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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