Yonhap News Agency Thursday Headlines: Lee Administration Faces Challenges in Housing, Defense, and Approval Ratings

The provided Yonhap News Agency summaries cover four major stories from Thursday, including the Lee Jae Myung administration's efforts to address the red-hot Seoul property market by announcing plans to supply over 230,000 additional homes in the metropolitan area. This move comes as taxes and lending restrictions have failed to curb speculative demand, exacerbating public discontent.

President Lee also instructed aides to pursue 'smart' military reforms, emphasizing advanced technologies and selective conscription due to South Korea's low birth rate, which renders the current infantry-dependent military structure inefficient.

A poll revealed President Lee's approval rating has hit a record low of 49% since his inauguration, down 4 percentage points from the previous poll.

On the economic front, South Korean stocks (KOSPI) closed sharply higher for the fourth consecutive session, driven by a rally in major chipmakers, with the index rising 3.56% to 6,813.34.

Lastly, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby clarified that the U.S. new nuclear strategy, currently under review, focuses on deterring the use of nuclear weapons by setting a clear threshold, not on highlighting the use of tactical nuclear weapons in regional conflicts.