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Quotes of the Day:
“Finally, I hope this book shows that we human beings—despite our most noble of ideas and aspirations—are still capable of the most appalling miscalculations. And of the most terrible of atrocities against those who do not look or think like us.”
- White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan (Casemate Fiction) by Mick Ryan
"You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness, In this case, it comes from the nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future."
- Thomas Sankara
"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."
- Epictetus
1. Japan, South Korea to link radar systems to track N.Korea missiles -source
2. Japan and South Korea to link radar systems via U.S. to track North's missiles, report says
3. Questions following the epic success of Yoon's US visit: What about China and Russia?
4. Joint military drills of U.S., S. Korea are defensive in nature: Pentagon spokesperson
5. N. Korea slams S. Korea-Japan summit as leading to 'military collusion'
6. S. Korea-U.S. war plan should factor in N. Korea's possible use of nuclear arms: expert
7. Defector-turned-lawmaker quits Supreme Council over controversial remarks
8. Exclusive: Japan is in talks to open a NATO office as Ukraine war makes world less stable, foreign minister says
9. Diplomats, military attaches gather for live-fire training followed by sales pitch
10. 3 big challenges facing Korea should be solved through education
11. North Korea blamed for hacking Seoul National University Hospital
12. U.S. welcomes Korea-Japan summit, will work with both allies to promote rule of law: State Dept.
13. What the Washington Declaration means
14. The Forces Behind South Korea’s and Japan’s Thaw
15. NK hackers' message to South investigators in 2021 cyber theft: don't touch
16. Japan, South Korea partnership funds to go to chips, energy
17. Japan, US, S. Korea discuss sharing of N. Korea missile data
1. Japan, South Korea to link radar systems to track N.Korea missiles -source
This is a significant development. This is a step to an integrated missile defense structure which will improve missile defense for all three countries.
And of course north Korea and China will not be happy about this, but it is their actions that are driving better bilateral and trilateral cooperation.
Japan, South Korea to link radar systems to track N.Korea missiles -source
Reuters · by Reuters
TOKYO, May 9 (Reuters) - Japan and South Korea are set to agree early next month to link their radars via a U.S. system to share real-time information on North Korea's ballistic missiles, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.
Defence ministers from Japan, South Korea and the United States plan to reach an agreement on the sidelines of an Asian defence summit to be held in Singapore early next month, said the person, who declined to be identified because the discussions are not public.
The Japanese government's top spokesperson, Hirokazu Matsuno, said no decision has been made yet on the planned agreement, without elaborating.
South Korea's presidential office said the country would form a group with Japan and the United States to share information about North Korea's missiles, news agency Yonhap reported.
The system was currently in the works, the report said, citing a senior official.
A South Korean defence ministry spokesperson told a briefing earlier that the three countries have been in talks to boost information sharing but nothing had been finalised.
With North Korea launching ballistic missiles at an unprecedented pace in the past year, the three countries in November agreed to speed up information-sharing. Japan and South Korea are independently linked to the United States' radar systems but not to each other.
Ties between the United States' Asian allies have warmed in recent months in the face of the North Korean threat. Resuming their "shuttle diplomacy", Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Sunday, where they confirmed progress in defence cooperation.
Defence ministers from Japan and South Korea are separately arranging to meet on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue to be held in Singapore from June 2-4, in what would be the first such meeting since November 2019.
Reporting by Yoshifumi Takemoto; Writing by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Gerry Doyle
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Reuters · by Reuters
2. Japan and South Korea to link radar systems via U.S. to track North's missiles, report says
Japan and South Korea to link radar systems via U.S. to track North's missiles, report says
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/05/09/national/south-korea-japan-real-time-data-sharing-missiles/
Japan and South Korea are planning to link their radars via a U.S. system, providing Tokyo with real-time data in a move that would improve its detection capabilities as nuclear-armed North Korea continues to fire off missiles at an unprecedented clip.
The looming agreement, which was first reported Tuesday by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily, would see radar and command-and-control systems used by the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. forces in Japan connected to the South Korean military and American forces there via the Hawaii-based U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Doing so would bypass the thorny issue of two nonallied countries — Japan and South Korea — sharing delicate information instantly, since they would be doing it via their mutual ally, the U.S.
The three countries are also working on launching a consultation group for sharing missile warning data in real time, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported the same day, quoting a presidential official.
“The three countries’ military authorities are currently building the system,” the official said. “We will do our best to build the system at an early date.”
Asked about the reports, Japan’s top government spokesman said Tuesday that no decision had been made, but noted that the three nations’ leaders had agreed in November to work toward real-time data sharing on North Korean missiles, something they said would be “a major step for deterrence, peace and stability.”
“As the security environment around Japan and South Korea, including the situation surrounding North Korea’s nuclear missiles, becomes increasingly severe and complex, trilateral cooperation is becoming more and more important,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, adding that coordination on the issue between defense officials from the three countries was continuing.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry also remained mum, but said discussions on the issue were continuing.
The three countries are expected to announce a deal on the issue during next month’s Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore, with Tokyo and Seoul having already came to an agreement in principle during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s two-day visit to South Korea for talks with President Yoon Suk-yeol this week.
Further confirmation of the agreement’s details is expected during a trilateral summit involving Kishida, Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Group of Seven leaders’ meeting in Hiroshima next week.
Years of chilly ties between Tokyo and Seoul have warmed in recent months under Kishida and Yoon, especially in the security arena as North Korea has showcased increasingly powerful missiles capable of evading defenses in both countries.
Bolstering defense ties with Seoul has been a top priority for Tokyo, which has seen difficulties in tracking North Korean missile launches, most recently last month, when it briefly issued rare alert for residents of Hokkaido to take shelter after a North Korean missile was thought to be headed for the northernmost prefecture.
The Defense Ministry later said it believed the multistage missile’s inflight separation may have confused its tracking systems, prompting the alert.
3. Questions following the epic success of Yoon's US visit: What about China and Russia?
Excerpts:
Even the U.S. takes a similar position. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen recently spoke at Johns Hopkins University. She said that the United States will safeguard its national security, even if it comes at an economic cost to its relationship with China. However, she also said that the decoupling of bilateral economies would be disastrous for both countries and the world.
Korea is not alone in finding itself in a narrow place between strengthening relations with liberal democracies and maintaining commercial and other ties with China and Russia. The dilemma arises from the changes in the international system. We have to understand the changes and base our foreign, security and economic policy on that basis.
Questions following the epic success of Yoon's US visit: What about China and Russia?
The Korea Times · May 9, 2023
By Ahn Ho-young
President Yoon Suk Yeol's and his wife's recent state visit to the United States was a huge success. The visit took place in the year commemorating the 70th anniversary of the alliance between Korea and the U.S.
David Ignatius of the Washington Post, one of the most influential commentators today, applauded the 70 years as "an epic success." The substance of the visit was as impressive as Ignatius' characterization of the 70 years.
The Washington Declaration will prove to be a strong milestone to effectively deter North Korean nuclear provocations and eventually lead to the denuclearization of North Korea. Yoon's itinerary included many activities to further strengthen Korea-U.S. cooperation on science and technology, meeting with scientists and entrepreneurs both in D.C. and Boston, visiting the Goddard Space Center, establishing a science and technology-focused group between NSC's in both countries, and signing almost 50 MOUs. Strengthened cooperation in science and technology holds a key to continued prosperity for the Korean economy. It also has strong implications for Korea's national security down the road.
On top of all of these activities and agreements, President Joe Biden and the U.S. Congress received President Yoon and his wife in genuine friendship. As a longtime observer of Washington, I could feel it in my bones. These are all welcome developments. On the other hand, I hear some observers in Seoul raise questions about what the strengthened relations with the U.S. imply for Korea's relations with China and Russia. Wouldn't it alienate China and Russia, undermine economic cooperation with them and further drive them away from cooperating on North Korea's provocations?
These are important questions. In order to answer these questions, I think we must keep in mind two interrelated points. First, we must move away from the illusion that we can continue to benefit from strategic ambiguity. Some people in Korea still believe that we don't have to take a stand on defending liberal democracy, continue to straddle the fence and cooperate with the U.S. for national security and get maximum economic benefits from China and Russia.
We tried it for many years, only to find that it does not work. The ambiguity led to losing credibility with the U.S. That eventually led to losing credibility with China as well. China came to find that, irrespective of ambiguity on the facade, Korea in the end had to side with the U.S. Korea's decision on the deployment of THAAD in Korea was a good example. China responded with a series of ferocious retaliations, maybe made more so because of its disappointment with Korea's ambiguity.
Some observers in Seoul ask why Korea cannot straddle the fence, when important actors in the Global South benefit from that strategy. Korea cannot, because we are faced with a different geopolitical and geo-economic reality. Think about Korea's security. Strengthening the extended deterrence of the U.S., as was done through the Washington Declaration, is sine qua non to deal with North Korea's unbridled development of nuclear weapons and missiles as well as other security threats we face in Northeast Asia today.
The most reliable option for Korea in this increasingly divided world is to work with like-minded countries to defend liberal democracy. Korea must continue to emphasize the importance of the rule of law, including wartime humanitarian law and the prohibition of the use of force for a change in the status quo. When the rule of law recedes, it will be replaced by the rule of power, jeopardizing Korea's national security and economic prosperity.
Second, moving away from strategic ambiguity need not inhibit Korea's cooperation with China and Russia. During my time as Ambassador to the U.S., 2013-17, I kept on reminding my U.S. colleagues why Korea had to cooperate with China and Russia to the extent that the cooperation does not conflict with the Korea-U.S. alliance and the values underlying the alliance.
Reconciling Korea's stand for democracy while maintaining commercial and other ties with China and Russia becomes increasingly complicated in today's world. However, we have to remember that this is a difficulty faced by other liberal democracies as well.
Chancellor Scholz, while declaring a firm stand against autocracies through his speech on Zeitenwende ― made immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine ― took a huge delegation of German businessmen to China in November 2022. President Macron of France organized a similar visit to China in April 2023.
Even the U.S. takes a similar position. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen recently spoke at Johns Hopkins University. She said that the United States will safeguard its national security, even if it comes at an economic cost to its relationship with China. However, she also said that the decoupling of bilateral economies would be disastrous for both countries and the world.
Korea is not alone in finding itself in a narrow place between strengthening relations with liberal democracies and maintaining commercial and other ties with China and Russia. The dilemma arises from the changes in the international system. We have to understand the changes and base our foreign, security and economic policy on that basis.
Ahn Ho-young (hyahn78@mofa.or.kr) is chair professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University. He has also served as Korean ambassador to the U.S. and vice foreign minister.
The Korea Times · May 9, 2023
4. Joint military drills of U.S., S. Korea are defensive in nature: Pentagon spokesperson
It is north Korea that has a hostile policy against the ROK and the US. The ROK/US alliance as a defensive policy. It is the regime that professes the intent to use force to unify the peninsula under the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.
And we all need to understand that training is perishable. If we do not train the capabilities of the force atrophy. We must train to sustain readiness and readiness supports deterrence.
Joint military drills of U.S., S. Korea are defensive in nature: Pentagon spokesperson | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · May 10, 2023
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, May 9 (Yonhap) -- Any joint military exercises of South Korea and the United States are defensive in nature, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday, insisting that there is no reason for North Korea to have any objections to such exercises.
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder reiterated that the joint exercises are aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.
"The United States and the Republic of Korea do conduct exercises on a regular basis," the spokesperson told a daily press briefing, referring to South Korea by its official name.
"As you know those exercises are meant to be defensive in nature and to help us to exercise our interoperability and to signal, again, our commitment to working with one another to promote peace, stability and security in the region," added Ryder.
Department of Defense Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is seen answering a question during a daily press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on May 9, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)
A South Korean official earlier said the country plans to hold a multinational maritime exercise, known as the Proliferation Security Initiative, that is aimed at preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Indo-Pacific region.
Ryder said he did not have any announcements to make regarding the proposed exercise when asked.
The Seoul official earlier said details of the exercise, including participating countries, have yet to be finalized.
The naval exercise, however, is widely expected to prompt strong reactions from Pyongyang, which periodically accuses U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises of being war rehearsals aimed at toppling its regime.
Ryder said the North's objections to any future military exercise can be well anticipated.
"But again these are defensive, any exercises we do are defensive in nature and meant to promote interoperability with, again, our primary focus being on promoting peace, security and stability in the region," he added.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · May 10, 2023
5. N. Korea slams S. Korea-Japan summit as leading to 'military collusion'
Korea and Japan are doing some right to upset the Kim family regime. And again, to beat a dead horse. This military COOPERATION (versus collusion) is the result of Kim Jong Un's hostile policy toward both countries.
(LEAD) N. Korea slams S. Korea-Japan summit as leading to 'military collusion' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 우재연 · May 10, 2023
(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 4 paras)
SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea condemned this week's summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida through its propaganda outlet Wednesday, saying it has paved the way for a "military collusion" between the two countries.
Yoon and Kishida met in Seoul on Sunday in what marked a full resumption of "shuttle diplomacy," or regular two-way visits between the neighbors' leaders, after years of frayed relations over rows stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, including the issue of forced labor.
In the North's first response to the summit, propaganda website Uriminzokkiri said "the military collusion between South Korea and Japan, much wanted by the United States, has entered the stage for it to be recklessly carried out."
The website also apparently criticized Yoon's remarks Sunday suggesting Japan could participate in the Washington Declaration, a Seoul-Washington agreement aimed at strengthening the U.S. extended deterrence commitment.
Uriminzokkiri claimed Yoon's "submissive" foreign policy has facilitated Japan to cover up its past atrocities, and become much bolder in terms of its sovereignty claim over the South's easternmost islets of Dokdo and Tokyo's plan to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Later in the day, Pyongyang slammed the summit once again, saying it will only make the region unstable.
"If Japan persistently resorts to forming a U.S.-led tripartite military alliance, turning its face away from reality, it will plunge Northeast Asia into instability and finally turn it into a sea of flames, where it will perish," the official Korean Central News Agency said via an article by Kim Sol-hwa, a researcher at the Institute for Japan Studies of the North's foreign ministry.
The report said Japan's potential participation in the Washington Declaration represents Washington's "sinister intention to establish a U.S.-led nuclear military alliance in Northeast Asia."
It added the declaration is "the most undisguised scenario for nuclear confrontation seriously threatening the peace and security not only of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia but also in the rest of the world."
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands after holding a joint press conference at the presidential office in Seoul on May 7, 2023. During their talks, Yoon and Kishida agreed to allow a group of South Korean experts to visit Japan to inspect the planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 우재연 · May 10, 2023
6. S. Korea-U.S. war plan should factor in N. Korea's possible use of nuclear arms: expert
Very interesting. A few of us met with KIDA last evening to discuss the Washington Declaration and the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG)and some made this exact point.
But Dr. Cho missed a key point of the NCG in this excerpt. We want to use the full range of military assets to include our collective conventional capabilities and not rely solely on nuclear weapons for defense. Part of the Washington Declaration is to ensure the full integration of ROK capabilities into deterrence and defense.
Excerpt:
To fend off the North's use of nuclear arms, Cho stressed the importance of enhancing the credibility of America's "extended deterrence" commitment to using the full range of its military assets, including nuclear, to defend its ally.
S. Korea-U.S. war plan should factor in N. Korea's possible use of nuclear arms: expert | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · May 10, 2023
SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States should take into account the possibility of North Korea using nuclear weapons in a contingency when they map out wartime operational plans and strategies, a government expert said Wednesday.
Cho Nam-hoon, senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, made the remarks in a meeting with reporters on how to deter and respond to evolving North Korean nuclear threats.
"North Korea's nuclear threat has emerged as the most significant threat on the Korean Peninsula," he said. "A future defense strategy should focus on deterring the North from using nuclear arms, responding (to a nuclear attack if it occurs) in a way that minimizes damage and deterring additional use (of nuclear arms)."
Seoul and Washington have been striving to enhance nuclear deterrence following Pyongyang's provocative acts, including its adoption of an aggressive nuclear policy and its testing of menacing weapons systems, including an underwater nuclear attack drone.
To fend off the North's use of nuclear arms, Cho stressed the importance of enhancing the credibility of America's "extended deterrence" commitment to using the full range of its military assets, including nuclear, to defend its ally.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · May 10, 2023
7. Defector-turned-lawmaker quits Supreme Council over controversial remarks
How many politicians make statements such as this?
Excerpt:
"I don't want to put a burden on the party anymore," Tae said in an emergency press conference. "I am going to resign from the Supreme Council position today. I am fully responsible for all the controversies so far."
(2nd LD) Defector-turned-lawmaker quits Supreme Council over controversial remarks | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김한주 · May 10, 2023
(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 6-8)
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- Rep. Tae Yong-ho voluntarily resigned from the Supreme Council of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Wednesday as the party's ethics committee was set to deliver disciplinary measures for him for making a series of controversial remarks.
The North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker made the decision in an apparent attempt to get the panel to take his voluntary resignation into consideration and reduce the level of a disciplinary measure for him so that he can seek reelection in next year's general elections.
He cannot run in the elections if given a one-year party membership suspension or heavier punishment.
"I don't want to put a burden on the party anymore," Tae said in an emergency press conference. "I am going to resign from the Supreme Council position today. I am fully responsible for all the controversies so far."
Tae also pledged to work for the success of the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol as it marks the first anniversary in office. He added there were no prior discussions with the presidential office about his decision.
The ethics committee, meanwhile, said Tae's move is expected to influence its ruling, implying the possibility that the level of disciplinary measures could be lowered.
"As a member of the ethics committee, I think this attitude of taking political responsibility is very meaningful," Rep. Jun Joo-hyae told reporters.
The decision is expected to be announced late Wednesday.
Tae was referred to the committee in part for displaying what critics say was a distorted history perception by insisting a civil uprising on the island of Jeju in the late 1940s was obviously triggered on the instruction of North Korea's late national founder, Kim Il-sung.
He has also been under criticism over a phone conversation he had with senior presidential political affairs secretary Lee Jin-bok, in which Lee allegedly asked Tae to make remarks in support of Korea-Japan relations while talking about the issue of party nominations for next year's general elections.
Tae talked about Lee's alleged request during a meeting with his aides, and a local media outlet revealed the transcript of Tae's remarks recorded by one of the aides. Tae has since denied Lee made such a request, saying he made an exaggeration of what was said during the call with Lee.
He also came under fire after branding the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) as "JMS DP," referring to JMS, a controversial religious group embroiled in a series of sexual harassment cases involving its leader. Tae said J stands for junk, M for money and S for sex.
Tae, Pyongyang's former deputy ambassador to Britain, defected to South Korea in 2016 and was elected as a lawmaker here in 2020, becoming the first North Korean defector to do so.
The PPP runs a four-tier disciplinary system, which ranges from a warning to a maximum 3-year suspension in party membership, a recommendation to leave the party and an expulsion. A one-year party membership suspension or heavier disciplinary measures result in an inability to run for parliamentary elections.
The panel was also set to deliver a decision for another Supreme Council member, Kim Jae-won, for making controversial remarks.
Rep. Tae Yong-ho of the People Power Party speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 10, 2023. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 김한주 · May 10, 2023
8. Exclusive: Japan is in talks to open a NATO office as Ukraine war makes world less stable, foreign minister says
This Is quite a positive development.
And this could also link into the UNC Rear HQ in Japan as many of the UNC sending states are NATO allies. We are really developing an integrated web of allies and partners. We could make these bonds so strong that the rogue and revisionist powers will not have a chance against the multiple alliances that support the rules based international order.
Excerpts:
NATO has similar liaison offices in other places including Ukraine and Vienna. The liaison office in Japan will enable discussions with NATO’s security partners, such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, on geopolitical challenges, emerging and disruptive technologies, and cyber threats, Nikkei reported last week.
The war has also seen countries like Japan and South Korea draw closer to their Western partners, while presenting a united front against perceived threats closer to home.
Exclusive: Japan is in talks to open a NATO office as Ukraine war makes world less stable, foreign minister says | CNN
CNN · by Jessie Yeung,Marc Stewart · May 10, 2023
Tokyo CNN —
Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable.
“We are already in discussions, but no details (have been) finalized yet,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday, speaking a week ahead of the Group of Seven summit, hosted this year by Japan in Hiroshima.
Hayashi specifically cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year as an event with repercussions far beyond Europe’s borders that forced Japan to rethink regional security.
“The reason why we are discussing about this is that since the aggression by Russia to Ukraine, the world (has) become more unstable,” he said.
Ukrainians fleeing war find asylum in unexpected Asian country (June 2022)
02:59 - Source: CNN
“Something happening in East Europe is not only confined to the issue in East Europe, and that affects directly the situation here in the Pacific. That’s why a cooperation between us in East Asia and NATO (is) becoming … increasingly important.”
He added that Japan is not a treaty member of NATO, which stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – but that the move sends a message the bloc’s Asia Pacific partners are “engaging in a very steady manner” with NATO.
The opening of a NATO liaison office in Japan would mark a significant development for the Western alliance amid deepening geopolitical fault lines, and is likely to attract criticism from the Chinese government, which has previously warned against such a move.
The Nikkei Asia first reported plans to open the office in Japan last Wednesday, citing unnamed Japanese and NATO officials.
NATO has similar liaison offices in other places including Ukraine and Vienna. The liaison office in Japan will enable discussions with NATO’s security partners, such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, on geopolitical challenges, emerging and disruptive technologies, and cyber threats, Nikkei reported last week.
In a statement to CNN last week, a NATO spokesperson said: “As to plans to open a liaison office in Japan, we won’t go into the details of ongoing deliberations among NATO allies.” She added that NATO and Japan “have a long-standing cooperation.”
CNN reached out to NATO for comment on Wednesday after Hayashi’s remarks.
Complex security situation
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves through Europe and drove non-aligned Finland and Sweden to abandon their neutrality and seek protection within NATO, with Finland formally joining the bloc last month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited to participate in the G7 summit next week, said Hayashi, alongside the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Zelensky is expected to dial in remotely.
“Since we are hosting it here in Japan, so we have to talk about Asia Pacific, Indo-Pacific issues too,” he said, adding that the summit location in Hiroshima — where atomic bombs were dropped in 1945 — was partly chosen because “we would like to talk about nonproliferation and also disarmament,” topics that have come to the fore during the war in Ukraine.
The war has also seen countries like Japan and South Korea draw closer to their Western partners, while presenting a united front against perceived threats closer to home.
SOUTH CHINA SEA (July 27, 2021) Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) conducts flight deck operations onboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08) in the South China Sea on July 27, 2021. VMFA-211 is attached to the United Kingdom's Carrier Strike Group 21, a UK-led international strike group including support from the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) and The Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS Evertsen (F 805). A free and open Indo-Pacific region that is peaceful and stable is vital to ensuring greater prosperity for the region and the world.
1st Lt. Zachary Bodner
What China really means when it talks about NATO's eastward expansion
Hayashi highlighted what he described as Japan’s “severe and complex” regional security environment, noting that in addition to increased Russian aggression, Tokyo is also contending with a nuclear-armed North Korea and a rising China.
China has been growing its naval and air forces in areas near Japan while claiming the Senkaku Islands, an uninhabited Japanese-controlled chain in the East China Sea, as its sovereign territory. In the face of growing friction, Japan recently announced plans for its biggest military buildup since World War II.
Tensions between Japan and Russia have also been increasing in recent months, fueled in part by Russian military drills in the waters between the two nations, and joint Chinese-Russian naval patrols in the western Pacific close to Japan.
In April, Russian warships conducted anti-submarine exercises in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea – and in March, Russian missile boats fired cruise missiles at a mock target in the same waters. And after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Ukraine in March, two Russian strategic bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, flew over waters off the Japanese coast for more than seven hours, Reuters reported.
Despite the growing regional tensions, Hayashi said the potential opening of the office was not aimed at specific countries. “This is not intended…to be sending a message,” said Hayashi.
He added that Japan and other countries still need to cooperate with China on larger issues such as climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, and that Tokyo wanted a “constructive and stable relationship” with Beijing.
Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force disembark from a V-22 Osprey aircraft during a live fire exercise in Gotemba, Japan, on May 28, 2022.
Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images/FILE
China reaction
China has previously warned against NATO expanding its reach into Asia and responded angrily to previous reports on the possible Japan office.
“Asia is a promising land for cooperation and a hotbed for peaceful development. It should not be a platform for those who seek geopolitical fights,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in a briefing last week. “NATO’s eastward push and interference in Asia Pacific matters will definitely undermine regional peace and stability.”
Though Beijing has claimed impartiality in the Ukraine war and no advance knowledge of Russia’s intent, it has refused to condemn Moscow’s actions. Instead, it has parroted Kremlin lines blaming NATO for provoking the conflict – further fracturing relationships with both Europe and the US.
And in March, senior Chinese Foreign Ministry officials and influential Communist Party publications accused the United States of seeking to build a NATO-like bloc in the Indo-Pacific, with one official warning of “unimaginable” consequences.
On Wednesday, Hayashi played down concerns that opening a Tokyo NATO office could further inflame tensions, saying: “I don’t feel that’s the case.”
The country has had a pacifist constitution since World War II – which he argued is reflected in this move.
“We are not offending anyone, we’re defending ourselves from any kind of interference and concerns, and in some cases threats,” he said.
CNN · by Jessie Yeung,Marc Stewart · May 10, 2023
9. Diplomats, military attaches gather for live-fire training followed by sales pitch
Information and influence. (strong messages follow!) - South Korea is a partner in the arsenal of democracy. South Korean weapons are superior to Russian/communist based weapons systems. South Korean weapons are for the most part interoperable with NATO systems because they are for the most part interoperable with US systems (but at lower cost than US systems), And of course these weapons will make the major contribution in the defeat and destruction of the north Korean People's Army.
Wednesday
May 10, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Diplomats, military attaches gather for live-fire training followed by sales pitch
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/10/national/defense/korea-k2-k21/20230510080009776.html
A training exercise involving 31 pieces of equipment of the Korean Army on a training ground run by the 8th Manuever Division in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on May 2. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
The fact that light travels faster than sound was witnessed by every pair of eyes peering over a training ground in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on an afternoon in May as dozens of diplomats and military attaches observed a live-fire training of K-2 tanks.
“Please direct your attention to the target, as we will destroy the enemy tank identified and located two kilometers in front,” said a military official, addressing the jam-packed observation deck.
First a flash, then the booming sounds of the artillery shots reached the audience, as the targets marked on a hill were consecutively bombed.
The K-2 Black Panthers advanced after the shots, quickly followed by K-21 infantry fighting vehicles, and a total of 31 weapons systems subsequently bombed the targets in the 10-minute exercise.
Live-fire exercise on May 2 in Pocheon, Gyeonggi [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
The drill took place at a training ground operated by the 8th Manuever Division of the Army in Pocheon on May 2, known to be one of the largest live-fire training grounds available in Asia, and the only one in the country that allows battalion-level units to conduct joint air-ground training.
While it was one of the regular training exercises that take place twice a year, this one also featured a sales pitch for the audience gathered — diplomats and military attaches representing at least a dozen nations including Australia, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Thailand and the Czech Republic.
Members of the diplomatic corps listen in as Korean military officials make a presentation about their weapons systems. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
“The tanks, self-propelled guns, and other firearms you see today are exported, contributing to strengthening security cooperation around the world,” said Lee Do-hoon, vice foreign minister, in addressing the diplomats on the observation deck.
The members of the diplomatic corps were able to climb into a K-2 Black Panther or K-21 tank, and inspect up close the K-1 tank, K-808 wheeled armored personnel carrier, K-600 combat engineering vehicle, the K-9 Thunder and K-239 Chunmoo system.
Korea’s weapons were not traditionally designed with exports in mind, but their interoperability with the U.S. weapons systems have made them an attractive alternative to European buyers especially following the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year, neighboring countries such as Poland began buying Korea's weapons in earnest. The European nation signed $14 billion worth of arms packages with Korea, resulting in 180 K-2 tanks by Hyndai Rotem arriving in Poland last December, with plans to help Poland eventually domestically manufacture over 800 K-2 tanks beginning in 2025 or 2026.
Observation deck on the training ground in Pocheon on May 2 [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
More recently, Korean weapons have found popularity in the Indo-Pacific as well as the Middle East. Saudi Arabia began operating the K-239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system on its border with Yemen this year, and the United Arab Emirates also bought the Cheongung II system in a deal worth $3.5 billion last year.
Korea’s Hanwha Defense and Australia agreed to locally produce the K-9 howitzer in Geelong, Victoria in 2021. Hanwha Defense Australia’s AS-21 Redback is also competing with Germany’s Rheinmetall KF-41 Lynx for Australia’s Land 400 Phase 3 program to renew the country’s infantry fighting vehicle force.
The top Australian envoy in Seoul, Catherine Raper, was present during the drill and the post-drill on-site inspections of the weapons.
Members of the diplomatic corps in Korea, including Australian Ambassador Catherine Raper, second from right, and U.A.E. defense attache Hamad Mohamed Khalfan Hamad Alkindi, third from right, listen in as Korean military officials make a presentation about their weapons systems. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
Stopping by a K-9, Raper posed a few questions on whether the Korean military had any plans to reduce the minimum number of crew needed to operate each K-9 tank, to which a military official on site responded promptly that the newly developed K-9 A-2 tanks are equipped with an automatic loading system that would allow such reduction of crew members.
The defense industry of Korea may continue to benefit from the tension among blocs in what’s increasingly dubbed as the New Cold War era.
Czech Ambassador to Korea Gustav Slamecka addresses the military officials at a training ground in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on May 2. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
Korea’s top five weapons exporters had a total order backlog worth 100.5 trillion won ($74.9 billion) as of the end of last year. Hanwha Aerospace topped the list with 52.7 trillion won, tailed by Korea Aerospace Industries at 24.6 trillion won, LIG Nex1 at 12.3 trillion won, DSME at 6.4 trillion won and Hyundai Rotem at 4.5 trillion won. Korea intends to become a top-four nation when it comes to its weapons exports by 2027, to be ranked alongside the United States, Russia and France.
“The world is becoming a lot more dangerous these days, with the war in Ukraine and other conflicts,” said Gustav Slamecka, the Czech ambassador in Seoul. “Countries respond by spending more money on arming [themselves.] Korea is one of the major producers with high efficiency weapons so we are looking at Korea as a potential supplier to the Czech Republic.”
Mathias Francke, ambassador of Chile to Korea, speaks with the press after observing K-2 and K-21 tanks of Korea at a training ground in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on May 2. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
Chile’s Marine Corps bought 30 Kia Light Tactical Vehicles last year.
“They have been in operation since November last year,” said Mathias Francke, ambassador of Chile to Korea, in speaking with a group of reporters on the training ground after disembarking from a tank. “It’s a first step in providing more Korean technology to our [defense system].”
Members of the diplomatic corps in Korea and Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon, fifth from front left, visit a training ground operated by the 8th Manuever Division in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on May 2. Behind them are K-2, K-21 tanks. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]
10. 3 big challenges facing Korea should be solved through education
Two of the three challenges, the demographic cliff, digital transformation, and regional disparity, have national security and ROK/US alliance implications.
3 big challenges facing Korea should be solved through education
The Korea Times · May 10, 2023
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, right, shakes hands with Chairman Seung Myung-ho of The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo during the Korea Forum 2023 hosted by the two papers at The Shilla Seoul hotel, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki
By Jun Ji-hye
Korea needs to address three major challenges ― the demographic cliff, digital transformation and regional disparity ― to leap forward once again, and this could be solved through education, according to Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, Wednesday.
While the country's significantly decreasing fertility rate is feared to accelerate the so-called demographic cliff, which refers to a major drop in the working population, Lee said the government should take responsibility for child care, from birth through to elementary school graduation.
"If child care problems facing dual-income families are solved, the fertility rate is expected to rise," Lee said during the Korea Forum 2023 at The Shilla Seoul hotel.
The annual forum is hosted by The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo.
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho gives a keynote address during the Korea Forum 2023 hosted by The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo at The Shilla Seoul hotel, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki
Korea's total fertility rate was 0.78 last year, breaking the country's own record for the world's lowest level.
"The number of children has decreased for years, while the budget has increased incrementally in accordance with national income. But the level of child care policies did not rise because the government has failed to respond to the situation promptly," Lee said.
"If the government accomplishes this task, the country will be able to offer world-level education and child care services."
The minister also said the education sector should be prepared for the fast introduction of digitalization amid the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution.
To that end, the ministry has been working to expand digital-related education, such as coding training, after school hours or during vacations, which has been welcomed by parents and children.
"Textbooks powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are also being developed and will be applied to classrooms beginning in 2025," Lee said. "These textbooks will play a role as assistant teachers offering customized education services in accordance with the learning level of each student."
Lee added that the AI textbooks are expected to open a new market and enable related domestic firms to export their technologies overseas.
In a bid to resolve deepening regional disparity, Lee stressed the importance of the role of local universities, saying universities should become hubs for regional development.
"Various regulations imposed by the central government have disturbed the innovation of local universities," he said. "The ministry has been working to pass part of its administrative and financial authority to local governments so they can push for their own policies to support and develop local universities."
During the forum, participants also discussed issues involving labor and pension reforms in time for the one-year anniversary of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The Yoon government has set its goals on pushing for reforms in three sectors ― education, labor and pension.
Chairman Seung Myung-ho of The Korea Times and the Hankook Ilbo said during his welcoming speech: "The three areas are very sensitive issues amid intricate webs of interests involving all of us. But we can no more delay discussions to solve the problems. Without reforms, we cannot expect Korea's sustainability."
Chairman Seung Myung-ho of The Korea Times and its sister paper Hankook Ilbo gives a welcoming speech during the Korea Forum 2023 hosted by the two papers at The Shilla Seoul hotel, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki
The Korea Times · May 10, 2023
11. North Korea blamed for hacking Seoul National University Hospital
The all purpose sword strikes again.
Wednesday
May 10, 2023
dictionary + A - A
North Korea blamed for hacking Seoul National University Hospital
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/10/national/northKorea/korea-north-korea-hacker/20230510183756578.html
Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno District, central Seoul [JOONGANG ILBO]
North Korean hackers were behind the 2021 cyberattacks on Seoul National University Hospital, South Korea’s police concluded Wednesday.
Officers from the Korean National Police Agency’s Cyber Investigation Bureau told local media that a group of North Korean agents were to blame for the personal information theft of some 830,000 people at the hospital from May to June 2021.
Both patients and hospital employees were among the 830,000 victims.
Pathology test results and other medical records were also leaked.
The South Korean police said it appeared the North Koreans were looking to steal the personal data of high-profile figures who visited the hospital for medical treatment.
Seoul National University Hospital, located in Jongno District, central Seoul, is one of the South’s four largest hospitals.
Police said they have yet to find any evidence that the leaked information was used for any further crimes.
The investigation goes back to July 2021, when the hospital first reached out to the police to inform them about the data theft.
After nearly two years of investigation, the South Korean police blamed North Korea, saying that the user names and email addresses saved on the servers used by the programmers were identical to those used by North Korean hackers in the past.
Many of the tactics used in the attack on Seoul National University Hospital also matched previous North Korean hacking operations, the police said.
Seven web servers in South Korea and abroad were deployed to infiltrate the hospital’s internal network, according to police.
The agents were said to have gone through multiple steps to avoid exposing their IP addresses.
The investigation took a long time largely due to the international collaboration required to track down the foreign IP addresses, police said.
Exactly which North Korean cybercrime group led the operation remains unclear.
Police, however, said they suspect it was “Kimsuky,” who was blamed for the 2014 cyberattack on South Korea’s state-backed Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, a subsidiary of the Korea Electric Power Corporation.
“A private security company conducted the analysis [of the investigation], so it cannot be concluded for certain that Kimsuky is the actual mastermind,” one police officer said on the condition of anonymity Wednesday.
“However, Chinese IP addresses frequently used by Kimsuky were discovered during the investigation process.”
BY LEE SUNG-EUN, KIM MIN-JEONG [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]
12. U.S. welcomes Korea-Japan summit, will work with both allies to promote rule of law: State Dept.
Tuesday
May 9, 2023
dictionary + A - A
U.S. welcomes Korea-Japan summit, will work with both allies to promote rule of law: State Dept.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/09/national/diplomacy/KoreaJapan-summit-US-State-Department-trilateral-alliance/20230509100453514.html
President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and Japanese Prime Minster Kishida Fumio hold a press conference at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Sunday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]
The United States welcomes the summit held over the weekend between Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and will continue to work with both allies to promote peace and prosperity in the region, a state department spokesperson said Monday.
Yoon and Kishida met in Seoul on Sunday, the first day of the Japanese leader's two-day trip to Korea. Kishida is the first Japanese prime minister to visit Seoul solely for a bilateral summit in 12 years.
"What I will say is that we welcomed the news from this past week that the Japan-ROK summit took place, and we commend Prime Minister Kishida and President Yoon for their leadership," U.S State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Verdant Patel said when asked about Korea-Japan relations, referring to Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
The Yoon-Kishida summit came amid a thaw in Seoul-Tokyo relations following Seoul's decision to set up a private fund to compensate Korean victims of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.
Yoon had also traveled to Tokyo in March to hold a bilateral summit with Kishida, marking the first such trip by a Korean head of state to Japan in 12 years.
"This is an important new chapter and a new beginning for our alliance partners and an example of real leadership," Patel told the press briefing.
"This produced new momentum between like-minded countries that respect rule of law and are equally committed and share our commitment to advancing peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and we will continue to work with, through the alliance with the ROK and Japan and other partners to advance these interests. as well," he added.
Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the state department, talks to reporters during a daily press briefing at the department in Washington on Monday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Yoon's bilateral summit with Kishida also followed his state visit to the United States last week, during which he and U.S. President Joe Biden signed an agreement on enhancing U.S. extended deterrence commitment to Korea, dubbed the Washington Declaration.
After meeting with Kishida, Yoon said he did not rule out the possibility of Japan taking part in the Washington Declaration.
Patel said the United States would welcome increased cooperation between U.S. allies.
"I don't have any changes to the Washington declaration to announce today," he said when asked about Yoon's remarks.
"But we, of course, welcome increased collaboration between our partners in the ROK and our partners in Japan, as well as increased collaboration trilaterally, as well," he added. "We believe all of these things are good for all three of our countries. They are good for advancing peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region."
When asked about potential a bilateral summit between China and Korea or China and Japan amid China's apparently growing discomfort with evolving U.S. alliances, the state department spokesperson said the United States does not ask its allies or partners to choose sides.
"We have been very clear that we do not ask countries to choose between the United States and the PRC or the United States and any country," he told the press briefing.
"What our relationships and our bilateral engagements are and the foreign policy we choose to pursue is about what a partnership with the United States can look like, and we are very confident in the deep partnerships that we have with Japan, as well as the ROK," added Patel.
Yonhap
13. What the Washington Declaration means
Conclusion:
Such a diplomatic approach will allow the South to take advantage of the situation when the North turns to dialogue. The Washington Declaration certainly enhances the reliability of the U.S. nuclear umbrella. If we can come up with wise follow-up actions, we can maximize the effect of the declaration. I hope the South Korean government has substantial consultations with its U.S. counterparts on ensuring the extended deterrence, dissuades the public from developing nukes on our own and secures room for diplomacy with North Korea, China and Russia at the same time.
Wednesday
May 10, 2023
dictionary + A - A
What the Washington Declaration means
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/10/opinion/columns/Washington-Declaration-Yoon-Suk-Yeol-Joe-Biden/20230510203647982.html
Wi Sung-lac
The author is a former South Korean representative to the six-party talks and head of the diplomacy and security division of the JoongAng Ilbo’s Reset Korea campaign.
The Washington Declaration between President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden in April has made the U.S. commitment to extended nuclear deterrence more palpable than before. A consultative body was set up to reflect South Korea’s opinion on the use of U.S. strategic assets. The declaration will certainly help strengthen the extended deterrence.
The Washington Declaration was triggered by North Korea threatening the two allies with its nuclear weapons and trying to check U.S. military support for South Korea in times of crisis. As China and Russia sided with North Korea, as expected, the United Nations could not stop Pyongyang from provoking Seoul and Washington. That prompted various demands from South Korea, including its own nuclear armament, redeployment of U.S. tactical weapons, reinforced extended deterrence, and constant deployment of U.S. strategic assets in South Korea. The declaration reflected the Yoon administration’s final choice — a strengthening of the extended deterrence and more frequent deployment of U.S. strategic assets than before.
There are various interpretations of the implications of the Washington Declaration. But first, we must find out what the U.S. really intends to do. Otherwise, we can miss what we must do after the significant declaration.
The U.S is basically reluctant to discuss the operation of its nuclear arsenal with other countries, except for the NATO members with which the U.S. discusses the issue through the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG). With South Korea, the U.S. has been running the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (Edscg). But after North Korea persistently ratcheted up its nuclear threats and more than 70 percent of South Koreans support the idea of an independent nuclear armament, the U.S. had to find a solution. Washington chose to preempt Seoul from developing its own nuclear weapons after the Yoon administration raised the need to ensure U.S. extended deterrence. The result was the declaration stipulating the establishment of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) and reaffirming its ally’s allegiance to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
If so, what’s the difference between the NCG and the NPG? Some security experts prefer the NCG to the NPG while others say the two are not a subject for comparison. It seems that the U.S. decided to choose a midpoint between the two — in other words, a joint security body stronger than the Edscg but weaker than the NPG. The NPG — a ministerial-level group — focuses more on “planning,” while the NCG — a deputy ministerial-level group — focuses more on “consultation.” The U.S. appears to have the will to have more talks with the ally over the nuclear operation on a higher level than the Edscg.
The idea may stop short of easing the growing security concerns from South Korea. But what matters is how to maximize the role and function of the NCG. The two allies have so far conducted their joint military drills based on conventional weapons. But now, we must ask ourselves if South Korea is well prepared for a full-fledged consultation with the U.S. over the operation of nuclear weapons. Above all, South Korea should be thoroughly prepared for effective consultations with the U.S. Otherwise, the country will have no other choice but to accept what the U.S. wants each time.
The Washington Declaration also reaffirmed South Korea’s observance of the NPT. That means the Yoon administration gave up the option of independent nuclear armamenta. Despite the massive public support for the country’s own nuclear armament, it cannot be a realistic solution for a country which heavily relies on trade and undergoes an extreme confrontation between the conservatives and the liberals over sensitive issues. Independent nuclear development will most likely deepen South Korea’s isolation from the rest of the world and worsen its internal division, which will endanger the future of the country.
Second, the Yoon administration must convince the people of the obvious problems with developing nuclear weapons on its own, let the public recognize the primacy of ensuring extended deterrence over that, and calm the growing public support for independent nuclear development. I also hope the government makes more effort to persuade the conservatives and the liberals to accept the path it has taken.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden shake hands after having their summit at the White House, April 26, during Yoon’s seven-day state visit to the United States. [KANG JUNG-HYUN]
Third, as reinforced extended deterrence will likely prompt North Korea to take an even tougher path, the Yoon administration must leave room for diplomacy to deal with it. A jingoistic tit-for-tat approach under such circumstances is not desirable. The government must leave some room for diplomacy with China and Russia so that they can cooperate to achieve a nuclear-free peace on the Korean Peninsula even amid their deepening competition with America.
Such a diplomatic approach will allow the South to take advantage of the situation when the North turns to dialogue. The Washington Declaration certainly enhances the reliability of the U.S. nuclear umbrella. If we can come up with wise follow-up actions, we can maximize the effect of the declaration. I hope the South Korean government has substantial consultations with its U.S. counterparts on ensuring the extended deterrence, dissuades the public from developing nukes on our own and secures room for diplomacy with North Korea, China and Russia at the same time.
Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
14. The Forces Behind South Korea’s and Japan’s Thaw
The Forces Behind South Korea’s and Japan’s Thaw
The New York Times · by Choe Sang-Hun · May 7, 2023
Eras of grievances between the two countries are giving way under the pressure of global changes, and with help from a personal outreach approach by both leaders.
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with his wife, Yuko, and others visiting the National Cemetery in Seoul on Sunday.Credit...Pool photo by Chung Sung-Jun
By
May 7, 2023Updated 3:09 a.m. ET
For years, the forces driving South Korea and Japan apart, deeply rooted in bitter history, had seemed too strong to overcome despite repeated efforts and the urging of their mutual ally, the United States.
South Koreans say Japan never properly apologized or atoned for its brutal colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. To the Japanese, South Korea has often been an untrustworthy neighbor that has broken several promises, including treaty agreements that were designed to salve historical wounds.
But the advent of two new administrations in the neighboring countries — President Yoon Suk Yeol in South Korea, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Japan — has led to a rapid thawing of relations.
In March, the two countries began taking steps to address a long-festering dispute over wartime forced labor. In April, South Korea restored Japan’s status as a preferred trading partner, prompting Tokyo to start the process of restoring the same status for South Korea. And Mr. Yoon drew notice in his home country after declaring that Japan must no longer be expected to “kneel because of our history 100 years ago.”
Now, Mr. Kishida is making a personal visit to South Korea, in a meeting that is being closely watched for new signs of progress. Here are some of the global forces behind their mutual outreach.
Tension with China and Russia
Tokyo and Seoul are moving to align themselves more closely with Washington as China promotes an alternate vision of the world in which the United States has less power, and as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raises alarm about a new era of militarization.
Both countries supported the Biden administration’s “free and open” Indo-Pacific vision, attending a NATO summit meeting last summer where leaders condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and expressed concern about China’s threat to undermine the international rule-based order.
President Biden holding a trilateral meeting with Mr. Yoon and Mr. Kishida during the NATO Summit in Madrid last year.Credit...Kenny Holston for The New York Times
Both countries have realized that the fast-changing geopolitical environment has created challenges they cannot deal with alone. The joint maneuverings by Chinese and Russian military aircraft near South Korean and Japanese airspace in recent years helped drive that message home.
Mr. Kishida now calls South Korea “an important neighboring country that we should work with.” And Mr. Yoon has urged South Koreans to no longer regard Japan as “a militaristic aggressor of the past” but as “a partner that shares the same universal values.”
The trilateral relationship with South Korea and Japan “is central to our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is why I, along with other senior Department colleagues, have invested so much time and focus on this critical partnership,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in March.
North Korea’s nuclear arsenal
North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threat was an incentive for Seoul and Tokyo to recognize the strategic value of building up trilateral cooperation with the United States. In recent months, North Korea has not only fired missiles over Japan, but also threatened a nuclear attack on South Korea.
South Korea has never been formally allied with Japan and has been reluctant to cooperate militarily with the country beyond humanitarian search-and-rescue missions on the high seas. But they are expanding military cooperation now, mainly because of North Korea.
A photograph provided by North Korean state media showed Kim Jong-un, the country’s leader, visiting a hall displaying what appeared to be various types of warheads designed to be mounted on missiles or rocket launchers in undisclosed location.Credit...Korean Central News Agency, via Associated Press
When the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea met in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, last November, they agreed to share real-time North Korean missile warning data. The three nations have also expanded trilateral missile defense and other military exercises in recent months.
One of the steps Seoul took to mend ties with Tokyo in March was to formally reinstate a bilateral military intelligence-sharing agreement that helps the two neighbors guard against North Korean missiles. At the height of the dispute over wartime forced labor in 2019, Seoul announced plans to terminate the accord.
Vulnerable global supply chains
That same year, 2019, Japan imposed restrictions on exporting chemicals essential to South Korea’s semiconductor industry. Seoul filed a complaint against Tokyo with the World Trade Organization. Both nations removed each other from their so-called white list of preferential trade partners.
Recently, though, Tokyo and Seoul agreed to withdraw those export controls, and Seoul withdrew its W.T.O. complaint. Seoul and Tokyo also agreed to start an “economic security dialogue” to discuss cooperation in key technologies and supply chains. Mr. Yoon’s government recently expressed hopes of attracting Japanese companies to a $228 billion semiconductor complex South Korea plans to build near Seoul by 2042.
President Biden with Mr. Yoon and Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics, fifth from left, during a tour of one of the company’s facilities near Seoul in 2022.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times
South Korea is the world’s leading producer of memory chips, and Japan supplies tools and materials essential to chip-making. Last year, Washington proposed the so-called Chip 4 Alliance with the two allies and Taiwan to keep China at bay in the contest for global semiconductor supply chains.
Growing fears about Taiwan
Seoul, Tokyo and Washington share a strong common interest in keeping peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Security analysts fear that China might attempt to invade Taiwan, similar to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. If that happened, some experts warn that North Korea might take the opportunity to start a war on the Korean Peninsula and realize its own territorial ambitions.
Such a move would open two simultaneous battlefronts for the American military in the region.
“If a clash erupts in the Taiwan Strait, the United States will demand various cooperation from its allies and partner nations,” Kim Han-kwon, a professor at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security in Seoul, wrote in a paper in February. “It sees its bilateral alliances with South Korea and Japan, in particular, as key regional strategic assets in connection with the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwanese military personnel participating in a military exercise in Pingtung County, Taiwan, in 2022.Credit...Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
Japan and South Korea have been able to thrive economically in part because of the security the United States provides by keeping a large military presence in both nations. Now, the United States wants all its allies to play a bigger role in regional defense.
In addition to South Korea and Japan, Washington has recently moved to strengthen its military ties with Australia, India and the Philippines to counterbalance China’s influence in the region and to improve its ability to defend Taiwan.
The New York Times · by Choe Sang-Hun · May 7, 2023
15. NK hackers' message to South investigators in 2021 cyber theft: don't touch
NK hackers' message to South investigators in 2021 cyber theft: don't touch
koreaherald.com · by Korea Herald · May 10, 2023
Published : May 10, 2023 - 17:49 Updated : May 10, 2023 - 17:49
(123rf)
In May 2021, the server of Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul was hacked. It was suspected that North Korea was behind the attack.
After a two-year investigation, Seoul police concluded Wednesday that the hacking was carried out by the North Korean hacking group known as "Kim Su-ki" and that it stole the personal information of over 830,000 people, including the medical records of 810,000 patients.
It is suspected that the hackers, using malware, looked into the medical records of patients, particularly of those who had undergone pathological tests.
Lee Seung-woon, the head of the National Police Agency's Cyber Terrorism Response Center, said the hackers appear to have specifically targeted the data, potentially in the hopes of obtaining the medical records of key personnel here.
The perpetrators set the password of the account created for the hacking to a phrase meaning "don't get hurt" in Korean.
In North Korea, the expression is widely taken as a warning not to touch or interfere. It appears to be a message left for South Korean investigators, the police officer said.
By Korea Herald (khnews@heraldcorp.com)
16. Japan, South Korea partnership funds to go to chips, energy
Japan, South Korea partnership funds to go to chips, energy
The Washington Post · by Mari Yamaguchi | AP · May 10, 2023
TOKYO — Top business leaders from Japan and South Korea announced Wednesday they will use a fund meant to underscore the two countries’ burgeoning ties to strengthen their cooperation in energy, industry and other sectors.
Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, and its South Korean counterpart, the Federation of Korean Industry, announced a fund of 200 million yen ($1.5 million) in March. The money comes from an initial installment of 100 million yen ($750,000) from each side to complement efforts initiated by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government to resolve a historical dispute over Japanese brutality during its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
The two groups selected specific areas of joint projects for the Future Partnership funds, focusing on youth exchanges and industrial cooperation, said Kendanren chair Masakazu Tokura and Federation of Korean Industry acting chair Kim Byong-joon Wednesday at a joint news conference in Tokyo. Areas of focus include semiconductor supply chain resiliency, energy security, maintaining the free and open international order, and climate change, among others.
“I’m extremely encouraged that the improvement of Japan-South Korea relations are now getting on the right track,” Tokura said.
In March, Yoon announced a local fund to compensate South Koreans who were forced to work for Japanese companies during World War II. Though Yoon faces criticisms at home that he compromised too much, the fund effectively ended a bitter dispute triggered by the 2018 South Korean court rulings ordering two Japanese companies — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel Corp. — to compensate the victims. Japan, however, had insisted all compensation issues were settled by a 1965 treaty that normalized relations.
Yoon followed his announcement with a trip to Japan, after which ties have been rapidly improving. Less than two months later, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida responded in kind with a trip to Seoul for a summit with Yoon. The quick thaw underscores their shared sense of urgency over growing military threats from China, North Korea and Russia and the need to strengthen their three-way united front with the United States.
A series of talks in defense, finance and trade have resumed since then and, Tokura said, the momentum is rising. He said that a free and open global order increasingly important, and economic security and semiconductor supply chain resilience are key.
South Korea’s “excellent companies” like Samsung and SK Hynix and renowned materials and equipment from Japan would go very well together, he said, adding that he hoped Japan and South Korea’s cooperation would take root in East Asia as an example to follow.
Kim said a paradigm shift and creative solutions are needed “to overcome unprecedented global crisis” and that the two business groups will “overcome our common problems and walk toward the future.”
Tokura and Kim will each head an organizing committee for the fund. They said they will set up a panel of academic experts to work with the fund and will have their first meeting in early July in Seoul.
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Find more of AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
The Washington Post · by Mari Yamaguchi | AP · May 10, 2023
17. Japan, US, S. Korea discuss sharing of N. Korea missile data
Again, a positive step forward toward an integrated missile defense system.
Japan, US, S. Korea discuss sharing of N. Korea missile data
The Washington Post · by Mari Yamaguchi | AP · May 9, 2023
TOKYO — Japan, the United States and South Korea are negotiating an agreement on sharing real-time data on North Korean missile launches, as cooperation among the three nations becomes increasingly important amid growing nuclear and missile threats from the North, Japan’s chief government spokesperson said Tuesday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said there has been no agreement yet, but “I understand that defense authorities are vigorously proceeding to set up an arrangement.”
“The security environment surrounding Japan and South Korea is becoming more severe and more complex, and coordination between the two countries as well as trilaterally with the United States has become increasingly important,” Matsuno said.
Japan and South Korea are both key U.S. allies and their cooperation is key to Washington’s security strategy in the Indo-Pacific as tensions grow with China, North Korea and Russia.
Japan and South Korea have been separately linked to data from U.S. radar systems but not directly to each other due to difficult relations strained by disputes over history, most recently over South Korean court rulings in 2018 ordering Japanese companies to compensate Korean workers for wartime abuses including forced labor. Leaders of the three countries agreed last November to speed up information sharing on North Korean ballistic missile launches.
Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper reported earlier Tuesday that Japan and South Korea are nearing agreement on connecting their radars via a U.S. system to share real-time North Korean missile warning information, which would help strengthen Japanese missile defense capabilities.
The Yomiuri said the three countries are expected to reach an agreement in early June on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defense ministers’ conference being held in Singapore. Japanese and South Korean defense ministers will hold bilateral talks during the conference, the Yomiuri said.
Ties between Japan and South Korea have rapidly thawed in recent months, largely because of their shared sense of urgency over escalating regional security threats.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s conservative government announced in March a domestically contentious plan to use local corporate funds to compensate Korean victims of forced labor without demanding contributions from Japan. Yoon then visited Tokyo and agreed with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to overcome their disputes over history to deal with more pressing concerns, prompting a resumption of defense, trade and other talks.
Kishida visited Seoul this week, where he avoided making a new, direct apology over Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula but sympathized with Korean victims over their ordeals in an apparent effort to maintain the momentum for improving ties.
Kishida said he and Yoon will pay respects at a memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima during this month’s summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, where Yoon has been invited as a guest. Tokyo will allow South Korean experts to inspect preparations at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant for the release of treated but still slightly radioactive wastewater, which many Koreans oppose, Kishida said.
The Washington Post · by Mari Yamaguchi | AP · May 9, 2023
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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