Category: Korea-General Topics

That would be pretty impressive if South Korea becomes one of the first countries to secure and trade deal with the Trump administration. With that said what will be interesting is if it stays in effect when a new President takes over Korea:

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described high-level trade talks with South Korea in Washington on Thursday as “very successful,” noting that Seoul came with its “A-game” and anticipating that the allies will discuss “technical terms” as early as next week.

Bessent made the remarks in an interview with CNN, after he and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer met with Seoul’s Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun for their “two-plus-two” trade consultations at the Department of the Treasury.

“We had a very successful bilateral meeting with the Republic of Korea today. We may be moving faster than I thought,” Bessent said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

“We will be talking (about) technical terms as early as next week as we reach that agreement on understanding as soon as next week. So the South Koreans came early. They came with their A game, and we will see if they follow through on that,” he added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is moving day for the Yoon family:

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to leave the presidential residence Friday to return to his private residence in southern Seoul, officials said Thursday, following his removal from office last week.

“Yoon plans to leave the official residence at 5 p.m. Friday move to his private residence,” a senior presidential official said in a press notice. 

The Presidential Security Service (PSS) has reportedly completed organizing a private residence security team of about 40 people for Yoon. Under the current law, Yoon can receive protection from the PSS for up to 10 years.

Yoon’s private residence is located at the Acrovista apartment complex in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, and he previously stayed there for six months even after his presidential inauguration in May 2022.

Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, are reportedly considering moving to another private residence in the capital area later because they own as many as 11 pet dogs and cats and the presence of security guards may cause some inconveniences for neighbors.

Yonhap

It seems like it would be tough for a former President to live in an apartment building because of the impact all the security requirements would have on their neighbors. It makes sense they would likely try and find house to live in that would not cause so impact to neighbors like living in an apartment would cause.

This weekend would be a good time for Americans in South Korea to keep a low profile because the potential for violence caused by the upcoming Constitutional Court ruling is a probability:

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul advised American citizens in South Korea on Wednesday to avoid large crowds or demonstrations ahead of the Constitutional Court’s verdict on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment. 

The notice came as the top court is set to rule on Yoon’s impeachment over his brief imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. 

“In connection with the Constitutional Court’s verdict on the impeachment of President Yoon, U.S. citizens should anticipate large-scale demonstrations and an increased police presence,” the embassy said in a posting on X. 

“Avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place, and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large crowds, gatherings, protests, or rallies,” it said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Considering how cheap health care is in South Korea it is not surprising that Koreans are going to the doctor more on average than other countries:

South Koreans on average visit local medical clinics 18 times a year, far exceeding those in other similar countries, a recent report showed.

The report on South Koreans’ health care usage found that the average number of annual outpatient visits per capita reached 18 in 2023. This figure is almost three times the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average of 6.4 in 2022.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It appears that the horrible wildfires in South Korea are finally contained:

 A massive wildfire that began in Sancheong County and swept through nearby regions in South Gyeongsang Province has been fully contained, authorities said Sunday.

The main fires were under control as of 1 p.m. Sunday, nearly 10 days after they first broke out March 21, according to forestry officials.

The wildfire has scorched an estimated 1,858 hectares of woodland, equivalent to around 2,600 football fields.

At least 30 people have died from the recent wave of nationwide wildfires, including 26 reported in North Gyeongsang Province.

Yonhap

Here is what started the fire Gyeongsangbuk-do:

Meanwhile, police authorities said they have booked a man suspected of starting the massive wildfires in North Gyeongsang Province.

The 56-year-old man is accused of causing the fire at around 11:25 a.m. on March 22 while performing an ancestral rite at a family grave on a hill in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province.

The fire then spread rapidly to nearby Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok for days due to gusty winds amid dry conditions.

You can read more at the link, but investigators are still trying to determine who started the other wildfires.

Having driven this stretch of I-40 in Arizona many times before I know from first hand experience how treacherous the hill west of Williams can be in snowy weather. Unfortunately this time the accident that occurred was extremely deadly:

Arizona officials are working to determine whether additional human remains discovered in the debris of a fatal pileup crash on Interstate 40 on March 13 are those of the South Korean family who went missing in the area at the time of the crash.

Jiyeon Lee, Taehee Kim and Junghee Kim have been missing for nearly two weeks after driving through a winter storm on their road trip between the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

Investigators have confirmed that one of the vehicles in the collision, which involved multiple passenger vehicles that “were rear-ended, pushing them into, and in some cases, underneath crashed tractor-trailers,” was a BMW SUV, an update from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday. The family had been traveling in a BMW rental vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.

CNN

You can read more at the link.

The horrible wildfires in South Korea continue to burn and have become even more deadly:

This photo shows fires in parts of a village in Uiseong County, some 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 25, 2025. (Yonhap)

The death toll from a wave of wildfires that tore through southeastern region has risen to 18, with one person missing, forest service officials said Wednesday, as firefighters still battled to contain the rapidly spreading blazes.

The fires that began in Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province last Friday have spread to nearby Uiseong, and were advancing to neighboring Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok, fueled by strong and dry winds.

Of the victims, two were found in Andong, three were in Cheongsong, six were in Yeongyang and seven in Yeongdeok, officials said. The remaining one person was missing in Cheongsong.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is not often South Korea is hit with deadly wildfires like they are currently experiencing:

At least four people were killed, six people were injured and some 1,500 people were evacuated as wildfires fueled by strong winds have scorched areas of the nation’s southeastern region, disaster authorities said Sunday.

The fire began in Sancheong County, about 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Friday and spread to other parts. 

Of the six people who were injured, five were seriously harmed. All victims were found in Sancheong, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.