Some more cold and snowy weather is coming to the peninsula:

Most of Korea is expected to see some 3 to 10 centimeters (1.2 to 3.9 inches) of heavy snow by Monday morning, the weather agency said, sparking concerns of rush-hour mayhem.  
   
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said early Sunday afternoon that snow was expected to fall across most parts of the country from around 6 p.m. due to snow clouds formed in the Yellow Sea and blown over the country by westerly winds. Snow will slowly ease off toward midnight, only to pick up again on Monday morning.   

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

The daily COVID infection numbers have improved over the past week thus allowing the government to ease restrictions on many small businesses:

Starting Monday, people in the Seoul metropolitan area will be allowed to eat and drink in coffee shops and go to the gym.   
   
Health authorities announced new social distancing guidelines for Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi — also known as greater Seoul — last Saturday, saying the measures will stay in place for two weeks from Monday to Jan. 31.  
   
The eased restrictions came in response to mounting protests from small-business owners who had been forced to shut down for over a month as daily coronavirus cases peaked last month.  (………….)

Coffee shops, which had been providing only take-out services, will now be allowed to let customers eat and drink inside their facilities until 9 p.m. People will be strongly recommended to stay only up to an hour if they’re with others, and masks must be worn at all times except when eating or drinking.   
   
Cafes that are 50 square meters (538 square feet) or larger must space out their customers by leaving every other seat or table empty, setting each table one meter apart from each other or setting up plastic dividers.  
   
Gyms can reopen, but must stay closed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., and accept only one customer for every 8 square meters of space. Sweaty group exercise programs offered at gyms such as Zumba, Spinning and aerobics will remain banned.  
   
Noraebang (singing rooms) and hagwon (private cram schools) can reopen as well, but can accept only one customer for every 8 square meters of space.  
   
Houses of worship can resume in-person services under the condition they fill a maximum 10 percent of seats. All sideline events, such as prayer group meetings and meals, will remain prohibited.  
   
Restaurants still can’t allow anyone to eat inside their facilities between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Hotels, resorts and guesthouses must continuously keep one-third of their rooms vacant. Clubs and bars that involve table-hopping must remain shut.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

South Korea might rank higher than North Korea, but South Korea has spread their defense spending to include capabilities not needed to counter North Korea. Meanwhile the Kim regime is focused their military solely on war with South Korea:

South Korea has ranked sixth in global military strength.

According to 2021 list from the U.S. ranking agency Global Firepower, South Korea ranks sixth out of 138 countries, the same as last year, with a PowerIndex score of zero-point-1621.

North Korea dropped three slots from 25th to 28th this year.

The GFP ranking is based on each nation’s potential war-making capability across land, sea and air fought by conventional means. It utilizes over 50 individual factors to determine a PowerIndex score with categories ranging from military might and financials to logistical capability and geography.

KBS World Radio

You can read more at the link.

It would be great if this veteran is able to find her mother’s siblings to let them know of the dire health she is in:

Air Force veteran Isabelle Hyon DuCharme knew it would be a long shot.

The Salt Lake City, Utah, resident had spent several years attempting to reconnect her mother, Hyon Chu DuCharme, with the sister and two brothers she left behind in South Korea.

Hyon Chu had maintained regular contact with her siblings since immigrating to the United States in 1989, speaking to them often over the phone. However, when the DuCharmes’ home was foreclosed upon in the early 2010s, the family lost not only their phone number, but many of their possessions — including the address book containing the contact information of Hyon Chu’s relatives.

Stars & Stripes

You can read the rest at the link, but her mother, who’s maiden name is Hwang Hyon-chu was seriously injured in a car accident and then contracted the coronavirus at the hospital. She is now on a ventilator and in a dire condition. If anyone knows how to contact her siblings Isabelle can be contacted through her Twitter page.

For the first time USFK has had to deal with a cluster infection from the coronavirus:

Coronavirus clusters at the U.S. Army’s largest installation in South Korea and at its former headquarters in Seoul are forcing personnel to “shelter in place” throughout the long holiday weekend.

The order, announced at 6 a.m. Saturday on U.S. Forces Korea’s official Facebook page, went into effect immediately for those stationed at Camp Humphreys — headquarters for USFK, Eighth Army and the 2nd Infantry Division — and Yongsan Garrison, 55 miles to the north. It expires at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

“USFK defines ‘shelter in place’ as remaining at your residence – including other occupants or residents – except for life, health, safety and essential services to include food and medicine purchases,” the announcement said.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but USFK has had 19 new infections since Thursday and they try to conduct contact tracing to identify other potentially infected people. Having people shelter in place is help stop any spread while the contact tracers do their work.

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