Author: GIKorea

There is still plenty of procedural hurdles this bill has to go through before being passed, but the Senate is trying to prevent the Trump administration from making any proposed cuts to USFK’s current troop levels:

 A Senate defense policy bill for fiscal year 2026 includes a ban on the use of funds to reduce the number of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops below the current 28,500, its text showed Thursday amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration could seek a USFK troop cut.

Posted on Congress’s website, the Senate bill — the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — contains the ban for the first time in five years. It also reaffirms the “sense of Congress” on reinforcing the South Korea-U.S. alliance by maintaining the current USFK troop level.

The bill comes amid speculation that the Trump administration could consider a USFK reduction and call on South Korea to increase its defense spending for its own defense, as Washington prioritizes deterring the “pacing threat” from an increasingly assertive China.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Horrible flooding tragedy currently going on in South Korea:

Seventeen people have been killed and 11 have gone missing in the heavy rains and landslides that began across South Korea four days ago, the government said Sunday.

The data from the interior ministry and the National Fire Agency, as of 6 p.m. Sunday, also showed that a large portion of the toll — 10 dead and four missing — occurred in the southern county of Sancheong.

The other deaths occurred in Osan and Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province; Seosan, South Chungcheong Province; and Dangjin, South Chungcheong, and the southwestern city of Gwangju.

Firefighting officials said rescue work was still under way in Sancheong, which could lead to a change in the toll.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

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

Investigators clearly want to get their hands on the former first lady’s butler in order to put pressure on him to turn on Kim Keon-hee in an effort to arrest her. Jailing her is payback and revenge for what Yoon’s prosecutors did against the left wing politician Cho Kuk that saw him and his wife receive jail sentences:

A local court on Wednesday issued a detention warrant for a close aide of former first lady Kim Keon Hee amid growing suspicions that he evaded the special counsel’s probe into multiple allegations surrounding Kim.

The warrant was issued against Kim Ye-seong, known as the former first lady’s “butler” or close aide, due to concerns that he might ignore summons from investigative authorities without valid reasons, according to the special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki.

Kim is believed to have fled to Vietnam in April and has refused to comply with the special counsel’s summons.

Following the court’s decision, the special counsel is expected to move swiftly to invalidate Kim’s passport.

The aide is suspected of receiving 18 billion won (US$13.1 million) in dubious investments from several companies through his rental car company IMS in 2023.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is great to see that the ROK Marines are participating in this very important exercise underway in Australia. According to the article 840 ROK Marines are participating in the Talisman Sabre exercise. The article did not say where in Australia they are at, but it is probably the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has highlighted the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance as he attended an exercise conducted by the South’s Marines as part of multinational drills under way in Australia, his office said Wednesday.

Brunson observed the live-fire drills by the Marine Corps, held as part of the Talisman Sabre exercise, as he made a three-day visit to Australia this week to discuss defense cooperation and review interoperability outcomes for South Korean and U.S. troops in relation to the multinational drills.

The live-fire demonstration by South Korean Marines from the 11th Artillery Battalion, the 1st Tank Battalion and the 1st Marine Division mobilized the K9 self-propelled howitzer, Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system and K1A2 main battle tank.

“Observing our ROK Marine ally during this live-fire exercise at Talisman Sabre showcases the strength and readiness of our alliance,” Brunson said, referring to the South by the acronym of its formal name, the Republic of Korea (ROK).

“These complex combined, joint all domain training events are absolutely essential for enhancing our interoperability and collective defense capabilities,” he said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I think the article meant Mt. Surak not Mt. Seorak. Mt. Surak is the large mountain that the old Camp Stanley in Uijeongbu is located at the base of. Mt. Surak is definitely a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Seoul:

A new forest retreat has opened on the slopes of Seoraksan in northern Seoul, offering city dwellers a rare chance to unplug in nature without leaving the city.

Surak Hue, which officially opens Thursday, is Seoul’s first public forest lodge built within city limits. The 23.1 billion won project ($16.7 million) was jointly developed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Nowon-gu over seven years.

Located in Nowon-gu’s Sanggye-dong neighborhood, Surak Hue is built across 9,800 square meters of woodland and features 25 rooms in 18 buildings.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.