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Chinese memory chips manufacturers are a nightmare for the US and South Korea. There is a lot at play

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Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) is one of the largest memory chips manufacturers in China. Its quota in the global market is approximately 6%so it is far from South Korean companies Samsung and SK Hynix, and also from the American Micron Technology, the three companies that lead this sector. Even so, Its weight in the Chinese market is very largeespecially because US sanctions They prevent American and South Korean memories manufacturers selling their most sophisticated integrated circuits to their Chinese clients. YMTC is in the spotlight of the US administration for more than two years. In fact, at the end of 2022 the Department of Commerce led by Gina Raimondo He decided to include this company in his blacklist because he had managed to develop an ambitious 128 layer memory chip. Currently YMTC is one of the companies that have the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology in China, and curiously, According to Techinsights He has reached this position without resorting to foreign technology. Not even Asml’s. YMTC aspires to intimidate the leaders of the memory chips market This achievement seems to have been possible because YMTC has the complicity of three of the most important Chinese lithography equipment: Naura Technology, Amec (Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. China) and Piotech Inc. The most shocking thing is that according to Techinsight analysts, which is a Canadian communication platform intimately linked to the semiconductor industry and with Great credibilityYMTC has managed to put avant -garde memory chips capable of rivaling the most advanced foreign solutions. YMTC has published about 20 new patents in which it describes processes that seek to increase efficiency And it has managed to refine its technology of stacking of memory cells in layers known as ‘xtacking’ until reaching a level of performance in its integrated nand type circuits similar to that of the comparable memories of Samsung or SK Hynix. However, this is not all. According to SCMPYMTC has recently published about 20 new patents in which it describes processes that seek to increase efficiency and optimize chips stacking structures. It is evident that the development of the technological capacity of Chinese manufacturers of integrated memory circuits represents a threat to Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron Technology. However, YMTC is not the only Chinese company with the ability to put in trouble the manufacturers of South Korean and American memory chips. Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is one of the Chinese companies specialized in the production of memory chips, and, like other companies in the country led by Xi Jinping, it has chosen to compete in this market so attractive deploying a very aggressive pricing policy. CXMT in particular has increased its production capacity of DRAM chips almost five times during the last four years, which has allowed it to increase its global market share until it reaches a very worthy 9%. This growth has placed this company just behind Micron Technology if we stick to its market share, so it is already the fourth largest memory chips manufacturer on the planet. To curl the curl even more The Chinese government is supporting economically to its manufacturers of this type of semiconductors in response to the sanctions deployed by the US and its allies, so the competitiveness of Chinese companies is upwards. More information | SCMP In Xataka | China needs to develop a new type of immune chips to US sanctions. And their scientists have just achieved it

In South Korea offered 14,000 euros to young people in exchange for them to get married. Young people did the same

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With $ 14,000 you can cover holes, take a few sabbatical months to travel around the world or invest in that business that has been around your head for years. What you will not get is to match two South Koreans to marry, form a home and have children to help the country out of the deep crisis of birth in which it has been mired for years. We know it because in Korea there are administrations that already They have thrown out of a checkbook and reached those figures (more than 10,000 dollars) in their efforts to act as a casameros. All without success. Moreover, that commitment to administrations to encourage matches is having a peculiar effect: it has made singleness A true business. Question of love … and money. In his efforts to leave the demographic pothole in which he has been plunged for a long time, he has not hesitated to pull a check -up. Its reasoning is simple: if birth can be encouraged with money, the government is willing to put it on the table. In recent months the authorities of the country have proposed to deliver large ‘baby checks’ to its citizens, offer Fiscal incentives To families with children, expand parental permits or even guarantee that the new moms have access to select food. Another of the country’s great bets has been to match its young people. And that has gone so much to create appointment programs Designed specifically for single to find love how to make it easy at the economic level, offering money so that the cost of a romantic dinner is not an obstacle. Perhaps it sounds exaggerated, but there is a fact that explains it: in South Pareja and Bulality they go hand in hand. So much, that less than 5% From babies they are born out of marriage. How much money do we talk about? A lot A good part of the southern Korean pairing programs start from regional organizations, so that photography can vary from one area to another of the country; But it arrives with a quick turn by Google to see news from cities or districts that try to raise their birth rate with expensive pairing programs. Recently We talked to you of the Seoul case, where the Metropolitan Government studied to deliver 700 euros to the couples who marry there. It is a lot. Although not as much as in other cities. In Busan, one from the main ones Metropolitan Areas of South Korea and that is suffering the effects of the demographic crisis in a form particularly hardthey have gone a step further blessing the new couples with hundreds of dollars. What does that translate? In which money ceases to be an obstacle to throwing girlfriend (or boyfriend). In June The Korea Herald He informed That one of the districts of Busan, Saha-Gu, planned a pilot project with local singles born between 1981 and 2001 to which it offered 360 dollars (to spend on appointments) only for ‘doing Match ‘ With someone. That is, each couple who left the event grabbed by the hand and with plans to be added 700 dollars for their romance. A figure: $ 14,000. Those 360 ​​dollars per person to enjoy as a couple were only the first part of the SAHA-gu program. The idea was to increase support as the relationship progressed until you reach the great wedding gift: 20 million wones In advance for couples who give themselves the ‘yes I want’, about $ 13,600. The district was even willing to offer newly married a larger deposit if they decided to buy a house or help them with rent. Such a bet is better understood in the light of the demographic tables of the Metropolitan City of Busan: if at the beginning of the 90s it passed from the 3.8 million inhabitantsin 2010 it was at 3.4 million. The trend does not clash with that of the country as a whole, which At the end of 2024 It became a “aging super society”, with 20% of its population above 65 years. Do these aid work? That was the big question that was driving … and just answered The Wall Street Journal (TWSJ) with A report in which the title is almost a sentence: “Not even a governmental aid of $ 14,000 can make the single South Korea marry.” Despite the promise of receiving a wedding gift of $ 14,000, the Saha-Gu program was not very successful. TWSJ assures that no participant demanded that reward. And that Saha-Gu is just one of the aid to which couples can opt. TWSJ remembers that not all support leaves administrations and that there are also religious companies or organizations that try to reverse the country’s demographic crisis. Two examples are the construction company Booyoung Group, which offered $ 75,000 to employees who have a child; and the Yoido full gospel churchwhich gives its members almost $ 1,400. The big question. With such incentives the question is evident. Why don’t South Koreans marry? Why do your birth continue well below of that of years ago? Part of the answer are social and cultural changes. TWSJ He quotes a survey recent that shows that three fifths of the South Koreans with employment do not see the slightest problem in not going through the altar, a factor to which others of an economic nature are added, such as the long working daysincreased cost of living or how will be The parenting of children in a society characterized by their demand level and competitiveness. Another key are The difficulties with which women are to rejoin to the labor market after being mothers. In fact there are courtship programs that have ended up suspending precisely because they could not gather a sufficient number of interested women. Other young people rule out simply registering for the heavy bureaucracy that accompanies this kind of initiatives. “It’s more problematic than you imagine,” Recognize one to TWSJ. Is the government … Read more

The chip war between the US and China is already leaving collateral damage. Although in South Korea

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For the South Korean government Your semiconductor industry has a strategic role, like those of OLED panel production either Battery manufacturing. These three sectors have A very deep impact on its economyso it is understandable that the administration does everything in its hand to reinforce its position in the global market and increase its competitiveness. In mid -December 2023 Yoon Suk Yeol, the former president of this Asian country, traveled to the Netherlands with the purpose of consolidating an alliance with ASML in matters of integrated circuits, among other priority objectives. During the last months South Korea He has “faced” the US To protect the business of its main semiconductor manufacturers in China, among which are Samsung and SK Hynix. But his short -term perspective is discouraging. Sales of semiconductors to China have fallen in February 31.8% The Chinese market is essential for South Korea. It is at least if we stick to the integrated circuit industry. At the end of 2024 the country led by Xi Jinping represented approximately two fifths of all southern Korea technology exports, but the chips flow is plummeting. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy of this last nation in January 2025 the sale of chips It contracted 22.5% compared to the same month of the previous year. 2025 is going to be a bad year for the semiconductor industry due to the cooling of global demand and the impact of tariffs And in February the fall has been even more steep: 31.8% compared to February 2024. This trend supports the omens that predict for months that 2025 will be a bad year for the semiconductor industry due to the cooling of global demand and to the impact that tariffs presumably they are already having in the integrated circuit industry. In any case, to South Korea this incipient crisis seems to be affecting more than other countries that also live largely from chips, such as Taiwan. Samsung and SK Hynix lead the memory chips market, and much of their income comes from precisely these semiconductors. The US sanctions prevent them from selling their most advanced chips to their Chinese clients, which, precisely, are those that usually live with the GPUs for artificial intelligence (AI). China has responded by dedicating more resources to the development of Your own memory technologieswhat is causing A prices decrease which is clearly affecting the Samsung and SK Hynix business. Despite all the consultant Gartner has predicted that The AI ​​will pull the semiconductor industry For 2025, leaving the door ajar to the possibility that finally this year is not as bad for chips manufacturers as the first figures point. Image | Samsung More information | SCMP In Xataka | The virtuous circle: China has become the greatest added value of the planet thanks to feedback

This Seoul bridge seems ordinary, but stars one of South Korea’s biggest problems: suicides

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South Korea is a country that advances by leaps and bounds in technological question. It is home to some of the most important companies in the world -Samsung or Hyundai- and He is fighting To become one of the referents in the chips segment. Seoul, its capital, is a look at what could be the future of cities hypertecnologicalbut after that image of modernity, an increasingly silent pandemic is hidden: that of suicide. And no place better reflects this crisis than the Mapo bridge in Seoul, nicknamed ‘The Suicides Bridge’. Alarming figures. Suicide is a taboo issue in many societies that sometimes have not paid attention to avoid the tragic outcome. It is not something that Pille so far. In 2020, in Spain it committed suicide One person every two and a half and a half. Each country Try to deal with your way With this situation, but the case of South Korea is bleak. Do not go to the archives to see the evolution of suicides in the Asian country: In 2021, 13,352 people committed suicide. In 2022, approximately 13,000 were given. In 2023, the figure rose to 13,770. In the first six months of 2024, 6,375 people committed suicide, assuming a increase of more than 10% compared to the same period of the previous year. He total It was 14,439 dead. Cocktail. They are figures distant to the maximum of 2013, when 14,427 occurred, but in 2020, the country had the highest rate among OECD countries with 24.1 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants. It is more than double the average. The reason is that there is a social and cultural cocktail that pushes thousands of people to end their lives. There is one very high social pressure and competitiveness for being the best in studies and work life. If you do not achieve it, economic problems occur, but although that ‘success’ is achieved, there is a high level of stress and low social awareness about mental illnesses. Also idealized and impossible beauty canons for much of the population. And it is not something that cares only to suicide, since the scarce birth that is taking the country to an unsustainable situation is also the gross of those social pressures. THE MAPO BRIDGE Effect called. The most affected group is the one between ages of 10 to 39 and is the major Cause of death among South Koreans between 10 and 39 years. Between 40 and 56% of deaths in these age groups is due to suicide. These brutal pressures even affect celebrities of the country, so much that studies have already been carried out that relate the increase in suicides with the moment in which one of these celebrities ends with his life. As if there were an effect called or idealization of the act, three of the eleven cases of suicides between celebrities resulted in an increase in the rate among the population, leading people to use the same methods as said celebrity. In recent years, there have been numerous cases among young Astros of K-Pop, cinema and television, very exposed to criticism in a country where there is a very strict moral standard that these celebrities must meet. The notice says: “Line Life. Methods. They have gone changing These last years. At the beginning of the century, most used pesticides to get intoxicated. This poisoning remains one of the most used methods, but now it is through burning YoTan: Carbon cylinders that produce poisoning by carbon monoxide aspiration. The hanging has also become common (with examples such as’Sulli‘That they expose that effect called), but throwing themselves to train tracks or from bridges is also a method. THE MAPO BRIDGE. And all this leads us to the Seoul bridge. We have talked about Many bridges in Xataka And Mapo’s is, structurally, a normal bridge, almost ordinary. It does not stand out for design, certainly, but it has become the sad secondary protagonist of dozens of suicides in recent decades. It is not the only one from which the South Koreans throw themselves to end their lives, but one of the most used due to the current of the river has very difficult the rescue work very difficult. So much is the impact of the bridge on the statistics of the country that began to call colloquially as ‘The Suicides Bridge’. From the city, this was wanted to combat the structure as ‘bridge of life’ as part of a Samsung Life Insurance initiative. But it was not a simple name change. Measures. The company placed photos of happy families, among other measures to deter suicides, such as movement sensors that activated light posters with mood phrases, but they were considered a failure In 2015 and that was when the focus was changed to prevent suicide instead of deter. Thus, a series of active and passive measures were installed to stop the high rate of vacuum throwing, such as phones from which to request help every few meters (it has a length of about 1,300 meters), mirrors so that those who plan to jump see their face, cameras, high barriers and rollers that make it difficult to get to the edge. The fences are high and in the last upper section there is a roller We can see the roller, as well as the mirrors Social strategies. It is, in short, a series of actions to make jumping more difficult, but beyond this (which is still a patch), in recent years the country has taken the mental health of citizens more seriously. For example, strategies to prevent suicide thanks to greater media coverage than public awareness, as well as training campaigns and notions of suicide prevention for teachers and social workers. Also reviews focused on adolescents and another series of infrastructure measures to strengthen security on bridges and train tracks. Despite the efforts to reduce the incidence of suicide, the Mapo bridge remains a symbol of this crisis, with 846 people jumping From the bridge between 2014 and 2018, … Read more

South Korea has done an exercise with its F-16. They have mistakenly bombard a city near the border with the north

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The F-16 They are possibly one of the most popular fighters. These are monomotor combat airplanes developed by the American General Dynamics that went from being listed as “light hunting” to evolve to versatile. Inside, one of the most common air weapons on the planet: the pump without guide Mark 82. Up to eight of them have fallen near the border with North Korea by error. The incident. Two KF-16 fighters of the South Korean Air Force (Rokaf) They accidentally launched eight bombs MK-82 on a village/city in the Nogok area, on the outskirts from Pocheonabout 40 kilometers from Seoul and no less than 32 kilometers from the border with North Korea. Because? The error occurred shortly after 10 am during a real fire exercise in preparation for joint maneuvers with the United States. As a result, 15 people were injuredtwo of them in serious condition, and dozens of residents were evacuated, in addition to destroying, among other things, a church. The causes and the answer. The first investigations indicate that the pilot of one of the planes incorrectly introduced coordinates of the objective, causing the fall of the pumps in an inhabited area. However, it is not yet clear why the second plane also launched its explosive load. The South Korean Air Force has suspended all exercises of real fire to clarify the facts and have formed an emergency committee to investigate what happened. In An official statementthe authorities expressed their apologies and have promised assistance to those affected. Damage and testimonies. The explosions caused severe damage to infrastructure local, including homes, trucks and, as we said, a church. The impact of the pumps was strong enough to shake a center for people over more than half a kilometer from the place. Among the testimonies collected by local media, residents have described chaos scenes, with smoke rising to heaven, broken pipes and people trapped in vehicles. A witness reported that some houses They were “games in half” and that several people were injured inside a car en route to a construction work. Impact on joint safety and maneuvers. In addition, the incident occurs at a time of High voltage in the Korean Peninsulawith South Korea, the United States and Japan concerned with the growing military alliance Between North Korea and Russia. Seoul has repeatedly denounced that Pyongyang has sent soldiers to fight in Ukraine, and South Korean intelligence sources say that recently More North Korean They were deployed in the Russian city of Kursk. Plus: accidental bombardment has happened a few days before the start of the joint exercises called Freedom Shield, scheduled to start next Monday (from March 10 to 20). Although the South Korean authorities have ensured that the incident will not affect the development of these maneuvers, the security of real fire exercises has been, in question.

Before the lack of crew, South Korea is developing ships with AI. And the US has already taken their eyes

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We have the whole day in the mouth. If a product does not have ia, it is not fashionable, and Despite loud recent failuresit seems that artificial intelligence It has come to stay and conquer it practically everything. A segment in which it has a lot of potential is in the improve autonomous capabilities of vehicles, especially in countries in which human workforce is increasingly scarce. This is the case of South Korea, which is promoting Autonomous ships up to ia To replace the lack of crew. But there are already those who look with sweet eyes thinking about applications in the military industry: United States. Samsung with Ia. Now in ships. South Korean national pride is Samsung, a company that recently presented its smartphones Galaxy S25 and that has been uploaded on the artificial intelligence ship. Samsung is a giant company that makes consumption technology much more. Both the main company and its subsidiaries have businesses in sectors such as construction or biotechnology, and one of them specializes in ships. Samsung Heavy Industries, or SHI, is one of the three large ship builders in the world, focusing on the construction of ships for special tasks such as ultragrandes ships, very specific transport ships, offshore platforms and navigation systems. One of the last projects in which it is involved is that of construction with ships equipped with autonomous navigation system thanks to AI. Ok, catamaran! Conducts. How can we read in Nikkei Asiain November last year, Shi tried a 12 -meter -long catamaran on Geoje island, south of South Korea. This ship could transport 12 people and its crew had a task: give voice orders to the ship. After scoring the route, he was dedicated to following the ‘line of points’ and details such as speed or obstacles were shown in real time on a screen. From the control center you can monitor your parameters thanks to the installed cameras, as well as make adjustments, but the AI ​​developed by sister Samsung Electronics is the captain of the ship. Government facilities. A wall against which there were companies like Samsung or Hyundai when trying autonomous vessels is the law. According to the Asian media, the regulations made it difficult for companies approved A law that precisely facilitates obtaining permits to perform tests in the real world. The reasons were not specified, but having South Korea one of the most alarming demographic situations on the planet And facing –Like Japan-, to the lack of workers in certain positions, an autonomous or semi -autonomous vehicle sounds like a good idea to alleviate the situation. Realizing Japan again, we have already seen even Robots with chainsaws to set the train tracks. Taxi! We mentioned Hyundai, since it is another of the great South Korean and, through Hyundai Heavy Industries, this year they will test an autonomous aquatic taxi in Busán. The idea is that the passenger introduces the destination, at which time the system will look for the ideal route and begin to travel it. Apart from the systems to recognize the environment thanks to 3D cameras, the idea is that you go accurately at the destination dock, ready to release a passenger and receive another. Returning to Samsung, the next steps of this project include tests to avoid collisions, as well as Improve satellite communication To be able to develop this pilot as something on a large scale. Satellite communication is another technologies that seem important to the company. The US looks carefully. Samsung has a key advantage: you can design and build these ships from scratch, integrating its own autonomous navigation technology. That is, with their naval experience, they can design a ship from scratch that includes the autonomous navigation systems that they provide from Samsung Electronics, being a more accurate solution than to place those navigation systems on a ship that is not specifically designed for it . And who is already looking closely at these advances is the United States, but not any aquatic taxi department, but the Department of Defense. In one call From Trump al, now dismissed, South Korean president Yoon Yeol, President Electro recognized the capacity of South Korea in the construction and maintenance of ships. Clue. South Korean ports are becoming a key to the US presence in the South China Sea and local media claim that contracts between South Korean and US companies have increased recently. It is a fundamental strategic enclave, especially in a scenario in which China is performing maneuvers that their adversaries watch closely. Beyond this, and seeing that Samsung is not the only one who is betting on autonomous ships, it is expected that we see a flourish of this implementation of AI in this type of vehicles in the coming months. Image | Shi In Xataka | This is the Zhu Hai Yun, the new ship of China: capable of navigating without crew and full of aerial and sailor drones

60 -minute matches, without South Koreans and without knowing who wins

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If finally Kim Yong’s dreams are fulfilled and North Korea becomes a kind of Asian Benidormthe first foreign tourists who arrive can take some surprise. For example, if they sit on a terrace to take something and expect to see an international football match, it will be difficult for them to see the Spanish or the Italian league. There you only see the Premier League, although in its own way. Devotion for the Premier. It The Guardian counted this week in a report. For a country so suspicious of external influences As is North Korea, the nation seems unable to resist the attractiveness of football, and expressly of the Premier League of England, the most watched sport (and one of the few) on the country’s television screens. The result, as we will see, is a “medium” and little legal access to the parties, a viewing marked by strong restrictions, censorship and a significant delay in the transmissions, as detailed in An analysis of site 38 North. Delays and modifications. To start, Premier League broadcasts on North Korean television They are not live and are usually transmitted with considerable delay. For example, the first broadcast of the 2024-25 season began on January 13, with a match between the Ipswich and the Liverpool that had been played … 150 days before. There are more. The footage of each party is edited and reduced from the original 90 minutes one houreliminating pauses and politically inconvenient moments, whether advertising or other signal that the regime does not approve. Besides, Any graphic in English is replaced by signs in Koreanand the logos of foreign chains are blurred to hide their origin. Yes indeed, The Guardian told That, although in the past censorship came to hide advertising in the stadiums, this practice seems to have been abandoned. Another peculiarity is that The full season is not broadcast. In the 2023-24 season, for example, only 21 games were issued, and these were repeated in a loop on multiple occasions. In other words, the lack of a complete calendar prevents North Korean viewers know who wins the leaguesince the parties are not transmitted in chronological order. They leave that to the imagination of the spectators. No trace of the neighbor. The ideological filter of the Kim Jong-un regime is also reflected in the selection of the matches that are issued. The teams where South Korean soccer players play, such as Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), the super star are heung-min (Tottenham) or Kim Ji-Soo (Brentford), They do not appear in programming. Like the regime Consider South Korea its “hostile state number one”any reference to its athletes is excluded. And it is not new. This censorship has already been applied in previous tournaments. During the 2022 World Cup, KCTV transmitted all matches a few hours late, except the three matches of the group stage of South Korea and the confrontation between the United States and Wales. Of course, the regime did not hesitate to Show the elimination of South Korea at the hands of Brazil. And in the 2023 Asian Women’s Tournament, the North Korean TV graphics labeled South Korean players as “puppets.” And how do you access the North Korea signal? The nation It does not have the emission rights of the Premier League or the Champions, Which implies that the issuance of these parties should be a violation of international sanctions directed against the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The truth is that In the report it is not clear how KCTV obtains the recordingsbut it is presumed that it is material without license. In fact, in the past, North Korea also transmitted matches of the leagues of England, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, but Since 2023 he has reduced his approach to the Premier League, the Champions League and the World Cup. Soccer and propaganda. Although North Korean state television is dominated by News with revolutionary tone, war films and propaganda on the Kim dynastyfootball continues to represent one of the few moments of entertainment without an explicit ideological message. An obsession with football in the nation that is not new. North Korea reached the quarterfinals of the 1966 World Cup After beating Italy in a historic party, and His female team has won the U-20 World Cup up to three times. So, despite censorship and restrictions, football is still an escape valve for North Korean viewers. Even if they never get to know the Premier League champion. Image | (Stephan)38 North In Xataka | Kalma is the first real effort of North Korea to become a holiday place. For now only for Russians In Xataka | As the rent is crazy, a man devised a plan in a hotel in New York. He paid the first night and stayed for free five years

South Korea has found a great structure in the waters that is disputed with China. It is the second time, and Beijing does not deny it

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The conflict It began in the months of April and May 2024. In front of its coasts, in The yellow seaSouth Korea sighted a series of floating structures in the space that delimits the nation with China. From Beijing it was tried to reassure the neighbor explaining that what they saw only had fishing connotations, but no one escaped then that behind the movement could exist much more. New structures have turned on the spirits in Korea. A new dispute zone. As we said, a few weeks ago China began The construction of maritime infrastructure in the yellow seaa strategically crucial area between the Chinese Costa and the Korean Peninsula. The new facilities, A floating steel structure of more than 50 meters high and widewere detected by South Korean satellites, raising concerns that China is using the tactics of consolidating territorial claims through permanent constructions. With An area of ​​417,000 square kilometers, the yellow sea is rich in marine resources, oil and gaswhich makes it a key point of economic and geopolitical interest for both nations. Until now, South Korea has protested by the installation of Several structures since 2024claiming that these could be part of a major plan in China to exercise sovereignty over the area. In fact, the South Korean authorities believe that Beijing could build up to 12 of these structures, which would turn the area into a friction point into the already tense relations between both countries. China and its maritime tactics. The strategy of building permanent structures to affirm sovereignty is not new in Chinese politics. Moreover, Beijing has applied similar tactics in the South China Seawhere has transformed reefs into military bases And he has claimed jurisdiction on disputed waters with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries. Everything indicates that the strategy seems to spread to the yellow sea, with direct implications for South Korea and its allies (Particularly, the United States). What does China say. We said it at the beginning. Chinese officials They have tried to minimize controversyalways describing these facilities as “fishing support infrastructures”but the South Korean security community fears that they are advanced for an eventual statement of Chinese sovereignty. In the words of Sang Hun Seokformer South Korean Diplomatic and Security Analyst, “these facilities act as the maritime equivalent of boots on the ground, establishing a physical presence that China will then use to consolidate their claims.” The provisional measures zone. The truth is that the yellow sea has been a historical dispute area between China and South Korea. In 2001, Both countries established the one known as the provisional measures zone (PMZ) to administer the area of ​​exclusive economic zones (ZEE) and avoid confrontations, delimiting fishing rights and prohibiting new constructions or the exploitation of resources until reaching a permanent agreement. Under it, the two nations are prohibited from building infrastructure or exploiting resources beyond fishing if the other does not agree. What happens? What South Korea He has repeatedly denounced for years that China has ignored these restrictionsallowing their fishermen to operate illegally in the South Korean Zee. Said dispute has even led to violent clasheswith South Korean maritime patrols shooting against Chinese vessels on more than one occasion. Hence, the construction of permanent structures is now seen as a new level of provocation, as it could sit a precedent that Weakens the capacity of South Korea to assert your maritime rights. The elephant in the room: USA. He Mutual Defense Pact between South Korea and the United States makes this dispute just a bilateral issue. With 28,000 American soldiers parked in South Koreaany Chinese movement that alters the strategic balance in the region could attract Washington’s attention. Until now, Americans have maintained a containment approach against Chinese expansion in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, but but The yellow sea could become a new piece on the game board. Dispute with historical roots. From the Chinese perspective, Yellow Sea control has a strategic and symbolic weight. The reason? In the last 200 years, The great battles that defined the history of China were fought in this regionfrom the Opium wars until The Sino-Japanese war. Under this perspective, Beijing’s official narrative considers these wars as a historical humiliation imposed by foreign powers, and recovering absolute control over its coast is seen as part of the restoration of his “historical law”. The Chinese argument to reject an equitable division of the ZEE with South Korea is based on the fact that Its population and their coast are significantly largerso they believe that the dividing line should favor them. On the other sidewalk, South Korea and its allies defend the principle of the “midpoint”, according to which the maritime border should be drawn equally between both countries. And where do it leads to us? It is the big question. Of course, so far the dispute has not reached the seriousness of the Conflict in the South China Sea or the Eastern China Sea, where the Asian nation maintains confrontations with the Philippines and Japan respectivelybut the situation could quickly intensify if Beijing continues to expand its presence. It would not really be “so much.” If South Korea, with the support of the United States, decides to directly challenge these constructions, we could see a new front of tensions in the Indo-Pacific. Perhaps for this reason, at this time the great unknown is to know how far South Korea will allow (and its alliance with the United States) that Chinese tactics advance before taking more forceful measures. Image | Grid-AendalNASA In Xataka | The US and China Liby ‘Chips War’. Now South Korea prepares for ‘The War of Memoirs’ In Xataka | China has discovered an advantage to win the career career to the US: a “bubble” in its defense

More than 50,000 people under evacuation orders or notice for fire north of Los Angeles

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CASTAIC, California, USA — Nearly 20,000 people were ordered to evacuate Wednesday as a massive wildfire moved rapidly and tore through the rugged mountains north of Los Angeles, while arid Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds and two other large fires continued to burn. The Hughes Fire broke out in the morning and within hours burned about 8 square miles (21 square kilometers) of trees and brush, generating a huge plume of dark smoke near the Castaic Lake area, a popular recreation area located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are still burning after three weeks. A 30-mile (48-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 5, a major north-south thoroughfare, was closed as flames swept across hills and into steep canyons. Crews on the ground and in air tankers tried to prevent the wind-driven fire from crossing the highway and heading toward Castaic, where most of the 19,000 residents were ordered to evacuate. Another 15,000 residents in the area were warned to be prepared to leave at any time, according to the Los Angeles County Police Department. Kayla Amara drove to the Stonegate neighborhood in Castaic to pick up items from the house of a friend who had left in a hurry to pick up her daughter from preschool. While Amara was packing up the car, she learned that the fire had grown in size and decided to douse the property with water. “Other people are also spraying their houses with water. I hope there is a house to return to,” Amara said as police patrols passed through the streets and flames engulfed trees on a hill in the distance. Amara, a nurse who lives in nearby Valencia, said she has been nervous for weeks as large fires devastated Southern California. “It’s been stressful with those other fires, but now that this one is close to home it’s just super stressful,” he said. To the south of the state, officials in Los Angeles began preparing for possible rain even as some residents were cleared to return to the charred areas of Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The windy weather was forecast to continue through Thursday and there was a chance of rain starting Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. “Rain is forecast and the threat of mud and debris flows in our fire-impacted communities is real,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a news conference Wednesday morning. Fire crews filled sandbags for communities while county workers installed barriers and cleaned drainage pipes and basins. Red flag alerts for critical fire risk were extended until 8 p.m. Thursday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Authorities remained concerned that the two large fires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could break their containment lines as firefighters continue to monitor critical locations. For her part, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned that the winds could blow ash and advised Angelenos to visit the city’s website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the new Santa Ana wind event. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer warned that the ash could contain heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful materials. “Even brief exposure can cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems,” Ferrer said Wednesday, asking people to wear protective gear while cleaning. Low humidity, extremely dry vegetation and high winds occurred as firefighters continued to battle the Eaton and Palisades fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they began on January 7. Containment of the Palisades Fire was 68%, and that of the Eaton Fire was 91%. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that his department continues to investigate 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones. All of the people reported missing are adults, he added. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings. Several people who lost their homes in the Eaton fire have filed lawsuits, alleging that utility company Southern California Edison’s equipment started the fire. A judge overseeing one of the lawsuits on Tuesday ordered the company to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started.

Aguirre sees the positive side of trying young people on the South American tour of Mexico

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Before playing two games for South America, coach Javier Aguirre said that the result in both games would be the least important. The essential thing was to see the performance of the young players who received the opportunity in the absence of the usual starters who were not loaned by their clubs. In the matches against Internacional de Porto Alegre from Brazil and River Plate from Argentina, “Vasco” Aguire made 14 players debut with El Tri. One of them was Gilberto Mora, who became the youngest player to debut with the national team. The Tijuana midfielder is 16 years and three months old. Mexico defeated Inter 2-0 and then lost by the same score against River. “I leave with the feeling that the tour was worth it,” Aguirre said the day before. “You have to keep balance and draw conclusions. It’s good for me for the future. The objective of the tour was met. There are three or four players who really deserve a chance on the next occasions.” The veteran coach did not want to go into detail about who those players are who could fight for a place in the Nations League, where Mexico will have its next official match on March 20 against Canada. Who took advantage? Although he has few spotlights, recovery midfielder Elías Montiel is the next jewel of the Pachuca quarry and in both matches he showed why. At just 19 years old, the player became a starter for the Tuzos in the previous tournament and was one of the most outstanding in the last edition of the Intercontinental Cup. Aguirre summoned him for both matches and he was one of the few who repeated his lineup in both matches. The problem for Montiel is that in that position there is tough competition for ownership. Edson Álvarez (Fulham) and Luis Chávez (Dinamo Moscow), both with World Cup experience, usually occupy those positions. Luis Romo (Chivas) also fights for minutes. A similar case is that of Jorge Ruvalcaba, who excelled with a goal and several dangerous attempts against the Brazilians. The Pumas winger, with experience in Europe with Standard de Lieja, moves along the left wing, a sector where Julián Quiñones, Alexis Vega, César Huerta and Hirving Lozano fight to be starters. Of the rest, goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, full-back Jesús Gallardo and forward Guillermo Martínez, the only ones previously mentioned by Aguirre, fulfilled what was expected and will surely continue to be regular in the calls. What’s next? In Aguirre’s original plan, in addition to playing games outside of friendly environments such as the fields of the United States, it was contemplated to carry out “mini-cycles” of training with players from the local league. That idea was presented and approved by then-high commissioner Juan Carlos Rodriguez, who resigned from his position in December. After the little support shown by the clubs to release players for the South American tour, it is unlikely that they will want to release them for training sessions originally scheduled from Monday to Wednesday. If nothing changes, Aguirre will have to wait until mid-March to have a full team again before facing Canada in the Nations League.

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