Broadcast Act Passed, Foundation Act Deferred to August.

• Among the three broadcasting laws, the Broadcast Act has passed. 178 votes in favor, 2 against.
• Due to the People Power Party’s filibuster (unlimited debate) request, each had to be passed separately. After passing the Broadcast Act amendment, the filibuster for the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act amendment began immediately.
• With the July extraordinary session ending at midnight yesterday, the Foundation Act and the Educational Broadcasting Act have been deferred to the August session starting tomorrow.
• These bills passed the National Assembly twice under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration but were vetoed by Yoon, leading to their nullification. It’s the first change in 38 years since the Broadcast Act was enacted in 1987.
• The National Union of Mediaworkers called it “a significant turning point in the history of Korean media and the beginning of a new path for the political independence and democratization of public broadcasting.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

No Jong-myeon’s 9-Hour Filibuster.

• It ended yesterday at 4 PM. Shin Dong-wook (People Power Party lawmaker) spoke for 7 hours and 30 minutes until 11:30 PM. Kim Hyun (Democratic Party lawmaker) continued until 2:30 AM today for 3 hours. Lee Sang-hwi (People Power Party lawmaker) went on until 7 AM for 4 hours and 30 minutes. No Jong-myeon (Democratic Party lawmaker) completed 9 hours until 4 PM.
• Roughly, both parties filled about 12 hours each. The Democratic Party spoke about 10 minutes longer.
• For reference, the filibuster record is held by Park Min-soo (Democratic Party lawmaker) with 15 hours and 50 minutes during last year’s livelihood recovery support bill.
• A People Power Party official remarked, “It’s supposed to be the last resort for minority parties, but it has turned into an event where rookie lawmakers are pushed to participate without any real resolve.”
• Related Link.

Yongma Lee’s 6th Anniversary and the Passing of the Broadcast Management Act.

• The filibuster on the Broadcast Management Act amendment, which began right after the Broadcast Act amendment passed, ended after 7 hours due to the end of the National Assembly session.
• The plenary session of the August extraordinary National Assembly is scheduled for the 21st. It can be immediately tabled and voted on without a filibuster. Coincidentally, this day marks the 6th anniversary of Yongma Lee (former MBC journalist).
• Moon Jae-in (former President) visited Yongma Lee, who was battling illness during his candidacy, and promised the independence of public broadcasting, but did not fulfill it.

Revisiting the Three Broadcasting Laws.

• KBS board members increase from 11 to 15, and the Foundation for Broadcast Culture board members from 9 to 13. The EBS board is structured similarly to the Foundation for Broadcast Culture.
• Parliamentary recommendations drop to 40%, with recommendation rights given to viewer committees and media-related academic societies.
• The method for recommending presidents also changes. To elect a public broadcaster president, a President Recommendation Committee must be involved. For KBS, a National Recommendation Committee of over 100 members recommends up to three candidates, and the board elects one with a special majority of at least three-fifths of the total board members.

Can’t Let Go of Parliamentary Recommendations.

• Professor Kang Hyung-chul (Sookmyung Women’s University) still sees many gaps. He worries that “formalizing the parliamentary recommendation quota will only lead to more aggressive factionalization by agents with party labels.” He views the attempt to distribute recommendation rights uniformly to parties, viewer committees, legal and academic groups, and internal staff as a convenient approach.
• While it could be a safeguard against broadcasting control, there are criticisms that the board’s composition is far from managerial expertise.
• Academic and lawyer groups get two members each, but which groups are designated is decided by the Korea Communications Commission. Concerns remain that this could be misused according to the administration’s intentions.
• Related Link.

Yoon’s Government and Media Control Revisited.

• In September 2022, an MBC reporter was barred from the presidential plane over the Biden-Nallimyeon report.
• In May 2023, Han Sang-hyuk (then Chair of the Korea Communications Commission) was dismissed over the TV Chosun re-approval review.
• In July 2023, KBS was ordered to separate its license fee from electricity bills.
• In August 2023, Lee Dong-gwan (former Presidential Advisor) was appointed as Chair of the Korea Communications Commission.
• In August 2023, Jeong Yeon-ju (then Chair of the Broadcasting and Communications Review Committee) and Lee Kwang-bok (then Vice Chair) were dismissed for not adhering to work hours.
• In August 2023, Kwon Tae-sun (then Chair of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture) and Kim Ki-jung (then Director) were dismissed for failing supervisory duties.
• In August 2023, Nam Young-jin (then KBS Chair) was dismissed over misuse of business expenses.
• In September 2023, the KBS board dismissed Kim Eui-cheol (then KBS President).
• In November 2023, the Broadcasting and Communications Review Committee fined broadcasters for citing Newstapa’s report that “Yoon made coffee.”
• In February 2024, YTN was sold to Eugene Group.
• In June 2024, MBC was fined over the Biden-Nallimyeon report.
• In July 2024, Lee Jin-sook (former Presidential Advisor) was appointed as Chair of the Korea Communications Commission.
• In November 2024, Park Jang-beom (then KBS Anchor) known for the “small pouch” remark was appointed as KBS President.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Undefeated in Dismissal Lawsuits.

• Kim Ui-cheol, Nam Young-jin, Kwon Tae-sun, Kim Ki-joong, Han Sang-hyuk, Chung Yeon-joo, and Lee Kwang-bok all won their lawsuits to nullify dismissal or removal orders.
• The Lee Jae-myung administration decided not to appeal.

Broadcast Act Passed: What’s Changing?

• No more being summoned to the Blue House for a scolding. A dark history left behind.
• The proportion of board members recommended by the National Assembly drops from 100% to 40%. This could secure broadcasting independence.
• It’s easy to change one’s mind once in power, but this was possible due to the resolve of Lee Jae-myung (President) and the Democratic Party. Just as Kim Dae-jung (former President) was praised for changing the appointment rights of broadcasting heads 25 years ago, the Lee Jae-myung administration has made a historic decision.
• A programming committee, consisting of five members each from labor and management, will be established. It will have real power over revising programming regulations and appointing programming heads.
• Shim Young-seop (Kyung Hee Cyber University Professor) pointed out, “The enforcement decree, which can change at any time, delegates the right to recommend to certain organizations, so legislative supplementation is needed.”
• Kim Eun-hye (People Power Party Deputy Floor Leader) remarked, “The emergence of a Democratic Party broadcast, not a public one, and ‘Dangmyeong News’ is not far off.”
• KBS will have to reconstitute its board within three months. Park Jang-beom’s term runs until 2027, but he could be replaced early.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

What Matters Now.

Kim Keon-hee Appears Before Special Prosecutor Today.

• She is a suspect on 16 charges, including stock manipulation and violating the Anti-Graft Act. She reportedly plans to answer the special prosecutor’s questions in detail without invoking her right to remain silent.
• She will also stand at the photo line. This is the first public appearance by a presidential spouse in history.
• The special prosecutor plans to request an arrest warrant after at least two investigations. They have prepared a 100-page questionnaire and will start questioning from the Deutsche Motors case.
• Related Link.

“Triple Check,” Lee Jong-ho Detained.

• There’s a lot hanging around. Lee Jong-ho (former CEO of Black Pearl Investment) is central to the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation allegations and is also suspected of lobbying for Lim Seong-geun (then Marine Division Commander) in the Chae Sergeant case.
• He is accused of receiving 80 million won, promising a suspended sentence for a co-conspirator in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case. It’s said he remarked, “Mrs. Kim will handle it well, so don’t worry about the trial.”
• Two days before announcing the Ukraine reconstruction project, he sent a message saying “Triple check.” Sambo Construction’s stock soared fivefold.
• Related Link.

Anti-Corruption Director’s Final Note Revealed.

• On the first anniversary, the family released the farewell note left on KakaoTalk.
• The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission concluded the investigation into Kim Geon-hee’s Dior bag incident, citing a lack of regulations for sanctions. The late Kim (former director of the Anti-Corruption Commission) wrote, “My lifetime dedication to anti-corruption has been entirely negated.”

Judiciary Committee Chair’s Stock Trading Scandal.

• Lee Chun-seok (Judiciary Committee Chair) was caught on The Fact’s camera trading stocks under an aide’s name in the main assembly hall.
• This violates the Real Name Financial Transactions Act, and the stocks in question were Naver and LGCNS. Ha Jung-woo (AI Chief) is from Naver, and Bae Kyung-hoon (Minister of Science and ICT) is from LGAI, making LGCNS a beneficiary stock. Lee’s asset report did not include stocks. This breaches the Public Officials Ethics Act. There’s also potential for conflict of interest.
• Lee Chun-seok, who succeeded Jeong Cheong-rae (Democratic Party Leader) as Judiciary Committee Chair, left the Democratic Party and resigned from his position.
• Jeong Cheong-rae ordered the Ethics Inspection Team to conduct a thorough investigation.
• Related Link.

“Can We Call Them Human?”.

• Jeong Cheong-rae said this. After being elected party leader, he visited opposition parties but skipped the People Power Party.
• He believes there’s nothing stopping the dissolution of a party. “Looking at the Unified Progressive Party dissolution case, it’s a reason for dissolution ten, a hundred times over,” he said.

POSCO E&C President Resigns.

• Lee Jae-myung criticized it as “murder by willful negligence” on the 29th of last month, leading to a safety inspection. A week later, work resumed, only for another accident to occur.
• Jung Hee-min (President of POSCO E&C) stated, “I see this accident not as a mere safety management failure, but as a stern warning demanding profound reflection and fundamental reform of the company’s overall management.” He added, “I feel a heavy sense of responsibility and will step down, taking full responsibility.”
• Related Link.

Deep Dive.

Yoon’s Tax Cuts: 35 Trillion Won Recovered from 80 Trillion.

• According to the National Fiscal Research Institute, Yoon’s administration was expected to generate 80 trillion won in tax cuts from 2026 to 2030. With the tax reform proposed by Lee Jae-myung’s government last week, tax revenue will increase by 35.4 trillion won, including 18.5 trillion won from corporate tax and 11.5 trillion won from securities transaction tax.
• Lee Sang-min (Research Fellow at the National Fiscal Research Institute) argues that the issue with dividend income taxation lies not in the rate but in the separate taxation itself. He pointed out, “Separately taxing dividend income distorts the market, causing inefficiencies.”
• The problem is not the tax rate but the taxation philosophy. While the intention to increase dividends is good, the capital gains tax rate is lower than the dividend income tax, and there are many ways to bypass the major shareholder criteria.
• It’s time to abolish the credit card income deduction. Lee Sang-min noted, “If political reasons make it difficult to end, it should naturally be reduced according to income and inflation.” He stated, “The misconception that the credit card income deduction is a policy for securing tax infrastructure rather than a measure to preserve employee income is not a rational tax expenditure.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

“No Political Bargaining,” Yet Seeking Pardons.

• Song Eon-seok (People Power Party Emergency Committee Chair) was caught sending a text message to Kang Hoon-sik (Presidential Chief of Staff). It requested the inclusion of Ahn Sang-soo’s (former Incheon Mayor) wife, Jeong Chan-min (former People Power Party lawmaker), and Shim Hak-bong (former People Power Party lawmaker) in the pardon list.
• Even within the People Power Party, criticism erupted, calling it “a historic betrayal of the party, making backdoor deals with the Lee Jae-myung administration for pardons.”
• Song Eon-seok once stated, “The Liberation Day special pardon should not become political bargaining.”
• Koo Hye-young (Kyunghyang Shinmun Editorial Writer) pointed out, “The inconsistency of denying one’s own words is an issue, but the bigger problem is making pardons, which should be based on justice and the rule of law, a tool for private gain.”
• Related Link.

NYT Analysis of Jeju Air Incident.

• The cause of the accident and the cause of death differed.
• On December 29 last year, 179 people died in an Asiana Airlines collision at Muan International Airport.
• If the accident was caused by a bird being sucked into the engine, the deaths were due to a concrete mound outside the runway.
• According to the New York Times, when construction began in 1999, the localizer met international standards. However, for unknown reasons, the design changed in 2003.
• Kumho Construction and HJ Shipbuilding & Construction said, “It’s been too long to find the documents.”
• There were repeated concerns that the localizer was too close to the runway, but nothing changed.
• Related Link.

Another Take.

Did Myung Tae-kyun Receive Any Money?

• He was mentioned as the real owner of the Future Korea Research Institute, but claims he only worked for consulting fees and “didn’t receive a single penny illegally.”
• In fact, there’s no evidence that Myung Tae-kyun received money. He’s a political technician, but not illegal.
• He lives in an apartment with a deposit of 30 million won and a monthly rent of 1 million won. After the prosecution’s investigation, his income stopped, and it’s said there’s no rice left at home.
• He only proposed the Changwon Industrial Complex, and Kim Young-sun (former People Power Party lawmaker) insists it was a recommendation, not a solicitation.
• The statute of limitations for election law violations has expired, but charges of violating the Political Funds Act remain. Choi Sang-won (senior reporter at Hankyoreh) confessed, “What kind of person is Myung Tae-kyun? I still don’t know.”
• Related Link.

Revisiting the 5 Billion Won Capital Gains Tax Threshold for Major Shareholders.

• Initially lowered to 1 billion won, now retreating due to public backlash. “If we’re going to be criticized anyway, might as well proceed,” they said.
• Lee So-young (Democratic Party lawmaker) argues, “Is it right to classify someone as a major shareholder just because they hold 1 billion won in a single stock, when Seoul apartment prices exceed 1 billion won?”
• The Hankyoreh pointed out, “Real estate already faces capital gains tax, with heavy taxes on high-value and speculative transactions.” The argument is that demanding stock capital gains tax exemptions, compared to real estate, is illogical.
• Hwang Se-woon (Research Fellow at the Capital Market Institute) noted, “We should impose capital gains tax comprehensively, while considering flexible tax rates and exemptions.”
• Related Link.

Chosun Ilbo Stirs the Pot on U.S. Apple Imports.

• Gu Yoon-cheol (Minister of Economy and Finance) stated that “the two countries have agreed to strengthen cooperation on sanitary procedures for importing U.S. fruits and vegetables.” Jang Sang-sik (Director of the Korea International Trade Association’s International Trade and Commerce Research Institute) commented, “This is effectively a relaxation of barriers.”
• Apples are blocked not by tariffs but by quarantine procedures. The 8-step import risk analysis is a procedure under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) sanitary agreements. Japanese apples applied for import risk analysis in 1992 and are still stuck at step 5 out of 8. U.S. apples have been at step 2 for 33 years. U.S. potatoes have reached step 6.
• An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, “The analysis is a scientific procedure and cannot be artificially accelerated.”
• The U.S. fruits and vegetables imported by Korea are limited to items with low domestic production. Last year, Korea imported $37.75 million worth of lemons and $18.14 million worth of U.S. grapes, but the varieties are different.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

South Korea’s Red Line on Taiwan.

• South Korea’s stance is clear: no military involvement in the Taiwan issue. The government is conveying and persuading the U.S. of this position.
• According to the Financial Times, the U.S. Department of Defense has asked Japan and Australia to clarify their roles should a war over Taiwan break out between the U.S. and China. South Korea may have received the same question.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

The Fix.

Industrial Accident Measures: Cases from the UK, Germany, and Sweden.

• In the UK, there is the Corporate Manslaughter Act. If a worker dies due to corporate negligence, criminal liability is pursued. A waste management company employee drowned in a tank, resulting in a 13-year prison sentence.
• Germany has strong works councils. Labor and management equally inspect sites and manage the accident insurance association. The association independently determines the occurrence and compensation of accidents, eliminating the need for workers to dispute with employers.
• Sweden has a safety representative system. Workers can report hazards and demand corrections. It has the lowest accident and fatality rates in Europe.
• And Korea? The prevention system remains insufficiently site-focused. Song Ji-won (Professor at the University of Edinburgh) emphasized, “Management should view safety as a ‘necessity’ and take responsibility, while the government should strengthen infrastructure to support prevention. Workers should be respected as active participants in managing risks, not just passive protectees.”
• Related Link.

Profit Sharing Right in the Founding Constitution.

• It was briefly mentioned during the last presidential debate.
• Article 18, Clause 2 of the 1948 Founding Constitution states: “In private enterprises for profit, workers have the right to share in profits as prescribed by law.”
• According to the records, Rhee Syngman (then Chairman of the Constituent Assembly) said, “If there is still something lacking, adding this one thing would be fine. What is it? It is that landlords, capitalists, and workers are protected by national law to share average profits. If we make this, I think it will have a harmonious effect.”
• The philosophy of sharing corporate profits with workers was embedded in the Founding Constitution. The profit-sharing right was removed in the fifth constitutional amendment after Park Chung-hee’s military coup.
• Song Young-shin (Da Vinci Lawyer) emphasized, “The fundamental rights established while laying the foundation of a new country called the Republic of Korea should still be seen as continuing the spirit of that constitution.”
• Related Link.

Not Charity, But a National Survival Strategy.

• The Lee Jae-myung administration is strongly driving regional balanced development.
• Kim Kyung-soo (former Governor of Gyeongnam), who pushed for the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam mega city, was appointed as the Chairman of the Local Era Committee.
• Connecting Busan and Changwon with a commuter train could greatly alleviate labor shortages. The Ulsan-Busan metropolitan railway should also start construction early.
• The RE100 industrial complex could change the landscape. The plan is to attract advanced industries to the southwest region and reshape South Korea’s industrial map around energy. If factories go where electricity is, transmission tower conflicts disappear. The semiconductor cluster being built in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, will need 10GW of power by 2053, but transmission lines are an issue. The southwest region’s renewable energy facilities are expected to expand to 42GW by 2031, but local demand is only 9GW.
• Seo Ui-dong (Editorial Director of Kyunghyang Shinmun) emphasized, “Various issues in Korean society, such as education, housing, and employment, stem from the second division between the metropolitan area and non-metropolitan areas,” adding, “Significant improvements are possible depending on the government’s will.”
• Related Link.

KHNP Considers Stake in Ulsan Offshore Wind Project.

• Norway’s Equinor is developing the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm, named the Firefly Project, with a capacity of 750MW. It’s located 60-70km east of Ulsan Port in the exclusive economic zone.
• According to Maeil Business Newspaper, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power is considering a 40% stake investment. The investment amount is estimated at 2 to 4 trillion won.
• Related Link.

Poverty Trap: 40.4% on Welfare for Over 5 Years.

• Out of 1.88 million households receiving basic living support, 19.7% have been on welfare for over 10 years. For 5 to 10 years, it’s 20.7%.
• The Seoul Shinmun pointed out, “The system’s exit strategy is not functioning properly.”
• While 26.8% of elderly recipients and 30.0% of disabled recipients are long-term beneficiaries, 28.6% of general households have also been on welfare for over 10 years.
• Kim Tae-wan (Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs) analyzed in his report on the income redistribution effect of basic living support benefits, “There is a lack of practical support to encourage labor market participation, while the level of livelihood benefits has increased, creating an incentive to remain within the system.”
• Kim Yoon-young (Activist at the Coalition for Poverty Eradication) criticized, “Self-sufficiency programs cannot be worked on for more than 5 years and wages fall below the minimum wage,” adding, “Even if one exits welfare, escaping poverty is difficult.”
• Related Link.

Five School Problems.

• This is a proposal by Lee Beom (Education Critic).
• First, is it necessary to check attendance for each subject? It could be done once a day or automatically with student ID cards.
• Second, is it necessary to guarantee a minimum achievement level up to high school? If scores are insufficient, students should fail. After all, high school is not compulsory education. If needed, support rather than guarantee.
• Third, there are too many subject divisions. Math is split into five subjects: Algebra, Calculus 1, Probability and Statistics, Calculus 2, and Geometry.
• Fourth, teachers have no time. They find out what subjects they will teach two weeks before the new semester. This system disregards teachers’ rights.
• Fifth, Korea is the only country that uses relative evaluation for internal assessments. The regional proportional selection system proposed by Lee Chang-yong (Governor of the Bank of Korea) should also be considered.
• Lee Beom emphasized that “strengthening teachers’ authority and expanding their basic rights is most urgent.”
• Related Link.

ICYMI.

3 Billion Daily ChatGPT Queries.

• Weekly users have surpassed 700 million. Up 40% from 500 million in March.
• There are 5 million paying users, and OpenAI’s revenue is projected to reach $20 billion this year.
• GPT-5.0 is on the horizon.

A Need for System 3 Thinking.

• Daniel Kahneman (Nobel Laureate in Economics) in ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ divides human thinking into ‘System 1’ and ‘System 2’. ‘System 1’ reacts instantly to surrounding situations, while ‘System 2’ infers the causes of situations.
• ChatGPT and Gemini are considered to have reached the level of ‘System 2’.
• VibeCoding is a technology that automates automation, and AlphaEvolve is an algorithm that creates algorithms.
• Lee Sang-wan (KAIST Professor) defines ‘System 3’ as a ‘System 2’ for ‘System 2’. It is an algorithm that solves problems of problem-solving and thinks about thinking.
• If meta-cognition is the concept of recognizing cognition, meta-learning is the concept of learning how to learn. AutoML is AI learning that optimizes AI models.
• The outlook is that if today’s AI learns and infers data as ‘System 2’, tomorrow’s AI will learn how to learn data, developing its own learning philosophy as ‘System 3’.
• Related Link.

To Secure Investment with AI.

• Who doesn’t know AI is smart? The key is not just using AI like everyone else, but proving technological differentiation and customer value.
• How will you handle hallucinations? How do you optimize tokens? You need answers ready for these questions.
• Choi Byung-ho (Professor at Korea University) summarized the answers VCs want to hear like this.
• “I have unique, unparalleled technology.”
• “This technology solves customer problems.”
• “This technology expands and strengthens market size and growth trends.”
• “This technology shifts the competitive structure and intensity in our favor. It creates high corporate value through monopolistic positioning.”
• Choi Byung-ho emphasized, “To put someone else’s money into our pockets, study ‘them,’ research the capital market they live in, and eventually become ‘them.'”
• Related Link.

Daiso’s Valuation Hits 10 Trillion Won.

• This year’s projected net profit is expected to reach 400 billion won.
• It’s being hailed as a game changer in the distribution industry. It’s evolving into a K-wave platform encompassing K-beauty, K-food, and K-fashion.
• Last year’s revenue was 3.9689 trillion won. Operating profit was 371.1 billion won.
• Related Link.

Sydney Sweeney: MAGA’s New Icon.

• Sydney Sweeney is the face of American Eagle’s ad campaign.
• The ad initially reads “Sydney Sweeney has great genes,” then cleverly swaps “genes” for “jeans.” Critics call it white supremacy mocking woke culture, but Donald Trump (former U.S. President) has jumped in, turning it into a political correctness debate.
• Sweeney is indeed a Republican. After Trump tweeted “Go get em Sydney,” American Eagle’s stock soared. Marcus Collins (University of Michigan Professor) remarked it highlights white genetic superiority, intentional or not.
• Related Link.

Jeon Kwang-hoon Raid.

• He is suspected of ordering the illegal intrusion at the Seoul Western District Court.
• The Security Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed that Jeon Kwang-hoon (Pastor of Sarang Jeil Church) manipulated Yoon (Special Evangelist of Sarang Jeil Church) and others, inciting violence.

Worth Reading.

Only 13% Benefit from the Yellow Envelope Act.

• Even if passed, it only targets a small group of organized workers. Indirectly employed or subcontracted workers can’t even dream of striking and receive no protection. Lee Jin-hee (Social Policy Editor, Hankook Ilbo) pointed out, “This is the dominant and brutal reality that won’t change even after the law is enacted.” It’s not the absence of a law that leaves them unprotected. There are already precedents recognizing the responsibility of primary contractors. Even if the Yellow Envelope Act passes, companies will still sue workers. Naturally, things will change if the law passes. But there’s no need for great expectations or great anxiety.
• Related Link.

Three Crossroads for the People Power Party.

• First, continue down the path of aimless decline as they are now,
• Second, undergo a painful renewal somehow,
• Third, change might come from an external shock.
• Renewal seems unlikely. The pro-Yoon faction still holds sway, and it’s a party where Jeon Han-gil (former academy instructor) conducts interviews.
• A scenario where the party is shattered by a special investigation isn’t entirely out of the question. Lawmakers who haven’t exchanged a single call or message with Kim Geon-hee breathe a sigh of relief.
• Hwang Jun-beom (Hankyoreh editorial writer) predicts, “If the special investigation weeds out key vested interests in the People Power Party by the end of the year, it could open up opportunities for comprehensive renewal or a ‘scatter and regroup’ change.” It’s seen as “the price of wasting eight months in Yoon Geon-hee’s quagmire” after December 3rd.
• Related Link.

Ending Insurrection: Three Essentials.

• First, firmly oppose far-right claims and actions.
• Second, a democratic conservative force must emerge, breaking away from the far-right. The far-right should not be an alternative for conservatives disenchanted with the Democratic Party.
• Third, the democratic government must stabilize a coalition of majority support.
• Shin Jin-wook (Professor at Chung-Ang University) emphasized, “None of these can be achieved overnight,” yet insisted, “this is the path we must take.”
• Related Link.