Quotes of the Day:
"Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power."
- René Descartes
"Scientific thought and its creation is the common and shared heritage of mankind."
- Abdus Salam
"Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And change has its enemies."
- Robert F. Kennedy
1. What to make of North Korea's current play of 'Tong-nam-bong-mi'?
2. China and Russia submit proposal to ease UN sanctions on North Korea: sources
3. ‘Kim Jong Un-ism’ in his 10th year in control
4. A Family of 4 Fled North Korea, Kim Jong-Un Ordered Arrest at All Costs
5. N.K. propaganda outlet calls S. Korea's Nuri space rocket launch 'failure'
6. Moon tells Biden about his offer of papal visit to North Korea
7. Moon asks Pope Francis to visit N. Korea
8. S. Korea bids farewell to late former President Roh
9. S. Korea, China FMs discuss end-of-war declaration, cultural issues in Rome
10. Korea's oldest combat techniques text to become national treasure
11. Exaggerating NK refugee activism
1. What to make of North Korea's current play of 'Tong-nam-bong-mi'?
Important analysis from Ambassador Ahn.
Read the entire piece but I hope everyone takes note of these important excerpts:
First, we must not confuse tactic with strategy. The strategy of North Korea, as reaffirmed through the North's amendment of the charter of the ruling Workers' Party at the eighth party congress in January this year, is to unify the whole Korean peninsula under the banner of communism, taking advantage of its military capability enhanced through the development of weapons of mass destruction.
The current "Tong-nam-bong-mi" proposals accordingly come with several conditions. One is that South Korea and the U.S. must stop practicing double standards against North Korea. Pyongyang alleges that its development of weapons of mass destruction is in fact aimed at strengthening national security. Thus, it is a double standard that South Korea and the U.S. condemn North Korea for the same efforts that the two countries themselves make.
Another condition contained in North Korea's proposal is that South Korea and the U.S. must stop hostile actions against the North, meaning that joint military exercises held by the two allies must be renounced and the deployment of U.S. military assets for nuclear deterrence must be stopped.
These two conditions, put together, will effectively clear the way for North Korea to implement and complete its strategy. These are clearly excessive demands that even progressive newspapers in the South condemn as North Korea's "double standard."
What to make of North Korea's current play of 'Tong-nam-bong-mi'?
By Ahn Ho-young
The standard North Korean tactic toward South Korea and the United States is the so-called "Tong-mi-bong-nam" strategy, which is roughly translated as "engage the U.S. and block South Korea." In rare and exceptional circumstances, North Korea shifts that tactic and tries the reverse strategy of "Tong-nam-bong-mi."
For the past several weeks, North Korea has played this tactic. On Sept. 24, North Korea welcomed President Moon Jae-in's U.N. proposal for an "end of war declaration." Within a day, North Korea made a follow-up statement suggesting that positive actions on the part of South Korea could lead to the restoration of the South-North liaison office and even another inter-Korean summit.
Several days later, North Korea agreed to reconnect communication hotlines connecting the two Koreas. But the North continued to ignore continued U.S. offers for dialogue, alleging that they are not genuine and lack sincerity.
As exceptional as "Tong-Nam-Bong-Mi" is, it is creating widely different responses in South Korea. Some North Korea observers cannot hide their excitement and are urging the South Korean government to take all the necessary measures to make the best of the offer, while warning the U.S. that it must not stand in the way of the two Koreas' peace-making efforts.
Others disregard it as an all-too-familiar tactic of North Korea, aimed at undermining the combined defense capabilities of South Korea and the U.S. and timed at the upcoming presidential election in South Korea. I wish to share some of my thoughts.
First, we must not confuse tactic with strategy. The strategy of North Korea, as reaffirmed through the North's amendment of the charter of the ruling Workers' Party at the eighth party congress in January this year, is to unify the whole Korean peninsula under the banner of communism, taking advantage of its military capability enhanced through the development of weapons of mass destruction.
The current "Tong-nam-bong-mi" proposals accordingly come with several conditions. One is that South Korea and the U.S. must stop practicing double standards against North Korea. Pyongyang alleges that its development of weapons of mass destruction is in fact aimed at strengthening national security. Thus, it is a double standard that South Korea and the U.S. condemn North Korea for the same efforts that the two countries themselves make.
Another condition contained in North Korea's proposal is that South Korea and the U.S. must stop hostile actions against the North, meaning that joint military exercises held by the two allies must be renounced and the deployment of U.S. military assets for nuclear deterrence must be stopped.
These two conditions, put together, will effectively clear the way for North Korea to implement and complete its strategy. These are clearly excessive demands that even progressive newspapers in the South condemn as North Korea's "double standard."
Second, North Korea's diplomatic overture must not divert our attention from the real issue, which is the accelerated actions North Korea is taking to further enhance its nuclear and missile capability.
There are increasing signs that North Korea is now heavily engaged in accelerating the production of plutonium and weapons-grade enriched uranium. Listen to Rafael Mariano Grossi, a director- general at the International Atomic Energy Agency, who says that North Korea is currently going "full steam ahead" with its nuclear activities.
During the same period of North Korea's "Tong-nam-nong-mi" tactic, Pyongyang conducted no less than five tests of both cruise and ballistic missiles. Most ominously, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced Sept. 29 that it succeeded in the first test of a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) weapon system which has been developed so far by only three countries ― Russia, China and the U.S.
HGVs fly faster than Mach 5 and at an altitude of up to 30 kilometers. Chang Young-keun, a renowned rocket scientist who has followed North Korea's missile technology for the past 10 years, says that HGVs cannot be countered with any anti-missile systems currently deployed on and around South Korea. On top of it, KCNA announced Oct. 20 that North Korea had successfully launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile from underwater.
Third, North Korea has shown surprising consistency in pursuing its strategy and equally surprising stubbornness in developing nuclear and missile technology. Unless we are equally consistent and equally stubborn, there is no way that we can defend ourselves against the asymmetric threats arising from North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles.
President Joe Biden, in his first address to Congress on April 28, had this to say with respect to the threats arising from the nuclear developments of North Korea and Iran: "We will be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countries through diplomacy and stern deterrence."
Given the serious and worsening threats we face in our national security, we must be consistently and stubbornly focused on how to further strengthen deterrence against these threats. North Korea's "Tong-nam-bong-mi" tactic must not divert our attention from such efforts.
Ahn Ho-young (hyahn78@mofa.or.kr) is president of the University of North Korean Studies. He served as Korean ambassador to the United States and first vice foreign minister.
2. China and Russia submit proposal to ease UN sanctions on North Korea: sources
Joshua Stanton provides a useful critique of China and Russia in this tweet:
Joshua Stanton
@freekorea_us
China & Russia want to lift North Korea sanctions they voted for & say won't work, & then violate because they're afraid they will work, & also, say they aren't really violating.
The question for us is who will veto their proposals: The US, the UK, or France?
China and Russia are supporting north Korean political warfare. This is an attempt to paint the US as the bad guy blocking negotiations (and even blocking an end of war declaration).
China and Russia submit proposal to ease UN sanctions on North Korea: sources
Draft sent to UN Security Council cites DPRK’s lack of nuclear and long-range missile tests in recent years
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Image: Cancillería Argentina via Wikimedia Commons (April 28, 2017) | The U.N. Security Council
China and Russia submitted a draft proposal to U.N. Security Council nations on Friday calling for the relaxation of North Korea-related sanctions, citing the absence of nuclear and long-range missile testing by Pyongyang since 2017, multiple informed sources told NK News.
The draft proposal is the first one the two countries have put forward to weaken UNSC sanctions on the DPRK since Dec. 2019. The number of sanctions on North Korea snowballed significantly during its major nuclear and missile tests in 2017.
The proposal comes amid South Korea-led efforts to get the U.S. and other nations to sign off on a formal declaration to end the Korean War before the end of Moon Jae-in’s presidency next year.
The suggested sanctions relief largely mirror China and Russia’s Dec. 2019 proposals, which the two countries never officially submitted to the UNSC due to U.S. disinterest, sources said.
In particular, the package argues for the relief of sanctions targeting North Korea’s civilian sector, according to sources. These include rules forbidding the sale to North Korea of civilian sector commodities such as equipment for construction, heating, railroads, domestic appliances, tools and computers, an informed source said.
The draft proposal follows a long absence of North Korean long-range missile and nuclear weapons testing and includes language surrounding contemporary hot topics like the end-of-war declaration and inter-Korean relations. But another informed source said the other permanent members of the UNSC are unlikely to sign off on the joint China-Russia proposal.
“The sectors on which the Chinese and Russians seem to be seeking an easing of sanctions look like the ones where sanctions would need to be relaxed in order to implement the ROK-DPRK Panmunjom and Pyongyang agreements of 2018,” said John Everard, the U.K.’s former ambassador to the DPRK.
“I wonder whether they are trying to split the ROK from the U.S.,” he said, adding that the timing of the PRC and Russian proposal suggests it could be “linked to the ROK election campaign.”
Everard agreed the proposal is unlikely to go far.
“True, the DPRK has not recently tested either an ICBM or a nuclear device, but it has tested several other weapons,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any appetite for easing sanctions.”
The proposal comes after China’s ambassador to the U.N. urged the UNSC to relax North Korean sanctions in October, after his U.S. counterpart called for more rigid enforcement of the existing sanctions regime.
“It has always been China’s view that we should also address the humanitarian dimension caused by the sanctions imposed by the Security Council. We [have] seen negative impact because of the sanctions,” Zhang Jun said in October.
Zhang indicated at the time that Beijing and Moscow had “tabled a draft of the resolution,” without specifying which resolution or when it was put together. Pyongyang’s SLBM test on Oct. 19 appears to have delayed the proposal’s submission.
Kim Heung-kyu, director of the U.S.-China Policy Institute at Ajou University, told NK News in October that Beijing was likely more interested in using the then-rumored proposal to signal support to Pyongyang than in addressing humanitarian concerns.
“It’s a fairly safe way for China to show its efforts to North Korea while implicitly expressing to them ‘you too should cooperate in our national interests,’” Kim said. “Both South Korea and the U.S. government already support the provision of humanitarian aid to North Korea.”
Edited by Bryan Betts
3. ‘Kim Jong Un-ism’ in his 10th year in control
We need to assess the use of the "great leader" and "Kimjongunism."
This is quite a concluding sentence from the Donga Ilbo editorial board.
Kim Jong Un even shows some slow but explicit signs of engagement in dialogue by saying that Washington and Seoul are not Pyongyang’s main opponents anymore, a reflection of the level of severity that he has felt. Nevertheless, Kim only makes nonsensical demands by falsely believing that a mere joining of the negotiating table can be the best card that he can play. Although he may calculate that he will lay hold of nuclear weapons as long as possible, it will result in the end to his 10 years’ power ending up with devastation and disaster. The starving people will never stay loyal to their “suryong” with nuclear weapons in his hands.
‘Kim Jong Un-ism’ in his 10th year in control
Posted October. 30, 2021 07:39,
Updated October. 30, 2021 07:39
‘Kim Jong Un-ism’ in his 10th year in control. October. 30, 2021 07:39. .
In celebration of his 10th anniversary of ruling the regime, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered pictures of his predecessors – Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il – in the party’s meeting venues to be got rid of and the term “Kim Jong Un-ism” to be put to use internally, said the National Intelligence Service of South Korea in a parliamentary inspection of the administration held on Thursday. Analysts see a series of changes led by Kim as attempts to differentiate his system of ideologies from those built by his grandfather and father. It has also been reported that Pyongyang calls on Washington and Seoul to suspend their joint military drills and lift sanctions on mineral exports and imported oil before it comes back to the negotiating table to discuss a declaration of end of war.
Kim Jong Un-ism is considered a term that shows dogmas that lay the foundation of the Kim Jong Un era that encompasses the principles of “Our People First” and “Our Nation First.” Although the suffix of “ism” is used by the regime only for foregoers, it is attached behind the name of Kim Jong Un, implying how hard those in power struggle to solidify the system under Kim Jong Un’s rule. As he is described as “another great supreme leader (Suryong), albeit unofficially, he seems to join the ranks of Suryong – the title which has been limited to his grandfather.
As Kim in January became the General Secretary of the Workers' Party in the party’s eighth congress, he left “Kim Il Sung-ism” and “Kim Jong Il-ism” behind on a page on his predecessors’ era in history by making a revision to the party’s rules. Removing the “military first” principle of his father’s era, Kim put “Our People First” above anything else. Added to this, since the regime carried out long-range nuclear missile launches in 2017, he has promoted “Our Nation First” while arguing that it become one of the world’s most strategic nations. However, Kim Jong Un-ism characterized by his focus on his people and nation is only an empty ideological attempt to turn a blind eye to the severity of the realities for his 10 years in power.
Since the death of Kim Jong Il in December 2011 brought power to his son, Kim Jong Un has forced the upper class to show loyalty by killing his family members and close officials while instilling elusive images of nationalism supported by nuclear arms in the minds of the people, leading the system to mobilize his people. Although he raised expectations of the regime’s openness and innovation three years ago when he joined a political show on denuclearization on the global stage, he turned out to be the main culprit behind the regime’s return to one of the most closed and reclusive nations in the world. As a result, a severe food crisis hit North Korea hard, about which he has expressed concerns directly.
Kim Jong Un even shows some slow but explicit signs of engagement in dialogue by saying that Washington and Seoul are not Pyongyang’s main opponents anymore, a reflection of the level of severity that he has felt. Nevertheless, Kim only makes nonsensical demands by falsely believing that a mere joining of the negotiating table can be the best card that he can play. Although he may calculate that he will lay hold of nuclear weapons as long as possible, it will result in the end to his 10 years’ power ending up with devastation and disaster. The starving people will never stay loyal to their “suryong” with nuclear weapons in his hands.
4. A Family of 4 Fled North Korea, Kim Jong-Un Ordered Arrest at All Costs
Based on earlier reporting by the Chosun Ilbo.
Excerpts:
Suzanne Scholte, chairman of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, a North Korean human rights group based in the United States, told The Epoch Times that North Korea remains one of the world’s most serious human rights tragedies due to the “triple dictatorships of the Kim family regime.” And that it is the only country in the world where its citizens are not entitled to a single human right as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
...
“We must absolutely insist that China allow safe passage to all North Koreans who were trying to get to South Korea. Because it is a crime punishable by death in North Korea to leave the country without permission, they will be executed—perhaps, even publicly—if they are forcefully repatriated back to North Korea,” Scholte added.
“North Korean refugees are unique: they are unlike any refugees in the world as they have a place for immediate resettlement because they are [considered] citizens of South Korea under the [South Korean] constitution. So [the South Korean government] must engage with China to ensure these refugees have safe passage to South Korea.”
A Family of 4 Fled North Korea, Kim Jong-Un Ordered Arrest at All Costs
Recently, a family of four fled North Korea to China after dosing the border guards with sleeping pills. After learning the news, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared: “The defectors must be caught and punished no matter the cost!”
According to The Chosun Ilbo, a South Korean daily newspaper, a family of four in North Korea crossed the Yalu River and escaped to China in the early hours of Oct. 1 by creating a security gap at the border.
The family apparently had been making a living from smuggling so they were familiar with the route to China. They were often allowed by the guards to be at the border.
The family targeted a squadron captain of the border security, with whom they had a good personal relationship. They prepared carbonated drinks and bread dosed with sleeping pills and delivered them in the early morning of Oct. 1 when the captain and his squad were on duty. After the guards fell asleep, the family crossed the river.
After discovering the family had fled, the border guards immediately reported the incident to North Korea’s National Defense Commission. The following day, Kim Jong-un issued an order stating that his government would spend whatever it takes to bring the defectors back and make an example out of them.
The squadron captain, who had been drugged, reportedly said the family had no financial difficulties, and there are no defectors or criminals among their relatives. He could not foresee any reason for the family to escape.
According to the investigation, the family’s escape may have been due to the ongoing enhancement of barriers and high-voltage lines in the border areas. The family once told the border guards that they might not be able to do business in the future, suggesting they will lose hope and can’t live a decent life.
North Korea’s National Defense Ministry had requested the assistance of China’s Ministry of Defense and Public Security personnel to help arrest the deserters. The North Korean authorities also went to border villages to investigate which residents’ homes the border guards frequented. The media suggested that the atmosphere in the border area has become increasingly tense.
Expert: North Korea—World’s Most Serious Human Rights Tragedy
Suzanne Scholte, chairman of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, a North Korean human rights group based in the United States, told The Epoch Times that North Korea remains one of the world’s most serious human rights tragedies due to the “triple dictatorships of the Kim family regime.” And that it is the only country in the world where its citizens are not entitled to a single human right as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Suzanne Scholte, chairman of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, a North Korean human rights group based in the United States (Courtesy of Suzanne Scholte).
“They have not a single human right, and the women of North Korea will tell you that their value is equivalent to that of a fly,” Scholte said.
“There are thousands of North Korean workers in China that are slave laborers for the [Kim] regime as most of their pay goes to the regime. In addition, many North Korean women in rural towns are bought by Chinese men as “wives” because China has had this shortage of women [due to] the one-child policy.”
According to Scholte, “Juche” is the religion of North Korea. From childhood, North Koreans must worship the Kim dictatorship through creeds, prayers, and songs—and learn its doctrines.
“It’s really demonic and explains why millions of innocent people have died at the hands of this regime. At least 3 million died during the Arduous March—[the North Korean famine, a period of mass starvation together with a general economic crisis from 1994 to 1998 in North Korea]—all the deaths preventable, but the regime used humanitarian aid as a weapon against the North Korean people,” Scholte said.
As with all communist countries, North Korea has a vast series of political prison camps where entire families are incarcerated, if a family member is accused of a crime. Children are in these camps, and some spend their lives there as they were born there. Crimes in North Korea may involve listening to South Korean K-pop music or watching South Korean soap operas, traveling without permission, or not properly respecting the dictator.
According to a statement by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, in February 2014, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea (UN COI) found North Korea’s political prison camps to be places where the most egregious crimes against humanity are being committed. The crimes include extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape and other grave sexual violence, and persecution on political, religious, and gender grounds.
Scholte estimated there are between 600 to 1000 North Koreans currently detained in China’s detention centers who were trying to get to South Korea.
“We must absolutely insist that China allow safe passage to all North Koreans who were trying to get to South Korea. Because it is a crime punishable by death in North Korea to leave the country without permission, they will be executed—perhaps, even publicly—if they are forcefully repatriated back to North Korea,” Scholte added.
“North Korean refugees are unique: they are unlike any refugees in the world as they have a place for immediate resettlement because they are [considered] citizens of South Korea under the [South Korean] constitution. So [the South Korean government] must engage with China to ensure these refugees have safe passage to South Korea.”
Jinbaek Lee contributed to this report.
Jessica Mao
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Jessica Mao is a writer for The Epoch Times with a focus on China-related topics. She began writing for the Chinese-language edition in 2009.
5. N.K. propaganda outlet calls S. Korea's Nuri space rocket launch 'failure'
Not unexpected of course.
Excerpts:
The Nuri rocket was successfully launched from the country's southwest coast on Oct. 21, flying to a target altitude of 700 kilometers.
But it failed to put its 1.5-ton dummy satellite into orbit.
If successful, it would have made South Korea the seventh country to have developed a space launch vehicle that can carry a more than 1-ton satellite. South Korea plans to conduct another launch of the Nuri space rocket next year.
It is the first time a North Korean media outlet has run a report on the Nuri rocket launch.
N.K. propaganda outlet calls S. Korea's Nuri space rocket launch 'failure' | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean propaganda outlet on Saturday described South Korea's "half-success" launch of its first homegrown space rocket as "a definite failure," saying the South has a long way to go before proving its launch capabilities.
Quoting what it claims to be "comments from South Korean and foreign experts," the Echo of Unification, an anti-Seoul propaganda outlet, reported that the ultimate goal of the rocket launch was to send the dummy satellite into the orbit, which Nuri, or the Korea Space Launch Vehicle II, failed to accomplish during last week's launch.
The Nuri rocket was successfully launched from the country's southwest coast on Oct. 21, flying to a target altitude of 700 kilometers.
But it failed to put its 1.5-ton dummy satellite into orbit.
If successful, it would have made South Korea the seventh country to have developed a space launch vehicle that can carry a more than 1-ton satellite. South Korea plans to conduct another launch of the Nuri space rocket next year.
It is the first time a North Korean media outlet has run a report on the Nuri rocket launch.
The outlet reported that "the technological skills of Nuri are still 10 to 20 years behind," and that the South has "a long way to go before it proves its launching ability and competitiveness," quoting another expert.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
6. Moon tells Biden about his offer of papal visit to North Korea
I have not seen any other reporting on the Moon-Biden meeting. I think the POTUS-Pope meeting overshadows everything.
Moon tells Biden about his offer of papal visit to North Korea | Yonhap News Agency
ROME, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in told U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday that he asked Pope Francis to visit North Korea to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula, the presidential office said.
In response, Biden said that the offer of a papal visit to the North was good news and Moon is making progress in bringing peace on the Korean Peninsula, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said.
Moon and Biden held a casual meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Rome, Park said.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
7. Moon asks Pope Francis to visit N. Korea
I just have to question the assumption that a Papal visit can actually somehow influence Kim Jong-un or move a real peace process forward given the nature and strategy of the Kim family regime.
(5th LD) Moon asks Pope Francis to visit N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS details in last 2 paras)
By Kim Deok-hyun
ROME, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday asked Pope Francis to visit North Korea to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula, and the pope positively reacted to the offer, saying he is willing to do so if he receives an invitation from the North, an official said.
Moon made the offer during a meeting with the pope at the Vatican earlier in the day, saying a papal visit to North Korea will serve as momentum for bringing peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"If the pontiff visits North Korea when an opportunity arises, it will be momentum for peace on the Korean Peninsula," Moon told the pope, according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.
The pope encouraged Moon, saying, "I am willing to go there for peace and help all of you if (North Korea) sends a letter of invitation," according to Park.
Moon and the pope also exchanged views on the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other pending issues, Park said.
No pontiff has ever visited North Korea, which has no formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
The pope has called for peace on the peninsula and previously expressed a willingness to visit North Korea.
During a meeting with the pope in 2018, Moon delivered a verbal invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and the pope said at the time he was willing to visit the North if Pyongyang sends him an official invitation.
No further progress, however, has been made amid a deadlock in talks between the North and the United States.
Moon arrived in Rome on Thursday for the meeting with Pope Francis and the Group of 20 Leaders' Summit over the weekend.
During the private audience, Moon delivered a gift -- the peace cross made out of scrap barbed wire from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating South and North Korea -- to the pope.
Citing a phrase of the Bible that states ploughshares were made by melting swords, the gift stands for peace on the Korean Peninsula, Moon told the pope.
The 4-kilometer-wide DMZ has divided the two Koreas since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.
In the wake of Moon's visit to Rome, South Korea's unification ministry is holding an exhibition at the Church of St. Ignatius, which displays 136 crosses made of old fences from the DMZ.
The number 136 is double the 68 years the two Koreas lived through, divided, since the Korean War.
Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook visited the exhibition and joined a torch-lit event that highlighted hopes to receive global support and create a consensus on the need to build permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, the presidential office said.
The exhibition is expected to help garner global support for peace on the Korean Peninsula as global leaders gathered at Rome for the G20 summit, it said.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
8. S. Korea bids farewell to late former President Roh
(2nd LD) S. Korea bids farewell to late former President Roh | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 15-17; CHANGES photos; TRIMS)
By Lee Haye-ah and Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea bid farewell to late former President Roh Tae-woo on Saturday, marking the end of a five-day state funeral for a leader who drew both criticism and praise for his role in staging a coup and then embracing democracy.
The funeral ceremony for Roh, who died Tuesday at age 88, began at 11 a.m. at the Peace Plaza at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul, a symbolic venue for him as it was there that the 1988 Summer Olympics were held successfully during his five-year term.
His body was brought from Seoul National University Hospital, where he died of chronic ailments after bouts with prostate cancer, cerebellar atrophy and asthma.
On the way to the ceremony, a Lincoln limousine carrying Roh's body, along with a convoy, made a brief stop at Roh's residence in western Seoul, as part of a funeral tradition, that was attended by his family and close aides.
The funeral procession entered Olympic Park, with the honor guard carefully carrying the coffin into the plaza where a dirge being played by an Army orchestra resounded through the site.
"Today's funeral should be an occasion of mourning for the deceased, and an occasion of reflection toward a new history, history of truth and history of reconciliation and unity," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, head of the state funeral committee, said in a eulogy.
"Today, we once again realize the solemn fact that no one is free from history," Kim said.
Roh, who served as South Korea's last general-turned-president from 1988-93, leaves behind a mixed legacy.
He has been heavily criticized for helping his predecessor Chun Doo-hwan seize power through a 1979 military coup and ruthlessly crack down on a pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju the following year.
He has also been praised for restoring the direct presidential vote, through which he was elected, and establishing ties with socialist states in the post-Cold War period, including the Soviet Union and China.
In the eulogy, Kim asked for the Gwangju victims and their families' understanding over the government's decision to hold a state funeral for Roh, noting that Roh expressed an apology and forgiveness through his will.
"We fully understand those of you who oppose the state funeral," he said. "Despite the many achievements of the deceased as president, we are simply unable to just mourn his death today because there are still many tasks left to be resolved by our community."
"Yet we know that true reconciliation begins when we uncover the truth and ask for understanding and forgiveness from the victims ... the past is not buried but lives as history that our community builds together," Kim added.
The funeral ceremony was held under strict COVID-19 distancing rules. About 50 people, including Roh's widow and former first lady Kim Ok-suk, his daughter and son, Roh's close aides and sitting key government officials, attended the ceremony.
Some 1,000 citizens crowded near the fences along the Olympic Park to watch from a distance, even though it was impossible to see the ceremony because the funeral hall was covered with black tents to keep any outside spectators at bay.
A few hundred activists held rallies in front of the park to protest against the state funeral, calling the government's decision to honor Roh in such a way as "a cowardly act." No clash broke out between them and the police.
About 2,000 mourners visited the funeral home at the hospital to pay tribute over the past five days, according to the Rohs.
Roh's body was to be cremated before being laid to rest. The government has yet to announce where Roh will be buried, although his family has reportedly been looking at a site on Unification Hill in the border town of Paju, 30 kilometers north of Seoul.
The tourist and natural attraction was conceived under Roh as part of his administration's efforts to promote peace with North Korea.
President Moon Jae-in was absent from the proceedings as he is currently on a visit to Europe.
His spokesperson earlier said he prayed for the deceased and delivered words of condolences to the bereaved family while noting that Roh had "not a few historical faults" but also achievements.
In his will, Roh asked for forgiveness from victims of the crackdown in Gwangju, which, according to conservative official data, left more than 200 dead and 1,800 others wounded.
The government's decision to hold a state funeral was met with protest from critics who claimed the deceased did not deserve the honor. State funerals are paid for by the government.
By law, Roh is not eligible for burial at a national cemetery because he was convicted of crimes, including corruption and mutiny, and served time in prison before being pardoned in 1997.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
9. S. Korea, China FMs discuss end-of-war declaration, cultural issues in Rome
Due course. I wonder what kind of timeline that is.
He said China expects dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea to resume in due course, and it will continue to play a constructive role for peace and stability on the peninsula, according to the report.
The two sides also agreed to step up efforts to promote exchanges in the cultural sector, as 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
South Korea has expressed hope for China's cooperation in promoting cultural content exchanges. Beijing has put regulations on Korean cultural exports and businesses since its 2016 decision to host a U.S. anti-missile system, called THAAD.
"Chung stressed the need to come up with detailed measures to facilitate exchanges in the culture and content sectors, including movies," the ministry said and added Wang agreed to continue work on the issue.
The ministers, meanwhile, noted that the neighboring countries have continued high-level exchanges despite the COVID-19 pandemic. They agreed to expand such communication to further develop their "strategic cooperative partnership," it said. Their previous meeting was held Seoul in mid-September.
(LEAD) S. Korea, China FMs discuss end-of-war declaration, cultural issues in Rome | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 7-8)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea and China met in Rome and discussed ways to revive the peace process on the Korean Peninsula and boost cultural ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday.
South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong sat down with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi for about 30 minutes Friday evening (local time). The two are on a visit to Italy, accompanying the leaders of their nations for the two-day Group of 20 (G-20) summit.
Among agenda items in the Chung-Wang talks was Seoul's proposal to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War as a gateway to the full-fledged denuclearization process, according to the ministry.
Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly last month, South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed again that the two Koreas and the U.S., with the possible addition of China, issue the declaration. Moon and his aides say it can be an effective way to build confidence and reinvigorate the peace process.
"The two ministers exchanged candid, in-depth opinions on how to cooperate for an early resumption of the Korean peace process, including the end-of-war declaration," the ministry said in a statement.
"They also shared views on the regional security situation and pending global issues and discussed measures for bilateral cooperation."
Wang said, "China supports all efforts and recommendations that are conducive to the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue," according to a report by China's Xinhua News Agency.
He said China expects dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea to resume in due course, and it will continue to play a constructive role for peace and stability on the peninsula, according to the report.
The two sides also agreed to step up efforts to promote exchanges in the cultural sector, as 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
South Korea has expressed hope for China's cooperation in promoting cultural content exchanges. Beijing has put regulations on Korean cultural exports and businesses since its 2016 decision to host a U.S. anti-missile system, called THAAD.
"Chung stressed the need to come up with detailed measures to facilitate exchanges in the culture and content sectors, including movies," the ministry said and added Wang agreed to continue work on the issue.
The ministers, meanwhile, noted that the neighboring countries have continued high-level exchanges despite the COVID-19 pandemic. They agreed to expand such communication to further develop their "strategic cooperative partnership," it said. Their previous meeting was held Seoul in mid-September.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
10. Korea's oldest combat techniques text to become national treasure
Who says there is no Korean doctrine? This is older than the US.
Korea's oldest combat techniques text to become national treasure
Pages from "Muyejebo," Korea's oldest text of combat techniques published in 1598 / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage AdministrationPages from "Muyejebo," Korea's oldest text of combat techniques published in 1598 / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration
By Park Ji-won
Korea's oldest-known fighting arts manual, titled "Muyejebo," published in 1598 to train soldiers of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom in armed combat techniques, is among seven cultural heritage items to be newly added to the list of state-recognized treasures, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said Friday.
The CHA said "Muyejebo" is a manual published by Hangyo of Hunryeondogam, Joseon's military training office, under King Seonjo's order following the 1592-98 Japanese invasions of Korea, as a training guide designed for Korea's warriors. The author describes six close-range combat skills and ways to make weapons, many of which were compiled from "Jixiao Xinshu" a military manual of the Chinese Ming Dynasty, with illustrations.
It specifically shows how to make weapons including long staffs, shields, spears and swords and the combat techniques for using them.
First editions were owned by France's University of Languages and Civilizations and Korea's Suwon Hwaseong Museum. Its later woodblock print version, published in 1714, was designated as cultural heritage by the Seoul city government in 2019.
The CHA added that the designation is necessary, as "Muyejebo" inspired other publications during the Joseon era such as "Muyejebo Beonyeoksokjip" (1610), the sequel to "Muyejebo," which was designated as a cultural treasure in 2001.
Cultural heritage items could be designated as treasures for having "important value, such as historic architecture, ancient books and documents, paintings, sculptures, handicrafts, archeological materials and armory," according to the CHA.
Wooden seated Manjusri Bodhisattva of Bohyeon Temple in Gangneung, Gangwon Province / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration
In addition to the manual, the CHA announced the designation of other six treasures: the wooden seated Manjusri Bodhisattva of Bohyeon Temple in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, for its value in preserving the style of statues made between the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods; the stone seated Amitabha Buddha of Ulsan's Sinheung Temple for having the recordings of its move from Pohang to Ulsan; Seoul's Heungcheon Temple's hanging painting of the Buddha triad painted by 17 monk artists which is historic in terms of inspiring the paintings of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province; a commentary book of "Daeseung Gisinnon" (Awakening of Mahayana Faith) belonging to Daegu's Yongmun Temple.
They will undergo further review over the next month, prior to being designated as treasures.
11. Exaggerating NK refugee activism
Interesting analysis from Mr. Lartigue that debunks some myths with numbers and statistics. But what it really says to me is that we need more Korean escapees/refugees from the north to become activists. There are not enough of them and they will be critical to the outcome of the Korean peninsula.
Exaggerating NK refugee activism
By Casey Lartigue Jr.
I remember laughing out loud a few years ago when a freelance reporter called to interview me about a "cottage industry" of North Korean refugee activists. They may look organized to professional talkers, but anyone working with North Korean refugee organizations knows almost all of them are poorly funded one-man operations.
I have also heard the accusation that North Korean refugees rush to give speeches and publish books so they can make money, as if the 2.5 million people (including self-publishers) who publish books in the USA every year weren't thinking about financial gain.
Let's look at the points about a cottage industry of North Korean refugees cashing in and being funded to attack North Korea.
Almost 34,000 North Korean refugees have escaped to South Korea since the late 1990s. What has been the yield of the alleged "cottage industry?" Less than 20 North Korean refugees have published books.
I will generously round up the number to 30, in case I have overlooked some. That generous projection would mean that .09 percent of North Korean refugees who have escaped to South Korea in the last two decades have published books. Whichever well-funded government agency or think tank that is engaging potential North Korean refugee authors apparently has been wasting a lot of money.
How much of a rush were those North Korean refugees to publish books? On average, it has taken North Korean refugee authors a decade to publish their books after arriving in South Korea. Lee Sung-ju escaped from North Korea and arrived in South Korea in 2002 and he published his book 14 years later. Lee Hyeon-seo escaped from North Korea in 1997, arrived in South Korea in 2008 and published her book in 2015. Park Yeon-mi escaped from North Korea in 2007, arrived in South Korea in 2009 and published her book in 2015. Fireball activist Lee Ae-ran arrived here in 1997 and she published her book 16 years later. Jang Yeong-jin escaped across the DMZ in 1997 and he published his book 18 years later.
The exceptions are Shin Dong-hyuk, who published the Korean version of his book after being in South Korea for only a year or two, and Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korean diplomat who published his book in Korean after being in South Korea for only two years.
Other fantastic potential authors are still fantastic potential authors. To cite three I know: Jung Yu-na escaped to South Korea in 2006, Cherie Yang escaped to the USA in 2007, Park Eun-hee escaped to South Korea in 2012. They have all been on TV, host popular YouTube channels, and have been encouraged by fans and friends to write books. For various reasons, they haven't joined that alleged cottage industry constantly growing in the heads of experts.
And what about those "defector-run associations" getting funding from governments and foreign sources? In 2016, a few volunteers with my volunteer association attempted to put together a database of North Korean refugee organizations. It was difficult even tracking down some of them. Just two years later when new volunteers checked again, many of those organizations, associations and projects had already shut down or downsized to the point of being irrelevant―and that was before COVID.
What about North Korean refugee activism overall? Sokeel Park of LiNK has been quoted as saying that 1 percent of North Korean refugees were engaged in activism.?Out of 34,000 people, that would mean about 340 North Korean refugee activists. And I have my doubts about that number.
The North Korean refugee I am co-authoring a book with now may one day get lumped in as an activist, even though she isn't. Han Song-mi has a poignant, brutally honest, and yet hilarious human-interest story that can inspire other humans who aren't the least bit interested in North Korea's politics or dictatorship.
I am usually on safe ground when I challenge the critics: Please send me an article, paper or speech where you have psychoanalyzed the North Korean regime or played your connect-the-dots games about the funding sources of you and your peers the way you analyze North Korean refugees. They focus on a handful of North Korean refugees, but ignore or downplay the gangster state they escaped from that threatens or destroys entire families. Unfortunately, many North Korean refugees remain silent because of the possible retaliation to their families by the regime.
So whatever happened to the freelancer making the charge of a cottage industry of North Korean refugees? I heard that he recently accepted a fellowship, paid for by Google. If a North Korean refugee had a similar opportunity to get funded to develop a podcast, newsletters, and other niche products, courtesy of Google, he might dust off his accusation of exaggerating a cottage industry for another article or book.
Casey Lartigue Jr. is co-author along with Songmi Han of the forthcoming book "Greenlight to Freedom" and co-founder along with Eunkoo Lee of Freedom Speakers International (FSI).
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
