1. Some 200 fire water tank trucks gathered from across the country are continuing emergency water supply support in various areas of South Gyeongsang Province today (August 13), but drought damage, including crop losses, is spreading.

2. The KOSPI surged 3% to 4%, briefly surpassing the 6,800 mark during trading. Boosted by a broad rally in semiconductor stocks in the U.S. stock market overnight, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics are leading the index gains.

3. As the upward trend in U.S. consumer inflation appears to have eased somewhat, expectations are growing that the Federal Reserve will freeze benchmark interest rates again next month.

4. A voice phishing ring that swindled 6.7 billion won by impersonating the Financial Supervisory Service and prosecutors, operating from a base in Bangkok, Thailand, has been apprehended.