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U.S. Government Authorizes Potential Sale of JDAM Munitions to South Korea

Some more advanced weaponry may be coming to the ROK military:

The U.S. government has authorized a potential sale to South Korea of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision bombs and related equipment, the State Department said Monday, noting the proposed sale will help enhance the Asian ally’s defense capabilities.

The department announced its decision on the potential government-to-government Foreign Military Sale (FMS) estimated to cost US$106 million. The proposed sale requires congressional notification and review.

South Korea has made a request to buy 708 KMU-557 JDAM tail kits, 58 KMU-572 JDAM guidance sets and other items, including weapons support equipment and U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, according to the department.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Tweet of the Day: American Student Dies in Japan

Picture of the Day: Nvidia Chairman Visits South Korea

Nvidia CEO Huang arrives in S. Korea
Nvidia CEO Huang arrives in S. Korea
U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang speaks to reporters upon arrival at Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center in western Seoul on June 5, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Kim Yo-jong Once Again Says that North Korea Will Never Denuclearize

The North Korean regime has been saying this for years and feel the need to say it yet again:

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said her country’s status as a nuclear-armed state is absolutely irreversible, calling it a “line of no retreat” and vowing not to tolerate any threats against it, the North’s state media reported Sunday.

Kim Yo-jong made the remarks in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), in which she reiterated Pyongyang’s position that its nuclear weapons program is nonnegotiable while rejecting international efforts aimed at denuclearization.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Protests Grow in Seoul Over Paper Ballot Shortages; Demand Reelection

How do you not print enough ballots for an election? Screwing up something as basic like this is what causes people to question the legitimacy of elections. If something like this would have happened during the Park Geun-hye administration what would the Korean left have done in response?:

Protests over ballot shortages entered their second day Saturday, with thousands encircling a vote-counting facility in eastern Seoul and demanding a new election.

By 12:35 p.m., approximately 2,000 people had gathered around SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa Ward, according to police, claiming Wednesday’s local elections were fraudulent.

Protesters blocked entrances, trapping an estimated 20-30 officials inside. About 400 police officers were deployed to the scene. No clashes have been reported.

The unrest stemmed from the shortage of ballot paper at more than a dozen polling stations across Seoul on Wednesday, including in Songpa and Gangnam, forcing temporary voting suspensions. Some voters are believed to have left without casting their ballots.

Authorities managed to move the ballot boxes to the gymnasium Friday morning. Since then, protestors have surrounded the facility, preventing officials from removing the boxes or leaving the site.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

ROK Drop Open Thread – June 5, 2026

Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.

Tweet of the Day: Pakistan’s Ambassador Attends Illegal Mosque in Japan

U.S. State Department Says They Are Open to Talks with North Korea Without Preconditions

The U.S. may be open to dialogue, but North Korea has said repeatedly they will not denuclearize and don’t want to talk about it:

The United States remains open to dialogue with North Korea “without preconditions,” and committed to the “complete” denuclearization of the recalcitrant country, a State Department spokesperson said Thursday.

The spokesperson’s remarks came after Pyongyang’s state media reported Thursday (Seoul time) that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a newly launched nuclear material production facility earlier this week, vowing to “exponentially” strengthen the country’s nuclear arsenal.

“The United States remains open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions,” the spokesperson said in response to Yonhap News Agency’s request for comment. “The United States remains committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Picture of the Day: Kim Jong-un Meets Women’s Soccer Team

N.K. leader meets women's football club
N.K. leader meets women’s football club
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C, in black) meets with players of the country’s Naegohyang Women’s FC, the winner of the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League in May, at the Central Cadres Training School of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang on June 1, 2026, during a friendly match between Naegohyang and the country’s U-17 women’s football team to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the party’s prestigious political school, in this photo released by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency the next day. (Yonhap)

Despite Major Election Losses, Korean Opposition Party Holds on to the Seoul Mayor’s Office

Early predictions had Mayor Oh losing the race, but now with almost all the votes counted he has been declared the winner now:

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party thanks supporters on June 4, 2026, after being declared winner in the Seoul mayoral race as part of local elections held the previous day. (Yonhap)

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party thanks supporters on June 4, 2026, after being declared winner in the Seoul mayoral race as part of local elections held the previous day. (Yonhap)

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) clinched a resounding victory in the local elections and parliamentary by-elections, winning the key mayoralty in the traditional conservative stronghold of Busan, while the main opposition party retained the Seoul mayoral seat. 

The DP won 12 out of the 16 key mayoral and gubernatorial seats up for grabs, including in Busan where Jeon Jae-soo was elected mayor, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) took four seats, including Seoul, where incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon was elected to a fifth term, according to the final vote count.

Of the total 14 seats contested in the parliamentary by-elections, which were held concurrently with the local elections, the DP clinched nine, followed by the PPP with four seats, while the remaining seat was won by an independent.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.