This is pretty much theater leading up to what will likely be a Joe Biden administration cutting a US-ROK cost sharing deal shortly after taking office:
Stalemated negotiations between the United States and Korea over the sharing of costs for the stationing of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) are expected to get a boost, with the U.S. House of Representatives planning to vote on a resolution calling for a strengthening of the alliance with Korea this week.
The resolution, “Expressing the importance of the United States alliance with the Republic of Korea and the contributions of Korean Americans in the United States,” was introduced by Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) in January this year and is expected to be passed at a scheduled House plenary meeting Wednesday (local time).The resolution, which emphasizes the history and importance of the alliance between the countries in various sectors including national security and trade, is especially drawing attention as it is likely to change the U.S. stance for the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations with Korea.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
The COVID issue continues to expand in South Korea:
South Korea’s new coronavirus cases exceeded 200 for a second straight day on Sunday due to cluster infections, with health authorities considering raising the social distancing scheme by a notch in the five-tier system.
The country added 208 more COVID-19 cases, including 176 local infections, raising the total caseload to 28,546, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The daily new cases stayed in the triple digits for the eighth consecutive day. The cases exceeded 200 for the first time in 73 days with a mark of 205 on Saturday.
KDCA reported one additional death, raising the total to 493. The fatality rate came to 1.73 percent.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link, but once again context is important. 200+ daily coronavirus infections in a country of 51 million people is extremely low. For example the city of El Paso, Texas which is a coronavirus hotbed right now, had 981 new cases and 762 deaths. El Paso has a population of 682,000 people.
Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.
Anyone think that it is just a coincidence that when the left wing KCTU wants to do a rally the rules changed to accommodate them?:
Labor activists pushed ahead with street rallies in Seoul and other major cities Saturday despite concerns over spikes in COVID-19 infections.
Korea Times
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a major umbrella labor organization, and about 20 affiliated unions took to the streets across the country to stage scores of small-scale demonstrations in commemoration of the 50th year since Chun Tae-il, a pioneer of the nation’s labor activism, self-immolated, Nov. 13, 1970, in the cause of workers’ rights
In Seoul alone, the KCTU and progressive groups were allowed to hold 31 rallies at 61 locations. Conservative groups also reported plans for 47 political demonstrations in 85 locations in the capital, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
The rallies came as the nation’s new coronavirus cases exceeded 200 for the first time in 73 days amid lingering infection clusters nationwide.
You can read more at the link, but if the conservative protesters were smart they would have stayed home and then blame the current COVID spike on the KCTU like the Korean left did to them back in August.
Korean-Americans are beginning to have growing political influence:
Young Kim, a Korean-American Republican, won the U.S. House election in a Southern California district on Friday, U.S. media reported.
The former state lawmaker joined three other politicians of Korean descent elected to the House of Representatives in the Nov. 3 elections.
Kim, 57, was born in South Korea and grew up in Guam. She won 50.6 percent of the vote to beat Democratic incumbent Gil Cisneros by a margin of 1.2 percentage point in the 39th Congressional District anchored in Orange County, reports said. It was a rematch from 2018.
She joined Marilyn Strickland and Michelle Park Steel to become the first Korean-American women to serve Congress in its 230-year history.
Democrat Strickland, former mayor of Tacoma, won the race in Washington’s 10th Congressional District, while Republican Steel claimed the 48th District in Orange County.
Democrat Andy Kim, a Korean-American man, won the race in New Jersey’s 3rd District.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link, but ROK Heads may remember that Young Kim was project to win the election two years ago to have it taken from her with the mail in ballots.
