Cherry blossom trees are in full bloom with N Seoul Tower in the background at Namsan Park in central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

After all the trouble to put the THAAD system in back in 2017 it makes sense that it would not be moved to the Middle East:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing at the Capitol in Washington, April 10, 2025, in this photo captured from the committee’s website. Yonhap

The United States has not moved its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system from South Korea to the Middle East to support its military operations against Iran, but “munitions” are awaiting transfer there, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Tuesday.

The general made the remarks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, following speculation that the U.S. military has repositioned or will move USFK assets to the Middle East to back up America’s war efforts against the Islamic Republic.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Like many countries it appears Korea is trying to hedge between the U.S. and China instead of choosing sides:

The United States is ramping up pressure on Korea to stop using Chinese technologies and remove regulations deemed unfavorable to American companies, with a senior U.S. official saying Tuesday that Seoul has to make a choice in the face of adversaries undermining the alliance. 

In a prerecorded video at the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea’s (AMCHAM) annual Doing Business in Korea seminar in Seoul, Michael DeSombre, assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the U.S. Department of State, warned of China’s moves to drive a wedge between Korea and the U.S., calling the world’s second-largest economy “a regional adversary.”

“The Republic of Korea has a choice to make,” he said. “I am confident it will continue to choose trusted partners, transparent systems and technologies that respect privacy, security and the rule of law.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

I am sure South Korea will assist with opening the Strait of Hormuz by writing strongly worded letters to Tehran:

South Korea is considering various options, including playing diplomatic, humanitarian or military roles, to contribute to international efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The fall out from Chung Dong-young’s intelligence leak continues:

The commander of the U.S. military stationed in South Korea, Gen. Xavier Brunson, has lodged a protest against the unification minister’s recent remarks that allegedly leaked classified U.S. information about North Korea’s nuclear facility, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the ROK government appears to be in sweep it under the carpet mode right now on this issue.

This was a major misstep by Chung:

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday his referring to North Korea’s Kusong region as one of the sites hosting the country’s nuclear facilities was intended to explain South Korea’s North Korea policy, expressing regret over allegations that the remarks constituted an information leak. (……)

“I only (referred to Kusong) as part of a policy explanation meant to illustrate the seriousness of North Korea’s nuclear issue. Framing it as an information leak is very regrettable,” Chung told reporters.

The United States has reportedly complained about Chung’s disclosure of the information, which it believes was based on intelligence shared by Washington, and has ceased sharing satellite information on North Korea with Seoul.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but Chung claims his statement was based off of open source intelligence and not imagery from the U.S.

I would assume this tanker did not pay the toll since it was allowed to pass through the U.S. Navy’s blockade:

A tanker that breached the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is scheduled to arrive in South Korea, Reuters reported on the 20th.

According to Kpler, a maritime data analysis company, the Maltese-flagged Suezmax-class oil tanker Odessa (Odessa)ho passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the 13th and is heading to South Korea.

Chosun Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

When it comes to the Taiwan issue China can be very petty here is another example of this:

China has put Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s planned visit to Korea on hold, raising concerns over recent changes to Korea’s electronic arrival card system, according to local media reports.

Reports said Seoul and Beijing had been coordinating Wang’s visit since earlier this year, but the Chinese side objected after Seoul removed the label “China (Taiwan)” from the departure and destination section of the electronic entry form last month.

The issue emerged after the Korean government announced on March 31 that it would eliminate the departure and destination selection field altogether from the electronic arrival card, following complaints from Taiwan over the wording.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.