The Kim regime is not going to let this issue go:

North Korea reiterated its demand Thursday for the United States to agree to declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, saying that it would help bring in peace and create mutual trust.

Declaring an end to the Korean War is “the demand of our time” and will be the “first process” toward a peace and security guarantee, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea, said in a commentary.

The newspaper added that it is “abnormal” to see distrust and animosity going on between the North and the U.S. even now, saying that it is time to take action toward declaring an end to the war.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but the Kim regime wants to end the Korean War and get a peace treaty signed because then that would justify demands to withdraw USFK from the peninsula.  With the end of the US-ROK alliance the ROK and North Korea can move forward with their confederation idea which will essentially lead to unification on the Kim regime’s terms.

However, the Trump administration has made it clear that no peace treaty will be offered until real denuclearization happens.  Over the coming year I guess we will see who blinks first.

If true this is far from #CVID touted by many US officials (to which #DPRK has never agreed anyway). https://t.co/bWsKaMQpxt

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) August 8, 2018

This photo released by the Seoul Historiography Institute on Aug. 8, 2018, shows orphans in Seoul during the Korean War. (Yonhap)

President Moon’s approval rating is still very high at 58%, but it has dropped nearly 20 points in the past three months which has to be worrying:

President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating dipped to a record low of 58 percent, the first time the president’s popularity fell below the 60 percent level since he took office in May 2017.

In a poll conducted by Realmeter between Monday and Wednesday of 1,507 adults nationwide, support for Moon declined by 5.2 percentage points to 58 percent from 63.2 percent a week earlier amid controversy over minimum wage hikes that have hurt small business owners and seemingly depressed new hiring across the country.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link, but I wonder what President Moon’s approval rating will be once the Kim regime reneges on its promise to denuclearize?

The intelligence the US had must have been indisputable because the ROK government is now admitting that they did in fact allow in shipments of North Korean coal:

South Korea received 6.6 billion won ($5.86 million) worth of North Korean coal and pig iron, of which the country of origin was fabricated, the nation’s customs agency said, Friday.

Cheong Wa Dae said there is no conflict between South Korea and the U.S. regarding the issue as the two countries are coordinating closely with mutual trust.

According to the Korea Customs Service (KCS), three South Korean importers brought in 35,038 tons of North Korean coal and pig iron from April through October last year.

They turned out to have used a Russian port as a transit hub, fabricating the materials as Russian coal. They brokered exports of North Korean goods to other countries via Russia, and got North Korean coal as a commission. (……..)

There is concern the confirmation may negatively affect South Korea’s alliance with the United States as well as its relations with North Korea.

“Though the United States has been moving to improve ties with North Korea, engaging in talks, it has been continuing pressure,” said Yang Moo-jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies.

Washington has been firm that sanctions should be maintained until North Korea takes concrete steps for denuclearization.

“As it turned out that South Korea, which is a U.S. ally, violated the sanctions, there will be negative effects,” he said.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but remember these are the violations that have been provable, I have to wonder what else has been going on in violation of UN sanctions?

A Swedish Youtube star famous for playing and filming video games that he plays decided to take the infamous DOD Cyber Awareness Challenge.  The results were pretty funny:

PewDiePie, a Swedish YouTuber with 65 million subscribers who is best known for sharing videos of himself playing video games, just took the Cyber Awareness Challenge.

In a 25-minute video posted to the video-sharing site Thursday, he takes an unclassified version of the infamous Department of Defense computer security training. The video has already been viewed upwards of 1.6 million times.

“Who would make something like this?” he asks early in the process.  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link or watch the video below:

This is a horrible story coming out of Incheon:

A middle school student has admitted raping a 13-year-old, who committed suicide in Incheon on July 23.

He was one of two male students suspected of sexual assault, Incheon police said.

The victim hanged herself in her room. No suicide note was found.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link.

"The Korean," who regularly pooh-poohs the First Amendment, is another example of why multiculturalism doesn't work.

Despite not being born in the US, he would shred our Constitution just so he can feel better about himself.

I say it's multiculturalism that's "super overrated." https://t.co/1mroeE0kFs

— King Baeksu (@KingBaeksu) August 8, 2018

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju inspect a fish pickling factory in southwestern North Korea in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 8, 2018.  (Yonhap)

I would argue that the fact the US has to voice confidence in South Korea’s willingness to enforce sanctions on North Korea shows there is some doubt and thus they need reminding:

The United States on Wednesday voiced confidence in South Korea’s implementation of sanctions against North Korea amid reports a shipment of North Korean coal docked at a South Korean port.

U.S. broadcaster VOA reported that a Belize-flagged ship docked at South Korea’s southeastern port city of Pohang over the weekend after being spotted at the Russian port of Nakhodka with black material believed to be North Korean coal.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 2371 bans North Korean exports of coal and other mineral resources that could generate revenue for the regime’s development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. U.N. member states are also required to stop and inspect vessels suspected of engaging in illicit activities with the North.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.