1.Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Thursday pledged to focus efforts on normalizing state affairs amid lingering domestic political turmoil. Choi also said the government will execute 358 trillion won, or roughly 245-point-7 billion U.S. dollars, worth of the budget in the first half of the year to bolster domestic consumption.

2.Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo on Thursday expressed hope for engaging in talks with the new head of the Korean Medical Association amid a prolonged deadlock over medical reform.

3.According to Bloomberg on Thursday, President Joe Biden’s administration plans to introduce new export restrictions on artificial intelligence chips just days before leaving office. If implemented, only U.S. allies will face no import restrictions, while purchases by other countries will likely be restricted.