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Com2us to Showcase 'Zeus: God of Wrath' on August 7, Revealing Release Date Com2us will hold an online showcase for its new MMORPG, 'Zeus: God of Wrath,' next month, where it will announce the official release date.On July 24, Com2us announced that the showcase for 'Zeus: God of Wrath,' developed by Everton and published by Com2us, will take place on August 7 at 2:30 PM on its official YouTube channel.Attendees will include Com2us CEO Nam Jae-kwan, Game Business Division Head Kim Jeong-hoon, Everton CEO Kim Dae-hwan, and General Director Jeong Seong-hoon. They will discuss the development process, key content, current release preparations, and future service plans, along with revealing the official release date.Major domestic media outlets will also be present to hear explanations about the development vision and content.'Zeus: God of Wrath' is set in a world where the supreme god Zeus's absolute power has fractured. The MMORPG features graphics based on Unreal Engine 5, content for cooperation and conflict between factions, various growth systems, and user-friendly features.Pre-registration is currently underway, and Com2us aims for a domestic release in the third quarter of this year.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-24 10:24:00 -
Stricter cash requirements for leveraged ETFs to take effect late this month SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - South Korea is set to introduce tougher minimum deposit requirements for single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) late this month, requiring retail investors to hold at least 30 million won (US$20,300) in cash for new or additional purchases. The Financial Services Commission said Friday that it moved up the implementation date from early August to July 31 after consultations with financial authorities and the securities industry. The measure is intended to stabilize demand for high-risk leveraged products. The requirement, part of a regulatory package announced on July 16, applies to domestically and overseas-listed ETFs and exchange-traded notes that track individual stocks. Under the current framework, investors must maintain a minimum deposit of 10 million won and may use stocks, ETFs and bonds to meet the requirement at up to 70 percent of their market value. From July 31, securities posted in place of cash will no longer be recognized. Brokerages will also be barred from lowering the minimum requirement based on a client's trading experience, although they may impose a requirement above 30 million won. Proceeds from securities sales will count toward the requirement only after settlement, typically two business days after the transaction. Loans secured against unsettled sale proceeds will also be excluded from the calculation. The requirement will apply when existing investors make additional purchases, although they will be allowed to sell products they already hold regardless of their cash balance. The FSC said it would recommend that brokerages unable to complete the necessary system upgrades by the deadline restrict new transactions in the products. Separate measures aimed at narrowing gaps between market prices and underlying asset values will take effect on Aug. 19 following revisions to Korea Exchange rules. The changes will strengthen liquidity providers' pricing obligations and accelerate the designation of products as requiring investor caution. Authorities are also considering bringing forward a plan to raise the minimum order size to 20 units from one, originally scheduled for November. A suspension of new product listings and a ban on advertising took effect after the regulatory package was announced on July 16. The FSC said it would continue to monitor market conditions and consider additional measures if demand for the products fails to stabilize. 2026-07-24 10:23:45 -
Philippines Seeks U.S. Support Amid Rising Tensions with China in South China Sea As tensions escalate between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has reached out to U.S. President Donald Trump for assistance.On July 23, President Marcos discussed security cooperation with President Trump during a phone call, according to a statement from the Philippine presidential office reported by Sankei on July 24. Marcos is said to have requested that the South China Sea issue be addressed as a key agenda item at the upcoming U.S.-China summit expected to take place in September.In response, President Trump reportedly promised to convey the Philippines' concerns directly to Chinese President Xi Jinping.Recent physical confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea have heightened tensions in the region. This has led the Philippines to seek assistance from the U.S. Notably, on July 20, a collision occurred near the Second Thomas Shoal, resulting in injuries on the Philippine side. Both countries have blamed each other for the incident.While the territorial disputes over areas like Scarborough Shoal are primarily issues between China and the Philippines, U.S. involvement could escalate the situation into a U.S.-China conflict. There are expectations that China, which seeks to maintain stable relations with the U.S., may take steps to manage its conflict with the Philippines.Meanwhile, on July 22, Wang Yi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo and Foreign Minister, met with Philippine Foreign Secretary Teresa Lazaro in Manila. This marked the first foreign ministerial meeting between China and the Philippines in two years. During the meeting, both sides exchanged sharp criticisms but also conveyed the need to manage tensions between the two nations.Wang stated, "It is an objective fact that there are territorial and maritime boundary disputes between China and the Philippines," adding, "The current relationship between China and the Philippines is at a crossroads, and the direction it takes depends on the Philippines' correct and rational choices." Lazaro emphasized that China should remove structures from the disputed area of Scarborough Shoal.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-24 10:20:00
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Hana Financial Group Trains 54 Young Financial Talents with Financial Supervisory Service Hana Financial Group announced on July 24 that it has trained 54 young financial talents through its 'Hana Young Financial Talent Development Project' in collaboration with the Financial Supervisory Service.The final performance sharing session for the project was held the previous day at Hana Bank's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. Since its inception in 2022, the program has produced a total of 171 graduates.This year, 54 participants from 13 university teams were selected through an idea competition held in April. Over four months, participants received training in finance, ESG education, consumer protection, and mentoring from industry experts.Software training was divided into basic and advanced levels, covering financial data analysis, AI chatbots, generative AI, large language models (LLM), and machine learning. The program also facilitated one-on-one connections between Hana Financial employees and participant teams to develop practical solutions applicable in the field.During the performance sharing session, the 'UniHana' team, which proposed a platform for corporate ESG regulatory compliance and risk assessment, won the grand prize and received a cash award of 10 million won. A total of 30 million won was awarded to seven teams, including two teams that received excellence awards and four teams that received merit awards.The top three teams will have the opportunity to visit fintech companies in London and global financial institutions. All graduates will receive preferential treatment when applying for positions at Hana Financial Group in the future.A representative from Hana Financial stated, “We hope that the talents developed through this project will grow into key drivers of financial innovation and that we will take the lead in nurturing talent so that young people can pursue their dreams without environmental constraints.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-24 10:20:00
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Joint Investigation Team Secures Statement from Election Commission Employee on Vote Statistics Manipulation Employees of the Central Election Commission (CEC) under investigation for alleged vote statistics manipulation reportedly stated that "only the final voter turnout matters."According to legal sources on July 24, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) secured this statement from CEC staff and officials from the Gyeonggi Province Election Commission the previous day.The JIT began its investigation after discovering that CEC staff responsible for managing local polling stations during the June 3 local elections had manipulated election management system statistics to conceal errors in the reported number of voters.When errors occur, protocol requires that they be reported to superiors for correction, but the staff allegedly bypassed this process and entered false data to manipulate the statistics.On the previous day, the JIT conducted searches at the Gyeonggi CEC and the election offices in Songpa, Gangnam, and Seocho districts, securing relevant materials. Those involved in the manipulation of statistics are also being investigated for violations of public records and obstruction of official duties.CEC employees acknowledged the allegations of false data entry but claimed, "Isn’t the final voter turnout what’s important?" They argued that they corrected the earlier misreported voter numbers through additional statistical manipulation, thus justifying their actions.Meanwhile, the JIT continued its search of the CEC servers on this day. The head of the Dongjak District Election Commission is also being summoned for questioning as a suspect in the vote paper shortage incident.Additionally, three CEC officials are expected to be questioned as witnesses regarding allegations of former CEC Chairman Noh Tae-ak's business trip for personal gain.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-24 10:20:00
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People Power Party Calls for Joint Investigation into Alleged Voter Turnout Manipulation 국민의힘은 24일 선거관리위원회의 투표율 임의 조작 의혹에 대해 "국회 국정조사특별위원회를 서둘러 끝낼 것이 아니라 기한을 연장해 특검과 병행해야 한다"고 주장했다. 정희용 사무총장은 이날 국회에서 열린 원내대책회의에서 "특검 도입에 여야가 합의한 만큼 한시라도 빨리 특검을 출범시켜 투표용지 부족 사태는 물론 통계 조작 의혹을 포함한 모든 의혹에 대해 진실을 철저히 규명해야 한다"며 이같이 말했다. 정 사무총장은 "선관위 투표율 허위 입력 정황은 투표용지 부족 사태만큼이나 충격적"이라며 "중앙선관위와 경기도 선관위 관계자들의 조작 정황이 포착됐다는 사실 하나만으로도 사안은 엄중하다"고 지적했다. 이어 "과연 이번 단 한 번뿐이었는지, 과거에도 반복됐던 것은 아닌지, 지금까지 확인된 것이 이번 건에 불과한 것인지 그 어느 것도 단정하기 어려운 상황"이라고 했다. 아울러 "더욱 심각한 것은 조작이 조직적이었다는 의혹"이라며 "선관위 실무자들은 오입력을 은폐하기 위해 투표자 수를 임의로 고치고 보고 절차도 없었다. 오히려 허위 입력 전에 숫자를 맞추자는 취지의 대화를 나눈 것은 공모의 정황으로밖에 볼 수 없다"고 질타했다. 김승수 원내운영수석부대표는 "이번 전산 조작 사태는 현행 선거 관리 시스템에 대한 신뢰를 근본적으로 뒤흔드는 사태"라며 "이번 일로 선관위 특검의 수사 범위를 6·3 지방선거 투표 용지 부족 문제로 한정 지을 수 없다는 것이 분명해졌다"고 강조했다. 김 원내운영수석부대표는 "일체의 전산 조작 시도를 포함한 선관위의 모든 것을 수사 대상에 포함해야 한다"며 "특히 이번 투표 통계 조작에 대해서는 전국 선관위 대상으로 전수 조사가 불가피하다"고 주장했다. 그러면서 "투표 용지 한정 특검이 아니라 선관위 종합 특검을 실시해야 한다"며 "국민의힘은 투표율 등 투개표 데이터 조작을 원천 차단하는 방안을 마련해 당 차원의 선거 관리 시스템 개혁안에 반영하겠다"고 덧붙였다.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-24 10:20:00
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Kolon TissueGene extends slide as trial miss guts valuation SEOUL, July 24 (AJP) - Shares in Kolon TissueGene fell for a sixth consecutive session on Friday, extending a rout that has erased about three-quarters of the biotech firm's market value in a single week after its osteoarthritis gene therapy failed to outperform a placebo in a late-stage U.S. trial. The stock traded at 15,620 won as of 10:04 a.m. on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ, down 5,430 won, or 25.94 percent from the previous close. The shares had already hit the daily limit-down of about 30 percent for three straight sessions from Monday through Wednesday. The company disclosed on Monday that TG-C, a cell and gene therapy for knee osteoarthritis, missed both co-primary endpoints in its U.S. Phase 3 trial. Pain relief and joint function improved among patients who received the drug, but not by a statistically significant margin over placebo. Analysts pinned the miss on the placebo arm rather than the drug itself. "This failure stems not from a lack of efficacy in TG-C but from an unexpectedly strong placebo effect," said Wi Hae-joo, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities, cutting the brokerage's rating to neutral from buy. The firm also lowered its assumptions for trial success probability and U.S. market share. A second U.S. Phase 3 study, coded 12301, is due to report in October, and the company is weighing whether an elevated placebo response skewed the first readout. Wi said the pain reduction seen in the treated arm mirrored earlier Phase 2 results, leaving room for success in the second trial if the placebo effect proves less pronounced. 2026-07-24 10:12:22 -
Cosmax Launches One-Stop Export Support for K-Beauty Brands Cosmetics manufacturer Cosmax is expanding its services to assist clients with export documentation, customs, and duty refunds, moving beyond just manufacturing. To address the challenges faced by small and indie brands due to varying regulations and complex export procedures, Cosmax has established a dedicated portal for handling export and import tasks in one place. On July 24, Cosmax announced the launch of a new 'Export and Import Support' menu within its e-biz system, which serves as a communication channel for clients, providing support throughout the entire export and import process. Clients can access the e-biz portal to register their support needs. They can apply online for assistance with inquiries about export procedures, preparation of shipping documents, issuance of certificates of origin, customs duty refunds, and connections to logistics and customs agencies. Documentation, forms, and Q&A resources are available online, while practical training and consulting for specific issues can be conducted via phone and in-person meetings. The service will be managed by Cosmax's export and import management team. The company directly exports to 43 countries based on finished products, and when including indirect exports through clients, the total reaches over 120 countries. It also operates a supply chain importing raw materials and components from 46 countries. Cosmax holds the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) certification from the Customs Service for both export and import sectors. The company plans to leverage its nearly 20 years of accumulated expertise in export and import operations, including the status of certified exporter necessary for free trade agreement (FTA) applications and experience in operating bonded warehouses, to support its clients. In 2024, Cosmax became the first company in the domestic cosmetics ODM industry to receive the 'Export Tower of $200 Million.' The company anticipates its export revenue will reach $300 million this year. As a specialized cosmetics ODM company, over 90% of Cosmax's total revenue comes from ODM operations, supplying self-developed products to domestic and international brands. According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the export of cosmetics reached $50.7 billion in the first half of 2026, marking a 30.7% increase from the previous year and achieving the highest export performance for the first half of any year. Cosmetics accounted for 7.9% of total small and medium-sized enterprise exports, ranking first among product categories. As the export market expands, the burden of customs regulations, proof of origin, and preparation of shipping documents increases for indie brands. Cosmax aims to support clients not only in product development and manufacturing but also in export and import operations, allowing them to focus on overseas sales and marketing. A Cosmax representative stated, "The role of an ODM partner does not end with product manufacturing. The goal of this service is to share Cosmax's expertise in export and import with clients from the initial stages of their export journey, helping them grow continuously in international markets."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-24 10:08:00
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NH Nonghyup Bank Launches Senior Savings Account with Up to 3.1% Interest NH Nonghyup Bank announced the launch of the 'NH All Wonderful Happiness Companion Account' on July 24, offering a maximum annual interest rate of 3.1% and various fee waivers for pension recipients.This product features preferential interest rates based solely on pension deposit activity, without complex transaction conditions, applicable to daily balances up to 3 million won.The base interest rate is 0.1%, with an additional 2.0 percentage points for customers with pension deposits. New pension recipients at Nonghyup Bank will receive an extra 1.0 percentage point for one year, allowing them to earn up to 3.1% annually.Eligible pensions include public pensions such as the National Pension, Government Employees Pension, Teachers Pension, and Military Pension, as well as veterans' pensions and basic pensions.The account also waives electronic transfer fees, cash withdrawal fees at Nonghyup Bank ATMs, and interbank transfer fees.This product is part of the 'NH All Wonderful' brand launched in November last year to support senior customers in preparing for retirement and managing their assets. It expands the lineup of senior financial products following the introduction of the 'NH All Wonderful Happiness Companion Savings Account' in May.A Nonghyup Bank official stated, "As the aging population rapidly increases, the importance of financial services for senior customers is growing. We aim to establish ourselves as a financial partner that supports not just finance but all aspects of life."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-24 10:08:00
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KB Insurance Revamps Travel Insurance to Enhance Coverage for Flight Delays and Medical Expenses KB Insurance announced on July 24 that it has revised its 'KB Travel Insurance' to strengthen coverage for flight and baggage delays as well as overseas medical expenses. The revision features a streamlined plan naming and benefit structure to help customers easily compare coverage levels. The previous plans named 'Assured', 'Value', and 'Essential' have been renamed to 'Premium', 'Standard', and 'Basic'. The Premium plan now offers increased coverage for flight and baggage delay expenses, raising the limit from 300,000 won to 500,000 won. The overseas medical expense coverage has also been increased from 50 million won to 70 million won for both injury and illness. The Standard plan maintains coverage for flight and baggage delay expenses at 300,000 won, with overseas medical expenses capped at 50 million won for both injury and illness. The number of benefits per plan has also been differentiated. Previously, all three plans offered 26 benefits, but under the new structure, the Premium plan includes 26 benefits, the Standard plan has 24, and the Basic plan offers 17. This allows customers to choose coverage and premiums based on their travel purpose and budget. Coverage for climate-related illnesses, such as heat and cold-related diagnosis expenses, has been included in the Premium plan. A representative from KB Insurance stated, “We revised the product to help customers easily select a plan that fits their travel purpose and budget, reducing the financial burden that may arise during overseas travel. We aim to enhance coverage competitiveness and enrollment convenience by reflecting travel trends and customer demands.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-24 10:08:00