Han Dong-hoon Calls for Conservative Rebuilding and Breaking Away from ‘Yoon Line’ in Daegu

▷ During his visit to Seomun Market in Daegu, Han Dong-hoon (한동훈), the former leader of the People Power Party, emphasized the need to overcome the “Yoon Suk-yeol line” to rebuild the conservative party.

▷ Han (한동훈) urged the citizens of Daegu to lead the movement for change, stating that the current situation is an opportunity to move toward the future by surpassing the previous political path.

▷ While expressing his readiness for a “frontal showdown” regarding future elections, he also criticized administrative integration plans that lack thorough preparation, calling them integrations for politicians.

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President Lee Jae-myung lists Bundang apartment to signal real estate market normalization

▷ President Lee Jae-myung (이재명) has put up his jointly-owned apartment in Bundang for sale at a price lower than the current market value to demonstrate his commitment to stabilizing the housing market.

▷ Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung (강유정) stated that the move is intended to personally show the public the president’s firm resolve for real estate normalization.

▷ The president reportedly believes that investing the sale proceeds into financial assets like ETFs is more profitable than holding onto the property during its current peak.

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KOSPI Defends 6,200 Level Despite Record 7 Trillion Won Net Selling by Foreigners

▷ The KOSPI fell 1% to close at 6,244.13 as foreign investors net sold a record 6.98 trillion won following a slump in U.S. technology stocks.

▷ While semiconductor heavyweights such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix declined, Hyundai Motor surged over 10% to an all-time high on news of a 9 trillion won investment in future industries.

▷ The Korean won weakened significantly, ending at 1,439.7 won against the U.S. dollar, while the KOSDAQ slightly rose after briefly touching the 1,200 mark.

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Google Welcomes South Korea’s Conditional Approval for Exporting High-Precision Map Data

▷ Google expressed deep gratitude after the South Korean government granted conditional permission to export 1:5000 scale high-precision map data for the first time.

▷ Chris Turner (크리스 터너), Vice President at Google, welcomed the decision and emphasized that Google will now work on specific service implementation measures as a responsible partner in Korea’s digital ecosystem.

▷ The approval requires strict security measures, such as masking military facilities and processing data on domestic servers before it undergoes government review and verification for export.

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Police seek to freeze assets of Independent Rep. Kang Sun-woo over bribery allegations

▷ The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has applied for pre-indictment asset preservation against Independent Representative Kang Sun-woo (강선우), who is suspected of receiving 100 million won in illegal political funds.

▷ Authorities believe that Kang received the money from former Seoul City Councilor Kim Kyung (김경) ahead of the 2022 local elections and used it as a deposit for her personal residence.

▷ Following the National Assembly’s approval of her arrest motion, Kang is scheduled to attend a court hearing on the 3rd of next month to determine the validity of her arrest warrant.

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Porsche Driver Arrested After Plunging Off Banpo Bridge Under Influence of Drugs

▷ A 30-year-old driver, A (A씨), was arrested after his Porsche crashed through the railings of Banpo Bridge in Seoul and fell onto the Hangang riverbank while he was under the influence of drugs.

▷ The Seoul Western District Court issued an arrest warrant on the 27th, stating that there was a risk of the suspect destroying evidence or fleeing.

▷ Police found propofol and medical syringes inside the vehicle, and the driver reportedly admitted to the charges of drugged driving during the investigation.

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Prosecution to Decide on Identity Disclosure of ‘Suyu-dong Serial Murder’ Suspect

▷ The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office has announced plans to convene a committee to deliberate on whether to reveal the personal identity of Kim (김), a woman in her 20s accused of serial murder.

▷ Kim (김) allegedly administered drinks laced with drugs to four different men, leading to two fatalities and leaving two others unconscious between December 2023 and May 2024.

▷ The decision to hold the deliberation follows a formal request from the victims’ grieving families, who have strongly urged for the suspect’s identity to be made public under the Serious Crime Identity Disclosure Act.

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Minister of Court Administration Park Young-jae offers resignation amid legislative push for judicial reform laws

▷ Park Young-jae (박영재), the Minister of Court Administration, expressed his intent to resign only about 40 days after taking office, following the legislative push by the Democratic Party for “three judicial reform laws.”

▷ Park voiced strong opposition to the bills, including the Law Distortion Act, citing concerns over unconstitutionality and potential negative impacts on the constitutional order and the public’s right to seek judicial remedy.

▷ If Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae (조희대) accepts the resignation, Park is expected to return to his role as a Supreme Court Justice and resume trial duties while a successor is appointed.

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Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon Denies Charges of Instigating Court Riot in First Trial

▷ Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon (전광훈) denied all charges of instigating the Seoul Western District Court riot during his first trial, claiming he was asleep when the incident occurred at 3 AM.

▷ While the prosecution accused him of inciting followers to break into the court and assault police officers, Jun argued his speeches were about non-violent resistance and did not include orders to intrude.

▷ Jun also applied for bail citing health issues such as walking disabilities and heart surgery, while the judge requested the prosecution to provide more specific details regarding the charges.

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Public Survey Shows More Support for Prosecution’s Supplementary Investigation Rights

▷ According to a survey by the Prosecution Reform Task Force (검찰개혁추진단), more citizens believe the prosecution’s supplementary investigation rights should be maintained or partially allowed than those who oppose them.

▷ While the public generally supports the separation of investigation and prosecution, they expressed significant concerns regarding weakened crime response capabilities and potential delays in case processing.

▷ Regarding the police’s right to close cases without transfer, most legal professionals provided negative feedback, yet a majority across all sectors agreed on the necessity of institutional improvements to address investigation delays.

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