Author: GIKorea

It has been 70 years now since the Armistice that ended the Korean War:

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that South Korea stands on the “blood-stained uniforms” of United Nations troops as he marked the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Yoon also promised never to forget the sacrifices of the 1.95 million young people who were sent from 22 nations to fight alongside South Korea or provide other assistance under the U.N. banner.

“The veterans of the U.N. forces, who gave their all to defend the freedom of a country they did not know in the best years of their lives, are our true heroes,” he said during a commemoration ceremony held at Busan Cinema Center, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, which is the site of a former airport where Task Force Smith, a small U.S. unit, first arrived under a high-stakes mission to stem North Korean advances during the war.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The case of a 23 year old elementary school teacher that committed suicide inside her classroom before school started has drawn big headlines in South Korea:

An elementary student on Tuesday pays his respects at a memorial set up for the 23-year-old elementary school teacher in Seoul’s Seocho-gu who took her own life last week. (Yonhap)

The bereaved family of a 23-year-old junior elementary school teacher who took her own life last week released part of her diary indicating that she had struggled with too much work and an unruly student on Tuesday, amid the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.

“After going to work on Monday, I was bombarded with an immense workload and chaos caused by a student. I just wanted to let go of everything (at that point),” a diary entry presumed to have been written on July 3 reads.

Another entry read, “I was out of breath. My hands were shaking, and I almost burst into tears while eating.”

Amid rumors that the teacher may have been bullied by several parents’ excessive complaints and reports filed at her school regarding her teaching and handling of school affairs, police said Tuesday that they had summoned a parent who had allegedly complained in an attempt to determine the exact cause of her death.

According to reports, the late first grade teacher had been verbally harassed by the parent of a student who had suffered from school violence in the first semester. The parent had allegedly complained about the teacher’s lack of qualifications for failing to prevent the bullying from occurring.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link, but in my opinion she was working in the wrong profession if she could not handle one unruly first grader and a parent complaining about their kid being bullied. I would not be surprised if there is more going on here.

Look who turned up in Pyongyang, the guy who just few weeks ago fled Moscow in fear of an overweight caterer turned mercenary boss:

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) shakes hands with North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam after arriving in Pyongyang on July 25, 2023, in this photo released by the North’s Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held talks with his North Korean counterpart, Kang Sun-nam, in Pyongyang on Wednesday and expressed his determination to boost bilateral ties, Russian media reported.

Shoigu arrived in the North Korean capital Tuesday for a three-day visit to attend commemorative events to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War armistice.

“I am confident that today’s talks will help strengthen cooperation between our defense ministries,” TASS quoted Shoigu as saying.

The North is set to hold commemorative events for the landmark anniversary of the signing of the armistice on July 27, 1953, which is celebrated in the country as Victory Day.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Korea has got to make sure they don’t allow drugs to become a major social problem like it has become in many western nations where it drives crime and homelessness:

Korea’s customs agency said Tuesday it has captured a record amount of drugs in the first half of this year, enough to be used by more than 5 million people.

The amount of illegal drugs seized at borders jumped 39 percent on-year to 329 kilograms during the January-June period, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service (KCS).

It is the largest ever figure for any first six months of a year, and the confiscated amount this year can be used by 5.05 million people at the same time.

But the number of smuggling attempts fell 12 percent on-year to 325 cases, as the average volume involved in a single case has grown, the agency added.

The growth in drug smuggling came as Korea tightened its border control, coupled with the growing demand for narcotics here and the subsequent rising prices, the KCS said.

Of the 325 cases, 45.8 percent, or 149 cases, were carried out through international mail, followed by express cargo with 92 cases and air travelers with 81.

By type, methamphetamine accounted for 42.5 percent of the drugs seized, followed by hemp with 25.2 percent and ketamine with 7.3 percent.

By origin, the United States and Thailand accounted for 24.3 percent of the volume, or 80 kg, each, followed by Laos with 11.85 percent and Vietnam with 9.7 percent. China accounted for 5.8 percent, or 19 kg, the data showed. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but I wonder how many of the Americans caught smuggling are the idiots trying to mail themselves marijuana thinking they won’t get caught?

The impeachment of the Interior Minister was political since the Democratic Party controls the National Assembly. They have been trying to turn the Itaewon tragedy into President Yoon’s Sewol and so far have been unsuccessful:

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday unanimously overturned the National Assembly’s impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over last year’s fatal crowd crush in Itaewon, central Seoul, which claimed 159 lives.  
   
Lee, who had been suspended from his duties, was immediately reinstated after the court decision. (…..)

The court’s decision came 167 days since the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Lee, marking the first time the legislative body impeached a sitting Cabinet member.  (……)
    
In a much-anticipated ruling, all nine judges of the Constitutional Court ruled against the impeachment on Tuesday, saying that from a constitutional and legal perspective, it was hard to believe that Lee failed his constitutional duty to protect citizens by violating the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety and the State Public Officials Act.  
   
“The Itaewon tragedy did not arise or escalate due to a single cause or specific individual,” said the court. “It was the result of combined factors, such as each government agency’s failure to cultivate integrated response capabilities to large-scale disasters.”  

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but as the court ruled the Interior Minister should not be working at the police station level ensuring where police officers are deployed for crowd control. Additionally as I have always said if Itaewon Station was shut down that night, that would have prevented this disaster as well.

I wonder if Private King now wishes he got on the aircraft last week?:

State Department Press Secretary Matthew Miller is seen answering questions during a daily press briefing at the department in Washington on July 24, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)

The United States has not had any substantive response from North Korea about the safety of a U.S. service member who crossed the inter-Korean border into the reclusive state last week, a state department spokesperson said Monday.

Matthew Miller also said the North has not responded to any requests, including those from United Nations Command (UNC), to confirm the whereabouts or well-being of the U.S. soldier.

“It is my understanding that there have been no new communication since last week. communications that happened in the early days,” the department spokesperson told a daily press briefing when asked if there has been any communication with North Korea.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but King will be used as a bargaining chip at some point when North Korea needs to use him. They just don’t need to play that card yet.