It looks like the Korean left’s prosecution of a members of the prior Park Geun-hye government for running a “cultural blacklist” is coming back to haunt them as they have done an arguably worse abuse of power in the Environment Ministry:

The prosecution is expanding its investigation into the environment ministry’s alleged “blacklist” to the presidential office as it is considering questioning a presidential secretary in charge of personnel affairs.

Since the main opposition Liberty Korea Party raised the allegation last December, prosecutors have confirmed some cases pertaining to a political purge. The ministry allegedly compelled 24 senior officials at its eight affiliated organizations appointed by the previous administration to step down so the posts could be filled with people loyal to the current government.

On Monday, the Seoul Eastern District Court held a hearing to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for former Minister Kim Eun-kyung on charges of abuse of power after banning her from traveling abroad in February. Kim led the ministry from July 2017 to November 2018.

According to the prosecution, the environment ministry investigated some of the officials who were refusing to step down to uncover individual wrongdoings or business-related mistakes. Following such pressure, a standing auditor at the Korea Environment Corp. (KEC), surnamed Kim, quit in March last year.

Now, believing it is improbable that the ministry did not create the blacklist by itself, the prosecution has been looking into whether Cheong Wa Dae pulled the strings from behind the scenes.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Moon Jae-in's body guard shows a machine gun, looks to be an MP-7. His hand positions indicate he's ready to engage. Brandishing a weapon like that is extremely odd. It's usually hidden. This is at a busy market place in Daegu. If he uses it, it would create a lot of casualties. pic.twitter.com/DNZCkawoLA

— Tara O (@DrTaraO) March 23, 2019

Fmr NK diplomat Thae Yong-ho specs NK may've lost encryption decoder(?) in CCD raid of NK embo in Spain. If this gets into US' hands, all source files would've to be changed; NK unable to use crypto comm w dip offices for while. (Forgive compy term botch!)https://t.co/yTDuYnl6JL

— Soo Kim (@mllesookim) March 25, 2019

It looks like President Trump’s decision to not implement new sanctions on North Korea has caused them to respond by sending back some of the Joint Liaison Office workers:

South Korea expressed hope that planned inter-Korean projects will proceed smoothly after some North Korean officials at the inter-Korean liaison office in the North’s Gaeseong went back to work Monday.

A meeting between the representatives of the liaison office from the two Koreas was held and the office will operate normally, according to the unification ministry.

North Korean officials were quoted by the ministry as saying they came to work “as usual.”

On March 22, North Korea withdrew its staff from the inter-Korean liaison office saying the measure reflected “instructions from a superior authority,” without giving further details.

While the North Korean side has yet to explain the withdrawal and partial return of officials at the liaison office, Seoul remained hopeful about keeping the momentum for talks. 

“We still have to watch the situation as the North’s officials have yet make a full return, but it could be that the North felt pressure after breaking the momentum of talks with the South,” said Oh Gyeong-seob, a researcher at the Sejong Institute.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

For those that haven’t seen this yet, below is the latest curfew order published by the 7th Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Wilsbach on March 14, 2019 that applies to all Air Force personnel stationed in South Korea:

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL AIR FORCE PERSONNEL IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

FROM: 7 AF/CC (Commander, Air Forces Korea) Unit 2047
APO AP 96278-2047

SUBJECT: 7 AF (AFKOR) General Order Regarding Off-Installation Curfew

1. Background. This order supersedes the 7 AF (AFKOR) Curfew Order dated 11 January 2016. It contains substantial changes, and must be reviewed in its entirety. This order is effective immediately and remains in effect until further notice. This order implements USFK General Order Regarding Off-Installation Curfew (19 December 2014).

2. Purpose. This curfew is imposed in order to bolster operational and mission readiness in this armistice operating environment, to safeguard the vital relationship the United States enjoys with the Republic of Korea, and to more efficiently meet our obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty and implementing arrangements.

3. Applicability. This order applies to all United States Air Force (USAF) military personnel in the Republic of Korea, including those in a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or temporary duty/temporary additional duty (TDY/TAD) status, except for those Airmen attached or assigned to the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Special Operations Command Korea (SOCKOR), the Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group -. Korea (JUSMAG-K), or the Air Force Element of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). USAF military personnel assigned to SOCKOR and the Air Force Element of USFKremain subject to the USFK General Order Regarding Off-Installation Curfew (19 December 2014). Dependents, Department of Defense (DoD) Civilians, and DoD-invited contractors! technical representatives requested and encouraged to abide by this order.

4. Curfew Order. An off-installation curfew is in effect from 0100 until 0500 every day of the year. By 0100, all personnel subject to this order will be (1) on a U.S. military installation, (2) in a private residence; or (3) inside a hotel room (but NOT in any public area of the hotel such as the lounge, bar, lobby, restaurant, casino, pool, spa, or hallway).

5. Exceptions. Paragraph 5 of USFK General Order Regarding Off-Installation Curfew (19December 2014) provides the following exceptions, modified for purposes of this 7 AF order:
a. Official duty. Travel during curfew hours directly to and from a location described in paragraph 4(1)-(3) above is authorized for official duty. “Official duty” includes travel for the purposes of attending or participating in Physical Training (PT).
1

b. Leave. Service members on official leave are exempt from curfew. During times of curfew while off a U.S. military installation, service members exempt from curfew must have valid documentation of their official leave authorization on their person.

c. Exceptions granted by 7 AF commanders/directors. Commanders subordinate to me who hold a squadron command or above may, on a case-by-case basis, grant persoimel assigned to their unit written, narrowly-tailored, exceptions to this order. During times of curfew while off a U.S. military installation, service members who have received a written exemption from curfew from their commander must have that written exception on their person.

6. Enforcement. This is a punitive general order. Personnel who violate this order may be punished under Article 92, Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), and may also face adverse administrative actions as authorized by applicable law and regulations.
a. Commanders may dispose of violations of this order in any manner authorized by law or regulation. Dispositions shall be individualized, warranted, appropriate, and fair.
b. If a violation of this order occurs under circumstances relating to an allegation of rape, sexual assault, forcible sodomy, or an attempt to commit such an offense, then the disposition decision for the alleged curfew violation by either the accused or the victim of the sexual offense must be made by a special court-martial convening authority in the grade of Colonel, or higher.
c. Commanders shall ensure that I am made personally aware of any violation of this order by a service member in the grade of Senior Master Sergeant or above. Commanders shall comply with any disposition withholding policy in effect for offenses committed by such personnel.
d. Unit commanders will ensure all USAF personnel who travel to the Republic of Korea for any other purpose, including to perform TDY/TAD, are made aware of, and fully understand, the punitive nature of this order.
7. Subject to applicable law and regulations, all commanders have authority to impose further restrictions, or to curtail the exceptions in paragraph 5, above, as they deem necessary due tooperational requirements or local conditions. Commanders should consult their servicing legal office regarding the terms of this order and the means and methods of its enforcement.

KENNETH S. WILSBACH

Lieutenant General, USAF Commander

So says this survey:

South Korea’s capital city, Seoul, ranks as the seventh most expensive city in the world to live in this year, a survey showed Saturday.

The Worldwide Cost of Living (WCL) Survey, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), measures the prices of more than 150 items in 133 cities across the globe, with the index for New York set as a benchmark of 100.

According to the latest WCL poll, Seoul ranked seventh, on a par with New York, down one notch from the previous survey.

Singapore, Paris and Hong Kong are the joint most expensive cities in the world with an index of 107, followed by Zurich of Switzerland with 106, and its sister Geneva and Japan’s Osaka coming next with 101 each.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Under Moon, S.Korea's military intelligence, Defense Security Command will memorate the Former President Park Chung-hee's Assassin, Kim Jae Kyu by putting his photo on the wall. It is like put the picture of #JFK assassin, Lee Oswald on the wall of #DIA https://t.co/buMg8B1q4T

— Dong Yon Kim/김동연 기자 (@dongyonews) March 19, 2019

It appears that either Kim Jong-un is planning a trip to Russia or that his de facto Chief of Staff, Kim Chang-son is just checking in on the sanctions busting schemes they have with the Russians. Russian President Putin has offered to hold an Inter-Korean Summit in Vladivostok before:

A senior North Korean official has left for Vladivostok in Russia’s far east after ending his trip to Moscow in what’s seen as part of preparations for a possible visit there by the North’s leader Kim Jong-un. 
Kim Chang-son, the official with the North’s State Affairs Commission, was spotted at Sheremetyevo International Airport in the Russian capital city at around 2:45 p.m. Saturday (Russia time). 
He was in Moscow for five days. 

Escorted by two guards, he quickly went into the VIP section, while four others who appeared to be accompanying Kim entered the boarding gate. 
The Russian Aeroflot SU 1700 flight carrying Kim took off at 4:10 p.m. and was expected to land in Vladivostok early Sunday. 
The visit by Kim, known as leader Kim Jong-un’s de facto chief of staff, raised speculation that Pyongyang could be making preparations for leader Kim’s first trip to Russia since taking office. 

A vehicle possibly carrying Kim Chang-son was seen coming into the Kremlin every day from Wednesday to Friday, suggesting the official held talks with Russian counterparts over logistics and protocol.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.