On the Korean Peninsula

A quiet hot pocket:

Lee Rae-kyung, the honorary chair of the progressive grassroots advocacy group The Tomorrow, offered to resign from his role to lead the reform of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, about 10 hours after his nomination Monday.

Lee's decision comes following controversy in political circles over past pro-North Korea remarks, which surfaced immediately after the news of his nomination.

"I regret that a private opinion ... has become the subject of a political witch-hunt," Lee said in a statement via the Democratic Party.

"From my point of view, (the controversy) explains the reality of Korean society, but I would like to offer to (resign) from the (Democratic Party's) body to initiate party reform because the prolonged controversy surrounding myself would put pressure on the Democratic Party."

Lee in February described the United States as "the culprit behind the impediment to the detente between North Korea and South Korea by manipulating facts about the sinking of Cheonan" on a social media post, as he claimed the United States had exaggerated the role of Chinese high-altitude balloons that were shot down by US forces as "national threats."

In 2010, Cheonan, a South Korean Navy corvette, capsized as a result of an explosion, claiming the lives of 46 seamen. Investigators from six countries including South Korea concluded that a North Korean torpedo from a submarine had sunk the ship, but some progressive figures have long denied North Korea's involvement in the incident.

 

In Canada, this douchebag would have been offered a cabinet position. 

Also:

Most South Koreans were alarmed by the text message but then shrugged and got on with their lives, while many others were simply annoyed. The incident exposes the country's fatal lack of preparedness. The reality is that South Koreans must be ready to deal with a North Korean missile attack and evacuate to shelters rather than treat such warnings as fearmongering. The missile's debris fell into the West Sea this time, but it could drop in the middle of Seoul the next time.

 

 

 

South Koreans are going extinct but at least their pets will be provided for:

 

The number of clinics across the country increased 24 percent over the last 10 years, but pediatric and obstetrics and gynecology clinics dwindled as doctors are shunning the field amid the low birthrate.

 

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, there are now 35,225 clinics in Korea, up 24.3 percent over the last decade. They increased in most medical fields, but ob-gyn clinics dwindled 5.6 percent to 1,319, while pediatric clinics declined 2.4 percent to 2,147.

 

The biggest decline in ob-gyn clinics was in mostly rural South Jeolla Province, which is seeing a flight of younger people to the cities, with 25 percent, followed by Daejeon with 23.1 percent.

 

Gwangju saw a 27.6 percent drop in pediatric clinics and Ulsan a 20 percent decline.

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Keeping a dog in Korea costs an average of W135,000 a month, according to a research center run by KB Kookmin Bank (US$1=W1,306).

The center polled 1,000 adults who have pets and found that their monthly spending on their dog increased from W103,000 in 2018 to W135,000 this year. Cat owners spent W126,000 a month.