How to Create a Golden Holiday with Just 4 Days of Leave for Liberation Day As Liberation Day approaches in August, office workers are increasingly interested in planning a 'golden holiday' using their annual leave.This year, Liberation Day falls on a Saturday, with the following Monday, August 17, designated as a substitute holiday, providing a basic three-day weekend. Depending on how annual leave is utilized, it is possible to extend this break to a maximum of ten days.The most efficient strategy involves scheduling annual leave around the Liberation Day holiday. Wit July 30, 2026

Jung Cheong-rae Leads in First-Choice Votes Ahead of Democratic Party Convention As the Democratic Party prepares for its convention on August 17, candidate Jung Cheong-rae has emerged with a significant lead in first-choice votes, according to a recent poll. However, analysts caution that the outcome remains uncertain due to the preference voting system that will be used if no candidate secures a majority in the first round.On July 30, Media Tomato released results from a survey conducted from July 27 to 28, which included responses from 1,033 individuals aged 18 and older July 30, 2026

China Will Not Implement Major Stimulus or Rate Cuts This Year, GDP Target Achievable China's GDP growth rate for the second quarter was 4.3%, falling short of expectations. However, analysts predict that the country will not announce any major stimulus measures or interest rate cuts.Xiong Yuan, chief economist at Guosheng Securities, stated, "It is unlikely that strong economic stimulus measures will be introduced at the Politburo meeting at the end of this month," according to a report by the Jiemian newspaper on July 30.Xiong noted that while the second quarter growth rate of July 30, 2026

LG Household & Health Care Shares Surge Over 18% on Strong Q2 Results and Upgraded Price Targets LG Household & Health Care shares surged more than 18% in early trading following strong second-quarter results and upgraded price targets from analysts.As of 9:41 a.m. on July 30, the company’s stock was trading at 311,000 won, up 48,000 won (18.25%) from the previous trading day, according to the Korea Exchange.On July 29, LG Household & Health Care reported consolidated sales of 1.656 trillion won and an operating profit of 102.8 billion won for the second quarter of 2026. Compared to the sam July 30, 2026

U.S. Resumes Airstrikes on Iran in Response to Attacks The U.S. military conducted airstrikes on Iran in response to attacks on U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East.U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on X (formerly Twitter) that airstrikes against Iran began at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on July 29.CENTCOM described the airstrikes as a strong response to Iran's attempted attack on U.S. forces the previous day, but did not disclose specific locations or targets of the strikes.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched several ballistic July 30, 2026

Zuckerberg: Personal AI Agents Will Become a Revenue Source, Used by Billions in 5 Years Meta anticipates that billions of people will use personal artificial intelligence (AI) agents within the next five years, aiming to establish this technology as a foundation for next-generation products and revenue streams.On July 29, during a quarterly earnings conference call, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, stated, "Looking five years ahead, it is highly unlikely that billions of people will not have personal agents that understand their goals and work 24/7 to help them achieve those goals." Z July 30, 2026

Hyundai Home Shopping Expands K-Beauty Market with Pop-Up Store in Jeju Hyundai Home Shopping is launching a pop-up store for the beauty brand 'Cohasis' in Jeju's Udo Island to expand the market for small K-beauty brands. The pop-up store will operate from August 1 through the end of the month at the café 'Hundertwassertwins' within the cultural and artistic complex 'Hundertwasser Park' in Udo, Jeju, the company announced on July 30. Hundertwasser Park is a major tourist destination in Jeju, featuring accommodations, an art museum, cafés, and walking paths, attracti July 30, 2026

Rep. Jo Kyung-tae Criticizes Party Ethics Committee's Actions Rep. Jo Kyung-tae of the People Power Party criticized the party's Central Ethics Committee on July 30, claiming it is acting like an 'avatar' for party leader Jang Dong-hyuk.During an appearance on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Jo stated, "There are claims that the guidelines allowing for discipline against actions that continuously and repeatedly disrupt the party leader or the normal operation of the party seem to be for 'loyalty pledges.'"He raised concerns about the decision to initia July 30, 2026

U.S. Interest Rate Hold Amid High Inflation and Middle East Tensions; Government to Monitor Market Impact The South Korean government has assessed that the uncertainty surrounding future monetary policy may continue due to high inflation in major countries and instability in the Middle East, despite the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to hold interest rates in July.Lee Hyung-il, First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, convened a joint macroeconomic and financial meeting on July 30 at the Bankers Association building in Seoul to review the financial market impacts following the July 30, 2026

Daewoong Pharmaceutical Expands Nabota into Kuwait, Leading K-Toxin Presence in Middle East Daewoong Pharmaceutical is expanding its market presence in the Middle East with its botulinum toxin product, Nabota. With its entry into Kuwait, the company has launched its product in a total of seven countries, setting a record for the most extensive reach among K-toxins.On July 30, Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced that it has begun supplying its premium botulinum toxin Nabota to Kuwait. This expansion brings Nabota to a total of seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emira July 30, 2026