South Korea: Wag the alliance

Also: China, the US, Ukraine, Russia, Nicaragua, and UAPs.

Puppy playing with a pheasant feather, attributed to Yi Am, Joseon era, c16th century, ink and colour on silk, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The five things you need to know today:

• SOUTH KOREA. Claims of diversionary war plans reverberate beyond Seoul.

• CHINA. UNITED STATES. A post-inauguration summit might support stability.

• UKRAINE. RUSSIA. The pre-negotiation dust-up continues.

• NICARAGUA. A US labour-rights investigation could hurt the region.

• UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA. Drones over New Jersey.

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SOUTH KOREA. Wag the alliance

Claims of diversionary war plans reverberate beyond Seoul.

Sacked defence minister Kim Yong-hyun was said to have planned to instigate a conflict with Pyongyang in order to justify martial law, newspaper Hankyoreh said Wednesday. In custody since Sunday, Kim attempted suicide in his cell.

INTELLIGENCE. So far, Kim is taking the blame for the alleged scheme, which was designed to provoke the North by attacking the launch site of trash balloons sent over the South earlier this year. If true, it’s likely President Yoon Suk-yeol was aware. This adds a new dimension to his insurrection prosecution (police have raided his office) as well as allied concerns. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Japan this week, but chose to skip a visit to South Korea.

FOR BUSINESS. Yoon is digging in. He's vowed to "fight to the end", claiming last week's declaration of martial law was an act of governance, not treason. His party has elected a close ally to a key legislative post. The courts continue to punish the opposition. The US, a treaty ally, is not impressed and claims of a wag-the-dog war attempt make things worse. It raises questions about the risk of alliances and who else around the world is yanking Washington’s chain.

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CHINA. UNITED STATES. He said, Xi said

A post-inauguration summit might support stability.

Donald Trump had invited Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration, CBS News said Wednesday. Taiwan has reportedly sent envoys to meet with Trump's inner circle. Ex-president Ma Ying-jeou was planning his third visit to China in two years.

INTELLIGENCE. For every ratcheting of the US-China proxy conflict there’s an equal sign of de-escalation. Inviting Xi to Washington on 20 January would