President Lee pursues political stability with broad ministerial and committee appointments

▷ President Lee Jae-myung (이재명) nominated Rep. Park Hong-geun (박홍근) as the Minister of Planning and Budget, emphasizing his extensive expertise in parliamentary budget committees.

▷ The administration also appointed Park Yong-jin (박용진), a non-mainstream party figure, and Lee Byung-tae (이병태), a conservative professor, to key positions to foster political harmony and unity.

▷ These strategic appointments are interpreted as a move to secure administrative stability and broaden public support ahead of the upcoming local elections.

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Lawmaker Kang Sun-woo and Former Councilor Arrested Over 100 Million Won Bribery Case

▷ Independent lawmaker Kang Sun-woo (강선우) and former Seoul city councilor Kim Kyung (김경) were arrested on Wednesday on charges of exchanging 100 million won in exchange for a local election nomination in 2022.

▷ The Seoul Central District Court issued the arrest warrants for both individuals, stating there was a significant risk of evidence destruction.

▷ While Kim confessed to the bribery charges, Rep. Kang has strongly denied the allegations, claiming she was unaware that the bag she received contained money and that she returned the full amount later.

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Commuter stock trading hits 8.9 trillion won as Nextrade successfully enters market

▷ Nextrade CEO Kim Hak-soo (김학수) announced that Korea’s first alternative trading system has successfully settled in, accounting for 28.8% of the total market trading value over the past year.

▷ Daily trading value during pre-market and after-market hours surged more than eightfold to 8.9 trillion won, effectively meeting the demands of office workers trading during their commutes.

▷ With transaction fees 30% lower than the Korea Exchange, the platform saved investors approximately 29.85 billion won and plans to introduce ETF trading in the fourth quarter.

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AI-Driven Warfare: From Automated Kill Chains to Autonomous Lethal Decisions

▷ The U.S. military utilized AI to strike approximately 900 targets in just 12 hours, demonstrating a highly compressed kill chain that effectively incapacitated Iranian leadership.

▷ AI models from companies like Palantir (팔란티어) and Anthropic (앤트로픽) are now replacing human decision-making by evaluating intelligence and authorizing strikes within fractions of a second.

▷ As warfare shifts into an algorithmic realm beyond human cognition, concerns are rising that ethical considerations and international laws are being overshadowed by the pursuit of technical dominance.

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PPP Conducts ‘Silent March’ After Failing to Report Assembly

▷ The People Power Party (PPP) held a silent march along sidewalks toward the Blue House instead of a loud rally, as they failed to file a mandatory assembly report with the police.

▷ Jang Dong-hyeok (장동혁), the PPP representative, stated that the sudden decision to hold the protest at a general meeting left no time for the administrative notification process.

▷ The event faced a lukewarm response from the public and critics pointed out that the original purpose was overshadowed by the presence of hardline supporters and the lack of organized chanting.

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China Opposes Israel-U.S. Strikes on Iran and Urges Safety of Hormuz Shipping Routes

▷ Wang Yi (왕이), China’s Foreign Minister, expressed clear opposition to military strikes by Israel and the U.S. against Iran, emphasizing that force creates severe aftereffects rather than solving problems.

▷ During a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar (기드온 사르), Wang urged for the protection of Chinese citizens and institutions while calling for the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to ensure global energy security.

▷ Mao Ning (마오닝), the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, further stressed that all parties must stop military actions to prevent a broader impact on the global economy and ensure the stable flow of energy supplies.

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89 South Koreans Safely Evacuated from Iran and Israel Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions

▷ Amid rising military tensions, 23 South Koreans from Iran and 66 from Israel were successfully evacuated to neighboring Turkmenistan and Egypt via land routes using government-chartered buses.

▷ The evacuation from Iran was extremely urgent as it took place just before airstrikes hit Tehran, with evacuees including national women’s volleyball coach Lee Do-hee (이도희) and professional footballer Lee Ki-je (이기제).

▷ While 89 citizens have reached safety, the South Korean government continues to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety of the remaining 50 citizens in Iran and 500 in Israel.

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S. Korean Government Supports Evacuation of Citizens Amid Middle East Tensions

▷ Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (김민석) presided over a meeting with heads of 14 diplomatic missions in the Middle East to prioritize the safety and evacuation of South Korean citizens.

▷ The government is actively assisting citizens in Iran and Israel with moving to neighboring countries or returning home via third-country transit flights.

▷ Diplomatic missions in the region, including those in the UAE and Dubai, are coordinating with airlines to secure flight information while maintaining a 24-hour emergency response system for all residents and travelers.

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IAEA Confirms Recent Damage to Entrance of Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility

▷ The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that recent satellite imagery shows damage to the entrance building of Iran’s Natanz underground uranium enrichment facility.

▷ While Mohammad Eslami (모하마드 에슬라미), Iran’s Vice President, claimed the U.S. and Israel conducted airstrikes on March 1st, Rafael Grossi (라파엘 그로시), Director General of the IAEA, initially stated there were no signs of such attacks.

▷ The IAEA noted that no radiation impact is expected and the enrichment facility itself, which was previously damaged last June, showed no further structural impact.

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Court review ends for Rep. Kang Sun-woo over 100 million won nomination bribe scandal

▷ A court hearing has concluded for independent lawmaker Kang Sun-woo (강선우), who is accused of receiving 100 million won in exchange for a local election nomination in 2022.

▷ While former Seoul city councilor Kim Kyung (김경) has admitted to providing the funds, Rep. Kang denies the charges, claiming she returned the money after realizing what was inside the package she received.

▷ Following the National Assembly’s approval of her arrest motion, the court is expected to decide whether to issue the arrest warrant late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

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