Author: GIKorea

People following this issue without preconceived biases knew the US-ROK cost sharing deal was not going to be $5 billion a year and was instead a negotiating tactic. Well it appears to have worked as the ROK is reportedly agreeing to a 10-20% increase in funding on top of the billion dollars of increased weapons purchases:

The U.S. and Korea narrowed differences significantly in the latest round of defense cost-sharing talks as the U.S. stepped back from demands for an exorbitant five-fold hike in Korea’s contribution, sources said Wednesday. 

But Washington is still demanding an expanded contribution from Seoul, which already pays more proportionally than any other U.S. ally for keeping 28,500 American troops here. 

“The two sides began narrowing their differences and moved toward a smaller increase in defense cost-sharing,” a diplomatic source said. 

The final agreement is not expected until February, two months past the expiry of the current agreement. 

The American negotiators took into account the views of several senior U.S. lawmakers that a $5 billion bill would be excessive. Instead, the two sides are likely to agree on a 10 to 20 percent hike in South Korea’s contribution and a hefty sweetener in arms purchases from the U.S., other sources said.

Chosun Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

I don’t know why anyone in the media is surprised by this, the Kim regime never promised to stop weapons development, why would they?:

North Korea never halted efforts to build powerful new weapons, experts say

But the recent surge in activity also appears to confirm something that U.S. intelligence agencies have long suspected: Despite a self-imposed moratorium on testing its most advanced missiles during the past two years, North Korea never halted its efforts to build powerful, new weapons. Indeed, Kim’s scientists appear to have used the lull to improve and expand the country’s arsenal quietly, U.S. and East Asian officials say.

U.S. analysts say the two tests at Sohae appear to reflect months of continued work on North Korea’s arsenal of potent liquid-fueled missiles, which already includes two ICBMs, the Hwasong-14 and Hwasong-15, capable of striking the U.S.. But the country’s scientists have demonstrated progress on other kinds of missiles as well. In the months since the failed U.S.-North Korean summit in Vietnam, Pyongyang has tested five new short- and medium-range missiles, all of which use solid propellants. Solid-fueled missiles are more mobile and easier to hide compared with similar rockets that use liquid fuel.

Washington Post

You can read more at the link.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas holiday this year. Don’t forget to sing to all your neighbors, Chickenhead’s hilarious carol Twas the Night Before Christmas on the DMZ.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the DMZ, the darkness was stirred by a lone Christmas tree.

Love gifts were hung from the balloons with care, in hopes they’d pass north through the cold winter air.

The soldiers were nestled all snug in their bunks, while visions of peaceful reunification gave them goose bumps.

With a ho in her hooker boots, and I in the buff, I had just bent her over to treat her ass good and rough.

When out on the lawn arose loud banging and clicking, I sprang from my bed to see whose ass needed kicking.

Away to the window I flew all in fear, knocked over my soju and two bottles of beer.

The moon on the snow and the flares in the sky, gave the luster of mid-day so I could not deny.

When, what to my wondering eyes should I see, but a horde of Nork soldiers, tanks and artillery.

With pictures of Dear Leader and muzzle flashes aglow, I wished for more combat training instead of briefings from EO.

They yelled threats and commands, I knew I was funked. My Tagalog was great but my Korean skills sucked.

“Now, Kim! Now, Lee! Now, Park and Gong! On, Choi! On Kwak! On, Nam and Song!

To the top of the hill! To the top of the wall! Now kill the white devils, kill them all!”

And they hit the main gate the first time they tried, where napping KATUSAs with empty guns died.

They attacked the wall of the BX and opened a chasm, and looted the place, a black market orgasm.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard down the hall, shooting and stabbing and harsh Han Gook Mal.

As I searched for a weapon and looked all around, an evil Nork soldier came in with a bound.

He was dressed all in rags, from his head to his foot, and his sockless toes could be seen through his boot.

A smoking AK he had flung on his back, and I picked up my XBox to give him a whack.

His eyes – how they twinkled! Narrow and scarry! But he looked like a teen who still had his cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up in rage, and though I hadn’t saved my game, I had to engage.

A rusty old knife, he held in his teeth, as with hunger abound, he’d likely eaten the sheath.

He had a big square head and lacked any belly, while I only passed my tape test on a diet of petroleum jelly.

I put down my XBox and said, “Here’s the deal.” “If you don’t kill me, I’ll cook you a meal.”

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his plate, and gobbled Hamburger Helper like a trailer park date.

To get him to leave, I thought of more ploys, “Why don’t you take my hot juicy back to your boys?”

He sprang out the door with my juicy in tow, and the last that I saw, they’d formed a line in the snow.

I hid under my bed with my XBox on, And played Medal of Honor ’till the airstrike got here from Guam.

I guess we will see if North Korea follows through with its Christmas gift threat:

Few signs of unusual military moves have been detected in North Korea so far, officials said Tuesday, amid concern Pyongyang could test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as a “Christmas gift” to the United States.

Officials noted, however, that the North could undertake a surprise provocation at any time and that the South’s military is maintaining readiness for a worst-case scenario while keeping a close watch over the communist neighbor.

“There have not been specific moves in the North as of now that indicate high-profile military actions,” a military officer said. “We have been fully prepared for any incidents, and we always keep in mind a worst-case scenario.”

As denuclearization negotiations with the U.S. have made little progress, North Korea warned that it is entirely up to the U.S. to decide what Christmas gift it gets, sparking concerns that Pyongyang could carry out highly provocative acts such as an ICBM launch.

When firing its Hwasong-14 ICBM on July 4, 2017, the North labeled it as “a gift” for the U.S.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the U.S. might sending a message back to the North Koreans about what could happen in response to their “Christmas Present”:

 Special forces of South Korea and the United States carried out regular combined drills last month at a South Korean air force base under the scenario of raiding an enemy camp and capturing an agent, apparently targeting North Korea.

According to photos released by the U.S. military, the U.S.’ Special Operations Command Korea and South Korea’s Special Warfare Command conducted “close quarters battle training” at Kunsan Air Base located in South Korea’s western city of Gunsan in November as part of their regular training program.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.