Heatwave Response: South Korea’s heat-related illness cases nearly tripled over the past decade, with officials reporting 3,089 cases and 26 deaths under a monitoring system as temperatures stay dangerously high into late August. Housing & Tax Fight: Parties traded blame over Seoul’s property tax overhaul and housing supply measures, with the opposition warning tenant burdens while the ruling side pushes redevelopment and loan-targeting for young couples. Democratic Party Leadership: Former PM Kim Min-seok won Jeju and Incheon primaries, tightening the DP leadership race ahead of the Aug. 17 convention. Judiciary Appointments: The Supreme Court’s justice successor nomination remains stalled for five months, narrowing the candidate pool as retirement timelines approach. North Korea Watch: Reports keep swirling about Kim Jong Un’s prolonged absence from major events, while Pyongyang promotes “dog soup” and ginseng remedies for the heat. Japan-Dokdo Tensions: Japan filed formal protests over South Korean research surveys near Takeshima/Dokdo, adding a maritime jurisdiction dispute to the territorial row. Economy & Markets: Fitch warned a prolonged KOSPI slump could spill into housing and investment sentiment, even as it sees limited short-term credit risk for financial firms.