Real-time News

SK Hynix rebounded after falling nearly 6% earlier.

Samsung Group Chairman Lee Jae-yong: Plans to build HBM factory in Chungcheong.

On June 29, President Xi Jinping met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Xi Jinping emphasized that China and Belarus should maintain strategic communication and promote the sustained development of bilateral relations at a high level, so as to better benefit the people of both countries. China supports Belarus in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and in pursuing a development path suited to its own national conditions. China is willing to continue to provide assistance to Belarus's development and construction to the best of its ability. The two countries should mobilize resources from all sectors to promote the Belt and Road Initiative and enrich the content of pragmatic cooperation. China is willing to work with Belarus to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, implement the four major global initiatives, strengthen coordination and cooperation within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and act as a stabilizing force in a turbulent world.

The South Korean government expects to invest 81 trillion won in the chip packaging cluster in Chungcheong Province.

June 29th - Toyota Motor Corporation recorded its fourth consecutive month of sales decline, impacted by the turmoil in the Middle East and intense market competition. Toyota stated on Monday that its global sales in May (including those of its subsidiary Daihatsu) fell 7.4% year-on-year to 885,207 vehicles; global production declined 5.8% to 857,765 vehicles. Despite the US-Iran agreement to end the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz is only gradually reopening to navigation, and attacks on ships continue to occur. This highlights the continued heavy reliance of Toyota and other global automakers on the region's logistics corridors and energy-intensive supply chains. For Toyota, which has long held a leading global sales position, these risks are threatening its record profit levels achieved in the past fiscal year.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung: We will invest in a chip manufacturing base in the southwest region of the country.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung: The construction of the chip production facility must be completed as soon as possible.

On June 29th, in response to recent rumors of Zhengxin Chicken's impending IPO, a representative from Zhengxin Group stated that the group has no concrete IPO plans within the next two years. The representative explained that the group maintains over 1 billion RMB in liquid funds and relies on its own capital for continuous growth, requiring no external financing. Regarding the changes in the number of Zhengxin Chicken stores, the representative clarified that the figure of "25,000 stores at its peak" is inaccurate. The brand's peak number of operating stores was 16,000 in 2019; as of June 18, 2026, the number of operating stores nationwide is 12,455, a net decrease of approximately 3,000, which is considered normal industry turnover and proactive optimization. The so-called "25,000 stores" figure confuses the concepts of "contracted stores" and "actually operating stores."

The Federation of Automobile Manufacturers of Thailand: Domestic car sales in Thailand rose 10.60% year-on-year in May (compared to a 2.54% increase in April).

On June 29th, it was reported that the Japanese government has drawn up an economic blueprint aiming for a real annual growth rate of over 1% and a nominal annual growth rate of over 3% by 2040. This target would be more than double the average growth rate of Japan over the past five years and is one of the most ambitious economic goals Tokyo has set in decades. The draft blueprint also proposes that by fiscal year 2040, cumulative investment by the public and private sectors will exceed 370 trillion yen (approximately US$2.29 trillion), while the annual capital expenditure target for the private sector is approximately 230 trillion yen, and GDP is projected to reach nearly 1100 trillion yen. This signifies Japan's intention to break away from the underinvestment pattern that has constrained its economic growth for decades. The blueprint reflects Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's determination to revitalize the economy through strategic public-private partnerships and to invest resources in industries that the government deems crucial to Japan's long-term competitiveness. Simultaneously, the government has urged the Bank of Japan to maintain interest rate policies conducive to economic growth. This indicates that the Japanese government prefers to maintain low financing costs and sows the seeds for potential policy friction with the Bank of Japan, which has been cautiously and gradually exiting its ultra-loose monetary policy environment.

The Federation of Automobile Manufacturers of Thailand: Thailand's automobile production in May increased by 17.94% year-on-year (compared to a decrease of 2.69% in April).

According to the Financial Times, analysts say the number of IPOs in Japan fell to its lowest level in 15 years in the first half of this year. This situation is unlikely to improve in the short term due to a lack of startups able to go public quickly.

June 29th - The newly revised recommended national standard, "Quality of Passenger Services in Public Air Transport," will take effect on July 1st. This standard will help improve the standardization of passenger services in public air transport by guiding and improving service quality. The standard mainly includes three aspects: first, establishing general principles for passenger services in public air transport; second, clarifying the quality requirements for the entire service chain; and third, standardizing specific service content. After its implementation, this standard will help improve the service quality of the entire industry, guide the civil aviation industry to continuously optimize service processes and improve service quality, promote high-quality development of the industry, and continuously enhance the level of civil aviation services, thereby increasing the public's satisfaction and sense of gain in travel.

On June 29th, Omdia reported that TVs using independent red, green, and blue (RGB) LED chip backlighting technology are expected to account for 13% of global TV market revenue by 2030, a significant increase from 3% in 2026. RGB LED backlighting technology officially entered the retail market in the first quarter of 2026, becoming the latest generation of display technology innovation in the TV industry. The introduction of this technology reflects that, against the backdrop of increasingly homogenized traditional hardware, TV brands are strengthening high-end display technologies to drive product value enhancement and revenue growth.

A Taliban spokesman said Pakistani airstrikes in the Afghan border region have killed and wounded dozens of people.