Real Estate
• Seoul officetel sales price rise: As Seoul apartment prices have risen for 29 consecutive weeks, the price of officetels, seen as a substitute, has also turned upward.
• Seoul private apartment pre-sale prices rise: The private apartment pre-sale price in Seoul has set a new record high after a one-month increase.
• Noise reduction installation developed: Hyundai Engineering has developed a ceiling-mounted soundproof structure that reduces floor noise without changing the building frame.
• Remodeling in Songpa-gu and Yangcheon-gu: Remodeling projects in these districts are gaining momentum to improve the quality of housing.
Economy
• HUG’s financial crisis: Due to the impact of the rental deposit fraud, the financial situation of the Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) has worsened, with a low recovery rate of rental deposit return guarantees.
• Financial authorities increase loan pressure: Due to rising household debt, financial authorities are tightening loan regulations on the secondary financial sector.
Business & Industry
• KT establishes subsidiaries: KT has decided to transfer network maintenance and operational tasks to its newly established subsidiaries.
• Samsung, ranked No. 1 in smartphone evaluation: Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra surpassed the iPhone 16 Pro Max in the latest smartphone evaluation by Consumer Reports.
• Naver launches blog creator reward program: Naver has initiated a new program to reward blog creators in an effort to increase user engagement time.
• Korean startups secure export deals in the Middle East: Domestic startups are achieving export contracts and MOUs in the Middle East, utilizing AI technology.
Tech & IT
• Samsung supports smart factory program: Samsung’s support for smart factories has reduced defect rates by 20%.
• New Pokémon episode broadcast: The latest episode of ‘Pokémon: Terastal Debut’ has started airing.
Finance
• Shinhan Bank strengthens face-to-face sales: Shinhan Bank has recruited a large number of sales personnel to strengthen its face-to-face business operations.
• Financial authorities investigate derivatives trading: Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has started a full-scale investigation into derivatives trading at major securities and asset management companies.
Culture
• Nobel Prize winner Han Kang: The works of author Han Kang have gained widespread attention after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, with translations also drawing interest.
• Opera ‘Turandot’ performance in Korea: The opera ‘Turandot,’ directed by Franco Zeffirelli, is being performed in Korea.
Gaming
• Korean game companies participate in Steam Next Fest: Various Korean game companies are participating in Steam’s “Early Access” event to showcase new games.
• NCSoft unveils new boss dungeon: In the mobile RPG ‘Hoyun,’ NCSoft has introduced a new boss dungeon called ‘Matis.’