Another sign of past inter-Korean cooperation is being torn down in North Korea:

South Korea’s spy agency said Wednesday it has detected signs that North Korea has recently been demolishing some sections on the northern side of the inter-Korean railway on the east coast in an apparent move to erase the legacy of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation.

South and North Korea agreed to restore two railways — the Gyeongui and Donghae — in 2000, when the divided countries held the first summit of their leaders. The Donghae railway linked eastern coastal cities across the heavily fortified border.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Outgoing F-4 Phantom fighters

Soldiers salute toward F-4 Phantom fighters after their final flights at the Air Force’s 10th Combat Squadron in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul, during a media event on June 5, 2024, ahead of their retirement on June 24 after 55 years of service. (Yonhap)

The owner of the company that found there is a possibility of a large oil and gas reserve off the coast of Pohang is currently in South Korea meetings:

The owner of the U.S.-based geoscience research company Act-Geo, which took part in South Korea’s project for potential offshore oil and gas reserves, arrived in the nation Wednesday for meetings with government officials.

Vitor Abreu, the owner of the Houston, Texas-based research firm, arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, noting his visit was aimed at following up with the state-run Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC) on the potential discovery of up to 14 billion barrels of gas and oil.

“I came here to discuss with the KNOC what’s the best way for us to approach this and actually to give a better or more clear response for the Korean people in this very, very important project,” Abreu told reporters upon his arrival.

Abreu refrained from offering more details on the project, citing a “confidentiality agreement” with the state-run firm.

Yonhap

Here is how the article responded to claims from critics about the creditability of Abreu’s company:

The government commissioned Act-Geo to conduct a study in February last year, which reported that the deposits could hold between 3.5 billion and 14 billion barrels of gas and oil.

Meanwhile, there have been rising questions surrounding the credibility of the firm, with some claiming that the address of the company headquarters was that of a residential house in suburban Houston.

In response, the KNOC said Abreu was a veteran of 30 years in the field of deep-sea exploration and previously served as the head of the geology division at ExxonMobil and the president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

The company also said that during his days at ExxonMobil, Abreu played a leading role in the exploration of the largest deep-sea oil field in Guyana, South America.

You can read more at the link.

Here is one of the typicals responses from the playbook used by the US and ROK in response to North Korean provocations:

The United States on Wednesday deployed one B-1B bomber for joint bombing drills in South Korea for the first time in seven years amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s trash balloon campaign and GPS jamming attacks.

The U.S. heavy bomber from Andersen Air Base in Guam and two South Korean F-15K fighters released live GBU-38, 500-pound joint direct attack munitions, to strike multiple simulated targets at Pilsung Range in Taebaek, 181 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the U.S. 7th Air Force in South Korea.

U.S. B-1B bombers last held such an exercise in South Korea in 2017.

You can read more at the link.

Symposium of marine commanders in Pacific

Lt. Gen. Kim Gye-hwan (L), commander of the Korean Marine Corps, and William Jurney, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, hold a news conference at a hotel in Seoul on June 3, 2024, prior to the opening of the Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium in the capital. (Yonhap)

It is pretty amazing how far some of the trash filled balloons from North Korea were able to fly into South Korea, to include Osan Airbase:

The U.S. military confirmed Monday that debris found near an on-base school the previous day had been carried by balloon from North Korea. The inflatable came down Sunday on Osan Air Base, near Osan Elementary School, according to principal Allyse Struhs’ email to parents and guardians that evening.

U.S. Forces Korea spokesman David Kim said in a statement Monday that at least one North Korean balloon was found at Osan, home of 7th Air Force and the 51st Fighter Wing about 30 miles south of Seoul. “The debris primarily consisted of basketball-size black plastic bags filled with trash and cloth, which were deemed safe with no threat to the public after investigation,” he wrote.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

It is a bit surprising that China is not siding with Iran over its territorial dispute with the UAE. Maybe China is trying soften their image by trying to look like some kind of peacemaker especially when they know Iran will not be giving back the islands and there is nothing the UAE can do to get them back:

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) speedboats during an exercise in Abu Musa Island on Aug. 2, 2023. (West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

China held its stance on three disputed islands in the Gulf on Monday despite Tehran’s anger at Beijing for describing the Iran-controlled islands as a matter to be resolved with the United Arab Emirates. In a statement last week, China expressed support for the efforts of the UAE to reach a “peaceful solution” to the issue of the islands — the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa.

The islands, claimed by the UAE and Iran, have been held by Tehran since 1971 after the withdrawal of British forces from the Gulf. In a rare show of anger toward its biggest trading partner, the Iranian foreign ministry on Sunday summoned the Chinese ambassador to Iran to protest China’s “repeated support” for the UAE’s “baseless claims.” “Considering the strategic cooperation between Tehran and Beijing, it is expected that the Chinese government will revise its stance on this matter,” the Iranian foreign ministry said.

Stars and Stripes

You can read more at the link.