If you believe what President Trump is saying, it is looking more and more like the U.S. will end the war without re-opening the Strait of Hormuz:

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that South Korea was “not helpful” to the United States, noting the presence of American troops “in harm’s way” in the Asian country “right next to a nuclear force,” as he highlighted the need for countries to secure the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the remarks during an annual Easter luncheon at the White House, singling out South Korea, China, Japan and France as he reiterated that those countries that rely on the strait for energy imports should act to help reopen the waterway, a crucial oil shipping route.

“Let the European countries do it. Let South Korea, who was not helpful to us, by the way. … You know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm’s way over there, right next to a nuclear force. Let South Korea do it,” he said, referring to the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea and North Korea’s nuclear force.

“Let Japan do it. They get 90 percent of the oil from the strait. Let China do it. Let them all do it,” he added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but if I had to guess the U.S. casualty projections to re-open the Strait are not worth it to Trump in a mid-term election year. Due to the U.S.’s ample energy supplies, Americans are not going to experience fuel shortages like much of the rest of the world and this gives Trump the opportunity to push the problem on to nations reliant on Gulf energy sources to solve.

If Iran can make people pay a toll to cross the Strait of Hormuz what is to then stop other countries to do the same thing at other strategic waterways? Is everyone ready to pay a tax to the Chinese to cross the South China Sea next?:

The Iranian parliament’s approval on the 30th (local time) of the management plan to collect tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz signifies its intention to fully control the global energy trade gateway, through which approximately 20% of the world’s crude oil passes, and turn it into a “money pipeline.” If this plan is actually implemented, it is expected to deal a significant blow to the global economy. Concerns are growing that South Korean refiners will face unavoidable additional costs in the trillions of won, leading to soaring domestic oil prices and inflation across industries.

The management plan explicitly prohibits the passage of vessels with American or Israeli nationality or ownership. It also blocks access to the strait for ships from countries that have unilaterally imposed sanctions on Iran. The plan also specifies that tolls will be collected in the national currency, the rial.

Chosun Daily

You can read more at the link.

How long will it be before they start using children to smuggle drugs into South Korea?:

A, 18 years old, was caught attempting to smuggle 3 kg of methamphetamine and 2.9 kg of ketamine worth 400 million Korean won in wholesale value from Thailand to South Korea on three separate occasions between September and October 2024 and was referred to trial in November of the same year. 

A drug supplier, who exploited the fact that teenagers are less likely to be suspected during immigration processes, proposed through Telegram, “I will pay 1 million Korean won per 100 grams of transported drugs,” which A accepted as a “high-income part-time job.” While A was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison last year, the supplier has yet to be apprehended.

As seen in this case, even when lower-level drug distributors are arrested, their higher-level supervisors often evade law enforcement. This is because as the government strengthens drug crackdowns, drug traffickers are also seeking gaps in the investigative net.

Chosun Daily

I recommend reading the rest at the link, but it gives an interesting look at how drug dealers are distributing drugs within South Korea by taking payments over Telegram and sending grid coordinates to locations in the countryside where the drugs are hidden.

A significant upgrade to air power in the Pacific is underway at Misawa Airbase:

A contingent of fifth-generation stealth fighters arrived at Misawa Air Base in northeastern Japan over the weekend, the first replacements the Air Force pledged for the F-16 Fighting Falcons stationed there.

An undisclosed number of F-35A Lightning II aircraft landed Saturday at the air base at the northern tip of Honshu, the largest of Japan’s four main islands, according to images posted online by the Defense Visual Information Distribution System. The new fighters were assigned to the 13th Fighter Squadron at Misawa. The Air Force in 2024 announced plans to replace the 36 F-16 Fighting Falcons at Misawa with 48 F-35As.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Here is an interesting bit of history which China clearly saw as empty threats from North Korea:

This photo, taken Nov. 14, 1995, shows then Chinese President Jiang Zemin (L) holding summit talks with South Korean President Kim Young-sam during his visit to Seoul. (Yonhap)

North Korea sharply reacted to growing relations between South Korea and China in the mid-1990s, even threatening to establish formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in retaliation, declassified dossiers showed Tuesday. 

Pyongyang’s objection came as China was arranging its then leader Jiang Zemin’s visit to Seoul for November 1995, three years after Beijing and Seoul established diplomatic ties in the post–Cold War era, a move that had angered the North, its traditional ally. 

Diplomatic documents from 1995, released by the foreign ministry, revealed that the North had lashed out at China for drawing closer to the South in a June 1995 meeting of state think tank experts. 

When the Chinese side voiced concerns over Pyongyang’s approach to Taiwan at the time, North Korean experts reacted sharply by asking, “Why shouldn’t North Korea develop relations with Taiwan when China and South Korea were engaging in high-level exchanges?” according to the dossiers.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

President Lee can rest easy that he can take emergency actions without worrying about getting impeached unlike what happened to former President Yoon:

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday instructed senior officials to take bold measures to address concerns over the energy situation caused by the war in the Middle East, saying the government may issue an emergency economic decree if necessary.

“South Korea, which is highly dependent on external markets and relies heavily on energy supplies from the Middle East, requires more thorough inspections and detailed emergency measures,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting.

Lee urged all relevant ministries to closely monitor the situation and take “preemptive and bold action” to ease concerns over potential disruptions of energy supply.

“Key raw materials, such as urea solution, helium and aluminum, should be strictly managed at levels equivalent to wartime supplies,” he said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.