A new South Korean app called Clubhouse has received a bunch of free publicity when South Korea’s Prime Minister decided to open an account:

After garnering an estimated 8 million downloads since its launch, Clubhouse’s popularity continues across the world and even outside of its original tech-focused seed community.

The latest news comes from East Asia, where Korean media reported this morning that the country’s current prime minister, Chung Sye-kyun, has officially joined the social audio app under the username @gyunvely, making him among the most senior political leaders worldwide to join the burgeoning app. 

Tech Crunch

You can read more at the link, but the Clubhouse app is an audio app where you go into rooms and talk with other people. I haven’t used this app before; has any ROK Heads tried out this app?

This is how politics work, you accuse your rival of something they did not say and let the media repeat it:

A Seoul mayoral candidate’s recent remarks related to the issue of rights of the LGBTQ community have rekindled debates on the matter in political circles. 

Conservative minor opposition People’s Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo, who is running in the April 7 by-election for Seoul mayor, brought about the controversy after saying that the rights of those who oppose an annual parade held in central Seoul by LGBTQ community members should also be respected, during a televised debate with his rival candidate and former ruling party lawmaker Keum Tae-sup, last Thursday.

LGBTQ community members here and activists supporting them have been staging the Seoul Queer Culture Festival every year since 2000 in central Seoul to call for rights for the community. Since 2015, the parade has set off from the main festival site at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall, with the city government under former Mayor Park Won-soon granting permission despite a continuous strong backlash from some conservative Christian groups who claimed Park encouraged homosexuality.

During the debate, Keum introduced the issue to the discussion, saying it would be a “small but significant change” if a third-party candidate took part in the pride march in Seoul. Keum then asked Ahn if he would be willing to participate if elected as the mayor of the capital.

Ahn replied, “Of course I oppose discrimination. Individual human rights deserve to be respected.” But then Ahn continued to say, “If an LGBTQ festival is held in Gwanghwamun (in central Seoul), there will be some people who want to come to watch it, but the rights of others who are against it should also be respected.”

Keum criticized Ahn’s remarks in a radio interview with local broadcaster KBS the following day, saying he was disappointed as they lacked consideration for the basic human rights of the LGBTQ community. “Ahn’s advocating for the rights of those who do not want to see a queer festival is no different from hate and discrimination,” Keum said.

Korea Times

I am no fan of Ahn Cheol-soo, but it is pretty clear that he was not hating on LGBTQ groups. All he is saying is that the conservative Christian groups have a right to free speech to criticize the parade. He didn’t agree with this position he just said they had the right to express it.

A U.S. military service member at Osan Airbase came down with the coronavirus and attended a large party against current USFK health guidelines has led to a lockdown of the base:

A U.S. Air Force base in South Korea went on lockdown Friday evening after the first service member there tested positive for the coronavirus, the base commander said.

Col. John Gonzales, commander of the 51st Fighter Wing, ordered anyone affiliated with the base to return home and stay put except for food or other essential business. He said the lockdown, or shelter-in-place, may end as early as Saturday.

Gonzales, in a video posted to Osan’s Facebook page, said he was “truly disgusted” at reports the infected service member attended an off-base party Feb. 13, in violation of all U.S. military public health protection orders and South Korean government directives, too. He ordered anyone who attended the gathering at Dream Castle, building 101, rooms 403 and 404, to quarantine immediately and inform their commands.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

The Chinese government is once again pointing fingers at the U.S. to justify why the Chinese Communist Party should remain solely in charge of China:

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry said on Friday that seeing the plight of Americans suffering in a severe winter storm that hit the state of Texas this week reinforced a belief among Chinese citizens that their country is “on the right path”.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the comments in response to a question from a state media journalist on calls by western countries for an investigation into alleged human rights abuses in its western Xinjiang region.

During her lengthy response, made at a regular ministry news conference, Hua repeated China’s denials of abuse of Muslims in the region, and said that Australia, Canada and the United States had histories of genocide.

But she also contrasted the vulnerability of many Texans with the festive experience of Chinese during the recently-completed Lunar New Year holiday. State and social media in Communist Party-led China frequently draw attention to crises in the United States and other western countries.

“Not to be wanting of food or clothing, not to be hungry or cold, this is the fundamental human right that is the most real,” she said.

“In the meantime in Texas … millions of people found themselves caught in the terrible situation of not having electricity and heating at home, a few tens of people even lost their lives because of this,” she said.

“This gave the Chinese people a deeper appreciation for what is the real human right, and made us believe more strongly that China is on the right path. We are fully confident about our future,” she said.

Reuters

You can read more at the link.

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