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.

Gallup Korea Poll: President’s Approval Rating Drops to 40%.

• Positive and negative assessments stood at 40% and 51%, respectively. The “Kim Seung-won (Minister of the Interior and Safety) and Yoo Hye-in (Justice Party Representative) effect.” (Margin of error ±3.1 percentage points at 95% confidence level.)
• The speed of decline is rapid. From 67% in the last week of April, a 27-point drop in four months.
• By age group: 20s at 25%, 30s at 31%.
• Party support rates: Democratic Party at 38%, People Power Party at 30%. The gap has significantly narrowed.
• In preferred next presidential candidate rankings: Han Dong-hoon (independent former minister) at 9%, Kim Min-seok (Democratic Party leader) at 7%, Oh Se-hoon (Seoul mayor) at 5%.
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What Matters Now.

GPT-6 Astra: Classified as Critical Risk.

• OpenAI announced that GPT-6 Astra has “reached AGI (artificial general intelligence).”
• GPT-6 Astra received a ‘Critical’ risk rating in internal evaluations. It can autonomously identify vulnerabilities and create attack tools without human instruction.
• Despite claims of enhanced security, including alignment monitoring systems, there is no guarantee it cannot escape control.
• Matthew Berman (IT columnist) asserted, “Astra created a 3D clone of the game SimCity in five days.”
• Beyond security concerns, expectations are growing that performance improvements will drive increased investment in infrastructure.
• Counterarguments insist it is not yet AGI. Yann LeCun (NYU professor) noted, “Current language models that fail to grasp physical laws cannot achieve AGI.”
• On Friday, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged 3.4%. SK Hynix ADS jumped 8.1%, while SanDisk, Seagate, and Micron Technology rose 11.9%, 6.3%, and 6.1%, respectively.
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ChatGPT’s Deviation.

• OpenAI’s 3,700 AI agents hacked a German programming wiki, editing over 15,000 documents.
• This is the second sign following the Hugging Face hacking incident in July.

Global Stocks Shudder Ahead of Major Events.

• Strong U.S. job growth is good news but gives the Fed more reason to raise rates. 162,000 new jobs—far stronger than expected, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• Hiring is low, layoffs are low. The 4.1% unemployment rate is historically low.
• The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) is released on the 11th—a key variable for rate hikes.
• Apple’s iPhone Ultra announcement is on the 9th.
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Deploying Troops to Hormuz?

• President Lee Jae-myung said at a meeting with civil society figures, “Talk of deployment is truly difficult; nothing has progressed.”
• A senior Blue House official stated, “We can maneuver within the scope that does not significantly harm the Korean Peninsula’s readiness posture.”
• “The story is that whether non-combat or combat, one person or two, if they go to the site, it is defined as deployment.”
• Options discussed include dispatching supply ships, maritime patrol aircraft, or explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units—tasks like maritime surveillance, reconnaissance, and mine clearance.
• Trump’s pressure continues. He has mentioned it five times. Inside the Blue House, there are remarks like, “It’s true that President Trump’s public criticism is burdensome.” Another ruling party figure said, “Even to avoid being sidelined in North Korea–U.S. talks, strengthening relations is necessary.”
• A military source met by Chosun Ilbo said, “It seems like the thinking keeps changing at the top.”
• If deployment occurs, it would be the first in 22 years since the Roh Moo-hyun administration sent the Zaytun Division to Iraq.
• According to Al-Mayadeen, a senior Iranian official warned, “Iran will consider any action by South Korea opposing Iran in the Strait of Hormuz as direct military aggression against Iran and participation in war.”
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No Justification for War, No Legal Basis for Deployment.

• Lee Ki-heon (Democratic Party lawmaker) argued, “We cannot send our citizens and troops into an endless war started by the U.S. that has become a quagmire.”
• Kim Joon-hyung (Justice Reform Party floor leader) pointed out, “The U.S. territory hasn’t been attacked, and we’re not sending U.N.-approved peacekeepers, so there’s no legal basis for deployment.”
• The People Power Party does not oppose it. However, Jang Dong-hyeok (People Power Party leader) noted, “Even if we deploy now, would they even say ‘thank you’?”
• The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy argued, “Deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz is clearly participating in an aggressive war,” and insisted, “Deployment in any form must not happen.”
• The U.K. and France have sent warships near Hormuz but have not committed them to action.
• Min Jung-hoon (professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy) suggested, “Rather than deploying unilaterally, we should coordinate roles with allies like NATO,” and added, “If deployment occurs, securing firm commitments on pressing issues like the nuclear agreement revision is advisable.”
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Hankyoreh: “It Would Have Been Hard to Keep Ignoring the Request.”.

• Newspapers differ in their editorial stances. The JoongAng Ilbo’s editorial acknowledged, “There are unavoidable aspects in many ways,” but its analysis piece—stating, “This is different from the Roh Moo-hyun era”—noted, “Iran’s nuclear weapons development is hard to view as an ‘immediate and imminent threat,’ and there was no congressional approval.”
• Hankyoreh wrote, “As a government required to consider national interests comprehensively, it would have been difficult to keep ignoring the deployment request outright,” but stopped short of stronger criticism, only adding, “No amount of caution would be excessive.”
• This contrasts with Kyunghyang Shinmun, which emphasized, “Any form of deployment will be recorded as an incorrect choice.” It argued, “It cannot be denied that we are participating in an unjust war started by the U.S.”
• Lee Jae-myung (President) is visiting France on a five-day state visit. The Hormuz Strait deployment issue is among the discussion topics.
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“Once Approved, It’s Billions of Won, Right?”.

• Kim Seung-won (nominee for Minister of Justice) was recorded saying this in a leaked call. It could prove he knew the issue involved massive financial interests.
• Previously, it was known he agreed to receive 5 million won in donations in exchange for relaying a request to approve clinical trials—but the case has taken a new turn.
• Excerpts from the recording:
• Broker: “If you help, it’d be great, because they’ve already secured 30 billion won in investment.”
• Broker: “That company could become a COVID-19 player, and next year when you run for office, it’d be beneficial. If funding flows smoothly, this person could be an asset to you.”
• Kim Seung-won: “Shall we meet right after Chuseok? I’ll send the date.”
• A few days later:
• Kim Seung-won: “I’ll have the director handle it personally and report back.”
• And later:
• Kim Seung-won: “It’s stuck at the section chief level? Understood.”
• Kim then called Kim Kang-lip (then head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) to “request expedited processing by officials.” Two weeks later, the ministry approved Genexel’s clinical trial plan.
• Kim claims, “Relaying public grievances for public interest is an exception to illegal solicitation,” and insists he acted on “public interest grounds.”
• Han Dong-hoon (independent lawmaker) criticized, “Answering a broker—who called you ‘oppa’ and has ties to entertainment venues—by saying you could earn billions, is this the ‘public interest’ the Democratic Party claims?”
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Prosecutors Had Planned to Seek 8 Months in Prison.

• Han Dong-hoon released internal prosecutorial documents stating, “The Genencel founder and broker gained massive illegal profits by exploiting the suspect’s mediation and bribery promises.” Han Dong-hoon claimed, “The Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office said they would indict Kim Seung-won and seek 8 months in prison,” adding, “We must uncover who blocked it.”
• The circumstances surrounding the change to a suspended indictment immediately after the December 3rd martial law are also unclear.
• According to Park Jung-hoon (People Power Party lawmaker), Kim Kang-lip sent a text harassing staff, asking, “Do you let lawmakers hear such things?”
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Where Did Han Dong-hoon Obtain the Recordings?

• Kyunghyang Shinmun’s editorial noted, “The suspicion that Han Dong-hoon obtained and misused call recordings and investigative records for his smear campaign against Kim Seung-won must also be rigorously investigated.” It argued, “If a former justice minister acquired and abused investigative materials, this would constitute an explicit illegal act—both a breach of official secrecy and premature disclosure of suspect information.”
• Cho Gye-won (Democratic Party spokesperson) criticized, “Hoarding cases in a cabinet, then selectively deploying them when convenient—this is the old practice of politically motivated prosecutors.”
• The Democratic Party believes the materials were leaked from within the prosecution. Kim Dong-ah (Democratic Party lawmaker) filed a complaint against Han Dong-hoon with the Corruption Investigation Office.
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Kim Seung-won and the Alleged Stock Manipulation of Sejong Medical.

• This is not just a case of soliciting new drug approvals. Kang Se-chan (Genencel founder) sold 660,000 shares of Sejong Medical he held right before the approval. On the day the approval was announced, Sejong Medical’s stock price surged over 15% before plummeting to the daily limit.
• Suspicions arise: Was the strategy to inflate the stock price by hyping the clinical trials as positive news, even though the drug’s approval was unlikely from the start? They allegedly concealed abnormal symptoms observed in animal experiments and submitted the data.
• Ultimately, Genencel failed to develop the drug, and Sejong Medical was delisted. Kang Se-chan received a suspended sentence of three years in prison with five years’ probation in the first trial on charges including breach of trust.
• The first-instance court ruled, “They attempted to embezzle government funds and sought financial gains through investment solicitations by leveraging the clinical trial approval,” adding, “The nature of the crime is severe.”
• A petition from victims of the stock manipulation included the statement, “Over 700 small shareholders of Sejong Medical, whose families have collapsed and livelihoods destroyed, earnestly wish for the severe punishment of Kang Se-chan and others.”
• Broker Yang Mo-ga was initially promised 1 billion won for successful lobbying, later reduced to 600 million won.
• In a call with Kang Se-chan, Yang Mo-ga said, “I planned to earn this money and give my ‘Oppa’ Seung-won 20 million won as a cash gift.”
• Kim Seung-won claimed, “They are editing the recording out of context to frame a request for administrative confirmation as pressure for approval.” Indeed, prosecutors judged, “Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, it is difficult to conclusively deem the act of a lawmaker asking the head of the MFDS for expedited processing as illegal.”
• A former senior judge interviewed by JoongAng Ilbo explained, “Unlike a court’s final ruling, a suspended indictment lacks ‘res judicata’ (binding force of a final judgment), making reinvestigation possible.”
• Jeong Jeom-sik (People Power Party floor leader) pointed out, “It is a massive conflict of interest for someone with a suspended indictment in a bribery case to become the head of a ministry overseeing prosecution.”
• Han Byung-do (Democratic Party floor leader) asserted, “The case was investigated for three years by 11 prosecutors under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.”
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Deep Dive.

Will Kim Seung-won Fall?

• A Democratic Party lawmaker met by JoongAng Ilbo said, “Kim Seung-won was deemed suitable because he’s not a prosecutor-turned-politician, not aligned with the pro-Judicial Reform faction, nor part of the pro-Kim Eo-jun faction.”
• Chosun Ilbo pointed out, “Though defended as a ‘public interest complaint,’ one wonders whether Kim would have shown such zeal without the ‘oppa’ magic.”
• Donga Ilbo’s editorial noted, “If he fails to provide a convincing explanation, he must step down as a candidate.”
• Park Jeong-hoon (Chosun Ilbo editorial director) analyzed, “In the ‘Democratic Party World,’ everything is forgiven if you’re on our side,” adding, “There’s talk that Kim Seung-won—drafted as a savior for Lee Jae-myung’s legal risks—must be protected, while the ‘sixth-rank’ Yong Hye-in should be discarded.”
• Lee Seong-yoon (Democratic Party lawmaker) claimed, “The prosecution conducted a witch-hunt-style investigation against Kim Seung-won, whom they saw as a thorn in their side.” Han Min-su (Democratic Party lawmaker) argued, “Reviving a case they couldn’t even indict as if it’s a new crime only proves they haven’t shed their old habits from their political prosecutor days.”
• Kim Min-seok (Democratic Party leader) said, “The party has no time to keep engaging with Han Dong-hoon’s misguided provocations.”
• A Democratic Party lawmaker met by The Korea Herald said, “Signals of renewal, like reshuffling the economic team, have been completely overshadowed by the Yong Hye-in issue.” Another lawmaker added, “Unlike the Kim Seung-won controversy—a battle over facts—the Yong Hye-in issue struck a nerve with Gen Z and millennials, who value fairness.”
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Seoul Home Prices Rise 17% Over 85 Weeks.

• Despite six measures under the Lee Jae-myung administration, prices remain unchecked. The previous longest streak was under Moon Jae-in’s government—85 weeks with a 15% rise. (Excluding three weeks without announcements, it’s 82 weeks, but the duration is correctly 85.)
• Analyses cite collapsed supply, finance, and trust.
• Seo Jin-hyeong (Kwangwoon University professor) stated, “Past surges targeted specific areas and sales prices, but now outer-region sales and nationwide jeon/wolse prices are rising simultaneously,” diagnosing it as “unprecedented housing instability.”
• Chosun Ilbo’s editorial argued, “The government must acknowledge last year’s failures and shift from one-sided, anti-market demand suppression to practical urban supply expansion.”
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Four Candidates for NPA Chief.

• Three are former prosecutors, one a former judge.
• Yi Yun-je (Myongji University professor), Kim Kwan-jeong (lawyer), and Kim Ji-yong (lawyer) are ex-prosecutors; Moon Hong-ju (lawyer) is a former judge.
• The candidates were recommended by the nomination committee, and the Minister of the Interior and Safety will nominate one to the president. The appointee will undergo a National Assembly confirmation hearing. The term is two years, non-renewable.
• Baek Hae-ryong (superintendent, Seoul Police Agency Planning Division) was also reviewed but not shortlisted.
• Kim Kwan-jeong dismissed all suspects in the case involving Cho Mi-ae’s (then Minister of Justice) son during his tenure as head of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office. Yi Yun-je and Moon Hong-ju served as special prosecutors in the Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Geon-hui special investigations, respectively.

Patchwork Revisions for the NPA.

• Set to launch on October 2, the NPA will investigate seven major crimes: corruption, economic, defense procurement, drug-related, rebellion-treason, cybercrime, and judicial distortion.
• The Democratic Party is pushing to expand the NPA’s mandate to include seven additional crimes targeting vulnerable groups: child abuse, domestic violence, sexual crimes, child sexual abuse, stalking, abuse of the disabled, and elder abuse.
• A judicial oversight division will be created to handle only cases the police declined to prosecute—a measure to prevent police from burying cases.
• While the number of prosecutors remains legally fixed at 2,292, non-prosecutorial staff (e.g., investigators) will be reduced from 8,414 to 6,120.
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Non-custodial Indictment of Judge Ji Gwi-yeon.

• Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) indicted non-custodially Ji Gwi-yeon (Seoul Northern District Court presiding judge) on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. He sparked massive controversy by ruling to revoke the arrest of Yoon Suk-yeol (former president) during the first trial of the rebellion case.
• Photos of a room salon gathering in Cheongdam-dong were made public, leading to a CIO complaint. Two separate gatherings involved 3 and 5 people, with alcohol bills of ₩4.09 million and ₩4.16 million—Ji did not pay.
• At the ₩4.09 million gathering, he stayed 4–5 hours. Divided by 3 attendees, that’s ₩1.36 million per person. Exceeding ₩1 million per person violates the Improper Solicitation Act.
• Bribery charges were excluded. A CIO official stated, “While investigating quid pro quo, no evidence linked the lawyers who paid to cases handled by Ji’s court. Abstract expectations alone couldn’t confirm a bribe, so the charge wasn’t applied.”
• This overturns the Supreme Court’s prior ruling that such conduct didn’t warrant discipline.
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“Is a Promise Not to Steal Necessary?”.

• Lee Jae-myung (president) made this remark during a civic group meeting regarding the term-limit issue.
• “It’s like telling someone not to steal—why bother? Even if pushed, neither the public nor the National Assembly will accept it. Why make such a statement?”
• Jang Dong-hyeok (People Power Party leader) noted, “It seems he admits that extending terms is akin to stealing.” Cho Yong-sul (People Power Party spokesperson) criticized, “A president who cannot say the simple phrase ‘no term extension’ only fuels suspicion.”
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Consolidating 524 Public Institutions into 415.

• 109 institutions will be merged or abolished. Employment for 128,716 people will be transferred, but executives are excluded. This means nearly 100 director positions could disappear.
• A June Leaders Index survey of 342 public institutions found that, excluding 36 vacancies, 226 of 306 institutions were headed by Yoon Suk-yeol administration appointees.
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LH Splits Again.

• Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) will be split into Urban Development Corporation and Urban Asset Corporation. A portion of the development profits from the development corporation will be deposited into a separate account of the Urban Development Fund to be used as housing welfare resources for the asset corporation.
• As of the end of last year, LH’s cumulative debt was 174 trillion won. The debt ratio is projected to rise to 251% this year and 262% by 2028. While the company recorded 2.5 trillion won in gross sales profit from sales projects last year, it incurred a 2.7 trillion won loss from rental projects.

Where Will Korea Electricity Headquarters Be?

• 1st integration target is the five power generation companies. Namhae’s president position is vacant, while Lee Young-jo (Korea Midwestern Power president), Lee Jeong-bok (Korea Western Power president), Kim Joon-dong (Korea Southern Power president), and Kwon Myung-ho (Korea Eastern Power president) were all appointed under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and have over a year left in their terms.
• Kim Sung-hwan (Minister of Climate and Energy Environment) said, “There’s no law preventing current heads from staying,” but added, “New recruitment procedures for executives and auditors will proceed in line with Korea Electricity’s launch.”
• The five power companies will merge into Korea Electricity. Target launch date is October 1, 2025. At 53.076GW, it will rank 14th globally. Centralizing fuel procurement and equipment investment is expected to improve efficiency.
• Namhae is in Jinju, Midwestern in Boryeong, Western in Taean, Southern in Busan, and Eastern in Ulsan. Each has around 500 employees, requiring a new headquarters for 1,800.
• Yoo Seung-hoon (Seoultech professor) suggested, “Regions losing tax revenue from headquarters relocation need compensatory measures like increased central government grants.”
• Choi Chul-ho (National Federation of Electric Power Industry Trade Union chairman) stated, “Current workforce shortages are severe due to preemptive reductions at slated (thermal) plant closures, no new hiring quotas, and personnel being reassigned to integration tasks.” He added, “Special quotas for energy transition should be established and managed separately from existing headcounts.”
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Another Take.

“Isn’t Kim Hyun-ji the personnel line?”.

• “Does the Blue House even have a personnel line? Isn’t Kim Hyun-ji (Blue House Deputy Chief of Staff) the personnel line?” Seo Yong-joo (Director of the Mac Political and Social Research Institute) said, unaware his microphone was live before a JTBC YouTube broadcast.
• Seo later explained, “I was joking lightly, and it’s embarrassing that it was taken differently than intended.”
• Jang Dong-hyeok (People Power Party leader) claimed, “Kim Hyun-ji is the mastermind behind ‘all things pass through her’ and a shadowy power broker in the Blue House.”
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Trump’s Approval Rating: 33%.

• Financial Times poll. 57% of respondents said, “The economy has worsened.” 46% answered, “Trump makes it harder for Republican candidates to win.”
• Diesel prices have risen to $5.9 per gallon.
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Norway’s Wealth Fund Dumps U.S. Treasuries.

• Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which oversees a $2.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund, has decided to reduce its holdings of U.S. Treasuries by $80 billion. As U.S. bonds plummet, a global sell-off of government debt is underway.
• The Dutch central bank moved 78 tons of gold—worth $11 billion—from underground vaults in Manhattan to London. It explained, “We are strengthening crisis preparedness amid growing geopolitical instability,” but did not specify the source of the instability.
• The French central bank also withdrew gold from the U.S.—129 tons worth.
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Cybercab Rollout: Did Elon Musk Keep His Promise?

• He vowed to deploy at least 2 million autonomous taxis annually—but so far, only a handful are operational. The two-seat Cybercab, lacking a steering wheel or pedals, has been released in Austin, Texas. Only 45 units.
• Prices were promised under $30,000, but no figures have been disclosed. For now, only Tesla-operated vehicles are running.
• Fare: $0.20 per mile.
• Alphabet’s Waymo, meanwhile, already operates 4,000 vehicles across 14 cities.
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Open-Source AI as a Game-Changer.

• AT&T, Airbnb, and Deloitte have switched to open-source models.
• Chinese open models deliver 80–90% performance at 20% of the cost.

The Fix.

Mifepristone Available at Pharmacies.

• Possible starting two years from now.
• Mifepristone is a medication for terminating pregnancies. Hospital-based prescriptions could begin immediately upon approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Seven years after the 2019 constitutional ruling against abortion criminalization, approval remains pending.
• According to The Hankyoreh, Lee Jae-myung (President) stated, “We’ve settled on two years of hospital-based prescriptions and dispensing, followed by hospital prescriptions and pharmacy dispensing from the third year onward.”
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South Korea to Be Older Than Japan by 2060.

• According to a U.S. Census Bureau report, the proportion of South Korea’s population aged 65 and older is projected to more than double from 20.3% last year to 41.0% by 2060.
• South Korea’s median age will rise from 46 years last year to 59.2 years by 2060. The old-age dependency ratio will increase 2.8-fold, from 29.5 to 81.6. The global average is 32.1.
• South Korea’s elderly poverty rate was 40.5% as of 2020, the highest among OECD member states. Pension system introduction was delayed, benefit levels are low, and retirement comes early.
• Japan has extended retirement ages and expanded post-retirement re-employment options, while Germany raised both retirement and pension eligibility to 67 years, with benefits automatically adjusted according to the old-age dependency ratio.
• In an editorial, Dong-A Ilbo urged, “Work must begin immediately to defuse the ‘time bomb’ of aging.”
• Last year, the global population was 8.13 billion, with 850 million aged 65 or older. The elderly population is expected to reach 2 billion by 2060.
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South Korea Cannot Escape Responsibility.

• “The countries that emitted the most greenhouse gases bear the greatest responsibility,” a Nepali youth interviewed by Chosun Ilbo said.
• As of 2014, South Korea’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions were 12.8 tons—compared to the global average of 6.6 tons and Nepal’s 1.3 tons. Jang Soo-kyung (Hankyoreh Environment Team Leader) noted, “We cannot extend a hand in the face of damage and turn away when responsibility calls.”
• Poet Hwang Kyu-kwan emphasized, “The South Korean government must compensate the Nepali government and take responsibility for recovery efforts.”
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ICYMI.

Diamond Mines Are Closing Their Doors.

• Lab-grown diamonds have flooded the market, causing natural diamond prices to plummet. A one-carat stone now costs $3,415—half its price a decade ago.
• Lab-grown means cultivated in a lab. Even lab-grown diamonds have dropped to $595 per carat—an 89% crash.
• South Africa’s unemployment rate hovers near 40%. Observers warn of a deepening economic crisis.
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A Fair World Needs a Fair Map.

• Mercator projection has been abandoned in favor of the Equal Earth projection, which more accurately reflects actual sizes.
• The UN General Assembly vote saw only the U.S. cast a dissenting ballot, citing it as “part of a radical ideological project.”
• Shin Kwang-young (Dong-A Ilbo Editorial Writer) noted, “This aligns with the Trump administration’s stance of opposing domestic voices highlighting historical inequalities like racial discrimination.”
• Some speculate the U.S. may have disliked the projection’s reduced depiction of Greenland’s size.
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Worth Reading.

A Data Catalog Is Essential.

• At 3 a.m., even a first-time officer should be able to use the data without needing to ask someone. The same applies when handing it over to AI. Park Tae-woong (Nokseo Forum Chairman) emphasized, “Establishing standard APIs and standard MCPs is the starting point for everything.”
• Whether it’s disaster response, identifying welfare blind spots, or urban planning, the same principle applies. To cross-reference information and find patterns, data must be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. This requires dismantling the silos each ministry has built.
• “Innovating with AI means doing these things. It’s extremely tedious and unglamorous, but without this work, AI becomes nothing but a gilded plum.”
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Three Weak Links in Lee Jae-myung’s Government Personnel Strategy.

• Seong Han-yong (Senior Reporter, Hankyoreh) assessed, “It looks challenging.”
• First, Lee Jae-myung has weak connections.
• Second, his administrative-style leadership favors bureaucrats. Seong Han-yong advised, “One should consider the political adage: ‘If you leave things to bureaucrats, nothing impossible becomes possible, and nothing possible becomes done.’”
• Third, he tries to handle all personnel decisions himself. Seong Han-yong emphasized, “He must share power with his comrades.”
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Two Wars Grow Increasingly Similar.

• The U.S.-Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war are interacting.
• First, both were expected to end quickly with overwhelming military force, but have instead dragged on indefinitely.
• Second, the conflicts are intertwining. The U.S. is depleting Patriot missile stocks in the Middle East, leaving no reserves to send to Ukraine.
• Third, North Korea is deploying troops to Ukraine, while Ukraine is requesting support from South Korea.
• Lee Cheol-jae (JoongAng Ilbo Senior Reporter) analyzed, “It reads that Trump’s true intention is for South Korea to ease U.S. burdens by contributing either to a Hormuz Strait deployment or Ukraine aid.” He advised, “Wisdom is urgently needed to prioritize national interest while upholding principles, even under U.S. pressure.”
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The Pitfalls of Member-Driven Parties.

• “If a National Assembly member’s remarks at a party meeting leak to the press, text bombings and protest calls pour in from that day,” said a Democratic Party lawmaker interviewed by Kyunghyang Shinmun.
• A People Power Party lawmaker reportedly blocked fax receipts, but the sender contacted the neighboring Democratic Party office demanding, “Let us see the fax.”
• Choi Chang-ryeol (Professor, Yong In University) questioned, “While members should be the center of a party, I doubt they are its true owners,” adding, “Excessively emphasizing member sovereignty amid the noted gap between party and public opinion misaligns with a party’s purpose.”
• Kyunghyang Shinmun analyzed, “As members’ influence grows, hardline voices dominate, and political discourse shifts from dialogue and compromise to hostility and confrontation,” noting, “While reflecting members’ will is a worthy goal, politics based on compromise and coordination is vanishing.”
• The Democratic Party and People Power Party have 1.52 million and 1 million rights-holding members, respectively.
• Since 2024, the Democratic Party has included 20% member voting in elections for the National Assembly Speaker and floor leader. Cho Jin-man (Professor, Duksung Women’s University) criticized, “Lawmakers should elect the Speaker,” questioning, “Do all members need to intervene in every detail?”
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The Pitfalls of the “Policy Genius” President.

• “Calling someone a ‘policy genius’ means they know everything down to the last detail. Under such leadership, subordinates struggle to voice their own opinions—they end up just following orders.”
• Noh Won-myung (Maeil Business News Columnist) pointed out, “In a presidential system, if the president acts like an expert, governance converges to the president’s personal level.” He added, “I wonder if there’s even one minister in the cabinet who can say, ‘That’s not correct.’”
• “Every time I watch broadcasts of State Council meetings or policy briefings, I’m amazed by President Lee Jae-myung’s expertise. I wonder if there’s any field he isn’t an expert in. Meanwhile, ministers and agency heads—who are supposed to be the experts—keep their heads down, busy taking dictation. (Omitted) What fills the void when a deputy prime minister, who could be fired for failing to control Chuseok prices, is overwhelmed? Is it the ‘policy genius’ president’s personal flair?”
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