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  • President Lee Awards Promotion Certificates to Newly Promoted Generals
    President Lee Awards Promotion Certificates to Newly Promoted Generals President Lee Jae-myung awarded promotion certificates to newly promoted generals during a ceremony at the Blue House on August 7.During the event, the president presented certificates to Army General Lee Sang-ryul (Commander of Ground Operations), Air Force Lieutenant General Park Heung-jae (Head of the Air Force Academy), Army Lieutenant General Yoon Han-il (Chief of Staff of the Ground Operations Command), and Navy Lieutenant General Jo Chung-ho (Vice Chief of Naval Operations), congratulating them with the words, "Congratulations." The Samjeonggeom, which symbolizes the unity of the Army, Navy, and Air Force in achieving the three spirits of national defense, unification, and prosperity, is awarded upon promotion to brigadier general.When promoted to lieutenant general or general, a flag with the president's name, rank, and date of award is attached to the Samjeonggeom.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 13:20:00
  • Education Ministry Proposes Free Tuition for National Universities, Sparking Outcry from Private Colleges
    Education Ministry Proposes Free Tuition for National Universities, Sparking Outcry from Private Colleges The Education Ministry has officially announced plans to significantly expand national scholarships for new students at regional national universities starting next year, effectively pushing for free education. This move has sparked strong backlash from regional private colleges. The timing of the announcement, just one month before the early admissions application period, has raised concerns that it will lead to an influx of students toward national universities, representing a clear intervention in the admissions process and threatening the higher education ecosystem. Private universities, already struggling due to 17 years of frozen tuition, fear this policy could signal the demise of regional private institutions. During a briefing to President Lee Jae-myung on August 5, Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin reported the introduction of a 'Regional Balance Scholarship' aimed at expanding national scholarships for students at regional national universities. In contrast, benefits for regional private universities will be limited to 'supporting outstanding students through the restructuring of regional talent scholarships,' establishing a clear disparity in support between national and private institutions.“With Early Admissions Just Around the Corner, Concerns Grow Over Higher Education Ecosystem”The most significant point of anger among regional universities is the timing of the policy announcement. Non-capital region private universities rely on early admissions for 80% to as much as 98% of their new student recruitment. A representative from a regional private university stated, "Announcing financial support for national universities just a month before early admissions is a direct intervention by the government in the admissions process," criticizing the Education Ministry for its lack of understanding of the higher education landscape. There are concerns that students facing financial burdens will flock to national universities seeking tuition benefits, leading to significant enrollment shortfalls at non-capital region private universities starting this year's early admissions. Private university associations and faculty groups have also joined in the criticism. The National Professors Union warned that if free education is limited to national universities, private colleges and vocational schools will face severe financial deterioration, which could lead to the collapse of the entire regional higher education ecosystem, not just individual institutions. Hwang In-sung, Secretary-General of the Korea Council of Private Universities, expressed concern that the long-standing tuition regulations have already widened the educational gap between private and national universities, and this new policy will further tilt the playing field.“Private Colleges Face Enrollment Cuts While National Universities Receive Unconditional Support”The structural unfairness of government financial support programs has also come under scrutiny. Non-capital region private universities have had to reluctantly accept enrollment cuts to qualify for government financial support. For instance, when asked to reduce enrollment by 3% for regional university specialization projects, this translates to a significant loss of tuition revenue when calculated over four years. However, recent initiatives aimed at creating ten flagship national universities or 'glocal universities' have not imposed such strict enrollment cut conditions on national universities, leading to complaints of clear discrimination. This financial pressure, combined with a new law on private university restructuring set to take effect on August 15, has raised fears of a wave of bankruptcies. A president of a regional private university warned, "If the system requiring 15% of remaining assets to be returned to founders is fully implemented, private universities that are already struggling may have to close 30 to 50 campuses immediately," urging that the realities of private universities, which have been responsible for 80-85% of national higher education, cannot be ignored.“Utilize Surplus Education Funds and Share Roles in Recruiting International Students”Regional private universities are calling for practical alternatives to revitalize the local ecosystem. A president of a regional private university suggested in a conversation with Aju Economy, "Education authorities should adjust the excessive distribution of local education financial grants, such as free laptops for students, to create financial support plans for private universities." Additionally, the idea of sharing roles in recruiting international students has emerged as a key alternative. He explained, "Currently, national universities are competing with private universities for international students by offering scholarships funded by taxpayer money. If national universities focus on providing scholarships for domestic students from low-income families, while private universities attract international students who can afford tuition, both can thrive together." He emphasized that to achieve the government's policy goals of retaining local youth and promoting balanced development, it is crucial that the support for national universities does not come at the expense of private universities, necessitating comprehensive and meticulous support measures for the entire higher education ecosystem.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 13:16:00
  • Dev Sisters Reports 2nd Quarter Operating Loss of 16 Billion Won
    Dev Sisters Reports 2nd Quarter Operating Loss of 16 Billion Won Dev Sisters, the developer of the 'Cookie Run' series, has reported a shift to an operating loss in the second quarter due to decreased revenue from the restructuring of its live games. The company plans to improve its performance starting in the third quarter through cost efficiency, new game releases, and global expansion of existing titles.On August 7, Dev Sisters announced that it recorded an operating loss of 16 billion won for the second quarter, marking a transition to a loss compared to the same period last year. Revenue was reported at 52.7 billion won, a decrease of 42.7% year-on-year.Regionally, domestic revenue fell to 14.9 billion won, down 27.4% from the previous year, while overseas revenue dropped to 31.6 billion won, a decline of 53.7%. The larger decrease in overseas revenue compared to domestic sales contributed significantly to the overall performance decline.Dev Sisters explained that the short-term revenue drop was influenced by the restructuring phase of its live games. However, they noted that management reforms and cost efficiency measures have somewhat mitigated the extent of the losses.The company anticipates that from the third quarter onward, improvements in financial structure will become evident through fixed cost management and cost control. They also identified new game releases and the global service expansion of existing games as key drivers for performance recovery in the latter half of the year.Notably, the performance of 'Cookie Run Classic,' which launched global services on June 25, is expected to be fully reflected in the third quarter results. According to the company, 'Cookie Run Classic' surpassed 10 billion won in cumulative revenue within a month of its global launch and has maintained the top spot in popularity and third place in revenue rankings on the Apple App Store in Thailand.Additionally, the newly released game 'Cookie Run: Crumble,' which debuted on July 30, is showing early signs of success and continues to grow, according to the company.Dev Sisters also highlighted its non-gaming intellectual property (IP) business as a growth driver for the second half of the year. The company has seen success in trading card games (TCG) and character merchandise, and plans to expand its licensing business, particularly in the North American market, in the latter half of the year.In the second half of the year, Dev Sisters aims to maintain a company-wide focus on cost efficiency while pursuing a turnaround through successful new releases, revitalization of existing core titles, and expansion of its IP business.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 13:16:00
  • Anti-Corruption Agency Recovers Record 129.6 Billion Won in Fraudulent Payments
    Anti-Corruption Agency Recovers Record 129.6 Billion Won in Fraudulent Payments Last year, the total amount of government funds recovered due to fraudulent claims from central administrative agencies, local governments, and education offices reached a record 129.6 billion won.The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced the results of its 'Public Finance Recovery System Compliance Inspection' on August 7.According to the commission's findings, a total of 141,781 cases of fraudulent claims were detected last year, leading to the recovery of 129.6 billion won. Additionally, fines totaling 50 billion won were imposed on the institutions and individuals involved in the fraudulent claims.This represents a 24% increase in the amount recovered compared to the previous year (104.2 billion won) and a 74% increase in fines (28.8 billion won), marking the highest figures ever recorded, according to the commission.Notable cases included individuals receiving agricultural subsidies without actually farming and single-parent family support payments while concealing marital or cohabitation status. Other examples included fueling vehicles that were not eligible for support and receiving fuel subsidies while being out of business, as well as obtaining national work-study scholarships without providing actual work or falsely reporting attendance and training to receive employment stability incentives.By category, the largest recovery amount was from livelihood benefits, totaling 29 billion won, followed by support funds for industry, small and medium enterprises, and energy at 22.9 billion won, and housing benefits at 10.3 billion won.The Public Finance Recovery Act, implemented in 2020, mandates the recovery of benefits obtained through fraudulent claims for subsidies and imposes fines up to five times the amount of the benefits.Lee Myung-soon, vice chair of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, stated, "Fraudulent claims for public financial payments seriously undermine the fairness of society. We will strive to manage these funds strictly to ensure transparency in public finances."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 13:16:00
  • Wiesung-rak Meets U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel to Discuss U.S.-South Korea Relations
    Wiesung-rak Meets U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel to Discuss U.S.-South Korea Relations Wiesung-rak, the head of South Korea's National Security Office, met with newly appointed U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel on August 4 for their first meeting, which served as an introductory session.According to the Blue House on August 7, Wiesung-rak and Ambassador Steel exchanged greetings and discussed ways to enhance U.S.-South Korea relations. On the same day, Steel visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with Minister Park Jin.While the meeting was primarily a courtesy call, it appears that discussions on improving bilateral relations took place.Wiesung-rak, a career diplomat, is reported to have had prior interactions with Ambassador Steel, who previously served as an advisor on Asia-Pacific affairs in the Bush administration and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 12:56:00
  • Typhoon Dolphin Approaches Japans Okinawa and Amami Islands, Expected to Land in China
    Typhoon Dolphin Approaches Japan's Okinawa and Amami Islands, Expected to Land in China Large Typhoon 13, named Dolphin, is approaching Japan's Amami region and Okinawa with strong winds and high waves. The typhoon is expected to pass north of Okinawa's main island in the afternoon after approaching the Amami region in the morning. It is forecasted to slow down and move westward across the East China Sea on the 9th, making landfall in China's central region around the 11th. According to the latest projected path, the likelihood of direct impact on the Korean Peninsula is low. As of 8 a.m. on the 7th, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that Typhoon 13 was moving northwest at 20 km/h, approximately 50 km southeast of Okinoerabu Island in Kagoshima Prefecture. The central pressure is 950 hPa, with maximum sustained winds of 40 m/s and gusts reaching 55 m/s. Winds of 25 m/s or more are expected within 330 km northeast and 185 km southwest of the typhoon's center. At Tokunoshima Airport, a maximum gust of 41.2 m/s was recorded at 6:59 a.m. Okinawa and Amami are forecasted to experience winds strong enough to damage some homes. The expected maximum gusts in both regions are 55 m/s, with wave heights predicted to reach 11 m in Amami and 10 m in Okinawa. Rainfall over the 24 hours until the morning of the 8th is expected to reach 200 mm in Okinawa, Amami, and southern Kyushu. Heavy rain is likely to occur in Amami until the night of the 7th and in Okinawa until the morning of the 8th, significantly increasing the risk of flooding. With the summer vacation season underway, transportation in Okinawa has come to a standstill due to the typhoon's impact. According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), all flights to and from Okinawa Prefecture were canceled on the 7th. Naha Airport terminal was closed for the entire day, and the Okinawa Urban Monorail and four bus companies on the main island suspended operations from the first train. All flights operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Solaseed Air to and from Okinawa were canceled on the 7th and 8th, while Japan Airlines (JAL) and Skymark canceled all flights on the 7th. As of the evening of the 6th, approximately 55,000 passengers on ANA and 26,000 on JAL were affected. This marks the fourth significant typhoon to disrupt transportation and socio-economic activities in Okinawa since June. Nikkei also reported that several tourist facilities have closed. The theme park Jungle Land Okinawa suspended all operations from the 6th to the 8th, marking the first time it has closed for more than three days. Major tourist attractions, including Okinawa World, also closed on the 7th. The large hotel chain in Okinawa, Kariyushi, anticipates a revenue loss of about 15 million yen (approximately $134,460) per day. The Okinawa Tourism Promotion Agency estimates that about 80% of passengers scheduled to board canceled their trips, predicting a decrease of tens of thousands of visitors to Okinawa. The projected path of Typhoon 13 Dolphin has shifted southward compared to previous forecasts, reducing the likelihood of the storm's impact on the Kyushu mainland. However, stronger winds are expected northeast of the typhoon, prompting caution for strong winds, high waves, and localized heavy rain along the southern and northern coasts of Kyushu. The typhoon is expected to slow down to 10-15 km/h in the East China Sea, prolonging its impact at sea. In Kumamoto Prefecture, which suffered damage from a strong earthquake on the 28th of last month, concerns about secondary damage due to the approaching typhoon are growing. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, approximately 2,500 homes have been confirmed damaged in Yatsushiro City, where the Self-Defense Forces are deploying sandbags to secure tarps, while workers from the prefecture are covering damaged roofs with tarps. However, these tarps could be blown away by strong winds, prompting the meteorological agency to urge for securing measures. Kumamoto Prefecture is expected to be within the typhoon's influence from the 8th to the 10th. As of 6 p.m. on the 6th, the death toll from the earthquake stands at 38, with 16,425 homes reported damaged. About 6,737 people are staying in evacuation shelters, and approximately 36,880 households are still experiencing water outages as of 2 p.m. on the 6th. According to the Asahi Shimbun, the Japan Meteorological Agency has lowered the alert thresholds for the earthquake-affected areas in Kumamoto, considering the weakened ground and confirmed subsidence in some regions. Rainfall alerts and warnings for landslides will be issued at 70% of the usual thresholds for areas with seismic intensity of 6 weak or higher, and at 80% for areas with intensity of 5 strong. The rainfall alert thresholds for six regions, including Kumamoto City and western Yatsushiro City, have also been lowered to 70% of the usual levels. In Ukishima, Hikawa Town, and western Yatsushiro City, the tsunami warning thresholds have been reduced by 20 cm compared to normal. In Kumagawa, flood information is being issued at lower water levels due to damage to levees from the earthquake. Meanwhile, Typhoon 15, named Chan-hom, is moving north-northwest at 30 km/h near Wake Island. It is expected to approach the Pacific coast of northern Japan around the 12th. However, due to significant uncertainty in the forecast path, the Japan Meteorological Agency urges the public to stay updated on the latest typhoon information.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 12:52:00
  • Seoul plans homebuyer relief after mortgage squeeze draws criticism
    Seoul plans homebuyer relief after mortgage squeeze draws criticism SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) - South Korea is preparing targeted relief from mortgage restrictions for young and first-time homebuyers, responding to criticism that its efforts to curb property speculation have made it even harder for households without substantial savings to buy homes. The move would mark a limited adjustment rather than a reversal of Seoul's household-debt crackdown, seeking to preserve curbs on leveraged property purchases while easing financing constraints on owner-occupier buyers. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun Cheol said Friday that the government was considering "targeted support" for low-income and genuine homebuyers facing difficulties under existing lending rules. His remarks came after an interviewer raised criticism that restrictions had tilted the housing market toward cash-rich buyers, particularly in expensive areas such as Seoul's Gangnam district. Koo cited young people, newlyweds and households without homes as potential beneficiaries and said the government would soon announce additional housing-supply and financial measures. Seoul has tightened housing finance as part of a broader effort to slow household debt and reduce the flow of credit into property. Mortgage loans for home purchases in Seoul and other regulated areas are capped at 600 million won ($422,000) for properties worth up to 1.5 billion won, 400 million won for homes valued between 1.5 billion won and 2.5 billion won, and 200 million won above that level. Loan-to-value ratios for buyers without homes in regulated areas are capped at 40 percent. The government has also set a 1.5 percent ceiling on growth in regulated household lending this year, down from 1.7 percent in 2025, as it seeks to push the household debt-to-GDP ratio toward 80 percent by 2030. Those measures have drawn opposition criticism that rules designed to deter speculative borrowing can also penalize households that rely on mortgages to enter the housing market. People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seok said last month that a 600 million won mortgage ceiling was insufficient for first-time buyers when Seoul apartment prices had risen far beyond the amount that could be financed under the rule, arguing that the policy was shutting genuine buyers out of homeownership. The squeeze has been reinforced by banks' own efforts to stay within annual lending targets. Data obtained by PPP lawmaker Lee Yang-soo from the Financial Supervisory Service showed that non-mortgage household loans at Korea's five largest banks increased by 3.47 trillion won in the first half, more than three times their combined target of 1.09 trillion won. With credit and other loans exceeding planned levels, banks have increasingly tightened mortgages, which are larger and easier to control, to keep overall household lending within regulatory targets — raising concerns that homebuyers could bear the cost of borrowing growth elsewhere. Financial authorities have consequently been considering whether lending to young people, newlyweds and first-time buyers, as well as some final-payment loans for newly built homes, should be excluded from banks' aggregate household-loan limits or placed under separate quotas. Any adjustment is expected to remain narrowly targeted. Existing discussions have focused on changing how qualifying loans are treated under banks' annual lending caps rather than broadly easing loan-to-value or debt-service-ratio requirements. That leaves Seoul trying to resolve a tension at the heart of its housing policy: restraining credit strongly enough to contain household debt and property prices without making access to homeownership increasingly dependent on how much cash a buyer already has. Koo said the government would also seek to accelerate housing supply, including non-apartment homes that can reach the market faster than new apartment projects, with further housing and financial measures to be announced soon. __________________________________________________________________________________ AJP Takeaways South Korea is preparing targeted mortgage relief for young, newlywed and first-time homebuyers after tighter lending rules drew criticism for restricting genuine buyers as well as speculative demand. Seoul currently caps home-purchase mortgages by property value and is limiting regulated household-loan growth to 1.5 percent in 2026, while banks have tightened mortgages further to stay within their own lending quotas. The government is considering exemptions or separate quotas for eligible homebuyer loans rather than a broad rollback of LTV or DSR rules, aiming to improve access to housing without reigniting household debt or property prices. 2026-08-07 12:50:57
  • Next-Generation AI Memory HBF Gains Attention from Google
    Next-Generation AI Memory HBF Gains Attention from Google Next-generation memory technology, High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), is emerging as a solution to the increasing memory bottleneck in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Google DeepMind has highlighted HBF as the optimal memory solution for the AI inference era, drawing significant industry interest.On August 6, at the FMS 2026 conference in California, SK Hynix, Google DeepMind, and SanDisk held a panel discussion themed "Overcoming the Memory Wall with HBF." This event followed the announcement on August 4 by SK Hynix and SanDisk of the first standard specifications for HBF, where AI service companies and memory firms discussed commercialization strategies.HBF represents a new memory tier positioned between high-speed DRAM (HBM) and large-capacity SSDs. It features high data transfer speeds comparable to HBM while significantly increasing capacity based on NAND flash technology. Rather than replacing HBM, HBF is designed to complement it by addressing memory capacity shortages.The participation of Google DeepMind, a company that directly develops and operates AI models, adds significance to the discussion. Their public acknowledgment of the need for HBF strengthens the potential for market expansion.Xiaoyu Ma, a researcher at Google DeepMind, noted that the AI industry is rapidly shifting from a training-centric to an inference-centric focus. He predicts that the market for AI inference chips will grow more than tenfold from 2024 to 2034, stating that existing memory architectures will struggle to meet this demand.As the parameters of AI models increase rapidly and the prevalence of multimodal AI that processes images, videos, and audio expands, the demand for both memory capacity and bandwidth is surging, especially as conversations lengthen and KV cache throughput skyrockets.Ma explained, "Previously, increasing memory capacity would lower bandwidth, and enhancing bandwidth would raise costs and power consumption. HBF offers a new alternative that can achieve high bandwidth and energy efficiency compared to existing storage solutions."SanDisk emphasized the economic benefits of HBF in AI inference systems. Rajiv Nagavira, a vice president at SanDisk, stated that implementing HBF can efficiently manage KV cache, doubling the system's KV awareness and ultimately reducing token generation time, GPU usage, and operational costs.Additionally, being NAND flash-based, HBF retains data even when power is off, making it suitable for long-term data storage. In high-read environments like AI inference, it can effectively overcome NAND's durability issues.SK Hynix stressed that the commercialization of HBF requires innovation not only in memory itself but also across the entire system.Im Yi-cheol, vice president of SK Hynix, remarked, "NAND flash has inherent limitations, such as long latency and low write performance. A co-design approach that integrates hardware and software, including prefetching, moving window memory, and hybrid memory architecture, is essential."He added, "To effectively utilize HBF in real AI systems, various ecosystem participants, including xPU design firms, LLM developers, and software engineers, must collaborate to establish high-quality standards."Earlier this year, SK Hynix and SanDisk launched the HBF standardization consortium in February, and within six months, they unveiled the first standard specifications. These specifications support capacities of up to 512 gigabytes (GB) based on 8-layer and 16-layer NAND stacking, with bandwidth categorized into three tiers, ranging from 0.4 terabytes (TB/s) to 3.0 TB/s. The consortium currently includes SK Hynix, SanDisk, Google, and Tenstorrent, among others.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 12:08:00
  • People Power Party Intensifies Criticism of Lee Jae-myungs Real Estate Tax Reforms
    People Power Party Intensifies Criticism of Lee Jae-myung's Real Estate Tax Reforms 국민의힘은 7일 이재명 정부의 부동산 세제 개편안에 대해 "공급 실패를 증세로 덮으려 한다"며 연일 공세를 펼쳤다. 특히 비거주 1주택자와 세입자, 청년의 고통을 언급하면서 부동산 정책 대전환을 촉구했다. 장동혁 대표는 이날 국회에서 열린 부동산정책 정상화 특별위원회 회의에서 "부동산 지옥을 만든 주범이 바로 이재명 정권"이라고 질타했다. 장 대표는 "이재명 정권 1년 동안 서울 아파트값이 무려 11%나 올랐다"며 "문재인 정부조차 넘어섰다. 역대 정부들 가운데에서 압도적인 1위"라고 지적했다. 이어 "밤마다 SNS에 글 올려서 가만히 있는 집값을 들쑤셔놓은 사람이 바로 이재명 대통령 본인"이라며 "집값이 오른다면서 규제 강화하고 대출까지 막았다. 이제는 세금까지 올리겠다고 한다. 본인들이 집값 다 올려놓고 그 집값 잡겠다고 국민들만 잡고 있다"고 목소리 높였다. 그는 아이 학교 문제나 직장 사정으로 다른 곳에 사는 비거주 1주택자에 대해 "사실상 정부가 국민의 거주 이전의 자유를 박탈하고 있는 것"이라며 "청년들과 무주택 서민들은 더 큰 고통을 겪게 될 것"이라고 우려했다. 아울러 "부동산 세금 왕창 올리면 집주인은 결국 직접 들어가 살거나 전월세 가격을 올리는 수밖에 없다"며 "세입자들은 잘 살던 집에서 쫓겨나거나 울며 겨자 먹기로 폭등한 전월세를 감당해야 한다. 이게 이 대통령이 말하는 부동산 정상화인가"라고 꼬집었다. 그는 "이재명 정권의 부동산 정책에 민생은 없다. 지금 민생에 필요한 것은 규제와 증세가 아닌 공급 대책과 진정한 부동산 시장 정상화"라며 "규제와 대출을 풀고 멈춰선 재개발·재건축을 촉진하는 것이 진짜 부동산 정상화 정책"이라고 강조했다. 부동산 특위 위원인 양정호 성균관대 교수는 "지금 발표한 정책은 2028년 총선 전까지만 유효할 것"이라며 "총선 몇 달 전에 표 때문에 슬그머니 완화하는 정책을 발표할 가능성이 상당히 크다"고 말했다. 이어 "총선 전 부동산 관련 민심이 폭발하면 결국에는 이 정책을 없던 일처럼 할 것"이라며 "정부 정책에 대한 국민의 신뢰가 땅으로 떨어질 것"이라고 내다봤다. 재정경제기획위원회 야당 간사인 배준영 의원은 "정부가 과세 정상화를 얘기했는데, 집값은 뛰고 있고 전월세가 폭증하고 세입자와 청년은 고통받는데 무슨 과세 정상화냐"며 "세제 개편안이 국회로 올 텐데 11개 법안을 다 바꿔야 하고 무려 115개에 이르는 세액 공제 등 국민에 대한 세금 혜택이 줄어들기 때문에 꼼꼼히 따지겠다"고 했다. 조정훈 의원은 정부의 세제 개편안에 대해 "공급 실패를 증세로 덮으려 한다"며 "원칙 없는 누더기 세제이자 정부 약속을 스스로 뒤집으며 국민들의 신뢰를 붕괴시켰다"고 비판했다. 박성훈 의원은 "부동산 세제 개편의 핵심은 증세와 편가르기다. 국민을 편가르기 해 집 가진 사람을 악마화하고 그 과정에서 정치적 이득을 챙기려는 꼼수"라며 "잘못된 이재명 정부의 세제 개편을 저희가 집권해서 다시 원상복구 시키겠다"고 했다.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-07 11:52:00
  • Korean Bar Association and Communications Commission Block 31 Phishing Sites Impersonating Lawyers
    Korean Bar Association and Communications Commission Block 31 Phishing Sites Impersonating Lawyers Authorities have blocked access to numerous phishing sites that misused the names and profile photos of registered lawyers to deceive legal consumers.On August 7, the Korean Bar Association (KBA), led by President Kim Jung-wook, announced that it had successfully collaborated with the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) to block access to 31 impersonation sites. This action aims to eradicate the rising trend of lawyer impersonation scams and prevent public harm.Recently, multiple reports have surfaced of fraudulent websites that disguise themselves as legitimate law firms by unlawfully using the names, photos, and credentials of actual KBA-registered lawyers.The perpetrators employed sophisticated tactics, reaching out to victims in need of legal assistance and encouraging them to engage in remote consultations. They posed as fake lawyers, extorting money under the guise of retainer fees or consultation charges, causing significant financial and emotional distress while disrupting the legal order.In response, the KBA initiated dedicated monitoring to establish order in the legal market and protect public rights. They compiled a list of suspected impersonation sites and formally requested the KCSC to conduct effective investigations and implement strong blocking measures. Following a review, the KCSC communicated its findings on August 4.Of the sites reviewed, 31 were found to violate Article 44-7 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, and Article 112 of the Attorney-at-Law Act, leading to a final decision for 'corrective action and access blocking.' Three sites were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.The KBA plans to enhance its ongoing monitoring system to ensure a robust legal response to impersonation crimes.A KBA official emphasized, "When delegating cases or seeking legal advice online, it is crucial to verify the registration status of lawyers through the official KBA website to prevent phishing scams." 2026-08-07 11:48:10