OPCON Talks: South Korea’s defense chief told US lawmakers at Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue that Seoul has met 94% of conditions for wartime OPCON transfer and says there’d be no difficulty if it happened “tomorrow,” while US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised Korea’s faster control push and urged resolution of remaining timing differences. Election Misinformation: A former US official, Morse Tan, is drawing backlash in Korea for stoking election fraud conspiracy claims after meeting far-right figures and visiting early voting sites, with critics saying the activity is undermining trust in the electoral process. Defense Safety & Industry: A blast at Hanwha Aerospace’s rocket propellant facility in Daejeon killed five and injured two, with authorities investigating the cause and renewed scrutiny on industrial safety at defense plants. Korea-Japan Logistics Debate: Seoul’s discussion with Tokyo about a military logistics pact (ACSA) is reigniting political debate over deeper integration and Japan’s role. AI-Driven Markets: Tech-led optimism helped lift South Korea’s stocks to record highs as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s expected visit boosted sentiment and semiconductor demand stayed strong. Korea-Africa Mobility: Ghana and South Korea signed a visa waiver for diplomatic and service passport holders, with talks continuing to expand it to ordinary passports. World Cup Prep Glitch (South Africa): South Africa’s World Cup squad will depart Monday after visa delays pushed travel plans back by a day.