The U.S. Department of Justice has appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel for the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
This appointment comes on the heels of the dismissal of the most recent FBI Director, James Comey, last week. Mueller served as FBI director under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, before being replaced by Comey in 2013.
The turmoil in the U.S., considered to be South Korea’s closest ally, is fomenting at a time of increased political tension around the Korean peninsula. Between North Korea’s most recent ballistic missile tests and China’s political pressure on South Korea over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, recently-elected South Korean president Moon Jae-in may need to navigate these difficult situations with less-than-ideal support from the U.S. government.
By T. Kim
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![Downtown Guadalajara in Mexico’s state of Jalisco, which resembled a war zone on February 22 amid arson and other violence by drug cartel members, appears quiet on February 24. The area, usually crowded with tourists and residents, saw a sharp decline in foot traffic and public transportation use. [Pablo Lemus Navarro/X account]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/0225-Mexico-100x70.jpg "Cartel leader’s killing sparks unrest, prompts Koreans to reconsider Mexico trips")
