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Quotes of the Day:
"I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we use our power the greater it will be."
- Thomas Jefferson
“It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.”
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
"When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty."
- George Bernard Shaw
1. Yoon warns North in visit to USFK wartime bunker
2. Security Agreement Could Prompt Chinese Retaliation Against S. Korea
3. Does South Korea need 24 airports?
4. Another N. Korean airliner arrives in Beijing following resumption of Pyongyang-Beijing air route
5. N. Korean plane arrives in Vladivostok for 1st time in over 3 years: report
6. Cyber scams keep North Korean missiles flying
7. South Korean Leader, a Biden Friend, Faces Challenge Over Japan’s Radioactive Water
8. U.S. reaffirms support for Japan's release of treated water
9. U.S. calls for UNSC action against N. Korean satellite launch, says China, Russia's opposition is 'troubling'
10. How safe is wastewater discharged from Fukushima?
11. US Accuses Russia, China of Covering for North Korea at UN
12. ‘This is what we signed up to do’: Troops sharpen urban combat skills near North Korea
1. Yoon warns North in visit to USFK wartime bunker
This is the problem with the Korean media. CP Tango is not a "USFK wartime bunker."
USFK is not a warfighting headquarters and does not fight the war to defend South korea. That is the job of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command and CP Tango is the warfighting headquarters of the ROK/US CFC. President Yoon was investing his command in his number. President Yoon and President Biden have equal "ownership" of the bilateral command that is charged by both countries with deterring war and if deterrence fails fighting and winning the war to protect South Korea from an attack by the north.
The continued reference to USFK by the Korean media and government officials is what helps to create the misunderstanding and friction over sovereignty issues. The US does not control Korean forces. The ROK/US Combined Forces Command controls ROK and US forces (when both governments choose to provide those forces to the command) to fight the war. USFK is a subunified command of INDPACOM and provides forces to the ROK/US CFC just as the ROK JCS provides forces to the ROK/US CFC. It is not a warfighting HQ.
Failure to understand the correct command relationships has been a major source of friction for decades.
Wednesday
August 23, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Published: 23 Aug. 2023, 18:23
Updated: 24 Aug. 2023, 11:15
Yoon warns North in visit to USFK wartime bunker
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-08-23/national/defense/Yoon-warns-North-in-visit-to-USFK-wartime-bunker-/18535
President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, greets U.S. troops as he visits CP Tango, a U.S.-led wartime command bunker complex in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday, to inspect the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercise. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]
President Yoon Suk Yeol visited a key U.S. Forces Korea wartime command bunker complex on Wednesday amid an ongoing joint military exercise, sending a warning message to North Korea over its nuclear and missile threats.
Yoon visited CP Tango, or the Command Post Theater Air Naval Ground Operations, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, meeting with South Korean and U.S. troops to check on the progress of the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) which began on Monday, according to the presidential office in a statement.
This marks the first visit by a Korean president to a wartime mountain bunker in a decade, since former President Park Geun-hye's visit in 2013.
"Since the establishment of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command in 1978, CP Tango has served as the brain commanding the three military branches of our two countries during wartime," Yoon was quoted as saying by presidential spokesman Lee Do-woon.
"North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles are the most serious threat, and its provocations, such as cyberattacks and psychological warfare, are becoming increasingly sophisticated and diversified," Yoon said.
He said that the "overwhelming capabilities" of the alliance and joint training and drills "are the source of strength to deter and to punish North Korea immediately and decisively in case of provocation."
Yoon said that the combined exercise "is a symbol of the ironclad South Korea-U.S. military alliance."
He urged for a stronger response posture against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and ordered the preparation of a military-level response plan through the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) to enhance the execution capability of extended deterrence, according to his office.
Yoon also stressed that trilateral cooperation with Japan will help to "reduce the risk of provocation by North Korea and contribute to the freedom, peace and prosperity of mankind as a whole."
In addition to South Korea and the United States, nine United Nations Command member countries, including Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are also participating in this year's combined exercise.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, joined by U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera, right, visits CP Tango, a U.S.-led wartime command bunker complex in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday, to inspect the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercise. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]
2. Security Agreement Could Prompt Chinese Retaliation Against S. Korea
Excerpt:
Daniel Russel, who served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the Obama administration, said, "China is more likely to inflict economic punishment against [South] Korea if it believes the government in Seoul can be bullied into making concessions."
He continued, "Nothing in the Yoon administration's first year in office suggests that such a strategy would work. However, if Beijing believes it can exploit the kind of domestic differences on policy that are normal in democracies, we might see an uptick in disinformation and manipulation efforts."
Security Agreement Could Prompt Chinese Retaliation Against S. Korea
August 25, 2023 6:49 PM
voanews.com · August 25, 2023
WASHINGTON —
China's discontent over security and economic agreements that Seoul forged with Washington and Tokyo at a Camp David summit leaves open a possibility it could respond with coercive economic and military measures against South Korea, experts say.
During last week's summit at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David, South Korea agreed with the U.S. and Japan to hold regular meetings to put into practice security and economic measures, bringing trilateral ties closer than ever before.
In a statement, the three leaders reaffirmed the "importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
Beijing has often warned Seoul and Japan not to be drawn into the Taiwan issue.
FILE - In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the USS Chung-Hoon observes a Chinese navy ship conduct what the U.S. called an "unsafe” Chinese maneuver in the Taiwan Strait, June 3, 2023. (U.S. Navy via AP)
"It was natural that we would discuss some of the concerns and issues related to actions carried out by the PRC that are of significant concern to our three countries and to many others around the region and around the world," said Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, at a news briefing on Tuesday.
Also at the briefing, Kurt Campbell, U.S. national security coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said the security environment in Asia has "caused anxiety" for Japan and South Korea. He highlighted Russian and Chinese warships operating in waters near Japan, China's "massive" military buildup, which he described as "provocative," and North Korea's missile launches.
Daniel Russel, who served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the Obama administration, said, "China is more likely to inflict economic punishment against [South] Korea if it believes the government in Seoul can be bullied into making concessions."
He continued, "Nothing in the Yoon administration's first year in office suggests that such a strategy would work. However, if Beijing believes it can exploit the kind of domestic differences on policy that are normal in democracies, we might see an uptick in disinformation and manipulation efforts."
Military aggression
Some believe the potential for military aggression by Beijing cannot be discounted.
As the trilateral agreements are put into practice, China could "start sending submarines and other warships into the South Korean exclusive economic zone in regular transits, trying to establish its right to be in that area," said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation research group.
Chinese and Russian aircraft have frequently entered South Korea's air defense zone, including in June when Seoul sent fighter jets to ward them off.
David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, said, "China has really driven South Korea and Japan together, just as North Korea has" moved the countries toward each other, and has led them, along with the U.S., into closer trilateral economic and security ties.
He continued, "The more China does, either security- or economic-wise, the closer the three countries will be, because [Beijing] is not going to be able to break the relationship with its action, its coercion. Chinese coercion is just going to make the relationship stronger."
FILE - A U.S. missile defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, is seen in Seongju, South Korea, Sept. 6, 2017.
When the U.S. THAAD missile defense system was deployed to South Korea in 2017, Beijing retaliated by banning South Korean Lotte Group supermarkets in China and suspending Chinese tourism to South Korea.
This time, however, experts think even if China were to retaliate economically, it would be different.
"China's own economy is in trouble," Maxwell said. "Like-minded democracies and free-market economies are likely to work together to prevent China from conducting any kind of successful economic warfare."
During the trilateral summit, Washington, Seoul and Tokyo agreed to set up an early-warning system to prevent disruptions in global supply chains. Also, at a Hiroshima summit in May, the G7 leading industrial nations agreed to cooperate in supporting countries that become victims of China's economic practices.
Beijing unleashed harsh criticism of the latest trilateral agreements, even as it acknowledged that Seoul had explained the summit results.
"Following the U.S.-Japan-ROK summit at Camp David, the ROK briefed China on the meeting and explained it through diplomatic channels," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbin at Tuesday's briefing.
"We urge relevant countries to be prudent with words and actions, stop smearing China's image and harming China's interests," continued Wang. "We hope that the ROK will join China and other countries in the region in rejecting the outdated pattern of division."
voanews.com · August 25, 2023
3. Does South Korea need 24 airports?
My answer would be yes though the reasons cannot be found in this article. These could be 24 dispersal airfields for use by military aircraft during wartime.
Does South Korea need 24 airports?
donga.com
Posted August. 26, 2023 09:20,
Updated August. 26, 2023 09:20
Does South Korea need 24 airports?. August. 26, 2023 09:20. .
"We might dry chilies again" quipped an airline executive a day after the government unveiled the result of prevalidation research for the Busan Gadeokdo New Airport and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) Integrated New Airport. While the imagery of drying chilies on a secured runway is purely satirical, it points to the embarrassingly low utilization rates of some of South Korea's airports. For instance, the Muan Airport reported a mere 0.1% runway usage last year, resulting in 20 billion won loss. This accumulates a staggering 130 billion won loss over the past decade. Currently, the nation operates 15 airports, but a concerning 11 of these, excluding the main hubs of Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae, and Jeju, bleed red ink. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has grand visions: eight more airports, including those in places such as Gadeokdo, Saemangeum, and Seosan. Toss in Gyeonggi Province's ambitions for two more facilities, and soon, South Korea could boast a whopping 24 airports.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, the primary department in charge, is pushing for airports in Gadeokdo, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Saemangeum, Seosan, Baengnyeong, Ulleung, and Heuksan, totaling eight new airports. Gyeonggi Province and Pocheon City also suggest creating the Gyeonggi South International Airport (Suwon) and Gyeonggi North Airport (Pocheon). Considering the consolidation and relocation of the existing Daegu Airport and the military airport to the new TK Airport, and the eventual closure of Daegu Airport, nine new airports are currently under discussion or promotion. This means there will be a total of 24 airports in South Korea when all are built.
Is there a need for all these new airports? It's hard to think so. Just because a new airport is built doesn't mean there will be new demand, and airlines won't necessarily launch flights. Nevertheless, having an airport can be a status symbol for a region, and it becomes a political pledge during elections.
While there are mechanisms like preliminary feasibility studies to vet airport projects, politics often circumvents such prudence. The TK New Airport, for example, was initially met with resistance from the Democratic Party of Korea, but gained momentum following political endorsements of the party leader Lee Jae-myung saying, “(I) will review ways to take care of relocation of Gwangju Military Airport and Daegu New airport with a one-shot.” The relocation of the Gwangju Military Airport was a long-awaited project pushed by Gwangju City since 2014. In fact, both major political parties collaborated to pass special laws for the TK New Airport and the relocation of the Gwangju Airport this April, sanctioning a massive national project exceeding 20 trillion won.
The Gadeokdo New Airport, with an investment of 15.4 trillion won, is also being promoted through special legislation. Even if an airport project fails a feasibility study, it can be revived with budget allocation after negotiations between parties. The Seosan Airport in South Chungcheong, which was deemed economically nonviable in May, was resurrected after such negotiations. The Seosan Airport's proximity to Incheon Airport raises concerns about its viability as an international airport.
Japan offers a cautionary tale. There, a political drive led to nearly 100 local airports, many of which, before the pandemic in 2019, saw abysmal flight numbers, sometimes fewer than 10 a day, exacerbating the nation's debt crisis. While having managed to shave off some of its debt, South Korea still hovers around a daunting 1,000 trillion won mark. Some airports, including the Yecheon Airport in North Gyeongsang, have already shut down due to a lack of passengers, while others including the Uljin Airport have changed their purpose to pilot training. Once built, airports are hard to repurpose and entail significant maintenance costs. With 97% of South Koreans residing within 100 kilometers of an airport and the nation being crisscrossed by efficient rail networks such as the KTX, one must question the necessity of 24 airports. As the debate continues, perhaps local governments should also shoulder the responsibility – and the consequences – of such ambitious endeavors.
한국어
donga.com
4. Another N. Korean airliner arrives in Beijing following resumption of Pyongyang-Beijing air route
north Korea opening?
Another N. Korean airliner arrives in Beijing following resumption of Pyongyang-Beijing air route | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · August 26, 2023
BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- Another flight operated by Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, arrived in Beijing on Saturday, marking the resumption of regular passenger flights connecting the two countries after they were halted for more than three years due to the pandemic.
China recently announced its approval of Koryo Air's schedule between the two countries' capitals, offering three flights per week, in a sign the border has reopened after international flights from and to the North were suspended in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previously, two Air Koryo planes had arrived in Beijing on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, and carried about 400 North Koreans who were staying in China during the pandemic back home.
On Saturday, another Air Koryo plane, flight number JS151, departed from Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport and arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport at about 9:20 a.m., marking the full resumption of the three flights per week schedule.
As with the previous two flights, few passengers were aboard the plane when it arrived in Beijing, but more than 100 people checked in for the return flight to Pyongyang, which was scheduled to take off at around 1 p.m. The passengers arrived at the Beijing airport in several buses bearing diplomatic license plates belonging to the North Korean Embassy.
The crowd included people of various age groups, from children to seniors, as well as a group of women who appeared to be in their 20s or 30s.
In another sign that the border is reopening, North Korean buses carrying dozens of North Korean taekwondo athletes crossed a bridge linking North Korea's Sinuiju to China's Dandong on Aug. 16 on the athletes' way to participate in the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan.
A crowd of North Korean people waits to board an Air Koryo flight to Pyongyang at Beijing Capital International Airport on Aug. 26, 2023. (Yonhap)
An Air Koryo plane arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport on Aug. 26, 2023. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · August 26, 2023
5. N. Korean plane arrives in Vladivostok for 1st time in over 3 years: report
Another indication of opening?
N. Korean plane arrives in Vladivostok for 1st time in over 3 years: report | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Woo Jae-yeon · August 25, 2023
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- A flight operated by Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, arrived in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok on Friday, a Russian news agency reported, marking the resumption of a commercial flight connecting the two countries after more than three years of COVID-19 restrictions.
The flight, which departed from Pyongyang, arrived at Vladivostok International Airport at 11:14 a.m., Russian news agency RIA Novosti said.
According to sources, the plane did not carry any passengers onboard.
Russian media outlets had previously reported that Koryo flights were scheduled Friday and next Monday, but flight schedules remained unannounced.
A flight operated by Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, is seen at Vladivostok International Airport on Aug. 25, 2023. (Yonhap)
Friday afternoon, the electric bulletin board at the airport showed Air Koryo's JS-272 flight, originally set to head to Pyongyang at 1:15 p.m., was delayed until 1:45 p.m. It did not have information on the counter number.
RIA Novosti reported passengers were seen preparing to get onboard by the time the Koryo plane arrived in Vladivostok, despite no prior notice about the flight.
By 3:10 p.m., the JS-272 was believed to have left for Pyongyang, as the flight schedule had disappeared from the board.
Airport workers declined to comment on the flight, but one person said North Korea was believed to have brought its citizens who stayed in Russia due to the border closure back home.
North Korea had suspended the semiweekly operations of Air Koryo's Tu-240 since February 2020 over public health concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The flight was the only air service connecting the two nations.
Earlier this week, Air Koryo resumed operating direct commercial flights with China in a sign of Pyongyang's border reopening.
The electric bulletin board at Vladivostok International Airport shows the schedule of Air Koryo's JS-272 flight on Aug. 25, 2023. (Yonhap)
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Woo Jae-yeon · August 25, 2023
6. Cyber scams keep North Korean missiles flying
The all purpose sword sustained the treasured sword.
Cyber scams keep North Korean missiles flying
A team of hackers enables Kim Jong Un’s strategic ambitions, despite international sanctions.
By Jaewoo Park and Hyung Jun You for RFA Korean
2023.08.25
rfa.org
The man speaks English, says he’s Japanese and claims to be a mobile and web developer ready for hire. “I have the experience to start contributing from Day One,” he says, sounding like any eager job candidate would on a job search site.
But potential employers have reason to be wary, an investigation by RFA Korean shows. Other computers and empty chairs can be seen in the room with him, suggesting this freelancer doesn’t work alone. There appears to be a security camera above his right shoulder. Perhaps more suspicious: the IP address from where the video was posted is based in Ukraine, not Japan.
Cyber security experts say these clues indicate the man may be part of a team of North Korean IT specialists enlisted to raise money and gather intelligence for leader Kim Jong Un’s isolated regime.
Even as few of its citizens have access to the internet, North Korea has developed an elite group of hackers and cyber scammers who have allegedly stolen hundreds of millions of dollars through cyber crime.
In a video, this job applicant tells prospective employers he will be ready on “Day One,” but he could be part of a team of North Korean IT specialists enlisted to raise money and gather intelligence for the hermit kingdom. Credit: Vimeo
Some of its personnel, including apparently the man in the video, try to get hired by IT firms that pay cryptocurrency or Chinese renminbi, a significant portion of which they send to their government.
Others have allegedly stolen the equivalent of tens of millions of dollars by hacking cryptocurrency virtual repositories. A U.N. panel of experts estimated the regime took in as much as $1 billion in crypto theft in 2022, double the prior year. One estimate put the total that year even higher, at $1.7 billion.
Besides theft, the same cyber break-in techniques are being used to spy for the regime. This June, the United States and South Korea warned that hackers were posing as journalists or academics to gather intelligence on regime critics or to compromise government databases.
“North Korea is just basically persistent – they have a lot of people working on this and they are going to keep trying,” said Nicholas Weaver, a researcher at the nonprofit International Computer Science Institute, of the country’s cyber efforts. “And all it takes is one mistake.”
An ‘elite’ team
The cyber attacks have prompted a series of indictments, sanctions and warnings from the United States, South Korea and other countries. But North Korea’s “increasingly sophisticated capabilities” mean it can adapt to new barriers, says Jung Pak, the U.S. State Department’s deputy special representative for North Korea.
According to the U.S., Kim Jong Un uses the proceeds from his cyber operations to help pay for weapons development in the face of international sanctions designed to impede the activity.
North Korean leader leader Kim Jong Un enjoys a "high-thrust solid-fuel motor" test as part of the development of a new strategic weapon, at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea, Dec. 15, 2022, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Credit: KCNA via Reuters
As much as one-third of the missile program is paid for through cyber theft, the U.S. estimates, even though the sporadic reports from inside the hermit kingdom suggest starvation among its citizens is not uncommon.
The intro video of the man claiming to be Japanese was shared with RFA on the understanding that it would not name the company, which fears retaliation from hackers.
The profile was removed from the job site three years ago, a company official said. But as any job candidate must, the man has shown persistence. His name, image and resume still exist on other sites – just one of several fraudulent accounts RFA found in its investigation.
“The DPRK workers go where they are able, and the United States is not immune from these workers,” Pak said, referring to the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. She said there are thousands of “elite” IT professionals working on behalf of the regime.
Red flags
The mission for the man in the video is impossible to say for sure. But presumed North Korean cyber scammers have been active enough online that job recruiters have identified a number of “tells” that raise suspicions.
The candidates often pretend to live in small towns in Canada or the United States, so as to avoid any possibility of having to meet in person with prospective employers that more typically are located in California’s Silicon Valley, northern Virginia or another tech hub.
They often claim Chinese or Japanese heritage but have IP addresses in other countries. They also insist on remote work.
Neil Dundon, the chief executive officer of Crypto Recruit, which links IT professionals with cryptocurrency companies, says another red flag is job applicants who insist on working on so-called “smart contracts,” a blockchain application by which funds are transferred.
“This is the kind of big hacks that you read about for 10 million [dollars],” Dundon told RFA. “They can go in and they can put malicious code in there.”
Whack a Mole Part 2: The Rise of Cryptocurrency Heists
Whack a Mole Part 3: How North Korea Uses Job Sites as Hacking Tool
The big mark
The recent rise of cryptocurrencies in fact has been especially lucrative for North Korea, according to U.S. officials and cyber experts.
“Cryptocurrency heists are a growing, if not their top, method for generating revenue for the regime,” Pak said.
Crypto “wallets” that enable the purchasing and trading of cryptocurrencies have become a popular target for hackers, who take the stolen coin to so-called “mixers” that can obscure their origins – an exercise akin to traditional money-laundering.
North Korea's cyber attack capabilities are “increasingly sophisticated,” says Jung Pak, the U.S. State Department’s deputy special representative for North Korea. Credit: U.S. State Dept.
Robert Meany, a crypto investor from Connecticut, said he lost about $40,000 in crypto coins he had stored through Atomic Wallet, an Estonia-based crypto company that was reportedly hacked in June.
“I opened it up and it showed all the money in there and then all of a sudden, it just sort of drained to zero,” Meany told RFA.
Meany is part of a lawsuit filed in Colorado against Atomic Wallet for allegedly failing to provide sufficient safeguards to protect the assets in its account, but U.S. officials suspect that North Korea was behind the theft, which is estimated to total $100 million.
“These victims, in many cases, lost everything they’ve saved up,” said Daniel Thornburgh, a lawyer at the Colorado-based firm Aylstock, Within, Kreis & Overholtz that has filed the suit.
Atomic Wallet did not respond to a request for comment other than to say that “the investigation is still ongoing, and nothing is confirmed.”
The Sony hack
Much of the world likely first heard about North Korea’s hacking capabilities in 2014 when its operatives infiltrated Sony Pictures’ computers in an apparent revenge attack for its production of the satirical comedy, The Interview.
The film includes a scene of Kim Jong Un tearfully exclaiming that he doesn’t need his father, who preceded him as leader, and depicts the son’s fictional death.
People walk past a TV screen showing a poster of Sony Pictures’ "The Interview" in a news report in Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 22, 2014. Ahn Young-joon/AP
Pak said the episode was the first time a state-sponsored actor targeted a private business in the United States. Confidential corporate data, internal emails and unreleased films were all publicly released, and people associated with the film were threatened.
In 2020, the U.S. brought charges against three operatives of a North Korean-sponsored hacking group known as Lazarus for the Sony hack and for a string of other cyber crimes that followed over a five-year period.
The 33-page indictment describes an operation impressive in scope and sophistication. The three men, who remain at large, allegedly hid malware in word processing software, crypto apps and on websites their targets were known to frequent – a so-called “watering hole” operation.
In total, according to the indictment, the hackers attempted to steal or extort more than $1.3 billion through crypto heists, raids on ATMs and “cyber-enabled extortion schemes” from victims from Bangladesh to Mexico.
“We almost need to stop thinking of North Korea as a regime or a type of government, and more so like a mafia family,” said Michael Barnhart, a principal analyst at Mandiant, a cybersecurity subsidiary of Google. “They are more like a criminal enterprise.”
Still operating
Part of the operations described in the indictment involved the creation of several bogus companies to entice employees at legitimate companies to open fraudulent job offers that hid malicious software, or malware.
RFA’s investigation found that one fictitious company named in the 2020 indictment – iCrytpoFx – is still used online, including on LinkedIn, a networking site which has more than 900 million users worldwide.
A “Yujin Cha,” for example, advertises herself as a marketing manager for the company. RFA discovered through a reverse image search that the accompanying photo was stolen from a South Korean female professor’s university bio.
The professor, who asked not to be named, did not know that her photo had been fraudulently used until she was contacted by RFA.
The U.S. brought charges in 2020 against three operatives of a North Korean-sponsored hacking group known as Lazarus for the Sony hack and other cyber crimes. Credit: U.S. Dept. of Justice
RFA contacted LinkedIn about the fraudulent account but has not received a response as of press time, and the fake profile was still active at the time of publication.
Another person claimed to be the CEO of iCryptoFx. The account was later deleted after RFA messaged for a comment.
This week, The Times of London reported that China, too, has used LinkedIn as a platform for intelligence gathering. A Chinese official using the alias Robin Zhang created fake companies to try to entice government officials, academics and scientists into releasing classified information, according to the report.
“Our Threat Prevention & Defense team actively seeks out signs of state-sponsored activity and removes fake accounts using information we uncover and intelligence from a variety of sources, including government agencies,” an official from LinkedIn told the Times.
Please read this
U.S. officials say North Korea’s cyber teams have only gotten more adept at illegally penetrating computer systems, and it isn’t always money they are after.
Shin Kak-soo, a former South Korean ambassador to Japan, told RFA that in June he received an email from “Natalia Slavni,” a research analyst at the Stimson Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank, who edits analysis and commentary about North Korea.
In the email, Slavni asked Shin to review an attached paper on North Korea nuclear weapons. The request wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary – but it wasn’t the actual Slavni making the request. It was someone pretending to be her.
Shin was later told he’d been hacked and had to have his computer wiped to rid it of the malware attached to fraudulent email. The email appears to be part of an operation designed strictly to gather information, rather than to extort money.
Cybersecurity experts say the hackers often start with simple requests that wouldn’t necessarily raise alarms, patiently waiting for an opportunity to strike by implanting malware. Others may simply be intent on gathering intel about an organization’s operations.
“They will send their targets emails. They will create conversations out of them. They will send them questionnaires,” said Asheer Malhota, a researcher at Cisco Talos, a threat intelligence company. “This is all in a bid to establish trust with their targets.”
Recorded Future, a Massachusetts-based cybersecurity firm, said in a report in June that more than 70% of the North Korean hacking cases it identified over the last 14 years – more than 180 in total – were related to espionage.
It found about 50 examples of financially motivated attacks and 10 cases of cyberattacks designed to be “disruptive.”
“North Korea is extremely adaptive in its strategy for cyber attacks,” said Rachel Paik, a researcher at CDRF Global, a cybersecurity company. “Once international bodies start to sanction certain authorities, or once their methods are discovered, they are able to change tactics.”
This summer, the United States and South Korea issued a joint cybersecurity advisory, warning that North Koreans were posing as colleagues or journalists to fool their targets, often academics and officials at think tanks. One main point: old standbys to prevent hacking – like looking out for weird URLs and bad grammar – are likely no longer enough.
Edited by Jim Snyder and Boer Deng.
rfa.org
7. South Korean Leader, a Biden Friend, Faces Challenge Over Japan’s Radioactive Water
The first challenge to the trilateral security arrangement.
South Korean Leader, a Biden Friend, Faces Challenge Over Japan’s Radioactive Water
As Yoon Suk Yeol seeks closer ties with Tokyo, many South Koreans are angered by the release of nuclear-plant wastewater into the sea
By Timothy W. Martin
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and Dasl Yoon
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Aug. 24, 2023 7:20 am ET
https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/south-korean-leader-a-biden-friend-faces-challenge-over-japans-radioactive-water-ef02481c?mod
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Biden at last week’s trilateral summit, which also included Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. PHOTO: NATHAN HOWARD – POOL VIA CNP/ZUMA PRESS
SEOUL—The fallout from Japan’s release of slightly radioactive wastewater has already touched one man in particular: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
A public fearful of nuclear exposure is pressing Yoon to push back harder on Japan. But the South Korean leader has made mending ties with Japan—which strengthens the U.S.’s unified front against China and North Korea—key to his political identity.
A politically weakened Yoon might be unable to bring as much conviction to the trilateral relationship with the U.S. and Japan. And the Fukushima issue could damage his ruling party’s prospects for picking up enough seats in next April’s legislative election to win majority power.
Japan began discharging water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Thursday, just days after Yoon held a high-profile summit at Camp David with President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The Fukushima discharge didn’t come up during that visit, Yoon has previously said.
Yoon’s approach to the matter upsets many South Koreans, roughly 80% of whom oppose the Fukushima discharge, according to polls. On Thursday, some 16 college students were arrested for attempting to barge into Japan’s Embassy in Seoul. Protests are planned across South Korea in the coming days.
The head of the opposition Democratic Party has likened Japan’s “contaminated-water terrorism” to its actions during World War II. Another opposition lawmaker has floated using the party’s legislative majority to pursue Yoon’s impeachment.
Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-power plant Thursday. PHOTO: KYODO/VIA REUTERS
Yoon, a career prosecutor and political neophyte, has expressed trust in the science and technology behind Japan’s discharge plan, which is expected to take some three decades and has received a green light from the International Atomic Energy Agency. He has also called on Japan to be transparent and responsible, such as by sharing real-time monitoring and allowing Korean experts to participate in the verification process.
The South Korean government has made health and safety its priority, Yoon’s office said. “False and manipulative propaganda does nothing to safeguard the health of the Korean people,” it said. “The government will rely on science to keep our people safe.”
In a nod to the public unease, the Yoon administration has held daily briefings and increased monitoring. Bans on seafood imports from regions near Fukushima will remain in place, officials said. South Korea’s prime minister said this week that the country would “always remain ready” to file an international lawsuit against Japan should the treated radioactive water fail to meet the promised standards.
A Seoul protest over the water release. PHOTO: LEE JIN-MAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yoon’s approval rating stands at about 35%, according to a Realmeter poll, a seven-point drop from June. Respondents had expressed growing dissatisfaction with Yoon’s handling of state affairs.
A slump in next year’s national legislative election risks leaving Yoon seen as a lame duck for his remaining three or so years in office, said Gi-Wook Shin, a Korea expert at Stanford University. South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term.
“Yoon only entered politics a few years ago,” Shin said. “If his party loses the election, I don’t know who will stay with him.”
His external relations have generally won high marks. He has belted out “American Pie” in the White House next to President Biden and shared beers with Kishida in Tokyo.
But on the home front, Yoon lacks a marquee legislative win, and critics question his cabinet appointments and governance acumen, as well as his administration’s string of prosecutions against rival political leaders. Now Yoon, who didn’t hold political office until winning the presidency, must deal with the Fukushima backlash without costing the improved relationship with Japan.
Japan's Plan to Release Fukushima Nuclear Plant Water Spurs Concerns
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Japan's Plan to Release Fukushima Nuclear Plant Water Spurs Concerns
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Business owners and neighboring countries are worried about Japan’s plan to release water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific this week after getting the green light from the U.N.’s nuclear agency. Photo: Yonhap News/Zuma Press
“There is no South Korean president who has pushed for mending ties with Japan so unconventionally,” said Choi Jin, the head of the Institute of Presidential Leadership, a private research firm in Seoul. “Ironically it was possible because he’s not a traditional politician, who would understand that reviving ties with Japan doesn’t help with votes.”
Tokyo-Seoul ties had hit a low point during the administration of Yoon’s left-leaning predecessor, Moon Jae-in. The two countries barely spoke, sparring over trade disputes and historical issues.
Yoon made the Tokyo relationship a priority. He proposed a plan to settle claims against Japan by World War II-era Korean forced laborers without Japanese money, a breakthrough in relations between the two countries. In March, Yoon became the first South Korean leader to visit Tokyo in 12 years. Kishida made a reciprocating trip in May.
At Camp David last week, the three sides vowed to cooperate in bolstering security, including by sharing data on North Korean missiles in real time and conducting annual joint military exercises.
Protesters in Seoul wearing masks of Yoon and Kishida. PHOTO: CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGES
Like Yoon, Japan’s Kishida has won generally favorable marks for his foreign policy while facing domestic troubles such as a bribery case involving a lawmaker who was in the ruling party. The water release isn’t likely to damage his standing much, however, because the Japanese public has generally viewed it as unavoidable.
Yoon’s foreign-policy achievements have been both the main positive factor and negative factor in the public’s assessment. Official relations with Japan have improved, but South Korean public sentiment regarding Japan’s past wrongdoings hasn’t undergone a major shift, nor has Tokyo signaled a notable change in its stance on historical and territorial issues, said Ji-Young Lee, a professor at American University in Washington, who focuses on East Asia security.
“Therefore, the real question is how sustainable the current momentum will be,” Lee said.
Write to Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com and Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com
Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Appeared in the August 25, 2023, print edition as 'Water Release Vexes a Leader in Seoul'.
8. U.S. reaffirms support for Japan's release of treated water
U.S. reaffirms support for Japan's release of treated water | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · August 26, 2023
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- The United States on Friday reaffirmed its support for the release of treated radioactive water from Japan's destroyed nuclear power plant in Fukushima, calling it safe and transparent.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the Department of State, also said the U.S. is happy with the level of transparency Japan has shown in the lead up to the release, which began Thursday (Japan time).
"Japan has been open and transparent as it has sought to responsibly manage the Fukushima Daiichi site and the eventual release of treated water, proactively coordinating with scientists and partners from across the Indo-Pacific region as well as with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which concluded that Japan's process is safe and consistent with internationally accepted nuclear safety standards," the department spokesperson said in a released statement.
The statement, however, comes amid concerns and opposition from Japan's neighboring countries, as well as its own fishing population, that the release of treated water into the Pacific Ocean may have a long-term, irreversible impact on the environment and people.
The state department spokesperson insisted that Tokyo has been transparent in its decision to release the treated water.
"As Secretary Blinken noted on August 15, the United States is satisfied with Japan's safe, transparent, and science-based process," he said.
"We welcome Japan's continued transparency and engagement with the IAEA as well as with regional stakeholders."
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller is seen speaking during a daily press briefing at the department in Washington on Aug. 9, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)
Lawmakers and party officials of the main opposition Democratic Party, including the party's chief Lee Jae-myung (2nd from R), march toward the presidential office after staging a protest at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on Aug. 25, 2023, calling for Japan to stop the discharge of contaminated water from its nuclear power plant in Fukushima. (Yonhap)
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · August 26, 2023
9. U.S. calls for UNSC action against N. Korean satellite launch, says China, Russia's opposition is 'troubling'
We must continue to make the point that Chinese and Russian actions at the UN (and their actual actions around the world in support of north Korea) make them complicit in north Korean human rights abuses, in sanctions evasion activities, and in the development of long range missiles and nuclear weapons.
Ambassador Linda Thomas -Greenfield is correct in that this is certainly "troubling."
(LEAD) U.S. calls for UNSC action against N. Korean satellite launch, says China, Russia's opposition is 'troubling' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · August 26, 2023
(ATTN: UPDATES with additional information, remarks by Russian, Chinese, North Korean envoys to UN in last 9 paras; ADDS photo)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Yonhap) -- The United States' envoy to the United Nations called on the U.N. Security Council to condemn North Korea's recent failed satellite launch on Friday, while insisting that China and Russia's refusal to hold North Korea accountable for its actions is encouraging the recalcitrant country to continue making provocations.
The U.S. envoy. Thomas Linda-Greenfield, said China and Russia's refusal to condemn North Korean provocations is "troubling."
"I urge every council member every single member of this council to condemn this launch and discourage the DPRK from conducting another test," the U.S. diplomat told a UNSC meeting in New York.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is seen speaking during a U.N. Security Council meeting in New York on Aug. 25, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)
The emergency meeting comes after North Korea made its second failed attempt to launch what it claims would have been its first military reconnaissance satellite on Thursday (Korea time).
"This should be an issue that unifies us. We have all reaffirmed our commitment to the global non-proliferation regime time and time again. But since the beginning of 2022, this council has failed to live up to its commitments because of China and Russia's obstructionism," Thomas-Greenfield said.
More than a dozen UNSC meetings have been held since the start of last year to discuss North Korean provocations, including an unprecedented 69 ballistic missile tests in 2022. China and Russia, both close neighbors of North Korea, have vetoed all proposed actions against North Korea in those meetings.
"This is a relatively new phenomenon here and an increasingly troubling one, I have to say," said Thomas-Greenfield, noting that both China and Russia had voted in favor of UNSC resolutions on North Korea in 2017.
"Russia and China are not living up to their responsibility to maintain international peace and security. Instead, they are celebrating, celebrating violations of Security Council resolutions and continuing to block council action," she added.
The U.S. ambassador stressed a need for the UNSC to take "unequivocal" action.
"We must unequivocally and denounce the DPRK's unlawful behavior. We must call on the DPRK to fully and faithfully implement all relevant Security Council resolutions and we must address the DPRK global revenue generating activities, which fund its unlawful weapons program," she said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The South Korean military reveals a sunken part of North Korea's ill-fated "Chollima-1" rocket at the Navy's 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek on South Korea's west coast on June 16, 2023, after salvaging it from the Yellow Sea the previous day following the crash on May 31 of the rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite into the sea. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
Friday's UNSC meeting ended without any concrete outcome, again due to explicit opposition from China and Russia.
"Clearly, the convening of today's meeting is a merely a cynical, hypocritical attempt by the U.S. and allies to step up pressure on Pyongyang and to detract attention from the reckless escalatory actions of Washington and its allies in the region, who represent the real sources of threats to international peace and security," a Russian envoy to the United Nations told the meeting through an interpreter.
China echoed the sentiment.
"Several parties, including the U.S., have been continually engaged in military activities," a Chinese envoy said, referring to the U.S.' joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan.
"Notwithstanding the reflex of certain countries to pin all the blame on the DPRK as usual, it must be pointed out that the DPRK's recent launches are closely linked to the military activities of certain relevant countries," the Chinese diplomat added, while speaking through an interpreter.
North Korea's envoy to the United Nations claimed that it was the country's sovereign right to launch a satellite, while accusing the U.S. and its allies of escalating nuclear tension in the region.
"As we made it clear time and again, our launch of the reconnaissance satellite is an exercise of the legitimate right to self-defense to deter ever increasing hostile military act of the United States and its followers," the North Korean diplomat told the UNSC meeting.
The North Korean envoy said the country will "more vigorously exercise its legitimate right" to launch a satellite should the U.S. continue its hostile policy toward North Korea.
Pyongyang said earlier that it plans to take its third attempt at putting a military satellite into orbit in October.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · August 26, 2023
10. How safe is wastewater discharged from Fukushima?
Excerpts:
Nigel Marks, an associate professor of physics at Curtin University in Australia who studies nuclear materials, echoed that proper treatment of the water means it will not impact people and marine life near the Fukushima plant, nor further away in the waters of Korea.
"I have deep compassion for members of the public who feel scared. But the scientific truth is there is nothing to worry about," he said.
He said studies in Korea have shown that the Fukushima tritium cannot be measured in Korean waters "as it is so utterly miniscule" in the ocean which already contains tritium.
"From a practical level nothing needs to be done for Korean water, or seafood or salt originating in Korea. Any measurements would entirely be for show, as a means for gaining public confidence," he said.
He said seafood from the Fukushima region has been safe to eat once the accident stabilized and will remain safe after the water release with regular monitoring to be continued.
He also suggested the public turn to experts for advice. "It is the job of scientists to interpret data as it stands, and on this issue it is abundantly clear that releasing the water is both safe and reasonable."
How safe is wastewater discharged from Fukushima?
The Korea Times · by 2023-08-26 17:12 | World · August 25, 2023
An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Thursday. Reuters-Yonhap
Scientists suggest Korea, China, Taiwan get involved in water, seafood testing inside Japan
By Holly Chik
As Japan started releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday, scientists are calling on the public to take advice from experts in health and radiological protection in order to dispel myths and allay overblown fears of contamination.
Some experts are even suggesting a multinational monitoring mechanism under which scientists from countries possibly affected by the discharge participate in water and seafood monitoring inside Japan to build trust.
International nuclear researchers said while the discharge into the Pacific Ocean poses limited health impacts, Korean scientists could monitor radioactivity in water and seafood to ensure their safety for the local population.
In Korea, the government has said it saw no scientific or technical problems with the planned discharge of the contaminated water. But Seoul will demand an immediate halt of the release if the concentration of radioactive material in the water exceeds standard levels. The administration will also be ready to file an international lawsuit if Japan's release deviates from the original plan.
Locally, public concern remains high with protests against the plan to release over decades more than 1 million metric tons of treated radioactive water, enough to fill 500 Olympic-size swimming pools. Surveys have shown that a majority of people are worried about seafood and ocean contamination.
Korean environmental activists hold fish dolls with radioactive signs during a rally against the Japanese government's plan to release into the Pacific Ocean wastewater from the disabled Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant, at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Thursday. AFP
"People should not be worried about consuming seafood, sea salt or swimming in the ocean," Jim Smith, a professor of environmental science at the University of Portsmouth in Britain, said.
"The treated wastewater release at Fukushima is similar to routine releases of treated wastewater from other nuclear sites around the world," said Smith, who studies the long-term environmental consequences of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents.
"Less radioactive tritium (a form of hydrogen) will be discharged from Fukushima than from many other nuclear sites around the world, including in South Korea," he said.
He said the local scientific community could provide evidence by measuring radioactivity in water and seafood samples.
"The Japanese authorities and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plan to do this and openly publish their results, but it would help people in South Korea if their own scientists also monitored the release to give more confidence in the results," he said.
After the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami destroyed the plant's cooling systems and caused three reactors to melt, water was pumped in to cool the melted fuel and fuel debris at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
The contaminated water then went through a filtration system called Advanced Liquid Processing System which removes most of the radioactivity before being stored, according to the IAEA.
But the system is not able to remove carbon-14, a radioactive form of carbon, and tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen that is naturally occurring and a by-product of nuclear power plant operation.
Storage tanks hold contaminated water at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, in this Feb. 21, 2021 photo. AFP-Yonhap
In early July, the IAEA, the United Nation's nuclear watchdog, approved Japan's plan, saying the controlled, gradual discharges of treated water "would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment" in a safety review report.
Tilman Ruff, an infectious diseases and public health physician and associate professor at the University of Melbourne, said radiation doses to people from the Fukushima radioactive wastewater will be low, far below the high doses associated with short-term health impacts.
"The risk is not sufficiently high to warrant stopping swimming in the sea or eating products from the sea," said the co-president of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, a medical organization dedicated to global nuclear weapons abolition.
However, "the dumping might reasonably influence people's choice of which products to consume," he said, adding that people should limit unnecessary radiation exposure.
"We know that there is no dose of radiation below which no biological harm results, so all unnecessary and avoidable exposures should be minimized. Even small doses of radiation incrementally increase the risk of cancer, chronic disease, especially heart attacks and strokes, and these risks persist for the life of the exposed person," he said.
He said young children and females who are most susceptible to radiation impacts and people who live on the coast and depend on seafood for their nutrition are at greatest risk of being harmed by consuming tritium.
Ruff suggested that citizens in Korea and the Pacific region should urge Tokyo to manage the wastewater in safer ways, such as purification, long-term storage and using the water to make concrete, instead of releasing it into the ocean.
He also said environmental and health agencies in countries around the Pacific receiving ocean currents from the east coast of Japan should regularly test seafood imported from that area and closely monitor the content of the discharged water.
"This water has been in direct contact with damaged and disrupted nuclear fuel and so contains many different isotopes, many much more concerning than tritium," he said. "Planned dilution of the discharged water will not diminish the total amount of radioactive material discharged."
"The main problem with the dumping is that hundreds of millions of people will be exposed to additional radiation over many decades, and that these trans-boundary and trans-generational exposures could readily be avoided," he said.
Adrian Bull, chair in nuclear energy and society at The University of Manchester, said the levels of tritium in the water to be discharged are several times lower than the World Health Organization guideline, making the water safe for drinking as it emerges from the plant.
According to Tokyo Electric Power Company, the plant's operator, the treated water contains around 190 becquerels (unit of radioactivity) of tritium per liter, below the WHO drinking water limit of 10,000 becquerels per liter.
Bull added that "there is no evidence that tritium builds up in plants, animals, including humans, so these very low trace levels can't cause any impact ― even over many years.
"The massive dilution effect of the Pacific Ocean simply reduces concentration of anything in the water straight away, and means that any impact on the waters around Korea will be totally undetectable."
He said public health agencies in Korea and other countries could test levels of radioactivity, especially tritium, in seawater around Korean shores, on top of the monitoring done by the IAEA.
"This is not because I expect any increased levels of radioactivity to be detectable ― but simply to provide hard data to confirm the lack of any effects," he said.
Recognizing the significant worry among the public, he recommended that "Korean citizens take their advice from experts in radiological protection and public health, and not from anti-nuclear pressure groups."
David Krofcheck, a senior physics lecturer at The University of Auckland in New Zealand who studies environmental radiation, said the wastewater release will not bring "detrimental health impacts."
He said the cancer-causing nuclear fission nuclei, namely cesium-137, strontium-90, and iodine-129 and iodine-131, produced in nuclear fission reactors, were removed to levels below the World Health Organization safety limits, in a quarter of the water that had been filtered.
"I do not foresee any long-lasting environmental or health impacts, particularly if the remaining 75 percent of the wastewater is filtered to the same extent as the initial 25 per cent scheduled for slow release."
In Hong Kong, a demonstrator tears off a cardboard with an image of a radioactive barrel during a protest after Japan's announcement to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, Thursday. Reuters-Yonhap
He said he would like to see scientists from China, Korea and Taiwan be involved in water and seafood radiation testing inside Japan. "This would go a long way towards building trust among all parties in the North Pacific," Krofcheck said.
"Korea should not worry about tritium deposited into the ocean, as the ocean is a natural sink for tritium on earth. Tritium is part of the normal background radiation to which we are exposed in living our lives."
Nigel Marks, an associate professor of physics at Curtin University in Australia who studies nuclear materials, echoed that proper treatment of the water means it will not impact people and marine life near the Fukushima plant, nor further away in the waters of Korea.
"I have deep compassion for members of the public who feel scared. But the scientific truth is there is nothing to worry about," he said.
He said studies in Korea have shown that the Fukushima tritium cannot be measured in Korean waters "as it is so utterly miniscule" in the ocean which already contains tritium.
"From a practical level nothing needs to be done for Korean water, or seafood or salt originating in Korea. Any measurements would entirely be for show, as a means for gaining public confidence," he said.
He said seafood from the Fukushima region has been safe to eat once the accident stabilized and will remain safe after the water release with regular monitoring to be continued.
He also suggested the public turn to experts for advice. "It is the job of scientists to interpret data as it stands, and on this issue it is abundantly clear that releasing the water is both safe and reasonable."
Holly Chik is a science reporter with the South China Morning Post. She is currently based in Seoul, reporting for both The Korea Times and the South China Morning Post under an exchange program.
The Korea Times · by 2023-08-26 17:12 | World · August 25, 2023
11. US Accuses Russia, China of Covering for North Korea at UN
The Ambassador is getting good coverage of her remarks. But she will have to keep up the fire to maintain international visibility and hopefully generate some pressure on China and Russia for their malign activities.
US Accuses Russia, China of Covering for North Korea at UN
voanews.com · August 25, 2023
united nations —
The United States on Friday accused China and Russia of blocking a unified U.N. Security Council response to North Korea's missile launches, including Thursday's attempt by Pyongyang to put a spy satellite in space.
During an emergency Security Council meeting, 13 of the 15 members — all but Moscow and Beijing — condemned Pyongyang's second spy satellite test in three months, which used ballistic missile technology.
"This should be an issue that unifies us. ... But since the beginning of 2022, this council has failed to live up to its commitments because of China's and Russia's obstructionism," said U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
"The DPRK's nuclear threat is growing, and Russia and China are not living up to their responsibility to maintain international peace and security," she added, using the initials for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
Thomas-Greenfield also denounced the presence last month of Russian and Chinese officials at a North Korean military parade that showed off new drones and nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
"They are celebrating — celebrating — violations of Security Council resolutions and continuing to block council action," Thomas-Greenfield said of Moscow and Beijing.
In May 2022, China and Russia vetoed a resolution imposing new sanctions on Pyongyang, and no resolution or declaration by the Security Council on North Korea has been adopted since.
The last unified Security Council action on North Korea took place in 2017.
Chinese and Russian representatives said Washington was to blame for North Korea's aggressive stance, pointing to ongoing U.S. military drills with South Korea.
North Korea has long maintained its nuclear program is pursued in self-defense and said the same applies to its satellite program.
"Our launch of the reconnaissance satellite is an exercise of the legitimate right to self-defense to deter ever-increasing hostile military acts of the United States," said North Korean Ambassador Kim Song, adding that his country has never recognized U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea anyway.
Thomas-Greenfield rejected that position.
"We all know the truth: The DPRK puts its paranoia and selfish interests over the dire needs of the North Korean people," she said.
"The DPRK's war machine is fueled by repression and cruelty," Thomas-Greenfield added. "It's shameful, and it's a grave threat to global peace."
voanews.com · August 25, 2023
12. ‘This is what we signed up to do’: Troops sharpen urban combat skills near North Korea
‘This is what we signed up to do’: Troops sharpen urban combat skills near North Korea
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · August 24, 2023
A U.S. soldier searches a mock insurgent during an Ulchi Freedom Shield drill in Paju, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
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PAJU, South Korea — A torrential downpour prompted flood warnings Wednesday near the border with North Korea, but U.S. Strykers and South Korean tanks kept rolling.
About 500 U.S. and South Korean troops practiced their street-fighting skills in the Urban Area Operating Center, a simulated city block eight miles from the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.
“We love the rain,” Army 1st. Lt. Robert Beverage, a 4th Infantry Division platoon leader, told reporters at the site. “We’re an infantry unit; this is what we signed up to do.”
The urban combat drill was part of Ulchi Freedom Shield, a semiannual, 11-day exercise by the U.S. and South Korea, one of the largest military exercises the allies conduct on the peninsula.
About 70 of the troops were U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, the rotational unit deployed to South Korea from Fort Carson, Colo.
U.S. and South Korean soldiers breach a room filled with insurgents during urban combat training in Paju, South Korea, about eight miles from the North Korean border, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
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South Korean troops practice their street-fighting skills about eight miles from the Demilitarized Zone, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
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U.S. soldiers test their urban combat skills during an Ulchi Freedom Shield drill in Paju, South Korea, about eight miles from the North Korean border, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
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The Americans and South Koreans took turns assaulting and defending the mock city block throughout the day.
South Korean K1A1 tanks and U.S. Strykers equipped with remotely operated .50 caliber machine guns rolled through streets studded with ordinary landmarks: subway entrances, overhead street signs and six-story apartment buildings.
Soldiers in the drill were equipped with South Korea’s Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, which simulates a bullet’s direction after being fired and its impact on the body, to provide the realism of actual combat.
At one point, Stryker brigade soldiers holed up in an apartment complex, waiting for the opportune moment to clear an adjacent building occupied by South Korean soldiers simulating enemy forces.
During the short reprieve, South Korean troops embedded with the brigade translated and relayed messages over a radio, telling U.S. soldiers whether it was safe to cross the open ground between the buildings.
“Communication has definitely been a challenge as we’re working with the [South Korean] army, but my platoon is attached to some really good Korean soldiers that help us bridge that gap,” Beverage said.
Over 30 separate drills, some with seven other nations in U.N. Command, are underway during Ulchi Freedom Shield. The exercises test the allies’ interoperability — the ability of one nation’s military to use another’s training methods and equipment — against regional threats, namely North Korea.
South Korean troops practice their street-fighting skills about eight miles from the Demilitarized Zone, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
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U.S. and South Korean soldiers plan their next move during urban warfare training in Paju, about eight miles from the border with North Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)
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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was briefed Wednesday on the exercise by the country’s military and U.S. Forces Korea at Command Post Tango in Seongnam city, according to a news release from the presidential office that day.
Ulchi Freedom Shield is training troops to be prepared for “a rapid war within a short period of time,” Yoon said in the release. The exercise also addresses scenarios that reflect “North Korea’s advanced nuclear and missile capabilities” and the U.S.-South Korea’s response to those threats, he added.
North Korea, which labels the joint exercises a rehearsal for an invasion, condemned Ulchi Freedom Shield and warned it could spark a “thermonuclear war,” according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday.
A North Korean attempt on Thursday to put a military satellite into orbit failed due to issues with the rocket booster, according to a KCNA report that day.
It was Pyongyang’s second failed attempt since May to put a satellite in orbit. The North’s aerospace division said it would review Thursday’s launch and attempt another in October, according to KCNA.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a news release Thursday said North Korea’s satellite launch used the same technology for ballistic missile launches and that “despite its failure, is a brazen violation” of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · August 24, 2023
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
| 
