창간 80주년 경향신문

Apple Intelligence to launch in the Chinese market with Alibaba ‘Qwen’ on board

Apple AI service ‘Apple Intelligence’ is set to launch in China with the Alibaba large language model (LLM) Qwen (Qwen) on board.Reuters reported that on the 15th, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) included Apple Intelligence on the list of newly approved providers. China has a process under which the relevant authorities review and approve the launch of new AI models or tools.Alibaba also said that Qwen will be integrated into the Apple Intelligence experience across major Appl...

2026.07.16 17:39

Democratic Party leadership race in earnest… Kim Min-seok “partner to the president”, Jeong Cheong-rae “prosecution reform” appeals to the hardline camp

With Reps. Ko Min-jung, Kim Min-seok, Song Young-gil, and Jeong Cheong-rae, who are running in the August 17 Democratic Party convention, completing their registration for party leader on the 16th, the leadership contest entered full swing. On the first day of registration, Rep. Kim, regarded as a leading contender, stressed partnership with the president, while Rep. Jeong targeted hardline party members with messages of prosecution reform, including abolishing the supplementary investigation ...

2026.07.16 17:39

As North Korea and China draw closer through high-level exchanges... Are South Korea-China relations, with the visit to South Korea by Wang Yi delayed, mired in uncertainty?

North Korea and China are continuing exchanges among their top-level figures, showcasing their strategic relationship at home and abroad. Immediately after a delegation led by Premier Pak Tae-song of the North Korean Cabinet visited China, Wang Huning, the fourth-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has been in North Korea since the 15th discussing cooperation in areas such as the economy and culture. Ana...

2026.07.16 17:38

Tourists and supermarkets are also ‘documentary’… Images of contemporary society captured by Martin Parr

In front of the temple on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, a group of tourists lines up for a commemorative photo. Somehow the outfits look familiar: on green Tshirts, the character ‘(hyo)’ ‘steals the spotlight’. They are unmistakably a Korean package tour group. The scene shifts to Jungfrau, Switzerland. Before the dazzling snow peaks stands a lone display rack of landscape photos. It is, in effect, a photograph of a stand selling photographs of picturepostcard scenery, set against picturepo...

2026.07.16 17:38

As megaprojects accelerate the SMR development clock… Nuclear Safety and Security Commission: “Establish a licensing system by 2030”

After the government announced plans for three megaprojects, which accelerated the small modular reactor (SMR) development clock, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission stated that it will establish a safety regulatory framework by 2030.Chairman Choi Won-ho of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said at a roundtable held in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 15th, “With the expansion of semiconductor investment and other factors, the need for nuclear power is increasing,” and “We are stea...

2026.07.16 17:38

Bank of Korea raises the base rate···the rate gap with the United States also narrows to 1%p for the first time in three and a half years

On the 16th, the Monetary Policy Board of the Bank of Korea raised the base rate by 0.25 percentage point, from 2.5% to 2.75% per annum. It was the first base rate increase in three years and six months since January 2023. The Board said it would “continue the base rate hiking stance,” suggesting additional increases within the year.The Board held a meeting at the Bank of Korea main building in Jung-gu, Seoul, and decided to raise the rate by unanimous vote of the seven members. A base rate ...

2026.07.16 17:38

“There is no way to stop private tutoring, but it must change”···Reckless introduction of ‘100% short-answer/essay’

The transition committee of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Office of Education is pushing to switch elementary and middle school assessments to ‘100% short-answer/essay in all subjects’, sparking controversy. Critics say it is an excessive ‘push-through’ because there was no process to gather opinions from stakeholders, including teachers, students, and parents.The Preparatory Committee for the K-Education Special City (the transition committee of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Office of Education) held a press...

2026.07.16 17:38

Shin Hyun-song “If there is a price to watch, it is the semiconductor price itself rather than semiconductor share prices”

Governor Shin Hyun-song of the Bank of Korea said on the 16th, “Stock market volatility has been quite high lately,” while adding, “There are not many systemic risk factors that could affect the real economy.”He said this at a press conference held after the Monetary Policy Board of the Bank of Korea raised the base rate from 2.50% to 2.75% per annum, responding to a question about whether continued volatility in the domestic stock market could become a burden on the rate hike through weaker...

2026.07.16 17:38

Police apply for an arrest warrant for ‘Oldareukeu’ who blocked entry to the Jamsil ballot counting center

On the 16th, police applied for an arrest warrant for Ms. A, a woman in her 30s who single-handedly blocked the entrance to the Olympic Park Handball Arena in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where the ‘Jamsil ballot counting center protest’ is underway, obstructing entry.The Songpa Police Station in Seoul said that on this day, “we applied for a pre-arrest warrant on charges of interference with business for Ms. A, one of nine suspects who obstructed the entry of sports organizations under the Korea Sport...

2026.07.16 16:38

‘To make matters worse’ KOSPI plunges 6%… Semiconductors wobble, plus a rate hike

On the 16th, the KOSPI index plunged more than 6%, giving up the ‘7,000 level’ again after just one day. Concerns around the semiconductor industry are turning the domestic stock market into a ‘roller-co-KOSPI’. Coupled with a rate hike by the Bank of Korea, investor sentiment appears to have weakened. The won-dollar exchange rate edged down slightly.The KOSPI closed at 6,820.60, down 463.81 points (6.37%) from the previous session. The index opened lower at 6,960.50 and at one point deepene...

2026.07.16 16:37