Author: GIKorea

Here is the latest strategy to counter China by the Biden administration:

The Biden administration is moving to put semiconductors, artificial intelligence and next-generation networks at the heart of U.S. strategy toward Asia, attempting to rally what officials are calling “techno-democracies” to stand up to China and other “techno-autocracies.”

The new framing for the U.S. rivalry with China has been given added urgency by the sudden global shortage of microchips needed in products such as cars, mobile phones and refrigerators. The strategy would seek to rally an alliance of nations fighting for an edge in semiconductor fabrication and quantum computing, upending traditional arenas of competition such as missile stockpiles and troop numbers.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but the article says there is a global shortage of microchips because China has been stockpiling them. The theory is that if major microchip producers like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan restrict sales of technology to China it will quash large Chinese companies like Huawei.

Of these three nations I would expect there would be little pushback from Taiwan or Japan on such a strategy, but the Moon administration in South Korea may be a tougher sell. Samsung is the world’s largest producer of semiconductors so restricting sales to China would be a huge loss for them. Additionally the Moon administration has arguably a policy of not upsetting China or the U.S.; siding against China on this issue they know will lead to severe retaliation far worse than what they experienced on the THAAD issue. This is not an easy policy decision for the Moon administration and I would not be surprised if they just delayed any decision on this as long as possible to see if it goes away.

Soldiers on Camp Casey are currently barred from going outside the gates to neighboring Dongducheon:

An uptick in coronavirus cases near a U.S. base in South Korea prompted the commander to impose a travel ban Wednesday between the base and the neighboring city.

Dongducheon city is off-limits to anyone associated with Camp Casey, except for “approved mission essential travel,” according to a U.S. Forces Korea news release. Dining in off-post restaurants is also restricted.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but apparently an uptick in coronavirus cases in Gyeongi province this week from 111 to 135 cases is what led to the travel ban.

I don’t play these games, but based off of what I am reading this does appear to be a form of gambling. Does anyone that plays these games want to comment on this proposed legislation?

A loot box is a common feature in both PC and mobile games. Users pay to draw game items like weapons or armor from a loot box. The prize may be worth several times what they paid for the draw — or worth close to nothing at all.  
   
The problem occurs when players start drawing multiple times to get their hands on items they want, which some say becomes a form of gambling. Although game publishers officially ban the practice, rare items are often traded online in exchange for cash.   

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

This will be a big accomplishment by South Korea’s aerospace industry once complete:

A nearly completed prototype of Korea’s first indigenous fighter jet was unveiled to the media in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang on Wednesday ahead of its official rollout in April.  
   
Jung Kwang-sun, chief of the Korea Fighter Experimental (KF-X) project of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said the first domestically produced fighter jet will be a “landmark moment” for the country and its aerospace industry. 
   
Aimed at replacing the Air Force’s dated McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and Northrop F-5 fighter jets, the 92-percent-completed KF-X prototype is the first fruit of a development project that began in 2015, led by Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest attempt by the Moon administration to reduce the power of prosecutors in South Korea:

 Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol strongly criticized a recent move by the ruling party to create another state investigative agency to limit the power of the prosecution service.

“Taking investigative power away from the prosecution amounts to regression of democracy and destruction of the spirits of the Constitution,” the top prosecutor said in an interview with Kookmin Daily published Tuesday.

“I am willing to stake my position for the 100th time if I could stop it,” he said.

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) is seeking to establish yet another agency tasked with investigating six types of serious crimes, including abuse of power and corruption, under the Ministry of Justice, which will strip the prosecution service of investigative power into those crimes and leave it only with the power to prosecute.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but this issue really comes down to is who would control this new investigating agency? If it is controlled by the Blue House with the potential to be used to settle political scores then I can understand the concern of setting up this new agency.

Here is the latest anti-Japanese colonialism effort by the ROK government:

The South Korean government has started a legal challenge to confiscate 11 land properties from descendants of four Japanese collaborators, the Ministry of Justice said Monday.

The ministry said it filed complaints with the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul Western District Court on Friday to take back 85,094 square meters of land valued at 2.68 billion won ($2.4 million) from descendants of those on the list of pro-Japan collaborators announced in 2007.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Here is a though experiment for everyone. What would happen in the U.S. if the government tried to confiscate property from the descendants of people that swindled Native-Americans out of their land?