Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners


Quotes of the Day:


"The assertion that 'all men are created equal' was of no practical use in effecting our separation from Great Britain and it was placed in the Declaration not for that, but for future use."
- Abraham Lincoln 

"If in the opinion of the People, the distribution or modification of the Constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. 
But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed."
- George Washington

President Reagan on the 250th Anniversary of the birth of George Washginton:

"If one word could describe all this man was and all he meant, it might be, ``indispensable.'' Had he not lived, perhaps some other great leader would have appeared to liberate the Colonies and establish our Republic. We'll never know. We know only that Washington was there, that he did fulfill this destiny, and that he did it with such skill and perfection he seemed to be carrying out a divine plan for America.



Never a passive leader, never an armchair general, he was always in front of his troops and his nation. He did more than live up to the standards of the time; he set them.


Washington was gifted with the vision of the future. He dreamed America could be a great, prosperous, and peaceful nation, stretching from ocean to ocean. He hoped the deliberations at Philadelphia would end with a declaration of our independence. He even designed and presented a drawing of the new American flag to Betsy Ross -- 13 stripes and a circle of white stars on a field of blue.


When the war was going badly, his courage and leadership turned the tide of history our way. On our first Christmas as a nation in 1776, he led his band of ragged citizen-soldiers across the Delaware River through driving snow to a victory that saved the cause of American independence. Their route of march, it is said, was stained by bloody footprints, but their spirit did not fail. Their will could not be crushed. Washington kept them going, and with the help of France they finally battled their way to Yorktown and the decisive victory that ended the war.


After the Revolution, he wanted to return here to Mount Vernon to be with his family, to farm, to hunt, to engage in commerce. But he loved his country and his country needed him. The 13 former Colonies were impoverished. They were bickering. They needed a constitution so that they could become a union of sovereign States joined to a central government.


The American political experiment was new to all human experience, and the world expected us to fail. If Washington had not stepped forward again -- first at the Constitutional Convention, then as our first elected President, we might well have failed.


His feats were harvested from the seeds of exceptional character. He lacked higher education, but he pulled himself up with years of training and hard work. He was a man of deep faith who believed the pillars of society were religion, morality, and bonds of brotherhood between all citizens."



1. North Korea fires ballistic missiles after US conducts military drills with South Korea, Japan: 'firing range'

2. Press Statement of Kim Yo Jong, Vice Department Director of C.C., WPK Issued

3. [Newsmaker] Koreas back to square one as detente fades

4. Explained: Kim Jong Un's daughter is seen more than ever. Why now?

5. Kim Jong-un's sister threatens US with Pacific 'firing range' as North Korea launches missiles

6. Ruling party leader says calls for own nuclear armament boosted by N.K. provocations

7. U.S. calls on N. Korea to halt provocation, engage in dialogue

8. S. Korea slaps more sanctions on N. Korea in response to missile provocations

9. [Column] Korea’s survival strategy after the war

10. Why can't we hang together on the North Korean nuclear issue?

11. Russian draftees seeking refuge await decision in South Korea

12. Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa And Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin Remarks to the Press

13. 2023 Chronology of Missile and Military Events

14. Left-wing party official arrested in North Korean spy ring investigation






1. North Korea fires ballistic missiles after US conducts military drills with South Korea, Japan: 'firing range'


Remember that Kim is more afraid of the Korean people than he is of ROK/US military exercises. He needs the exercises to illustrate a threat that he uses to justify the sacrifice and suffering the Korean people in the north must endure to ensure Kim remains in power. 


On the one hand, exercises support north Korean propaganda. On the other hand, if we halted all exercises Kim will find another excuse to "externalize" the threat to continue to keep the Korean people in the north in check and under his thumb.  


It is better that we conduct exercises, sustain a high level of readiness to contribute to deterrence (Kim is unlikely to attack into strength and resolve), and if deterrence fails to successfully defend the ROK and set the military conditions for the political solution which is the establishment of a free and unified Korea.


North Korea fires ballistic missiles after US conducts military drills with South Korea, Japan: 'firing range'

foxnews.com · by Paul Best | Fox News

Video

North Korea threatens US over military drills with South Korea

Alex Hogan reports North Korean threat suggests future missile and nuclear testing.

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off the country's east coast on Monday morning, one day after the U.S. held joint military drills with South Korea and Japan.

Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, called the U.S. "the worst maniacs" in a statement after the latest missile launches.

"The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the U.S. forces’ action character," Kim Yo Jong said in a statement distributed by state media. "We are well aware of the movement of U.S. forces’ strategic strike means recently getting brisk around the Korean Peninsula."


This photo provided by the North Korean government, shows what it says a test launch of a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

South Korea and Japan both detected ballistic missile launches on Monday morning, though the types of missiles and their flight paths were not immediately known.

SOUTH KOREA REFERS TO NORTH AS 'OUR ENEMY' FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS AS TENSIONS HEIGHTEN

On Saturday, North Korea launched a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile in what state media said was a test to verify the country's "fatal" nuclear attack capacity.

The ICBM flew a distance of about 615 miles and reached an altitude of 3,585 miles before landing in waters off the coast of Japan.


In this photo provided by South Korean Defense Ministry, U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers, center, F-22 fighter jets and South Korean Air Force F-35 fighter jets, bottom, fly over South Korea Peninsula during a joint air drill in South Korea, on Jan. 1, 2023. (South Korean Defense Ministry via AP, File)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The U.S. flew long-range supersonic bombers on Sunday in reaction to that Saturday test, with South Korean fighter jets escorting American B-1B bombers.

North Korea launched a record 90 missiles last year, though Saturday's ICBM test was the first launch since Jan. 1.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Paul Best is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to Paul.Best@fox.com and on Twitter: @KincaidBest.

foxnews.com · by Paul Best | Fox News




2. Press Statement of Kim Yo Jong, Vice Department Director of C.C., WPK Issued


Read Kim Yo Jong's words. Is she playing bad cop to KJU's (and his daughter's) good cop?


This is quite a statement. She covers a lot of ground.


Note the use of "south" Korea. As a counterpoint, similar to her, I am probably one of the last who still use "north" Korea.


Press Statement of Kim Yo Jong, Vice Department Director of C.C., WPK Issued

Date: 20/02/2023 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1676846173-88414264/press-statement-of-kim-yo-jong-vice-department-director-of-c-c-wpk-issued

Pyongyang, February 20 (KCNA) -- Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, issued the following press statement on Monday:


As expected, the way the fools think and play in every occasion is incurring laughter of the world.


In fact, we are now watching the south Korean idiots making a show of themselves as a spectacle rather than a response.


And again, I feel an impulse to scoff at them.


As I watched yesterday alone, their speculation, guess, freewheeling assessment and so on were very disgusting.


I would like to make some cutting remarks about it.


A so-called senior researcher of a south Korean military institute appeared before the press to let loose rubbish that it took 9 hours and 22 minutes for us to conduct the missile launch after the written order on it, calculating only the time as if he had nothing to do, in a bid to undervalue the preparedness of the DPRK missile forces.


They present a variety of unusual analysis as if they are really stupid or persons of small caliber who make too much analysis.


I don't know if they would take some comfort from such farfetched defamation and assessment.


We did not make public the full text of the written order issued by our supreme leadership.


To make public one thing on this occasion, the written order on the missile launch issued on the day includes the contents that the surprise launch should be conducted at a favorable and appropriate moment in the afternoon after completely closing the area around the launching site and taking such safety steps as evacuation of personnel and other equipment in the morning.


Accordingly, our servicepersons took important military action at the most appropriate time, specified in the order--the time between 15:30 and 19:45 in consideration of visible distance under weather conditions and when seven scout planes of the enemy involved in air reconnaissance landed.


I think that the south Korean military would evidently explain, today or tomorrow and as they always used to, that they detected the sign of the north's missile launch in advance and were conducting intensive monitoring with intelligence assets.


And they will defend the fact that their scout planes didn't fly at the time by saying that they were monitoring with so-called special means and methods under "close cooperation between intelligence authorities of south Korea and the U.S." and that it is difficult to give detailed explanation for fear of possible exposure of military intelligence assets and for other reasons.


The concept of a surprise launch doesn't mean the time that it takes between the issuing of a launch order and the launching.


I cannot but mention the system of fuel ampoule.


Those, who have never made it themselves, went so absurd and stupid as to comment on other's technology at will after seeing some sci-tech data.


A so-called honorary researcher at a sci-tech policy institute made oft-repeated remarks again that the warhead's reentry appeared to be a failure judging from a photo posted by Japan.


Those absurd guys fail to distinguish a warhead from a detached second-stage projectile in the photo and seem ignorant about the reason why the distance between the two in the case of vertical launch naturally gets close.


As I explained the other day, if the warhead's reentry fails, we can't receive signals from the warhead till it has landed.


Such argument, made by those rookies who are lack of the said common sense and pretend to be experts, will not change in fact the crisis facing the U.S. and south Korea as they want and will cause confusion in getting a correct understanding of the dangerous situation, though it may bring some consolation to them.


We have possessed satisfactory technology and capability and, now will focus on increasing the quantity of their force.


They had better rack their brains to take measures to defend themselves, instead of doubting or worrying about other's technology.


We are well aware of the movement of U.S. forces' strategic strike means recently getting brisk around the Korean Peninsula.


We are carefully examining the influence it would exert on the security of our state, and we are going to make it an established fact, once again on this occasion, that we will take corresponding counteraction if it is judged to be any direct or indirect threat.


The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the U.S. forces' action character.


We affirm once again that there is no change in our will to make the worst maniacs escalating the tensions pay the price for their action. -0-


www.kcna.kp (Juche112.2.20.)



3. [Newsmaker] Koreas back to square one as detente fades



When did we have detente in Korea? To make this assessment indicates a failure to understand the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime.


Definition:


Meaning of détente in English



 


détente
noun [ U ]   formal
US  /deɪˈtɑːnt/ UK  /deɪˈtɒnt/

 
an improvement in the relationship between two countries that in the past were not friendly and did not trust each other:








[Newsmaker] Koreas back to square one as detente fades

koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · February 20, 2023

PAJU, Gyeonggi Province -- Panmunjom, the Joint Security Area straddling the military demarcation line separating the two Koreas, was eerily quiet on Tuesday afternoon.

Outsiders seeing the surroundings for the first time were greeted by near-perfect serenity in the place where the two Koreas vowed peace in April 2018. A historic summit that took place two months later in Singapore between then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raised hopes for detente that many believed could settle longtime hostilities on the divided peninsula, a Cold War legacy still locked in an armistice following the 1950-53 Korean War.

That never happened. Washington and Pyongyang failed to narrow differences over steps to take between denuclearization and sanctions relief, at their second talks in February 2019. The two countries have since been at odds over reaching any compromise. Undaunted by the impasse, South Korea in the meanwhile had exhausted every tool and opportunity to try to turn the tide. Unsatisfied with intervention, North Korea had looked the other way.

The coronavirus pandemic, which gripped the world in early 2020, made things worse. The health crisis froze even the routine face-to-face meetings between North Korea and the United Nations Command, which handles affairs involving the Demilitarized Zone. The heavily fortified border is a reminder that the war is still technically on, with artillery ready to go off within seconds upon command.

“Once COVID-19 hit, the North’s side was very, very concerned (about infections). They no longer meet with us face-to-face. It’s all via the hotline,” said US Air Force Lt. Col Griff Hofman, the point person with the UNC Military Armistice Commission who led the Feb. 7 media tour, a regular event also disrupted by the pandemic.

In pre-COVID days, North Korean officers would come out to discuss “maintenance of the JSA” with UN officers at one of the three signature blue buildings all sitting across the demarcation line, Hofman said, describing the venue as a testament to inter-Korean reconciliation because of the peace proposals made there, though all exchanges are now on hold.

But verbal exchanges to check on hotlines linking North Korea and the UNC are still taking place twice a day, the UNC officer added, saying the command uses the channel to “pass along messages” to prevent “any surprises” catching North Korea off guard, even if it is as simple as flying a new chopper into the zone.

“One thing the Korean People’s Army does not react well to is surprises,” Hofman said, referring to North Korea’s military. In June 2020, the North caught the South off guard when it destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office, a demolition that took place within Panmunjom. Pyongyang had protested anti-North leaflets flying over the border, urging Seoul to hold private citizens taking part in the activity accountable.

Ensuring hostility does not break out again is the first step to “permanent peace on the peninsula,” Hofman stressed, saying the job has been well executed for the last 70 years since July 1953 when the US-led command shook hands on the cease-fire with North Korea on behalf of South Korea. The South also marks 70 years of security ties with the US in October, when the allies agreed on mutual defense against outside attacks.

It seems almost impossible now for South Koreans to revisit the kind of detente they briefly enjoyed in 2018. The resumption of North Korea’s missile firings this week is the latest demonstration of how the trust gap between the two bickering neighbors had grown too wide and deep to fill as they carry on with tit-for-tat shows of force. South Korea, backed by the US and Japan, slapped new sanctions on the North on Monday, calling for a return to talks.

Brinkmanship is increasingly diminishing chances of dialogue. But North Korea had at least shown the resolve to abide by the armistice agreement, so front-line skirmishes do not lead to a spillover, Hofman said, citing a 2017 defection by a North Korean soldier who survived multiple shots from his comrades while making the cross-border dash to South Korea on foot.

The four North Korean soldiers who fired about 40 rounds immediately returned back upon briefly crossing the demarcation line. Crossing the line is prohibited for both Koreas.

That was an indication that North Korea is wary of unnecessary escalation, according to Hofman. “I don’t know what the future holds, but we can only continue to do our jobs as they are assigned to us.”



By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)

koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · February 20, 2023



4. Explained: Kim Jong Un's daughter is seen more than ever. Why now?


Some interesting analysis but we are all speculating.


Excerpts:


As quoted by the news agency AFP, Bronwen Dalton, who is the head of the department of management at the University of Technology Sydney's business school, said that when it comes to women assuming political leadership roles, North Korea's glass ceiling has been bulletproof.
But she also agreed that change is afoot and the nation's leadership is trying to "maintain its legitimacy by creating a new version of womanhood" that reflects social changes in the country over recent decades.
North Korea was forced to adjust its archaic version of an ideal woman to some extent as the younger generations have "grown up buying and selling in markets, using mobile phones and accessing foreign media content".
In the current scenario, leadership has the representation of high-profile women, including foreign minister Choe Son-hui and Kim's younger sister Kim Yo Jong, who is a regime spokeswoman. But the leadership is predominantly male.
Dalton told the news agency that Kim is "presiding over a propaganda apparatus forging a new narrative on the place of women". But also added that crucially, the most important role of all North Korean women is "devotion to their 'father' Kim Jong Un", and Ju Ae is perfect with this.


Explained: Kim Jong Un's daughter is seen more than ever. Why now?

New Delhi, IndiaEdited By: Srishti Singh SisodiaUpdated: Feb 19, 2023, 07:42 PM IST

wionews.com

The world knows little about Kim Jong Un's family, children per se, but recent public appearances of his daughter have intrigued people across the world, especially those who speculate who will be the next North Korean leader—the heir of this dynasty-ruled nuclear-armed nation. Kim's daughter, who is identified by some source-based media reports as Kim Ju Ae, is believed to be 10 years old and was recently spotted inspecting a guard of honour, among other high-profile appearances.

She was then seen alongside her father watching a sports event, which was also attended by senior government officials and her aunt, Kim Yo Jong.

What do we know about Kim's daughter with absolute certainty? Basically, nothing! Not even her birth date. But when she was spotted smiling, happy, stroking her father's face, it definitely looked cute and genuine.


What do we know about Kim Jong Un's children?

Ju's image went viral when she was seen with her father almost three months ago at the launch of North Korea's most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile.

Previously, former NBA star Dennis Rodman had confirmed her existence, who claimed to have met Kim's baby daughter, named Ju Ae, during a 2013 visit to North Korea.

According to media reports, Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju have three children — two girls and a boy. Ju is believed to be Kim's second child.

Although her name hasn't been officially confirmed, the South Korean spy agency and some experts identify her as Ju Ae. Apart from her, there is no information available regarding his other daughter and son.

WATCH | Kim Jong-un, daughter Ju Ae attend sports event; Ju Ae spotted for first time at non-military event


What's behind the recent appearances? And why North Korea is sharing the photos with the world?

We can say... what happens in North Korea, stays in North Korea. The world sees of North Korea, what the nation and its state-controlled media want to show to the world. The nation will show missile launches, but won't reveal the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, if the deadly virus really entered the nation.

North Korea, especially the Kim regime is obsessively secretive with its various policies, hence the recent act of releasing Ju Ae's images via state media is all the more mysterious.

Some media reports claim that the North Korean leader is trying to brand himself as a family guy and as a feminist to avoid the fear of not losing behind in this "modern world".

But will North Korea accept a female leader?

As quoted by the news agency AFP, Bronwen Dalton, who is the head of the department of management at the University of Technology Sydney's business school, said that when it comes to women assuming political leadership roles, North Korea's glass ceiling has been bulletproof.

But she also agreed that change is afoot and the nation's leadership is trying to "maintain its legitimacy by creating a new version of womanhood" that reflects social changes in the country over recent decades.

North Korea was forced to adjust its archaic version of an ideal woman to some extent as the younger generations have "grown up buying and selling in markets, using mobile phones and accessing foreign media content".

In the current scenario, leadership has the representation of high-profile women, including foreign minister Choe Son-hui and Kim's younger sister Kim Yo Jong, who is a regime spokeswoman. But the leadership is predominantly male.

Dalton told the news agency that Kim is "presiding over a propaganda apparatus forging a new narrative on the place of women". But also added that crucially, the most important role of all North Korean women is "devotion to their 'father' Kim Jong Un", and Ju Ae is perfect with this.


Image: Kim Ju Ae attends a military parade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of North Korea's army, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea February 8, 2023, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Credit: Reuters.


Image: Kim Jong Un reacts as he watches sport games in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released on February 17, 2023 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Credit: Reuters.

Is Ju Ae the heir to Kim Jong Un's throne?

Some experts argue that the way Kim's "beloved" and "respected" daughter has been projected, it looks like she is apparently the heir. However, these are mere claims as North Korea is yet to confirm.

As quoted by the news agency AFP, Cheong Seong-chang, who is a researcher at South Korea's Sejong Institute, said that recent developments indicate North Korea has started building a "personality cult" around Ju Ae.

Cheong added that it "signals that she has been designated as the de facto successor even though she doesn't hold the official 'successor' status yet".

Referring to the images in which Kim's daughter can be seen sitting next to him, surrounded by the nation's top brass, Cheong said that it suggests that Kim Ju Ae will "become the supreme commander of the military in the future".


Image: Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol Ju and their daughter Kim Ju Ae attend a military parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea February 8, 2023, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Credit: Reuters.

South Korea says...

Amid the releases of photos in the media for public, South Korea said that it's too early to say whether the recently unveiled daughter of the North Korean leader is being groomed as his successor.

Kwon Youngse, who is Unification Minister and South Korea's top official on North Korea, was asked about Kim's daughter during a parliamentary committee meeting in Seoul.

Kwon told lawmakers: "There are views that (her appearances) are aimed at talking about a hereditary power transition."

"But considering Kim Jong Un’s age and the fact that North Korea has a much more patriarchal nature than ours, there are also lots of questions about whether North Korea having a woman (prepared to) inherit power now is indeed right," Kwon added.

Conclusion

The main motive behind her public appearances remains a mystery, but she has definitely emerged as someone who could be assigned a leadership role by her father.

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5. Kim Jong-un's sister threatens US with Pacific 'firing range' as North Korea launches missiles



Kim Yo Jong is getting a lot of press these days. Is she competing with Kim Ju Ae?



Kim Jong-un's sister threatens US with Pacific 'firing range' as North Korea launches missiles

Kim Yo-jong warns the United Sates and South Korea as she threatens North Korea is 'increasing force' of nuclear weapons

By

Andrea Hamblin

 IN MELBOURNE and Nicola Smith,

 ASIA CORRESPONDENT

20 February 2023 • 10:29am

The Telegraph · by Andrea Hamblin

The powerful sister of Kim Jong-un has told the United States to prepare to defend itself because North Korea is increasing the force of its nuclear weapons, on a day the firing of yet more missiles heightened tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Japan's Coast Guard confirmed on Monday morning that North Korea had fired three more ballistic missiles towards Japanese waters. It came after Pyongyang's military launched its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the weekend.

That test prompted the US to take to the skies with its own show of force, flying its long-range supersonic bombers alongside South Korean and Japanese warplanes.

Kim Yo-jong, sister of the North Korean leader and vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, warned Washington that Pyongyang would react to any "direct or indirect threat".

"The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the US forces' action," read a statement from the influential figure, who is believed to be a possible successor to her older brother.

"We affirm once again that there is no change in our will to make the worst maniacs escalating the tensions pay the price for their action."


Denying reports the ICBM warhead's reentry had failed, she blasted nuclear experts as "stupid" and reaffirmed the weapons posed a threat to the US. Theoretically, ICMBs could travel as far as North America.

"Such argument, made by those rookies who are lack of the said common sense and pretend to be experts, will not change in fact the crisis facing the US and South Korea," Kim Yo-jong said.

"We have possessed satisfactory technology and capability and, now will focus on increasing the quantity of their force.

"They had better rack their brains to take measures to defend themselves, instead of doubting or worrying about other's technology."


Monday's missile launch is the reclusive nation's third major weapons test this year. In 2022, Pyongyang launched missiles on more than 30 separate occasions – including in March when it conducted what was thought to be the largest ICBM test ever with a weapon that flew to more than 6,000 km in altitude and travelled a range of about 1,100 km before falling inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

North Korea's state news agency said that on Saturday the Hwasong-15 missile had flown as high as 5,768 km before accurately hitting a pre-set area 989 km away in open waters.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday: "If North Korea conducts the seventh nuclear test, which could happen at any time, it will be a game changer in a sense that North Korea could develop and deploy tactical nuclear missiles."

The Telegraph · by Andrea Hamblin



6. Ruling party leader says calls for own nuclear armament boosted by N.K. provocations



Of course this is exactly what Kim Jong Un wants. He does not fear South Korea with nuclear weapons. He assesses South Korea's potential pursuit of nuclear weapons will be destabilizing to the ROK/US alliance. The more comments he can generate about the South's fear of the US lack of commitment to extended deterrence the better. And if the ROK does develop nuclear weapons this will support the regime's propaganda efforts to "externalize " the threat so that the regime can continue to impose draconian population and resources control measures to keep the Korean people in the north in check and to justify their sacrifice and suffering to keep Kim Jong Un in comfort and power.


Of course we must recognize, understand, expose, and attack the regime's strategy. 


However, we should also view the South's discussions and actions in a positive light. This administration and ruling party are desonstragin a strong commitment to the defense of the ROK and are willing to take political risks to do so. While we do not want the SOuth to pursue nuclear weapons due to our commitment to no further proliferation and because they really will do little to enhance deterrence and defense, we should respect the South's desire to do what it takes to deter and defend the ROK.  



Ruling party leader says calls for own nuclear armament boosted by N.K. provocations | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 김나영 · February 20, 2023

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) – The chief of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Monday warned that calls for South Korea to consider acquiring its own nuclear weapons will get a boost if North Korea continues its military provocations.

Rep. Chung Jin-suk made the remarks after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea earlier in the day, following the North's launch of a long-range ballistic missile Saturday.

"We have a clear option on North Korea's nuclear weapons. We must first secure a concrete nuclear deterrence. ... We need to strengthen our Kill Chain so North Korea can never rise to its feet again if it uses nukes on the Korean Peninsula," Chung said in a party meeting.

Kill Chain, a preemptive strike platform, is one of South Korea's three-axis deterrence system, along with the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, a program to target an adversary's leadership in a contingency, and the Korea Air and Missile Defense system.

"We need to seriously consider developing our own nuclear capabilities if such a response is insufficient," the PPP leader said, citing former French President Charles de Gaulle, who said the United States would not risk New York for Paris.

The Gaulle administration tested its own nuclear weapon in the 1960s based on the claim.

The PPP leader also criticized the former Moon Jae-in administration, saying it threw a fake "peace show" with a lie that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is willing to give up nuclear weapons.

Kim will never let go of nuclear weapons even if millions of North Koreans starve to death, Chung said, vowing that the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol and his party will protect the South Korean people through the strong alliance between Seoul and Washington.


People watch a news report on North Korea's firing of ballistic missiles at Seoul Station in central Seoul on Feb. 20, 2023. (Yonhap)

nyway@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 김나영 · February 20, 2023




7. U.S. calls on N. Korea to halt provocation, engage in dialogue


​"Deaf ears" in the north? Or Kim Yo Jong is too busy screaming to hear anything?​

U.S. calls on N. Korea to halt provocation, engage in dialogue | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · February 20, 2023

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- The United States condemns North Korea's ballistic missile launches and calls on Pyongyang to engage in dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Monday.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Monday (Korea time), two days after it fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).


A short-range ballistic missile is launched toward the East Sea from the Sukchon area in South Pyongan Province on Feb. 20, 2023, in this photo captured from North Korea's official Korean Central Television. The artillery unit of the Korean People's Army fired two shots from the 600-mm multiple rocket launcher during firing drills, and they flew 395 km and 337 km, respectively, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

"These launches, alongside the DPRK's ICBM test ... are in violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to the DPRK's neighbors and the international community," the state department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency in an email.

"We remain committed to a diplomatic approach to the DPRK and call on the DPRK to engage in dialogue," the spokesperson added.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

The North's latest missile launches followed an unprecedented 69 ballistic missile tests by North Korea in 2022 that far surpassed the country's previous record of 25 ballistic missiles fired in a year.

Pyongyang blamed the U.S.' plan to increase the "frequency" and scale of deploying U.S. strategic assets to South Korea for its latest missile launches.

The state department spokesperson reaffirmed the U.S.' security commitment to South Korea.

"Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad," the spokesperson said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

bdk@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · February 20, 2023





8. S. Korea slaps more sanctions on N. Korea in response to missile provocations



What about the information and influence activities response that is so needed and that President Yoon seemed to promise?


(2nd LD) S. Korea slaps more sanctions on N. Korea in response to missile provocations | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · February 20, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in last 3 paras)

SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Monday it has decided to impose additional independent sanctions on North Korea in response to its latest long-range ballistic missile launch and the firing of two short-range ballistic missiles.

The government is imposing the sanctions on four individuals and five institutions involved in the secretive regime's nuclear and missile development programs or helping Pyongyang evade sanctions, according to the foreign ministry.

Those blacklisted include Ri Song-un, former economic and commercial counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Mongolia, and Vladlen Amtchentsev, a Russian-born South African national who has helped North Korea buy oil illegally, it said. Ri is known to have negotiated trade deals involving weapons and luxury goods,

Among the organizations facing Seoul's measure are Songwon Shipping & Management, Korea Daizin Trading Corp. and Transatlantic Partners Pte. Ltd., all of which have already been sanctioned by Washington

Previously, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration imposed sanctions on the North on Feb. 10 over crypto theft and cyberattacks.

Youtube

https://youtu.be/JmA7Rr7ZuwQ


This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Feb. 19, 2023, shows the North's firing of a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile at a lofted angle the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan, meanwhile, denounced North Korea's latest provocations via phone consultations.

Kim Gunn, Seoul's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, held back-to-back talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts -- Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively -- over the phone and warned that the North will clearly face "consequences" for its provocations, according to the ministry.

The envoys agreed to further strengthen cooperation with the international community for the thorough implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions against the North, the ministry added.

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · February 20, 2023



9. [Column] Korea’s survival strategy after the war



Conclusion:



South Korea, which accomplished security and economic advancement based on cooperation with the free world and Korea-U.S. alliance, is the best outcome of the post-war international order. Participating in the process of forming a new liberal international order should be the survival strategy and vision of Korea. After the war in Ukraine, it became clear what choice Korea must make to ensure its survival.



Monday

February 20, 2023

 dictionary + A - A 

[Column] Korea’s survival strategy after the war


https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/02/20/opinion/columns/Korea-survival-strategy/20230220200924034.html


Lee Kyung-soo


The author, a former ambassador to Germany, is vice chairman of the Korean Council on Foreign Relations.


The war in Ukraine has become an inflection point that fundamentally changed the international order shaped after World War II and through the post-Cold War period. First, the international norm of territorial integrity was ignored in the pursuit of changing the status quo by power, and the principle of imperialism has returned. Furthermore, it was confirmed that international peace and security are not guaranteed when a permanent member of the UN Security Council is an active stakeholder in a dispute. The nuclear taboo has also been broken as nuclear weapons have entered the realm of possible usage, instead of being a means of deterrence.



The situation is shocking to Korea, which has adopted democracy and the market economy and enjoyed the benefits and security of globalization amid the international order offered by liberalism. The war in Ukraine, which took place amidst nationalism and strategic competition between the United States and China, has created a situation amounting to World War III, as the world is struggling in deadly fights over global supply chains amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Many countries are in strategic dilemmas where they cannot side with a certain superpower or seek independent survival.


If the international order based on liberalism cannot resolve the cause of the changes, the world will return to a Hobbesian state of nature, in which the balance of power, divisions of influence among superpowers, the frequent formation and dismantlement of alliances, formations of hegemony and wars will function as operating principles. Depending on ideologies and values, supporters of liberalism and followers of authoritarianism will unite against each other. Depending on their interests, regional and functional blocs will form to seek independent survival.


It is a positive sign that the free world is correcting its course. The United States is seeking to change its thinking and policy in a larger direction even amid Trumpism and economic interdependence. The U.S. has abandoned the expectation that China will democratize or contribute to an international order, and started restoring a norm-based international order by forming alliances to promote common values and freedom.


Germany and France have ended their eastward policies based on dialogue, economic cooperation, trade and inclusive cultural policies toward Russia. Facing an existential security crisis after failing to stop North Korea from completing its nuclear program by trusting Pyongyang’s good will, South Korea also started to existentially react for its survival. It has decided to join the alliance of the free world and regional order.


Korea, in a special geopolitical environment, must clearly define its stance and perception toward Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the formative process of a new international order. It must directly look into the realistic international politics and set clear principles to ensure its national security.


First, the Korean Peninsula, a victim of superpowers’ power contest, is suffering a national division as a result. This is why Korea must support Ukraine, which resists changing the status quo by force.


Second, Russia and its predecessor, the Soviet Union, have traditionally been expansionist forces targeting the Korean Peninsula. We must never forget that immediately after our liberation from Japan, the Soviet Union sent its troops to the Korean Peninsula, established a pro-Soviet regime in North Korea, endorsed its war on the South and offered military support to the North.


Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a déjà vu of the Soviet Union’s armed intervention on the Korean Peninsula in the past. It could provide some grounds for Russia to enter the Korean Peninsula in case of emergency by citing “security instability” as it shares a border with North Korea.


Third, North Korea will likely learn the wrong lesson from the situation. The North’s new law on nuclear weapons policy announced in September last year is a doctrine that followed Russia’s basic principles of national nuclear strategy announced in June 2020. In his speech made on the day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that he may use a nuclear weapon if another country intervenes. It served as a motive for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to declare that he also can preemptively use nuclear weapons under an existential threat such as a decisive defeat or regime change. If Russia’s use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine becomes a reality, Kim can press his nuclear button on the Korean Peninsula.


Fourth, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after denying its sovereignty and culture can fuel China’s desire for territorial claims over the Korean Peninsula based on Sinocentrism, as evidenced by the Northeast Project.


South Korea, which accomplished security and economic advancement based on cooperation with the free world and Korea-U.S. alliance, is the best outcome of the post-war international order. Participating in the process of forming a new liberal international order should be the survival strategy and vision of Korea. After the war in Ukraine, it became clear what choice Korea must make to ensure its survival.


Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.



10. Why can't we hang together on the North Korean nuclear issue?


Excellent Oped from our good friend Ambassador Ahn. As an aside I do not think Americans appreciate the influence our founding father has had on other countries.  


But I fear the partisan divide in the ROK is as deep and wide as it is in the US. Perhaps today we are having a negative influence as opposed to the positive one of our founding fathers.


But the most important points in the Ambassadors essay are these excerpts. Every time someone says we must respect the regime's security demands we need to remember these words and facts.


Excerpts:



Third, there has been a claim that South Korea has ignored seriously considering the "deep-seated security concerns" that North Korea holds against aggression from South Korea and the U.S. Each time I hear such a claim, I wonder if there has been a single case of "aggression" by either South Korea or the U.S. against North Korea ever.

"Aggression" on the Korean Peninsula has always been with North Korean hands, starting from the Korean War, the digging of infiltration tunnels under the DMZ and the repeated cases of sending ferociously trained commando forces to the South, a squad of which came perilously close to the presidential residence in Seoul. North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is in fact, a continuation of North Korea's persistent ambition to subdue South Korea through military means.

Given all these facts, if there's a party that must suffer from "deep-seated security concerns," it is South Korea, not North Korea. Facing the existential threat from the North, it is time that we must stop bickering and hang together.


Why can't we hang together on the North Korean nuclear issue?

The Korea Times · February 20, 2023

By Ahn Ho-young


"We must hang together, or surely we shall hang separately." Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have said this on the eve of signing the Declaration of Independence. Delegates at the Continental Congress knew the grave risk they were assuming in getting engaged in the war of independence against the United Kingdom, one of the strongest military powers at the time. Franklin thought that the most important element to winning the war against such a formidable foe was a unity of purpose, and unity among the leaders of the colonies. I think he was right.


I am often reminded of this saying when I follow discussions in Korean society about how we should respond to North Korea's development of nuclear warheads, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction. North Korea is posing an existential threat to South Korea. Still, we don't seem to have the necessary unity of purpose, and unity among opinion leaders in our society.


First and foremost, there has been a claim that President Yoon's North Korean policy is overly obsessed with military means, which will only raise the risk of war on the Korean peninsula. That claim has been made since the days of the election campaign.


As was already mentioned, North Korea poses an existential threat to South Korea. At the 8th Workers' Party Congress held in January, 2021, North Korea declared that it will develop both strategic and tactical nuclear capabilities. During the past two years, it has been diligently implementing the declared plan. Last year alone, it tested no less than 65 missiles through 40 tests. A large number of tests were with short-range missiles of KN-23, 24 and 25, all of which would be focused on targets in South Korea.


What is even more alarming is the change in North Korea's nuclear doctrine. North Korea claimed for many years that it is forced to develop nuclear weapons in order to deter U.S. aggression. It has now dropped such a facade, and declared that North Korea is ready to use nuclear weapons preemptively against South Korea. In September, 2022, the North Korean parliament passed a law reflecting the declaration.


Given such clear security threats, the South Korean government has been cooperating with the U.S. to further strengthen U.S. extended deterrence for South Korea. However, there are increasing signs that that alone cannot assure South Korean citizens. Poll after poll shows that more than 70 percent of citizens think that South Korea must develop its own nuclear weapons. Given the situation, President Yoon must strengthen Korea's autonomous means to "detect, defend, deter and destroy" threats from the North Korean nuclear arsenal.


Second, a related claim has often been made that the government neglects the pursuit of dialogue with North Korea to reduce tension on the Korean peninsula.

 This claim is not supported by the facts. President Yoon has repeatedly offered his "Audacious Package" plan to North Korea, based on the idea of achieving denuclearization of North Korea through taking a series of simultaneous and parallel actions to cover a whole range of economic, political and security issues.

Most notably, the offered actions include the normalization of relations between the U.S. and North Korea and the promotion of a peace regime on the Korean peninsula, two issues of high interest for North Korea. Even then, North Korea has been totally boycotting and disparaging the plan.


A part of the plan is "initial actions," including the exchange of North Korean natural resources for South Korean cereals. I hope that North Korea agrees at least to take this initial action. There are repeated reports of serious malnutrition cases in North Korea, with a number of people dying from starvation even in relatively better-off areas like Kaesong.


Third, there has been a claim that South Korea has ignored seriously considering the "deep-seated security concerns" that North Korea holds against aggression from South Korea and the U.S. Each time I hear such a claim, I wonder if there has been a single case of "aggression" by either South Korea or the U.S. against North Korea ever.


"Aggression" on the Korean Peninsula has always been with North Korean hands, starting from the Korean War, the digging of infiltration tunnels under the DMZ and the repeated cases of sending ferociously trained commando forces to the South, a squad of which came perilously close to the presidential residence in Seoul. North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is in fact, a continuation of North Korea's persistent ambition to subdue South Korea through military means.


Given all these facts, if there's a party that must suffer from "deep-seated security concerns," it is South Korea, not North Korea. Facing the existential threat from the North, it is time that we must stop bickering and hang together.


Ahn Ho-young (hyahn78@mofa.or.kr) is chair professor of North Korean studies, Kyungnam University. He also served as Korean ambassador to the U.S. and vice foreign minister.



The Korea Times · February 20, 2023



11. Russian draftees seeking refuge await decision in South Korea


Do the right thing regardless of the blowback from Russia. Surely their lives and safety are at risk if they are now returned to Russia.


Russian draftees seeking refuge await decision in South Korea

koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · February 20, 2023

Three draft-eligible Russians have been left stranded at Incheon Airport for about four months as they await the South Korean government’s decision on their refugee claims.

The Russian men -- aged 26, 34 and 38, respectively -- first got here in October and applied for refugee protection after initially reporting their purpose of visit as tourism. Their applications were rejected by the Ministry of Justice, however, which stated that fleeing military service would not qualify as a reason to claim refugee status.

With the help of refugee rights advocates in Seoul, the three took the Justice Ministry’s rejection to court and then won in part in a first trial held last week. The district court in Incheon sided with two of the refugee seekers, saying they appear to have reasons for eligibility for protection other than simply to avoid being drafted.

Lee Jong-chan, the lawyer representing the Russian men, said they have been “living in a constant state of doubt and anxiety” for the past few months.

“After Putin ordered the mobilization last September, these young men fled from home and a future of needless uncertainties loomed over them,” he said in a phone call with The Korea Herald.

He said that they have been “staying in subpar conditions” in the waiting area at the airport where they are accommodated.

The two who won in the first trial -- the 34-year-old and the 38-year-old -- can leave the airport and enter the country with no conditions attached if the Justice Ministry does not appeal the court’s ruling. If the Justice Ministry decides to appeal, they would still be allowed out of the airport on the condition they do not reapply for refugee protection until the appeals process is complete.

The Justice Ministry has two weeks from the day of the sentencing to decide whether to appeal the first ruling. As of Monday afternoon, the ministry’s senior official told The Korea Herald it was still reviewing the case and had yet to determine whether or not to appeal.

As for the 26-year-old, he would need to leave South Korea and search for protection elsewhere if the court sticks to the initial ruling, according to Lee. The court said that as he held double citizenship in Kyrgyzstan and has family there, he would not be able to apply for refugee status here unless he was denied protection in the country of his citizenship.

The court saw that for the 34-year-old there was the possibility of persecution if he returned, as he testified of his participation in demonstrations in support of opposition figure Alexei Navalny in Russia prior to the war in Ukraine and had previously been arrested as a result.

The 38-year-old told the court that as a member of the Tajik ethnic minority and a Muslim, he was likely to be sent to the front lines of the war. The court saw that this was a legitimate cause to fear persecution.

“I’m not saying they should be granted protection. I’m saying they should at least be granted the opportunity to apply and be considered,” Lee said.



By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)

koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · February 20, 2023




12. Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa And Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin Remarks to the Press


Kim Jong Un's actions just keep making bilateral cooperations better and stronger.


Another KFR failure.


Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa And Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin Remarks to the Press - United States Department of State

state.gov · by Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases...Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa And Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin Remarks to the Press

hide


Remarks

Hotel Bayerischer Hof

Munich, Germany

February 18, 2023

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I think, as you know, the DPRK once again launched a ballistic missile – this one apparently falling in the exclusive economic zone of Japan. That’s happened before in recent months, but this is yet again a provocative act by North Korea in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. We call on others to condemn this action, to take appropriate steps, including the effective enforcement of sanctions, and countries that have influence with North Korea should use it to try to move it from the course that it’s been on now for the last couple of years.

We met earlier this morning with G7 colleagues and discussed this. We’ve been talking throughout the day. And I would say simply two things. First, we’ve made clear over many, many months that we were prepared to engage with North Korea without any preconditions. The response from North Korea has been missile launch after missile launch. We have been very clear that our commitment to the security of our close allies and partners – South Korea and Japan – is ironclad. And beyond making that clear, we have been working very closely together in full coordination to take appropriate steps to strengthen even more our deterrence and defense capacity.

And so the result of these actions by North Korea is simply to even further solidify the work that we do together, the alliance that we share, and our commitment to the defense of our partners and allies.

FOREIGN MINISTER HAYASHI: Thank you. Thank you, Tony, for hosting this trilateral (inaudible). And let me say the ICBM (inaudible) missile launched by North Korea today landed within our – Japan’s – EEZ. The range of today’s ICBM could cover the entire continent of the United States. This is an outrageous act which, as colleagues (inaudible) provocation against the international community. Such act is absolutely unacceptable. It is a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, and the international community must be united and take resolute response.

At the G7 foreign ministers meeting, which I chaired earlier today, like Tony mentioned, the G7 members condemned today’s launch in the strongest terms and agreed to take a robust response, including at the UN Security Council. So let our three countries work closely together in responding to North Korea’s provocations, including through trilateral security cooperation which aims to enhance deterrence (inaudible). Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER PARK: Thank you, Tony, for hosting this trilateral meeting. My government condemns in the strongest terms North Korea’s long-range ballistic missile launch today. It is a serious provocation that violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions and escalates tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in the region, and beyond. The peace of the Korean Peninsula can only be maintained through strong deterrence and strong, resolute will. The three of us stand here today to demonstrate our unity and unwavering resolve in the face of North Korea’s escalating threat. ROK-U.S. alliance will be ironclad, extended deterrence will be strengthened, and ROK-U.S.-Japan security cooperation will be deepened. North Korea will face more severe sanctions by the international community. Pyongyang will gain nothing from its provocations. We urge Pyongyang to immediately cease all provocations and return to denuclearization talks.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks.

FOREIGN MINISTER PARK: Thank you.

state.gov · by Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State




13. 2023 Chronology of Missile and Military Events




2023 Chronology of Missile and Military Events

https://www.nkleadershipwatch.org/2023/02/19/2023-chronology-of-missile-and-military-events/


The following is a rolling chronology of ballistic missile events (drills and test firings), military engagement and external military exercises (US-ROK, US-JP and US-ROK-JP) that occur in and around the the Korean Peninsula during 2023. Events will be listed (by date) in reverse chronological order. It will be updated every day around midnight Washington DC time.

As of 19 February, the DPRK has neither reported nor been observed to have conducted its seventh nuclear weapons test.

 

20 February

7:00 KST: Two short-range missiles launched from 600mm MLRS in Sukch’o’n, South P’yo’ngan and drop in the East Sea

 

19 February

US and ROK hold joint air drill

 

18 February

DPRK launches Hwasong-15 ICBM from Sunan, Pyongyang toward the East Sea (a.k.a. Sea of Japan) at 17:22 KST

 

1 January

Short-range missile launched from 600mm MLRS




14. Left-wing party official arrested in North Korean spy ring investigation


The work of the north's General Reconnaissance Bureau and the Cultural Engagement Bureau to recruit assets and conduct subversion against the ROK government and South Korean society.


Left-wing party official arrested in North Korean spy ring investigation

koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · February 19, 2023

Two were arrested over the weekend on Jeju Island on charges of violating the national security law in a spiraling investigation into a North Korean spy ring.

According to the Progressive Party, the head of the party’s Jeju chapter and a senior official at the anti-free trade Nationwide Farmers’ Association were nabbed by the National Intelligence Service and the police on Saturday.

Their arrest comes after the NIS and police searched the offices of the Progressive Party and the homes of the party’s leaders in November and December last year.

Some within the party, along with others at labor organizations including the farmers’ association, were accused of communicating with North Korean officials and aiding their secret efforts to spy on South Korea and push a pro-North Korea agenda.

The Progressive Party has denied all accusations, saying in a statement Saturday that the ongoing investigation into its party officials was the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s “ploy to cover up its failures.”

“Our party will continue to stand up against the Yoon administration’s fabricated security crisis, and our fight to have the National Intelligence Service abolished will not stop,” the party said in the statement.

In a related investigation, the offices of South Korea’s major umbrella labor union -- the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions -- were searched last month over some of its officials’ suspected ties with North Korea.

The Progressive Party, deemed to be more left than the National Assembly’s majority-holding Democratic Party of Korea or the Justice Party, was formed in October 2017 as a result of the merge of two left-wing parties -- the New People’s Party and the People’s United Party.

The party’s main beliefs include “recovering national sovereignty from remaining Japanese colonialism” and “dismantling the unequal relationship between South Korea and the US.”

The NIS, together with the police and the prosecution service, launched a joint investigation bureau on North Korean spying activities earlier this month, to operate until the end of this year.

From next year, the NIS’ authority to investigate North Korean espionage-related crimes will be transferred to the police as a result of revisions to the law during the last Moon Jae-in administration.

In December 2020, the then-ruling Democratic Party unilaterally passed a bill revising the National Intelligence Service Act to strip the secret intelligence service’s investigative authority and handed it to the police, with a grace period of three years.

Over this year’s joint investigation, the NIS will be sharing its counterespionage operations tactics and espionage investigation strategies with the police.



By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)

koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · February 19, 2023





De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com


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

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

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

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