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.

“Please expedite the process.”.

• Kim Seung-won (Minister of Justice nominee) sent a message to the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), revealed in a 2021 incident. He relayed the broker’s message almost verbatim to Kim Kang-lip (then MFDS head).
• Kim Seung-won: “The Herbal Medicines Division, Clinical System Division, and Statistics Analysis Team are handling this. Please urge the responsible officials to expedite the process. The company is Genencel. I mentioned it out of concern for capital flight. Thank you, Director.”
• Kim Kang-lip: “The matter you raised is currently under review, with additional documentation being processed. I’ve passed it to the team.”
• Kim Seung-won: “Please scrutinize it carefully to prevent capital flight.”
• Kim forwarded this reply directly to the broker.
• Messages between Kim and the broker, exchanged two days before the MFDS approved the clinical trial, were also disclosed.
• Broker: “We need to make sure the ‘old man’ [Kim] pulls through.”
• Kim Seung-won: “Right, we must block capital flight.”
• The MFDS approved the clinical trial plan two weeks after Kim’s call.
• Related Link.
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The 5 Million Won Transfer Never Happened.

• Emails between the broker and Genencel officials also exist. A request for “5 million won in sponsorship” received a reply: “The Lee Jae-myung line is ‘oppa’ (elder brother), and it’s awkward to ask again since they couldn’t reciprocate.”
• The broker asked Kim Seung-won for an account number after saying, “I told them I’d deposit the sponsorship,” and Kim sent it with a “thank you.” However, the deposit never occurred due to sponsorship limits.
• Kim Seung-won claimed, “We spent three years and 11 prosecutors combing through everything, but nothing came up—so they finally used their ‘noble legal skills’ to issue a suspended indictment.” He has filed a constitutional appeal.
• Seo Young-kyo (Democratic Party lawmaker) argued, “Prosecutors should have dropped the case for lack of evidence, but instead they turned the tables with a suspended indictment.”
• Han Dong-hoon (independent lawmaker) noted, “He must know better than anyone that this isn’t the only illegal solicitation text” and added, “Many victims suffered from stock fluctuations due to clinical trial approvals.”
• Na Kyung-won (People Power Party lawmaker) pointed out, “A suspended indictment means the crime exists but is deemed minor.”
• Choi Won-seok (People Power Party spokesperson) criticized, “In a case this serious, he should have either declined the ministerial post himself or been weeded out during the Blue House’s vetting.”
• Han Byung-do (Democratic Party floor leader) claimed, “This is nothing but a political attack to sabotage criminal justice reform.”
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Can He Face the Confirmation Hearing?

• JoongAng Ilbo’s editorial noted, “It is suspicious whether the MFDS approval was ultimately mobilized as material to facilitate Genencel’s stake sale and boost the corporate value of a KOSDAQ-listed company.”
• A suspended indictment is not a guilty verdict but leaves the case open for reinvestigation or prosecution at any time.
• The Hankyoreh’s editorial pointed out, “If the Justice Minister commands the prosecution while a suspended indictment—where the case could be reopened or prosecuted—remains pending, it could invite conflicts of interest.”
• Related Link.

What Matters Now.

Even the Democratic Party Drops Yoon Hye-in.

• Yoon Hye-in (Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee, Basic Income Party lawmaker) may also fall. The Democratic Party’s mood is sour.
• Kim Young-bae (Democratic Party lawmaker) said, “Since Minister Kim Han-gil in 2000, all proportional representatives who entered the cabinet have given up their seats,” adding, “It seems right by public standards to abandon the proportional seat.”
• Song Young-gil (Democratic Party lawmaker) stated, “Serving twice as a proportional representative is against convention, and wanting to keep one’s seat while becoming a minister is greed and unfairness, as anyone can see.”
• The remark, “In ‘Animal Kingdom,’ a herd of wildebeests on the Serengeti can’t block all crocodile attacks—sometimes one must be sacrificed,” might imply abandoning Yoon Hye-in instead of Kim Seung-won.
• Lee Yeon-hee (Democratic Party lawmaker) said, “If protecting the Basic Income Party was a priority, she should have declined the ministerial offer. If she wants to serve as minister, resigning her seat is correct.”
• A ruling party official met by The Hankyoreh said, “I understand the Blue House conveyed public disapproval of dual roles to Yoon’s side.” Another official added, “The mood is to watch public opinion and hope the nominee decides.” A key ruling party official met by Chosun Ilbo said, “This level of backlash was unexpected.”
• Yoon Hye-in said, “I know there are many concerns,” adding, “I will strive to make the ministry the one closest to the people.”
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Basic Income Party Secretary-General Is Yoon Hye-in’s Spouse.

• Park Ki-hong (Basic Income Party Deputy Head of Strategic Planning) is Yoon Hye-in’s spouse. The position pays a base salary of approximately 2.69–3.07 million won.
• Park Ki-hong’s initial 2020 appointment as secretary-general was approved by a standing committee attended only by Yoon Hye-in and her spouse. A party official explained, “As a minor party outside the National Assembly, it was an unavoidable arrangement.”
• The People Power Party criticized, “They cannot abandon their proportional representative seat due to annual state subsidies of 1.1 billion won and the husband’s salary.”
• At least five of Yoon Hye-in’s nine legislative aides previously held party positions or local leadership roles in the Basic Income Party. Yoon Hye-in countered, “Overlap between party roles and legislative staff is a common practice in progressive parties.”
• The Hankyoreh editorialized, “Confirmation hearings are for verifying a candidate’s qualifications and policy capabilities—not a platform to justify holding dual proportional representation roles.”
• Related Link.
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Kim Seong-su Faces In-Law Lease Controversy.

• Kim Seong-su (Supreme Court Justice nominee) is embroiled in a lease dispute.
• Kim resides in an apartment worth over 1.5 billion won, leased to his brother-in-law, under terms of 350 million won deposit + 800,000 won monthly rent.
• Joo Jin-woo (People Power Party lawmaker) claimed, “The deposit is absurdly low,” adding, “The difference from market rates is legally subject to gift tax and constitutes a typical tax-evasion scheme to receive massive benefits from a brother-in-law.”
• Chosun Ilbo noted, “Leasing at a deposit significantly below market value is considered an in-kind gift for the difference, making it subject to gift tax.”
• Kim explained, “My unmarried brother-in-law moved in at my mother-in-law’s urging out of concern for him,” implying no preferential treatment since they shared the apartment.
• Joo Jin-woo countered, “It’s hard to accept that a brother-in-law who earned over 1 billion won annually as a gaming company CEO lived with his sister under such terms.”
• Related Link.
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“Keep Rape Quiet, Don’t Make It Public.”.

• Police investigating the Jang Yun-gi (murder suspect) case were revealed to have instructed, “It’s not that we’re intentionally hiding it, but it’s not for us to bring up first,” adding, “Keep rape quiet, don’t make it public, handle the murder and stalking-rape cases separately.”
• Jang Yun-gi’s father is a current police executive. Despite suspicions of evidence destruction—such as discarding a smartphone—he was not charged due to a special provision exempting relatives from punishment for evidence tampering. Police handed Jang Yun-gi to prosecutors on general murder charges, not rape-murder.
• The case, uncovered through prosecutors’ supplementary investigation, has sparked controversy ahead of the abolition of supplementary investigative authority.
• Related Link.

Iran Returns to War.

• U.S. forces attacked an Iranian oil tanker.
• Iran had first struck South Korean and Saudi Arabia-flagged tankers, and this was retaliation—a “tanker for tanker” strategy.
• Iran again targeted U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan with medium-range missiles. Four civilians were killed in Jordan.
• Trump warned on Truth Social, “The biggest attack is still pending, and when it ends, Iran will barely leave a trace.”
• Oil prices surged again to $95 per barrel.
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Deep Dive.

“Praise Won’t Help Ascension.”.

• Cho Kuk (Director of the Innovation Policy Research Institute, Cho Kuk Innovation Party) has taken on the role of a red team. The pro-Myung faction of the Democratic Party is protesting, calling it “ingratitude.”
• On the 1st, Cho Kuk posted on Facebook regarding the Special Prosecutor Act for Manipulated Indictments, stating, “If any law gives the impression of being created solely for a specific individual, it will fail,” and warned, “Ignoring these points and pushing for dismissal of charges will inevitably lead to political and legal disaster.” This is a sharply worded critique.
• His remark that “the likelihood of a guilty verdict in the second trial for false statements after Lee Jae-myung’s term is very high” has drawn criticism for crossing a line.
• Park Sun-won (Democratic Party lawmaker) criticized, “This cannot be called the language of a comrade.” Park Ji-won (Democratic Party lawmaker) also remarked, “He’s hitting a mosquito with a sledgehammer.”
• Cho Kye-won (Democratic Party spokesperson) argued, “It’s not desirable to borrow the logic of the People Power Party to criticize,” and added, “If there are lingering resentments from the last election, it’s better to let them go.”
• Cho Kuk is deliberately escalating his criticism. He claimed, “Singing praises won’t make the Lee Jae-myung government succeed,” and asserted, “Only by playing the red team role, like I am, can it succeed.” When labeled as “anti-Myung,” he responded, “I just laugh.”
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun editorial assessed, “Regardless of intent, the content of the remarks themselves is not wrong.”
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Government Loses to the Market.

• The comprehensive real estate tax for non-resident single-homeowners was ultimately restored to its original form. The State Council passed the revised bill. The basic deduction for non-resident single-homeowners is 1.2 billion won, while resident single-homeowners receive 1.4 billion won. The tax burden ceiling was lowered from 200% to 150%.
• Lee Hyung-il (Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, nominee for Minister of Economy and Finance) stated, “We reflected market feedback that the disparity between residents and non-residents was ‘excessive’ and eased the gap, but we will maintain a distinction.”
• The Democratic Party remains uneasy and dissatisfied. A Democratic Party lawmaker interviewed by JoongAng Ilbo argued, “Most apartments in the ‘Han River Belt’ are subject to the tax—deduction amounts must be increased.” Another lawmaker noted, “Distinguishing between residents and non-residents could disrupt the jeonse and monthly rental markets, negatively impacting elections.”
• Cho Joo-hyun (professor at Konkuk University) remarked, “The moment the government declares victory over the market, its responsibility grows,” adding, “The current administration is conducting a simulation on the public.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.
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“Judging Parts Without Seeing the Whole.”.

• “Is changing a policy stance inherently corrupt, and sticking to it always right?”
• Lee Jae-myung (President) posted a pointed message on X.
• “Look at the entire policy, not just aggressive hardline claims. Examine why housing prices in Gangnam and similar areas are plummeting now. Would there have been no criticism if the 1.2 billion won deduction and 150% tax ceiling had been maintained from the start? With the original attack point gone, will they just find another issue to latch onto?”
• Lee still implies that the non-resident single-homeowner tax disparity remains effective.
• Related Link.

Has Housing Price Control Actually Worked?

• It is true that asking prices have significantly dropped in parts of Gangnam. Listings have also increased.
• A real estate agent in Apgujeong interviewed by *The Hankyoreh* said, “There are quite a few urgent sales from retirees who have long owned high-end apartments,” and added, “Even though the tax reform bill was partially revised, the core framework hasn’t changed, so it won’t be easy to withdraw listings.”
• Nam Hyuk-woo (Urban & Real Estate Research Institute, Woori Bank) said, “Since the tax reform bill was finalized, many buyers are adjusting their timing, anticipating a wave of disappointed sellers.”
• In an editorial, *Kyunghyang Shinmun* criticized, “The government has retreated in an ‘if not, then forget’ manner,” and pointed out, “It’s hard to accept the plan to further reduce the already tiny group subject to comprehensive real estate taxes.”
• Lee Eun-hyung (Research Fellow, Korea Construction Policy Institute) said, “Reversing part of the basic deduction and tax burden ceiling was like putting out an immediate fire,” but added, “Given the policy shift within a month, the market is likely to remain cautious, especially for high-end housing, until the final bill is confirmed.”
• According to *The Dong-A Ilbo*, the Democratic Party has already conveyed to the Blue House its opinion that the differential treatment of non-resident single-homeowners should be abolished. “The direction is correct, but the speed is too fast,” they argued.
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Interest Rate Spikes: The Era of Low Rates Has Ended.

• Global government bond yields are surging. The U.S., Japan, the UK, Germany, and France are breaking records daily.
• Trump said, “Buying bonds is one type of intervention” and “The ultimate intervention is our military power, which we will use if necessary.”
• Proposals are circulating to forcibly exchange short-term U.S. Treasuries held by South Korea, Japan, and others into 100-year bonds.
• The *Kyunghyang Shinmun* emphasized in an editorial, “Domestic financial market safeguards must be preemptively strengthened.”
• Analysts also suggest mortgage rates could rise to 8% annually.
• The sluggish KOSPI is not unrelated. Rising corporate bond yields could dampen investment. Supply-demand conditions are also poor, as foreign investors continue offloading stocks. MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) diagnosed, “The stock market has already entered a danger zone.”
• The *Donga Ilbo* stressed, “Excessive liquidity injections should be restrained, and fiscal health must be re-examined.”
• Reuters noted, “This is not a temporary phenomenon but a structural issue.” Michiel Tukker (ING Group senior rates strategist) said, “The situation cannot be easily reversed.” Craig Inches (Royal London Asset Management head of rates and cash) added, “Governments still have massive borrowing needs—there’s no room to breathe.”
• Kim Sung-jae (Furman University professor) pointed out, “The 75-year-old principle that the Treasury does not intervene in monetary policy and the Fed does not bail out government debt is crumbling.”
• “The lesson that markets pay a price when interest rates are politicized must not be forgotten.”
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Bond Calm, Stocks Rebound.

• Yesterday, all three major U.S. indices rose. Investor sentiment improved as observations circulated that Treasury yields were stabilizing.
• The S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq gained 0.46%, 0.56%, and 0.45% respectively.
• Nvidia’s stock surged 3.2% amid rumors of acquiring Hugging Face. SK Hynix ADS and Micron Technology rose 2.6% and 2.4% respectively.

Another Take.

Addressing Polarization? Now Is the Growth Famine.

• Lee Jae-myung (President) directly refuted a *Hankyoreh* editorial. He posted on X, “Now is the ‘growth famine’ created by the previous administration; we must first focus on restoring growth.”
• The *Hankyoreh* had criticized in an editorial two days prior, “It is regrettable that resources are concentrated on growth while distribution receives relatively less attention.” Sharing the article, Lee emphasized, “For now, we have no choice but to focus on growth to expand the pie.”
• Jang Dong-hyeok (People Power Party Leader) commented on Facebook, “The noble man examines his own responsibility, while the petty man blames others”—a saying attributed to Confucius.
• Related Link.
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“Even Breathing Costs 100 Million Won Daily in Interest.”.

• This is the story of North Chungcheong Province. With debt at 121.8 billion won, it continues to build and expand projects.
• Son Jong-pil (Director, Korea Local Finance Research Institute) said, “Successive administrations haven’t eliminated existing expenditures but piled new projects on top,” adding, “Projects never disappear, but tax revenues can’t keep pace.”
• Local government debt has surged by 15 trillion won in five years. While the national population shrank by 0.3% between 2015–2025, municipal budgets grew by 94.3%.
• 102 local governments reported 674.3 billion won in operating deficits across 344 major facilities. Only 32 facilities turned a profit.
• Choi Byung-ho (Pusan National University professor) stated, “While regional balance factors must be considered, relaxed feasibility reviews shouldn’t undermine project efficiency assessments.”
• Kim Woo-chul (University of Seoul professor) noted, “Though local finances aren’t in immediate bankruptcy, a ‘fiscal diet’ is necessary.”
• Related Link.

Homeplus Avoided Bankruptcy, But Challenges Remain.

• No buyer has emerged.
• The Seoul Rehabilitation Court approved Homeplus’s restructuring plan. While avoiding liquidation, the company must now sell stores worth 1 trillion won. Unpaid supplier bills exceed 500 billion won.
• Kim Kwang-il (Homeplus Co-CEO, MBK Partners Vice Chairman) said, “The core of this restructuring plan is to reduce operations to focus on profitable stores, prioritize debt repayment by immediately selling some stores, and secure profitability.”
• Senior financial creditors are paid first; once collateral is released, new loans must be secured. Trade creditors are deferred. Sales have risen since reopening on the 13th of last month, but supply chains remain unstable.
• No party has expressed interest in acquiring the company during the 18-month restructuring process.
• Ahn Soo-yong (KCTU Mart Industry Union Homeplus Branch Chief) stated, “Approval is not the end but a new beginning toward normalization.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

What Roy Cohn Taught Trump.

• He was a prosecutor-turned-lawyer who mentored Trump in his 20s. The New York Times called him “America’s Most Notorious Fixer.”
• Kay Bird, who wrote ‘American Prometheus’ (a biography of Oppenheimer), penned Cohn’s biography titled ‘American Scoundrel’ (Villain).
• Born in 1927, Roy Cohn served as a henchman for Senator Joseph McCarthy during the McCarthyist frenzy. He also defended the mafia. (He appeared multiple times in ‘The Simpsons’.)
• When Trump faced lawsuits over racial discrimination, Cohn urged him to sue the government for defamation instead. Trump learned to drown problems in bigger scandals.
• Cohn advised, “Control the narrative,” and “Never admit defeat.” “Winning isn’t enough—make sure people know.” This became the core idea of Trump’s ‘Art of the Deal.’
• “Ignore the rules, leave no paper trail, throw others under the bus if caught, drag things out, and feed the press plausible stories.”
• When Trump married his first wife, Ivana, Cohn recommended her a lawyer and drafted a prenup guaranteeing her only $30,000 annually if they divorced within nine years.
• According to The New Yorker, Roy Cohn lived “like a millionaire and paid like a pauper.” Trump copied him: grand lies prefixed with “To be honest,” the belief that “whoever controls the conversation wins,” and packaging anti-elitism as empathy for the working class. He also learned arbitrage strategies—exploiting loopholes by understanding the rules.
• Trump even custom-made a “DJT” license plate after seeing Cohn’s “RMC” one. It was said, “Game recognizes game.” Their relationship was dramatized in the film ‘The Apprentice.’
• Interest in a man dead for 40 years resurges because Trump was a supporting actor on the political stage Cohn set.
• Shortly after his presidential election, Trump remarked, “How much would Roy have loved this moment?”
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Why ‘Work’ Remains Essential Even If ‘Jobs’ Disappear.

• Past technological innovations eliminated jobs but not work. What about AI?
• It’s not hard to imagine a world without work—just look at pensioners living off retirement funds. Would universal basic income (UBI) turn people into idle loafers?
• Many seniors willingly participate in social infrastructure as part-timers, museum docents, resident representatives, or community mediators. Others spend time traveling, reading, or playing board games. Some who lack such engagement fall into online echo chambers, becoming radical ideologues.
• What’s clear is that losing work inflicts psychological harm as severe as losing a job. AI may take jobs, but we still need tasks—paid or unpaid.
• Stephen Bush (Financial Times columnist) predicted, “The politics of the AI era will focus on balancing the economic gains from outsourcing work to machines against the social benefits most of us derive from labor.”
• Related Link.

The Fix.

1.5°C Goal: We’ve Already Failed.

• Overshoot is now unavoidable. According to the UNEP, we will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within years. We’ve already neared 1.4°C, rising 0.25°C per decade.
• The WMO projects that even in the most optimistic net-zero scenario, peak temperatures will hit 1.8°C.
• Catastrophic heatwaves and wildfires loom. By 2100, over a quarter of glaciers will vanish, seas will rise 9–12.5 cm, and tipping points may be crossed. Temperatures could reach 3.6°C by then.
• The goal hasn’t changed. We’ll overshoot but must bring it back down: overshoot-peak-decline. To prevent worst-case outcomes, we must reach net-negative emissions.
• Nations most responsible for climate change must lead. The UNEP stressed, “No strategy works without equity and justice.”
• Inger Andersen (UNEP Executive Director) warned, “This isn’t the future we wanted, a return to 1.5°C isn’t guaranteed,” yet emphasized, “Reducing the scale, duration, and consequences of overshoot is our best remaining option.”
• Related Link.

No Private Education, 28% More Births.

• Proposals suggest using taxes on private education costs to fund childbirth support.
• Yeom Min-cheol (Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University) analyzed that without status competition effects, the average number of children for South Korean women born between 1970–1975 would have been 2.45—28% higher than the actual 1.92. The analysis shows that stronger comparative psychology increases per-child education spending and reduces births.
• The proportion of private education costs relative to income was higher for low-income households (1st quintile: 8.4%) than high-income households (5th quintile: 5.1%). When late-night tutoring regulations reduced private education costs by 10% for the top 15% of households, the spending share for the bottom 50% decreased by 0.4–0.9 percentage points.
• Yeom emphasized, “Taxing private education spending to fund pro-birth support could be considered.” The argument: “Reducing the pressure of rank-based competition is the optimal low-birthrate policy.”
• Analysis also found that “women’s income five years after childbirth is 43% lower than that of childless women.”
• Concentration in the capital area is also cited as a low-birthrate factor. Volker Ziemann (OECD Economist) advised, “It’s necessary to ensure easy access to services for those living far from urban centers and to develop regional hubs centered on universities.”
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ICYMI.

Kim Nam-joo Acquitted After 46 Years.

• Kim Nam-joo (poet), who was sentenced to 15 years in prison and served 9 years and 3 months for the South Korean National Liberation Front (Namminjeon) case, was acquitted in a retrial. It has been 46 years since the 1980 ruling, and 32 years since Kim’s death.
• The court ruled, “It is a basic fact that the investigation was conducted through violent and coercive methods such as assault and threats during his detention.” The prosecution also requested an acquittal.
• Namminjeon was a secret organization formed in February 1976. It was the largest public security case during the late Yushin era, with 84 people arrested, including Kim Nam-joo.
• Related Link.
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Pay 25 Trillion Won in Electricity Fees Upfront.

• Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has proposed that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix pay five years’ worth of electricity fees in advance. The interest rate is higher than the 2-year government bond rate but lower or similar to the 2-year KEPCO bond rate. The terms include deducting electricity fees from the prepayment and settling interest on the remaining balance every six months.
• Park Chang-ryul (KEPCO Planning Director) said, “The prepayment system becomes a new funding method for KEPCO, and companies can prevent delays in building power grids needed for large-scale factory construction,” adding, “For companies, it’s like finding a stable investment outlet for surplus funds.”
• Related Link.

AI Frontier Triad.

• Anthropic’s recently released Claude 5.1, OpenAI’s Astra, and Google’s Gemini 3.8 are all neck-and-neck in performance. Astra has enhanced security, Gemini excels in coding, and Claude 5.1 significantly improved token efficiency.
• Axios warned, “We cannot guarantee that agents won’t swarm and escape test environments.” There are also claims that AI has already surpassed human manageability. The situation now relies on AI to control AI. It’s even spawning terms like “slop-vestigation.”
• Related Link.

Worth Reading.

Aftermath of the ‘Satellite Party Loophole’.

• The original sin of the Yong Hye-in controversy also lies with the Democratic Party, which created the satellite parties. In the 2024 general election, the two major parties—together with their satellite parties, the Democratic United Alliance and People’s Future—secured approximately 94% (283 seats) of all parliamentary seats.
• Koo Hye-young (The Kyunghyang Shinmun columnist) pointed out, “It is inappropriate for both ruling and opposition parties: Yong Hye-in, who now laments the tragedy of ‘self-rearing’ after practicing brood parasitism (托卵, laying eggs in another’s nest for incubation), and the parties that damaged party politics through loopholes but now criticize others as if it were none of their business.”
• There is also criticism that “Lee Jae-myung bears significant responsibility for appointing a beneficiary of the ‘political foul’—after acknowledging and apologizing for the satellite party crisis—as a minister.”
• Related Link.

The Democratic Party’s Blanket Guarantee.

• Park Eun-jung (lawmaker of the Cho Kuk Reform Party) once claimed, “The rate of conclusions being overturned by supplementary prosecution investigations is only 0.73%.”
• Kim Chang-gyun (Chosun Ilbo editor-in-chief) retorted, “Of the 3 million cases investigated by police, 0.73% of the 100,000 cases the prosecution requests supplements amounts to 730 cases—is this a figure to be dismissed?”
• “How can one predict which of the 130,000 police officers might cause an incident, when, or where? Even if such a crisis occurs, the Blue House and the Democratic Party have pledged to the public they will provide unlimited joint guarantees. One can only assume they committed to this with confidence in their ability to handle the fallout.”
• Related Link.

A Single Sheet of A4: Is the Basic Pension Being Handled So Casually?

• “Wasted time without social deliberation, flip-flopping swayed by public opinion, and the irresponsibility of treating pension reform as a single-year, one-off adjustment—this is how the government has approached the recent basic pension controversy.”
• Oh Geun-ho (co-representative of “The Welfare State We Make”) expressed bewilderment while observing the basic pension overhaul.
• Jeong Eun-kyung (Minister of Health and Welfare) initially announced a plan, then reversed it, and finally included it in the government’s budget proposal—on a single sheet of A4 paper. Oh Geun-ho remarked, “Somehow, the basic pension has become a one-year-only system.”
• They claimed it was a “progressive increase,” but the raise—21,000 won—barely covers inflation. For one-third of the poorest 30% of elderly, the increase is offset by cuts in livelihood benefits, making it a “take-and-give” pension.
• Oh Geun-ho emphasized, “We must never forget that pensions are intergenerational contracts requiring social consensus.”
• Related Link.

“The Nation Grows, Yet My Life Stands Still.”.

• An Sun-hee (Hankyoreh columnist) stressed, “The answer must not come too late.”
• “There is a saying, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ but if a boat is stuck deep in the sand, caught on rocks, or damaged, the tide alone won’t lift it.”
• “It is the government’s role to remove these obstacles, repair the vessels, and strike a balance between growth and distribution to ensure more boats can sail.”
• Related Link.