Tag: Japan

This is one of the larger groups of service members I have ever seen punished for criminal activity:

A sailor’s fatal fall in 2023 sparked a Navy probe that uncovered a drug distribution network aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and led to punishment for 58 sailors, according to service officials and heavily redacted court records. The investigation resulted in six courts-martial, 24 administrative separations and 28 cases of nonjudicial punishment, Navy officials said. Court records describe a network that used the U.S. Postal Service to ship hundreds of LSD tablets to Japan that were then distributed to sailors. The Navy acknowledged in 2023 that an unspecified number of Ronald Reagan sailors were under investigation, but the extent of that probe did not emerge until records became public and recent Navy responses.

Stars and Stripes

You can read more at the link.

It appears the U.S. and Japan are remaining committed to achieving the fantasy of a denuclearized North Korea:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (front R) inspects a newly launched nuclear material production facility at an unspecified location on June 3, 2026, in this image captured from the website of North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency the next day.

The United States and Japan reiterated their commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea and rejected Russia’s notion that Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear arms was a “closed” issue, as they held key defense talks in Tokyo this week, according to a joint statement.

The allies held the bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue at Japan’s foreign ministry on Monday and Tuesday as they seek to reinforce security cooperation in the face of China’s growing assertiveness and North Korea’s advancing nuclear and ballistic missile threats.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The irony of this is that the ROK government wants an apology from the Japanese for World War II atrocities and the Japanese have apology fatigue from giving too many apologies:

On foreign policy, Lee said efforts to deepen military cooperation with Japan would face limits unless Tokyo addresses historical grievances with what he described as a “sincere” apology for its 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.

Lee revealed that he had explained to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that a military logistics support agreement would be difficult to pursue despite its practical necessity, following their summit in his hometown of Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, on May 19.

“Northeast Asia’s security issues are somewhat complex. In the long run, I believe we should move toward a multilateral security system,” Lee said

Lee, however, concurrently disclosed that he had cautioned during the summit that South Korean public sentiment toward Japan remains a significant hurdle.

“On the issue of a military logistics support agreement, many people in the Republic of Korea would say, ‘What are you talking about?’ Yet from my perspective, there is a practical necessity for it,” said Lee.

“But practical necessity is one thing. Emotionally, many of our people still find it difficult to accept at this point. If I say things like this, I’ll get into trouble. So I told her, ‘Please understand our position as well.'”

The agreement, formally known as an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, would allow the two neighboring US allies to share and mutually procure military supplies and logistical support, including fuel, food and ammunition. Japan has sought to conclude such an arrangement with South Korea.

Lee suggested that a sincere Japanese apology over historical issues remains a prerequisite for deeper military cooperation and a genuinely closer bilateral relationship.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.