Mayor Oh Se-hoon Criticizes Special Counsel Min Joong-ki as “Evil” for Alleged Unfair Prosecution

▷ Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (오세훈) criticized Special Counsel Min Joong-ki (민중기) for prosecuting him while failing to take action against the alleged perpetrators, Myung Tae-kyun (명태균) and his associates.

▷ Oh argued that the special counsel is shielding figures like Kang Hye-kyung (강혜경) because they are whistleblowers for the Democratic Party, despite their involvement in manipulating opinion polls.

▷ While the special counsel indicted the mayor for allegedly requesting illegal opinion polls in 2021, Oh has denied all charges, labeling the investigation as one of the worst in constitutional history.

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Former Lawmaker Park Yong-jin Joins Lee Jae-myung Administration to Lead Regulatory Reform

[글로벌 요약 (news English)]

▷ Park Yong-jin (박용진), formerly a prominent internal critic of the party leader, has been appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee under President Lee Jae-myung (이재명).

▷ Park (박용진) characterized his appointment as “Hiddink-style talent recruitment,” asserting that the president prioritized practical competence and bipartisan cooperation over past political factions.

▷ The committee will focus on creating necessary guidelines for emerging industries such as AI and resolving inter-departmental conflicts to streamline the nation’s regulatory framework.

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President Lee orders full mobilization of policy tools amid Middle East crisis

▷ President Lee Jae-myung (이재명) emphasized the need to mobilize all available policy measures to minimize the impact of the Middle East crisis on the financial, energy, and real economy sectors.

▷ He specifically called for a strict and firm response to anti-social acts, such as unfair profiteering in oil prices, that exploit the difficulties of the community during global instability.

▷ President Lee also urged for national interest to be prioritized and asked for public support for the upcoming 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Paralympics.

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Foreign Minister Cho Says He Learned of Iran Airstrikes Through the News

▷ Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (조현) stated at a National Assembly session that he received no prior notice from the United States regarding the Iran airstrikes and only learned of the event through news reports.

▷ During the session, lawmakers pointed out a serious diplomatic vacuum, noting that leadership positions in six out of 19 Middle Eastern missions, including Kuwait and Bahrain, are currently vacant.

▷ Minister Cho admitted that personnel appointments are being delayed and expressed that he takes the criticism regarding the lack of diplomatic readiness very seriously.

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Over Half of Koreans Support Lee Jae-myung Administration’s Real Estate Policies

▷ According to a Gallup Korea poll, 51% of citizens approve of the real estate policies led by President Lee Jae-myung (이재명), marking the highest positive response rate since 2013.

▷ A significant 62% of respondents support the administration’s plan to strengthen regulations on multi-homeowners, believing it will contribute to the stabilization of the housing market.

▷ Amid falling apartment prices in major Seoul districts, the president’s overall job approval rating has also reached 65%, matching its previous record high.

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Three Civilians Referred to Prosecution for Flying Drones into North Korea

▷ A joint military-police task force has referred three civilians, including a student in his 30s named Oh (오모씨), to the prosecution on charges of general treason and violating aviation laws for unauthorized drone flights into North Korean territory.

▷ The suspects allegedly conducted these flights to prove their drones could evade radar systems for economic gain, but their actions resulted in the drones crashing in North Korea and exposing sensitive South Korean military information.

▷ In addition to the three primary suspects, authorities are continuing to investigate four other individuals, including officials from the National Intelligence Service and the military, for their potential involvement in the case.

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Trump Administration Scrambles to Contain Surging Oil Prices Amid Iran Conflict

▷ White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles (수지 와일스) has instructed aides to generate ideas for lowering gasoline prices as the conflict with Iran threatens to drive up global energy costs.

▷ The administration is exploring unprecedented market interventions, including releasing strategic oil reserves, suspending the federal gas tax, and providing government-backed insurance for tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

▷ These measures come as Donald Trump (도널드 트럼프) faces pressure to manage inflation ahead of the November midterm elections, fearing that rising fuel costs could undermine his economic track record.

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Education Office Official Found Dead Amid Workplace Bullying Investigation

▷ A 50-year-old official A (A씨) from the Yeongyang Education Support Office was found dead by a resident in an apartment flowerbed in Pohang on March 4th.

▷ The deceased had recently transferred to his current office from the Pohang Education Support Office earlier this month.

▷ Police are investigating the exact cause of death, noting that he had been under investigation for reported workplace harassment since last December.

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Court Suspends PPP’s Disciplinary Action Against Rep. Bae Hyun-jin

▷ The Seoul Southern District Court has granted an injunction filed by Representative Bae Hyun-jin (배현진), suspending the one-year party membership suspension recently imposed on her by the People Power Party (PPP).

▷ The court ruled that the PPP leadership abused its discretionary power by making an excessive disciplinary decision without conducting a thorough deliberation on the case.

▷ Following the ruling, Kwak Kyu-taek (곽규택), the chair of the PPP’s legal committee, announced that the party is currently reviewing whether to file an objection against the court’s decision.

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Three suspects in North Korean drone infiltration sent to prosecution for treason

▷ A joint military and police task force has referred three individuals to the prosecution on charges including treason related to the infiltration of North Korean drones.

▷ The suspects are accused of violating the National Security Act by providing assistance that benefited the enemy during the drone provocation.

▷ This legal action marks a significant step in the authorities’ investigation into domestic involvement in North Korea’s aerial incursions.

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