US Nasdaq AI chip shock, down 2.9% for the week Iran's 6 consecutive strikes hit Kuwait

Korea's K-pop album exports reached $257.48 million in the first half of 2026, surging 125% year-over-year to set an all-time record. With BTS's 'ARIRANG' effect, the US has emerged as the largest importing country.

As peak summer vacation season begins, approximately 200,000 people flocked to Gangwon Province's East Coast beaches over the weekend. The government released standard prices to prevent price gouging.

The government is actively considering lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 13 for serious crimes including murder and robbery. A final decision will be made after additional public input.

Seoul apartment prices rose 0.18% in the third week of July, maintaining upward momentum. Twenty out of 25 districts surpassed their 2021-2022 all-time highs, including Gangseo, Eunpyeong, Seongbuk, Gwanak, and Guro.

BTS released the 'NORMAL' MV on Spotify on July 17 at 1 PM KST. The satirical concept set in a mansion resonated with global fans. YouTube release is scheduled for July 19.

All seven NCT 127 members renewed their contracts with SM Entertainment. Their 10th anniversary 7th regular album is set for August 24, with their 'NEO CITY THE REDLINE' tour launching in Seoul in September.

The dark fantasy historical series 'East Palace' starring Nam Joo-hyuk, Noh Yoon-seo, and Jo Seung-woo premiered on Netflix on July 17. The eight-part series follows those who see ghosts uncovering secrets of a cursed palace.

National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik pledged on July 17 to complete a citizen-sovereignty constitutional amendment during the 22nd National Assembly and announced the 'Constitution for All' digital participation platform.

With the August 17 convention approaching, candidate registration closed July 18. The Supreme Council's rule changes sparked double standard controversy, leading to Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon's withdrawal.

The Bank of Korea officially declared on July 17 that it will continue tightening, citing June CPI at 3.2% and pressures from household debt and exchange rates. The base rate was raised to 2.75% on July 16.

The Bank of Korea projects a record current account surplus for 2026, but warned that the semiconductor boom is not translating into job growth — a jobless growth concern.

On July 17, S&P 500 fell 1%, Nasdaq fell 1.4%, and the semiconductor index approached bear market territory. Nvidia fell 3.78% and Netflix fell 11%. Weekly declines: Nasdaq -2.9%, S&P 500 -1.5%.

Six US federal agencies faced the statutory July 18 deadline to finalize stablecoin regulations under the GENIUS Act. The industry awaited news on compliance with the deadline.

Reports on July 17 indicate Anthropic is in early negotiations to lease Meta's AI infrastructure for up to $10 billion over two years, aimed at alleviating GPU bottlenecks.

The US semiconductor ETF (SMH) plunged over 4%, with shocks spreading to Asia. SoftBank fell 9.2%, Tokyo Electron fell 9%, and Advantest fell 9.4%.

Google officially launched Gemini 3.5 Pro on July 17, featuring a 2 million token context window and Deep Think inference mode. API pricing is set at $1.25 per million input tokens.

Anthropic split from OpenAI by pushing for stronger state-level AI safety rules while OpenAI supports federal uniform regulation. Illinois became the first state to mandate annual independent audits for AI companies.

NASA-backed cryogenic fluid management satellite LOXSAT 1 launched July 17 from Mahia, New Zealand on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. It will validate 11 liquid oxygen storage and transfer technologies over nine months.

Hubble Space Telescope identified four white dwarfs within 65 light-years through near-ultraviolet spectroscopy. G 203-47 was confirmed as the 9th nearest white dwarf to the Sun after 27 years of uncertainty.

As the US continues six consecutive days of bombing Iran, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced drone strikes on Kuwait border posts, oil facilities, and Bahrain's Alsahir air base.

Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin was detained for posting Navalny-related videos on social media, then released and appeared in court on July 17.

The EU officially sanctioned Sudan's gold trade to cut off civil war funding through military factions' gold exports. Sudan's Human Rights Commission reported 6,000 detention cases in RSF facilities.

Spain defeated France 2-0 in the semifinal, while Argentina defeated England 2-1, setting up a July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The London Diamond League was held on July 18. British runner Josh Kerr attempted to break Hisham El Guerrouj's mile world record of 3:43.13.

The rainy season ended July 3 as the second shortest on record, followed by record highs of 37.1°C in Seoul and up to 40°C in parts of the metro area. The Korea Meteorological Administration issued emergency heat alerts for Gyeongsan and Pohang.

Twenty-three wildfires burned simultaneously across France. The Fontainebleau forest south of Paris lost 11 sq km, with cumulative summer damage three times higher than the previous year.

A wildfire in Spain's Almeria province killed at least 13 people and burned 7,000 hectares. Portugal and Greece also declared widespread wildfire emergencies.

Merck's Lipfendra 20mg tablet received FDA approval on July 16. It is the first and only once-daily oral PCSK9 inhibitor that reduces LDL-C by up to 59% compared to placebo in adults with hypercholesterolemia.

Over 400 cyclosporiasis cases have been confirmed across four states including Michigan and Ohio, with 94 hospitalizations. CDC and FDA identified Mexican shredded lettuce supplied to Taco Bell as the source and are recalling Taylor Farms products.

Six US federal agencies (OCC, FDIC, NCUA, Treasury, FinCEN, OFAC) reached the statutory July 18 deadline to finalize stablecoin regulations under the GENIUS Act. The OCC proposed a minimum capital requirement of $5 million.

The House Financial Services Committee held a CLARITY Act hearing on July 17 at Federal Hall in New York. The act classifies bitcoin as a CFTC-jurisdiction digital commodity, pushing for a Senate vote before recess.

Seoul apartment prices rose 0.18% in the third week of July. Twenty out of 25 districts surpassed their 2021-2022 all-time highs, including Gangseo, Eunpyeong, Seongbuk, Gwanak, and Guro.

Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yoon-chul is reviewing primary residence-focused transfer tax reform and gradual property tax increases, with a formal 2026 tax reform bill announcement planned for end of July.

General supply in the metro area for July-August reached 23,485 units, roughly double the 11,892 units from the same period last year. Dongtan in Hwaseong and Yeongtong in Suwon showed slightly moderated gains.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare activated 2,500 gap-filling childcare centers nationwide to address gaps for dual-income families during summer break, providing lunch and dinner for under 2,000 won per day.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is conducting AI-interpreted college information sessions for 22,000 immigrant-background students, with school-visit counseling from July through October.

Following the first dog day of summer, demand for alternative health foods like eel, abalone, and duck has surged. Emart and Lotte Mart are running discount events on eel and Wando abalone.

Restaurant ginseng chicken soup prices averaged 18,154 won, up 29% over five years. GS25, CU, and Emart24 are competing with budget health meals like chicken soup burgers (4,700 won) and dog day lunch boxes (6,900 won).

Korean mukbang YouTuber Yuno issued an apology on July 16 after posting videos ordering approximately 20 inflight meals in first class, citing complaints about flight attendant burden and passenger inconvenience. The video was removed.