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  • GM Korea Achieves 40,000 Vehicle Sales in July, Marking Sixth Time This Year
    GM Korea Achieves 40,000 Vehicle Sales in July, Marking Sixth Time This Year GM Korea continued its strong sales performance in July, achieving its sixth month of 40,000 vehicle sales this year, driven by robust exports of its flagship SUVs, the Chevrolet Trax crossover and Trailblazer.On August 3, GM Korea reported total sales of 42,119 vehicles in July, which includes 766 units sold domestically and 41,353 units exported. This represents a 30.6% increase compared to the same period last year.Exports were the primary driver of this performance, with 41,353 vehicles sold overseas. Among these, the Chevrolet Trax crossover, including its variants, saw a significant increase of 48.1% year-on-year, with 26,822 units sold, marking the highest sales figures. The Chevrolet Trailblazer, including its variants, also performed well, with 14,531 units sold, reflecting a 12.6% increase from the previous year.Despite relatively low domestic sales, GM Korea is making efforts to expand its market presence. Throughout August, the company will offer cash incentives of up to 1 million won to customers purchasing the Trax crossover, Trailblazer, and Sierra.Gustavo Colossi, Vice President of Sales, Service, and Marketing at GM Korea, stated, "As the Chevrolet Trax crossover and Trailblazer continue to achieve steady sales in the global market, we will enhance our after-sales service system accordingly."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-03 17:12:00
  • Busan North Port Transfer Center Faces Construction Halt Due to Design Issues
    Busan North Port Transfer Center Faces Construction Halt Due to Design Issues The Busan Dong-gu Office has issued a pre-notice of a construction halt to PQ Construction, the builder of the North Port Transfer Center, due to a height discrepancy issue in the elevated pedestrian walkway.This action comes after the builder failed to complete the design change process for over six months.According to the Dong-gu Office, the pre-notice was sent on July 31. The problematic section connects the KTX Busan Station, the rooftop plaza of the transfer center, and a cultural park. The office confirmed that there is a height difference of approximately 3 meters in this area.Under building regulations, if the scope of changes exceeds a minor level, formal design change approval must be obtained before proceeding with construction. However, this procedure has not been completed.Earlier this year, the Dong-gu Office confirmed the builder's intention to change the design and has been encouraging compliance. Although PQ Construction began the design change process earlier this year, it has not submitted the formal approval application within the designated timeframe.The Dong-gu Office plans to receive explanatory materials from the builder by August 20 and will determine the final level and timing of any actions to be taken.A spokesperson for the office stated, "This pre-notice does not immediately halt all construction; decisions regarding the pedestrian walkway will be made after gathering opinions."Currently, construction of the transfer center is effectively stalled, with an estimated overall progress rate of about 10%. The original completion date was set for June 2029. If a formal construction halt order is issued, delays in the completion and opening schedule are expected.If the builder fails to comply with the corrective demands, the Dong-gu Office may take stronger measures, including imposing fines or filing complaints, in accordance with relevant laws. However, the office has stated that it will monitor the situation before making any decisions.Meanwhile, the exact cause of the 3-meter height discrepancy has not yet been clearly identified. The Dong-gu Office has indicated that the discrepancy is not simply due to a measurement error between the design plans and the actual construction height, but further investigation is needed to clarify the specific circumstances. Additionally, the currently reported 10% progress rate will undergo verification through written documentation in the future.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-03 17:08:20
  • Hyundai Motor Reports 320,000 Global Sales in July, Down 5.1% Year-on-Year
    Hyundai Motor Reports 320,000 Global Sales in July, Down 5.1% Year-on-Year Hyundai Motor announced that its global sales in July totaled 318,454 units, a 5.1% decrease compared to the same month last year.Domestic sales fell 14.4% year-on-year to 48,113 units, while overseas sales decreased by 3.2% to 270,341 units.The best-selling vehicle type in the domestic market was sedans, with the Grandeur leading at 8,532 units, followed by the Sonata at 4,584 units and the Avante at 2,624 units, totaling 16,331 units.In the recreational vehicle (RV) category, a total of 16,767 units were sold, with the Santa Fe at 3,822 units, followed by the Kona at 2,756 units and the Palisade at 2,545 units.Sales of light commercial vehicles reached 7,281 units, including 4,280 units of the Porter and 2,904 units of the Staria. Medium and large buses and trucks sold a total of 2,304 units.Genesis models sold a total of 5,430 units, with the G80 at 1,933 units, the GV70 at 1,700 units, and the GV80 at 1,317 units.A Hyundai official stated, "In July, overall industry demand was sluggish due to production disruptions caused by strikes and waiting demand for new models. We plan to introduce competitive new models, including the all-new Avante, in the second half of the year while stabilizing production operations to strengthen our sales momentum."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-03 17:08:10
  • Trading Volume Drops Over 50% After Increase in Leverage ETF Deposit Requirement
    Trading Volume Drops Over 50% After Increase in Leverage ETF Deposit Requirement Following the government's increase of the basic deposit requirement for single-stock leverage exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to 30 million won, trading volumes for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix leverage ETFs have decreased by more than 50%. Analysts suggest that the new regulations aimed at curbing investment speculation have effectively dampened short-term trading.According to the Korea Exchange on August 3, the trading volume for 14 types of single-stock leverage ETFs based on Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix was recorded at 112,418,178 shares. This marks a 53.5% decline from the previous trading day on July 31, when the volume was 241,927,900 shares.The decline in trading volume for key products was significant. The 'KODEX SK Hynix Single Stock Leverage' ETF saw a drop from 116,923,503 shares to 44,387,596 shares, a decrease of 62.0%. Similarly, the 'KODEX Samsung Electronics Single Stock Leverage' ETF fell from 43,311,691 shares to 21,305,981 shares, a reduction of 50.8%.The 'TIGER SK Hynix Single Stock Leverage' ETF decreased from 53,364,914 shares to 35,988,627 shares, a 32.6% drop, while the 'TIGER Samsung Electronics Single Stock Leverage' ETF fell from 20,607,747 shares to 8,841,049 shares, a 57.1% decline.To mitigate excessive investment in single-stock leverage ETFs, the government implemented a policy on July 31 to raise the basic deposit requirement from 10 million won to 30 million won. Additionally, the basic deposit is now recognized only in cash, excluding stocks, ETFs, and bonds. Therefore, if an investor deposits 30 million won and purchases 20 million won worth of single-stock leverage ETFs, they must deposit an additional 20 million won in cash for further purchases. However, there are no restrictions on selling existing holdings. 2026-08-03 17:04:20
  • DeepSeeks V4-Flash Offers Lowest Operating Costs Among Major AI Models
    DeepSeek's V4-Flash Offers Lowest Operating Costs Among Major AI Models Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek's new model has recorded the lowest operating costs among major global AI models. The cost per benchmark test is over 100 times cheaper than Anthropic's 'Claude Payable 5.'According to Reuters on August 2, AI model evaluation firm Artificial Analysis reported that DeepSeek's 'V4-Flash' had the lowest cost for benchmark tests among major global models.Artificial Analysis estimated the average cost per test for V4-Flash at 3 cents (approximately 43 won). In comparison, China's Moonshot AI's 'Kimi K3' costs 86 cents (about 1,230 won), OpenAI's 'GPT-5.6 Sol' costs $1.86 (about 2,600 won), and Anthropic's 'Claude Payable 5' costs $3.15 (about 4,500 won).The usage fee for V4-Flash is $0.14 (about 200 won) per million input tokens and $0.28 (about 400 won) per million output tokens. Tokens are the data units used by AI to process or generate sentences.DeepSeek officially launched V4-Flash on July 31. The company, which is reportedly preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), is leveraging its ultra-low-cost AI model to regain market leadership.However, it is challenging to assess actual operating costs based solely on token prices. Reuters noted that even with lower prices, if more inference processes and input/output tokens are required to generate responses, the final costs could increase.Additionally, V4-Flash's performance did not match some high-performance models. In the 'Intelligence Index' compiled by Artificial Analysis, which aggregates results from nine benchmarks including coding, reasoning, and task-oriented challenges, V4-Flash scored 50 out of 100.This score is on par with Google's 'Gemini 3.6 Flash' but one point lower than Meta's 'Muse Spark 1.1' and China's Z.AI's 'GLM-5.2.' Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 scored 57, while Anthropic's 'Claude Opus 5,' 'Claude Payable 5,' and OpenAI's GPT-5.6 scored at least nine points higher than V4-Flash.The index is calculated based on evaluations from nine benchmarks, including coding, reasoning, and task-oriented challenges.DeepSeek is also preparing a higher-performing model, 'V4-Pro,' but has not disclosed an official release date.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-03 17:04:10
  • Seoul Sizzles as Heat Wave Hits 37°C
    Seoul Sizzles as Heat Wave Hits 37°C Heat haze shimmers above a road near a bus transfer center in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, as heat wave warnings were issued across most parts of South Korea on Aug. 3, 2026. The daytime high in Seoul soared to 37 degrees Celsius. 2026-08-03 17:01:47
  • Ottogi Engages Gaming Fans at Gen.G Esports Home Stand
    Ottogi Engages Gaming Fans at Gen.G Esports Home Stand Ottogi expanded its engagement with gaming fans by operating an interactive booth at a Gen.G Esports fan event.From July 31 to August 1, Ottogi participated in the '2026 LCK Team Roadshow House of Gen.G' held at KINTEX Exhibition Center in Ilsan, showcasing its brand experience space 'Gen Kitchen.''House of Gen.G' is a large-scale esports event featuring Gen.G players, fans, and streamers. The event included regular season LCK matches, player meet-and-greets, the '2026 LoL Championship with Gen.G,' and various event booths.Ottogi set up the booth to promote its global partnership with Gen.G and to enhance its connection with fans. The key message was 'Everyday TASTE, Everyday PLAY,' creating an interactive space that combined the characters of five Gen.G League of Legends players with key products.Gen Kitchen featured programs linked to the unique characteristics and play styles of players such as Kiin, Canyon, Chovy, Ruler, and Doran.At the Kiin booth, participants played a game stacking Ottogi's three-minute products within a time limit, while the Canyon booth offered UNO burrito sales and tastings along with a photo zone. The Chovy booth featured tastings of UNO hot dogs and a dice game, and the Ruler booth provided a dart game with ramen and team posters as prizes. The Doran booth hosted a game program using UNO pizza.An Ottogi representative stated, 'We were able to communicate closely with fans through interactive content that connected the personalities of Gen.G players with Ottogi products. We will continue our marketing activities based on our global partnership with Gen.G, allowing consumers to naturally experience the brand in their daily lives.'Gen.G Esports is a major esports organization operating global professional teams in key titles such as League of Legends, Valorant, and Overwatch.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-03 17:00:00
  • National AI Computing Center Secures Initial 15,000 GPUs, Plans Expansion
    National AI Computing Center Secures Initial 15,000 GPUs, Plans Expansion The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it may expand the scale of graphics processing units (GPUs) secured for the National AI Computing Center based on future AI demand. The equipment will not be limited to specific models but will incorporate the latest GPUs and AI semiconductors, reflecting the technological level and market conditions at the time of construction.During a Q&A session following the groundbreaking ceremony for the National AI Computing Center held on August 3 in Haenam Solasido, Kim Kwang-nyeon, head of the AI Computing Infrastructure Team at the Ministry, stated, "The currently proposed 15,000 GPUs are based on the initial business plan, and we do not rule out the possibility of further expansion if demand arises."The National AI Computing Center will be established on a site of over 48,000 square meters in Haenam Solasido, with a total project cost of approximately 2.5 trillion won. The center aims to be completed by the end of 2028, with plans to provide some AI computing resources starting in 2027 using the Samsung SDS data center.However, the decision to expand the GPU capacity will be made through consultations among the Korea AI Computing Center (Korea AI Computing Center), the government, and participating shareholders. The establishment of Korea AI Computing Center as a public-private joint venture is intended to respond flexibly to changes in AI computing demand.The equipment to be introduced will not be limited to specific products, and selections will be made based on the technological level and market conditions at the time of construction. Kim added, "While the Samsung SDS consortium proposed a certain level of GPU configuration during the business proposal, we plan to introduce the optimal products reflecting the latest technological trends at the actual construction stage."The use of domestic AI semiconductors is also being pursued, but the specific products and scale will be determined based on technological competitiveness, market conditions, and equipment selection and procurement circumstances at the time of construction.The center has also secured the necessary power and water supply for its operations. Choi Hee-joo, head of the data center construction at Korea AI Computing Center, explained, "We have confirmed a power supply of 40 megawatts (MW) through the reservation process with Korea Electric Power Corporation and have established a water supply base through consultations with local governments."To enhance the stability of the center's initial operations, the government plans to link public sector AI computing demand and respond to the AI computing needs of industry, academia, and research institutions. 2026-08-03 16:56:00
  • Justice Ministry Denies Claims of Prosecutor Workforce Inefficiency
    Justice Ministry Denies Claims of Prosecutor Workforce Inefficiency The Justice Ministry has refuted media reports suggesting a potential large-scale inefficiency in the prosecutor workforce ahead of the implementation of a revised criminal procedure law focused on the separation of investigation and prosecution.On August 3, the ministry stated in a briefing that the core prosecutorial functions, excluding direct investigations by prosecutors, will continue without disruption following the separation and the establishment of the prosecutorial office. It emphasized that the demand for personnel and organizational resources will remain sufficient.Even with the reorganization into a prosecutorial office, the ministry maintains that essential duties such as requests for supplementary investigations, decisions on prosecution or non-prosecution, maintaining prosecutions, executing sentences, recovering criminal proceeds, and judicial cooperation will continue unchanged.The ministry anticipates that after the implementation of the revised law, the system for requesting supplementary investigations from police and other investigative agencies will be significantly strengthened, and new procedures for verifying facts will be established. This will greatly increase the judicial oversight responsibilities assigned to the prosecutorial office before charges are filed. Consequently, the roles of prosecutors and staff in handling case reception, processing, preserving seized items, and reviewing warrants are expected to expand.Additionally, the ministry addressed concerns regarding the potential for workforce inefficiency, noting that given the scale of personnel transitions to the new office, some essential functions may require maintaining current staffing levels or could lead to reductions. It dismissed fears that the number of personnel maintaining prosecutions would increase by three to four times, resulting in inefficiencies. The ministry is reportedly coordinating with relevant departments to ensure that there are no disruptions in handling public safety and serious crime cases through functional personnel restructuring and redeployment plans.Previously, the Chosun Ilbo reported that if a significant number of the current 8,200 prosecutors remain with the prosecutorial office, the workload for maintaining prosecutions, which was previously handled by hundreds, would be divided among 2,000 personnel, leading to inefficiencies where one task is shared by three to four individuals. The report also suggested that due to staffing limits, many investigative officers may not be accommodated in the new office, potentially leaving a large number of personnel idle, indicating the repercussions of hasty legislation that stripped investigative powers without a proper personnel management strategy.In response, the Justice Ministry characterized these concerns as a misunderstanding of the existing structure of the prosecutor's office and the functions of the new prosecutorial office, asserting that it will thoroughly prepare detailed redeployment plans to ensure uninterrupted operations of prosecutorial functions after its establishment. 2026-08-03 16:56:00
  • Kia Reports 298,037 Global Sales in July, Up 13.4% Year-on-Year
    Kia Reports 298,037 Global Sales in July, Up 13.4% Year-on-Year Kia continued its growth trend for the fifth consecutive month, driven by strong sales of electrified models.On August 3, Kia announced that it sold a total of 298,037 vehicles globally in July, including 54,604 units in South Korea, 242,556 units overseas, and 877 special vehicles. This marks a 13.4% increase compared to the same period last year, with domestic sales rising by 21.3% and overseas sales by 11.6%.By model, the Sportage led global sales with 52,714 units sold, followed by the Seltos with 36,429 units and the K4 with 20,789 units.In the domestic market, the Seltos was the best-selling model with 7,427 units sold. The Carnival followed with 6,917 units, the Sorento with 6,153 units, and the Sportage with 5,381 units, driving sales of recreational vehicles (RVs).Passenger models included the Ray with 5,178 units, the Morning with 3,408 units, and the K5 with 2,362 units, totaling 13,113 units sold. Commercial vehicles saw the Bongo III sell 2,846 units, and the purpose-built vehicle (PBV) PV5 sell 2,472 units, amounting to a total of 5,451 units.In the overseas market, the Sportage was the top-selling model with 47,333 units sold. The Seltos and K4 followed with 29,002 units and 20,789 units, respectively, contributing to the increase in global sales. Special vehicle sales totaled 877 units, with 131 sold domestically and 746 sold overseas.A Kia representative stated, "We will continue to maintain our sales momentum through tailored sales strategies, including new model launches and diversification of powertrains by region."Meanwhile, Kia's cumulative sales from January to July reached 1,929,417 units, a 4.3% increase compared to the same period last year.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-03 16:52:10