Quotes of the Day:
“It is the individual only who is timeless. Societies, cultures, and civilizations -- past and present -- are often incomprehensible to outsiders, but the individual's hungers, anxieties, dreams, and preoccupations have remained unchanged through the millenia.”
- Eric Hoffer
“Age does not bring wisdom. Often it merely changes simple stupidity into arrogant conceit. Its only advantage, so far as I have been able to see, is that it spans change. A young person sees the world as they still picture, immutable. An old person has had his nose rubbed in changes and more changes and still more changes so many times that he knows it is a moving picture, forever changing. He may not like it –probably doesn't; I don't – but he knows it's so, and knowing it is the first step to coping with it come.”
- Robert a Heinlein
“Nothing has been discovered, nothing has been invented. We can only know that we know nothing. And that's the highest degree of human wisdom.”
- Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
1. Why does Kim Jong-un keep launching missiles? Exploring the Truth and Objectives (1) There was advance notice and careful preparation
2. N. Korea stays silent on much-anticipated parliamentary meeting
3. Will Kim issue message at Supreme People’s Assembly again?
4. China may face backstab N. Korea if it fails to take action
5. Satellite launch may be in future as North plans to 'conquer space'
6. Seoul in denial that Pyongyang scrapped moratorium on weapons tests
7. Leadership unity needed (South Korea)
8. Korea, US not mulling additional THAAD deployment: defense ministry
9. Appropriation of hanbok: China should stop 'stealing' Korean culture
10. Family of high-ranking N. Korean cadre sent to prison camp for violating anti-reactionary thought law
11. North Korea emphasizes to party organizations the importance of protecting classified information
12. Korean content is rising to cultural mainstream: HFPA president
13. Kim Jong Un Keeps Aiming His Missiles at This 'Most Hated Rock'
14. (Olympics) S. Korean short tracker cries foul over biased officiating in favor of China | Yonhap News Agency
1. Why does Kim Jong-un keep launching missiles? Exploring the Truth and Objectives (1) There was advance notice and careful preparation
Interesting article and background. We must take this with a grain of salt since the information cannot be verified.
＜Article Contribution＞ Why does Kim Jong-un keep launching missiles? Exploring the Truth and Objectives (1) There was advance notice and careful preparation.
Kim Jong-un praising core members of the hypersonic missile research and development department. Quoted from Labor News, January 2022
The Kim Jong-un regime has repeatedly been conducting missile launch tests since early this new year. When were they planned, and what are their objectives? And should we expect the actual deployment to proceed smoothly? Mr Oh Sowon, a former North Korean agent born in Japan, explains the answer to this question while deciphering domestic developments, including the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) convened at the end of 2021. (Editor)
◆ Missile Launch After Careful Preparation
Since the beginning of the year in early January, North Korea has repeatedly conducted missile launch tests.
It fired hypersonic missiles on the 5th and 11th and two short-range ballistic missiles from a train-type launcher on the 14th. The launch on the 11th was conducted as an "inspection fire drill" for Kim Jong-un to inspect.
The one launched on the 14th was not a "test launch" but an "inspection and firing test," i.e., it was reported as if it was about to be deployed in actual combat.
North Korean experts in South Korea had predicted that Kim Jong Il would not take any provocative action to increase military tensions between North and South Korea ahead of the presidential election in March, as it would be detrimental to the pro-North Korean and leftist presidential candidates. It was a logical assumption that it would not be in Kim Jong Il's interest to have a conservative government in South Korea, but it turned out to be wrong.
As for the launches, the hypersonic missile launched on the 5th was a "performance test," the launch on the 11th was a "performance demonstration" in response to the fact that the South Korean authorities considered the missile to be incomplete and a "military response" to the U.S. move to tighten sanctions, and the launch on the 17th was a "demonstration of the completion of deployment." Still, rather than that, I have been paying attention to the series of launches as carefully planned.
There is no telling how far North Korea's military provocations will go in the future, but I believe that its military actions since the beginning of the year are closely related to the decisions made at the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) convened at the end of last year.
The North Korean state media's coverage of the five-day meeting at the end of last year ended with the following brief statement.
"The munitions industrial field should dynamically push ahead with the production of the powerful equipment corresponding with the modern warfare while steadily expanding the achievements true to the decisions made at the 8th Party Congress, powerfully fuel the change of quality of the national defence capacity and attain the goal of putting the defence industry on a Juche, modern and scientific basis in a planned way."
There is no "hint" of a missile launch test anywhere in the text.
In order to decipher the trends in North Korea, for which there is no detailed information, it is essential to read between the lines of state media reports and documents and to infer and analyze the thoughts, values, and past behavioural patterns of the people and cadres. In a word, it is necessary to have a unique perspective, or "glasses."
Let me use my own "glasses" to decipher the Labor Party meeting held late last year regarding the series of missile tests.
◆ "Pretending to Act" at the Head's Direction
It is noteworthy that a "Written Decision" is adopted at the end of the conference, which is private. Following Kim Jong-un's report on the first day of the conference, subcommittee meetings were held on the second day. The details are kept secret, but the content of the sub-meeting on the military industry is secretive.
In my experience, the contents of the sub-meetings on defence, diplomacy, and the southern gate are likely to be communicated only to a limited number of cadres within the party.
In North Korea, information is divided into "private," "secret to the outside world," "secret within the party," "absolute secret," and so on. Still, the fact that the Labor Daily reported, with photographs, that the party, military, and munitions industry cadres had gathered together for a meeting for several days suggests that some action had been decided secretly even before the meeting. The media reports mentioned above only mentioned the direction of the policy, not any specific plan.
However, a few days after the meeting ended, the Kim Jong-un regime launched a missile. Why?
In North Korea's political and social system, there is a highly campaign able atmosphere where people immediately "pretend" to move when the leader orders. This "pretence" is a barometer to measure their loyalty to the leader. For this reason, all media, party organizations, government agencies, companies, and even schools are "determined" to carry out the instructions.
Although it is a kind of "faked" situation, as can be seen from the fact that the Propaganda and Incitement Department is one of the essential departments of the Workers' Party, the highest authority, "propaganda" in North Korea means incitement or "agitation" at any rate, and this creates social pressure similar to what is called "peer pressure" in Japan.
It is the same in North Korea, where "the first", "first in line", and " first on board" are highly valued, and the evaluation of the executive in charge is enhanced by implementing the "written decision" as quickly as possible.
At the munitions industry sub-committee meeting held at the end of last year, it must have been decided that a test launch would be conducted at the beginning of this year, and the plan for the following phase would have been discussed as well. However, seeing that the test launch was to be held a few days after the meeting, it is reasonable to assume that the preparations had been completed long ago and that the launch was on standby.
(Photo) According to North Korean state media, North Korea launched a railway-born missile on Jan. 14. Quoted from the Labor News.
◆The Unveiling of New Strategic Weapons Announced for 2019
Speaking of the hypersonic missile, Kim Jong Il had announced that "the world would soon witness a new strategic weapon" at the 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in late 2019.
In September of the same year, the first test launch was conducted, and although North Korea claimed it was a success, it was presumed to be unfinished based on the phrase "technical indicators were determined."
In addition, it was considered to be in the early stage of development since observation data showed that its flight distance and altitude had not reached their performance levels, and Kim Jong Il was not present for the launch. After that, performance improvements were made, but it is reasonable to assume that the launch was postponed again to 2022 for some reason.
At the time of the announcement in 2019, many South Korean analysts and mass media predicted that the "new strategic weapons" would be multiple independently-targetable re-entry vehicle ICBMs (MIRVs) and 3,000-ton class strategic submarines and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
Probably because hypersonic missiles are something that "even the U.S. has not been able to complete," there was some underestimation. Still, as the saying goes, "when the throat passes, the heat is forgotten," and I take my hat off to the nerve of the South Korean experts who continue to make "predictions" with impunity no matter how many times they fail.
Of course, the "new strategic weapon" does not necessarily mean only hypersonic missiles, but it is highly likely that this is the first strategic weapon.
Although the U.S. has developed and tested weapons to intercept hypersonic missiles, which are said to be game-changers, everyone knows that the intercept able time is much shorter for South Korea and Japan than for the U.S., which are so close that they can be reached within minutes of making instant noodles.
◆ Kim Jong-un's Go Signal.
It is only a presumption, but I think that the prototype was ready in the first half of last year, and after the test in September and the performance improvement, it was in a waiting state until Kim Jong-un gave the go signal. Since the "written decision" was endorsed at the party meeting at the end of last year, they must have decided to implement it.
Aside from the Mach 10 flight speed, the "ampouling" of liquid fuel has shortened the launch preparation time and dramatically increased mobility.
As interception is virtually impossible with current defensive measures, a controversial statement by a presidential candidate of the South Korean opposition party that "pre-emptive strikes are the only way to respond" is considered belligerent.
Nevertheless, looking at the missile launch tests that North Korea has been conducting over the past few years, the keywords " surprise-attack" and "irregularity" come to mind. These include shortening the launch preparation time and improving the launch manoeuvrability and irregular flight capability of the missiles. These tactics align with the traditional "anti-Japanese partisan style" of the WPK.
So, will the new weapons, such as hypersonic missiles that have been tested repeatedly, be ready for field deployment immediately? In my opinion, it will not be easy. In addition to financial difficulties and power shortages, there are other unique reasons for this (To be continued).
Oh So-won (pseudonym)
A man in his 60s. A former official of an organization affiliated with the Workers' Party of Korea. He was born in Japan and returned to North Korea as a teenager as a repatriation project. After graduating from a university in Pyongyang, he worked for a trading company affiliated with the Workers' Party of Korea and then engaged in espionage activities against South Korea. He defected to South Korea in the 1990s and worked as a company employee before retiring. He is the author of "Naked North Korea" (Shinchosha), and his column "Pyongyang Watch" was serialized in the Tokyo Shimbun (2010-2012). He has also contributed numerous articles to the monthly magazines "Shincho 45" and "Factor", and the information website "Foresight".
※The contributions of external authors may not be consistent with the editorial policy of ASIAPRESS.
2. N. Korea stays silent on much-anticipated parliamentary meeting
So far. Be patient. I am sure we will hear from that.
(LEAD) N. Korea stays silent on much-anticipated parliamentary meeting | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS unification ministry's comments in 8th para)
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) -- North Korea stayed mum on a much-anticipated meeting of the country's rubber-stamp parliament Monday, a day after it was supposed to take place, spawning speculation the event might have been delayed.
The 6th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) was to be held Sunday to discuss issues that included the state budget and tasks for this year, according to Pyongyang's state media, but they have yet to report on the opening of the event as of Monday morning.
The North's official media outlets, such as the Korean Central News Agency and the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, usually report on the outcome of such a major political event the next morning.
The parliamentary session has been a focus of attention as a potential opportunity for the outside world to get a clue on the reclusive regime's policy directions after the North conducted a barrage of missile tests last month, including the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Jan. 30.
During the previous SPA session held in September, the North's leader Kim Jong-un announced a decision to restore communication lines with South Korea as part of efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and achieve "durable peace" on the peninsula.
It's not the first time the North has stayed silent a day after its planned opening of such a parliamentary meeting.
In April 2020, Pyongyang announced an SPA meeting was convened two days later than it was supposed to be held, without giving any explanations on the change of schedule.
"There were cases of the Supreme People's Assembly being delayed in the past, and the North also has a record of reporting on such political events after they wrap up if they were held for multiple days," Lee Jong-joo, spokesperson for Seoul's unification ministry, told a regular press briefing. "We will continue monitoring related moves considering various possibilities."
The SPA is the highest organ of power under the North's constitution, though it rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling party.
It usually holds a plenary session in March or April to deal mainly with budget and cabinet reshuffles. But the North held an SPA session in January and another in September last year.
This month's meeting comes amid heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with the North apparently threatening to suspend its yearslong moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests amid a deadlock in nuclear negotiations with the United States.
The North's latest missile launch, which involved an IRBM, marked the country's seventh show of force this year and its longest-range missile test since the test-firing of an ICBM in November 2017.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)
3. Will Kim issue message at Supreme People’s Assembly again?
Probably. But we have to be patient. It all depends on what effects the regime is seeking to achieve.
Conclusion:
The South Korean government is keeping a close watch on the outcomes of the meeting, judging that if Kim issues a hardline-line message against South Korea, inter-Korean relations will deteriorate during the final days of the Moon Jae-in administration. At the North’s politburo meeting on Jan. 19, Kim ordered the government to completely reconsider measures meant to recover trust, and speedily develop a plan to resume all activities that have been temporarily suspended, while declaring the withdrawal of moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.
Will Kim issue message at Supreme People’s Assembly again?
Posted February. 07, 2022 07:58,
Updated February. 07, 2022 07:58
Will Kim issue message at Supreme People’s Assembly again?. February. 07, 2022 07:58. by Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com.
North Korea convened the Supreme People’s Assembly, or the North Korean equivalent of the National Assembly, in Pyongyang on Sunday. Attention is focusing on whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will attend the meeting in person and issue a message to South Korea and the U.S. The North has test-fired missiles on seven occasions last month alone in a ‘relay show of force.’ Since the Stalinist country announces results of a meeting the following day, Pyongyang will likely disclose the results from the latest meeting on Monday.
According to the North’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper, Pyongyang decided to convene the sixth meeting of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly this past Sunday during the general meeting of the standing committee under the Supreme People’s Assembly, which took place in December last year. The Supreme People’s Assembly is the North Korean equivalent of the South’s National Assembly. The latest meeting has been called by Pyongyang to approve the direction of the Workers’ Party and state projects that were decided at last year’s general meeting.
The matter of utmost interest surrounding the meeting is whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un participated, and if so, whether he issued an external message. Kim is not a Supreme People’s Assembly member, but he would attend the meeting in person and issue messages previously. Kim delivered an administrative policy speech at the Supreme People’s Assembly to state that “I have intention to seek (a North Korea-U.S. meeting) at least once more” in April 2019 after the Washington-Pyongyang summit collapsed. At the Supreme People’s Assembly in September last year, he said, “We will reopen inter-Korean communication lines from early October,”
The South Korean government is keeping a close watch on the outcomes of the meeting, judging that if Kim issues a hardline-line message against South Korea, inter-Korean relations will deteriorate during the final days of the Moon Jae-in administration. At the North’s politburo meeting on Jan. 19, Kim ordered the government to completely reconsider measures meant to recover trust, and speedily develop a plan to resume all activities that have been temporarily suspended, while declaring the withdrawal of moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.
4. China may face backstab N. Korea if it fails to take action
north Korea can be a spoiler to China despite their alliance that is supposedly closer than lips and teeth.
But this OpEd really illustrates how China (and Russia) has neutered the UN Security Council. And most importantly it criticizes South Korea's weak response.
Conclusion:
The loss of power by the UN Security Council, which has been known as the keeper of international peace and safety, is partially due to the power struggle between the U.S. and China as well as armed conflict between the U.S. and Russia. North Korea is certainly taking advantage of this new Cold-War like situation. However, if we fail to put a stop to North Korea’s continuing nuclear threats, it will eventually develop into a massive problem for China as well. China should not forget North Korea’s past launching of nuclear/missile threats whenever Xi Jinping tried to host major international events just a few years ago.
China may face backstab N. Korea if it fails to take action
Posted February. 07, 2022 07:57,
Updated February. 07, 2022 07:57
China may face backstab N. Korea if it fails to take action. February. 07, 2022 07:57. .
The UN Security Council meeting was held on Friday to come up with measures to respond to North Korea’s intermediate range ballistic missile issue but adjourned after concluding no outcomes. It was the third Security Council meeting to be held this year on account of North Korea’s missile firing, but no agreement was reached as China and Russia vetoed against the joint action request made by more than half of the Security Council members. China did not even denounce North Korea’s provocative actions and urged the U.S. to exhibit policies and actions that accommodate North Korea’s concerns.
There were some expectations that the recent meeting, in which IRBM range of 5,000 kilometers was discussed, would be different from the outcomes of the previous two meetings. Back in 2018, the UN Security Council had come up with proactive measures to North Korea’s nuclear/missile threats, adding North Korean institutions and groups to its sanction list. Despite North Korea’s threats that have reached the highest ever in the last four years, the Security Council has not even issued a single statement. China said that it would send a copy of a press statement draft back to its country for review, which may not happen as well.
Nine countries including the U.S. issued a joint statement saying that “the silence of the UN Security Council would only embolden North Korea, violating the resolutions and continually threatening international peace.” Japan, which is not a member of the Security Council, joined the statement, but South Korea was not involved. The statement, however, is simply an expression of concern as North Korea is already making threats with nuclear tests and ICBM. This behavior is happening as it is encouraged by China, tolerated by Russia and Korea turning a blind eye.
The loss of power by the UN Security Council, which has been known as the keeper of international peace and safety, is partially due to the power struggle between the U.S. and China as well as armed conflict between the U.S. and Russia. North Korea is certainly taking advantage of this new Cold-War like situation. However, if we fail to put a stop to North Korea’s continuing nuclear threats, it will eventually develop into a massive problem for China as well. China should not forget North Korea’s past launching of nuclear/missile threats whenever Xi Jinping tried to host major international events just a few years ago.
5. Satellite launch may be in future as North plans to 'conquer space'
I would not be surprised to see the north attempt another satellite launch. Space needs the north's martial music in space which I do not think has been present since the 1998 space launch (as I recall the batteries have died in the satellite that was allegedly broadcasting north Korean martial music in space).
Monday
February 7, 2022
Satellite launch may be in future as North plans to 'conquer space'
Footage from a documentary aired in October by the North's Korean Central Television, which covered the country's successful launch of the Kwangmyongsong No. 4 earth observation satellite. [YONHAP]
Speculation is mounting that North Korea is preparing a satellite launch, following reports on Monday by state media that the country is determined to "conquer space."
Yun Sun-yong, a member of the North’s National Science and Technology Commission, emphasized the country’s will to “conquer space” during a Monday radio broadcast aired by the state-run Korean Central Broadcasting Committee to mark the sixth anniversary of the launch of the Kwangmyongsong No. 4, an earth observation satellite the North launched in February 2016.
“The path to conquer space will be continued today and tomorrow, and the heroic legend of juche Korea, which astounds the world, will be created anew continuously.”
Juche, a mantra which roughly translates to self-reliance, refers to the guiding political ideology devised by the regime’s founder Kim Il Sung and is enshrined in the country’s constitution.
The Kwangmyongsong No. 4 was the second satellite launched successfully into orbit by the North, which was then accused by South Korea, Japan and the United States of testing ballistic missile technology necessary for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) under the guise of peaceful satellite launches.
The February 2016 satellite launch came shortly after a Jan. 6 nuclear test by the North and as the United Nations Security Council was contemplating sanctions on the regime.
The launch, which was timed to mark the 74th birthday of current North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s father and predecessor, the late Kim Jong-il, was met with condemnation from the Security Council.
Concerns about another potential satellite launch by Pyongyang were brought up Ha Tae-kyeong, a People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, who said in a committee briefing on Jan. 21 that the regime may test ICBM technology under the guise of a satellite launch from the Dongchang-ri launch site in North Pyongan Province.
While Pyongyang occasionally emphasizes the need to develop its space program through state-run media, the recent radio broadcast suggests that another satellite launch may come just as the regime has drastically ratcheted up international tensions by firing a slew of missiles in the past month.
The North has already conducted seven tests of hypersonic cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and an intermediate range ballistic missile in the new year.
Pyongyang’s state media also carried reports in late January that the ruling Workers’ Party Politburo was contemplating scrapping the regime's self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and longer range missile testing, which has been in place since late 2017.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
6. Seoul in denial that Pyongyang scrapped moratorium on weapons tests
In Seoul's defense the red line established by Trump and the regime's self imposed moratorium was simply no ICBM tests and no nuclear tests. Was the Hwasong 12 that was just tested an ICBM?
Unfortunately the problem is the Moon administration is in denial about the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime. It is not just about missiles.
Monday
February 7, 2022
Seoul in denial that Pyongyang scrapped moratorium on weapons tests
South Korean President Moon Jae-in presides over an emergency meeting of the National Security Council at the Blue House on Jan. 30 in response to the North's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile earlier that day. [YONHAP]
Seoul does not yet believe that Pyongyang has effectively scrapped a self-imposed moratorium on sensitive weapons tests despite the North's most recent test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), according to a statement made by President Moon Jae-in during a recent National Security Council (NSC) meeting.
The moratorium, which Pyongyang put into place in late 2017 and was formally outlined in April 2018 by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, entailed a suspension of nuclear and longer range missile testing.
When Kim detailed his regime’s rationale for the moratorium at the time, he said the North “doesn’t need any nuclear tests or mid-to-long-range missile tests.”
The suspension of nuclear and longer range missile tests in 2017 preluded the resumption of inter-Korean diplomacy beginning with the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, an inter-Korean summit in April 2018, and eventually the first-ever summit between North Korea and the United States in Singapore that June.
However, relations between Washington and Pyongyang rapidly soured after the February 2019 summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, between Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump, collapsed without an accord.
While the North has now twice hinted that it would scrap the moratorium on nuclear and missile testing — once in late December 2019, when Kim Jong-un warned he may “no longer refrain” from testing if the United States continued selling weapons to, and conducting military drills with South Korea, and again last month, when the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported the ruling Workers’ Party Politburo was considering “restarting all previously suspended activities” — Seoul has not pronounced a view that the moratorium is dead.
Although Kim’s April 2018 declaration included a halt to mid-range missile tests, President Moon described the North’s launch of an IRBM on Jan. 30 merely as a step “close to scrapping the moratorium declaration” during an emergency NSC meeting that day.
Moon’s statement on Seoul’s position of the IRBM launch also omitted Kim’s own 2018 references to halting mid-range missile tests, with the president merely reiterating that the North “promised to suspend all nuclear and ICBM tests from April 21, 2018.”
With Seoul’s description of Pyongyang’s testing moratorium skirting over mid-range missiles, which Kim said he would also stop testing, analysts are wondering if South Korea is giving the North leeway to claim it has not yet scrapped its suspension on sensitive tests.
Examining the discrepancy between Seoul’s view of the moratorium and Kim’s own language to describe the suspension, Kim Young-soo, a professor of politics and international relations at Sogang University, said, “As a matter of security, the South Korean government should seek to clarify [the status of the moratorium] by sending a simple statement to the North, but the government appears to have fallen short in this area.”
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
7. Leadership unity needed (South Korea)
Korea remains the shrimp among whales.
Presidential politics and THAAD.
Monday
February 7, 2022
Leadership unity needed
Lee Ha-kyung
The author is the chief editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.
Geopolitical conflicts among superpowers always affect the Korean Peninsula. It is a place where national interests of the United States, China, Japan and Russia — economic and military powers — butt up against each other.
Superpowers have attempted to divide and occupy the peninsula for four centuries. Konishi Yukinaga — a general who occupied Hanyang, which later became Seoul, and Pyongyang during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 — was a Catholic, whose Christian name was Augustine. Coming from a family of merchants, he proposed to divide Joseon by drawing a line along the Taedong River. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who orchestrated the seven-year war that shook East Asia, demanded that the Joseon court surrender four southern provinces to Japan.
Shortly before the 1894 Sino-Japanese War, Lord Kimberley, the British Foreign Secretary, proposed the peninsula be divided between the North and the South with a line bisecting Seoul. In 1896, Japan proposed to Russia that the peninsula be divided along the 38th parallel. In 1903, Russia proposed to Japan that the area above the 39th parallel be turned into a neutral zone. The plans were all scrapped as Joseon, the Ming Dynasty of China, Japan and Russia opposed.
Eventually, the Korean Peninsula, after its colonization by Japan, was divided and occupied by the United States and the Soviet Union shortly after World War II. North and South Korea remain the last divided countries on earth. John Mearsheime, a distinguished professor at the University of Chicago, predicted that China will follow the U.S. strategy, which rose from a regional power to a global power. During this course, Korea will face a cruel destiny depending on the hegemony competition and negotiations between the United States and China. This is our history and a worrisome reality.
Korea won’t sink if it has a great captain and navigator. Small countries bullied by superpowers mostly maintain sustainable foreign policies based on their experiences and political consensus. The bigger the crisis they face, the stronger their internal unity grows. Unfortunately, Korea is the opposite due to its sharp internal divisions.
The four-way presidential debate held last Thursday following a series of missile provocations from North Korea revealed this chronic problem. Opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol argued for additional deployment of the Thaad missile defense system and a preemptive strike against the North. “Peace is a result of overwhelming power,” Yoon said.
His rival Lee Jae-myung from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) quoted former USFK Commander Vincent Brooks to argue that there is no need for an additional deployment of the Thaad system. “It is irresponsible to call for additional deployment at the risk of China’s retaliation when the U.S. said there is no need,” Lee said.
Yoon refuted Lee’s remarks by saying Brooks has never said there was no need for additional Thaad deployment. In the meantime, minor opposition Justice Party (JP) candidate Sim Sang-jeung said the people are uneasy about Yoon’s mention of a preemptive strike. Yoon countered by saying, “Professing an active intention itself is a way to prevent a war.”
While crisis deepens after the North’s missile provocations, there seems to be no possibility of consensus. How can we defend our country in such circumstances?
Joseon made a misjudgment in the Ming-Qing transition period, triggering the Qing Invasion of Joseon in 1636. After King Injo surrendered at Samjeondo utterly disgracefully, tens of thousands of the people became slaves of Qing.
At the time, Huang Sunmao and Shen Shikui, high-ranking officials of Ming, surprisingly advised Joseon that it must not take a hardline stance toward Qing to show respect to Ming. Why did they do so? They were worried that if Joseon falls after a clash with Qing, Qing will pressure Ming even further. The Joseon court made an anachronistic mistake as it treated foreign affairs as an extension of domestic politics. King Injo leaned toward Ming to help justify his coup and win Ming’s approval after pushing out Prince Gwanghae, the 15th ruler of Joseon, who sought neutral diplomacy in the Ming-Qing transition period.
South Korea’s security policy toward North Korea is being shaken by the upcoming presidential election. Former chief of staff Noh Young-min criticized Yoon by saying, “He seems to be possessed by a ghost. If diplomacy is covered by populism, national interests will be damaged.” Though Yoon’s remarks were intended to say that the country must reinforce its security postures, Noh simply demonized Yoon.
After the North conducted seven missile tests so far this year, eight countries, including the United States, Japan and Britain, issued a joint statement on Feb. 4, but South Korea did not participate. It is no wonder that the PPP attacked the Moon administration for its “humiliating North Korea policy.” Instead of blindly counterattacking the opposition, the DP must revise its dumb North Korea policy. For the sake of national interests, the priority should be put on making a bipartisan agreement.
Presidential candidates should be cool-headed. It is catastrophic to approach national security issues with political tactics. They must listen to their rivals’ positions and reach an agreement. Voters also should find out who is truly presidential.
In her 2013 publication, “The Rhyme of History,” Oxford historian Margaret MacMillan warned that if superpowers do not cooperate for global peace, the history of a world war will repeat. As superpowers still chose the paths for their own survivals amid the pandemic, the world is left without leadership. Korea urgently need the leadership of unity. We must not elect a president who wants to be a leader of one side.
8. Korea, US not mulling additional THAAD deployment: defense ministry
Certainly not with the current administration in power. Recall the "three no's" to China.
Korea, US not mulling additional THAAD deployment: defense ministry
The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) U.S. missile shield is seen deployed in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in this July 2017 photo. Korea Times file South Korea and the United States are not considering the deployment of an additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system here, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday amid a heated debate on the issue rekindled ahead of the March 9 presidential election.
Ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan made the remarks following a media report that government-commissioned research in 2015 noted the need for South Korea's military to acquire its own THAAD battery, separate from the one operated by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
"Regarding the issue about the introduction of an additional THAAD unit, South Korea and the U.S. have not been planning any additional deployment nor have they been considering it," Boo told a regular press briefing.
Boo pointed out that South Korea's military has been developing its own interception system, called L-SAM (Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile), to establish a multilayered, low-tier missile defense system.
The THAAD system has emerged as a hot-button issue in the election season as Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, pledged last month to push for an "additional THAAD deployment" following a series of North Korean missile tests.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, has cautioned against an additional THAAD deployment, warning it could trigger pushback from China, South Korea's largest trading partner. (Yonhap)
9. Appropriation of hanbok: China should stop 'stealing' Korean culture
Another miscalculation in the Chinese attempt to employ soft power?
Appropriation of hanbok
China should stop 'stealing' Korean culture
The hanbok has emerged as a hot-button issue between Korea and China, after a woman dressed in traditional Korean costume appeared representing an ethnic minority of China during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Friday night. The woman, dressed in a white and pink hanbok, was among people representing 56 minorities of China carrying the Chinese national flag into the stadium.
Such a scene has touched off strong reactions here, with netizens and even major presidential candidates decrying it as part of China's apparent appropriation of Korean culture. In a sense, it may be natural for the woman in hanbok to attend the ceremony representing ethnic Koreans as part of the 56 minorities in China. Yet it was inappropriate as it might give the impression to global audiences that the hanbok is part of China's unique culture despite Korea's own sovereignty. Also, such an act will likely fuel anti-China sentiment among Koreans.
China has come under strong criticism for its attempts to claim Korea's ancient kingdoms of Goguryeo and Balhae as part of its own history under the so-called "Northeast Project" since the early 2000s. Furthermore, it has been laying claim to Korea's traditional culture such as kimchi and hanbok as its own. Recently, some ultranationalists of China infuriated Korean people by claiming the hanbok that appeared in the Netflix drama "Kingdom," as well as other dramas and shows, as its own attire, "hanfu" dating back to the Ming Dynasty.
On Saturday, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), criticized the Chinese authorities for "misusing the festive event for cultural appropriation." Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential contender of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), stressed Goguryeo and Balhae are part of the glorious and proud history of Korea. "They do not belong to others."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on the issue Sunday, saying, "We have been conveying our stance to the Chinese side that it is necessary to respect cultural uniqueness and diversity to promote mutual understanding. "We will continue our efforts toward that end." The ministry should squarely tackle the issue and any attempts to distort historical facts or "steal" our own culture while pushing to improve relations between Seoul and Beijing.
What is worrisome is the growing antagonism among the peoples of the two countries, especially among youngsters. Chinese people should realize any attitude of "China's supremacy" beyond national pride cannot be condoned in international society. They should respect other people's cultures. Korean citizens, for their part, should respond to the matter calmly and reasonably. Any emotional reactions would be unhelpful for bilateral relations.
Political parties should not attempt to exploit the issue for their political gains in the run-up to the presidential election. This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both nations need to ponder about ways to improve their relations.
10. Family of high-ranking N. Korean cadre sent to prison camp for violating anti-reactionary thought law
No one is safe from the wrath and brutality of the regime.
And this is another indicator of how much the regime fears the Korean people and especially information in the nads of the Korean people in the north.
Information is an existential threat to the regime.
Family of high-ranking N. Korean cadre sent to prison camp for violating anti-reactionary thought law
The family was taken to a camp in Chongjin so notorious that being sent there is regarded as a death sentence
North Korean authorities have placed the entire family of a high-ranking cadre in a political prison camp for violations of the law to eradicate “reactionary thought and culture.” The authorities are apparently bolstering their “politics of fear,” punishing cadres if they do not adhere to the law.
In a telephone conversation with Daily NK on Thursday, a source in Pyongyang said party officials had received a notification that the entire family of a cadre in Pyongyang had been dragged off to a political prison camp on Jan. 29 for violating the law on reactionary thought and culture.
According to the notification document, the cadre — a chief official with the Ministry of State Security in Pyongyang — was sentenced to time in the camp because his child — a person in his 20s identified as “A” — continuously watched South Korean TV programs and distributed illegal storage devices to people he knew.
North Korean authorities forcefully discharged another of the cadre’s children from the military and sent him to the camp, too.
“A” allegedly watched South Korean TV programs with his friends. The case apparently broke after one of the friends got caught talking about the plot of one of the shows.
The source said the report first came through a party organization, and that prosecutors arrested the family rather than Unified Command 82, which is usually tasked with cracking down on “anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior.” Afterwards, however, Unified Command 82 began investigating the case.
The investigation found that “A” first came into contact with foreign videos through a market merchant who specialized in illegal storage devices with South Korean TV programs and films. Around 50 people allegedly watched foreign videos through “A.”
North Korean authorities put out a wanted notice for the merchant, but he has already disappeared.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un seen speaking at the Fourth Plenary Session of the Eighth Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee. (KCNA/Yonhap News)
Meanwhile, the family was sent to Camp 25 in Susong-dong, Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, a place so notorious that being sent there is regarded as a death sentence.
With the authorities not only sending an entire family to a political prison camp, but also distributing to other cadres notifications about the sentence, some North Koreans believe the authorities have begun trying to bring cadres in line using the law to eradicate reactionary thought and culture.
North Korea sentenced the child of a Ministry of State Security official — a university student — to 15 years of forced labor early last month because he allegedly watched foreign videos, including South Korean TV programs and news. The family, meanwhile, was exiled to a remote area.
That North Korea is not only continuing to punish cadres, but also announcing during time devoted to “ideological training” that the family of a high-ranking cadre was sent to a political prison camp, suggests that the authorities are trying to put cadres on edge.
Another high-ranking source in the country told Daily NK that North Korean authorities are bolstering their ideological education, as well as inspections and crackdowns, to ensure that there are no cases of political corruption or “unsightly incidents” during the period between late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s birthday on Feb. 16 and the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean army on Apr. 25.
In fact, during a meeting of the Sixth Politburo of the Eighth Central Committee on Jan. 19, North Korean authorities sent out detailed orders to party and state agencies to make Kim Il Sung’s 110th birthday and Kim Jong Il’s 80th birthday “great celebrations.”
In fact, the notification regarding the Ministry of State Security cadre’s punishment was reportedly a follow-up measure to the Politburo decision.
According to the high-ranking source, the authorities believe powerful cadres are ultimately the ones watching and distributing illegal videos, and are thus launching an intensive crackdown on them.
Seulkee Jang is one of Daily NK’s full-time journalists. Please direct any questions about her articles to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
11. North Korea emphasizes to party organizations the importance of protecting classified information
This may be an indication that the regime knows that there are leaks from officials to outlets such as Daily NK, RFA, Rimjin-Gang, and individuals (my friend Mr. Park) and that the information leaked is damaging to the regime.
North Korea emphasizes to party organizations the importance of protecting classified information
North Korea’s security authorities recently arrested a cadre in Chongjin for leaking a secret document to the outside world
By Kim Chae Hwan - 2022.02.07 10:00am
North Korean authorities have recently begun emphasizing that party organizations must adhere to principles regarding the writing and management of classified documents.
This appears part of a broader move to improve systems in the country amid efforts to build a “powerful socialist country.” In tandem, the authorities are aiming to stop leaks of internal secrets in the belief that such incidents are a potential threat to the regime.
Daily NK recently obtained a document entitled “Principles to Adhere to While Writing Classified Documents.” The document was distributed to elementary party committees and elsewhere earlier this month. The document contains seven articles.
The beginning of the document states that when writing documents, party secretaries must “responsibly consider” what goes into them and who receives them.
North Korean party committee secretaries have long been lax with managing secret documents, entrusting such duties to organizational departments or guidance officers. The order stressed that from this year, officials in charge should take direct management of documents, regardless of their importance.
The authorities also ordered that all documents be written in a “precise and easy-to-understand manner with grammatically correct Korean.”
This focus on the language written in the documents appears related to the regime’s emphasis on the use of North Korea’s standard Pyongyang dialect, the so-called “Pyongyang cultural language.” In short, North Korean authorities are fully aware that South Korean speech patterns are all the rage among the youth and even amid cadres thanks to the so-called “Korean Wave.”
A screenshot of the document recently obtained by Daily NK. (Acquired through a Daily NK source in North Korea)
Next, the document calls for officials to use “standard-sized paper” according to established formatting. With documents of two or more pages, officials should add the page number at the center of the bottom of each page, “add color only to the left-hand corner” of the document, and include the name of the document, party organization, and date on the document’s cover page.
This emphasis on compliance with regulations is apparently a warning toward party cadres about “complacency.”
In the last part of the document, cadres are told to prevent leaks of party secrets – particularly when mobilizing “external officials” to craft or print documents. It warns them not to print, copy, or type up any important documents received from higher level party committees.
This suggests the authorities are calling on cadres to completely eliminate the possibility of documents getting leaked. Warning violators that they face severe punishment, the authorities also apparently aim to re-establish flagging internal discipline.
In fact, North Korea’s security authorities recently arrested a cadre in Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, for leaking a secret document to the outside world. The cadre confessed to leaking internal documents to South Korea over the course of several years, and additional investigations are reportedly ongoing into the case.
North Korean authorities have long worked hard to prevent the leaking of government documents, but given that leaking incidents continue to occur, they have apparently called on party organizations once again to strictly manage confidential documents, the source said.
12. Korean content is rising to cultural mainstream: HFPA president
South Korean soft power is strong.
Korean content is rising to cultural mainstream: HFPA president
Praising ‘Squid Game’ actor Oh Young-soo, chief of organization running Golden Globes vows diversity efforts to support foreign media contents’ global presence
Published : Feb 7, 2022 - 10:01 Updated : Feb 7, 2022 - 10:07
HFPA President Helen Hoehne (HFPA)
Korean media content will continue to grow in popularity and become a staple in the global market, according to Helen Hoehne, chief of the organization running the Golden Globes.
In an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association congratulated Korean veteran actor Oh Yeong-soo for winning the best supporting actor in television trophy at the 2022 Golden Globes Awards for his role in the smash-hit drama series “Squid Game.”
“We’re grateful to be the first to give this platform to such a deserving artist. His Globe nod is his first nomination in a major (US) awards, and we hope others will follow,” Hoehne said via email.
At the Jan. 7 event, Oh, 77, became the first South Korean actor to receive an acting trophy at the American awards.
While also mentioning director Bong Joon-ho, who earned three nominations and a trophy for best picture for “Parasite” in 2021, the chief stressed the responsibility of her organization to improve diversity efforts so that foreign-language productions gain further momentum.
“We’ve seen so many great Golden Globe-nominated projects from Korean markets like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Parasite,’ and ‘Minari.’ We certainly hope to continue seeing more of these wonderful works of art - and that they get the recognition they deserve. That’s why it’s so important for the HFPA to continue doing their important work.”
Founded in 1940s by a small group of foreign journalists seeking to improve their access to Hollywood and its stars, the HFPA is a non-profit organization comprised of US-based journalists from overseas outlets, headquartered in Southern California.
Hoehne, originally a journalist in Germany, has been a member since 2004 and has been leading it as president since September last year.
In recent months, the HFPA has been under fire over voter representation, especially for its lack of black members, which led to an industry-wide boycott of the 2022 event joined by major film and TV companies, including Netflix, as well as celebrities like Tom Cruise. The 79th edition of the Golden Globes was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles with no audience, television broadcast or invited celebrities.
Hoehne stressed the organization’s internal reform efforts.
“We have spent countless hours on the reforms we’ve put in place. ... There are now people of color involved in decision-making throughout the organization -- from major board decisions, to credentialing and selecting new members. We have a new board of directors. Two thirds of them are women and one thirds are colored people,” she said.
HFPA’s first chief diversity officer Neil Phillips (HFPA)
The HFPA also has a chief diversity officer, Neil Phillips, who Hoehne said will “play an integral part of its continuing commitment to implementing reforms to promote greater diversity, equity and inclusion both within the organization and within broader Hollywood and journalism communities.”
As for the rise of global OTT platforms like Netflix, which is adding fresh momentum to the Korean Wave of films, TV dramas and other cultural products sweeping across the world, she noted it doesn’t signal the downfall of traditional cinema industry.
"The COVID-19 crisis has certainly caused us to pivot how we consume film and television, but you will see opinions on both sides of the aisle about the issue. When Bong Joon-ho attended our Foreign Language Symposium in 2020, he mentioned that ‘Parasite’ was not on Netflix because he didn’t want to give audiences the option to press “pause” -- he wanted to ‘overwhelm’ his audiences. This insight received lots of applause from attendees. It’s up to the content creator to make that artistic decision for him or herself,” she said.
13. Kim Jong Un Keeps Aiming His Missiles at This 'Most Hated Rock'
I admit I thought this was something new and that I was going to learn that Kimcalls Guam the most hated rock. But that is not the case.
As Kim Jong Un unleashed his biggest-ever barrage of missile tests last month, one place suffered the most: a barren piles of rocks whose name means “No Man’s Land.”
Alsom Island, located 18 kilometers (11 miles) off North Korea’s northeastern coast, has been targeted in more than 25 missile strikes since 2019. It was the destination of eight rockets in January alone, as Kim carried out the most launches since he took power in a signal of defiance against a U.S.-led sanctions regime intended to punish Pyongyang for developing such weapons.
The South Korean military has closely watched the outcropping’s bombardment, especially after North Korea built a 10-meter wide domed structure there in August 2020, according to opposition lawmaker Yoon Ju-kyeong. Such a structure could be used to test bunker-buster bombs, her office said, while others have speculated it might serve as a stand-in for a government building in Seoul.
So much firepower directed at a single spot has prompted jokes that Kim must have a grudge, with weapons expert Joseph Dempsey quipping on Twitter that Alsom was North Korea’s “most hated rock.”
Dempsey, a research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, told Bloomberg News the island provided a useful proving ground for a new generation of short-range weapons systems, such as its KN-23, that can strike all of South Korea. “This relatively small and well-defined target presents a good way to demonstrate the apparent increased accuracy of these systems, particularly for propaganda purposes,” Dempsey said.
In recent weeks, Kim has honed his newest short-range ballistic missiles on Alsom, some of which have slammed into the rocky outcrop at speeds possibly in excess of 3,000 kms per hour. North Korea also used the site to prove the accuracy and maneuverability of long-range cruise missiles that it said flew in patterns for 1,800 kms before hitting their targets on Jan. 25. It released photos of the impact.
Alsom Island is North Korea’s favorite place for missile target practice
Source: Bloomberg
The island is situated far enough off the coast to provide a buffer for errant rockets and close enough to expect only North Korean vessels would be in the area. At about 850 meters (2,800 feet) in length, it’s small enough to show the U.S. and its allies that Kim can hit what he aims at.
Kim has sought to modernize his military arsenal, which had previously relied on Scud variants of questionable accuracy. The new solid-fuel, short-range ballistic missiles that have been rolled out since 2019 are designed to fly about 250-500 kms. But some have been test-fired to more than 600 kms -- long enough to reach a few parts of Japan’s western coast.
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North Korea has fired its new missiles from various locations as it tries out new capabilities, such as a January test of ballistic missiles fired from train cars. Still, Alsom is too close to make a viable target if Kim makes good on his threat to resume tests of larger, intercontinental ballistic missiles. Those must be fired hundreds of kilometers into space and fall farther from the country’s shores.
Kim could use a national holiday on Feb. 16 marking what would’ve been the 80th birthday of his late father, Kim Jong Il, to show off his newest weaponry. The DongA newspaper reported satellite imagery showed signs of preparations for a military parade in Pyongyang, an event where it often unveils its advances.
So far, there is no indication the Biden administration -- or the American public -- is particularly alarmed by Kim’s missile tests. Unlike Trump, Biden has avoided threats or other rhetorical escalations and says relatively little about the North Korean leader.
“North Korea has been doing missile tests, dozens of them, in prior administrations,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told a news briefing last week. “And obviously we’ve spoken to it each time that that has happened. The door to diplomacy remains open and we have conveyed that clearly."
“By hitting the same target from different origins of aggression, North Korea could test and improve its striking capability aimed at the ROK,” said Cheon Seong-whun, a former security strategy secretary at South Korea’s presidential Blue House, referring to South Korea by its formal name.
“Pyongyang is testing to see whether its striking options are working in reality,” he said.
— With assistance by Niluksi Koswanage
- (Updates with details of possible military parade.)
As North Korea steps up launches, Alsom has provided a fiery backdrop for its domestically focused propaganda campaigns. State media have repeatedly published images of missiles fired at the island in recent days, including dramatic overhead drone shots.
For now, the bombardment of Alsom looks set to continue. North Korea has already fired more nuclear-capable missiles in 2022 than in all of last year. And holidays on Feb. 16 and April 15 marking the respective birthdays of Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung, have in the past provided occasions for military displays.
14. (Olympics) S. Korean short tracker cries foul over biased officiating in favor of China | Yonhap News Agency
I wonder how many accusations of unfair treatment by the Chinese judges there will be during these games.
(Olympics) S. Korean short tracker cries foul over biased officiating in favor of China | Yonhap News Agency
By Yoo Jee-ho
BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) -- As disappointed as he was that his team crashed out early in the mixed team relay in short track speed skating in Beijing over the weekend, South Korean short tracker Kwak Yoon-gy seemed even more upset that China won gold thanks to what he claimed was biased judging.
In a scrum with South Korean reporters Sunday, a day after China won the inaugural Olympic gold in the mixed relay on home ice, Kwak said it was difficult to describe the mixed bag of feelings he had about China's path to the title.
"Looking at the way China won the gold medal, I felt bad that my younger teammates had to watch something like that," Kwak, 32, said. "I thought to myself, 'Is this really what winning a gold medal is all about?' Things all just felt very hallow."
Kwak was referring to China's progress from its semifinal heat. Hungary finished first, closely followed by the United States. China came in third. The top two teams from the two semifinal heats would reach Final A, where the medals would be won, while the rest would end up in Final B. If the results had stood, China, whose head coach is former South Korea boss Kim Sun-tae, wouldn't have had a chance to go for a medal.
After a lengthy video review, the race judge ruled that the U.S. had committed an infraction, allowing China to reach the final instead. An American skater was penalized for crossing the blue line and entering the race early -- in an oft-chaotic short track relay race, skaters compete on the other side of the line and those not currently in the race circle the middle of the track as they mirror their teammates before the exchange. And that action was ruled to have impeded China's exchange.
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) also got disqualified for having a skater get in between two Chinese skaters during an exchange. It caused Ren Ziwei and Zhang Yuting of China to miss their tap, but China was allowed to move on.
"I was watching that race unfold. I figured China, ROC and the U.S. would get penalized," said Kwak, who didn't compete for South Korea in the new relay event. "The Dutch skaters who were watching it with me said the same thing. But as the review dragged on, I figured China was going to be allowed to progress. And when the call was finally made, I found it difficult to accept it."
Kwak, who is competing in his third and final Olympics in Beijing, said he had never seen a case where a relay team was let off the hook after missing an exchange entirely.
"If it had been any other country than China in that situation, I wondered if that team would still have been allowed to reach the final like that," Kwak added.
It's worth noting that South Korea didn't get directly involved in any judging-related controversy with China on Saturday. It's fair to wonder, then, why Kwak was so worked up about the situation.
"I felt that could have been us at the wrong end of all this," Kwak said. "I thought about how upsetting and frustrating it would have been if we'd been a part of that"
In the days leading up to the Olympics, Kwak had predicted that China would keep getting favorable calls as the host country. Kwak said he'd also received some hate messages from angry Chinese people on his social media for suggesting that skaters from other countries would be disqualified for brushing past their Chinese counterparts.
Kwak decided to go public with those messages earlier this week, when he posted a screenshot of some messages on his Instagram story.
"I am desensitized by things like this because I've seen these kinds of messages before, but I didn't want some of the younger guys on the team to feel hurt later on," Kwak said. "I wanted to let our fans know what we're going through and ask them for their support."
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
