Bottlenose dolphins off Jeju Island A pod of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins swims in waters off the city of Seogwipo on South Korea’s largest island of Jeju on May 18, 2026. (Yonhap)
Hopefully this summit continues to the positive direction of ROK and Japanese relations:
Takaichi will be received at Daegu International Airport, near Andong, by South Korea’s Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina before heading to a hotel, where she will meet Lee for talks.
Honor guards in traditional costumes and gear will escort Takaichi as she is ushered into the hotel, where a 12-member color guard will welcome her at the entrance, according to presidential officials.
Lee and Takaichi will first hold a small-group meeting, followed by an expanded meeting, before making a joint press announcement on the results of their talks.
Agenda items will likely include bilateral cooperation in response to the ongoing Middle East conflict, security in Northeast Asia and efforts to address disruptions in global supply chains.
What was Starbucks thinking with this promotion? There is no way this guy could have been this clueless. I wonder if anyone on his staff tried to warn him this was not a good idea?:
President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a ceremony on May 18, 2026, in Gwangju, commemorating the 1980 democratization movement in the city located some 270 kilometers south of Seoul. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
The head of Starbucks Korea was dismissed Monday after the coffee chain faced strong backlash over a promotional event that evoked painful memories of South Korea’s military rule on a pro-democracy movement anniversary, Shinsegae Group said.
Son Jung-hyun, head of SCK Company, which operates Starbucks Korea under E-Mart, was fired hours after the coffee franchise launched its “Tank Day” online promotional event, which offered discounts on “Tank” tumbler sets along with the phrase, “Put it on the table with a sound of ‘Tak!'”
The event quickly drew criticism from civic groups and online users, who argued that the word “tank” recalled the military vehicles deployed by martial law troops during the uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju on May 18, 1980, while the phrase “tak” was seen as evoking the 1987 torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol.
Hours later, Starbucks Korea suspended the promotional event and issued an apology to those who were involved in the nation’s democracy movement, including victims of the Gwangju uprising and the bereaved family of Park.
With US having a hard time keeping up with demand for Patriot interceptors causing the Gulf states to look at other options to rearm:
“Six weeks of relentless air bombardment sapped air defense stocks in the Middle East. Now begins the scramble to rearm.
With a fragile cease-fire in place between the U.S. and Iran, America’s closest allies in the region—and some of the best customers for U.S. weapons systems—are scanning the world for alternative missile defenses, getting creative about ways to bolster defenses quickly.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are turning to South Korean missile-defense systems, Ukrainian drones that smash into targets midair and traditional American Gatling guns. ”
Children pay their respects to slain pro-democracy fighters at the May 18th National Cemetery in the southwestern city of Gwangju on May 16, 2026, two days ahead of the 46th anniversary of a pro-democracy uprising. The national cemetery honors citizens who were killed in the city during protests against the military junta of Chun Doo-hwan in May 1980. (Yonhap)
A Pakistani migrant, Mohammad Idris, spent the day harassing women in South Korea & tried to escape consequences by crying “Islamophobia,” a tactic that often works in the West. But Korean didn’t fall for it.
Trump may want to engage with North Korea, but as long as they are allied with Putin they have no reason to engage back:
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping after visiting Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing on May 15, 2026, in this photo released by AFP. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he discussed North Korea with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summit in Beijing this week, as he has expressed his desire to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Trump made the remarks in a meeting with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington after a three-day visit to Beijing.
“I did,” he said, responding to a question about whether he talked about North Korea during his meeting with Xi.
“You know, I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un. He’s been pretty quiet,” he added.
Asked if he has had any communications with Kim, Trump said, “Yes.”
Trump may want to engage with North Korea, but as long as they are allied with Putin they have no reason to engage back:
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping after visiting Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing on May 15, 2026, in this photo released by AFP. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he discussed North Korea with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summit in Beijing this week, as he has expressed his desire to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Trump made the remarks in a meeting with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington after a three-day visit to Beijing.
“I did,” he said, responding to a question about whether he talked about North Korea during his meeting with Xi.
“You know, I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un. He’s been pretty quiet,” he added.
Asked if he has had any communications with Kim, Trump said, “Yes.”
It looks like Prime Minister Takaichi and President Lee have formed so far a strong relationship:
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering visiting Korea later this month for a summit with President Lee Jae Myung in his hometown of Andong, Japanese media outlets said Saturday, citing diplomatic sources.
Japan’s Kyodo News and other media outlets reported that Takaichi is expected to visit South Korea on May 19 for a two-day trip and hold talks with Lee in Andong, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on economic security cooperation, including energy and critical mineral supply chains amid the Middle East conflict.
Takaichi last visited South Korea in October, just nine days after she took office, and held talks with Lee on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.
