Author: GIKorea

It is amazing how long it has been taking for the Koreans to figure out how to domestically produce one of their key defense systems:

South Korea’s arms acquisition agency has decided to equip third batch of K2 Black Panther main battle tanks with a German transmission system, a part of the tank’s power pack that includes a locally developed engine.

The decision is a blow to a 15-yearlong effort to replace the German RENK transmission system with an indigenous one, which local industry expected would pave the way for exporting the tank. (…….)

The failure in local transmission development has also caused setbacks for the tank’s deployment in the South Korean Army.

The Black Panther was co-developed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development and Hyundai Rotem, a defense business arm of Hyundai Motor, to replace M48 Patton tanks and earlier models of K1 tanks that have been service since the 1980s. Prototypes were unveiled in 2007.

Mass production of the first 100 units was approved in 2011, with deployment scheduled for the following year, but the effort was delayed over a faulty engine and a lack of progress on a locally produced transmission. The government then decided to use the German-made power pack consisting of the MTU 883 diesel engine and RENK transmission system for the first batch.

The tanks entered service in 2014, and in that same year, local developers announced they succeeded in developing a 1,500-horsepower power pack that could be installed on the second batch of 100 tanks. However, the deployment of the second batch also faced delays, as the S&T Dynamics-made transmission system repeatedly failed to prove its reliability and durability under transmission production standards, which require a system to run without issue for 320 hours. The second batch of K2s were eventually delivered in 2019.

Defense News

You can read more at the link, but ROK Heads may remember that South Korea has been trying to export the K2 to Turkey. Due to the various delays, Turkey decided to instead conduct a technology transfer with South Korea to develop their own tank.

Nike is causing controversy again, this time not in the U.S., but in Japan:

A video ad from Nike Japan against bullying and racism that features biracial athletes and other minorities, such as those of Korean descent, has prompted a sharp online response including calls to boycott the company.

Japan has traditionally prided itself on being racially homogeneous, although successful mixed-race athletes such as tennis star Naomi Osaka are challenging that image.

The commercial, “Keep Moving: Yourself, the Future,” released Monday, shows several teen girls bullied in school over their race or other differences, but who ultimately find confidence through soccer prowess.

One scene features a girl whose father is Black surrounded by fellow students, squealing and pulling her hair.

The video, viewed 14.1 million times on Nike Japan’s Twitter feed by noon Wednesday, had racked up 63,000 likes but also a cascade of critical comments from many who vowed never to buy Nike products again.

“Nowadays, you often see one or two people of different nationalities going to school perfectly peacefully. The one that’s prejudiced is Nike,” wrote one user named “hira1216.”

Another asked, “Is it so much fun to blame Japan?”

Japan Times

You can read more at the link.

This study is giving hope that a vaccine may give similar results:

A Japanese research team has detected antibodies that neutralized the virus that causes COVID-19 in 98% of people who had been sick with the disease in tests performed six months after they became infected.

The team, led by Yokohama City University professor Takeharu Yamanaka, said Wednesday it plans to conduct a follow-up survey to see whether the people will still have such antibodies a year after their infections.

In the latest survey, which was the largest of its type conducted in the country, the team checked blood samples from 376 people who had already recovered from COVID-19. The samples were collected six months after they were infected.

“In general, people with neutralizing antibodies are believed to carry a low risk of reinfection,” Yamanaka told a news conference.

“This gives some hope” in relation to the vaccines set to be released, with the study showing that immunity obtained through natural infection can last at least six months, according to Yamanaka.

Japan Times

You can read more at the link.

Much like in neighboring South Korea, coronavirus infections in Japan continue to rise new record levels with people in their 20’s and 30’s leading the surge:

Tokyo confirmed a single-day record 584 new cases of the coronavirus Saturday, a significant rise from Friday’s 449 new infections.

Osaka Prefecture, meanwhile, registered 399 new infections, it’s fifth straight day reporting at least 300, while Aichi Prefecture recorded 219.

Other large case loads were reported in the prefectures of Kanagawa, with 192, Hokkaido, 183, Saitama, 168, Hyogo, 151, and Chiba, 74.

The number of severe COVID-19 infections in the capital rose by two from the previous day to 55. The daily figure was based on 7,624 tests, the metropolitan government said in a statement.

Among the new cases, those in their 20s had the highest number at 137, followed by those in their 30s at 110 and people in their 40s at 95. Infections among those 65 or older totaled 88.

Japan Times

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest restrictions going into place in Seoul to combat the spread of COVID-19:

The Seoul city government said Friday that stores, movie theaters and multiple other facilities must close after 9 p.m. for two weeks starting this weekend to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup announced the new restriction during a virtual press briefing, saying the measure will go into force Saturday amid worries over spiking cases in the capital recently. (……..)

Businesses subject to the new restriction include stores, movie theaters, internet cafes, game arcades, private academies, study halls, amusement parks, beauty salons, barber shops, large grocery stores and department stores. They can reopen at 5 a.m.

Exceptions will be made for small grocery stores and other shops that are less than 300 square meters in size and for restaurants offering takeout and delivery.

Buses and subways will run on a 30 percent reduced schedule after 9 p.m. The restriction will apply to buses starting Saturday and to subways starting Tuesday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It looks like in the near future Korea could be seeing some more rotational forces if the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has his way:

The military needs to move away from units being permanently based overseas and focus more on rotational deployments, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday.

“I am not a fan of large, permanent military bases from the U.S. overseas in other people’s countries. I think that is something that needs a hard, hard look,” Army Gen. Mark Milley said during a defense forum in Washington, D.C., hosted by the U.S. Naval Institute. (………….)

Milley acknowledged there’s “no enthusiasm” for suggesting rotational forces over permanent overseas assignments, as many service members enjoy the overseas assignments with their families. Some countries also like having the permanent presence, he said, but those accompanying assignments bring risk. The amount of families living in South Korea with the threat of North Korea nearby has been a security challenge for decades, Milley said.

“If something were to happen, then we would have a significant amount of noncombatant, U.S. military dependents in harm’s way. I have a problem with that. I don’t have a problem with us, those of us in uniform, be in harm’s way. This is what we get paid for, this is what our job is,” said Milley.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but General Milley is right about the logistical issue of trying to evacuate families from Korea if a contingency was to occur. However, this has been a problem for decades and military leadership has decided to increase the amount of families in South Korea. We have all heard the tagline that USFK is the “Assignment of Choice” to encourage service members and their families to volunteer to come to Korea. What is the point of pulling out families if a few years down the road new military leadership decides to change things again?

I think the Korean government is not going to like this idea either. Having U.S. military families on the peninsula constrains what U.S. government leaders can do in response to North Korea provocations. Despite all of North Korea’s provocations that have killed many Korean and American military and civilian personnel over the decades, there has never been a punitive strike launched against the Kim regime. The location of Seoul near the DMZ is part of the constraint on decision making, but undoubtedly trying to evacuate USFK family members is another constraint as well.

Maybe allowing more rotational forces is a bargaining chip the Moon administration can use to get the Biden administration to agree to a peace treaty to advances it confederation policy?

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