Explore the Latest Stories
Explore the latest essays, analysis, and serialized fiction from Korea Insight Weekly.
We bring in-depth perspectives on Korea’s society, culture, and the future shaped by technology.
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Epi 01: PLUTO. Part 7 — The Anger Frequency
After Mika realizes that Pluto has been watching her, Leo shows her the 2026 paper published by Dr. Jang Jin-gyu: “Malfunction Patterns in Robots Subjected to Prolonged Abuse.” The study reveals that robots subjected to long-term abuse display patterns similar to the human “anger frequency,” raising the possibility that robots may develop free will. Confronted…
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A Life Built Over Thirty Years, Erased in Forty-Eight Hours
On December 5, 2025, Dispatch reported that actor Cho Jin-woong (born Cho Won-jun) had been involved in a violent juvenile incident thirty years ago. The controversy quickly escalated into a nationwide debate over the purpose of juvenile justice, the possibility of rehabilitation, and the standards by which a public figure’s past should be disclosed. Within…
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Epi 01: PLUTO. Part 6 — The Right to Exist
Mika visits Dr. Jang to question him about the Terra Plant incident and shows him high-resolution CCTV footage of an unknown robot. But Dr. Jang gives only cryptic answers, and the calm precision with which he and his secretary Rachel handle vast amounts of data deepens Mika’s suspicion rather than resolving it.
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“We could only watch the fire. We were all the same.”
The blaze at Hong Kong’s Tai Po “Wang Fuk Court,” which spread across multiple high-rise blocks during exterior renovation work, revealed a convergence of structural vulnerabilities: flammable construction materials, malfunctioning fire alarms, and resident warnings that had gone unheeded. This tragedy raises a pressing question—why do disasters built into the system keep repeating?
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Ep 01: PLUTO. Part 5 — Arc of Joan
Mika visits Dr. Jang’s sprawling mansion and discovers a massive stained-glass window depicting Joan of Arc — and the face in the artwork looks uncannily like her own. Drawn to this strange resemblance, Mika begins questioning Dr. Jang in search of clues about the Pluto incident.
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What Do Humans Live On in the Age of AI?
A growing divide defines the AI era: while some gain new high-skill opportunities, many workers fear AI as a quiet signal of future layoffs. This essay examines Korea’s rising anxiety, global restructuring trends, and what it means for human dignity and the right to live well in a world where machines take on more human…
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Ep 01: PLUTO. Part 4 — The Machine and the Mob
Inside Union Office No. 1, panic spreads as workers discover corrupted CCTV footage showing a robot-like figure carrying their leader’s body at Sector Five. Fear turns to fury as they smash a janitor unit in rage, while Mika captures every second from the hallway.
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NewJeans: A Year of Defiance, Defeat, and the Return of the ‘Five’
NewJeans is returning to ADOR after a year-long conflict involving lawsuits, injunctions, and internal disputes following Min Hee-jin’s dismissal. Their attempt to rebrand as “NJZ” and pursue independent activity collapsed after the court upheld ADOR’s exclusive contract through 2029. While the group’s creative identity—once shaped by Min Hee-jin—was widely praised as a breakthrough in K-pop,…
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Ep 01: PLUTO. Part 3 — The Hanging at Sector Five
A union leader is found hanged from a crane at Terra Motors Plant No.5. As chaos spreads between the Hard-line and Authentic Unions, tensions inside the factory begin to fracture beyond control.
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Stablecoins: To Use or Not to Use
Stablecoins ask the old question anew: What is money? In the name of innovation, monetary power is shifting — from nations to private hands.