“North Korea and China Share a Common Destiny.”.

• Words spoken by Xi Jinping (President of the People’s Republic of China) at the North Korea-China summit.
• Denuclearization was not even mentioned during the talks between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un (Chairman of the North Korean State Affairs Commission).
• There is a high possibility that China will become a bypass for sanctions against North Korea.
• Im Eun-chul (Professor at Kyungnam University) analyzed, “The intention seems to be securing necessary economic support while sending a pressure message to the U.S. to recognize North Korea’s nuclear state status.”
• Related Link.

The Biggest Winner: Kim Jong-un.

• Gained recognition as a nuclear-armed state.
• Daniel Sneider (Stanford University professor) analyzed, “Kim Jong-un’s biggest achievement was confirming that North Korea’s closer ties with Russia did not undermine its alliance with China.”
• Analysis also suggests that North Korea—having secured simultaneous support from both China and Russia—may not respond to U.S. dialogue overtures.
• Denuclearization negotiations have become even more challenging.

What Matters Now.

Making America’s Enemies Great Again.

• It’s a mockery of MAGA (Make America Great Again). CNN analyzed, “Trump is creating serious fractures in the U.S.-led international order and inadvertently aiding China, which is rushing to fill the gaps.”
• The scene of Xi Jinping (President of the People’s Republic of China), Vladimir Putin (President of the Russian Federation), and Kim Jong-un (Chairman of the North Korean State Affairs Commission)—whom Trump claimed, “I’m on good terms with all of them”—standing together on Tiananmen’s rostrum is a telling moment revealing the direction of global power shifts.

What the KCTU and FKTU Said in Their Meeting.

• Yang Kyung-soo (KCTU Chairman) requested the withdrawal of union accounting disclosures and time-off limits.
• The Chosun Ilbo used “demand” instead of “request” and titled the piece, “Flooded the table with bills.”
• Lee Jae-myung (President) mentioned labor market flexibility, noting, “We need to openly discuss this at least once.”
• “From the corporate perspective, they hire non-regular workers and outsource; from the workers’ side, they can only say, ‘Layoffs are death,’” he emphasized. “To break this vicious cycle, labor and management must sit down face-to-face.”
• Related Link.

Deep Dive.

“Supplementary Investigations Are the Prosecutors’ Duty.”.

• No Man-seok (Acting Prosecutor General) stepped forward. “Clarifying the substantive truth through supplementary investigations is not a privilege but an obligation,” he stressed.
• The Democratic Party’s proposed prosecution reform bill prohibits prosecutors from initiating investigations as well as supplementing police investigations.
• Kim Jong-min (lawyer) noted, “The separation of investigation and prosecution cannot be called a global standard,” adding, “There are too many cases where good intentions did not lead to good outcomes.”
• Han Dong-su (lawyer) pointed out, “It is an undeniable historical fact that prosecutors have unfairly manipulated several cases under the guise of supplementary investigations.” Regarding the relocation of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Office, he emphasized, “Placing it under the Ministry of Justice could strengthen the prosecution through a ‘one-household, two-residences’ strategy.”
• Related Link.

Oh Kwang-soo Resigns Amid Controversy Over Defending Han Hak-ja.

• Oh Kwang-soo (former Presidential Chief of Civil Affairs) sparked controversy by joining Han Hak-ja (Unification Church Leader)’s defense team after the special prosecutor summoned her.
• Oh was appointed as the first Chief of Civil Affairs under the Lee Jae-myung administration but resigned after five days over allegations of property under a borrowed name. He is a classmate of Lee’s from the Judicial Research and Training Institute and a former senior prosecutor.
• Kim Hyung-geun (Deputy Special Prosecutor) stated, “It is true that Oh Kwang-soo visited the special prosecutor’s office.”
• The Dong-A Ilbo reported that Han Hak-ja’s defense team includes numerous former high-ranking prosecutors. Oh Kwang-soo has since resigned.
• Related Link.

Dystopia in 40 Years? It Depends on the Government.

• Ryoo Deok-hyun (Presidential Office Fiscal Planning Advisor) refuted the analysis by the Ministry of Economy and Finance the day after it projected that national debt would triple in 40 years.
• “National debt remains manageable, and sustainability requires parallel structural reforms,” he emphasized.
• “The long-term fiscal outlook is not about predicting 2065 debt with precision but serving as a warning signal—illustrating risks if structural reforms are neglected,” he explained. “Addressing low birthrates, boosting growth, cutting expenditures, and expanding revenue bases must proceed simultaneously.”
• There may be subtle tension between the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Ryoo noted, “Long-term fiscal projections are mechanical calculations assuming current systems and economic conditions persist unchanged.” He added, “The actual outlook shows that by 2065, national debt ratios could significantly decrease depending on population and growth variables, as well as expenditure reduction efforts.”
• Related Link.

Another Take.

Cho Kuk Steps In as Sex Scandal Rocks His Party.

• Kang Mi-jung (Cho Kuk Innovation Party spokesperson) held a press conference, stating, “The party turned a blind eye to the victim’s cries.” “Ethics and personnel committees were filled with figures close to the perpetrator, and external investigative bodies were rejected for months,” she claimed.
• Cho Kuk (former Cho Kuk Innovation Party leader) posted on Facebook, “I will work to institutionalize punishment without leniency and full recovery for victims.” He cannot escape criticism for knowing yet turning a blind eye.
• Choi Kang-wook (Democratic Party Education Director) sparked outrage by dismissing the issue as “a matter of life and death?” and calling it “a petty squabble.” This prompted Lee Cheong-rae (Democratic Party leader) to order a fact-finding investigation.
• Related Link.

Painting at Kim Keon-hee’s Brother’s Home: Gifted by Kim Sang-min.

• It is a painting by Lee U-fan (artist), which was sold for 30 million won at a Taiwan auction in 2022.
• The special prosecution is investigating whether Kim Sang-min (former Seoul Central District Prosecutor) gifted this painting to Kim Keon-hee. They also confirmed that Kim Keon-hee asked Kim Young-sun (then People Power Party lawmaker) to “help Kim Sang-min get elected.”
• Kim Sang-min registered as a People Power Party preliminary candidate last year while still a prosecutor but was cut off. Though he failed to enter the National Assembly, he was appointed as a legal advisor to the National Intelligence Service in August last year.
• Related Link.

Korea’s Rust Belt.

• Employment at 10 major companies in petrochemicals, displays, and steel fell by 6% over the past three years. 6,186 workers lost their jobs.
• 1,100 left the top five petrochemical firms.
• Steel is no better. Dongkuk Steel cut 20% of its workforce. POSCO closed its Pohang No. 1 Steelworks and Pohang No. 2 Wire Mill, while Hyundai Steel’s Pohang No. 2 Plant entered indefinite suspension.
• LG Display reduced its staff by 14% in three years.
• Shin Se-don (Professor at Sookmyung Women’s University) emphasized, “Just as resources are poured into boosting semiconductors and AI, capabilities and funds must be allocated to managing crisis-hit industries.”
• Related Link.

The Fix.

Four Years of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act: Why Three Workers Still Die Daily.

• Presidential scoldings and labor ministry warnings have not stopped daily deaths.
• Four years after the Serious Accidents Punishment Act took effect, a cold assessment shows: major accidents have not decreased, trials drag on, and punishments remain lenient.
• Acquittal rates were over three times higher, and suspended sentences occurred at 2.3 times the rate of general criminal cases.
• Of 1,252 investigated cases, 121 went to trial; of 56 first-instance verdicts, 50 were guilty—but 42 received suspended sentences. Fines: 2 billion won for one, 72.8 million won average for others.
• It’s openly said that hiring a top law firm boosts acquittal chances.
• While 43% of cases targeting primary contractors marks some improvement, the dominant view is that both prevention and punishment failed.
• Here are Lee Dong-young’s (National Assembly Legislative Research Service investigator) proposals:
• First, define violations more concretely and establish detailed sentencing guidelines.
• Second, increase labor inspectors. One inspector oversees 3,622 workplaces. A joint Serious Accidents Punishment Act task force may be needed.
• Third, offer tax deductions or government bid bonuses to safety-compliant companies. Incentives matter.
• Fourth, impose economic penalties. For repeat accidents, introduce surcharge fines, raise industrial accident insurance premiums, and consider mandatory safety fund contributions.
• Lee Dong-young emphasized, “Reducing industrial accidents is a matter of societal consensus on how to share the costs and time of safety investments.”
• Related Link.

Will the Climate and Energy Ministry Succeed?

• It was Lee Jae-myung’s presidential pledge to attach the energy policy functions of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to the Ministry of Environment.
• Chosun Ilbo headlined “Nuclear Phase-Out Season 2”—a phrase not even in the original text.
• Concerns arise even within the Democratic Party: “Energy is tied to trade functions—can the Ministry of Environment handle that?”
• Some suggest creating a separate Energy Ministry instead of merging it with Environment.
• The National Assembly Research Service warned, “Assigning conflicting goals—climate regulation and energy industry promotion—to one ministry risks chemical incompatibility.”
• Lee Eun-ju (Democratic Party lawmaker) noted, “Putting energy under a regulatory ministry could hike electricity prices.”
• The push will likely proceed regardless.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

ICYMI.

Kim Jong-un’s High-Stakes Gamble.

• According to the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, North Korea spent $1.6 billion on nuclear development from the 1970s to last year.
• Lee Jae-myung declared “no more ‘peace in the north, engagement in the south’”—but Kim Jong-un is likely pivoting to ‘security with Russia, economy with China.’ Some predict Beijing will step up economic support.
• Daily NK reported that North Korea received $525.6 million annually in exchange for troops deployed to Russia—a significant sum given its nominal GDP of 44 trillion won.
• North Korea’s economic growth rate was 3.1% in 2023 and 3.7% last year. South Korea, by contrast, is projected to fall below 1% this year after 2% growth.
• Related Link.

“Let’s Live Long, Until 150.”.

• Part of the conversation between Xi Jinping and Putin was caught on microphone.
• As Putin’s interpreter said, “Human organs can be constantly transplanted,” adding, “The longer one lives, the younger they become, and they may even achieve immortality,” Xi reportedly remarked, “They say humans could live until 150 in this century.”

Gold Prices Surge 37% This Year.

• Rising to $3,550 per ounce.
• Projections suggest it could reach $4,000 by Q1 next year.
• Related Link.

Is Housing Stability Real?

• Prices have risen for two consecutive months since loan regulations were eased.
• Park Won-gab (KB Kookmin Bank Senior Research Fellow) said, “The upward trend is not easily subsiding due to anxiety over supply shortages and expectations of interest rate cuts,” adding, “The government’s upcoming supply measures will determine the housing market’s direction.”

Semafor’s Live Journalism.

• Founded three years ago by Ben Smith (former BuzzFeed editor-in-chief) and Justin Smith (Bloomberg CEO). Three things set it apart.
• First, it created a new article format that separates fact from opinion and dives deep.
• Second, events account for over half of its revenue. It benchmarks the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, by hosting an annual conference called the World Economy Summit. This year, over 200 Fortune 500 CEOs attended.
• Third, it pioneered a new format called “live journalism”—combining breaking news with rich interviews and on-site reporting to transform journalism into a live event.
• Kim Ik-hyun (ZDNet Media Lab Director) analyzed, “The audience is not just a passive news consumer but becomes an active participant who asks questions and engages,” adding, “The act of news reporting itself resembles a ‘live performance’ shared with the audience in real time.”
• Related Link.

3,000 PC Cafés Vanished.

• From 9,459 in August 2018, the number has dropped to 6,990 this year—based on National Tax Service statistics. Some speculate the actual figure may already be below 6,500.
• High-performance PCs have become common in households, reducing the need to visit PC cafés. The rise of mobile gaming and the post-pandemic decline of communal PC café culture have also contributed.
• Related Link.

MS+IE vs. Google+Chrome.

• Microsoft bundled Internet Explorer (IE) with Windows in 1998, crushing Netscape.
• Netscape, which once held 80% market share, collapsed to below 10% within two years of the tie-in.
• IE killed Netscape, but then Chrome emerged and killed IE.
• As of August this year, Chrome’s market share approaches 70%.
• Microsoft’s Edge browser, launched after IE’s demise, holds less than 12%.

Apple and Samsung Smile.

• It was confirmed during the trial that Google pays over $20 billion to smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung to set Google as the default search engine.
• The U.S. federal court noted, “AI technology advancements have already introduced competition into the search market,” implying there is no urgent need to regulate Google’s search engine monopoly.

Electric Scooters: 180,000 Illegal Parking Complaints.

• With 240,000 units deployed nationwide, illegal parking complaints reached 180,000 last year.
• When illegal parking is reported, scooters are towed and operators reimbursed upon retrieval—but many small operators simply abandon them.
• Each retrieval costs around 40,000 won, and Seoul alone spent over 3.5 billion won on towing fees.

Worth Reading.

“The Prosecutors’ Media Playbook Is Always the Same.”.

• First, leak necessary content unofficially to generate news coverage. When issues arise, blur accountability by framing it as internal commentary.
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun editorial criticized, “No choice but to interpret No Man-seok’s stance as wanting to oppose abolishing supplementary investigations but unwilling to risk his position.”
• “While others may say supplementary investigations are the prosecutors’ duty, it’s not a phrase the prosecution should utter. Prosecutors are subjects of reform, not its drivers.”
• Related Link.

The Ministry of Justice Was the Prosecutors’ Playground.

• The Ministry of Justice has key positions—Vice Minister, Planning and Coordination Director, Legal Affairs Director, and Prosecution Bureau Chief—all held by prosecutors.
• Oh Chang-ik (Director of the Human Rights Solidarity Office) pointed out, “The Ministry of Justice was the prosecutors’ playground, but the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has never become the police’s playground.”
• Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho’s opposition to the National Investigation Agency moving to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety—claiming it would become a “dinosaur”—is self-contradictory logic.
• Oh Chang-ik believes Jeong should resign. He assessed, “No one has defended prosecutors’ vested interests more zealously, and far from dividing their power, he has even unhesitatingly advocated expanding it.”
• The core issues of prosecution reform are narrowing to three: First, separating investigation and prosecution; second, whether the National Investigation Agency should remain under the Ministry of Justice or move to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; third, stripping prosecutors of supplementary investigation authority.
• The first issue has been resolved, but fierce backlash continues over the second and third.
• Related Link.