IP). It features rapid growth and rewards typical of idle games, combined with strategies for cookie and pet combinations and dynamic battle scenes. The game has surpassed 2 million pre-registrations worldwide.The launch version includes a total of 69 cookies and 54 pets. Among them is July 30, 2026

Muan County Council Holds Heated Session on Administrative Reports The 310th Muan County Council's temporary session featured heated discussions on administrative reports, with sessions extending past 6 p.m. as council members expressed high interest and the administration provided responsible answers.On July 30, the administrative report was chaired by Vice Chair Yang Yeong-bok in place of Chair Im Yoon-taek. The meeting included reports and Q&A sessions from six departments, including marine and fisheries, construction, and regional development.From the first July 30, 2026

Special Prosecutor Bill Passes National Assembly Amid Filibuster On July 30, the ruling and opposition parties reached an agreement in the National Assembly to pass a special prosecutor bill and an extension of the national investigation into issues related to voter rights violations during the June 3 local elections. However, amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act and the National Assembly Act were delayed due to a filibuster initiated by the opposition. The ruling party plans to counter the unlimited debate with a motion to end it and pass both bills sequ July 30, 2026

Joint Chiefs of Staff: Unidentified Aircraft in Northern Gyeonggi Confirmed as U.S. Drone Northern Gyeonggi Province authorities confirmed that an unidentified aircraft spotted near the civilian control line was a U.S. drone conducting training exercises.A Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official stated on July 30, "An unidentified aircraft was detected in the northern Gyeonggi area south of the General Outpost (GOP), and appropriate measures were taken according to operational procedures. Upon confirmation, it was identified as a U.S. drone, and the situation has been resolved."Resident July 30, 2026

Samsung SDS Plans to Expand AI Infrastructure to 800MW by 2031 Samsung SDS plans to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure from the current 110 megawatts (MW) to over 800 MW by 2031. As demand for the latest graphics processing units (GPUs) rapidly increases, the company will also significantly grow its AI transformation (AX) business in the finance and public sectors.In its preliminary second-quarter results, Samsung SDS reported revenues of 3.7178 trillion won and an operating profit of 231.8 billion won. Compared to the same period last y July 30, 2026

Transforming Saemangeum into South Korea's Physical AI Capital South Korea stands at a pivotal moment in the industrial revolution. Beyond semiconductors and generative AI, the era of Physical AI, where artificial intelligence drives real-world applications, is now upon us. This new phase involves AI controlling robots, managing factories, and autonomously overseeing systems in automotive, agriculture, logistics, and energy. The future competitiveness of nations will likely hinge not on how much AI is developed, but on how deeply it is integrated into indus July 30, 2026

Increased Content Fees from MPP's Duplicate Programming Limit Viewer Choices The structure of transactions in which multiple channel operators (MPOs) repeatedly schedule the same content across affiliated channels and bundle them for supply is increasing the content fee burden on pay-TV operators and limiting viewers' actual choices. Despite courts ruling that program supply contracts end when the contract period concludes, concerns have been raised that government guidelines effectively make it difficult to terminate contracts, thereby distorting the market.On July 30, July 30, 2026

Lotte Innovate Reports 2nd Quarter Revenue of 274.5 Billion Won, Operating Profit Up 54% Lotte Innovate reported a double-digit increase in operating profit for the second quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, driven by improved profitability in its core business and enhanced earnings from key subsidiaries.On July 30, Lotte Innovate announced that it achieved consolidated revenue of 274.5 billion won and an operating profit of 12.4 billion won. The operating profit rose by 54% year-on-year, with the operating profit margin increasing by 1.7 percentage points to July 30, 2026

Hyun-bum Cho Returns to Leadership as Hanon Systems Seeks Recovery Hyun-bum Cho, chairman of Korea & Company Group, returned to management on July 30 after being released on parole. He now faces significant challenges in addressing the company's operational issues.Among the pressing tasks are the normalization of Hanon Systems, which was acquired last year, and creating synergies among the group's subsidiaries. Additionally, external challenges such as U.S. tariffs, global economic slowdown, and geopolitical risks loom large.Cho was released from the Hwaseong V July 30, 2026