Sunflowers are in full bloom at a crop cultivation complex in Yangyang County, Gangwon, on Sept. 15.YONHAP
Good evening! Clear skies in Seoul as the autumn weather kicks in this week. Here are the stories you need to know in Korea.
In today's news, as Seoul faces pressure from Washington, the Lee government is tasked with the heavy decision of deciding whether to deploy assets to the Strait of Hormuz.
In other stories, young Koreans are being drawn back to Namdaemun Market in search of hard-to-find items. And the Korean Air-Asiana mileage integration plan was approved by the Fair Trade Commission.
The Hormuz trilemma: Why Lee Jae Myungβs Iran calculation is harder than Rohβs Iraq decision
With thousands of Koreans marching on downtown Seoul, an unprecedented direct warning from Tehran and mounting retaliatory pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, Seoul is caught in an especially tight geopolitical vise.
Six months after the United States first requested naval assets to secure the Strait of Hormuz, Koreaβs potential contribution has become one of the most consequential β and volatile β foreign policy decisions of President Lee Jae Myungβs term.
As of mid-September, the government insists no final decision has been made. However, a confluence of alliance politics, domestic opposition and economic leverage is forcing Seoul into a corner.
Centuries-old Namdaemun Market suddenly a go-to spot for young shoppers
Seoul's historic Namdaemun Market, long the domain of older shoppers, has started attracting people in their 20s and 30s seeking sauna supplies, hard-to-find items and the in-person thrill of haggling.
Korean Air-Asiana merger mileage plan approved with 1:1 conversion, 10-year validity
The Fair Trade Commission approved Korean Air's mileage integration plan, preserving Asiana miles for 10 years but setting a 1 to 0.82 ratio for miles earned through credit cards and partners.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ BUSINESS
Korean banks race to test stablecoins as Seoulβs digital currency rules remain stuck
Financial groups are preparing won-denominated stablecoin services while lawmakers and regulators remain divided over who can issue them. Read more
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ KOREA
Number of minors with over 100 million won in domestic stocks nearly doubles in a year
Approximately 5,400 minors held at least $73,800 in listed stocks last year, with about another 10,000 holding between 50 million to 100 million won. Read more
