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.

Kim Min-seok:Jeong Cheong-rae = 50:42.

• The Democratic Party’s primary vote by rights-holding members ended in a decisive victory for Kim Min-seok (former Prime Minister). The final candidate will be selected today by combining the results of the delegates’ vote and a 30% public opinion poll.
• After completing the regional primaries in Honam, Seoul, and Gyeonggi, Kim Min-seok led Jeong Cheong-rae (former Democratic Party leader) by 8.40 percentage points in cumulative vote share.
• Jeong Cheong-rae would need to secure over 60% in the public poll to overturn the result.
• The Dong-A Ilbo assessed that Kim Min-seok has “crossed the seventh ridge.” The JoongAng Ilbo called it the “eighth ridge,” while The Hankyoreh described it as the “ninth ridge”—each newspaper varying in its metaphor. The Kyunghyang Shinmun flatly stated, “The situation is effectively decided in his favor.”
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Honam Backed Kim Min-seok.

• Kim Min-seok and Jeong Cheong-rae were far apart at 58% and 33%.
• From the start, 33% of rights-holding party members were concentrated in Honam. To win, one must win Honam—and Honam chose Kim Min-seok.
• Other regions were evenly split, but in Gwangju-Jeonnam and Jeollabuk-do alone, the gap exceeded 60,000 votes. With 768,000 total voters, the difference between Kim Min-seok and Jeong Cheong-rae was 64,000 votes. Jeong Cheong-rae had hoped for a comeback in the capital region but failed to overturn the deficit.
• A Kim Min-seok campaign official interviewed by Kyunghyang Shinmun said, “It’s revealed how expectations for Jeong Cheong-rae’s leadership over the past year turned to disappointment.”
• Jeong Cheong-rae posted on Facebook, “A farmer does not blame his field.”
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A Psychology of Preventing Mutual Destruction.

• One Democratic Party lawmaker said, “There’s a growing sense of crisis that the Lee Jae-myung government could be destabilized if this continues,” adding, “As Lee’s approval ratings fall, the psychology of preventing mutual destruction kicks in, leading members to rally behind the stronger candidate instead.”
• Another Democratic Party lawmaker remarked, “The Roh Moo-hyun support group’s mobilization is an outdated frame,” explaining, “Just as party members strategically backed Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, they’ve now decided it’s time to push for Lee Jae-myung.”

Stability and Loyalty.

• Their final speeches diverged in emphasis.
• Kim Min-seok stressed, “The party must stabilize, only then can governance stabilize.”
• Jeong Cheong-rae declared, “Jeong Cheong-rae’s loyalty is unmatched,” adding, “Only those who have upheld loyalty can protect it.”
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What Matters Now.

Choi Min-hee Leads Supreme Council Race.

• Choi Min-hee (Democratic Party lawmaker) led with 16.9%, followed by Park Seon-won (Democratic Party lawmaker) at 16.6%, Seo Mi-hwa (Democratic Party lawmaker) at 15.2%, Lee Seong-yoon (Democratic Party lawmaker) at 13.9%, and Han Min-su (Democratic Party lawmaker) at 13.8%. Five of eight candidates will be selected.
• Kim Yong (former Democratic Research Institute deputy director) ranked sixth with 13.6%, but the gap is narrow.
• Choi Min-hee, Lee Seong-yoon, and Han Min-su are pro-Cheong; Park Seon-won, Seo Mi-hwa, and Kim Yong are pro-Myung.
• The pro-Myung faction won in Honam, while the pro-Cheong faction led in Seoul. Analysis suggests pro-Cheong lawmakers could secure a majority on the Supreme Council.
• Chosun Ilbo analyzed, “Even if Kim Min-seok is elected, ongoing conflict between pro-Myung and pro-Cheong factions is inevitable if all three pro-Cheong candidates enter the Supreme Council.”
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“Shorter Terms Can Be Accepted.”.

• Lee Jae-myung (President) wrote on X. He listed specific directions for constitutional reform.
• First, explicitly state the spirit of May 18 and the Bu-Ma Uprising in the preamble,
• Second, adjust presidential and legislative powers by transferring some authority—such as the Board of Audit’s jurisdiction, the prime minister nomination right, and personnel powers—to the National Assembly,
• Third, change the presidential term to a four-year non-consecutive or consecutive system to enable accountable governance.
• This post followed a Blue House official’s remark: “We believe a four-year, re-electable presidential system with strengthened legislative power has the highest public acceptance.”
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Can a Stepping-Stone Presidency Work?

• Since the constitution already states that extending or revising the incumbent president’s term has no effect, this does not apply to Lee Jae-myung.
• Some speculate that under a non-consecutive term system—rather than consecutive re-election—it might be possible to step down, pause, and run again. However, the likelihood is low, and inevitable controversy would be enormous.
• The People Power Party has already framed its opposition to constitutional amendments for re-election.
• Yoo Sang-beom (People Power Party lawmaker) claimed, “Combining term limits with shorter terms could open a path to resign, wait, and run again under a new constitution.”
• Jang Dong-hyeok (People Power Party representative) argued, “The precondition for constitutional reform is simple: declare, ‘I will serve only one term.’” He criticized, “A power-sharing amendment is merely a loophole to evade the ‘no re-election’ rule.”
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No Second Term, But This Phrase Was Never Spoken.

• Whether it happens or not, a second term is impossible. Yet they deliberately avoided saying it.
• A Democratic Party insider met by Chosun Ilbo stated, “If you have no intention of seeking a second term, declaring ‘I won’t run again’ could imply hidden motives for doing so. A second term is absurd—it seems the president just wants to be a constitutional reform president.”
• A ruling party official interviewed by Dong-A Ilbo remarked, “The constitution explicitly prohibits it, so demanding a ‘no second term’ pledge is playing into the opposition’s trap. This would only taint the reform debate.”
• JoongAng Ilbo’s editorial noted, “The current constitutional reform discussion is inevitably seen as a tactic to shift the president’s record-low approval ratings.”
• The Hankyoreh also editorialized, “The president must clearly declare, ‘I will not seek a second term or re-election.’”
• Kyeongin Ilbo added, “Even if 100% of citizens supported it, the president should firmly declare that a second term or re-election will never happen.”
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Constitutional Reform Emerges from a Round of Golf.

• “Expel those who play golf with the president,” read a post on a People Power Party community forum.
• Joo Ho-young (People Power Party lawmaker) said, “This kind of public shaming only weakens momentum for constitutional reform.”
• Yoon Tae-gon (director of The More Together Political Analysis Lab) remarked, “Rather than targeting lawmakers with poor relations to opposition leadership, the priority should be dialogue, persuasion, and securing grassroots support.”
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First Dead Cross in Gallup Poll.

• President Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating has dropped to 44%. Unlike Realmeter’s ARS method, this uses telephone interviews. (The sample error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.)
• 45% responded negatively to the real estate tax reform proposal, while 50% said abolishing the supplementary investigation authority in the revised Criminal Procedure Act was a mistake.
• Dong-A Ilbo analyzed, “The decline in support among the ‘Jung-Soo-Cheong’ (moderate, capital region, youth) demographic is significant.”
• Park Sung-min (CEO of Min Consulting) noted, “As initial expectations fade, evaluations of the president among 40–50-year-olds are converging to the level of party support.”
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Only Five ‘Comfort Women’ Survivors Remain.

• Of the 240 registered Japanese military ‘comfort women’ victims with the government, only five remain alive.
• Their average age is 95.8 years.

Initiating Discussions on Ending the War?

• “Let us begin discussions among the parties involved to end a very old war,” proposed President Lee Jae-myung (President) in his Liberation Day address.
• The parties were not explicitly named but clearly refer to South Korea, North Korea, the U.S., and China.
• This differs from the Moon Jae-in administration’s peace process—it starts not with a declaration of war’s end but with stabilizing the system.
• The People Power Party criticized, “This is an empty proposal thrown out while North Korea advances its nuclear capabilities.”
• Park Won-gon (professor at Ewha Womans University) forecasted, “In broad terms, North Korea is highly unlikely to respond.”
• Lim Eul-chul (professor at Kyungnam University) analyzed, “From Pyongyang’s perspective, military and economic cooperation with Russia is more practically beneficial than multilateral dialogue.”
• This year’s calendar is packed: Wang Yi (Chinese Foreign Minister) visits South Korea on September 19–20, followed by the UN General Assembly in September, the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November, and the G20 summit in December.
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Trump Revives the Panmunjom Photo.

• “This photo doesn’t show a great expression, but there are many where we’re smiling. Kim Jong-un and I really get along well.”
• He posted this out of nowhere on Truth Social. Speculation suggests he’s seeking a diplomatic achievement to replace the stalled Iran war.
• Victor Cha (CSIS Korea Chair) analyzed, “Kim Jong-un (North Korean State Affairs Commissioner) could see an opportunity in a ‘rematch’ with Trump.” The idea is that after the Republicans’ midterm defeat, Kim might propose conditions like halting military drills and signing a peace treaty.
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Bring the U.S. and China to the Table First.

• Beautiful four-party talks are highly unlikely.
• The Hankyoreh editorial noted, “While North Korea is highly unlikely to respond to this proposal, the situation could change if the U.S. and China show interest.”
• Lee Jae-myung (President) used the cautious phrase “a world without nuclear weapons” instead of “denuclearization.”
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun editorial assessed it as “a realistic and pragmatic approach to bring North Korea to the negotiating table.”
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Takahashi Bows 500 Meters from Yasukuni.

• Japan marked the anniversary of its defeat. ‘Yōhai’ (remote worship) refers to paying respects from a distance.
• Takahashi Sanae (Prime Minister of Japan) bowed twice and clapped twice in the direction of Yasukuni Shrine after the war memorial ceremony ended. The Hankyoreh described it as a “remote visit.”
• The Dong-A Ilbo analyzed, “While avoiding a direct visit, the gesture of respect was heightened.”
• The Asahi Shimbun expressed concern, “This could impact the friendly momentum between Korea and Japan,” adding, “It may pour cold water on bilateral relations.”
• In her memorial address, Takahashi pledged, “We must never repeat the horrors of war,” but made no mention of Japan’s aggression, the suffering of neighboring countries, or vows of “reflection” or “non-aggression.”
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Deep Dive.

Stalled $200 Billion Investment.

• No progress since the October agreement last year.
• The 15% tariff was lowered on the condition of $200+150 billion investment, and after the Supreme Court ruling invalidating reciprocal tariffs, 12.5% is currently applied.
• The U.S. Department of Commerce is pressuring to speed up investments or face higher tariffs.
• The government is reviewing investments in LNG power plants.

Why the Sudden Removal of Yeo Han-koo?

• Coincidentally, Yeo Han-koo (Trade Negotiations Chief, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy) was recently removed.
• According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, there were speculations of “inappropriate behavior unrelated to official duties.” Yeo Han-koo claimed, “This is clearly inconsistent with the facts.”
• In an editorial, the Chosun Ilbo criticized, “Unannounced dismissals without reason or explanation have become a recurring pattern.”
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“Yongsan Park Entirely as Housing Site Candidate.”.

• Kim Yoon-deok (Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) wavered in his statements.
• He first said, “Yongsan Children’s Garden is a narrow concept; we are considering the entire Yongsan Park as a potential supply site,” then issued a clarification later: “It does not mean constructing housing across the entire site, but rather examining which parts of the park are suitable for housing.”
• Yongsan Park and Yongsan Children’s Garden span approximately 1 million pyeong and 90,000 pyeong, respectively. Ha Joon-kyung (Chief of Economic Growth, Blue House) remarked, “There are areas among the returned land that could be developed immediately.”
• Oh Se-hoon (Seoul Mayor) countered, “I cannot agree to even 1cm of damage to Yongsan Park.”
• Na Kyung-won (People Power Party lawmaker) argued, “This is an abuse of authority, with the state leading the violation of citizens’ fundamental right to a healthy environment.”
• The Special Act on the Creation of Yongsan Park prohibits changing or disposing of the land for purposes other than a national park. Amending the law is required to alter its use.
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Only 26% of Yongsan Park Land Returned.

• Of the 3 million pyeong, only 770,000 pyeong have been returned.
• Contamination surveys and cleanup operations must also be conducted.

Immediate Supply Unlikely Anyway.

• Byun Chang-heum (Sejong University professor) argued, “Seoul has sufficient potential for housing supply through low-rise residential areas near stations and quasi-industrial zones,” adding, “Using land for housing should only be a last resort when no other options are found.”
• Seo Jeong-yeol (Youngsan University professor) criticized, “The significant time required for soil contamination cleanup at the former U.S. base contradicts the goal of accelerating supply,” questioning, “Is Yongsan Park being floated as an ‘advertising balloon’ to signal supply intent without a clear execution plan?”
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Data Center Backlash.

• Data center backlash is spreading. According to the New York Times’ “Ezra Klein Show,” opposition to data centers grew from 4 out of 10 people last August to 7 this year.
• In five European countries, nearly three-quarters answered, “We only support it if powered by renewable energy.”
• Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are also controversial. Even when rumors spread, local governments cannot explain them, and details about electricity and water usage remain opaque.
• Microsoft’s data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, will pay $19.6 million in taxes this year. It will create 500 construction jobs with salaries over $100,000. Yet opposition remains strong.
• Wisconsin still bears the Foxconn trauma: $100 million was spent in exchange for a promise of 13,000 jobs, but only 1,000 were created.
• According to the Wall Street Journal, a farmer in Mayesville, Kentucky, rejected Meta’s $26.48 million land deal. The town was split—20% in favor, 20% opposed, and most just wanted it to end.
• In Utah, a state senator who pushed for data centers lost his seat.
• Opposition doesn’t stop construction. They can go to other countries, even space, and higher prices could hinder AI accessibility.
• The New York Times emphasized that small towns of 10,000 shouldn’t negotiate individually with OpenAI. State or federal governments should create standardized frameworks for such deals.
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Anthropic Turns Profitable.

• Second-quarter revenue reached $1.15 billion, more than double the first quarter’s $430 million. Operating profit turned positive, though no specific figure was disclosed.
• Reuters projected Anthropic’s 2025 revenue could approach $200 billion.
• Reports of an exodus from OpenAI also caught attention. The Financial Times reported, “Even senior executives are engrossed in internal politics to attract Sam Altman’s (OpenAI CEO) attention.”

Why the Won Strengthened as the Kospi Dropped.

• Normally, they should move in opposite directions.
• During stock rallies, foreign investors sold shares and converted to dollars, weakening the won. Now, after a sharp decline and deleveraging, the won is rebounding. Cash raised by SK Hynix in a Nasdaq listing also flowed in.
• The Financial Times analyzed that both stocks and the currency are “finding their true levels.”

Nvidia Halves OpenAI Guarantee.

• 10GW-scale data center guarantee was reduced from $250 billion to under $120 billion.
• The stated reason: to soothe investor anxiety.
• Concerns persist that Nvidia’s circular investment model—guaranteeing credit while selling its own chips—may not be sustainable.
• Nvidia plans to attract $500 billion in external capital.
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AI Writes Half of All Posts.

• Within a year of ChatGPT’s release, the figure reached 36%; within two years, 48%. It hit 50% as of the first quarter of this year.
• A New York Times journalist tested the AI detection tool Glamm-Y, which identified AI-generated text with near 100% accuracy but often failed to detect deepfake images.
• Claude has decided to embed watermarks in AI-generated text—undetectable to the human eye.
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Another Take.

What Jeong Cheong-rae’s Defeat Signifies.

• While appearing to subtly clash over supplementary investigative authority, Kim Min-seok (Democratic Party floor leader) pushed more aggressively for canceling Lee Jae-myung’s indictment. In the competition over who could better protect Lee, Kim has emerged victorious.
• Speculation suggests a Kim Min-seok-led system would accelerate efforts to cancel Lee’s indictment—but this could also become its Achilles’ heel. Party-government conflicts may subside, but that would make it harder to assert influence.
• Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho’s future committee on prosecutorial human rights selected the Daejang-dong, Baekhyeon-dong, and Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance cases for investigation into alleged prosecutorial overreach. The Hankyoreh called it “preparatory work for canceling the indictment.”
• In an editorial, the Korea JoongAng Daily warned, “The committee could provide a logical basis for canceling the indictment by concluding ‘prosecutorial overreach occurred,’” adding, “It would face a strong public backlash.”
• Ultimately, Kim Min-seok will have to confront this criticism head-on.
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Household Debt Surpasses 2,000 Trillion Won.

• It stood at 1,993 trillion won at the end of Q1.
• No official figures are available yet, but household loans in the financial sector grew by 21 trillion won in Q2, with “other loans” at the five major banks increasing by 5 trillion won. It has almost certainly exceeded 2,000 trillion won.
• The household debt-to-nominal GDP ratio hit 88.6% at the end of last year. The U.S. stands at 68%, Japan at 61%, the UK at 74%, and France at 60%.
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“Jeonse Safe Trust”? Please Don’t.

• Government plans to create a “Jeonse Safe Trust.” A public entity will manage the deposit, and landlords will receive monthly dividends.
• Choi Kyung-ho (Director of the Institute for Housing and Urban Affairs) called it “fundamentally flawed.”
• First, who keeps their Jeonse deposit in a savings account? Less than 10% of landlords keep it in banks.
• Second, it could exacerbate the polarization between expensive monthly rents and unstable Jeonse. Just as villas that can’t join guarantee insurance become riskier, apartments excluded from the trust will remain in precarious Jeonse.
• Third, who funds the dividends? Is it the public’s role to pool tenants’ money to guarantee landlords profits exceeding monthly rent?
• Choi proposed using funds to lower Jeonse rates instead.
• For example, offer landlords 2% annual interest loans but cap monthly rent conversion rates at 2.5%. If market rates are 4.5%, tenants pay half.
• A building with 10 100-million-won Jeonse studios worth 1.1 billion won allows someone to invest 100 million won in a “gap” deal. But if the price drops to 900 million won, it becomes a “zombie Jeonse” no one buys. With 600 million won in deposits and partial monthly rents, it could sell for 900 million won. Lowering Jeonse prices, he argues, is the only way to lower sale prices.
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“Bank Loans to Pay Property Tax—Is This Not Theft?”.

• Elderly residents from Gangnam flooded a debate hosted by a People Power Party lawmaker.
• The property tax burden is heavy, and when they try to sell their homes, capital gains taxes are also steep. Complaints about being forced to move from Gangnam to less desirable areas are inevitable.
• Retiree Ahn Tae-hoon lives on a 1.6 million won national pension and private annuity, yet his property tax bill came to 10 million won. He took out a 200 million won bank loan, but even that is running out.
• Three demands were made:
• First, abolish the ceiling on comprehensive real estate tax deductions.
• Second, grant special exemptions for retired elderly taxpayers.
• Third, link property taxes to original purchase prices.
• Kim In-man (Director of the Real Estate Economic Research Institute) noted, “Tax reforms aimed at encouraging actual residence have made renters—who are being displaced or passed on the tax burden—the biggest victims.”
• Lee Chang-mu (Hanyang University professor) criticized, “The mistake lies in regulating symptoms while leaving the root cause untouched.”

“Because It Always Is.”.

• “Because it always is.” A phrase attributed to Trump when a staff member urging against war asked how he could be so certain.
• The Wall Street Journal’s analysis found that Trump supporters appreciated the aura of certainty he exuded—his uncomplicated rhetoric and the drive to purge the “deep state” monsters.
• Yet now, Trump appears lost, unsure of what to do.
• Gone is the image of the billionaire businessman who “knew economics.” An Ipsos poll showed more respondents believed Democrats would handle the economy better.
• Peggy Noonan (Wall Street Journal columnist) emphasized, “Competence, not combat, has become the key issue.”
• Two problems exist: the “incumbent” problem and the “things pass” problem. Good news flows away, bad news accumulates. By November, a lame-duck scenario is likely. It’s time to account for the MAGA decade’s record.
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AI Fake Doctors Selling Health Advice.

• “200g of blueberries has the same effect as blood pressure medication”—a patient ended up in the hospital after reducing their medication based on this video. The video was AI-generated, and the “doctor” featured was not a real person.
• Of the top 100 videos under the search term “senior health” on YouTube, Chosun Ilbo found 76 were AI-generated, and 70 featured AI-created fake doctors.
• Kang Eun-kyo (National Cancer Center professor) analyzed 309 YouTube videos on cancer and diabetes and found 63% had no or very low scientific basis. Yet these videos received 35% more views.
• 97% of seniors over 65 spend their leisure time watching videos. 45% of those in their 60s search for health information at least once a week.
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The Fix.

Vacant Homes as Emergency Housing.

• It was a single-family home left vacant for six years in Changsin-dong, Jongno-gu. The Jongno Housing Welfare Center took over the property, owned by the Seoul Housing & Urban Development Corporation (SH), to convert it into emergency housing for those in urgent need of housing support.
• Architecture undergraduates participated in the project, handling everything from remodeling design to construction.
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Basic Pension 1% Hike Cuts Family Remittances by 0.16%.

• “Raising the basic pension has a strong crowding-out effect on private transfers,” a study found—meaning the burden of support shifts from individual households to the state.
• Private transfers in the group that consistently received the basic pension were 15.5% lower than in the group that never received it.
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Europe’s Heatwave Death Toll Exceeds 16,000.

• While it’s impossible to confirm heatwaves were the direct cause, a 16,000-person increase over the historical average suggests they likely played a role.
• Countries unaccustomed to extreme heat—France, Germany, and Belgium—suffered the most.
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ICYMI.

“Seems Like AI Slop.”.

• LinkedIn has created an “AI slop” reporting button, driven by fears that unchecked content could collapse the entire community.
• A shocking survey found that 41% of LinkedIn posts and 30% of comments are AI-generated. X has 29%, Reddit 13%.
• According to the Wall Street Journal, AI-written content that creates an “uncanny valley” has distinct traits: increased use of phrases like “not this, but that,” frequent long dashes (—), and more extreme one-line (broetry) comments. LinkedIn blocks over 200,000 AI spam comments daily.
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Praise Ruins Children, and AI Is No Different.

• Sherry Turkle (MIT professor) warned, “The mixture of AI’s flattery and performative expertise degrades our own capabilities.”
• Reddit’s ‘Am I the Asshole?’ forum provides blunt answers from other users. But when asked the same question, AI hedges with moderately positive responses. Many perceive such AI as smarter, yet studies suggest it could harm interpersonal relationships.
• Nicole Nguyen (Wall Street Journal columnist) advised, “If AI calls your idea ‘brilliant,’ better ask a real friend.”
• ChatGPT allows adjusting the level of ‘friendliness’ in settings, and Claude or Gemini can be instructed to skip praise and get to the point.
• *Note on formatting:** The closing “ tag was included as it appeared in the original input’s structure, though it may be a formatting artifact. If removal is required, the content would end after the final period.
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Alcohol Sales Are Drying Up.

• South Korea’s per capita alcohol consumption (ages 15+) fell from 8.9 liters in 2012 to 7.7 liters in 2018, and 7.1 liters last year.
• 2024 domestic liquor shipments totaled 3.15 million kiloliters, down 17.3% from 2014’s 3.81 million kiloliters.
• The wellness trend has spread to younger generations, and post-pandemic, company drinking culture has vanished.
• Alcohol is getting weaker, and non-alcoholic and zero-alcohol beverages are rising. The non-alcoholic beer market grew from 15.3 billion won in 2019 to 64.4 billion won in 2023, projected to reach 94.6 billion won next year.
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Samsung Electronics: 300,000 or 650,000 Won?

• Forecasts are sharply divided.
• BNK Investment & Securities lowered its target stock prices for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to 300,000 won and 1.48 million won, respectively. Lee Min-hee (BNK Investment & Securities analyst) said, “Hyperscalers are shifting AI capital investments toward cost-efficiency.”
• Korea Investment & Securities raised its target price for Samsung Electronics from 590,000 won to 650,000 won, and for SK Hynix from 3.8 million won to 4.7 million won. Chae Min-sook (Korea Investment & Securities analyst) diagnosed, “Long-term contracts exceeding five years will reduce the likelihood of supply gluts.”
• Related Link.

Call to Expel Lee Jin-sook Emerges.

• Lee Jin-sook (People Power Party lawmaker) held a forum on the May 18th Gwangju Uprising at the National Assembly.
• Lee Young-hoon (former Seoul National University professor) referred to the May 18th Democratic Uprising as the “Gwangju Disturbance.” Protests and shouts erupted as panelists denied and mocked the May 18th Democratic Uprising, eventually requiring police intervention.
• Even within the People Power Party, there is embarrassment. Park Soo-min (People Power Party lawmaker) argued, “Misguided historical perceptions must be held accountable, regardless of political faction.” Han Ji-a (People Power Party lawmaker) added, “There are lines even free debate must not cross,” noting, “Not all claims can be justified under the guise of scholarship.”
• The Democratic Party has decided to submit a resolution calling for Lee Jin-sook’s expulsion.
• In an editorial, the Korea JoongAng Daily observed, “This appears to be a deliberate attempt to overturn the societal consensus—legally and politically established—that the military destroyed constitutional order.”
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Worth Reading.

Strong Warning Signals for “Yeongkkul” and “Debt Investing.”.

• Ji Min-goo (Dong-A Ilbo reporter) warned, “The Bank of Korea has no reason not to raise interest rates,” adding, “The time has come to judge borrowing more cautiously than ever.”
• This year’s growth rate is likely to exceed 3%, and projections suggest inflation could surpass 4%.
• “If you’ve already taken on debt—especially if you chose a short-term variable rate—you’ll need to calculate and manage the risk of rising monthly interest payments for a significant period. If you’re taking on new debt, be prepared to pay substantially more in interest than before.”
• Related Link.

Wegovy Is Not a Diet Hack.

• Obesity medications require a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with conditions like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes.
• Though non-reimbursable and prescribed at a doctor’s discretion, side effects are significant for those at normal weight: muscle loss, reduced bone density, gallstones, or pancreatitis.
• The Ministry of Health and Welfare designated Wegovy and Mounjaro as “medications prone to misuse.” Kim Sang-hoon (Dong-A Ilbo Content Planning Head) stressed, “Consumer perceptions must change first.”
• Related Link.

What If Kim Min-seok Wins?

• Yoon Tae-gon (The Moa Political Analysis Director) pointed out, “Figures like Rep. Chung Kyung-rae and Yoo Si-min are clearly outdated ‘campaign loyalists.’”
• “But on the other side, Kim Min-seok—his priority seems to be resolving the president’s legal risks over factional interests. Even if the latter wins, what exactly would improve?”
• Related Link.

Speed Should Not Be the Goal.

• How far can the logic of “national competitiveness necessity” push us?
• Lee Yoon-joo (Kyunghyang Shinmun Industry Editor) emphasized, “The success of a blitzkrieg approach depends not on how fast you build, but on how quickly and effectively you resolve the problems that arise from rushing.”
• “While speed is central to competitiveness, the moment speed itself becomes the goal, caution is required.”
• Related Link.