This will further help the ROK reach their vaccination goals:
South Koreans working for the U.S. military have widely accepted coronavirus vaccines offered by the American government, months before they were able to sign up for shots in their country.
South Korea was heralded for its initial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but 18 months later has been unable to quickly make vaccines widely available. The government announced last week its intent to begin scheduling citizens ages 18 to 49 for inoculations later in August.
Over 20 million people, or 39% of the country’s population, have received the first dose of a vaccine, as of Tuesday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. About 14% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link.
The waffling by the Moon administration on the upcoming CCPT military drill continues:
Calls for postponing the regular joint summertime military drills between South Korea and the United States were gaining traction inside the ruling party Thursday amid growing hope for the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue.
“The atmosphere (here) is that postponing the military exercise might be inevitable despite some potential internal resistance,” a high-profile source from the ruling party told Yonhap News Agency a day earlier.
Talk of a possible delay or scale-down of the annual joint military exercise set to take place later this month has surfaced after the two Koreas reopened direct cross-border liaison hotlines last week.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
If anyone can find his birth parents it would be Korean netizens:
Some netizens here have volunteered to help Olympic gymnast Yul Moldauer, born in Seoul and adopted by American parents, search for his birth family. The 25-year-old U.S. gymnast has made waves in Korea for his Korean heritage.
Korea Times
While airing the artistic gymnastics men’s apparatus final, local broadcaster KBS introduced Moldauer’s Korean name, Kyung-tae, and the sportscaster explained, “He has a longing for Korea and is searching for his older sister, who may still be living in Korea.” Moldauer finished sixth in the finals.
The subject of Moldauer soon lit up Korean social media. Much of the attention has focused on searching for his birth parents and sister.
You can read more at the link.
It looks like the Moon administration is throwing out a trial balloon to see if the US is willing to cancel the upcoming joint exercise because of COVID:
President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday directed the defense minister to discuss the S. Korea-US military drills “carefully” by taking into consideration multiple factors, a hint there could be possible changes ahead for the exercises.
According to the presidential office, Moon told Minister of National Defense Suh Wook to look at the drills with the US while “taking into account factors including the pandemic.”
Moon’s comment comes a day after the nation’s spy agency told lawmakers that North Korea could respond with military provocation, and less than a week after the North Korean leader’s sister Kim Yo-jong warned South Korea against the drills in a statement.
Korea Herald
You can read more at the link.
If you are an expat in Korea and want to get the COVID vaccine, you are eligible for a free shot:
South Korea’s government on Wednesday urged all foreigners staying long-term here to get COVID-19 vaccine shots as soon as possible, saying they are treated the same as South Korean nationals when it comes to the vaccination process.
The announcement jointly made by the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and local governments came amid rising coronavirus infections among migrant workers across the country.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
