The Chinese are just accepting reality that North Korea is not going to give up their nuclear weapons and the Kim regime is an ally in their great power competition against the U.S. Why would they antagonize an ally to get rid of their nuclear weapons when they know they will never give them up in the first place?:
China appeared more focused on countering U.S. regional influence than on addressing North Korea’s nuclear program, given the absence of any public reference to Pyongyang’s denuclearization in either country’s readout of their summit this week, experts said Tuesday.
The summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang on Monday underlined a deepening strategic alignment between the two countries and their unity amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry over trade, security and other areas, they pointed out.
Xi visited the North Korean capital on Monday and Tuesday on his first trip to the country since 2019, as Beijing was seen striving to strengthen relations with Pyongyang, which has drawn closer to Russia through deepening military, diplomatic and economic cooperation.
“China is more focused on denying U.S. influence than denying North Korea nuclear weapons,” Patrick Cronin, chair for Asia-Pacific security at the Hudson Institute, told Yonhap News Agency via email.
You can read more at the link.
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.
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.
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.
You can read more at the link.
