Author: GIKorea

The long planned for closure of Yongsan Garrison in Seoul will officially happen over the next couple of months:

The U.S. Forces Korea will end all services at a major military base in the heart of Seoul within this year to prepare the return of the land to the South Korean government, military officials said Saturday. 

The U.S. military has been moving its bases from around the country to a refurbished garrison in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, since 2017.

While the USFK headquarters and the Eighth Army have moved to the new headquarters, called Camp Humphreys, the U.S. military has been preparing to vacate Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul to speed up the relocation processes.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder how much Gloria Steinem is being paid to attend this event?:

World-renowned activists in the areas of peace and human rights are coming to South Korea early this autumn to call for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Scheduled attendees for the “Let’s DMZ” event taking place to commemorate the first anniversary of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Statement between the South and North Korean leaders include Gloria Steinem, a social activist known as the “godmother of the global women’s rights movement”; Phan Thi Kim Phuc, a human rights campaigner known as the “napalm girl”; and Mikis Theodorakis, a Greek composer and democracy activist with a history of resistance fighting.

Let’s DMZ includes numerous different events taking place around the Gyeonggi Province area over the month of September with the aim of transforming the Demilitarized Zone from a symbol of division into one of peace that can be seen, heard, and experienced by everyone. Gyeonggi Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young described plans for four major events – a DMZ Forum, Live DMZ, DMZ Festa, and Art DMZ – in a Let’s DMZ briefing on Aug. 28 at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office in Suwon.

Hankyoreh

You can read more at the link, but maybe North Korea will launch some more missiles during this event to show what they think of the so called peace process these activists are championing.

#ROK governing party members visit #Dokdo 8/31 & declaim: "The Abe gov't has weaponized economics & declared war on us…We will prevail over Japan's economic provocation with the spirit of independence." #Patriotism #Propaganda #Agitationhttps://t.co/oIFVEyP0SO

— Sung-Yoon Lee (@SungYoonLee1) August 31, 2019

Some more companies have been hit with sanctions after violating United Nations sanctions on North Korea:

The United States on Friday sanctioned three shipping firms for allegedly engaging in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum goods to North Korea.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced the measures on its website, adding that the companies are based in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The department also sanctioned two Taiwanese individuals and designated a Panama-flagged vessel as blocked property for engaging in related activity.

“Treasury will implement and enforce existing U.S. and U.N. sanctions on individuals, entities and vessels involved in illicit ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean flagged vessels,” she added.

The United States on Friday sanctioned three shipping firms for allegedly engaging in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum goods to North Korea.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced the measures on its website, adding that the companies are based in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The department also sanctioned two Taiwanese individuals and designated a Panama-flagged vessel as blocked property for engaging in related activity.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but I wonder at some point if ships will start being seized to more forcibly enforce sanctions on North Korea?

The Moon administration is continuing to try and push Cho Kuk into the powerful Justice Minister position despite the corruption allegations:

Cheong Wa Dae on Friday ratcheted up pressure on the National Assembly to hold a confirmation hearing for the justice minister nominee, frustrated by a political dogfight over the issue.

Cho Kuk, a law professor who served as senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, is at the center of intensifying bickering between ruling and major opposition parties.

Three weeks earlier, President Moon Jae-in nominated Cho to be the new justice minister amid his drive to reform the state prosecution.

Cho, however, has faced harsh political attacks and public condemnation over a host of scandals, including suspicions about his daughter’s entry into coveted schools in South Korea and dubious investment in a private equity fund (PEF) by Cho and his family members.

Political parties have agreed to open a two-day hearing next Monday but failed to reach a deal on details, including the list of witnesses.

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) says the nominee’s wife and other family members should testify in parliament as well.

The ruling Democratic Party is opposed to the call, stressing that it’s enough to give Cho an opportunity to explain the scandals.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but obviously the ruling party does not want Cho Kuk’s family members to testify because there is no way to explain away the alleged corruption involving his daughter.

This whole Cho Kuk nomination shows how committed the Moon administration is towards changing the ROK Constitution to make it easier to form a confederation with North Korea and allow President Moon to run for a second term. Moon’s close friend Cho Kuk becoming the Justice Minister is part of this strategy.

After his confirmation the next part of their strategy will be increasing their hold in the National Assembly in the 2020 elections to facilitate changing the ROK Constitution. This is why the Moon administration needs to continue to play the anti-Japan card and depending how things go with North Korea, we may even see the anti-US card played as well leading up to the election.

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

Just your usual lesson in contrasts.

Someone in the Chosun called the photo department. "Hey send us your worst shot of Cho Kuk ASAP."

Meanwhile having KJU at the next ASEAN summit might be kinda fun. pic.twitter.com/yLkyDvqNgV

— the oranckay (@oranckay) August 30, 2019

Here is the latest on the return of closed out U.S. military bases in South Korea:

Cheong Wa Dae said Friday it will redouble efforts for the early return of more than two dozen U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) bases.

It was briefing media on the results of a weekly meeting of the National Security Council’s (NSC) standing committee.

The USFK has been moving its bases nationwide mainly to a refurbished garrison in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. It’s named Camp Humphreys.

The process of South Korea regaining the sites of the affected bases has been going slowly, however, partly due to handling of polluted soil.

In the session, presided over by Chung Eui-yong, director of Cheong Wa Dae’s national security office, the NSC panel members agreed to “push actively for an early return” of the sites of 26 USFK bases, which will be vacant or have already been, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

“In particular, (they) agreed to begin the return process on the Yongsan base (in central Seoul) within this year,” it said.

Top security officials, including the defense minister, especially decided to seek the return of four bases at the earliest possible date, it added.

They are Camp Long and Camp Eagle in Wonju, Gangwon Province, as well as Camp Market in Incheon and Camp Hovey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Those who reside in nearby areas have suffered economic troubles because of a long delay in the return of the bases, the NSC officials noted.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.