It was only a matter of time before someone in the Trump administration said something that the Kim regime could latch on to, to justify future provocations:

North Korea on Monday condemned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for calling Pyongyang a “rogue state” and vowed powerful counteraction in its first official criticism against the Trump administration.

A spokesperson at North Korea’s foreign ministry issued the statement after Rubio said the United States has rogue states to deal with, such as Iran and North Korea, during his recent interview with U.S. journalist Megyn Kelly.

North Korea condemned Rubio’s remarks for tarnishing the image of a sovereign state, calling them a “grave political provocation,” according to the Korean Central News Agency.

“It is necessary to mention how absurd and illogical it is that the most depraved state in the world brands another country a rogue state,” the spokesperson said, stressing that Rubio’s remarks reaffirmed the U.S. hostile policy toward the North remains unchanged.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Here is another cultural change coming to the military:

All official monthly celebrations related to race and identity in the Defense Department are banned effective immediately, under an order issued late Friday saying such initiatives divide the force. The decision comes at the start of Black History Month, which typically entails various celebrations at military installations around the world.

The guidance was issued under the title “Identity Months Dead at DoD.” “Our unity and purpose are instrumental to meeting the Department’s warfighting mission. Efforts to divide the force — to put one group ahead of another — erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution,” the Pentagon statement said.

The directive applies to all components and departments in the military, which are prohibited from using official resources, including man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months. Instead of traditional identity celebrations, military units were encouraged to recognize “the valor and success of military heroes of all races, genders, and backgrounds as we restore our warrior culture and ethos,” the Pentagon said.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

The new Secretary of Defense says ties with both Japan and South Korea will be strengthened. The ties with both country’s militaries are already very strong. If anything it will be interesting to see if ties with South Korea degrade if President Trump decides to cancel joint military exercises like he did in his first term when pursuing diplomacy with North Korea:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke Friday with his counterparts in South Korea and Japan, vowing to strengthen military ties with both countries amid regional security concerns, according to their respective defense ministries.

In his first phone call with South Korea’s acting defense minister, Hegseth and Kim Seon-ho agreed to “deepen and expand the level and scope” of their 71-year military alliance and strengthen security ties with Japan to deter North Korea, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said in a statement Friday. Hegseth also spoke that day with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani. The two expressed their “firm intent to continue the initiatives to reinforce the alliance,” Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a news release.

They also agreed to “bilaterally cooperate to realize the vision of a free and open” Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed that their security treaty covers the Senkaku Islands, which China claims as its territory.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Maybe these Korean firms need to be lobbying the Mexican government to start cracking down on fentynal smuggling and human trafficking along the border to get these tarriffs removed:

South Korea’s economy has come under direct impact as US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday imposing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, raising concerns about a prolonged global trade war.

Industry experts warned on Sunday that Korea, heavily dependent on exports, could face significant setbacks if Trump’s tariff war escalates. Major companies, including Samsung Electronics, have manufacturing plants in Mexico and additional trade restrictions could disrupt their supply chains and profitability.

Korean firms strategically expanded their production bases in Mexico after the first round of US trade sanctions against China under the previous Trump administration. Electronics giants such as Samsung and LG, as well as automaker Hyundai Motor Group, bolstered their investments, either expanding existing facilities or establishing new ones.

As a result, Korea’s investment in Mexico surged from $11 million in 2020 to $396 million in 2022.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It is hard to believe we are already through the first month of 2025. Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.