I guess this exercise was small enough to not draw the ire of Kim Jong-un:

South Korea and the United States have resumed a joint Marine exercise after a six-month hiatus.

According to the Defense Ministry, South Korean Marine Corps and American troops from the III Marine Expeditionary Force stationed in Okinawa, Japan, launched a two-week “Korea Marine Exercise Program,” or KMEP, in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province on Monday.

Around 500 military personnel are taking part in the annual drill intended to maintain joint defense readiness.

The two sides will begin actual maneuvers with troops, amphibious assault vehicles and other equipment on Tuesday.   [KBS World Radio]

You can read more at the link.

What I would not be surprised to see happen is that Kim Jong-un cancels the visit to Seoul because sanctions are not dropped by the US:

President Moon Jae-in told parliamentary floor leaders Monday that it is unclear whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will visit Seoul within this year as promised because the visit is linked closely to a second summit between the North and the United States, officials said.

Moon also said during a meeting with the floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties that the government is thinking about whether Kim’s visit should take place before or after the North-U.S. summit that has been postponed until early next year.

“For now, we’re making preparations on the assumption that it’s going to take place within this year,” Moon said during the meeting, according to participants from the parties.

Moon said he hopes Kim’s visit to Seoul will be realized so that it can serve as a dramatic turning point in relations between the two sides. Moon also said he hopes the National Assembly will release a statement welcoming Kim’s visit.  [Yonhap]

Because we did it in 1994 & 2007 & it was a complete face-plant? https://t.co/b6nO1hMJNT

— Joshua Stanton (@freekorea_us) November 3, 2018

Students rally in downtown Seoul on Nov. 2, 2018, to demand the right to vote and measures against sexual misconduct by school faculty members. The rally was staged a day ahead of Student Day. (Yonhap)

At least it is not a white flag flying over South Korean guard posts (sorry I couldn’t resist 😉 ):

South and North Korea raised yellow flags at 11 guard posts each along their heavily fortified border on Sunday in a first step toward dismantling the posts under a military agreement reached as part of September’s summit.

The two sides hoisted the 4-meter by 3-meter flag at each of the 22 guard posts as a mark to indicate that the posts are to be dismantled, according to defense ministry officials.

“This is aimed at enabling each side to observe the progress in dismantlement work so that it can be carried out in a transparent manner,” a ministry official said.

The two sides reached the agreement to pull back the guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone “on a trial basis” as part of the third inter-Korean summit held in September. It’s a key part of the efforts to turn the buffer zone into a “peace zone.”  [Yonhap]

At least Angelina Jolie knows what good Korean barbecue to order:

What is Angelina Jolie doing in Seoul?

American actress Angelina Jolie has been spotted in a restaurant in Samcheong-dong, a traditional area in central Seoul, by a number of people who shared her photos on social media on Friday.

According to the witnesses, the mega star was having samgyeopsal, the famous Korean style grilled pork dish, inside the restaurant at about 10 p.m.

“I just bumped into Angelina Jolie. She was eating Samgyepsal,” a Korean shared on her Instagram, with a photo of Jolie.

Sitting across from Jolie was Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, the Hollywood actress’s 14-year-old son.

To the post, people responded by saying, “Oh my God, what is she doing here?” and “I can’t believe she and I are under the same sky (in Seoul).”

Jolie was last in Seoul officially for premiere of movie “Salt” in 2010, in which she starred as the heroine. [Korea Herald]

You can read more at the link, but it is thought she may be in town to advocate for the Yemeni refugees in South Korea in her role as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR)’s Special Envoy.

#NorthKorea's Ri Sun Kwon, the scolder-in-chief, also scolded #SouthKorean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon for not wearing a nice watch. Cho replied cordially "Yes (sir), I'll get a nice watch." It was not a joke. https://t.co/KtCga4hv6H

— Tara O (@DrTaraO) November 2, 2018

A car sits damaged after crashing into the lobby of a hospital in the southeastern city of Changwon on Nov. 2, 2018, in this photo released by the Changwon police. No one was hurt from the car crash. Police believe that the driver caused the accident through poor driving. (Yonhap)

I hope no one is surprised by this because the North Koreans have never really committed to giving up their nuclear weapons before or even after the dropping of sanctions:

North Korea has warned it could revive a state policy aimed at strengthening its nuclear arsenal if the United States does not lift economic sanctions against the country.

The statement released by the Foreign Ministry on Friday evening said North Korea could bring back its “pyongjin” policy of simultaneously advancing its nuclear force and economic development if the United States doesn’t change its stance. The North sopped short of threatening to abandon ongoing nuclear negotiations with Washington.

Still, it accused Washington of derailing commitments made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump at their June summit in Singapore to work toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. It was the first time the North said it could potentially resume weapons tests and other development activities since Kim signaled a new state policy in April.  (………..)

“The U.S. thinks that its oft-repeated ‘sanctions and pressure’ leads to ‘denuclearization.’ We cannot help laughing at such a foolish idea,” it said. The ministry described the lifting of U.S.-led sanctions as corresponding action to the North’s “proactive and good-will measures,” apparently referring to its unilateral suspension of nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and closure of a nuclear testing ground.  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link.

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