Just as I suspected, the Yoon administration is trying to handle the Naver situation quietly while the Korean left is trying to turn it into an anti-Japanese bilateral political issue. It is all pretty predictable:

The government will respond firmly and strongly to any unfair overseas treatment of South Korean companies, the presidential office said Monday, as the Japanese government has appeared to pressure Naver to sell its stake in the operator of Line, the biggest messenger app in Japan.

LY, the operator of Line, is controlled by a joint venture between Naver — South Korea’s biggest internet portal operator — and SoftBank of Japan. Earlier this year, the Japanese government issued administrative guidance to LY to “review its capital relationship” with Naver, over a massive leak of user information last year, which was interpreted as pressure on the South Korean company to yield control of Line’s operator. (……)

Sung added the government has been checking the Japanese government’s position via diplomatic channels, including through the South Korean Embassy in Japan.

He also sought bipartisan cooperation from political circles, saying, “It is clear that the political frame of some encouraging anti-Japan sentiment damages national interest, and is unhelpful to protecting our businesses and reflecting our interests.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but it is pretty clear the Japanese government is simply putting pressure on Naver to fix the cybersecurity issues.

I cannot understand how Kristi Noem did not think that she would be called out on the claim she met with Kim Jong-un? Very few people have ever met with Kim Jong-un and why would he ever meet with the governor of South Dakota? This was a falsity that was easy for any journalist to sniff out. So instead of owning up to the lie in her book she has instead been calling it “fake news”. There is definitely plenty examples of fake news out there, but this incident is definitely not one of them:

But more broadly, it seems these stories are in No Going Back because Noem wanted the book to convey to Donald Trump and his supporters that she’s not like the other politicians on his VP shortlist: She’s tough, she’s folksy, and she isn’t afraid to do what needs to be done, whether that means standing up to a foreign dictator or shooting a puppy.

So it isn’t surprising that Noem is trying to defend herself by using a classic MAGA tactic: saying she’s the victim of the “Fake News.” But it is pretty funny, since the “news” in question is just stuff she said in her own book. (…..)

Ironically, in her next two interviews, Noem seemed to “run from the truth.” Face the Nation’s Margaret Brennan asked the governor a simple question: “Did you meet Kim Jong-un?”

Though Noem acknowledged that the claim is being removed from the book, she refused to answer the question directly, weirdly emphasizing that she’s met plenty of world leaders.

“As soon as this was brought to my attention, I certainly made some changes and looked at this passage,” Noem said. “And I’ve met with many, many world leaders. I’ve traveled around the world. As soon as it was brought to my attention, we went forward and have made some edits.”

Brennan kept pressing Noem on how the false claim got into the book and why it took her so long to catch it, since the governor read the audiobook herself. Brennan noted that this wasn’t a passing reference to Kim; Noem remarks in the book, “I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all).”

The Intelligencer

You can read more at the link, but I think she has effectively ended any hope she had of being a vice presidential candidate.

Dr. David Tizzard who has lived in taught in Korea for 20 years recently wrote an article in the Korea Times about how he is a happy immigrant to Korea. Here is how he concluded his article:

In the near twenty years that I’ve been here, I’ve had to do drugs tests and aids tests to get my visa. I’ve had to provide transcripts and fingerprints. I’ve sat in Jongno for hours wondering whether the person the other side of the glass will stamp my document or not. I’ve been kicked out of nightclubs for being a foreigner and found myself unable to register for things online. I’ve typed my name all sorts of ways and yet ultimately failed to sign-up for a variety of offers given to other citizens. And as frustrating as this is, it’s fine with me. The country is slowly changing in its own ways and according to its own history and culture. I hope that it keeps moving at its own speed and in its own direction.

I love Korea. I am thankful for everything that it is. I support gay rights and am open in my alliance with people from these communities, but I don’t demand 50-million Koreans do the same as me right now if they are not ready. I don’t always change my clothes when I get home but I don’t think Korean people have to do this as well. I write a weekly column in the paper and try to observe what’s going on here and communicate it to other people, but I never tell the country what it’s doing wrong or how it should improve. There are far too many imperfections in my own life for me to be able to judge a country as rich and as complex as this and try to improve on everything that it has achieved thus far.

Some people consider themselves expats. Some consider themselves experts, here to change the country and enlighten the people as to their own ways. Some people think of themselves as foreigners. Some, no matter how long they live here, will never learn the language or ingratiate themselves to the people and culture. That’s all good. Everyone gets to define themselves. And for me? Whatever others might say, I consider myself an immigrant. A poor man in another’s country trying to start and raise a family. I don’t ask for anything. I don’t seek to change a culture. I just appreciate the opportunities. And Korea has plenty of that for which I remain grateful.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Receiving a $7 a month apartment in Seoul is definitely like winning the lottery even if it is tiny:

The studio apartment Choi Soul recently scored might have the cheapest monthly rent in Seoul: 10,000 won, or about $7.

“After I got the text message informing me I got it, I stared at it over and over again for a week straight,” said the 24-year-old college student. “I felt like I could finally start saving for my future.”

The brand-new unit is compact — 226 square feet — but comes furnished with an air conditioner, induction cooktop, refrigerator, laundry machine and plenty of cabinet space.

Choi, who moved in last week, only had to order herself a bed.

Part of a new public housing complex in Seoul’s Dongjak district called Yangnyeong Youth House, the heavily subsidized studio was built for people like her: young South Koreans struggling to find a place to live.

Home to 10 million people, Seoul has one of the most expensive housing markets in the world. The median price of an apartment has doubled in the last 10 years to around $685,000.

LA Times

You can read more at the link, but I wonder if building small studio apartments like this for young people in the U.S. would help the housing issue there? I suspect young people would probably complain about the size. It seems like everyone expects to have a big house and fancy car right out of college now adays.

The Korean left is trying to turn a data leak dispute involving Naver’s Line app service in Japan into a major bilateral political issue:

Korean politicians are criticizing Seoul’s passive response to Tokyo’s apparent pressure on Korean tech giant Naver to sell its stakes in LY Corp., the Tokyo-headquartered operator of mobile messaging app Line.

They, from both ruling and opposition blocs, called the Korean government’s diplomacy “miserable” as it has not made any response while Japan is trying to “extort” technologies of the Korea-developed app, which has approximately 180 million active users in Japan and Southeast Asian nations.

Their criticism follows the Japanese government’s administrative guidance to LY to review its capital relationship with Naver after a massive data leak of user information. 

The guidance is believed to be an apparent pressure to lower Naver’s control over LY. SoftBank, which jointly owns LY with Naver, said it is talking with the Korean company about controlling the joint venture.

Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who serve on the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee and the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, held a press conference Sunday, calling for a National Assembly-level response to Japan’s attempt to “extort Line” from Naver.

“The Japanese government’s actions are a clear violation of national interests and an anti-market outrage. It is time for the National Assembly to do its job. We demand that relevant standing committees be convened immediately and the Assembly deal with the matter,” Reps. Jo Seoung-lae and Lee Yong-sun said. 

“The Yoon Suk Yeol government should no longer turn a blind eye and respond proactively by upgrading this situation to a major diplomatic issue between the two countries.”

They also said the Korean government should take a strong stance, including summoning the Japanese ambassador to Korea.

Last week, the DPK called the Korean government’s response “a diplomatic disaster,” saying, “How long must we endure the dismal diplomacy that cannot even say a word of protest against Japan’s effort to take Line from Naver?”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but what we don’t know is what the Yoon administration may be quietly trying to do in discussions with the Japanese side to advocate for Naver.

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

Former President Moon’s foreign policy advisor, Moon Chung-in has an interview in the Korea Times. Part of the interview focuses on what he thinks a President Trump presidency would mean for South Korea:

Q: If Trump were to be re-elected, what would his approach be toward North Korea? Would we witness another Trump-Kim bromance?

A: In a potential second term, Trump will prioritize solidifying his political legacy. His foreign policies would be greatly influenced by media attention and personal ego, as he values how history will remember him. Striking a “big deal” with Pyongyang and contributing to peace on the Korean Peninsula could serve as a pathway to fulfilling such an ambition, potentially earning him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. While resolving the war in Ukraine or the Gaza crisis could also enhance his Nobel Prize prospects, negotiations with North Korea are likely to be a key agenda for Trump.

In that sense, Trump will actively engage North Korea, potentially even considering a visit to Pyongyang for a summit with Kim Jong-un, where Trump could present surprising offers. However, the success of such endeavors ultimately depends on Kim’s response.

Q: What would Kim want from Trump? And considering that their previous attempts did not yield favorable results, does that mean they will have to start from square one? 

A: Kim has little to lose by fostering a close relationship with Trump, as showcasing friendship with a global leader sends a powerful message both domestically and internationally.

However, the problem is that Kim’s trust in Trump was shattered when the former president did not keep his promise made during the Panmunjeom summit in June 2019. To mend that fractured trust, Trump would need to extend significant overtures this time. This could include pledges on immediate sanctions relief that would visibly improve North Korea’s economy, followed by the normalization of bilateral relations between Pyongyang and Washington. Additionally, Trump might propose halting joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, or even reducing the number of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops. In exchange, he could seek commitments from North Korea to cease nuclear and missile activities, along with a gradual reduction of its nuclear arsenal.

Korea Times

You can read much more at the link.

President Yoon sorta of gives an apology for the handbag-gate political setup:

President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized Thursday for what he called the “unwise conduct” of first lady Kim Keon Hee, referring to allegations she illegally accepted a luxury bag in 2022.

It was his clearest expression of regret yet since video emerged online last year appearing to show the first lady accepting a Christian Dior handbag, valued at around 3 million won (US$2,200), from a Korean American pastor armed with a hidden camera.

“I apologize for causing concern to the people with the unwise conduct of my wife,” Yoon said during a press conference marking the second anniversary of his presidency, which falls on Friday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the First Lady early in the administration was still living in their private home without a staff that would normally vet and advise on visits like this. When Kim Keon-hee was given the bag she seemed surprised which demonstrates she was not expecting it and thought this was only going to be a meeting with a pastor her father supposedly knew. 

The fact this camera trap was executed early in Yoon’s presidency in 2022, but released shortly before the 2024 elections shows how this was a political setup to infleunce the parliamentary elections which it successfully did.