※ [Global Morning Briefing] summarizes global news delivered by Seoul Economic Daily.
US, Iran Trade Fire Twice in Three Days Near Hormuz
The United States and Iran exchanged military strikes twice within three days near the Strait of Hormuz, as ceasefire negotiations between the two countries struggle to reach a conclusion. Marking three months since the outbreak of war, the renewed escalation of armed conflict has overturned optimism about an imminent ceasefire deal, raising tensions once again.
According to Reuters on the 27th (local time), the US Central Command said it carried out a new airstrike targeting southern Iran that day, shooting down four Iranian drones. It then struck a drone ground control facility located in the port city of Bandar Abbas before Iran could launch a fifth drone.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) explained, "Iran launched four attack drones at US ships and merchant vessels, and the US shot them down using F/A-18, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets," adding, "An F/A-18 fighter then attacked the ground control facility, preventing the launch of a fifth drone."
Iran responded strongly with renewed military retaliation. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that it had attacked a US Air Force base. It stressed, "If such attacks are repeated, we will respond more decisively."
Ceasefire negotiations between the two sides also appear to be at an impasse. US President Donald Trump claimed at a White House Cabinet meeting regarding the ceasefire talks, "So far, they have not reached a level that satisfies us."
This is regarded as an important step forward for Huawei to successfully produce next-generation chips.
"Inflation Risk May Force Rate Hike," Fed Governor Warns
Within the Federal Reserve (Fed), voices calling for preparation for a rate hike are emerging one after another. Observers expect new Chair Kevin Warsh to face a deep dilemma between sharp price increases and President Donald Trump's expectations for rate cuts.
Fed Governor Lisa Cook stressed at a forum hosted by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research in California on the 27th (local time), "It is clear that inflation risks remain elevated," and "I am prepared to raise interest rates if disinflation does not materialize in a timely manner."
Cook particularly cited the $1.5 trillion in artificial intelligence (AI) investment as an inflationary factor. She viewed that if the AI investment boom is reflected in prices for semiconductors and advanced equipment, it could further fuel inflation.
Fed Governor Christopher Waller, who had been classified as a dove (favoring monetary easing), also said in a lecture in Frankfurt, Germany, on the 22nd of this month, the day Chair Warsh took office, "If inflation does not subside soon, I will not rule out the possibility of a rate hike."
"Easier Video Generation on Instagram"... Meta Bets on Low-Cost Subscription
Meta has launched a paid subscription service for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot "Meta AI." Meta expects to generate revenue from users of its platforms WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. The move is interpreted as targeting the business market over the medium to long term, including creators producing Reels and sellers using Instagram.
Meta is launching the paid subscription service for Meta AI users starting in Singapore, Guatemala and Bolivia.
The Meta AI pricing plan is expected to be specialized for Meta's social network services (SNS) such as Instagram, where photos and videos are the main content. The basic plan, "Meta One Plus," costs $7.99 per month (about 12,000 won), targeting users who frequently generate photos and videos using Meta AI or use advanced reasoning features, according to interpretations.
The price is lower than competitors. Plans for rival models such as ChatGPT and Gemini reach up to $200 (about 300,000 won). In contrast, "Meta One Premium" is priced at $19.99 per month (about 30,000 won), one-tenth the price.
Controversial Huawei Chip... Peking University Provides Backup
Researchers at Peking University in China have unveiled a three-dimensional (3D) design tool optimized for Huawei's new semiconductor technology, "logic folding." Amid US sanctions, the Chinese government, companies and academia are accelerating technological self-reliance in lockstep.
According to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP), Peking University's School of Integrated Circuits recently unveiled a prototype of electronic design automation (EDA) software. EDA is core software used for chip design and verification before semiconductor manufacturing. It is similar to using computer-aided design (CAD) when drawing architectural blueprints.
