North Korea Missile Provocations: North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea from the Wonsan area, flying over 700 km and landing outside Japan’s EEZ, as Seoul and Tokyo condemned the launch and held emergency coordination ahead of the Aug. 17–27 Ulchi Freedom Shield drills. US-SK-Japan Launch-Notice Push: South Korea, the U.S., Japan and 38 other countries urged advance notice of ballistic missile or space vehicle launches, warning that insufficient notification undermines stability. Ruling Party Labor Line: Democratic Party leader hopeful Chung Chung-rae said the 52-hour workweek cap should remain even for mega special zones in chip areas, arguing shortages should be solved by hiring more workers. Defense Academy Integration Fight: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back is set to meet alumni leaders of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies amid protests against plans to integrate them into a single “National Military Academy.” Housing Politics Clash: Democrats attacked Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon over his past housing record, arguing redevelopment timelines make his new 310,000-home pledge unrealistic. Markets on Semis and Risk: KOSPI jumped back above 6,400 on semiconductor strength and AI infrastructure hopes, while oil and gold rose on geopolitical jitters ahead of U.S. CPI. Tech and Business Moves: Yoon & Yang hired cross-border lawyer Spencer G. Park; KT launched Google AI bundled mobile plans; and South Korea and Uzbekistan pushed cooperation talks ahead of a summit.