Kim Jong-un decided to have an early fireworks show for the upcoming U.S. Presidential innauguration. It will be interesting to see if Kim decides to fire something next week as well:
North Korea fired several suspected short-range ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Tuesday morning in its second day of testing so far this year, according to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The missiles were launched around 9:30 a.m. from Chagang province, roughly 140 miles north of Pyongyang, and flew approximately 155 miles before splashing into the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, the Joint Chiefs said in a text message to news agencies. South Korea and the United States had been monitoring the North’s preparations for Tuesday’s launch and “immediately” began tracking the missiles, according to the Joint Chiefs.
You can read more at the link.
If the CIO resorts to violence in its attempts to knab President Yoon this could spill over into street violence. Yoon has already said he would step down if the Constitutional Court approves his impeachment. The Constitutional Court should be allowed to do its trial and render a verdict without the sideshow CIO investigation that is clearly being attempted to influence the Constitutional Court:
Acting President Choi Sang-mok renewed his call on government agencies Monday to avoid any physical clash while trying to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol or prevent his arrest over his botched martial law bid.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is investigating Yoon for alleged insurrection, is preparing to execute a court-issued warrant against Yoon, who remains inside his fortified compound. This follows an earlier attempt that ended in a five-hour standoff with the Presidential Security Service (PSS).
“All law enforcement actions must be conducted in a peaceful and restrained manner. Under no circumstances should violence be employed by any involved agencies,” Choi said in a press release.
The PSS heightened security at Yoon’s residence by installing barbed wire, barricades and buses to block access to the compound in Seoul.
You can read more at the link.
It does not look like it is a great time to be on Okinawa right now with the increased scrutiny on military crimes:
Government officials representing Japan and Okinawa repeated pleas to the U.S. military to discipline its population following a fourth sexual assault allegation against a service member on Okinawa in just over a year. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi urged U.S. Forces Japan to “tighten discipline and thoroughly prevent reoccurrences” of criminal incidents involving service members, according to video of a Thursday news conference posted on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s website.
“Generally speaking, crimes and accidents caused by U.S. service members cause strong anxiety to the local community and shouldn’t happen,” Hayashi said. “The important thing is that the series of preventive measures announced by the U.S. side do actually prevent accidents and crimes.” Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Wednesday expressed “strong anger” on social media platform X about the latest case, in which Okinawa police allege a Marine in his 30s injured a woman during a sexual assault in November. That day, Okinawa Prefectural Police forwarded the case to prosecutors for possible charges, according to a police spokesman.
You can read more at the link.
Here is what South Korean intelligence is saying is the estimated casualty numbers for North Korean troops fighting in Russia against Ukraine:
National Intelligence Service chief Cho Tae-yong (C) attends a plenary session of the intelligence committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on Jan. 13, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
At least 300 North Korean soldiers dispatched to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine have been killed, with some 2,700 others injured, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Monday.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) shared the information with lawmakers during a closed-door meeting by the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party.
The NIS said it attributed the “massive casualties” of North Korean soldiers to their “lack of understanding of modern warfare,” including their “useless” act of shooting at long-range drones, based on the agency’s analysis of a combat video it obtained recently.
You can read more at the link.
There is really nothing I don’t agree with in Jake Sullivan’s statement:
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday portrayed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law bid as “shocking” and “wrong,” but voiced confidence that “structurally,” the South Korea-U.S. alliance is “incredibly healthy.”
Speaking in a press meeting, he also noted that the Biden administration was not able to make “substantial” progress in the efforts toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with the security trend moving in the “wrong” direction, but stressed America and its allies are in a “materially better” position to deter North Korean threats.
He also expressed concerns over the “risk” of North Korea using the ongoing political turmoil in South Korea to engage in provocative activities, but underscored that Pyongyang “should make no mistake” given the strength of the bilateral alliance.
You can read more at the link.
The K-Wave has swept the world and the BBC tries to explain why:
The so-called Korean Wave swept the world, experts say, when the success of streaming met American-inspired production value. And Korean entertainment – from pop music and mushy dramas to acclaimed hits built around universal themes – was ready for it.
BTS and Blackpink are now familiar names on the global pop circuit. People are swooning over sappy K-dramas from Dubai to India to Singapore. Overseas sales of all this Korean content – including video games – is now worth billions.
Last month, after 53-year-old poet and novelist Han Kang won the Nobel Prize for her literature, online boards were full of memes noting South Korea’s “Culture Victory” — a reference to the popular video game series Civilisation.
And there were jokes about how the country had achieved the dream of founding father Kim Koo, who famously wrote that he wished for Korea to be a nation of culture rather than might.
As it turns out, this moment had been in the making for years. (………..)
International fans are often looking for an alternative world because of disappointment with their own society, Prof Chung says.
The prim romances, with handsome, caring and chivalrous heroes, are drawing a female audience turning away from what they see as hypersexual American entertainment. And when social inequality became a stronger theme in Korean films and shows – such as Parasite and Squid Game – it attracted global viewers disillusioned with capitalism and a yawning wealth divide in their countries.
(BBC)
You can read more at the link, but I think Korean entertainment has become so popular because people are looking for original stories and not just the endless sequels and the usual storylines that Hollywood produces. I can remember going to the Korean markets in the U.S. to rent K-dramas and movies, but streaming has brought these movies for everyone to access. I suspect Korean entertainment will be a force for many years to come.
