Regional Growth Push: President Lee Jae-myung warned that Seoul-area overconcentration and shrinking local communities threaten South Korea’s future, urging mayors to back “three mega projects” and “five hubs and three special zones” with more education, transport, culture and tourism support. Semiconductor Momentum: Nvidia’s strong AI-chip outlook is lifting Samsung and SK hynix sentiment, while SK hynix is expanding U.S. advanced packaging and HBM production in Indiana (about $3.87B) and exploring deeper NAND collaboration with Kioxia as AI memory demand reshapes the market. Data Center Cost Crunch: South Korea plans 11 electricity zones to cut AI data center costs, as the Asia-Pacific data center market is projected to surge to $188.33B by 2035. Climate & Water Infrastructure: The climate ministry approved five new dams to handle more extreme droughts and downpours, arguing existing reservoirs can’t cope with “once-in-200-years” events. Disaster Response: Nepal flash floods killed at least 359 and left 900+ missing; South Korea is mobilizing search teams for missing workers tied to a hydropower project. Consumer Tech & Gaming: A controller-free console, “Nex Playground,” is set to launch in Korea in 2027, betting on motion tracking plus subscription content. Policy Watch: The Bank of Korea raised its base rate to 3% to curb inflation and home-price risks, signaling a potentially slower pace ahead.