MBC’s “PD Notebook” Probes Student Victims of Samcheong-Style ‘Reeducation’ in the 1980s MBC’s investigative program “PD Notebook” is tracing allegations of “Samcheong-style reeducation” carried out on middle and high school students during the Chun Doo-hwan military era. The episode airing May 5, titled “Forgotten Boys, 1981: Student Samcheong Reeducation,” examines how 4,701 students nationwide were mobilized for so-called “reeducation” from 1981 to 1988, according to the program. The reporting began with a handwritten tip letter that said, “I am a victim of the student Samcheong reeducation camp.” The topic was unfamiliar even among investigative reporters who have tracked state violence in the 1980s, but “PD Notebook” said its reporting confirmed the claims were true. Victims said they boarded buses at the suggestion of teachers. Some said they were told they would be able to try activities such as archery and horseback riding. Instead, they said they were taken to training centers in nine locations nationwide, including Gyeongju and Asan, where soldiers subjected them to verbal abuse and beatings. Students said they were put through 10 days of training that resembled military instruction, including field exercises, drill and airborne training. Some victims said they attempted self-harm after being unable to endure the training. The program also reported testimony alleging sexual violence against younger students or those with smaller builds. Victims interviewed by the production team said they still suffer symptoms including auditory hallucinations and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, 45 years later. The program said the selection of students was driven by forced quotas. In 1981, the government assigned each middle and high school a number of students to send for “reeducation,” and the Ministry of Education pressured schools by warning that homeroom teachers and principals could be held accountable if a student not included on the list later caused problems, according to the report. Victims said schools sometimes chose students by drawing lots or by encouraging students to report one another. Testimony also said students from poorer households or single-parent families — those less able to protest — were often targeted. “PD Notebook” said the student “reeducation” went beyond school discipline and was tied to the Chun Doo-hwan military government’s governing strategy. It said the military, which operated the Samcheong Reeducation Camp as part of a 1980 “special measures to eradicate social evils,” expanded the target to include middle and high school students. The program also said it analyzed the policy as aimed at blocking the momentum of the democratization movement spreading from Gwangju. One victim interviewed by the program said he was singled out and beaten with a pickax handle because of his history of participating in the May 18 Democratization Movement. The program said the case shows that, under the pretext of identifying “delinquent students,” state violence was inflicted even on teenagers. After their release, victims said they were left with the stigma of being labeled “delinquent students.” They said they were shut out of normal opportunities for schooling and employment and stayed silent for years, treating the state violence as a personal shame. Victims also said threats from soldiers — including orders to “never speak about it” — contributed to their silence. More recently, victims filed state compensation lawsuits after an investigation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. However, the court set compensation at 100,000 won per day, totaling 1 million won, citing factors including that schools also bore responsibility and that the victims were students at the time, according to the program. Victims said they were devastated that decades of suffering and life damage were reduced to the 10 days of forced confinement. The victims, once boys, are now elderly, and perpetrators are also dying, the program said. “PD Notebook” said it asks how victims’ lives collapsed under violence designed by the state and enabled by schools, and how the state should be held accountable. The “PD Notebook” episode “Forgotten Boys, 1981: Student Samcheong Reeducation” airs at 10:20 p.m. May 5.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 21:51:21

South Korea Weighs U.S. Call for Hormuz Mission as Trump Signals More Tariffs Blue House: Reviewing U.S. Hormuz proposal, weighing legal steps and readiness The government said May 5 it is reviewing President Donald Trump’s call for South Korea to join a military operation following an explosion and fire involving a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. It said it is considering South Korea’s readiness posture for the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures. The government also stressed it will quickly and accurately determine the cause of the incident and share the findings transparently with the public. The Blue House said it views the safety of international sea lanes and freedom of navigation as a shared interest of all countries and a principle protected under international law. It added that South Korea is actively participating in international efforts to stabilize, restore and normalize global maritime logistics. “In this context, we are also paying attention to President Trump’s remarks,” it said. Trump says tariffs are “not high enough,” signals push for additional duties President Donald Trump said current tariff levels are not high enough, openly signaling his intent to introduce additional duties. With large-scale tariff refunds set to begin next week following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating reciprocal tariffs, the Trump administration is expected to focus on crafting “alternative tariffs” starting with a Section 301 trade-law hearing this week. According to CBS and other foreign media, Trump made the remarks during a White House Small Business Summit held as part of U.S. Small Business Week on May 4 local time. “You actually said thank you for the tariffs, but I think those tariffs are actually not high enough,” Trump said. He added that the administration is reviewing alternative tariffs and said, “Refunding tariffs is really terrible.” Iran foreign minister heads to China amid Hormuz tensions, plans talks with Wang Yi As the United States and Iran entered a military standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to China on May 5 local time. Yonhap News Agency reported that Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram channel that Araghchi would visit Beijing. The ministry said Araghchi plans to meet China’s foreign minister to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations and to exchange views on rapidly changing regional and international developments. South Koreans’ virtual-asset holdings halve in a year; stablecoin holdings more than double South Korean investors’ virtual-asset holdings and trading value fell by more than 60 trillion won over about a year, while stablecoin holdings more than doubled, data showed. Virtual assets appeared to lose demand as interest spread to a strong stock market, while stablecoins rose amid a preference for dollar-based assets tied to a weak won, the report said. According to 자료 submitted May 5 by the Bank of Korea to Rep. Cha Gyu-geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Finance and Economy Planning Committee, domestic virtual-asset holdings totaled 60.6 trillion won as of the end of February. The figure is the combined end-of-month market value of assets held by investors at South Korea’s five major virtual-asset exchanges: Upbit, Bithumb, Korbit, Coinone and Gopax. Cease-fire between U.S. and Iran shows strain after a month; Trump urges South Korea to join maritime operation Signs of strain emerged in a cease-fire that has held for nearly a month as the United States and Iran failed to narrow differences despite behind-the-scenes talks on ending the conflict, the report said. Amid reports that a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was hit in an Iranian attack, Trump publicly urged South Korea to join an operation in the waterway. According to Britain’s The Guardian and other outlets, Trump said in a May 4 local time interview with Fox News, referring to an operation dubbed “Project Freedom” to help merchant ships escape being trapped in the Strait of Hormuz: “If they try to target American ships, Iran’s military will disappear from the face of the Earth,” he warned.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 21:48:17

Jeonbuk Gov. Kim Kwan-young to Run as Independent, Plans Preliminary Filing Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Gov. Kim Kwan-young, who was expelled from the Democratic Party over allegations of handing out cash labeled as chauffeur fees, has decided to run as an independent. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim’s aides told reporters on May 5 that he will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. on May 7 at the Jeonbuk Provincial Council to announce his independent bid. The event was initially planned for a lawn in front of the provincial government building but was moved after internal discussions, they said. Kim is expected to explain his decision and release campaign pledges at the news conference. At a briefing with reporters at the provincial government building on May 4, Kim said, “There is clearly anger among residents over Representative Jung Cheong-rae’s high-handedness and disregard for the people of the province, and there is a demand in this voting process to choose the governor with our own hands,” signaling he was leaning toward an independent run. He plans to visit the Jeonbuk election commission on May 6 to register as a preliminary candidate. As the incumbent governor, Kim would have his duties suspended under the Local Autonomy Act upon registering as a preliminary candidate, but he would not lose his post. Kim was expelled from the Democratic Party on April 1 after controversy over a dinner last November attended by about 20 people, including members of the party’s Jeonbuk youth committee, where he allegedly distributed 20,000 to 100,000 won per person as chauffeur fees. After investigating, the Jeonbuk election commission filed a complaint against Kim for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. Police have also questioned him as the investigation accelerates. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 21:30:16

Court Upholds Order to Disclose Yeongpoong-MBK Deal Papers in Korea Zinc Fight MBK Partners and Yeongpoong remain locked in a legal dispute over whether contract documents tied to their bid to take control of Korea Zinc must be disclosed. According to Yonhap News Agency on May 5, the Seoul High Court’s Civil Division 25-2 rejected an immediate appeal filed by Jang Hyeong-jin, an adviser at Yeongpoong, challenging a court order to submit documents related to a management cooperation agreement. Korea Zinc, through its affiliate KZ Precision, had asked the court to order disclosure of contracts, including a call option agreement, that Yeongpoong and MBK Partners signed while pursuing what Korea Zinc describes as a hostile merger-and-acquisition attempt. After a lower court granted the request in December, the appeals court also concluded that all contract documents between MBK Partners and Yeongpoong must be disclosed. KZ Precision said the court recognized the request as a legitimate exercise of shareholder oversight and noted that Yeongpoong’s potential damages could vary depending on parts of the contracts that have not yet been publicly disclosed. MBK Partners said it signed a shareholder agreement in September 2024 with Yeongpoong and members of Jang’s family to jointly exercise voting rights, and that it would be granted call options on some shares owned by Yeongpoong and related parties. Korea Zinc has alleged that Yeongpoong entered into the call option deal to allow MBK to buy Yeongpoong’s Korea Zinc shares at a low price, raising suspicions including breach of trust. Korea Zinc has filed a shareholder derivative lawsuit seeking about 930 billion won against Jang and Yeongpoong directors. Separately, Yeongpoong said an immediate appeal filed by KZ Precision in another case over a document submission order for a management cooperation agreement was also rejected on April 29, following a lower-court decision. In that case, KZ Precision filed a lawsuit seeking to stop what it calls illegal conduct, arguing the management cooperation agreement amounts to breaches of Yeongpoong directors’ duties of care and loyalty and constitutes breach-of-trust conduct. It also sought a court order requiring submission of related contract documents during the proceedings.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 21:03:15

Iran Foreign Minister Heads to Beijing for Talks With China’s Wang Yi Amid Hormuz Tensions As the United States and Iran entered an armed standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to China on 5 (local time), Iran’s Foreign Ministry said. Yonhap News Agency reported that Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram channel that Araghchi would visit Beijing. The ministry said Araghchi plans to exchange views with China’s foreign minister on ways to develop bilateral relations and on rapidly changing regional and international developments. China’s Foreign Ministry also said in an afternoon statement on 5 that Araghchi, responding to an invitation, is scheduled to visit China on 6. A spokesperson said Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and China’s foreign minister, will meet with Araghchi. Araghchi and Wang spoke by phone on April 15 to discuss the war situation and other issues. At the time, Wang said that as a coastal state on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s sovereignty, security and legitimate rights and interests should be respected and protected, while freedom and safety of navigation through the international waterway must also be ensured. He said efforts to restore normal passage through the strait were “the unified voice” of the international community. Wang added that China supports maintaining momentum toward a ceasefire and negotiations. Earlier, the U.S. military used force on the first day of what it called the “Liberation Project,” deploying Apache helicopters in the Strait of Hormuz and sinking Iranian fast boats that were threatening merchant ships, in an effort to ensure safe passage. Iran also fired missiles and drones toward the United Arab Emirates, about a month after a ceasefire took effect on April 8, keeping the standoff going.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 20:54:15

South Korea to Probe HMM Ship Fire After Blast in Strait of Hormuz A process is expected to move forward to determine the cause of a fire that broke out with an explosion aboard the HMM Namu, a vessel operated by South Korean shipping company HMM in the Strait of Hormuz. Yonhap reported on May 5 that the Cheong Wa Dae said it plans to tow the ship to a nearby port and then dispatch personnel from the Dubai office of the Korean Register, investigators from the Central Maritime Safety Tribunal and forensic experts from the National Fire Agency to examine the cause. When a ship cannot navigate under its own power after a fire at sea, it is typically moved to a nearby port by tugboat. The HMM Namu was believed to be unable to sail on its own due to the fire. An emergency backup generator was operating, and food and drinking water were secured, so life aboard the ship was reported to be stable for the 24 crew members, including six South Koreans. Once a tugboat is arranged, the HMM Namu is expected to head to Dubai Port. A full investigation is to begin after the ship berths there. The Korean Register, the Central Maritime Safety Tribunal and the National Fire Agency are among the agencies deployed to investigate the causes of maritime accidents. The Korean Register is a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies and conducts inspections and certification to ensure ship safety and quality. The Central Maritime Safety Tribunal is a quasi-judicial body under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries that determines the causes of maritime accidents and issues rulings. The National Fire Agency works with the tribunal on on-site examinations to identify the cause of ship fires. If the incident is confirmed to have resulted from an Iranian attack, it is expected to carry significant diplomatic repercussions.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 20:48:15

WHO Raises Concern of Possible Person-to-Person Hantavirus Spread on Atlantic Cruise Ship The World Health Organization said it suspects a hantavirus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship may have involved person-to-person transmission. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told reporters on May 5 (local time) that “we think there may have been human-to-human transmission among very close contacts,” adding that the first patient may have been infected before boarding. Hantavirus is typically spread through exposure to rodent urine, droppings or saliva. In rare cases, it can also spread between people. According to the WHO, there have been two confirmed cases and five suspected cases linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which is currently in the territorial waters of Cabo Verde. Three people have died: a Dutch couple, ages 70 and 69, and a German national. Reuters reported that the Dutch couple, the first fatalities, had traveled in South America, including Argentina, before boarding the MV Hondius, which departed from the southern tip of Argentina. The WHO said Spain has decided to accept the ship, which has 147 passengers and crew aboard, and it is heading to Spain’s Canary Islands off West Africa. The MV Hondius is a luxury cruise ship that departed in late March, carrying mainly passengers from the United Kingdom, the United States and Spain, and is reported to have visited remote areas including the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island. The operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said that of the seven people confirmed or suspected to be infected, four — including the German who died and other suspected cases — remain on the ship. The Dutch couple died, and a British passenger is hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hantavirus was first identified in rodents near the Hantan River by the late South Korean virologist Lee Ho-wang. Early symptoms can include fatigue, fever, chills and muscle aches that may feel like the flu. As the virus damages the heart, lungs and kidneys, it can lead to severe respiratory illness and organ failure. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 20:36:06

Iran Foreign Minister Visits China as U.S.-Iran Tensions Rise in Strait of Hormuz Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to China on May 5 local time as the United States and Iran faced off militarily over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram channel that Araghchi would visit Beijing that day, according to Yonhap News Agency. The ministry said Araghchi plans to meet China’s foreign minister to discuss ways to develop bilateral ties and to exchange views on rapidly shifting regional and international conditions. Araghchi and Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and foreign minister, spoke by phone on April 15 to discuss the war situation, the ministry said. Wang said Iran’s sovereignty, security and legitimate rights as a country on the Strait of Hormuz should be respected and protected, while freedom and safety of navigation through the international waterway must also be ensured. He added that efforts to restore normal passage through the strait reflect a unified voice of the international community. Wang also said China supports maintaining momentum toward a ceasefire and negotiations. The report said U.S. forces used force a day earlier, on the first day of what it called the “Liberation Project,” deploying Apache helicopters to sink Iranian fast boats that were threatening merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, in response, launched missiles and drones toward the United Arab Emirates, continuing a standoff about a month after a ceasefire took effect on April 8, the report said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 20:03:15

HMM cargo ship that caught fire near Strait of Hormuz awaits tow to Dubai An HMM-operated cargo ship that caught fire while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz is running on an emergency generator and waiting to be towed, the company said. Yonhap reported Tuesday that the HMM NAMU remained in waters near the United Arab Emirates, where the fire broke out a day earlier. The blaze triggered an automatic power shutdown, leaving the vessel unable to move under its own power. Once a tug is secured, it is expected to be taken to Dubai port. Six South Korean crew members plan to return home afterward. HMM said all 24 crew members, including the South Koreans, stayed aboard and reported no injuries or other harm from the fire. An HMM official said the crew could disembark immediately if they chose, but appeared to have decided to remain because the fire had been extinguished and there were no additional risk factors. The company said it was seeking tugboats in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, coordinating from its ship operations situation room in Busan. HMM said it could take several days to begin an investigation into the cause, given towing procedures and the sailing schedule. Crew members have not yet entered the area where the fire occurred, it said. An explosion and fire broke out at about 8:40 p.m. Monday (Korea time) on the HMM NAMU in waters near the UAE within the Strait of Hormuz. No casualties were reported.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 19:36:15

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang backs U.S. government in dispute with Anthropic Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has sided with the U.S. government in a dispute between U.S. AI company Anthropic and the Department of Defense. According to Yonhap, Huang said at the Milken Global Conference 2026 economic and finance forum held Sunday afternoon local time at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles that he “fully believes the government will use technology in the right way.” He praised Anthropic as “an amazing company with a great culture and a deeply rooted belief system,” but added, “I don’t agree with all of their positions.” Huang said his view is that if the U.S. government decides to use technology to protect the country and families, and that use is legal and for national security, “I would hope they wouldn’t ask me whether they can use that technology in wartime.” Noting that “a CEO is not an elected official,” he said people who disagree can vote or protest as citizens, but he would not “stand in the way when the country is trying to protect our families.” Anthropic has provided its AI model, Claude, to U.S. military classified systems. But it has clashed with the Pentagon by saying its model should not be used for large-scale surveillance of Americans or fully autonomous weapons. The Defense Department, in a rare move involving a U.S. company, designated Anthropic as a “supply chain risk to national security.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump have also sharply criticized Anthropic. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 19:24:28