It will be interesting to see if President Lee goes through with this threats to arrest people who are protesting against the ballot shortage in the recent election that denied people the ability to vote:

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday that he accepts complaints about voting rights infringement over the unprecedented shortage of ballots in the recent local elections, but rejected claims of election fraud, arguing such claims skew the true nature of the issue.

Lee made the remarks during a meeting with his top aides held remotely from Rome, where he is visiting as part of a broader European trip.

Yonhap

Here is where he threatens protesters:

The protesters have demanded a re-run of the elections, while some argue the ballot shortages were part of a broad election fraud scheme.

The president dismissed such claims, calling them a distortion of the issue and an anti-social crime, saying those who commit such crimes must be held accountable.

“Spreading allegations of election fraud and (raising accusations of) election result manipulation are tantamount to distorting the essence of the matter and constitutes anti-social behavior that insults the precious voice of the people,” he said.

You can read more at the link.

The June 2000 summit was bought and paid for by the Korean government via Hyundai in what became known as the Cash for Summit Scandal. At the time North Korea was desperate for cash and agreed to the summit. This is not the case now since the Kim regime is having their cash and resource needs met currently by the Russians and thus have no incentive to cut a deal with the South Koreans:

President Lee Jae Myung (L) attends a special Mass at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, celebrated by Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik (R) on June 14, 2026. (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday he believes the “ember of hope” for reviving dialogue and cooperation with North Korea still exists, reaffirming his commitment to making the utmost efforts to establish peace with Pyongyang. (……)

Lee referred to the inter-Korean joint statement adopted June 15, 2000, calling it a “historic turning point” that, he said, signaled the possibility of overcoming inter-Korean tensions and opening up dialogue and cooperation. 

The president noted the first inter-Korean joint statement had led to reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, as well as humanitarian cooperation and other exchanges, opening the door to new hopes for building peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

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

It was only a matter of time before someone tried this. It makes me wonder how many people got away with this before the test examiners caught on to what was happening?:

Cheating attempts using artificial intelligence (AI) smart glasses were caught during a Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) last month, the first such cases detected on one of Korea’s most widely taken English proficiency exams. 

YBM Korea TOEIC Committee, which administers the exam in Korea, said Tuesday that two such attempts were caught during last month’s regular session, with proctors noticing examinees wearing the devices.

One examinee wore glasses that can be purchased through an overseas online retailer, while the other wore a model not yet available in Korea.

AI smart glasses are wearable devices that combine cameras, microphones and speakers with generative AI. First released in Korea last month, the glasses can analyze whatever the camera captures and display the results directly on the lens, with no smartphone required. An examinee looking at a test sheet could see answers and translations appear in real time, making the devices highly susceptible to misuse.

To address the risk, the committee has been training proctors to identify various forms of electronic device-based cheating, including AI smart glasses. At test venues, it conducts identity verification, device management and patrol supervision, and follows up after exams with answer similarity analysis and checks for irregular test-taking patterns.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It appears the U.S. and Japan are remaining committed to achieving the fantasy of a denuclearized North Korea:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (front R) inspects a newly launched nuclear material production facility at an unspecified location on June 3, 2026, in this image captured from the website of North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency the next day.

The United States and Japan reiterated their commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea and rejected Russia’s notion that Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear arms was a “closed” issue, as they held key defense talks in Tokyo this week, according to a joint statement.

The allies held the bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue at Japan’s foreign ministry on Monday and Tuesday as they seek to reinforce security cooperation in the face of China’s growing assertiveness and North Korea’s advancing nuclear and ballistic missile threats.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The article doesn’t say, but it appears that this South Korean ship was one of the 200 that President Trump said successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz with the assistance of the U.S. military:

Another vessel operated by a South Korean shipper has successfully passed through the crisis-stricken Strait of Hormuz, marking the second case of its kind, Seoul’s oceans ministry said Thursday.

The vessel is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier operated by a Korean shipping company under a charter agreement with a foreign party, with eight Korean crew members on board, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Details of the ship, the company and the foreign charterer were undisclosed.

The ministry said the decision was made through consultations between the Korean shipper and the foreign charterer.

The vessel is headed to a different destination than South Korea, it added. 

With the latest case, the number of South Korean vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz went down to 24 from 25, with the number of Korean sailors down to 139 from 147.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.