Ironically the Japanese historically have thought the same thing that the Korean Peninsula is a dagger pointed towards Japan. This is partly why past Japanese Imperial governments have tried to control the peninsula. Is General Brunson hinting that China will be the next Imperial power that will try and control the Korean Peninsula?:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has said that South Korea is a “dagger in the heart of Asia” if seen from China’s east coast, a remark that apparently underscored the strategic location of the Asian ally amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

Brunson made the remarks in a recent podcast interview hosted by the U.S. Army War College on Friday, amid lingering speculation that the United States would seek to leverage USFK assets to help deter an increasingly assertive China or address other regional challenges beyond the Korean Peninsula.

“When they (the Chinese) look out from the east coast of China, what they see is there’s Korea, the dagger in the heart of Asia,” he said, according to a transcript posted on the website of the Strategic Studies Institute at the Army War College.

“(Then) there’s Japan again, sort of that shield that’s sort of a backstop, if you will, for them trying and their ambitions beyond that into the South China Sea and then down to their southeast is the Philippines,” he added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Was there any doubt on what the findings were going to be? Korea has been nothing but diplomatic with the Iranians over the years, and what do they have to show for it? Missiles launched against one of their commercial ships:

Anti-ship missiles developed and used by Iran are believed to have been used in an attack against a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry, however, reserved a decision on which actor in Iran launched the attack or whether it was intentional.

“Technical analysis concluded that the unidentified airborne objects were likely Noor-series anti-ship missiles developed by Iran,” First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo said at a press briefing announcing the outcome of the government’s weekslong probe into the incident.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The DPK is claiming that residents in Seoul are not seeing the benefits of the tourism boom and thus why a tax on foreign tourists is needed. This is a fabrication because all those tourists are staying in Seoul hotels, restaurants, and shopping at the stores there. This is all economic activity that is being taxed that benefits the residence of Seoul already:

The increasing number of international tourists visiting Korea has prompted calls to review the introduction of a tourist tax to cover local government expenses to address problems resulting from overtourism.

The idea was floated recently by Lee Dong-hyun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a candidate for head of Jung District in central Seoul, with party leaders also supporting the suggestion.

Lee has made an international tourist tax a centerpiece of his campaign pledges, promising to turn the tourism boom into benefits for residents.

“Jung District is the most visited district in Korea among foreigners, yet the burden of waste and noise falls entirely on residents,” Lee said during a Sunday campaign rally. “But not a single benefit from that prosperity flows back to our residents. I will absolutely open the floodgates of our district’s development through the introduction of a foreign tourist tax.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but this is typical politics to where you propose a tax against people that have no say in it to appear to benefit the people that are voting for you. Over time the politicians continue to increase the tourism tax for more easy money. However, the benefit over time will collapse when international tourists don’t want to visit Seoul any more because it becomes too expensive.

Does anyone believe these Gaza activists that they were beaten and tortured by the IDF?:

The foreign ministry said Monday it has pressed Israel to conduct a thorough investigation into claims by two South Korean activists that they were assaulted by Israeli forces after being detained aboard aid vessels bound for the Gaza Strip.

The ministry said it called in deputy Israeli ambassador to South Korea to its office Saturday and conveyed its concerns over those allegations.

The two activists, Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyeon, returned home Friday following their release. Upon arrival, they both said they had been assaulted by Israeli forces, with Kim Ah-hyun claiming that she had lost some hearing in her left ear because she had been struck on that side of the face several times.

The ministry said it demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and stressed that appropriate measures must be taken if inhumane acts by Israeli forces are found to be true.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I guess we will see if this apology will shutdown the controversy or not. As we all know leftists love to have something to be outraged about:

Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin on Tuesday apologized to the public in person, eight days after Starbucks Korea, run by Shinsegae Group, sparked controversy with its “Tank Day” marketing event, which critics say inappropriately referenced Korea’s pro-democracy movement of the 1980s. 

“Regardless of the reason, the fact that we have hurt the hearts of our citizens carries a heavy responsibility,” Chung said during a press conference. “I will make no excuses. All responsibility for this matter lies with me. It is my fault.“ 

“Everyone at Shinsegae, including myself, will remember our society’s history and sacrifices, and always deeply understand and respect the hearts of the public. The responsibility lies with the organization and the management, including myself.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This is definitely quite a long trip by these Korean submariners:

A South Korean Navy submarine has arrived at a port in Canada for joint drills with the Royal Canadian Navy amid Seoul’s push to win a Canadian submarine deal estimated at around 60 trillion won (US$39.6 billion).

The 3,000-ton ROKS Dosan Ahn Chang-ho entered a port at the Canadian naval base in Esquimalt, Victoria, on the country’s southwest coast on Saturday (local time) after traveling some 14,000 kilometers via Guam and Hawaii on the first trans-Pacific voyage ever undertaken by a South Korean submarine, the Navy said.

It marked the first time the submarine had completed such a long voyage. The submarine departed from the naval base in South Korea’s southeastern port of Jinhae on March 25.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.