North Korea Nuclear Expansion: Kim Jong Un visited a newly operational nuclear material production factory and ordered an “exponential” ramp-up, saying weapons-grade output has more than doubled in five years, with plans to accelerate both the scale and technology of its arsenal. Aviation Connectivity: South Korea and China agreed to expand flight rights for the first time in seven years, adding weekly passenger and cargo frequencies to boost tourism and business links. Semiconductor Supply Chain & Energy: Samsung’s Vietnam unit signed its first direct Power Purchase Agreement, taking 70GWh of solar power, while Soulbrain RASA secured a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant to build a U.S. phosphoric acid facility for chip manufacturing. AI & Markets Mood: Fitch warned global growth will slow further in 2026 as the oil shock from the U.S.-Iran conflict keeps inflation pressure elevated, though tech and semiconductor demand offers some support for South Korea. Talent & Research: South Korea expanded its Top-Tier Visa to include professors and science/technology researchers, aiming to pull in high-end expertise for labs and universities. Webtoon Crackdown: The culture ministry vowed to pursue webtoon piracy offenders “to the very end,” targeting illegal platform operators even as enforcement faces domain and server shifting. Crypto Infrastructure Move: Cosmos Labs bought Mintscan and launched a Seoul subsidiary to consolidate key parts of its network under one operator.