Slow Letter is
a curated snapshot of Korea.

We go beyond the headlines, connect the dots, and show you what really matters — with insight and edge. We surface the stories behind the noise and bring the context you didn’t know you needed. It’s not just about what’s happening. It’s about why it matters.

This English edition combines AI-powered translation with careful human editing — using Upstage Solar-Pro-2 — and it’s still in beta mode.We’re learning as we go, and your feedback is invaluable.

“Crawl, No Matter What.”.

• Lee Jae-myung (President) said to Koo Yoon-chul (Minister of Economy and Finance), “Anyone who touches taxes is bound to be cursed.”
• This came amid widespread criticism over the tax law revision bill. Yesterday, during a State Council meeting, he remarked, “There is room for change.”
• “If criticism becomes criticism for its own sake, society’s problems won’t be solved—only conflicts will escalate. If going forward is wrong, going backward is wrong, and even standing still is wrong, then what? Should I fly? Disappear? That’s what people say when they just hate your existence.”
• While “bound to be cursed” was directed at Koo, it also reveals Lee’s attitude toward the government’s mounting criticism.

What Matters Now.

“Phase 1 Completion of Honam Fab by 2029.”.

• Kim Jeong-gwan (Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy) said, “We have decided to push forward at full speed.” The roadmap involves finalizing the industrial complex plan within this year, followed by site relocation and groundbreaking next year.
• This means finishing it within the Lee Jae-myung administration’s term. Since trial operations require over six months, completion must occur in the second half of 2029 to allow product extraction before the 2030 presidential election.
• A ruling party insider met by Chosun Ilbo said, “With the president’s fate hanging on the parliamentary and presidential elections, there’s no choice but to pursue this with all our might.”
• Related Link.

Megazone 52-Hour Workweek Controversy: Blue House Steps Back.

• KCTU and others are demanding the withdrawal of the Megazone Special Act. The 52-hour exception clause is the key issue.
• The Progressive Party issued a statement: “They claim to modernize industries but want to revert labor hours and employment to the past.”
• Lee Jae-myung (President) said, “If ministers argue, the public won’t have to,” adding, “Appointing a labor minister from KCTU and an industry minister from corporate leadership was to spark debate.”
• Even Democratic Party lawmakers differ. One told Kyunghyang Shinmun, “Discussions shouldn’t devolve into a blanket concession.” Another with a Jeonnam-Gwangju constituency said, “Flexible systems are necessary.”
• Chosun Ilbo criticized in an editorial: “National security requires careful negotiation, while labor reform demands resolve—yet priorities are completely reversed.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Leaking Investigation Records to Media: Up to One Year in Prison.

• This is stipulated in the revised Criminal Procedure Act. While complainants can request access or copies of investigation records, sharing them with others incurs penalties of up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won.
• Lee Eun-ui (lawyer, Eunui Law Office) said, “This clause aims to silence victims.” She added, “Victims or their supporters may find it harder to act if they fear being attacked under this regulation.”
• Yang Hong-seok (lawyer, Lee & Gong Law Firm) also stated, “Media tips that were crucial for victims to initiate and break through investigations have now become difficult.” He explained, “Victims can no longer directly show evidence to reporters,” and warned, “Without proof, their claims may not even be reported.”
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun emphasized in an editorial, “The right of victims to challenge investigative decisions and to receive sufficient information and voice opinions in criminal proceedings must be guaranteed.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Colombia Hit by Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake.

• More than 180 people killed and over 1,500 buildings collapsed.
• More than 2,700 people remain missing.

Deep Dive.

This Weekend Decides the Honam Showdown.

• The third week of the Democratic Party convention heads to Honam—a region accounting for 510,000 of the party’s 1.52 million voting members.
• Jang Seung-jin (Kookmin University professor) said, “The symbolic figures of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, once unifiers, now represent division,” adding, “Since candidates have touched on core values that act as gravitational centers, post-convention reconciliation will be even harder.”
• The final result combines 70% delegate and member votes with 30% public opinion polls. Polls target Democratic Party supporters and independents to prevent tactical voting.
• Realmeter’s poll of these groups showed Kim Min-seok (former Prime Minister) at 47% and Chung Cheong-rae (former party leader) at 35%.

Choo Mi-ae’s Endorsement of Chung Chung-rae.

• Choo Mi-ae (Gyeonggi Province Governor) has expressed frustration with Kim Min-seok over prosecutorial reform, stating, “With such a hesitant attitude, it’s hard to expect any further reforms.”
• Choo also commented on Chung Chung-rae’s Facebook post: “I trust his consistency and sincerity in reform.”
• Park Ji-won (Democratic Party lawmaker) said, “It’s inappropriate for a metropolitan leader to publicly endorse a candidate.”

“The Past Year’s Approach Won’t Work.”.

• Kim Min-seok (former Prime Minister) said this in an interview with The Hankyoreh. “We will win, but we have a duty not to fail,” adding, “We must raise the government and ruling party’s approval ratings by 10 percentage points.”
• He emphasized that dismissing Lee Jae-myung’s indictment is a principle, while the method is a matter of choice. “It’s a principle that wrongful or fabricated indictments should be dismissed,” he said, “Whether it’s better to go through a special prosecutor or have the prosecutors—originally responsible—cancel it themselves can be decided by gauging public consensus.”
• “Demanding resolution through trial is violence disguised as justice. Insisting on a trial despite a wrongful indictment is barbaric.”
• Related Link.

Another Take.

Blue House Aides Also Abound as Multiple Homeowners.

• Kim Sang-ho (Blue House Director of Press) stepped down over an illegal expansion controversy involving a multi-family housing unit.
• Kim claimed, “The parking lot was already converted into a studio when I purchased it,” but was still dismissed. He owns a five-story multi-family house in Daechi-dong and an apartment in Gwangjin-gu.
• The Hankyoreh editorial criticized, “It is hard to accept that the owner, who rented out illegally modified rooms for over a decade, was unaware of the illegality.”
• Lee Sung-hoon (former Blue House Transportation Secretary), Choi Sung-a (former Overseas Media Secretary), Oh Hyun-joo (former Third Deputy National Security Director), and Bong Wook (former Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs) were also multiple homeowners.
• A ruling party official interviewed by Chosun Ilbo said, “The president demonizes multiple homeowners and pressures them to sell, but his own aides can’t even part with their properties,” adding, “This shows the government’s real estate policies are heading in the wrong direction.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Missed Rebalancing Opportunity as National Pension Fund Got Drunk on Bull Market.

• Holding stocks doesn’t automatically mean profit. Critics argue the fund should have realized partial gains and cooled overheating during the rally.
• The fund raised its target domestic equity weight from 14.9% to 20.8%, but it had already surged to 29.4% by late May.
• Kim Sung-joo (CEO of National Pension Service) remarked, “We’d be fools to abandon this good market just because of a benchmark.”
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun criticized, “While the KOSPI soared 111%, the fund failed to rebalance, adjusted domestic equity targets and tolerance ranges, undermining its own principles while ultimately exacerbating market volatility.”
• As the KOSPI plummeted, the fund’s domestic equity weight dropped to around 23.5%.
• Lee Chang-min (Hanyang University professor) suggested, “To strengthen the fund’s independence, options include moving it from Health Ministry oversight to an independent committee, corporatizing it as a separate entity, or removing government officials from the investment committee to bolster expert-driven decisions.”
• Related Link.

Clash Between Lee Jae-myung and Kim Young-hoon.

• Lee Jae-myung (President) said, “I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work,” to which Kim Young-hoon (Minister of Employment and Labor) responded, “We’ve already issued guidelines through administrative interpretation.”
• Now, [business decisions affecting working conditions] are subject to labor disputes. There is significant debate over whether issues like factory relocations or performance-based pay should be included.
• When Kim Young-hoon countered, “There is no delegated authority,” Lee Jae-myung pointed out, “It can be done within the scope that does not violate the law.”
• Lee Jae-myung stated, “Setting detailed matters necessary for the enforcement of laws is the executive branch’s authority as defined by the Constitution. Without delegation, it’s not that it cannot be done—within the scope that does not violate the law, and within the scope necessary for the law’s implementation, it can be done.”
• The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) protested, “This is an overreach that nullifies legislative intent and a favor to business circles.”
• The JoongAng Ilbo argued in an editorial, “The sincerity of this directive feels lacking due to the Blue House’s pro-labor stance, and the Labor Ministry is treating it as merely reinforcing non-binding interpretive guidelines.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

A Child Reported Abuse Four Times.

• An 11-year-old went to a police station alone, but officers sent him back. The child, bound for 38 hours, died three hours after being taken to a hospital.
• Kim Ho (Chungnam Police Agency Women and Juvenile Crimes Investigation Team Leader) said, “Church officials claimed the restraint was to prevent runaway attempts,” adding, “It seems an accident occurred while trying to educate the child in the wrong way.”
• According to the Hankyoreh, police considered moving the child to a protective facility other than the church but failed to find one that could immediately accept him.
• The court rejected the police’s request for a restraining order. A Daejeon District Court Cheonan Branch official said, “We cannot disclose why the restraining order was denied.”
• A convenience store worker near the church said, “Although there were bruises under his eyes, his bright demeanor made me think it wasn’t abuse.”
• A restaurant employee who saw the child last winter said, “He was wearing a thin windbreaker and slippers, and his hands and feet were frozen,” adding, “We fed him and sent him off, but church members later came to pick him up.”
• Since 2021, four suspected abuse reports were filed—three implicating the maternal grandmother—yet no action was taken. The Kyunghyang Shinmun editorial called it “clear dereliction of duty.”
• A system is needed to intervene in crises: separate children from abusive environments without parental consent and restrict parental rights based on field judgment. Danger signals must not be overlooked.
• In the past five years, 207 children died from abuse. Last year, 6,795 children—15.8% of all 43,050 reported cases—were reported multiple times. In the 2020 Jeong-in case, there were also three suspected abuse reports.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

The Fix.

Stop, and You’re Paid Zero.

• A survey of 2,515 construction workers by the Construction Workers’ Union found that 50% reported working without separate suspension orders at perceived temperatures above 38°C.
• The right to stop work does not apply to special-employment or platform workers.
• According to industrial safety and health standards, workers must receive at least 20 minutes of rest every two hours when perceived temperatures exceed 33°C.
• Koo Kyo-hyun (Rider Union Leader) argued, “To guarantee rest rights for delivery workers—whose income drops to zero if they stop—we need income protection measures,” adding, “Options include introducing climate unemployment benefits funded by employment insurance or requiring platforms to directly cover losses from extreme weather via climate shutdown benefits.”
• Related Link.

Nurses, Too, Shun Obstetrics and Gynecology.

• A maternity hospital in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, saw six of its seven newly hired nurses quit within the past year. Last month’s job posting received not a single resume for an entire month. The workload is so extreme that staff reportedly say, “I might actually die like this.”
• A single nurse may handle over 20 outpatients at once. Starting salaries for nurses at local hospitals range from 30 to 40 million won. Few receive additional allowances for working in essential medical fields.
• Lee Sung-yoon (Director of the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics) argued, “The government needs to expand support measures like hiring incentives.”
• Related Link.

Gyeonggi Province’s 7 Trillion Won Debt: Crisis or Not?

• Choo Mi-ae (Gyeonggi Governor) said, “There is no more ground to squeeze—no remaining resources to borrow or delay the crisis.” Gyeonggi’s debt-to-budget ratio stands at 12%. Seoul? Over 21%.
• Kyeongyang Shinmun explained, “Local government debt differs from ordinary debt,” adding, “It has elements of project financing.” The argument: “Debt incurred within manageable levels is proof the local government is working hard.”
• Lee Sang-min (Nation’s Finance Research Institute Research Fellow) said, “When discussing fiscal crises, simply labeling debt as ‘bad if high, good if low’ is nonsensical.” The key, he argued, is distinguishing “necessary debt from unnecessary debt.”
• Gyeonggi’s 12%? Not a crisis. Some speculate political posturing. With mega-projects looming, the province may aim to challenge the structure where it funds infrastructure while corporate taxes flow to the central government.
• Related Link.

10 Billion Won in Evaded Taxes Collected at 4.2 Billion Won Labor Cost.

• Lee Jae-myung (President) is strongly committed to punishing tax evasion. The National Tax Service hired 10,000 people this year and collected 10 billion won in taxes over 80 days. Labor costs amounted to 4.2 billion won.
• Yesterday’s State Council meeting noted, “As with the delinquency management unit, benefits often outweigh costs,” adding, “Even mid-level managers should examine their respective areas for similar cases.”
• Related Link.

ICYMI.

Workslop.

• “These days, it’s not the boss you fight—it’s the AI your boss uses,” goes the saying. When a supervisor puts a report into Gemini and orders Kim to find errors, he must scour original sources and counterarguments to prove the AI is wrong.
• AI-generated results that look plausible but lack substance and context, forcing recipients to verify and rework them, are called “workslop.”
• Related Link.

European Heatwave: 1% of GDP Evaporated.

• Economic losses have reached 180 billion euros—equivalent to 1.1% of this year’s growth rate.
• Hungary faces potential nuclear plant shutdowns as Danube water levels drop. Romania has already halted operations at one unit of the Cernavodă plant.
• The Rhine River, through which 80% of Germany’s inland waterway traffic passes, is now impassable.

Has Google Overtaken Naver?

• Google’s domestic monthly active user count (MAU) last month reached 47.02 million, surpassing Naver’s 46.84 million.
• ChatGPT’s MAU stands at 16.46 million. Daum’s shrank to 6.32 million.
• It’s too early to declare a shift in dominance—Naver still leads Google in daily active users (DAU).
• In an editorial, JoongAng Ilbo urged, “Policy efforts must focus on dismantling outdated regulations that reverse-discriminate against domestic companies or hinder innovation, and on fostering a fair competitive environment.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Why Trump Was Carried Away in a Catering Box.

• After attending the NATO summit in Turkey last month, he boarded an Air Force transport plane instead of Air Force One on the return trip. Air Force One was a decoy.
• The Washington Post reported this was due to confirmed, credible Iranian attack threats.
• Trump waved to reporters and boarded Air Force One under their watch, but exited through a rear door, transferred to a catering truck, and switched to the nearby transport plane. He staged a disembarkation from Air Force One upon arrival—a deception operation.
• Related Link.

Francesca Hong’s Rising Storm: Hope and Anxiety.

• Francesca Hong (Wisconsin State Representative), a Korean-American and DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) member, leads in the Wisconsin Democratic primary.
• Controversy erupted over radical claims like abolishing Thanksgiving and slashing police budgets. She also pledges to expand public school funding, raise the minimum wage, and broaden healthcare access.
• Can the “AOC effect” that began in New York spread to other regions?
• First concern: Though she tops the Democratic primary, can she compete in the general election? Anti-DSA sentiment remains strong.
• Second concern: Establishment vs. far-left divide. David Crowley (Milwaukee County Executive) warned, “Many people are scared.”
• Scott Walker (former Wisconsin Governor) called it a clash of “common sense vs. dangerous lunacy” but predicted, “It’ll still be close.”
• Related Link.

Worth Reading.

Unemployment Benefits Right After Graduation.

• Proposal to enroll high school and university seniors in employment insurance, with premiums paid by the state. If they fail to secure jobs post-graduation, they can receive job-seeking benefits.
• Lee Sang-min (Research Fellow at the Korea Economic Research Institute) proposed, “Let graduation be not a moment of being weighed down by sandbags, but a moment of experiencing social safety nets.”
• First, it can utilize the existing employment insurance system.
• Second, it eliminates the need to delay graduation.
• Third, it can keep graduates tethered to the job market rather than shifting from “unemployed” to “inactive.”
• Fourth, it can reduce school dropout rates.
• Fifth, it is universal welfare—benefits are concentrated on those in genuine need.
• “Prolonged job-seeking failures accumulate learned helplessness. The experience that the state actually catches you even when you fall into an ‘abyss’ can reduce this helplessness. For these individuals, let’s parallel this with a ‘participation income’ system, conditional on counseling and certain social engagement.”
• Related Link.

Beware the Generational Siege Theory.

• Voters aged 20–39 make up 27.5% of the total electorate. Those aged 60–79 account for 34%. This means age groups less favorable to the Democratic Party constitute nearly two-thirds of voters.
• Lee Choong-jae (former Korea Ilbo editor-in-chief) warned, “If the generational siege theory materializes, its electoral impact will be catastrophic,” adding, “I question whether the Blue House and the Democratic Party are genuinely addressing youth issues.”
• Related Link.