Seoul

Buying sentiment in the Seoul housing market has declined for the first time in four months, according to Maeil Business Newspaper. The report suggests the recent momentum in home purchases in the South Korean capital may be cooling, marking a shift after a sustained period of growing buyer appetite. Analysts and prospective buyers are watching to see whether this signals a broader slowdown in the Seoul property market.

A dispute between South Korea and Ukraine over prisoners of war is threatening relations between the two countries. The disagreement risks undermining South Korean support for Kyiv as Ukraine continues its defence against Russia, according to the South China Morning Post. Officials on both sides have yet to resolve the standoff, raising concern that Seoul's aid to Ukraine could be reduced.

South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a secrecy agreement concerning captured North Korean soldiers, according to the Financial Times. The dispute touches on the delicate handling of information about North Korean troops deployed in support of Russia, which Seoul has sought to keep confidential. The allegation adds friction between Kyiv and Seoul at a sensitive moment in the war.

Seoul National University Holdings has made a seed investment in AI startup Bystrata, whose technology aims to reduce dependency on GPUs. The move signals growing institutional interest in AI companies offering alternatives to hardware-intensive computing, as GPU supply constraints and costs remain a bottleneck for developers. Details on the investment amount and Bystrata's technology were not disclosed.

Diplomatic tensions are growing between Ukraine and South Korea over the fate of North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. Kyiv has sought to negotiate exchanges or resettlement of the prisoners, while Seoul has resisted accepting them, straining a relationship otherwise built on shared concern over Russia's alignment with Pyongyang.

South Korea has traditionally avoided any suggestion it could be drawn into a conflict over Taiwan, but commentary now argues that staying discreet is becoming harder for Seoul. Analysts point to rising regional tensions and pressure from the United States and China as factors complicating South Korea's carefully noncommittal position on the Taiwan question.

South Korea has formally demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed information about North Korean prisoners of war captured while fighting alongside Russian forces. Seoul is reportedly concerned the disclosure could complicate the POWs' eventual resettlement in South Korea and endanger sensitive intelligence about Pyongyang's military involvement in the war.