@soryang

heh, it looks like south korea has a bad case of, "hey now, your team can't do what our team does!"

i think i see the game that putin is playing and he's doing a good job of it, but i wonder if the dullards in the diplomatic community are bright enough to respond appropriately or would rather escalate.

...homily late last night. I didn't get a paywall because it's a "catapult the narrative" effort, Max Boot's morale message to the blob faithful.

LOL. The neocons are back to this now. “The Russia-North Korea pact bolsters a growing ‘alignment of evil.’” https://t.co/ayvwVvYpcw

— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) June 21, 2024

Yes, there's a cliff ahead, keep marching, 1-2-3-4!

A vice minister at the ROK Foreign Affairs Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest Russia's agreement with North Korea, today. Reportedly (MBC), it was a rather loud confrontation for a diplomatic meeting. Previously, the South Korean Foreign Affairs Minister, Cho Tae-yeol, threatened to send armaments to Ukraine in a public statement; he also said South Korea would in concert with other nations take actions against Russia for any violations of UN sanctions against DPRK. Putin had mentioned the South Korean threats while in Vietnam. Apparently they were mentioned again when the Russian ambassador was summoned in Seoul. Keep digging. One foreign policy academic advised in an MBC phone conversation it was preferable for leaders to keep a cool head. The Russian ambassador to Seoul reportedly said, when summoned that threats intended to intimidate Russia would not be accepted. Apparently, there was also a third incident along the DMZ where South Korean guards shot warning shots at North Korean troops.

This morning I was listening to an analysis of the golf club clique that includes Kim Gon-hee and the ROK Marine 1st Division commander who was named as a suspect in the original Corporal Choi drowning death investigation. Hearings today in the National Assembly on apparent Presidential office interference in the investigation resulted in various current and former administration officials using various legal tactics to avoid answering questions. Some refused to take an oath. Some took the oath and refused to answer particular possibly incriminating statements that would subject them to perjury charges.

President Yoon Seok-yeol was described as having an "anger control disorder." He actually has a control disorder period. He thinks all government affairs in South Korea are directly under his control, irrespective of branch, department, agency or law. When something doesn't go his way, he goes into a rage, issues commands that must be obeyed, without reflection, circumspection, or discussion. Not good in any government, but highly undesirable in national security matters. The entire Corporal Choi death investigation coverup, a Watergate like incident unravelling in the independent Korean news media, is often referred to as a Yoon rage 격노 incident. One can only imagine his disposition when Putin was being feted in Pyongyang.

Because the Yoon government is under siege in the National Assembly, in particular now before the the Judiciary committee, which the conservatives sought unsuccessfully to chair, along with the powerful legislative committee, this military tension with North Korea is just what the doctor ordered. I feared this would happen but I'm still surprised now that it is developing and there appears to be no limit to Yoon's undiplomatic unprofessional and incompetent leadership.

South Korea summons Russian ambassador as tensions rise with North Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the country’s new defense pact with North Korea on Friday, as border tensions continued to rise with vague threats and brief, seemingly accidental incursions by North Korean troops.

Earlier Friday, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a vague threat of retaliation after South Korean activists flew balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border, and South Korea’s military said it had fired warning shots the previous day to repel North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the rivals’ land border for the third time this month.

That came two days after Moscow and Pyongyang reached a pact vowing mutual defense assistance if either is attacked, and a day after Seoul responded by saying it would consider providing arms to Ukraine to fight Russia’s invasion.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to protest the deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un and called for Moscow to immediately halt its alleged military cooperation with Pyongyang.

The Chris Hedge's column is spot on. Thanks for the news roundup and Luther JS!

@snoopydawg

i guess if trump wins, we will see if he learned anything from his first term of office. my fear is that he will just surround himself with another pack of slightly differently oriented neocons than biden has.

.

even though you were rung out. Good selection of articles and videos. I just hope we make it to the election, but there’s no guarantee that Trump would reverse what Biden’s doing. America’s foreign policy is run by people we never voted for. But I’d be glad to see the back of Biden, Blinken, Sullivan and Kirby.