PPP Lawmakers from Daegu and Gyeongbuk Support TK Administrative Integration

▷ People Power Party lawmakers from the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions have agreed to push for the passage of the special act on TK administrative integration within the February extraordinary session.

▷ While all 12 lawmakers from Daegu supported the plan, a secret ballot was held for the 13 Gyeongbuk lawmakers due to opposition from three members, including Park Hyung-soo (박형수), Kim Hyeong-dong (김형동), and Lim Jong-deuk (임종득).

▷ Despite some opposition from northern Gyeongbuk representatives, the majority voted in favor, and the party plans to finalize its official stance through a general meeting soon.

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NYC Mayor and NYPD Conflict Deepens Over ‘Snowball Fight’ Criminal Investigation

▷ The New York Police Department (NYPD) is searching for suspects who injured two officers with ice and snow at Washington Square Park, an act Commissioner Jessica Tisch (제시카 티치) labeled as criminal.

▷ Mayor Zohran Mamdani (조란 맘다니) stirred controversy by downplaying the incident as a “childish snowball fight” and criticizing the police response as excessive, leading to backlash from the police union.

▷ New York Governor Kathy Hochul (캐시 호컬) and other politicians have criticized the mayor’s stance, emphasizing that attacks on law enforcement officers are unacceptable and highlighting the mayor’s historically tense relationship with the NYPD.

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Supreme Court Upholds Fine for Pastor Who Held In-person Services During Pandemic

▷ The Supreme Court confirmed a fine of 3 million won for Pastor Son Hyun-bo (손현보) for violating administrative orders by holding in-person worship services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

▷ Son was charged with hosting 11 face-to-face services with hundreds of followers between August 2020 and January 2021, despite the Busan Metropolitan Government’s restrictions on gatherings.

▷ The court ruled that quarantine measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases are essential for public health and found the repeated violations to be a significant factor in the sentencing.

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National Tax Service seizes 8.1 billion won from high-value tax delinquents

▷ The National Tax Service (국세청) conducted on-site searches of 124 high-value tax delinquents who lived luxuriously while hiding assets, seizing a total of 8.1 billion won in cash and luxury items.

▷ Investigators uncovered various concealment tactics, such as hiding 100 million won in a daughter’s bag and stashing bundles of cash in a kimchi container hidden in a bathroom.

▷ Authorities also seized cryptocurrency USB wallets and luxury goods, announcing that seized cash will be applied to unpaid taxes while items will be sold through public auctions.

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Prosecution Clears Officials in Customs Drug Smuggling and Interference Case

▷ The joint investigation team concluded that the allegations regarding customs officials’ involvement in drug smuggling and external pressure from the Presidential Office were entirely groundless.

▷ Key figures, including former Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon (한동훈) and former Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok (이원석), were cleared of charges as no evidence of investigation obstruction was found.

▷ The prosecution criticized Senior Superintendent Baek Hae-ryong (백해룡) for conducting a biased and illegal investigation, while transferring the cases of four prosecutors suspected of dereliction of duty to the senior official corruption office.

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Trial of Yoon Suk-yeol for Perjury Expected to Conclude on April 16

▷ The trial of former President Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열), who is accused of providing false testimony in the insurrection trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (한덕수), is set to finalize next month.

▷ The Seoul Central District Court announced that it will close the case following a final hearing on April 16, after examining additional evidence including CCTV footage from the Presidential Office and witness transcripts of Kim Yong-hyun (김용현).

▷ Although key figures were initially considered as witnesses, the court decided to proceed without further testimony as the defense argued that their statements had already been sufficiently recorded in related cases.

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President Lee Jae-myung’s Approval Rating Hits Record High of 67%

▷ According to the National Barometer Survey (NBS), President Lee Jae-myung (이재명) received a 67% positive job performance rating, marking the highest level since his inauguration.

▷ The survey revealed that 53% of respondents support the ruling party in the upcoming June 3 local elections to ensure government stability, significantly higher than the 34% who favor supporting the opposition to check the government.

▷ Regarding real estate policy, 62% of the public approved of the decision to abolish the heavy capital gains tax on owners of multiple homes, reflecting a generally positive response to the administration’s direction.

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S. Korean Government Vows to Maintain Peace Policy Amid Kim Jong-un’s Hostile Rhetoric

▷ Chairman Kim Jong-un (김정은) criticized South Korea’s peaceful coexistence policy as a “clumsy deception” and reaffirmed his provocative “hostile two-state” stance.

▷ In response, the South Korean government expressed regret but emphasized its commitment to consistently pursuing peace and mutual prosperity while strictly adhering to the principle of respecting the North’s regime.

▷ The Ministry of Unification stated it would maintain patience and uphold its three principles—avoiding absorption unification and halting hostile acts—regardless of the North’s aggressive attitude.

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NVIDIA Hits Record Revenue While Korea Probes School Uniform Price Fixing

▷ NVIDIA reported a record-breaking quarterly revenue of $68.13 billion, driven by its data center business which accounted for over 91% of its total sales.

▷ CEO Jensen Huang (젠슨 황) stated that the AI era has reached a tipping point where technology is transforming global business models and generating actual profits.

▷ Meanwhile, the South Korean government has launched a nationwide investigation into alleged price-rigging by school uniform manufacturers to stabilize living costs for parents.

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Experts Question Trump’s Claims Over Iranian Nuclear Threat

▷ Experts and international organizations are questioning Donald Trump (도널드 트럼프)’s assertion that Iran is rapidly resuming its nuclear weapons program.

▷ According to David Albright (데이비드 올브라이트) and the IAEA, satellite imagery and field data show no evidence of uranium enrichment or efforts to rebuild destroyed facilities.

▷ The administration’s warnings about Iran’s long-range missile programs are also viewed as potentially exaggerated following recent failed space launch tests.

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