Month: May 2019

I wonder what the current ROK government would consider to be provocative from Pyongyang?:

 South Korea’s spy agency said Monday it does not see North Korea’s firing of short-range projectiles last week as provocative as they appear to have been “ground-to-ground” weapons.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered an initial analysis of the North’s projectiles fired into the sea off its east coast on Saturday in a briefing to Lee Hye-hoon, a representative of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, at the National Assembly. 
The NIS didn’t specify the type of the ground-to-ground projectiles, saying the analysis is still underway, according to Rep. Lee.
The spy agency said North Korea’s latest move suggests that it will not walk away from the negotiating table, the lawmaker told reporters following the briefing.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the test of the MLRS I think was clearly a measured provocation. They sent a message that Seoul and the major US bases at Camp Humphreys and Osan Airbase can be targeted with their MLRS. This message is intended to remind US negotiators of the threat they pose and thus the need to be taken seriously.

They are starting small and as their impatience increases expect them to increase the range of the weapon system they test. Next up it makes since they would test one of their short range SCUD missile systems.

Lucky shot! Captured by @planetlabs Planetscope satellite at 0154 UTC (1054 local) on Saturday as it overflew Wonsan, North Korea. pic.twitter.com/g5QgVI8hJf

— Martyn Williams (@martyn_williams) May 5, 2019

In my opinion virtual training is useful, but cannot replace actually firing real weapons and training in a real environment:

Technology plays an integral part in modern warfare, and its role is even more important for countries like South Korea, which faces constant threats from North Korea. 
In line with changing battlefield dynamics, the South Korean military has been pushing for ways to train soldiers in simulated environments using the latest technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
The Korea Military Academy has joined hands with local companies to develop VR and AR training programs for its Army cadets, which will be available on its Seoul campus later this year.
Experts say one of the key advantages of VR is the ability to immerse users in a virtual, yet safe, world, reducing costs and risks associated with battlefield training.
“Training soldiers using VR and AR content can save on the considerable budget for large-scale training and reduce risks from dangerous environments,” Kim Tae-kyu, a game professor at Kwangwoon University in Seoul, said. “It will be more beneficial when combined with real battlefield experiences.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder how the Kim regime would respond to the US military conducting “strike drills” right off the coast of North Korea and just claim it is to inspect their performance?:

 North Korea has conducted a “strike drill” for multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons to test their performance, state media reported Sunday, a day after the communist nation fired unidentified short-range projectiles into the East Sea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the “strike drill of defense units in the forefront area and on the eastern front which took place in the East Sea of Korea on Saturday,” according to the Korean Central News Agency.
“The purpose of the drill was to estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance of large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defense units in the frontline area and on the eastern front,” the KCNA said.
“And the combat performance of arms and equipment and to more powerfully arouse the entire army to the movement for becoming crackshots with the drill as an occasion and thus put it at combat readiness posture all the time,” it added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder if this soldier was trying to take a selfie before he fell in?:

A soldier survived a 70-foot fall onto a ledge inside Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano this week after hopping a railing to get a better look at the crater.
The 32-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier was on the Big Island as part of a training mission, Army officials told Hawaii News Now. He climbed over a permanent metal railing at the Steaming Bluff overlook to get closer to the edge of a 300-foot cliff and fell at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to a statement from Hawaii National Park.

Onlookers alerted the park staff right away, and about two and a half hours later the injured man was found on a narrow ledge about 70 feet from the cliff edge. Ropes and a litter were used to rescue him, according to the park. He was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, but was upgraded to stable on Thursday, according to NPR.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but having been to Kilauea multiple times, I can say it takes a special kind of stupid to fall into this crater.

Who would choose this new political police force, & on what criteria? Who would they report to? Could Koreans believe in its objectivity when the courts are being re-packed, & have never applied either rules of evidence or precedents? https://t.co/N8hMKVXDms via @scmpnews

— Joshua Stanton (@freekorea_us) May 4, 2019

I guess you can add this to the something I did not know about Korea category:

Going to the restroom is a basic need. But for some, it is a daunting task even though they have access to restrooms nearby. At department stores and duty free shops, sales people are banned from using the same restrooms as customers.

They are told to use one of the limited number of “workers-only” restrooms, leading to long lines and added discomfort.

Members of cosmetics companies’ labor unions and the Korean Federation of Service Workers’ Unions (KFSWU) rallied in front of the National Human Rights Commission building in downtown Seoul on April 22 to call for the right to use restrooms that the department stores and duty free shops designated as “customers only.”

The unionists mainly belong to luxury brands such as Shiseido Korea, Bluebell Korea, ELCA Korea and LVMH. 

“The department store prohibited sales workers from using restrooms on every floor of the building, saying those are only for customers,” Kim Yeon-woo, head of the Shiseido Korea union, said during a press conference in front of the commission.

“Many workers have a hard time using the designated staff toilets because they’re not located close enough to the sales counters and there are not enough of them.”

According to the laws on public toilets, there is no mention of “customer-only” restrooms. Washroom facilities at large commercial buildings over 2,000 square meters, such as department stores and duty free shops, are considered to be public toilets, meaning they are available for use by the public as well as store employees, according to Kim.

“However, department stores go as far as to give regular education to the workers not to use customers’ restrooms, because consumers may feel uncomfortable when they encounter sales workers there,” Kim said. “I can’t believe we have to demand such basic rights in the 21st century.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It is just me or does this girl that went missing from Camp Humphreys and was later found looks like the oldest 14-year old girl I have ever seen?:

A Camp Humphreys soldier’s teenage daughter who was reported missing, “has been located and reunited with her family,” according to an Army notice posted on social media on Saturday.
A post on the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys Facebook page said the girl is “doing fine” and added. “Thanks everyone for your assistance.”

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.