South Korea Digging Its Own Grave!!

Hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, coming live to you from North Africa. Yes, I am in the African continent. I am in the country of Morocco, currently staying in Rabat, the capital of the, uh, uh, Kingdom of Morocco. So So excited to be with you as always after a long trip from the borders of Ukraine through Poland through France then all the way to Morocco. Anyway, uh, let me, as always, I'd like to make sure that you guys can hear me. If you would be kind and just give me a thumbs up, I'll try to set up, you know, sometimes technology is a little bit challenging elsewhere. So if you can hear me clearly, please just give me a thumbs up so I know that everything is working accordingly, and I truly appreciate it. So, uh, like I always do before— oh good, Afif Khan, thank you so much, Afif Khan. So I'm glad that everything is working out so far. So it can be very challenging, uh, the speed of the internet, but it will matter. So we're gonna just be thinking positively. That's the key thing. So always think positive. So anyway, let me first of all, like I always do, I like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the channel's members and supporters and to all of you. And if this is your first time landing on this channel here, please make sure to subscribe, uh, so you can— that's— if that is your way of supporting channel, I am grateful to you for that. So I like to give a shout out to two new members, uh, Ramzi Abdulrahman, who is a member Thank you for becoming a member and thank you for your support. I would also like to give a shout out to Andrew R, or E, or E, uh, for becoming a supporter. So, and I truly appreciate your support. And to all of you, like always, because I don't take you guys for granted, I want you to know this, you know. And I am somebody who does not sugar things, uh, you, you all know how it works. So I appreciate you a lot. So, and this time you're spending with me now online and here during this live, I hope it would be worth it, your time, because I'm gonna share information with you, uh, of value, that is. So you're— that's, that's what I'd like to give you back. So anyway, today's topic, let me pull up the picture for you so you know what are we gonna be talking about today. So here is the image, you know, the, the, uh, Biden, the President Biden, he give the proper respect, President Biden and President Yoon, uh, uh, today it was yesterday or the day before, uh, they announced, uh, the establishment of so-called the new Nuclear Consultative Group. You always have to be very, very— it's tricky linguistically, is very manipulating. So the way this, it was worded on the speech on the Rose Garden is the establishment of the new nuclear consultative group. We all know that is not true. It's because the nukes is gonna be in South Korea. South Korea is gonna be hosting that, which putting a target on itself. And I'm gonna get into this, uh, uh, as I move forward. Now, like I always do, remember, I'm gonna give you two questions with me to think about it within that big picture. Once again, you have to think about it from the timing perspective, the timing of it. Okay, second thing, could this indicate how weak South Korea is? You know, this will be the equivalency of Japan. Makes you wonder why Shinzo Abe was assassinated. You know, as a matter of fact, the current, uh, Kishida, there was an attempt assassination on his life also. So South Korea This could be one of these questions. And the third thing you're gonna keep in mind as we discuss this is the Quad that contains Japan, India, Australia, and the United States. So those are important for you to keep in mind as we discuss this, because you have to understand it within that global perspective. And if you don't put it within that context, it won't make sense to you. Now let me do a tour around the world with you quickly here, because I came across some stuff that usually Hey, again, you won't hear much outside, uh, uh, or inside the US, that is. So, okay, where's the first image? Here is the— yeah, it's very slow here to upload the image. Uh, this image here, uh, this one is, uh, for Russia to confront Washington and its allies. Uh, Moscow right now is boosting readiness at military bases. Guess where? In Central Asia. Yeah, out of all places in Central Asia, that's where Russia now is strengthening its military preparedness. And this was, was quoted by the Defense Minister Shoigu as saying that the United States and its allies were trying to establish military infrastructure across the region. Uh, another topic that might really surprise you a little bit, it has to do with Uh, here's the image of this. This one has to do— again, you won't hear much about this on Western media. Greekistan. Greekistan government decided now to close a US military base, you know. And again, I could have missed it in the Western media, but I check stuff before I come on the air, so— and I didn't see anything cross So that is what I wanted to share with you. And the third one, which was very interesting, the third one has to do with— I didn't find an image of this one interesting enough. It's because it was, it was on the sensitive side. The third one has to do with, uh, a US military aircraft was spotted in the Taiwan Strait, you know. Usually anytime you hear a, a, a US plane, that means it's recon, reconnaissance planes. It's not the AWACS, I don't think so, but it was just the recon planes flying over there. Once again, you don't hear much about this, and this is why I like to do the tour around the world with you. All right, let's move on to the health aspects. Speaking of health, I did mention to you last time I'm in the process of thinking about how we're gonna structure a channel just for health tips. That's all it's gonna be. And it's worth your time because now I'm— I watch certain YouTubers like Dr. Burke, like some— those are not MDs, those are chiropractors, but because they educate themselves about the issues, and that's usually what I do. I only share with you what I do and what I know about, you know, and if something I don't know about much, I I'll go and educate myself. So, so here's the picture of what the health segment today will be about. Then you will think, why walnut? Walnut is very, very, very important. You know, walnut have a health, a sort of a wealth rather, of, of a good, good kind of fats. The fats that your body needs, like polyunsaturated fats, which are better for you than the saturated fat, of course, you know. The other thing that walnut has, and funny, I just had a— I was outside and I bought a bag of walnut. Just, I was eating that as I was walking back to the hotel here. So, so walnuts have a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. You know, that is why it's important. Omega-3 fatty acids also you find in none other than fish, especially in salmon. Not the farm-raised, stay away from farm-raised stuff. Eat the pure natural stuff. So, so here's the thing. It's just small amount, small amount of walnut, walnut rather, uh, will be packed with the big nutritional benefits. And I'm going to just share a few with you here before I dive in into the topic. So here are the vitamins and the minerals you will get in 1 ounce of walnut, just 1 ounce. So up to 3% of your daily recommended amount of calcium. Yeah. So up to 10% of your daily, uh, iron intake, up to 5% of your daily potassium, up to 14% of your daily magnesium, and 7% of your daily folate. So that is why studies after studies have shown that eating walnut can really help you Lower your LDL, the bad cholesterol, that is. So, and, and this is why I feel comfortable enough, you know, recommending this. I can't tell you, uh, this kind or that kind. I don't do that because that depends on whatever you like. Just for you to know, you'll be better off snacking on walnuts than snacking on chips. And if you only know what's in those chips, then just stay away from that. So Anyway, enough of that, and let's talk about our topic of the day, the, the statements by both President Biden and President Yoon. I hope I pronounce it correctly. So, so as I said earlier, the United States and South Korea have now vowed to bolster— get this, guys, again, everything is in the message and the wording This is why I'm hoping, at least with this channel, to help you start to learn to decipher the wording, because that's all in the wording, the delivery. Like, uh, if you, if you read up about the individuals who, uh, retire from the Central Intelligence Agency, for example, whatever, the one thing they will focus on is they tell you is the mind. If you know how to control the mind, you will be able to— it's no different than here. How it is worth it. So the US and South Korea have vowed now to bolster nuclear deterrence in the Korean Peninsula, you know. And here is the thing, because they went ahead and unveiled now the plan to dock American nuclear-armed submarines in the Republic of Korea for the first time in decades. Why in decades? Because if you recall, the United States withdrew its nuclear or tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991. This is why they are using the term the first time in a decade. So what are also interesting about all this is that they come at a time of high tensions that they are sort of emerging stronger by the day. You know, you are not blind to what's going on You all know the rhetoric that comes out of Washington regarding how, uh, now the next conflict is going to be in that part of the world, in Asia. So, and this is why you have to put this within that context, and because the statements, as I said, how they word the stuff, very, very interesting. It's because the arguments that, uh, uh, uh The threats that are developing could flare up the tensions in the Korean Peninsula. So the argument for both South Korea and the United States is that they want to sort of control that, which doesn't make any sense whatsoever. So here is a statement that I'm going to share with you, uh, from President Biden, and he said, and I quote, We are not going to be stationing nuclear weapons on the peninsula, but we will have visits to, to port visits of nuclear submarines and things like that, US President Biden said, end of quote. You can read between the line, you know, what, what, what did they think, you know, when they were drafting that statement? People are stupid? Because to me, that's an insult on all our intelligence. You know, when you are saying we will have visits of nuclear submarine, what does it mean? You're gonna do them on a rotation, a rotational basis. Rotational basis means what? Means that you are permanently there. Look no further than what's going on in Philippines. It's just rotation after another. And this is, again, you have to be very careful how you read these statements coming out of both Seoul and Washington. So, and this announcement, again, you have to put it within the, the, uh, not only the, the Korean Peninsula security concerns or issues, that is, but also Asia writ large. You saw what just happened with Russia now moving forward with establishing forces in Central Asia. You also— and we talked about this because I don't like to keep repeating myself— we talked about Philippines. There are those who argue that, well, Philippines had tensions with China regarding fishermen cannot fish and all that stuff. I can understand that argument, you know, those can be resolved. It's in there. It's like you having tensions with your neighbor. Well, sometimes it happens and you just work it out. No need for drawing guns and all that stuff. That's exactly how I see it. And again, I have to put it within the historical context of how the mindset and the culture in that part of the world. For us from the West, we're going to put it under the Western microscope or lenses, that is, and we're not going to understand it very well. This is where you have some Westerners misinterpreting for example, how a behavior of a country in Asia, uh, because it just doesn't fit the norm for us. Well, it doesn't fit the norm for us because it's a different culture, has a different history, went through different experiences. So how can we generalize by saying they're all the same? They are not. So what I found very interesting about all this is that the word that's been used in the statement. And I had a chance to read it, by the way, guys. And one of them has to do with the, uh, extended deterrence. This term has been used over and over and over, and I am very surprised as to— because this is not the first time I'm seeing this. I'm seeing it from statements going way back. I give you a quick example. When the Secretary of the— the General Secretary of NATO went to South Korea and Japan, he used the term. When Antony, Secretary of State Blinken, addressed Asia concerns and so forth, he used the term. When Secretary of Defense used the term. So that's why those kind of terminology is not used in a vacuum. You have to understand it. So And when they say the word extended deterrence, that means they are thinking in terms of, well, is it time to really deploy tactical nukes back to the Korean Peninsula? So I'm going to ask you a question. How do you— and if you feel like it, just leave me the answer on the chat box, or you guys can talk amongst each other if you like, but But a question that you need to really understand: how do you think North Korea is going to react when, or should, the United States deploy tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea? Because to me, as an analyst, that's just a writing on the wall that it could trigger, because any miscalculation, you know, I won't say forget about the Taiwan Strait issue. No, no, no, no, no. You know, North Korea is another dimension of, of, on its own. It's like when it was disclosed in the, the documents, the classified documents that been, uh, disclosed by the, the guardsman, the 21-year-old guy. And one of them, it says, one of the documents, uh, mentioned that, oh, it was a hoax. North Korea doesn't have any nuclear weapon. They just pretend to have a nuclear weapon. That's not true. North Korea does have a nuclear weapon. Yeah, it does. It just— for us, it was very hard to determine how many they have. That's no different than Pakistan. Pakistan, we all know, had certain numbers, but that number is not confirmed. Same thing with India, it's not confirmed. Same thing with Israel, is not confirmed. So, so in the case— and, and, and to put it within the context of the North Korea, the Korean Peninsula tensions, because remember, there is no peace in the Korean Peninsula. Peace has not been established yet. You know, basically, stay— this still a state of war. You know, it was just an armistice. That's all it was. So technically, the war has never ended. So how do you think North Korea is gonna think about it or react to it the moment the US deploy, uh, the tactical nukes. And this is why statement like when the President of the United States saying, well, we're gonna just, uh, on a rotational basis send them, you know, what are you saying, man? Common sense would suggest that if you are sending on a rotational basis, you are making it permanent. Straightforward, you know. And again, because North Korea, it's not gonna be very comfortable with having now, uh, uh, tactical US tactical nukes, uh, near its, its border. That's no different than how Russia reacted. So, so, and there is one other thing that, uh, I'm thinking now, okay, because the next logical question we have to ask ourselves is Did South Korea just bow to US pressure? Or is the president so weak that he couldn't sort of understand how to navigate the security concerns of his country, South Korea? Now, there are those who say this is exactly what Japan was trying to do a few years ago when Shinzo Abe embarked on some policy of sort of strengthening security ties with the US, you know, because he challenged the establishment. Of course, he got assassinated for it, whatever. But beside the point, there are now those who are saying, well, when it comes down to Asian security concerns, could South Korea be moving in the same line of thinking? It's worth just thinking about. Because you start to put two things, you know, either diplomacy or deterrence. You can't have both. And in the world of geopolitics, you're gonna embark on one policy or another because doing both, you're gonna end up just losing credibility as far as, you know, where do you stand on the issue. This is where I see the challenge for the United States. But the challenge is even more for the South Korean president because now if they are, they, both of them, the South Korean president and the US president, agree that diplomacy with North Korea is the only viable means of achieving a lasting peace, then how can you establish or announce a statement like what they just did about moving tactical nukes submarines to South Korea. So, and second thing, if the United States or South Korea for that matter thinking that they can coerce North Korea to come back to the, or return to the negotiation, negotiating table, they are mistaken. North Korea is not blind as to what's going on. They are seeing the trends as well. We all know China is a supporter of North Korea. Russia will support North Korea to a degree because North Korea is the wild card in Asia. That's how I see it. And should there be a conflict, which I don't foresee, regarding the Taiwan Straits and so forth, mark my word on it, North Korea is going to get involved in support. Of China. You know, there are those who might not see this. I do. I could be wrong, but so far my thinking about it is because North Korea will have more to lose if it does not react. And this is where I see the statement by the, uh, the South Korean president, uh, uh, it It just defies logic for me. You know, if you, you, the president of South Korea, saying, well, we're going to have to negotiate with the North, how can you embark on such policy with the United States as far as moving? Because you're just ratcheting up the tensions. There is already a conflict in the making regarding the Taiwan Strait. So how do you think the North Korean— how do you think the Korean Peninsula instability is going to settle? Now with, with the North, you know. And this is why, where I see, uh, the whomever advising the— I can't speak on, on, on when it comes down to South Korea because that's their country, their culture, their, the advisors there, whatever way they do it. For us in the United States, I don't know who's advising the president again because when it comes down to the Asia-Pacific strategy We're just reacting. We don't have a cohesive strategy. We never had one anyway, you know. After the fall of the Soviet Union, things just got out of order, shall we say. So, because here is the way I see it. I see these statements by the, the joint statement rather, by the South Korean and the, the United States presidents, you know, as sort of a declaration of a new level of deterrence, that is, which is not going to settle well with North Korea. You know, if they think that, well, we're going to make the statements powerful, strong, and have a punch into them, you know, that's not a reflection of really adequate diplomacy. You know, I'm not saying you have to bow to whatever. No, no, no, no, no. In diplomacy, it doesn't work that way. It's just this kind of statements doesn't make sense, you know, and expecting the outcome that North Korea in this case will come to the negotiating table, or in the case of the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea, or that just China is gonna sort of say, well, whatever you guys want. No, that era is gone. The world has already shifted, and we seem to be struggling in catching up with that reality. You know, Biden, President Biden, that is, he might not even be aware of what he's saying. You know, no offense to the president, but it's a reality. It is what it is. So, and again, I find myself, uh, uh, going back in history. I'm going— what I mean by this, going back to 2017 when President Trump, uh, the former president, that is, threatened uh, North Korea with fire and fury. Yeah, you all remember that, with fire and fury, uh, like the world has never seen. Ah, Mr. President, former president, that is. Same with President, former President Trump. You know, I have nothing against the guy except when it comes down to foreign policy. The guy is clueless, you know, just not a— so whoever was advising him, it's no different than different breed of people advising the current president. And that just gives you an idea about how the state of American foreign policy has become now. You know, there is no, there is no substance. We become just like, we say whatever or react whatever and thinking the world is gonna dance to the tune we're gonna issue, whatever that tune is. It's not gonna happen. As a matter of fact, I can go as far as saying if there will be a major world— I don't like to use the term— oh, let me say thank you to— yeah, I want to say thank you to Tamputra. Thank you so much for your super sticker. North Korea will react. Yeah, I'm with you on that because I do see it that way. It's just how it is when you are so close to the DMZ. What do you think? They're gonna react to that. So that's common sense. So, so as I said, I'm going back to 2017 and thinking in terms of the statements that the former president issued. Well, same type of advisors except from the other party. Now we have the same breed of people from the other party. That's why I always say American politics has now become two faces of the same coin. You know, let alone most Americans have no clue as to how both parties, Republicans and Democrats, have been controlling the political process in America for the last 150 years. So where is democracy if we are to say we live in a democracy? Basically, One-party system? Is that what it is now? Because that's all it is. You know, what if I don't want to vote for it either? Shouldn't it be a choice in a democracy if we are to go by that standard? You know, and this is again where I see this reflection of this failure as far as, well, why our diplomacy has never succeeded. You know, the era during Henry Kissinger, yes, The guy didn't do, uh, didn't live, uh, you know, there's a dark history when it comes down to his legacy as far as what he did in Vietnam and all that. We all know that history and we can't hide it, but you give the guy credit that he understood how to read the geopolitical landscape better than anyone currently. You know, that's it. To me, it's fair. You gotta be fair in your assessment. So And this is again where I see this challenge for the United States in understanding this kind of statements now about the South Korean, uh, allowing sort of the deployments of tactical nukes. So now, as I asked you earlier, the first 3 common questions: the timing of it, why now? Well, you're gonna have to think about it in terms of the dynamics that's taking place. What am I referring to here? I'm referring to you have an upcoming presidential elections in the United States, okay? You have also elections in Taiwan. You know, I don't feel comfortable enough calling them presidential because Tsai, to me, in my opinion— this is for me again, my opinion, I have nothing against her— but she's a governor more so than a president, because in president you are recognized by the international community. That's how I see it. So you got those two events. The third one has to do with the role of QUADS into all this. You know, you got Japan, Australia, India, and the US. Okay, now the question that many is going to be wondering about is India playing both sides? How can India engage in an oil, uh, import from Russia Okay, paying for it in rubles and rupees, and at the same time joining Quad. That's just mind-boggling in the sense of where you stand, which side of the fence you stand on. Now, there are those who argue there is nothing wrong with being on both sides. I will leave it up to you to decide on that. I can't speak for you. If you think that is appropriate to conduct yourself when it comes down to international relations or international affairs, then that's going to leave you with one particular dilemma. And the dilemma is how you're going to cement your credibility when it comes down to whatever statements you issue, whatever diplomatic initiative you launch, and whatever coordination you make with other countries, because they're going to be thinking in terms of Okay, how can we trust that country A that is standing on both sides of the fence? That's just a simple arguments that I see. Of course India will have to look after its own interest, and rightly so, except that now with the setting the way it is, you have to think in terms of how these statements by the joint statement that is by the the president of South Korea and the United States fit within that context of the Quad in the region, and along the AUKUS, which we all know that's been a foregone conclusion because the Australian Prime Minister turns out to be very, very, very, very weak as to how he is— he misled basically Australians. You know, it really, really mess up the— the— I'm, I'm following up closely, especially on Twitter, uh, with some individuals from Australia, uh, that, you know, it's just— what I'm reading is mind-boggling as to how Australia was and where it is today. You know, this is again no different than in Europe, which I saw with my own eyes. You guys won't believe the conversations that I've been having with people when I'm moving around, you know, uh, it's, it's mind-boggling, mind-boggling, because they don't understand. And I will upload certain images and footage and all that. I have to wait till I get back to the States. So, uh, there were some restrictions regarding, uh, photography and videotaping and all that stuff. So But when you talk to the average citizen in the EU, for example, they, they just lost. They are lost as to how the leadership is doing basically things against their will, the will of the citizens. That's what I meant. No, so this is what I find it very, very, very— I won't use the term disturbing, but it puts the, the, the judgments to the forefront of the South Korean president. You know, I'm not questioning— and again, I am not questioning his authority on it, that's his country, he can do whatever— I'm questioning his judgment. Is the same arguments I've made when it comes down to Marcos Jr. of Philippines. And my assessment turns out to be right. Because when he won the elections back then, I put a question mark and I said, I bet you he is going to be in a very, very hard spot, tough spot to decide. And now he's going to be put to test because that's what a leader— that's what is expected of a leader. You have to be tested when it matters. Most of the Western leaders have failed because when it matters, they couldn't take stand. South Korea now is an example. Philippines, Marcos Jr. is an example. And the question that both countries share, South Korea and Philippines, they are both managed from behind closed doors by the military establishments, at least based on what I found. And I've known this all along. So that's what I find very, very interesting as to How South Korea's statements defies logic, and it makes me just wonder, how do South Koreans feel about this, seeing what's taking place in Philippines, for example, seeing what's taking place as far as the tensions between the US and China, which this is gonna impact them one way or another? Just imagine this for a second, guys. You're all familiar with Samsung, right? And you all know the market share of Samsung's inside China. Just think about it. China shuts the door for Samsung in South— in China. And basically, when we talk about South Korea, what do we talk about? Samsung. That's just one example. Because the way I see it, should this move forward, and I think it will to a degree, I can't confirm it 100%, but I am seeing the writing on the wall that it, it could move that direction. The big picture that I am thinking about is this for both countries, for both locations in Taiwan and in South Korea. With, uh, with, uh, uh, the Taiwan Semiconductor Company and with Samsung. Can you just imagine if both entities are destroyed? I'm not talking militarily, I'm, I'm talking about the tensions that to the point that they get destroyed because the US would request either they move to the US, which we can— it's not a— it's not affordability, it's We can't manage it because we don't have the manpower for that. We don't produce enough engineers here in the US. You know, the, the arguments that, uh, the, the Taiwan Semiconductor, TSMC, to be moved to Arizona, that plant by itself will cost about $70 billion. That's one. Second, you know, we don't have the manpower for that. The, the, the, the technical know-how because we don't have enough engineers for it. So which means what? You're gonna have to bring people from overseas, from Taiwan, from whatever. And who's going to want to move and leave their families behind and come over here to— I mean, the United States? I can see the argument for Samsung as well, but all China needs to do is shut the door, like exactly what is happening in Australia right now, which, by the way, The Australian government is lying to the Aussies as far as the truth where the economy is, the trade deficits that now Australia is experiencing. And again, I found myself questioning the judgments of the South Korean president and those who are advising him. It's no different for us in the United States, those who are advising the president, because the president might not even know what he's saying. To begin with. So, so that's how I see it. So anyway, uh, this is what I wanted to share with you. I am gonna have to say thank you to— okay, let me share this here. Oh, Radovid Drovjak, thank you so much for your super sticker, truly appreciate it. So it means a lot, thank you so much. Uh, as I said earlier, guys, I do have some footage, uh, for you that I— when I was in Ukraine, I crossed the border and, and, and, uh, it was very eerie. So, uh, but I needed to be there on the ground to see with my own eyes. So because to me, that's— your credibility lies within how you assess whatever you are seeing with your own eyes. You don't depend on a report or something, you know. I'm a former military. I like to be on the ground to see with my own eyes and make my own assessments and judgments. And this is what I saw in this trip so far in Europe. And I'm now in North Africa here. Uh, there are some— the reason why I came also here is to assess some dynamics regarding Sudan and also NATO. There are some, uh, how should I put it, some, uh, ventures by NATO in the Sahel area, which is south of Morocco, way down, uh, across the Sahel area. And I'm here to sort of assess this kind of events and make my own judgment. Then I'll provide, share with you that knowledge. So But so far, uh, tensions in Sudan are tied to what's going on with NATO down and, uh, the upcoming trip, or Victoria Nuland, who's going to Sudan soon. So anyway, uh, let me see if you have any questions here, guys, and I am going to check out— or sign off, rather, not check out. Um, so far it's working here, so I'm gonna be here for a few more days and I will be doing some lives with you here. As to the videos, is very hard to upload because the speed of the internet is very, very slow, uh, and I'd rather just do the live here till I get back home, uh, then, then I'll resume all the videos and so forth. And thank you all for your support, I truly appreciate it. All right, let me go back all the way to the top and see. And by the way, guys, if you will be kind, then just type in where you are joining me from. I truly appreciate it, and I like to always know where you are joining me from. So, all right, let's see. Richard, ah, from New York City, good to have you here. Uh, uh, Tamputra, as always from Jakarta, good to have you. Uh, uh, uh, Coach Ohoy from Malaysia, as always. Uh, Steph Lynn, as always from Canada. Thank you for— I will be in your country, uh, soon, so I might do a live from Canada at some point. So, uh, let me see who else from, uh, some other parts of the world. And it's always nice to see you guys. Uh, last time I had somebody from, uh Uh, uh, Thailand. It was so nice. I remember my days in, in Bangkok when I went over there back then when I was still, uh, supporting the US government at that time. David K, good to see you as always. Uh, let me see here, and I'm scrolling down, guys. Uh, And I'll be thinking, as I said, I am thinking, not I will be, but I am in the process of figuring out how to set up this health channel. Will be just for health tips that I've been doing for years and years. You might be surprised to know what my age is, but I'll let you guess about it. And also because I take care of myself, so, and I want to share that with you as well, guys, because that's how it works. To me, it's a community. You have to look after members of the community. So I just— I'm a believer of that. Live and let live, that is the key. All right, let me see. Uh, okay, I don't see any here, uh, but I'm looking also for any question. I'll be happy to answer one or two questions for you guys. And I truly, by the way, I truly appreciate— I do read all the comments, by the way, you guys exchange, and I truly appreciate the civility of it because that keeps us very different from, from, uh, you know, I, I, I'm not criticizing any other places, but I've seen enough the language that is, you know, sort of not appropriate. But I truly thank you for keeping it civil here. So All right, let's see this question here from, uh, uh, Doggy5. Question: What do you think is the significance of Singapore joining naval exercises with China? I'm glad you said this, uh, because I was thinking whether to do that one, and I might still do that, guys, for you. Let me know if you want me to do this, and I'll be happy to dig into my own research. I don't depend on whatever has been reported. I, I have my ways., and I'll be happy to do it. But the way I read it as an analyst, that Singapore is sending a message to the United States. You know, Singapore still an ally of the US to a degree, still allowing the— its port to be used for refueling. But Singapore is also thinking in terms of its economic prosperity that lies with China, not with the United States. So to me, the way I look at it is that Singapore is sending a subtle message to the United States, but also reassuring China that doesn't— China doesn't have to worry about should there be any tension. I'm not surprised because like I said last time, ASEAN countries are thinking in terms of neutrality, except— and I did put that, I remember I said I'll put a big question mark on Philippines, but to a degree Singapore. This gesture here, it tells me that Singapore wants to sort of make it clear as to where it stands regarding that. That's what it means. So, all right, let me see one more question here, and, uh All right, what is— where is question? Uh, William N. William N., good to see you as always. David, you didn't mention anything on North Korea's reaction to South Korea hosting nuclear weapons. Well, it's— remember, it's just a statement as of now, you know. North Korea usually reacts, for example, if there are military drills, which it did last time, you know. But North Korea is not going to just be reacting, uh, uh, willy-nilly because, uh, you know, it's almost like it's going to become a fool if, if they do that. They are very measured, you know. The West, some of us, some of us, not all, I should not generalize, think that no, no, no, no. North Korea is very measured. They know, they're smart enough to know which action to take that could send a strong message. You know, for now it's a statement, they just— the joint statement in itself. Because remember, uh, let me, let me get the right wording for it so we'll all be on the same sheet of music here. And that pertains to— let me get it right here. You know, uh, vow to Boston and Berlin plan. Yeah, establishment of new nuclear consultative group. That is a keyword. Consultative means they just be matter of talking, no more, no less. Now it will be a different game altogether if there's movements of a nuclear submarine to that part. And what I believe will happen is that North Korea is going to conduct some major missile tests. I won't be surprised. That could be a tactical type of missiles, and they've done this before. Japan will have to be very concerned because these missiles usually go over Japan. Yeah, that will be— that's how I see it. It's almost like what happened way back, and I I'm sure you guys remember this when, uh, a talk between the US and South Korea, uh, something agitated the North. And what, and what the North Koreans end up doing is they bomb— yeah, they bombed the building where the talks were held at that time, way back. That's usually how North Korea is going to react. But for now, they are waiting and assessing where this is gonna move forward. All right, okay, one more question and I'm gonna sign off here, guys, because I have to go do some other stuff and prepare certain things for next week. Time flies quick. All right, well, I don't have any questions here, so— oh, uh, Scotty Dog from Mumbai, I'm assuming from Mumbai. So anyway, I appreciate you guys joining me here live. As I always say, your time is very important to me and I don't want it to be wasted. So I hope that the information I shared with you was useful, was informative, and provide you at least an additional knowledge regarding an issue in Asia that is not pertaining to the South Koreans. So as always, guys, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.