Lotte Engineering Expands Asset Management Partnership with Cushman & Wakefield Lotte Engineering is expanding its asset management capabilities, built through the operation of Lotte World Tower, to external real estate.On September 22, Lotte Engineering announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield Korea to collaborate on real estate services.The two companies plan to jointly explore new business opportunities in asset management (PM), leasing advisory, real estate consulting, and acquisition and September 22, 2026

First Year Review of Integrated Financial Project Performance Evaluation A symposium was held to review the implementation results and challenges of the newly introduced integrated financial project performance evaluation and to discuss improvement directions for the overall financial performance management system.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance announced that it co-hosted the 'Productive Financial Management, Detailed Performance Management - 2026 Financial Performance Management Symposium' on September 22 at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, in collaboration wi September 22, 2026

Kim Jong Un Addresses Propaganda Officials, Emphasizes Use of Technology Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, made his first direct address at the ruling Workers' Party's propaganda training session, which began in 2022. His emphasis on utilizing modern information and technology to block the influx of external ideologies and cultures has been noted as a significant move.The state-run Rodong Sinmun reported on September 22 that Kim spoke at the closing ceremony of the third propaganda training session held the previous day.Kim attended both the opening and September 22, 2026

KOSPI Shrinks Gains Amid 2 Trillion Won Sell-Off by Retail Investors; KOSDAQ Turns Negative The KOSPI index narrowed its early gains of over 2% to less than 1% due to a significant sell-off by retail investors amounting to nearly 2 trillion won. Despite recovering above the 7,100 mark, the index faced pressure from increased selling activity. Meanwhile, the KOSDAQ index reversed its early upward trend, influenced by foreign and institutional selling.As of 2:03 PM, the KOSPI was up 44.14 points (0.63%) at 7,051.86, having started the day at 7,161.61, up 153.89 points (2.20%). Although i September 22, 2026

Urgent Need for Tenant Solutions Beyond 1.19 Million Public Housing Units Finding a new rental property is challenging for tenants, with limited options available. Buying a home is difficult due to high bank requirements, and returning to monthly rent poses a financial burden. As a result, many tenants feel they have no choice but to stay in their current homes. The distinction between wanting to remain in a place and being forced to stay due to a lack of alternatives is crucial for housing policy, which must address both stability and insecurity.The government has an September 22, 2026

Government Delays 12th Power Supply Plan Until After December Nuclear Debate The timeline for finalizing the 12th Power Supply Basic Plan has been pushed back from October to after December, following the conclusion of a public discussion on nuclear power. The government has decided that the public consultation process will last approximately three months, but it will not determine the specific construction scale of new nuclear reactors. ◆ Three-Month Deliberation to Yield Recommendations in December Kim Seong-hwan, Minister of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Envi September 22, 2026

OpenAI Proposes Global AI Standards Led by the U.S. Amid Security Discussions at the U.N. OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has unveiled a proposal for global technical standards concerning the safety and security of next-generation artificial intelligence (AI), asserting that the United States should take the lead. This comes as the competition for AI technological supremacy expands among nations, including the U.S. and China, with a call for the U.S. to secure international governance over AI.In a lengthy blog post published on September 21, OpenAI stated, "To ensure the safe and b September 22, 2026

22 Public Procurement Exceptions Repealed or Revised; Management System Overhauled Twenty-two of the 60 public procurement exceptions that allowed public institutions to apply different standards and procedures from national contract laws will be repealed or revised. The management system will also be restructured, including clarifying approval requirements for exceptions and applying a maximum three-year review period for new exceptions.Heo Chang, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, discussed the overhaul of public institution contract exceptions September 22, 2026

Finding Solutions for Youth Employment in the AI Era As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the job market and career development for young people, the government, businesses, and social enterprises are seeking solutions to expand job opportunities through work experience and entrepreneurship.The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry co-hosted the 'Youth Employment Forum in the AI Era' on September 22 at COEX in Seoul. This forum is part of the '3rd Korea Social Value Festa,' which runs from September September 22, 2026

Recycling Rare Earth Magnets from End-of-Life Electric Vehicles The South Korean government is working to establish a system for recovering and recycling rare earth permanent magnets from the drive motors of end-of-life electric and hybrid vehicles. Through a pilot project, officials estimate that up to 15 tons of these magnets can be recovered annually from approximately 14,000 scrapped vehicles.On September 22, the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment announced that it would sign a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Environment Corporation, September 22, 2026