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From ‘kimbap’ to ‘maknae,’ Oxford English Dictionary sees explosion of Korean loanwords

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 2d

The Hankyoreh verified the OED’s update history and found that 33 of 48 Korean loan words were added within the last four years.

The lion’s share of terms of Korean origin have been added within the last four years, with a total of 48 Korean loanwords now listed in the OED

Takaichi’s rise raises concerns about stability of Seoul-Tokyo relations

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The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 2d

The election of Sanae Takaichi as the next leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has sparked concerns that South Korea could face even further challenges to its foreign policy.

The hard-right politician set to be Japan’s next prime minister could reignite historical and territorial issues

What parallel visits to both Koreas by leaders of China, Russia may mean for NE Asia

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 2d

China and Russia are ramping up their diplomatic efforts on the Korean Peninsula with high-level officials, including heads of state, set to visit both Koreas in the days and weeks to come.

October may prove to be a crucial inflection point in the region’s affairs

Special counsel seeks arrest of former justice minister on suspicion of aiding insurrection

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 2d

The special counsel team investigating Korea’s martial law crisis last December has requested an arrest warrant for Park Sung-jae, who was justice minister at the time.

Park Sung-jae is the latest figure from the administration of Yoon Suk-yeol to face the possibility of detention amid a widening probe into last year’s martial law crisis.

Will upcoming Korea summit allow Lee to get through to Trump on tariffs?

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 2d

While sources in the presidential office clarified that the two sides have not made progress in the talks so far, there are some glimmers of a potential turnaround.

With the two leaders slated to meet at the APEC summit in Gyeongju later this month, many hope their tete-a-tete will allow for a breakthrough in trade talks

[Interview] Ensuring governments listen to proposals from the public a key piece of deliberative democracy

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 2d

Ehsassi emphasized that they represent a potential solution for restoring democracy and proceeding into the future in countries where political divisions and distrust run deep, including the US.

Asia Future Forum: Next Democracy | Marjan Ehsassi, founder of the Federation for Innovation in Democracy - North America, on the benefits of citizens’ assemblies

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 2d

“It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever felt that my voice mattered.”

In Oregon, an experiment with a citizens’ assembly points to one solution for addressing rising polarization.

[Column] Chaebol can’t take credit for KOSPI’s record rally

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 3d

The Korean stock market has had a good year so far, thanks to promised regulatory reforms that big business has fought tooth and nail.

The Korean stock market has had a good year so far, thanks to promised regulatory reforms that big business has fought tooth and nail

Europe looks to citizens’ assemblies to help tackle contentious issues

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 3d

In the turbulent period after the Korean Peninsula’s liberation, a popular folk song had lyrics that said, “Don’t trust the American, and don’t be fooled by the Soviet. The Japanese will rise again, and the [Chinese] will return. Korea, be careful.”

english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...

Asia Future Forum: Next Democracy | No longer social experiments, more and more countries are formally mandating citizens’ assemblies to foster public participation in democratic processes

Europe looks to citizens’ assemblies to help tackle contentious issues

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The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 4d

Attempting to meet the conditions for OPCON transfer has thus far led North Korea to dig in its heels on its nuclear program — a peace treaty might present a viable solution to the intractable dilemma.

english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...

Asia Future Forum: Next Democracy | No longer social experiments, more and more countries are formally mandating citizens’ assemblies to foster public participation in democratic processes

How Taiwan uses digital democracy to fight AI misinfo and foster social dialogue

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 8d

[Interview] How governments can debunk fake news faster than it spreads.

english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...

Asia Future Forum: Next Democracy | In Taiwan, civic hackers and digital democracy activists gather to explore how technology can be used to advance democratic values

How Taiwan uses digital democracy to fight AI misinfo and foster social dialogue

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 8d

How Taiwan uses digital democracy to fight AI misinfo and foster social dialogue. english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...

Asia Future Forum: Next Democracy | In Taiwan, civic hackers and digital democracy activists gather to explore how technology can be used to advance democratic values

KOSPI breaks 3,500 mark for first time, riding high of Stargate chip deal

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 9d

Korea’s primary index set another record — the second in a week — when it closed at 3,549.21 on Thursday.

Korea’s primary index set another record — the second in a week — when it closed at 3,549.21 on Thursday

Passing ‘Partner with Korea Act’ would be ‘best apology’ US could offer Korea for Georgia raid, says congresswoman

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 9d

“It was thoughtful of Deputy Secretary [Christopher] Landau to express regret for the incident, but Secretary Kristi Noem should apologize, as should President Trump,” said Kamlager-Dove.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove is one of the co-sponsors of the bill, which would grant up to 15,000 E-4 professional work visas to Koreans

Korea says it’s waiting for US response on revised plan for $350 billion investment fund

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 9d

“We’ve sent the US a meticulously revised proposal that we consider constructive. We’re still waiting for a concrete response,” Kim said.

Seoul said it is exploring the option of announcing an agreement reached on national security before the APEC summit later this month

Samsung, SK sign on to OpenAI’s Stargate initiative as strategic partners

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The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 10d

Samsung and SK will join OpenAI as key strategic partners in its Stargate project, a quest to build an overarching AI infrastructure platform.

The Korean chipmaking giants will accelerate their production of HBM chips and explore the construction of data centers in the country

Korea posts record $65.95 billion in exports in Sept. despite US tariff pressure

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 10d

Even as automobile exports to the US fell 2.3% because of the 25% sectoral tariffs, overall exports of both gas-powered cars and eco-friendly cars (including EVs and hybrids) increased, hitting a total of US$6.4 billion (a 16.8% YoY increase).

Demand for semiconductors and diversification of export markets led to a 12.7% increase in exports

Lee vows to ‘regain’ OPCON, have Korea take lead in joint defense posture with US

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 10d

Since the word “regain” implies a return to an original state, Lee’s diction here appears to underline that Korea’s recovery of OPCON would represent a return to normality.

The South Korean president’s remarks came during an event marking Armed Forces Day on Wednesday

US to allow installation, repair work at factories under B-1 visa, ESTA after consultations with Korea

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 10d

South Korean workers involved in equipment installation, inspection, and repair for companies investing in the US will be able to stay in the country on B-1 temporary business visitor visas or through the ESTA visa waiver.

The first meeting of a South Korea-US working group on visa issues was held this week in Washington

[Column] Korea, don’t trust and don’t be fooled

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 10d

We would not be out of line applying the same sense of caution that the Korean public showed 80 years ago to today’s situation. The major powers have not changed in their predatory nature, without concern for the fate of smaller, weaker countries.

South Korea cannot afford to hand over an astronomical amount of taxpayer money to Trump in a situation where it can’t be certain it will even recoup its principal

South Korea shoots for the Stargate

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 10d

Many hope that the newly inked partnerships between Korean chipmakers and OpenAI will allow Korea to propel itself into a top-three AI powerhouse.

english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...

Many hope that the newly inked partnerships between Korean chipmakers and OpenAI will allow Korea to propel itself into a top-three AI powerhouse

[Column] Understanding what the US means by ‘modernizing’ its alliance with Korea

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 11d

Rather than passively accepting any changes in the alliance structure, South Korea must understand the strategic calculations underneath those changes and proactively formulate a strategy in response.

There are three main contending perspectives in the US on how to utilize alliances

Korea’s Democrats consider gradually extending retirement age to 65 by 2041

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 11d

The Democratic Party is considering a plan to gradually increase Korea’s current statutory retirement age of 60 by one year every three years starting in 2029, extending it to 65 by 2041.

The plan would increase the current statutory retirement age of 60 by one year every three years starting in 2029

Trump is open to talks with Kim Jong-un ‘without preconditions,’ says White House

The Hankyoreh @hankyoreh.bsky.social · 11d

US President Donald Trump remains willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “without any preconditions,” a White House official said on Tuesday.

The remark comes after the North Korean leader suggested that he was willing to engage with the US if it dropped its demands for denuclearization