This nut job who attacked the Democratic Party chief for supporting US-ROK military exercises has apparently committed suicide:

 A Youtuber who was arrested for attacking former ruling Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Song Young-gil with a hammer was found dead in an apparent suicide in a Seoul prison Sunday, according to correctional authorities. 

The 70-year-old, only identified by his last name Pyo, was found dead at around 3 a.m. by a fellow inmate at the Seoul Nambu Detention Center, prison officials said. He was sent to a hospital but was pronounced dead. 

Prosecutors are considering an autopsy to figure out the exact cause of death, as Pyo reportedly left behind a note, officials noted. 

Pyo struck Song’s head several times with a hammer while he was campaigning in Seoul’s Sinchon area on March 7, three days before the presidential election, causing him injuries requiring stitches. 

The man was known to have opposed South Korea-U.S. military exercises on his Youtube channel and targeted Song after he said last year the joint drills should be conducted as planned.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Hopefully this is the beginning of an improved relationship between the ROK and Japan:

A delegation of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol arrived in Tokyo on Sunday for meetings with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other top officials, carrying a letter from Yoon that outlines his will for “new relations with Japan.”

The visit by the seven-member delegation, led by Rep. Chung Jin-suk of Yoon’s People Power Party, came as Yoon has stressed the importance of restoring relations with Japan that have been frayed badly over the past few years due to rows over issues like wartime sexual slavery and forced labor.

Japan is the second foreign country that Yoon has sent a delegation to after the United States.

“I think the letter carries President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s will and expectations for new relations with Japan, as well as his expectations for positive responses from Japan,” Chung told reporters after arriving at Narita International Airport.

The delegation is expected to meet with Kishida on Wednesday and hand him the letter from Yoon.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Depending on what time he leaves for the Presidential office Yoon’s motorcade could have a major impact on Seoul traffic. Hopefully he leaves for work early to avoid this:

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to commute to the new presidential office in central Seoul from his private home for about a month after his inauguration while his official residence is renovated, officials said Sunday.

Yoon has decided to remodel what is now the foreign minister’s residence into his official residence in line with his plan to move the presidential office and residence out of Cheong Wa Dae in an effort to connect better with the people.

Renovation work on the foreign minister’s residence in Hannam-dong will begin on Yoon’s inauguration on May 10 and is expected to take around a month, and Yoon plans to commute to his new office from his private home in Seocho-dong in southern Seoul, transition team officials said.

“We will be mainly taking the Banpo Bridge on our commute as it is the closest one to Seocho Ward. … The route could change depending on the situation,” an official told Yonhap News Agency.

Yoon’s commute could worsen traffic congestion because roads are blocked for his motorcade.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I actually thought these Army recruiting videos were pretty clever. Having worked recruiting before patriotism and serving your country is not the number one reason most people join; the benefits is a major reason which these ads help to highlight:

The Army’s latest recruitment video series has targeted American society in a daring bid to entice the country’s youth to become soldiers.

Rather than highlighting the unique opportunities that military service can provide, the branch has gone full petty, comparing what some consider baseline human rights benefits to the much weaker ones provided by the average American workplace.

The clips, featured on YouTube, essentially say, “the Army isn’t great, but it’s a hell of a lot better than working elsewhere.”

Focused on benefits like homebuying, paid parental leave, vacation days and pension plans, the underlying message of these videos seem less about recruiting and serve more as a commentary about the sad state of affairs for the average civilian employee. There are currently five of the ads, all part of a series called “Know Your Army.”

Army Times

You can read more at the link, but here is my favorite commercial:

Despite all the outreach President Moon did over the past five years to North Korea, the only that has changed is that North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are more dangerous than ever:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a recent letter to President Moon Jae-in that inter-Korean relations can improve as much as one wants if both sides make sincere efforts, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.

Kim sent the letter Thursday in response to a farewell letter that Moon sent the previous day as he prepared to leave office after a five-year term that included three summit meetings with Kim and two summits between Kim and then U.S. President Donald Trump.

In the letter, Moon called on Kim to swiftly resume talks with the United States and make efforts for dialogue with South Korea’s incoming government of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee told reporters.

“Holding the hands of Chairman Kim, I took one clear step that would change the fate of the Korean Peninsula,” Moon said in the letter, according to Park. “The era of confrontation should be overcome with dialogue.”

In the response letter, Kim said the two sides made “indelible achievements.”

“Though much is left desired, my belief remains unchanged that if the South and the North pour sincerity in based on efforts made so far, inter-Korean relations can move forward as much as one wants,” Kim was quoted as saying in the letter.

Kim thanked Moon for his peace efforts, saying he will continue to respect Moon after his retirement.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

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