President Donald Trump has positioned Canada as a 'test case' for his tariff policy ahead of this year's midterm elections. Following the collapse of trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada, the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods starting August 22. Additionally, it has announced plans to raise tariffs on Canadian automobiles, parts, and steel to 50% beginning in January.If President Trump can secure significant concessions from

The government has approved a program to support the first month of national pension contributions for young adults aged 18 to 26 who have no prior payment history, with a maximum subsidy of 40,000 won. This initiative aims to encourage early enrollment in the national pension system.On August 26, the Ministry of Economy and Finance confirmed the approval of five projects, including the first insurance premium support for youth, during the seventh financial investment evaluation committee meetin

Japan's government is set to support domestic companies in procuring submarine cable installation vessels. The demand for submarine cables, which account for 99% of international communications, has surged due to the explosive growth in data traffic driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI). However, Japanese companies currently lack sufficient vessels to meet this rising demand, and many of their existing vessels are aging. The emergence of Chinese companies in this sector has als

A constitutional appeal filed by the People Power Party regarding the amendment to the criminal procedure law, which abolishes prosecutors' direct investigative powers and supplementary investigative rights, will be formally reviewed by the Constitutional Court. On August 26, legal sources reported that the Constitutional Court has referred the constitutional appeal concerning the constitutionality of the amended criminal procedure law, filed by the People Power Party, for formal judgment. T

TikTok announced that the amount of compensation for domestic content creators has nearly doubled in the four months since the expansion of its Creator Rewards Program (CRP). The platform is also positively impacting the consumption of K-content and related products, projecting an economic effect of 10 trillion won this year and over 40 trillion won by 2030.On August 26, TikTok held a press conference titled 'K-Culture on TikTok' at the Eliana Hotel in Seoul, where it unveiled a report titled 'K

Chinese tech giant Huawei will receive patent royalties from U.S. PC manufacturer HP.Huawei and HP signed a global patent cross-licensing agreement on the 25th, as reported by Chinese media IT之家 on the 26th. Under the agreement, HP will pay a certain amount of royalties for using Huawei's Wi-Fi patents. The specific contract amount and the scope of the patents used by HP have not been disclosed. Steven Geisler, Huawei's representative for intellectual property negotiations, stated, "This globa

Naver is continuing its investment efforts in the defense and manufacturing sectors by investing in a startup focused on building supply chain infrastructure.Naver D2SF announced on August 26 that it has made a new investment in F4GE, a startup specializing in defense and manufacturing infrastructure. This investment marks F4GE's first institutional funding round, which also included participation from domestic and international investors such as K-Net Investment Partners, Saje Partners, D.CAMP,

The competition in artificial intelligence (AI) is shifting from model performance to securing large-scale computing infrastructure, prompting calls for tax incentives to boost investments in AI data centers. Although the government has designated AI data centers as national strategic technology commercialization facilities eligible for a maximum 15% investment tax credit, industry representatives argue that this is insufficient compared to the 20% credit available for semiconductors.During a po

Flowers wither, people depart, but intentions remain.— A reflection on the final pilgrimage of Monk Myungjin from the funeral at Bongeunsa to the cremation at Beopjusa.On August 25, 2026, at 10 a.m., a clear yet heavy bell tolled in the courtyard of the main hall at Bongeunsa in Gangnam, Seoul. It marked the passing of Monk Myungjin, who unexpectedly passed away at sea near Haye Port in Seogwipo, Jeju, on August 22. He was 76 years old and had dedicated 52 years to the monastic life, having ente