Here is the latest from Kim Jong-un; just more of the same:

North Korea has doubled down on its ambition to be declared a nuclear state, while urging the United States to change its “hostile” policy toward the country, and offer sanctions relief. 

The country’s leader Kim Jong-un made the remarks in a speech at a defense development exhibition to mark the 76th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, Sunday. 

In the speech, Kim accused Seoul of being “hypocritical” and having “double standards” for continuing to boost its military capabilities while talking ostensibly of “peace, cooperation and prosperity.”

Expressing “strong regrets,” Kim said the North will respond with “strong actions” if South Korea continues to “infringe upon our rights to self-defense.”

His remarks come as the North has recently been ramping up accusations that the South and the United States have been employing “double standards” in reference to the allies’ criticism of the North’s missile launches as provocations while justifying their own as “deterrence.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but Kim Jong-un is using this speech to legitimize upcoming weapons test provocations that will be used to pressure the Biden administration into cutting a deal. The only deal the Kim Regime is interested in is one that lifts sanctions for little to nothing in return.

President Moon is going to have the prosecutors office that his administration controls do the investigation into the Seongnam Land Development Scandal:

 President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday ordered a thorough probe into a snowballing corruption scandal involving a close aide to the ruling Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee told reporters Moon instructed the prosecution and the police to “actively cooperate and do their utmost to uncover the factual truth through a swift and thorough investigation.”

This is the first time Moon has commented on the scandal that centers on allegations that the aide to Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung was involved in allowing a little known asset management firm to make massive profits from a land development project in Seongnam, south of Seoul, when Lee was mayor of the city.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the opposition party wants a special counsel that would be independent to do the investigation. Clearly the ruling party does not want this because using the prosecutors office to do the investigation will likely give them more control of what is uncovered prior to next Spring’s presidential election. I would not be surprised if not much of the investigation is released prior to the election unless someone leaks it.

The easiest way to get less riot police at the THAAD site is for the protesters to assemble and protest in an area that is not blocking a public road that leads to the THAAD site:

A human rights committee under the National Police Agency (NPA) has recommended the law enforcement authorities to reduce the number of riot police deployed to a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile base in the southeastern county of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

“As the current number of riot police there can lead to a violation of the protesters’ freedom of assembly and demonstration, the authorities should actively take necessary measures,” the committee said during a regular meeting held late September.

The NPA committee consists of 13 members ― 12 external members and one police officer from the audit and inspection division. 

The committee further asked the authorities to submit additional data, based on which it can judge whether the police are guaranteeing the protesters’ freedom of assembly and demonstration.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

The ruling party’s candidate for President Lee Jae-myung is doing what left wing politicians always do, promise spend a lot of money:

Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung, named presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party Sunday, vowed to adopt universal basic income if elected, claiming that he would turn South Korea into the world’s first nation offering the subsidy package, even to the wealthy.

In his acceptance speech on Sunday, Lee highlighted his “basic agenda package,” which is expected to be the backbone of his economy policy if elected president. The package consists of a universal basic income plan, a basic housing program and a basic loan scheme, but has immediately sparked divided responses from onlookers for its impact on the economy and lack of resources.

The universal basic income scheme, under Lee, would provide all Korean citizens annual cash subsidies of at least 250,000 won ($209.16) from 2023. Koreans aged between 19 to 29 would start receiving an annual 1.25 million won each from 2023. 

Lee plans to ultimately raise the bottom line to 1 million won within his years in office. 

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link, but I wouldn’t mind these heavy spending proposals so much if these politicians would be honest and also explain what taxes would be raised to pay for it.

This is all part of North Korea’s strategy to pressure the U.S. to drop sanctions:

North Korea said Monday leader Kim Jong Un urged officials to overcome a “grim situation” facing the country and make stronger efforts to improve the food and living conditions of his people. 

But state media didn’t mention any specific comments toward Washington and Seoul while reporting on Kim’s speech marking the 76th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party’s founding.

Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled for more than two years over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea and the North’s denuclearization steps.

The country has ramped up its missile testing activity in recent weeks while making conditional peace offers to Seoul, reviving a pattern of pressuring South Korea to get what it wants from the United States.

Associated Press

You can read more at the link, but Kim Jong-un is inferring that the U.S. is responsible for the poor living conditions of his people. He is trying to make the case that dropping sanctions is a humanitarian issue. However all of us who follow North Korea issues know when sanctions were dropped in the past it was used to further develop their ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Why would this time be any different?

Remember when the Korean media was in lockstep condemning South Korean conservatives for rallying last year against President Moon? The leftist organization, KCTU has held multiple rallies since then and threatening to hold illegal “guerrilla rallies” to get around COVID restrictions with hardly any criticism from the media:

The Seoul city government has prohibited South Korea’s major umbrella labor group from staging street rallies this month in accordance with a law on preventing the spread of infectious diseases, an official said Sunday.

The measure came in response to a formal report submitted by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on its plan to hold outdoor rallies in some areas of the capital on Oct. 20. The KCTU stated it will carry out a general strike on the day.

City authorities, however, sent an official document to the KCTU notifying it of a decision to forbid such rallies. The city government plans to maintain a ban on street rallies as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, with stringent social distancing restrictions in place.

It raises the possibility that KCTU members will again push for “guerrilla-style” illicit rallies as they did in downtown Seoul in July that led to the arrest of the labor organization’s leader, Yang Kyung-soo.

Under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, the Seoul mayor is empowered to prohibit rallies in the city.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but as much as I dislike the KCTU at some point they need to be allowed to hold their rallies along with other organizations. As South Korea is quickly increasing its vaccination status there has to come a point where a level is reached where groups can gather again. Protests and rallies are a strong part of the democratic process in South Korea.