Quotes of the Day:
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederic Bastiat
"You may ask what motivates me to share my ideas and thoughts with others? My answer is, ‘When I die, if a few people will say, “He helped me,” I will feel well rewarded.’ If you do not sow, you do not reap; no investment, no dividend. It’s as simple as that."
- Alfred A. Montapert
"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."
- Mark Twain
1. N. Korea focuses on internal unity on late leader's birth anniversary: Seoul official
2. Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula remains top priority for U.S.: Kritenbrink
3. U.S. Rattles Sabre at N.Korea
4. U.S. deputy secretary of state urges N. Korea to engage in serious diplomacy
5. Seoul, Washington discuss Biden’s visit to S. Korea in May
6. North's hackers cash in on cryptocurrency
7.U.S. diplomat stresses supply chains, denuclearization in trilateral agenda
8. '3 Nos,' THAAD pit leading presidential candidates against each other
9. Biden's improvident policy toward North Korea
10. Watch for Kim Jong-un's Next Play Once the Athletes Leave Beijing
11. Omicron surges across South Korea as election looms
12. Pope Francis unlikely to visit North Korea
13. Lippert’s expertise to boost Samsung’s US strategy
1. N. Korea focuses on internal unity on late leader's birth anniversary: Seoul official
We have to ask how bad is the internal situation and how threatened does Kim Jong-un feel from the internal conditions? What are the indicators of potential internal resistance?
(LEAD) N. Korea focuses on internal unity on late leader's birth anniversary: Seoul official | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 4, 7-13)
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have focused on boosting internal unity on the occasion of the 80th birth anniversary of the country's late leader Kim Jong-il, instead of using it as a chance to send a new major message to the outside world, a Seoul official said Thursday.
North Korea has been holding various events to mark the anniversary, which falls on Feb. 16, with leader Kim Jong-un attending a national meeting held in the northwestern city of Samjiyon on Tuesday to pay tribute to his late father, according to the North's state media.
"North Korea appears to have used the holiday as an opportunity to bolster internal unity, rather than as a venue to deliver messages to the outside world," an official at the Ministry of Unification handling inter-Korean relations told reporters.
The North's state media made no mention of inter-Korean and North Korea-U.S. relations, nor played up the country's military buildup under the late leader, the official pointed out.
South Korea's military earlier said it detected signs of the secretive regime gearing up for a large-scale military parade. But it could be held to mark the 110th birthday anniversary of Kim's late grandfather and national founder, Kim Il-sung, on April 15, given that the preparations seem to be still at the early stage.
The North says Kim Jong-il was born on Feb. 16, 1942, in a Samjiyon area located at the foot of Mount Paektu. He ruled the country for nearly two decades and died in 2011.
"The selection of Samjiyon as a venue to celebrate this year's anniversary could be aimed at stressing the legitimacy of Kim's rule and his achievements by highlighting the Paektu bloodline of the Kim family," the ministry official said.
Last week, Kim said, "The work of sprucing up Samjiyon City was victoriously concluded as a gift of loyalty to the 80th birth anniversary of Chairman Kim Jong-il."
North Korea elevated the status of Samjiyon from a county to a city in 2019 and has called for transforming the area into the "wealthiest" region in the country.
In Pyongyang, foreign diplomats attended celebratory events for the national holiday, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency, though it did not elaborate how many diplomatic officials were present or which countries they were representing.
Many countries have withdrawn their diplomats from the North after Pyongyang imposed strict border controls since 2020 to stave off the COVID-19 pandemic.
The North, meanwhile, has yet to report on Kim's possible visit to the landmark mausoleum of his father in the capital as usual for the anniversary.
Kim has paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the late leader's body lies in state, every year since he took power in late 2011.
(END)
2. Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula remains top priority for U.S.: Kritenbrink
Emphasis on trilateral cooperation.
Excerpts:
"During the recent trilateral meetings, the United States had the opportunity to reiterate our ironclad security guarantees to our South Korean and Japanese allies," Kritenbrink added.
He said the U.S. remains prepared "to engage (North Korea) in serious and sustained diplomacy without preconditions to achieve that end and to make tangible progress."
The assistant secretary of state emphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation between his country and its two Asian allies to that end.
"There is no doubt that the United States is stronger and more prosperous and more secure when our closest allies in Northeast Asia are working closely together, and when we are working together trilaterally," Kritenbrink said.
Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula remains top priority for U.S.: Kritenbrink | Yonhap News Agency
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- The complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a top priority for the United States and its regional allies, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday, while highlighting the importance of trilateral cooperation between the U.S., South Korea and Japan to achieve that goal.
Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink also renewed the U.S. call for North Korea to engage in serious dialogue.
"Issues related to security on the Korean Peninsula and particularly the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs is, of course, a top priority for our three countries," Kritenbrink told reporters during a teleconference to explain the outcome of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent trip to Australia, Fiji and Hawaii.
During his visit to Hawaii, the top U.S. diplomat met with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Chung Eui-yong and Yoshimasa Hayashi, respectively, to discuss ways to engage with North Korea.
"We also discussed in great detail the continued priority we continue to place on the DPRK, and Secretary Blinken was able to reiterate that our goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and will continue to consult closely with our allies and partners going forward," Kritenbrink said of the trilateral foreign ministerial talks, held Saturday in Honolulu.
The high-profile meeting came after North Korea staged seven rounds of missile launches in January, marking the largest number of missile tests it conducted in a month. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
"During the recent trilateral meetings, the United States had the opportunity to reiterate our ironclad security guarantees to our South Korean and Japanese allies," Kritenbrink added.
He said the U.S. remains prepared "to engage (North Korea) in serious and sustained diplomacy without preconditions to achieve that end and to make tangible progress."
The assistant secretary of state emphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation between his country and its two Asian allies to that end.
"There is no doubt that the United States is stronger and more prosperous and more secure when our closest allies in Northeast Asia are working closely together, and when we are working together trilaterally," Kritenbrink said.
"I think that the trilateral in Honolulu between our three foreign ministers proved that the United States and Japan, the Republic of Korea, in fact, are working closely together on a whole range of regional and global issues, ranging from security to global health to the environment and other international challenges," he added, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Seoul-Tokyo relations have steadily deteriorated since Japan began taking economic steps against South Korea in mid-2019 that many believe were aimed at retaliating against Seoul court decisions ordering Japanese companies to pay compensation to South Korean workers forced into free labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.
South Korea has repeatedly called on Japan to unwind its economic measures amid a global supply chain crisis.
Japan has refused to do so, according to South Korean officials.
"Even while Japan and the ROK are addressing certain sensitive issues in their bilateral relationship, we continue to move forward to embrace opportunities to advance our common regional and international priorities," Kritenbrink insisted.
He emphasized the importance of the countries' bilateral cooperation for their economic security.
"Certainly on matters of economic security, I think these are vitally important to our future prosperity in the 21st century -- making sure that we have strong and resilient supply chains, making sure that our countries and our world class companies are able to protect their trade secrets and intellectual property," he said.
"And I think these sorts of issues will continue to be central to our cooperation going forward."
(END)
3. U.S. Rattles Sabre at N.Korea
Where you stand depends on where you sit. The Korean press interprets this the only way it knows how to. But I did not know that the Pacific Command could speak so "ominously."
Excerpt:
"Dynamic force employment is all about operating with a smaller footprint, on a shorter timeframe, and being strategically predictable but operationally unpredictable," the Pacific Command said ominously.
U.S. Rattles Sabre at N.Korea
February 17, 2022 12:17
The U.S. recently deployed a squadron of strategic B-52H bombers in Guam in a move widely viewed as a warning to North Korea after it conducted a flurry of missile tests.
The North celebrated what would have been former leader Kim Jong-il's 80th birthday on Wednesday without incident.
U.S. Pacific Air Forces Command said on its website Tuesday that four B-52H bombers and 220 troops arrived at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on a "bomber taskforce" mission.
The photos on the website suggest that the aircraft were deployed around Feb. 9. On Jan. 30, North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that is thought to be capable of hitting targets in the U.S. territory.
It was the latest of seven missile launches the North conducted so far this year, while leader Kim Jong-un hinted that the North will end its moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear weapons tests.
A B-52H bomber is parked at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on Tuesday, in this grab from the U.S. Pacific Air Forces' website.
There were fears of another provocation to mark Kim Jong-il's birthday, and the deployment of the bombers was seen as a warning.
"Dynamic force employment is all about operating with a smaller footprint, on a shorter timeframe, and being strategically predictable but operationally unpredictable," the Pacific Command said ominously.
RC-135V reconnaissance aircraft also flew over North Korea on Wednesday, but the birthday celebrations passed without further provocations.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry on its website focused on the former leader's achievements in strengthening ties with China.
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
4. U.S. deputy secretary of state urges N. Korea to engage in serious diplomacy
U.S. deputy secretary of state urges N. Korea to engage in serious diplomacy | Yonhap News Agency
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has called on North Korea to engage in serious diplomacy, the state department said Wednesday.
The call came in a telephone conversation with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori, held Tuesday, according to the department.
"The two officials reaffirmed the importance of continued U.S.-Japan cooperation in making progress toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," it said in a press release.
"Deputy Secretary Sherman highlighted U.S. preparedness to meet the DPRK without preconditions and called for the DPRK to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy," it added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The call came as the latest of high-level conversations between the U.S. and its allies following the North's recent series of missile tests.
Pyongyang staged seven rounds of missile launches in January alone, marking the largest number of missile tests it has conducted in a month.
South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held trilateral talks in Hawaii last week, immediately after their top nuclear envoys held three-way discussions, also in Hawaii, on ways to engage with North Korea.
Sherman had also held bilateral and trilateral telephone talks with her Japanese counterpart and South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, after North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Jan. 30 (Seoul time), the longest-range ballistic missile the North had launched since late 2017.
The department said Sherman and her Japanese counterpart discussed the "destabilizing nature" of the North Korean missile launches.
The U.S. and Japanese officials also highlighted the importance of trilateral cooperation between the U.S., Japan and South Korea in addressing the North Korea issue and other shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the state department.
The North has maintained a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range ballistic missile testing since November 2017.
It has threatened to consider restarting "all temporarily-suspended activities" amid its prolonged stalemate in dialogue with the U.S.
The country has avoided denuclearization negotiations with the U.S. since late 2019. It also remains unresponsive to recent U.S. overtures.
(END)
5. Seoul, Washington discuss Biden’s visit to S. Korea in May
It would be a strong statement by the US to hold a summit with the new president so quickly after he is inaugurated in May.
Seoul, Washington discuss Biden’s visit to S. Korea in May
Posted February. 17, 2022 07:40,
Updated February. 17, 2022 07:40
Seoul, Washington discuss Biden’s visit to S. Korea in May. February. 17, 2022 07:40. weappon@donga.com.
It was revealed on Tuesday (local time) that South Korea and the U.S. are discussing a plan to hold a summit between the new president of South Korea and U.S. President Joe Biden in South Korea at the end of May.
President Biden is planning a visit to Japan at the end of May to attend the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue among the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India. He may add a visit to South Korea to hold a summit meeting.
If the plan comes through, it will be President Biden’s first visit to South Korea since his inauguration in January last year. It is likely that he will have a summit meeting with the new president of South Korea who will be elected in the March 9 presidential election and inaugurated on May 10.
There are some concerns about preparation for a summit meeting with a tight schedule as the U.S. president may visit South Korea right after new South Korean president is elected. The historically shortest time period between the inauguration of a new South Korean president and an ROK-U.S. summit was 51 days when President Moon Jae-in visited the U.S. to meet with the then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
“South Korea and the U.S. are deeply concerned about North Korea’s series of missile launches and examining the ways to bring the North to a dialogue table,” said South Korean ambassador to the U.S. Lee Soo-hyuk. It was reported that South Korea and the U.S. are discussing a measure to raise the level of a communication channel with North Korea and additional sanctions against the North while South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong delivered a new proposition against the North to the U.S.
Lee said cooperation measures are under careful review regarding the situation in Ukraine. It was reported that the U.S. asked South Korea to join export control against Russia and supply natural gas to Europe that would be supplied to South Korea in the case of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
6. North's hackers cash in on cryptocurrency
This Is an area that we should be focused on to deny Kim access to funds.
Thursday
February 17, 2022
North's hackers cash in on cryptocurrency
Pyongyang has ramped up its cryptocurrency heists over the past year to fund its illicit weapons programs, blockchain data platform Chainalysis reported Wednesday. [JOONGANG PHOTO]
Hackers affiliated with Pyongyang have drastically stepped up cryptocurrency heists and money laundering to fund its illicit weapons programs, with the total value of stolen cryptocurrency rising by 40 percent over the past year, according to a blockchain data analysis company on Wednesday.
North Korean-sponsored hacking groups committed “at least seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms that extracted nearly $400 million worth of digital assets last year,” Chainalysis said its 2022 Crypto Crime Report.
“From 2020 to 2021, the number of North Korean-linked hacks jumped from four to seven, and the value extracted from these hacks grew by 40%,” the report said.
The report follows a similar finding by a panel of experts under a United Nations Security Council committee on North Korea sanctions in April, which identified cryptocurrency theft as a source of illicit financing for Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear development programs.
North Korea is estimated to have stolen $316.4 million in virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies, between 2019 and November 2020, according to an estimate by one member state of the Security Council, which was not identified.
The Security Council panel said that “cyberactors linked to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea continued to conduct operations against financial institutions and virtual currency exchange houses in 2020 to generate revenue to support its weapons of mass destruction" and ballistic missile programs, referring to the North by its official name.
Although the number of thefts of cryptocurrency gradually dropped between 2018 and 2020, the total value of stolen cryptocurrency rose between 2019 and 2021.
According to the Chainalysis report, the stolen cryptocurrency is laundered to mask its origin in a multi-stage process, whereby it is exchanged with other cryptocurrencies and eventually cashed out into fiat currency in Asia.
The report also said the North has ramped up its use of cryptocurrency mixers — software tools that “pool and scramble cryptocurrencies from thousands of addresses” to obfuscate and conceal the transactions.
Chainalysis observed a “massive increase in the use of mixers among DPRK-linked actors in 2021,” with 65 percent of stolen cryptoassests laundered through mixers in 2021 compared to 42 percent in 2020 and 21 percent in 2019.
Hackers affiliated with Pyongyang also use “complex tactics and techniques,” including phishing lures, code exploits and malware to launch cyberattacks and rob cryptocurrency houses and exchanges, according to the report.
“These behaviors, put together, paint a portrait of a nation that supports cryptocurrency-enabled crime on a massive scale,” the report said.
“Systematic and sophisticated, North Korea’s government — be it through the Lazarus Group or its other criminal syndicates — has cemented itself as an advanced persistent threat to the cryptocurrency industry in 2021.”
Chainalysis singled out the Lazarus Group, which it labelled one of the "advanced persistent threats” backed by the North, as being the main organization carrying out cyberattacks against investment companies and cryptocurrency exchanges on behalf of North Korea.
Lazarus is believed to be operated by the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), Pyongyang’s foreign intelligence agency, which is currently subject both U.S. and United Nations sanctions.
7. U.S. diplomat stresses supply chains, denuclearization in trilateral agenda
Thursday
February 17, 2022
U.S. diplomat stresses supply chains, denuclearization in trilateral agenda
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink speaks at a hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Dec. 8 in Washington, D.C. The hearing was held for the committee to examine U.S. Policy on Taiwan and the future of the country's diplomatic relationship. [AFP/YONHAP]
The Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation on supply chains is as important a trilateral agenda as their work on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, in speaking with the press on Thursday.
“I would say both issues are important matters for discussion among our three allied countries,” said Kritenbrink at a teleconference call with the press on Thursday, when asked whether the trilateral agenda on economic security is as important as the denuclearization of North Korea.
“Making sure that we have strong and resilient supply chains, making sure that our countries and our world class companies are able to protect their trade secrets and intellectual property […] these sorts of issues will continue to be central to our cooperation going forward,” he said.
Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, his Japanese counterpart Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Saturday, holding their first in-person ministerial meeting.
Although North Korea security issues and its recent provocations were “a top priority for [the] three countries” in the discussions, the three leaders were able to address wider, but nonetheless important, topics such as “reaffirming the centrality of Asean, ending the crisis in Burma and […] addressing tensions in the Taiwan strait,” said Kritenbrink.
The trilateral cooperation on regional security and economic issues was also highlighted in the updated U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy released on Friday, which reiterates the U.S. interest in a free, connected and open Indo-Pacific region, a vision it says is tested by “the PRC, the climate crisis and the pandemic,” referring to China by the acronym for its official name, the People’s Republic of China.
And the Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation in the region is “of paramount importance” and “key to confronting a wide range of regional and global challenges,” the assistant secretary emphasized.
Korea and Japan, however, have been embroiled in a trade spat in recent years, not to mention several deadlocked issues in regards to the history of Japanese wartime forced labor and sexual slavery.
Japan placed export restrictions on Korea from July 2019, impacting Korea’s semiconductor industries, and later removed Korea from its so-called white list of most-trusted trading partners.
These restrictions were largely seen from Korea as Japan’s retaliation for a set of court rulings on the forced labor issue, dating back to late 2018.
The rulings acknowledged the illegality of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule and recognized that the Korean victims of Japanese forced labor during World War II had the right to demand compensation from the Japanese companies.
Tokyo maintains that all compensation issues related to colonial rule were resolved through a 1965 treaty normalizing bilateral relations.
Kritenbrink addressed these challenges during the call on Thursday.
“Look, it goes without saying that Japan and the Republic of Korea are two of America’s closest, most important and strongest alliance relationships in the entire world,” he said. “There is no doubt that the United States is stronger, more prosperous and more secure when our closest allies in Northeast Asia are working closely together and when we are working together trilaterally.
“So in our view, even while Japan and the Republic of Korea are addressing certain sensitive issues in their bilateral relationship, we continue to move forward to embrace opportunities to advance our common regional and international priorities,” he said.
The trilateral meeting succeeded at least 11 missile tests from North Korea, all of which took place in January.
“Issues related to security on the Korean Peninsula, and particularly the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, is of course a top priority for our three countries,” said Kritenbrink. “During the recent trilateral meetings, the United States had the opportunity to reiterate our ironclad security guarantees to our South Korean and Japanese allies.”
Foreign Minister Chung is traveling to France on Tuesday to attend a meeting between ministers of the European Union and some 30 foreign ministers from the Indo-Pacific region. China was not invited.
Chung is also scheduled to meet with Audrey Azoulay, director-general of Unesco, during his visit. Chung is expected to bring up Japan's recommendation of the Sado mine as a Unesco World Heritage site. Over 1,000 Koreans were forced to work at the mine during World War II.
8. '3 Nos,' THAAD pit leading presidential candidates against each other
Recall the "3 Nos." China must not have a vote (or veto) in South Korean security.
In the wake of the THAAD retaliation, the Moon administration agreed with the Chinese government on so-called "Three-Nos" policy in order to assuage China. The policy includes no additional THAAD deployments, no participation in the U.S.-led strategic missile defense system and no trilateral military alliance with the United States and Japan.
Lee maintains that the policy is the right direction to go for economic cooperation with China.
"Considering economic cooperation with China, the policy is proper," Lee said during a TV debate, Feb. 3.
However, Yoon strongly denounced the Three Nos policy, calling it a subservient and pro-China approach to diplomacy.
'3 Nos,' THAAD pit leading presidential candidates against each other
This article is the third in a series about the 2022 presidential election candidates' campaign pledges. In this article, their pledges for Korea-China relations are examined and compared. ―ED
Aides clarify Lee's and Yoon's visions for Korea-China relations
By Kang Seung-woo
South Korea's relations with China have emerged as a key issue facing the next leader to be elected on March 9 and the two leading presidential candidates have offered sharply contrasting approaches to that issue.
Traditionally, presidential candidates only needed focus on dealing with the United States, an undisputed longtime ally of South Korea. But now, those in the race for the top job in government are being asked to consider how to deal with China, which has emerged as South Korea's largest trading partner.
Currently, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) are the top two contenders in the March 9 presidential election.
"Amid the U.S.-China confrontation, what kind of policy toward China to adopt is not easy. Previous governments handled China case by case. In other words, South Korea favored the U.S. one time, but it also sided with China the other time, which placed South Korea on the horns of a diplomatic dilemma," said Wi Sung-lac, chairman of the DPK's Pragmatic Foreign Affairs Committee.
In particular, the Moon Jae-in administration as well as the former Park Geun-hye administration had to face pressure to choose between the U.S. and China despite Seoul's pursuit of a "balanced diplomacy."
"What Lee Jae-myung keeps in mind is that we have to make an optimal choice based on national interests, rather than siding with either the U.S. or China. In that sense, Lee thinks that based on its alliance with the U.S., South Korea should develop a strategic partnership with China," Wi added.
On the other hand, Yoon's side, which prioritizes the ROK-U.S. alliance that it claims has been damaged under the Moon administration, is vowing to strengthen strategic cooperation with China on the basis of mutually beneficial respect. The ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
"So far, the incumbent government has shown signs of tilting toward China over the U.S., although pending bilateral issues, including Beijing's ban on South Korean content, have not been completely solved in the wake of the THAAD deployment," said Kim Sung-han, a former vice foreign minister who serves as Yoon's chief foreign policy adviser.
THAAD
Following South Korea's decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in 2016 in order to effectively contain North Korea's evolving missile program, the Chinese government launched an economic retaliation campaign by imposing an unofficial boycott on Korean products and enforcing tourism restrictions.
China strongly opposes the U.S. missile defense shield on Korean soil, claiming that the powerful radar of the system can be used to spy on its military maneuvers and hurt its security interests.
With regard to the THAAD issue, Lee and Yoon remain far apart.
Recently, Yoon pledged to strengthen the extended deterrence provided by the U.S. in favor of additional deployments of THAAD here in proportion to North Korea's growing missile threat. That pledge drew criticism from Lee who likened Yoon to a warmonger and expressed alarm at the enormous price South Korea would have to pay in the event China wages another economic retaliation campaign against Seoul's additional deployment of THAAD.
In addition, Lee claims that there is no need to bring another THAAD battery to the Korean Peninsula to defend Seoul and its surrounding areas against North Korean missiles, because Pyongyang will use low-tier short- and mid-range missiles if it decides to attack the South's capital.
"Lee believes that there is no need to deploy another THAAD unit for the defense of Seoul and its surrounding areas, because the existing PAC-3 system and mid-range surface-to-air missile, the Chungoong, along with the L-SAM, or long-range surface-to-air missile under development, can establish a multilayered missile defense system against North Korea's missiles," Wi said.
However, Kim said the THAAD system was still necessary for the greater Seoul area in the event of North Korea launching long-range missiles at high angles.
"Some say THAAD is not necessary against mid- and short-range missiles, but when they enter the terminal phase, or at an altitude of 60 to 70 kilometers, THAAD can primarily shoot them down and in case of its failure, Patriot missiles can respond to them," Kim said.
It remains to be seen if China will retaliate again, Kim noted.
"Yoon's THAAD plan is to purchase the anti-missile system, not deploy another U.S. battery here, so nobody knows if China will retaliate against the decision," he said.
When South Korea was suffering from Chinese retaliation, some argued that Beijing would back off if South Korea operates the anti-missile defense system instead of the U.S.
"Rather than expressing such uncertainty, we should focus more on North Korea's growing missile threats."
Wi Sung-lac, left, and Kim Sung-han / Korea Times photo
'3 Nos'
In the wake of the THAAD retaliation, the Moon administration agreed with the Chinese government on so-called "Three-Nos" policy in order to assuage China. The policy includes no additional THAAD deployments, no participation in the U.S.-led strategic missile defense system and no trilateral military alliance with the United States and Japan.
Lee maintains that the policy is the right direction to go for economic cooperation with China.
"Considering economic cooperation with China, the policy is proper," Lee said during a TV debate, Feb. 3.
However, Yoon strongly denounced the Three Nos policy, calling it a subservient and pro-China approach to diplomacy.
"The Moon government responded with overly accommodating gestures meant to placate China, declaring the 'Three Nos' policy. These pledges undercut South Korea's sovereign right to protect its people. South Korea should never feel compelled to choose between the United States and China; rather, it must always maintain the principled position that it will not compromise on its core security interests," Yoon said in a Feb. 8 contribution to Foreign Affairs magazine.
In the wake of controversial decisions by judges at the ongoing Beijing Winter Olympics that favored Chinese athletes over Koreans, anti-China sentiment has been rising sharply, prompting political circles, including presidential candidates, to capitalize on the resentment.
However, some warn that politicians need to refrain from exploiting the populist strategy for the presidential election, which could hurt diplomatic ties with China.
Anti-China sentiment
Both Yoon and Lee flatly denied that they were trying to capitalize on anti-China sentiment.
"It is absurd to describe Lee as taking advantage of the sentiment because he is neither anti-China nor pro-China. Rather, he is independent enough to say that we need to act based on the nation's own interests," Wi said.
"He is friendly to China, but if there is something wrong with bilateral relations, he is poised to take firm action to ensure the lives and safety of the people as well as national interests."
Kim also said adopting a policy based on public anger against China was a populist strategy.
"Irrespective of pro- or anti-sentiment toward a country, Yoon is set to act audaciously, while focusing on national security, a matter of sovereignty," Kim said.
9. Biden's improvident policy toward North Korea
Sigh...
A view from India recommending concessions and appeasement and support for the Moon administration's recommendations.
Excerpts:
The Biden administration's policy appears to be based on the assumption that continued North Korean tests are meant to gain leverage in talks and if the U.S. keeps its wait-and-see approach, the North would ultimately come to the negotiating table. It does not sufficiently realize that these missiles tests might be more for the advancement of the missile technology of North Korea.
Repeating cliches such as the U.S. prefers "engagement with North Korea" or has "no hostile intent towards North Korea" or that the U.S. is ready to meet North Korean leader "anytime, anywhere without preconditions" have become meaningless.
Actually, the U.S. appears to have laid out a certain approach toward North Korea and expects the North will ultimately realize the sincerity of America's approach and come to the negotiating table.
The problem is that North Korea is not ready to do so. Now, the U.S. does not know how to move forward. It would be naive on the part of the Biden administration to wait until North Korea positively responds to the U.S. approach and in the process, allows North Korea to move forward in its missile and nuclear technologies.
From formal channels to informal contacts, there must be intensive trials and errors to reach out North Korea. There must be multiple and constant bargains with North Korea with the expectation that the North will choose one of them.
In the process, piecemeal steps such as offering to hold talks, having or not having joint military exercises with South Korea, or implementing sanctions on North Korea's weapons program which the U.S. did on Jan. 12, are not going to bring the desired results.
The Moon administration's appeal is quite pertinent because an improvident approach would only help North Korea. It has happened in the past and it will happen again in the future.
Biden's improvident policy toward North Korea
By Sandip Kumar Mishra
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is in the final months of his office, conveyed Jan. 10 that a summit between the U.S. President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is needed to find a solution to the nuclear standoff.
Moon said that if both leaders meet once again, they could reach "substantial progress in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the implementation of a peace process and the normalization of U.S.-North Korea relations."
However, there has apparently been insufficient urgency in the Biden administration to bring denuclearization talks with North Korea back on track.
Meanwhile, on Jan. 30, North Korea tested an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM). It was seventh missile test by the North last month alone and more importantly the second IRBM test after November 2017.
Undoubtedly, the North Korean nuclear and missile issues continue to loom large and the Biden administration does not appear to be taking sufficient cognizance of the developments.
It could also be said that the Biden administration has not been able to articulate a detailed North Korea policy in which multiple preferential routes and possible give and take are being conceptualized even after being in power for more than a year.
The Biden administration, after coming to power in January 2021, began a review of U.S. policy on North Korea and was soon expected to come out with measures to break the stalemate in denuclearization talks with the North.
The process took several months and the policy was gradually revealed through intermittent press notes and statements from the U.S. But it is quite obvious that the U.S. has neither a sense of urgency nor a detailed proactive policy toward North Korea.
Actually, judging by fact that the position of the U.S. ambassador to South Korea has been vacant for a year, it seems that the Biden administration does not have much interest in the Korean Peninsula.
A lack of interest and direction as well as a detailed plan on the part of the U.S. have not only given North Korea space to advance its missile capabilities through various tests but also neutralized South Korea's consistent attempts to engage the North.
Most of the proactive, constructive, out-of-the-box, politically risky and long-term attempts of President Moon appear to be more out of place in the context of U.S. apathy than it was during the Trump administration.
South Korea had more clarity about Trump's approach toward North Korea and so it was able to intervene in the process with tactful maneuvering.
Even though the conservative administration of the U.S. had a contrary approach to the progressive administration of South Korea, the messaging was clearer and the South appreciated the proactive attention and efforts of the Trump administration. In the past one year of the Biden administration, despite common ideological orientation, South Korea appears to be clueless.
The U.S. policy toward North Korea appears to be improvident, though the Biden administration claims that it has articulated a "calibrated and practical" policy on North Korea. Furthermore, even though the U.S. denies it, for all practical purposes, the current North Korea policy of the Biden administration is identical to Obama's policy of strategic patience.
The Biden administration's policy appears to be based on the assumption that continued North Korean tests are meant to gain leverage in talks and if the U.S. keeps its wait-and-see approach, the North would ultimately come to the negotiating table. It does not sufficiently realize that these missiles tests might be more for the advancement of the missile technology of North Korea.
Repeating cliches such as the U.S. prefers "engagement with North Korea" or has "no hostile intent towards North Korea" or that the U.S. is ready to meet North Korean leader "anytime, anywhere without preconditions" have become meaningless.
Actually, the U.S. appears to have laid out a certain approach toward North Korea and expects the North will ultimately realize the sincerity of America's approach and come to the negotiating table.
The problem is that North Korea is not ready to do so. Now, the U.S. does not know how to move forward. It would be naive on the part of the Biden administration to wait until North Korea positively responds to the U.S. approach and in the process, allows North Korea to move forward in its missile and nuclear technologies.
From formal channels to informal contacts, there must be intensive trials and errors to reach out North Korea. There must be multiple and constant bargains with North Korea with the expectation that the North will choose one of them.
In the process, piecemeal steps such as offering to hold talks, having or not having joint military exercises with South Korea, or implementing sanctions on North Korea's weapons program which the U.S. did on Jan. 12, are not going to bring the desired results.
The Moon administration's appeal is quite pertinent because an improvident approach would only help North Korea. It has happened in the past and it will happen again in the future.
The author (sandipmishra10@gmail.com) is associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.
10. Watch for Kim Jong-un's Next Play Once the Athletes Leave Beijing
I actually would not be surprised if Kim did something before the Olympics end. He is after all a spoiler in strategic competition.
Watch for Kim Jong-un's Next Play Once the Athletes Leave Beijing
Communist North Korea is eyeing its next provocation — likely to come as soon as next week, once the Beijing Olympics end — even as it breathlessly celebrates the birthday of one of its late leaders today.
The most celebrated dates on the country's calendar are the birthdays of the Communist North's founder, Kim Il-sung, and of his son, Kim Jong-il. The latter's 80th was marked with the usual pomp: Fireworks, concerts, and swooning public displays of extreme loyalty to the third scion of the dynasty, Kim Jong-un, the current tyrant, spread throughout the country.
The celebrations follow a recent series of cruise missile launches, including rockets capable of reaching Guam. Significantly, these provocations ceased on the eve of the February 4 Olympics opening ceremony.
Even more worrisome provocations, including a renewal of nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile testings, may well resume soon after the Sunday closing ceremony marking the end the display of athletic prowess at Beijing, Pyongyang’s main benefactor and patron.
A recent United Nations report concluded that while the North hasn’t tested for more than four years, it has been developing “its capability for production of nuclear fissile materials.”
Pyongyang watchers this week have been scratching heads in attempting to explain a series of recent earthquakes in the northern part of the country, where tremors are rare. At least four such events near the North's nuclear testing site at Punggye-ri were observed by Seoul.
While America has the tools to detect a nuclear test, and none has registered recently, geologists say a test conducted more than four years ago at Punggye-ri could have resulted in changes in the area's geology.
That event, in September 2017, was remarkable for Pyongyang’s claim it successfully tested a thermonuclear bomb. Afterward, as part of a series of summits with President Trump, Mr. Kim announced he'd suspend all testing.
Now, Mr. Kim is increasingly signaling he plans to end this self-imposed moratorium. The North's state-controlled mediain January hinted nuclear and long-range missile testing will soon resume. On the other hand, Pyongyang indicates it may continue its freeze if Washington negotiates the easing of sanctions.
Like Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and practically every other world capital, Pyongyang is watching Washington for signs of weakness as America struggles to react to President Putin's Ukraine crisis. The Kim regime also keeps an eye on Vienna, where America — with the help of Russia, no less — seeks to renew a failed nuclear deal with Iran.
Mr. Kim seeks “opportunities to create problems to benefit his regime,” says the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Pyongyang watcher, David Maxwell. A former Seoul-based Army Special Forces colonel, Mr. Maxwell notes that while Mr. Kim is a perennial “spoiler,” his reliance on Communist China may guide many of his decisions.
Beijing brazenly violates U.N. Security Council-imposed sanctions, and has recently nixed an American-proposed resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea. Instead, China and Russia proposed a resolution according to which Pyongyang would suspend testing in return for sanction suspension.
Such a “freeze for freeze” resolution would reward the North “for bad behavior,” America's U.N. ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told reporters recently. “There is no reason for this Council to reward them for nine ballistic, nine tests in one month — almost as many in the previous year. They have not earned that.”
President Trump's “love letter” policies on North Korea, including several summits and an exchange of written messages with Mr. Kim, raised the ante in relations. Now, Mr. Kim refuses any negotiations with Washington other than direct leader-to-leader talks.
On the 2020 campaign trail, President Biden said Mr. Kim is a “thug.” Administration officials now insist that detailed dialogue is possible, but only at a lower level rather than in Trump-style summits.
We “made clear that we are willing to meet with the North Koreans without preconditions,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said, “but before we can commit our President to meeting, we need to have a better sense of what there is to achieve.”
While Washington policy makers are consumed with Ukraine, North Korea hands are sidelined, presenting the serial provocateur who runs that country with an opportunity to stun the world by ending his self-imposed testing moratorium with a bang. Or worse.
No one should be surprised if, as early as next week, we wake up to a renewed scare from one of the world's most dangerous players. Mr. Kim may be the weakest link in the axis he shares with China, Russia, Iran, and others, but he doesn't like to stay in the shadows for too long.
________
Twitter @bennyavni
Image: Statues of Kim Il-sung, left, and Kim Jong-il at Pyongyang February 16, 2022. AP/Jon Chol Jin
11. Omicron surges across South Korea as election looms
Omicron surges across South Korea as election looms
The decoupling between high caseloads and low severity is a dilemma for authorities ahead of presidential poll next monthThe decoupling between high caseloads and low severity is a dilemma for authorities ahead of presidential poll next month
asiatimes.com · by Andrew Salmon and Agencies · February 15, 2022
SEOUL – South Korea’s daily Covid-19 infection rate approached 60,000 on Tuesday, the latest in a recent series of record highs, and strong indications late today are that the country is teetering on the brink of far higher caseloads.
The country registered 57,177 new cases on Tuesday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced. It was the sixth day in a row that daily infections surpassed 50,000, according to Yonhap news agency.
Locally, apocalyptic models are being widely reported. Health authorities say new daily infections could hit 170,000 by the end of January, while the country’s National Institute of Mathematical Sciences warns the figure could soar as high as 360,000 in early March.
This is all a stunning turnaround for a nation that had, until the Omicron variant began its surge in late January, previously suffered record highs of less than 8,000 in December.
But despite the alarming numbers, the decoupling between high caseloads and severity of outcomes is now unmistakable, according to the data.
This places the government in a tricky position on Friday. That day it is scheduled to make a decision on whether to maintain, upgrade or downgrade national Covid restrictions.
And that decision must take into account a stark political landmark – on March 9, a pandemic-weary populace goes to the polls to vote in the country’s next president.
Rising cases, falling risks
Despite the stratospheric caseloads in this nation of 52 million, there were only 314 people critically ill with Covid-19 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Omicron’s combination of transmissibility and mildness is thrusting the fatality rate from Covid-19 southwards, to only 0.49%.
And the population is well defended.
About 57.7% of South Koreans have had booster shots, while the number of fully vaccinated stands at 86.2% of the population. This week, South Korean authorities started administering fourth vaccination doses to those with weak immune systems, although there are, as yet, no plans to roll out a second booster shot for the general population.
When it comes to Covid containment tactics, South Korea, which for the first two years of the pandemic won widespread global praise for its high-tech tracing methodologies and widely available testing regimen, has shifted course.
PCR tests – which were until recently offered to all for free at stations set up in city centers – are now being restricted for those at special risk. The rest of the public is being encouraged to use self-test kits, though there has been a recent run on those.
Covid restrictions include a 9pm curfew on businesses, mandatory mask-wearing both indoors and outdoors and the requirement for all incoming travelers to test before entry, test again after entry and quarantine for seven days regardless of the result.
A South Korean soldier receives the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul. Photo: AFP / South Korean Defense Ministry
Tricky decisions
South Korea’s protocols contrast with an easing trend among well-vaccinated populations elsewhere in the world, notably in the EU. Now it is clear that Omicron does not generate mass deaths or overwhelm health systems, much of Europe is defying ongoing high caseloads and treating Covid-19 as an endemic rather than a pandemic.
Denmark and Sweden have already lifted all restrictions and the Channel Island of Guernsey will do the same this week. Ireland has ditched most of its restrictions, and multiple countries, including Norway and the UK, have dropped quarantine requirements for incoming visitors who are fully vaccinated.
Given the pain being suffered by the Mom ‘n Pop businesses that dominate South Korea’s food and beverage sector, the trends in local medical metrics and the situation elsewhere in the world, authorities could face some pushback if they tighten current protocols.
Indeed, there have already been demonstrations in Seoul against the restrictions, albeit small ones.
Friday’s decision comes at a time when the government has to keep an especially close eye on public sentiment. With the presidential election set for March 9, the latest polls find the opposition candidate is marginally ahead.
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyun is hedging his bets.
“We will come up with a decision so as not to fuel the spread of the Omicron variant while also helping [small businesses] to ease the burden,” he said Monday.
Kim is due to speak to foreign correspondents next week, when the subject of South Korea’s Covid exit strategy will almost certainly arise.
asiatimes.com · by Andrew Salmon and Agencies · February 15, 2022
12. Pope Francis unlikely to visit North Korea
Pope Francis unlikely to visit North Korea
Moon Jae-in's overtures are a symptom of a broader policy problem
Anthony W. Holmes
Anthony W. Holmes was special adviser for North Korea in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2017-2021. He is currently a senior nonresident fellow at the Project 2049 Institute. The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization or agency.
In October, South Korean President Moon Jae-in gave a cross made of barbed wire from the Demilitarized Zone to Pope Francis and proposed a papal visit to North Korea to advance peace efforts.
In the twilight of Moon's presidency -- he leaves office this year -- Moon has made no secret of his desire to create an irreversible rapprochement with North Korea, something that a potential conservative and skeptical successor cannot undo.
What makes this overture unusual is that Moon has apparently taken the initiative to invite Pope Francis to North Korea despite the fact that Pyongyang has made no apparent signal that it would be interested in receiving the pontiff. One could reasonably conclude that Moon believes a papal visit would be too good an opportunity for North Korea to pass up. Moon being a Catholic himself surely adds to the allure.
The papacy is unique as both a major political office as well as a religious one. Past papal visits to closed states are celebrated events, most notably Pope John Paul II's visit to Cuba in 1998 following a 1989 meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
While the papal visit to the then-Soviet Union demonstrated some openness that presaged the USSR's collapse, the visit to Cuba is probably more instructive to the current goals of the South Korean administration.
Papal visits to Cuba have a habit of including language critical of U.S. sanctions policy. Moon no doubt hopes that a papal proclamation supporting family reunions and a relaxation of sanctions will spur Catholic leaders, such as U.S. President Joe Biden, to take that course.
During my time as special adviser for North Korea, my South Korean interlocutors came to almost every official meeting with a proposal to reduce or eliminate sanctions altogether.
But a potential papal visit to North Korea is not a perfect analogy with past visits to Cuba and the then-Soviet Union. Cuba has a long and, for its officially atheist Communist officials at least, frustratingly durable Catholic population. Pope John Paul II hailed from Poland and was revered there despite Moscow's best efforts.
Christianity is prevalent in South Korea, and pro-communist Pyongyang was once known as the Jerusalem of the East. The extent of Christianity's underground influence in North Korea is unknown, however.
Pyongyang famously runs a handful of state churches that serve as a venue for Potemkin Protestantism: their purpose is to convince outsiders that it respects religious freedom. The regime is so dedicated to this display, in fact, that the mandatory framed photos of the Kims and party loyalty pins are nowhere to be seen in photos in state churches, even those taken by foreigners.
North Koreans read mass at a Catholic church in Pyongyang in August 2003: the mandatory framed photos of the Kims and party loyalty pins are nowhere to be seen. © Reuters
There are debates about whether churchgoers in Pyongyang are an actual flock, or state-sponsored fabulists. While some NGOs suspect there are up to 400,000 underground Christians in North Korea, I do not think any of them attend these churches. To do so would be to mark oneself as ideologically impure and suspect -- one of the quickest ways to be banished from the capital.
I doubt a papal visit to North Korea will occur for a few reasons.
First, there is little doubt that Pope John Paul II spoke to honest Catholics in Cuba. Even though his sermons and messages were circumscribed by Havana as a condition of his visit, he was still speaking to the faithful. John Paul II's message, particularly the part about ending U.S. trade restrictions on Cuba, served Castro's interests too.
Conversely, in North Korea, Pope Francis would be speaking to regular people pressed into service by the state. I am sure Francis knows this, and I would hope that he would avoid being used as a prop for the regime. Moreover, given the regime's obsession with restricting outside information, it is unlikely that the regime would allow a papal mass at all.
If my assessment of the underlying elements is true, then the idea of a papal visit to North Korea is not about softening the heart of Kim Jong Un. Rather the intent and the message would be externally-focused and directed at everyone but North Korea: at Catholic leaders around the world, at religious NGOs and other influential people of faith.
The message would be that the moral stain on North Korea is lifted and it is once again acceptable to engage with the regime. It is very likely that Francis, or any other pope, would endorse "humanitarian" proposals for family reunions, unrestricted aid and peacebuilding efforts, no matter how one-sided. In outer track propaganda, Pyongyang would deign to cast itself as the lamb to America's lion, as the David to America's Goliath.
Francis would return from Pyongyang with a promise from Kim Yo Jong -- Kim Jong Un's younger sister -- to beat its swords into plowshares when the U.S. ends its "hostile policy" -- the deliberately vague term the regime uses to define all forms of defensive measures against it but nonetheless has currency due to its reasonable-sounding nature to Western ears.
Moon's overture to Pope Francis is a symptom of a broader problem with North Korea policy, that is an almost homeopathic faith in the idea that if we can give North Korea all the trappings of a normal state, it will become one.
Alternatively, you could say that we want to treat the symptoms of North Korea's isolation by engaging in summit meetings, arranging papal visits and family reunions rather than the underlying cause of North Korea's disease: its bad behavior and refusal to engage in normal statecraft.
13. Lippert’s expertise to boost Samsung’s US strategy
Lippert’s expertise to boost Samsung’s US strategy
Tech giant bolsters responsiveness to policy changes in the US, especially on supply chain issues
Published : Feb 17, 2022 - 15:55 Updated : Feb 17, 2022 - 15:55
Former US Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert
Samsung Electronics America said Wednesday it has hired former US Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert as its public relations chief, in an apparent move to better respond to uncertainties surrounding policy changes in the US, especially on chips.
The former envoy will lead the company’s Washington office as executive vice president and head of North American public affairs from March 1.
Samsung said Lippert’s insight into policy changes and regulations in the US will play a key role in building its business strategy in the all-important US market.
“Mark brings decades of public policy experience to Samsung Electronics America, as well as a deep understanding of how geopolitics impacts business in the US,” said K.S. Choi, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics America.
“He is a proven leader and an effective diplomat, and we are thrilled that he will be bringing his profound expertise and enthusiasm to Samsung in Washington, D.C.,” Choi added.
The latest recruitment comes as Samsung faces growing uncertainties amid the escalating US-China rivalry and Washington’s push to reshape global supply chains of chips, Seoul’s key export item.
The Joe Biden administration is seeking to expand domestic chip manufacturing with an aim to retain an edge over China’s technological ambitions.
Chipmakers like Samsung, the world’s largest memory chipmaker, are feeling the pinch.
Samsung has announced a series of investment plans in the US, including a second foundry plant worth 20 trillion won ($17 billion) in Texas last year
Tensions also boiled over at the US government’s request that chipmakers submit their classified business data to resolve a global chip shortage. Companies resisted immediately, but some compromises were made on the level of disclosure at the last minute.
“Lippert will be tasked with handling government affairs issues amid uncertainties. His experience at the US government and his understanding of the Korean culture is expected to create a synergy,” an industry source said on condition of anonymity.
Lippert, 48, served as US ambassador to South Korea from 2014-2017 under the Barack Obama administration.
After his three-year term, he worked as a vice president for Boeing International and senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In June 2020, he was appointed as director of government affairs and public policy of YouTube Asia-Pacific.
The former diplomat made frequent appearances in the public, showing his affection for Korean culture.
He and his wife Robyn gave birth to the couple’s son and daughter during their stay in Seoul, and gave them Korean middle names.
In 2015, Lippert was attacked by a man wielding a knife and shouting anti-American statements when he was heading to a peace forum in central Seoul. Despite injuries on his face, he thanked Korean people for showing support for him and his family. He said, “Let’s go together” in Korean, a symbolic slogan representing the ironclad Korea-US alliance.
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
