This is a scary indication of the world we now live in where you cannot even trust videos you see because they may be deep fakes. Hopefully Son Heung-min is able to sue this gambling website for using his image and likeness without permission:

Illegal advertisements using artificial intelligence(AI) to create entirely fake news reports and endorsements by celebrities such as football star Son Heung-min are rampant, especially on social media. Authorities are now strongly warning consumers to be on alert.
Rosyn Park has this report.

An ad making the rounds online appears to show the famous footballer Son Heung-min speaking as a PR ambassador for Kangwon Land, a resort and casino in South Korea.

The video is promoting an illegal gambling site, using AI-manipulated images and audio to replicate Son.

The Korea Consumer Agency(KCA) said it monitored online gambling ads posted on Facebook for two months, starting in August, and identified 38 cases of false advertising, including some that used deepfakes.

KBS World News

You can read more at the link.

It appears the Unification Church attempts to bribe whoever is in power to advocate for what they want. In the U.S. this bribery is called lobbying which usually ends up with “donations” to a campaign fund:

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday that he intends to issue a public statement on Thursday addressing allegations he received bribes linked to the Unification Church, signaling confidence in his innocence.

“I will issue a statement tomorrow morning,” Chung told reporters. “So it will probably turn out to be quite anticlimactic. I will clearly lay out the basic facts and what actually happened. Please trust me. Trust my integrity.”

Chung made the remarks after the final court hearing began for Yun Young-ho, the former head of the church’s global headquarters who has been accused of providing luxury gifts to first lady Kim Keon Hee in a broader corruption scandal linked to ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yun had earlier suggested he could reveal a list of politicians from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea who were allegedly lobbied by the church, but the final hearing concluded without any such disclosures. Chung has repeatedly been mentioned as a key figure in connection with alleged lobbying efforts.

The Unification Church has been at the center of one of South Korea’s most combustible political scandals in recent years, involving allegations of illegal political funding, influence peddling and improper ties with figures linked to the main opposition People Power Party — a controversy that is now spreading to the ruling Democratic Party.

The scandal gained fresh momentum after Yun’s court testimony on Friday suggested the church had also sought contacts with politicians from the Democratic Party.

Yun testified that the church had closer ties to Democratic Party politicians from 2017 to 2021 than with the People Power Party. He also alleged that he approached four minister-level officials of the current Lee Jae Myung administration prior to the church’s “Korean Peninsula Peace Summit” in 2022.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

The Russians and Chinese are once again trying to flex their military might against their neighbors:

Nine Chinese and Russian military aircraft briefly entered and left South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) above waters east and south of the country, South Korea’s military said Tuesday.

Two Chinese military planes and seven Russian aircraft successively entered the KADIZ at around 10 a.m. prompting the military to dispatch Air Force fighter jets in preparation for a possible accidental situation, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

They did not violate South Korea’s air space, the JCS said, adding it detected the aircraft before they entered the air defense zone.

The air defense zone is not territorial airspace but is delineated to call on foreign planes to identify themselves so as to prevent accidental clashes.

The aircraft, including bombers and fighter jets, intermittently entered and left the KADIZ for about an hour before completely retreating from the air defense zone, a JCS official said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi is simply restating what has been Japan’s government position for many decades, but this is still a stupid reason to cause tension with an important neighbor. It is even more unwise to bring this issue to the forefront at a time when China is flexing its economic and military might against Japan:

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated on the 9th that “Takeshima (竹島, the name Japan claims for Dokdo) is Japanese territory,” prompting the presidential office to directly refute the claim, stating, “Dokdo is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law.”

At the Japanese House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting held that day, Prime Minister Takaichi responded to remarks by Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Takami Yasuhiro, who stated, “Takeshima in Shimane Prefecture remains under illegal occupation by South Korea,” by asserting, “Takeshima is clearly our country’s (Japan’s) inherent territory, both historically and under international law,” and added, “We aim to actively convey messages to ensure accurate understanding of our position both domestically and internationally.”

In response, the presidential office immediately refuted the claim the same day. A source from the presidential office, when asked about the position regarding Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks, stated, “There is no territorial dispute over Dokdo,” and emphasized, “Dokdo is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law.”

This is reportedly the first time since President Lee Jae-myung’s inauguration that the presidential office has taken a strong stance on issues where the two countries are at odds.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Takaichi has consistently asserted that Dokdo belongs to Japan. During the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election on the 27th of last month, she stated, “Wouldn’t it be better for a minister to confidently attend Takeshima Day?” and added, “There is no need to be cautious.” The Japanese government has sent a parliamentary vice-minister, a junior ministerial-level official, to Takeshima Day for 13 consecutive years from 2013 to this year.

Chosun Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but Dokdo is one of the few issues where the Korean right and left will rally around against Japan. Dokdo will never be given up by Korea. Maybe the Dokdo issue needs Trump the peacemaker to settle?

Chu-SAM would be a great capability for the Philippines to acquire to develop a layer of missile defense around their country:

Japan’s Defense Ministry has denied a report that it is considering selling surface-to-air missiles to the Philippines, even as it acknowledged that Tokyo may soon loosen long-standing restrictions on arms exports. 

Kyodo News, citing anonymous sources, reported Monday that Japan and the Philippines had held informal talks on exporting Japan’s Type 03 medium-range missile. 

The system — also known as Chu-SAM — is capable of intercepting aircraft and cruise missiles. It is deployed to Ishigaki Island at the far end of the Nansei chain, where it is positioned to counter China’s growing military activity near Taiwan and in the East China Sea.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

This is something that should make the Trump administration happy:

South Korea will raise defense spending by 7.5% next year to $44.8 billion, with $13.6 billion dedicated to strengthening its forces, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday. The increase is part of a nearly $500 billion national budget passed Tuesday after rival parties reached a deal, the Finance Ministry said in a separate statement.

The move follows U.S. pressure on allies, including South Korea, to spend more on defense amid heightened threats from China, Russia and North Korea. The Ministry of National Defense said the expanded budget will help Seoul respond to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, adjust to a shifting global security landscape and invest in science and technology. Though lower than the 8.2% hike requested by military officials, the increase is South Korea’s largest since an 8.2% jump in 2019.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.