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  • White Powder Suspected to Be Drugs Found at Olympic Park; Police Request Analysis
    White Powder Suspected to Be Drugs Found at Olympic Park; Police Request Analysis Police have discovered a white powder suspected to be drugs at Olympic Park in Seoul and have requested a detailed analysis from the National Forensic Service.According to Yonhap News Agency, the Songpa Police Station in Seoul reported that a plastic bag containing an unidentified white powder was found recently in a pavilion within Olympic Park.The pavilion is located approximately 300 meters from the handball stadium, where a protest against the Jamsil ballot counting is taking place.Police responded to a report of the white powder, believed to be drugs, at 3:59 PM on July 17.After conducting ten preliminary drug tests at the scene, all results were negative. However, police have requested a thorough examination from the National Forensic Service to confirm the substance's nature.A police official stated, "We are currently waiting for a response from the forensic service," adding that the plastic bag's shape and size differ from typical bags used for drug distribution.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-22 21:08:00
  • National Security Office Chief: Delay in Announcing National Diplomatic Academy Hack Due to Security Concerns
    National Security Office Chief: Delay in Announcing National Diplomatic Academy Hack Due to Security Concerns On July 22, National Security Office Chief Wi Sung-lak addressed the hacking incident involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' National Diplomatic Academy educational information system, stating, "The reason we could not announce the relevant facts immediately was that there were security issues that needed urgent attention among the hacked information."During a briefing at the Blue House, Wi explained, "It took several months to address the related issues, and we announced it on the 20th. There was absolutely no intention to hide or conceal anything."The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed on the 20th that the National Diplomatic Academy's educational information system was hacked in April of last year, and it was only in February of this year that they identified the issue, leading to the system being shut down and an investigation into the damage.This has raised concerns regarding the delay in disclosing the personal information leak, which was made public only this month, five months after the hacking was recognized.Wi acknowledged, "If we had provided a detailed explanation at the early stage of recognizing the hacking, it could have dispelled misunderstandings. I think our communication was insufficient. Since this was a matter with security implications, we had to prioritize our response, which delayed the public announcement of the facts."The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently investigating the hacking damage in cooperation with relevant agencies over a period of about five months. The affected system contained information on up to 10,000 individuals, including names, IDs, and email addresses of foreign service officials, diplomats, and trainees.Wi stated, "We will take this incident as a lesson and do our utmost to check our security system and prevent recurrence. We will also create guidelines or firewalls to address this issue."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-22 20:52:00
  • Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Calls for Universal Support System in AI Era
    Korean Presidential Chief of Staff Calls for Universal Support System in AI Era On July 22, Kang Hoon-sik, the Chief of Staff to the President of South Korea, stated that a Korean-style universal support system is necessary to address the challenges of the AI era.During a meeting with senior aides at the Blue House, as reported by Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gyu-ryeong, Kang noted, "The AI era will present opportunities for economic growth and innovation in administrative services, but it will also bring serious challenges such as job losses and increased polarization."Kang emphasized that South Korea faces significant youth employment instability and a high proportion of workers, including platform laborers, who fall outside existing support systems. He stressed the need for a more comprehensive social safety net.He acknowledged that while the government is actively considering universal support systems for children, youth, artists, farmers, and small business owners, welfare policies must be designed with sustainability as the top priority and should not impose excessive burdens on future generations.Kang called for a comprehensive approach to redesign the existing social safety net and instructed officials to develop a mid- to long-term roadmap that adequately reflects public opinion.He also urged the newly established Youth Future Office, reporting directly to the Chief of Staff, to interpret issues from the youth perspective and to connect future changes with overall national policy.Regarding the recently launched Blue House Youth Fellowship, Kang encouraged young people who can view familiar issues from new perspectives and are willing to connect their experiences to social change to actively participate.Kang pointed out the complexities in the certificate issuance system for military service records and other defense-related documents, which currently operates through a cumbersome civil complaint application process. He noted that this inconvenience could significantly affect young people needing certificates for employment or certification applications and called for prompt improvements to the system.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-22 20:44:00
  • South Korean Prime Minister Inspects Local Child Care Center, Considers Expanding Night Care Services
    South Korean Prime Minister Inspects Local Child Care Center, Considers Expanding Night Care Services Han Seong-sook, the Prime Minister of South Korea, visited a local child care center in the Mapo district of Seoul on July 22 to assess its operations.After touring the counseling and program rooms, she held a meeting with the center's director and staff to discuss operational conditions and challenges they face."I empathize with the heavy hearts of parents who have no choice but to leave their children alone at night due to work or illness," Han said. "Our society must take responsibility to ensure that children are not neglected and are safely cared for."She urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare to consider expanding night care services to accommodate parents who cannot supervise their children at night due to work commitments.Han also emphasized the need to create an environment where caregivers with affection and experience can continue to work effectively.Additionally, she noted that since January, 343 local care facilities across the country have been providing extended care until 10 p.m. or midnight to address gaps in night care. She encouraged parents in urgent need of care to check for nearby centers and apply through the designated hotline or the Child Rights Protection Agency's website."Starting this summer, a new service will be launched nationwide to support elementary school students during their vacation periods, particularly in local child care centers near schools, to ensure their meals and care needs are met," Han said. She called for proactive promotion of these policies to ensure that the public is well-informed and that children's meals and safety are thoroughly supported.This visit was organized amid growing concerns about care gaps as the summer vacation approaches, allowing for an assessment of the care environment at local child care centers and gathering feedback from on-site staff. 2026-07-22 20:28:00
  • Blue House: U.S. Tariffs Will Not Exceed Agreed Rates; Coupang Issues Second Priority
    Blue House: U.S. Tariffs Will Not Exceed Agreed Rates; Coupang Issues Second Priority Wi Sung-lak, the National Security Chief of the Blue House, stated that while there is a possibility of the United States imposing additional tariffs on South Korea under Section 301 of the Trade Act, the tariffs will not exceed the rates previously agreed upon by the two countries.During a briefing at the Blue House on July 22, Wi responded to related questions by saying, "I think there could be additional tariffs on us due to the Section 301 issue." However, he emphasized, "Generally, we understand that even if there are Section 301 measures, they will not exceed the significant tariff rates agreed upon between South Korea and the U.S."The U.S. government has been using Section 301, often referred to as 'Super 301,' to pressure surrounding countries with tariff measures. This section allows for retaliatory tariffs if foreign unfair or discriminatory trade practices are deemed burdensome to U.S. commerce.Wi pointed out that countries failing to effectively block imports of products made with forced labor could face additional tariffs of 10% or 12.5%. South Korea is included in the group facing the 12.5% tariff alongside China and Japan.He also cited the recent imposition of a 50% tariff on Canada as an example of the U.S. utilizing Section 338 of the Trade Act, a provision that has rarely been used. Wi noted, "Since provisions that have rarely been activated are being applied, there could be various movements regarding tariff imposition," while adding, "We are holding several meetings and explaining the necessary responses and data."Regarding the Coupang issue, the Blue House stated, "There seems to be a difference in the starting point for resolving the issue with the U.S.," and emphasized that it should be handled fairly and non-discriminatorily according to legal procedures.Wi remarked, "The biggest issue among various U.S.-Korea matters is investment, and the next significant issue is Coupang. This matter is being addressed according to specific regulations and legal procedures. It is not being treated discriminatorily or targeted."He explained that the Personal Information Protection Commission has investigated and reported a significant data breach involving over 33 million individuals. However, he noted that some are downplaying the breach, citing only 3,000 cases based on statements from a suspect, highlighting a substantial discrepancy in perspectives.Wi added, "In the U.S., this would be equivalent to the personal information of 200 million people being leaked, which is not a simple matter if the locations of the breaches are unknown."He stressed that the most important aspect of addressing this issue is through the established regulations and legal procedures, stating, "If lobbying or other means occur outside of this framework, it could undermine the legitimacy of the existing legal processes, so it must be handled fairly and non-discriminatorily according to legal procedures."However, Wi asserted that issues like Coupang do not impact security matters. He stated, "While there are various U.S.-Korea issues, there are no signs that security discussions are being delayed due to Coupang or similar matters. In the past, such situations occurred, but that is not the case now. Investment discussions are ongoing, and efforts are being made to visualize the outcomes."Regarding the temporary return of South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha, Wi noted, "I understand she came back at a time when we could discuss U.S.-Korea issues comprehensively."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-22 20:24:00
  • Weather Forecast: Rain and Heat Expected Across the Country
    Weather Forecast: Rain and Heat Expected Across the Country On Thursday, July 23, which marks the hottest period of the year known as Dae-seo, rain is expected across various regions of the country, accompanied by high temperatures.According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on July 22, the morning low temperatures are forecasted to range from 23 to 26 degrees Celsius, while daytime highs are expected to reach between 26 and 37 degrees Celsius.In the Seoul metropolitan area and inland Gangwon, heavy rain is anticipated in the morning, with rates of 20 to 30 mm per hour. Central regions may experience strong winds, thunder, and lightning along with significant rainfall.Expected rainfall amounts include 30 to 80 mm for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, the five islands of the West Sea, inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, Daejeon, Sejong, Chungnam, and Chungbuk; 5 to 40 mm for Jeonbuk; 5 to 20 mm for northern Jeonnam; 10 to 60 mm for Daegu and Gyeongbuk; 5 to 40 mm for western inland Gyeongnam; and around 5 mm for Jeju.With heat wave warnings in effect for parts of the eastern coast of Gangwon, Chungcheong, southern regions, and Jeju, the perceived temperatures in most areas are expected to exceed 31 degrees Celsius. In regions under heat wave advisories, the perceived temperatures may reach around 33 degrees, while southern coastal areas of Gangwon, parts of Jeolla, Gyeongsang, and Jeju could see temperatures rise to around 35 degrees, necessitating caution against heat-related illnesses.Heat advisories have also been issued for southern regions and Jeju, predicting nighttime temperatures to remain above 25 degrees Celsius.Wave heights are expected to be between 0.5 to 1.5 meters in the East and West Seas, and between 0.5 to 1.0 meters in the South Sea.In the offshore waters (approximately 200 km from the coastline), wave heights are forecasted to be 0.5 to 1.5 meters in the East, West, and South Seas.Looking at the expected temperatures for major regions, morning lows are forecasted as follows: △Seoul 25 degrees △Incheon 24 degrees △Suwon 24 degrees △Chuncheon 23 degrees △Gangneung 25 degrees △Cheongju 25 degrees △Daejeon 24 degrees △Sejong 24 degrees △Jeonju 25 degrees △Gwangju 26 degrees △Daegu 25 degrees △Busan 25 degrees △Ulsan 24 degrees △Changwon 26 degrees △Jeju 27 degrees.Daytime highs are expected to be: △Seoul 27 degrees △Incheon 27 degrees △Suwon 28 degrees △Chuncheon 28 degrees △Gangneung 31 degrees △Cheongju 31 degrees △Daejeon 31 degrees △Sejong 30 degrees △Jeonju 32 degrees △Gwangju 33 degrees △Daegu 34 degrees △Busan 31 degrees △Ulsan 34 degrees △Changwon 33 degrees △Jeju 35 degrees.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-22 19:32:00
  • South Koreas Foreign Minister Emphasizes ASEAN as a Trusted Partner for AI and Cultural Cooperation
    South Korea's Foreign Minister Emphasizes ASEAN as a Trusted Partner for AI and Cultural Cooperation South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin stated on July 22 that "ASEAN is a trusted partner," emphasizing the need to strengthen cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), cultural industries, and transnational crime response.Speaking at the 29th Korea-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, Park noted, "In the face of global supply chain disruptions, instability in the Middle East, and rapid technological innovation, no country can ensure prosperity and security alone."He highlighted that President Lee Jae-myung has consistently stressed the importance of solidarity among reliable partners, asserting that ASEAN is precisely such a partner for South Korea.Park outlined the implementation plan for the 'Korea-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) Vision,' which focuses on being a contributor to dreams and hopes, a springboard for growth and innovation, and a partner for peace and stability, and sought support from ASEAN member states.He also announced plans to promote cooperation in building an AI ecosystem and nurturing talent based on South Korea's AI capabilities, as well as initiatives in the cultural creative industry and joint responses to scams as key collaborative projects.According to the Foreign Ministry, ASEAN member states welcomed the 'Korea-ASEAN CSP Vision' presented by President Lee at the ASEAN Summit last October and expressed hope for close cooperation with South Korea in the specific implementation process moving forward.Additionally, Park explained the government's efforts to realize a peaceful and prosperous Korean Peninsula where the North and South coexist and grow together, and ASEAN member states reaffirmed their support for the government's policies regarding the Korean Peninsula. 2026-07-22 19:24:00
  • President Lee Emphasizes Strengthening Government Responsibility in Public Healthcare
    President Lee Emphasizes Strengthening Government Responsibility in Public Healthcare President Lee Jae-myung stated that the government is continuing to review policies aimed at strengthening its responsibility in public and essential healthcare. During a meeting on regional, essential, and public healthcare held at the Blue House, President Lee expressed his hope that a proper healthcare policy would be developed by reflecting the voices from the field in a rational and feasible manner, while enhancing public responsibility.He shared his experiences from his time as a lawyer handling medical lawsuits, noting, "While arguing negligence on the part of doctors in court, I felt that the basic conditions necessary to fulfill the doctors' duty of care were not adequately met."He added, "There were times when I thought the state should be the one to compensate."President Lee emphasized that the recent gaps in public and essential healthcare must be addressed through institutional improvements for a fundamental solution, stating, "I still hold that belief today."He highlighted the importance of rationalizing the medical fee system, saying, "It is crucial to determine whether the medical fee system is properly established, and to strengthen the community's responsibility to expand public healthcare."Regarding the issue of increasing medical school enrollment, he explained that the current focus is on regional medical schools as a compromise, but he believes that after five years, it will be possible to strengthen the necessary areas.On the topic of expanding healthcare in rural areas, President Lee noted that improving the medical environment is a key element for balanced regional development and enhancing living conditions, asserting that this can also be achieved by strengthening public roles.He also emphasized that there have been some achievements in healthcare reform since the government took office.Addressing the controversy over medical school enrollment during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, he remarked, "There was some confusion in our healthcare system for a while, but it seems that reforms are progressing to the point where people are wondering, 'How did it become so quiet?'"President Lee stated, "While not everything is complete, significant progress has been made on crucial issues such as medical school enrollment and securing essential healthcare in regions, which is a major achievement. Typically, reforms are associated with noise and conflict, but this has proven that it is possible to reach a certain conclusion through dialogue and persuasion without such turmoil."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-22 19:24:00
  • Upstage Unveils Solar Open2, Targeting Enterprise AI with 250B Model
    Upstage Unveils 'Solar Open2,' Targeting Enterprise AI with 250B Model Upstage has unveiled 'Solar Open2,' a large language model (LLM) aimed at its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) foundation model. This model focuses on creating AI agents capable of performing real work tasks, such as document writing, Excel analysis, presentation creation, and coding, as part of its strategy to penetrate the enterprise AI market.On July 22, Upstage held a developer conference, 'Solar Open Weight Day,' where it introduced Solar Open2. The model was made available for developers through an open weight distribution via Hugging Face.Sung-hoon Kim, CEO of Upstage, stated at the event, “These days, it’s not enough to just have good conversations. If you can’t perform tasks when asked, you’re treated like a fool. That’s why we focused on developing the capabilities of AI agents.”A key differentiator of this model is the custom simulation environment called 'Officeverse,' designed to train the AI in real work settings. Officeverse creates virtual scenarios for tasks like document writing, Excel work, and PPT creation, allowing the AI to be evaluated on its accuracy in performing these tasks.Solar Open2 features a total of 250 billion parameters. It employs a Mixture of Experts (MoE) structure, activating only 15 billion parameters during the actual inference process. This design maintains high performance while reducing GPU usage and inference costs.Upstage emphasized that Solar Open2 can handle contexts of up to 1 million tokens, making it suitable for analyzing large documents such as contracts and reports in one go. The model has enhanced features necessary for implementing AI agents, including document creation, external tool invocation, and executing complex workflows.Performance competitiveness was also highlighted. According to data released by Upstage, Solar Open2 scored 92.4 on the code generation performance benchmark 'LiveCodeBench,' surpassing the scores of comparable models like DeepSpeed V4-Flash (92.3) and Mistral Medium 3.5 (84.9).With the launch of Solar Open2, Upstage plans to intensify its efforts in the enterprise AI agent market. The company aims to expand its presence in the domestic AI ecosystem, leveraging the large model development capabilities gained through participation in the government’s proprietary AI foundation model project.When asked about monetization strategies following the free release, Kim emphasized 'ecosystem expansion.' He remarked, “Right now, the most important thing in Korea is the virtuous cycle of the AI ecosystem. Our goal is for Solar Open2 to be utilized in real work environments and to be recognized as a good model, thereby creating a larger ecosystem.”He added, “Through support from the government’s proprietary AI foundation model project, we were able to develop a model of 250 billion parameters following our previous 100 billion model. Our focus is not just on creating large models but on developing practical AIs that can be used in real-world applications.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-22 19:20:00
  • Korean Partys Ethics Committee Initiates Disciplinary Procedures
    Korean Party's Ethics Committee Initiates Disciplinary Procedures 국민의힘 중앙윤리위원회가 22일 본격적인 징계 절차에 착수하면서 조경태 의원과 친한(친한동훈)계 의원들을 대상으로 한 '핀셋 징계' 가능성이 제기된다. 윤리위는 이날 오전 전체회의를 열고 보도자료를 통해 "제소된 안건에 대한 징계 기준 설정과 안건 분류 논의를 진행했다"고 밝혔다. 윤리위는 "당 대표 또는 당에 대한 단순 비판 발언은 원칙적으로 징계 대상이 아님을 명확히 했다"며 "다만 지나치게 의도성을 가지고 반복적·조직적·지속적으로 당 대표 또는 당의 정상적인 운영을 심각하게 저해하는 행위로 판단될 경우는 예외로 하기로 했다"고 했다. 앞서 윤리위는 지난 6일 6·3 지방선거 이후 첫 회의를 열어 징계안 60여건을 심의했다. 윤리위에 접수된 징계 대상은 지방선거 당시 한동훈 무소속 의원을 도운 친한계 의원들과 장동혁 대표 사퇴를 주장한 현역 의원 등이다. 특히 국회부의장 선출 과정에서 당내 경선 결과에 불복하고 더불어민주당 등에 박덕흠 부의장 후보를 낙선시켜달라고 전화해 논란을 빚은 조 의원이 주요 타깃으로 거론된다. 다만 징계 대상이 확대될 경우 당내 분란이 커질 수 있어 소수 의원을 대상으로 한 '핀셋 징계'가 이뤄질 것이라는 전망이 나온다. 당내 소장파 모임인 '대안과 미래' 간사 이성권 의원은 이날 국회에서 기자들과 만나 "윤리위가 당의 통합을 저해하고 분열과 갈등을 조장하는 징계 국면의 입구가 돼선 안된다는 것이 의원과 당원 다수의 의견"이라고 말했다. 윤리위는 빠른 시일 내 회의를 열어 징계 논의를 이어갈 방침이다.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-22 18:40:00