Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

“The idea that war is a secular crusade and involves the smiting of the wicked pervades how Americans discuss it. If you want to save your soul go to church. There is no holiness to be found on a battlefield and nations seek it at their own peril. War always amounts to a failure of normal ‘politics’ to resolve a contention, which is why it is ‘politics by other means.’ People are often willing to be cynical about normal politics but drop such skepticism when it comes to politics and organized violence, which is usually infinitely more ethically murky than normal politics often is.” 
- Adam Elkus

"No one is more arrogant toward women, more aggressive or scornful, than the man who is anxious about his virility."
- Simone de Beauvoir

“Anger is “a movement generated by decision” that “can be eliminated by decision.” What these Stoic-inspired teachers are trying to teach is control at that pivotal first moment of decision—the “assent to an evaluative impression.” It’s that assent to an impression of having been cheated in the case of these young kids, that gets the impulse of anger going.”
- Nancy Sherman, Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience


1. North Korea says it tested new long-range cruise missiles
2. North Korean missile: scary message, crafty timing
3. North Korea's Kumsong 121 recently employed social media to launch a cyber attack
4. Fundamentals of South Korean Public Opinion on Foreign Policy and National Security
5. Unfair practice:Yonhap under fire for betraying public's trust
6. Korea to Build Another Missile Submarine
7. U.S. military says N.K. missile launches show threats it poses to int'l community
8. S. Korea, Australia hold '2+2' talks among foreign, defense ministers
9.  Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, Japan hold talks amid renewed tensions over N.K. missile launch
10. Moon to visit U.S. next week for annual U.N. session: Cheong Wa Dae
11. North Korea slams UK for 'miserable' maltreatment of children
12. Yongbyon nuclear facility assessments: three contradictions
13. DPRK test-fires newly-developed long-range cruise missiles



1. North Korea says it tested new long-range cruise missiles
Also good timing for the trilateral meeting with the nuclear envoys from the ROK, Japan, and the US. At least they will have something interesting to talk about. And I am sure when Chinese Foereign Minister Wang Yo visits Seoul this week it will be a topic of discussion. Kim Jong-un knows how to keep a pot for himself on everyone's agenda.


North Korea says it tested new long-range cruise missiles
AP · by KIM TONG-HYUNG · September 13, 2021
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Monday that it successfully tested newly developed long-range cruise missiles over the weekend, the first known testing activity in months, underscoring how the country continues to expand its military capabilities amid a stalemate in nuclear negotiations with the United States.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that the missiles showed they can hit targets 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away on Saturday and Sunday. State media published photos of a projectile being fired from a launcher truck and what looked like a missile traveling in the air.
The North hailed its new missiles as a “strategic weapon of great significance” — wording that implies they were developed with the intent to arm them with nuclear warheads.
North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons in order to deter what it claims is hostility from the U.S. and South Korea — and has long attempted to use the threat of such an arsenal to extract much-needed economic aid or otherwise apply pressure. The North and ally China faced off against South Korea and U.S.-led U.N. forces in the 1950-53 Korean War, a conflict that ended in an armistice that has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty.
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The international community is bent on getting the North to abandon its nuclear arsenal and has long used a combination of the threat of sanctions and the promise of economic help to try to influence the North. But U.S.-led negotiations on the nuclear issue have been stalled since the collapse of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019. At that time, the Americans rejected Kim’s demand for major sanctions relief in exchange for dismantling an aging nuclear complex.
North Korea ended a yearlong pause in ballistic tests in March by firing two short-range missiles into the sea, continuing a tradition of testing new U.S. administrations to measure Washington’s response. Kim’s government has so far rejected the Biden administration’s overtures for dialogue, demanding that Washington abandon its “hostile” policies first — a reference to the U.S. maintaining sanctions and a military alliance with South Korea.
The United States keeps about 28,000 troops in South Korea to help deter potential aggression from North Korea, a legacy of the Korean War.
There hadn’t been any known test launches for months since March, as Kim focused his efforts on fending off the coronavirus and salvaging an economy damaged by sanctions, bad flooding in recent summers, and border closures amid the coronavirus pandemic. Experts have warned that the economic situation is dire, although monitoring groups have yet to detect signs of mass starvation or major instability.
The report of the tests comes before U.S. President Joe Biden’s special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, was to meet his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss the stalled nuclear diplomacy with North Korea.
South Korea’s military is analyzing the North Korean launches based on U.S. and South Korean intelligence, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said after a meeting with Australia’s foreign and defense ministers that the resumption of testing activity illustrates an urgent need for reviving diplomacy with the North.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it was monitoring the situation with allies and that the North Korean activity reflects a continuing focus on “developing its military program and the threats that poses to its neighbors and the international community.” Japan said it was “extremely concerned.”
While the cruise missiles were clearly aimed at sending a message to Washington, the tests may indicate that the North is struggling with more provocative weapons systems and might not garner much of a response, said Du Hyeogn Cha, an analyst at Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
China, the North’s staunchest ally, didn’t comment on the missiles when asked. A spokesperson for its Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian, only urged “all parties concerned to exercise restraint, move in the same direction, actively engage in dialogue and contact” to reach a political settlement.
Kim doubled down on his pledge to bolster his nuclear deterrent in the face of U.S. sanctions and pressure at a congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in January. He issued a long wish list of new sophisticated equipment, including longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered submarines, spy satellites and tactical nuclear weapons.
KCNA said the missiles tested over the weekend traveled for 126 minutes above North Korean territory before hitting their targets.
“In all, the efficiency and practicality of the weapon system operation was confirmed to be excellent,” it said.
It appeared that Kim wasn’t in attendance to observe the tests. KCNA said Kim’s top military official, Pak Jong Chon, observed the test-firings and called for the country’s defense scientists to go “all out to increase” the North’s military capabilities.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said North Korean missiles of such range would pose a “serious threat to the peace and safety of Japan and its surrounding areas.”
He said Tokyo was working with Washington and Seoul to gather information on North Korea’s latest tests but said there was no immediate indication that the weapons reached inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Kim’s powerful sister last month hinted that North Korea was ready to resume weapons testing while issuing a statement berating the United States and South Korea for continuing their joint military exercises, which she said was the “most vivid expression of U.S. hostile policy.”
The allies say their drills are defensive in nature, but they have canceled or downsized them in recent years to create space for diplomacy or in response to COVID-19.
The latest tests came after Kim threw an unusual parade last week that was a marked departure from past militaristic displays, showcasing anti-virus workers in hazmat suits and civil defense organizations involved in industrial work and rebuilding communities destroyed by floods.
Experts said the parade was focused on domestic unity as Kim faces perhaps his toughest test, with his economy in tatters.
___
Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
AP · by KIM TONG-HYUNG · September 13, 2021




2. North Korean missile: scary message, crafty timing

Scary message?

A strategic tactical weapon?

The other aspect of good timing is this test took place prior to the UN General Assembly meeting this month. Even though Kim will not attend he is making sure he will not be forgotten.

 So much to parse here but this excerpt while good for the most part makes a common error among some in the press and many pundits. It is not the "harsh" sanctions that are causing suffering. It is Kim's deliberate decision making to prioritize his nuclear and missile programs and military modernization over the welfare of the people. It is Kim's reaction to COVID that is causing suffering. It is the response to natural disasters (as well as the agricultural and technical policies that make the effects of natural disaster worse) That said it is not the sanctions themselves that are causing enormous amount of pressure on KJU, it is the fact that Kim has been unable to get sanctions relief as he promised his military and elite in 2017. Of course he will use the suffering of the Korean people to argue for sanctions relief while at the same time increasing tensions through rhetoric and missile tests to try to drive the Biden administration into providing premature sanctions relief. The bottom line is Kim is the biggest cause of his own problem and he is solely responsible for the suffering of the Korean people. We must not allow ourselves to be duped by his political warfare strategy and blackmail diplomacy.

That freeze has left Kim – who had astutely leveraged his weapons to gain two unprecedented meetings with a sitting US president – in a strategic cul de sac. The failure of engagement with a now out-of-office US president, leaves his country – a nondescript economy amid the manufacturing powerhouses of Northeast Asia – mired in isolation and under harsh sanctions.



North Korean missile: scary message, crafty timing
As allies meet in Tokyo, cruise missile dubbed ‘strategic’ suggests a defense-evading nuclear delivery vehicle
asiatimes.com · by Andrew Salmon · September 13, 2021
North Korea test-fired a cruise missile over the weekend, state media reported Monday morning, a move that looks both brilliantly timed and cleverly calibrated.
The missiles are “a strategic weapon of great significance” and flew 1,500 km (930 miles) before hitting their targets and falling into the country’s territorial waters during the tests on Saturday and Sunday, North Korea’s Korea Central News Agency, or KCNA, reported Monday.
Also on Monday, senior diplomats from Japan, South Korea and the United States were scheduled to meet in Tokyo to discuss North Korea.

But the weekend launch was a cleverly calibrated semi-provocation for reasons that go beyond timing.
A strategic tactical weapon?
UN Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from owning or testing ballistic missile technologies – a wide definition that extends to satellite launch vehicles – but cruise missiles are permitted. Ballistic missiles fly in a parabola while cruise missiles fly in a flat trajectory, often hugging terrain or ocean.
KCNA images showed a cruise missile being fired from a road-based vehicle, rather than from a base facility. Mobility of weapons, thanks to the related ability to disperse and hide them, upgrades their survivability.
The stated range puts all of South Korea and Japan – including such key US bases as Pyongytaek in Korea and Yokosuka and Okinawa in Japan – within range.
But it is the adjective “strategic” that leaps off the page.

Cruise missiles are usually tactical assets, used to hit pinpoint military targets. The “S” word indicates that the missile could be used to convey weapons of mass destruction, such as a mini nuclear warhead, to a target.
The potential nuclearizing of a cruise missile presents yet another headache for regional defense planners already confounded by North Korea’s vast armory of missiles of multiple sizes, classes and ranges.
Whether Pyongyang’s intention was to send a political signal, test a weapon or – more likely – both, “does not matter to me; this is a significant capability,” Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean general, told Asia Times.
“These cruise missiles have another function, as they can simulate aircraft or other types of deception modes so they can really challenge our defense system,” he warned. “This is a new set of capabilities for North Korea.”
When it comes to setting not just security but also diplomatic agendas, Pyongyang’s timing looks impeccable.

Undiplomatic timing
Not only does it plant North Korea back on Washington’s radar after the humiliating Kabul retreat, but it was also made public the day a high-profile US diplomat begins a series of meetings in Japan.
According to a September 10 announcement from the US State Department, Sung Kim, the US Special Representative for North Korea, was to travel to Japan from September 13–15 for a trilateral meeting with Japanese Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro and Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk.
The US official will also meet with other senior Japanese officials to discuss issues including not only the US commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula but also North Korea’s abductions of Japanese citizens – the latter a highly emotive issue in Japanese politics that dates back to the 1970s.
Now, the three envoys have something new to discuss.
“What makes this test provocative is North Korea’s public statement that these cruise missiles are a ‘strategic’ weapon, implying an intention to miniaturize nuclear warheads to fit on them,” said Leif-Eric Easley, an associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

“If that is the case, then the test is deserving of an international effort to strengthen sanctions,” Easley argued, in a message sent to foreign reporters. “However, Pyongyang may be calculating that Washington will take a weaker approach, given strained US relations with China and Russia and those countries’ general opposition to increasing sanctions.”
Pyongyang’s move comes just four days after it held a midnight civil-military parade, and six days after South Korea successfully test-fired a domestically produced ballistic missile from a submerged submarine – the first non-nuclear state ever to do so.
Missile races and strategic dilemmas
The latter move suggests that South Korea – which won US approval for the lifting of a long-term ceiling on its missile development programs after President Moon Jae-in held a summit with President Joe Biden on May 21 – has now entered a de facto missile race with North Korea.
On September 2, it was announced in a budget release that Seoul is developing a surface-to-surface ballistic missile that can carry a three-ton warhead.
While some South Koreans have trumpeted this capability as equivalent to that of a tactical nuclear weapon, it still lacks the “grid square removal” capacity of the latter, which can shut down chunks of geography or close down vast bases due to deadly radiation.
This means that in payload terms, regardless of delivery vehicles, North Korea – having conducted six atomic detonations and owning an unknown number of warheads – trumps South Korea, which shelters under the US “nuclear umbrella.”
Its weapons of mass destruction certainly grant Pyongyang a very powerful deterrent. However, these programs – an altar upon which both the state’s economy and its profile in the global community has been largely sacrificed – have failed, thus far, to earn diplomatic/political wins.
North Korea-US relations – and, relatedly, North-South Korean relations – have been largely frozen since the failure of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2019.
That freeze has left Kim – who had astutely leveraged his weapons to gain two unprecedented meetings with a sitting US president – in a strategic cul de sac. The failure of engagement with a now out-of-office US president, leaves his country – a nondescript economy amid the manufacturing powerhouses of Northeast Asia – mired in isolation and under harsh sanctions.
And since 2020, Covid-19, which has necessitated border closures and cut off trade with China, Kim is facing domestic economic and social pressures in addition to his strategic dilemma.
His diplomatic strategy moving forward is far from clear.
According to the KCNA, Kim himself – who has overseen past launches of ballistic missiles in photos that have become iconic – did not attend the weekend launch. That could be significant.
“That KJU was not present is also a political statement,” said Chun. “He is saying, ‘I am open to negotiations, but under my terms – I have these great, great capabilities.’”
asiatimes.com · by Andrew Salmon · September 13, 2021



3.  North Korea's Kumsong 121 recently employed social media to launch a cyber attack
We need to look at the totality of north Korean actions. The use of the all purpose sword is too often overlooked. When I look at the actions over the past few months, from Kim Yo-jong and Kim Yong-chol's threats to the parade to the cruise missiles doing figure eights over the weekend to the cyber activities, it seems clear to me that Kim is trying to prepare the information environment to force the Biden administration to make concessions through sanctions relief. This is Kim's short term objective. And anyone who thanks that making concessions will cause Kim to end these malign activities and come to the negotiating table and ameka sincere effort to denuclearize the north. is sadly mistaken and misinformed. They should study not only the history of the regime's actions but also the KFR's blackmail diplomacy playbook and political warfare strategy.


North Korea's Kumsong 121 recently employed social media to launch a cyber attack - Daily NK
The hacking group is also carrying out “smishing” attacks aimed at Android smartphone users, a cyber security firm recently reported
By Mun Dong Hui - 2021.09.13 1:24pm
dailynk.com · September 13, 2021
The North Korean hacker group Kumsong 121 recently launched a cyber attack using social media. Computer and mobile phone users should be wary as North Korean hacking attacks grow more sophisticated.
In a press release Tuesday, EST Security said it had detected a new “advanced persistent threat” (APT) by Kumsong 121. It said this attack employed an elaborate method: rather than email, the attackers used social media to befriend the target and send an infected file.
After hacking an individual’s social media account, the attackers chose additional targets from the victim’s social media friends.
The hackers lowered the guard of the target and earned their friendship by sending chat messages with friendly greetings and ordinary topics of interest or gossip.
The attackers then sent an infected document file to the target through email by soliciting advice on a column related to North Korean affairs they claimed to have recently written.
The attached document file contains a macro virus that renders the target’s computer hackable if the email recipient approves the file.
A document with malicious code recently distributed by suspected North Korean hackers / Image: EST Security
The attackers essentially grafted social media onto traditional “spear phishing” attacks aimed at particular individuals.
In fact, a North Korean hacking group recently attempted to distribute an infected file by hijacking the social media account of a North Korean defector and trying to chat with his friends.
Kumsong 121 is also targeting Android smartphones.
According to EST Security, Kumsong 121 is carrying out “smishing” attacks aimed at Android smartphone users. If victims install an infected Android package created by the hackers, much of their private information gets leaked, including the address books, text messages, phone records, location information, sound recordings and photos saved on their phones.
Mun Chong Hyun, the head of the ESTsecurity Security Response Center (ESRC), said Kumsong 121 has hacked the mobile phones of well-known figures, including a certain South Korean lawmaker, stealing their private information. He said the hackers attack the websites of groups working in the North Korea space or create fake Facebook accounts to continuously target individuals working in the North Korea sector.
“In particular, they often use mobile phones or email to contact you, pretending to be an acquaintance or industry expert,” he said. “When sent .apk or .doc files, the safest thing is to directly call the sender and confirm whether they are legit.”
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
dailynk.com · September 13, 2021




4. Fundamentals of South Korean Public Opinion on Foreign Policy and National Security

The entire 38 page report can be downloaded here: http://en.asaninst.org/wp-content/themes/twentythirteen/action/dl.php?id=51295

This is a summary of the report from Joshua Stanton's tweet:

Joshua Stanton
@freekorea_us
Answers could shift by +/-30% in any given year, but S Koreans—
-want to reunify, someday
-want conditions on aid to NK
-want SK to address human rights in NK
-doubt that SK can deter NK alone
-want US forces to stay
-want nukes
-dislike Japan; fear China

Fundamentals of South Korean Public Opinion on Foreign Policy and National Security
Executive Summary
Outsiders often marvel at the mercurial nature of South Korean mass voting behavior. It was only a year ago that the ruling progressive party swept the general election by gaining a filibuster-proof majority in the National Assembly. In this year’s local by-election for open mayoral seats in the two largest metropolitan areas, however, nearly twice as many voters supported the opposition conservative candidates in what turned out to be a referendum on the ruling party. Similar swings can also be observed in South Korean public opinion. Our own survey indicates, for instance, that there was over 37.3%p swing in South Korean public assessment of inter-Korean relations between 2018 and 2019. While these types of dramatic shifts are not necessarily the norm, they raise questions about how we should approach our understanding of the South Korean public. In particular, what explains South Korean public opinion? Can we discern any systematic patterns? If so, what are the underlying factors at work?
This report aims to identify and explain fundamental trends in South Korean public attitudes about foreign policy and national security. Our topical choice is driven by several factors. In theory, public opinion on these matters should be trivial if the age-old adage holds true that “politics will cease at the water’s edge.” This, however, is not necessarily the case in South Korea. Although we cannot speak for all matters of foreign policy and national security, there is ample evidence suggesting deep meaningful differences in South Korean public opinion on matters related to, for instance, North Korea or the United States. It would be remiss of us to ignore these divisions given their consequential impact on politics and policy. Even more importantly, recent developments in the international arena suggest that we may have reached a critical turning point in great power relations and alliance formation; hence, the timing of this study is most apropos to review whether the South Korean public is keeping pace with these changes.
Established wisdom in public opinion research teaches us that collective policy preferences tend to be rational, stable, coherent, and mutually consistent. If there are any noticeable changes in collective policy preference, they tend to be sensible and predictable. For instance, the public seems to hold a very favorable view of the US and sees the US as an important ally for maintaining regional peace and stability. This support appears robust even after four years of difficult bilateral relations under the Trump Presidency in Washington. Even though changing circumstances may necessitate some adjustments in ROK-US alliance, South Koreans today seem to favor the continuation of this relationship even after unification. The approach on China is more cautious perhaps reasonably so given the precarious history of bilateral relations dating back to the Chosun era. Currently, there appears to be a genuine concern about the potential threat that China will pose to South Korea’s national interest. This is only reasonable given how South Koreans feel about their homeland’s relationship to the US. While South Koreans do not seem to perceive Japan as much of a threat compared to China, they still hold a negative view of this neighboring country given the checkered history intermingled with issues of national identity. North Korea is clearly a significant concern for many South Koreans but there is broad agreement that addressing this challenge is more difficult and there are differences of opinion among subgroups about how to deal with these problems. For instance, our data shows that there are notable differences across ideology, gender, and even age. Conservative, male, and younger as well as older cohorts tend to be more skeptical of Pyongyang and favor a more hawkish stance against North Korea. Progressive, female, and middle-aged cohorts tend to favor a more dovish policy.
Our findings also show that breaking events coupled with elite discourse can also shape public opinion. For instance, South Korean public opinion about North Korea was more favorable during engagement in 2018 but less so after the failed Hanoi Summit in early 2019. Of course, the impact of elite framing and current events may depend on the accessibility and cost of information. This explains why broad shifts in the mood of South Korean public opinion was uniform across all subgroups. For instance, 84.1% of the respondents characterized inter-Korean relations in 2020 as “bad” while only about 63% thought the same in 2018. Part of this was due to the events that transpired between 2018 and 2020. However, we saw more swings (+50%p) in sentiments among respondents aged between 20 and 50. There was less change among older cohorts (i.e., 50s: 37.8→84.9%= 47.1%p, 60s: 51.3→86.9%= 35.6%p). Part of this was due to the fact that individuals in the lower age category had higher hopes about the success of diplomacy. The failed Hanoi talks essentially led to greater disappointment. In short, what this goes to show is that elite framing and current events in combination with individual characteristics, such as ideology and capacity to process information, can shape opinion formation and change.
Aside from this, some more detailed findings from this report are as follows:
ㆍNearly 77% of surveyed respondents expressed interest in unification. 53.5% stated that the speed with which to move forward on unification should be adjusted and more than 1 in 4 (25.5%) stated that there is no need to rush unification.
ㆍViews about unification were tempered by expectations about its cost as 63% of those surveyed stated that they anticipated South Korea’s post-unification economy to be worse off. The respondents stating that they are not willing to pay for unification increased from 20.6% in 2011 to 45.5% in 2020.
ㆍWhen asked how the respondents perceived North Korea, 27.9% said “neighbor,” 25.7% stated “enemy,” 11.5% said “stranger,” and 21.1% said “one of us.”
ㆍNearly 79% of those surveyed stated that South Korea should provide economic aid to North Korea only if Pyongyang changes its behavior. 21.3% stated that aid should continue unconditionally.
ㆍ94.9% of those surveyed agreed that the human rights situation in North Korea was serious and 78.3% stated that this issue should be addressed immediately.
ㆍOver 57% of the respondents stated that they assessed the likelihood of war with North Korea to be low. Over 72% of those surveyed stated that South Korean military cannot deter North Korea in the event of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula.
ㆍNearly 95% of South Koreans believe that North Korea possesses a working nuclear capability and over 93% believes that North Korea will not abandon this capability.
ㆍNearly 70% of the respondents supported developing indigenous nuclear capability and over 61% supported reintroducing tactical nuclear weapons.
ㆍWith respect to the ROK-US alliance, over 78% supported either maintaining or strengthening the bilateral relationship. Over 86% supported keeping the alliance even after unification.
ㆍWith regards to US Forces Korea, over 70% supported either maintaining or increasing the troop level.
ㆍOn burden sharing, over 41% supported maintaining the current level of South Korean contribution to the Special Measures Agreement.
ㆍOn wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer, 42.5% favored condition-based transfer while 27.2% favored schedule-based transfer.
ㆍ25.9% of the respondents saw China as a significant security threat after North Korea (55.8%). 66.7% named China as the greatest threat to South Korea after unification.
ㆍ71.5% of survey respondents assessed Japan’s influence in the region to be negative.
ㆍOnly 11.3% of the respondents stated that Japan is a national security threat. 23.1% saw Japan as a potential security threat after unification.
ㆍSouth Koreans are concerned about global issues, such as climate change, cybersecurity, humanitarian aid, and public health, among others.
Together, what these findings reveal are important intricacies of South Korean public opinion on matters related to foreign policy and national security. While these details may not necessarily drive policy, they reveal important truths about the political challenges associated with navigating a foreign policy that runs against South Korean public sentiment. This knowledge will prove especially useful as South Korea winds up for a presidential election in 2022. Although foreign policy rarely dictates the outcome of the election, how each candidate positions themselves on these issues may contribute to their rise or demise.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
1. Introduction
2. Korean Peninsula
2.1 North Korea
2.1.1 Unification
2.1.2 Inter-Korean Relations
2.1.3 North Korea as a National Security Threat
2.1.4 Addressing the North Korean Challenge
2.2 ROK-US Alliance
2.2.1 The Alliance and Extended Deterrence
2.2.2 USFK and OPCON
2.2.3 The US in the Eyes of South Koreans
2.3 Regional Security
2.4 Global Security Agenda
3. Conclusion
Survey Methodology
Appendix I: Chronicles of Inter-Korean Relations from 2010 to 2020
Appendix II: 2020 Asan Annual Survey Questionnaire
The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not reflect those of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.


5. Unfair practice:Yonhap under fire for betraying public's trust

Very interesting development with the ROK's semi-official news service. "Advertorials." I had never heard of that term before.

ad·ver·to·ri·al
/ˌadvərˈtôrēəl/
noun
plural nounadvertorials
  1. a newspaper or magazine advertisement giving information about a product in the style of an editorial or objective journalistic article.

Unfair practice
The Korea Times · September 13, 2021
Yonhap under fire for betraying public's trust

Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's representative semi-official wire service, has suffered a setback as it was banned from posting news articles on the country's two main internet portals ― Naver and Daum ― for 32 days from Sept. 8. The suspension came after Naver's news assessment committee, composed of 30 media experts and journalists, decided to take punitive steps against Yonhap for posting advertising contents disguised as news stories, on the portals. Those advertorials were found to have been written by non-newsroom employees of Yonhap's public relations and marketing team for business purposes.

It has been routine for media outlets to produce advertorials to make money. But, in that case, they are required to clearly identify them as "ads" to prevent possible confusion among readers. Portals are supposed to categorize such advertorials as "press releases" which are posted separately from general news articles.

Despite such a rule, Yonhap sent around 2,000 paid advertorial pieces promoting diverse events and products of companies to the portals' news category from Oct. 31, 2019, until July 15 this year, equivalent to three to four pieces a day on average. Yonhap cannot avoid criticism as its employees purportedly sent the advertorials to the portals' news category even though they knew that this practice was illegitimate.

This was proven by a PR team document, obtained by Media Today, which described such pieces as "different from news." The team apparently tried to make the advertorials look as if they were regular news stories to attract more readers. Also, advertisers tend to prefer the news category to the press release category as the former is more effective in publicizing their events or products than the latter. This is tantamount to deceiving readers as advertorials are disguised as news stories.

Yonhap's unfair practice is all the more shocking, considering that it receives about 30 billion won ($25.5 million) in subsidies from the government every year. This means the agency is freer from financial problems compared to privately-run news outlets. Given this, it needs to focus on promoting the public interest, rather than seeking business profits. Yet, the agency has betrayed the public's trust and expectations. It is astounding that Yonhap engaged in such a bad practice to earn a mere 200 million won per year.

In a statement submitted to Naver's review committee, Yonhap argued that major internet portals had not taken any measures previously although they were aware that such practices were prevalent in the media sector. It said the portals and the committee alike had never launched an examination or issued a warning on the matter to the agency over the last 10 years.

Yonhap's argument sounds like a lame excuse. Yet it offers an opportunity for all media outlets to reflect on themselves. Under any circumstances, news providers should put top priority on the public interest, such as social justice and fairness, by endeavoring to promote the people's right to know and playing the role of watchdog. When its suspension ends, Yonhap will be subject to another review for future course of action from the portals. It deserves appropriate stern punishment for its unfair and unjust practice. It should pull out all the stops to be reborn as a news agency that can better serve the readers.


The Korea Times · September 13, 2021



6. Korea to Build Another Missile Submarine

Still need 3 to make 1.

Korea to Build Another Missile Submarine
Korea is building another new 3,600-ton submarine with 10 ballistic missile launch tubes.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration has signed a W985.7 billion contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering to build the second U-boat in the KSS-III Batch-II series, according to a spokesman last Friday (US$1=W1,167).
Construction of the first in the series started last month.
The Batch-II series of diesel-powered 3,600-ton submarines are 89 m long and 9.6 m wide. They are heavier and about 5.5 m longer than the 3,000-ton Dosan Ahn Chang-ho from the Batch-I series that was delivered to the Navy recently and have four more missile tubes.
The new sub will be equipped with lithium instead of lead acid batteries, which means it can stay submerged longer, and will have combat and sonar systems with improved target detection and processing functions, as well as a wide variety of weapons such as sea mines, torpedoes and guided missiles.
Since about 80 percent of components are domestically manufactured, it will be much easier to obtain spare parts than for previous models.
The new sub will be completed in 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2028.


7. U.S. military says N.K. missile launches show threats it poses to int'l community
For anyone keeping score:
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has said an in-depth analysis is underway in close cooperation with U.S. intelligence authorities but refused to confirm details, including where the tests were conducted and if they detected the launches in advance.
The latest firing marks the third known major missile test by the communist country so far this year.
On March 21, the North fired two cruise missiles off the west coast, followed by the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea just four days later.
​While​ we look at every action by north Korea as a message to us, we should also keep in mind the nKPA must continue to test systems to advance their capabilities. This may simply be a necessary test. And the north simply enjoys trying to make the international community squirm over its capabilities. But the If it is simply a test it makes INDOPACOM statement even more important because it is clear the regime is trying to improve its offensive warfighting capabilities and that is obviously a threat to the international community


U.S. military says N.K. missile launches show threats it poses to int'l community | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 최수향 · September 13, 2021
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's test-firing of long-range cruise missiles shows the threats the country poses to the region and beyond, the U.S. military said.
The North's official Korean Central News Agency said earlier Monday the country successfully test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missiles over the weekend with the missiles hitting targets 1,500 kilometers away.
"We are aware of reports of DPRK cruise missile launches. We will continue to monitor the situation and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement released just hours after the North's announcement.
DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"This activity highlights DPRK's continuing focus on developing its military program and the threats that poses to its neighbors and the international community," the statement said. "The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad."
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has said an in-depth analysis is underway in close cooperation with U.S. intelligence authorities but refused to confirm details, including where the tests were conducted and if they detected the launches in advance.
The latest firing marks the third known major missile test by the communist country so far this year.
On March 21, the North fired two cruise missiles off the west coast, followed by the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea just four days later.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 최수향 · September 13, 2021



8. S. Korea, Australia hold '2+2' talks among foreign, defense ministers

A 2+2 with a Quad member while the wolf diplomat, Wang Yi, follows and comes to Korea on his own.

(LEAD) S. Korea, Australia hold '2+2' talks among foreign, defense ministers | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김승연 · September 13, 2021
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES throughout with details from the meeting; CHANGES photo)
By Song Sang-ho and Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Australia held "two plus two" talks involving their foreign and defense ministers Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional security, officials said.
Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook met with their Australian counterparts, Marise Payne and Peter Dutton, respectively, during their fifth biennial ministerial talks. Their previous talks were held in Sydney in December 2019.
Payne and Dutton were in Seoul this week in the third leg of their regional tour that also took them to Indonesia and India before coming to Seoul. They will later head to the United States.
Announcing the trip last week, Australia said the talks will advance its efforts to work with partners for positive and proactive contribution to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
"We share democratic values ... We champion free and open trade. We understand the value of multilateralism. Our leaders agreed at the G7 plus summit in Cornwall, to elevate our important relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership," Payne said at the start of the talks.
"These are milestones which reaffirm the commitment between Australia and the Republic of Korea to realize our common aims for the Indo Pacific," she said.
Payne went on to note that there have been "significant changes" since the previous two plus two meeting in 2019, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and "foreign interference that threaten regional peace and stability," an apparent allusion to China's assertiveness.
"This 2+2 meeting will be important in shaping how Australia and the ROK can progress an agenda of cooperation that contributes to and supports regional peace and stability," she said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
Calling South Korea and Australia "middle powers that represent the Indo-Pacific region," Chung stressed that Seoul values its relationship with Canberra as a country "that shares similar interests."
"It is very timely to have this two plus two meeting between the two countries as the need for communication and cooperation between middle powers like Korea and Australia is becoming more important," he said.
The Australian defense chief took note of "intensifying regional strategic challenges," stressing the South Korea-Australia partnership has "never been more important."
"There is economic coercion and foreign interference. There are cyber attacks and tactics that our respective countries are very familiar with," he said without specifying from which country these challenges emanate. "The region is rearming and modernizing capabilities at an alarming rate."
Dutton also stressed the need to build capabilities to meet the "challenges of today and the future."
"We should enhance defense cooperation across the maritime, air and space domains," he said. "In particular, defense industry, science and technology will be force multipliers and enablers."
The four were to hold a joint press conference following the talks.
During Monday's talks, they were also expected to share assessments on North Korea's latest launches of a new type of long-range cruise missile, which took place over the weekend.
The North is banned from using ballistic technology under multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. Cruise missiles, however, are not subject to the sanctions as they are considered less of a threat than ballistic missiles.
Also on the table will likely be ways to boost cooperation in the economy and other fields, including natural resources and hydrogen energy.
Ahead of the two plus two talks, Suh and Dutton met one-on-one to discuss cooperation in the security and defense industry fields, including Seoul's plan to participate in the Australia-led multilateral air exercise named Pitch Black next year, the defense ministry said.
Payne and Dutton also paid a courtesy call on President Moon Jae-in earlier in the day.

elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 김승연 · September 13, 2021


9. Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, Japan hold talks amid renewed tensions over N.K. missile launch

Let's seek improved trilateral cooperation in the face of north Korean threats.

Let's show Kim his actions have blow back.

Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, Japan hold talks amid renewed tensions over N.K. missile launch | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · September 13, 2021
TOKYO/SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan held talks in Tokyo on Monday to discuss cooperation in resuming dialogue with North Korea, amid renewed tensions caused by Pyongyang's recent cruise missile launches.
The talks between Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator, Noh Kyu-duk, and his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, came on the eve of their trilateral meeting with the U.S. special representative for the North, Sung Kim.
Earlier in the day, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported that the country test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missile Saturday and Sunday in a low-intensity provocation amid stalled nuclear talks with the United States.
During Monday's talks, Noh and Funakoshi were expected to discuss ways to encourage the North's return to dialogue through humanitarian aid and other incentives, and stably manage the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Before his departure for Tokyo on Sunday, Noh took note of "considerable progress" in talks between Seoul and Washington over humanitarian cooperation projects, but he did not elaborate further.
The North's latest saber-rattling came amid concerns over signs of the recalcitrant regime reactivating a plutonium-producing nuclear reactor at its main Yongbyon complex and lingering tensions following its furious reactions to last month's South Korea-U.S. military drills.
During their trilateral gathering on Tuesday, Noh, Kim and Funakoshi are expected to discuss the security situation on the peninsula and trilateral cooperation on the resumption of dialogue with the North.
The three last held a three-way meeting in Seoul in June.
Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have remained deadlocked since the 2019 Hanoi summit between then U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · September 13, 2021

10. Moon to visit U.S. next week for annual U.N. session: Cheong Wa Dae

Excerpts:
The president plans to hold bilateral summits with some of his foreign counterparts, in addition to a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the U.N. session, Park added without elaborating.
Moon will then make a stopover in Honolulu, Hawaii, on his way back home, where he will join a ceremony for the transfer of the remains of South Korean and American troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.
It will offer an opportunity to reaffirm the robust South Korea-U.S. alliance and make clear the state's commitment to "unlimited responsibility" for those who sacrificed for the country, according to Park.
(LEAD) Moon to visit U.S. next week for annual U.N. session: Cheong Wa Dae | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이치동 · September 13, 2021
(ATTN: UPDATES with details)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit New York next week to attend an annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, his office announced Monday.
Moon is scheduled to depart for the United States on Sunday. He will deliver a keynote speech at the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly and address the opening ceremony of the Sustainable Development Goals Moment (SDG Moment) event, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.
The SDG Moment, launched last year, is designed to reinvigorate efforts to achieve the U.N.-led goals adopted in 2015.
This year, especially, the two Koreas commemorate the 30th anniversary of becoming U.N. member states simultaneously, she said.
"President Moon's attendance at the U.N. General Assembly is expected to serve as a chance for reaffirming the international community's support for efforts to make progress in the Korean Peninsula peace (process)," Park said in a statement.
It is also expected to help shed light on Seoul's activity and contribution for international peace and prosperity, she said.
Moon is participating in the U.N. meeting for the fifth consecutive year. He did so via video conference last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The president plans to hold bilateral summits with some of his foreign counterparts, in addition to a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the U.N. session, Park added without elaborating.
Moon will then make a stopover in Honolulu, Hawaii, on his way back home, where he will join a ceremony for the transfer of the remains of South Korean and American troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.
It will offer an opportunity to reaffirm the robust South Korea-U.S. alliance and make clear the state's commitment to "unlimited responsibility" for those who sacrificed for the country, according to Park.
Moon is to return to Seoul on Thursday.

lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이치동 · September 13, 2021

11. North Korea slams UK for 'miserable' maltreatment of children

More deflection by the regime. But this is truly sad when the Korean children in the north are suffering so tragically.


North Korea slams UK for 'miserable' maltreatment of children
The Korea Times · September 13, 2021
People wave the flags in a celebration of the nation's 73rd founding anniversary in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sept. 9. AP-Yonhap

North Korea's foreign ministry on Monday accused the United Kingdom of severe maltreatment of children and warned against meddling in the human rights of other countries.

The ministry said on its website a recent report by the Netherlands-based "Kid's Rights Foundation" has ranked the U.K. in 169th among 182 countries, calling it a "fair and objective judgment" by the international society about the miserable situation of children's rights in the UK.

"One Western media deplored that the U.K. has killed numerous children in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries under the pretext of 'counter-terrorism' but those responsible are enjoying impunity and unfettered life under the protection of the British government," it said.

The ministry said the report shows the "true facade" of the U.K., which "habitually admonishes and meddles" in the human rights of other countries and urged the UK to first redress its own human rights issue.

North Korea ranked 113th in the report. The North has long been labeled as one of the world's worst human rights violators. (Yonhap)


The Korea Times · September 13, 2021
12. Yongbyon nuclear facility assessments: three contradictions

Intersign analysis.

Excerpts:

First, is the Yongbyon nuclear facility a "disaster" or just a "lump of scrap metal?"
...
Second, "will the U.S. not buy the same horse twice," or has it ever even bought a horse?
...
Third, despite recent indications that nuclear activities in Yongbyon have resumed, South Korea and the U.S. keep trying to talk to North Korea.
Yongbyon nuclear facility assessments: three contradictions
The Korea Times · September 13, 2021
By Yang Moo-jin
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report issued at the end of August that North Korea appears to have restarted its 5-megawatt reactor and reprocessing facility in Yongbyon.Many different assessments of the Yongbyon nuclear facility were reported in the media and it seems that quite a few of them are contradictory and biased, as if revealing the disorderly state of the North Korean nuclear issue itself. I would like to outline them in the following "three contradictions."

First, is the Yongbyon nuclear facility a "disaster" or just a "lump of scrap metal?" Some political groups say that North Korea's restarting of the Yongbyon nuclear facility will bring about a "disaster" that will threaten South Korea.

However, many other people disagree, because two years ago, they disparaged Yongbyon as an old facility not worth negotiating with, and therefore concluded at that time that it was a "lump of scrap metal." Although Yongbyon has not changed, how can the assessments of it be so different depending on the situation? These assessments seem to be acts with political intentions rather than oriented towards actual solutions.

Dr. Siegfried S. Hecker, who visited the Yongbyon area in 2010, called Yongbyon the "heart" of North Korea's nuclear material production. He pointed out that new facilities, such as a uranium enrichment facility and an experimental light water reactor, have been built since the expulsion of the IAEA inspectors in 2009, and also refuted the assessment that the Yongbyon facility was obsolete.

However, it is very likely that North Korea is operating a facility that produces highly-enriched uranium outside of Yongbyon and that it has strengthened its nuclear capabilities through six nuclear tests and ICBM test launches. Therefore, it is also true that Yongbyon's importance in North Korea's nuclear arsenal is clearly different from what it was in the 1990s, when only the Yongbyon facility was available.

Considering the fact that the Yongbyon area has a nuclear reactor and reprocessing facility, which are the only facilities that can produce plutonium and tritium, and that there is also a uranium enrichment facility, the Yongbyon nuclear facility plays a very critical ― if not the main ― role in North Korea's nuclear material production. I think this view represents a balanced assessment of Yongbyon.

Second, "will the U.S. not buy the same horse twice," or has it ever even bought a horse? Some experts cite the American proverb, "Don't buy the same horse twice" and emphasize that North Korea has not fully implemented agreements to freeze and dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear facility in the past.

North Korea ceased its nuclear activities in Yongbyon after signing the 1994 Agreed Framework and the Feb. 13 Agreement of the 2007 six-party talks, while IAEA inspectors were monitoring it and residing there. Does the reason why these agreements were not completely fulfilled rest only on the shoulders of North Korea?

In fact, the responsibility also lies with the fact that proportional responses in exchange for denuclearization steps, such as an improvement in U.S.-North Korea relations, the conclusion of a peace treaty, and the supply of a light-water reactor, did not go well. Due to not having the actual intention to "pay for" the full cessation of Yongbyon properly, the U.S. in the end did not actually "buy" Yongbyon in the first place.

Dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear facility means not only halting the production of nuclear materials, but also enhancing experts' understanding of North Korea's overall nuclear weapons program, by gaining access to Yongbyon sites.
Dismantling is not everything when it comes to denuclearization, but can be an important impetus for getting denuclearization to start full-scale and in promoting the dismantlement of the other nuclear facilities through building mutual trust.

From this perspective, it's really unfortunate that the Trump administration called for North Korea to declare all the parts of its nuclear weapons program as well as rejected North Korea's proposal to dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear facility at the summit between the U.S. and North Korea in February 2019.

Third, despite recent indications that nuclear activities in Yongbyon have resumed, South Korea and the U.S. keep trying to talk to North Korea. Is that a prudent attitude or a deliberate attempt to hide information? While some experts have regarded the U.S. government's response to signs of the resumption of nuclear activities in Yongbyon as prudent, so as not to get caught up in North Korea's trickery, they have criticized South Korea for disclosing only favorable information in order to promote dialogue with the North, including the resumption of cross-border communication.

The U.S. and South Korean governments have coordinated closely on North Korea policy since the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden, and actively sent messages to the North for dialogue through the South Korea-U.S. summit in May. The two governments have showed the same position that the recent report from the IAEA provided, supporting evidence on the urgency of engagement with North Korea to solve the problem.

If experts make completely different comments on the same response by the South Korean and U.S. governments, we will have no choice but to ask them what their rationale is for making such disparate comments.

As the North Korean nuclear issue has continued on unabated, and North Korea's nuclear capacity has advanced, doubt and distrust have continued to grow. We should face the heart of the matter and return to the basics. The key to the problem is to build trust by reducing the threat and easing hostility. It is now time to adopt a practical and rational approach to solve the problem without ideological or political intentions.

Yang Moo-jin (yangmj@kyungnam.ac.kr) is a professor at the University of North Korean Studies and the vice chair of the Korean Association of North Korean Studies. He is also a standing committee member of the National Unification Advisory Council and a policy consultant at the Ministry of Unification.


The Korea Times · September 13, 2021

13. DPRK test-fires newly-developed long-range cruise missiles

A Chinese report on the north Korean cruise missiles doing figure 8s.

DPRK test-fires newly-developed long-range cruise missiles
chinadaily.com.cn · by 关晓萌
Xinhua | Updated: 2021-09-13 08:49

This undated combo picture released from DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 13, 2021 shows a test-fired new type long-range cruise missile on September 11 and 12, conducted by the Academy of Defence Science of the DPRK.
PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) successfully test-fired new type of long-range cruise missiles on Saturday and Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday.
The launched long-range cruise missiles traveled for 7,580 seconds along oval and pattern-8 flight orbits in the air above the territorial land and waters of the DPRK and hit targets 1,500 km away, the report said.
The development of this weapon system "holds strategic significance of possessing another effective deterrence means for more reliably guaranteeing the security of our state and strongly containing the military maneuvers of the hostile forces against the DPRK," the report noted.
The development of the long-range cruise missile "has been pushed forward according to the scientific and reliable weapon system development process for the past two years" and detailed tests of missile parts, scores of engine ground thrust tests, various flight tests, control and guidance tests, warhead power tests, etc. were conducted with success, according to the report.
"In all, the efficiency and practicality of the weapon system operation was confirmed to be excellent," the KCNA said.
Pak Jong Chon, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, watched the test-launches with some leading officials and scientists in the field of the national defence science, it added.
Pak stressed the need for the field of the national defence science to go all out to increase the defence capabilities, the war deterrence of the country and keep making achievements in meeting the grand and long-term targets of securing war deterrence, the report said.






V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Personal Email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
Web Site: www.fdd.org
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Subscribe to FDD’s new podcastForeign Podicy
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Personal Email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
Web Site: www.fdd.org
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Subscribe to FDD’s new podcastForeign Podicy
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."
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