Korea Development Institute says strong semiconductor and AI investment growth hasn't improved ordinary household incomes or consumer spending. The economy is bifurcated: tech sectors are thriving while renters, borrowers, and wage-earners see stagnant wealth. Korea's export-led growth model, histor
President Lee Jae Myung's job approval dropped to 37.4%, marking eight straight weeks of decline according to Realmeter polling. The slide persists despite a cabinet reshuffle, suggesting persistent public dissatisfaction on unresolved issues—possibly inflation, household debt, or policy execution c
Nominee Kim Seung-won denied allegations he solicited favors from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in connection with lobbying activities. The denial comes ahead of his confirmation hearing; the allegations involve potential conflicts of interest that could affect his suitability for office.
President Lee Jae Myung said he will seek a constitutional amendment to distribute presidential power more widely and position Korea as a mediator in U.S.–North Korea dialogue. This signals potential shifts in future executive authority and South Korea's diplomatic posture, though no legislative tim
Trump administration simultaneously promotes AI data center buildout while VP Vance publicly opposes AI as harmful, creating conflicting signals. Affects chip makers, cloud providers, and tech investors betting on AI infrastructure. U.S. policy incoherence may influence Korea's own AI infrastructure
Ministry of Interior & Safety will now block all transactions under a deceased person's name immediately upon family reporting death, instead of waiting two months. Prevents unauthorized loans, insurance payouts, and fraud. Bereaved families and financial institutions affected. Korea's centralized r
Homeowners who borrowed at 2% fixed rates five years ago must refinance at current 4%+ rates this year, pushing monthly payments up sharply on loans like 500M won mortgages. Affects middle-income borrowers nationwide. Korea's mortgage market relied on ultra-low pandemic rates that are now expiring s
The government is finalizing implementation rules for the AI Data Center Industry Promotion Act, defining qualifying centers by either absolute power consumption or AI-equipment power ratio. Exemptions from power-grid impact assessments—a key incentive—will target large facilities up to 100 megawatt
Asus is promoting an integrated hardware-to-software approach to serve countries and companies building their own AI infrastructure (sovereign AI). The Taiwan-based manufacturer, presenting at Seoul's AI Tech 2026, plans to supply servers, storage, and services as part of an 'AI factory' model rathe
Hugging Face, a global AI platform, selected Korean startup Vidraft's "ai-world" project for its weekly 'Space of the Week' honor—a recognition typically reserved for major tech companies. This marks a rare case of a Korean startup gaining attention in the global AI developer community on the basis