It looks like you can expect even more of the e-scooters zipping around Korean cities with the lowering of regulations that will put more of them on the streets and sidewalks:

Under the current law, e-scooters have been classified as a type of motorbike; so those having a motorbike or other vehicle license were allowed to use them, with the age limit being 16 and over.

But under revisions to this law, which will take effect Dec. 10, e-scooters will be classified as a type of bicycle, allowing people to ride them on cycling paths, and without the need for a driver’s license. The age limit will also be lowered to 13, meaning even middle school students will be allowed to ride them. However, riding the scooters on sidewalks will still be illegal.

It has been mandatory for e-scooter riders to wear a helmet, with violators of the law facing a 20,000 won ($18) fine, but most users do not abide by the regulation. Under the new law, there will be no penalty for not wearing a helmet or any other protective gear.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It is good to see at least some common sense prevailed in this instance of self defense in South Korea:

A South Korean woman has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing after her alleged rapist accused her of “excessive self-defence” for biting off part of his tongue. 

Police in the southern port city of Busan said they did not find any legal grounds to charge the woman in her 20s who bit off approximately three centimetres of the man’s tongue, reported the Korea Times.

The man, in his 30s, had allegedly found the woman in a drunken state on the street and offered to take her to her hotel, but he is accused of driving instead to a deserted spot and then sexually assaulting her. 

He is said to have reported his injury to the police station but officers gathered to evidence from surveillance cameras and the dashboard camera of his car and recommended he be indicted for illegal confinement and sexual assault. 

“Although her actions exceeded normal limits of self defence, based on discussions with external experts and lawyers, we came to the conclusion that it can be justified according to Article 21 of the Criminal Law Act,” the Times quoted an officer as saying. 

The Telegraph

You can read more at the link, but this is something soldiers have to consistently reminded of, you have little expectation to self defense in South Korea. For example a soldier was assaulted and had a metal pole smashed across his face by a group of Koreans and he had to pay $9,000 in restitution to the people that attacked him because he defended himself.

Other examples of the negative consequences of defending yourself can be seen with the 2004 Shinchon Stabbing Incident or the 1995 Seoul Subway Brawl.  In these cases the GIs were punished for defending themselves while the Koreans that started the fights got away with no legal consequences. This is why I have always said it is best to swallow your pride and walk away from confrontations with Koreans.

With the redevelopment going on now this closes the square at least in the near term to anti-government protests:

The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s grand project to expand and beautify Gwanghwamun Square commenced Monday, as the Korean capital vowed to increase pedestrian traffic and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  
   
Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jung-hyup said in an online press briefing at City Hall that the Seoul Metropolitan Government was finally kicking off the project after years of planning and discussing with the public, saying his office was determined to swap the “greyness” of Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul with a “green and ecological” space.  
   
The Gwanghwamun project was a core pillar of the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon’s green initiative to redesign the central Seoul area so that people can move about more easily on foot rather than relying on cars and polluting the environment.  
   
The city will essentially work toward converting all six lanes west of Gwanghwamun Square into a large park.  
   
On the east side of the square in front of the U.S. Embassy, where there are currently six lanes, the city will add one to three more lanes. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

It looks like someone has finally decided to purchase Asiana Airlines, but it took a huge government investment to make it happen:

Korean Air Lines, the country’s largest carrier, will acquire cash-strapped rival Asiana Airlines with the help of the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB).

The new airline will become the world’s No. 7 carrier by capacity to transport passengers and cargo, according to 2019 IATA numbersprovided by KDB.  

On Monday, the bank announced that it will indirectly provide financing to Korean Air Lines, which will use those funds and additional proceeds from a stock sale to buy a significant stake in Asiana Airlines.  

In the complex transaction, KDB will invest 500 billion won ($451.6 million) in Hanjin KAL and buy 300 billion won of the company’s exchangeable bonds. Hanjin KAL, which already owns 29.27 percent of Korean Air Lines, will buy 730 billion won of a 2.5-trillion-won share offering by the airline.  

The carrier will then use 1.8 trillion won of the newly raised capital to become the biggest shareholder of Asiana Airlines, by purchasing 1.5 trillion won of the airline’s new shares and 300 billion worth of perpetual bonds.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest command to do away with the stars and bars:

The Confederate battle flag is no longer welcome anywhere on U.S. military installations in Japan, according to an order released Monday by the commander of U.S. Forces Japan.

“The Confederate Battle Flag does not represent the values of U.S. Forces assigned to serve in Japan,” says the order signed by Air Force Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider on July 2. “While I acknowledge some might view it as a symbol of regional pride, many others in our force see it as a painful reminder of the history of hate, bigotry, treason, and devaluation of humanity that it represents.”

The order was posted Monday on the official Yokota Air Base Facebook page. The installation in western Tokyo serves as USFJ’s headquarters. Individual commanders in Japan were given the order prior to it becoming public, said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard Winegardner, the USFJ senior enlisted leader, on Monday.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

For people that have done beach clean ups would know, plastic packaging is a major pollution concern in the world’s oceans. This is a small start to trying to reduce the pollution:

McDonald’s Korea has announced a new campaign aimed at contributing to the environment and community under the slogan “Small but great changes for a better community.

In light of the current COVID-19 situation, the American fast food restaurant chain presented four actions ― Our Planet, Food Quality & Sourcing, Community Connection and Jobs, Inclusion & Empowerment ― to aid local communities and protect the environment. 

McDonald’s Korea said it will implement concrete plans for each to achieve sustainable growth. 

Our Planet

The company plans to expand the operations of eco-friendly restaurants through reducing its use of plastics, using environmentally friendly packaging materials and replacing all of its delivery scooters with green electric vehicles. 

By 2025, McDonald’s plans to transition 100 percent to recyclable, recycled, or certified packaging materials by to end plastic use, and to replace the inks used on such materials with natural ones. To this end, the company will also introduce cup lids that allow customers to enjoy their drinks without using a plastic straw.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.