Category: ESTA News

A bill to freeze tuition at New Jersey public universities from the time of admission until graduation is drawing attention. State Senator Shirley Turner recently introduced a tuition freeze bill that would prevent tuition increases for four years for New Jersey residents who enroll in public universities.

The purpose of this bill is to ease the burden of tuition by freezing tuition for all four years of undergraduate study.

Representative Turner explained the purpose of the bill, saying, “Due to the high cost of college in New Jersey, 30,000 New Jersey high school students leave each year for college in other states. We need to help high school students stay in New Jersey and complete their college education.”

According to state data, the average tuition for in-state students at New Jersey’s four-year public universities for the 2025-2026 school year will be $16,714, a roughly 15% increase from four years ago. The past two years have seen annual increases of more than 5%, particularly in the past two years.

Rep. Turner points out that when room and board costs are factored in, the total cost of tuition more than doubled. Furthermore, according to the Education Data Initiative, 13% of New Jersey residents have student loan debt, with the average debt reaching $37,287. This highlights the ongoing calls for urgent action to address the severe cost burden in New Jersey.

Universities are reluctant to address the tuition freezing bill. The Association of State Colleges and Universities of New Jersey stated, “While alleviating the burden of tuition is a top priority, there are times when a combination of factors makes an increase unavoidable.” If enacted, the tuition freeze will apply to incoming freshmen at public universities starting the academic year following the bill’s enactment.

Going forward, SAT test takers will no longer be allowed to wear smart glasses.

According to the College Board, the SAT administrator, test takers will be prohibited from wearing smart glasses starting in March. The College Board explained, “We have previously prohibited the use of wearable electronic devices such as AirPods and smartwatches in testing rooms. The smart glasses ban is an extension of this policy of restricting the use of smart devices.”

This measure is aimed at preventing cheating using smart glasses’ functions. As technology advances, smart glasses are increasingly equipped with cameras, internet connections, and artificial intelligence (AI) functions, significantly increasing the likelihood of them being abused for cheating. Experts are raising concerns about the potential for cheating, such as test takers using smart glasses to take a photo of their test papers and receive real-time answers from AI.

The College Board has stated that no SAT test takers have yet been caught cheating using smart glasses.

However, there have been persistent warnings about the potential for smart glasses and other advanced devices to be misused for cheating, such as the case of an 18-year-old male student taking the Waseda University entrance exam in Tokyo, Japan, in 2024. He was caught using smart glasses to post test questions on social media and receive help from other users.

Starting later this month, New York State drivers will face significantly tougher traffic violation penalty points. Driver’s license suspension criteria will be stricter, and new points will be imposed for certain violations, such as making illegal U-turns and refusing to yield to emergency vehicles, significantly increasing the severity of penalties.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced that these new points will go into effect on the 26th. Under the new points regulations, drivers who have accumulated 11 or more points within 18 months will face a driver’s license suspension, which will be increased to 10 or more points within 24 months. The points awarded for existing violations will also be significantly increased.

Speeding by 1 to 10 miles per hour over the limit will see a point increase from 3 to 4 and using a cell phone while driving will see a point increase from 5 to 6. Reckless driving will see its penalty point increase from 5 to 8, and running a school bus stop signal will also see its penalty point increase from 5 to 8. New penalty points will also be introduced.

Vehicle equipment defects, such as malfunctioning headlights or taillights or excessive window tinting, will now be assessed one penalty point, while obstructing traffic, such as illegal U-turns and tailgating at intersections, will each receive two penalty points. For example, if caught with excessively dark window tinting and an illegal U-turn, a total of three penalty points will be issued, which will lead to a warning and increased risk of increased car insurance premiums.

Furthermore, a new three-point penalty has been introduced for vehicles that refuse to yield to emergency vehicles. In the case of DWI, if a warning is issued, the penalty points will be increased from 4 to 6 points (previously no penalty) to 7 to 10 points (previously no penalty) if a safe driving class is ordered, and if a driver is summoned for a license suspension hearing, the penalty points will be increased from 11 points to 11 or more points (previously 11 points).

If a driver is drunk driving four or more times, the driver’s license will be permanently revoked. According to the new regulations, drivers who receive four to six penalty points within 24 months will be issued an early warning. If they receive seven to 10 points, they will be required to take driver improvement education, and if they receive 11 points or more, they will be referred to a license suspension hearing.

In addition, if they violate traffic laws three or more times in a short period, they may be referred to a hearing regardless of the penalty points.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the Fulton County Board of Elections in Georgia on the 28th, local media reported.

Fulton County officials, which manage election records, said in a statement that the FBI is “currently searching the Board’s custody for records related to the 2020 election.”

Local media outlet WSB TV reported that FBI agents were transporting 700 boxes of documents. The outlet also reported that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey are expected to arrive on the scene soon. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who oversees elections in Georgia, was not notified in advance of the raid and has yet to comment.

President Trump has consistently claimed that there was election fraud in Georgia since the 2020 presidential election, when it appeared that he lost to then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden by over 11,000 votes. He even called Secretary of State Raffensperger, who was overseeing the elections at the time, demanding that he find that many votes.

The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office indicted Trump and 19 campaign officials in 2023 on charges of election interference and obstruction, but the case was dismissed in 2025 after Trump’s re-election when prosecutors withdrew the charges.

President Donald Trump appears to be backing off from his previous policy of cracking down on protests and indiscriminately cracking down on illegal immigrants in Minnesota.

Following the fatal shooting of another citizen by a federal agent on the 24th, criticism and concerns about the Trump administration have grown across both parties, and anti-government protests are showing signs of spreading nationwide. This appears to be a response to a sense of crisis and a concerted effort to defuse the situation.

On the 26th, President Trump announced that he would replace the person responsible for the crackdown and launch an investigation into the shooting. He announced on his social media account, Truth Social, that day, “Tom Homan is being dispatched to Minnesota tonight.”

Homan, the White House “border czar,” is responsible for border protection and immigration enforcement, the top priorities of the Trump administration’s second term. President Trump’s decision to dispatch Homan appears to be related to criticism of Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino, who has been leading immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, for his brutal and violent enforcement methods.

Citing sources, CNN reported that day that Bovino and some other agents would be leaving Minnesota and returning to their respective jurisdictions.

We are recruiting youth volunteers for the 2026 Summer Youth Internship Program (Young Adult Service Program, YASP).

The YASP, co-hosted by the Korean Community Service Center (KCS) and The Hankook Ilbo, will run for seven weeks from June 29th to August 14th. KCS, in partnership with various public agencies and local council offices in New York City, offers internship opportunities for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) college and high school students.

YASP provides opportunities to volunteer during the summer at various New York City organizations, including administrative support, advocacy, education, government agencies, health, and community service organizations. This year, participating organizations include Reading Partners, the Queens Botanical Garden, the Civil Rights Center, and elected officials from New York City and New York State. To participate, you must be enrolled in a college or high school in New York City or reside within the five boroughs of New York City.

We encourage the participation of many Korean youth. Application forms can be downloaded from the website. ◈ Volunteer period: June 29 – August 14 (7 weeks)

◈ Target: Current college or high school students in New York City or college or high school students residing in New York City

◈ Host: Korean Community Service Center of New York (KCS), The Hankook Ilbo

◈ Application period: Until April 20

◈ Application: Website (www.kcsny.org/yasp)

Voice phishing scams impersonating the Korean Embassy in the United States are on the rise again, requiring special caution.

Mr. A, a businessman in Annandale and a resident of Laurel, Maryland, recently received a phone call purporting to be from the embassy. Mr. A said, “The caller was a man who said, ‘Documents have arrived from the Korean court.’ When I asked what they were, he said he couldn’t confirm them over the phone.” Mr.

A added, “I told him I was near Washington, D.C., and would visit in person, but he instructed me to come to the second floor of the embassy. I found it odd that they told me to come to the embassy instead of the consulate, but I had several concerns, including a possible property tax issue in Korea, so I decided to visit the embassy.” However, when he explained his reason at the information desk on the first floor of the embassy, an employee told him, “This is all a voice phishing scam.”

Mr. A said, “I was shocked for a moment. I thought, ‘If I hadn’t gone in person that day, I might have been asked to remit money later.'”

Cases like this have been popping up in the Korean community in the Washington area recently. At a consulate general in Washington’s traveling consular business event held at the Washington Korean Community Center in Alexandria on the 10th, consulate staff told a reporter from this newspaper, “Embassy impersonation and voice phishing are on the rise these days,” and “There’s even a story about a $60,000 wire transfer through voice phishing.”

Consul Kim Bong-ju said, “Voice phishing was particularly severe last year, and it continues to occur throughout the year. Voice phishing cases are being reported not only in the Washington area but also at other embassies in the U.S., and there are cases where people actually send wire transfers and suffer losses.”

Consul Kim added, “We continue to receive calls asking for confirmation regarding the authenticity of voice phishing scams impersonating the embassy.”

According to a notice on the website of the Korean Embassy in the United States, there are instances of scammers impersonating embassy or consulate staff and deceiving recipients by calling them with information from the Korean National Police Agency, the Ministry of Justice (Supreme Prosecutors’ Office), or the Financial Supervisory Service.

Typical examples include: luring recipients to fake websites claiming to check their criminal records, stealing their personal information and then inducing them to send money; spoofing phone numbers from the Ministry of Justice or the Immigration Office, claiming their passports have been stolen or invalidated, and requesting personal information; and impersonating the administrator of the Overseas Koreans Agency’s 365 Civil Affairs Portal using commercial email addresses.

The Korean Embassy in the United States urges, “Neither Korean nor U.S. public institutions directly request or verify personal information over the phone or online. Please do not panic and never respond to such requests.”

The Embassy also emphasizes the following: Do not open emails from government agencies using commercial email addresses (e.g., Gmail, Naver), be suspicious of passwords or other personal information requests, verify the authenticity of the website, and avoid clicking on links from websites of unknown origin

The nurses’ union at a major New York City hospital went on strike on the 12th. They went on strike as announced after their demands for wage increases, staffing increases, improved treatment, and enhanced nurse safety were not met.

The New York State Nurses Association, the state’s nurses’ union, declared a breakdown in negotiations with management at midnight and began the strike at 6 a.m. This strike was joined by nurses from five major hospitals under three New York City healthcare systems: New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital in Manhattan, Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, the Main Campus of Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, and two hospitals under the Mount Sinai system. With a staggering 150,000 employees, it’s the largest nursing strike in history.

Montefiore Hospital officials blamed the union for the strike, stating, “The union’s proposal for a 40% wage increase is reckless.” They added that the hospital claims that the agreement reached three years ago has raised the minimum wage for nurses by nearly 20% over the past three years, with starting salaries exceeding $100,000 for new nurses and an average annual salary of $165,000 for experienced nurses.

According to New York State, which mediates labor-management negotiations, nurses from 12 private hospitals in the state have been negotiating with hospitals since last year, and agreements were reached at most hospitals last week. However, negotiations with five hospitals under the three major healthcare systems have broken down.

New York Governor Kathy Hokule declared a state of emergency on the 9th, citing the nursing workforce shortage at these hospitals in anticipation of a possible strike by the New York City nurses’ union.

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani expressed his support for the striking nurses by participating in a picket protest outside New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital.

Mayor Mamdani emphasized, “Nurses who save lives should not be asked to take pay cuts, cut benefits, or accept excessive workloads. Their value is not negotiable.”

Among the series of free policies that New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani has been ambitiously pursuing since taking office, it appears that the free bus service will not be implemented this year.

This is because it has been confirmed that the free bus service in New York City will not be included in the major policies to be announced in 2026 in New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s New Year’s address on the 13th.

In an interview with the press on the 8th, Governor Hochul said, “I have no plans to include the free bus project, which was one of the key pledges that Mayor Mamdani made during the election, on the list of policies to be announced in the New Year’s address. Not now. But it has not been completely ruled out.”

Mayor Mamdani had garnered support from the working class by making the free bus service a key campaign promise during his mayoral election. He estimated that the free bus service would require $700 million annually, and he planned to raise this by raising taxes on the wealthy. However, adjusting tax rates, such as the personal income tax rate and corporate tax rate, such as raising taxes on the wealthy, requires the approval of the New York State Legislature and the Governor, and thus the Governor’s cooperation was essential. However, Governor Hochul stated that “it cannot be pursued this year.”

Political circles analyze that Governor Hochul, who is running for re-election this year, has passively turned away from the free bus policy, which is controversial due to his own election conscious. Governor Hochul emphasized, “It makes no sense to impose more taxes on everyone, especially the wealthy (millionaires), just for the sake of raising taxes.” However, Governor Hochul actively cooperated with Mayor Mamdani’s free childcare policy, which expanded free childcare services in New York City to children up to 2 years old.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced its ruling on a major case on the 9th, raising speculation that the fate of “reciprocal tariffs” could be sealed.

According to Reuters, the Supreme Court announced on its website on the 6th that it could announce its decision on a case being heard during the Justices scheduled appearance on the 9th. The Supreme Court did not disclose which case it was ruling on. Reuters noted the possibility of a ruling on the legality of reciprocal tariffs, one of the most closely watched cases before the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court is examining the legality of tariffs imposed by President Trump, who asserted that the US trade deficit constituted a national emergency and expanded the executive branch’s authority. These tariffs include reciprocal tariffs imposed on countries around the world at arbitrary rates and high tariffs imposed on China, Canada, and Mexico to pressure them to curb drug smuggling.

The Supreme Court has been examining the legality of President Trump’s actions, which invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, to impose tariffs while claiming a national emergency.

U.S. federal courts have sided with the plaintiffs in both the first and second trials, holding the reciprocal tariffs illegal. The International Trade Court ruled in May of last year that the president had abused his power and invalidated the tariffs, and the appeals court essentially upheld the first trial’s decision in August of last year.

The Supreme Court, with a 6-3 split between conservative and liberal justices, has often issued decisions favorable to the conservative Trump administration. However, this time, there is speculation that the legitimacy of reciprocal tariffs will likely not be recognized as President Trump wishes.

According to Reuters, during the November 5 hearing, the justices, regardless of their progressive or conservative leanings, displayed skepticism about the legality of reciprocal tariffs. President Trump has repeatedly expressed his anxiety about the possibility of losing the case due to this atmosphere.

On the social media platform TruthSocial on the 2nd of this month, he stated, “It would be a terrible blow to the United States to lose the ability to impose tariffs on other countries that treat us unfairly.”

On the 5th of this month, President Trump asserted, “Because of tariffs, our country is much stronger financially and from a national security standpoint, and we are more respected than ever before.” If the Supreme Court rules that reciprocal tariffs are illegal, it is expected to trigger renewed chaos both domestically and internationally.

The global economy could be affected by the possibility of at least procedural changes to the trade order that the Trump administration re-established through high tariffs. Within the United States, the Trump administration’s policy of maximizing executive power in almost every matter could be put to the test.

Reuters reported that the Supreme Court is also hearing free speech cases related to voting rights and LGBTQ+ counseling, suggesting that the ruling on the same day may not be a reciprocal tariff.