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Quotes of the Day:
“So far as I know. It's not enough to be able to lie with a straight face; anybody, with enough gall to raise on a busted flush can do that. The first way to lie artistically is to tell the truth – but not all of it. The second way involves telling the truth, too, but is harder: tell the exact truth, and maybe all of it …but tell it so unconvincingly that your listener is sure you are lying.”
- Robert A. Heinlein. Time Enough For Love
"We'' go down in history as the first society that wouldn't save itself because it wasn't cost effective."
- Kurt Vonnegut
"You can kill a man but you can't kill an idea."
- Sophocles
1. Congress visits the DMZ: GOP Rep. warns of 'nightmare scenario' on Korean Peninsula
2. N. Korea slams UNHRC's adoption of resolution on its human rights as 'document of fraud'
3. Dossier reveals accounts of 1st high-level diplomacy between N. Korea, U.S.
4. Vice FM urges cooperation on N. Korea's denuclearization during NATO talks
5. U.S. working with allies, partners to supply ammunition to Ukraine, also backfill U.S. stockpile: Pentagon
6. Yoon 'pleased' to deliver 'historic address' at joint session of U.S. Congress
7. Cables show NK tried to undermine US amid efforts for Korean peace
8. PM urges more efforts to win public support for Japan policy, veto of grain act
9. S. Korea, US vow full cooperation against N. Korea threats
10. [INTERVIEW] China-Russia-NK military alliance turns S. Korea into hostage: expert
11. South-U.S. drills push region to 'brink of nuclear war': North
12. [INTERVIEW] IRA offers opportunities to Korean businesses: Ossoff
13. Seoul, Tokyo, Washington envoys condemn Pyongyang's nuclear development
14. Over 60 pct of S. Koreans support own nuclear armament: poll
15. Yoon to take bipartisan parliamentary delegation to U.S.
16. N. Korea ready to conduct nuke test 'at any time': Seoul's defense minister
17. John Batchelor Show: #BurkinaFaso: #NorthKorea: Proliferation in Sub Saharan Africa. David Maxwell, FDD
1. Congress visits the DMZ: GOP Rep. warns of 'nightmare scenario' on Korean Peninsula
Note Mike Waltz is wearing his USASOC hat to the DMZ. . (there are a relatively large number of photos at the link: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/congress-visits-korean-dmz-new-relevance-china)
Congressman Waltz has paid attention to the talking points and makes some excellent comments here:
“I do worry about a Taiwan Strait conflict where Kim Jong Un sees an opportunity and tries to take advantage of it,” Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) told the Washington Examiner. “That would just be a nightmare scenario for the world.
“The bigger picture is that the threat from North Korea and its backers aren't just a South Korea problem. It’s an East Asia problem. It’s a regional problem. It’s a global problem at this point. And now Kim Jong Un has operational ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles] — if they can reach Los Angeles or Washington, D.C., then they can reach Paris, they can reach Moscow, Beijing — really anywhere in the world.”
Waltz added: “Here at the DMZ is an appreciation that the Korean War just didn’t end in 1953. It wasn’t just an armistice and it’s over. The American soldiers and the South Korean soldiers here are in harm’s way day in and day out, whether it’s land mines, whether it’s attacks from the North Koreans — anything can spark off a conflict up here. And we just have to appreciate the men and women that are up here keeping this situation stable and keeping the world safe.”
The Republican congressman said he worried "that it’s a little too up in the air what our allies are going to do in a Taiwan Strait scenario” and argued that “the way to keep the peace is to show resolve.”
He said the goal should be to “provide a united front" to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and that the message should be that the U.S., South Korea, Japan, and other East Asian allies “all will resist him invading the democracy that Taiwan is.”
Congress visits the DMZ: GOP Rep. warns of 'nightmare scenario' on Korean Peninsula
Washington Examiner · April 5, 2023
Demilitarized Zone, SOUTH KOREA — A bipartisan group of congressmen led by the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee visited the Korean DMZ on Wednesday, expressing concern that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un could take advantage of a possible China-Taiwan conflict.
The bipartisan House members, led by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone as part of their two-day visit to South Korea following a stop in Japan earlier this week. The Washington Examiner accompanied the delegation on its rainy morning visit. There are roughly 28,000 U.S. troops stationed across South Korea.
Members of the House of Representatives are seen at the DMZ. The view is from South Korea facing Panmungak Hall in North Korea.
(Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner)
The Wednesday visit included a tightly controlled U.S. military bus tour of Panmunjom and parts of the Joint Security Area operated by the United States and South Korea. The House members, who often huddled under umbrellas to avoid the torrential downpour, also went on a small tour of some of the overlook points into North Korea and into one of the famous peace negotiation buildings located right on the Military Demarcation Line dividing both countries.
Members of the delegation said the zone and its echoes of the past are especially relevant given the threat of a nuclear North Korea, rising tensions with China, and the conflict in Ukraine.
Members of the House of Representatives stand inside the T2 negotiation building at the DMZ, feet away from the dividing line between North and South Korea.
(Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner)
“I do worry about a Taiwan Strait conflict where Kim Jong Un sees an opportunity and tries to take advantage of it,” Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) told the Washington Examiner. “That would just be a nightmare scenario for the world.
“The bigger picture is that the threat from North Korea and its backers aren't just a South Korea problem. It’s an East Asia problem. It’s a regional problem. It’s a global problem at this point. And now Kim Jong Un has operational ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles] — if they can reach Los Angeles or Washington, D.C., then they can reach Paris, they can reach Moscow, Beijing — really anywhere in the world.”
Waltz added: “Here at the DMZ is an appreciation that the Korean War just didn’t end in 1953. It wasn’t just an armistice and it’s over. The American soldiers and the South Korean soldiers here are in harm’s way day in and day out, whether it’s land mines, whether it’s attacks from the North Koreans — anything can spark off a conflict up here. And we just have to appreciate the men and women that are up here keeping this situation stable and keeping the world safe.”
The Republican congressman said he worried "that it’s a little too up in the air what our allies are going to do in a Taiwan Strait scenario” and argued that “the way to keep the peace is to show resolve.”
He said the goal should be to “provide a united front" to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and that the message should be that the U.S., South Korea, Japan, and other East Asian allies “all will resist him invading the democracy that Taiwan is.”
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is seen at the DMZ with a South Korean military guard and North Korea behind him.
(Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner)
Members of Congress receive a briefing inside the T2 Building from Army Col. Burke Hamilton, the secretary of United Nations Command at the DMZ.
(Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner)
Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, is seen at the DMZ with a South Korean military guard and North Korea behind her.
(Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner)
North Korea has also assisted Russia militarily during the invasion of Ukraine, and China has provided the Kremlin with rhetorical, financial, economic, and, at minimum, nonlethal military support.
“It just shows how desperate Putin has become … so he’s scraping the bottom of the barrel,” Waltz said. “But at the same time, if China opens up its arsenals, if North Korea opens up its arsenals, particularly in artillery, that could be a real game-changer, in my view, because everyone’s stocks are starting to run low. … And so I think the Biden administration needs to set some really clear red lines and stick to them.”
Diorama of the Korean Axe Murder Incident, when two U.S. Army officers, 1st Lt. Mark Barrett and Capt. Arthur Bonifas, were slain by North Korean soldiers on Aug. 18, 1976. The diorama is part of a small museum inside the Joint Security Area Visitors Center.
(Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner)
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, signs the wall at a U.S. military mess hall near the DMZ.
(Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner)
A massive observation tower is seen on the South Korean side of the DMZ.
(Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner)
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessed in February this year that North Korea has recently “timed its missile launches and military demonstrations to counter U.S.-South Korea exercises probably to attempt to coerce the United States and South Korea to change their behavior and counteract South Korean President Yoon’s hardline policies toward the North.”
ODNI added that Kim “is continuing efforts to enhance North Korea’s nuclear and conventional capabilities targeting” the U.S. and its allies.
The U.S. and South Korean military resumed large-scale military drills in November 2022 after the joint exercises were suspended by former President Donald Trump in 2018 as part of his unsuccessful negotiations with North Korea's leader, which failed to convince the North Koreans to give up their nuclear weapons program.
Trump was also the first sitting American president to cross the DMZ into North Korea when he briefly did so in June 2019. Although other U.S. presidents have visited the observation post overlooking the DMZ, Trump became the first to meet a North Korean leader at the DMZ.
A Chinese invasion of Taiwan, and the U.S. response to it, could inevitably revive memories of the Korean War because the U.S. and Chinese Communist Party-led China first met on the battlefield in Korea.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The war began when the Soviet Union-allied North Koreans invaded South Korea in 1950. The U.S.-led United Nations Command was, at first, pushed back to the southern tip of South Korea, but the daring Incheon landing allowed the U.S. and international forces, joined by South Koreans, to hammer the North Koreans.
Yet the CCP military’s invasion of North Korea and, soon, of South Korea that year eventually turned the war into a bloody stalemate near what is now the DMZ. The new Wall of Remembrance on the U.S. National Mall lists the names of 36,574 U.S. service members who died in the war, as well as the names of the more than 7,200 South Koreans who were killed augmenting the U.S. Army. South Korea lost 58,217 soldiers during the war, according to the U.S. Army’s Military Review, while North Korean and Chinese forces losses “remained unclear, with estimations as high as 1.5 million.” The Chinese government officially acknowledges that nearly 200,000 Chinese troops were killed, but the real death toll is believed to be significantly higher.
Washington Examiner · April 5, 2023
2. N. Korea slams UNHRC's adoption of resolution on its human rights as 'document of fraud'
The Kim family regime is deathly afraid of being called to account for its human rights abuses and crimes against humanity. Notice this reaction.
Note that one of the main things the regime wants and many pundits call for is normalization of relations with the US. However, normalization is not possible as long as human rights abuses and crimes against humanity continue. Even if the north was to miraculously comply with all UN Security Council resolutions on nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, no international corporation could conduct business with north Korea because of the human rights abuses. A company could not put its shareholders at risk doing business with a country whose leader could end up referred to the International Criminal Court. And in addition to stopping human rights abuses the regime would have to implement major reforms of business practices before any company would consider doing business in north Korea. Look how Egypt's Orascom was burned building north Korea's cell phone infrastructure or South Korean companies were damaged by investing in the Kaesong INdustrial Complex or Mount Kumgang tourist resorts.
The bottomline is that those calling for normalization with north Korea need to support a human rights upfront approach to dealing with the regime.
N. Korea slams UNHRC's adoption of resolution on its human rights as 'document of fraud' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · April 6, 2023
SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Thursday condemned the latest adoption of a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that denounced the North's human rights violations as "the most heavily politicized document of fraud."
Han Tae-song, the North's permanent representative to the U.N. office in Geneva, said his country "categorically" rejected the U.N. resolution as an "intolerable act of political provocation and hostility," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The resolution is "the most heavily politicized document of fraud which is full of such falsehood and fabrications," Han said in an English-language statement carried by the KCNA, claiming the resolution contained nonexistent phenomena in the North.
The UNHRC adopted a resolution denouncing North Korea's gross human rights violations by consensus Tuesday. South Korea co-sponsored the resolution for the first time in five years.
Han also took issue with the South's active cooperation to draft the resolution as co-sponsor, calling it "a mere colonial servant of the U.S."
"The DPRK will never tolerate any hostile act of the U.S. and its following forces encroaching upon our sovereignty and dignity, and will make every possible effort to defend the genuine people's system and their rights," he said.
The DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The North has long bristled at the international community's criticism of its human rights abuses, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.
The UNHRC has adopted a resolution condemning North Korea's human rights abuses every year since 2003.
But South Korea did not co-sponsor such a U.N. resolution from 2019 to 2022 under the previous Moon Jae-in administration that apparently sought to avoid tensions with the North and resume inter-Korean dialogue.
This photo, provided by United Nations Web TV on April 4, 2023, shows the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) holding its 52nd session to adopt a resolution denouncing North Korea's human rights violations. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · April 6, 2023
3. Dossier reveals accounts of 1st high-level diplomacy between N. Korea, U.S.
Soem very interesting insights in these documents. I wonder how many of the 360,000 pages will be translated into English.
Note the reference to north-South relations Somalia and the movie Escape from Mogudishu. I recommend the movie. It is entertaining though it starts out a little hokie with some bumbling diplomatic activities at the beginning with the north crating problems for the SOuth but over time the diplomats from the South exercise decisive and compassionate leadership But it is filled with subtle insights about north-South relations and while some of the movie may seem to be a little on the fantasy side (but it is based on an actual event), the ending brings everything back to reality.
Dossier reveals accounts of 1st high-level diplomacy between N. Korea, U.S. | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · April 6, 2023
SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government on Thursday made public newly declassified documents on the first-ever senior-level diplomacy in 1992 between the United States and North Korea, offering a glimpse into the diplomatic tug-of-war over the North's nuclear program.
The set of mostly 1992 diplomatic documents, spanning some 360,000 pages, highlights accounts of discussions between Washington and Pyongyang amid the then reconciliatory mood fueled over the Korean Peninsula following the adoption of the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement and the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at the end of 1991.
Washington and Pyongyang, however, failed to bridge their differences on nuclear inspections and ended up making no progress. Later in March of the following year, North Korea declared its intent to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), marking the beginning of the first North Korean nuclear crisis.
This file photo shows the demolition of the cooling tower at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor on June 27, 2008. (Yonhap)
The dossier quotes Richard Solomon, then U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, as telling then South Korean Foreign Minister Lee Sang-ok in March of 1992 of his impression that the North seemed to have recognized U.S. forces in the South as a "source of stability" in a Washington-Pyongyang meeting held two months prior in New York.
The New York meeting between Kim Yong-sun, a close confidant of then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il who handled international affairs at the North's ruling party, and Arnold Kanter, then U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, in January of that year marked the first-ever high-level meeting between the two countries.
Documents also include firsthand accounts from diplomats at the South and North Korean missions in Somalia cooperating to escape the country during the 1991 civil war. Events of the life-or-death incident were depicted in the popular 2019 South Korean blockbuster film "Escape from Mogadishu."
Accounts show there were efforts on the part of South Korean diplomats to show "maximum consideration" for the North Koreans during the escape.
Kang Shin-sung, then South Korean ambassador to Somalia, wrote that the South Koreans made every effort to avoid any behavior or action that would give the impression of exploiting the difficult situation of the North Koreans. The ambassador also said "political discussions were kept to a minimum" during the ordeal.
The documents also detail measures and discussions to protect Koreans during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, as well as preparations for the first visit to South Korea by then Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
This file photo, provided by Lotte Entertainment, shows a scene from "Escape from Mogadishu," a South Korean action film. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · April 6, 2023
4. Vice FM urges cooperation on N. Korea's denuclearization during NATO talks
The ROK - NATO relationship will be a very positive one for both sides.
Vice FM urges cooperation on N. Korea's denuclearization during NATO talks | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 6, 2023
SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon called Thursday for continued cooperation on North Korea's denuclearization as he attended a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) foreign ministers.
During the ministerial meeting held in Belgium, Lee pledged to ramp up cooperation with NATO against several global challenges, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a press release.
He also reaffirmed South Korea's support for Ukraine to help its fight against Russia, expressing the government's willingness to provide additional humanitarian aid to Kyiv.
Participating in the session were 31 NATO member countries and Indo-Pacific partners, including Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Separately, Lee also attended a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and representatives from Indo-Pacific partners to discuss ways to further boost their partnership, according to the ministry.
South Korea's Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon (R) attends foreign ministerial talks between North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies and their partners in Brussels, Belgium, on April 5, 2023, in this photo provided by South Korea's foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 6, 2023
5. U.S. working with allies, partners to supply ammunition to Ukraine, also backfill U.S. stockpile: Pentagon
The Arsenal of Democracy. (the US, ROK, and allies) versus the Arsenal of Evil (north Korea, China, and Russia).
U.S. working with allies, partners to supply ammunition to Ukraine, also backfill U.S. stockpile: Pentagon | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · April 6, 2023
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 5 (Yonhap) -- The United States continues to work with its allies and partners to help Ukraine secure ammunition for use in its war with Russia but also to replenish its own stockpiles, a Pentagon spokesperson said Wednesday.
The spokesperson, Sabrina Singh, however, declined to comment when asked if ammunition secured from South Korea would be supplied to Ukraine.
"We are, of course, focused on our military readiness and our stocks and that's why we have a whole division here focused on our acquisitions and continuing to contract to not only supply Ukraine but to also backfill our own stocks," the deputy spokesperson for the Department of Defense told a daily press briefing.
"We know that ammunition is something that is one of Ukraine's priorities, so we are going to continue to work with our partners and allies to give them what they need on the battlefield but also maintaining our own military readiness," she added.
Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Defense Sabrina Singh is seen speaking during a daily press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on April 5, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)
The U.S. earlier purchased a significant amount of munitions from South Korean defense companies, while Seoul said they will only be used to backfill U.S. stockpiles in an attempt to avoid getting directly involved in Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Pentagon spokesperson insisted that the U.S. can choose to use or move its stockpile.
"I'm not going to get into more specifics," she said when asked if the ammunition purchased from South Korea can be sent to Ukraine.
Singh, however, added, "We, of course, have stocks all around the world that we can pull from and choose to use and move when we decide to."
bdk@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · April 6, 2023
6. Yoon 'pleased' to deliver 'historic address' at joint session of U.S. Congress
I hope the alliance will be able to unveil a significant new direction in honor of the 70th Anniversary. It would be great to unveil it at the Summit and then reinforce it during the joint session to Congress.
Yoon 'pleased' to deliver 'historic address' at joint session of U.S. Congress | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 5, 2023
SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday he is "pleased" to be invited to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress during his state visit to Washington later this month as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance.
Yoon is scheduled to hold a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., on April 26.
The address will be delivered the next day, according to reports.
"I'm pleased to give a historic address at the podium of the U.S. Congress on the special occasion of the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance," Yoon told a visiting U.S. House delegation after receiving the invitation from U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), according to his spokesperson, Lee Do-woon.
Yoon will be the first South Korean president to give an address before Congress since President Park Geun-hye in May 2013.
In his meeting with the delegation, Yoon also requested Congress' support for and interest in strengthening the alliance and making his state visit a success.
In particular, he welcomed the fact that South Korean businesses will be eligible for subsidies under recently announced provisions of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, and asked that the Congress members take a special interest in resolving future uncertainties for South Korean businesses investing in the United States.
President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) poses for a photo with U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) at the presidential office in Seoul on April 5, 2023, in this photo provided by the presidential office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 5, 2023
7. Cables show NK tried to undermine US amid efforts for Korean peace
Interesting history and important insights in these documents. They certainly provide us a better understanding of the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime.
Cables show NK tried to undermine US amid efforts for Korean peace
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · April 6, 2023
The flags of the US, South Korea and North Korea (from left to right). (123rf)
North Korea had sought to undermine the US-led United Nations Command and joint military exercises between US and South Korea, the two biggest deterrents preventing the North’s potential attacks, amid efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to the latest diplomatic cables released Thursday.
The declassified papers made public by the Foreign Ministry in Seoul to update the public on events dating to 30 years ago showed the North had asked US allies and partners to remove their officers in the UNC in the South, saying a 1992 inter-Korean pact that took effect in February rendered the command obsolete.
It was the first official deal on inter-Korean ties to facilitate peace that could help end the 1950-53 Korean War armistice agreement -- the reason the UNC, which signed it on behalf of South Korea after fighting off North Korea, has since been in charge of mobilizing forces from 18 member states in case the North repeats an invasion.
The move to diminish the command that came shortly after the 1992 deal went into effect was, however, met with opposition. The five countries the North reached out -- Australia, Canada, France, Thailand and the United Kingdom -- all rejected the proposal, stressing “lasting peace” was still missing, according to the papers.
The documents showed that later in 1992, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry made it policy not to entertain any unilateral attempts to change the role of the UNC. Seoul broke with tradition in 2018 when then-President Moon Jae-in floated signing a formal declaration ending the Korean War, a contentious idea that never materialized amid opposition that it would be premature.
North Korea, the papers also showed, had eyed on weakening South Korea-US ties amid inter-Korean peace efforts by demanding Washington suspend its annual military drills with Seoul. Pyongyang labels them as “rehearsals for war,” while the two allies describe them as “tests for readiness.”
In November 1992, North Korea’s ambassador to the US called for a separate Washington-Pyongyang meeting to discuss a suspension. The US seemed to be uninterested in what the North had to say, according to the papers.
Meanwhile, the cables revealed that former President Chun Doo-hwan, who took power in a 1979 military coup, unsuccessfully sought US support in 1987 for renewing his term. Mounting protests led him to scrap the plan, opening the way for free elections. They took place in December the same year following a referendum endorsing a constitutional change that guarantees such elections.
By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · April 6, 2023
8. PM urges more efforts to win public support for Japan policy, veto of grain act
PM urges more efforts to win public support for Japan policy, veto of grain act
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · April 6, 2023
By Yonhap
Published : Apr 6, 2023 - 11:15 Updated : Apr 6, 2023 - 11:15
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo presides over a policy coordination meeting with related ministers to discuss major pending issues at the government office complex in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Thursday stressed the need for the government to step up efforts to broaden public support for its push to mend relations with Japan and President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to veto a controversial revision to the Grain Management Act.
The measures have been taken "only for the people and national interest," he said at the outset of a policy coordination meeting with ministers.
During an interpellation session at the National Assembly earlier this week, Han faced a barrage of strong criticism from opposition lawmakers, especially over the Yoon administration's plan to compensate some Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor via a Seoul-based public foundation, instead of direct involvement by Japanese firms that lost in related lawsuits.
The main opposition Democratic Party also decried Yoon's veto of the revision bill requiring the government to purchase surplus rice.
The prime minister asked relevant ministries to "pay special attention to public communication" so that the purpose of the government's policies "won't be misrepresented and misunderstood by the public."
Han, meanwhile, called for thorough public safety checks, mentioning the collapse of a bridge in Bundang, just southeast of Seoul, the previous day that left one killed and another injured.
Regarding South Korea's drive to foster its bio-health sector, he emphasized the importance of training related manpower.
To that effect, he added, the government plans to train 110,000 professionals in the field over the next five years. (Yonhap)
9. S. Korea, US vow full cooperation against N. Korea threats
Although these statements may seem tiresome to some we should note the importance of sustained high level engagement. And it is necessary to repeat our ongoing commitment to mutual defense. Failing to make such statements on a routine basis leads the press and pundits to question our commitments.
S. Korea, US vow full cooperation against N. Korea threats
The Korea Times · April 6, 2023
Kim Gunn, right, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, shakes hands with his U.S. counterpart Sung Kim ahead of a meeting in Seoul's foreign ministry, Thursday. Yonhap
Trilateral talks among top nuke envoys of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo slated for Friday
By Lee Hyo-jin
Top nuclear envoy of the South Korean government Kim Gunn held bilateral talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, respectively, where they reaffirmed full cooperation against North Korea's rising nuclear provocations.
On Thursday morning, Kim, Seoul's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, held talks with Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul.
"The two sides reaffirmed that North Korea will pay a price for its unlawful provocations, which pose threats to the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as the international community," the ministry said in a statement.
The two envoys also called for international awareness of the need to bring a stop to North Korea's theft of cryptocurrency ― a key funding source for its weapons programs ― and counter illicit cyber activities by its hackers. The allies also vowed to redouble their efforts to make the regime abandon its development of nuclear arms.
At the same time, they said that Seoul and Washington are always open to dialogue, pointing out that Pyongyang has been refusing their proposals for negotiations.
Thursday's meeting marks the second in-person talks between the two envoys since South Korea's representative Kim traveled to Washington in February.
Before the meeting with Kim, the U.S. envoy met with Foreign Minister Park Jin, where Park stressed solid cooperation to create a strategic environment where Pyongyang has no choice but to turn to negotiations on denuclearization.
Later in the day, the Korean nuclear envoy held a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Takehiro Funakoshi, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan's Foreign Ministry.
The three envoys will also hold a trilateral meeting on Friday.
The series of talks between Seoul, Washington and Japan comes amid Pyongyang's rising hostility involving the demonstration of its nuclear capabilities.
In March alone, the Kim Jong-un regime conducted various shows of force including the firing of two submarine-launched cruise missiles, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and the launch of a new underwater attack drone.
The authoritarian state is expected to increase provocations this month, in connection with major political events in Pyongyang, as well as in protest of the summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden slated for April 26.
In response to the North's threats that came in response to the joint drills between the U.S. and South Korea, Washington has been reaffirming its commitment to the defense of its ally.
On Wednesday, U.S. B-53 strategic bombers flew into Korean airspace in a major show of force, taking part in joint air drills with South Korean fighter jets. It was the second deployment of the nuclear-capable bomber to the Korean Peninsula following the last one in March.
With the North ratcheting up tensions on the peninsula, South Korean officials are closely monitoring a possible seventh nuclear test. North Korea conducted its sixth and latest nuclear test in September 2017.
"It (North Korea) appears to have completed all necessary preparations for the test and may conduct it anytime," Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said during a National Assembly session on Thursday.
The Korea Times · April 6, 2023
10. [INTERVIEW] China-Russia-NK military alliance turns S. Korea into hostage: expert
The Arsenal of Democracy versus the Arsenal of Evil.
[INTERVIEW] China-Russia-NK military alliance turns S. Korea into hostage: expert
The Korea Times · April 6, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, April 25, 2019. AP-Yonhap
This is the last in a series of interviews with senior politicians in Korea and executives at leading think tanks in Washington over the issue of the country's provision of direct military support to Kyiv as the Ukraine war passes the one-year mark since Russia launched its attack, ending decades of relative stability in Europe. ― ED.
US security expert says Seoul hasn't completely ruled out sending other types of weapons to Ukraine
By Kim Yoo-chul
Despite growing calls for South Korea to provide lethal aid to Ukraine since the embattled country was invaded by Russian forces last year, the South Korean government has only agreed to provide non-lethal aid and some weapons components, such as parts for AHS Krab howitzers made in Poland in 2022.
South Korea's total amount of financial assistance to Ukraine by the end of this year will reach some $230 million, although Seoul's policy not to provide lethal aid to Kyiv hasn't changed as the country's laws prevent it from arming countries engaged in armed conflicts. South Korea approved the sale of artillery shells to the U.S. last year, which the country's defense ministry stressed was only under the principle that the U.S. should be the final end-user.
While a poll conducted last year by Gallup Korea showed that only 15 percent of South Koreans support the idea of sending heavy weapons to Ukraine, the main point of concern for South Korea was that Moscow's invasion of Kyiv is deepening Russia's ties with North Korea. Washington officials are saying that Russia's growing ties with China and even North Korea pose a direct threat to South Korea's national security.
Irina Tsukerman
Speaking to The Korea Times, Irina Tsukerman, who advised members of U.S. Congress to help the U.S. Department of State designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, said she believes South Korea hasn't completely ruled out the sending of "other types of weapons" to Ukraine.
"But doing this will only happen after firm commitments by NATO allies for the provision of additional incentives (to South Korea) besides pressure and repeated requests," Tsukerman said in a recent interview. However, she didn't elaborate further on if the South Korean government was in talks regarding the specifics of incentives in exchange for changing its policy.
South Korea has stated its continued commitment toward the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), an international treaty that regulates the global trade in traditional arms and aims to eradicate any illicit trade of conventional arms by establishing international standards restricting arms transfers.
But Tsukerman, also a New York-based national security lawyer and geopolitical analyst, assessed that the crisis in Ukraine is not an example of a "typical application of the ATT" as Ukraine is fighting a defensive war, whereas Russia is committing war crimes against civilians. In addition, defense provisions there are the result of review by Ukraine, NATO and NATO's partners.
"There would be a great degree of transparency with regard to the usage of weapons provided in Ukraine. These weapons are necessary to save civilian lives. That is surely the best and most justified use of any type of weapons. A provision of munitions is also subject to export reviews ― therefore, the weapons that the U.S. and others are asking South Korea to export fall under the terms of ATT," she explained.
Tsukerman went on to say that the language of the ATT doesn't outright ban all of these weapons because it encourages vigorous review to restrict the sale of weapons for offensive purposes particularly by non-compliant countries with aggressive and illegal defense policies.
"The ATT excludes antique small arms and light weapons or their replicas. In no case will antique small arms and light weapons include those manufactured after 1899," she said.
Referring to the situation South Korea is now facing as it comes under pressure to directly supply weapons to Ukraine given that it's the world's eighth-largest arms exporter, the expert stressed that South Korea is positioned to produce weapons that are compatible with those used by NATO countries and could be able to manufacture them much faster than other EU suppliers.
"The EU and U.S. are continuing to pressure South Korea to change its policy to allow the export of domestically manufactured weapons to Ukraine as part of an assistance package. Some view Seoul's recent approval for the export of weapons components as a first step to paving the way for a change in policy, which is also comparable to Morocco's agreement to send renovated T-72B tanks to Ukraine," Tsukerman said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after delivering a joint statement following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, March 21. AFP-Yonhap
Morocco became the first African country to send heavy weapons to Ukraine. Its policy change from neutrality toward the Russian invasion of Ukraine signifies the country's clear U-turn toward the U.S. and Europe as the Moroccan government acknowledged that its neighbor Algeria is getting friendlier with European countries too.
Russia-China-North Korea alliance
Tsukerman said Russia is using the Ukraine crisis as a chance to boost its military partnership with like-minded countries that include China, Iran and North Korea. According to the expert, South Korea's national security is being challenged by Moscow's alliance with Beijing, Pyongyang and even Tehran.
"A Russia-China-North Korea military alliance can turn Asian states such as South Korea into hostages," she said. "China looks at South Korea as a tributary and vassal state. It is in Seoul's interests to become part of an international coalition opposed to this dangerous axis. Russia has never stopped its military cooperation with North Korea. North Korea is providing Russia with various forms of assistance."
This assessment came a few days after White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson John Kirby said Washington has evidence that Moscow is seeking to send a delegation to Pyongyang as part of efforts to get weapons from North Korea in exchange for much-needed commodities and food. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said U.S. intelligence suggested that China was considering providing ammunitions to Russia.
Any arms deals with Russia could be a violation of U.N. resolutions that ban North Korea from either exporting or importing lethal weapons from other countries. So far, North Korea is the only country aside from Russia and Syria to recognize the autonomy of Russian-occupied territories ― Donetsk and Luhansk ― in eastern Ukraine.
"Combating such complex transactional threats in isolation makes no sense. Anyone affected by one will be affected by all of them since all of these countries also share surveillance technology, intelligence and sanctions circumvention methods, and assist each other in operations against each other's targets. So, Russia isn't just a threat to Ukraine. By being a part of this alliance, it is also a threat to South Korea," she explained, adding that South Korea doesn't have to overestimate Russia's strength as Moscow's advantages are only due to its partnerships with Beijing and Pyongyang.
Washington officials still worry about a Russian victory, which would create further instability in Europe and call into question the effectiveness of U.S. policies to uphold the rules-based order. Moscow recently placed Seoul on its list of "unfriendly" nations and said that South Korea's joining of the U.S.-led sanctions on Russia will impact Moscow's role when it comes to possible peace efforts regarding North Korea.
The Korea Times · April 6, 2023
11. South-U.S. drills push region to 'brink of nuclear war': North
Kim is not stupid. He will not attack into strength.
But his rhetoric is an indication of his failing policies and strategies. His political warfare and blackmail diplomacy are not splitting the alliance of gaining any political and economic concessions. Yes he is pursuing advanced military capabilities both to support his strategies as well as to create the capabilities to achieve his objectives by force. But until his political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies achieve their objectives he will not be able to set the conditions for coercion and use of force.
And with each provocation he also makes ROK/Japan/US trilateral cooperation stronger.
Thursday
April 6, 2023
dictionary + A - A
South-U.S. drills push region to 'brink of nuclear war': North
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/06/national/northKorea/North-Korea-KoreaUS-military-exercise/20230406160527813.html
A U.S. B-52 bomber and fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula during a joint air drill with South Korea on Dec. 20, 2022. [AP/YONHAP]
Pyongyang warned Seoul and Washington on Thursday that their latest "unparalleled" joint military drills are pushing the security situation of the Korean Peninsula "to the brink of a nuclear war."
Choe Ju-hyon, a purported international security affairs analyst, wrote in an English-language commentary piece carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, "As unanimously recognized by the international community, the U.S. and its vassal forces' frantic joint military drills have turned the Korean peninsula into a huge powder magazine which can be detonated any moment."
Pyongyang has protested a series of military drills held by Seoul and Washington since last month, including the Freedom Shield exercise, a computer-simulated command post training held from March 13 to 23, alongside the Warrior Shield field training exercise, the largest of its kind in five years.
Over Monday and Tuesday, South Korea, the United States and Japan held a trilateral naval exercise, joined by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, in waters off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula to strengthen deterrence against the North's nuclear and missile threats.
The anti-submarine and search-and-rescue drills involved destroyers from the three countries' navies and aimed to boost the three countries' responsiveness to underwater threats, such as the North's submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
Cho referred to these latest exercises in the KCNA commentary piece titled, "Expansion of the U.S.-led war drills of aggression is a trigger for driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion."
"The U.S. kicked off different largest-ever joint military drills against the DPRK simultaneously," wrote Cho, "pushing the security situation of the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war." The DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
He added that the "U.S.-led allied forces were busy with an anti-submarine warfare drill and a search and rescue drill in the waters around the Korean peninsula to stoke an atmosphere of confrontation with the DPRK."
He pinpointed that the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Aegis-equipped destroyers USS Decatur and USS Wayne E. Meyer, and South Korean and Japanese warships were involved in the drills.
Cho warned that the "military provocations by the U.S.-led warmongers have gone beyond the tolerance limit" and that North Korea will continue to show confidence in its "war deterrence" through unspecified "offensive action."
On Wednesday, South Korea and the United States held combined air drills involving a nuclear-capable U.S. B-52H strategic bomber and fighter jets from both countries' air forces.
The South Korean Air Force mobilized its F-35A Lightning II jets, multirole combat aircrafts capable of evading radar, while the United States deployed its F-35B and F-16 fighters. The training focused on protecting the strategic bomber from potential enemy threats, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.
A B-52H made a return to the peninsula just a month after the bomber's last deployment to the peninsula for a joint drill with Seoul in a show of Washington's continued commitment to extended deterrence and the deployment of strategic assets to the region.
This comes as South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup told a parliamentary defense committee Thursday that North Korea has "completed preparations" for a potential seventh nuclear test and is capable of carrying one out "at any time."
North Korea also denounced the UN Human Rights Council's latest resolution on Pyongyang's human rights abuses on Thursday, accusing it of being the "most heavily politicized document of fraud which is full of such falsehood and fabrications."
Han Tae-song, permanent representative to North Korea's mission to the UN in Geneva, said in an English-language statement carried by the KCNA that his country "strongly denounces and categorically rejects" the UN resolution as an "intolerable act of political provocation and hostility."
He said that North Korea "will never tolerate any hostile act of the U.S." that encroaches upon his country's "sovereignty and dignity" and plans to "make every possible effort to defend the genuine people's system and their rights."
On Tuesday, the Geneva-based council adopted by consensus an annual resolution denouncing North Korea's gross human rights violations, which was co-sponsored by South Korea for the first time in five years.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
12. [INTERVIEW] IRA offers opportunities to Korean businesses: Ossoff
Thursday
April 6, 2023
dictionary + A - A
[INTERVIEW] IRA offers opportunities to Korean businesses: Ossoff
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/06/national/diplomacy/korea-US-EV/20230406184239253.html
United States Senator Jon Ossoff from Georgia speaks Thursday in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo and the Korea JoongAng Daily at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]
Jon Ossoff, the Democrat senator who represents one of the most popular U.S. states for Korean manufacturers, said that the 70-year-old bilateral alliance cannot be shaken by recent U.S. legislation or public sentiment swayed by North Korea’s recent provocations.
“Yes, there have been concerns, but there have also been massive opportunities for Korean businesses through the IRA to expand their operations in the United States,” Ossoff said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo and the Korea JoongAng Daily in Seoul on Thursday.
The senator from Georgia was responding to a question on whether the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a cause for concern for Korea's electric vehicle (EV) industry, would continue to rattle relations even as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of their bilateral alliance this year with a state visit.
Georgia is home to over 120 Korean companies, including Kia, which has been producing cars in the state since 2009, and Hyundai Motor, which will open an EV factory in the state by 2025. SK On, an SK Innovation subsidiary, also announced last year that EV battery-making joint venture with Ford Motor Company is to be located in Georgia.
Ossoff was in Seoul this week to lead a business delegation and meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol before his state visit to Washington this month, repeating their meeting in Seoul nearly two years ago when Yoon was a presidential candidate.
He also met with Foreign Minister Park Jin, National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong and SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, in addition to the executives of Samsung, LG, Hyundai and Hanwha.
Ossoff said that years of trust-based interactions with business leaders in Korea have been "the basis for continued success," adding that Koreans can "stay tuned for good news."
The senator, whose career spanned documentary filmmaking and investigative journalism before he became the youngest sitting senator in three decades, seemed to take pride in his knowledge of — and affinity for — Korea, including its pop culture, throughout the interview at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel Thursday, as he recounted his four-day visit.
The following are edited excerpts of the interview.
Q. With continued investment in Georgia by Korean firms making Korea your state's top source of foreign direct investment, how much of your attention do Korea-related affairs take up in your work in the Senate?
A. Let me begin by saying that my interest in U.S.-Korea relations is, of course, in part, a function of the extraordinary economic relationship that Korea and Georgia have. [But] there’s also more to it. I have a large Korean-American constituency. I personally love Korea, Korean culture, history and the people. And as a national policymaker, I view the U.S.-Korea bilateral relationship as one of the most important strategic relationships in the world.
There has been growing concern among businesses here regarding the IRA and its impact. Were you able to address this issue in your meetings this visit?
I am in constant communication with Korean business leaders. And it is normal for there to be a constant discussion about how to ensure that the economic relationship serves both countries’ interests. We are working to ensure that the implementation of the IRA maximizes the benefit to my home state of Georgia, where there is a strong Korean business presence and is sensitive to the needs of our allies.
Earlier in the week, you also met with Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, whose Hanwha Solutions announced earlier this year billions of dollars of investment into solar manufacturing in Georgia. How do you explain the state's draw for Korean manufacturers?
I set a goal when I took office that Georgia should lead the country in advanced energy innovation and manufacturing, and then wrote and passed into law a solar manufacturing bill, whose purpose is to establish Georgia as the center of solar manufacturing in the United States and the center of advanced energy manufacturing innovation. Georgia has very advanced research capabilities. We have world-class logistics with the busiest airport in the world and the third busiest deep-water port in the United States. I'm going to continue to lead to expand opportunities in advanced energy, in solar, in hydrogen, in batteries in automotive manufacturing and to strengthen Georgia-Korea commercial ties.
The first delegation you led after you were elected to the Senate was a business delegation to Korea in November 2021, when you also met with Yoon before he was elected. What has it been like to build rapport with Yoon?
I think that when you have the opportunity to meet again and build a relationship founded on trust, openness and mutual respect, that's the foundation for a successful working relationship. So I was pleased to have had the opportunity to meet him before he was elected, and now to see him in his role as president.
What do you make of the recent reconciliatory mood between Korea and Japan?
I have studied Korean history, and I know this is a sensitive issue. But I commend President Yoon for his courage in pursuing an improvement in relations between Korea and Japan. As leading free societies in this region and long-standing allies, the U.S., Korea and Japan, in partnership, can support one another in our mutual security and to advance our shared prosperity.
With unprecedented military provocations from North Korea, there are growing voices among the South Korean public calling for either stronger extended deterrence from the United States or for South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons. How do you see these developments?
I think that the U.S.-Republic of Korea armed forces together have the capability to deter and defeat any North Korean aggression, and I believe our shared goal is peace and stability on the peninsula. The high-level security consultations that I've had this week are part of the constant process of ensuring that our collaboration is strong and effective.
Georgia has been an important state for the Biden administration, as it went from being a red state to a blue state in the 2020 election, and as the election victories that you and Sen. Raphael Warnock had in Georgia gave the administration rare control over both the Senate and the White House. As you represent the state and its transformations, how do you see the recent indictment of former President Donald Trump, who may also face further charges from prosecutors in Georgia? Is this, as some say, the beginning of an end to the so-called “Trump era”?
I wouldn't make predictions about any individual politicians’ prospects. The United States is a nation of laws. I have confidence in our judicial system. It's an independent judicial system. No one is above the law. And all are presumed innocent until proven guilty. So that judicial process will continue, and all should respect the outcome.
During your last visit to Korea, you mentioned that you’re a fan of “Mr. Sunshine,” the Korean drama series. Have you watched more Korean shows since then?
I have to confess that I watched much of “Mr. Sunshine” again.
BY ESTHER CHUNG,AHN CHAK-HEE,PARK HYUN-JU [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]
13. Seoul, Tokyo, Washington envoys condemn Pyongyang's nuclear development
Trilateral cooperation.
Thursday
April 6, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Seoul, Tokyo, Washington envoys condemn Pyongyang's nuclear development
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/06/national/diplomacy/korea-japan-US/20230406181919015.html
Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, right, shakes hands with Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea as they head into their meeting to discuss countermeasures to North Korea's weapons program at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]
South Korean, Japanese and American nuclear envoys condemned North Korea’s continued nuclear development and infringement of basic rights of its citizens in their back-to-back meetings in Seoul on Thursday.
“The two chief representatives shared their assessments of the grave situation on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's unprecedented parade of provocations, and strongly condemned North Korea's provocations that clearly violated a number of UN Security Council resolutions,” said the Foreign Ministry in its statement following the meeting between Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea.
The envoys also agreed to strengthen efforts to raise awareness on North Korea’s illegal cyber activities that have been a main source of the regime’s extortion of cryptocurrency and to also encourage the international community to repatriate North Korean workers to implement the UN Security Council resolutions.
“Both the United States and South Korea have repeatedly called on North Korea to engage in dialogue, but it has been North Korea that had rejected the proposals,” said the ministry.
After his meeting with the U.S. envoy, Kim met with Funakoshi Takehiro, director-general for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of Japanese Foreign Ministry, in Seoul on Thursday.
Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, right, meets with Funakoshi Takehiro, director-general for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of Japanese Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]
In condemning North Korea for raising security tensions in the region with its repeated provocations, the South Korean and Japanese nuclear envoys emphasized the importance of both South Korea-Japan and South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation to address North Korean threats.
They also discussed human rights violations by the North Korean regime, such as the issue on political detainees, defectors and separated families, agreeing to strengthen bilateral cooperation to inform the international community of the human rights violations in North Korea.
American nuclear envoy Kim also met with Foreign Minister Park Jin on Thursday.
The three envoys were scheduled to host a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Friday.
BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]
14. Over 60 pct of S. Koreans support own nuclear armament: poll
We should keep in mind that this supports the north's political warfare strategy. The regime wants to see the South demand nuclear weapons because it believes it will drive a wedge in the ROK/US alliance. It especially wants the ROK to lose confidence in the US commitment to extended deterrence.
The north's strategy needs to be exposed to help inoculate the Korean people in the South against it.
What the ROK and US should focus on is that the South Korean discussion of nuclear weapons (either ROK or US) is an indication of its commitment to the defense of Korea. It is willing to stand up to opponents to do what is necessary to defend the South.
Over 60 pct of S. Koreans support own nuclear armament: poll | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 6, 2023
SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- More than 60 percent of South Koreans voiced the need for Seoul to independently build its own nuclear weapons, a survey showed Thursday, in the latest indication that the people are more open to atomic weapons amid growing military threats from North Korea.
According to the poll of 1,000 adults commissioned by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, 64.3 percent replied that South Korea needs to develop its own nuclear weapons to counter Pyongyang's escalating nuclear threats.
When asked the same question with the possibility of being slapped with global sanctions, fewer respondents -- 54.7 percent -- supported a homegrown nuclear arsenal, while 42.3 percent were against it.
The survey also showed 61.1 percent favored the deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea.
The poll, carried out by Research & Research from Nov. 10-12 at the behest of the Seoul-based think tank, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 6, 2023
15. Yoon to take bipartisan parliamentary delegation to U.S.
(LEAD) Yoon to take bipartisan parliamentary delegation to U.S. | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · April 6, 2023
(ATTN: UPDATES with presidential official's remarks; CHANGES headline)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol will take a bipartisan parliamentary delegation with him on his state visit to the United States this month, an official said Thursday.
Yoon is set to hold a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on April 26 and address a joint session of the U.S. Congress the next day as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance this year.
President Yoon Suk Yeol (6th from L) poses for a photo with members of a U.S. congressional delegation at the presidential office in Seoul on April 5, 2023, in this photo provided by the office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Members of the National Assembly will accompany President Yoon on his visit to the United States as members of a special entourage," Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for press affairs, told reporters.
"We look forward to the members playing a considerable role vis-a-vis the U.S. Congress and broader nation for the sake of the national interest," she said.
A senior presidential official said the delegation will include lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party, though the names have not been finalized yet.
The presidential office has been reaching out mainly to lawmakers of the Parliamentary Diplomatic Forum on the U.S. to survey their interest in accompanying Yoon to Washington.
A formal parliamentary body promoting exchanges between the two countries' legislatures -- similar to the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union -- could also be launched as a result of the state visit.
Yoon was invited to deliver the address before Congress during a meeting with a visiting U.S. Congressional delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Wednesday.
The office of U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans to send a formal invitation letter to the South Korean government later Thursday, Kim said.
Meanwhile, a large number of South Korean business executives are expected to accompany Yoon to Washington.
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and other chiefs of conglomerates have been cited as possible members of the business delegation.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · April 6, 2023
16. N. Korea ready to conduct nuke test 'at any time': Seoul's defense minister
We should keep in mind that a nuclear test will be the biggest card in its provocation playbook.
What does Kim expect to achieve with a nuclear test (other than to confirm or advance a capability)? What effect can he expect to achieve?
Once he conducts this test he will be out of schlitz in his provocation playbook. If he does not achieve the desired effects from a test what will be his next move? He is probably able to generate better effects through the threat of a test than an actual one at this time.
But if he does conduct one it will be another opportunity for the alliance to demonstrate Kim's policy and strategy failure by not giving into his blackmail dimplacy
(2nd LD) N. Korea ready to conduct nuke test 'at any time': Seoul's defense minister | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · April 6, 2023
(ATT: UPDATES with more details in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is ready to conduct a nuclear test "at any time," South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said Thursday, reiterating Seoul's policy focus on bolstering deterrence against Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and missile threats.
Lee made the remarks in a briefing to the National Assembly's defense committee, amid tensions heightened by the North's provocative acts, such as its recent unveiling of the Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear warhead and the test of an underwater nuclear attack drone.
"(North Korea) has already completed preparations for what would be its seventh nuclear test, and is capable of carrying out a nuclear test at any time," Lee told lawmakers.
This file photo, taken March 23, 2023, shows Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup speaking during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul. (Yonhap)
In a report to the committee, his ministry said the North's nuclear test, if pressed ahead, might be designed for "final technological verification" needed for the mass production and operational deployment of nuclear warheads.
It also said the South and the United States have crafted joint military measures to respond to a possible North Korean nuclear test with an aim to demonstrate their alliance's "strong" will.
The measures include the allies' combined show of force, involving America's strategic military assets. It did not elaborate further.
The South Korean military has been strengthening its monitoring of the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site, it added.
Views on the timing of the North's nuclear test have varied.
Some said the North may not conduct a test anytime soon given that it appears to have acquired enough technologies through six nuclear tests, including the last in 2017, with leader Kim Jong-un calling for an "exponential" increase in the country's nuclear arsenal. Others said the regime might see a technological imperative to refine technologies for tactical and other nuclear arms.
In the briefing, the ministry touched on the North's steady push to acquire various nuclear delivery vehicles, noting the regime has used recent South Korea-U.S. military drills as a pretext to test and confirm the capabilities of those vehicles.
The delivery vehicles include submarine-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, underwater attack drones and an assortment of missiles using varied launch platforms, such as trains, silos and transporter erector launchers.
Asked if the South has any measure to counter threats from the North's underwater nuclear attack drones, Lee said it "basically" has the capability to detect underwater infiltration vehicles.
In response to a question about the growing number of citizens in support of South Korea's own nuclear armament, Lee expressed a negative view.
"We should look at what people wish for separately from the actual pursuit of a policy," he said.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · April 6, 2023
17. John Batchelor Show: #BurkinaFaso: #NorthKorea: Proliferation in Sub Saharan Africa. David Maxwell, FDD
My interview last evening.
https://audioboom.com/posts/8276386-burkinafaso-northkorea-proliferation-in-sub-saharan-africa-david-maxwell-fdd
#BurkinaFaso: #NorthKorea: Proliferation in Sub Saharan Africa. David Maxwell, FDD
Apr 5, 8:37 PM
@Batchelorshow
ANHM
#BurkinaFaso: #NorthKorea: Proliferation in Sub Saharan Africa. David Maxwell, FDD
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/burkina-faso-to-resume-diplomatic-relations-with-north-korea/2859013
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
| 
