Aviation & Travel Demand: International flight passengers through South Korea’s airports rose about 10% in Jan–Aug, reaching 68.44 million, helped by yen weakness and visa-free moves boosting Japan and China routes, while Southeast Asia demand fell. Luxury Real Estate: Seoul’s priciest monthly rent hit 40 million won at Nine One Hannam, with ultra-high-rent deals above 10 million won up sharply year-on-year—another sign of Seoul’s high-end housing pull. EV Adoption: Young Koreans are accelerating into electric cars: EV purchases by people in their 20s jumped 130% in Jan–Aug, driven by lower charging costs and app-based convenience. Semiconductor Capital Markets: SK hynix’s Solidigm is reportedly weighing an IPO that could value the unit at up to $150B, keeping Korea’s chip finance spotlight on. Shipping & Shipbuilding Outlook: South Korea’s big three shipbuilders are bracing for a post-“supercycle” slowdown as order backlogs grow and labor deals spark internal splits. Trade & Investment Diplomacy: President Lee Jae Myung urged a fast restart of Korea–Mexico trade pact talks, while Korea–Mexico business ties and a roadmap through 2030 keep expanding. Tourism Tech Angle: World Tourism Day highlighted how AI is reshaping trip planning, from chat-based recommendations to smarter destination forecasting. Regulation Watch: Police declined to refer a case over “healthier the more you smoke” nicotine-free vape ads, underscoring ongoing gaps in Korea’s fast-evolving tobacco rules.