Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"Intellectual virtues are civic virtues; intellectual vices leave the citizens vulnerable to superstition and demagoguery."

~ George Scialabba

"Tell me, what is it [that] you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

~ American poet Mary Oliver [1935-2019]

"This minding of other people's business expresses itself in gossip, snooping and meddling, and also in feverish interest in communal, national, and racial affairs. In running away from ourselves we either fall on our neighbor's shoulder or fly at his throat."

~ Eric Hoffer [1902-83], in "The True Believer: Thoughts On The Nature of Mass Movements" [1951]

1. Why Kim Jong Un wants you to meet his daughter

2. S. Korea, U.S. hold counter-drone drills amid N. Korean UAV threats

3. N.K. media urges thorough quarantine efforts amid 'very unstable' virus situation

4. China's reopening likely to help S. Korean economy rebound: report

5. U.S. to expand training for extended deterrence against N. Korea

6. Three more people rescued by Korean emergency response team in Turkey

7. Wife of North Korean Diplomat: From Pyongyang to Seoul Seeking Freedom for Kids

8. [Column] Streamline defense procurement

9. N.K. leader's daughter seen riding symbolic white horse

10. NK forces people named 'Ju-ae' to change their names: report

11. Desolate truce village symbolizes latest rift between two Koreas

12. Kim’s ‘respected’ daughter: Heir apparent or propaganda vehicle?

13. Yonsei vs Sogang: A closer look at decades-old rivalry in Korean language education

14. S. Korea to craft plan to develop new guided missile capable of striking N.Korean artillery

1. Why Kim Jong Un wants you to meet his daughter

Photos at the link: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/10/asia/kim-jong-un-daughter-succession-missiles-north-korea-intl-hnk

Excerpts:

“By ostentatiously including his wife and daughter, Kim wants observers at home and abroad to see his family dynasty and the North Korean military as irrevocably linked,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

...

“It is known that Kim Jong Il told his aides that Kim Jong Un would be his successor while performing a song called ‘Footsteps’ to praise Kim Jong Un on his 8th birthday,” Cheong said. However, he added that the outside world had not been aware of this at the time.

“Rumors and speculations circulated for a long time that Kim Jong Il’s first son, Kim Jong Nam, or second son, Kim Jong Chol, would be the successor,” Cheong said.

...

Her recent appearances may simply be a way to redirect the world’s attention back to Pyongyang’s military after audience fatigue set in following a year of record missile testing, said Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean general.

“I think the North Koreans have either stumbled upon or have figured out that this is one way of getting international attention. And so with all the interest that is accumulating, they’re enjoying themselves,” he said.

“Throughout their seven-decade history, their successors have always been a mystery to us. Why would they change their mode of operation now? So if I were to bet $5, I would say she is not the successor,” Chun said.

Why Kim Jong Un wants you to meet his daughter | CNN

CNN · by Brad Lendon · February 10, 2023

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Kim Jong Un's daughter on display at lavish event. Here's what it could mean

02:33 - Source: CNN

Hong Kong CNN —

With his young daughter at this side at two splashy military events this week, Kim Jong Un told the world two things – the Kim family will rule North Korea for another generation and it will have the nuclear weapons to make sure no one can challenge that.

The girl – believed to be Kim’s second child, Ju Ae, and around 9 years old – joined the North Korean leader and his wife at a glitzy banquet at a Pyongyang military barracks on Tuesday night.

A day later she looked on as at least 11 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) were paraded through KIm Il Sung Square in the North Korean capital.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited barracks of military officers with his daughter Kim Ju Ae and wife, Ri Sol Ju, to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Peopleís Army (KPA), state media reported on Tuesday.

Rodong Sinmun

“By ostentatiously including his wife and daughter, Kim wants observers at home and abroad to see his family dynasty and the North Korean military as irrevocably linked,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

Meet the Kims

The Kim family’s rule in North Korea stretches back to 1948, when Kim Il Sung came to power in the aftermath of World War II.

When Kim Il Sung died in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il took control – and when Kim Jong Il died, in December 2011, his son Kim Jong Un came to power.

Kim Jong Un and his daughter attends a military parade celebrating North Korean army's founding anniversary where North Korea's latest weapons were displayed on February 08, 2023.

Rodong Sinmun

Western observers believe Kim Jong Un has three children and that Ju Ae is his middle child, though this can’t be verified by anyone outside North Korea.

North Korean media reports of this week’s military events described Ju Ae as Kim’s “respected” and “beloved” child.

American basketball star Dennis Rodman revealed Kim had a baby called Ju Ae when he visited Pyongyang in 2013, telling The Guardian afterward, “I held their baby Ju Ae and spoke with (Kim’s wife) as well.”

The age of the baby Rodman held appears to fit the age of the girl at this week’s events.

Isn’t it a bit early for a successor?

There is historical precedent for Kim to identify his successor so early on, because that’s what his father, Kim Jong Il, did with him, said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea.

“It is known that Kim Jong Il told his aides that Kim Jong Un would be his successor while performing a song called ‘Footsteps’ to praise Kim Jong Un on his 8th birthday,” Cheong said. However, he added that the outside world had not been aware of this at the time.

“Rumors and speculations circulated for a long time that Kim Jong Il’s first son, Kim Jong Nam, or second son, Kim Jong Chol, would be the successor,” Cheong said.

When did Kim’s daughter take the spotlight?

Speculation that Ju Ae would be Kim’s successor emerged last November when state media released pictures of her and Kim inspecting a North Korean ballistic missile before a test launch.

South Korean lawmaker and secretary of the National Intelligence Service Yoo Sang-bum said after that launch the girl was thought to be Ju Ae.

North Korean state media published a story later that month with pictures of Kim and his daughter, describing her as his “most beloved” child, Cheong said.

Pictures in North Korean media also showed the girl visiting a missile factory with her father near the end of 2022.

The case for succession …

Cheong said he’s convinced the girl’s appearance at recent events and how she is referred to in state-run media show she is being primed to succeed her father.

The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper mentions the girl before Kim’s wife in stories and uses the adjectives “beloved” and “respected” to convey on her a special status, he said.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, soldiers march during a military parade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.

KCNA/KNS/AP

“The beginning of this personality cult for Kim Ju Ae suggests that, even though she has not yet (been given) the status of an official successor … she is de facto designated successor,” Cheong said.

He added that if the girl is to succeed her father, she would need the support of the military.

Putting her front and center at military events from a young age will allow her to establish credibility with the military over time, Cheong said.

… Or is this just a PR stunt?

Other observers aren’t convinced.

Her recent appearances may simply be a way to redirect the world’s attention back to Pyongyang’s military after audience fatigue set in following a year of record missile testing, said Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean general.

“I think the North Koreans have either stumbled upon or have figured out that this is one way of getting international attention. And so with all the interest that is accumulating, they’re enjoying themselves,” he said.

“Throughout their seven-decade history, their successors have always been a mystery to us. Why would they change their mode of operation now? So if I were to bet $5, I would say she is not the successor,” Chun said.

And what about those missiles?

While there’s still plenty of debate about Ju Ae, there’s little doubt about her father’s wish to have enough military might to keep his family in power.

The display of at least 11 Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on Wednesday night shows the North Korean military is following through on Kim’s call at the end of 2022 for an “exponential increase” in his country’s nuclear arsenal in response to what he claims are threats from South Korea and the United States.

Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said on social media that if each of those missiles were equipped with multiple nuclear warheads, they could represent enough volume to overwhelm US ballistic missile defenses.

Solid fuel vs. liquid fuel

Following the Hwasong-17s in Wednesday night’s parade were examples of what analysts believe could be a solid-fueled ICBM, a step up in technology from the liquid-fueled Hwasong-17.

Liquid-fueled missiles take longer to prepare for launch; solid-fueled missiles are ready to go on a moment’s notice.

“If this is the case, it gives (North Korea) more mobility, flexibility, lethality, and so forth,” said Chun, the former South Korean general.

Solid-fueled missiles on mobile launchers would give the Kim regime “the ability to attack an opponent with very, very little prior warning,” Chun said. “It’s a really scary scenario.”

CNN’s Yoonjung Seo and Paula Hancocks contributed to this report.

CNN · by Brad Lendon · February 10, 2023

2. S. Korea, U.S. hold counter-drone drills amid N. Korean UAV threats

S. Korea, U.S. hold counter-drone drills amid N. Korean UAV threats | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · February 12, 2023

SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States staged combined counter-drone drills at a U.S. air base in a southwestern city last week, U.S. military photos showed Sunday, as Seoul seeks to reinforce readiness following North Korea's drone incursions late last year.

Posted on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service on Friday, photos showed the drills taking place at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 275 kilometers south of Seoul, on Tuesday.

This photo, posted on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, shows South Korean and U.S. troops engaging in counter-drone drills at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 275 kilometers south of Seoul, on Feb. 7, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

One photo depicted a U.S. Air Force officer aiming a "dronebuster" at a small simulated enemy drone. The dronebuster is a radio frequency jammer that can neutralize enemy drones, according to the U.S. military.

Another photo showed a member of a South Korean Air Force explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team checking the drone while wearing a "bomb suit" designed to protect personnel from possible explosives carried by the drone.

The North's drone infiltrations in December have laid bare the South Korean military's lack of readiness against such small crafts that could potentially carry lethal weapons.

The South has recently come up with a series of anti-drone plans, including conducting regular drills, building a real-time target intelligence-sharing system and securing kinetic and non-kinetic assets, such as drone jamming guns.

[email protected]

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · February 12, 2023

3. N.K. media urges thorough quarantine efforts amid 'very unstable' virus situation

We must pay attention to the effects of COVID in north Korea and how it could lead to instability in Pyongyang, among the population, and especially among the military.

N.K. media urges thorough quarantine efforts amid 'very unstable' virus situation | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · February 12, 2023

SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean state broadcaster called Sunday for thorough quarantine efforts, pointing to the "very unstable" situation marked by the spread of COVID-19, seasonal flu and other contagious illnesses.

The North's official Korean Central Television said the country's entire society should continue to maintain the antivirus campaign by blocking all virus transmission routes, including border and coastal areas, until the world's public health crisis ends.

"Even into the new year, there are still no signs of the malignant contagious disease situation being resolved," it said. "As it has rather worsened due to the emergence and spread of variants with stronger immune evasion capabilities, the quarantine situation is very unstable."

The broadcaster cited the concurrent spread of COVID-19, influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus.

In August last year, the North declared victory against the COVID-19 crisis. But it has continued to stress the need for strong quarantine efforts as it remains wary of a possible flare-up in virus cases.

This photo, captured on Feb. 12, 2023, from a broadcast of North Korea's official Korean Central Television, shows North Korean workers engaging in antivirus efforts. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

[email protected]

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · February 12, 2023

4. China's reopening likely to help S. Korean economy rebound: report

China's reopening likely to help S. Korean economy rebound: report | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 김보람 · February 12, 2023

SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- China's reopening from COVID-19 restrictions and its economic recovery are expected to help boost South Korea's economic growth and exports, which are highly related to the neighboring country, a report showed Sunday.

According to the report published by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), global institutions have predicted that the Chinese economy will expand 5.1 percent in 2023 from a year earlier, up from a 3 percent growth in the previous year.

Thanks to the reopening from its yearslong zero-COVID-19 policy and Beijing's stimulus packages, the world's second-largest economy will likely post a 6.9 percent on-year growth in the second quarter and 2.6 percent for the first quarter.

Should that prediction materialize, the robust growth in the Chinese economy will likely raise South Korea's economic growth by an additional 0.16 percentage point and its exports by 0.55 percentage point this year, the report said.

The South Korean government expected Asia's fourth-largest economy to expand around 1.6 percent in 2023, down from a 2.6 percent gain in 2022. Its 2023 exports are expected to decrease 4.5 percent on-year, compared with a growth of 6.1 percent last year.

"South Korea needs to make the most of China's reopening and tackle the Chinese domestic market in a way to get over sluggish exports," the report said.

South Korea's economy is largely affected by the fluctuation of the Chinese economy as the neighboring country is its biggest trade partner.

Shipments to China reached US$155.8 billion in 2022, accounting for 22.8 percent of Korea's total exports of $683.8 billion.

This illustration shows trade between South Korea and China. (Yonhap)

[email protected]

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 김보람 · February 12, 2023

5. U.S. to expand training for extended deterrence against N. Korea

U.S. to expand training for extended deterrence against N. Korea

donga.com

Posted February. 11, 2023 07:14,

Updated February. 11, 2023 07:14

U.S. to expand training for extended deterrence against N. Korea. February. 11, 2023 07:14. [email protected].

The U.S. Department of State stated on Thursday that they would enhance the frequency and strength of deployment of U.S. strategic assets and expand training for extended deterrence in response to North Korea's new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) believed to be powered by a solid fuel engine unveiled during a military parade.

In response to an inquiry from The Dong-A Ilbo about North Korea’s military parade held on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department spokesperson's office emphasized that South Korea and the U.S. will continue to work together to fortify extended deterrence in the face of North Korea's escalating political rhetoric about their nuclear weapons program. It emphasized that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has clearly stated its commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons and will closely collaborate with the U.S. through the existing extended deterrence system. It also pointed out that North Korea pursued illegal nuclear weapons and elevated tension on the Korean Peninsula.

The department clearly stated that North Korea was accountable for elevating tensions on the Korean Peninsula by emphasizing South Korea’s commitment not to develop its own nuclear program. Meanwhile, North Korea unveiled its new ICBM and tactical nuclear operation unit, which it described as a "display of maximum nuclear attack capability." It is interpreted as a warning message, and a response came out of a concern that public opinion on developing nuclear weapons could escalate in South Korea.

At a briefing on the same day, State Department spokesman Ned Price said, “We would like to see the DPRK cease these provocations. We would like to see the DPRK engage in dialogue. But until and unless that happens, our approach will remain the same.” It means that the U.S. will pursue a dual approach of advocating for stronger sanctions against the country while also considering military options, such as strengthening extended deterrence if the North does not stop its provocations.

Ankit Panda, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, informed Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the new weapon showcased at the North Korean military parade is believed to be a solid fuel-powered ICBM, and the country will test-launch solid-fuel ICBM within months.

Ian Williams, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said, “The preparation time for launch is much shorter” for solid fuel ICBMs, and “It is also difficult to attack the ‘left side of the launch (before launch)’ stage, which destroys the missile before launch.” Former White House weapons of mass destruction coordinator Gary Seymour also said in the CSIS interview that he was “not optimistic” about North Korea’s missile defense through missile defense systems such as the Iron Dome.

한국어

donga.com

6. Three more people rescued by Korean emergency response team in Turkey

South Korea stepping up.

Sunday

February 12, 2023

dictionary + A - A

Three more people rescued by Korean emergency response team in Turkey

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/02/12/national/socialAffairs/korea-turkey-earthquake/20230212191343759.html

Rescuers of the Korea Disaster Relief Team pull out a survivor from the rubble in Antakya, southern Turkey, on Saturday, nearly 72 hours after a massive earthquake hit the region. [YONHAP]

Rescuers dispatched by the Korean government rescued three more people from the rubble in Antakya, southern Turkey, on Saturday, bringing the total number of saved lives to eight, said Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Foreign Ministry identified the latest survivors as a 51-year-old mother and her 17-year-old son, who were pulled out from the same building nearly 72 hours after being struck by a massive earthquake that killed more than 29,000 people and injured tens of thousands of people in Turkey and Syria.

A 65-year-old woman and her husband were pulled out from the rubble earlier that day at a different location, but the husband is believed to have died, said the ministry.

A so-called Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) was dispatched by the Korean government last week to help with rescue operations in Antakya at the request of the Turkish government.

The 118-member team arrived in Turkey on a KC-330 military tanker transport aircraft last Wednesday and is expected to stay until Friday. If further help is needed, the government said it might send another rescue team to Turkey and have the rescuers rotate shifts.

The team sent last week includes rescue professionals from the National Fire Agency and the Korea International Cooperation Agency, officials from the Foreign Ministry and some 50 military personnel.

The five other survivors rescued by the KDRT since starting rescue operations Thursday were identified as a man in his mid-70s, a 40-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, a 10-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl.

Eighteen dead bodies were also retrieved.

Donations have been pouring in from all walks of life in Korea, with celebrities and business CEOs encouraging the public to join the global effort.

A fundraising campaign jointly organized by Kakao — the nation’s largest mobile messaging app — the Korean Committee for Unicef and the Community Chest of Korea since last Tuesday has raised more than 2.8 billion won ($2.2 million) as of Sunday.

Kakao founder Kim Beom-su, who’s now chief of the Kakao Future Initiative Center, announced that he would donate 1 billion won through the Community Chest of Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Turkish Embassy in Korea in central Seoul last Thursday to pay his condolences to the victims of the earthquake and donated 32.61 million won as part of a fundraising campaign.

Yoon’s office quoted Turkish Ambassador to Korea Murat Tamer as saying that he felt “brotherly love” toward Korea and thanked the president for the assistance.

Turkey is widely referred to as a “brother country” in Korea for having sent troops during the 1950-53 Korean War. When Yoon’s office announced plans to dispatch the KDRT last week, the president stressed that it was “only natural” for Korea to help the “brother nation” because Turkey didn’t hesitate to send its soldiers to the Korean Peninsula when the South was invaded by the communist North.

Another charity led by volleyball athlete Kim Yeon-koung, who formerly played for a Turkish team, has raised more than 200 million won.

Samsung Electronics donated $3 million, Hyundai Motor donated $2 million, and SK and LG donated $1 million each.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN, JEONG JIN-WOO [[email protected]]

7. Wife of North Korean Diplomat: From Pyongyang to Seoul Seeking Freedom for Kids

I recall two things from my first meeting with Thae Yong Ho when he made his first trip to DC. He said he and his family deflected because his sons did not want to return to Pyongyang where they would no longer have access to information in the outside world. The second reason was that Thae could not longer explain and justify the contradictions that exist in north Korea.

Wife of North Korean Diplomat: From Pyongyang to Seoul Seeking Freedom for Kids

February 10, 2023 7:13 PM

Christy Lee

Kim Hyungjin

voanews.com

WASHINGTON —

"I can see your son has a bright future ahead of him," a schoolteacher in London told Oh Hye Son.

Oh, 55, is the wife of Thae Yong Ho, a member of the South Korean National Assembly. He defected from North Korea with Oh and their sons in 2016 while serving as the deputy ambassador to the U.K.

The teacher's comments about the couple's younger son, Kum Hyok, brought Oh to tears. Her husband, Thae, was a counselor at the North Korean Embassy in London, a post he held from 2004 to 2008.

[Column] Streamline defense procurement

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/02/12/opinion/columns/defense-procurement-drones/20230212200444079.html

Lee Kwang-hyung

The author is president of KAIST and head of the fourth industrial revolution committee of the Reset Korea Campaign of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Last December, the South Korean military had to scramble fighter jets and attack choppers upon detecting the infiltration of a North Korean drone into our airspace over Seoul. The incident exposed many loopholes in defending our airspace and a critical lack of counter-measures. South Korea prizes itself as an IT powerhouse. The drones deployed in the Ukraine war came from Turkey and Iran. Ukrainian forces use Turkey’s TB-2 unmanned attack drones while Russians rely on Iran’s “kamikaze” Shahed drones.

If so, what does South Korea do in the new defense market today? Our defense industry was exuberant over 21.4 trillion ($17 billion) in arms exports last year. But the list of weapons Korea exported points in the other direction. The shipments were confined to conventional weapons, like tanks, armored vehicles and artillery used in World War II while missing drones and other cutting-edge technologies, which dramatically change the character of modern warfare.

South Korea, undoubtedly an IT powerhouse, supplies more than 100 million smartphones to the global market. The global industry could come to a standstill without memory chips from Korea. Wherever you go, Korean electronic appliances have become essentials in affluent homes and hotels. It is baffling that the country is still happy with the export of conventional weaponry.

The shortcomings in our defense pipeline owe much to the fallout over the last decade. Collusion or corruption related to arms procurements regularly occurred out from 2014. After unceasing scandals, the government focused on fixing the corruption-feeding structure through laws and other measures. As a result, extra discretion has been taken from the developmental stage of weapons to the stage of their production and deployment. The multi-layered check system has helped mitigate irregularities significantly. The downside is on innovation. Due to the over-anxiousness with any new venture, the country could not meet the demands of the times. It simply could not make unmanned aerial vehicles even Turkey and Iran could.

In the development of new weapons for Korea, the process has become more important than the objective. The entire process must be transparent — objectively. Any novel ideas and ventures were deemed risky and hard to prove objectively. Therefore, it was safe for scientists and engineers to do just as their predecessors did. In the meantime, Korea’s weapons procurement system has turned into a dinosaur.

A weapons procurement process starts with raising the need for new weapons. If the requirement is approved, a planning process for new weapons follows.

Soldiers from the Army Tiger Combat Brigade show their attack drones at the headquarters of the 25th Infantry Division, Gyeonggi, June 10, 2022. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Then, a decision is made whether it should be imported from outside or developed at home. Due to complexities of technology transfer, self-development is the typical choice for new weapons procurement system. The program then undergoes a review for budgeting. Money can be earmarked one to two years later, but it could take three or four years.

R&D activity can start once the money comes in. This is usually three to four years after the request for new weapons was first filed. If new technologies come up during the developmental stage of a new weapons program, adjustments should be made. But a deviation from original design requires a new round of fussy and complicated procedures.

Collaboration with partners can be necessary to test out a prototype. Selecting the partner also must be transparent to disqualify any subjective opinions. If a new weapon is successfully developed, the authorities must determine whether to mass-produce it for deployment in the field. The process can take several years.

Once the deployment is decided, the company responsible for the mass production must be decided. The tender process must not offer advantage to the company involved in developing the prototype. The new weapon would arrive roughly 10 years after its requirement was raised first. In short, a product planned a decade ago would be hitting the market.

The tedious and frustrating process does not end here. Worse, failures in the R&D process are not tolerated. The accountability from a failure can be harsh. An exemplary case was a test on an unmanned aerial vehicle in 2017. After a prototype crashed during a test flight under the supervision of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), it ordered the researchers to compensate it for the damage. Since the drone cost 6.7 billion won, five researchers were each liable for 1.34 billion won in costs. After much dispute, they were cleared of individual indemnity, but the event became a traumatic experience for researchers.

Serious consequences can follow for taking risks because safety comes before creativity and challenge. Not taking risks can be the safest under such circumstances. So, it has become a practice to not take any chances. Scientists and engineers increasingly want to avoid divisions that must take on risky ventures.

Another hardship for people in defense development is confidentiality mandate. They must not speak on their research work to anyone as it is a state secret. But for the individuals, it can be hard sometimes. Everyone wishes to share their work experience. They wish to boast about it when all goes well, or seek advice when things go tough.

But defense R&D staff do not have any ways to release their psychological burden. They must take comfort in their patriotic contribution. That cannot be appealing to the younger generation.

It is how the North Korean drones were able to roam around the skies over the capital without any interruptions and why South Korea cannot match Turkey or Iran in military drone technology.

I would like to suggest four ways to resuscitate our sovereign defense and related industry. First, we must change the process of acquiring new weapons in an epochal way. The system in Korea has long been outdated. Even when there are some risks, we should be quicker in applying new technologies to our military.

Second, each force — army, navy, air force and marines — must have separate R&D functions to improve their weapons systems. The need for adjustments will rise in the field, especially as the weapons were designed a decade ago. But to make improvements, a request must be filed again to go through a lengthy process. Such waste can be saved if each military force has its own R&D function.

Third, radical measures are needed to draw talents into defense technology development. Brainpower cannot be honed at the current terms of government and defense institutions. Salaries should be at least doubled to attract some of the talents who would otherwise head to IT, game or big enterprises. North Korea places top brains in weapons development. Ryomyong Street in Pyongyang is a posh neighborhood where scientists involved in developing missiles and nuclear weapons live.

Fourth, to apply the latest technologies of AI and quantum technology to our weapons systems, an integrated team of military officials, civilian experts and private companies must work together from the planning stage. There is a limit to devise innovative new weapons systems through the solo planning by military officials.

Military authorities are well aware of such problems. But because the process involves many complexities, a few changes in the law or system are not enough. A comprehensive special act to revitalize our sclerotic defense industry is more effective to solve the deep-rooted problem. Otherwise, our weapons technology will continue lag behind that of other countries.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

9. N.K. leader's daughter seen riding symbolic white horse

Photo at the link: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230212002700315?section=news

I just cannot see it in the photo. It is just not clear enough for me to recognize Kim Ju Ae.

N.K. leader's daughter seen riding symbolic white horse | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · February 12, 2023

SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korean state TV on Sunday aired footage of leader Kim Jong-un's daughter, Ju-ae, riding a white horse in an apparent display of her legitimacy as a descendant of the ruling family's "Paekdu bloodline."

In the footage on Korean Central Television, Ju-ae is seen mounted on a white horse during Wednesday's massive military parade staged in Pyongyang to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the North's armed forces.

The white horse is symbolic of the Kim family, and leader Kim Jong-un was famously seen riding one on Mount Paekdu in October 2019, eight months after the Hanoi summit between Kim and then U.S. President Donald Trump broke down.

Meanwhile, U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Asia quoted sources as saying Saturday that North Korean authorities are forcing people named Ju-ae to change their names.

North Korea previously prohibited the use of the same name as all the former and current leaders -- Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un, the broadcaster said.

This image captured from Korean Central Television shows a child presumed to be North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter, Ju-ae, mounted on a white house during a military parade in Pyongyang on Feb. 8, 2023. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

[email protected]

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · February 12, 2023

10. NK forces people named 'Ju-ae' to change their names: report

The Propaganda and Agitation department is really working hard to build up the reputation of Kim Ju Ae.

This act is just another example of the near complete lack of freedom of the Korean people in the north. There is probably no more authoritarian regime in the modern world than north Korea today.

All hail the "adorable daughter" or the "noble daughter."

NK forces people named 'Ju-ae' to change their names: report

The Korea Times · February 12, 2023

A photo released by the North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Ju-ae attending a banquet to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang, Feb. 7. Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

North Korea is compelling people who have the same name as leader Kim Jong-un's daughter, Ju-ae, to change their name, as part of the regime's effort to idolate the young girl, who is assumed to be about 10 years old, and who is expected to be the country's next leader, according to a recent media report.

Radio Free Asia reported Friday that multiple unnamed sources in North Korea told the news outlet that the North's authorities are forcing people named Ju-ae to change their name.

"The safety department of Chongju, North Pyongan Province, on Feb. 8 summoned women who are registered under the name of Ju-ae and ordered them to change their names," said a source quoted by the news outlet.

The source added that the North Korean authorities are searching for individuals named Ju-ae and forcing them to change their names, because Kim's daughter, who is being portrayed as "the supreme leader's noble daughter," is named Ju-ae, leading the authorities to issue internal orders to "eliminate the use of such a name by individuals."

Another source told the news outlet that the safety department of Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, ordered town leaders to have women named Ju-ae change their name within a week.

As part of the regime's effort to encourage the public to revere its leaders, North Korea has been prohibiting its people from using the same names that its leaders possess.

This practice dates back to the era of the regime's founder Kim Il-sung, when people were banned from having the same name. Additionally, during the time of Kim Jong-il's rule, those with the same name were also forced to change it. After the current leader, Kim Jong-un, came to power, the state forced people named Jong-un and Sol-ju, the name of his wife, to also change their names.

Recently, the North has been striving to idolize its leader's daughter. In November of last year, the North first introduced Ju-ae to its media, describing her as the "adorable daughter" or "noble daughter." On February 9, a day after the North held a military parade to celebrate its Army Foundation Day, the Korean Central News Agency described Ju-ae as the "respected daughter."

The Korea Times · February 12, 2023

11. Desolate truce village symbolizes latest rift between two Koreas

Desolate truce village symbolizes latest rift between two Koreas

The Korea Times · by 2023-02-12 15:07 | North Korea · February 12, 2023

South Korean soldiers stationed on the southern side of the Joint Security Area on Feb. 7, 2023. Korea Times photo by Jack Lau

North Korean soldiers shun in-person talks due to COVID-19

By Jack Lau

PAJU, Gyeonggi Province ― The Imjin River, near the heavily guarded Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) serving as a buffer zone between the two Koreas, was frozen on Feb. 7. Flowing from the North to the South, the river is a chilling reminder of the confrontation between the two Koreas that has continued for seven decades.

Rice paddies tended by villagers of Daeseong-dong in the border city of Paju surrounded the road towards the 245-kilometer Military Demarcation Line. The border marked the battlefront in 1953, when an armistice to end the three-year Korean War was signed between North Korea, China and the U.S.-led United Nations Command. Layers of ice had formed in the furrows of barren fields, where rare cranes foraged and fed in the landmine-filled DMZ, which has become a wildlife sanctuary.

North Korean troops have become somewhat of a rare sight. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, North Korean soldiers have avoided showing themselves in public to ward off the disease, at the cost of suspending in-person talks with the U.N. Command about upholding the armistice.

"They no longer meet with us face to face," said Lt. Col. Griff Hofman of the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission behind the sky-blue conference huts at the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom managed by the commission.

"It's all done via the hotline, and they generally stay in Panmungak," he said, referring to the main building on the North Korean side of the area that is also known as the Phanmun Pavilion. "If North Korean troops needed to go outdoors, they wore hazmat suits."

Lt. Col. Griff Hofman (left) and his translator talk to reporters in a conference hut located in the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea on Feb. 7, 2023. Korea Times photo by Jack Lau

NK media urges thorough quarantine efforts amid 'very unstable' virus situation

North Korea claimed in July last year that its first coronavirus outbreak was caused by civilians who touched "alien things" near its border with South Korea and warned people to be vigilant when dealing with balloons and other objects along the demarcation line.

Pyongyang has never confirmed the number of North Koreans that caught COVID-19, but began to report "fever patients" in May last year. About 4.8 million people have had "fever," it said, which represents a fifth of its population of 25 million. It has not reported daily case tallies since July 29, 2022, and said in August that it had overcome the virus.

In 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with then South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the Joint Security Area, summits that paved the way to?a short-lived optimism for peace that collapsed on disagreements over demands for Pyongyang to denuclearize. By 2020, North Korea severed hotlines with the South and blew up a joint liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong.

Mountains and vegetation in North Korea seen from the southern side of the Joint Security Area on Feb. 7, 2023. Korea Times photo by Jack Lau

South Korean troops stationed in the Joint Security Area were staring into the air on Tuesday, when there were no signs of North Korean soldiers on their side of the heavily guarded truce village. No villagers or troops were seen in the North Korean fields overlooking a 70-meter metal tower fitted with cameras to observe movements of the North Korean military and unusual activities such as an amassing of resources in the area.

The fog reduced visibility to little more than 10km from the base of the tower, located a few minutes' walk from the conference huts. However, although partially obscured by fog, the vantage point still offered a view of Kaesong Heights that is home to long-range artillery and rocket systems hidden inside its mountains, which Hofman said threaten the safety of Seoul. Those systems could be brought out on railways, fired from there and retracted into the hillside.

No one could be seen roaming in the foreground of North Korea's Kijong-dong village, which merely keeps a pretense of civilian life under a 160-meter-tall tower flying the country's flag.

A North Korean flag flutters in the wind on top of a 160-meter-tall tower situated in Kijong-dong village on Feb. 7. Yonhap-AP

Hofman said the North Korean military has been "very, very concerned" about COVID-19 risks. No in-person meetings in the conference huts had been held with the North Koreans since the general officer talks between the U.N. Command and North Korea in 2018 to negotiate the return of 55 sets of remains from the North to the South. Tours run by the North were also suspended.

The U.N. Command has to rely on the 24/7 hotline on the South side of the Joint Security Area to pass messages to the North Korean People's Army to prevent any surprises, which Hofman said are not well received by the North.

"The more communication that we have and let them know what's going on, we would vastly reduce the chance of something untoward happening," he said, adding that the area was intended for neutral dialogue with North Korea to create opportunities to de-escalate tensions and prevent hostilities from breaking out.

None of the signers of the Korean War armistice in 1953 knew the agreement would last to the present day. The agreement brought on 70 years of precarious peace between North and South Korea and the creation of a tense 250km DMZ and a de facto border that is the Military Demarcation Line.

"Our job is to make sure that hostilities don't break out again so that we can continue to work towards a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula," Hofman said. "I believe the 70th anniversary of the armistice is a very important commemoration of that."

Jack Lau is a reporter with the South China Morning Post. He is currently based in Seoul, writing for both The Korea Times and the South China Morning Post under an exchange program.

The Korea Times · by 2023-02-12 15:07 | North Korea · February 12, 2023

12. Kim’s ‘respected’ daughter: Heir apparent or propaganda vehicle?

I say propaganda. I think it is too soon for designating an heir.

Kim’s ‘respected’ daughter: Heir apparent or propaganda vehicle?

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · February 12, 2023

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, appears at a nighttime military parade at Kim Il Sung Square on Wednesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army in Pyongyang, in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday. (Yonhap)

North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, placed his young daughter, Kim Ju-ae, front and center at high-profile events last week, rekindling the debate on whether North Korea carves out a path to position Ju-ae as Kim’s heir apparent.

Some experts said North Korea has signaled that Ju-ae has been internally decided as the next leader, while others point out Ju-ae has been used as a propaganda vehicle to send a message that nuclear weapons can protect the safety of the younger generations and highlight the perpetuity of the Kim dynasty.

Ju-ae -- who is believed to be 10 years old and the leader’s second-born daughter -- accompanied her father Wednesday on his visit to a large-scale military parade, as well as to the lodging of the Korean People’s Army’s general officers and a lavish banquet Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People’s Army on Feb. 8.

The state-run Korean Central Television on Thursday aired a two-hour video of the nighttime military parade, where Ju-ae was seen walking on a red carpet holding her father’s hand while his wife Ri Sol-ju followed them.

Ju-ae also touched her father’s cheek and whispered to him, watching the large-scale military parade from a balcony. The footage also featured Ju-ae’s solo appearance several times. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, also unprecedentedly released an individual photo of Ju-ae at the event.

Kim Ju-ae was also in the center of the group photographs taken with her father, mother and high-ranking military officials at the banquet. The photo was released Wednesday on the front page of the internally most widely circulated Rodong Sinmun.

North Korean state media labeled her as Kim Jong-un’s “respected daughter” and “beloved daughter.”

Kim’s daughter has made public appearances since her debut at the site of the launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile in mid-November.

But North Korean media reports of unprecedentedly and strikingly highlighting the presence of Ju-ae have raised the perennial question: Has North Korea sought to position Ju-ae as Kim Jong-un’s heir and the fourth-generation leader of the deeply patriarchal country?

In a nutshell, Seoul-based North Korea experts are divided on North Korea’s intent behind the frequent public appearances of the leader’s daughter. But there are three most likely reasons.

This image, captured from footage of North Korea’sstate-run Korean Central Television on Thursday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s secondborn daughter Ju-ae touching her father’s cheek while watching a nighttime military parade held the previous day to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces. (Yonhap)

I. New propaganda vehicle

Hong Min, director of the North Korean Research Division at the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification, pointed out that young daughter Ju-ae has been used as a propaganda vehicle to send a message that the country’s nuclear weapons and missiles can protect present and future generations.

Ju-ae has accompanied her father on five different occasions since November, including the Hwasong-17 launch, group photographs with officials and scientists to celebrate the launch, the visit to depots of KN-23 and Hwasong-12 missiles, and last week’s military banquet and parade. The publicly reported events were all related to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

“North Korea seeks to deliver the message that advanced nuclear weapons can secure the safety of future generations by parlaying Kim Ju-ae -- who represents future generations -- into (propaganda),” Hong said.

“Against that backdrop, North Korea intends to take advantage of Kim Ju-ae’s symbolism to send the message by making her attend military events such as the roll-out and production facilities of statistically important weapons.”

Hong pointed out that Ju-ae’s appearance is part of propaganda strategy that North Korea has refined and shifted since last year to sophisticatedly indoctrinate the idea that its nuclear buildup aims to guarantee the safety of people and younger generations in light of its right to self-defense.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said that North Korea would continue propaganda focusing on Kim Ju-ae when it comes to military reinforcement.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, walks on a red carpet holding her father’s hand to attend a nighttime military parade at Kim Il Sung Square on Wednesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army in Pyongyang, in this photo released by North Korea`s Korean Central News Agency on Thursday. (Yonhap)

II. Heir-apparent

Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for East Asian Cooperation at the Sejong Institute, said the beginning of building the personality cult surrounding Kim Ju-ae in media reports suggested that she “has been internally decided as the successor although she has not yet gained the official status of the successor.”

Kim Jong-un was selected as the later leader Kim Jong-il’s successor in 1992 when he was 8 years old, but he was officially confirmed as the country’s next leader in 2008, only after Kim Jong-il suffered a life-threatening stroke and underwent surgery.

“But Kim Jong-un would see that the advantages of expeditiously internally deciding her daughter as the successor and making it public would outweigh the losses,” Cheong said.

Kim Jong-un’s leadership style contrasts with that of his father, who did not deliver public speeches or appear with his wife. That, as well as his experience of a hasty succession of power after his father’s sudden death could lead him to opt for the early pronouncement. His father Kim Jong-il ruled the country until he died in 2011.

“Kim Jong-un would believe that the more people know that Kim Ju-ae has been appointed as the successor, the less likely it is for there to be baseless speculations about the succession plan,” Cheong said. “If Kim Ju-ae begins attending important political events and mastering leadership at a young age, it will enable her to take power more stably even if Kim Jong-un dies suddenly, as his father did.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (front-R) posing for a photo with his daughter, known as Ju-ae (C), and his wife Ri Sol-ju (L) at a banquet the previous day to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

III. Perpetual Paektu bloodline

Cha Du-hyeogn, a principal fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said it was premature to conclude that North Korea has sought to position Kim’s daughter as his successor, though no one can rule out the possibility.

“It is very crucial to look into what context she has made appearances,” Cha told The Korea Herald, adding that Pyongyang had begun succession campaigns of Kim Jong-un in earnest after rumors of Kim Jong-il’s illness spread out, for instance.

Cha explained that a few signs should be detected in advance to see Kim Ju-ae as Kim Jong-un’s apparent heir. But there have been no such signs from state media reports.

The possible indications include North Korean state media’s use of modifiers such as “respected and noble” solely for Ju-ae even though she is identified by media concurrently with Kim Jong-un’s other children including his firstborn son.

Other clear signs would be the beginning of a cult of personality surrounding Ju-ae as well as her mother Ri Sol-ju’s gesture of treating Ju-ae as her superior, not her daughter.

For now, Cha underscored the most likely explanation is that North Korea intends to play up to Ju-ae as the symbol of the eternal, sacred Mount Paektu bloodline, which refers to the Kim dynasty, to call for unwavering allegiance from the power elite and the people. Ju-ae might be the most analogous child to Kim Jong-un in appearance and therefore has been selected as the most suitable child for the purpose of propaganda.

“Kim seeks to externally show off his family. In that sense, the disclosure of his daughter rather aims to demonstrate the perpetuity and sacrosanctity of the Mount Paektu bloodline. That is, the Mount Paektu bloodline’s ruling of the North Korean power elite and people, will continue even after the death of Kim Jong-un,” Cha said.

“Kim, therefore, seeks to deliver the message to the power elite and people that they must be loyal to the Mount Paektu bloodline, which will continue to last through the next generation, and there must be no challenge against his family.”

By Ji Da-gyum ([email protected])

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · February 12, 2023

13. Yonsei vs Sogang: A closer look at decades-old rivalry in Korean language education

Over the years in the 1980s-1990s I recall sending soldiers from 1st SFG to both universities for immersion language education.

[Newsmaker] [Hello Hangeul] Yonsei vs Sogang: A closer look at decades-old rivalry in Korean language education

koreaherald.com · by Jung Min-kyung · February 12, 2023

Yonsei KLI has unparalleled legacy and reputation; Sogang KELC rises with emphasis on speaking skills

Published : Feb 12, 2023 - 15:14 Updated : Feb 12, 2023 - 18:04

Among those considering coming to Korea for language study, two university-run language institutes have long been considered the best options.

Associated with and located on the main campuses of Yonsei University and Sogang University, they take pride in providing the “most immersive learning experience.”

Here’s a closer look at the archrival language institutes, whose competition for reputation has brought about benefits to not just learners but the field of Korean language studies in general.

Yonsei University KLI graduates attend a graduation ceremony for its summer course in 2022. (Yonsei KLI)

Why Yonsei?

The Korean Language Institute run by Yonsei University is the oldest, and arguably the most famous, among its peers here.

Established in April 1959, some 170,000 students from 152 countries have studied the Korean language at Yonsei KLI, according to data provided by the institution.

Among them are celebrities such as former K-pop boy band EXO member and Chinese mega-star Luhan.

Now, Yonsei has around 160 instructors teaching some 2,300 students per term.

Six decades’ dedication to the education of Korean as second language is the source of Yonsei’s unparalleled strength, touts its spokesperson.

“Because we are the oldest Korean language institution here, we have the most data and experience to cater to those who want to learn the language,” the official told The Korea Herald on Friday.

Yonsei’s prestigious reputation is propped up by the finest teachers and staff members and also help attracts the most competent students. “We also hand out scholarships based on their previous academic performances at their respective high school or university,” the spokesperson added.

The institution offers various programs, but its regular 10-week program is the most sought-out one. According to the school, of the around 1,600 people who enter Korea for the purpose of enrolling in the institution, more than a majority attend the regular program.

The classes are divided into morning and afternoon classes and are held from Monday to Friday at Yonsei University’s main Sinchon campus in Seoul. It is divided into six levels and if the students starting at level one want to complete the entire course to level six, it will take approximately 1 1/2 years.

“My time at Yonsei KLI was the greatest and the most fun experience I ever had in my life,” 27-year-old Indonesian Angela Hermawan told The Korea Herald.

Hermawan who lives in Korea, said the program, which she attended from June to November last year, played a big part in helping her adjust to her new environment here.

“I was able to review the lessons they taught so easily because of the cozy and friendly atmosphere. The hardest part about the program was the debate exam which requires you to speak out in front of other people, but the teachers are supportive and encouraging, so it’s not really a tense process.”

Hermawan also said that though the student population is culturally diverse, most of her classmates were from other Asian countries.

The program’s tuition currently costs 1.77 million won ($1,394) for a 10-week course and the application fee is 80,000 won. All applicants must have at least a high school diploma.

Enrollees can live in Yonsei University dormitories, but they must apply as soon as possible as the rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The institution also offers night classes and there are separate programs for foreign students enrolled at local universities.

The school also organizes extracurricular activities tied to the language program including Korean food cooking classes, volunteer works, K-pop dance team and more.

Why Sogang?

A relative latecomer to the scene, Sogang University’s Korean Language Education Center has emerged as a strong contender to Yonsei, with its curriculum focusing more on speaking skills and less on grammar and writing.

Established in 1990, it has some 4,000 students enrolled in various courses, but like Yonsei, its regular program is the most popular.

The regular program is divided into two courses, “Korean for general purposes” which is held in the morning and “Korean for academic purposes” in the afternoon.

Sogang University KLEC graduates attend a graduation ceremony for a course that ends in spring 2022. (Sogang KLEC)

Each course is 10-weeks long and four hours per day. The classes are divided into seven different levels depending on the level of the students’ Korean language skill.

Sogang’s KLEC is most famous for designing its class around the textbook it developed and in a way to maximize opportunities to improve speaking skills. It provides a total of 69 self-developed textbooks throughout level on to six.

“The most important thing about our institution is that we focus on improving the speaking and communication skills of our students,” Woo Kyung-ok, the center’s general manager said via phone interview.

“We have also recently started including our program as part of the curriculum for exchange students from other countries to Sogang University,” she added.

The tuition, however, is more expensive compared with Yonsei and known as the most expensive among similar programs here. It currently costs 1.83 million won per its 10-week semester with 60,000 application fee.

But unlike Yonsei’s KLI, which canceled its online courses from this year, Sogang continues to offer online classes for students who want to study Korean remotely.

The program offers special group tour programs for its students including trips to the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas, alongside supporting extracurricular activities such as K-pop dance team and Korean film club.

Sogang University is also located in the Sinchon area, within walking distance from Yonsei University, which allows the programs’ attendees to enjoy Korea’s college town lifestyle.

A German college student who came to Sogang University on an exchange program said his time at KLEC was fruitful.

“It helped me improve my communication skills with my Korean peers and professors during my time at the university,” he said.

By Jung Min-kyung ([email protected])

14. S. Korea to craft plan to develop new guided missile capable of striking N.Korean artillery

S. Korea to craft plan to develop new guided missile capable of striking N.Korean artillery

koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · February 12, 2023

By Yonhap

Published : Feb 12, 2023 - 09:51 Updated : Feb 12, 2023 - 09:51

This undated image, provided by the defense ministry, shows a test of a Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile. (S.Korean Defense Ministry)

South Korea plans to adopt a basic plan as early as next month to develop a new advanced guided missile capable of striking North Korean long-range artillery pieces hidden in caves, the state arms procurement agency said Sunday.

The envisioned missile will be an upgraded version of the Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile, which is dubbed the "long-range artillery killer," according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

While the existing KTSSM system is operated on a fixed platform, the envisioned missile is expected to be run on a mobile launcher, which will enhance its maneuverability and survivability.

The current KTSSM has a range of 180 kilometers with its caliber at 400 millimeters. Its upgraded version is expected to be larger with a longer operational range of some 300 km.

The North's missile and artillery threats got renewed attention as the reclusive regime showcased a range of weapons systems capable of targeting the South during a massive military parade in Pyongyang on Wednesday.

They included "super-large" multiple rocket launchers and 152 mm-caliber self-propelled howitzers, as well as the KN-23 missile modeled after Russia's Iskander ballistic missile. (Yonhap)

De Oppresso Liber,

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Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: [email protected]

V/R

David Maxwell

Senior Fellow

Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Phone: 202-573-8647

Personal Email: d [email protected]

Web Site: www.fdd.org

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

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FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

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