I wonder what the backroom deal was to get this pardon for one of President Moon’s good friends?:

President Yoon Suk Yeol granted a special pardon to former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, Tuesday, on the occasion of Aug. 15 Liberation Day, reinstating his eligibility to run for a public post.

The decision to pardon Kim, a prominent figure in the liberal bloc, was made despite opposition from some members of the ruling party. Critics argue that it is inappropriate to allow Kim, who was convicted and served a jail term for manipulating online opinions leading up to the 2017 presidential election, to run for public office again.

Yoon also pardoned several former senior presidential officials during the Park Geun-hye administration who were jailed in a massive corruption scandal involving the former president.

The Cabinet approved the pardon plan, which was endorsed by Yoon. In total, 1,219 people received a special pardon, including small business owners, self-employed individuals, and those convicted of crimes arising from financial difficulties.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link and I recommend reading my below post for more information about the Druking scandal that happened back in 2017. This is an example of why you have to be careful in trusting opinion polls.

The ideological war in South Korea has extended to where they cannot even agree on when the country was founded:

 President Yoon Suk Yeol has expressed frustration over the recent controversy surrounding when should be South Korea’s national founding day, saying it is an issue that does no good for people’s livelihoods.

The controversy began after Yoon appointed Kim Hyoung-suk, a figure accused of harboring pro-Japanese views, as the new president of the Independence Hall of Korea. Kim’s past remarks alleging South Korea came into being when its government was established in 1948 led to suspicions his appointment was a precursor to designating Aug. 15, 1948, as national foundation day.

The question of when South Korea came into being has long been a subject of ideological debate, with some arguing it was April 11, 1919, when a provisional government was established during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

“What good is this to the people who are struggling to make ends meet?” Yoon was quoted as recently telling his aides, referring to the controversy.

The main opposition Democratic Party and the Heritage of Korean Independence, a state-funded association of independence fighters and their descendants, have vowed to boycott the Aug. 15 Liberation Day ceremony hosted by the government unless the appointment is withdrawn.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Waltz may be touting his ties to South Korea, but what he has not been talking about are the stolen valor claims brought against him:

U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, left, stands next to her newly chosen vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as he speaks during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Minnesota governor Tim Walz, the running mate of presumptive U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, highlighted his personal and familial ties to Korea and his long military service. 
  
During their first campaign appearance together in Philadelphia on Tuesday after Walz joined Harris in her campaign against former President Donald Trump of the Republican Party, Walz shared a story about his father, a 1950-53 Korean War veteran, and how his encouragement led Walz to enlist in the military. 
  
“My dad served in the Army during the Korean War, and with his encouragement, at 17, I joined the Army National Guard,” Walz said. 
  
“For 24 years, I proudly wore the uniform of this nation. And just as it did for my dad and millions of others, the G.I. Bill gave me a shot at a college education,” Walz added. The G.I. Bill refers to programs created to assist American military veterans. (……)

As governor of Minnesota, he traveled to South Korea in 2019, along with Japan, to “highlight Minnesota’s long history of engagement with South Korea and future opportunities for economic partnership,” including increasing exports of Minnesota-produced agricultural products, medical devices and clean energy products.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

NK leader visits flood-stricken region

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announces measures to support flood victims during his visit to a temporary shelter in Uiju County in North Pyongan Province in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 10, 2024. (Yonhap)

I guess we will see if robotics becomes another defense industry product that the ROK can reliably produce:

The state arms procurement agency said Monday it has test-deployed a multi-legged robot designed for counter-terrorism operations as part of a push to introduce advanced technologies to the military.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) launched the project in August 2022 to develop a robot that can check for threats inside buildings in a terror situation before troops are deployed.

The Army received the robot last Wednesday to conduct the six-month trial run to determine whether it is suitable for operations. The Army Special Warfare Command and a front-line Army division will assess its performance and capabilities.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is pretty clear if Kim Jong-un wants something he will get it despite the sanctions on North Korea:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be using a new model of a Mercedes-Benz SUV in a move snubbing international sanctions banning North Korea’s imports of luxury items.

Photos carried by the Korean Central News Agency on Saturday showed a black Mercedes-Benz SUV on a special train that Kim used to visit flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Phyongan last week.

The SUV is presumed to be the top-class model of the face-lifted Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC that was launched in April in South Korea. The price tag started at 279 million won (US$204,000).

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Congratulations to all the athletes from South Korea on having a very successful Olympic Games:

South Korea won a medal in the very first medal event of the Paris Olympics on July 27.

The rest of the team picked it up from there and didn’t look back.

South Korea finished the medal race in eighth place with 13 gold medals, nine silver medals and 10 bronze medals, far exceeding its own and many pundits’ projections. South Korea tied its Summer Games record for most gold medals, equaling the mark from 2008 and 2012.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.