Constantinople archbishop visits SeoulBartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, speaks during a news conference on the 50th anniversary of the completion of Saint Nicholas Cathedral at the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea in Seoul on Dec. 4, 2018. He visited Seoul to mark the anniversary. (Yonhap)
Mourning late BushThe U.S. national flag flies at half-mast to mourn the death of former President George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Dec. 5, 2018. (Yonhap)
Received a postcard on my way to office that I'm asked to fill out to welcome Kim Jong Un when he visits Seoul possibly later this year. I guess this is what they call surreal. pic.twitter.com/IPqWPu4IQY
I would love to see someone in the media interview a victim’s family member from the Cheonan attack about this protest in support of Kim Jong-un in downtown Seoul:
South Koreans stage a rally praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in front of the KT building in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, on Sunday. The rally was organized by the Paektu Praise Committee, a radical activist group. Participants in the rally wear flower headpieces as they hold up signs welcoming Kim’s possible visit to Seoul. [NEWS1]A pro-North Korean group staged a rally praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, on Sunday, despite being reported multiple times for violating the National Security Act.
The rally was organized by the Paektu Praise Committee, a radical activist group. It was not stopped by police even after conservative groups filed complaints against the organization for praising the North Korean leader, which is a violation of South Korea’s National Security Law.
About 50 members of the Paektu Praise Committee participated in Sunday’s rally. During the protest, members praised Kim in speeches and dedicated a dance performance in his name. Some of the speakers were children and teenagers. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but what a disgrace the Korean far left is praising a ruthless killer like Kim Jong-un.
A firefighter walks through a fire-gutted boarding house in downtown Seoul on Nov. 9, 2018. At least six people were reported dead and scores of others taken to hospitals with injuries from the fire at what is locally called a “goshiwon,” a dorm-type accommodation of small rooms often used as a place to stay by the underprivileged. (Yonhap)
What I would not be surprised to see happen is that Kim Jong-un cancels the visit to Seoul because sanctions are not dropped by the US:
President Moon Jae-in told parliamentary floor leaders Monday that it is unclear whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will visit Seoul within this year as promised because the visit is linked closely to a second summit between the North and the United States, officials said.
Moon also said during a meeting with the floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties that the government is thinking about whether Kim’s visit should take place before or after the North-U.S. summit that has been postponed until early next year.
“For now, we’re making preparations on the assumption that it’s going to take place within this year,” Moon said during the meeting, according to participants from the parties.
Moon said he hopes Kim’s visit to Seoul will be realized so that it can serve as a dramatic turning point in relations between the two sides. Moon also said he hopes the National Assembly will release a statement welcoming Kim’s visit. [Yonhap]
At least Angelina Jolie knows what good Korean barbecue to order:
What is Angelina Jolie doing in Seoul?
American actress Angelina Jolie has been spotted in a restaurant in Samcheong-dong, a traditional area in central Seoul, by a number of people who shared her photos on social media on Friday.
According to the witnesses, the mega star was having samgyeopsal, the famous Korean style grilled pork dish, inside the restaurant at about 10 p.m.
“I just bumped into Angelina Jolie. She was eating Samgyepsal,” a Korean shared on her Instagram, with a photo of Jolie.
Sitting across from Jolie was Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, the Hollywood actress’s 14-year-old son.
To the post, people responded by saying, “Oh my God, what is she doing here?” and “I can’t believe she and I are under the same sky (in Seoul).”
Jolie was last in Seoul officially for premiere of movie “Salt” in 2010, in which she starred as the heroine. [Korea Herald]
You can read more at the link, but it is thought she may be in town to advocate for the Yemeni refugees in South Korea in her role as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR)’s Special Envoy.
Deoksu Palace in Seoul is surrounded by trees full of autumn leaves on Oct. 28, 2018. The palace, one of the royal residences from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), is a top tourist spot in the South Korean capital. (Yonhap)
On the 80th anniversary of the Munich Agreement, may I say: It was a good thing that Neville Chamberlain had the good grace not to hoist a giant picture of Adolf Hitler on London's City Hall in 1938. https://t.co/4Lr9On1Y4K
