Trump-Putin Talks Collapse.

• Instead of an immediate ceasefire, they opted for a one-shot peace meeting. Ukraine demanded an immediate ceasefire, but it was not accepted.
• According to the New York Times, Vladimir Putin (Russian President) proposed, “If Ukraine hands over Donbas and withdraws from Donetsk, I will stop the attack.” Axios noted, “Putin made no concessions.”
• The meeting, expected to last over six hours, ended in just two and a half hours. They parted ways without even having lunch.

Three Choices for Zelensky.

• On the 18th, U.S. time, Donald Trump (U.S. President) and Volodymyr Zelensky (Ukrainian President) will meet at the White House.
• First, he can proceed with peace talks by withdrawing from Donetsk as Trump and Putin demand.
• Second, he can continue fighting while engaging in peace talks.
• Third, he can continue fighting without negotiations.
• Donbas is about half the size of South Korea. Russia occupies 88% of Donbas. If Russia takes this area, it becomes a direct invasion route to Kyiv at any time.

Solidarity with Zelensky.

• Mark Rutte (NATO Secretary General) and Ursula von der Leyen (European Commission President) will join the Trump-Zelensky meeting.
• Friedrich Merz (German Chancellor), Alexander Stubb (Finnish President), Giorgia Meloni (Italian Prime Minister), Emmanuel Macron (French President), and Keir Starmer (British Prime Minister) will also visit the U.S.
• Reuters noted, “European allies want to prevent a repeat of the February meeting at the White House.” There is analysis suggesting a sense of crisis over Europe’s diminishing influence.
• Related Link.

What Matters Now.

Lee Jae-myung Approval Drops to 59%.

• For the first time, a Gallup Korea poll shows his approval below 60%. (Mobile phone interviews, 95% confidence level, ±3.1% margin of error.)
• Democratic Party support also fell to 41%. The lowest under Lee’s administration.
• Reflects tax reform controversy, Cho Kuk’s (former leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party) pardon, and Lee Chun-seok’s (Independent lawmaker) proxy transactions.
• Related Link.

The Anti-Impeachment Faction Dominates in People Power Party.

• The battle lines are drawn between pro- and anti-impeachment factions.
• According to a survey by Gallup Korea targeting People Power Party supporters and independents, anti-impeachment figures Kim Moon-soo (former Minister of Employment and Labor) and Jang Dong-hyuk (People Power Party lawmaker) lead with 31% and 14% respectively, while pro-impeachment figures Ahn Cheol-soo (People Power Party lawmaker) and Cho Kyung-tae (People Power Party lawmaker) trail with 14% and 8%.
• Cho Kyung-tae proposed unification to Ahn Cheol-soo, but Ahn declined.
• Ahn stated, “I am confident of at least making it to the runoff as the second place.” In other words, he plans to proceed without unification.
• Related Link.
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Second Round of Consumption Coupons: Income Cap Set at 5.02 Million Won Monthly.

• For a two-person household, the cap is 8.25 million won. For three, it’s 10.55 million won. For four, 12.8 million won.
• The principle is to exclude the top 10%, which amounts to 5.07 million people.

July Flood Damage: 1.084 Trillion Won.

• 2.7235 trillion won will be allocated for restoration.
• The damage cost ranks first in history, while the restoration budget is the second largest ever.

Deep Dive.

One Slice at a Time.

• On August 21, when the extraordinary session of the National Assembly convenes, the remaining two of the three broadcasting laws, the Yellow Envelope Act, and the second amendment to the Commercial Act will be addressed one by one. They are scheduled for the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, respectively.
• The Democratic Party plans to employ a salami tactic, ending any filibuster by the People Power Party after 24 hours and proceeding to a vote.
• The criteria for the stock transfer tax remain undecided at the presidential office.
• Related Link.

“Judgment Awaits Again Next June.”.

• Cho Kuk (former leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party) said this in an interview with Hankyoreh. It implies facing political judgment, whether in local elections or parliamentary by-elections. He is likely to return as party leader at the November Cho Kuk Innovation Party convention.
• He remarked, “Scholars focus on interpretation, evaluation, and analysis, while politicians must achieve change, creation, and transformation based on these,” adding, “The stars have shifted.”
• He stated, “I will not seek a retrial,” and declared, “I cannot forgive Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon.”
• He also quoted Faust. “All theory is gray, but the eternal is the green tree of life.”
• He emphasized, “I will prove my new purpose to the people.”
• Related Link.

Met Kim Keon-hee Twice at Samcheong-dong Safe House.

• Testimony emerged that Kim Keon-hee used the Samcheong-dong safe house for personal reasons. This was revealed in a statement by Lee Bong-gwan (Chairman of Seohee Construction).
• Specific details were included. Lee Bong-gwan mentioned buying a pretty necklace as a congratulatory gift, to which Kim Keon-hee reportedly responded, “I didn’t have any nice accessories, so I’m very grateful.”
• According to Lee Bong-gwan, around the end of 2023, Kim Keon-hee returned the necklace and a brooch, saying, “I’m returning the items you lent me after using them well.” Lee Bong-gwan expressed concern, wondering if she returned the gifts because she didn’t trust him.
• Related Link.

Another Take.

9.62 Million Households Without Homes.

• That’s about 44% of all households. In Seoul alone, it’s 52%.
• 5.07 million households are concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Face the Past, Move to the Future.

• This was said by Lee Jae-myung in his speech celebrating the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day.
• The idea is to approach historical issues and economic cooperation on two separate tracks.
• Shigeru Ishiba (Japanese Prime Minister) also stated at the war memorial service, “We must never repeat the horrors of war,” and emphasized, “We must deeply engrave the reflection and lessons of war in our hearts once again.”
• According to the Korea Times, Lee Jae-myung and Shigeru Ishiba engaged in behind-the-scenes coordination to show mutual sincerity ahead of the 80th anniversary speeches.
• The atmosphere seems positive for now, but there are concerns that the issue of the Sado Mine memorial service could become a flashpoint. The fact that Shinjiro Koizumi (Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), who is mentioned as a potential next Prime Minister, visited the Yasukuni Shrine is also unsettling.
• Related Link.

National Debt Interest Hits 30 Trillion Won This Year.

• There’s talk of borrowing to pay off debt. At the end of last year, government debt stood at 1,141 trillion won. Interest costs alone were 28 trillion won.
• This year, 94 trillion won in government bonds will mature, with another 98 trillion won next year.
• From January to July this year, the government borrowed a total of 114 trillion won from the Bank of Korea through temporary loans.
• Related Link.

The New York Times on Lee Jae-myung’s Challenges.

• “A real test with no short-term solutions lies ahead for Lee Jae-myung,” it analyzed. Rapid population aging, economic slowdown, and the rise of right-wing radicalism are the challenges. He must also negotiate with the tricky Trump and resolve North Korean issues.
• Trump has three demands. First, increase defense spending. Second, purchase more American weapons. Third, cooperate in containing China.
• “They’ve cleared the tariff negotiation hurdle, but many more hurdles remain,” it says.
• Related Link.

5,183 Foreign Children Without Birth Registration.

• These are children whose parents are undocumented immigrants or for other reasons have a newborn number but no birth registration. Among them, 250 are unaccounted for, whether alive or dead.
• According to Korea’s Family Relations Act, non-Koreans cannot register births.
• Im Mi-ae (Democratic Party lawmaker) has proposed a bill to allow foreigners to create family relation records.
• Related Link.

The Fix.

If Conditions Met, Automatic Payment—Not Difficult.

• Why don’t people claim benefits they can get just by applying? At the fiscal savings meeting, Lee Jae-myung pointed out, “If you don’t apply, you don’t get it, so you die without support.”
• Woo Seok-jin (Professor at Myongji University) noted, “The reason vulnerable people can’t exercise their rights is not negligence but complex documentation, repeated visits, online accessibility gaps, stigma, and fear.”
• Many welfare systems require proof of poverty for access. School meals are free, but do kids starve on holidays? Without applying, you can’t get lunch support.
• The same goes for industrial accidents. The process only starts when the victim applies, but there’s pressure on-site to handle it as an occupational injury.
• Woo Seok-jin emphasized, “We can’t leave social risks solely to individual courage,” adding, “If the risk is structural, protection must also be structural.”
• A shift in perception is needed. First, welfare is a right, not a charity. Second, reducing unclaimed benefits is more important than preventing fraudulent claims. Third, only require applications for benefits that need them. If conditions are met, automatic payment should be made, with the state taking the initiative to deliver.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Carbon Reduction Target: From 40% to 67%.

• Addressing the climate crisis is like a global group project. Everyone must do their part, and no one can afford to slack off. South Korea’s current greenhouse gas reduction target is to cut emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels.
• Last year, the Constitutional Court found this insufficient. It ruled that while there are targets for 2050 carbon neutrality and 2030 reduction, there are none for 2031-2049, deeming it unconstitutional. The National Assembly has yet to pass follow-up legislation.
• The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) updates its 10-year plan every five years. The 2020 Moon Jae-in administration set a goal to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2018, but critics say this isn’t enough.
• Plan 1.5 calculated South Korea’s carbon budget at 8.7 billion tons as of 2020. At this rate, even if the 2030 NDC is achieved, 70% of the budget will be used up. After 2030, the remaining 30% must be shared.
• The 2035 reduction target is crucial as it will set the burden level for future generations. The next decade will determine the remaining 25 years until 2050. Plan 1.5 suggests raising the 2035 reduction target to 67% compared to 2018 emissions.
• The Climate Crisis Emergency Action is running the ‘2035 Climate Goal Campaign to Protect Our Lives’ until September 3. They plan to gather citizen proposals and present them to the president.
• Related Link.
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Why Yeosu and Tongyeong Drifted Apart.

• In 1971, a high-speed ferry operated. It covered the distance between Tongyeong and Yeosu in 85 minutes.
• Now? There’s one bus a day from Tongyeong to Yeosu, taking 3 hours and 10 minutes. The same goes for the bus from Yeosu to Tongyeong.
• Tongyeong’s roots are in Yeosu. In 1602, the Samdosugun Tongjeyeong moved from Yeosu, becoming Tongyeong. By car, it’s 120 km, taking 1 hour and 40 minutes, but the detour through Suncheon, Yeocheon, and Gwangyang makes it longer. With transport cut off, the psychological distance grew.
• Kang Je-yoon (Director of the Island Research Institute) pointed out, “By abandoning the free sea highway and pouring astronomical budgets into land roads and bridges, public transport has regressed compared to 53 years ago.”
• Kang Je-yoon suggested government support is needed. Introducing a public ferry system could include Geumo Island or Saryang Island on the Yeosu-Tongyeong-Busan route. It’s proposed as “a shortcut to revitalize declining southern coastal cities and islands.”
• Related Link.

Cheapness Leads to Death.

• Last year, 74 out of 95 public construction sites with fatal accidents were low-bid projects with a bid rate below 90%.
• Lee Sang-hoon (Dong-A Ilbo Policy and Society Editor) pointed out, “Unless we fundamentally solve the chronic issue of ‘cheap is good,’ we cannot prevent industrial accidents.” He argues, “The entire society must agree to spend more money and time to uphold standards, and institutional improvements based on this agreement are necessary.”
• Related Link.

Died in the Same Place, the Same Way.

• Among 1,490 serious accident deaths, 45% were subcontracted workers. This data is from 2022 to the second quarter of this year.
• An analysis of recurring cases showed 82% were subcontracted workers.
• The death rate for construction workers is 1.59 per 10,000, making Korea the OECD leader. The average is 0.78.
• Yoon Dong-yeol (Professor at Konkuk University) noted, “Advanced countries have strengthened safety regulations for decades. Initially, construction and manufacturing costs increased, but in the long run, they have significantly reduced social costs from disasters, such as compensation, medical expenses, production disruptions, and damage to corporate image.” He added, “It is crucial to solidify a social consensus that values life over cost and to establish institutional mechanisms to share those costs.”
• Related Link.

20,000 Tons of Spent Nuclear Fuel.

• It’s just being stored at nuclear power plants.
• A nuclear plant without a radioactive waste facility is like an apartment without a bathroom.
• South Korea hasn’t even built a waste research facility, let alone a disposal site. The research facility aims for 2032, and even if a site is selected next year, it won’t be operational until 2063.
• Park Jae-hyun (Kyunghyang Shinmun Editorial Writer) emphasized, “Instead of advocating for new nuclear plants, we should first resolve the spent nuclear fuel issue.”
• Related Link.

Where Do You Want to Die: Home or Hospital?

• In Denmark, 55% of those aged 71 and over die at home. In Korea, only 14% of those aged 65 and over die at home.
• Korea’s elderly population already exceeds 20%. The Dong-A Ilbo remarked, “A dignified death has become an urgent national task.”
• In Denmark, 120,000 out of 1.09 million seniors aged 67 and over use home visit care services.
• Ove Goorboe (Professor at Horsens Hospital) stated, “To die at home as desired, one must discuss and plan for death at the right time.”
• Denmark’s tax burden rate is 43%, while Korea’s is 19%. Unlike Europe, where paying more ensures better social security, Korea faces a triple burden: weak social security, inadequate retirement preparation, and intensifying generational conflict.
• Related Link.

ICYMI.

Yoon’s Pets to Be Taken Over by Kim’s Aide.

• With Yoon and his wife detained, their six dogs and five cats were left in an empty house. For now, a close aide of Kim Keon-hee will take over.
• Regardless of Yoon’s detention status, he and his wife remain under protection until April 2035. Security at their Seocho-dong Acro Vista residence continues.

5 Hours and 39 Minutes a Day.

• That’s how long Yoon Seok-yeol spent meeting with lawyers. He met 348 people over 70 days.
• In a regular meeting room, a security glass separates the parties, but Yoon used a private room with a table and chairs. The Ministry of Justice stated, “He used the lawyer meeting as an excuse to use the room like a personal lounge for extended periods,” and replaced the detention center chief.
• It was even confirmed that Kang Yi-gu (former Presidential Office Chief Secretary) brought in and handed over a mobile phone.
• Related Link.

Kwonsungdong’s Masked Golf.

• Kwon Seong-dong (People Power Party lawmaker) appeared at a golf course wearing a full-face mask. This was reported by Newstapa.
• The golf course is owned by the Unification Church, which is embroiled in controversy for allegedly giving Kwon 200 million won. Kwon explained that he paid the 350,000 won golf fee, including meal costs, himself.
• Kwon is an original Yoon core member. There are suspicions that after Jeon Seong-bae (Geonjin Beopsa) said, “Yoon’s heart remains with Kwon Seong-dong,” Unification Church members joined en masse to support Kwon. Right after the impeachment motion passed, he told a People Power Party assembly, “We might get criticized, but we must keep a thick skin.”
• Jeong Yeon-guk (former Blue House spokesperson) appeared on YTN, saying, “Playing golf amid allegations of receiving over 100 million won in political funds from the Unification Church? It seems there’s an issue with his conduct right now.”
• Related Link.
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Health Insurance Call Center Agents Handle 100 Calls a Day.

• 1,600 agents handle 33 million calls annually.
• Each agent manages 100 calls daily, with an average call lasting 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Longer calls mean reduced bonuses and salaries.
• When the call center first launched in 2005, there were permanent positions, but now most are subcontracted and have been earning minimum wage for 19 years.
• “We are not machines. People live in call centers too.”
• Moon Soo-bin (Head of Education and Public Relations, Daegu Branch, National Health Insurance Call Center Union) states, “We decided not to give up anymore to avoid losing colleagues who leave because it’s hard, unfair, and frustrating.”
• Related Link.

Dog Meat Ban: Where Have the Dogs Gone?

• Out of 460,000 dogs, 340,000 went to slaughterhouses. Not euthanasia, but slaughter.
• According to Lee Hyung-joo (Director of Aware), fewer than 500 dogs were adopted. The government claims there’s no euthanasia, pushing them towards a worse death.
• “If I had to choose between two types of death, I would unhesitatingly choose the one where I lose consciousness from an anesthetic injection. Even if my pet had to choose, I would make the same choice.”
• Lee pointed out, “Our irresponsibility in ignoring unseen deaths is stripping dogs of their last chance at a ‘less bad death.’”
• Related Link.

Five Habits for Aging Slowly.

• Choi Jae-won (Senior Team Leader, Maeil Business Newspaper) suggests five commandments for slow aging.
• First, eat well. To build muscle, increase vegetables and protein while reducing carbohydrates.
• Second, sleep well. 7 hours and 30 minutes a day is essential.
• Third, exercise. Run rather than walk and increase strength training. The three chronic diseases of modern people—hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes—stem from lack of exercise.
• Fourth, reduce alcohol and smoking.
• Fifth, manage stress. Breathing in through the nose for 4 seconds and out for 6 seconds is effective.
• Related Link.

Leap Months and Leap Years.

• Leap years have February 29. They occur every four years.
• Leap months arise from the difference between lunar and solar calendars. A year is 365.2 days, but the lunar year is 354.36 days, 11 days shorter. So, seven leap months are added every 19 years. That’s once every 2 to 3 years.
• This year, the lunar calendar has two sixth months.

Worth Reading.

Kim Keon-hee’s Inevitable Prison Path.

• Yoon Seok-yeol, a former prosecutor, couldn’t have been unaware.
• No matter how tightly he controls the prosecution, he can’t protect Kim Keon-hee after his term ends. The story goes that he might have thought martial law was the only way to protect both Kim and himself.
• Lee Young-chang (Korea Times Editorial Writer) analyzed, “Ultimately, martial law might have been the most selfish choice for Yoon Seok-yeol himself.”
• “Only when the martial law black box is exposed to the world and its reality is laid bare, can the far-right, which uses the Yoon couple as hosts, be subdued, and any future attempts at a ‘Yoon Seok-yeol reevaluation’ be thwarted.”
• Related Link.

Second Economic Paradigm Shift.

• First was the IMF financial crisis. There was intense pressure to focus on substance over form, profitability, and reducing debt ratios.
• The second is the Lee Jae-myung administration’s amendment to the Commercial Act. It defines directors’ fiduciary duties to shareholders and will soon introduce cumulative voting. If a merger like Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries happens, shareholders will now rise first.
• Gwak Jeong-su (Senior Reporter at Hankyoreh) emphasized, “The efficient allocation of capital was the driving force for Japan to escape its ‘lost 30 years,'” adding that “Korea, too, must follow this path amid long-term low growth trends.”
• Unverified managerial succession must also be abandoned. The narrative is that “chaebols themselves must seek governance and management systems that meet market demands and use disruptive innovation as a catalyst for evolution.”
• Related Link.