Quotes of the Day:

"Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster." 

- Theodore Roosevelt

  "You ask me why I do not write something... I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions and into actions which bring results." 

- Florence Nightingale

"The miracle or the power that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application and perseverance under the promptings of a brave, determined spirit." 

- Mark Twain

1. Defense minister warns of 'high-intensity' response against potential N.K. nuke test

2. U.S. concerned by N. Korea's 'strengthened rhetoric' around its nuclear program: State Dept.

3. THAAD issue not subject to negotiation: presidential office

4. N.K. leader declares victory in fight against COVID-19: state media

5. China Claims S.Korea Pledged to Abide by THAAD Promises

6. Beijing wags finger at Seoul on Thaad, Three No's

7. Kim declares 'shining victory' over Covid in North Korea

8. North Korea soldiers in Ukraine would be logistical 'mess’ Putin won’t 'allow': Russia expert

9. North Korea claims miraculous win over coronavirus, says Kim suffered a fever

10. ASEAN-hosted security meeting backs complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

1. Defense minister warns of 'high-intensity' response against potential N.K. nuke test

A closely coordinated alliance message and call for action.

My recommendations (from one of my lecture slides). See number 6. The DEFMIN is talking about this.

Response to Tension, Threats, and Provocations-

(The regime’s “blackmail diplomacy”)

•First, do not overreact. Always call out Kim Jong-un's strategy As Sun Tzu would advise- “ …what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy; … next best is to disrupt his alliances.” Make sure the international community, the press, and the public in the ROK and the U.S. and the elite and the Korean people living in in the north know what Kim is doing.

•Second, never ever back down in the face of north Korean increased tension, threats, and provocations.

•Third, coordinate an alliance response. There may be times when a good cop-bad cop approach is appropriate.  Try to mitigate the internal domestic political criticisms that will inevitably occur in Seoul and DC. Do not let those criticisms negatively influence policy and actions.

•Fourth, exploit weakness in north Korea - create internal pressure on Kim and the regime from his elite and military. Always work to drive a wedge among the party, elite, and military (which is a challenge since they are all intertwined and inextricably linked).

•Fifth, demonstrate strength and resolve. Do not be afraid to show military strength. Never misunderstand the north's propaganda - do not give in to demands to reduce exercises or take other measures based on north Korean demands that would in any way reduce the readiness of the combined military forces. The north does not want an end to the exercises because they are a threat, they want to weaken the alliance and force U.S. troops from the peninsula which will be the logical result if they are unable to effectively train.

•Sixth, depending on the nature of the provocation, be prepared to initiate a decisive response using the most appropriate tools, e.g., diplomatic, military, economic, information and influence activities, cyber, etc. or a combination.

North Korea’s Ballistic Missile Test: A 6 Step Strategy To Respond

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/01/north-koreas-ballistic-missile-test-a-6-step-strategy-to-respond/

Defense minister warns of 'high-intensity' response against potential N.K. nuke test | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · August 11, 2022

By Song Sang-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup warned Thursday that Seoul and Washington will unleash a "high-intensity" response in case of North Korea conducting a nuclear test to highlight its nuclear use would be "futile."

Lee's remarks came as the North has been hardening its rhetoric against the South and the United States ahead of the allies' combined military exercise, further raising speculation that it could undertake provocations, such as an underground nuclear test.

"In close consultation with the U.S., we will make a high-intensity response," Lee said in a meeting with reporters. "It's not a physical one like destroying nuclear facilities but what we would demonstrate is that their nuclear use will be futile."

Lee also expressed confidence about the allies' readiness to cope with future provocations.

"In case of a strategic provocation, we plan to mobilize not only South Korean military capabilities but also U.S. strategic assets," the minister said, referring to possible provocations, like the North's nuclear experiment or long-range missile launch.

Asked about concerns in some quarters that the South's expanded military drills with the U.S. could invite North Korean provocations, Lee disagreed.

"I think that the North appears to time its provocation with the allied drills with an intention to pass the blame for a provocation onto our side," Lee said. "It makes little sense if we desist from conducting drills due to North Korean provocations."

Commenting on whether to keep the 2018 inter-Korean military tension-reduction agreement alive in case of a major provocation, the minister remained cautious.

"The Sept. 19 military accord is meaningful and can be maintained when both South and North Korea are in compliance," he said. "In case of the North carrying out a seventh nuclear test, we will make a decision through a process of collecting opinions from the foreign ministry and other agencies."

Lee also touched on China's opposition to the emplacement of the U.S.' THAAD anti-missile battery here, reiterating his commitment to an "early normalization" of the unit currently in a state of "temporary installation" pending an environmental impact assessment.

"The U.S. Forces Korea's THAAD deployment is for the security of South Korea, and thus it is a matter of security sovereignty," he said. "It is purely for the safe protection of our citizens, and it would be rather strange if we desist from its emplacement because of China's opposition."

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · August 11, 2022

2. U.S. concerned by N. Korea's 'strengthened rhetoric' around its nuclear program: State Dept.

I am actually less concerned about rhetoric. To me that means of the regime's three strategies (political warfare, blackmail diplomacy, and warfighting) KJU remains focused on the first two. I think he believes he can still accomplish objectives through political warfare and blackmail diplomacy - which means we have not been successful in convincing him that all three strategies cannot succeed.

A test is coming and we can't stop either through tough diplomacy or appeasement. The question is whether we will adopt a superior political warfare strategy the demonstrates to Kim that none of his strategies will be successful and that his only option is to negotiate in good faith or suffer the fate of all other despotic regimes when the point in time arrives when he can no longer sustain his ability to govern through the party from Pyongyang and he loses the support of the military because he cannot longer provide for its sustainment. We need to sustain the external pressure as the only means to generate the internal pressure that will lead to change - either in KJU's behavior or something else.

(LEAD) U.S. concerned by N. Korea's 'strengthened rhetoric' around its nuclear program: State Dept. | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · August 12, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks from the department spokesperson, additional information from 11th para; ADDS photos)

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- The United States is preparing for all contingencies amid signs of a potential North Korean nuclear test but is concerned by Pyongyang's "strengthened rhetoric" around its nuclear program, a state department spokesperson said Thursday.

Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the department, said Pyongyang is continuing to prepare for what will be its seventh nuclear test.

"The U.S. assesses the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri (nuclear) test site for what would be its seventh nuclear test. This assessment is consistent with the DPRK's own public statements," the spokesperson said in a telephonic press briefing, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"We are preparing for all contingencies in close coordination with our Japanese and ROK allies," Patel added. "Furthermore, we are prepared to make both short and longer term adjustments to our military posture as appropriate in responding to any DPRK provocation."

ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.

Seoul and Washington said earlier that the North appeared to have completed "all preparations" for a nuclear test, and that it may only be gauging the timing.

North Korea conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned his country may use its nuclear weapons against South Korea and the U.S. last month, threatening to "wipe out" the Seoul government and its military should they make what he called a "dangerous move," such as a preemptive strike.

"We are concerned by the regime's strengthened rhetoric around its nuclear program," said the department spokesperson.

"A seventh nuclear test since 2017 would constitute a grave escalatory action, and seriously threaten regional and international stability, as well as security," the spokesperson added.

The department spokesperson also expressed concerns over the health and safety of North Korean people, one day after the North Korean leader declared victory in fight against COVID-19.

"We are very concerned about how COVID-19 could affect the North Korean people and we continue to support the provision of vaccines to the DPRK," the spokesperson said.

Patel urged Pyongyang to work with international aid organizations, noting the North has not accepted any vaccine assistance from the COVAX global vaccine distribution program to date.

"To this end, we strongly support and encourage the efforts of international aid and health organization in seeking to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19 in the DPRK and to provide other forms of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups in the country," he said.

On China's renewed criticism of U.S. THAAD missile defense system deployed in South Korea, the department spokesperson said any such criticism would be "inappropriate."

"The United States and the ROK made an alliance decision to deploy THAAD to the ROK as a purely defensive measure to protect the ROK and its people," said Patel.

"Criticism or pressure on the ROK to abandon its defense is inappropriate," he added.

bdk@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · August 12, 2022

3. THAAD issue not subject to negotiation: presidential office

This is what we need to see: the ROK is standing up to China and will not be bullied. Stop talking about the lack of a Yoon-Pelosi face to face meeting.

We should all be well aware of how China describes the results of meetings to suit its objectives.  This is another example of Chinese political warfare (it is applying elements of its three warfares here). We should not be blind to Chinese strategy or the tactics, techniques, and procedures it employs to support the strategy. 

Again, my thesis on China. I use this to try to understand Chinese actions and rhetoric: China seeks to export its authoritarian political system around the world in order to dominate regions, co-opt or coerce international organizations, create economic conditions favorable to China alone, and displace democratic institutions.

(3rd LD) THAAD issue not subject to negotiation: presidential office | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 김은정 · August 11, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with Chinese ambassador's statement in last 2 paras)

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- The issue of the deployment of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea is not subject to negotiation, the presidential office said Thursday, after China claimed Seoul promised to limit its operation during the previous Moon Jae-in administration.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system was a key topic of discussion during this week's meeting between the foreign ministers of South Korea and China in the Chinese port city of Qingdao.

On Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry claimed South Korea had agreed to limit the operation of the THAAD battery in Seongju, in addition to sticking to the "Three No's" principle of no additional THAAD deployments in South Korea, no participation in a U.S.-led missile defense network, and no involvement in a trilateral military alliance with the United States and Japan.

Seoul has denied the claim.

"Our government clearly states that THAAD is a self-defensive defense tool aimed at protecting our people's lives and safety from North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and a matter of security sovereignty that can never be subject to negotiation," a presidential official told reporters.

The THAAD unit was deployed to South Korea in 2017 despite fierce opposition from Beijing, which claims its radar could be used to target China.

The then government of President Moon Jae-in unveiled the "Three No's" principle at the time, though it stopped short of calling it an agreement with Beijing, and kept the THAAD base on a temporary status pending an environmental impact assessment.

Asked when the THAAD operation is expected to be normalized, the presidential official said it is progressing "at a fast pace" and will likely be "almost normalized by the end of August."

But the presidential office later clarified the official was talking about normalization of the base, not of the THAAD operation.

The official also said the government is trying to determine the intentions behind China's claim Wednesday and that the presidential office received no material from the previous administration regarding the "Three No's" principle during the transition period.

Xing Haiming, China's ambassador to South Korea, said earlier in the day THAAD has posed "the biggest challenge" to bilateral relations and called for efforts to properly handle the issue based on "mutual understanding."

"(The foreign ministers) shared the view that they should take each other's security concerns seriously and make efforts to properly handle the issue so this problem does not become an obstacle to bilateral ties," Xing said in a statement.

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 김은정 · August 11, 2022

4. N.K. leader declares victory in fight against COVID-19: state media

This was the plan all along. Make north Korea look great again (MnKLGA).

Note the blame for COVID on the South. And also note that Kim Yo Jong revealed that the Supreme Great Dear Leader had the "high fever." I think next they will tell us that he has some one of a kind level of immunity and that they will be creating new vaccines from his blood samples.

(4th LD) N.K. leader declares victory in fight against COVID-19: state media | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 채윤환 · August 11, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 7-9; ADDS photos)

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared victory in his country's emergency campaign against COVID-19, state media reported Thursday, three months after the nation reported its first COVID-19 outbreak.

Kim made the announcement during a national meeting on anti-epidemic measures he presided over the previous day in Pyongyang, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

He "solemnly declared the victory in the maximum emergency anti-epidemic campaign for exterminating the novel coronavirus that had made inroads into our territory and protecting the lives and health of the people," it said in an English-language article.

Touting the success of three months of the impoverished nation's antivirus measures, Kim proclaimed a decision to lower its "maximum" emergency epidemic prevention system to a normal level.

Kim, however, stressed the need for continued vigilance and stricter measures in border areas to prevent COVID-19 from again entering the country, citing the global spread of variants and monkeypox.

"He clarified the principles and important tasks to be fulfilled in further consolidating the victory in the maximum emergency anti-epidemic campaign, maintaining the steel-strong anti-epidemic barrier and intensifying the anti-epidemic work until the end of the global health crisis," the KCNA reported.

An unmasked Kim made the speech at a large hall crowded with officials who were all without masks, photos released by state media showed.

Meanwhile, Kim Yo-jong, the leader's younger sister who serves as vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, blamed the country's virus crisis on the "hysteric farce" from the South to escalate confrontation and reiterated the claim that objects from the South carried the virus into the North.

"What matters is the fact that the south Korean puppets are still thrusting leaflets and dirty objects into our territory," she was quoted as saying at the meeting by the KCNA in a separate English-language article. "We have already considered various counteraction plans but our countermeasure must be a deadly retaliatory one."

"If the enemy persists in such dangerous deeds as fomenting the inroads of virus into our Republic, we will respond to it by not only exterminating the virus but also wiping out the south Korean authorities," she added.

She even revealed that her brother had fallen ill with "high fever" himself amid the country's antivirus fight in her speech praising the leader's efforts to manage the situation.

Observers in Seoul said her message appears to be aimed at boosting internal unity by shifting the blame to the South and highlighting the leader's self-proclaimed care for the people.

The accusation against the South is apparently intended to dilute a public perception that the Kim regime is responsible for the virus crisis, said Hong Min, director of the North Korean Research Division at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

"For North Korean authorities, it was like killing two birds with one stone as it allowed for an opportunity to justify its hostile policy against South Korea," he said.

Pyongyang announced its first COVID-19 case on May 12 after claiming to be coronavirus-free for over two years and implemented nationwide lockdowns. The North's daily fever tally has remained at zero since July 29 after peaking at over 392,920 on May 15

Last month, the North claimed its coronavirus outbreak originated from alien things found near the inter-Korean border, alluding to balloon-carried materials sent by North Korean defector groups in South Korea, such as anti-Pyongyang leaflets.

The North's latest declaration comes just before South Korea and the United States are set to kick off the allies' Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise on Aug. 22 amid concerns that Pyongyang could dial up regional tensions with military provocations.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 채윤환 · August 11, 2022

5. China Claims S.Korea Pledged to Abide by THAAD Promises

Chinese political warfare.

Or liar liar, pants on fire.

China Claims S.Korea Pledged to Abide by THAAD Promises

english.chosun.com

August 11, 2022 12:38

China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday claimed that South Korea pledged to abide by the "three no's" it had committed itself to over the stationing of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. here.

The Moon Jae-in administration promised Beijing in 2018 no additional deployment of THAAD batteries, no South Korean integration into a U.S.-led regional missile defense system, and no trilateral alliance with the U.S. and Japan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters, "China attaches importance to the 'three no's and one limit' stance of the South Korean government," suggesting that the "stance" was confirmed by Foreign Minister Park Jin when he met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Qingdao on Tuesday.

But there were no official reports here that the new government of President Yoon Suk-yeol committed itself to the three no's in the meeting.

In fact, Park had told reporters on return from China that the three no's are "neither a [formal] agreement nor a promise."

/News1

Official government statements here showed the two ministers carefully stepping around each other while asserting that they will discuss the issue further "to prevent it becoming a stumbling block."

Beijing has insisted that the three no's were pledges made by the Moon administration in hopes of ending an unofficial Chinese boycott in 2017-18.

China fears that the THAAD battery's powerful radar could be used by the U.S. to spy on its military activities in the region, but experts view that as shadow-boxing to bolster its clout in the region.

Seoul insists the THAAD battery is here purely to defend the country and particularly the U.S. Forces Korea from North Korean missile attacks.

Stationed in southwestern South Korea in April of 2017, the THAAD battery has only been partially operating for the last five years while the Moon administration dragged its heels over clearing access to the site. The Yoon government has pledged to put it on a normal footing in a gesture affirming its commitment to the alliance with the U.S.

Seoul Asks Beijing to Help with Security on Korean Peninsula

China Reluctant to Engage in High-Level Talks with Korea

Chinese Foreign Minister to Visit Seoul

China Warns Korea Not to Side with U.S.

• Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com

english.chosun.com

6. Beijing wags finger at Seoul on Thaad, Three No's

What part of international relations theory does "wagging the finger" fall under?

China is really telling us how afraid it is of the issues in the Three No's. Just imagine if we could create a ROK-Japan-US alliance?

Thursday

August 11, 2022

 dictionary + A - A 

Beijing wags finger at Seoul on Thaad, Three No's

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/08/11/national/diplomacy/korea-china-thaad/20220811154919006.html

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin gestures during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on Aug. 8. [AFP/YONHAP]

Just a day after a foreign ministers meeting Korea hailed as friendly and frank, the Chinese Foreign Ministry rekindled the debate on a U.S.-led antimissile system — and told Seoul to keep to past promises.

“Previously, the Republic of Korea’s government officially announced its policy of 'Three No’s and One Restriction,’” said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a press briefing on Wednesday.

It was the first time the Chinese government added the expression “one restriction” to the Three No’s policy pledged by the Korean government five years ago.

The Thee No’s refers to a promise the Moon Jae-in government made to Beijing in October 2017 not to make additional deployments of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) anti-missile shield, participate in an American missile defense network or transform the U.S.-Korea-Japan alliance into a military alliance.

The “one restriction” refers to restricting the use of the Thaad system already deployed in Korea, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Seoul balked.

“The Korean government has consistently maintained that Thaad is a means of self-defense to protect the lives and safety of our people from the North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and that it’s not a matter for discussion [with another country],” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement released on Wednesday evening. 

“Regarding the so-called Three No’s, we reminded the Chinese side once again that it was not a promise or an agreement, as pronounced by the former administration as well,” said the ministry. “The more China keeps mentioning the matter, the more costs it will inflict to our bilateral ties.”

Foreign Minister Park Jin told the press after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday that he told Wang the Three No’s was neither an official pledge nor an agreement. 

In a press briefing on Thursday, the Defense Ministry’s deputy spokesperson Moon Hong-sik also said it is “inappropriate for other countries to comment on matters related to our defense needs.”

The Three No’s have plagued the Seoul-Beijing ties in recent months even though there is no official statement from either China or Korea spelling out the policy.

An official statement issued by the Korean Foreign Ministry after Korea's Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy chief of the National Security Council at the time, met with Kong Xuanyou, assistant foreign minister of China, in October 2017 stated that the Chinese side “expressed concerns” on the three issues, and that the Korean government “explained its positions.”

These positions were explained by Kang Kyung-wha, foreign minister at the time, when she told the National Assembly in the same month that the Korean government was not thinking of an additional deployment of Thaad or participating in an American missile defense network, and that trilateral cooperation with Washington and Japan would not develop into a military alliance. 

She stressed, however, that these were Korean government positions and not pledges made to the Chinese government. 

There was no mention of restricting the use of the Thaad system already deployed in Korea. 

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which succeeded the Moon government in May, has maintained the Three No’s was a position of the previous government that can be adjusted by the current administration. 

The administration has also denied the existence of the “one restriction” policy.

The presidential office said Thursday that the Thaad system deployed in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang, will be up and running by end of August. The system, though deployed for five years, has yet to be used because the Korean government did not give a green-light to the military base that hosts the system, citing environmental concerns.  

Analysts said the Chinese government clearly wants to increase diplomatic pressure on Korea.

“For Beijing to mention ‘Three No’s and One Restriction’ a day after the meeting, that is a public message from Beijing to Seoul to say it has no intention to concede on the Thaad issue,” Kim Jin-ho, a professor of political science at Dankook University, told the JoongAng Ilbo. “It could have been a strategy for Beijing to appear agreeable during the ministerial meeting and then reveal the hardline policy of President Xi Jinping afterwards.”

In the meeting in Qingdao, Shandong Province, on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang told Korea's Minister Park that Beijing and Seoul should "respect each other's important concerns" and not interfere in "internal matters."

Washington also reacted to the Chinese statement on Wednesday.

"Criticism or pressure on the Republic of Korea to abandon its self-defense is inappropriate," Pentagon spokesperson Martin Meiners told Radio Free Asia. 

"Thaad is a prudent and limited self-defense capability designed to counter DPRK weapons programs," he said, using the acronym for North Korea's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 

BY ESTHER CHUNG, JEONG JIN-WOO [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]

7. Kim declares 'shining victory' over Covid in North Korea

You have to love north Korean propaganda. (MnKLGA -Make north Korea Look Great Again)

Thursday

August 11, 2022

 dictionary + A - A 

Kim declares 'shining victory' over Covid in North Korea

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/08/11/national/northKorea/Korea-North-Korea-Kim-Jongun/20220811183821027.html

Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, speaks at a meeting of health officials and scientists in Pyongyang on Wednesday in this photograph released by the Korean Central News Agency. [YONHAP]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared a "shining victory" over Covid-19, while his powerful sister blamed the country's outbreak on contaminated propaganda leaflets sent over the border from South Korea.

She also said that her brother contracted a high fever but it didn't stop him from his duties.

Speaking at a Wednesday meeting of health workers and scientists in Pyongyang, Kim Jong-un extolled the country’s official death tally of 74 as an “unprecedented miracle in the history of the international health community,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday.

“The victory gained by our people is a historic event that once again showed the world the greatness of our state, the indomitable perseverance of our people and our proud national culture,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

His sister Kim Yo-jong, who serves as deputy director of the ruling Workers’ Party propaganda department, also spoke at the event and blamed the country’s outbreak on anti-regime propaganda leaflets flown over the border from South Korea by defectors and human rights groups.

She warned that Seoul could face “deadly” retaliation if it did not stop the leaflet dispatches.

Kim also claimed her brother had contracted a fever at one point, but worked tirelessly to direct the country’s anti-virus campaign.

“Even though he was seriously ill with a high fever, he could not lie down for a moment thinking about the people he had to take care of until the end in the anti-epidemic war,” she said.

North Korea, which shut its borders in January 2020 shortly after the virus was first reported in China, claimed until May this year that it had not recorded a single case of Covid-19.

Although it finally acknowledged a viral outbreak in May, it described suspected coronavirus infections as “fever symptoms” and positively confirmed only a fraction of them as Covid cases, possibly due to a lack of test kits.

External observers believe that mass rallies and parades marking key regime and military anniversaries in April and May could have contributed to the spread, particularly in Pyongyang, where the largest celebrations were held. 

One of the key holidays was April 15, observed in the country as the Day of the Sun, or the birth of leader Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, founder of the regime Kim Il Sung. Another major holiday was April 25, which celebrates the founding of the North’s armed forces.

Because both holidays this year fell on the 110th and 90th anniversaries of the commemorated events, the Workers’ Party Politburo adopted a resolution in January decreeing that the festivities should be especially grand. The North has traditionally celebrated every fifth and 10th political anniversary with larger events.

Pyongyang has rejected outside offers of vaccines, but observers noted North Korean planes taking off from China during its initial outbreak period in May – a highly unusual occurrence given the country’s self-imposed blockade -- which suggests the aircraft were carrying health supplies to help the regime cope with the spread of the virus.

The North has reported 4.8 million fever cases to date.

Calling the outbreak a “hysteric farce” started by the South, Kim urged a tough response to South Korean “puppets,” whom she said are “throwing leaflets and dirty objects into our territory. 

“We must be tough in countering it,” she said.

Kim’s comments could be groundwork to justify another military provocation against South Korea.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months that the North has completed all preparations for a fresh nuclear test, citing satellite imagery that shows the regime has completed construction work on tunnels leading to its underground nuclear testing site at Punggye-ri in the country’s mountainous North Hamgyong Province.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]

8. North Korea soldiers in Ukraine would be logistical 'mess’ Putin won’t 'allow': Russia expert

Logistics? A train ride across Russia? The nKPA can live a much more spartan life than even the Russians. They will make do with "foraging" in occupied Ukrainian territory. Their weapons and equipment will be outdated (but adapted with Juche characteristics) Soviet style weapons. Give them sommunaition and turn them loose and see how they fare.

This still bears watching despite the naysayers. And even if it doesn't come to pass for any of the reasons below or others there may still be influence opportunities to exploit.

North Korea soldiers in Ukraine would be logistical 'mess’ Putin won’t 'allow': Russia expert

foxnews.com · by Caitlin McFall | Fox News

Video

Russia sends more troops to Belarus, ramps up aggressions against Ukraine

Fox News correspondent Alex Hogan breaks down the latest in the Russia-Ukraine war as Russia sends more troops to Belarus and shelling strikes a Ukrainian power plant.

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Climbing Russian casualties and reports suggesting that Russia is now looking to North Korea to aid its flagging troops raised eyebrows this week as some began to question whether Moscow would drag Pyongyang into its war in Ukraine.

Russia expert and former intelligence officer in Russian doctrine and strategy for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Rebekah Koffler, threw cold water on these claims and said they were "implausible."

"The Russian propaganda machine could say that 100,000 North Korean volunteers would fight on behalf of Russia, just to scare the West, but in reality, it’s disinformation," she said in answer to questions from Fox News Digital.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has become closer. (Getty Images | iStock)

RUSSIA CREATES NEW VOLUNTEER GROUND FORCE AS TROOP NUMBERS FLAG, UK INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONS EFFECTIVENESS

Reports claiming that North Korea may send up to 100,000 soldiers to aid Russia’s campaign in Ukraine began to circulate on Western and Russian news sites this week after the pro-Kremlin Regnum News Agency released an article earlier this month suggesting as much.

The article dated Aug. 2 said that "North Korea, through diplomatic channels, made it clear that it is ready to help the LPR [Luhansk People’s Republic] and DPR [Donetsk People’s Republic] in strengthening defense[s]" and "is ready to transfer up to 100,000 of its soldiers."

"Pyongyang will be able to transfer its tactical units to the Donbas," the article continued.

The report never detailed whether the news outlet obtained the "diplomatic channels" referenced in the report but instead pointed to comments made by a Russian member of parliament who championed Pyongyang’s alleged willingness to help.

North Korea in March backed Russia when it joined it and three other nations in voting against a United Nations General Assembly resolution that condemned Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

But Koffler said Pyongyang’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin does not mean the Kremlin chief would actually allow North Korea to send ground forces into Ukraine.

"Putin will never accept — it’s implausible," she said. "Just think about the sheer scale of it."

North Korean soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founding father, Kim Il-sung, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 15, 2017. (Reuters/Damir Sagolj)

Apart from the fact that Russia and North Korea have not held joint combat training and Pyongyang hasn’t even seen active combat in decades, the logistics of such an alliance would prove tricky.

"The command-and-control aspect of it is impossible. They do not speak Russian," Koffler said in reference to the average North Korean soldier. "How are they going to use Russian weapons systems?"

RUSSIA LAUNCHES IRANIAN SATELLITE INTO SPACE AMID FEARS IT WILL BE USED TO SURVEIL UKRAINE

"It would make more of a mess than it would help," she added.

As Russian causalities in Ukraine continue to climb and Moscow continues to increase joint military drills with neighboring Belarus, some have become concerned Putin may add to his fighting force with the help of Minsk.

But Koffler said North Korea does not pose the same threat to the war in Ukraine that Belarus does.

"Remember, Belarussians, Chechens, Buryats, anyone from the former Soviet Union speaks Russian," she said. "They are more integrated. Not only do they have the same, what we call tactics, techniques and procedures, but doctrinally they are on the same page [in their] war-fighting doctrine."

Koffler said it is more likely that North Koreans could be used to assist Russia with its rebuilding efforts in eastern Ukraine if Moscow is successful in holding off Kyiv from retaking occupied territory.

A soldier salutes from atop an armored vehicle during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founding father, Kim Il-sung, in Pyongyang, on April 15, 2017. (Reuters/Damir Sagolj)

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The Russia expert also suggested Moscow could be looking to Pyongyang to assist its forces with more advanced weaponry like the KN-25 — which outranges the U.S. HIMARS — in the wake of Western arms supplies to Ukraine.

"That is the real value added from North Korea that Putin would approve and is plausible," Koffler said.

Caitlin McFall is a Fox News Digital reporter. You can reach her at caitlin.mcfall@fox.com or @ctlnmcfall on Twitter.

foxnews.com · by Caitlin McFall | Fox News

9. North Korea claims miraculous win over coronavirus, says Kim suffered a fever

​He's got a fever.

I wonder if the new north Korea song is by Peggy Lee and "Fever"

You give me fever

When you kiss me

Fever when you hold me tight

Fever

In the mornin'

A fever all through the night

North Korea claims miraculous win over coronavirus, says Kim suffered a fever

The Washington Post · by Michelle Ye Hee Lee · August 11, 2022

SEOUL — North Korea, which has one of the poorest health-care infrastructures in the world, now claims it has done what few other countries have accomplished: eradicate the coronavirus.

For days, state propaganda outlets reported zero cases of “fever,” which North Korea, with its limited testing capacity, apparently uses as a euphemism for potential covid-19. On Wednesday, leader Kim Jong Un gave a speech in which he “solemnly declared a victory” over the virus, state media said Thursday.

But there are plenty of holes in North Korea’s miraculous comeback story. For one, it lacks the capacity to do widespread PCR testing. North Korea and Eritrea are the only two countries without a coronavirus vaccine program. And North Korea’s hospitals are also so poorly equipped that there is barely reliable electricity.

That has not stopped North Korea from heralding success. Kim is credited with eradicating the virus despite falling “seriously ill with high fever” himself — though state media did not specify whether the fever was from coronavirus infection.

“He could not lie down for a moment thinking about the people he had to take care of until the end in the face of the anti-epidemic war,” his influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, said during a recent speech commending his leadership.

Since May, North Korea has reported more than 4.7 million cases of “fever” symptoms, afflicting nearly a fifth of its population of 25 million. At its peak, it reported more than 750,000 fever cases in one day. It now claims just 74 fever patients — or about 0.002 percent — have died, which would make North Korea’s fatality rate the lowest in the world.

Experts warn that these numbers cannot be independently verified, especially given the exodus of international aid workers from the country, which sealed its already tight borders during the pandemic. Many people infected by the coronavirus do not show symptoms of fever, further raising questions about North Korea’s data.

Still, because the country sealed its borders and further restricted movement of its population during its covid response, it is feasible that the peak of its fever cases is over, said Shin Young-jeon, a professor of preventive medicine at Hanyang University in Seoul.

But “North Korea’s coronavirus fatality figure of 74 is nonsensically low,” he said. He added that the death toll is likely to be undercounted in official figures, given Pyongyang’s lack of diagnostic capacity.

Declaring victory over covid is a useful propaganda tool for a regime that is struggling with an intensifying economic crisis, amid self-imposed restrictions on moving goods and people across the border with China, the North’s largest trading partner. Claiming that Kim also had similar symptoms could be a way to message solidarity with his people, some experts say.

North Korea needs to show its dominance over covid after the virus hit Pyongyang, where the country’s elite live, experts say. The announcement of victory may also pave the way for further missile tests, after messaging to the elites that Kim has successfully handled its domestic crisis.

“The virus outbreak that came on top of an ongoing economic crisis posed a critical challenge to the Kim Jong Un regime, which prompted Kim Jong Un to act on it himself,” said Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

Park said the Kim regime made an “all-out effort” to curb the virus, which appears to have been effective, although the “zero case” claim is still hard to believe. North Korea could shortly resume military provocations that it has refrained from while dealing with the virus outbreak, he said.

North Korea has also used the virus to attack South Korea, which it blames for its health crisis. Last month, state media blamed “alien things” from the South for bringing the virus across the border, warning of items such as balloons carrying propaganda leaflets released by anti-Pyongyang activists. Experts question this claim and believe the virus probably entered North Korea through trade activities along the country’s border with China, when restrictions were briefly loosened in the first quarter of 2022.

At a meeting on the virus on Wednesday, Kim Yo Jong threatened retaliation against South Koreans for purportedly spreading the virus to the North.

“If the enemy persists in such dangerous deeds as fomenting the inroads of virus into our Republic, we will respond to it by not only exterminating the virus but also wiping out the South Korean authorities,” she said, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

The Washington Post · by Michelle Ye Hee Lee · August 11, 2022​

10. ASEAN-hosted security meeting backs complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

Asked another way: Is there any nation that supports north Korea as a nuclear power?

ASEAN-hosted security meeting backs complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula

The Korea Times · August 11, 2022

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin arrive for a group photo at the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 4. Reuters-Yonhap

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other major powers reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and support for diplomacy toward the goal during a regional security forum, a statement showed Thursday.

The chair's statement was released five days after the annual ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) held in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, with the attendance of top diplomats from the ASEAN member states, the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.

During the ARF session, the attendees expressed concerns over rising tension on the Korean Peninsula over the North's surge in ballistic missile launches, and called on it to refrain from further nuclear and missile tests.

"The Meeting also urged for utmost restraint and refraining from all actions that would hinder the resumption of a meaningful dialogue, and stressed the importance of sustained and peaceful talks among all concerned parties in order to realize lasting peace and stability in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula," the statement read.

"The Meeting reiterated support for the international efforts to bring about the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner," it added. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · August 11, 2022

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

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Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com