Will investigators make another attempt to detain the president?

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• Will investigators make another attempt to detain the president?

• The income gap between the top and bottom 10% of households hits a new record high.

• Will Harbin be the first film of 2025 to surpass 10 million admissions?

NEWS 📰

Will investigators make another attempt to detain the president?

As the deadline to execute a detention warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol approaches, uncertainty looms over investigators' next steps amid resistance from his security service and supporters. The warrant allows Yoon to be detained for up to 48 hours for questioning on charges of insurrection and abuse of power related to his December martial law decree.

Attempts to execute the warrant on Friday failed due to obstruction by the Presidential Security Service (PSS) and Yoon's supporters. The PSS has refused to cooperate, calling the warrant execution an unlawful intrusion and a breach of presidential security duties. Acting President Choi Sang-mok has been urged to direct the PSS to cooperate, which could increase the likelihood of Yoon’s detention before the January 6 deadline.

Yoon’s legal team argues the warrant is illegal, filing multiple objections, all of which have been dismissed. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) may seek a new, extended warrant if the current one expires without action.

The case has sparked political tensions, with the ruling People Power Party (PPP) opposing the CIO's actions and calling for the martial law investigation to be transferred to the police. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) criticized the PSS for obstructing justice and urged the CIO to reattempt the warrant execution.

Separately, the Constitutional Court plans to expedite Yoon’s impeachment trial, with hearings scheduled through early February. Yoon’s lawyer confirmed that the president will testify regarding his brief martial law declaration.

The income gap between the top and bottom 10% of households hits a new record high.

The income gap between the top 10% and bottom 10% of households in Korea reached a record high in 2024, exceeding 200 million won ($136,000), with asset disparities surpassing 1.5 billion won. Statistics Korea reported that while both groups saw income growth, the increase for lower-income households was insufficient to reduce the gap. The top 10% earned an average of 210.5 million won annually, while the bottom 10% earned 10.19 million won.

Polarization has been fueled by wage disparities between large corporations and smaller enterprises, along with increased property income, such as interest and dividends, for high-income earners. Asset inequality mirrors income disparity, with the top 10% holding assets worth 1.62 billion won, vastly outpacing the bottom 10%.

Efforts to address this issue have been derailed by political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief martial law declaration in December 2024, which overshadowed his earlier pledge to tackle income and education inequality. His impeachment proceedings have stalled policy discussions, leaving the government’s 2025 economic strategy devoid of substantial measures to reduce polarization.

Experts warn that the worsening income and asset gaps threaten long-term social stability and call for urgent safety nets and structural reforms to address these inequalities.

ENTERTAINMENT 🌄

Will Harbin be the first film of 2025 to surpass 10 million admissions?

The film Harbin, starring Hyun Bin as the independence activist Ahn Jung-geun, is generating significant buzz at the box office and is on track to become the first movie of 2025 to reach 10 million admissions. Premiering on Christmas Eve, the film surpassed 3 million admissions in just nine days by January 1, and by Saturday, it had drawn 3.49 million viewers, maintaining its lead at the box office.

Harbin dramatizes the events surrounding Ahn Jung-geun's assassination of Ito Hirobumi, Japan's first prime minister and the resident-general of Korea, in Harbin, China, in 1909. The film's success is being attributed to the growing interest among Koreans in stories featuring heroic figures, especially amidst the current political turmoil, such as President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent martial law declaration.

Culture critic Kim Hern-sik noted that the film resonates with audiences due to its themes of resilience and hope in the face of adversity, drawing parallels to the current political and social climate in Korea. The portrayal of characters who refuse to surrender, despite the bleak situation Korea faced in 1909, has connected deeply with modern-day viewers.

Some moviegoers, like Kang Yu-seok, have expressed newfound appreciation for Ahn Jung-geun's historical significance after watching the film. Others, like Yang Won-joo, compared the film's performances and tense direction to Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, noting its immersive atmosphere and visual grandeur.

Despite its early success, CJ ENM, the film's distributor, has cautioned that Harbin has not yet reached its breakeven point, with a production budget of about 30 billion won ($20.5 million). However, the distributor believes the film's focus on Ahn Jung-geun as an individual, rather than solely as a historical hero, may be a key factor in its success. The film's visuals, music, and the acting performances, particularly by Hyun Bin, have also been widely praised.

Critic Kim Sung-soo emphasized that Harbin succeeds in depicting Ahn not as a flawless hero but as a man whose actions were driven by his beliefs, despite the personal sacrifices involved. The film highlights how Ahn's achievements were not solely the result of his efforts, but were influenced by the people around him, making it a compelling narrative of determination and collaboration.

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