* For the first time in roughly half a century, a new oil refinery is set to be built in the United States, at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. President Trump announced the project on Truth Social, describing it as a $300 billion deal and the largest in U.S. history.

* As the Taylor Independent School District (ISD) in north Austin, Texas considers adopting Korean as a regular foreign language course, ten students from Daeyoung High School in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province visited schools in the district on January 28–29, completing a successful educational and cultural exchange between Korean and

Ready or Not: Texas — Netflix Reality Series * “Ready or Not: Texas,” a new Netflix series, **premieres on March 24. Two close friends, Actor Seo-jin Lee and Producer Yung-suk Nah embark on a completely unplanned trip across Texas with their crew. The trip has no script or itinerary — just spontaneous experiences

* Samsung Electronics America reached a settlement with the Texas Attorney General over its smart TV data practices (Daily Hankook; KVUE). * Going forward, Samsung is prohibited from gathering or handling viewer recognition data from Texas residents unless they have first given affirmative, informed approval (Daily Hankook). * As part of the resolution,

* SXSW (South by Southwest), the world’s largest music and technology festival and a signature event of Austin, will take place from March 12 to March 18, 2026 (SXSW event description). * This year’s program includes sessions addressing the rise of K-Pop and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence—two

* A new analysis from Jones Lang LaSalle projects that Texas could overtake Northern Virginia by 2030 as the largest data center market worldwide, signaling a major geographic shift in US digital infrastructure (Business Insider). * The report notes that a majority of new construction is now occurring beyond long-established tech corridors,

* Korean Air and Delta Air Lines are reportedly exploring the launch of a nonstop route between Austin and Incheon (헤럴드경제). * Representatives from both airlines met on the 11th (CST) to discuss the potential service (헤럴드경제). * A direct flight would significantly cut down travel time and reduce the fatigue that comes

* The State of Texas has moved to block access to several online platforms with ties to China—including SHEIN, Temu, and Alibaba—on state-operated networks and devices, citing cyber security concerns. * This restriction also applies to Wi-Fi networks at public universities such as the University of Texas at Austin (UT)

* Arden Cho, a Korean American actor, voices the character Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters. * Just before joining the project, she was on the verge of stepping away from acting due to a lack of work. Instead, her role in KPop Demon Hunters marked a turning point, opening what many are