South Korea's ruling party commits to supporting three major projects

 
The Democratic Party of Korea announced on July 5 that it plans to actively support follow-up measures for the government's three major projects. The party also expressed agreement with the government's intention to establish a future response fund using additional tax revenue to address issues related to future generations, economic growth, and polarization.

Chief Spokesperson Kang Jun-hyun held a briefing at the National Assembly following the ninth high-level party-government meeting, stating, "We agreed on the need to concentrate national capabilities to secure leadership in the AI revolution."

Kang added, "We decided to focus efforts on completing production bases early, spreading semiconductor growth hubs nationwide, and seizing the next-generation semiconductor market to achieve a competitive edge in the memory sector and establish Korea as an indispensable semiconductor powerhouse."

He also noted, "The party and government agreed on the importance of infrastructure development. We will proactively expand power infrastructure to meet the high energy demands of semiconductor factories and AI data centers and establish a multi-source system for stable water supply." The Democratic Party plans to actively support follow-up measures, including the passage of related legislation, to ensure the successful implementation of the three major projects.
 
Samsung Electronics has decided to restrict its internal housing loan program for employees to homes classified as "national standard size" (under 85 square meters). This decision comes amid rising housing prices, particularly in Seoul, with concerns that internal loans could exacerbate the situation.

According to Yonhap News on July 5, Samsung Electronics will limit the eligible housing for its internal housing stability support loans to properties under 85 square meters in the metropolitan area and six major cities nationwide. The company plans to implement this change within the month after coordinating details with the largest labor union, the Samsung Electronics branch of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions.

In May, Samsung introduced an internal loan system allowing employees to borrow up to 500 million won at an interest rate of 1.5% per year, following an agreement with labor representatives. The specifics regarding the loan amount, eligibility, and implementation timeline were to be determined by the company.

However, Samsung is considering eliminating the tiered loan limits based on employee rank, standardizing the loan amount to 500 million won.

Similarly, Samsung Display, which has a similar internal loan program, decided to limit loans to homes under 85 square meters in the metropolitan area and major cities after a union vote from July 1 to 3.
 
The joint investigation team looking into the shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections will also investigate allegations of hiring irregularities at the National Election Commission.

According to Yonhap News on July 5, the joint investigation team has taken over the case of hiring irregularities at the election commission that was recently referred to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office by the Southern Gyeonggi Police Agency.

Previously, the Southern Gyeonggi Police had sent the case to prosecutors involving the head of the General Affairs Department and the Human Resources Manager of the Gyeonggi Election Commission, who allegedly manipulated interview scores for some candidates during the 2021 recruitment process.

The case reportedly involves personnel responsible for selecting staff at the Gyeonggi Election Commission who were caught altering interview score sheets.

The joint investigation team plans to establish a dedicated team for personnel and budget matters to examine the overall operations, including the hiring scandal and allegations of unnecessary business trips. To bolster its investigative capacity, the team has recently dispatched Chief Prosecutor Lim Hong-seok from the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office and will send two additional prosecutors starting July 6. The team is also in the process of receiving additional police personnel for support.
 
Students from the Baejae High School baseball team, involved in a controversy over mocking the May 18 Democratic Uprising, will visit Gwangju Ilgo on July 6 to apologize and pay respects at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery.

According to Yonhap News on July 5, approximately 80 students, along with the principal, faculty, and parents, will visit Gwangju Ilgo at 3 p.m. on July 6. The Baejae students plan to express their apologies to the students of Gwangju Ilgo who were affected by the incident.

Following this, the students will proceed to the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery for a joint memorial service, which will also be attended by Kim Dae-jung, the Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam Gwangju, and Jeong Geun-sik, the Superintendent of Education for Seoul.

Baejae High School had initially communicated its intention to visit Gwangju Ilgo on July 1, but the visit was postponed at the request of Gwangju Ilgo, which asked for consideration of the students' psychological stability and exam schedules.

In preparation for the visit, Gwangju Ilgo requested police protection for safety measures on July 3.



* This article has been translated by AI.

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