SM Group Donates 50 Billion Won to Ulsan for Community Support Woo Oh-hyun, Chairman of SM Group and major shareholder of UBC Ulsan Broadcasting, is expanding his commitment to the values of sharing and coexistence through his "Happy Management" and "Coexistence Management" initiatives to the city of Ulsan. The company aims to extend support to various segments of society, including marginalized groups, descendants of national merit holders, newlyweds, and university students, while also preserving jobs by rescuing companies facing bankruptcy. Accor June 14, 2026

EcoPro Aims to Regain Leadership in Battery Market with AI-Driven Dark Factory Song Ho-jun, CEO of EcoPro, stated that South Korea's secondary battery industry, which once held a leading position globally, has recently fallen behind due to fierce competition from China. He emphasized that the company plans to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to regain its competitive edge against Chinese rivals. During a meeting with reporters from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on June 11 at EcoPro's Pohang campus, Song remarked, "The secondary battery industry is n June 14, 2026

Papa John's Pizza Planet Pop-Up Opens in Seoul Ahead of Toy Story 5 Release As the release of Disney and Pixar's highly anticipated "Toy Story 5" approaches, the iconic Pizza Planet from the film has opened a pop-up location in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. The "Papa John's Pizza Planet" is a collaboration between Papa John's and the upcoming movie, generating excitement among fans even before its official opening on June 12. Located at Stage X Seongsu, the pop-up store immediately captures attention with its exterior designed to resemble the Pizza Planet from the film. June 14, 2026

Rival Parties Clash Over Legislative Committee Chair Position As the formation of the 22nd National Assembly's second half approaches, South Korea's ruling and opposition parties are engaged in a tense standoff over the position of chair of the Legislative Judiciary Committee. The Democratic Party has accused the People Power Party of having "shallow intentions" in its efforts to retain the chairmanship, while the People Power Party has countered that the Democratic Party is perpetuating "legislative autocracy." Lee Joo-hee, the Democratic Party's f June 14, 2026

Iran Reviews Draft Ahead of Final Decision on U.S. Peace MOU Iran is reportedly continuing to review the draft of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States ahead of a final decision on the agreement. On June 14, Iran's Fars News Agency reported that the country is conducting internal assessments to finalize its stance on the peace MOU with the U.S. A source close to the negotiation team told Fars that Iran has not yet made a public decision regarding the proposed MOU, adding that political, legal, and technical reviews of the docum June 14, 2026

Germany to Face Curaçao in Unique World Cup Matchup Four-time World Cup champion Germany will face Curaçao, a Caribbean island nation with a population of approximately 150,000, in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup. The match is set for 1 p.m. ET on June 14 (2 a.m. KST on June 15) in Houston, Texas, as part of Group E, which also includes Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador. This matchup is considered one of the most unique in the early stages of the tournament. Germany has a storied history, having won the World Cup in 1 June 14, 2026

Rising Borrowing Costs and Reduced Guarantees Burden Jeonse Loan Borrowers Jeonse loans for non-resident homeowners are facing dual pressures as financial authorities consider reducing guarantees for borrowers with properties in regulated areas. This comes as bank funding costs have surged to their highest levels since November 2023. According to data submitted by the Financial Supervisory Service to Lee In-young of the Democratic Party on June 14, the outstanding balance of jeonse loans for homeowners was 13.2 trillion won as of the end of March, with 89,000 loan June 14, 2026

New IRGC Commander Emerges as Key Factor in US-Iran Ceasefire Negotiations Amid the final stages of ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran, Ahmad Vahidi, the newly appointed commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has emerged as a significant variable in the discussions. According to the Wall Street Journal on June 13, Vahidi is advocating for Iran to maintain its demands during negotiations with the U.S., asserting that the country should not back down until its conditions are met. Vahidi was appointed following the death June 14, 2026

AI Welding and Robotic Dogs: A Breakthrough for the Manufacturing Industry "When manufacturing 'lugs,' which are essential for moving ship blocks, six workers could produce about 100 units a day by hand. Recognizing that this is the only product that can be mass-produced in shipyards, we established an autonomous manufacturing system where robots create lugs without human intervention, significantly enhancing productivity. The need for artificial intelligence (AI) is growing to maintain competitiveness and increase productivity," said Yoon Dae-kyu, an executive at June 14, 2026

Jang Dong-hyuk: Rejecting Special Investigation is a 'Confession of Complicity' Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, criticized the government and ruling party on June 14, stating that "rejecting a special investigation related to the June 3 local elections is a 'confession of complicity.'" He urged that the investigation should be entrusted to a special prosecutor recommended by the People Power Party, warning that the refusal of such an investigation could trigger the downfall of the administration. In a post on Facebook targeting the Democratic Part June 14, 2026