38 North is pleased to work with @ISNJH on creating a panorama of the interior of the #DPRK's National Aerospace Development Administration's Control Room https://t.co/h5pJjl65nr
— 38 North (@38NorthNK) March 22, 2018
Snowy scenery of Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The Korean left is likely rejoicing today with the news that they have finally gotten payback on former President Lee Myung-Bak for uncovering the corruption of former President Roh Moo-hyun:
Former President Lee Myung-bak was taken into custody by prosecutors after a local court issued a warrant Thursday night to detain him as a suspect in a criminal investigation over corruption allegations.
Lee, who served as president from 2008 to 2013, became the fourth former president to be detained on corruption charges.
He faces at least 18 charges for receiving bribes from businessmen and politicians, misappropriating secret operations funds from the country’s main spy agency and generating slush funds using a company registered under his family’s name.
After the Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant around 11:05 p.m. on Thursday, prosecutors went to his home in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, and transported Lee to the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in Munjeong-dong, southern Seoul.
Earlier in the day, Judge Park Beom-seok reviewed the prosecution’s application for a detention warrant, which was submitted on Monday. Judge Park made the decision after reviewing documents from prosecutors and Lee’s lawyers. A hearing was not held because Lee refused to attend.
Prosecutors questioned the former president on March 14 and asked the court to issue a detention warrant for further investigation because they believed there was a high possibility of evidence destruction. Lee, they argued, might try to persuade witnesses to change their testimony. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but this could also be payback for the prison term that former Prime Minister during the Roh administration, Han Myeong-sook received for corruption. This is just another example that politics in South Korea is a zero sum game.
If the US-North Korea summit is held at Panmunjom it would make sense to have President Moon attend as well:
President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that North Korea’s separate summits with the South and the U.S. could possibly lead to a three-way meeting of the countries.
Moon said, “Depending on the venue, the summits may be more dramatic. Depending on the circumstances, they could lead to a three-way summit between North and South Korea and the U.S.”
He made the remarks at the summit preparation committee’s second meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
The inter-Korean summit will take place at the truce village of Panmunjeom in late April. The venue for the Pyongyang-Washington summit has not yet been decided, but Panmunjeom is one feasible candidate. Moon was implying if the summit was held there, South Korea could join without much difficulty, enabling a three-way meeting.
“Through the upcoming summits and those that will follow, we must put an end to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula,” the President said. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link.
The Last Americans in North Korea: Christian Missionaries. Great in-depth piece from @LyonsNotes @JChengWSJ https://t.co/PNJF487cLB pic.twitter.com/zfzN2gI9kl
— Alastair Gale (@AlastairGale) March 19, 2018
A group of students calls for a professor to resign over remarks accused of defaming the Me Too campaign during class at Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul on March 19, 2018. (Yonhap)
I guess we will see how strictly this new law is enforced:
South Korea’s agriculture ministry said Wednesday it will implement a revised animal safety law to require dogs to wear a leash in public places, but it withheld a controversial plan to give cash rewards to those who report violators amid a backlash from animal lovers.
Starting from Thursday, dogs will be required to have a leash no longer than 2 meters in public places, and potentially dangerous breeds — pit bulls, Rottweilers, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers — will have to wear muzzles as well.
Dog owners who fail to abide by the rules will be subject to penalties up to 500,000 won (US$466.40), which has been raised from the current 100,000 won. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
I have to wonder if this is the oldest guy ever convicted of attempted murder?:
A 99-year-old man has been sentenced to four years’ jail for stabbing his wife.
Jeju District Court on Thursday found the man, identified only by his surname Moon, guilty of attempted murder.
He had stabbed his wife, 87, three times in an argument at their eldest son’s house in September.
The court was told that Moon became enraged when his wife told not him to come back.
The wife recovered from the stab wound.
The court heard that in July, the wife had punched Moon during an argument, so he then went to live with his son. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link.
It looks like the upcoming Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises will be the most low key ones conducted in quite some time:
The upcoming joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea will minimize the deployment of U.S. strategic assets such as nuclear subs and strategic bombers.
In a brief statement, the defense ministry said on Tuesday the drills, which had been delayed until after the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, will begin on April 1, on “a scale similar to previous years.”
It did not provide details on what assets will be deployed or state how long the drills will last in comparison to previous years.
The United Nations Command notified the North Korean military of the plan the same day, and that the drills would be held as a regular exercise for defense purposes, the ministry said. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link.
Reforestation in North Korea: https://t.co/Ltx9HU8Mcv pic.twitter.com/ju5pblsRxH
— Curtis Melvin 커티스 멜빈 (@CurtisMelvin) March 19, 2018
