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Picture of the Day: Anti-US Rally in Seoul

Anti-U.S. rally
Anti-U.S. rally
Members of a progressive civic group have their hair shaved off during a rally in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Jan. 16, 2025, to call for the U.S. government not to support the South Korean administration under acting President Choi Sang-mok and stop what they call Washington’s interference in the internal affairs of South Korea. (Yonhap)

Impeached President Yoon Formally Arrested for Failed Martial Law Attempt

The information operations to influence the Constitutional Court’s impeachment decision continues:

Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is taken to the Seoul Detention Center after being questioned over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, on Jan. 15, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is taken to the Seoul Detention Center after being questioned over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, on Jan. 15, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

 Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally arrested early Sunday after a court issued a warrant to detain him for an extended period over his botched martial law bid last month, marking the first such detention of a sitting South Korean president in the country’s modern history.

Citing the risks of destroying evidence, a judge at the Seoul Western District Court granted the warrant on charges Yoon led an insurrection and abused his power when he declared martial law on Dec. 3 and allegedly sent troops to the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from voting down the decree.

With the warrant’s issuance, investigators can keep Yoon in custody for up to 20 days, including the days he has already spent at a detention center following his apprehension at his residence in Seoul on Wednesday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Picture of the Day: Rally for Impeached President

Rally in support of Yoon
Rally in support of Yoon
Supporters of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol rally in front of the government complex in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, on Jan. 15, 2025, as Yoon undergoes questioning before investigators at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials following his detainment earlier in the day in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law. (Yonhap)

Homeless Swedish Man Dies After 21 Korean Hospitals Deny Him Medical Care

The moral of this story is that if you are a foreigner in Korea make sure you bring enough money to provide medical care for yourself if needed:

Sgt. Park Ah-ron, Korea’s only police officer dedicated to assisting the unhoused, took charge of the case. Park contacted 21 hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area but was met with refusals. Hospitals cited the 64-year-old’s foreign nationality and the high cost of surgery as reasons for rejection.

Efforts to reach his sister in Sweden were also unsuccessful, as she declined to cover the medical expenses.

Finally, with the help of the Seoul Homeless Support Center, Park identified a hospital in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province — Hyeogsin Seongmo Hospital — that agreed to perform the surgery after consultations with its director.

Using a translator to communicate with the Swedish national, Park obtained his consent for the surgery. On Dec. 16, the 64-year-old underwent a successful amputation. Despite the successful procedure, he passed away on Dec. 20 due to sepsis stemming from pneumonia. Hospital staff explained that his severely weakened immune system had contributed to his death.

Before his passing, the Swedish national, who had diabetes, requested and enjoyed a piece of chocolate as a small comfort in his final moments.

Exposing systemic gaps

Park expressed frustration over the lack of welfare support for foreign nationals in Korea. “I reached out to the local government for support with surgery costs, but foreign nationals are not eligible for medical aid as vagrants,” he said.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

ROK JCS Chairman Warns Against Investigation of Drone that Over Flew Pyongyang

The flying of the drone over Pyongyang is clearly not a secret any more:

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo voiced concerns Tuesday over a potential probe into allegations that the South Korean military flew drones over Pyongyang last year, citing the need to maintain ambiguity in responding to North Korea’s claim.

The JCS chairman made the remark as he dismissed suspicions raised by the opposition bloc that the military engaged in activities aimed at inducing North Korea’s provocations ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law imposition last month.

The military has maintained its stance of neither confirming nor denying the alleged drone infiltration, which Pyongyang first made public in October, citing operational security.

“Saying that we cannot confirm is a strategy to pressure the counterpart, limit its options and cause confusion by keeping our secret,” Kim said in a special parliamentary committee session into Yoon’s martial law imposition.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the Korean left seems more upset about the ROK military flying a drone over Pyongyang and doesn’t care about all the drones and shit balloons that North Korea has flown over the ROK in the recent past.