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South Koreans Hold Rally in Support of Israel

By Korean rally standards this is a very small group, however it did have U.S. embassy officials attend this rally in Seoul in support of Israel:

The flags of Israel and Korea held by participants of a rally in Seoul on Tuesday in support of Israel in the wake of the Hamas militant group's attack on Israel and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. [NEWS1]

The flags of Israel and Korea held by participants of a rally in Seoul on Tuesday in support of Israel in the wake of the Hamas militant group’s attack on Israel and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. [NEWS1]

Hundreds of Koreans and Israelis in Korea rallied to support Israel in Seoul on Tuesday as top diplomats from Israel and the United States stood side-by-side to voice support for the Jewish state in the wake of Hamas’s brutal attack on Oct. 7. 
  
“Thank you to all the Jewish and Israeli people living in Korea for coming today to Gwanghwamun and not giving in to fear or anxiety,” said Akiva Tor, ambassador of Israel to Korea, addressing the crowd gathered near Gwanghwamun Station in Seoul on Tuesday, many waving the flag of Israel. “I would like to thank the Republic of Korea’s government for its strong statements of condemnation of the Hamas atrocities and for being a friend to Israel.”

The rally, organized by the Korea-Israel Friendship Association and Israel Forum, was joined by some 200 participants, according to the organizers.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

South Korean Helicopters Being Upgraded with Latest Mine Detection Technology

I would hope someone is developing technology to detect moving drone based mines like we are seeing the Black Sea right now from Ukraine:

Northrop Grumman has been contracted to provide technical support for South Korea’s upcoming naval minesweeping helicopter, the company announced in a news release Monday. 

The Virginia-based company will support the integration of its Airborne Laser Mine Detection System, or ALMDS, into Korea Aerospace Industries’ Korean Mine Countermeasures Helicopter program by 2027, according to the release.

The purpose of the ALMDS is to detect and identify floating and near-surface moored mines, Northrop Grumman said on its website. The system has been used in U.S. Navy littoral combat ships and the MH-60S Seahawk helicopters since its development in 2016.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Tweet of the Day: South Korea Helps Evacuate Japanese Citizens from Israel

https://twitter.com/mrjeffu/status/1713819410924986825

Picture of the Day: Woldae Restored

Gwanghwamun's 'woldae' restored
Gwanghwamun’s ‘woldae’ restored
Gwanghwamun’s “woldae” ceremonial stage is seen in front of the gate in central Seoul on Oct. 15, 2023, ahead of a ceremony to mark its restoration for the first time in about a century. (Yonhap)

Should Halloween Be Celebrated this Year in Itaewon?

That is the debate in South Korea right now in regards to whether it is too soon to celebrate Halloween one year after the horrible crushing tragedy that killed 159 people:

Controversy has arisen over whether visiting Seoul’s popular nightlife district Itaewon to celebrate Halloween this year is acceptable, as the one-year anniversary of the crowd crush that took the lives of 159 mostly young people approaches.

On Sunday, an online community post posed the question: “Is going to Itaewon this Halloween a thoughtless act?” The post presented two options — “It’s thoughtless” and “No problem at all” — soon sparking fervent discussion with hundreds of comments.

While there were several reactions of concern over enjoying Halloween in Itaewon, the general consensus leaned toward the notion that visiting Itaewon for this year’s holiday would be acceptable. However, many emphasized the importance of commemorating the Itaewon tragedy and being cautious of each other’s safety, rather than solely indulging in Halloween festivities.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Russia Used Shiped Based Transfers to Move Arms from North Korea into Russia

Here is how the Russians moved all the arms they received from North Korea into Russia for further movement to the battlefields of Ukraine:

This image, provided by the U.S. government, shows apparent arms transfers between North Korea and Russia. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

This image, provided by the U.S. government, shows apparent arms transfers between North Korea and Russia. (Yonhap)

Two Russian ships made at least five round trips between North Korea and Russia, beginning mid-August, in what could be arms transfers, the Washington Post reported Monday, citing satellite imagery.

Based on analysis by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a London-based think tank, the ships have been travelling between the northeastern North Korean port of Najin and a port facility in Dunay in Russia’s Far East between mid-August and Saturday.

The analysis came after the U.S. government revealed Friday that the North shipped more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks for use in Ukraine, highlighting burgeoning military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Seoul Requires Han River Campers to Have Tent Doors Open to Stop Public Displays of Affection

Here is a regulation that I did not realize Seoul enforces on people camping along the Han River:

As growing numbers of people visit parks along the Han River for autumn picnics, Seoul city’s current regulation, which forces them to leave two sides of a tent open at riverside picnic areas is sparking debate over privacy concerns.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government allows tents at designated picnic areas in Han River parks during scheduled times under the condition that at least two sides of a tent remain open at all times.

The city government established the regulation in its April 2019 ordinance, in response to growing complaints regarding indescrete public displays of affection inside the tents and waste problems, according to the city government’s team which is in charge of park management. Seoul is the only local government nationwide that imposes such a restriction.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Tweet of the Day: Embarrassing Commercial?

Picture of the Day: ROK National Assembly Speaker Meets with Indian PM

Nat'l Assembly speaker with Indian PM
Nat’l Assembly speaker with Indian PM
South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo (R) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the ninth Group of 20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit in New Delhi on Oct. 13, 2023, in this photo provided by Kim’s office. (Yonhap)

B-52 Bomber to Land for the First Time at a South Korean Airbase in Support of Airshow

I did not know that a B-52 has never landed a ROK airbase before:

A U.S. strategic bomber B-52 is set to land in a South Korean air base this week, the United States Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday, in the latest show of force against North Korea’s missile and nuclear threat.

It would mark the first time that the B-52 Stratofortress has landed at a South Korean air base although the long-range bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons flew over the Korean Peninsula for joint drills between South Korea and the United States.

The B-52 is one of the major U.S. strategic bombers along with the B-2 Spirit and B-1B Lancer, which landed at Osan Air base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, in September 2016.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.