I have to wonder why any long rifle hunting is allowed on Mt. Bukhan considering it sits adjacent to Seoul and is packed with hikers and visitors every day. Maybe this incident will cause a change to bow hunting where you really need to focus on what you are aiming at:
A 70-something hunter in Seoul came under investigation by police for allegedly mistaking a taxi driver on a mountain roadside for a wild boar and killing the driver with a rifle, officials said Saturday.
Police sought a formal arrest warrant for the suspect on charges of involuntary manslaughter, after the hunter allegedly fired three shots at the taxi driver, also in his 70s, who was urinating on the road near Mt. Bukhan in northern Seoul at around 8 p.m. Friday.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital but died early Saturday. The hunter reportedly said he mistook the driver for a wild boar.
According to police, the suspect was a registered hunter with a license issued by Seoul’s Eunpyeong Ward. He has reportedly admitted to the allegations.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
It appears even USFK is beginning to understand they need to learn to live with COVID by allowing travel to Seoul and indoor dining and movie theaters are also allowed. However, off-post bars, clubs, saunas, spas and karaokes are still off limits:
The command overseeing U.S. troops in South Korea has lifted its pandemic ban on nonessential travel to Seoul after keeping the city off-limits more than three months.
U.S. Forces Korea did away with the ban on Thursday, according to a news release. The command is responsible for about 28,500 service members, along with civilian employees, contractors and their families.
USFK reminded its population to adhere to all South Korean rules and regulations aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19. “USFK will continue to monitor and assess the COVID environment and will make additional adjustments to protect the force and our mission,” the release said.
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link.
It is official now that the Presidential office is moving to Yongsan:
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday announced a decision to move the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to what is now the defense ministry building several kilometers away, saying he wants his office to move out of a “symbol of imperial” presidency and get closer to the people.
The decision is highly symbolic as Cheong Wa Dae has been used for decades as the presidential office and residence, though its secluded location and the way the president’s work office is located away from those of aides sparked criticism it causes the president to be out of touch with the public.
Yoon said he will move into the defense ministry compound in Seoul’s central district of Yongsan immediately after his inauguration on May 10. On the same day, Cheong Wa Dae will be fully opened to the public, he said.
The defense ministry will move into the Joint Chiefs of Staff building in the compound, he said.
Yonhap
There is going to be some offices dislocated from the Defense Ministry that has the Democrat Party lodging complaints about national security:
Yoon admitted that some of the current occupants, including the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will have to make partial relocations to make room for the presidential office.
He dismissed the notion that moving their offices will create gaps in national defense, a charge that has been leveled by some lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party. Yoon belongs to the main opposition People Power Party.
I find it interesting now that the Democratic Party is now concerned about national security after years of advocating for appeasement of North Korea.
It also appears the closure of Yongsan Garrison also played into this decision:
Above all, he stressed the advantages of its proximity to a planned national park.
“Starting this year, the (land of the) surrounding U.S. military base is expected to be returned in stages, which will allow us to swiftly construct Yongsan Park, use the defense ministry building as an office and commune and communicate with the people,” Yoon said.
You can read more at the link, but this move does now make it more likely Yongsan will be turned into a park instead of just more apartment towers.
Showing the colors of the Ukrainian flag is now the international version of virtue signaling:
Iconic landmarks across Seoul were lit up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag Sunday in support of the Eastern European nation under siege amid the Russian assault.
N Seoul Tower on Mount Namsan, Seoul City Hall, Sebitseom on the Han River and Seoullo Media Canvas glowed blue and yellow Sunday evening.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
