Myungjin, the former abbot of Bongeunsa Temple, passed away on August 22 after an accident at sea near Seogwipo, Jeju. He was 76 years old and had served as an abbot for 52 years.
Myungjin was rescued floating in the water at approximately 9:38 a.m. near Haye Port in Seogwipo. According to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and local authorities, he was in cardiac arrest at the time of rescue and was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:28 a.m. His remains were moved to Seogwipo Medical Center.
The Coast Guard suspects that Myungjin was practicing freediving when the accident occurred, based on the equipment he was wearing at the time of the incident. Friends reported that he had been freediving annually and was engaged in the activity on the morning of his accident.
In other news, trade negotiations between the United States and Canada have ended without an agreement, leading to the implementation of new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.
According to reports from AP and AFP on August 21, U.S. Trade Representative Jamie Grier confirmed the breakdown of talks, stating that Canada refused to finalize the trade agreement based on conditions agreed upon earlier in the week.
Previously, President Trump had warned that he would impose tariffs of up to 50% on Canadian imports, citing discrimination against U.S. products in the automotive, alcohol, and dairy sectors.
The North American and Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) are reportedly discussing the establishment of a unified Nations League, aiming for a launch in the fall of 2028.
According to a report by Yonhap, ESPN stated on August 22 that the two confederations have been collaborating more closely than ever and are in talks about creating this new league.
In April, the two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding to promote the development of players, coaches, referees, and administrators, which has led to discussions about the unified Nations League.
If established, this league would create a new international competition where North American and European countries could regularly compete against each other.
A U.S. federal court has ruled against the Trump administration's suspension of immigration visas for 75 countries, determining that the Department of State's actions violated federal immigration law.
The New York Times reported on August 21 that Judge Janet Vargas of the Manhattan federal court invalidated the visa issuance restrictions imposed by the State Department.
The court found that the policy exceeded the legal authority granted to the Secretary of State. It also noted that there was insufficient evidence to support the administration's claim that immigrants from these 75 countries would impose a financial burden on U.S. citizens. Furthermore, the court criticized the blanket restriction on visa issuance based solely on nationality, which contradicted the intent of existing immigration laws that require individual assessments of applicants.
AI company Anthropic is reportedly pursuing an initial public offering (IPO) with a target valuation of $2 trillion. If successful, this would surpass SpaceX's record IPO.
According to a report by Yonhap, citing the New York Times on August 21, Anthropic's underwriters have been discussing plans to raise over $100 billion from potential investors.
The company's valuation is projected to reach as high as $2 trillion, exceeding SpaceX's valuation of $1.77 trillion at the time of its IPO in June, which raised $85.7 billion.
President Lee Jae-myung is inviting leaders and members of the ruling Democratic Party to the Blue House ahead of the September regular National Assembly session.
This initiative is seen as a move to enhance communication between the party and the government and to solidify legislative cooperation on key national agenda items.
Chief Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung announced that President Lee plans to host a luncheon for Democratic Party lawmakers at the Blue House on August 28.
Democratic lawmakers will attend a two-day workshop in Incheon starting August 27 in preparation for the regular session, after which they will move to the Blue House. Most members are expected to participate due to the timing of the event.
Prior to this, President Lee will have dinner with the new Democratic Party leadership, including Representative Kim Min-seok, on August 25. This marks a series of official communication events between the party and the government since the new leadership took office.
Japan's government is expected to request a budget exceeding 130 trillion yen (approximately $1.13 trillion) for the fiscal year 2027, marking the first time this threshold has been surpassed.
The increase in the budget request is attributed to expanded investments in new growth sectors, increased defense spending, and rising interest burdens on government bonds, leading to a likelihood of setting a new record for the fourth consecutive year.
Each ministry's budget request for fiscal year 2027 is anticipated to exceed 130 trillion yen, compared to the previous year's request of 122 trillion yen (approximately $1.06 trillion).
The increase is influenced by the government's decision to impose no effective cap on investments in new growth areas. Support for advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, along with defense spending, is expected to rise. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is requesting 7.7 trillion yen (approximately $67 billion), with about 4.5 trillion yen (approximately $39 billion) allocated for AI and semiconductor development.
China is expanding its humanoid robot competition to validate the practical applications of robots in industrial and everyday settings. This year, the event will include not only running and soccer but also scenarios based on real work environments such as hotels, libraries, and emergency services to test the robots' operational capabilities.
The second World Humanoid Robot Games opened at the National Speed Skating Hall in Beijing and will run until August 26.
This year's competition features 666 teams and 2,056 humanoid robots from 16 countries across six continents. A total of 1,301 matches will be held across 51 events, with participation increasing by 138% compared to last year, and the number of robots nearly quadrupling.
Notably, the proportion of scenario-based events has significantly increased this year. Out of the 51 events, 30 are competitive events, while 21 are scenario-based, up from just six last year. These scenario events focus on practical applications in industries, hotels, homes, and logistics, evaluating the robots' efficiency, accuracy, and reliability in tasks such as assembly, material handling, household services, firefighting, and library organization.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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