오늘의 경제와 엔터테인먼트 브리핑 — 2026-08-21

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US Treasury intervention plunges bond yields as KOSPI crashes 5.8%

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오늘의 경제 및 증시 이슈

• US Market Rebound and Bond Yield Drop: After the US Treasury announced it would more than double its long-term bond buyback program to improve liquidity, Treasury yields fell and major indices snapped a three-day losing streak to close higher.

  

• Weak Dollar and Asset Price Rally: The US Treasury's massive bond purchase announcement dragged the dollar down to a three-month low, sparking a simultaneous rally in gold, Bitcoin, and stock indices.

  

• KOSPI Plummets 5.8% with Trading Halt: On the 19th, South Korea's KOSPI tumbled 5.8%, prompting the Seoul stock market to temporarily halt trading to avoid chaos caused by a surge in program selling orders.

  

• SK Hynix Announces 40 Trillion Won Share Buyback and Burn: On August 19, SK Hynix announced plans to acquire and cancel 40 trillion won worth of treasury shares, serving as a key factor—alongside Samsung Electronics—in boosting investor sentiment through enhanced shareholder returns in the semiconductor sector.

  

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정치 및 정책 동향

• Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok Takes Office and Appoints Key Officials: Just two days after taking office, Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok carried out key appointments including the secretary-general and policy committee chairman, drawing keen interest toward his appointment of two designated supreme council members with leadership authority.

  

• People Power Party Nominates Lim이자 as Policy Committee Chair: The People Power Party has nominated three-term lawmaker Lim이자 as its policy committee chair, with plans to ratify the nomination at a general meeting of lawmakers on the 20th.

  

• Korea-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Foreign Affairs Committee Plenary Session: A Korea-China foreign ministers' meeting and dinner were scheduled for 6 PM on the 19th, while a plenary session of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee was held at 10 AM the same day, featuring remarks by lawmaker Jung Chung-rae.

  

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연예계 주요 뉴스

• Kangnam and Hyukoh Face Casting Controversy Over Japanese Actors: Singer Kangnam and band Hyukoh have both found themselves embroiled in controversy over casting Japanese actors amid ongoing issues tied to right-wing controversies and war-criminal family associations.

  

• Xdinary Heroes Geon-il Leaves Group, Schedule Canceled: Following member Geon-il's departure from the group Xdinary Heroes, their appearance at 'Summer Sonic 2026' as well as a fan meeting scheduled for next month have been canceled. The agency stated that future activity plans will not be disrupted.