Two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP Stephen Curry (C) speaks during a meeting with his South Korean fans in Seoul on July 28, 2017. (Yonhap)
At this point does anyone think these shows of force make any difference in the decision making process of the Kim regime or this just the US military showing we are doing something?:
A U.S. B-1B bomber (L) flies over Korea along with a South Korean F-15K fighter on July 30, 2017 in this photo provided by the Air Force. (Yonhap)
Two B1-B U.S. bombers flew over South Korea on Sunday in a show of force against North Korea after its launch of another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the allies’ armed forces announced.
The strategic bombers from Guam conducted a joint “air interdiction operation” with four F-15K fighter jets, said South Korea’s Air Force.
It came in response to North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches and nuclear weapons development.
“Our Air Force maintains the precision-strike capability and readiness to burn the enemy’s missile base and its key facilities, including its leadership stronghold to the ground,” South Korea’s Air Force Operations Commander Lt. Gen. Won In-cheol said in a statement. “If the enemy provokes, we will respond immediately and retaliate powerfully.” [Yonhap]
Probably the most interesting thing to see if South Korea develops nuclear weapons is not North Korea’s reaction, but China’s:
No longer sure they can rely on the United States, an increasing number of South Korean lawmakers say their country should develop its own nuclear arsenal to deter an attack by Kim Jong Un, their belligerent neighbor to the north.
North Korea’s rapid missile advances, including successful tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in July and again on Friday, are reviving calls for South Korea to assert its “nuclear sovereignty.” South Koreans are wary of President Donald Trump’s isolationist rhetoric and his calls for Asian allies to shoulder more of the defense burdens borne by the U.S. military.
“Trump’s ‘America-first’ policy has triggered this kind of public sentiment,” said Moon Chung In, a top national security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae In. Trump also has wavered on his commitment to defending South Korea, he said, including suggesting during the campaign that South Korea and Japan should develop their own nuclear arsenals.
While President Moon, a liberal who took office in May, does not support calls for South Korea to join the nuclear club, polls show that a majority of South Koreans surveyed favor the idea. Support bumps higher whenever North Korea conducts a nuclear or missile test and members of South Korea’s two major conservative parties are pressing Moon to at least explore the nuclear option of developing nuclear weapons. [Kansas City Star]
It will be interesting to see if any of these ex-aids of President Park were flipped to give evidence against her? These sentences makes me think that if the prosecutors cannot get President Park on the Samsung corruption charges then maybe they will convict her for knowing about this “cultural blacklist” her aides were running:
This combined photo shows former chief of staff Kim Ki-choon (L) and ex-Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun entering the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on July 27, 2017, to hear their sentencing. (Yonhap)
A former top aide of ousted president Park Geun-hye was sentenced to three years in jail on Thursday for running a list of culture figures critical of the government that barred them from state support.
The Seoul Central District Court doled out the sentence to former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon after finding him guilty of abuse of power and perjury.
But Cho Yoon-sun, who served as the culture minister under the Park administration, was acquitted of her charges related to the so-called cultural blacklist and was released from prison after the court gave her a one-year jail term suspended for two years. The court found her guilty only of lying before the parliament at a hearing on the blacklist scandal last year.
The special counsel team investigating the case demanded seven years in prison for Kim and six years for Cho in the final hearing on July 3.
Kim’s lawyers immediately vowed to appeal the ruling, calling it “unjust.”
The court also sentenced five other former ranking government officials to 18 months to two years in jail, with some on probation, for their involvement in creating and managing the blacklist.
Former culture minister Kim Jong-deok was sentenced to two years in prison, while former presidential education and culture senior secretary Kim Sang-ryul was handed an 18-month imprisonment. Former presidential culture and sports secretary Kim So-young was given 18 months in jail, suspended for two years.
Former vice culture minister Chung Kwan-joo and ex-presidential aide Shin Dong-churl were sentenced to one year and a half in jail each.
The artist blacklist is part of a massive corruption scandal that removed Park from office in March. Kim and Cho were indicted in February for masterminding the creation of a register of nearly 10,000 artists, writers and filmmakers deemed unfriendly to the conservative administration. Those on the list were denied state subsidies. The accused have maintained their innocence. [Yonhap]
It will be interesting in a few years to see if this new policy actually helps reduce the number of sex crimes or not?:
South Korean lawmakers have passed amendments to sex crime laws which will see those guilty of attempted rape and voyeurism subject to drug treatment, also known as chemical castration, in order to control their sexual impulses.
During the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon held on Tuesday at the Government Complex in Seoul, the government deliberated and voted on a number of reforms related to the law concerning pharmacological treatment of violent sex crime offenders, meaning offenders committing crimes of attempted rape, voyeurism, and rape involving minor victims will all be subject to chemical castration.
In addition, those serving a prison sentence and court orders of pharmacological treatment in the last nine to six months will be able to appeal to a court to lift the orders after being examined by psychology professionals to assess the risks of recidivism. [Korea Biz Wire]
President Moon Jae-in is set to hold his first dialogue with top business leaders here this week over beer to help break the ice and possibly allow more frank discussions, an official from the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said Tuesday.
The talks will be held Thursday and Friday, each day involving part of the top executives from the 14 largest business conglomerates, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun. [Yonhap]
Minister Park plans to create his welfare state with steep tax hikes:
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo speaks during his inauguration ceremony held at the government complex in Sejong, south of Seoul, on July 24, 2017. (Yonhap)
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo said Monday he will strengthen the country’s social safety net and establish a foothold for a welfare state for the next five decades.
During his inauguration ceremony held at the government complex in Sejong, south of Seoul, Park said the country should be able to embrace the vulnerable people and become an inclusive society that can bring about growth from all walks of life.
“To make an inclusive welfare state, there should be harmony between a sound market economy and a strong social safety net,” he said, vowing to come up with detailed plans for such a society. [Yonhap]
