U.S. service members in South Korea continue to gain continuing buying power as the won continues depreciate against the dollar:

The Korean won has weakened severely against the U.S. dollar, sending its value to 1,362 won per dollar as of Sept. 2 ― the lowest since April 2009. Excluding global financial crisis periods, the currency value is the lowest since April 2001 when the global economy had just started recovering from the IT bubble recession.

The won-dollar rate was once below 1,300 right after the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, on the hopes that the Fed might pivot to decelerating the pace of its rate hikes. The dollar index (DXY), measuring the dollar value against six major currencies, came down to 105 by the end of July from the previous peak of 108. Now the index has moved up even further beyond 109, which is the highest since 2001.

The resurgence of the dollar index has stemmed from the weakening euro ― now below parity ― as well as concerns that the Fed will keep raising rates aggressively. In addition, the weakening Chinese yuan, amid China’s sluggish recovery and the central bank’s rate cuts, has caused the Korean won to weaken further. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

The Yoon administration is demonstrating that all the delays of road access to the THAAD base during the Moon administration was political. This summer access to the site has greatly increased after President Yoon’s election as this recent delivery further demonstrates:

The military delivered equipment to a U.S. THAAD missile defense unit here in the wee hours of Sunday, a civic group said, as the government moves to normalize access to the base despite local residents’ opposition.

The equipment from the U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korean military were brought onto the base in Seongju, 220 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 1:30 a.m., according to the group opposed to the installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) unit.

It marked the first time for such items to be delivered on the weekend since May 2021, when the USFK and the defense ministry began sending equipment to remodel troops’ barracks. Around 10 vehicles were delivered on Sunday, including a bulldozer, a fueling vehicle and a van.

Local residents rushed to the site to protest after hearing the sound of the delivery vehicles.

The civic group said the police and the defense ministry had informed them there would be no deliveries during the weekend but used the cover of darkness to make a sudden delivery.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but according to the article ground movements to the THAAD base has increased up to five times a week.

Hopefully everyone in South Korea takes this typhoon seriously, prepares, and stays in doors during its arrival. Likewise the Yoon administration has got to be fully engaged with relief efforts or the political opposition and media will “Katrina” him just months into his Presidency:

Typhoon Hinnamnor is forecast to reach waters off Jeju Island this week as a “super strong” typhoon, the strongest on a four-tier scale, the state weather agency said Sunday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the typhoon, the 11th this year, is expected to arrive 460 kilometers south-southwest of the southern island of Jeju around 9 a.m. Monday, with an atmospheric pressure of 920 hectopascals at its center and a maximum wind speed of 54 meters per second.

Typhoons are classified into four categories, from medium to strong, very strong and super strong.

Super strong refers to typhoons with a maximum wind speed of at least 54 meters per second.

By 9 p.m. Monday, Typhoon Hinnamnor is forecast to reach waters 180 km south-southwest of Jeju as a “very strong” typhoon before moving further north to 20 km north-northwest of the southeastern port city of Busan by 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to the KMA.

The typhoon’s strength when it reaches Busan is forecast to weaken to “strong,” with an atmospheric pressure of 950 hectopascals at its center and a maximum wind speed of 43 meters per second, making it the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall in South Korea.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

North Korea was surprisingly quiet during the recent Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, but I don’t expect them to be quiet for much longer and apparently neither does the Pentagon:

The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), a forward-deployed aircraft carrier, will arrive at the South Korean port city of Busan later this month amid signs of a possible nuclear test by North Korea, government sources said Friday.

According to the sources, Seoul and Washington are discussing plans to conduct bilateral exercises on the East Sea after the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrives in Busan.

The Reagan is expected to stay in the country for about a week to participate in the military drill with the South Korean Navy, as well as friendly and goodwill events.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

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

My opinion has always been that there has been plenty of Korean celebrities that have completed their mandatory military service. BTS should be expected to do the same thing:

South Korea may conduct a public survey to help determine whether to grant exemptions to mandatory military service to members of the K-pop boyband BTS, officials said Wednesday.

The issue of active military service for the band’s seven members has been a hot-button topic in South Korea because its oldest member, Jin, faces enlistment in December, when he turns 30.

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup told lawmakers that he ordered officials to implement a survey quickly. He said his ministry will also look into various other factors such as BTS’s economic impact, the importance of military service and overall national interest.

After his comments created a stir, his ministry clarified in a statement that Lee ordered officials to examine whether such a survey is needed, rather than launch it immediately.

Associated Press

You can read more at the link.