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English How Toss Became South Korea’s National Finance App in Three Years — and Why It’s Heading for a US IPO

Note: This article was automatically translated from Korean by AI. All content refers to South Korea unless otherwise stated. See Korean original for the most accurate reading. Step onto a subway car in Seoul and you’ll notice something: several of...

English Fed Holds, but the Korean Won Already Reacted — Warsh’s First FOMC Test

The bottom line — Kevin Warsh, the new US Federal Reserve chair, delivers his first FOMC decision tonight (2pm ET on July 29; 3am KST on July 30). The Fed is widely expected to hold rates at 3.50%–3.75%, but the...

English Electronics prices for 2027 are being negotiated right now — the pass-through path of a triple chip-cost hike

The cost base for 2027 laptops, cars and appliances was settled in June and July. Foundry, equipment and memory prices are rising on three layers at once — and South Korea stands at both ends of the chain.

English Nunchi: The Korean Art of Reading the Room Without a Word

Note: This article was automatically translated from Korean by AI. All content refers to South Korea unless otherwise stated. See Korean original for the most accurate reading. There is one thing foreigners who have lived in South Korea for just...

English Becoming a Tree Doctor in Your 50s — The Reality of Eligibility, Pass Rates, and Income

Bottom line. The “tree doctor” (namu-uisa, Korea’s licensed tree-care physician) is often floated as a “second life” option for people in their 50s and retirees, but the real gateway is not obtaining the license — it is the exam pass...

English Consumers Cooled, Factories Hummed — The Export Engine Behind China’s 4.7% Growth

Bottom line — China held on to 4.7% growth in the first half, but the engine was exports, not consumption. Machinery and electronics exports jumped more than 20%, propping up growth, while domestic consumer prices rose just 1%. The problem...

English Korea’s Electricity Tariff Frozen for 17 Quarters — So Why Is Your Summer Bill Bigger?

Bottom line — Korea’s third-quarter electricity tariff has been frozen once again. The fuel-cost adjustment rate has been held at 5 won per kWh for 17 consecutive quarters. And yet the summer bill still grows. Even when the rate table...

English Oil Shipping Lanes Tighten Again — The $120 Talk and Korea’s Real Inflation Sensitivity

Bottom line — With the Houthis’ declaration of a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, crude-oil shipping routes are being threatened simultaneously at the Red Sea on top of Hormuz. But actual international oil prices are still around $85 a barrel,...

English The Quarter Smartphones Slipped — Two-Thirds of TSMC Revenue Went to AI (Q2 2026)

Bottom line — Two-thirds of TSMC’s revenue in a single quarter now comes from AI chips (HPC). In Q2 2026, the smartphone — long the face of this company — fell to 22%, and data-center chips took its place. This...

English Landlord Wants More Than a 5% Jeonse Increase? Renewal Right vs. Agreement — A Tenant’s Decision Guide

Bottom line. When a landlord asks to raise your jeonse (lump-sum deposit lease) or monthly rent by more than 5%, a tenant in Korea has three paths. Exercising the right to request contract renewal caps the increase at 5% and...