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  • Bitcoin Falls Below $64,000 Amid Rising Tensions in the Middle East
    Bitcoin Falls Below $64,000 Amid Rising Tensions in the Middle East Major virtual assets, including Bitcoin, are showing renewed weakness as tensions in the Middle East escalate, leading to a freeze in investor sentiment.According to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin was trading at $63,526 as of 8 a.m. on July 8, down 0.90% from the previous day. Although Bitcoin had recently recovered to the $64,000 range, it has given back some of those gains.Other major altcoins also experienced declines. Ethereum fell 1.45% to $1,776, while Binance Coin (BNB) dropped 1.50% to $578.24. Ripple (XRP) and Solana (SOL) traded at $1.11 and $80.90, down 2.73% and 1.44%, respectively.Market analysts attribute the decline in risk asset investment sentiment, including virtual assets, to the increasing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East.According to Yonhap News Agency, the U.S. Central Command announced on July 7 via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that it had launched a series of strong airstrikes against Iran to impose a heavy cost for targeting commercial vessels carrying innocent civilians in international waters.On the same day, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) revoked a 60-day temporary general license issued on June 21 that allowed for the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil, effectively withdrawing the sanctions exemption on Iranian oil.As a result, international oil prices surged. Brent crude for September delivery and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for August delivery closed at $74.16 and $70.44 per barrel, marking increases of 3.01% and 2.76%, respectively. This represents the largest rise since June 1.Meanwhile, at the same time, Bitcoin was trading at approximately 9,523,000 won ($62,713) on the domestic exchange Bithumb, up 3.33% from the previous day. The 'Kimchi Premium' was recorded at -1.22%, indicating that the price of Bitcoin traded domestically is lower than that in international markets.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-08 08:52:00
  • SK Hynix Sees Strong Demand for $28 Billion U.S. ADR Offering
    SK Hynix Sees Strong Demand for $28 Billion U.S. ADR Offering SK Hynix's upcoming $28 billion (approximately 42.5 trillion won) American Depositary Receipt (ADR) offering has reportedly attracted demand exceeding the available supply ahead of its price determination.On July 7, Bloomberg News cited sources familiar with the matter, stating that SK Hynix has secured subscription demand significantly surpassing the offering amount for its ADRs.The report indicated that strong buying interest is coming primarily from global long-term investment funds and investors specializing in technology stocks. Approximately 1,000 institutional investors participated in a management presentation held on July 6. Notably, major institutional investors such as Baillie Gifford, Coatue Management, and Situational Awareness Partners have expressed intentions to purchase up to $7 billion worth of ADRs in this offering.SK Hynix began soliciting investors for the sale of a total of 177.9 million ADRs on July 6. The offering size, based on the closing price of common shares traded on the Seoul stock market on July 3, is estimated at around $28 billion. If the offering concludes as planned, it is expected to be the largest U.S. listing by a foreign company to date. One ADR represents one-tenth of a common share of SK Hynix.The ADR offering amount represents about 2.5% of SK Hynix's market capitalization, which has more than tripled this year, surpassing $1 trillion despite global semiconductor stock volatility.The ADR offering price is expected to be finalized in the early afternoon of July 9, New York time (early morning of July 10, Korea time). This will occur before trading resumes for SK Hynix's common shares on the Korean stock market and before the ADRs begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on July 10.Bloomberg noted that due to restrictions on converting Korean-listed stocks to ADRs, arbitrage opportunities may be limited, suggesting that the ADRs could trade at a premium.Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase are serving as underwriters for this transaction.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-08 08:52:00
  • Renault Korea Partners with Kakao Mobility for Next-Gen Vehicle Innovation
    Renault Korea Partners with Kakao Mobility for Next-Gen Vehicle Innovation 르노코리아가 미래 모빌리티 서비스 개발을 위해 협력을 확대한다. 르노코리아는 8일 카카오모빌리티와 차세대 차량 경험 혁신을 위한 업무협약(MOU)을 체결했다고 밝혔다. 이번 협약은 르노코리아 차량 플랫폼과 카카오모빌리티의 모빌리티 기술·소프트웨어(SW) 역량을 바탕으로 ‘소프트웨어 중심 자동차(SDV)’ 시대를 열어가기 위한 첫걸음이다. 양사는 상호 협업을 통해 새로운 차량 경험과 모빌리티 서비스 개발 가능성을 함께 모색한다. 구체적으로 최첨단 운전자 보조 시스템(ADAS) 구현을 위한 고정밀 지도·SW 기술, 차세대 차량용 인포테인먼트, 커넥티비티 서비스 고도화 등 다양한 분야에서 협력한다. 이미 앞서 지난달 코엑스에서 열린 넥스트라이즈 행사에서 카카오T 택시 기사 앱, 2열 승객 전용 엔터테인먼트 등 카카오모빌리티 기술과 서비스를 르노 ‘그랑 콜레오스’에 구현한 차세대 모빌리티 콘셉트카를 선보인 바 있다. 더불어 르노코리아는 국내 ICT 기업이나 스타트업 대상으로 오픈 이노베이션 전략을 전개 중이다. 이번 MOU 역시 오픈 이노베이션 전략의 일환이다. 니콜라 파리 르노코리아 사장은 “SDV 시대에 걸맞은 새로운 고객 경험과 혁신 서비스를 함께 만들어 가기 위한 협력의 출발점”이라며 “차량 개발 노하우와 파트너사 역량을 집약해 휴먼 퍼스트 철학을 담은 혁신 서비스를 지속 선보일 것”이라고 말했다. 한편 르노코리아는 2028년 부산공장 전기차 생산을 추진하는 등 국내 생산 기반의 미래차 전환에 속도를 내고 있다. 내년에는 첫 SDV를 출시한다는 계획이다.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-08 08:48:00
  • KB Securities Raises KT&Gs Q2 Earnings Outlook, Target Price Increased to 250,000 Won
    KB Securities Raises KT&G's Q2 Earnings Outlook, Target Price Increased to 250,000 Won KB Securities projected on July 8 that KT&G's second-quarter performance will exceed market expectations, driven by strong sales of domestic cigarettes and heated tobacco products (NGP). As a result, the firm raised its target price for KT&G by 13.6% to 250,000 won while maintaining a 'buy' rating.Research analyst Ryu Eun-ae stated in a report that KT&G's consolidated revenue for the second quarter is expected to reach 1.6889 trillion won, with an operating profit of 392.8 billion won, slightly above the consensus estimate of 382.6 billion won.Ryu noted that the decline in total demand for domestic cigarettes is likely to have eased due to changes in the duty-free operator at Incheon International Airport. She also anticipated increased sales for domestic NGPs due to the change in duty-free operators and the nationwide launch of the Lil Solid 3.0.Looking ahead, Ryu highlighted that the second half of the year will begin with an interim dividend in August, creating a strong momentum for shareholder returns. She emphasized that KT&G's appeal as a defensive stock will stand out in a volatile market.Furthermore, she predicted that the new shareholder return policy to be announced in the second half of the year will focus on enhancing dividends, with an expected annual dividend yield of at least 3.9%. The last interim dividend record date was at the end of August, and a share buyback and cancellation plan exceeding 300 billion won is also on the horizon. Ryu expressed optimism that robust shareholder returns will help close the discount compared to similar competitors.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-08 08:48:00
  • Samsung to Unveil Galaxy 8th Generation Foldable on July 22
    Samsung to Unveil Galaxy 8th Generation Foldable on July 22 Samsung Electronics will unveil its Galaxy 8th generation foldable phone lineup on July 22 at 10 p.m. KST.On July 8, Samsung announced that it will hold the 'Galaxy Unpacked 2026' event at 2 p.m. local time in London, which corresponds to 10 p.m. KST on July 22.The invitation video features a ticket shaped like a box representing the Unpacked event, which splits in two. The left side of the ticket displays the phrase 'A New Shape Unfolds.' This concept aligns with a recently released teaser video for the foldable phone, suggesting the introduction of a new foldable product line with a different screen ratio.Samsung stated, "In London, a city that has continuously evolved trends and innovation, we will unveil a new lineup of Galaxy devices that have defined the foldable category. The next-generation Galaxy products, combining innovative form factors and advanced intelligent features, will provide users with a more personalized and optimized mobile experience, setting a new standard in the AI era."With this 8th generation lineup, Samsung aims to enhance the performance of both the Fold and Flip models while introducing new options for diverse user experiences. It is particularly expected that users will be able to select screen ratios tailored to their needs in line with the AI era.The Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event will be streamed live on Samsung.com, the Samsung Newsroom, and Samsung's YouTube channel, allowing viewers to watch it at 10 p.m. KST on July 22.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-08 08:48:00
  • Daily Funding Expands Inclusive Finance for Low and Mid-Credit Borrowers
    Daily Funding Expands Inclusive Finance for Low and Mid-Credit Borrowers Online investment-linked financial company Daily Funding is expanding its inclusive finance policy to reduce the financial burden on low and mid-credit borrowers. The company will lower the loan extension fees for borrowers whose income has decreased and offer interest rate discounts for responsible payers.On July 8, Daily Funding announced that it would reduce platform commission rates by up to 50% for borrowers who have experienced a decrease in income and an increase in interest rates during the loan extension review process. This initiative aims to enhance the principal repayment capacity of borrowers facing increased living expenses and alleviate their interest burden.The company is also strengthening its incentives for responsible payers. Borrowers with improved credit scores or increased income will be eligible for interest rate discounts of up to 1 percentage point.Even borrowers with a history of late payments during the loan period can receive the interest rate discount if they have only one instance of a simple late payment of three days or less. This measure considers the characteristics of online investment loan borrowers who make direct principal and interest payments via bank transfer.The criteria for refinancing loans have also been relaxed. For financially vulnerable groups such as thin-file borrowers, freelancers, retirees, and self-employed individuals applying for refinancing to repay existing loans, the standards have been eased to allow loans even with a history of late payments of less than 30 days.Lee Min-woo, CEO of Daily Funding, stated, "We will actively implement inclusive finance policies that low and mid-credit borrowers can feel, helping them stabilize their lives and regain economic footing. We are also preparing various measures to resolve the information asymmetry faced by investors in the online investment sector."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-08 08:48:00
  • Samsung Welfare Foundation Hosts C&I Day for Preschool Directors Nationwide
    Samsung Welfare Foundation Hosts C&I Day for Preschool Directors Nationwide The Samsung Welfare Foundation is organizing a special lecture combining meditation and cultural experiences for preschool and kindergarten directors across the country. This event aims to support the psychological recovery and self-care of directors leading educational institutions, following the success of last year's program.On July 20, the Samsung Child Education and Cultural Center will host the 'National Preschool and Kindergarten Directors C&I DAY (Culture & Insight).' This year's lecture will focus on 'Meditation and Mental Strength.' The previous year's session, titled 'Meditation and Mental Strength for Life Change,' held at the Samsung Human Resources Development Center in Yeongdeok, received significant interest, with applications closing shortly after opening and over 8,000 viewers tuning in to the live stream on YouTube.This year, the program has expanded its audience to include not only preschool directors but also kindergarten directors, reflecting the integrated policy direction for early childhood education. The initiative aims to support the psychological recovery and leadership enhancement of early childhood education providers.Registration opens on July 8 at 10 a.m. on the Samsung Welfare Foundation's website, and the event will also be streamed live on the foundation's YouTube channel.Since 2022, the Samsung Welfare Foundation has been offering customized programs that combine education and cultural content for directors. To date, approximately 24,000 participants have engaged in both online and offline sessions. The foundation is also advancing initiatives to train child behavior specialists, establish platforms for early childhood development support, and develop programs for nurturing children's mental growth.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-08 08:44:00
  • Samsung Electronics Begins Mass Production of Next-Gen eSSD PM1763 Optimized for AI Infrastructure
    Samsung Electronics Begins Mass Production of Next-Gen eSSD 'PM1763' Optimized for AI Infrastructure Samsung Electronics announced on July 8 that it has begun mass production of its next-generation high-performance enterprise solid-state drive (eSSD) 'PM1763,' optimized for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.The PM1763 is based on the new PCIe 6.0 transmission standard, which doubles the data transfer bandwidth compared to its predecessor. It features Samsung's latest 9th Gen V-NAND and a new 4nm controller, significantly enhancing product performance and power efficiency.The product will be available in three capacities: 4 terabytes (TB), 8TB, and 16TB. Among these, the 16TB model boasts industry-leading performance. It achieves a maximum sequential read speed of 28,400 megabytes (MB) per second and a write speed of 21,900MB, which is twice as fast as the previous model (PM1753). This speed allows for the transfer of a massive language model (LLM) of approximately 40 gigabytes (GB) in just 1.4 seconds, drastically reducing data latency and enhancing AI task efficiency.Heat control and eco-friendly performance have also been improved. The PM1763 is optimized for liquid cooling environments recently adopted in AI data centers. Utilizing a Direct-to-Chip (D2C) method, which attaches cooling plates directly to the chips, it can operate for extended periods under heavy workloads without performance degradation. Power efficiency has also improved by more than 1.8 times compared to the previous model, significantly reducing operational costs for data centers.Additionally, the PM1763 includes security solutions designed for the quantum computing era. It applies the PQC encryption algorithm to prevent hacking via quantum computers and supports TDISP technology to block unauthorized external access in virtualized environments, enhancing data security.Choi Jae-seok, Senior Vice President of Samsung Electronics' Memory Business Planning Team, stated, "The PM1763 meets the requirements of global customers' next-generation AI platforms based on industry-leading performance and has completed product validation. It will be a key solution to support the efficient operation of our customers' AI models." 2026-07-08 08:40:00
  • Seoul, Washington, Tokyo forge SMR export alliance
    Seoul, Washington, Tokyo forge SMR export alliance SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - South Korea, the United States and Japan signed an agreement on Tuesday to jointly export small modular reactors, turning three countries that have long competed for the same nuclear contracts into a coordinated bloc aimed at the fastest-growing corner of the global energy market. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu signed the memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye. The framework targets reactor deployments in third countries, starting with the Indo-Pacific region, and Washington is backing it with more than $10 million in new funding for a State Department program that provides technical support to Indo-Pacific countries adopting nuclear power, according to the department. For South Korea's nuclear industry, the deal formalizes something that has been taking shape for months, a division of labor with American reactor designers and Japanese industrial partners rather than a head-to-head fight against them. Small modular reactors are nuclear plants shrunk to a fraction of conventional size, typically generating up to 300 megawatts compared with more than 1,000 megawatts for a standard large reactor. Their components are built in factories and assembled on site, which developers say cuts construction time and the enormous upfront cost that has stalled large nuclear projects across the West. The technology remains largely unproven commercially. No small modular reactor is yet operating in a Western country, though the first is under construction in Canada. What has transformed the sector from a niche engineering project into a strategic priority is artificial intelligence. Training and running AI models require vast server farms that draw power around the clock, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that electricity consumption by data centers will roughly double from 485 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 950 terawatt-hours in 2030, around three percent of global electricity demand. A single hyperscale AI data center can consume as much electricity as 100,000 homes. Wind and solar energy sources cannot supply that load alone because it never stops, and grid connections for new gas plants now face multi-year waits. Nuclear power, which runs continuously and emits no carbon, fits the profile, and small reactors can be placed near the data centers themselves. Technology companies have moved first. Google signed the first commercial SMR power purchase agreement with the American developer Kairos Power in October 2024, and Amazon and Microsoft have made their own nuclear commitments. The pipeline of conditional power purchase agreements between data center operators and small modular reactor projects has grown from 25 gigawatts at the end of 2024 to 45 gigawatts today, according to the International Energy Agency. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol has said "there is no AI without energy" and that countries providing secure, affordable electricity will hold the advantage. The Ankara agreement is designed to capture that market as a bloc. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the framework aims to reduce project development risk, achieve economies of scale, attract private investment, streamline licensing and optimize supply chains, while holding partner countries to the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation. The unstated competitors are Russia's Rosatom and China's state nuclear companies, which have dominated reactor exports to developing countries by bundling state financing with construction. The three allies bring complementary pieces. American firms lead in reactor design, Japanese conglomerates supply heavy components and reactor technology through ventures such as GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, and South Korean companies bring a construction record that delivered the United Arab Emirates' Barakah plant and a domestic supply chain anchored by Doosan Enerbility, which manufactures forgings and modules for American SMR developers including NuScale Power. The industrial side of the arrangement is already visible. Alongside the ministers' signing, the State Department announced an industry initiative among GE Vernova, Hitachi, Samsung C&T and SGE to deploy the BWRX-300 small modular reactor across Europe. Samsung C&T, the construction arm of the Samsung group, formed a strategic alliance with GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy in October 2025 to deploy the 300-megawatt reactor in global markets outside North America. Last week that partnership widened again when SGE, a Polish-led developer, unveiled plans for 14 BWRX-300 reactors across three sites in the United Kingdom with a team including Samsung C&T and Google Cloud, a project worth about $47 billion. The cooperative turn follows years of costly rivalry. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power spent much of the past decade locked in an intellectual property dispute with Westinghouse Electric Company, the American firm whose technology underpins South Korea's flagship APR1400 reactor. The fight shadowed Seoul's export campaigns until the two sides reached a global settlement in January 2025. The terms were steep. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) agreed to purchase $650 million in Westinghouse goods and services and pay $175 million in licensing fees for each reactor it exports, and accepted restrictions on bidding in North America, most of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Ukraine, according to the Korea Herald. The 50-year deal also gives Westinghouse the right to verify the technical independence of South Korean companies before they bid on overseas projects, including small modular reactors. That settlement cleared the way for KHNP to sign its $18.6 billion contract in June 2025 to build two large reactors in the Czech Republic, South Korea's first overseas nuclear plant order since 2009, but it also drew fierce domestic criticism as a lopsided concession. The new trilateral framework offers a different logic. If South Korean, American and Japanese firms bid together rather than against each other, the licensing restrictions that hem in solo Korean bids matter less, and the combined offer becomes harder for customers to refuse. KHNP is meanwhile developing its own domestic design, the i-SMR, with a target of completing standard design approval in the late 2020s, giving South Korea a technology of its own to feed into future consortium bids. At the signing ceremony, Rubio tied the agreement directly to energy security, pointing to instability around the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping chokepoint for Middle Eastern oil. He said the deal allows the three countries to move forward on joint work on small modular reactors, calling the technology "in many ways the future of energy generation." Cho said the SMR sector is one of many areas where the three countries can work together on shared challenges. The first BWRX-300 is under construction at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington site in Canada, with completion expected by the end of the decade. 2026-07-08 08:36:38
  • NC AIs Voice Generation Service Recognized at ITU AI for Good Global Summit 2026
    NC AI's Voice Generation Service Recognized at ITU AI for Good Global Summit 2026 NC AI announced that its voice generation artificial intelligence (AI) service, 'Barco Voice,' has been selected as a best practice at the 'AI for Good Global Summit 2026' organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency.Additionally, eight key AI models and services presented at the event have been included in an official publication, demonstrating the innovation and social contributions of AI technology on a global stage.The AI for Good Global Summit is an international event focused on discussions and collaborations aimed at solving global challenges and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through AI. The 'Innovate for Impact' segment highlights how AI technology can be utilized to address real social issues and showcases meaningful use cases on a global platform.NC AI explained that Barco Voice was recognized for enhancing accessibility in content creation across various fields, leveraging multilingual voice generation and emotional expression technology. It has lowered barriers for creators, small businesses, and sectors such as public services and education, contributing to an inclusive AI utilization environment.Furthermore, NC AI has demonstrated the social applicability of AI technology through 'My AAC,' a communication app developed in collaboration with the NC Cultural Foundation. This app provides users facing communication challenges with a natural and personalized voice experience, breaking down communication barriers through AI.All eight AI models and services submitted by NC AI have been included in the official publication. The listed models are: Barco 3D, Barco Sound, Barco Voice, Barco Translation, Barco Art Fashion, Baeki, Baeki Agent, and DomainOps.The company emphasized that it has proven the potential and social value of NC AI technology on the international stage. It aligns with the company's mission to enhance accessibility to AI technology for everyone and to spread the practical value of AI across various industrial sectors.NC AI is expanding the application of AI technology through two main pillars: content AI and industrial AI transformation (AX). In the content sector, it is broadening the use cases of multimodal generative AI centered around Barco. In the industrial sector, it supports companies' AI transformation through Baeki, accelerating the adoption of AI tailored to specific industries.Lee Yeon-soo, CEO of NC AI, stated, “This achievement demonstrates that NC AI's technology can significantly improve human lives beyond mere industrial utility. We will take the lead in building an inclusive industrial AI ecosystem that allows everyone to easily and conveniently utilize high-quality AI.”Meanwhile, NC AI continues to introduce services that support content creation and AI transformation in industrial settings, based on technologies like Barco and Baeki. Barco provides generative AI functions necessary for the content creation process, including 3D asset generation, sound, voice, translation, and fashion image generation.Recently, it unveiled the next-generation 3D asset generation model 'Barco 3D 2.0,' continuing to advance technology in the area of content production efficiency. Baeki offers multimodal AI solutions tailored to the characteristics of various industries, including manufacturing, content, and commerce. Through this, NC AI aims to enhance not only content creation support but also work efficiency and the spread of AI adoption in industrial settings.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-07-08 08:36:00