If anyone even cares at this point, South Korea’s daily COVID numbers have steeply declined:
South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases fell to below 16,000 Wednesday amid a slowing virus trend, as authorities take steps for a return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
The country added 15,797 COVID-19 infections, including 44 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,119,415, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
The daily cases have marked a steady decline since the all-time daily high of more than 620,000 in mid-March. The infection numbers have fallen to five digits or under since April 21.
The death toll came to 24,197, up 21 from Tuesday, with the fatality rate at 0.13 percent.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
BTS supposedly caused one of the largest gaggles of press reporters ever seen at the White House during the Biden Administration:
South Korean supergroup BTS highlighted the need to respect one another as they made their first visit to the White House on Tuesday for a rare meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
The group also joined White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a daily press briefing before meeting with the U.S. president.
“It is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to discuss the important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion and diversity,” group member RM said in the press briefing.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
It will be interesting to see if South Korea agrees to this because they would indirectly be seen by Russia as supporting the Ukrainians with arms:
The South Korean government has been reviewing the export of artillery shells to Canada in a bid to help the country replenish its depleted weapons stocks sent to Ukraine.
Canada recently asked if South Korea is able to export 100,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery ammunition through a diplomatic channel, a South Korean senior official at the Defense Ministry confirmed to The Korea Herald on Monday.
The South Korean official said the government has not yet formally begun procedures to proceed with the export. But the military has been reviewing whether it is capable of supplying the artillery shells in light of its weapons stocks and readiness posture.
Canada made the request to fill up its ammunition stocks which have been exhausted due to its lethal aid to war-torn Ukraine, according to the official.
Korea Herald
You can read more at the link.
This is pretty gross:
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Tuesday it will open an investigation into the shocking discovery of a dead tree frog in a lunch dish provided to students at a high school in the capital the previous day.
Korea Times
The incident occurred at the unnamed high school in western Seoul, where students were appalled to find a tree frog carcass in radish kimchi, a popular Korean fermented side dish, served with their lunch Monday.
The school sent a letter of apology to all students and their parents, saying the contaminated kimchi was discovered after being delivered by a supplier to the school as a finished product. The school said it discarded all the radish kimchi products stored in the school cafeteria and terminated its contract with the food supplier.
You can read more at the link.
Here is the latest from the Dokdo front:
Rosy prospects of enhanced three-way cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the United States against North Korea’s growing threats face uncertainty as a long-running territorial dispute once again pits Seoul and Tokyo against each other.
Korea Times
Japan’s claim to Dokdo, South Korea’s easternmost islets, and other historical issues regarding its wartime atrocities, continue to overshadow their bilateral ties, dashing Washington’s hopes for trilateral cooperation.
South Korea’s new president and the U.S. leader, who visited Asia recently, have tried to change these dynamics, as evidenced by last week’s unprecedented joint statement by their foreign ministers condemning Pyongyang’s ballistic missile launches.
The Japanese foreign ministry lodged a protest against South Korea’s marine survey around Dokdo for the second straight day, Sunday and Monday.
According to Japanese media reports, the ministry confirmed that a Korean research vessel had thrown something like a wire into the sea in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone and that South Korea had acknowledged the marine survey.
However, South Korea’s foreign ministry rejected the claim, saying that it was unacceptable. The ministry also said that the survey was a legitimate activity in accordance with domestic and international laws.
You can read more at the link.
I hope everyone has a good Memorial Day weekend. Make sure to give at least a thought this weekend to all the U.S. military servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice before starting up the BBQ grills.
