The Minute to Read (Weekdays) series provides a quick overview of significant events in Korea everyday, conveniently condensed into a one-minute read. Here’s a recap of what happened yesterday: July 17.

Illustrated by Lee Yeon-joo, the Chosunilbo

Job market woes force young Koreans to stay with their parents

In South Korea, 81% of people in their 20s live with their parents, the highest rate among OECD countries. Koreans aged 15-29 take an average of 11.5 months to land their first job after graduating from high school or college. The number of long-term job seekers has also increased, with 18.4% of unemployed people aged 15-29 searching for a place to work for over three years. Experts attribute this trend to the growing desire to work for large corporations in Seoul, leading to prolonged job search periods. As a result, young Koreans are delaying traditional milestones of adulthood, such as employment, financial independence, marriage, and childbirth.

“The excessive concentration of opportunities and resources in the Seoul metropolitan area heightens competition among young people, raising the standards for marriage and other life stages,” said Hwang Myung-jin, a professor at Korea University.

Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst and U.S. foreign affairs commentator, has been charged with acting as a foreign agent for Seoul. / Yonhap

Former CIA analyst Sue Mi Terry accused of acting as South Korean agent

Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst and U.S. foreign policy expert, was charged with acting as a foreign agent for South Korea after leaving the intelligence agency. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan accused her of disclosing information to Seoul’s intelligence officers in exchange for luxury goods and dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants in Manhattan.

Terry, a senior fellow for Korea studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, disclosed nonpublic U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officers and introduced the spies to congressional staff members, according to an indictment made public on July 16. The indictment said she also wrote articles in American and South Korean publications reflecting Seoul’s policy priorities. In exchange for her efforts, she received a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat, a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag and a $2,950 Bottega Veneta handbag from her handlers, as well as several meals at high-end restaurants and more than $37,000 in “covert” funding for a public policy program on Korean affairs that she ran. Terry’s lawyer, Lee Wolosky, said the allegations are unfounded and “distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.”

Former North Korean counselor and defector, Ri Il-gyu /Kim Ji-ho

North Korean defector condemns Kim Jong Un’s regime as “modern-day slavery”

Ri Il-gyu, 52, who fled to South Korea last November after serving as a counselor responsible for political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, said, “I couldn’t stand the Kim Jong-un regime, which squandered hundreds of millions of dollars on nuclear and missile development while turning 25 million people into modern-day slaves.” He added that people felt resentment toward a leadership that was only obsessed with nuclear and missile development but constantly disregarded the basic needs of its citizens.

Ri referred to North Korean Foreign Ministry officials as “beggars in ties,” revealing that his monthly salary was a mere $0.30. “During my time in Cuba, my monthly salary was $500 (about 690,000 won), but it wasn’t enough.” To make ends meet, he resorted to selling illegal cigars.

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