It seems to me that if China wants to promote positive relations with South Korea how about they apologize for destroying the ROK during the Korean War?:

President Lee Jae Myung has said that South Korea and China should work to ease negative public sentiment toward each other and develop “good neighborly, friendly” relations to help expand economic cooperation.

Lee made the remarks at a welcome dinner hosted by Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining after arriving in Shanghai on Tuesday — the second and final stop of his state visit to China.

“I believe building good neighborly, friendly relations is essential when it comes to resolving economic issues,” he told Chen.

He noted that “unfounded and unnecessary misunderstandings” have long hurt public sentiment in both countries and have become a factor hindering the development of bilateral relations.

“We need to minimize those misunderstandings and encourage more goodwill between our peoples,” Lee said. “If there are areas of conflict or confrontation, we should minimize them and maximize the areas where we can benefit each other so that we can truly become good neighbors.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but there is no misunderstandings; China almost completely destroyed the ROK during the Korean War. After they were unsuccessful in that venture they have continued to back the North Korean regime which has launched countless provocations against the ROK over the past 7 decades leading to the deaths and disappearances of hundreds of Koreans. China has also on multiple occasions tried to economically bully South Korea with the THAAD issue being the latest example.

Or how about China apologize for what they did in 2008 when the Chinese Embassy bussed in Chinese students to attack and beat down Koreans protesting in Seoul for Tibetan freedom? Or how about apologizing for the Chinese fishing boats that continue to loot South Korean waters and have attacked and murdered Coast Guard personnel? China is even trying to claim Korean territory as their own. The Chinese then even fly bombers in coordination with the Russians through the Korean ADIZ to intimidate the ROK. None of this seems like a misunderstanding to me, it is bullying and I don’t expect it stop no matter how many nice things President Lee says about China.

If the ruling party tries to stop this proposal it will be a sign that the crime data will likely show most foreigner crime comes from China:

A lawmaker has introduced legislation that would require the government to compile and publish crime statistics involving foreign nationals, broken down by nationality and visa status, claiming the need for more precise data to guide immigration and public safety policies.

Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party submitted a revision to the Immigration Control Act on Monday that would require the Ministry of Justice to compile and publish comprehensive annual statistics — including border crossings, foreign resident status and crimes involving foreign nationals — broken down by nationality and type of stay.

The move reflects a growing push in Seoul for data‑driven evidence as Korea’s population rapidly diversifies. By demanding detailed breakdowns, proponents hope to move beyond generalizations, even as critics warn that such disclosures risk stigmatizing migrants and fueling an already sensitive national debate over immigration.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It will be interesting to see what they end up talking about when North Korea is currently having all their needs provided by the Russians:

President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday shared the view on the importance of resuming dialogue with North Korea and agreed to explore measures for peace on the Korean Peninsula, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said.

During their summit in Beijing, Lee underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation for peace as North Korea ratcheted up tensions by launching ballistic missiles on Sunday morning just hours before his arrival in the Chinese capital for a state visit.

“The two leaders underscored the importance of resuming dialogue with North Korea,” Wi told reporters, adding that Lee and Xi would continue to seek “creative measures to establish peace” on the Korean Peninsula.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It seems things went overall well during President Lee and Emperor President Xi’s summit this week. Xi had to be happy to hear Lee’s support of the status quo One China policy during the summit:

The summit also discussed sensitive issues, amid Seoul’s concerns over Beijing’s steel structures in a jointly managed Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ) in the Yellow Sea. 

Since 2018, China has installed steel structures in and around the PMZ, raising questions over China’s intentions behind their installation amid concerns over Beijing’s growing territorial assertiveness in the South and East China Seas.

Both sides shared the view that turning the Yellow Sea into “a peaceful and co-prosperous sea” is important for the stable and long-term development of relations, and agreed to continue “constructive” consultations, Wi said, adding that he holds “cautious hope” for making progress on the issue. 

As the maritime boundary between the two countries has not been clearly demarcated, the two sides also agreed to hold vice-ministerial talks on the issue within this year. 

The two leaders also discussed cultural exchanges, as Seoul seeks to expand Korean content’s access to China, which has faced unofficial restrictions since South Korea hosted a U.S. missile defense system in 2017. Beijing does not formally acknowledge such restrictions. 

Lee and Xi discussed gradually expanding cultural exchanges in areas such as Go and soccer, and agreed to have working-level officials explore cooperation in dramas and films, the security adviser said.

The two leaders also noted the need to work together to address negative sentiment toward each other’s countries.

Asked whether China sought clarification on Lee’s position on Taiwan, Wi said the president reaffirmed Seoul’s respect for the “One China” policy and stressed the need for mutual respect to ensure stable bilateral relations.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but if Lee is able to get Xi to allow Korean music and films back into China that would be a big win for this summit. I guess we will see what happens.

Sad news that the lKorean actor Ahn Sung-ki has passed away:

 Ahn Sung-ki, one of the country’s most beloved actors, widely known for his warm public image and decades-long contributions to Korean cinema, died Monday. He was 74. 

He had been receiving treatment in an intensive care unit of a Seoul hospital after collapsing while choking on food at his home Tuesday.

He died at the hospital at around 9 a.m., surrounded by his family, according to the Korea Film Actor’s Association.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but one of my favorite movies he starred in The Taebaek Mountains is one of the best Korean War movies.

Kim Jong-un appears to continue to groom his daughter for future leadership in North Korea:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s teenage daughter Ju-ae has paid tribute at the family mausoleum for the first time, accompanied by her father, the North’s state media images showed Friday. 

Her first known attendance at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the North Korean leader’s late father and grandfather lie in state, came amid growing speculation about her presence in the North Korean communist dynasty’s potential succession. 

Kim, his wife and Ju-ae, as well as key party and government officials, visited the family mausoleum on New Year’s Day.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It has long been speculated that the Pentagon has been looking to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Korea and it appears the 5-17 Air Cav is one unit being looked at for deactivation:

A Pentagon official said Friday that no decision has been made on the fate of a U.S. Army squadron in South Korea, which was reported to have been deactivated as part of a military transformation initiative.

The remarks came after a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report said that the 5th Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment (5-17 ACS) at Camp Humphreys, a key U.S. base in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul, ceased operations on Dec. 15.

“No decision has been made and we do not comment on pre-decisional force structure matters,” the official said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency, apparently indicating that the squadron is still active.

The CRS report on the unit’s deactivation added to speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration could seek a ground troop reduction of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea as part of an adjustment to better counter threats from an assertive China.

5-17 ACS is known to have had hundreds of personnel, as well as aviation and reconnaissance assets, including AH-64E Apache helicopters and RQ-7B Shadow drones. It has served in Korea to support the 2nd Infantry Division since May 2022.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.