My big question is who is considered a tourist? Is it only foreigners or does it include someone from Busan taking the train to spend a weekend in Seoul?:

For Chong Won-o, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Seoul mayoral candidate, the city’s tourism boom is testing its ability to manage its own popularity, with complaints of tourist overcharging beginning to undercut its global appeal.

Seoul has rapidly emerged as a new hotspot for international tourists in recent years, drawing visitors with its blend of cultural richness and hypermodern energy, as reflected in Netflix hits such as “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Made in Korea.”

But that rise has come with a hidden cost: A mismatch between surging demand and limited local capacity has created room for some vendors to charge arbitrary or inflated prices for goods and services.

Chong, who is campaigning ahead of the June 3 local elections, said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Friday that managing the imbalance through a new pricing strategy could be key to the long-term sustainability of tourism in South Korea’s capital.

“It is just a raw concept for now, but we may introduce peak season rates for tourists, aligning with the global trend in major tourist destinations,” Chong said at his election campaign office in Jung-gu, Seoul. “Otherwise, Seoul could face severe criticism for overcharging tourists.”

Rather than cracking down on vendors here or overlooking their transgressions, Chong said a two-tier pricing system for tourists during high season in sectors beyond accommodation could alleviate concerns about overtourism in the city.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

This is pretty surprising that a year and a half after this disaster that remains from victims are still being found:

President Lee Jae Myung visited the renewed recovery operation site for victims of the Jeju Air passenger jet crash at Muan Airport, calling for a full investigation into shortcomings in the government’s initial recovery efforts.

The visit on Monday came after victims’ remains were discovered during a reinvestigation launched by the Lee administration in February this year, more than a year after the country’s deadliest aviation disaster on Dec. 29, 2024.

The discovery sparked public outrage, with the earlier recovery operation criticised as careless and incomplete.

Lee expressed frustration over the prolonged recovery process, saying, “The recovery of the remains has been delayed far too long.”

“This renewed search must be conducted thoroughly. Please also examine whether there are problems with the existing manuals,” Lee told officials at the recovery site at Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province. “It does not appear that the existing manuals were faithfully followed. Please look carefully into the causes as well.”

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Hopefully this summit continues to the positive direction of ROK and Japanese relations:

Takaichi will be received at Daegu International Airport, near Andong, by South Korea’s Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina before heading to a hotel, where she will meet Lee for talks.

Honor guards in traditional costumes and gear will escort Takaichi as she is ushered into the hotel, where a 12-member color guard will welcome her at the entrance, according to presidential officials.

Lee and Takaichi will first hold a small-group meeting, followed by an expanded meeting, before making a joint press announcement on the results of their talks. 

Agenda items will likely include bilateral cooperation in response to the ongoing Middle East conflict, security in Northeast Asia and efforts to address disruptions in global supply chains.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

What was Starbucks thinking with this promotion? There is no way this guy could have been this clueless. I wonder if anyone on his staff tried to warn him this was not a good idea?:

President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a ceremony on May 18, 2026, in Gwangju, commemorating the 1980 democratization movement in the city located some 270 kilometers south of Seoul. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

The head of Starbucks Korea was dismissed Monday after the coffee chain faced strong backlash over a promotional event that evoked painful memories of South Korea’s military rule on a pro-democracy movement anniversary, Shinsegae Group said. 

Son Jung-hyun, head of SCK Company, which operates Starbucks Korea under E-Mart, was fired hours after the coffee franchise launched its “Tank Day” online promotional event, which offered discounts on “Tank” tumbler sets along with the phrase, “Put it on the table with a sound of ‘Tak!'”

The event quickly drew criticism from civic groups and online users, who argued that the word “tank” recalled the military vehicles deployed by martial law troops during the uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju on May 18, 1980, while the phrase “tak” was seen as evoking the 1987 torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol. 

Hours later, Starbucks Korea suspended the promotional event and issued an apology to those who were involved in the nation’s democracy movement, including victims of the Gwangju uprising and the bereaved family of Park.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

With US having a hard time keeping up with demand for Patriot interceptors causing the Gulf states to look at other options to rearm:

“Six weeks of relentless air bombardment sapped air defense stocks in the Middle East. Now begins the scramble to rearm.

With a fragile cease-fire in place between the U.S. and Iran, America’s closest allies in the region—and some of the best customers for U.S. weapons systems—are scanning the world for alternative missile defenses, getting creative about ways to bolster defenses quickly.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are turning to South Korean missile-defense systems, Ukrainian drones that smash into targets midair and traditional American Gatling guns. ”

Wall Street Journal

You can read more at the link, but Hanhwa’s M-SAM is a top priority for these countries to acquire before round three of the Iran War kicks off.

Children pay their respects to slain pro-democracy fighters at the May 18th National Cemetery in the southwestern city of Gwangju on May 16, 2026, two days ahead of the 46th anniversary of a pro-democracy uprising. The national cemetery honors citizens who were killed in the city during protests against the military junta of Chun Doo-hwan in May 1980. (Yonhap)

Trump may want to engage with North Korea, but as long as they are allied with Putin they have no reason to engage back:

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping after visiting Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing on May 15, 2026, in this photo released by AFP. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he discussed North Korea with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summit in Beijing this week, as he has expressed his desire to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump made the remarks in a meeting with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington after a three-day visit to Beijing.

“I did,” he said, responding to a question about whether he talked about North Korea during his meeting with Xi.

“You know, I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un. He’s been pretty quiet,” he added.

Asked if he has had any communications with Kim, Trump said, “Yes.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.