Strait of Hormuz Watch: A South Korean assessment team is returning from the UAE after checking bases and ports, as Seoul weighs whether to join U.S.-led efforts amid Iran backlash and growing pressure for a deployment decision. North Korea’s Anniversary Messaging: Kim Jong Un urged patriotism and “devoted contributions,” while publicly praising troops serving abroad, underscoring Pyongyang’s Russia-linked war role. Economy & Markets: The Bank of Korea is signaling it will judge external and internal conditions after back-to-back rate hikes, while Seoul stocks slid on oil-driven inflation worries. Housing Fire Safety Gap: New data shows about half of apartment households still lack sprinklers, tied to older building rules that exempted many 15-story-or-less complexes. Korea-Africa Finance: Export-Import Bank of Korea and the AfDB expanded cooperation on AI, critical minerals supply chains, and renewable energy. Crime & Security: Thai police detained 12 Koreans in a voice-phishing scam raid, and a South Korean court sentenced a man to five years for cryptocurrency-linked spying for North Korea. Sports & Culture: South Korea’s U-20 women fell 3-1 to Ghana; Seoul’s “Spotify House” opens as a K-culture tech showcase; and CatchTable tops 15 million users.