The Nuclear Peninsula

2020 has been especially tough for Rocketman between the weather/sanctions/Covid-19, Kim Yo-jong remains elusive, danger in the Taiwan straight, South Korea's liberals unleash their inner authoritarians, Tenet proves popular in the Korean movie market.  Matt's Twitter | https://twitter.com/mrmatthewcking Cody's Twitter | https://twitter.com/IntraPacifica Sources:  https://www.nknews.org/pro/why-2020-is-kim-jong-uns-most-challenging-year-yet/?t=1598869775927 https://www.nknews.org/2020/08/is-kim-jong-un-in-a-coma-again-will-kim-yo-jong-take-over-heres-what-we-know/ https://twitter.com/nknewsorg/status/1298519166903701504?s=19 https://www-thesun-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/12495624/kim-jong-un-dead-white-house-laughter-coma/amp/?amp_js_v=a3&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fnews%2F12495624%2Fkim-jong-un-dead-white-house-laughter-coma%2F https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/border-08312020222343.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/border-08262020194153.html https://www.nknews.org/pro/north-koreas-top-seaport-eerily-quiet-after-rumors-of-a-closed-trade-route/ https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-53848584 https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/asia/china-us-u-2-spy-plane-intl-hnk-scli/index.html https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1327725/world-war-3-china-missiles-US-south-china-sea-latest-donald-trump-war https://www-washingtonpost-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/mike-pompeo-is-the-worst-secretary-of-state-in-history/2020/08/30/00515750-e869-11ea-bc79-834454439a44_story.html?amp_js_v=a3&amp_gsa=1&outputType=amp&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fopinions%2Fglobal-opinions%2Fmike-pompeo-is-the-worst-secretary-of-state-in-history%2F2020%2F08%2F30%2F00515750-e869-11ea-bc79-834454439a44_story.html https://www.france24.com/en/20200901-us-warns-nkorea-still-pressing-ballistic-missile-development https://amp.economist.com/asia/2020/08/20/south-koreas-liberal-rulers-unleash-their-inner-authoritarians?__twitter_impression=true https://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-trumps-chief-foreign-110013633.html https://www.nknews.org/2020/09/north-korean-statues-are-showing-up-in-africa-and-they-could-be-illegal/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asia-storm-southkorea-northkorea/at-least-two-people-killed-as-typhoon-maysak-hits-waterlogged-koreas-idUSKBN25U043 https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/elon-musk-claims-brain-implants-22605906 https://deadline.com/2020/08/tenet-korea-previews-box-office-coronavirus-cinema-closures-1203021320/

The North's hacking group "Lazarus" is back at it again, rumors swirl around Kim's sister's role in North Korea, South Korea is still struggling with new outbreaks of COVID-19,  (TRIGGER WARNING) North Korea clamps down on 'decadent' pet dogs, "Peninsula" the sequel to the South Korean blockbuster "Train to Busan" is released, China's Xi is under fire in his own party, rumor's about Japanese Prime Minister Abe's health, and BTS's latest smash hit "Dynamite" is finally here.  Matt's Twitter | https://twitter.com/mrmatthewcking Cody's Twitter | https://twitter.com/IntraPacifica Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/12/world/middleeast/north-korea-hackers-israel.html?referringSource=articleShare https://nypost-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/nypost.com/2020/08/20/kim-jong-un-reportedly-hands-part-of-his-power-to-sister-kim-yo-jong/amp/?amp_js_v=a3&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2020%2F08%2F20%2Fkim-jong-un-reportedly-hands-part-of-his-power-to-sister-kim-yo-jong%2F https://www.nknews.org/2020/08/kim-yo-jong-still-missing-from-high-level-meetings-in-north-korea/?t=1597915537370 https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN25G12T https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/world/asia/coronavirus-south-korea-church-sarang-jeil.html https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-harasses-defectors-with-calls-texts-are-you-having-fun-these-days-11597492800?redirect=amp#click=https://t.co/arFyus04SU https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN25A0QH?taid=5f368076d7d51b00018b6dbb&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter&__twitter_impression=true https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-biden-and-taiwan-11597445459 https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1295332482842271750?s=19 http://english.chosun.com/m/svc/article.html?contid=2020081200634&utm_source=undefined&utm_medium=unknown&utm_campaign=english https://io9.gizmodo.com/train-to-busan-sequel-peninsula-is-a-rip-roaring-post-1844531801 https://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2020/08/18/2020081801005.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/china-xi-jinping-facing-widespread-opposition-in-his-own-party-claims-insider4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdZLi9oWNZg https://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2020/08/19/2020081902408.html

Kamala Harris is Joe Biden's pick and she's tough on North Korea, President Moon pulls a move straight out of the North's playbook, live executions and dangerous flooding in North Korea, South Korea's new defense plan, building a US military base in Taiwan, what will be China's great downfall, a red dress and blackface causes controversy in South Korea, plus how Korean businesses are still doing well during a pandemic.  Matt's Twitter | https://twitter.com/mrmatthewcking Cody's Twitter | https://twitter.com/IntraPacifica Sources: https://m.chosun.com/svc/article.html?sname=news&contid=2020081300709&Dep0=news.google.com&docRefURL=https://news.google.com/ https://youtu.be/eerX_geWY7w https://m.chosun.com/svc/article.html?sname=news&contid=2020081300027&Dep0=t.co&docRefURL=https://t.co/Z7lA6lVwFl https://www.nknews.org/2020/08/human-rights-groups-condemn-south-korean-governments-border-area-press-tour/ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/execution-08062020202000.html/ampRFA?__twitter_impression=true https://www.38north.org/2020/08/yongbyon081220/ http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200810000502 https://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2020/08/13/2020081300514.html https://twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1293843726788251649?s=19 https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/chinas-worst-nightmare-us-military-presence-taiwan-48672 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-usa-idUSKCN2550DI https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-xi-speeds-up-inward-economic-shift-11597224602?mod=flipboard https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-trump/trump-says-great-bond-with-chinas-xi-changed-after-covid-19-idUSKCN2571QM?feedType=mktg&feedName=topNews&WT.mc_id=Partner-Google https://twitter.com/SecPompeo/status/1293948627073859590 https://www.barrons.com/news/fantasy-film-new-trump-book-to-reveal-letters-with-kim-jong-un-01597299010 https://abcnews.go.com/International/red-dress-creates-political-storm-south-korea/story?id=72209187 http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200813000545 https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/08/hyundai-will-launch-three-new-electric-cars-starting-in-2021/ http://m.koreaherald.com/amp/view.php?ud=20200809000194&ud=20200809000194&__twitter_impression=true

South Korean President Moon has some controversial new cabinet ministers, latest developments in Balloongate, North Korea is still full speed ahead on nuclear weapons development, Xi Jinping's hardline, the Hiroshma bombing turns 75, Japan and South Korea do not get along, new Samsung phones, Kim Jung-un's personal port-a-potty, and more! Matt's Twitter | https://twitter.com/mrmatthewcking Cody's Twitter | https://twitter.com/IntraPacifica Sources: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-southkorea/from-scandal-to-accusations-of-disloyalty-south-koreas-new-point-men-on-north-have-dramatic-past-idUSKCN24U134 https://eastasiaresearch.org/2020/08/02/unification-minister-hearing-thae-yong-ho-asks-lee-in-young-about-espousing-juche-ideology/ https://news.joins.com/article/23840154 https://m.chosun.com/news/article.amp.html?sname=news&contid=2020080600281&__twitter_impression=true https://www.nknews.org/2020/08/north-korean-state-media-slams-south-for-deceitfully-enhancing-military-power/ https://www.nknews.org/2020/08/north-korea-continuing-intense-development-of-ballistic-missiles-nukes-un/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-sanctions-un/north-korea-has-probably-developed-nuclear-devices-to-fit-ballistic-missiles-u-n-report-says-idUSKCN24Z2PO?feedType=mktg&feedName=worldNews&WT.mc_id=Partner-Google https://nypost.com/2020/08/01/kim-jong-un-cracks-down-on-travel-to-chinese-border/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/02/world/asia/china-hong-kong-national-security-law.html https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-asia-china-53521589 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/08/04/hiroshima-bombing-turns-75-six-nuclear-arms-changes-under-trump/5533700002/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2020-08-04/japan-south-korea-spat-to-hit-u-s-plans-video?sref=zDA0m5Nw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaaTZkqsaxY https://www.cnet.com/news/everything-samsung-announced-at-unpacked-galaxy-note-20-galaxy-watch-3-and-more/ https://apnews.com/fac71359e6ad8bafb16493db141305c7 https://thehill.com/policy/international/asia-pacific/510109-south-korean-prosecutors-arrest-leader-of-church-tied-to https://www.nknews.org/2020/07/north-korean-women-suffer-gender-specific-abuses-new-un-report-says/ https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/kim-jong-un-travels-around-22466663?ICID=ref_fark

North Korea isn't as tough as they'd like you to believe, the plan to move the South Korean capital away from Seoul, potential for draw-down of US troops in Korea, the aftermath of Pompeo's speech last week, Korea's 3% drop in GDP looks amazing compared to the rest of the world, a green new deal in Korea, and the mustache that almost caused a diplomatic crises. Matt's Twitter | https://twitter.com/mrmatthewcking Cody's Twitter | https://twitter.com/IntraPacifica Sources: https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/north-koreas-artillery-could-kims-big-guns-destroy-seoul-101837 https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2020072414270003429?did=GO http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200724000562 http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200724000524 https://m.chosun.com/svc/article.html?sname=news&contid=2020072600264&Dep0=news.google.com&docRefURL=https://news.google.com/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/world/asia/south-korea-satellites-rockets.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/24/pompeo-speech-will-have-the-opposite-effect-in-china-says-former-us-diplomat.html https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/24/asia/us-china-consulate-chengdu-intl-hnk/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_medium=social&utm_content=2020-07-24T04%3A27%3A17&utm_source=twcnnbrk https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/opinion/china-trump.html https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/07/30/huawei-is-now-the-biggest-smartphone-maker-in-the-world-as-samsungs-slump-worsens/ https://www.marketwatch.com/story/economy-suffers-titanic-329-plunge-in-2nd-quarter-gdp-shows-and-points-to-drawn-out-recovery-2020-07-30 https://electrek.co/2020/07/15/egeb-south-koreas-95b-new-deal-is-anchored-in-ev-investment/ http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200720000868 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/world/asia/south-korea-ambassador-mustache-harry-harris.html https://www.soompi.com/article/1413918wpp/mnet-announces-launch-of-show-me-the-money-9

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo makes a landmark speech on China, the US is closing the Houston Chinese Consulate, China says US officials have "lost their minds", Taiwan warns the threat of military clash with China is on the rise, North Korea is back at trade with China, South Korea slumps into a recession, Trump says the Koreans are 'terrible people', South Korea launches a military satellite, Kim Jung-un fires officials in charge of building Pyeongyang's new general hospital, and our guesses about who Joe Biden's pick for vice-president will be.   Matt's Twitter | https://twitter.com/mrmatthewcking Cody's Twitter | https://twitter.com/IntraPacifica Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMAQC9MNY4U https://www.state.gov/communist-china-and-the-free-worlds-future/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-consulate/us-tells-china-to-shut-houston-consulate-in-move-china-calls-unprecedented-escalation-idUSKCN24N0UW http://m.koreaherald.com/amp/view.php?ud=20200717000668&ud=20200717000668&__twitter_impression=true https://www.thehour.com/news/article/Taiwan-says-threat-of-military-clash-with-China-15425487.php https://www.news18.com/news/world/china-succeeding-in-doing-what-hitler-failed-to-do-with-jews-historian-lifts-lid-off-atrocities-on-uighur-muslims-2720259.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/world/asia/north-korea-squid-sanctions-china.html https://www.nknews.org/pro/north-korean-coal-smuggling-route-to-china-rebounds-to-pre-covid-activity-levels/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korea-slumps-into-recession-11595460878?mod=flipboard http://m.monthly.chosun.com/client/news/viw.asp?ctcd=H&nNewsNumb=202008100010 http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200721000064&fbclid=IwAR2J9OgdBcrv48fHaNbXHXtpIozdEvtqCzOt5h442NaWMNUoTAfNsIc9hWI https://mnews.joins.com/article/23829448#home https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200720000800325 https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/seoulmal-07212020213256.html https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/coronavirus-07162020220021.html https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/south-korea-faces-criticism-crackdown-leaflet-launchers?amp&__twitter_impression=true https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/07/joe-bidens-vice-president-powerful-history/614161/?utm_source=feed

Park Wonsun the mayor of Seoul dead in an apparent suicide, more tit for tat sanctions drama, the coolest parents in the world, the good cop bad cop routine,  North Korean soldiers to breed more bunnies, and BALLOONGATE.  https://twitter.com/mrmatthewcking Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53386165 https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/14/world/china-world-coordinate-response-intl/index.html https://nypost.com/2020/07/11/north-korea-slams-britain-for-sanctions-aimed-at-prison-camps/ https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-07-13/china-to-sanction-u-s-senators-rubio-cruz-over-xinjiang-moves?__twitter_impression=true https://www.voanews.com/usa/otto-warmbiers-parents-chase-north-korean-assets-eastern-europe?amp&__twitter_impression=true https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korean-leaders-sister-casts-doubt-on-future-of-nuclear-talks-11594368189?redirect=amp#click=https://t.co/sKAEdcASzQ https://nypost-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/nypost.com/2020/07/10/north-korean-soldiers-ordered-to-start-breeding-more-bunnies/amp/?amp_js_v=a3&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2020%2F07%2F10%2Fnorth-korean-soldiers-ordered-to-start-breeding-more-bunnies%2F https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/food-06232020164802.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/13/we-send-food-information-into-north-korea-why-is-seoul-trying-stop-us/#click=https://t.co/KZmSXimgCT https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-09/north-korea-military-conflict-fears-grow-on-south-korea-island?sref=zDA0m5Nw http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200713000579

Not enough rice for government officials in Pyongyang, North Korea's beautiful beaches, a virus worse than the worst sanctions, China's cute statements, the end of Hong Kong, is North Korea going to test a submarine-launched ballistic missile, what the next US President is going to do about North Korea, and the Tesla Model 3's record sales in South Korea. https://www.instagram.com/uriminzok2017/ A real actual North Korean official Instagram account. Please follow and leave snarky remarks. 

Loudspeakers around the DMZ, Kim Jung-un is in hiding, what Xi Jinping thinks about before he falls asleep at night, North Korean economic meltdown, North Korea's bridge to nowhere, 3 year anniversary of Otto Warmbier's death, 70 years since the start of the Korean war, President Moon is mad bro, and more.  "Salute to the Heroes" Address by President Moon Jae-in on 70th Anniversary of Korean War(문 대통령 연설) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgaP0oJbSE0

The bombing of the North-South Liason Office, Kim Yo-jong, Russia's reaction, China and Trump, and John Bolton's new book.