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.

Yong Hye-in as Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

• Six ministerial positions are being replaced—14 months after the government’s launch.
• The nominees are: Lee Hyung-il (1st Vice Minister of Economy and Finance) for Minister of Economy and Finance,
• Hong Ji-sun (2nd Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport,
• Kim Seung-won (Democratic Party lawmaker) for Minister of Justice,
• Kang Shin-chul (former Deputy Commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command) for Minister of National Defense,
• Lee So-young (Democratic Party lawmaker) for Minister of SMEs and Startups,
• and Yong Hye-in (Basic Income Party lawmaker) for Minister of Gender Equality and Family.
• Blue House personnel appointments include: Kim Kyung-soo (former Gyeongnam Governor) as Special Advisor for Political Affairs,
• Ha Jung-woo (former Blue House AI Future Planning Chief) as Vice Chairman of the National AI Strategy Committee,
• Lee Hae-min (Innovation Party for the People lawmaker) as Blue House AI Future Planning Chief,
• and Lee Won-ju (Director of Energy Transition Policy at the Ministry of Climate and Environment) as Mega Project Advisor.
• At a briefing, Kang Hoon-sik (Blue House Chief of Staff) stated, “We based appointments solely on merit.”
• Kim Yong-beom (Blue House Policy Chief) and Ha Joon-kyung (Economic Growth Chief) were retained in their posts.
• Related Link.
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State Affairs Reversal Card.

• Chosun Ilbo headlined on its front page: “New Justice Minister, Leader of ‘Prosecution Withdrawal Group’.”
• Kim Seung-won is a co-representative of the “Gongchumo” group, which argues that the case against Lee Jae-myung (President) should be dropped. He was one of the co-defense lawyers in the Daejang-dong case and participated in co-proposing the “Special Prosecutor Act for Manipulated Indictments.” Some interpret this as an attempt to “rally the ruling party rather than expand its base.”
• JoongAng Ilbo analyzed, “Property tax system remains unchanged.” A ruling party insider met by JoongAng Ilbo said, “Even if some adjustments are made, it means the overarching economic policy direction won’t change, right?”
• The Hankyoreh analyzed, “A multi-purpose personnel move to appease angry real estate sentiment and strengthen solidarity within the Democratic-Progressive camp.” The Korea Daily evaluated it as a “state affairs reversal card.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Will Prosecution Withdrawal Be Forced Through?

• The justice minister can direct the prosecutor general to withdraw charges. The trial of Lee Jae-myung (President) is currently suspended at the first instance.
• Kim Seung-won (Democratic Party lawmaker) recently said at a Democratic Party workshop, “To reveal the facts of the manipulated indictment, a special prosecutor must be launched.”
• Jang Dong-hyeok (People Power Party leader) criticized, “They’ve selected a justice minister ready to take the lead in canceling the trial.”
• Lee Yong-woo (Democratic Party spokesperson) countered, “Kim Seung-won only met Nam Wook (Daejang-dong shareholder) once. The People Power Party is attacking the nominee with false propaganda.”
• A Democratic Party lawmaker interviewed by The Hankyoreh assessed, “A mild-mannered, practically astute figure—the ideal candidate to spearhead the prosecution office’s reorganization.”
• Kim Seung-won once wrote a post criticizing Park Byung-seok (then National Assembly speaker) as “GSGG” after a 2021 media arbitration bill failed, later deleting it.
• According to Chosun Ilbo, Park Gyun-taek (Democratic Party lawmaker) was also considered for justice minister but may have been dismissed after suggesting supplementary investigative powers were needed.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

“Must Embrace the Left More Deeply.”.

• These were the words of Lee Jae-myung (President) at a Democratic Party leadership dinner. Some interpret the selection of Yong Hye-in and Lee Hae-min as an attempt to embrace the left.
• A Jo Guk-hyeonmin Party official met by The Hankyoreh said, “Whether this is a shift from pragmatic conservatism to centrist reform or an effort to appease distrust within the progressive camp remains to be seen.”
• The selection of Kim Kyung-soo (former Gyeongnam Governor) is also seen as an attempt to embrace pro-Moon factions.
• A Democratic Party lawmaker met by JoongAng Ilbo said, “The president, feeling the need to ally with progressive parties after defeats in Pyeongtaek, is applying lubricant.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Who Will Succeed Yong Hye-in as Proportional Representative?

• Presidential secretaries cannot concurrently serve as lawmakers. Lee Hae-min’s (former Minister of the Interior and Safety) seat will pass to Kim Hyoung-yeon (Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party).
• Ministers can hold concurrent positions. Yong Hye-in has stated she will retain her legislative seat. She was elected in the last general election after receiving a nomination from the satellite party, the Democratic United Alliance, and returned to the Basic Income Party through a formal expulsion process immediately after her election.
• Yang Kyung-gyu (Justice Party leader) criticized, “This grants amnesty to satellite party politics.” He added, “One cannot help but question whether a figure who welcomed the abolition of prosecutors’ supplementary investigative powers despite strong concerns from victims is truly qualified to champion the rights of women, minorities, and victims.”

Real Estate Policy Remains Unchanged.

• Leaving economic and real estate affairs to vice ministers is itself a message.
• Lee Hyung-il led the real estate tax reform proposal.
• Hong Ji-sun served as head of the Urban Housing Bureau during Lee Jae-myung’s (Gyeonggi Governor) tenure. Evaluations suggest that with Lee Hun-wook (Korea Real Estate Institute Director, former Gyeonggi Housing & Urban Corporation CEO) and Lee Seong-hoon (Korea Land & Housing Corporation CEO, former Gyeonggi Province Construction Bureau Director), “a ‘Gyeonggi line’ formation is taking shape.”
• A ruling party official met by Chosun Ilbo said, “I understand there were significant disagreements between the Blue House Policy Office and Kim Yoon-deok over strengthening real estate taxes and supply measures.”
• The choice of Kim Yong-beom over Kim Yoon-deok (Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) implies this tension.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Divergent Assessments from The Hankyoreh and Kyunghyang Shinmun.

• JoongAng Ilbo criticized in an editorial, “Changing personnel alone won’t set policies on the right track or win back scattered public sentiment.”
• The Hankyoreh assessed it as “a selection worthy of positive evaluation.” This contrasts with Kyunghyang Shinmun’s skepticism: “One wonders if the crisis perception isn’t overly complacent.” The remark referred to retaining Kim Yong-beom.
• Related Link.
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What Matters Now.

“Preparing for a Housing Price Crash.”.

• “Instructed to prepare a system for mass-purchasing homes below a certain standard for public housing reserves, in case housing prices collapse.”
• Lee Jae-myung (President) wrote this on X.
• Emphasized, “We must decisively dismantle national-treachery real estate speculation,” and added, “We will mobilize all national capabilities toward financial-tax reforms, expanding housing supply volumes, and accelerating delivery.”
• Lee Jae-myong highlighted three indicators.
• First, Morgan Stanley raised its forecast for South Korea’s 2023 economic growth to 3.4%.
• Second, the base interest rate for Q1 2024 is projected at 3.5%.
• Third, while mortgage delinquencies and auction listings are rising, successful bid rates are falling.
• Related Link.

Meeting Supply Targets Won’t Be Easy.

• The government plans to supply 1.47 million households + alpha in the capital region within its term.
• The Korea Construction Industry Research Institute diagnosed, “The direction is positive, but without policy supplements like financial-tax measures, achieving the target will be difficult.”
• First-half capital region groundbreakings this year only reached 65,000 households. Analysis shows, “To meet the government’s goal, supply must exceed 1.5 times the past five-year average (181,000 households) for the next five years.”
• Yoon Ji-hae (Head of Real Estate 114 Research Lab) said, “With nationwide instability in jeonse and monthly rents, regions where move-in supply has effectively reached zero—like Incheon, Daejeon, and Daegu—could see growing instability in the rental market.”
• Related Link.

Rejection of Supreme Court Justice Appointment Consent Bill.

• Supreme Court justices are nominated by the Chief Justice, submitted to the National Assembly for majority approval, and then appointed by the president.
• Lee Jae-myung (President) returned the appointment consent bill for Son Bong-ki (Chief Judge of Daegu District Court), nominated by Cho Hee-dae (Chief Justice), to the Supreme Court without sending it to the National Assembly.
• If the president would veto it even if passed by the National Assembly, it’s logical not to send it. However, criticism arises that this disregards the Chief Justice’s nomination authority. While it’s unusual for a president to reject a nomination submitted by the Chief Justice, it’s also unprecedented for the Chief Justice to nominate without prior consultation with the Blue House.
• This isn’t the first time. In 1958, Syngman Rhee (then-president) rejected Kim Dong-hyun’s (then-Supreme Court justice) appointment as Chief Justice, which had been nominated by the Judicial Conference.
• Kang Yu-jung (Blue House spokesperson) stated, “The nomination of Son Bong-ki lacked procedural completeness.” The issue began with the nomination being submitted in writing.
• Kang Yu-jung added, “The Chief Justice’s nomination authority is not absolute; it must be exercised in a way that respects the president’s substantive appointment authority as granted by the Constitution.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Kim Min-gi as the Choice.

• Kim Min-gi (Seoul High Court Judge) was among the four candidates recommended by the nomination committee in January, along with Son Bong-ki, Yoon Sung-sik (Seoul High Court Senior Judge), and Park Soon-young (Seoul High Court Judge).
• The JoongAng Ilbo reported, “The Blue House gave a guideline to the existing committee to replace one of the three recommended candidates with a new name.”
• Yoon Sung-sik, who presided over a rebellion-dedicated trial division, is unlikely to be promoted to Supreme Court Justice, while Park Soon-young is a National Election Commission member under investigation.
• Suspicions arise that this is effectively a demand to nominate Kim Min-gi.
• Kang Yu-jung’s remark, “It’s questionable whether this aligns with the public demand for diversifying the Supreme Court,” is interpreted as implying pressure to nominate a woman (Kim Min-gi).
• Cho Hee-dae (Chief Justice) insists Kim Min-gi is absolutely unacceptable due to conflict-of-interest concerns, as her husband is Oh Young-jun (Constitutional Court Justice).
• Han Sang-hee (Konkuk University Professor) stated, “The current situation is tantamount to declaring, ‘If a specific candidate is nominated, they won’t be appointed,’” adding, “This infringes on the Chief Justice’s discretionary power.”
• A Blue House official responded to questions about whether Kim Min-gi was under consideration by saying, “Unverified matters.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

“Nomination and Appointment Powers Are Equal.”.

• “If the president demands repeated nominations until a preferred candidate emerges, the chief justice’s nomination authority becomes meaningless,” a high court judge interviewed by Chosun Ilbo said. The point is that nomination and appointment powers are equal—neither should dominate.
• Whether to reconvene the nomination committee is another contentious issue.
• Seo Young-kyo (Democratic Party lawmaker) said, “I hope the chief justice can swiftly renominate a justice after sufficient consultation and agreement on the remaining candidates.” While the Court Organization Act requires forming a new committee for each nomination, there is no clear rule for renominations after rejection.
• In 2012, when Kim Byung-hwa (then Supreme Court nominee) withdrew, a new committee was formed.
• A lawyer interviewed by The Korea Herald, formerly a constitutional researcher, said, “This hierarchy argument makes it hard to operate constitutional institutions properly,” adding, “If one side persistently insists, ‘Nominate the person I want,’ it ultimately nullifies the constitution.”
• Huh Young (former Kyung Hee University law school professor) argued, “If the president demands nomination of their chosen candidate, it would let the president unconstitutionally select justices.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

22 Appointments Loom, Court-Packing Fears Emerge.

• Cho Eung-cheon (former Democratic Party lawmaker) criticized, “The demand for renomination is a preliminary step for ‘court packing’—filling the Supreme Court with figures aligned with the president’s preferences before the term ends.”
• Jeong Jeom-sik (People Power Party floor leader) claimed, “This is a signal to tame the judiciary, ensuring all 22 justices to be appointed during the term are handpicked.”
• The JoongAng Ilbo editorialized, “The president’s selective rejection made the judiciary appear subordinate to the executive—leaving citizens dismayed at how this situation unfolded.”
• The Hankook Ilbo editorialized, “If candidates were unfit, the Democratic Party’s majority could have filtered them during the National Assembly’s consent process. Constitutional restraint should have preceded this power struggle.”
• Related Link.
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“Cho Hee-dae Is Not the Emperor.”.

• Seo Young-kyo (Democratic Party lawmaker) said this.
• Claims also exist that the chief justice’s influence affected the process of narrowing 39 candidates to four. Kim Seung-won argued, “Insisting on only one of the four and demanding 30 more recommendations if that one is rejected is an abuse of nomination authority.”
• Cho Hee-dae said, “I regret causing concern.” He submitted a request to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee not to attend, stating it “contradicts the separation of powers and judicial independence.”
• The Hankyoreh editorialized, “Failing to explain why he is apologetic makes the statement ring hollow to the public.”
• The Hankyoreh maintains that nomination authority is not a privilege. “The president requesting consultation and offering opinions to the chief justice is a natural process of checks and cooperation under the constitutional spirit,” it emphasized. “Framing this as an infringement on judicial independence is unconstitutional.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Kim Seong-su’s Appointment Bill Heads to Assembly.

• Cheong Wa Dae has sent the appointment consent bill for Kim Seong-su (Seoul High Court presiding judge) to the National Assembly.
• Kim had prior consultations with Cheong Wa Dae. The message is that such prior consultations are a prerequisite for progress.

42%, Gallup Korea’s Dead Cross.

• President Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating stands at 42%. Disapproval is 50%. (The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.)
• This is the first time disapproval has overtaken approval among monthly consolidated moderates.
• Party support rates are 39% for the Democratic Party and 25% for the People Power Party.
• Top disapproval reasons: real estate (24%), followed by evasion of presidential trial (7%) and curtailment of prosecutorial power (7%).
• Related Link.

Jang Dong-hyeok’s First Year: 23% to 25%.

• Jang Dong-hyeok (People Power Party leader) marks one year in office. The party’s approval rating was already at rock bottom—and remains there.
• Kim Min-su (People Power Party Supreme Council member) argued, “Politics is not about volume but mass,” insisting, “We must strengthen conservative values and ideology to increase our mass, thereby expanding our reach.”
• Lee Seong-gwon (People Power Party lawmaker) noted, “Operating the party with hardline supporters and hardline members at the center has driven moderate and reformist conservatives to turn their backs on the People Power Party.”
• Woo Jae-jun (People Power Party Supreme Council member) observed, “I should have resigned when the local elections ended—missing that timing was the biggest mistake.”
• Related Link.

“Monetary Conditions Are Not Tight Enough.”.

• No immediate rate hike, but a strong signal that one is coming when the time is right.
• These were the words of Kevin Warsh (former Federal Reserve Chair) in his Jackson Hole keynote:
• First, the economy is stronger than expected, and the job market remains robust.
• Second, monetary conditions are not sufficiently tight.
• Third, inflation remains above the 2% target.
• Fourth, decisions will be based on new data rather than pre-committing to a rate path.
• Fifth, the primary policy tool is the short-term benchmark rate.
• A clear message that further tightening is possible, though not now.
• The remark—“Not long ago, Jackson Hole’s theme was long-term stagnation and savings glut, but the world has changed”—is a significant signal.
• However, he avoided specifying a timeline for rate hikes, adding, “This should not be interpreted as a pre-announcement of future rate paths.”
• Related Link.

Kevin Warsh’s Hawkish Stance.

• “I am committed to discipline, not decisions.”
• Thought he was a dove, but he’s a hawk.
• After Warsh’s speech, the probability of a September rate hike jumped from 35% to 60%. Two-year yields surged, while 10- and 30-year rates rose. The Dow and S&P 500 edged up last Friday.
• Trump pressured for lower rates, but Warsh rebuffed him outright. Concerns about indifference to central banking’s mandate were dismissed—his Jackson Hole address avoided sidestepping issues, according to reviews.
• The Wall Street Journal praised, “He demonstrated unwavering resolve to curb inflation.” The Financial Times noted, “He significantly dispelled market skepticism.”
• While September’s rate hike remains uncertain, the direction is set, and the remarks provided the rationale—this is the correct interpretation.
• Related Link.
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Deep Dive.

“Let’s Debate Our Path Transparently in Broad Daylight.”.

• “Without a rigorous critical debate on national affairs, it’s true negligence and dereliction of duty.”
• Kim Min-seok (Democratic Party leader) wrote this on X.
• He emphasized, “Policy and ideological debates are desirable,” and “the real problems are the absence of such debates, conducting them behind closed doors, personal attacks, falsehoods, and demonization.”
• This was in response to clashes with Jeong Cheong-rae (former Democratic Party leader). He rebutted, “The unfair double standard of criticizing us for ‘not debating’ when we don’t, then for ‘clashing’ when we do, is inconsistent.”
• Jin Sung-jun (Democratic Party lawmaker) argued on Facebook, “We must break free from the habitual thinking that ‘capturing the center’ or ‘fighting in the middle ground’ is the way to win.” His claim: “To build a structural majority, we must turn the abstaining population into participants and supporters.”
• Han Min-su (Democratic Party lawmaker) noted, “What we must guard against in our search for the right path is arrogance and dogmatism.”
• A Democratic Party lawmaker met by Chosun Ilbo pointed out, “Catering to the center is only possible when our base is tightly united.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

“No Regime Has Rebounded After Falling to 30% Approval.”.

• Kim Eo-jun (CEO of Ddanzi Ilbo) said this.
• It’s factually incorrect. Former presidents Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung, and Moon Jae-in saw their approval ratings drop to the 30% range and then rebound.
• Lee Yong-woo (Democratic Party spokesperson) stated, “Politics is about navigating and resolving issues,” adding, “We will work as promised to reverse the party and government’s approval ratings.” He also noted, “Media power must be accurate, and partisan media must be even more precise.”

Is Roh Woong-rae Truly Wronged?

• The prosecution abandoned its appeal in the illegal political funds case against Roh Woong-rae (former Democratic Party lawmaker), finalizing his acquittal.
• Roh was charged with receiving 60 million won but was acquitted in both the first and second trials—not because he was proven innocent, but because the prosecution’s evidence-gathering process was flawed.
• Even a recording in which he reportedly said, “I’m already using the last one well—why give me this again?” was excluded as evidence after the court ruled that the prosecution failed to obtain a warrant for additional seizure.
• Roh stated, “I hope this case can be a small source of courage, hope, and comfort to the many victims who have suffered unfairly from the abuse of prosecutorial power.”
• Yoon Suk-yeol (President) wrote, “How can anyone but the person involved truly grasp how wronged Roh must feel, having been indicted by a politically motivated prosecution and stripped of his political life by his own party?”
• Chosun Ilbo criticized, “Is it justifiable to acquit a major politician clearly involved in taking money simply because of procedural flaws in the investigation?”
• Most cases where the prosecution abandoned appeals or retrials involved Democratic Party figures. It gave up on the Daejang-dong case, as well as appeals in the cases of former Chief of Staff to the President No Young-min and former Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Kim Hyun-mi on the 20th. It also abandoned retrials in the cases of former National Security Director Suh Hoon and former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

High Rates, High Prices: Low-Income Households Hit First.

• Monthly average interest costs for the bottom 20% income households rose 36.1% from a year ago—three times the overall household increase of 12.1%.
• A salaried worker interviewed by Chosun Ilbo borrowed an additional 12 million won from two lenders while repaying 800,000 won monthly. “With rates rising further from autumn, the future looks bleak,” they said.
• Kim Sang-bong (Hansung University professor) stated, “Economic shocks always hit from the bottom.” In late May, delinquency rates for mid-to-low-credit borrowers’ unsecured loans were 2.32%, over five times the 0.45% for total household loans.
• Price shocks are severe too. While Q2 consumer prices rose 3.0%, rice jumped 13.2%, potatoes 11.1%, green onions 10.0%, soy sauce 9.3%, and eggs 9.0%.
• Q2 total household food expenses rose 3.3% to 891,000 won monthly, but the second-lowest income quintile’s expenses rose 6.9% to 657,000 won, and the lowest quintile’s rose 6.1% to 473,000 won.
• Personal bankruptcy filings from January–July 2023 totaled 96,734—12.2% more than the previous year and the highest since records began in 2015.
• Related Link.

Another Take.

Rushing the Special Prosecutor Bill for Manipulation Charges.

• Seo Young-kyo (Democratic Party lawmaker) said, “We do need the special prosecutor bill, and the timing will be decided in consultation with the leadership.”
• A Democratic Party lawmaker interviewed by Dong-A Ilbo said, “The sooner we pass the special prosecutor bill within this administration, the smaller the backlash will be.” A Democratic Party leadership insider stated, “Kim Min-seok’s position is that pushing it immediately is burdensome.”
• Related Link.

What Constitutes a Wrongful Prosecution?

• Kim Min-seok (Democratic Party leader) claimed, “Demanding a trial to resolve a wrongful prosecution is violent and barbaric.”
• Chosun Ilbo’s editorial noted, “To claim a prosecution is wrongful, there must be concrete evidence that the prosecution fabricated charges out of thin air.”
• The Daejang-dong and inter-Korean remittance cases are at issue—both still shrouded in unanswered questions.
• Related Link.

Guidelines, Not Enforcement Decree, for the Yellow Envelope Law.

• They decided to define the scope of disputes under the Yellow Envelope Law through implementation guidelines.
• A Cheong Wa Dae official said, “The effect on the field is similar, but we aim to enact implementation guidelines that can be applied immediately on-site rather than an enforcement decree, which takes over three months due to legislative notice, regulatory review, etc.”
• The key issue was whether semiconductor cluster relocations or performance bonuses of N% of operating profits would be subject to disputes. Lee Jae-myung (President) dismissed it as “absurd.”
• Kim Young-hoon (Minister of Employment and Labor) argued, “The parent law of the Yellow Envelope Law has no delegation clause, so it cannot be done,” but Lee Jae-myung countered, “Not having a delegation clause doesn’t mean it’s impossible; it can be done within the scope that doesn’t contradict the parent law.”
• Constitutional Article 75 stipulates two requirements for enforcement decrees: first, matters delegated with specific scope defined by law, and second, matters necessary for law enforcement. The Yellow Envelope Law has no explicit delegation clause.
• A labor ministry official explained, “The term ‘implementation guidelines’ was used to express the government’s intention to enforce the Yellow Envelope Law based on these standards moving forward,” adding, “It’s not just interpretation—it’s a declaration of will to proceed this way.”
• Park Ji-soon (Korea University professor) pointed out, “Even though they coined the term ‘implementation guidelines,’ they still lack legal binding force,” and argued, “Guidelines that can be changed anytime according to the executive branch’s stance cannot resolve uncertainty; supplementary legislation—the orthodox approach—must be pursued.”
• Chosun Ilbo criticized from another angle, stating, “They cannot escape criticism for stepping back due to concerns about backlash from militant labor groups and litigation burdens.” The argument is that they should have pursued an enforcement decree.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Continuous Reversals.

• Jeong Eun-kyeong (Minister of Health and Welfare) canceled a briefing on the basic pension reform plan. The proposal aimed to reduce beneficiaries and strengthen support for low-income groups, but was postponed—likely due to concerns over backlash from the elderly.
• A briefing on the Korea Military Academy’s founding plan was also abruptly canceled, and the public institution relocation plan was delayed until October.
• Hankook Ilbo’s editorial criticized, “This is proof that policies were hastily drafted without sufficient public consultation.”
• Related Link.

Gwangju Military Airport Moves to Muan.

• 10 years of stagnation—now accelerating. The Ministry of National Defense has selected an area in Mangan-myeon, Muan County, South Jeolla Province, as the site.
• A new runway will be built 1–2 km from Muan International Airport’s runway, targeting completion by December 2032.
• A ministry official stated, “Following the principle that ‘special sacrifices require special support,’ we will responsibly push forward to ensure support projects yield tangible results.”
• Related Link.

The Fix.

0.01% Carbon Emissions, Nepal’s Tragedy.

• “They are not responsible for this disaster.” Benjamin Horton (Dean of the School of Energy and Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) said, “The problem and solution are simple: reduce carbon emissions.”
• Abi Subedi (poet) criticized, “The world watches, listens, but does not act.” It is a desperate plea: “The carbon emissions of the world’s richest nations are pushing riverside settlements like ours into various disasters.”
• Alton Byers (researcher at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado), interviewed by The Korea Times, diagnosed, “The Nepal disaster is not a one-time natural catastrophe but a compound disaster caused by accumulated global warming compounded by human reckless development.”
• Alton Byers emphasized, “Rather than relying on post-disaster alert systems, we must strictly restrict reckless development in flood-prone lowlands and river basins with historical flood records.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Climate Sensors.

• Himalayan glaciers have thinned by an average of 73 cm annually since 2000—previously 34 cm before 2000.
• Even if the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target is met, one-third of glaciers will vanish. By 2050, Kilimanjaro and Yosemite National Park’s glaciers will be gone. By the end of the 21st century, 90% of Alpine glaciers will disappear.

Health Insurance Crisis Looms.

• Kim Jong-dae (former Korea Health Insurance Corporation CEO) warned, “It will be difficult for health insurance to avoid a crisis by the end of this year.”
• The National Health Insurance Service’s cumulative reserves stood at 30.2 trillion won as of the end of last year—about one-third of the 102 trillion won spent in 2023. The system will turn to a deficit starting this year. By 2031, reserves will be exhausted, and by 2033, cumulative deficits will reach 28 trillion won.
• Insurance premium rates were frozen in both 2024 and 2025, while medical service fees rose by 1.98% and 1.96% during the same period.
• Government support this year includes 10.8 trillion won from the general account and 1.9 trillion won from the National Health Promotion Fund. Combined, this should cover 20% of projected revenue, but the actual support rate remains around 14%.
• Lee Jae-myung (President) said, “Criticism that obligations were not met is valid,” but added, “Expanding fiscal input alone cannot solve the problem.”
• Related Link.

Solar Panels Between Train Tracks.

• Swiss startup Sun-Ways has successfully tested laying solar panels between train rails. If applied to Switzerland’s 3,000-mile rail network, it could supply 30% of public transport energy needs.
• French national rail SNCF is testing it on 18,000 miles of track. Italy and South Korea are also considering it.
• Ground-based solar requires 2.5 acres (10,000㎡, 3,000 pyeong) per 1 MW, but rail-mounted solar solves space issues.
• It can power electric railways, but surplus energy utilization is limited. High grid transmission losses remain a challenge.
• Related Link.

ICYMI.

What Meta’s Settlement Missed.

• Meta will survive and won’t change much. Two critical elements are missing.
• First, infinite scroll remains intact,
• and second, the reward system of ‘likes’ and comments was left untouched. There were analyses that ‘engineered highs’ create dopamine effects.
• Julia Angwin (ProPublica founder) emphasized, “Seatbelts in cars and hard hats at construction sites benefit everyone,” adding, “Platforms must be made safe not just for children but for all users.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Is This AI-Generated?

• It’s increasingly hard to tell. Text is flooding in, and cases of mistaking human-written text for AI-generated content (false positives) are rising, while it’s also unclear how much AI assistance was used in the first place. Distrust of text is growing.
• AI detection tools have also proliferated. Platforms like Pangea, GPTZero, Winston AI, and Copyleaks analyze suspicious text and provide a percentage likelihood of AI authorship.
• Studies have suggested that high frequency of words like ‘delve’ or ‘crucial’ indicates AI-generated text, but it’s not that simple.
• While newer AI detection algorithms analyze patterns, their error rates remain high. One misclassified the Declaration of Independence as 98% AI-generated.
• Watermarking isn’t a solution either—absence of a watermark doesn’t prove a text isn’t AI-generated.
• Molic (Wharton School) argues, “We’ve already crossed the K-T boundary of fact and fiction.” (The K-T boundary refers to the geological layer separating the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, marked by mass extinctions like that of the dinosaurs due to asteroid impacts.)
• Related Link.

CXMT’s First-Half Revenue Hits 150.3 Billion Yuan.

• That’s 31 trillion won. An 8-fold increase compared to the first half of last year. Net profit was 77.6 billion yuan (15 trillion won), with a gross margin of 85%.
• DRAM market share is projected to rise from 8% last year to 15% by 2030.
• NAND memory is catching up faster. Yangtze Memory (YMTC) has already surged to 14% market share. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix hold 25% and 22%, respectively.

Worth Reading.

The Era of “Security with the U.S., Economy with China” Is Over.

• This is an era where Apple requests South Korea to sell DRAM to China.
• China and Hong Kong account for 45% of South Korea’s semiconductor exports.
• There was a time when security relied on the U.S. and the economy on China, but now depending on any single country—whether for security or economy—is risky.
• Kang Byung-han (Kyunghyang Shinmun Political Affairs Bureau Chief) emphasized, “The only thing South Korea can rely on is its self-made bargaining power,” adding, “Making it impossible for either the U.S. or China to easily bypass South Korea—that is the survival strategy South Korea must secure in an era where neither ‘security with the U.S., economy with China’ nor ‘security and economy with the U.S.’ fully function.”
• Related Link.

Why Self-Made Geniuses Fail.

• Startup accelerator Y Combinator prefers co-founders over solo founders. It bundles multiple founders into ‘batches’ to share experiences.
• There’s a delusion of self-reliance: a child who solves problems alone fails, while one who imitates others succeeds.
• Paul Graham (Y Combinator co-founder) emphasized, “Even if you can do everything alone, you need peers to debate decisions, veto stupid ideas, and cheer you up when you fail.”
• Angela Duckworth (University of Pennsylvania professor) insists, “People who ask for help succeed.” Her advice: raise your hand to request explanations, seek mentors’ counsel, and invite teammates to solve problems together.
• “When we reach out, we always underestimate how happy others are to help,” she added.
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No Power Struggle Between President and Chief Justice.

• During authoritarian eras, the chief justice’s nomination authority was often abused as a tool for regime control over the judiciary. Judges who aligned with dictatorships were more likely to be promoted.
• Ryu Young-jae (Judge, Namyangju Branch of Uijeongbu District Court) warned, “If the president’s refusal to appoint de facto becomes equivalent to Supreme Court justice nominations, this must be assessed as regime control over the judiciary.”
• The issue shouldn’t devolve into a simplistic dichotomy: democratic legitimacy via presidential intent vs. judicial independence via the chief justice’s authority.
• The solution? Substantiate the recommendation committee’s composition and deliberations, enforce parliamentary confirmation hearings, and impose accountability obligations.
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The Siren’s Lure Whispering in the President’s Ear.

• Many lawmakers around the president argue for introducing a special prosecution law for manipulated indictments. Even the National Assembly speaker has publicly mentioned the possibility of term extension.
• Lee Se-young (Hankyoreh Columnist) pointed out, “Demands have poured in for the president to publicly declare, ‘No re-election under any circumstances,’ but a month has passed with no response.”
• “The danger of a trust crisis lies in its corrosive effect on all policy evaluations. If personal distrust of the leader seeps into core state affairs—prosecutorial reform, judicial reform, real estate—it weakens policy implementation and subsequent underperformance directly feeds into a legitimacy crisis for the administration.”
• To resist the siren’s call? Like Odysseus, we must ask the president to bind themselves to the mast of law and institutions.
• “Of course, as a human, the president may fear and hesitate to eliminate future options. But the journey of ‘human Odysseus’ shows that overcoming inner dark impulses stems not from heroic virtue or innate goodness, but from the coldly strategic reasoning of ‘self-preservation.’ All eyes are on the president’s words.”
• Related Link.