South Korea-France Summit: President Lee Jae-myung and French President Emmanuel Macron vowed closer coordination to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and stabilize global supply chains, while also pushing a major step up in defense and security cooperation, including an upgrade to military intelligence protection rules and work toward a mutual logistics support deal. Defense Reform: South Korea’s National Police Agency launched a task force to drive sweeping organizational reforms ahead of a new criminal justice system that shifts investigations from prosecutors to police, with public hearings running through November. Jobs Update: Employment growth hit a five-month high in August as the number of employed people rose by 184,000 year-on-year, though manufacturing, construction, and youth hiring continued to lag. Seoul Tourism: Seoul expanded guided night walking tours, adding a new Namsan route and extending the season and hours, with Friday late departures at key landmarks. North Korea Tensions: South Korea said North Korean troops crossed the Military Demarcation Line more than 20 times in August, prompting warnings and readiness measures. Economy & Markets: Asian trading stayed mixed as oil pushed toward $100 a barrel amid Middle East tensions, while South Korea’s Kospi rose on chip strength. Education: OECD PISA 2025 results showed South Korean students leading in science and math, but reading scores fell compared with earlier results. Culture & Tech: Naver proposed AI “factories” with France as a hub for industry-specific AI cooperation, and Samsung teamed with Mistral AI to develop a semiconductor-focused AI model.