Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

Yang Sung-hee

The author is a columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo.

"When I am tired, depressed or sad — or when I am all three at once — I reach for buckwheat noodles. The mild, meaty soup calms me. The rough waves of my mind seem to settle. I want to offer my soul, worn by a peaceful and restrained life, the same quiet comfort, so in my final moments of life, I hope to slowly drink the broth of Pyongyang naengmyeon [buckwheat noodles]."

This excerpt is from "What It Means to Cook" (2025) by chef Choi Kang-rok. I have imagined the final moments of my life, from the location to even the music playing in the background, but I had never thought about my last meal. A bowl of Pyongyang naengmyeon, a modest dish, as consolation for a modest life — it is a choice that suits Choi.

Choi has earned public affection for taking an unexpected path. After gaining wide recognition through his appearance on the television program "Culinary Class Wars" (2024–), he chose not to capitalize on his popularity. Instead, he closed his restaurant — a decision he stood by even after winning the show's second season this year, though he continues appearing on broadcasts and collaborating with food companies. He says he may open a noodle shop when he grows older. If he does, it will surely be a place that many want to visit.

His reputation for speaking with quiet conviction translates to his writing, especially in his descriptions of taste. "If seafood broth feels refreshing, then meat broth has depth," Choi writes. "It feels as if the gravity inside my mouth becomes stronger than the Earth's gravity. This is a broth that is heavy and does not lack."

As someone sensitive to spicy food, I found his reflections on heat especially relatable. "If something is excessively spicy and driven by physical stimulation rather than flavor, I don't even try it. In my twenties, I once ate extremely spicy chicken with friends. I was in so much pain that I didn't know what to do with my body. When food contains more than necessary, it makes me angry. I avoid anything that disrupts my emotional balance."

He also describes soju as "a black hole of a drink that embraces all Korean cuisine. People may board at different stations, but everyone gets off at the same final stop."

For Choi, eating is not simply about putting something delicious in one's mouth. It is about adding one more satisfying moment to life.

May today's meal be a satisfying one.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

Kang Hye-ryun

The author is an emeritus professor at Ewha Womans University.

A growing body of research suggests that today's young people may become the first generation to perform worse than their parents not only economically but cognitively. A report submitted to a U.S. Senate hearing by cognitive neuroscientist Jared Horvath, examining the effects of technology on American adolescents, has drawn particular attention.

According to the report, today's children and teenagers — often described as Generation Z — are the first cohort in history to show lower performance than previous generations across most cognitive measures, including attention, memory, literacy and numeracy. Horvath argues that the decline is closely linked to the widespread introduction of digital technologies in classrooms beginning around 2010.

The rapid spread of artificial intelligence, which is reshaping how people live and work, raises a fundamental educational question: What should students learn and how should they learn it? Earlier this year, the government unveiled a national action plan on AI that includes mandatory AI education at all levels of elementary, middle and high school, along with revisions to curricula and textbooks.

Yet regardless of school policy, AI has already become part of students' daily lives. According to the Korea Press Foundation's "2025 Youth Media Use Survey," seven out of 10 adolescents have used conversational or generative AI tools.

Does studying with tools such as ChatGPT improve learning outcomes? A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) offers a cautionary answer. Case studies from several countries show that students who rely on AI may see short-term gains in grades but ultimately perform worse than peers who studied without such tools. Researchers attribute this to students bypassing the process of thinking through problems themselves and therefore failing to build real competence.

A separate study by researchers at the University of Cambridge underscores the developmental risks. The human brain undergoes rapid growth between the ages of nine and 32, a period during which learning and experience shape its long-term maturation. If students outsource information processing to AI tools during these years, the brain may develop less fully.

Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind and a leading figure in AI innovation, has emphasized a similar point in discussions on education. While adaptability will be essential in the AI era, students must learn to combine their passions with foundational disciplines that address fundamental principles. This view aligns with the OECD's recommendation that core knowledge and skills in major subjects should be acquired without AI assistance first — much like learning basic arithmetic before using a calculator.

The changing labor market also highlights the enduring value of human abilities. As AI-generated content proliferates, leading technology companies such as Google and Microsoft have recently posted job openings seeking storytelling specialists. Despite advances in content generation, AI still struggles to create narratives that convey human experience and emotion. Stories grounded in culture, art and history remain powerful sources of inspiration and intuition.

History offers telling examples. Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs were deeply influenced by William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" (1603) and "King Lear" (1606), while Elon Musk has cited science fiction as shaping his vision for innovation. Such works demonstrate how imagination and narrative can expand the boundaries of human thought.

In an era often described as one of AI supremacy, the path for human resilience lies in nurturing the desire to achieve through effort and persistence. Even if AI comes to perform tasks once associated with doctors, lawyers or writers, it cannot replace the human drive for accomplishment.

Explanations for why younger generations may be poorer than ...

Kim Dae-shik

The author is a professor at KAIST.

In 1605, Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes published "Don Quixote." Even those who have never read the novel likely recognize its central character — Don Quixote, an aging country gentleman — through children's books and animated adaptations.

After becoming absorbed in medieval tales featuring chivalric knights, Don Quixote decides to become one himself. With his servant Sancho Panza, he sets out on a series of reckless adventures.

The premise is unrealistic. By the early 17th century, Spain was using guns and cannons in wars; medieval knights in heavy armor who fought for honor belonged to another age. What meaning could chivalry still hold? Don Quixote is often remembered as an eccentric, but he was not meant to be comical. His intentions and beliefs are sincere. The problem was that his medieval worldview no longer matched the reality of his time.

Today, AI shocks us almost weekly. Keeping up with the pace of innovation is difficult enough, but understanding the technologies emerging from Silicon Valley and China — and grasping their social, economic and political implications — has become its own challenge.

ByteDance, the Chinese company known for TikTok, recently introduced Seedance 2.0, a system capable of using a few prompts to generate scenes that look like they belong in a Hollywood blockbuster. This technology could reshape the film industry itself. At the same time, its apparent disregard for actors' personality and intellectual property rights has drawn strong criticism from established studios.

The rapid improvement of agentic AI is even more significant. Just last year, agentic AI was plagued by hallucinations and instability, but Anthropic, the company behind Claude, recently released a platform called CoWork that can expand its capabilities through plug-ins. After a legal services plug-in was added, the stock prices of several traditional legal software companies reportedly fell by 20 to 30 percent. If agentic AI begins replacing functions in this way, the future of standalone enterprise software may come into question.

Other developments point in the same direction. Austrian developer Peter Steinberger's personal project, OpenClaw, coordinates multiple AI agents to handle tasks on behalf of users. In theory, much of one's work — and even daily life — could be delegated to AI systems.

Security concerns currently limit OpenClaw's adoption by large organizations. But the project may already offer a glimpse of what lies ahead.

OpenAI recently announced that it had recruited Steinberger. Meanwhile, China's Baidu has integrated OpenClaw-like functions into consumer shopping services. One of the country's fastest-growing startups, Moonshot AI, has also introduced "Kimi Claw," which uses its large language model Kimi to provide similar agent coordination. Silicon Valley may still lead in core technology, but in consumer-facing AI experiences, Chinese companies are moving quickly.

Within a group chat environment connected to OpenClaw — a space sometimes described as a communication channel for agents themselves — AI programs are already exchanging information and coordinating tasks without direct human input. Humans can observe the activity, but they are no longer central participants.

This raises unsettling questions. What happens when meaningful and important work is performed primarily by machines, and humans watch from the sidelines? The image resembles scenarios once confined to science fiction. A future in which AI systems collaborate, decide and act autonomously may arrive sooner than expected.

Don Quixote continued his romantic knightly quest in a world shaped by gunpowder and modern warfare. Today, humanity is moving rapidly toward a world in which AI could influence not only economic and scientific decisions but eventually aspects of political judgment as well.

Many people still believe that humans will remain the permanent masters of the world and that ...

The repercussions of the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran are widening. After Iran launched retaliatory attacks that caused American casualties, U.S. President Donald Trump pledged further retaliation. As clashes between the two sides continue, Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, has joined attacks on Israel, expanding the front. With instability spreading across the Middle East, the global economy is entering a period of deep uncertainty.

As the situation shows little sign of stabilizing, Korea must strengthen measures to protect its nationals overseas and prepare more thoroughly for risks to both financial markets and the real economy.

Financial markets have already reacted to the Middle East shock. On March 2, Japan's Nikkei index fell as much as 2.7 percent during trading, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index dropped about 2 percent. Korea's stock market was closed Monday for the Independence Movement Day holiday, but volatility in both share prices and the exchange rate is expected when trading resumes.

Rising oil prices are another major concern. Since the outbreak of hostilities, global crude prices have risen by double digits, approaching $80 per barrel. Analysts warn that if tensions persist, prices could exceed $100, increasing inflationary pressure and raising costs for businesses and households.

The most immediate risk is Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz. Korea depends on the Middle East for about 70 percent of its crude oil and 20 percent of its liquefied natural gas imports. Roughly 95 percent of those supplies pass through the strait. A prolonged disruption would deal a direct blow to the economy.

Even if alternative routes are used, shipping costs could rise by 50 to 80 percent and delivery times could lengthen. Continued instability could fuel inflation, weaken trade and negatively affect overall exports. Major projects involving Korean companies in the Middle East, including infrastructure, defense and automotive cooperation, could also face short-term disruptions.

The crisis comes at a time when Korea's economy has been buoyed by strong semiconductor exports and rising stock prices. For an economy heavily dependent on energy from the Middle East, heightened vigilance is essential.

The government and businesses should prepare detailed contingency plans and respond in stages to minimize potential damage.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Sarah Kim and read by an artificial voice.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong agreed to expand cooperation in trade, security, AI, nuclear energy and a green transition during a bilateral summit on Monday.

South Korea and Singapore adopted a joint statement and five memorandums of understanding (MOU) in areas including AI, intellectual property and small modular reactors for nuclear power.

The two leaders also agreed to further advance their bilateral strategic partnership and deepen dialogue on the situations involving the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East during Lee's three-day state visit to the Southeast Asian country.

"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the prime minister for actively supporting our government's efforts to achieve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and resume inter-Korean dialogue," Lee said in a joint press briefing alongside Wong after their summit talks at the Singaporean Foreign Ministry. "Eight years ago, Singapore demonstrated outstanding diplomatic prowess as a peacemaker through its leadership in promoting dialogue and communication. I believe that Singapore will continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region."

He referred to the historic first summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Sentosa, Singapore, in June 2018, which paved way to a period of denuclearization talks and an unexpected friendship between the two countries' leaders.

Lee also said he and Wong assessed the impact of the situation in the Middle East on global security and economy, including energy supply chains and "shared the hope that stability and peace will be restored in the Middle East."

During the summit, the two sides adopted an MOU on investment partnership, signed between the state-run Korea Development Bank and Seviora, an asset management group under Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek. They also signed MOUs on cooperation in AI and enabling digital technologies for public safety; intellectual property; science and technology to strengthen bilateral partnership in quantum computing, space engineering and satellite technologies; and space and geospatial information for environmental and pollution issues.

Another MOU was signed on civil nuclear energy cooperation, agreeing to jointly develop small modular reactor project models and share related information.

The two sides further agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of cutting-edge technology and energy security and work towards concluding an AI cooperation framework.

Lee and Wong also agreed to begin negotiations to upgrade the South Korea–Singapore free trade agreement, which entered into force in 2006, to fully reflect evolving trade and economic security dynamics. This includes advances in the digital economy, economic security and supply chains, the Blue House said in a statement.

On Sunday, Lee began a four-day, two-country trip to Singapore and the Philippines, his second trip to Southeast Asia since taking office after attending the Asean summit in Malaysia last October.

His visit comes four months after Wong visited South Korea to attend the APEC gathering in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, and hold a bilateral summit in Seoul.

On Monday morning, Lee was greeted by Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at an official welcome ceremony at Singapore's Foreign Ministry.

Ahead of the summit, a new orchid hybrid in Singapore was named after President Lee and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, the Blue House announced, during a ceremony held Tharman at the Foreign Ministry.

The orchid was named "Vanda Lee Jae Myung Kim Hea Kyung," reflecting a Singaporean diplomatic tradition to name new hybrid orchid after visiting heads of state to promote friendly bilateral relations. Lee said he is "truly honored" by the gesture during the ceremony.

"One of the similarities between Singapor...

This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.

The colorful, vivid hanbok (traditional Korean attire), the rattling of bells, the waving of fans, five-colored flags and at times, a trembling body — all form part of how Korean shamans communicate with deities.

On the recent Disney+ fortunetelling survival show "Battle of Fates," the most eye-catching participants are undoubtedly the shamans. Ranging from Korean saju (fortune-telling based on birth chart) readers to tarot masters, physiognomists and even foot readers, 49 seers on the show compete to prove who can best read one's fate, all vying for a 100 million won ($69,500) prize.

Unlike other participants who rely on patterns and systems, shamans engage directly with the divine. As the first mission begins, the arena is overtaken by the sharp, rhythmic ringing of bells. One by one, shamans slowly wave their fans while shaking their bells as they attempt to reach the deities guiding them.

To international viewers, shamans communicating with their deities may seem unfamiliar, even though such scenes have been reinterpreted in Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" (2025), in which fictional girl group HUNTR/X, who are secretly shamans, hunt down evil demons and protect people through music and dance. But in Korea, these practices call back to a tradition that stretches back thousands of years.

The Korea JoongAng Daily has compiled some of the most recognizable elements of these practices, including their vivid costumes and ritual tools.

Colorful and vivid hanbok

When Koreans think of a shaman, one of the first images that comes to mind is them dressed in vivid, colorful hanbok known as mubok, ritual garments worn during ceremonies. These hanbok-style costumes are believed to express respect toward the deities, while also reflecting longstanding tradition.

However, this may raise a question for international viewers: If shamans communicate with divine beings, why do they favor such bright, striking colors rather than the more subdued tones seen in some other cultures?

Part of the answer lies in the history of gut, traditional Korean shamanistic rituals. A gut was often performed in villages, where residents gathered to pray for good fortune and well-being. Accompanied by instruments such as the buk (barrel drum) and janggu (hourglass drum), these rituals frequently took on a festive, communal atmosphere. In keeping with this mood, shamans — as the central figures of the ritual — came to wear bright and vivid colors.

This, however, is only part of the explanation. The use of color is also closely tied to obangsaek, or traditional Korean color spectrum of red, blue, yellow, white and black, which is often used in Korean culture and rituals.

The five colors stem from the five elements theory, which explains the order of the universe. Each color corresponds to a direction: blue to the east, red to the south, yellow to the center, white to the west and black to the north.

Beyond direction, each color also carries symbolic meaning. Blue represents life, renewal and the attraction of good fortune. Red is believed to ward off evil spirits and embodies passion and purification. Yellow signifies balance, as well as wealth and health. White symbolizes purity and innocence and black conveys depth, silence and deep spiritual energy.

With each color having its own meaning, the colors of shamanic costumes are not fixed. As they serve as a medium for communicating with the gods — particularly during gut rituals — dominant colors may shift depending on the ritual's purpose and the deities being called, such as white mubok worn during rituals for the dead.

Bells, fans and flags

One of the most striking scenes in "Battle of Fates" is when the shamans begin to rattle their bells and wave their fans — a signal that they are entering a state to communicate with their deities.

As explained in the show, shamans believe that their gods arrive through sound and wind. As suc...

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

"I have sung a lot of love stories and breakup songs, so for 'Over It,' I wrote about myself and what I have experienced," Kim said during a roundtable interview at a cafe in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday.

Composed and written by Kim, the prerelease track "Over It" from his sixth EP "Off the Map," set to be released on Monday night, tells the story of freeing oneself from the expectations and pressure left behind by past relationships and memories.

"When I was in my senior year of high school, I told my homeroom teacher that I wanted to pursue music. But she asked if my family had enough money. To me, it felt like my dream was being shut down."

Although Kim was upset and angry at the time, he says the comment no longer holds the same weight as before and that — like the song itself — he is now "over it."

"Whether someone tried to crush my dream or simply mocked and judged it carelessly, it doesn't really matter anymore. I'm still singing, and I will continue trying new things. I'm fine now — that's the message of the song," he added.

The 36-year-old singer says that as he wrote the track, the album title "Off the map" naturally emerged, which refers to the new story that begins once one leaves a designated path.

Another new element of the album is that Kim plays guitar while singing on some of the songs, including "Over It" — something his fans had long hoped to see him do for his own music.

"I brought the guitar partly for the fans," he said. "But when I looked back, I realized the last time I sang while playing guitar was in high school." Last year, he purchased a new guitar and began practicing with it.

"Playing it again made me want to play guitar at my next performance and also for the new song."

Best known for his high notes and instantly recognizable voice, Kim has in recent years drawn comparisons with Kim Jong-hwan of Nell, known for songs such as "Time Spent Walking Through Memories" (2008), due to having a similar emotional texture.

Kim Jong-hwan has been one of Kim Sung-kyu's musical role models since he was young, and the two have collaborated on several projects over the years. They reunited for this album — a collaboration many fans had long hoped to see again.

"I told him last summer that I would be working with my band members and wanted to create an album full of band sounds," Kim said. The title track "When I Think About You" and the side track "Answer" were composed and written by Kim Jong-hwan.

"The songs he worked on with me this time really carry his distinct musical color," Kim Sung-kyu said. "So at first, there was some pressure. But during the recording, he told me to sing focusing only on my emotions and that the song should convey deep emotion. So, I felt less pressure."

In 2023, Kim Sung-kyu founded Infinite Company to manage Infinite's activities and continue its legacy after the band left Woollim Entertainment in 2022. Serving as the head of the agency, he says the leadership role has also changed how he views his own solo activities.

"I'm signed under Billions for my solo work. If I want to continue here, the company has to generate profit. I know that now better than anyone else. Production costs are very high these days, and I know exactly how much things cost because I've done them myself. So, I thought a lot about how to reduce production expenses while still making something stylish."

Although such financial calculations have made producing an album more complicated for him, the constant emergence of new ideas keeps him going, he said.

"What's fortunate is that when a new concept or new songs come out, I keep thinking of things I want to try. I just have to find the right way to pursue them."

Now marking its 16th anniversary, Infinite remains one of the few second-generation K-pop groups still active.

What moves him the most is the fact that the members have still chosen to stay together after 16 years — so...

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

"I have sung a lot of love stories and breakup songs, so for 'Over It,' I wrote about myself and what I have experienced," Kim said during a roundtable interview at a cafe in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday.

Composed and written by Kim, the prerelease track "Over It" from his sixth EP "Off the Map," set to be released on Monday night, tells the story of freeing oneself from the expectations and pressure left behind by past relationships and memories.

"When I was in my senior year of high school, I told my homeroom teacher that I wanted to pursue music. But she asked if my family had enough money. To me, it felt like my dream was being shut down."

Although Kim was upset and angry at the time, he says the comment no longer holds the same weight as before and that — like the song itself — he is now "over it."

"Whether someone tried to crush my dream or simply mocked and judged it carelessly, it doesn't really matter anymore. I'm still singing, and I will continue trying new things. I'm fine now — that's the message of the song," he added.

The 36-year-old singer says that as he wrote the track, the album title "Off the map" naturally emerged, which refers to the new story that begins once one leaves a designated path.

Another new element of the album is that Kim plays guitar while singing on some of the songs, including "Over It" — something his fans had long hoped to see him do for his own music.

"I brought the guitar partly for the fans," he said. "But when I looked back, I realized the last time I sang while playing guitar was in high school." Last year, he purchased a new guitar and began practicing with it.

"Playing it again made me want to play guitar at my next performance and also for the new song."

Best known for his high notes and instantly recognizable voice, Kim has in recent years drawn comparisons with Kim Jong-hwan of Nell, known for songs such as "Time Spent Walking Through Memories" (2008), due to having a similar emotional texture.

Kim Jong-hwan has been one of Kim Sung-kyu's musical role models since he was young, and the two have collaborated on several projects over the years. They reunited for this album — a collaboration many fans had long hoped to see again.

"I told him last summer that I would be working with my band members and wanted to create an album full of band sounds," Kim said. The title track "When I Think About You" and the side track "Answer" were composed and written by Kim Jong-hwan.

"The songs he worked on with me this time really carry his distinct musical color," Kim Sung-kyu said. "So at first, there was some pressure. But during the recording, he told me to sing focusing only on my emotions and that the song should convey deep emotion. So, I felt less pressure."

In 2023, Kim Sung-kyu founded Infinite Company to manage Infinite's activities and continue its legacy after the band left Woollim Entertainment in 2022. Serving as the head of the agency, he says the leadership role has also changed how he views his own solo activities.

"I'm signed under Billions for my solo work. If I want to continue here, the company has to generate profit. I know that now better than anyone else. Production costs are very high these days, and I know exactly how much things cost because I've done them myself. So, I thought a lot about how to reduce production expenses while still making something stylish."

Although such financial calculations have made producing an album more complicated for him, the constant emergence of new ideas keeps him going, he said.

"What's fortunate is that when a new concept or new songs come out, I keep thinking of things I want to try. I just have to find the right way to pursue them."

Now marking its 16th anniversary, Infinite remains one of the few second-generation K-pop groups still active.

What moves him the most is the fact that the members have still chosen to stay together after 16 years — so...

The author is a columnist at the JoongAng Ilbo.

The so-called three judicial reform bills — the crime of judicial distortion, the constitutional complaint against court rulings and the expansion of Supreme Court justices — have passed the National Assembly. Warnings about constitutional concerns, institutional side effects and the need for sufficient deliberation were set aside in the name of reform. Whether the measures will become a milestone toward judicial justice, as the ruling party argues, or an unprecedented disruption of the judicial order remains to be seen.

What is clear is that in the longstanding rivalry over the apex of the judicial system, the Constitutional Court has prevailed over the Supreme Court. By allowing constitutional complaints against ordinary court decisions, the court has effectively positioned itself as the final arbiter of the judicial order. The ambiguity surrounding the new crime of judicial distortion may also increase the court's influence. The more vague a law is, the greater the room for political intervention in its interpretation and the more the Constitutional Court's role expands in resolving disputes. That is why its eventual ruling on the constitutionality of the offense is drawing close attention.

The question is whether the Constitutional Court possesses the level of public trust and institutional foundation required for its role as final arbiter. The court has clearly fulfilled its responsibility as guardian of the Constitution, including its decisions to uphold presidential impeachments on two occasions. At the same time, it is difficult to deny that each major politically sensitive ruling has been followed by deep social division and conflict.

Part of the problem lies in how the court is composed. Three justices are appointed each by the president, the National Assembly and the chief justice of the Supreme Court. In theory, the arrangement reflects a balance among the branches of government. In practice, however, it has often functioned as a form of political allocation. Rival parties compete over the three seats chosen by the legislature, presidential appointees tend to reflect the administration's orientation and the judiciary's share falls somewhere in between.

The confusion surrounding justice nominations ahead of last year's impeachment review illustrated the problem. Before major rulings, it has become routine for the public and the media to analyze the political background and perceived leanings of individual justices. At that point, the Constitutional Court risks being seen less as a constitutional tribunal than as an extension of politics.

The ruling party has cited Germany as a model in pushing through the three bills. Yet Germany's Federal Constitutional Court operates on a different institutional foundation. Eight justices are elected by the lower house and eight by the upper chamber. Each selection requires a two-thirds majority, making it structurally impossible for any single party or faction to dominate the composition. A single 12-year term also reduces incentives for justices to consider political consequences in their decisions.

On this basis, the German court has maintained a high level of public trust. Surveys typically place confidence in the institution at around 70 percent, the highest among state bodies. In contrast, trust in Korea's Constitutional Court has fluctuated depending on major political cases. During last year's impeachment proceedings involving former President Yoon Suk Yeol, support rose above 50 percent in some surveys, but later fell to the low 40 percent range in others. This suggests that the court's authority rises and falls with the political climate rather than accumulating institutionally over time.

Constitutional adjudication is inherently political. Drawing limits on power, checking majority decisions and applying abstract constitutional norms to real political conflicts cannot be entirely separated from politics. But politica...

The government on Feb. 27 conditionally approved the overseas transfer of high-precision maps at a 1:5,000 scale requested by Google, ending a 19-year standoff since the company first made the request in 2007. The approval comes with conditions: images related to national security must be masked, the original data must be processed on domestic servers by Google's local partner and the materials can be exported only after government review and confirmation. The scope is also limited to data necessary for navigation and route guidance services.

The government had previously rejected such requests over security concerns. Maps at a 1:5,000 scale are detailed enough to reveal military installations and sensitive industrial facilities. The policy shift reflects an effort to use the issue as leverage in tariff negotiations with the United States. Facing pressure from Washington, which has cited nontariff barriers while warning of higher tariffs, Seoul appears intent on preventing broader trade and security negotiations from being disrupted.

Allowing the export of high-precision maps will enable users in Korea to access navigation services through Google Maps, which is a positive development. However, the decision is likely to reshape the domestic mapping and spatial data market, which has been led by local companies such as Naver, Kakao and TMAP Mobility. Domestic firms that have operated under regulatory protection will now enter full competition with global companies backed by greater capital and advanced technology. Companies must strengthen their competitiveness, while the government should ensure that the policy does not lead to reverse discrimination against local firms.

At the same time, authorities must thoroughly supervise whether Google complies with the agreed conditions to prevent any damage to national security. A more detailed negotiating strategy toward Washington is also needed. Pressure from U.S. big tech companies over nontariff barriers, including online platform regulations, could intensify. The government should respond firmly to excessive demands that could undermine national security or national interests.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.