The ROK might want to consider having some of these missiles pointed across the Yellow Sea as well because the Chinese likely have missiles pointed at South Korea:

South Korea’s military has begun deploying the high-power Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile, military sources said Sunday, as Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back called for a “balance of terror” to counter North Korea’s nuclear threat.

The surface-to-surface missile — dubbed a “monster” because of its size — is designed to strike underground bunkers and is a key element of South Korea’s plan to deter and, if necessary, respond to a major North Korean attack.

South Korea has increasingly emphasized conventional strike capabilities as it seeks to strengthen deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. 

Ahn has called for a substantial buildup of South Korea’s strike arsenal in response to North Korea’s nuclear threats.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Over the weekend former President Yoon learned that he will spend five years in jail for charges related to his martial law decree:

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to five years in prison Friday on charges that included the obstruction of investigators’ attempt to detain him last year.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence in the first ruling on charges stemming from Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024.

Chief among the charges in Friday’s case was that the then president had ordered the Presidential Security Service to block investigators from executing a warrant to detain him at the official presidential residence in January last year.

Judge Baek Dae-hyun, the presiding judge, chastised Yoon during the hearing attended by the jailed former president and televised live.

“He effectively privatized the armed forces through the public servants of the Presidential Security Service who are loyal to the Republic of Korea for his personal safety and interests,” he said.

“Considering the need to restore the rule of law damaged by the defendant’s crimes, a severe punishment that matches the guilt is necessary.”

The sentence was half of what special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team had requested last month, saying the former president committed a “grave crime” by “privatizing” state institutions with the aim of concealing and justifying his criminal acts.

In addition to obstructing his detention, Yoon was accused of violating the rights of nine Cabinet members who were not called to a meeting to review his martial law plan, and drafting and later destroying a revised proclamation after the martial law decree was lifted.

He was also charged with ordering the distribution of press statements containing falsehoods about the declaration and the deletion of records from secure phones used by then military commanders.

The judge said Yoon was guilty of all charges except with regard to the rights of two of the nine Cabinet members and the order to distribute false press statements.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

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

You would think they would just wrap up all these charges into one trial, but here we are with 8 trials:

 Former President Yoon Suk Yeol will receive his first court verdict on charges stemming from his December 2024 imposition of martial law later this week, officials said Thursday.

The Seoul Central District Court will hold the sentencing hearing of Yoon’s trial on special obstruction of public duty and other charges in connection to his failed martial law bid at 2 p.m. Friday.

It marks Yoon’s first sentencing of the eight cases he is standing trial on, including over charges he led an insurrection through his Dec. 3 martial law declaration in 2024.

Friday’s sentencing centers on charges Yoon blocked investigators from detaining him in January last year, violated the rights of nine Cabinet members who were not called to a meeting to review his martial law plan, and drafted and destroyed a revised proclamation after the decree was lifted.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Another Democratic Party member has been caught up in a bribery scandal:

This file composite image shows Rep. Kang Sun-woo (L), formerly of the ruling Democratic Party, and Kim Kyung, a Seoul city councilor accused of delivering 100 million won (US$67,900) to Kang. (Yonhap)

Police have summoned a former ruling Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker to appear for questioning next week over allegations of accepting 100 million won (US$67,900) from a Seoul city councilor ahead of the 2022 local elections, sources said Thursday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s public crimes investigation team recently notified Rep. Kang Sun-woo, who recently quit the DP after the bribery allegations surfaced late last month, for her appearance on Tuesday, according to the sources.

Kang is accused of accepting the alleged bribe from councilor Kim Kyung via her then aide, which was allegedly given in exchange for Kim’s councilorship nomination in the lead up to the 2022 elections.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but it seems regardless of the party these bribes seemed to be part of Korean politics.

President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi play drums together during the informal talks in Japan’s Nara, Tuesday. Yonhap

As long as the CSAT remains such an important factor in determining which colleges Korean students can attend, this corruption will continue:

Math instructor Hyun Woo-jin. 

Hyun Woo-jin (39) and Cho Jung-sik (44), both “top-tier instructors,” have been indicted for allegedly paying large sums to current teachers in exchange for mock College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) questions and other materials. It was confirmed that they provided up to 180 million Korean won to teachers, with some transactions conducted through spouses’ accounts.

According to the indictment obtained by this newspaper through People Power Party Representative Park Joon-tae on the 14th, math instructor Hyun transferred a total of 179.09 million Korean won in 20 installments from March 2020 to May 2023 to Teacher A, who has been a private high school math teacher since 1995, in exchange for math exam questions. Hyun also paid 167.78 million Korean won in 20 installments from March 2020 to April 2023 to Teacher B, a high school teacher since 1997, and 75.3 million Korean won in 37 installments from March 2020 to June 2023 to Teacher C, a teacher since 2015. Teacher C was found to have used a spouse’s account for transactions.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Criminal Division 7 (headed by Choi Tae-eun) non-custodially indicted Hyun and the three teachers last December for violating the Anti-Graft Act. Under the law, private school teachers are prohibited from receiving more than 1 million Korean won per instance or 3 million Korean won annually from a single person unrelated to their duties, with both givers and receivers subject to punishment.

Chosen Ilbo

You can read more at the link.