February 21 (Friday) News Headline
Economy
"The More We Sell, The More We Lose, We Can't Hold On Any Longer"... Small Business Owners Cry Out
Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ) survey on high exchange rates and their impact on small businesses
Nearly half of small businesses suffer from rising exchange rates
51.4% report damage due to exchange rates, while only 13.3% benefit
Foreign exchange losses and increased production costs due to high exchange rates
Concerns over prolonged damage—66.4% expect further exchange rate increases
"Plagiarized Research Papers for R&D Tax Credits"... Tax Authorities Collect 27 Billion KRW
864 companies caught for improper R&D tax deductions
Cases of false registration of researchers
"At This Rate, China Will Take Everything"... Korea Responds with Trade Tariffs
Korea imposes a 38% anti-dumping tariff on cheap Chinese thick plates
Korea joins the "trade war" amid the "Trump tariffs" and Chinese competition
Government states, "We must protect the Korean steel industry"
Shipbuilders that relied on cheap materials face challenges
Top Experts Say "Unbelievable"... The Scientific Community Faces an Unprecedented Situation
A research project that took 10 years was completed in just 10 days
Deep research AI surpassing human intelligence
Big Tech companies like OpenAI and Google releasing AI for research
AI suggests experimental strategies and finds overlooked aspects
AI identifies leukemia drug candidates
AI scores highest on complex evaluations, with OpenAI achieving 26.6% accuracy
"Fresh Fruits Are Too Expensive"… Record High Frozen Fruit Imports Last Year
79,436 tons imported, a 25% increase from the previous year
Finance
"First Time in 8 Years: China's Ban on K-Content May Be Lifted"… K-Pop and Entertainment Stocks Surge
Stocks related to K-content targeting the Chinese market soar
Companies like AStory and YG PLUS see major gains
"Fear of a Short-Selling Bomb"… Korean Shipbuilding Stocks Plummet
Ahead of the resumption of short-selling in March, analysts warn of stock overheating
Shipbuilding ETFs drop by 49.2 billion KRW in market cap in a single day
Hyundai Heavy Industries stock drops by 12%
Private equity firm KKR's block deal also adds to market concerns
Gold ETF Investors Earn More than IRP Depositors
A 4-year return simulation:
Low-interest IRP fixed deposits: 7.1%
Gold ETFs: 86% due to rising gold prices
Retirement funds lean toward gold investments for tax benefits and stability
Short-Selling Could Expand Fully… FSC Chief Calls for Reopening in More Stocks
Lee Bok-hyun suggests lifting short-selling restrictions on all stocks
Attends a discussion on improving stock market infrastructure
Claims "99% of illegal short-selling can now be detected"
Investors remain worried about potential losses
"U.S. Crypto Futures ETF Trading Booms… Korea Needs to Act Fast to Prevent Capital Outflows"
Korea has high cryptocurrency trading volumes but mostly through direct transactions
Calls for integrating crypto investments into ETFs
Domestic firms sign MOUs with foreign entities to accelerate spot ETF development
Corporations
"March Business Delegation to the U.S."… Federation of Korean Industries Reclaims Influence
Annual general meeting of the Federation of Korean Industries
Chairman Yoo Jin re-elected
Naver, Kakao, HYBE, and Dunamu newly join
Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and SK rejoin the organization
Hyundai Expands in the U.S., GM Strengthens in Europe and India
"Production Alliances" amid tariff wars
Chinese brands aggressively expand globally
Hyundai cuts U.S. tariff and investment burden, GM revives lost networks
Potential for "same car, different brand" collaborations
"Trust Us"… Chinese Robot Vacuum Maker Roborock Stresses Security
Captured 40% of Korea’s robot vacuum market last year
The domestic market growing by nearly 20% annually
Optimistic outlook for further market share growth
Actively addressing security concerns
HD Hyundai & Hanwha Face Off for $20 Trillion U.S. Navy MRO Contract
U.S. 7th Fleet issues procurement request for logistics support ship maintenance
HD Hyundai and Hanwha Ocean participate in the bidding
Mobilizing repair facilities and subcontractors
Seeking a stronghold before U.S. shipbuilding fully revives
Despite Economic Downturn, Big Companies' Advertising Firms Post Record Profits
Cheil Worldwide reports highest-ever operating profit
Samsung’s ad contract share increased to 73%
Innocean also hits record-high revenue and profit
Hyundai Motor’s marketing expenses surged by 20%
Independent agencies like FSN struggle
Real Estate
Lifting of Land Regulation Triples Housing Price Growth in Gangnam in Just a Week
Korea Real Estate Board’s February 3rd-week apartment price trends
Seoul's weekly growth rate rose from 0.02% to 0.06%
Northern Seoul’s 14 districts still see a 0.01% decline, highlighting market polarization
"Own a Building for Just 1,000 KRW"… Fractional Real Estate Investing Faces New Regulations
Financial authorities to formalize regulatory sandbox for fractional real estate investing by June
Industry debates separation of issuance and distribution principles
Sandbox period ends, CASA chooses issuance, while PUNBLE & LucentBlock consider security token trading
New entrants may face entry restrictions
Severe Housing Supply Shortage in the Seoul Metropolitan Area
Supply drops by 40% in a year (134,000 → 83,000 units)
Economic downturn and loan restrictions hit the market hard
Top 10 Construction Firms Hesitate… Zero New Housing Units in Seoul in January
Apartment supply plummets, worst supply freeze predicted
Economic slowdown, loan regulations, and construction costs pose challenges
Expected supply of 135,000 units this year, down by over 160,000 from 3 years ago
Gwangju and Daejeon also report no new projects last month
Major firms cut planned supply by 30%
Calls for tax incentives to stimulate housing supply
Changsin-dong Redevelopment Stalls Again Over Mayor’s Remarks
Small-scale redevelopment in districts 1–4 put on hold
New mayor changes original plans
Proposal for an integrated "Gangbuk COEX" redevelopment
Residents worry about another decade-long delay
Society
A Sad New Normal… 9 Out of 10 Koreans Say the Nation Is Deeply Divided
Dankook University survey on public perceptions of conflict
Worst levels of perceived division in 17 years
Ideological divides between left and right seen as most severe
Experts predict continued political fragmentation
"Increase SPOs Tenfold?"… Skepticism Over Expanding School Police Officers
Legislative proposal to expand school police officers after a tragic case
Internal debate on effectiveness and feasibility
High-Risk Surgery Medical Teams to Be Protected by Government Insurance
Medical special committee pushes for essential medical service support
Expanded insurance coverage for emergency, trauma, and childbirth services
Proposed Medical Accident Special Law delayed due to opposition from patient groups
Three Months After Sinking, Overfishing Confirmed as Cause of Gold Star Ship Tragedy
Captain indicted for abandoning crew members
Chief fishing officer and captain not charged for missing crew
Cold Day Ahead with Northwest Winds… "Dress Warmly"
Lowest temperatures range from -13°C to -1°C, highs from 0°C to 7°C
Dry weather persists nationwide
International
"U.S. Pushes for 'Phased Agreement' to Quickly Conclude Ukraine Mineral Negotiations"
The U.S. is working to secure a deal with Ukraine on critical minerals through a step-by-step approach.
The strategy involves first obtaining a commitment from Ukraine to supply resources while leaving specific figures to be discussed later.
The existing proposal, which initially demanded 50% of the resources, may be revised.
"Phase 2 Gaza Ceasefire Talks… Hamas Releases List of Hostages and Deceased"
Hamas has proposed a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of all hostages in exchange.
Hamas claims that some hostages have died due to Israeli airstrikes.
"Trump Hints at 'Ping-Pong Diplomacy'… Suggests Grand Deal with Xi Jinping"
"I've already been invited to visit China… I may go this year," Trump stated.
Possible negotiations on trade, exchange rates, and North Korea policy are on the table.
Trump seeks broad discussions, hinting at the possibility of a new trade deal.
If the U.S. imposes a 25% tariff on Chinese semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, Chinese exports could take a major hit.
"Trump Criticizes Zelensky While Showing Favor to Russia… Is Putin's Economic Strategy Working?"
Trump labeled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" and dismissed him as "a comedian who achieved only moderate success."
The New York Times suggested that Trump’s pro-Russian stance may be influenced by economic interests.
European leaders strongly condemned Trump's remarks, calling them "outrageous."
"Gold Becomes a Rare Commodity… Massive Transfers from London to New York Amid Spreading Rumors"
The demand for gold has surged due to political uncertainties surrounding Trump.
Investors are moving large amounts of gold from the UK to the U.S. in anticipation of price surges.
A conspiracy theory claiming that "the U.S. Treasury lacks actual gold reserves" is spreading rapidly.
Elon Musk has fueled speculation by calling for an immediate investigation into the Fort Knox gold reserves.
Seoul Tribune (c)
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