Does anyone think that the Kim regime takes anything from the ROK government seriously right now?

The South Korean Defense Ministry has urged North Korea to stop heightening military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

In the wake of North Korea’s short-range missile test and artillery exercises this past Saturday, ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo addressed the situation without specifically describing the military move as a missile launch.

[Sound bite: Defense Ministry Spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo (Korean)] 
“North Korea’s launch of multiple projectiles partially goes against the purpose of the (inter-Korean) military agreement and we are very concerned. We urge North Korea to cease actions that heighten military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.”

KBS World Radio

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the bullying tactics from Beijing is having results against Canada:

 Canada is leaning on the United States to help settle a dispute with China, which has started to block imports of vital Canadian commodities amid a dispute over a detained Huawei executive.
In a sign of increasing frustration at what it sees as a lackluster U.S. response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is signaling it could withhold cooperation on major issues.
China has upped the pressure on Canada in recent weeks over the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, arrested last December on a U.S. warrant. It halted Canadian canola imports and last week suspended the permits of two major pork producers.
After Meng’s Vancouver arrest, Chinese police also detained two Canadian citizens.
Beijing is refusing to allow a Canadian trade delegation to visit, forcing officials to use video conference calls as they try to negate a major threat to commodity exports.
With no cards to play against China without risking significant economic damage, Canada has launched a full-court press in Washington, which is negotiating its own trade deal with Beijing.
The results have been meager. 
“It’s a very challenging situation. When we raise it with the Americans they just say, ‘Dealing with the Chinese is tough’,” said a Canadian government source.

Reuters

You can read more at the link.

I wonder what the current ROK government would consider to be provocative from Pyongyang?:

 South Korea’s spy agency said Monday it does not see North Korea’s firing of short-range projectiles last week as provocative as they appear to have been “ground-to-ground” weapons.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered an initial analysis of the North’s projectiles fired into the sea off its east coast on Saturday in a briefing to Lee Hye-hoon, a representative of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, at the National Assembly. 
The NIS didn’t specify the type of the ground-to-ground projectiles, saying the analysis is still underway, according to Rep. Lee.
The spy agency said North Korea’s latest move suggests that it will not walk away from the negotiating table, the lawmaker told reporters following the briefing.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the test of the MLRS I think was clearly a measured provocation. They sent a message that Seoul and the major US bases at Camp Humphreys and Osan Airbase can be targeted with their MLRS. This message is intended to remind US negotiators of the threat they pose and thus the need to be taken seriously.

They are starting small and as their impatience increases expect them to increase the range of the weapon system they test. Next up it makes since they would test one of their short range SCUD missile systems.

Lucky shot! Captured by @planetlabs Planetscope satellite at 0154 UTC (1054 local) on Saturday as it overflew Wonsan, North Korea. pic.twitter.com/g5QgVI8hJf

— Martyn Williams (@martyn_williams) May 5, 2019

In my opinion virtual training is useful, but cannot replace actually firing real weapons and training in a real environment:

Technology plays an integral part in modern warfare, and its role is even more important for countries like South Korea, which faces constant threats from North Korea. 
In line with changing battlefield dynamics, the South Korean military has been pushing for ways to train soldiers in simulated environments using the latest technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
The Korea Military Academy has joined hands with local companies to develop VR and AR training programs for its Army cadets, which will be available on its Seoul campus later this year.
Experts say one of the key advantages of VR is the ability to immerse users in a virtual, yet safe, world, reducing costs and risks associated with battlefield training.
“Training soldiers using VR and AR content can save on the considerable budget for large-scale training and reduce risks from dangerous environments,” Kim Tae-kyu, a game professor at Kwangwoon University in Seoul, said. “It will be more beneficial when combined with real battlefield experiences.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder how the Kim regime would respond to the US military conducting “strike drills” right off the coast of North Korea and just claim it is to inspect their performance?:

 North Korea has conducted a “strike drill” for multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons to test their performance, state media reported Sunday, a day after the communist nation fired unidentified short-range projectiles into the East Sea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the “strike drill of defense units in the forefront area and on the eastern front which took place in the East Sea of Korea on Saturday,” according to the Korean Central News Agency.
“The purpose of the drill was to estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance of large-caliber long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defense units in the frontline area and on the eastern front,” the KCNA said.
“And the combat performance of arms and equipment and to more powerfully arouse the entire army to the movement for becoming crackshots with the drill as an occasion and thus put it at combat readiness posture all the time,” it added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder if this soldier was trying to take a selfie before he fell in?:

A soldier survived a 70-foot fall onto a ledge inside Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano this week after hopping a railing to get a better look at the crater.
The 32-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier was on the Big Island as part of a training mission, Army officials told Hawaii News Now. He climbed over a permanent metal railing at the Steaming Bluff overlook to get closer to the edge of a 300-foot cliff and fell at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to a statement from Hawaii National Park.

Onlookers alerted the park staff right away, and about two and a half hours later the injured man was found on a narrow ledge about 70 feet from the cliff edge. Ropes and a litter were used to rescue him, according to the park. He was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, but was upgraded to stable on Thursday, according to NPR.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but having been to Kilauea multiple times, I can say it takes a special kind of stupid to fall into this crater.

Who would choose this new political police force, & on what criteria? Who would they report to? Could Koreans believe in its objectivity when the courts are being re-packed, & have never applied either rules of evidence or precedents? https://t.co/N8hMKVXDms via @scmpnews

— Joshua Stanton (@freekorea_us) May 4, 2019