Hypocrisy must not be a word used in North Korea, because Japan would not be conducting a nuclear review or expanding its military if it wasn’t for the constant threats from North Korea and China:

North Korea’s state media on Thursday denounced Japan’s reported review of its decades-long three non-nuclear principles. 

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper issued the criticism as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has reportedly sought to shift the principles that mandate no possessing, producing or introducing nuclear weapons. 

Takaichi is reportedly seeking to review the no-introduction principle, particularly regarding U.S. nuclear-armed assets.

The Rodong Sinmun accused Japan of trying to rearm itself, saying this was “not aimed at seeking national or regional peace and security but, rather, constitutes a vicious challenge to peace.”

The newspaper also accused Japan of trying to justify its drive to become a military powerhouse and of drumming up public opinions in favor of its increased defense spending, a constitutional revision and overseas military expansion.

“This reminds us of Japan’s past history of brainwashing its people to jump into a war of aggression to establish the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” the newspaper said, citing Japan’s World War II-era imperial ambitions.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but irony must not be a word used in North Korea either when they are complaining about so called Japanese brainwashing.

It looks like the US Senate is trying to prevent the Trump administration from unilaterally reducing troops in South Korea without the consent of Congress:

The US Senate has approved a sweeping annual defense policy bill that reinforces restrictions on any unilateral reduction of US Forces Korea and tightens conditions on the transfer of wartime operational control, underscoring Washington’s insistence that alliance-related changes be guided by security conditions rather than political timelines.

The upper chamber on Wednesday passed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026 by a 77–20 vote, one week after the bill cleared the House of Representatives. The legislation will take effect once signed by US President Donald Trump.

Under the bill, funds authorized by Congress cannot be used to reduce the current 28,500-strong US Forces Korea unless the administration certifies that such a move serves US national security interests and follows appropriate consultations with allies, including South Korea. The provision effectively prevents unilateral troop reductions while allowing limited flexibility under strict conditions.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Anyone trying to smuggle drugs through the military mail system in Korea is an idiot because they will eventually get caught by the screening process the ROK has for international mail. All you have to do is a Google search or check my archives to see how many people have been convicted for smuggling drugs through the mail in Korea:

South Korea’s Supreme Court has upheld a six-year prison sentence for a former U.S. forces employee convicted of smuggling illegal drugs into the country using the military mail system. On Nov. 13, the court unanimously dismissed an appeal by the unidentified defendant, confirming a June 25 ruling by the Suwon High Court, according to a document posted Friday on the court’s website. In August 2021, the defendant imported about 15 pounds of methamphetamine into South Korea through military mail sent to a U.S. base in Pyeongtaek, about 40 miles south of Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported Friday, citing unidentified legal sources.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but the excuse this idiot used was that he thought he was receiving powdered milk in the mail.

NK leader’s wife carrying what looks like Gucci shoulder bag

Ri Sol-ju (R), wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, carries what appears to be a Gucci GG Marmont mini shoulder bag (circled in red), as she accompanies Kim with her daughter Ju-ae during his inspection of an industrial complex in Kangdong County on the outskirts of Pyongyang on Dec. 15, 2025, in this photo captured from the North’s official Korean Central Television the next day. (Yonhap)

It will be interesting to see how this turns out:

The United Nations Command (UNC) has issued a rare press release stressing its authority over access to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

It comes amid growing debate in South Korea over proposed legislation that would allow the Korean government to approve nonmilitary access to the DMZ.

According to the release posted on its website Tuesday, the UNC said that it, through the UNC Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC), has been the successful administrator of the DMZ, a role that has been essential in maintaining stability, especially amid periods of heightened inter-Korean tensions.

The United Nations Command (UNC) has issued a rare press release stressing its authority over access to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

It comes amid growing debate in South Korea over proposed legislation that would allow the Korean government to approve nonmilitary access to the DMZ.

According to the release posted on its website Tuesday, the UNC said that it, through the UNC Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC), has been the successful administrator of the DMZ, a role that has been essential in maintaining stability, especially amid periods of heightened inter-Korean tensions.

Korea Times

The ruling party wants to take control of DMZ access from the UNC to basically turn it into a park:

On Aug. 26, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)’s Policy Committee Chair Han Jeong-ae introduced a proposed law titled the “Support for Peaceful Use of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone).” The bill would allow peaceful non-military visits to the DMZ without prior approval from the United Nations Command (UNC). At present, all entry into the DMZ, regardless of purpose, requires UNC authorization. Han argues that this requirement unnecessarily restricts peaceful use and infringes on South Korean sovereignty, particularly because much of the DMZ south of the Military Demarcation Line lies on territory administered by the Republic of Korea. Under the proposal, access would be approved by South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, separate from the military provisions of the Armistice Agreement.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but it is very irresponsible to have civilians running around the DMZ without approval and tight control of the military. I can understand why the UNC is speaking out against this bad idea.

You would think these people would be smarter and have funds like this donated to their campaigns. If this guy did in fact receive a cash bribe he should be punished for it:

 A special counsel team on Wednesday demanded a four-year prison term for opposition lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong on charges of accepting illegal political funds from the Unification Church.

Kweon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is accused of receiving 100 million won (US$67,570) from a former church official in 2022 in exchange for his help in gaining policy favors for the church following the presidential election of then PPP candidate Yoon Suk Yeol later that year.

The former church official allegedly promised to also mobilize the votes of church members in support of Yoon.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I understand what General Brunson is saying, but I highly doubt the Lee administration would support South Korea being a pillar for deterrence against China:

The commander of American forces in South Korea has underscored the Korean Peninsula’s central role in the U.S. security strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a website of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Tuesday, noting the peninsula’s location between the Asian continent and the Pacific region. 

Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of USFK, made the remarks at a lecture at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday at a time when Seoul and Washington are pushing to “modernize” their alliance in a way that would increase South Korea’s role in its own defense and its contributions to addressing regional threats. 

“Korea is not a side chapter in American strategy,” Brunson said, according to the website. “If you put the peninsula in the first chapter, the geometry of the region and the value of our alliances become impossible to ignore.” 

Describing the Korean Peninsula as a “hinge between the Asian continent and Pacific maritime approaches,” Brunson said the peninsula “should be viewed as a central pillar of U.S. and allied strategy.” 

On the Korean Peninsula, Brunson said the U.S. and allied forces are already positioned inside the first island chain, a key perimeter for America’s preeminence against China in the Pacific. 

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.