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: Nov. 25.

Japanese officials offer flowers during the memorial ceremony for the country's Sado Island Gold Mines in Niigata Prefecture on Nov. 24, while seats for South Korean government officials and bereaved families remain empty. /News1

Japan’s half-hearted tribute to Korean forced laborers sparks tensions

South Korea boycotted a joint memorial service for Korean forced labor victims at Japan’s Sado Island Gold Mines on Nov. 24, citing Japan’s insincerity in sending Akiko Ikuina, a Foreign Ministry official who had previously visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, as its representative. Japan had promised the memorial and related exhibitions as a condition for the mine’s UNESCO World Heritage listing, but failed to fulfill these commitments and did not apologize for the exploitation of Korean forced laborers. While Ikuina acknowledged the hardships faced by the miners, she did not use terms like “forced labor.” South Korea held a separate memorial with victims’ families on Nov. 25.

S. Korea leads OECD with 20.3% of unemployed in late 20s

South Korea leads the OECD in unemployment for those aged 25 to 29, with 20.3% of the nation’s jobless falling into this age group last year. Despite a youth unemployment rate of 5.9%, lower than countries like Spain and France, barriers to entry-level jobs have significantly impacted recent graduates, now taking an average of 11.5 months to secure their first position. The COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic slowdown have further hindered Generation Z’s ability to build experience and access quality employment.

Samsung ordered to pay $118 m in memory module patent dispute

A Texas jury has ordered Samsung Electronics to pay $118 million to U.S. semiconductor firm Netlist for willfully infringing patents related to high-performance memory modules used in cloud servers. Netlist claims Samsung’s technology violated its patents, which improve energy efficiency and data processing speed, while Samsung denies the allegations and asserts its technology operates differently. The ruling adds to Netlist’s growing legal victories, including previous judgments against Samsung and Micron Technology. Samsung has also filed a counter-suit against Netlist in Delaware.

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