Trilateral Defense: South Korea, Japan and the U.S. will hold the Freedom Edge multidomain drills Sept. 7-11 in international waters southeast and east of Jeju, aimed at countering North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, even after Trump scaled back other exercises. Labor Policy: The presidential office will issue enforcement guidance clarifying what labor-management negotiations are legally allowed under the revised labor union law that took effect in March. Consumer Crackdown: Seoul will inspect hotel pricing around Yeouido ahead of the Sept. 5 fireworks festival, targeting steep rate hikes and last-minute cancellations under strengthened rules. AI for All: Korea’s science ministry picked SK Telecom, KT and Kakao-led consortia to build government-backed AI services accessible to everyone, using Nvidia GPUs and launching by year-end. Ticket Scalping: Culture authorities will fine illegal ticket resellers up to 50 times the sale price, with rewards for reports, under updated enforcement decrees. Semiconductor Push: SK hynix broke ground on a $4B HBM4E advanced packaging facility in Indiana, targeting mass production in 2029. Disaster Response: South Korea’s joint response team arrived in Nepal to support search-and-rescue after Nepal-Tibet flash floods, as the death toll and missing cases keep rising.