6/3 early voting 23.5% record high ASCO plenary · US-Iran ceasefire imminent

Final early voting turnout for the June 3 local election reached 23.51%, setting an all-time high since voting began in 2014. The figure exceeded the 2022 local election's 20.62% by +2.89%p, with regional disparities ranging from Jeollanam-do's 38.1% to Daegu's 18.7%.

Former President Park Geun-hye visited Daegu's Seomun Market and Seongnae Reservoir on May 31 to support Choo Kyung-ho, the People Power Party's Seoul mayoral candidate. This marked her first public visit to Seomun Market since her impeachment in 2017, spending approximately 30 minutes touring shops.

On May 29, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's organized crime unit executed search warrants on seven locations related to the Seosomun overpass collapse, including Seoul Metropolitan Infrastructure Headquarters, construction company Heunghwa Construction, and supervision firm Seoseong Engineering. 53 investigators and labor inspectors were deployed.

White House officials confirmed that both nations agreed to a memorandum of understanding for a 60-day ceasefire extension. Iran will remove mines from and guarantee passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US will lift the blockade and grant Iran access to up to $120 billion in frozen assets. Trump's final approval remains pending.

San Antonio Spurs defeated OKC Thunder 118-91 in Game 6 on May 28, tying the series 3-3 and setting up an away Game 7 on May 30 in Oklahoma City. The NBA Finals berth will be determined with NBC and Peacock broadcasting the game.

AAA's national average gasoline price retreated to $4.356 per gallon on May 30, declining from the $4.43 high. Progress on Hormuz negotiations and OPEC+ production increase decisions have stabilized refining margins, beginning to ease driver burden.

Seoul apartment jeonse deposit prices rose 0.29% week-over-week, reaching an 11-year-high pace. YTD cumulative gain stands at +3.20%, with Songpa +0.51%, Seongdong +0.49%, and Seongbuk +0.47% leading non-Gangnam acceleration.

First quarter US credit card severe delinquency at 90+ days hit 13.1%, the highest since the 2011 financial crisis aftermath. While 30+ day delinquency improved to 2.92%, cumulative debt repayment burden intensifies with community bank delinquency at 6.4%, double the rate of large banks.

According to Statistics Korea, April consumer prices rose 2.6% year-over-year, marking the largest increase in 21 months. Rice at 60,000 won per 20kg for 8 consecutive months, pork belly +12.9%, and watermelon approaching 30,000 won, prompting the agriculture ministry to launch discount campaigns on 16 food companies' 4,373 products.

According to April Labor Department data, US food prices rose 3.2% year-over-year, up from 2.7% in March. Beef and veal surged +14.8%, with USDA projecting an additional 12.1% increase in 2026 beef prices.

Bank Indonesia raised its policy rate by 50bp to 5.25% at its May 19-20 meeting, double the market expectation of 25bp. As the rupiah weakened 2.2% to 17,700 per dollar, this marked the first hike since April 2024 to defend the currency.

On May 29, USD/TRY reached 45.74, setting another all-time low. The central bank signaled that disinflation will progress slowly due to Middle East energy and food shocks, raising year-end inflation forecast to 26%, accelerating weakness.

The Indian rupee trades near 95.7 per dollar following recent two-week strength. After accumulating 5% weakness following Iran conflict escalation, Trump's peace negotiation signals caused Brent to plunge 10.18%, prompting a rebound from the all-time low of 96.96.

Mexico's central bank cut its policy rate by 25bp to 6.50% on May 7, reaching its lowest level since April 2022. A 3-2 split vote reflected Q1 growth contraction, signaling the end of the easing cycle, with the peso strengthening to 17.2.

The IMF Board approved Argentina's second review of its $20B program on May 21 and disbursed $1B, bringing cumulative disbursements to approximately $15.8B. However, 2026 inflation forecast was raised from 16.4% to 30.4%, while growth forecast was adjusted down 0.5pp to 3.5%.

US April PCE price index reached 3.8% year-over-year, the highest since May 2023. Monthly 0.4% rise fell short of the 0.5% forecast, but inflation stickiness concerns intensify under new Fed Chair Warsh.

Traders on Kalshi and Polymarket wagered over $42 million on June 17 FOMC rate hold. Markets price in federal funds rate remaining at 3.50-3.75% through year-end under Chair Warsh, effectively abandoning cut expectations.

On May 29, the 10-year Treasury yield fell 1.2bp to 4.443%, while the 30-year rose 0.7bp to 4.978%. Strategists warn that 10-year breaking 4.65% and 30-year breaching 5.5% could trigger equity market volatility.

Former BOJ board member Sakurai Makoto forecasts on May 29 that the Bank of Japan will hike policy rates at its June 16 meeting. April's 6-3 hold and strong Q1 GDP provide justification, with hawkish BOJ signals intensifying.

Eurozone April annual inflation jumped to 3.0% from March's 2.6%. Energy surged 10.8% due to Middle East conflict, prompting some economists to suggest 25bp hike possibility to 2.25% at June 11 ECB meeting.

KOSPI landed at 8,047.51 on May 26 for the first time ever, then broke 8,228 intraday on May 27. With May cumulative foreign net selling at 41 trillion won, daily average dropped sharply from 2.7 trillion to 1.3 billion won, signaling eased selling pressure.

On May 29, S&P500 closed +0.22% at 7,580.06, Nasdaq +0.2% at 26,972.62, and Dow +0.72% at 51,032.46, all setting new all-time records. S&P500 recorded its longest weekly winning streak since 2023—9 weeks straight.

Nikkei 225 surged +2.53% to 66,329.50, with TOPIX also reaching all-time highs. AI and semiconductor strength combined with lower oil prices aided the rally. Taiwan TAIEX also jumped +2.5% to 44,733, continuing Asia's semiconductor momentum.

Hong Kong Hang Seng rebounded +0.70% to 25,182.39, partially recovering from the previous day's sharp decline. Shanghai Composite fell -0.73% to 4,069 and Shenzhen Component -1.81% to 15,575, with mainland weakness reflecting US-China trade tensions.

VIX fell -2.67% to 15.32, strengthening risk-on sentiment. End of May USD/KRW at 1,551 level, USD/JPY at 159.26 continues yen weakness. Stoxx 600 closed +0.2% at 626.5 as inflation moderates and Middle East deal hopes grow.

On May 29, Samsung shipped the industry's first 12-layer HBM4E samples to global customers including Nvidia. With 3.6TB/s bandwidth, it secures at least a 6-month lead over SK Hynix, intensifying AI accelerator memory competition.

On May 31, Revolution Medicines will unveil daraxonrasib RASolute 302 Phase 3 pancreatic cancer overall survival data at ASCO plenary session. Up +88.4% YTD with Evercore raising price target to $200, the company awaits data release at peak expectations.

As of May 30, Micron stock reached $971, surging +29% over 5 trading days and entering the $1 trillion market cap club. With 2026 HBM supply completely sold out and quarterly revenue at $238.6B—triple the prior year—demand pressures remain intense.

At May 31 ASCO plenary, Summit's PD-1xVEGF bispecific antibody ivonescimab HARMONi-6 Phase 3 non-squamous NSCLC overall survival data will be presented. With PFS of 11.14 months vs control 6.9 months, this represents the first Chinese-developed asset selected for plenary presentation in ASCO history.

On May 13, Anduril completed a $5B Series H round led by Thrive Capital and a16z at a $61B valuation. With 2025 revenue of $2.2B doubling, the $20B 10-year US Army contract momentum continues.

The first Windows PC using Nvidia chips as main processor will launch next week at Computex and Build. Surface, Dell, Lenovo, and ASUS adopt N1X architecture with ARM-based 20-core CPU combined with Blackwell GPU.

Apple will hold WWDC26 keynote on June 8 at 10 AM Pacific Time. Expect iOS, macOS, and iPadOS updates alongside a redesigned Siri advancing to chatbot level and enhanced Apple Intelligence features.

Anthropic unveiled Claude Opus 4.8 on May 28. Agent coding score improved from 64.3% to 69.2%, Fast Mode is 2.5x faster and 3x cheaper. Claude Code's dynamic workflow is the key new feature.

TSMC raises advanced 3nm process pricing +15% to fund massive capex. Employees threaten strikes over bonus cut rumors, spreading labor unrest despite record profits.

On May 28, Meta launched Instagram Plus ($3.99), Facebook Plus ($3.99), and WhatsApp Plus ($2.99) monthly subscriptions worldwide. Additional features include profile customization and super reactions, with Meta AI monetization also being tested.

Led by Altimeter, Dragoneer, Greenlights, and Sequoia, Anthropic's funding round comes at $965B+ valuation. With $47B annual revenue run-rate, valuation jumped 2.5x from February's $380B in 3 months, signaling IPO-adjacent positioning.

TCV led with Prime Capital and Kindred participating. Just 3 weeks after $130M Series B, an additional round closed with valuation doubling. Cumulative funding now $378M for the full-stack commercial insurance platform.

Alphabet's growth fund CapitalG leads with NVentures, ServiceNow, and MongoDB joining. Valuation jumped 2x to $1.3B in one year. The 400+ model routing gateway processes 25 trillion tokens weekly.

Strike Capital leads with Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, and Bailey Gifford. Cumulative $775M exceeded with valuation double from last year. Launching physical AI and robotics lab with 1,000 brand data.

ARPA-E led oversubscribed round raising cumulative $130M private capital. The Princeton spinoff invests in small magnet mass production expansion and demo generator 'Eos' construction.

On May 29, BTC opened at $73,525, down -1.1%, with ETH pressured to $2,006. Despite US-Iran ceasefire reports, risk-off sentiment persists with week-low flows continuing volatility accumulation.

Since May 14, over $2B has flowed out of US spot BTC ETFs, with BlackRock IBIT recording $192M outflow on May 26—8 consecutive trading days of net outflows. YTD net inflows shrink to $536M.

USDT $189.6B and USDC $77.6B lead dual dominance with $32B market growth. GENIUS Act implementation rules take effect July 18, mandating 100% reserves and regular audits with issuer restructuring visible.

BlackRock filed $7B money market fund BSTBL digital shares and new stablecoin reserve fund BRSRV. RWA market at $34.5B doubles year-over-year, accelerating institutional tokenization entry.

EU Commission launched MiCA operation review public consultation with July 1 transition end requiring unlicensed CASP orderly liquidation. Cumulative fines exceeded 540 million euros with issuer cleanup pressure intensifying.

Disney's 'Lilo & Stitch' live-action remake earned $182.7M over 4 Memorial Day days, setting all-time holiday weekend opening record. Global cumulative reached $361.3M, placing it third in Disney live-action remake openings.

Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning opened at $77M domestically over 4 days and $190M globally, marking the franchise's best opening. Though #2 to Lilo & Stitch, combined weekend hit $334.5M all-time Memorial Day record.

aespa released their second full album 'LEMONADE' on May 29 with double title tracks 'WDA' and 'Lemonade.' On first day of sales, Hanteochart recorded 842,534 units. SM announced 2026-2027 world tour across Asia, Americas, and Europe.

Director Yeon Sang-ho's K-zombie thriller 'Colony' received official Midnight Screening invitation at the 79th Cannes Film Festival with 7+ minute standing ovation despite 3 AM screening. His third Cannes entry after 'Train to Busan' and 'Peninsula.'

Star Wars 'Mandalorian & Grogu' opened May 22 domestically with $102M over 4 days and $165M globally, taking Memorial Day #1 position. CinemaScore 'A-' exceeded 'Rise of Skywalker' 'B+'.

On May 16, Demna dominated 50+ Times Square screens launching the 'Gucci Core' collection. With everyday basics like coats and pencil skirts, BoF and WWD deemed it her most commercially-oriented debut show.

On May 13, LA Geffen Gallery hosted 75-look debut Cruise show. Cinematic staging with Ed Ruscha and Philip Tracy collaboration reinterpreted Old Hollywood fantasy through boxy blazers and menswear tailoring.

LVMH sold Marc Jacobs after 29 years to WHP Global and G-III Apparel joint venture for $850M. Following Stella McCartney stake trimming, this continues portfolio slimming with deal closing expected by year-end.

Kering Q1 revenue €3.57B, down -6.2%, with Gucci plunging -14.3% to €1.35B. Western Europe and China weakness persisted, stock dropped -9.3%, with management hoping gradual recovery and NY Cruise show.

Fast-fashion giant Shein acquired sustainable DTC Everlane for $100M. Everlane, burdened by $90M debt, secured independent operations promise, but brand identity conflict sparked loyal customer backlash.

Final polls show Democratic Chong Won-o 41-49% vs People Power Oh Se-hoon 32-38%, with 4-13%p gaps between pollsters. Chong maintains 54% active voter support vs Oh's 36%.

MBC and Korea Research polling shows Democratic Jeon Jae-soo 47% vs People Power Park Hyung-jun 34%—13%p gap. Clear generational divide with Jeon dominant in 40s-50s and Park holding 60s-70s.

Final early voting rate hit 23.51%, surpassing 2022 local election's 20.62% by +2.89%p—all-time record. Regional variance from Jeollanam-do 38.95% high to Daegu 18.65% low.

Strait of Hormuz reopening within 30 days, Iran frozen asset access up to $120B, uranium enrichment follow-up talks are core terms. Trump conducting final decision meeting in White House situation room, May 30 unanswered status continues.

Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Roger Wicker, and ex-Secretary Pompeo condemn Strait control and uranium enrichment allowance as 'nightmare for Israel' and 'catastrophic mistake.' White House responds sharply, intensifying hawk backlash.

Brent on May 29 fell -1.70% to $91.12 per barrel, WTI -1.73% to $87.36. US-Iran Hormuz passage resumption preliminary agreement lowered risk premium, though Trump final approval remains pending.

Since February 28, Hormuz strait effectively blocked. May 30 IRGC warned re-attack if talks fail. Both sides near 1-page MOU on 60-day ceasefire extension, nuclear talks launch, strait reopening.

National average gasoline retreated to $4.356 per gallon on May 30, easing from $4.43 high. Hormuz deal hopes and OPEC+ production increase stabilize margins with driver burden starting to ease.

NextEra acquired Dominion on May 18 in all-stock $67B deal, creating world's largest regulated utility. Dominion's 450+ Northern Virginia data-center power supply now under single operator control.

Per IEEFA May report, 2026 European LNG imports 2/3 from US. With Iran war disrupting 1/5 global LNG, European and Asian buyers flock to US sources, TTF gas fell to €46 on May 29.

Despite Q1 revenue +25%, Cloudflare laid off ~1,100 of 5,156 employees on May 7. Management cited 'agentic AI first operating model' conversion with measurement roles specifically targeted.

Meta laid off ~10% workforce (8,000) starting May 20 and canceled 6,000 job openings. Over 7,000 redeployed to new 'Applied AI' organization with AI-first transformation underway.

Tech industry layoffs surpassed 142,000 in 2026. Hyperscalers Amazon, MS, Alphabet, Meta fund ~$700B AI infrastructure investment through workforce reductions.

Samsung Electronics joint negotiating committee 46,142 members (73.7%) approved wage deal on May 27 with ceremony at Giheung Universe. Average +6.2% increase confirmed with DS division 10.5% special performance bonus added.

HGSU-UAW Local 5118 ~4,000 member strike passed May 20's previous record of 29 days, entering its 30s on May 30. Demands include family leave, grievance procedures, and equal negotiation support with semester-end talks intensifying.

On May 28, Waymo launched sixth-generation autonomous hardware-equipped new Ojai robotaxi with free rides for general riders in SF, LA, and Phoenix. Sensor reduction of 42% enables cost savings at scale.

Bloomberg reported May 28 that Tesla's unsupervised robotaxi fleet in Texas totals just 20 vehicles: 14 in Austin, 3 Dallas, 3 Houston. Large-scale expansion on hold before V15 launch shows Waymo's overwhelming advantage.

BYD unveiled Dolphin G DM-i plug-in hybrid on May 27 for European market exclusive development. WLTP 1,000km+ range with June official launch, Szeged Hungary production, priced from £20K.

Atlanta Journal reports Hyundai Georgia EV factory's first hybrid Kia Sportage production imminent. 66% of 2-shift hiring complete, July training finish targets September night shift operation with US local production ramping.

CNBC reported May 29 eVTOL aircraft certification final-stage litigation risk emerging. Archer completed FAA Type Cert Stage 3, Joby in Stage 4 flight testing, but Trump administration program conflicts remain variable.

Prosecutors, police, and election committee deployed 596-member task force. By May 27, dark campaign arrests reached 921 with 10,319 deepfake deletion requests—98.2% of entire 2022 presidential election level.

NYT confirmed ~110 pro-Iran deepfakes, ISD reported ~24 X accounts accumulated 1B views post-conflict. Majority blue-check accounts indicate 'AI slop' disinformation campaign.

Hantavirus claims linking to Pfizer vaccine side effects and mid-term election manipulation spread widely. Fact-checkers rebut noting Pfizer documents are monitoring items not adverse event lists, with no ivermectin scientific support.

ECDC as of May 26 reported MV Hondius 11 confirmed, 2 suspect cases while maintaining EU/EEA general population risk as 'very low.' Andes hantavirus rodent vector absent from Europe eliminates spread risk.

Health Secretary Kennedy claimed measles vaccine effectiveness declining -4.5% yearly and aluminum adjuvant dangerous. Large Danish study proved aluminum safety with lifelong measles immunity confirmed by experts.