Will Han Duck-soo Be Released?

• Convicted of treasonous duties, Han received 23 years in the first trial and 15 years in the second, but the Supreme Court appeal has prolonged his detention, which expires in 20 days. The special prosecution requested a ruling before the detention period ends, but the case lacks sufficient review for an immediate verdict.
• Han Duck-soo’s (former Prime Minister) Supreme Court appeal had its first hearing on September 29, with a second scheduled for the 19th. There is no precedent for a ruling on the same day as a hearing.
• If detention expires, the court may cancel detention or grant bail ex officio.
• A senior Seoul High Court judge remarked, “Is the Supreme Court negligently handling this without due attention?”
• A judge interviewed by *The Hankyoreh* said, “The appeal process doesn’t reassess factual disputes, so the delay is inexplicable.”
• The Chosun Ilbo* criticized the contradiction of judging Han’s role before the main defendant, Yoon Suk-yeol (former President). An anonymous legal source told *The Chosun Ilbo*, “A consolidated ruling would prevent future disputes.” Yoon’s appellate verdict is scheduled for January 26, 2025.
• Lee Yong-woo (Democratic Party spokesperson) stated, “If Han walks free, it would be tantamount to Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae granting him clemency.”
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun* editorial questioned, “Can we not ask if there is genuine resolve to condemn treason?”
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What Matters Now.

Cabinet Approves Cleverly Disguised Cheonghae Unit Deployment.

• Expanded operational zone extends 650km south of Oman’s coast, beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Deploying maritime patrol aircraft, unmanned underwater vehicles, and explosive ordnance disposal units.
• Esmail Baghaei (Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson) stated, “South Korea should refrain from military dispatch” and “hopes it does not appear as an accomplice to military aggression.”
• Lee Mi-sun (Progressive Party Spokesperson) criticized it as “‘disguised participation, cleverly disguised deployment’ sacrificing citizens’ lives and security.”
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Is the War Ending?

• Trump said, “It’s effectively over militarily.”
• Discussions include allowing Iran to enrich uranium to 3.7% and releasing $6-9 billion in frozen assets. According to the Financial Times, JD Vance (U.S. Vice President) is leading the negotiations.
• International oil prices have plummeted.

Special Prosecutors to Handle Six Cases Involving Lee Jae-myung.

• Of the 17 cases under the special prosecution’s jurisdiction, six involve Lee Jae-myung (President), with three still in the first trial phase—eligible for indictment withdrawal.
• The perjury instigation and election law cases, already in appeal, require alternative resolutions like dismissal or acquittal.
• Speculation grows that investigative focus will shift to the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case.

Will the Special Prosecutors Investigate Effectively?

• Twenty special prosecutors must investigate 200 prosecutors.
• A former prosecutor involved in indicting Lee Jae-myung (President) said, “If the special prosecutors summon without clear evidence of criminal charges, we won’t comply.”
• A current prosecutor interviewed by Chosun Ilbo remarked, “It’s absurd to strip prosecutors of investigative authority and then demand they expose colleagues’ misconduct under the special prosecution—how can we investigate if we have no power?” adding, “The Ministry of Justice will try to persuade, but prosecutors will avoid deployment at all costs.”
• Some have even said, “We’d rather take a leave of absence or resign than join the special prosecution.”
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Gyeonggi Education Superintendent Election Results Sheet Forged.

• Special prosecutors raided the election commission office. “We confirmed that commission staff concealed and forged the results sheet, altering the actual vote count,” they stated.
• The vote gap between Ahn Min-seok (Democratic Party candidate) and Im Tae-hee (People Power Party candidate) narrowed by 47 votes, but the election outcome remained unchanged.

Deep Dive.

Jensen Huang’s Shock: Semiconductor Regulation Trilogy Unveiled.

• AI Surveillance Law controls semiconductor exports. Chip Security Law tracks chip locations, and the MATCH Act regulates semiconductor equipment exports.
• Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix may benefit indirectly, but companies exporting equipment and components to China could see reduced sales.
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KOSPI Rebound? Nvidia Plunges for Second Day.

• Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose 4.74% and 6.69%, respectively, while the KOSPI gained 4.39%.
• Nvidia shares plunged for a second day. Shareholders filed a class-action lawsuit.
• All U.S. stock markets declined. The S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq indices fell -0.38%, -0.30%, and -0.74%, respectively.
• Nvidia dropped 5.5%. Broadcom and AMD rose 3.9% and 1.3%, respectively.
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The Democratic Party Is Mired in the Shincheonji Quagmire.

• Approximately 3,300 Shincheonji members had voting rights during the August party convention—0.4% of the total 780,000 voters.
• Kim Min-seok (Democratic Party Leader) claimed, “There is a three-way alliance of anti-Myung + divisionism + Shincheonji,” but later backtracked, stating, “There was no evidence.”
• Yesterday’s internal investigation results, shared with lawmakers, fueled controversy. Choi Min-hee (Democratic Party lawmaker) criticized, “It was utterly sloppy.”
• Pro-Myung faction lawmakers interpreted the same findings differently. Park Bum-kye (Democratic Party lawmaker) stated, “Circumstantial evidence of Shincheonji’s organized collective membership was confirmed.” Jo Gye-won (Democratic Party spokesperson) remarked, “Even the confirmed portions felt dangerous.”
• JoongAng Ilbo editorialized, “It cannot be resolved with ‘self-sealing.’” The Hankyoreh editorial noted, “If internal investigations have limitations in uncovering the truth, actively considering a police referral should also be reviewed.”
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Another Take.

Can Child Allowances Be Left to Semiconductor Prosperity?

• Of the 162 trillion won Future Response Fund, 45 trillion won is allocated for project costs. Of this, 21 trillion won is designated for recurring expenditures.
• 3 trillion won for child basic allowances and 1 trillion won for childbirth support grants are included in this fund.
• The Participatory Society argued, “Expanding fiscal spending to improve citizens’ lives—such as welfare, care, healthcare, and housing—should, in principle, be funded through stable revenue sources and managed within the general budget.”
• In an editorial, the Kyunghyang Shinmun criticized, “It should not end with merely relabeling and shifting funds under a plausible name,” adding, “If the government uses the fund without principle in this way, it will deserve criticism for treating the unexpected tax surplus as a ‘petty cash fund.’”
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Is the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office Targeting Choo Mi-ae?

• Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office has banned the son of Choo Mi-ae (Gyeonggi Governor) from leaving the country. The investigation resumed two years after the prosecution suspended the indictment.
• Seo Jae-hwi (Choo Mi-ae’s son) took 23 consecutive days of leave while serving as a KATUSA in 2017. He extended his leave without approval, and there were suspicions of external pressure in the process. He returned to the country earlier this month after failing to respond to a prosecution summons and leaving the country.
• The prosecution has already decided not to indict due to insufficient evidence. The Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office rejected an appeal, and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office has suspended the indictment.
• The prosecutors’ office plans to transfer the case to the police or the Anti-Corruption Investigation Agency if no conclusion is reached by the end of the year.

Will Gangnam Tax Cuts Return as Votes for the Democrats?

• Cha Gyu-geun (Lawmaker, People’s Reform Party) said this. Regarding the Democratic Party’s review of easing comprehensive real estate tax, he criticized it as “a tax cut for the top 1% rich disguised as a pretext for Seoul public sentiment.”
• Park Seong-jun (Democratic Party spokesperson) said, “Tax issues are important to Seoul public sentiment, aren’t they?”
• Opinions are divided even among Democratic Party lawmakers. Park Joo-min (Democratic Party lawmaker) argued, “The comprehensive real estate tax has aspects of mitigating real estate speculation and enhancing tax equity—it’s right to approach it cautiously.”
• Today, Kim Min-seok (Democratic Party Leader) and Han Byung-do (Democratic Party floor leader) will meet President Lee Jae-myung at the Blue House.
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“If You’re Strong Enough, Just Hold Out.”.

• “In redevelopment evictions, mobilizing physical force to hold out for years causes immense damage and so-called ‘squatting’ tactics seem to work.”
• Lee Jae-myung (President) instructed during a State Council meeting, “Check and report on all instances of persistently illegal actions or behaviors that undermine legal order.” Observers widely speculate this was directed at Pastor Jeon Kwang-hun’s Sarang Jeil Church.
• “If citizens see this situation with their own eyes, won’t they think, ‘If you’re strong enough, just hold out. Who cares about the law? The law is only on the side of the powerful and the wealthy’?”
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Will Trump Meet Kim Jong-un?

• After his midterm election defeat, Trump needs a new event.
• Victor Cha (CSIS emeritus) analyzed, “The possibility of a North Korea-US summit has increased.” “North Korea likely sees Trump as weaker and an easier target.”
• Stephen Biegun (former US Special Representative for North Korea) said, “I think he would be willing to participate in a kind of showy summit.”
• Kurt Campbell (former Deputy Secretary of State) pointed out, “The only condition under which North Korea would consider a summit is if the US recognizes it as a nuclear state.” Trump cannot accept this, and even if they meet, it would be difficult to go beyond a handshake.
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The Fix.

3 PM Elementary School Dismissal Plan Collapses.

• At the National Education Committee, a proposal to delay dismissal times for first and second graders received 5 votes in favor and 11 against.
• Currently, students are dismissed at 1 PM.
• Teacher opposition was strong: the increased class burden was problematic, but the lack of clear explanation for why extending school hours would require longer classes was even more so.
• Lee Bo-mi (National Education Committee member) pointed out, “There is no clear evidence that extending academic hours would benefit children.”
• Yeon Choo-hyun (National Education Committee member) countered, “We must address the childcare gap and private education issues.”
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456 Billion Won for Students’ First Career Steps.

• To get a job, you need experience; to gain experience, you need a job.
• The government has decided to support the first career steps of 60,000 university students.
• When students complete field training at companies or institutions, they receive a 2.3 million won monthly training stipend—half of which will be subsidized by the government.
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Outside Food Welcome.

• Haeundae Traditional Market now has a standing lounge.
• A space where you can bring market food and pair it with beer or coffee.
• Not a competition to steal customers from one another, but a ‘win-win’ structure where neighboring stalls thriving helps your own business too.
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ICYMI.

Naver + Dunamu Merger Review Begins.

• Deliberations began one year after the filing. Naver Financial will acquire all Dunamu shares and issue 2.54 shares of Naver Financial stock per Dunamu share. Once merged, Dunamu will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Naver Financial.
• Twelve business areas overlap, of which ten—including digital asset exchanges, simple payments, search, and advertising—raise concerns about restricted competition.
• While some assess it as a chance to boost the digital finance industry’s competitiveness and accelerate global market entry, others warn it could create a powerful monopoly, stifling competition.
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AI Deployed to Track Digital Sex Crime Material.

• The number of content removal requests handled by the ‘Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center’ has increased tenfold—96,210 cases processed over six months.
• After AI implementation, the number of cases handled per staff member jumped from 21 to 202.
• Since 96% of illegal sites use overseas servers, 29% ignore removal requests even when submitted.
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Shareholder List Request Met with Six Boxes of Paper.

• Minority shareholders opposing Kakao’s spin-off requested the shareholder register. Kakao responded by sending printed copies in boxes, citing personal information protection.
• A securities industry insider interviewed by Chosun Ilbo called the paper-based delivery a “document bomb” tactic—used to obstruct small shareholders’ coordination during shareholder vote battles.
• A Kakao representative stated, “Considering the ease of editing, copying, and mass distribution of electronic files, we judged it necessary to handle shareholder register requests via written documents only, given privacy concerns.”
• Kakao is proceeding with plans to split into Kakao AI and Kakao X (an investment firm).
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France’s Refrigerator Hack: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Behind It.

• Iranian IP addresses and Persian-language commands were identified.
• Temperatures in refrigeration facilities at over 700 distributors soared above 50°C, causing tens of millions of euros in damage.
• Jean-Noël Barrot (French Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness) criticized it as “the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage and a major threat.”

Worth Reading.

How Many Friends and How Often Should We Meet?

• The study surveyed 350,000 people across 37 countries. Daily interactions with 2-3 people and regular meetings with around five yielded the most positive effects.
• Meeting five or more daily or regularly seeing over ten people increased fatigue more than benefits.
• Haji Hyun (Konkuk University professor) advised, “Meeting good friends twice a week and maintaining two to three small regular friend groups is most balanced and beneficial for mental health,” adding, “It’s right to consistently invest even small amounts into the ‘insurance’ of relationships.”
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What the Region Needs: Medical Schools or Hospitals?

• National medical schools will be established at Suncheon University in Gwangju, South Jeolla, and at Gyeongbuk National University in Andong, North Gyeongsang. A national graduate school of medicine will also open in Namwon, North Jeolla—with quotas of 60, 40, and 100 students respectively.
• The stated goal is to address medical service gaps, but it’s worth questioning whether the priority should be hospitals or medical schools. Establishing a medical school requires professors and patients. Even existing hospitals like the National Firefighters Hospital in Eumseong, North Chungcheong, and the Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service Hospital in Ulsan face doctor shortages. Seonam University’s medical school has already closed.
• Shin Sung-sik (JoongAng Ilbo senior reporter) criticized, “Healthcare should be resolved through medical logic, but politics has deeply intervened.”
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Electricity Rates Must Reflect Fuel Costs.

• Industrial city gas rates have surged 66%, while household rates remain unchanged.
• Industrial electricity rates are over 20% higher than residential rates.
• The result? Korea Gas Corporation’s overdue payments approach 15 trillion won, and Korea Electric Power Corporation’s debt has ballooned to 210 trillion won.
• In an editorial, Chosun Ilbo emphasized, “Implementing a fuel cost-linked pricing system for gas and electricity, while protecting vulnerable groups through targeted support like energy vouchers, would suffice.”
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The Difference Between a Party and a Faction.

• A political party is legitimate only when it contributes to the public good; if it degenerates into a group pursuing special interests, it becomes a faction. A party strengthens the system’s overall capacity, while a faction divides or depletes it.
• Park Sang-hoon (political scientist) noted, “ ‘Party politics’ refers to a ‘competition for advancement’ over who can manage public resources more valuably, whereas ‘factional politics’ means a ‘competition for plunder’ to monopolize public resources for one’s own group.”
• Park Sang-hoon criticized, “Korean political parties have become ‘playgrounds for a small political class’ fighting for party leadership and presidential power.”
• “Look at Kim Min-seok, Jung Chung-rae, and the internal Democratic Party conflicts surrounding them. What shared public cause or societal expectation exists in their squabbles? Look at Jang Dong-hyeok, Oh Se-hoon, and Han Dong-hoon’s disputes and realignments. Beyond opportunism, what other public-oriented purpose do they serve?”
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Introducing [Slow News Pro].

• Curated premium content from Slow News.
• [Today’s National Assembly] for quick reviews of legislative briefings.
• [Slow Factbook], Slow News’ data archive.
• [Slow Script], live coverage of key seminars and debates.
• [Solution Book], a restructured version of Slowletter’s ‘Solutions and Alternatives’ section.
• [National Audit Report], in-depth analysis of the political highlight: the government audit.
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