US-ROK Alliance Friction: South Korea’s presidential office says it’s in talks with the U.S. after US Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson called South Korea “the dagger in the heart of Asia,” drawing China’s sharp backlash. Defense Posture: Defense Minister An Gyu-baek reiterated Seoul’s dual track: strengthen self-reliant defense while keeping close military cooperation with the U.S., including AI, drones, and counter-drone plans. Japan-South Korea Thaw: Tokyo and Seoul will resume joint maritime search-and-rescue drills on June 7 for the first time in nearly nine years, signaling warming ties. Local Elections Watch: Nigeria’s INEC chief Joash Amupitan led an election-observation delegation in Seoul, studying South Korea’s local voting operations, including early voting procedures. Seoul Tech & Culture: Galaxy Corporation staged a “Physical AI” fashion show pairing humanoid robots with human models, pushing the idea that robots “need to wear clothes.” K-Industry Spotlight: Samsung and BTS-linked “Arirang” fan activations in Las Vegas highlighted Galaxy S26 Ultra features for content creation and live translation. Sports (Seoul-linked): LIV Golf Korea in Busan has Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch sharing the lead after three rounds as the tournament heads into Sunday’s final.