OPCON Oversight: The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee is pushing tighter reporting on the Korea Peninsula’s wartime operational control handover, aiming to keep readiness from being weakened by politics. North Korea World Cup Coverage: North Korea skipped results from matches involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan while still showing ads tied to those countries, raising questions about unauthorized broadcasting. THAAD Update: All six U.S. THAAD launchers reportedly returned to the Seongju base after earlier movement speculation, with U.S. commanders denying any plan to remove the systems. World Cup Focus (Korea): South Korea’s World Cup path stays in the spotlight after Mexico’s 1-0 win over Korea earlier in the tournament, while sports coverage also highlights South Korea’s squad-media tensions. Korea–Uzbekistan Push: Seoul and Tashkent are deepening cooperation via a Korea Chamber of Commerce plan, transport modernization talks, and Uzbekistan’s “New Tashkent” city project—plus financing interest from Korea’s export lender. Housing Watch: A presidential aide hinted at tougher homeowner taxes to cool an overheating property market, drawing immediate political pushback. Culture & Entertainment: ATEEZ swept major prizes at the 35th Seoul Music Awards, while “The Silent Noise” won Best Asian Content at the Global OTT Awards in Busan.