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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAugust 25 \u2013 September 2, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Weekly Korea News. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here in Busan, September is rolling in and you can already sense that Siwol<\/em> (October) is not far away. The air is lighter, the evenings are cooler, and the whole country seems to be getting ready for autumn. Meanwhile, the news in Korea never stops. Let me share with you what caught my eye this past week \u2014 and what it might mean for students, travelers, and businesses looking at Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Politics here continues to surprise me. This week, both former First Lady Kim Keon-hee<\/strong> and ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo<\/strong> were indicted in the martial law case [1][2]. Heavy stuff, with words like corruption and rebellion floating around. At the same time, Han Hak-ja<\/strong>, the leader of the Unification Church, denied that she had anything to do with political bribery [3].<\/p>\n\n\n\n For someone like me, watching as an \u201coutsider-insider\u201d in Busan, it shows how public life here is never dull. Even the highest figures can suddenly find themselves before the courts. Messy perhaps, but it also shows how institutions keep moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was also economic news that felt a bit mixed. On the one hand, inflation dropped to 1.7%<\/strong> in August [4]. That\u2019s the lowest in nine months. Prices for fuel and communication are down, and daily life feels just a little more affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, exports didn\u2019t do so well<\/strong>. Shipments to the U.S. fell sharply, hit by new tariffs [5]. For a country that lives on trade, that\u2019s a big warning light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then the corporate soap opera: prosecutors want 15 years of jail time for Kim Beom-su<\/strong>, the founder of Kakao [6]. The accusation is that he fiddled with stock prices during the 2023 SM Entertainment takeover drama. Whether he goes to jail or not, this will say a lot about how far Korea is willing to rein in its tech tycoons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Business Consulting note:<\/strong> For foreign businesses looking at Korea, this all means one thing: opportunity and risk always go hand in hand here. Prices may be easing, but the trade winds can shift overnight. That\u2019s exactly why I set up our Business Soft Landing<\/strong> support \u2014 to help new partners find their feet in this lively, sometimes unpredictable market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, President Lee Jae-myung<\/strong> is preparing to go to New York for the U.N. General Assembly<\/strong> [7]. Education often comes along in these diplomatic talks. Korea knows how powerful universities are as a way of building bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And with inflation cooling, studying here actually gets a little easier on the wallet<\/strong>. Combine that with the safety, modernity, and cultural buzz \u2014 and you can see why so many students are interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Study in Korea note:<\/strong> We are now actively helping Dutch and European students explore this option. Whether for a language course or a full degree, we walk with them from the first question to the first day on campus. Because yes, Korea can be confusing at first, but also so rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, K-Pop never takes a break. This week RM of BTS<\/strong> was spotted side-hugging Mini Han<\/strong>, a transgender icon here [8]. Instead of scandal, it sparked conversations about inclusivity. Meanwhile, BTS is gearing up for a big U.S. return [9].<\/p>\n\n\n\n But for me, the real story is the season. September is already nice, but October \u2014 Siwol (\uc2dc\uc6d4)<\/em> \u2014 is Korea at its best. There\u2019s even a saying: \u201cIn October the sky is high and the horses grow fat.\u201d<\/em> It means the air is clear, the harvest is rich, and life feels generous. So for me, I’m on a trip to The Netherlands during September, coming back October 1st. Lucky me! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here in Busan, October means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Private Tours note:<\/strong> This is why I love guiding people in October. You can breathe the air, see the colors, taste the food, and feel how alive Busan becomes. Our tours are small and personal \u2014 no rushing \u2014 and October gives you the city at its finest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all was festive. Ten Air Force personnel were disciplined after a C-130 plane accidentally entered Japanese airspace<\/strong> in July [15]. A reminder that the region\u2019s balance is delicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And of course, the big stage: President Lee heading to the U.N. and even chairing a Security Council session [7]. Korea clearly wants to be seen as more than just a regional player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what kind of week was it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, that sums up Korea: complex, surprising, and always worth following. And from here in Busan, I\u2019ll keep sharing what I see, linking it back to students, businesses, and travelers who are curious about this part of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n August 25 \u2013 September 2, 2025 Weekly Korea News. Here in Busan, September is rolling in and you can already sense that Siwol (October) is not far away. The air is lighter, the evenings are cooler, and the whole country seems to be getting ready for autumn. Meanwhile, the news in Korea never stops. Let […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,218],"tags":[280,292,283,180,287,275,284,290,241,291,81,278,276,74,288,282,196,289,149,279,281,285,205,286,277,195],"class_list":["post-7718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-weekly-news","tag-autumn-in-busan","tag-bts-comeback","tag-busan-fireworks-festival","tag-busan-international-film-festival","tag-busan-travel","tag-busan-updates","tag-business-soft-landing","tag-education-exchange","tag-international-students-korea","tag-k-pop-news","tag-korea-business-consulting","tag-korea-economy","tag-korea-news-digest","tag-korea-trade","tag-korea-weekly-news","tag-korean-autumn-foliage","tag-korean-universities-2","tag-life-in-korea","tag-market-entry-korea","tag-private-tours-busan","tag-siwol-korea","tag-south-korea-diplomacy","tag-south-korea-economy","tag-south-korea-politics","tag-student-life-in-korea","tag-study-in-korea-2"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7718"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7718\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kramerconsult.kr\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Politics & Justice: Still Stormy at the Top<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Economy & Business: Prices Down, Exports Under Pressure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Study in Korea: Why It Still Attracts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Culture & Tourism: Autumn is Knocking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Diplomacy & Security: Korea in the World<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Wrapping Up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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