IJR News

Prosecutors Defer Charges Against Ex-CIA Analyst — 13hOn Oct. 13, 2026, prosecutors deferred FARA charges against ex-CIA analyst Sue Mi Terry; charges drop in one year if she avoids South Korean intelligence contact.

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Nicole Hardy It seems too easy for her to get off if she just avoids certain contacts after working in intelligence.

Lee Appoints Lim South Korea Chief of Staff — 8hSouth Korean President Lee Jae Myung appointed National Tax Service Commissioner Lim Kwang-hyun as presidential chief of staff, replacing Kang Hoon-sik, who offered to resign after a series of failed Cabinet nominations. Officials cited Lim’s experience in government and the National Assembly, saying he is expected to help restore livelihoods and advance the administration’s agenda.

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Sam Okafor Bringing in someone like Lim makes sense if the goal is advancing practical policies for everyday livelihoods.

US Army’s Old School Howitzer Gets A South Korean Replacement — 1dThe U.S. Army unveiled the XM1776 Monday, a modern replacement for its tired, aging M777 howitzers designed to give American troops more firepower and mobility on the battlefield.

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Korean Envoy Reports US Concerns Over Intelligence Sharing — 1dHan Dong-hoon said Rubio asked that Lee Jae Myung be told trust in South Korea's intelligence leadership "has been damaged and needs to be restored."

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South Korean megachurches probe suspected AI-linked cyberattacks1 source — Oct 7, 2026

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AP Top 25 College Football TeamsRankingCollege football fans argue endlessly over which programs deserve the top spots in the AP Poll based on wins, schedule strength, and legacy.

South Korea sentences yakuza in record marijuana haulWorld — 6dA South Korean court sentenced a Korean resident of Japan linked to the yakuza to 10 years in prison for coordinating the import of 636 kilograms of marijuana from Thailand with a Vietnamese trafficking group. Authorities called it the country’s largest such seizure, and the court found no evidence to support his claim that investigators had entrapped him.

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Seoul National University Details 1,132 Records Exposed in Hacking IncidentsTech — 4dSeoul National University reported 28 hacking incidents since 2021, with 1,132 personal records exposed—1,130 in a single 2021 breach—while detected and blocked attack attempts have risen. Separate reports describe suspected breaches affecting members of two Korean megachurches and data on about 68,000 people at seven South Korean financial institutions, underscoring broader cybersecurity risks.

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South Korean President Says AI Aided Hacks on Major Banks — Oct 6, 2026Artificial intelligence may have helped hackers break into some of the biggest banks in one of America's closest allied countries.

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Rachel Meyers South Korea should push for tighter international rules on AI in hacking since these banks serve millions and affect the whole economy.

New Restaurant Openings Reported Across U.S. CitiesBusiness — 5dNew restaurants are adding fresh options across several U.S. communities, from Korean and sushi dining near Wilmington and new McKinney eateries to Afghan and Persian cuisine in Rockville, while West Georgia tracks more businesses in the pipeline. Asheville’s food scene is also in flux, with openings and concept changes unfolding alongside notable restaurant closures.

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South Korea Says North Korean Mines Likely Caused DMZ Blast Injuring Three — Sep 28, 2026South Korea says North Korean mines highly suspected in Sept. 21 DMZ blast that seriously injured two soldiers and lightly injured a third.

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Reader Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah!

Seoul Blames North Korea for DMZ Mine Blast — Oct 4, 2026South Korea concluded Oct. 5 that North Korean mines planted south of the MDL caused the Sept. 21 DMZ blast injuring three soldiers; two remain hospitalized.

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Rachel Meyers South Korea should demand a full investigation and compensation for the blast that harmed three troops.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Korean Party Calls $54B Alaska LNG Plan Unfinalized — Sep 29, 2026President Trump announced a planned $54 billion South Korean investment in Alaska LNG as part of a broader U.S. energy package, backing a long-planned pipeline and export project whose financing and commercial viability remain uncertain. South Korea’s ruling party said the project is not finalized and must undergo legal and commercial review.

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North Korea reportedly fires projectile into eastern waters — Oct 2, 2026JCS detected a North Korean launch from Wonsan at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 3—13 days after the last—as Kim Yo-jong called Seoul's mine charge a self-staged provocation.

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Derek Foss These launches make any chance of real talks between the two sides look even smaller.

Trump's Alaska LNG pledge meets Seoul party brake — Oct 1, 2026Oval Office announcement of $54 billion South Korean capital for Alaska gas draws an immediate commercial-viability review from Korea’s ruling party, leaving contracts, land access and a final investment decision still in play.

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Marcus Bell Without a final investment decision, this remains just another political pledge rather than a secured energy project.

Reports Allege Trump Blamed Others for COVID Rise Amid Election Loss — Oct 3, 2026A proposed study uses the Korean War to examine Black literature, antiwar writing and the relationship between antiblackness in the United States and U.S. imperialism in Korea. A separate documentary about AI risks draws on the example of nuclear-war films, betting that popular culture can shape public opinion and spur political change.

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Toy Story vs ShrekYourlist — VS BattleThe toy box vs the swamp: two animation revolutions, one inevitable playground argument.

Korean Air Finalizes $44.8 Billion Boeing, GE Deal — Sep 15, 2026Korean Air finalized a $44.8 billion deal for 103 Boeing aircraft plus $8.6 billion in GE and CFM engines and maintenance, with deliveries into the late 2030s.

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Sam Okafor That's a huge commitment from Korean Air, should keep Boeing production lines running well into the 2030s.

South Korean workers file claims against US agencies over Georgia raid — Sep 15, 2026More than 300 South Korean workers file claims against U.S. agencies over a Georgia raid; Kim cites "lasting psychological trauma" after seven days detained.

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Tom Gallagher If the raid targeted legal visa holders then the US agencies need to explain why so many ended up filing suits.

Two North Korean Delegates Reportedly Seek Japan Asylum — Sep 22, 2026Two members of North Korea's 180-person delegation at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are reportedly seeking asylum in Japan, though their identities and whether they have filed formal applications remain unconfirmed. The reports, citing Japanese intelligence via sources linked to Chongryon, come as Tokyo granted an exception to entry for the Games and mark the largest North Korean delegation to Japan in 41 years.

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Priya Raman A delegation this big after so many years and two want out already says a lot about who gets picked to travel abroad from North Korea.

Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Sent POWs to Seoul — Sep 23, 2026Zelenskyy told the U.N. Ukraine recently sent two North Korean war prisoners to South Korea; he said one attempted to take his own life when capture became clear.

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Marcus Bell Those North Korean POWs heading to Seoul might reveal how deeply Pyongyang is backing Russia's invasion.

Three Injured in Suspected DMZ Landmine Blast — Sep 21, 2026Three South Korean service members were injured Sept. 21, 2026, in a suspected landmine blast south of the Military Demarcation Line in the western DMZ.

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Sam Okafor This blast in the western DMZ shows the border remains a real hazard for troops on both sides.

Doha plans millennium-spanning Chinese ceramics exhibitionLifestyle — Sep 30, 2026Ceramics are presented as enduring links between cultural heritage and exchange: Bien Hoa pottery connects Dong Nai with Hanoi, while Korean artist Young Shin Kim combines traditional techniques with Hangul in a California exhibition. In Qatar, an upcoming show traces more than a millennium of Chinese ceramics and maritime trade, echoing scholars’ view of porcelain as tangible evidence of ancient global connections.

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Trump calls Kim Jong Un friend and says nuclear threat manageable — Sep 30, 2026President Donald Trump said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is his friend and argued that their relationship makes Pyongyang’s nuclear situation different from Iran’s, while saying Kim respects him and the danger would remain manageable under his leadership. Trump acknowledged North Korea has a sizable nuclear capability, blamed previous administrations for failing to prevent its development, and contrasted his personal diplomacy with ongoing regional concerns over the arsenal.

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Maya Lindstrom Trump's friendship with Kim won't erase those nukes, and blaming past presidents ignores how hard it is to roll back what they already built.

President Lee to Deliver UN Keynote Before First Mexico Visit in 16 Years — Sep 21, 2026President Lee Jae-myung will make the first South Korean state visit to Mexico in 16 years after a UN keynote in New York, traveling Sept. 21-27.

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Sam Okafor Focusing diplomacy on shared interests with Australia and the US makes sense for steady economic gains over time.

US and South Korean courts order North Korea and Iran to pay $520 million — Sep 14, 2026Seoul court orders North Korea to pay 44.6 billion won ($32.5 million) in damages over the 2020 demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office, marking the first judgment in the South Korea lawsuit. Separately, U.S. courts have ordered North Korea and Iran to pay about $487 million to American victims of terrorism, and another ruling holds North Korea liable for 650 billion won in damages related to Hamas's October 7 attacks.

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Sam Okafor Tying North Korea to the Hamas attacks in a damages ruling feels like an attempt to isolate them further over October 7.