Busan to enter festival mode ahead of UNESCO committee session: The K-Heritage House will be open from July 20-29 at the convention center BEXCO in Busan's Haeundae-gu District to mark the opening of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in the country's No. 2 city. (Korea Heritage Service) By Margareth Theresia Busan from July 19 will transform into a national heritage venue for people from around the globe to mark the hosting of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in the nation's second-largest city. The Korea Herit; 2026.07.10

Declassified 1948 US military report calls Dokdo 'part of Korea': Hong Seong-geun, director of the Northeast Asian History Foundation's Dokdo Research Office, on July 7 explains the contents of materials at a ceremony for the donation of unreleased materials on Dokdo Island collected by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration at the foundation's Dokdo Museum Seoul at the shopping mall Times Square in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo-gu District. (Yonhap News) By Kim Seon Ah A declassified U.S. military document from 1948 that calls Dokdo Island "part of Ko; 2026.07.10

Nation's first satellite for agriculture, forestry enters orbit: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the CAS500-4, a next-generation mid-size satellite exclusively for observation of agriculture and forestry, on July 7 stands on the launch pad ahead of its scheduled takeoff at 4:10 p.m. at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. (Screenshot from Korea AeroSpace Administration's official YouTube channel) By Uyen Nguyen A next-generation mid-sized homegrown satellite for the exclusive observation of agriculture and forestry has entered orbit. The Korea Aero; 2026.07.10

Korea Public AI Expo teases convenient future via advanced tech: Entrance to Korea Public AI Expo 2026 at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province (Jeong Euiseok) By Jeong Euiseok A wave of change is hitting the public sector as artificial intelligence (AI) drives innovation throughout society. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety from July 23-24 hosted this year's Korea Public AI Expo at the convention center KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province, offering a glimpse into the future of public services. Korea.net on June 23 visited KINTEX to join a forei; 2026.07.10

President Lee floats 'defense industry partnership 2.0' with NATO: President Lee Jae Myung on July 7 gives a keynote speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum at Ankara Convention Center in Ankara, Turkiye (Turkey). (Cheong Wa Dae) By Charles Audouin President Lee Jae Myung on July 7 proposed a new vision for defense industry cooperation with NATO at the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Turkiye (Turkey). In a keynote speech, he said, "Let us elevate our cooperation beyond defense industry cooperation limited to the trade of weapons systems to a 'Korea-; 2026.07.10

Exhibition in Busan highlights traditional record, royal heritage: The National Palace Museum of Korea on July 6 announced its hosting of the exhibition "Timeless Legacy: Records and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty” from July 7 to Aug. 30 at Busan Museum to mark Busan's hosting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee session. Shown is a portrait of King Yeongjo at the museum in Busan's Nam-gu District. (Busan Museum's official Facebook) By Lee Dasom Marking Busan's hosting this month of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee session, an exhibition in the nation's l; 2026.07.10

Avg. 2026 growth forecasts of int'l investment banks hit 3% level: Container terminal at Gwangyang Port in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do Province (Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority) By Kang Gahui Forecasts of Korea's 2026 economic growth by major foreign investment banks has risen to the 3% range for the first time this year thanks to record-setting semiconductor exports. The Korea Center for International Finance on July 7 said this based in a survey of the projections by eight such banks. The average prediction steadily increased from 2% late last year to 2.1% in; 2026.07.10

Pilot program for free female sanitary pads begins in 12 regions: A woman on July 6 pulls out a sanitary pad from a public dispenser at a restroom of Eunpyeong Women's Development Center in Seoul's Eunpyeong-gu District on the first day of a pilot program for providing free pads. (Yonhap News) By Jeong Euiseok A pilot public program for providing free women's sanitary pads has been launched nationwide. The service sponsored by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family began on July 6 at public facilities in pilot regions. Twelve local governments includin; 2026.07.10

[K-matrimony] ③ More public aid for newlyweds' housing, weddings: Amid changing social attitudes toward matrimony, the number of marriages in Korea is increasing. The figure hit about 240,000 last year, the highest in seven years. The domestic culture and institution of marriage are also evolving in blending traditional and modern customs and practices. Korea.net explores trends in Korean marriage culture through the series "K-Matrimony." By Hong Angie In an era where the financial burden of marriage and housing holds young people back, the central and l; 2026.07.10

6 biz groups to spend KRW 312T to create high-tech hub in SE area: President Lee Jae Myung on July 3 gives a congratulatory speech at a public briefing in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, on his administration's vision for the high-tech industrial development of the southeastern region of Yeongnam. (Cheong Wa Dae) By Aisylu Akhmetzianova Six domestic conglomerates have collectively pledged KRW 312 trillion in investment in the Yeongnam region, which spans Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, and the provinces of Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do, to advance cutting-edge; 2026.07.08

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