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1. For the first time in history, South Korea's central bank has delivered a fourth straight rate hike on Thursday. The Bank of Korea raised the key policy interest rate by a quarter-percentage point, bringing it to 2.5% to cap the soaring inflation and prevent capital outflows.

2. Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink embarked on a 3-day-trip to S. Korea on Thursday to discuss methods to reinforce the S. Korea-U.S. alliance… amid growing global tensions, especially threats from N.Korea.

3. Events to celebrate Ukraine’s 31st anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union on Wednesday local time were canceled due to Russian missile strikes. US President Joe Biden announced an additional 3 billion US dollars in military aid.

1. President Yoon Suk-yeol said that the government will thoroughly monitor and respond in preventing any financial or foreign exchange crisis during a macroeconomic and financial policy meeting on Wednesday. The foreign exchange market closed with the won trading at 1,342-point-1 won against the US dollar today.

2. Today marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and China. The official ceremonies will be held both in Seoul and Beijing at 7 p.m. Korea time. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, will attend the event in their respective countries.

3. Since Russia invaded Ukraine 6 months ago, 9-thousand Ukrainian soldiers have been killed… according to Ukraine’s military chief on Monday local time. As of Tuesday local time, Ukrainian officials reported that 45 thousand 550 Russian soldiers have been killed.

1. The South Korean currency fell once again on Tuesday as it hit 1,341-point-8 won when the market opened. The session closed with the won trading at 1,345-point-5 against the U.S. dollar. This is a level not seen since April 2009.

2. Since July this year extreme drought in Europe and China has dried up major water bodies, sparking a shortage of hydropower, jeopardizing electricity production.

3. South Korea reported 150 thousand 2-hundred-58 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, the same level recorded during the peak of the recent wave two weeks ago.

1. President Yoon’s chief of staff, Kim Dae-ki announced the administration’s first major staff reshuffling on Sunday. Kim said that the goal of the organizational change was to continue “the path toward higher productivity and efficiency in governance.”

2. South Korea and the United States kicked off the Ulchi Freedom Shield drill, a combined military exercise against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, on Monday. The exercise is set to run through September 1st.

3. The Korean currency exchange rate against the U.S dollar exceeded 1,340 Won on Monday, for the first time in 13 years and 4 months. Analysts forecast that the Korean won can weaken to more than 1,350 won in the third quarter this year.

1. North Korea has rejected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's "audacious initiative" to improve its economy in return for real steps toward denuclearization. In response, South Korea's Presidential Office expressed deep regret in a press statement today.

2. According to the Finance Ministry’s latest economic greenbook released on Friday, the South Korean economy could be slowing down due to uncertainties at home and abroad.

3. South Korea reported 138-thousand-8-hundred-12 new infections on Friday. It also reported 82 more COVID-related deaths, the highest figure in 112 days.

1. President Yoon Seok-yeol is reportedly planning to reorganize the presidential office structure to gain momentum for state administration by appointing 1 more senior officer and 2 more senior secretaries.

2. Foreign Minister Park Jin said during a parliamentary session Today that his ministry will try to restart denuclearization talks with the North on the basis of coordination with Washington and the international community regarding the implementation of the "audacious initiative."

3. South Korea reported 178-thousand-five-hundred-74 new infections on Thursday, down 2-thousand-two-hundred-29 from a day ago. There were 61 more COVID-related deaths. Four-hundred-70 patients are in critical condition.

1. During the press conference marking his 100 days in office on Wednesday, President Yoon said that he will help North Korea if North Korea demonstrates its will to denuclearize, and that he does not want the regime’s security to be changed unreasonably or by force.

2. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said on Tuesday that hundreds of civilian victims who were killed when Russian forces attempted to invade Kyiv should be honored and remembered in the history of mankind.

3. US President Joe Biden signed an Inflation Reduction Act into law on Tuesday that will provide tax credits for US made cars only. This move is expected to come due to heavy blows to the sales of South Korean EV makers in the US market as they produce the cars in Korea.

1. South Korea and the U.S. will hold their full-fledged joint military drill, the"Ulchi Freedom Shield" from August 22nd to September 1st. The preliminary drills start on Tuesday with the focus on response measures to pre-war crisis scenarios.

2. S. Korea’s  Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho(추경호), during a meeting on the property market Tuesday said, houses will be supplied in high demand areas like the metropolitan area to supply 2.7 million houses nationwide over the next 5 years.

3. South Korea reported 84-thousand-one-hundred-28 new infections on Tuesday, the highest in 112 days. The number of critically ill patients stands at 563.

1. Celebrating 77th Liberation Day on Monday,, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reiterated his vow to provide North Korea with wide-ranging aid to rebuild its economy if North Korea embarks on denuclearization.

2. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said on Monday that roughly 10,000 properties, including residential buildings, across S. Korea has reported damages. Damage from South Chungcheong province increased, but Korea’s weather authorities say that the nation will see more rain tonight.

3. A U.S. congressional delegation arrived in Taiwan on Sunday less than two weeks after a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi amid escalating tensions with China.

1. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential office in Yongsan on Friday, and expressed his full support for the endeavors to achieve a complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol granted a special pardon effective as of August 15 for the vice president of Samsung Electronics, Lee Jae-Yong, on Friday, along with several other corporate figures. However, politicians were not granted a special pardon.

3. As of Friday, casualties from this week’s torrential rain have increased to 13 while 6 others remain missing. Another downpour of more than 120mm is expected this coming weekend according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.