Hanbok and Mourning Clothes.

• It’s like a feast next to a funeral. On the first day of the regular National Assembly under the Lee Jae-myung administration, the Democratic Party wore matching hanbok to the session.
• The People Power Party appeared in coordinated black mourning attire with condolence ribbons.
• The Korea Times editorial called it a “futile power struggle,” saying it “fosters political disenchantment and invites a wry smile.”
• The 100-day legislative battle has begun.
• Speeches by party leaders are scheduled for the 9th and 10th. Government questioning is set for the 15th to 18th.
• On the 11th, there will be a vote on the arrest motion for Kwon Seong-dong (People Power Party lawmaker).
• The key issues of the regular session are, as expected, prosecutorial reform and media reform. Discussions are underway to separate investigation and prosecution and move them to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Following the three broadcasting laws, punitive damages are a hot topic. An increase in Supreme Court justices is also anticipated to cause clashes.
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What Matters Now.

U.S. Exports Plunge 12% in August.

• Exports increased, but exports to the U.S. decreased.
• Semiconductor and automobile exports rose by 27% and 9%, respectively, compared to the same month last year.
• Exports to the U.S. saw steel at -32%, auto parts at -14%, and automobiles at -3%. With the fading effect of the Korea-U.S. FTA, 8 out of the top 10 U.S. export items turned negative.
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Kim Jong-un Travels to China by Train.

• It’s a 1-hour 20-minute flight, but by train, it takes about 20 hours.
• This is his first visit to China in 6 years and 8 months.
• Hankyoreh analyzed, “It avoids the embarrassment of comparing outdated private jets and highlights China’s special treatment.”
• After passing Sinuiju and crossing the Yalu River, a Chinese locomotive will lead Kim Jong-un’s private train. It’s a state visit-level courtesy.
• Rodong Sinmun reported that early this morning, the train carrying Kim Jong-un crossed the border.
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China’s Victory Day: 4 Key Points.

• First, Kim Jong-un (North Korean Chairman), Xi Jinping (Chinese President), and Vladimir Putin (Russian President) will meet, but a trilateral summit is a different level of event. The U.S.-South Korea-Japan vs. North Korea-China-Russia dynamic strengthens.
• Second, Xi Jinping might visit North Korea in return. Coincidentally, October 10 marks the 80th anniversary of the North Korean Workers’ Party.
• Third, whether Kim Ju-ae, his daughter, accompanies him is of interest. It effectively confirms her as the successor.
• Fourth, will there be inter-Korean contact? Woo Won-shik, attending instead of the President, might meet Kim Yo-jong (North Korean Workers’ Party Vice Director).
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Discussing Gaza Trust Plan.

• According to the Washington Post. Donald Trump (U.S. President) discussed a plan to place Gaza under a “Great Trust” for 10 years. The plan involves forcibly relocating residents and developing the area into a tourist resort. Residents would receive $5,000 and food aid for one year. The report includes a plan to generate four times the profit in 10 years with a $100 billion investment.
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Anti-American Alliance, Tianjin Declaration.

• Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states issued a joint declaration strongly criticizing Israel and the United States.
• Xi Jinping (President of China) proposed, “Let’s advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world, inclusive economic globalization, and build a fairer and more reasonable global system.” A counter to Trump’s tariff war.
• Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India) emphasized, “The SCO’s vision is built on three pillars: Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity,” adding that “strong solidarity will invigorate trade and open doors to trust and development.”
• Doo Jin-ho (Director of the Korea National Strategy Institute) assessed that “achievements were made in emphasizing strategic clarity, including the anti-American alliance.”
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Gold Turtle Scandal, Lee Bae-yong Resigns.

• There’s suspicion that Kim Geon-hee received a gold turtle worth 10 don in exchange for a position.
• Lee Bae-yong (Chairperson of the National Education Commission) being a vice-chair of the National Prayer Breakfast, chaired by Lee Bong-gwan (Chairman of Seohee Construction), is also noteworthy.
• Anyway, her term was until the 26th of this month, and she can’t avoid the special investigation.
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun editorial pointed out, “The three years of the National Education Commission were merely a host for the far-right group Reebok School.”
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Deep Dive.

“Have You Ever Been Prosecuted? No? Then Don’t Touch It.”.

• Members of the Democratic Party and the National Innovation Party viewed Yoon Seok-yeol’s CCTV footage.
• Yoon Seok-yeol: “What are you doing right now? How can you enforce this when I refuse? You can’t exercise force.”
• Special Investigation Team: “This might get reported in the media like last time, so let’s talk with some clothes on. It’s not a good look for someone who was once president.”
• Yoon Seok-yeol: “Don’t lay a finger on me.”
• Prison Guard: “You can’t just go wherever you want.”
• Yoon Seok-yeol: “I’m not a convicted prisoner. I’m a detainee presumed innocent.”
• Park Eun-jung (National Innovation Party member) said, “I was appalled to hear someone who was a prosecutor, prosecutor general, and president say that refusing an arrest warrant means it can’t be enforced.”
• Jeon Hyun-hee (Democratic Party member) criticized him as “the king of the detention center.” She said, “We witnessed the appalling sight of a rebellion leader suspect denying the rule of law and constitutional order.”
• Related Link.
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The Investigation Agency Moves to the Ministry of Interior.

• Kim Min-seok (Prime Minister), Jeong Seong-ho (Minister of Justice), and Yoon Ho-jung (Minister of Interior) gathered to sort things out.
• Park Soo-hyun (Democratic Party Spokesperson) did not deny reporters’ questions, saying, “It’s all known information.”
• A Democratic Party lawmaker told Hankyoreh, “If the investigation agency doesn’t move to the Ministry of Interior, public opinion is that prosecutorial reform will be in vain, making further debate difficult.”
• Yang Bu-nam (Democratic Party lawmaker) appeared on Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory, arguing, “Placing the investigation agency under the Ministry of Justice is like a sham divorce.”
• A presidential office official said, “Consider the discussions so far as part of the process.” In other words, let’s wait and see.
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Prosecutor’s Five Enemies? Presidential Appointees.

• Jeong Seong-ho said this at the National Assembly.
• Im Eun-jeong (Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Eastern District) remarked that “even the Minister of Justice is under the prosecution’s control,” to which he responded, “It doesn’t seem appropriate.”
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Another Take.

Special Court for Insurrection: A Heated Debate.

• Proposed by Park Chan-dae (Democratic Party lawmaker). It involves creating a separate court for insurrection cases.
• Judges are to be recommended by the National Assembly, the judiciary, and lawyer groups, appointed by the Chief Justice, and must conclude the first trial within three months.
• Jung Cheong-rae (Democratic Party leader) claims, “South Korea now resembles the post-liberation era’s Anti-Japanese Collaboration Committee,” arguing that if purging pro-Japanese collaborators was the task then, now it’s purging insurrection forces.
• The People Power Party is opposing, calling it a “commanded court” and “pre-ordered verdict.”
• The Court Administration Office submitted an opinion stating it “infringes on judicial independence.”
• Related Link.
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Birth of the Far-Right as Teen Play.

• 49% of teenage boys agreed with the statement, “Election fraud is likely to occur.” For teenage girls, it was 39%. Opposition to Yoon’s emergency martial law was 67% and 74%, respectively.
• The Korea Times analyzed, “They might have seen election fraud more as an amusing story than a serious political claim.”
• 51% of teenage boys and 25% of teenage girls agreed with the statement, “Homosexuals are not a social minority.”
• According to The Korea Times, far-right views are a game for teenage boys. A middle school teacher said, “I was surprised when a usually well-behaved and studious student casually used the term ‘Jjipjaemyung’.” One student even said they wanted to catch spies when asked about their future aspirations.
• Kwon Jung-min (Professor at Seoul National University of Education) said, “Male students use expressions like ‘martial law is romantic’ and take it coolly.”
• Cheon Kyung-ho (Teacher at Seongnam Bopyeong Elementary School) said, “Due to the obligation of political neutrality, pointing out students’ remarks can lead to attacks from parents, so it’s often overlooked.”

The Better the Parents Get Along, the More Success Depends on Ability.

• “Exams are fairer than interviews and essays,” more respondents agreed. Kang Tae-young (CEO of Underscore) explained this with the ‘Fair World Hypothesis.’ Children from harmonious families experience psychological stability and predictability, with fewer memories of unfairness. Thus, they come to believe “the world operates fairly and rationally.”

The Fix.

Why Surplus Rice is Scarce Elsewhere.

• Imported rice is fixed at 408,700 tons annually.
• The issue lies with government grain sold at less than half price. With 800,000 tons needing to be reserved, the released quantity is limited. Processing companies buy regular rice if government grain is unavailable, but traditional liquor makers must use local rice, sometimes leaving them unable to produce due to shortages.
• Jeong Hyuk-hoon (Maeil Business Newspaper journalist) pointed out, “This is a side effect of trying to artificially raise prices by purchasing rice with fiscal funds.” The key to resolving structural oversupply is to initially expand rice demand.
• Related Link.

The Wind Doesn’t Blow.

• Wind stilling phenomenon. No matter how advanced the wind turbines, without wind, they’re just scrap metal.
• Vertical mixing of air isn’t happening, weakening surface winds. Some regions report stronger winds due to rising sea temperatures, but these are likely temporary changes.
• It’s the era of wind drought. Jung Soo-jong (Professor at Seoul National University) emphasized, “We need to study wind changes more.” Climate tech and AI are opportunities.
• Related Link.

Labor Inspectors as Labor Police.

• Still under review. Kim Young-hoon (Minister of Employment and Labor) stated it reflects “a commitment to valuing labor and broadly protecting workers.”
• The Ministry of Employment and Labor will now be referred to as the Ministry of Labor.
• Workplaces violating safety obligations will be subject to immediate criminal charges without corrective orders.

Gangneung and Sokcho.

• Gangneung faces water restrictions while Sokcho hosts the Water Bomb Festival. Drought preparedness is crucial.
• Sokcho built an underground dam and replaced old water pipes, boosting water flow efficiency from 59% to 92%.
• Sokcho also experienced severe drought in 2018, leading to water restrictions. Kim Cheol-soo (then Sokcho Mayor) campaigned on the underground dam promise, won the election, and started construction in 2019 with a budget of 28 billion won, completing it in 2021.
• Gangneung lags about six years behind Sokcho. A Gangneung official told Chosun Ilbo, “In past droughts, timely rains prevented investment. We started building an underground dam last year, but this year’s unexpected ‘sudden drought’ hit us.”
• South Korea’s annual per capita rainfall is 2,705㎥, just one-eighth of the global average (22,096㎥).
• Min Byung-kwon (Seoul Economic Daily Editorial Writer) stressed the need for a stable ‘water mix’ policy, diversifying water sources through not only surface dams but also underground dams and seawater desalination.
• Related Link.
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“You Can’t Rely on God.”.

• Kim Hong-kyu (Mayor of Gangneung) was talking when Lee Jae-myung made a remark.
• When Lee Jae-myung said, “An emergency could occur,” Kim Hong-kyu replied, “I firmly believe it will rain in September,” adding, “I understand it rained 380mm last year.”
• Lee Jae-myung rebuked, “You can’t rely on God; we can’t leave people’s lives to chance.”
• Jung Sung-won (Chosun Ilbo reporter) pointed out, “Citizens demand preparation, not optimism, responsibility, not faith.”
• Related Link.

Schools Without Elevators.

• A student in a wheelchair might have to take the college entrance exam at a school without an elevator. Because there’s no data.
• The nonprofit Muui, fighting for disability mobility rights, has started investigating wheelchair accessibility. The state isn’t doing its job, so a mother with a disabled daughter is stepping in.
• “South Korea is a developed country. But the advanced parts are all about profit, while the lacking parts concern human dignity and decency.” Kang Byung-chul (Dream Freedom Representative) emphasized, “We need to slow down” and “walk together, hand in hand.”
• Related Link.

“Customers Keep Buying Only Triangle Kimbap.”.

• A convenience store clerk’s report saved a life.
• Ulsan Nam-gu initiated a project to identify neighbors in crisis, allowing clerks to report customers in need through the store’s POS system. Officials visit the site, provide counseling, and if necessary, offer a convenience store voucher worth 240,000 won.
• A woman in her 60s, who only bought triangle kimbap, was suffering from depression after losing her husband.
• A man in his 40s, who used to visit the store after work, suddenly started buying alcohol and ramen during the day. Upon investigation, it was found that his unemployment benefits had stopped, leaving him in dire straits.
• A woman in her 50s, placing items on the counter, was struggling with debt due to voice phishing aftereffects and a stroke.
• The convenience store reporting system was the brainchild of Kim Ah-young (Ulsan Nam-gu Office official). “Convenience stores are the first to notice changes in the neighborhood,” she explained. CU agreed with the project’s purpose and decided to participate, with a pilot program running in over 100 CU stores in Ulsan Nam-gu.
• Related Link.

One Month into the War on Industrial Accidents, 37 Dead.

• “The roots are too deep and complex to be improved by the government’s ‘warnings’ or the business sector’s ‘caution’,” diagnoses the Segye Ilbo.
• Kang Tae-sun (Professor at Seoul Cyber University) emphasized, “It’s insufficient to act only at the ministry level. We need to establish a body equivalent to the Economic, Social and Labor Council, a social dialogue organization, to pursue mid- to long-term measures that can continue beyond the president’s term.”
• Lee Jong-seop (Professor at Korea University) pointed out, “In the process of subcontracting and re-subcontracting, safety costs are minimized, leading to unqualified personnel being deployed, safety equipment not being provided, and low-wage foreign workers getting into accidents frequently.” He argued, “We need to consider legal and institutional improvements, such as completely restricting re-subcontracting or holding the main contractor responsible for industrial safety issues.”
• Related Link.

ICYMI.

Yoon’s Supporters Send 300 Million Won in Prison Funds.

• In total, it’s 310,292,973 won. 301 million won was sent for legal fees, and 6 million won was received in his personal account. Yoon spent 2,027,973 won while in detention.
• Prison funds can be transferred to external accounts in 4 million won increments, and this was done 81 times in total.
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30 Minutes from Jamsil to Yeouido.

• Han River bus, a key project by Oh Se-hoon (Seoul Mayor). Express route takes 30 minutes, regular route 47 minutes.
• 1 minute to approach the dock, 3 minutes for boarding and disembarking. Stopping at all 7 docks adds 28 minutes to the 75-minute sailing time.
• Lee Seol-young (Financial News Deputy Editor) pointed out, “Considering the time to reach the dock, using it during rush hour is nearly impossible.”
• Related Link.

Thought They’d Like It, But They Didn’t.

• Shuka (YouTuber), who sparked controversy over 990 won salt bread, issued an apology broadcast. “I’ve never criticized small business owners. I’m one myself. I intended to discuss the structural issues of bread pricing, but it was interpreted differently, which is unfortunate.”
• It’s true that bread prices in Korea are high compared to other countries. According to research by Hong Yeon-ah (Professor at Gongju University) and others, even with daily sales of 2 million won, the actual take-home for the owner is only between 2.3 million and 3.7 million won.
• Profit margins are low. Bakery shops have a margin of 6.3%, chicken shops 9.5%, and coffee shops 7.2%.
• One small business owner said, “Even if I sold 1,000 or 10,000 salt breads a day, I could never sell them for 990 won. The cost of one bread is 1,000 won, so how can I sell it? It’s not that the selling price is inflated, but the distribution is bloated, preventing price cuts.”
• There are many bakery startups, but also many closures. Last year, 3,214 opened and 3,591 closed.
• Related Link.
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Is Daiso to Blame? Health Supplement Sales Decline.

• Sales grew from 3.1 trillion won in 2018 to 5.4 trillion won in 2022, then fell to 5.1 trillion won last year.
• Some say the entry of Daiso and convenience stores has led to a bleeding competition. The strategy is to reduce volume and lower prices to boost sales.
• An industry insider told Hankyoreh, “The unit price isn’t high, so margins aren’t large, but small-sized products can lead to other purchases, which is promising.” This additional sales effect is known as the cross-selling effect.

Worth Reading.

Im Eun-jung and Gong Bong-sook.

• Im Eun-jung (Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor) publicly criticized Jeong Seong-ho (Minister of Justice), and Gong Bong-sook (Seoul High Prosecutor) criticized Im Eun-jung for it.
• “When a subordinate publicly criticizes a superior strongly, it’s one of two things. One, ‘there are no consequences for doing so.’ That’s not courage. Two, ‘I don’t care what happens to me.’ That’s conviction. Usually, the person thinks it’s the second, while others see it as the first. Im Eun-jung deserves to be recognized for the second.”
• Kwon Tae-ho (Hankyoreh Editorial Director) remarked, “Im Eun-jung has consistently been an ‘internal whistleblower’ criticizing internally, while Gong Bong-sook has been an ‘internal guardian’ criticizing externally.”
• Gong Bong-sook attended a red team meeting on the case right after Kim Geon-hee’s business trip investigation. When the Democratic Party proposed the impeachment of Lee Chang-soo (then Seoul Central District Prosecutor), she issued a statement calling it “indiscriminate abuse of impeachment power.” While serving as Yeoju District Chief, she transferred a complaint related to the Yangpyeong highway to the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency.
• Kwon Tae-ho questioned, “Who is smiling behind Gong Bong-sook?”
• “Isn’t it hiding the desire to remain a ‘sacred family’ behind the shield of ‘the people,’ as seen in cases like ‘Kim Hak-ui’s acquittal’ and the ‘prosecutor’s room salon 100,000 won splitting’ investigation? The prosecution must first answer this question.”
• Related Link.

Solutions Begin with Listening.

• When Witax errors occurred, 260,000 consultations flooded in. More than half of the consultants reported feeling depressed.
• The same happened with the livelihood recovery support fund. Calls per consultant jumped from 70 to 220 a day. Many complained of tinnitus and headaches.
• “They become a kind of ‘bullet shield,’ bearing the brunt of all complaints and anger due to system failures.”
• Kim Kwan-wook (Professor at Duksung Women’s University) emphasized, “Filling systemic bottlenecks with personal dedication is not a sustainable solution.”
• “The reality where even those handling complaints have nowhere to voice their own grievances is the most urgent complaint our society must address. We must now recognize their suffering as a systemic issue, not one of personal sacrifice.”
• Related Link.

The Far Right Becomes Mainstream.

• Lee Kwan-hoo (Director of the National Assembly Legislative Research Office) emphasized, “We must escape the trap of complacency about democracy.” Kim Min-ah (Kyunghyang Shinmun columnist) warned, “The trap of complacency will nurture the far right.”
• K-democracy is great, but we must accept that Korea’s leading conservative party has been taken over by the far right.
• Jeon Han-gil (CEO of Jeon Han-gil TV) is already acting as if he wears the armband, saying, “I could run for Daegu mayor, but I’ll yield to Lee Jin-sook (Chairperson of the Broadcasting and Communications Commission).”
• Jang Dong-hyuk (Leader of the People Power Party) called Jeon Han-gil a “well-fought volunteer soldier” and defended Jeon Kwang-hoon (Pastor of Sarang Jeil Church), saying, “We can’t tell a specific person not to come.” Kim Min-ah pointed out, “If you don’t clearly draw a line with pro-Yoon and far-right, you are also pro-Yoon and far-right.”
• Related Link.