Journalist
Lee Hugh
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Proposed National Infrastructure Framework Act Seen as Chance to Modernize Korea’s Infrastructure On April 6, lawmakers Song Seok-jun and Son Myung-soo introduced the proposed National Infrastructure Framework Act, joined by 36 members of the National Assembly. The bill focuses on building national-level governance for infrastructure, including setting strategy and carrying it out, as well as evaluation. As the bill notes, major countries have been moving aggressively to build and rebuild infrastructure. In the United Kingdom, the government announced in June 2025 a plan titled “UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy.” It lays out long-term investment and management for the next decade, covering transport, energy, water and digital infrastructure, as well as social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, with the goal of boosting economic growth and improving quality of life. Australia, after establishing its Infrastructure Investment Program for 2024-2033 in 2023, has been pushing road and rail investment under federal leadership. The United States also set a massive $2.5 trillion infrastructure investment plan in 2021 under the Biden administration, and the second Trump administration has continued to pursue infrastructure investment, as it did in the first. Japan, Taiwan and other Asian economies are taking similar approaches. These efforts are not aimed only at fixing aging assets or generating short-term stimulus. Strategic infrastructure investment to upgrade a country’s core facilities has become a necessary task for the future, as competition intensifies in a global economy shaped by “country-first” policies. The need is also growing for investment tied to mid- and long-term goals amid rapid digitalization and climate-change response. In that context, the newly introduced bill is significant because it would provide a legal foundation for strategic investment, from planning to implementation and evaluation, through national governance. South Korea has not lacked large-scale infrastructure plans in the past: the 2017 Urban Regeneration New Deal, the 2019 plan to overhaul aging infrastructure and expand “living SOC” investment, the 2021 Digital New Deal 2.0, and a 2026 private investment plan worth 100 trillion won. National plans for major infrastructure such as roads, railways and ports are also regularly established under related laws. But many large investment plans have struggled to deliver results, often because responsibility was spread across multiple actors, making consistent execution difficult, and because projects were pushed down the priority list. Against that backdrop, building national governance and a clear legal basis has been an important task. South Korea’s infrastructure conditions make investment hard to delay, the author wrote. Aging is severe: more than half of all roads are already more than 30 years old. More than 50% of rail facilities exceed their designed service life, and 30% are more than 40 years old. Ports and airports are not much different. Demand is also rising to upgrade key infrastructure as digital technology and AI spread rapidly. Expanding economic infrastructure to foster industry has become central to creating new growth engines. The author said strategic infrastructure expansion is essential for regions facing accelerating population decline and weakening growth momentum. Fundamentally, national infrastructure is a core foundation tied not only to economic growth but also to quality of life and a safe living environment, the author wrote, arguing that government investment should be expanded continuously and systematically. A strategic approach is needed that considers aging infrastructure, future growth engines and balanced regional development at the same time. The bill’s introduction should lead to more concrete discussion and full-scale action on national infrastructure measures, the author said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 05:03:18 -
Korea Telecoms Agree to Add Basic QoS to Low-Cost Plans, Split on Price Cuts South Korea’s Science and ICT Ministry and the country’s three mobile carriers have agreed to apply a “data safety option” based on quality-of-service, or QoS, as a standard feature on low-cost plans as they negotiate measures aimed at lowering wireless bills. According to the telecom industry on the 27th, SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus accepted the government proposal to make QoS standard on cheaper plans as part of the ministry’s push to roll out unified LTE and 5G rate plans. The carriers were said to have little disagreement over how the unified plans would be structured, but they maintained that keeping current data allowances while cutting monthly fees by more than 10,000 won would be difficult. The centerpiece of the overhaul is to apply QoS by default to all plans in the 20,000- to 30,000-won range so users can maintain a minimum level of data service. Under the QoS option, customers who use up their included data can continue to use unlimited data at speeds of 400 kilobits per second. Carriers, however, are resisting proposals to lower prices while keeping data allowances unchanged. The government is said to be seeking about a 10,000-won cut per subscriber as it merges current 5G plans in the 50,000-won range with LTE plans in the 40,000-won range into unified offerings. The three carriers argue that, given network cost structures, cutting prices without reducing data would significantly damage profitability. An industry official said all three carriers agreed with the government’s view that low-cost users should be able to access QoS without paying extra, but added that a roughly 10,000-won cut per person would be hard to accept. “Most 5G subscribers are on plans in the 50,000-won range, and offering the same data usage at prices in the 40,000-won range would be too big a loss,” the official said. Analysts in the securities industry estimate that if the government’s price-cut plan goes ahead, the carriers’ combined operating profit could fall by 6% to 8%. They also warned that if disputes over network usage fees with global content providers such as Google are not resolved, the carriers would have limited room to offset the revenue decline. With carriers bearing most network investment costs, prolonged pressure on profitability could also affect their capacity to invest, they said. The ministry estimates the overhaul would benefit about 7.17 million people and reduce annual telecom spending by 322.1 billion won. Industry observers said the actual impact could vary depending on the size of any price cuts and how they are applied. A ministry official said the timing of the unified plans has not been finalized. “Additional talks are under way on several plans, and we are working to wrap things up in the first half,” the official said. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-28 00:03:21 -
Ha Jeong-woo Offers to Resign as Presidential AI Secretary, Eyes Busan Buk-gu Gap By-Election Ha Jeong-woo Offers to Resign as Presidential AI Secretary, Eyes Busan Buk-gu Gap Run Ha Jeong-woo, the presidential senior secretary for AI future planning, answers a question from President Lee Jae-myung during a briefing by public institutions and related agencies held April 17 at the state guesthouse in Cheong Wa Dae. Ha Jeong-woo signals resignation as presidential AI secretary; expected to run in Busan Buk-gu Gap Ha Jeong-woo, a key aide to President Lee Jae-myung and the presidential senior secretary for artificial intelligence (AI) future planning, offered to resign on Sunday, according to political circles. He is expected to step up preparations to run in the June 3 parliamentary by-election ahead of the May 4 deadline for public officials to resign in order to run for office. He is expected to submit his resignation later Sunday and to formally announce his bid on Monday for the by-election in Busan’s Buk-gu Gap district. The seat became vacant after Rep. Jeon Jae-soo launched a run for mayor of Busan. Park Min-sik, a former minister of patriots and veterans affairs, and Han Dong-hoon, a former leader of the People Power Party, have declared their candidacies. The Democratic Party plans to hold a talent recruitment event around Tuesday and make a strategic nomination through that process． Prosecutors Seek 20 Years for Park Sung-jae in Insurrection Case; Verdict Set for June 9 Prosecutors on Sunday sought a 20-year prison term for Park Sung-jae, a former justice minister, who is on trial on charges including participating in an insurrection tied to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration and allegedly acting on a request related to an investigation involving first lady Kim Keon-hee. At a sentencing hearing in Seoul Central District Court, the special counsel team led by Cho Eun-seok asked the court to impose a severe punishment, saying it was needed to warn “legal technicians” who “destroy the law in the name of the law.” Park is accused of convening a Justice Ministry executives’ meeting after martial law was declared on Dec. 3, 2024, and of directing steps including reviewing the dispatch of prosecutors to a joint investigation headquarters, checking prison capacity and ordering staff responsible for travel bans to report to work, as part of what prosecutors describe as sequential participation in former President Yoon’s insurrection crimes. He is also accused of giving improper instructions to a subordinate after receiving a request from Kim in May last year to look into how a dedicated investigative team was formed at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for a case involving the alleged receipt of a luxury bag. The court is set to deliver its first-instance verdict on June 9. Japan Holds First Expert Meeting on Revising Three Key Security Documents Japan’s government held the first meeting Sunday of an expert panel formed to revise three major national security documents, Kyodo News and other outlets reported. Yonhap reported the panel, titled “Expert Meeting to Think About Security Through Comprehensive National Power,” includes 15 members such as former U.S. ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, former vice defense minister Tetsuro Kuroe, University of Tokyo professor Kazuto Suzuki and Waseda University researcher Noriko Endo. The meeting was held Sunday evening at the prime minister’s office. The panel follows Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement in October last year that Japan would revise this year the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and Defense Buildup Program. Takaichi said at the meeting that the relatively stable international order since the Cold War “has become a thing of the past,” and called for Japan to “independently push forward a fundamental strengthening of defense capabilities.” Labor Panel Says Cargo Truckers Union Also Has Bargaining Rights A labor relations commission ruled that the Cargo Truckers Solidarity division, which received bargaining authority from the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union, is also a bargaining counterpart in cases involving CJ Logistics and Hanjin, according to Yonhap. The Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission on Sunday accepted a request to correct a notice related to objections filed over the confirmation of the union seeking bargaining rights for CJ Logistics and Hanjin, Yonhap reported. The decision could affect the BGF case, where disputes have continued, including over a union member’s death, observers said. A Labor Ministry official said the situations should be viewed separately, noting that while the bargaining request came through the Cargo Truckers Solidarity in broad terms, “this case came in through the procedures,” while the BGF case involves demands for collective bargaining outside the labor commission process. Man in His 50s Tries to Set Himself on Fire Outside Democratic Party HQ; Police Stop Him A man who tried to set himself on fire outside the Democratic Party’s headquarters in Seoul was stopped by police and taken to a hospital, Yonhap reported Sunday. The man, identified only as A, poured oil on himself and attempted self-immolation at about 4:22 p.m. outside the party’s central office in Yeouido, Yonhap said. Police intervened and confirmed that his body did not catch fire. He told authorities he went to the headquarters to appeal for help resolving a grudge with an acquaintance, and he was not believed to have a specific political motive. He was transported to a hospital under procedures for handling suicide attempts. Nikkei: Samsung Electronics to Exit China Home Appliance, TV Sales This Year Samsung Electronics will withdraw from its home appliance and TV sales business in China within the year, Japan’s Nikkei reported Sunday. Yonhap reported the company may finalize a decision as early as this month to halt the business, then explain the move to business partners and local employees and gradually dispose of inventory, fully ending sales within the year. Samsung plans to maintain its local production system for products such as refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners, using it as a supply base for nearby countries, the report said. Nikkei quoted Samsung as saying, “Nothing has been decided.” Prosecutors Dismiss Complaint Against President Lee Over Gas Corp. Land Allegations After 3 Years Prosecutors have closed, without indictment, a case in which President Lee Jae-myung was accused of granting improper development benefits related to land owned by the Korea Gas Corp. in Jeongja-dong, Seongnam, after three years, Yonhap reported Sunday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 dismissed the case on April 17, Yonhap said, rejecting allegations of abuse of authority and dereliction of duty. The allegations were raised during the 20th presidential election along with claims tied to the Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong development projects. Prosecutors concluded the complaint was speculative and lacked sufficient specific grounds or circumstances to open an investigation, and dismissed the case after three years. Appeal Trial Begins for Yoon Suk Yeol on Insurrection Ringleader Charge; Constitutional Dispute Raised An appeals trial for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of being the ringleader of an insurrection related to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration began Sunday. The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 12-1 held the first pretrial hearing. Trials also began for seven senior military and police officials indicted with Yoon, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho. Defendants are not required to appear at pretrial hearings. Yoon did not attend. Among the defendants, only Yoon Seung-young, former planning and coordination chief at the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters, and Mok Hyun-tae, former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s National Assembly security unit, appeared in court. The court said it will hold a second pretrial hearing on May 7 to detail the order and method of evidence examination. Cloudy Nationwide With Rain; Wildfire Caution Tuesday is expected to be mostly cloudy nationwide. Rain is forecast at times through early morning in the Chungcheong region, through the afternoon in the Seoul metropolitan area, and through the evening in Gangwon Province, excluding the southern East Sea coast. Expected rainfall totals are 5 to 10 millimeters in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province; around 5 millimeters in the five West Sea islands; 5 to 20 millimeters in Gangwon inland and mountainous areas; and less than 5 millimeters in Gangwon’s central and northern East Sea coast and in Daejeon, Sejong, South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong provinces. Authorities urged caution for wildfires and other fires as conditions will be very dry, especially in central regions and North Gyeongsang Province. Morning lows are forecast at 9 to 14 Celsius, with daytime highs of 14 to 24 Celsius.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 21:48:23 -
Ha Jung-woo to resign as presidential AI aide, expected to run in Busan Buk-gu A by-election Lee Jae-myung’s key aide Ha Jung-woo, the presidential senior secretary for artificial intelligence and future planning, offered to resign on Sunday, according to political sources. Ha is expected to step up preparations to run in the June 3 parliamentary by-election, with the May 4 deadline for public officials to resign one week away, the sources said. He is expected to submit his resignation later Sunday and formally announce his candidacy Monday in the Busan Buk-gu A by-election. The seat became vacant after Rep. Jeon Jae-soo entered the Busan mayoral race. Former Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-sik and former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon have already declared their bids. The Democratic Party plans to hold a talent recruitment event around Tuesday and make strategic nominations through that process, the sources said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 21:45:18 -
Japan Holds First Expert Panel Meeting to Revise Three Key Security Documents Japan on the 27th held the first meeting of an expert panel formed to revise its three major security documents, Kyodo News and other outlets reported. Yonhap said the 15-member group, titled the “Expert Meeting to Consider Security Through Comprehensive National Power,” met in the evening at the prime minister’s office. Members include Kenichiro Sasae, a former ambassador to the United States; Tetsuro Kuroe, a former vice defense administrative vice minister; Kazuto Suzuki, a professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy; and Noriko Endo, a professor at Waseda University. The panel follows Takaichi’s statement in October last year that Japan would revise this year the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program. At the meeting, Takaichi said the relatively stable international order since the Cold War “has become a thing of the past,” and called for Japan to “proactively pursue a fundamental strengthening of defense capabilities.” Citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and developments in the Middle East, she also said Japan needs to examine new ways of warfare and prepare for a prolonged conflict.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 21:33:20 -
Labor panel says Cargo Truckers Solidarity union must be included in talks with CJ Logistics, Hanjin The labor relations commission has ruled that Cargo Truckers Solidarity, which received bargaining authority from the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union, must be included as a bargaining party in cases challenging whether CJ Logistics and Hanjin qualify as employers. According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission on the 27th accepted a request to correct a public notice related to objections over the confirmation of the union entitled to demand bargaining, after the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ public transport union sought talks with CJ Logistics and Hanjin. CJ Logistics and Hanjin had posted a notice on March 17 announcing the bargaining demand but excluded Cargo Truckers Solidarity. The truckers’ union sought a correction and filed the case after obtaining a bargaining delegation letter from its umbrella union. The decision is seen as potentially affecting the separate BGF dispute, where tensions have continued amid a union member’s death. Unionized truck drivers handling logistics for CU convenience stores have repeatedly demanded bargaining with BGF Retail, but the company has refused, saying it is not the principal employer. Cargo Truckers Solidarity began an indefinite strike earlier this month, and a fatal accident involving a union member occurred during efforts to block replacement vehicles brought in by BGF. A Labor Ministry official said the two situations should be viewed separately. “Broadly speaking, it is a bargaining demand by Cargo Truckers Solidarity, but the circumstances are different,” the official said. “This case came in through the proper procedures, while the BGF case involves a demand for collective bargaining outside the labor commission’s procedures, so they should be separated.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 21:18:15 -
Police Stop Man in His 50s From Attempted Self-Immolation Outside Democratic Party HQ A man who tried to set himself on fire outside the Democratic Party’s headquarters in Seoul was stopped by police and taken to a hospital. Yonhap reported that at about 4:22 p.m. on the 27th, the man, identified only as A and in his 50s, poured oil on himself in front of the Democratic Party’s central headquarters in Yeouido and attempted self-immolation. Police intervened, and authorities confirmed his body did not catch fire. A told police he went to the party office to appeal for help resolving a grudge with an acquaintance, and officials said he appeared to have no particular political motive. He was transported to a hospital under procedures for reports involving suicide attempts. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 21:00:06 -
Nikkei: Samsung Electronics to Exit China Home Appliance and TV Sales This Year Samsung Electronics plans to withdraw from its home appliance and TV sales business in China within this year, Japan’s Nikkei reported Sunday. Citing Yonhap News Agency, the report said Samsung could make a final decision as early as this month, then brief business partners and local employees and gradually sell off inventory, with the aim of ending sales completely by year’s end. The company plans to keep its local production system for appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners, and use it as a supply hub for nearby countries, the report said. Samsung was quoted by the newspaper as saying, “Nothing has been decided.” On April 15, Yong Seok-woo, head of Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display business, addressed reports in Chinese media that the company was considering scaling back its appliance and TV business there. He said it was true the China business was difficult and that the company was reviewing options and the process was ongoing. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 20:42:16 -
Prosecutors Drop Case Alleging Preferential Treatment in Korea Gas Corp. Site Development Tied to President Lee President Lee Jae-myung’s case stemming from allegations of preferential treatment in the development of a Korea Gas Corp. site in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, has been closed without indictment after three years. Yonhap News reported Monday that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office’s Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 dismissed the complaint on April 17. The case alleged abuse of authority, obstruction of others’ exercise of rights and dereliction of duty. The allegations surfaced during the 20th presidential election campaign alongside claims of preferential treatment in the Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong development projects. The Korea Gas Corp. project involved redeveloping the company’s former site at 215 Jeongja-dong in Bundang-gu into a residential complex. The site covers 16,725 square meters. After the company’s headquarters moved to Daegu in September 2014, the property went through a sales process. But it failed to sell six times because regulations for business and commercial use limited the floor area ratio to 400% or less and the building coverage ratio to 80% or less. In June 2015, Company A won the site through a competitive bid. The complaint alleged that Lee, then Seongnam mayor, allowed housing development on the site and raised the floor area ratio to 560% in exchange for conditions such as donating buildings to the city. Prosecutors concluded the complaint was speculative and lacked sufficient specific grounds or circumstances to open a formal investigation, and dismissed the case.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 20:21:16 -
Appeal Opens in Yoon Suk Yeol Insurrection Ringleader Case; Defense Challenges Special Court Law Yoon Suk Yeol’s appeal trial on charges of being the ringleader of an insurrection tied to the Dec. 3 emergency martial law began on the 27th. The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 12-1 held the first pretrial hearing in Yoon’s case that day. Proceedings also began for seven senior military and police officials indicted with him, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho. Defendants are not required to attend pretrial hearings. Yoon did not appear in court. Among the defendants, only former National Police Agency National Investigation Headquarters planning and coordination director Yoon Seung-young and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency National Assembly Security Unit chief Mok Hyun-tae attended. Before moving forward, the panel referred to requests by Yoon and others for a constitutional review of the law applied to the proceedings. On the 21st, the defense asked the court to seek a constitutional ruling on the Special Act on Criminal Procedure for insurrection, foreign aggression and rebellion cases, arguing that the special division set up under the act is unconstitutional. The court said it will continue the pretrial process on May 7, when it plans to detail the order and method for examining evidence. In the first trial, Yoon was sentenced to life in prison. Kim was sentenced to 30 years in prison; former Defense Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang-won to 18 years; Cho to 12 years; former Seoul police chief Kim Bong-sik to 10 years; and Mok to three years. Former Third Field Army Command military police chief Kim Yong-gun and Yoon Seung-young were acquitted.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 20:12:19