Market Preview: U.S. Stocks Mixed Amid Tech Profit-Taking and Stalled Peace Talks U.S. stock indices closed mixed amid geopolitical risks in the Middle East and a sharp decline in semiconductor stocks, suggesting that the domestic market may enter a phase of increased short-term volatility. Following the KOSPI's historic breach of the 8000 mark, analysts note that profit-taking and concerns over Nvidia's earnings could limit the index's upward potential. On May 18, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.32%, while the S&P 500 fell 0.07% and the Nasdaq dropped 0.51%. T May 19, 2026

Middle East Conflict Continues to Weigh on Bitcoin, Trading at $77,000 Bitcoin is struggling to rebound from the $77,000 mark amid concerns over the prolonged conflict in the Middle East and rising U.S. government bond rates.According to CoinMarketCap, as of 8 a.m. on May 19, Bitcoin was trading at $77,702, down 1.18% from the previous day. On the prior day, it had dipped to $76,009, marking its lowest point in nearly two weeks.Major altcoins also experienced declines. At the same time, Ripple (XRP) fell 1.40% to $1.39. Ethereum dropped 2.03% to $2,134.09, while So May 19, 2026

Controversy Over Historical Distortion in '21st Century Great Lady' Seok Kyung-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, criticized the recently concluded MBC drama '21st Century Great Lady' for its historical inaccuracies, stating it has provided a basis for China's Northeast Project. On May 19, Yonhap News reported that Seok expressed on social media, "For historical content viewed by global audiences through OTT platforms, it is crucial to ensure accurate historical verification and to be aware of the historical distortions by neighboring coun May 19, 2026

Today’s High of 31 Degrees, Rain Expected Nationwide Tomorrow Today, temperatures are expected to rise, leading to a hot day, but rain will begin nationwide tomorrow, bringing a shift in the weather pattern. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the weather will be mostly cloudy today, becoming overcast by night. The daytime high is forecasted to range from 24 to 31 degrees Celsius. In particular, areas in the southeastern region may see temperatures exceed 30 degrees, with significant temperature differences between day and night ac May 19, 2026

U.S. CDC Prepares to Increase Personnel Amid Ebola Spread in Congo As Ebola virus infections emerge in the Central African nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, CBS News reported on May 17 that at least six Americans in the country have been exposed to the virus, although their infection status remains unclear. According to sources, three of these individuals are considered high-risk contacts, with one showing symptoms. It has not been confirmed whether they are still in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On May 17, the World Health Organiza May 19, 2026

Jensen Huang Predicts China's AI Chip Market Will Eventually Open Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, expressed optimism that China's artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor market will eventually open up. His comments came after the U.S. government partially approved the sale of NVIDIA's high-performance AI chip, the H200, to China, although actual product deliveries have yet to occur. In an interview with Bloomberg TV at a Dell-hosted event on May 18, Huang stated, "I believe the Chinese market will open up over time." He noted that while he accompanied th May 19, 2026

Yoo Jae-suk Gifts Money to Choi Jin-sil's Daughter Choi Jun-hee at Wedding Broadcast personality Yoo Jae-suk recently made headlines for sending a monetary gift to Choi Jun-hee, the daughter of the late actress Choi Jin-sil, for her wedding. On May 18, Choi Jun-hee shared a post on her social media, stating, "King God General. He didn’t say anything, and I received it late," along with a photo. The photo revealed a list of wedding gifts, drawing attention to Yoo Jae-suk's name next to that of Jo Se-ho, who hosted the ceremony. Although Yoo Jae-suk did not at May 19, 2026

President Lee Warns Samsung Union: Respect for Corporate Management is Essential President Lee Jae-myung on May 18 addressed the Samsung Electronics labor union, stating, "In South Korea, which adopts a free democratic order and a capitalist market economy, both labor and corporate management must be respected equally." This marks the first time President Lee has directly targeted the Samsung union ahead of its planned strike on May 21, raising questions about the potential impact of his remarks on labor-management negotiations.In a post on X (formerly Twitter), President Le May 19, 2026

Trump Says He Would Accept Deal to Prevent Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons President Donald Trump stated that he would be satisfied with a deal that prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. His remarks come as he has postponed military action, leaving room for negotiations. On May 18, during an event at the White House, Trump mentioned that he received requests from leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to delay military action for two to three days. He noted, "They believe they are very close to an agreement," adding, "If we can May 19, 2026

Ingenia's KOSDAQ Listing Review Expected This Week Amid Slow IPO Market ◆ Ajou Economic Major News ▷ Ingenia's KOSDAQ listing review results expected this week as major IPOs join the race. - The preliminary review results for Ingenia Therapeutics, a U.S. biotech firm, are expected as early as this week. - Ingenia submitted its application for the KOSDAQ listing on January 30, selecting Samsung Securities as its lead underwriter. - Following Ingenia, several companies with market capitalizations ranging from hundreds of billions to trillions of won are set to e May 19, 2026