[SUMMARY] Daily News Selection by Aju Business Daily on August 1, 2022

The following stories are the daily summary of news in South Korea on August 1, 2022.

President Yoon's approval rating drops to 33.1 percent

[Yonhap Photo]

In the wake of the embarrassing publication of a contentious text discussion with the governing party floor leader, President Yoon Suk-Yeol’s approval rating dropped to 33.1 percent, according to a poll released on August 1. Yoon's approval rating dropped significantly from 38.3 percent on July 26 to 28.7 percent on July 29. It was the first poll in which Yoon's approval rating was consistently lower than 30 percent.

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S. Korea adds some 44,689 new COVID cases

[Yonhap Photo]

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), South Korea added 44,689 new COVID-19 infections, including 436 from abroad, bringing the overall caseload to 19,820,739 people.

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S. Korea experiences trade deficit for fourth consecutive month

[Yonhap Photo]

Despite its exports growing 9.4 percent year over year on strong demand for chips, South Korea experienced a trade deficit for the fourth straight month in July due to high global energy prices. According to information gathered by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, outbound shipments totaled $60.7 billion last month, up from $55.5 billion a year earlier.

However, due to rising global energy costs, imports increased 21.8 percent on-year to $65.37 billion, resulting in a $4.67 billion trade imbalance for the month.

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Boy band 'Seventeen' reaches top 4 on Billboard 200 through new album 'Sector 17'

[Courtesy of Pledis Entertainment]

With 34,000 equivalent album units sold, Seventeen’s "Sector 17" came in at number four on the Billboard 200, according to a preview of the upcoming chart released by Billboard on July 31. The album "Sector 17" has reached the top 10 of the charts twice and is now Seventeen's second-highest charting album overall. Face the Sun, the group's fourth studio album, peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200 in June.

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Boy band Stray Kids releases digital single 'Mixtape: Time Out'

[Yonhap Photo]

The "Mixtape: Time Out" digital single from K-pop group Stray Kids was released on August 1. The band planned a surprise gift to commemorate the fandom's birthday on August 1 as it is an important day when the band's fandom, "Stay," was created, according to JYP Entertainment.

[This article was contributed by Aju Business Daily reporter Joseph Kwak]

Kim Joo-heon jhkim123@ajunews.com

[SUMMARY] Daily News Selection by Aju Business Daily on August 1, 2022

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