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 Seung-won, Broker, and Warrant Judge’s Drinking Session.

• Kim Seung-won (nominee for Minister of Justice) was photographed with a broker surnamed Yang and Judge Jeong, whose full name is withheld. Han Dong-hoon (independent lawmaker) made the photo public.
• Yang posted the photo on Facebook, writing, “My eternal mentor, Rep. Kim Seung-won.”
• This broker allegedly asked Kim Seung-won to request Kim Gang-lip (then head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) to expedite clinical trials for Genexel. Judge Jeong dismissed the arrest warrant for Kang, the founder of Genexel.
• Han Dong-hoon claimed, “Genexel made billions thanks to Kim Seung-won, and investors suffered losses from stock price fluctuations. The lawmaker played a central role in that fraud.”
• In an editorial, Chosun Ilbo asked, “What does the justice minister nominee have to say about the allegations that he attended a drinking session with a ‘entertainment district hostess’ broker and invited a warrant judge, whose court later dismissed an actual warrant?”
• The Democratic Party issued a statement: “Questioning the nominee’s qualifications by exploiting the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s prosecutors’ excessive measures is baseless defamation and nothing more than a political attack.”
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What Matters Now.

“Did You Let a Lawmaker Speak to You Like That?”.

• This was what Kim Kang-lip allegedly told his staff after being pressured by Kim Seung-won.
• Lee Yang-soo (People Power Party lawmaker) claimed, “They almost gave humans a drug that made hamsters bleed to death—this is the pinnacle of moral numbness.”
• Kim Seung-won said, “The prosecution mobilized over ten prosecutors for three years in an intensive, exhaustive investigation but decided not to indict,” adding, “I want to clear this injustice once and for all.”
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“No Authority to Drop Charges.”.

• Kim Seung-won (nominee for Minister of Justice) said this in a meeting with reporters: “The justice minister not only has no direct authority to drop charges but also has no current intention to direct the prosecutor general.”
• The Hankyoreh praised in an editorial, “Kim Seung-won did well to state a position consistent with principles.”
• The Justice Party demanded the withdrawal of his nomination, stating, “It is impossible to ask the public to trust the fairness and legitimacy of prosecutorial reform when a politician who has advocated for the president to drop charges is appointed as justice minister.”
• Related Link.
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Holding Ground: Rep. Yong Hye-in.

• Yong Hye-in (nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family) said, “I will explain during the confirmation hearing.” This implies she intends to serve both as minister and lawmaker.
• Kim Min-seok (Democratic Party leader) stated, “This is different from usual cases, as it’s a matter of judgment based on facts already exposed, even without a confirmation hearing.”
• Yoon Geon-young (Democratic Party lawmaker) remarked, “This incident should prompt a reevaluation of the (Blue House’s) vetting unit.”
• Related Link.

Basic Income Party’s Shadow Network: A Complicating Factor.

• Yong Hye-in’s involvement in a shadow network has also sparked controversy. It is a non-official faction within the Labor Party led by Kim Gil-oh (CEO of Korea Board Games). According to the Kukmin Ilbo, most of the Basic Income Party’s leadership comes from this shadow group.
• The Labor Party’s investigative report includes victim testimonies such as, “You shouldn’t flinch if someone lightly touches your knee or shoulder,” and “Women become moist when they drink.”
• Kim Yoon-young (former Labor Party Women’s Committee chair) wrote, “Explain how you will be responsible for ‘gender equality for all’ on the historical foundation of an organization that dismissed women who reported sexism as mentally weak and unqualified.”
• Lee Ga-hyun (then head of the Part-Time Workers’ Union, who was active in the shadow network) stated, “The shadow group had guidelines not only about premarital chastity and abortion bans but also rules like ‘Don’t go to motels’ or ‘Don’t engage in romantic relationships.’”
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Cutting 109, Relocating 350.

• Public institution consolidation plans have emerged.
• South East Power, Chungbuk Power, and three other power generation companies will merge into Korea Power.
• The National Oil Corporation and Gas Corporation will combine to form the Energy Resources Corporation.
• Land & Housing Corporation (LH) will split into the Urban Development Corporation and the Housing Asset Corporation.
• LH’s debt stands at 173 trillion won, with a debt ratio of 231%.
• The integration of Incheon Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation has been postponed for now.
• Kim Yoon-deok (Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) stated, “If an institution is not essential to remain, it will be included in relocation targets by principle.”
• The plan includes “providing robust support to institutions relocating further and faster.”
• The Hankyoreh praised in an editorial, “The integration of the five power companies and the oil-gas corporations is reasonable in light of the energy transition and energy security.”
• Related Link.
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N% Performance Bonuses Not Subject to Strike Actions.

• Ultimately, guidelines for implementing the Yellow Envelope Law have been drafted. They include a clause stating that demands for performance bonuses tied to corporate profits are not subjects of collective bargaining or industrial action.
• The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) argued, “This is a user-biased guideline and a declaration by the government that it will fight against workers.”
• In a statement, the KCTU claimed, “The government’s imposition of excessive criteria on bargaining subjects blocks even reasonable demands for fair distribution of labor compensation and ultimately grants employers a free pass to evade negotiations.”
• Choi Jong-hwan (Korean Confederation of Trade Unions spokesperson) pointed out, “If related mediation requests are filed with the Labor Commission in the future, it’s effectively a predetermined dismissal.”
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Deploying to the Strait of Hormuz.

• Donald Trump (U.S. President) continues to pressure. Plans include requesting parliamentary ratification.
• A government source met by Chosun Ilbo stated, “While no final decision has been made (on deployment), the pressure is intense.”
• It would be the first deployment in 22 years since the Roh Moo-hyun administration’s dispatch to Iraq in 2003.
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Deep Dive.

Lee Seok-yeon Is Dismissed.

• Lee Seok-yeon (Chairperson of the Presidential Committee on National Integration) stated, “This was not due to term expiration but a dismissal at the president’s discretion.” When he inquired about his position with Hong Ik-pyo (Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs), Jeon Seong-hwan (Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication and Integration) visited to convey, “The president has no intention of extending your term.”
• Chosun Ilbo criticized in an editorial, “The successive dismissals of conservative figures who speak plainly are a self-admission that national unity was not a governance goal but mere electoral packaging.”
• Lee had called the distortion of law “a disgrace to a civilized nation” and argued the president should leave the Democratic Party. Kim Seung-hyun (JoongAng Ilbo columnist) assessed, “He was effectively the only red team.”
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“Not Enough Attention to the Left.”.

• Lee Jae-myung met with Kim Dong-myeong (Chairperson of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions) and Yang Kyung-soo (Chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions).
• A Blue House official stated, “Dissatisfaction among key members of the candlelight revolution, including the labor sector, is growing noticeably.”
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Bang Si-hyuk’s $115.6M Unjust Enrichment.

• Bang Si-hyuk (HYBE Chairman) and others are accused of deceiving existing shareholders by falsely claiming the listing plan was delayed, then acquiring their shares at a discount.
• The total unjust enrichment of five executives amounts to $1.94B.
• Police concluded, “Under the shared objective of securing listing profits, the management concealed exclusive listing information from existing shareholders to obtain personal gains.”
• Related Link.

Another Take.

Why Not Just Say the Indictment Won’t Be Dropped?

• In response to a JoongAng Ilbo reporter’s question, Park Seon-won (Democratic Party lawmaker) said, “That would instead open us up to counterattacks implying we admitted there was no fabricated indictment.”
• “Some say we should just state that we won’t pursue the constitutional revision for term limits, but doing so would obviously invite criticism that we had intended to do it from the start,” he added.
• Related Link.

“Samsung+SK Must Build U.S. Factories.”.

• Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo (U.S. Department of Commerce) said, “If you don’t produce here, be prepared to pay a price (in tariffs) to enter the greatest market in the world.”
• According to Politico, the U.S. government is considering expanding the scope of the policy to include not only semiconductors but also finished products like data center servers.
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Foreign Reserves Reach $442.3 Billion.

• Foreign reserves surged by $14.3 billion in one month.
• A Bank of Korea official explained, “Semiconductor companies’ dollar export proceeds piled up heavily in bank deposits, and as banks swiftly deposited the rapidly growing dollar funds with the central bank, reserves expanded sharply.”
• The won-dollar exchange rate fell to 1,359 won.
• All three major U.S. indices rose yesterday: the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq gained 1.06%, 1.18%, and 1.40%, respectively.
• Related Link.

“We’re Getting Beaten in the Alleys.”.

• The past three years have been brutal for FactCheckNet, a private fact-checking platform.
• Criticism poured in: “A tool for regime extension disguised as fact-checking.” Budgets were slashed, audits began. Eventually, audit results claimed improper use of labor costs, leading to criminal referrals. Explanations fell on deaf ears—no media covered it, and the fact-checking system collapsed. Notices demanded the return of 160 million won and payment of 570 million won in penalties within a month.
• Building takes time; destruction is instant. Kwon Oh-hyun (Parti Director) said, “It felt like the sky was turning blue.” Yesterday, at a forum hosted by Kim Hyun (Democratic Party lawmaker), victims of Yoon Suk-yeol’s media suppression gathered to discuss resolving Parti’s issues.
• A year after the regime change, the Broadcasting and Media Communications Commission (BMCC) reopened a review, canceled sanctions, and halted investigations—but Parti’s painstakingly built fact-checking network remains unrecovered.
• Kim Jong-cheol (BMCC Chair) even apologized in person at Parti’s office upon taking office, but nothing changed. Fact-checking certification wasn’t renewed, and labeled as a “problematic contractor” in government projects, securing funds remains difficult.
• Kwon Oh-hyun admitted, “Frankly, it was really tough.” “If Newstapa was beaten on a main street, Parti felt like it was being beaten in an alley. No one cared, and no one listened when we shouted.”
• FactCheckNet produced 413 fact-checks in its first two years. Kwon said, “If it had continued, we’d have thousands by now.”
• TV Chosun reported, “They spent 20 million won per article,” but refused rebuttals. The report inflated budgets and cherry-picked the month with the fewest articles. The original story remains online.
• Park Kyung-ho (Korean Broadcasting Journalists Association Chair) called the BMCC audit “a case of abusing administrative tools to pollute the public sphere.” Han Sang-jin (Newstapa journalist) said, “We witnessed firsthand how media can be crushed in an instant when political power turns its full force against it.”
• Choi Sun-young (Broadcasting and Media Communications Deliberation Commission member) noted, “Disinformation spreads fast and wide, while corrections move too slowly.” The commission lacks authority to review media-related disinformation—it falls under the Press Arbitration Committee. The commission can only address cases under special laws (e.g., 5.18, “comfort women,” Itaewon) with court rulings.
• Choi argued, “Fact-checkers can swiftly fill gaps even without legal power” and urged, “Part of the 150 trillion won future response fund should go here.”

The Fix.

Revitalizing Villas for Youth.

• At a People Power Party debate, Jung Hyun-seok (Sogang University professor) proposed [redevelopment-linked apartment lease-to-ownership] as a solution.
• The basic logic is as follows: The government and public entities purchase aging villas in the early stages of redevelopment—specifically during the district designation phase. These villas are then leased to young people at below-market rates. The youth pay a key money deposit and begin living there.
• Years later, when the redevelopment association is formally established, the deposit is counted as payment toward purchasing a share of the housing.
• For example, if a 500 million won property has a 200 million won deposit, the tenant would own 40% of the property. Since redevelopment typically takes 5–8 years until new apartments are built, the tenant can save more money during this period to gradually buy the remaining 60% share.
• Once the new apartment is completed, the tenant—who has been acquiring shares—gains the opportunity to purchase their home at a cooperative member’s cost, which is significantly cheaper than the general sale price.
• If the apartment price remains unaffordable? They receive priority to move into mandatory rental housing within the redevelopment complex. If they relocate during this process, they can sell their accumulated villa shares back to the public sector for cash and exit.
• Jung Hyun-seok proposed, “The public currently owns about 2,300 villas in Seoul’s redevelopment zones. Let’s start a pilot project here.” This would require amending parts of the Urban Maintenance Act to address issues like cooperative membership eligibility and sales qualifications.
• Related Link.

School Violence Records Had No Effect.

• School violence deliberations more than doubled from 8,000 cases in 2020 to 20,000 in 2022, but the rate of severe disciplinary actions like transfers or expulsions halved from 8.6% to 4.7%.
• Song In-soo (Reform Spring Representative) said, “We expected strong punishment to have a deterrent effect, but the result was the opposite.”
• A system meant to protect victims instead fueled litigation battles and operated in favor of the powerful—a paradox of punitive justice.
• Incheon’s experiment with restorative education is significant: the city saw a 48% drop in school violence cases compared to last year. Experts conduct individual interviews with both perpetrators and victims and facilitate dialogue sessions.
• Jeong Dong-hyeok (Co-Representative of Peace Forest) said, “The key to restorative education is whether students within a classroom community can accept each other’s differences.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

New York Bans AI for Middle Schoolers and Below.

• Eric Adams (New York City Mayor) said, “The tech industry claims early AI-based education is inevitable, but I disagree.”
• The city banned generative AI tools for public school students in grades 2–8 for one year.
• Carmen Fariña (New York City Schools Chancellor) stated, “Students learn most when grappling with difficult problems, trying again when wrong, and finding answers through struggle—no app, chatbot, or algorithm can replace that productive wrestling.”
• The OECD warned, “When AI gives instant feedback, students easily mistake it for full understanding,” adding, “The more capable the AI, the greater the risk that authentic learning experiences are pushed outside the classroom.”
• Related Link.

ICYMI.

Gold Is Flowing Out of America.

• Olaf Scholten (President of the Dutch Central Bank) said, “We hope never to need gold, but we must still strengthen resilience and preparedness.”
• The Dutch Central Bank moved 86 tons of gold—out of 313 tons stored in New York and Ottawa—to London.
• At the end of last year, gold accounted for 27% of global official reserves, while US Treasuries held 22%.
• Related Link.

Male Solitary Deaths 5.3 Times Higher.

• As of 2024, 3,205 men and 605 women died alone.
• 27% of men and 23% of women responded, “There’s no one to ask for help with household chores even when sick.”
• 25% of men and 18% of women answered, “There’s no one to talk to when discouraged or depressed.”
• Related Link.

One in Five Marriages: The Wife Is the Older Spouse.

• Among 198,603 first marriages, 20% had the woman as the older spouse.
• The rate of career-interrupted women is 15%.
• Among parental leave benefit recipients, 37% are men. About half are employed at workplaces with 300+ employees.
• Related Link.

Kakistocracy.

• “We are living in a ‘Kakistocracy’—but we will eventually overcome it.”
• George Clooney (actor) said this in his acceptance speech while receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival.
• It’s a Greek term combining “kakisto,” the superlative of “kakos” (meaning bad), and “cracy” (meaning rule).
• “Films can’t stop wars or lower prices, but they sometimes achieve the extraordinary. We won’t be fooled by those in power because we have lessons from history.”
• Related Link.

Worth Reading.

Problem-Solving Ability Matters.

• About 35–40% self-identify as centrists, and active swing voters account for 15–20%.
• Hong Won-sik (Professor at Dongduk Women’s University) analyzed, “They reject blind party fandom or ideological rigidity, aligning more with rational retrospective voters who make political decisions based on tangible results they can feel regarding issues and governance.”
• “Centrist voters aren’t swayed easily. They simply await genuine politics that demonstrate problem-solving ability. What politics must reclaim isn’t slogans for their own camp, but the ‘competence’ to persuade the center.”
• Related Link.

It Wasn’t the Wind That Shook the Tree.

• “Homes under 1.5 billion won are largely genuine demand from younger generations. It’s not something to worry about.”
• Kim Yong-beom (former Blue House Policy Director) said this. Jeon Byung-yeok (Economy Editor at Kyunghyang Shinmun) pointed out, “Those 1.5 billion won homes are now hitting 2 billion won.”
• “So no matter how much they shout about regional balance or youth policies, it just sounds like political trickery or empty rhetoric. It’s as if they’re cautiously backpedaling to appease the ‘opinion-leading’ wealthy voters. But isn’t there a far more ominous ‘iceberg’ melting right above their heads?”
• Related Link.