Latest issue
Korea just recorded its hottest temperature in 122 years, and the government declared it a national disaster
Yangsan hit 42.5°C on August 2, Korea's hottest reading in 122 years, as heat deaths reached 23 and President Lee declared a national disaster. Also this week: Lee's approval hits a fresh post-inauguration low, the US announces a new polysilicon tariff, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) drops 4.58% on chip-sector fears, and Homeplus sets August 13 as its full reopening date.
Read the latest briefArchive
- Aug 1, 2026The KOSPI crashed twice, then staged the biggest rally in its historyAug 1, 2026
- Jul 26, 2026A new US tariff, $100 oil, and an AI scare hit Korean stocks in one weekJul 26, 2026
- Jul 19, 2026The Bank of Korea raises rates for the first time in three and a half yearsJul 19, 2026
- Jul 12, 2026The Supreme Court hands Yoon his first final conviction: seven years, 583 days after martial lawJul 12, 2026
- Jul 5, 2026Homeplus heads toward liquidation as court pulls plug on rehabilitationJul 5, 2026
- Jun 28, 2026MSCI refused to upgrade Korea to developed-market status for a 12th straight year, the same morning the KOSPI crashed 9.99%.Jun 28, 2026
- Jun 24, 2026Korea's election commission referred its former chairman for criminal prosecution, and the National Assembly voted 250-1 to investigate.Jun 24, 2026
- Jun 14, 2026The KOSPI's worst day of the year triggered a circuit breaker. Here is what drove it.Jun 14, 2026
- Jun 7, 2026Local elections changed Korea's map, but Seoul stayed with Oh Se-hoonJun 7, 2026
- May 31, 2026Bank of Korea holds at 2.50% with two hawkish dissents; July 16 is the live meetingMay 31, 2026
- May 25, 2026Starbucks Korea fires its CEO the same day 'Tank Day' lands on the 46th anniversary of 5·18May 25, 2026
- May 17, 2026Samsung's 18-day strike starts May 21. The market has already priced it.May 17, 2026
- May 10, 2026Constitutional amendment fails. June 3 loses its second ballot.May 10, 2026
- May 7, 2026The Bank of Korea just signaled rate hikes are back on the tableMay 7, 2026
What to expect
10–12 min · 1,400–1,800 words
The lead
One story treated with context, history, and what comes next.
Resident changes
Rule changes and administrative shifts that can affect life in Korea.
Korea this week
Politics, business, economy, society, diplomacy, and public safety. Short, substantive, no filler.
Public conversation
What people in Korea were arguing about, and what the argument reveals.
Korea Decoded
A practical cultural or institutional explainer tied to the week.
Dates, festivals, reads
Forward-looking dates, festival picks, and deeper links worth saving.
Curated, not reported. Sources cited inline.