Hypocracy under the Moon administration. The anti-US arsonists who set fire 2 times to the MacArthur statue found not guilty. The 1st time, there was not even an investigation. But Taegukki (SK flag) rally person knocking down an illegal, politically-used Sewol tower gets jailed. https://t.co/Mg2TWer0D2

— Tara O (@DrTaraO) October 29, 2018

Deoksu Palace in Seoul is surrounded by trees full of autumn leaves on Oct. 28, 2018. The palace, one of the royal residences from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), is a top tourist spot in the South Korean capital. (Yonhap)

Via a reader tip comes a video of journalist and author Gordon Chang recently giving a speech to the National Press Club about the Moon administration’s attacks on the freedom of speech in South Korea.  He also discusses the current security situation on the Korean peninsula.

For those that have been reading the ROK Drop none of Mr. Chang’s comments should come as a surprise.  The Moon administration since taking office has made it a priority to consolidate control of the national media outlets, jailing political opponents, and the silencing of media critics.

Here is the latest from the Trump administration on North Korea’s denuclearization:

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday during a campaign rally in Illinois that he doesn’t care how long North Korean denuclearization takes as long as there is no nuclear testing.

The remark was made as denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang remain deadlocked and a month after Trump said it “doesn’t matter” if it takes “two years, three years of five months” for the North to denuclearize.

Trump’s refusal to set a time frame seems to ignore North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s thinking on the issue. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in September, shortly after his third summit with Kim, that Kim mentioned his regime was willing to give up its nuclear arsenal by the end of Trump’s term in January 2021.

“I don’t care,” Trump said during the Illinois rally. “I tell my people, I couldn’t care how long, as long as there’s no testing, as long as there’s no nuclear testing.”

Trump boasted of his “great relationship” with Kim and how both sides were happy with each other, rebuking critics who say his administration isn’t moving fast enough to get the denuclearization job done.

“North Korea’s going to be a great economic place,” Trump said, again painting a rosy future for the North if it gives up its nuclear weapons. “The location is so good between Russia and China and South Korea.”  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link.

How about he instead take Kim Jong-un to the memorial for the sailors killed in the Cheonan sinking:

President Moon Jae-in said Sunday that he could give North Korea’s Kim Jong-un a tour of Mount Halla, South Korea’s tallest mountain, on the southern island of Jeju, if the leader comes for a visit.

Moon made the remarks in response to a reporter’s question about what he would show Kim should the communist leader reciprocate his own visit to Pyongyang last month for the third inter-Korean summit aimed at fostering inter-Korean rapprochement and cooperation.

“As we have an expression like ‘from Mount Paekdu to Mount Halla,’ I could give him a tour of Mount Halla if (he) wants,” Moon said during talks with reporters after climbing up to a peak of Mount Bukak just behind the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

KCNA: "Anyone, who values truth in sincerity, should instead ask for an investigation into the cause of Warmbier's sudden death soon after his arrival in the U.S., whose health indicators were all normal at the time of his release."

— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) October 27, 2018

A rainbow crosses the sky above Sokcho, 213 kilometers east of Seoul, on Oct. 28, 2018. (Yonhap)

Here is another indication that the Moon administration is getting played by the Kim regime over the NLL issue:

Touching on the controversy over the North’s position on the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de-facto sea border with the South, Jeong said that working-level North Korean officials have yet to accept the NLL as the maritime border, despite leader Kim Jong-un’s apparent recognition of it.

In April, the leaders of the two sides agreed to turn the tense area into a “maritime peace zone.” They used the term “NLL” in their joint statement.

President Moon Jae-in said it indicates that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has virtually recognized the NLL.

The North’s navy, however, had continued to claim its own security line until recently, sending repeated warning messages to South Korean ships crossing it.

That appears to be because North Korea’s front-line troops have not received any new related instructions from Kim, Jeong said.

He added that the North’s working-level officials have not yet agreed to accept the NLL.

Gen. Park Han-ki, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the South urged the North not to take issue with the NLL during the bilateral general-grade talks last week.

“(We) clearly told (the North) to stop sending such inappropriate radio messages,” he said.  [Yonhap]

Kim Jong-un of courses recognizes the NLL, what he recognizes is his definition of the NLL.

It was a common sight to see ROK Army units ruck marching across the terrain north of Seoul, but it appears it may be coming to an end according to Dr. Tara O writing for the East Asia Research Center:

The Republic of Korea (ROK) Army plans to supply all its infantry, down to the squad level, with wheeled combat vehicles, including Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), according to YTN’s article titled “Army to Supply Armored Vehicles to Infantry…Will Ruck Marches Disappear?”  (……)

There are some positive aspects of incorporating new technology on the battlefield.  There is also room for combining mechanized infantry with light infantry.  Previous commanders have probably thought hard about the right force mix, if hostilities were ever renewed.

Even if new analysis suggested a need for a change in force mix, converting all light infantry units, which is the majority (65%) of the infantry in the ROK Army, into heavy, mechanized infantry units is problematic.  The main element that has been ignored is the terrain of the Korean Peninsula.  [East Asia Research Center]

You can read more at the link, but if this moves forward I agree with Dr. O that this a major strategic security concern to not have hardened light infantry units trained to fight in Korea’s mountainous terrain.  The way things are going I would not be surprised if in the coming years the Moon administration tries to do away with the mandatory service requirement because “peace” has been declared with North Korea.

It looks like the leaders of South Korea’s banks are not about to break sanctions like the Moon administration has been pushing them to do:

South Korea will open bank branches in North Korea only after international sanctions are lifted in return for irreversible steps by the North to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, the top financial regulator here said Friday.

Choi Jong-ku, chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), told a parliamentary audit meeting that Seoul has not discussed cooperation with North Korea in the financial sector.

“Opening bank branches in North Korea will be possible only after conditions are met,” Choi said.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.