This is actually surprising that the ROK issued a statement against China on this issue. It will be interesting to see if China responds:

South Korea’s foreign ministry expressed deep concerns Thursday over the collision between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels in the South China Sea, a region long plagued by persistent territorial disputes.

“Our government is deeply concerned about the dangerous situation caused by the collision between the Chinese and Philippine vessels and use of water cannons against the Philippine vessels in the South China Sea,” the ministry spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, said in a press briefing. 

“We support the maintenance of peace, stability and rules-based order in the South China Sea, as well as the freedom of navigation and overflight based on the principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The Philippines Coast Guard earlier said a Chinese Coast Guard ship caused damage to one of its ships attempting to deliver supplies to Second Thomas Shoal, known as Ayungin Shoal, by Manila on Tuesday. China’s use of water cannons also caused injuries to four Filipino crew members.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but from a ROK perspective it would not be in their interest for China to gobble up the entire South China Sea and claim it as Chinese territory. This is because the majority of ROK energy imports comes through the South China Sea and if China takes it over it could stop energy and other exports through the waterway.

Jung Pak the U.S. nuclear envoy to North Korea seems to be hinting that the U.S. is open to a deal that does not include the denuclearization of North Korea. This validates what a National Security Council spokesman put out earlier this week:

The top U.S. nuclear envoy pointed out the need Tuesday for “interim steps” to be taken on a path towards North Korea’s ultimate denuclearization, which she stressed would not happen “overnight.”

U.S. Senior Official for North Korea Jung Pak made the remarks while reiterating Washington’s “clear” goal to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. (……)

“I don’t want to prejudge that as a final step,” she said at a forum hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “But I think it goes without saying that there would have to be interim steps toward ultimate denuclearization.”

Yonhap

Here is what the U.S. would focus a so called interim deal on, freezing other weapons programs that North Korea has:

“I think it is really important to acknowledge that there is a lot of weapons to be dealt with,” she said, noting the North’s efforts to develop solid-fuel ballistic missiles, tactical nuclear weapons, hypersonic capabilities and unmanned underwater vehicles.

“Given the scope of the DPRK weapons activities and its proliferation, there is a lot to work with there … It is not going to happen overnight. That’s the reality of it,” she added. DPRK stands for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

You can read more at the link, but in my opinion the best that can be hoped for at this point is an agreement limiting the amount of nuclear weapons North Korea has, a ban on proliferation, and an end to their ICBM program in return for dropping sanctions. 

Some new housing has opened up for Soldiers stationed in the Daegu area of South Korea:

A new housing tower opened recently on Camp Walker, providing 90 additional units for households serving in Daegu, about 150 miles south of Seoul. The tower, which includes 60 three-bedroom, 26 four-bedroom and four five-bedroom apartments, is the last of four built for Walker residents, the Army said in a Feb. 29 news release.

The first tower broke ground in 2015; the last in 2020, U.S. Army Garrison Daegu spokesman Phil Molter said by email Tuesday. All four towers cost nearly $250 million to build. Walker is part of U.S. Army Garrison Daegu, which includes Camps George, Henry and Carroll. The base has a nine-hole golf course along with a commissary and post exchange.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Here is one of these only in Korea stories where a K-pop star had to apologize for (gasp!) dating somebody:

Karina, a member of K-pop girl group aespa, issued a handwritten apology on Instagram, Tuesday, saying she was sorry for failing her fans. Although she did not specify what she was sorry for, people could easily determine that the SM Entertainment star was apologizing over recent news about her love life. But this has sparked a debate among internet users: Did she really have anything to apologize for?

Karina’s letter came about a week after she admitted to having a romantic relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook, confirming a report by Dispatch, a local media outlet, that broke on Feb. 27. The news that a popular K-pop star and a prominent actor who starred in a series of Korean dramas including, the “Alchemy of Souls” series (2022-23) were dating immediately generated a buzz online, triggering mixed reactions among fans.

“I am sorry to have surprised you,” reads Karina’s apology. “I know many of our fans must be disappointed and upset … I want to heal the wounds that I have inflicted. I will become more mature in the days ahead, so please keep an eye out for that.”

In the wake of her “scandal,” some fans criticized the 23-year-old for being an “irresponsible” leader of her group, insisting that the “scandal” will deal a critical blow to aespa’s future career prospects.

Many K-pop fans are very sensitive about their singers’ love lives as they believe romantic relationships can hamper their stars from focusing on their jobs and elevating their careers. Interestingly, some passionate followers also perceive them as their potential love interests, so they easily feel betrayed when dating news about their favorite singers arises.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but Karina has had protesters criticizing her for dating. You have to be quite the loser if a K-pop star you like dating someone causes this type of reaction.

I have been saying this for years that North Korea is never going to denuclearize and it appears U.S. negotiators may finally be understanding this:

Mira Rapp-Hooper, the U.S. National Security Council senior director for East Asia and Oceania, speaks during a forum in Seoul co-hosted by South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper and the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on March 4, 2024.

The United States seeks dialogue with North Korea, including on mitigating the risk of an inadvertent conflict on the Korean Peninsula, a National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson said Monday, stressing its goal for the “complete” denuclearization of the peninsula remains unchanged.

The remarks came after Mira Rapp-Hooper, the NSC senior director for East Asia and Oceania, said this week that Washington will consider “interim steps” on the pathway toward the North’s denuclearization — a statement that raised speculation about a potential U.S. policy shift.

In the negotiation lexicon for the North, interim steps usually involve such measures as Pyongyang’s freeze of its nuclear weapons development in return for sanctions relief or other incentives to encourage the regime’s denuclearization efforts.

“Our position on the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has not changed,” the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but in my opinion the best that can be hoped for at this point is an agreement limiting the amount of nuclear weapons North Korea has, a ban on proliferation, and an end to their ICBM program.

Considering the high housing prices Koreans are facing in Seoul, preventing foreigners from buying investment properties may help a little, but probably not much:

The government is facing growing calls to curb the purchases of homes in Korea by foreign nationals, who could obtain mortgage loans from banks abroad and are subject to less stringent borrowing regulations than Koreans.

Some are even demanding restrictions as a reciprocal measure against countries where foreigners, including Koreans, are restricted from owning homes.

As of July 2023, foreigners accounted for 1.4 percent of total home purchases here. While this percentage may seem modest, it has been steadily increasing from 1 percent in 2021 to 1.2 percent in 2022. Also, fierce competition to buy homes in the crowded capital, where real estate prices have been escalating rapidly, has amplified the concerns of local residents regarding foreigners buying homes in Seoul under more favorable conditions.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.