In the apartment complex I used to live a, the vigilant ajushi would put one of those huge stickers that was hard to remove on people that did not park appropriately. I used to laugh seeing people the next morning trying to pull that thing off and get to work on time:

Public anger is rising over “thoughtless” car owners who park their vehicles taking up multiple parking spaces, limiting the slots available to other vehicles and inconveniencing others.

An internet user uploaded a posting on Bobaedream, an online community for motorists, criticizing a van owner who took up four parking spaces in an underground parking lot, Monday.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This is a big win for Japan because they can point to this ruling in regards to the ongoing diplomatic battle about the Korean court ruling to reimburse forced laborers from World War II:

 South Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery lost their second lawsuit against the Japanese government Wednesday, suffering a setback in their efforts to hold Tokyo accountable for war crimes. 

The Seoul Central District Court dismissed the case brought by 20 plaintiffs, including surviving victims forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II, citing sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that allows a state to be immune from a civil suit in foreign courts.

“When we recognize exemptions of sovereign immunity, diplomatic clashes will inevitably ensue,” the court said. It also cited a few examples of court cases after World War II that were rejected for deliberations based on sovereign immunity.

It also took note of the 2015 bilateral agreement between Seoul and Tokyo to resolve the dispute. Despite some procedural problems, the agreement was reached after listening to opinions of the victims, euphemistically called “comfort women,” and some of them have received money from the foundation set up under the deal, the court said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but it seems pretty inconsistent that sovereign immunity applies in this case and not the forced laborer case. Maybe the 2015 comfort women agreement between Japan and South Korea is why sovereign immunity applies in this case and not the other.

The corporal that was stabbed said he was too drunk to remember much from the stabbing. Fortunately for him the police have video evidence that shows the getaway car with a good look at the license plate:

A soldier assigned to this Army installation south of Seoul was in stable condition Wednesday after being stabbed in the stomach while drinking at an off-base bar over the weekend, according to local police. (……)

Closed-circuit TV at the bar captured four suspects, two Koreans and two foreigners, fleeing the scene in two cars, nearly colliding with traffic as they made a quick getaway, according to the detective.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest on the debate about women being added to the mandatory service requirement in South Korea:

 South Korea has again been thrown into a debate over whether women should be drafted into the military alongside men, with political and social circles calling for its serious consideration amid chronically low birth rates.

One of the recent triggers was an online petition demanding female conscription on Cheong Wa Dae’s website.

The other was the new book, “Park Yong-jin’s Political Revolution,” published this week by the eponymous lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party (DP). In it, Park, a candidate for the March 2022 presidential election, suggested that the country replace its draft with a volunteer military system and require both women and men to receive basic military training for up to 100 days.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The Moon administration COVID vaccine plan has fallen apart and they are now looking towards the Biden administration to bail them out from all the criticism they are receiving domestically:

South Korea is “earnestly discussing” forging a swap deal with the United States to secure COVID-19 vaccines, the South Korean foreign minister said Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong revealed the bilateral consultation under way between Seoul and Washington, during a parliamentary session. 

“Currently, (South Korea) is discussing (the potential swap deal) with the U.S. side quite earnestly,” the foreign minister said, responding to a query by Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but considering the vaccine hesitancy in the US and the growing stockpiles of vaccines because of it; I would not be surprised if a deal is worked out.

If the US moves forward with COVID booster shots this means less vaccine for the rest of the world to include South Korea:

The country’s COVID-19 vaccination program is facing another potential setback following announcements in the United States that it will consider offering potential booster shots of vaccines in order to increase their effectiveness. 

Boosters are an extra dose of a vaccine given at a predetermined time after the initial injections to raise or maintain immunity against the targeted virus. The issue was recently brought up by U.S. vaccine policy chief Anthony Fauci and the CEOs of Pfizer and Modena.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.