Daegu to host int'l athletics meet for competitors aged 35 or over: This year's World Masters Athletics Championships (WMAC) will blend sports and Korean culture through events outside of stadiums in Daegu. (WMAC's official website) By Uyen Nguyen Over 10,000 recreational track and field athletes from 106 countries from Aug. 22 will compete in Daegu at this year's World Masters Athletics Championships (WMAC). The opening ceremony is slated for Aug. 21 and the tournament will run through Sept. 3 in and around Daegu Stadium in the city's Suseong-gu District. A; 2026.08.21

Chip-ple effect: top public think tank sees 3.2% growth in 2026: The Korea Development Institute on Aug. 19 raised its forecast for the country's economic growth this year from 2.5% to 3.2% in a revised outlook. Shown is the Yeouido neighborhood of Seoul's Yeongdeungpo-gu District. (Seoul Tourism Organization) By Jeong Euiseok The Korea Development Institute (KDI) has raised its forecast for the country's economic growth this year seven-tenths of a percentage point just three months after its last projection. In a revised economic outlook released on Aug.; 2026.08.21

US Army picks Korean company for self-propelled artillery supply: The K9 wheeled self-propelled howitzer undergoes test firing at a testing facility of the Agency for Defense Development. (Hanwha Defense USA) By Hong Angie The domestically developed K9 self-propelled howitzer will soon enter the U.S., the world's largest defense market. The U.S. Army on Aug. 18 announced that Hanwha Defense USA, the Virginia-based subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, signed a contract to develop a prototype for the new Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC). The MTC is a key project in t; 2026.08.21

Finance minister: Korea's strengths to shine in physical AI era: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun Cheol on Aug. 19 introduces the government's economic vision and expresses Seoul's commitment to raising economic cooperation with the U.S. at a roundtable hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea at the hotel Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel in the capital's Yongsan-gu District. (Ministry of Finance and Economy) By Yoon Sojung Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun Cheol says the country's strengths; 2026.08.21

Two royal palaces from next month to host scenic moonlight tours: The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) on Aug. 18 said the palaces of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung from next month will host evening moonlight tours. Shown is the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour in the first half of this year. (KHS) By Oh Jung Eun Tours featuring historical royal palaces on autumn nights will begin next month at Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) on Aug. 18 said it will host Gyeongbokgung Palace Nighttime Viewing from Sept. 2 to Oct. 2. The program w; 2026.08.20

Exhibition shows folk culture, daily life in N. Korea's provinces: By Uyen Nguyen Video = National Folk Museum of Korea An exhibition newly opened in Seoul offers a glimpse into North Korea's folk traditions and everyday culture. The National Folk Museum of Korea on Aug. 12 launched "Zero: North Korea Encountered on the Path of Folk Culture." On display are the lifestyles and regional aesthetics of the North, primarily through the 346 items from 316 pieces of artifacts from the museum's collection that predated the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese; 2026.08.20

Hair apparent: Korea ranked world No. 2 in registered wig patents: The country is second globally in the number of registered patents for wigs. (Yonhap News) By Kim Seon Ah The country is second in the world in the number of registered patents for wigs as a technological leader in the field. Once a means to compensate hair loss, wigs are growingly fashion items whose technology is developing rapidly. The Ministry of Intellectual Property on Aug. 17 said its study of patent applications for wigs filed with the world's five intellectual property offices from; 2026.08.20

Homegrown lunar radiation gauge to go to moon as early as 2030: Illustration of CLPS CT-4 mission lunar lander (Korea AeroSpace Administration) By Koh Hyunjeong A homegrown lunar surface radiation detector as early as 2030 is set to head to the moon's south pole aboard a private NASA lunar lander. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) on Aug. 17 announced its signing of an implementation agreement with NASA three days prior for the Lunar Surface Radiation Detector (LVRAD) to be carried on the lunar lander. KASA plans to complete development of a fligh; 2026.08.20

Festival in Seoul to show beauty by day, K-pop, hip-hop by night: Official poster for Beautiful Life in Seoul Festival (Seoul Metropolitan Government) By Lee Dasom A Seoul lifestyle festival will feature domestic beauty and cosmetics, fashion, running and hip-hop performances in the city's downtown area. The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Aug. 17 said the Beautiful Life in Seoul Festival from Aug. 22-25 around Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Jung-gu District will combine fashion, design, books, wellness and entertainment. The festival's flagship event,; 2026.08.19

Korea e-Sports Games' finals to crown country's grand champion: Players on Aug. 16, 2025, compete in the Presidential Cup Amateur e-Sports Tournament at Jecheon Gymnasium in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do Province. (Korea e-Sports Association) By Yoo Yeon Gyeong A competition to crown the nation's top amateur esports team will open this weekend in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. The Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) on Aug. 14 said the finals of this year's Korea e-Sports Games from Aug. 15-16 are scheduled at Gyeongju Indoor Gymnasium. Hosted by the M; 2026.08.18

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