It Was Yoon’s Call.

• Did Lee Jong-seop (former Minister of Defense) also turn his back on Yoon Seok-yeol (former President)?
• The main issue was who ordered the suspension of the case transfer after the ‘VIP fury.’ Lee Jong-seop revealed that the person who called was Yoon Seok-yeol.
• 02-800-7070 was confirmed to be Yoon’s number. However, he claims he did not receive a rebuke that felt like fury.
• The Presidential Office insists, “The phone numbers of the Presidential Office are confidential,” yet changed the number’s registration from the Presidential Office to the Presidential Security Service the day after JTBC’s report.

What Matters Now.

Yoon Suk-yeol’s Facebook.

• In custody, yet a Facebook post appeared.
• He claimed, “I will do my utmost to reveal the truth about martial law,” adding, “I will prove how absurd it is to claim that a president with supreme power staged a coup, and clarify what the minimal forces, which didn’t even conduct field operations, signify.”
• He wrote, “This ridiculous oppression should end with me,” and hoped for “an immediate halt to the unjust oppression that tarnishes the honor and disrupts the lives of those who have dedicated their lives to the nation and its people.”

Kim Keon-hee Summoned for August 6.

• Kim Keon-hee (former First Lady) is being hurriedly investigated by the special prosecutor.
• They are thoroughly examining Lee Jong-ho (former CEO of Black Pearl Investment). The investigation spans major issues like Deutsche Motors, Sambu Construction, Myung Tae-kyun, and Geonjin Beopsa.
• Yoon Seok-yeol is set to be summoned for questioning on July 29. The plan is to start with the Myung Tae-kyun allegations. Yoon is likely to refuse the questioning.
• The special prosecutor maintains that public appearances are the principle.

Kim Yong-dae’s Warrant Dismissed.

• Kim Yong-dae (Drone Operations Commander) is accused of sending drones to North Korea and filing a false report claiming they were lost during training.
• The special prosecutor requested an arrest warrant, but the court dismissed it. The reason: evidence has already been collected, so there’s no risk of tampering or flight.
• Foreign exchange (general espionage) charges were not included in the warrant.

Japan’s LDP Faces Collapse of 55-Year Rule.

• The loss of a majority in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors is a first since 1955.
• In the election for 125 new councillors, the LDP secured only 39 seats. Even with its coalition partner Komeito’s 8 seats, their total of 122 falls short of the majority (125 seats) they previously held at 75.
• High inflation was a key reason for the defeat.
• It was also unexpected that the far-right Sanseito, advocating ‘Japan First,’ secured 15 seats.

Deep Dive.

“The President’s Will Must Be Endured”.

• This is the current mood in the Democratic Party. There’s a reluctance to even mention Kang Sun-woo (Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee).
• A Democratic Party lawmaker said, “It’s not that there are no flaws, but the decision to appoint her despite them is the President’s, so we must endure it.”
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun warned, “Lee Jae-myung’s (President) attempts at cooperation with the opposition could face a crisis.” The People Power Party immediately stated, “We will not recognize her as a minister.” Observers suggest Lee Jae-myung’s leadership is being tested.
• The headline of the Hankyoreh’s front-page article reads, “The Unyielding Presidential Office.”

“Just Do It, Why So Much Talk?”.

• Four years ago, Kang Sun-woo reportedly said this to Jung Young-ae (then Minister of Gender Equality and Family).
• It happened during the Moon Jae-in administration. Kang Sun-woo raised a constituency issue with Jung Young-ae, and when it wasn’t addressed, she got angry and threatened to cut the budget. Jung Young-ae then visited her office to apologize.
• Jung Young-ae remarked, “It’s absurd to send a lawmaker who bullied the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to the same ministry.”
• Concerns about qualifications overshadowed by bullying are also serious. She hasn’t stated her position on gender issues like non-consensual rape laws or the anti-discrimination bill.

Another Take.

Fire Kang Jun-wook.

• The focus shifts from Kang Sun-woo to Kang Jun-wook. Already, remarks by Kang Jun-wook (Secretary for National Integration), appointed on the 15th, are being unearthed belatedly.
• He once criticized the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on forced labor, writing on Facebook, “I do not believe in forced labor.”
• The presidential office stated, “Kang Jun-wook acknowledges his mistake and is deeply apologetic,” but Kyunghyang Shinmun pointed out, “We must clearly distinguish between different and wrong,” adding, “Appointing a sympathizer of insurrection crosses the line of tolerance.”
• Kang Yoo-jung (Presidential Office Spokesperson) remarked, “We should consider more meaningfully how he currently views his past actions.”
• Hankyoreh editorialized, “He is not only unfit for the mission of national integration but also lacks the qualifications for public office.”

Will Trump and Xi Meet in Gyeongju?

• According to the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong.
• The event will be held in Gyeongju on October 29 and 30, and since China is the host next year, Xi Jinping (President of China) might attend. The host city is yet to be decided.
• Will Trump attend the Gyeongju meeting? Some speculate he might visit China first.

Which Stocks Might Rise with Commercial Law Amendments?

• “The real issue starts now. Stock prices may rise temporarily, but the strength of Korean companies and industries is likely to remain stagnant.”
• Park Soo-ryeon (Industry Editor, JoongAng Ilbo) warned, “We shouldn’t just consume the commercial law amendments as a driver for stock price increases.”
• Solutions for Samsung Electronics’ governance can be found in Taiwan and China. Taiwan’s TSMC filled its board with semiconductor experts. Eight out of nine board members are foreigners. At China’s Huawei, employees holding 98% of shares elect the board members.
• “Every year, they burn treasury stocks, but compared to Apple, which lags far behind in the AI race, which is more innovative and more threatening? Korean companies, wandering due to succession issues and challenged again by the amended commercial law, have examples to refer to.”

The Paradox of Clean Air.

• A study claims that reduced air pollution in China is accelerating climate change.
• Sulfur dioxide aerosols reflect sunlight, cooling the Earth. China’s pollution reduction efforts have cut sulfur dioxide emissions from 38 million tons in 2006 to about 10 million tons recently. This has led to a temperature rise of 0.18 degrees over a decade until 2010, but 0.25 degrees from 2013 to 2022.
• Research also suggests that reduced aerosols increase extreme rainfall. While greenhouse gases themselves boost precipitation, the effect of reduced aerosols is 2 to 4 times stronger than that of greenhouse gases.
• It’s still a hypothesis, and proving a direct causal link is challenging.

Public Aid Ends Up in Loan Sharks’ Pockets.

• Every year, 800,000 people resort to illegal private loans, with about 10% experiencing illegal debt collection. One in ten young people in their 20s and 30s is driven to illegal lending. Reports and consultations on illegal private loans increased by nearly 13% from January to April this year compared to the same period last year, a worrying trend.
• Yoo Byung-yeon (CEO of Hankyung Global News Network) warned, “It’s widely said that a big market for loan sharks will open once the aid is fully distributed.” He emphasized, “It’s urgent to implement practical field inspections and system improvements to ensure government aid reaches the people safely.”
• “We must eradicate illegal debt collection while establishing a one-stop victim protection platform that connects reporting, consultation, and relief. The crackdown and punishment for illegal cash conversion and black market transactions of aid, such as local love gift certificates, must be significantly strengthened. It’s not enough to just distribute money; thorough post-management is essential to ensure the benefits fully reach the people.”

Repeal of the Device Distribution Act: Any Measures Against ‘Gullible Customers’?

• It was a law everyone complained about, but at least it ensured price transparency. The Device Distribution Improvement Act, known as the Device Distribution Act, is repealed after 11 years. From today, the subsidy cap is gone.
• Industry insiders predict subsidies will concentrate on high-priced devices and expensive plans.
• Han Seok-hyun (YMCA Citizen Mediation Office Director) pointed out, “It’s akin to a survival of the fittest where individuals must gather information themselves.” Lee Seong-yeop (Korea University Professor) noted, “There is a need for dedicated counselors or consultation channels for the information-deprived.”

Disaster Safety Messages Need Specific Guidance.

• Receiving a message to “prepare for river flooding” leaves one helpless.
• Chae Jin (Professor at Mokwon University) pointed out, “There should be specific guidance like, ‘People in certain areas should evacuate quickly to specific locations.'”
• He advised that “disaster management professionals with expertise should be recruited to assess dangerous situations and make swift decisions.”
• Ham Seung-hee (Professor at Seoul City University) noted, “It should be communicated in stages so people can feel the level of power and threat.”

The Village Patrol Saved Lives.

• In Gyeongsangbuk-do, groups of around five, including village chiefs, residents, and officials, conducted evacuation drills in 5,544 villages.
• If daily rainfall exceeds 80mm, evacuation is immediate. They even coined the slogan, “The best prevention is excessive evacuation.” In Won-ri Village, Cheongdo County, Gyeongbuk, residents were evacuated 30 minutes before a flood warning was issued.
• A Gyeongsangbuk-do official stated, “Residents familiar with the local geography and with disaster experience play a role beyond the disaster prediction data from the Meteorological Administration or the Korea Forest Service.”

No Power Without Grid.

• ‘Connection waiting power’ reaches 8.9GW. That’s equivalent to the power of 9 nuclear reactors.
• ‘Connection waiting’ means power wasted due to grid bottlenecks. In Gwangju-Jeonnam and Jeonbuk, where solar plants are concentrated, 2.4GW and 1.8GW were wasted, respectively.
• Solar and wind installations have increased sixfold over the past decade, but power generation only tripled. This is because transmission and distribution networks only grew by 14% and 22%.
• The Chosun Ilbo warned, “Without fundamental measures like expanding the power grid, energy transition pledges of the Lee Jae-myung government, such as RE100 industrial complexes or solar pensions, may remain mere slogans.”

ICYMI.

Consumer Coupons: 4.15 Million Applications in 3 Hours.

• 9.3% of the total payout, amounting to 754.5 billion won, has been distributed.
• There were 3.79 million online applications and 330,000 offline.

Incheon Airport’s Fifth Runway: Divergent Dreams.

• By 2033, Incheon Airport will reach full capacity. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport prefers to disperse demand to places like Busan’s Gadeokdo New Airport, showing lukewarm support for expansion.
• The budget for the fifth phase expansion is 6 trillion won. Building a 3,400-meter runway and a third terminal on the Club 72 golf course site could accommodate an additional 20 million passengers annually.
• Incheon Airport’s current capacity is about 106 million passengers per year.

Electrolyte Drinks? Water Suffices.

• Our bodies are designed to maintain blood sodium levels even when we sweat.
• Recent studies compared drinking water to electrolyte drinks and found no difference in athletic performance. The advice is that there’s no need to separately replenish sodium and electrolytes immediately after exercise.
• There can be cases of severe sodium deficiency, but even then, electrolyte drinks are not helpful. According to The New York Times, electrolyte drinks have no particular disadvantages, but no particular advantages either. It’s just a marketing product.
• Globally, the electrolyte drink market is a whopping $38 billion industry.

Worth Reading.

Reviving Regions to Save Local Universities.

• Kim Kwang-seop (Professor at Chosun University) emphasized that the core issue is “local universities are disconnected from their regions.” He warns that if a university-centered approach proceeds without designing a regional ecosystem, the policy will be trapped within the administration’s term.
• Kim stressed that young people will settle in regions when they become not just “places to work” but “places worth living.” He believes priorities need to change, rather than creating ten Seoul National Universities. Support should be based on outcomes like industry-academia cooperation and job creation, not just because they are regional national universities.
• Park Won-ho (Professor at Seoul National University) pointed out that it is unreasonable to entirely shift the burden of solving complex, deep-rooted issues like regional imbalance or entrance exam problems onto local universities. He suggests creating an ecosystem where numerous diverse and unique universities, which in certain fields surpass Seoul National University, cooperate and support each other.

Lee Jae-myung Government’s Triple Dilemma.

• The Moon Jae-in administration failed to build a majority democratic coalition.
• Kang Woo-jin (Professor at Kyungpook National University) believes the Lee Jae-myung government faces similar challenges. The Lee administration must tackle the triple tasks of overcoming internal strife, restoring democracy, and forming and maintaining the largest democratic coalition.
• Kang pointed out, “Such complex tasks are difficult to achieve relying solely on the president’s personal support or communication.”
• Kim Hoe-kyung (Political Editor at Hankook Ilbo) also noted, “Relying on the president’s personal skills to target the public has clear limits and is not sustainable.”
• The warning is that true performance will be judged by how the administration handles controversial cabinet nominees, cooperation with the opposition, worsening domestic and international economic conditions, and the rapidly changing security landscape on the Korean Peninsula due to U.S.-China hegemony competition.

No Need to Be Everyone’s President.

• “You shouldn’t integrate even martial law defenders like (Kang Jun-wook),” is the criticism. Kwon Tae-ho (Editorial Director of Hankyoreh) noted, “Reform can make many uncomfortable,” adding, “A ‘president for everyone’ who tries to make everyone comfortable neither advances reform nor makes everyone comfortable.”

The Issue is Competence.

• Kim Hee-won (Director of News Standards, Hankook Ilbo) pointed out, “It’s not that there are few talented women, but rather few women the administration wants.” The real issue is overlooking truly capable women.
• The column is titled “Kang Sun-woo, Is She Competent?”
• “Seek individuals with insight and conviction on enacting anti-discrimination laws and revising rape laws. Through such appointments, the president should declare a commitment to protecting the vulnerable, eliminating discrimination, and creating an equal society. This is the way to earn recognition for governance competence.”

China and Russia’s Tumen River Initiative.

• “There’s no rule that says I have to be the one to coax someone out of their room. Friends and neighbors should be called too. We need to let Kim Jong-un (North Korean Chairman) save face by saying, ‘I came out because they called me.'”
• Joo Seong-ha (Dong-A Ilbo journalist) believes the Tumen River Initiative (GTI) could be a key to improving inter-Korean relations.
• Last May, Xi Jinping (Chinese President) visited Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin (Russian President). Their joint statement included a commitment to “develop cooperation on the Tumen River Initiative.”
• The development of the Tumen River basin was initiated by the UN Development Program in the early 1990s. Before his death, Kim Il-sung (former North Korean leader) said North Korea’s fate depended on this project. Although North Korea withdrew in 2019, leaving it in limbo, China and Russia remain interested. A bridge connecting North Korea and Russia will open next year. China wants to boost its three northeastern provinces. The U.S. might also get involved if it senses a financial opportunity.
• Joo Seong-ha pointed out, “If the northeastern provinces, home to 100 million people, connect to the East Sea, it will affect not only port cities along the coast but also Japan.” It’s common sense to “try opening the back door when the front door is blocked.”

Feedback.

Prosecutors as the Last Bastion for Victims? I Disagree.

• Yesterday, we quoted a column by Kim Ye-won (Lawyer, Disability Rights Center) in Slowletter. Here’s a reader’s opinion, condensed but retaining its essence.
• “First, let’s address the claim that ‘prosecutors are the last bastion for victims.’ Prosecutors are monopolists of prosecution, not representatives of victims. A prosecutor is a public representative, not a lawyer serving individual victims.
• The argument that ‘police investigations are inferior’ is also weak. The police already have accumulated expertise and experience in criminal cases, economic crimes, and digital sex crimes. ‘Supplementary investigations’ are already multilayered within the judicial system, and the belief that only prosecutorial command ensures quality is close to prosecutorial arrogance.
• The logic that victims will be neglected if the prosecution is dismantled views victims as ‘legally incompetent,’ a contradictory stance. True victim protection should start with a victim-centered judicial design and the expansion of institutional infrastructure.
• The statement that ‘prosecutorial reform is a dangerous idealism’ also blurs the issue. Prosecutorial reform is not a political slogan but a systemic response to past prosecutorial political interference, disclosure of suspect facts, investigative convenience, and the side effects of a monopoly on prosecution. It is a demand from the sovereign, emerging from accumulated cases and victims, and is justified in itself.
• Kim Ye-won acknowledges prosecutorial power abuse but calls reform dangerous, which is a cunning both-sides argument.”

Invitation to Supporter Event.

• Join us for a conversation on the future of news, exclusively for Slow News supporters.
• August Media Monthly, co-hosted by Media Today and Slow News. Lee Jeong-hwan (CEO of Slow News) will present on “AI and Journalism: New Rules of the Game.”
• In an era without search, how will journalism function in a world where links disappear?
• How will news production and distribution change? It’s time to ask fundamental questions.
• When algorithms judge news value and set priorities, where does the human journalist’s competitiveness lie?
• Lee Jeong-hwan (CEO of Slow News) will brief on key agendas from the recent Asia Journalism Forum in Taiwan.
• We’ve created a space to discuss Korea’s unique situation, global crises, imminent changes and shocks, possibilities and opportunities, and the essence of it all.
• Talk Show: AI and Journalism, New Rules of the Game.
• Presentation: Lee Jeong-hwan (CEO of Slow News).
• Discussion: Lee Hee-jung (CEO of Media Today).
• Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025, 7 PM.
• Venue: Hongdae Ipgu Dari Small Theater.
• Slow News and Media Today supporters are invited for free.
• Non-supporters will incur a participation fee.
• Registration link: https://forms.gle/FJYpC3LuizaR6qWR6