Korean Banks Complete Verification of International Payment Project Agora Domestic banks are accelerating the verification of next-generation international payment infrastructure.KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Woori, and NH NongHyup Bank announced on May 28 that they have completed the prototype verification for the 'Project Agora,' led by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF).The Agora Project is a public-private partnership aimed at verifying the feasibility of efficient cross-border payments using central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and deposit tokens.Central banks from seven countries, including South Korea, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, and Mexico, along with over 40 financial institutions, have participated, with the Bank of Canada recently joining the initiative. Six domestic banks, including KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, Woori Bank, NH NongHyup Bank, and IBK Industrial Bank, are listed as participating institutions.Currently, the cross-border payment system is hampered by a structure that involves multiple intermediaries, resulting in slow transfer speeds, high costs, and a lack of transparency in transactions.To address these inefficiencies, the participating institutions examined the feasibility of implementing real-time simultaneous payments based on multiple currencies, improving cross-border payment efficiency, and maintaining currency uniformity in a tokenized environment during the prototype verification. Tokenization refers to the technology that converts deposits or financial assets into blockchain-based digital assets.These banks plan to participate in future real transaction tests based on their experience with Project Agora. The real transaction tests will go beyond prototype verification to confirm the applicability of the payment structure based on actual value transfers. The four banks will assess the global payment potential of won-based deposit tokens by linking their headquarters with overseas networks.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:45:37

Korean Banks Complete Verification for International Payment Project Agora Domestic banks are accelerating the verification of next-generation international payment infrastructure.KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Woori, and NH NongHyup Banks announced on May 28 that they have completed the prototype verification for the 'Project Agora,' led by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF).The Agora Project is a public-private partnership aimed at verifying the feasibility of efficient cross-border payments using central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and deposit tokens.Central banks from seven countries, including South Korea, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, and Mexico, along with over 40 financial institutions, have participated, with the Bank of Canada recently joining. In South Korea, six banks, including KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, NH NongHyup, and IBK Industrial Bank, are involved in the initiative.Currently, the cross-border payment system is hampered by a structure that involves multiple intermediaries, resulting in slow transfer speeds, high costs, and a lack of transparency in transactions.To address these inefficiencies, participating institutions examined the feasibility of implementing real-time simultaneous payments based on multiple currencies, enhancing cross-border payment efficiency, and maintaining currency uniformity in a tokenized environment during the prototype verification. Tokenization refers to the technology that converts deposits or financial assets into blockchain-based digital assets.These banks plan to participate in upcoming real transaction tests based on their experience with Project Agora. The real transaction tests will go beyond prototype verification to assess the applicability of the payment structure based on actual value transfers. The four banks will evaluate the global payment potential of won-based deposit tokens by linking their headquarters with overseas networks.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:45:21

National Security Chief Wei Sung-lak Visits Kazakhstan for Energy Cooperation Talks Wei Sung-lak, the head of South Korea's National Security Office, is set to depart for Kazakhstan on May 28.The Blue House announced that Wei is visiting Kazakhstan, a key trading and investment partner in Central Asia, to discuss preparations for the upcoming Korea-Central Asia Summit scheduled for September.During his visit, Wei will meet with officials from the Kazakh presidential office to review the summit's preparations and coordinate plans for Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to South Korea.Additionally, discussions will cover regional stability and cooperation in energy supply chains.Earlier, South Korea and the five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan—agreed to establish the Korea-Central Asia Summit in 2024, with the inaugural meeting set to take place in South Korea on September 16-17.A Blue House official stated, "Our government plans to maintain close communication with Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, to ensure the successful hosting of the Korea-Central Asia Summit."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:43:21

National Security Chief Wi Sung-lak Visits Kazakhstan to Discuss Energy Cooperation Wi Sung-lak, the head of South Korea's National Security Office, is set to depart for Kazakhstan on May 28. The Blue House announced that Wi's visit aims to discuss cooperation with Kazakhstan, a key trading and investment partner in Central Asia, ahead of the upcoming Korea-Central Asia Summit scheduled for September. During his visit, Wi will meet with officials from the Kazakh presidential office to review preparations for the summit and coordinate plans for Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to South Korea. Additionally, discussions will cover regional security dynamics and energy supply chain cooperation. Earlier, South Korea and the five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan—agreed to establish the Korea-Central Asia Summit, with the inaugural meeting set to take place in South Korea on September 16-17, 2024. A Blue House official stated, "Our government plans to maintain close communication with Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, to ensure the successful hosting of the Korea-Central Asia Summit." * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:43:13

KOSPI Rebounds Amid Retail Buying Despite Foreign Sell-Off The KOSPI index turned upward on the 28th, buoyed by retail investor buying. As of 9:58 a.m., the index was trading at 8,240.30, up 11.60 points (0.14%) from the previous trading day. At this time, foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 23.665 trillion won, while individuals and institutions were net buyers, purchasing 2.606 trillion won and 244.6 billion won, respectively. The KOSPI opened at 8,165.73, down 62.97 points (0.77%) from the previous day, initially widening its losses due to foreign selling. However, strong buying from individual investors soon reversed the trend, pushing the index higher. Among large-cap stocks, SK Hynix rose by 2.45%, Hyundai Motor by 2.35%, Samsung Electro-Mechanics by 2.15%, and LG Energy Solution by 11.47%. In contrast, Samsung Electronics fell by 0.33%, SK Square by 1.49%, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries by 4.03%. At the same time, the KOSDAQ index showed a decline of 18.36 points (1.62%), standing at 1,114.77. In the KOSDAQ market, foreign and institutional investors were net sellers, offloading 114.4 billion won and 29.1 billion won, respectively, while individuals were net buyers, acquiring 167.5 billion won. Among large-cap stocks, Alteogen fell by 3.62%, Rainbow Robotics by 2.60%, Juseong Engineering by 7.21%, Kolon TissueGene by 5.97%, and Samchundang Pharm by 2.56%. Conversely, EcoPro BM rose by 2.11% and EcoPro by 0.77%.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:42:24

KOSPI Rebounds Amid Strong Retail Buying Despite Foreign Sell-Off The KOSPI index turned upward on May 28, buoyed by strong retail buying. As of 9:58 a.m., the index was trading at 8,240.30, up 11.60 points (0.14%) from the previous trading day. At this time, foreign investors were net sellers, offloading 23.665 trillion won, while individuals and institutions were net buyers, purchasing 2.606 trillion won and 244.6 billion won, respectively. The KOSPI opened at 8,165.73, down 62.97 points (0.77%) from the previous day, and initially widened its losses due to foreign selling. However, the index reversed course as individual buying intensified. Among large-cap stocks, SK Hynix rose by 2.45%, Hyundai Motor by 2.35%, Samsung Electro-Mechanics by 2.15%, and LG Energy Solution by 11.47%. Conversely, Samsung Electronics fell by 0.33%, SK Square by 1.49%, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries by 4.03%. At the same time, the KOSDAQ index was down 18.36 points (1.62%), trading at 1,114.77. In the KOSDAQ market, foreign and institutional investors were net sellers, offloading 114.4 billion won and 29.1 billion won, respectively, while individuals were net buyers, acquiring 167.5 billion won. Among large-cap stocks, Alteogen fell by 3.62%, Rainbow Robotics by 2.60%, Juseong Engineering by 7.21%, Kolon TissueGene by 5.97%, and Samchundang Pharmaceutical by 2.56%. Meanwhile, Ecopro BM rose by 2.11% and Ecopro by 0.77%.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:42:00

Hyundai Mobis Hits New 52-Week High Amid Physical AI Value Chain Reassessment Hyundai Mobis has reached a new 52-week high, driven by investor optimism surrounding the reassessment of its physical artificial intelligence (AI) value chain. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 10:19 a.m. on May 28, Hyundai Mobis shares were trading at 712,000 won, up 24,000 won (3.49%) from the previous trading day. Shortly after the market opened, the stock surged 8.87% to hit 749,000 won, marking a new high. Analysts are focusing on the expansion of Hyundai Mobis's physical AI value chain, leading to upward revisions of target prices. Shinhan Investment Corp. raised its target price from 570,000 won to 900,000 won, an increase of 57.9%. Samsung Securities and LS Securities also adjusted their target prices for Hyundai Mobis to 950,000 won and 870,000 won, respectively. Park Kwang-rae, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp., stated, "Hyundai Mobis's after-service (A/S) segment plays a crucial role in supporting the valuation floor as a key cash generator, providing investment capacity for automotive, autonomous driving, and robotics." Lim Eun-young, an analyst at Samsung Securities, noted, "The actuators handled by Hyundai Mobis account for 50% to 60% of the hardware costs for humanoid robots and are also key components for thermal management," indicating an increase in the company's role in the robotics sector. As a result, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio has been raised from 13.7 to 18.4.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:40:35

Hyundai Mobis Hits 52-Week High Amid Physical AI Value Chain Reassessment Hyundai Mobis has reached a 52-week high, driven by investor optimism surrounding the reassessment of its physical artificial intelligence (AI) value chain. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 10:19 a.m. on May 28, Hyundai Mobis shares were trading at 712,000 won, up 24,000 won (3.49%) from the previous trading day. Shortly after the market opened, the stock surged to 749,000 won, marking a new high with an 8.87% increase. Analysts are focusing on Hyundai Mobis's expansion of its physical AI value chain, leading to upward revisions of target prices. Shinhan Investment Corp. raised its target price from 570,000 won to 900,000 won, a 57.9% increase. Samsung Securities and LS Securities also adjusted their target prices for Hyundai Mobis to 950,000 won and 870,000 won, respectively. Park Kwang-rae, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp., stated, "Hyundai Mobis's after-service (A/S) sector plays a crucial role in supporting the valuation floor as a key cash generator, providing investment capacity for automotive, autonomous driving, and robotics." Lim Eun-young, an analyst at Samsung Securities, noted that the actuators handled by Hyundai Mobis account for 50% to 60% of the hardware costs for humanoid robots and are also essential components for thermal management. He indicated that this reflects an expanded role in the robotics sector, prompting an increase in the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio from 13.7 to 18.4.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:40:05

Hyundai Mobis Hits 52-Week High Amid Physical AI Value Chain Reassessment Hyundai Mobis has reached a 52-week high, driven by investor optimism regarding the reassessment of its physical artificial intelligence (AI) value chain. According to the Korea Exchange, as of 10:19 a.m. on May 28, Hyundai Mobis shares were trading at 712,000 won, up 24,000 won (3.49%) from the previous trading day. The stock briefly surged to 749,000 won, an 8.87% increase, shortly after the market opened, marking a new high. Analysts are focusing on Hyundai Mobis's expansion of its physical AI value chain, leading to upward revisions of target prices. Shinhan Investment Corp. raised its target price from 570,000 won to 900,000 won, an increase of 57.9%. Samsung Securities and LS Securities also adjusted their target prices for Hyundai Mobis to 950,000 won and 870,000 won, respectively. Park Kwang-rae, an analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp., stated, "Hyundai Mobis's after-service (A/S) sector plays a crucial role in supporting the valuation floor as a key cash generator, providing investment capacity for automotive, autonomous driving, and robotics." Lim Eun-young, an analyst at Samsung Securities, noted, "The actuators handled by Hyundai Mobis account for 50-60% of the hardware costs for humanoid robots and are essential components for thermal management," indicating an upward revision of the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio from 13.7 to 18.4 to reflect the company's expanding role in the robotics sector.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:39:42

Typhoon 'Jangmi' Expected to Intensify with Potential Impact on South Korea As Typhoon 'Jangmi' moves northward, attention is focused on its potential impact on South Korea. According to the forecast, Jangmi is expected to reach the waters near Okinawa, Japan, early next week. In a bulletin released at 10 a.m. on May 28, the Korea Meteorological Administration reported that as of 9 a.m. that day, Jangmi was located about 610 kilometers northeast of Palau, moving northwest. The central pressure is 998 hPa, with maximum wind speeds near the center reaching 19 m/s and a strong wind radius of 300 km. The storm is moving at a speed of 28 km/h. Jangmi is forecasted to gradually strengthen as it moves northward. The meteorological agency predicts that by 9 p.m. on May 28, the maximum wind speed will increase to 24 m/s, reaching 29 m/s by 9 a.m. on May 29, and 35 m/s by 9 p.m. on the same day. By 9 a.m. on May 30, the maximum wind speed is expected to reach 39 m/s, and by 9 a.m. on May 31, it could develop into a strong typhoon with wind speeds of 40 m/s. According to the expected path, Jangmi will move northwest over the open waters east of the Philippines before heading toward Okinawa. By the morning of May 31, it is projected to be located about 680 km southeast of Okinawa, and by the morning of June 1, about 340 km southeast of Okinawa. It is anticipated to approach the waters near Okinawa by the morning of June 2. The focus now is on whether Jangmi will affect South Korea. Based on the current projected path, it does not appear to be heading directly toward the Korean Peninsula. The expected position on the morning of June 2 is still near Okinawa, not Jeju. However, changes in surrounding atmospheric pressure systems could alter the typhoon's trajectory, so the possibility of indirect effects on the waters south of Jeju and the southern seas will need to be monitored closely in future forecasts. Jangmi is the name submitted by South Korea for this typhoon. The Korea Meteorological Administration will continue to provide updates on the typhoon's path and intensity. Those in the Jeju and southern coastal regions, as well as those with maritime operations or navigation plans, are advised to regularly check the latest typhoon information and marine forecasts. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-28 10:39:00