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Tweet of the Day: ROK Reseach Ship Threatened By Chinese Vessels in the Yellow Sea

Picture of the Day: Seoul Subway Fares to Rise By 150 Won

Seoul subway base fare to rise by 150 won from June 28
Seoul subway base fare to rise by 150 won from June 28Passengers walk past turnstiles at a subway station in Seoul on June 27, 2025, one day before the base fare for subway rides in the Seoul metropolitan area will increase by 150 won (US$0.10) to 1,550 won for card users and 1,650 won for those buying tickets in cash. (Yonhap)

North Korea State Media Shows Images of Kim Jong-un Mourning Soldiers Killed Fighting Ukraine

The North Korean media for the first time is showing that North Korean Soldiers have been killed in Ukraine:

North Korea’s state media aired Monday images of its leader Kim Jong-un mourning over his soldiers believed to have been killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The images, released by Korean Central Television, showed Kim solemnly placing a North Korean flag over a coffin during a ceremony for the return of the remains of North Korean soldiers who were deployed and killed in Moscow’s war against Kyiv.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

51st Fighter Wing Welcomes New Commander to Osan Airbase

Osan AB has a new Wing Commander:

A fighter pilot with more than 400 combat flight hours assumed command of the U.S. fighter wing closest to North Korea in a ceremony at this base Friday. Air Force Col. Ryan Ley, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, took charge of the 51st Fighter Wing from Col. William McKibban in front of roughly 250 airmen inside a hangar at Osan, roughly 30 miles from Seoul.

Ley was previously the deputy commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Prior to that, he was the chief of Combat Air Forces Division at the Directorate of Training and Readiness at the Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Netflix Hosts Squid Game Parade in Seoul

I don’t get what people find so great about Squid Game, but obviously some people really love it to justify holding a parade in Seoul to promote its third season:

“Squid Game” swept through Seoul on Saturday night as a large-scale parade featuring towering character installations and figurines from the Netflix megahit marched through the heart of the city, drawing crowds of eager fans along Sejong-daero.

Co-hosted by Netflix and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the parade kicked off at around 7:50 p.m., about 20 minutes behind schedule. Held to celebrate the premiere of the show’s third and final season, which debuted on Netflix on Friday, the procession traveled from Gwanghwamun to Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Tweet of the Day: The Best Class to Attend in the Army?

https://twitter.com/Korean_DMZ_Vets/status/1939319345592651878

Picture of the Day: South Korea to Close Its Last Coal Mine on July 1st

S. Korea's only remaining coal mine set to be closed
S. Korea’s only remaining coal mine set to be closed
A group of miners riding a mine car enters a mine tunnel at the Dogye Coal Mine in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, northeastern South Korea, on June 27, 2025. The country’s only remaining mine maintaining operations under the state-run Korea Coal Co. will be closed July 1, 88 years after it opened, as coal output has declined with the nation shifting toward greener energy sources. (Yonhap)

President Trump Says Would Be Able To Resolve Any Conflict with North Korea

I think Trump was probably referring to any provocation that happens on the peninsula he would use his relationship with Kim Jong-un to get it resolved:

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States will “get the conflict solved” with North Korea if there is one, reiterating that he has had a “good” relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump made the remarks during a press availability, apparently reiterating his openness to reengaging with the recalcitrant regime, as his administration has stated its commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea.

“If there is a conflict … I get along with him very, very well, and we’ll get the conflict solved with North Korea,” Trump said, when asked to confirm an NK News report that he had sent a letter to Kim, which North Korean diplomats in New York refused to accept.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Six Americans Arrested for Trying to Float Bottles with Rice & Bibles in Them to North Korea

Foreigners are not supposed to be involved in political activity while in South Korea and doing something like this will likely get their visas cancelled:

Six American nationals were caught early Friday in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, while attempting to send plastic bottles filled with rice, $1 bills and Bibles to North Korea.

The group, ranging in age from their 20s to 50s, allegedly tried to launch about 1,300 bottles into the sea at around 1 a.m. on Friday, according to South Korean police.

The South Korean military, which had been monitoring the coastline using surveillance cameras, spotted the group and reported them to police. The group was caught before putting the bottles in the ocean.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

ROK Drop Open Thread – June 27th, 2025

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