Quote of the Day:

"All arms of political war involve subversion in one sense oranother, with the choice of degree of openness or clandestinity depending on the tactical requirements of the situation. It is important to remember that clandestinity is a mode of political war, not its defining characteristic. Counterpropaganda and counterinsurgency commanders who attempt to define political war and its various arms solely in terms of clandestinity will often find themselves in difficulties. Legislators, particularly in democratic polities, who fall into this trap make their societies vulnerable to the many and ingenious techniques of legal maneuver which suggest themselves.

The propaganda arm, by its nature, is an overt activity. But the origin of propaganda, and the agenda which informs its practitioners, may or may not be overt. Paramilitary operations in early stages may be completely covert, as in the case of a surreptitious assassination masked as an accident. In later stages, paramilitary force is usually noisy, indeed explosively obvious to all. Classic subversion, as in converting a high government official to function as an agent of influence, remains (it is hoped) completely clandestine.

The creation, deployment, and commitment to battle of these arms of political war are a function of statecraft and of high command. Unlike conventional military force, these arms often involve civilian or at least out-of-uniform personnel. All may involve high percentages of volunteers, who usually bring with them a level of disciplinary and command and control problems unknown to modem military commands. The constitutional framework, particularly in democratic societies, may be unknown to the broader public and unclear to the legislative bodies which must provide the funding for war or preparation for war. Some states, as we will see, maintain ongoing capabilities for political war, others develop them ad hoc; many claim to have nothing to do with political war, and some few actually mean it. All states, in extremis, revert to political warfare in one form or another. Those who practice it most frequently usually conduct it most effectively.

As in the establishments devoted to conventional war, the allocation of priorities among service arms often creates difficulties. Confusion in the popular mind regarding the various roles and missions of ideology, propaganda, organizational weapons, subversion, sabotage, and paramilitary forces may lead to confusion in legislative and executive branches of government. Debate over the ethical principles of this and other forms of war, and doubts as to the efficacy of any or all of them in advancing a nation's national security, may often be heated and misinformed. Policy may frequently be vulnerable to manipulation."

-Paul Smith, On Political War

1. N. Korea remains unresponsive to military hotline call from S. Korea for 3rd day

2. Time To Worry About Nuclear Expansion In North Korea – Analysis

3. Intelligence leak exposes U.S. spying on adversaries and allies

4. Leaked Documents Reveal Depth of U.S. Spy Efforts - also reveal US is spying on ALLIES including South Korea, Ukraine and UK

5. Putin ally predicts Chinese, North Korean forces to fight in Ukraine

6. North Korea begins confiscating dollars and yuan after declaring foreign currency illegal in local transactions

7. North Korea defector tells of escape and reveals what life is really like in secretive state

8. Nimitz CSG, Makin Island ARG Conclude Drills with Japan, Korea; Japanese Forces Search for Downed Helo

9. South Korea would like to upgrade its partnership with India, focus on trade, investment: Foreign Minister Park Jin

10. S. Korea to hold necessary discussions with U.S. after CIA eavesdropping report

11. North continues to ghost South as it tests undersea drone

12. Why is North Korea not responding to inter-Korean military hotline calls?

13.  Apple at heart of US-China selective decoupling, US lawmaker says

14. [Column] Korea finds voice on democracy, human rights

15. Korea to 'consult' with US over alleged wiretapping of national security office

16. Why K-pop's future is in crisis, according to its chief guardian

17. Should We Sign a Peace Treaty with North Korea? (Podcast)

18. Five Challenges for the U.S.-Korea Alliance

1. N. Korea remains unresponsive to military hotline call from S. Korea for 3rd day

I think we should stop calling and instead the alliance should start playing hard to get.

I would begin by starting some unusual work and activity within the JSA. Do some things that the north just cannot figure out and see how long it is before they start calling and demanding explanations.

(Again, note sarcasm).

N. Korea remains unresponsive to military hotline call from S. Korea for 3rd day | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 장재순 · April 9, 2023

SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korea did not answer a routine morning call from South Korea via a military hotline for the third day in a row Sunday for unclear reasons, officials said.

The two Koreas are supposed to hold calls twice a day -- once in the morning and the other in the afternoon -- via military and liaison hotlines set up across the border, but the North stopped answering calls from the South on Friday afternoon.

On Sunday, the South made a military hotline call to the North at 9 a.m., but it went unanswered again, according to the defense ministry officials. Calls through the liaison hotline do not take place on weekends.

Ministry officials said they plan to try to call the North at 4 p.m.

It is unclear why the North is refusing to answer the calls.

But the suspension comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of North Korea's recent weapons tests in protest of joint military drills between South Korea and the United States.

This undated photo, provided by the defense ministry, shows a South Korean servicemember making a call to North Korea via a military hotline. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 장재순 · April 9, 2023

2. Time To Worry About Nuclear Expansion In North Korea – Analysis

Now is the time?

Is Kim Yo Jong growing in power?

Time To Worry About Nuclear Expansion In North Korea – Analysis

eurasiareview.com · by Dr. Theodore Karasik · April ​8​, 2023

North Korea has been busy developing a multitude of weapons systems, and miniaturizing them, the result of which is a shift in the country’s strategic and tactical outlook.

The unveiling of miniaturized nuclear warheads by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is a significant step for Pyongyang’s efforts to enhance its capabilities. A few weeks ago, the country launched two cruise missiles from a submarine for the first time, illustrating that it possesses increasingly diverse missile systems that could survive any attempts at “decapitation” or “preemption.”

In addition, comments made by North Korean authorities about Russia are important, so a look at what is happening now and where things are going is important. When the supreme leader’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, North Korea’s chief strategic commentator, talks about the nation’s nuclear weapons being fired westward rather than over the Pacific, that is a change in strategy that resonates beyond mere rhetoric.

Her comments come at a time when her country is trying to establish closer ties with Russia, given that Pyongyang and Moscow continue to be isolated by the West. North Korea has repeatedly supported Moscow’s position since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.

In a particularly serious development, North Korea unveiled its new, smaller nuclear warheads and vowed to produce more weapons-grade nuclear material with which to expand its arsenal.

The supreme leader visited the nation’s Nuclear Weapons Institute and inspected the new tactical nuclear weapons and the technology for mounting warheads on ballistic missiles, as well as nuclear counterattack plans. He ordered the production of weapons-grade materials to boost the country’s nuclear arsenal “exponentially.”

All this may indicate North Korea has made progress in miniaturizing powerful warheads that are small enough to mount on intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the US or other targets.

North Korea also reported that Kim was briefed on an information technology-based, integrated nuclear weapon-management system called “Haekbangashoe,” which translates as “nuclear trigger.” Its accuracy, reliability and security “were verified during the simulation of a nuclear counterattack exercises.”

All this information may be at least partly true, and it is therefore best to err on the side of caution when considering it. Pushing back against North Korea when its relationship with Russia is so close could be difficult, which might help to explain Pyongyang’s recent stance and actions toward the US, South Korea and Japan.

Weapons scientists note North Korea has completed the development of missile-delivery systems that can be used, for example, from a submarine, a lake, a train, and a number of other locations. Combined with its showing off of miniaturized nuclear weapons, this means Pyongyang could begin to produce dozens of warheads based on eight delivery systems. This is a major step forward and makes the country a bigger and more dangerous threat.

North Korea is now likely to carry out a seventh nuclear test. The previous six, between 2006 and 2017, were preceded by an escalating series of missile tests. Experts who anticipate another imminent test say it would probably involve the new, smaller warheads, designed to fit on cruise missiles so that they can target South Korea, Japan and other countries around the Pacific theater.

The growing power of Kim Yo Jong was evident in the appearance of her niece at a previous missile launch. Her statements about nuclear responses have referenced Japan, and Tokyo pointed out that the North Korean military already launched a ballistic missile that flew over Japan in October last year, and test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in an exclusive Japanese economic zone a month later, prompting emergency warning systems to activate and order residents to take cover.

Kim Yo Jong was specific in her warning: “The Pacific does not belong to the United States or Japan.”

Regarding Pyongyang’s relations with Moscow, rhetoric from Kim Yo Jong about fighting in the trenches alongside Russian troops and threats to the Ukrainian government are signals that North Korea’s strategic scope is expanding. She is looking to use Russia as a springboard to Europe, and her rhetoric about sending hundreds of thousands of North Koreans there has resonated within the information sphere, a phenomenon that needs to be shut down.

North Korea’s ability to send its citizens to other parts of the world to work in difficult situations is nothing new; it has been happening in Africa for years, from laborers to doctors. So when Kim Yo Jong talks about North Korean “brigades,” she is making reference to the use of these physicians and other workers in distant places.

She is an increasingly prominent presence in nuclear weapons rhetoric and the decision-making process about their use. North Korea’s nuclear capability is growing rapidly and the ruling dynasty is currently in a solid international position, given the chaos raging in other geopolitical theaters around the world. A nuclear test is just the cherry on the cake for the country’s authorities.

eurasiareview.com · by Dr. Theodore Karasik · April ​8​, 2023

3. Intelligence leak exposes U.S. spying on adversaries and allies

This goes without saying that this appears to be a significant intelligence compromise on multiple levels.

All the major media outlets are providing rather extensive reporting on this.

I wonder how our allies will take this, not only the compromise of intelligence against adversaries but also the discussion of alleged "spying" on friends. However, I think Harris and Lamothe have it right -the alleged spying on allies is most likely normal diplomatic reporting that all countries do, though connection of signals intelligence and South Korea does not bode well for the alliance relationship.

But in terms of Korea I wonder if this information below is what led to the regimation (firing) of the National Security Advisor.

Excerpts:

Those reports appear offered as routine updates to policymakers. But another, which purports to derive from signals intelligence and “diplomatic reporting,” offers a dim assessment on behalf of the U.S. intelligence community of the IAEA’s ability to carry out its nuclear security mission.

Other reports provide updates on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, including missile tests. And in a reminder that the United States also spies on its allies, another document reports that South Korea’s National Security Council in early March “grappled” with a U.S. request that the country provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine, without unduly provoking Moscow. South Korea’s national security adviser suggested possibly selling the munitions to Poland, which controls the main weapons supply routes, since it was the U.S. goal to get the material to Ukraine quickly, the report said, citing signals intelligence.

The original source of the leak remains unclear. The Post identified the user that shared the images in February and March who, according to a review of previous social media posts, is based in southern California. A Twitter account using the same handle and avatar image as the Discord account wrote on Friday they had “found some info from a now banned server and passed it on.”

A man who answered the door at a house registered to the Discord user’s father on Friday evening declined to comment. “I’m not talking to anyone,” he said, closing the door of the family’s home at the edge of a cul-de-sac.

About three miles away, at a townhouse registered to the user’s mother, a knock at the door went unanswered. The parents did not respond to calls or messages.

Intelligence leak exposes U.S. spying on adversaries and allies

U.S. and European officials scrambled to understand how dozens of classified documents covering all manner of intelligence gathering had made their way online with little notice

By Shane Harris and Dan Lamothe

April 8, 2023 at 7:48 p.m. EDT

The Washington Post · by Shane Harris · April 8, 2023

On Saturday, as U.S. officials and their foreign allies scrambled to understand how dozens of classified intelligence documents had ended up on the internet, they were stunned — and occasionally infuriated — at the extraordinary range of detail the files exposed about how the United States spies on friends and foes alike.

The documents, which appear to have come at least in part from the Pentagon and are marked as highly classified, offer tactical information about the war in Ukraine, including the country’s combat capabilities. According to one defense official, many of the documents seem to have been prepared over the winter for Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military officials, but that they were available to other U.S. personnel and contract employees with the requisite security clearances.

Other documents include analysis from U.S. intelligence agencies about Russia and several other countries, all based on information gleaned from classified sources.

The series of detailed briefings and summaries open a rare window on the inner workings of American espionage. Among other secrets, they appear to reveal where the CIA has recruited human agents privy to the closed-door conversations of world leaders; eavesdropping that shows a Russian mercenary outfit tried to acquire weapons from a NATO ally to use against Ukraine; and what kinds of satellite imagery the United States uses to track Russian forces, including an advanced technology that appears barely, if ever, to have been publicly identified.

Officials in several countries said that they were trying to assess the damage from the disclosures, and many were left wondering how they had gone unnoticed for so long. Photographs of at least several dozen pages of highly classified documents, which looked to have been printed and then folded together into a packet, were shared on Feb. 28 and March 2 on Discord, a chat platform popular with gamers. The documents were shared by a user to a server called “Wow Mao.”

Some of the documents appear to be detailed Ukraine battlefield assessments prepared over the winter for senior Pentagon leaders. But officials only became aware that the documents were sitting on a public server around the time that the New York Times first reported the leak, on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe an unfolding investigation.

Senior Pentagon leadership restricted the flow of intelligence Friday in response to the revelations, two U.S. officials said. One described the clampdown as unusually strict and said it revealed a high level of panic among Pentagon leadership.

A European intelligence official worried that if Washington restricts allies’ access to future intelligence reports, it could leave them in the dark. Many of the leaked documents are labeled “NOFORN,” meaning they cannot be released to foreign nationals. But others were cleared to be shared with close U.S. allies, including the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. U.S. intelligence about British and Canadian activities is contained in some of the documents, suggesting that the fallout from the leaks will not be limited to the United States.

“We need to manage this well both internally and externally,” a second defense official said. “There are lot of institutions and agencies involved.”

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the leak. A spokeswoman for Discord, where the earliest known copies of the images were posted, declined to comment.

The full extent of the leak was unclear. The second defense official said that what had appeared online was likely the result of a single disclosure from one tranche of documents, but officials were not yet certain of that.

The 5o pages reviewed by The Washington Post involved nearly every corner of the U.S. intelligence apparatus. The documents describe intelligence activities at the National Security Agency, the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, law enforcement agencies and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) — arguably the most secretive intelligence agency in the government, responsible for a multibillion dollar constellation of spy satellites.

The documents primarily concern the war in Ukraine and demonstrate how the United States is making assessments about the state of the conflict and where it’s headed. That analysis informs major policy decisions by the Biden administration, including what weapons to provide Ukraine and how to respond to Russia’s battlefield strategy.

For instance, a Feb. 23 overview of fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas region forecasts a “grinding campaign of attrition” by Russia that “is likely heading toward a stalemate, thwarting Moscow’s goal to capture the entire region in 2023.”

That confident statement, which is printed in boldface type, is supported by information obtained from “NRO-collected and commercial imagery,” a new generation of infrared satellites, signals intelligence and “liaison reporting,” a reference to intelligence from a friendly government, about the high rate of Russian artillery fire, mounting troop losses and the military’s inability to make significant territorial gains over the past seven months.

The fact that the United States bases its assessments on many sources is no secret. But U.S. officials said these more detailed disclosures could help Moscow thwart some avenues for collecting information. For example, the Feb. 23 battlefield document names one of its sources as “LAPIS time-series video.” Officials familiar with the technology described it as an advanced satellite system that allows for better imaging of objects on the ground and that could now be more susceptible to Russian jamming or interference. They indicated that LAPIS was among the more closely guarded capabilities in the U.S. intelligence arsenal.

The documents also demonstrate what has long been understood but never publicly spelled out this precisely: The U.S. intelligence community has penetrated the Russian military and its commanders so deeply that it can warn Ukraine in advance of attacks and reliably assess the strengths and weaknesses of Russian forces.

A single page in the leaked trove reveals that the U.S. intelligence community knew the Russian Ministry of Defense had transmitted plans to strike Ukrainian troop positions in two locations on a certain date in February and that Russian military planners were preparing strikes on a dozen energy facilities and an equal number of bridges in Ukraine.

The documents reveal that U.S. intelligence agencies are also aware of internal planning by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency. One document describes the GRU planning a propaganda campaign in African countries with the goal of turning public support against leaders who support assistance to Ukraine and discrediting the United States and France, in particular. The Russian campaign, the report states, would try to plant stories in African media, including ones that tried to discredit Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

The documents point to numerous intelligence successes by the United States. But they also show how depleted Ukrainian forces have become after more than a year at war.

A senior Ukrainian official on Saturday said the leaks had angered Kyiv’s military and political leaders, who have sought to conceal from the Kremlin vulnerabilities related to ammunition shortages and other battlefield data. The official said he was also concerned that more revelations of classified military intelligence were forthcoming.

In the meantime, some of the now public intelligence could ignite diplomatic controversies.

The documents show that the United States has gained access to the internal plans of Russia’s notorious Wagner Group, a private military contractor that has supplied forces to Russia’s war effort, and that Wagner has sought to purchase arms from Turkey, a NATO ally.

In early February, Wagner personnel “met with Turkish contacts to purchase weapons and equipment from Turkey for Vagner’s efforts in Mali and Ukraine,” one report states, using a variation on the spelling of the group’s name. The report further states that Mali’s interim president, Assimi Goïta, “had confirmed that Mali could acquire weapons from Turkey on Vagner’s behalf.”

It’s unclear from the report what the Turkish government may have known about the efforts by Wagner or if they proved fruitful. But the revelation that a NATO ally may have been assisting Russia in its war on Ukraine could prove explosive, particularly as Turkey has sought to block the addition of Sweden into the ranks of the trans-Atlantic military alliance.

A spokesperson for the Turkish government declined to comment. Mali’s Embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Two other pages from the leaked intelligence file speak to Wagner’s plans for hiring Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine and note that the Russian military has become dependent on the private soldiers. Like the report on meetings involving Turkey, these cite their sources as coming from “signals intelligence,” a reference to electronic eavesdropping and communications intercepts. Officials generally view those as among the most productive forms of intelligence-gathering, but they are potentially perishable if they are exposed.

Other intelligence reports among the leaked trove reflect on the geopolitical ramifications of the war in Ukraine. A summary of analysis from the CIA’s World Intelligence Review, a daily publication for senior policymakers, says that Beijing is likely to view attacks by Ukraine deep inside Russian territory as “an opportunity to cast NATO as the aggressor,” and that China could increase its support to Russia if it felt the attacks were “significant.”

U.S. and European officials have eyed warily the alliance between Moscow and Beijing. So far, officials have said there is no indication that China has granted Russia’s request for lethal military aid. However, a Ukrainian attack on Moscow using weapons provided by the United States or NATO would probably indicate to Beijing that “Washington was directly responsible for escalating the conflict” and provide possible justification for China to arm Russia, the analysis concludes.

The documents also show that Washington is keeping a close eye on Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon. One briefing from February succinctly notes that in recent days Iran had conducted tests of short-range ballistic missiles. Another takes stock of a newly published report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s efforts to expand its facilities for enriching uranium.

Those reports appear offered as routine updates to policymakers. But another, which purports to derive from signals intelligence and “diplomatic reporting,” offers a dim assessment on behalf of the U.S. intelligence community of the IAEA’s ability to carry out its nuclear security mission.

Other reports provide updates on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, including missile tests. And in a reminder that the United States also spies on its allies, another document reports that South Korea’s National Security Council in early March “grappled” with a U.S. request that the country provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine, without unduly provoking Moscow. South Korea’s national security adviser suggested possibly selling the munitions to Poland, which controls the main weapons supply routes, since it was the U.S. goal to get the material to Ukraine quickly, the report said, citing signals intelligence.

The original source of the leak remains unclear. The Post identified the user that shared the images in February and March who, according to a review of previous social media posts, is based in southern California. A Twitter account using the same handle and avatar image as the Discord account wrote on Friday they had “found some info from a now banned server and passed it on.”

A man who answered the door at a house registered to the Discord user’s father on Friday evening declined to comment. “I’m not talking to anyone,” he said, closing the door of the family’s home at the edge of a cul-de-sac.

About three miles away, at a townhouse registered to the user’s mother, a knock at the door went unanswered. The parents did not respond to calls or messages.

On Wednesday, images showing some of the documents were also circulating on the anonymous online message board 4chan and made their way to at least two mainstream social media platforms, Telegram and Twitter. In at least one case, it appears a slide which initially circulated on Discord was doctored to make it look like fewer Russian soldiers have been killed in the war than the Pentagon assesses.

There was no indication that other documents, including those that dealt with countries besides Ukraine, had been altered.

John Hudson, Alex Horton, Dalton Bennett, Samuel Oakford and Evan Hill in Washington and Reis Thebault in California contributed reporting.

The Washington Post · by Shane Harris · April 8, 2023

4. Leaked Documents Reveal Depth of U.S. Spy Efforts - also reveal US is spying on ALLIES including South Korea, Ukraine and UK

So far I have not seen any reporting in the Korean English language press. But it is coming I am sure.

Leaked Documents Reveal Depth of U.S. Spy Efforts

Leaked Pentagon documents show spies are deeply ingrained in Russian intelligence services and Putin's army is ravaged after a year of fighting - but also reveal US is spying on ALLIES including South Korea, Ukraine and UK

• America's extensive spying operations across the globe were revealed on social media in a severe intelligence breach 
• Classified documents leaked on social media indicate the Pentagon has been spying on allied nations including South Korea, Ukraine, Israel and the UK
• The trove of reports also offered the clearest picture yet of the true state of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

By WILL POTTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 20:47 BST, 8 April 2023 | UPDATED: 23:58 BST, 8 April 2023

Daily Mail · by Will Potter For Dailymail.Com · April 8, 2023

A trove of leaked documents has revealed the depth of America's spying apparatus around the world, detailing how the US continues to infiltrate allied nations amid heightening global tensions.

The documents, which provided the clearest picture yet of the Kremlin's depleted military capacity, were telling as to the extent to which US espionage tactics have effectively penetrated Vladimir Putin's war machine.

However, the intelligence breach, which included reports from late February to early March but have only been leaked online in recent days, also unearthed probes in a variety of nations, including South Korea, Iran and the UK, per the Wall Street Journal.

South Korea, Israel, Ukraine and the United Kingdom are among the allies the US is said to be keeping tabs on, the WSJ reported.

Now, US military officials are able to provide real-time warnings to their Ukrainian counterparts about impending strikes in exact locations, indicating exhaustive intelligence gathering in the region.

While the breach underscored America's ability to infiltrate Moscow's upper echelons, it has also sparked fears that Russian intelligence may now have a clearer understanding of exactly what the US does and does not already understand, providing an opportunity to cut off sources of information.

The leak comes amid speculation that a wave of classified document breaches could be being orchestrated by Russia, in what was described by a senior intelligence official as 'a nightmare for the Five Eyes' - a reference to the intelligence sharing agreement between the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Joe Biden, seen in Washington DC on Tuesday. His administration confirmed the leaked documents were real, but said some aspects had been doctored

The documents revealed the extent to which US officials have penetrated Russian intelligence. Pictured: Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 6, 2023

Notably, the documents covered intimate details about the spread of US military spying across the globe. Per multiple reports, this included classified information about Iran's nuclear program and North Korea's missile systems.

In Ukraine, the documents suggested a misalignment between US and Ukrainian military strategies, with intelligence reports appearing to show the US continues to spy on top military and political leaders in the region.

American officials told the New York Times that while the leak underscores the Pentagon's capacity to collect information on Russia's strategies, it remains to be seen whether their sources of information will be hampered by the revelations.

Officials told the outlet that the Pentagon has issued a swift lock down of sensitive briefing documents following the leak.

However, the scandal is already being noted as one of the most damaging national security breaches in recent memory, which may have further implications into the legitimacy of US espionage into the future.

Per the outlet, a senior Western intelligence official said the release could curb intelligence sharing between agencies, as trust over secretive information collaborations could be lost.

Assurances over the validity of the US military's spying apparatus is set to be further disrupted by revelations that America's focus extends far beyond its Russian enemies.

Allied nations, such as South Korea, have also reportedly been the subject of spying by the Pentagon, raising questions as to the diplomatic impact the leak could have at a time of deteriorating global ties.

The intelligence breach could have a drastic impact upon the landscape of the conflict in Ukraine. US President Biden, left, is pictured meeting Ukrainian President Zelensky on February 20, 2023

The document leak indicates that the US has been spying on Ukrainian allied officials. Pictured: A Ukrainian serviceman in training exercises in Donetsk

The documents, which were posted on social media sites including Twitter, Discord and Telegram, have also highlighted the devastating impact the war in Ukraine has had on both sides of the conflict.

Despite the Biden administration pouring almost $200 billion into the Ukrainian military, the leak revealed that its stockpiles are severely depleted and it is low on air defense ammunition.

But with Russian forces also found to be struggling, reports indicate a renewed push backed by western forces in the coming months.

One of the leaks, reportedly posted to Telegram, detailed 'a secret plan to prepare and equip nine brigades of the Amed Forces of Ukraine by the US and NATO for the spring offensive.'

The Biden administration has not denied the legitimacy of the leak, but it did claim that certain documents had been doctored.

An FBI probe was launched Friday to determine the source of the leak, however a senior official told The New York Times that tracking down the perpetrator could prove difficult because a large number of officials have the security clearances needed to access the information.

According to the Wall Street Journal, US officials scrambled Saturday to assess the potential fallout of the scandal.

A wide-ranging, multi-agency investigation into the intelligence breach is set to be escalated, with officials reportedly fearing that US national security matters could be significantly compromised.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pictured at the Pentagon on March 30, 2023

The documents have revealed the efficacy of US efforts to infiltrate Russian intelligence. Pictured: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, April 6, 2023

On Friday, a series of documents were posted on controversial message board 4Chan that covered both the war efforts in Ukraine as well as operations in China and the Middle East.

The reports included photographs of charts of weapons that are set to be transported to Ukraine, alongside determinations into the strength of ground troops in the region.

Among the documents leaked Friday was a map depicting the impact of the war in the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, which has been the center of fierce fighting for six months.

It was not clear if the map had been altered, as American authorities have claimed about some of the leaked information.

However, the day before, another image circulated online appeared to have exaggerated the scale of Ukrainian deaths and minimized the Russian losses.

While claiming that 16,000 to 17,500 Russian soldiers had been killed, the slide alleged that Ukraine had suffered as many as 71,500 troop deaths.

The Pentagon and other analysts estimate that Russia has seen approximately 200,000 killed and injured - double the figure for Ukraine.

The leaked documents also referred to U.S. analysis of the situation in the Middle East and China, and terrorist threats worldwide.

Daily Mail · by Will Potter For Dailymail.Com · April 8, 2023

5. Putin ally predicts Chinese, North Korean forces to fight in Ukraine

Sure. I can't wait to see this. (note sarcasm)

​Excerpts:

"In the aftermath of Xi's visit to Moscow which did not produce many ascertaining results for Russia but followed by top-level contacts between China and the West, their task is to convince the domestic audience that China does support Russia—whatever is the reality," Moshes said.

While the selling of munitions from either China or North Korea to Russia cannot be entirely ruled, he added that Solovyov's wishes for volunteer fighters "is totally improbable."

"Their appearance on the front, when discovered and proven, would be such a blow on the international reputation of China, that it [can] hardly afford it," he said, adding that the risk itself would be too great.

"And without China's consent North Korea cannot take such a decision either," he said.

​

Putin ally predicts Chinese, North Korean forces to fight in Ukraine

Newsweek · by Nick Mordowanec · April 7, 2023

Chinese and North Korean volunteer fighters are being awaited by Russian military forces, according to a close Vladimir Putin ally and known Russian propagandist.

The wishful thinking on the part of Vladimir Solovyov comes without much context as both Russia and Ukraine continue to jockey for position in the ear of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who met with Putin in March in what the Chinese government described as "a journey of friendship, cooperation, and peace."

Putin took the opportunity to tout the summit with his "good, old friend" as a means of further galvanizing both nations' "unprecedented level of trust" and ushering in "a new era" of strategic cooperation.

"They [Ukraine] are preparing for a great war, so it makes sense for China to meet them here in the Ukrainian fields," state host Solovyov said on the Russian-1 television channel, per a tweet posted by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs. "I look forward to seeing volunteers from China and North Korea."

Solovyev looks forward to seeing volunteers from China and North Korea fighting for Russia.

What happened to the "second army in the world"? pic.twitter.com/PD1VkUKlps

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 7, 2023

The recent summit was viewed by some, including Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, as a slight to Xi and China due to Putin soon after announcing the stationing of tactical nuclear weapons in the allied Eastern European nation of Belarus.

Ukraine said that Belarus was being taken "as a nuclear hostage." The move may have potentially irked China in terms of its own interests, detailed in a 12-point peace plan administered on the war's one-year anniversary that included a call for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.

Russian propagandist, television presenter Vladimir Solovyov seen during President Vladimir Putin's annual meeting with the Federal Assembly, on February 21, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. Solovyov said Russia is waiting for Chinese, North Korean volunteer fighters to aid Russia's military effort. Getty

Reports indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his administration made efforts to speak with or even meet with Xi before the Chinese leader ever traveled to Moscow last month.

Zelensky last spoke with Xi prior to Russia's February 2022 invasion, though he and his advisors are keeping communication lines open. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's top diplomat, said on March 30 that China's official response was that "they're carefully examining the request" for a call and visit.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said in January that North Korea "firmly" supports Russia's war effort. North Korea has remained relatively silent otherwise and refrained from any major involvement.

Arkady Moshes, program director for the EU Eastern Neighborhood and Russia research program at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told Newsweek via email that Russia's top propaganda figures have looked "a lot less self-confident" in recent weeks based on various concerning statements.

"In the aftermath of Xi's visit to Moscow which did not produce many ascertaining results for Russia but followed by top-level contacts between China and the West, their task is to convince the domestic audience that China does support Russia—whatever is the reality," Moshes said.

While the selling of munitions from either China or North Korea to Russia cannot be entirely ruled, he added that Solovyov's wishes for volunteer fighters "is totally improbable."

"Their appearance on the front, when discovered and proven, would be such a blow on the international reputation of China, that it [can] hardly afford it," he said, adding that the risk itself would be too great.

"And without China's consent North Korea cannot take such a decision either," he said.

Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries via email for comment.

Newsweek · by Nick Mordowanec · April 7, 2023

6. North Korea begins confiscating dollars and yuan after declaring foreign currency illegal in local transactions

This is an indication of the threat foreign is to the regime.

This could be mission impossible for the regime. I think the Korean entrepreneurs in the north may be savvy and creative enough to prevent confiscation.

But perhaps we should follow WIlliam Brown's advice and flood the north with dollars.

North Korea begins confiscating dollars and yuan after declaring foreign currency illegal in local transactions

firstpost.com · by FP Staff · April 8, 2023

According to reports, residents have been ordered to exchange their foreign currency for the domestic won, but they prefer Chinese and U.S. currency because it is considered to be more stable.

April 08, 2023 16:50:02 IST

Representative Image

New Delhi: North Korea has begun confiscating yuan and dollars from citizens by stopping them on the street for random searches, sources in the country told Radio Free Asia.

The move of Korean authorities came almost a month after the country banned foreign currency.

According to reports, residents have been ordered to exchange their foreign currency for the domestic won, but they prefer Chinese and U.S. currency because it is considered to be more stable.

In recent years, the North Korean government has intensified efforts to collect foreign currency held by its citizens.

“Some are wondering if the opening of customs trade between North Korea and China is imminent with the recent ban on the use of foreign currency,” a resident of the north-western province of North Pyongan told RFA’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

“This is because in the past, ahead of periods of increased trade between North Korea and China, the authorities had to manoeuvre foreign currency out by issuing a ban.”

The exercise to collect foreign currency from the residents aims to secure enough of it for when trade with China completely resumes, likely later this year, a North Korean escapee who once worked as the head of a military unit that dealt with foreign currency, told RFA on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The North Korean government would be unable to confiscate all the foreign currency from the people because they would never cooperate,tThe former unit leader, who settled in South Korea in 2016 quoted by RFA as saying.

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Updated Date: April 08, 2023 16:50:02 IST

7. North Korea defector tells of escape and reveals what life is really like in secretive state

North Korea defector tells of escape and reveals what life is really like in secretive state

The man known as David tells Sky News how his father disappeared without a trace and his mother was tortured in a labour camp - as he provides a rare insight into life in North Korea since the COVID pandemic.

Helen-Ann Smith

Asia correspondent @HelenAnnSmith0

Friday 7 April 2023 19:21, UK

Sky News

For David, the streets of Seoul are a much longed for safe haven.

To the casual observer, there is nothing out of the ordinary about him.

He is a slight man, softly spoken, dressed in baggy jeans and wide glasses that are fashionable in South Korea.

But his story and what he has been through to get here are utterly remarkable.

He is a North Korean defector, one of the very few to have escaped the DPRK (Democratic Republic of Korea) within the last few years.

"My mother bribed the soldier beforehand," he tells me as he gestures on a map to where he crossed the border north into China.

"The river was frozen solid. I remember walking maybe 15 minutes to 20 minutes across the ice.

"I remember shivering after crossing the river and climbing over the fence that the Chinese guards had set up."

For the safety of his relatives that remain in North Korea, we can't tell you exactly when or exactly how he left. Any specific identifying detail could result in harsh punishments for his loved ones.

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But his stories from inside are astonishing and offer a rare glimpse into what life has been like there since the pandemic struck.

Father disappeared without a trace

His childhood, it seems, was a relatively normal one in DPRK terms - helping from a young age to tend the fields and attending school when he could.

But everything changed shortly after his father suddenly disappeared without a trace.

"It wasn't until about a year later when he got in touch with us that I realised he had fled to the south," he explains.

"He contacted my mother via telephone. What we didn't realise was that the North Korean state political security department had been tapping our landline. As a result, our mother was sent away to the labour camp."

Initially, he was allowed to visit his mother every three months in detention, and he describes what he saw there as shocking.

"The amount of food provided in these detention centres is pitifully little," he says.

"Prisoners receive around 20 to 30 kernels of corn each meal, which is obviously not enough for a person to survive on, so I packed a lunch when I went to visit her.

Image: The pandemic has made North Korea all but impenetrable

"My mother's body had shrunk to half her original size in the three months she had been in detention. My eyes filled with tears the moment I saw her; she was so dishevelled and gaunt that I didn't recognise her initially.

"They also beat the women in prison. Mother's eyes were swollen to bits and there were bruises everywhere. I wept when I saw her wounds."

Mother tortured

David was just a child at this time but he was left to fend for himself and his siblings. He says he left school and tried to make ends meet, working in the fields and logging in the winter, but also stole food to survive.

He took what little he could to his mother.

"My mother said that if the inmates' families didn't visit them in prison, they would starve to death from malnutrition," he explains.

"She said tens of people died every day from malnutrition. She even said that people would die in the middle of meals.

"To dispose of the corpses, she said they folded them at the waist and put them in sacks.

"Afterwards, the corpses were buried near the fences of the prison. Also, because the graves weren't very deep, the stench of the corpses would come up from the ground in the spring when it became warmer."

His mother described to him the torture she faced, being made to sit for up to 17 hours and beaten if they moved as much as a finger.

Image: A military parade in Pyongyang in February

She also described how inmates whose families did not have the means to bring extra food or bribe the guards would have a life expectancy of just three to four years.

David's stories matter because recent testimony from inside North Korea is very rare indeed.

The pandemic has made this already secretive state all but impenetrable.

Policy to shoot anyone trying to cross border

In the 2010s, around 1,000 people a year successfully defected from North Korea - the vast majority crossing the northern border with China before seeking asylum in a third country.

But a combination of the strict closed-border policy implemented by both China and the DPRK, plus a new policy to shoot anyone trying to cross, means that in 2022 that number had plummeted to just 67.

It means that not much is known about how the country fared amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is mounting evidence that it further strangled an already dysfunctional economy, bringing fresh waves of shortage and suffering.

"The borders were sealed off out of fear that the pandemic would come from outside North Korea. No one was allowed to go near the border," says David.

"All the trade routes were effectively closed down. We depended heavily on smuggled goods from China in order to survive.

"I've heard from my relative that more people are starving, and prices are rising. They say it has become even more difficult to live."

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Indeed, many think it's likely people have died due to a lack of food in recent years.

"I'd say [it's a] chronic economic crisis, not acute. It's just an ongoing, bad situation economically," says Chad O'Carroll, the founder of NK News.

What is the situation in North Korea now?

He and his team try to analyse what is going on in North Korea. Since the pandemic, their sources have become fewer and more nervous, but there is a lot of evidence all is not well.

"I definitely think some people would be in serious health problems due to the food shortages," Mr O'Carroll says. He explains that there is evidence that the crisis is even biting the elites who live in the major cities.

"In Pyongyang and other major urban areas there has not been such significant shortages, but the diversification and nutritional value of the available food has significantly decreased," he says.

"So if you have a chronic health problem, if you're old, that could probably really push health conditions in a negative way.

"There's been very large scale mobilisations of people from all walks of life to get into the farms to get their hands dirty and help.

"We've got some sources that say middle, even senior elites in some cases, are having to do their part and helping the nation tackle this food shortage situation."

Breaking News

It is relatively unlikely that this latest crisis will cause major instability to the ruling Kim regime.

The propaganda machine has been in overdrive blaming the global pandemic and showing pictures of wide-scale deaths and hospitals in crisis elsewhere.

Indeed, the North Korean people are also no strangers to hardship.

Most agree the increased secrecy has been of real value to the DPRK's security services and will thus likely remain.

But for a nuclear-armed power so increasingly assertive internationally, the reality of life inside is still largely shrouded in mystery.

Sky News

8. Nimitz CSG, Makin Island ARG Conclude Drills with Japan, Korea; Japanese Forces Search for Downed Helo

Nimitz CSG, Makin Island ARG Conclude Drills with Japan, Korea; Japanese Forces Search for Downed Helo - USNI News

news.usni.org · by Dzirhan Mahadzir · April 7, 2023

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) steams in formation with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Asagiri-class destroyer JS Umigiri (DD 158), Republic of Korea (ROK) Great-class destroyer ROKS Yul Gok Yi (DDG 992), Chungmugong Yi Sun-Shin-class destroyers ROKS Dae Jo young (DDH 977) and ROKS Choi Young (DDH 981), So Yang-class fast combat support ship ROKS So Yang (AOE 51), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108) during a trilateral photo exercise on April 4, 2023. US Navy Photo

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group drilled with the Republic of Korea Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the East China Sea this week, while the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group wrapped up its participation in Exercise Ssang Yong 2023 in Korea. Meanwhile, search and rescue efforts are ongoing around Japan’s southwest islands for Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel aboard a JGSDF UH-60JA Blackhawk helicopter, which is believed to have crashed there on Thursday.

From Monday to Tuesday the Nimitz CSG – including USS Nimitz (CVN- 68) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, destroyers USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108) – conducted combined operations with ROKN destroyers ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG-992), ROKS Dae Joyeong (DDH-977) and ROKS Choe Yeong (DDH-981), replenishment ship ROKS Soyang (AOE-51) and JMSDF destroyer JS Umigiri (DD-158). The combined operations included anti-submarine warfare exercises, search and rescue drills, and staff embarkations, according to a. U.S. Navy news release issued on Tuesday.

“The U.S., Japan, and Korea are three maritime nations who share a vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific by working together to develop mutual trust, partnership, and capability,” Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, said in the release. “Participation in exercises like these are a tangible symbol of a shared goal in ensuring regional stability and economic well-being for all nations.”

The anti-submarine warfare training in the trilateral drills comes six months after a previous drill in September 2022, according to a Monday news release from the Korean Ministry of National Defense. The goal of the drills was to improve the three countries’ response capabilities to underwater threats like North Korean submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The countries used the U.S. and ROKN navies’ MK 39 Expendable Mobile Anti-Submarine Warfare Training Target (EMATT) for the drills.

The Nimitz CSG left the ROK port of Busan on Sunday, having docked there on March 28 for a port visit. Umigiri and the Nimitz CSG, with cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) rejoining the CSG at th at point, conducted tactical exercises from Tuesday to Thursday in the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, according to a Thursday news release from the JMSDF.

This week, the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group – made up of USS Makin Island (LHD-8), USS Anchorage (LPD-23) and USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26) and the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit – wrapped up Exercise Ssang Yong 2023 with a closing ceremony in Busan. The amphibious and naval drills between the Makin Island ARG and the ROKN and the ROK Marine Corps began on March 23 and involved 28,000 Korean and U.S. sailors and marines, 30 warships, 70 aircraft and 50 amphibious assault vehicles, according to a news release Makin Island. The ARG’s flagship subsequently dropped into Sasebo for a port visit before departing on Wednesday, according to a U.S. Navy news release issued that day.

USS Makin Island (LHD-8) stands moored with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships during a scheduled port visit at Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo April 5, 2023. US Navy Photo

A detachment from the United Kingdom’s Royal Marines Commandoes also joined in the exercise. The Royal Marine Commandoes will conduct further deployments throughout the Indo- Pacific following their participation in Ssang Yong 2023, the U.K. Royal Navy announced.

Their role in the exercise “..comes ahead of further deployments of Royal Marines across the Indo-Pacific – including exercises in Australia this summer – as part of ongoing Royal Navy efforts in the strategically important region, where the security situation is often challenging and complex,” reads a statement from the RN.

Over the last year, Royal Marines have been attached to the 13th MEU, according to the release. Their time in Australia is likely to include participation in the Australia-U.S amphibious and naval joint exercise Talisman Sabre slated for July 21 through Aug. 4. That exercise will likely include participation from partners and allies of both countries. The commanding officer of 40 Cdo, Lt. Col. Oliver Denning, visited the JGSDF Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade on Tuesday, according to the ARDB’s social media.

Offshore patrol ships HMS Tamar (P233) and HMS Spey (P234) have been on a long-term deployment across the vast region since late 2021, working with island communities and forging deeper bonds with allies and partners, according to the RN release. Tamar is currently conducting engagement activities in India, while Spey arrived in Darwin, Australia on Monday for engagements there.

Meanwhile search operations are ongoing around Miyako Island for 10 missing JGSDF personnel aboard a UH-60JA Blackhawk helicopter, which is believed to have crashed on Thursday. Among the missing personnel included the commander of the JGSDF’s 8th Division, Lt. Gen. Yuichi Sakamoto.

In a Friday morning press conference, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the helicopter disappeared from radar at 3:56 p.m. local time on Thursday while flying around Miyako Island. On the day of the accident, four Self-Defense Force aircraft, three naval vessels and a Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel conducted a search. Around 6:30 p.m., a Coast Guard patrol vessel discovered what appeared to be aircraft equipment.

Two Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels, eight SDF aircrafts and four JCG ships are now reportedly searching the area, while the JCG has released photos showing recovered aircraft debris and unused lifeboats from the missing helicopter. The JGSDF has grounded all its UH-60JA helicopters following the accident. Japan has been steadily increasing its military presence and activities in the southwestern islands due to China’s increasing activities in the waters there, with the Miyako Strait serving as a regular transit route between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean for People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships. Japan’s increased military activity also comes amid China’s ongoing claims and activities around the disputed Senkaku islands held by Japan.

Dongdiao class intelligence ship Beijixing on April 5, 2023. JMSDF Photo

The Joint Staff Office (JSO) of Japan’s Ministry of Defense issued two releases on Thursday about the movement of PLAN ships around Japan. On Wednesday at 10 p.m., the JMSDF sighted PLAN frigate CNS Anyang (599) sailing northwest in an area 50 miles south of Yonaguni Island, with the PLAN frigate subsequently sailing north in the waters between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan. It was then sighted on Thursday sailing north in an area 50 miles west of Uotsuri Island. A JMSDF P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) of Fleet Air Wing 1 based at JMSDF Kanoya Air Base, Kyushu and a JMSDF P-3C Orion of Fleet Air Wing 5 based at Naha Air Base, Okinawa monitored the PLAN frigate, according to the release, which also noted that Anyang sailed south through the Miyako Strait on Monday.

On Wednesday at 11 p.m., PLAN Dongdiao-class intelligence ship Beijixing was sighted south in an area 38 miles west of Kume Island and on Thursday transited the Miyako Strait to sail into the Pacific. Destroyer Umigiri, along with JMSDF P-1 MPA of Fleet Air Wing 1 Kyushu and a JMSDF P-3C Orion of Fleet Air Wing 5 shadowed the PLAN ship, according to the release.

Meanwhile, in Australia, amphibious assault ship HMAS Canberra (L02) returned to Townsville on March 31 after completing Operation Vanuatu Assist 23, the Australian government’s operation to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and reconstruction support to Vanuatu following tropical cyclones there. Canberra had been operating in Vanuatu since March 5.

Related

news.usni.org · by Dzirhan Mahadzir · April 7, 2023

9. South Korea would like to upgrade its partnership with India, focus on trade, investment: Foreign Minister Park Jin

South Korea would like to upgrade its partnership with India, focus on trade, investment: Foreign Minister Park Jin

theprint.in · by ANI · April 7, 2023

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South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (Photo/ANI)

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New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI): South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on Friday said the country would like to upgrade its existing successful partnership with India and focus on trade, investment and supply chain stabilization in manufacturing sector and also critical minerals.

Jin said he will be holding a meeting with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to further promote India-South Korea partnership.

“Commemorating half a century of our diplomatic relationship, we would like to upgrade our existing successful partnership with India. So, I’m going to meet with my counterpart S Jaishankar, the Foreign Minister of India to discuss our efforts, joint efforts to promote our partnership and to explore possibilities in deepening and widening our cooperation,” the South Korean Foreign Affairs Minister told ANI.

“Important area of special attention is of course trade, investment and supply chain stabilization in the areas of manufacturing sector and also critical minerals. Also in the area of science and technology, South Korea and India have a lot to cooperate with each other such as artificial intelligence, big data, biotechnology and space exploration. So, there is a whole range of possible areas for cooperation,” Jin said.

Park Jin is currently on a two-day official visit to India starting Friday. His visit to India comes as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

“This year, Korea and India mark the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relationship. It’s half a century. So, I’m very happy to visit India this time to celebrate this special milestone in our bilateral relationship,” the South Korean foreign minister told ANI.

He said India is a very important country in South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy. “South Korea wants to play its roles and responsibilities to contribute to freedom, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. In that sense, India is our essential partner and close affinity between our two countries dates back 2000 years,” Jin said.

“India and South Korea have mutual interest and also mutual possibilities of our greater cooperation for the future. We are now living in a very challenging time. For example, the supply chain disruptions and the global technological competition and COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and climate crisis and all these common challenges cannot be solved by one country alone. And we need cooperation among the countries that have core values like democracy, free markets, human rights and rural law. India is such an important country to Korea in that sense,” he added.

The South Korean Foreign Minister said that based on our 50 years of successful partnership, we should move forward to the future together.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Friday welcomed South Korea’s Foreign Affairs Minister Park Jin to India, said his visit will help strengthen India-South Korea Strategic Partnership.

“A warm welcome to FM @FMParkJin of Republic of Korea on his first official visit to India,” Bagchi tweeted on Friday.

“As India-South Korea celebrate 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the visit will strengthen our Special Strategic Partnership,” the tweet further read. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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theprint.in · by ANI · April 7, 2023

10. S. Korea to hold necessary discussions with U.S. after CIA eavesdropping report

​It took a day or so but here is the South Korean response. A measured one I think.  

I do not want to play "whataboutism" but we were caught only doing what everyone else does - all countries try to gain information (they want "information superiority") to support their decision making and to influence friends, partners, and allies.  

All countries need to consider their glass houses when they throw stones (which I think South Korea is as it considers its response to this terrible incident).

S. Korea to hold necessary discussions with U.S. after CIA eavesdropping report | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 유지호 · April 9, 2023

SEOUL, April 9 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office said Sunday it will hold necessary discussions with the United States following a U.S. report accusing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of intercepting South Korean government communications regarding aid to Ukraine in war with Russia.

In a report published Saturday in the U.S. (local time), the New York Times said some parts of the CIA documents, posted on a social media chat platform Discord, detailed South Korea's "internal debates about whether to give the U.S. artillery shells for use in Ukraine, violating Seoul's policy on providing lethal aid."

In this AFP photo, a Ukrainian Special Forces Serviceman fires a weapon during a training exercise in the Donetsk region on April 6, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Yonhap)

The newspaper noted South Korean officials were concerned that U.S. President Joe Biden would pressure President Yoon Suk Yeol to come through and that the U.S. learned about South Korean deliberations through "a signals intelligence report." It's a term used by spy agencies to describe intercepted communications, from phone calls to electronic messages, according to the New York Times.

In a press briefing Sunday, a presidential official said, "We will review precedents and instances involving other countries, and come up with our response accordingly."

The official said South Korea has not yet decided on whether to supply Ukraine with weaponry.

"There is no change to our government's basic stance on Ukraine," the official said, referring to South Korea's stated focus on providing humanitarian aid, rather than lethal weapons.

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 유지호 · April 9, 2023​

11. North continues to ghost South as it tests undersea drone

None of this is unprecedented. When viewed in the larger context the regime is acting within its historic playbook. Sure the "undersea drone" is something new but the north has always pursued new technology and weapons.

We must try to discern what these actions mean and what Kim is trying to achieve. Frankly I think the answers to these two strategic questions are no:

• Do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the seven decades old strategy of subversion, coercion-extortion (blackmail diplomacy), and use of force to achieve unification dominated by the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State in order to ensure the survival of the mafia like crime family cult known as Kim family regime?
• In support of that strategy do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the objective to split the ROK/US Alliance and get US forces off the peninsula? Has KJU given up his divide to conquer strategy - divide the alliance to conquer the ROK?

Sunday

April 9, 2023

 dictionary + A - A 

North continues to ghost South as it tests undersea drone

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/09/national/northKorea/korea-north-korea-pyongyang/20230409174722801.html

00:0004:33

A photo that ran in North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun and aired by Korean Central Television on Saturday shows the regime testing an “underwater nuclear attack drone” called Haeil-2 last week. [YONHAP]

North Korea didn’t respond to routine calls from the South over the weekend, heightening tensions on the peninsula amid reports that it conducted another underwater nuclear drone test.

South Korea’s military said Sunday that the North did not answer its calls through the military hotlines installed near the Yellow Sea and East Sea for the third consecutive day.

Two calls are placed each day, at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

A separate inter-Korean hotline managed by the South’s Ministry of Unification does not operate on weekends, but the North didn’t respond to calls via the line on Friday.

Two calls are placed each weekday, at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

A Unification Ministry said Sunday the government would see whether the North responds on Monday and consider taking measures.

An official at the South’s Ministry of National Defense said it was leaving open the possibility of both technical malfunctions and intentional response denials.

North Korea has a long history of severing communication with the South, but this marks the first time during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration that the calls on the hotlines have gone unanswered.

In the past, Pyongyang refused to pick up the phone while slamming Seoul about its combined military exercise with the United States or its anti-North Korea activists sending propaganda leaflets across the border.

On June 16, 2020, Pyongyang blew up the Inter-Korean Liaison Office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, a week after it severed communication with the South in protest to the South Korean activists sending the leaflets.

Experts say North Korea could be declining calls from the South due to the recent massive combined military exercise with the United States or its co-sponsorship of a North Korean human rights resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Another possible reason can be traced to the Unification Ministry's call on the North last Thursday to stop the unauthorized use of South Korean assets, including buses, left at the jointly run Kaesong Industrial Complex, which was shut down in 2016.

An unresponsive regime comes as the North’s state media said Saturday that it carried out an “underwater strategic weapon” test last week.

Pyongyang’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, ran an article on the second page of its Saturday issue saying that its “underwater nuclear attack drone,” called Haeil-2, traveled undersea for 71 hours and six minutes from last Tuesday to Friday before accurately hitting its target, where the “test warhead” detonated.

According to the report, the drone started from Kajin Port in Kumya County, South Hamgyong Province on Tuesday afternoon and cruised 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) in elliptical courses and patterns of the number “8.”

Three days later, it arrived in the waters off Ryongdae Port of Tanchon, South Hamgyong Province, read the article.

“The test perfectly proved the reliability of the underwater strategic weapons system and its fatal attack ability,” according to an English-language article uploaded to the newspaper's website.

“The system will serve as an advantageous and prospective military potential of the armed forces of the DPRK essential for containing all evolving military actions of enemies, removing threats and defending the country.”

DPRK is short for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Pyongyang’s latest underwater drone test comes only a week after it tested what it called the Haeil-1 on March 27. Just three days before that, it tested the Haeil.

Haeil is Korean for tsunami.

“North Korea is naming its underwater nuclear weapons just like how it did for its cruise missiles Hwasal-1 and Hwasal-2,” said Shin Jong-woo, secretary general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum.

Shin said it appeared Haeil-2 was a larger version of Haeil-1, given that Haeil-2 traveled longer than Haeil-1. 

Shin said the North seemed to have revealed an advanced underwater nuclear weapon in response to the South Korean military’s remarks about being able to detect Pyongyang’s underwater infiltration capabilities.

More provocations from the North are likely in the coming days, as North Korean founder Kim Il Sung's birthday, the largest holiday in the North that is also known as the Day of the Sun, falls on the upcoming Saturday.

Pyongyang has also warned of launching a reconnaissance satellite later this month.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [[email protected]]

12. Why is North Korea not responding to inter-Korean military hotline calls?

With all due respect it is easy to predict that there will be future provocations.

Why is North Korea not responding to inter-Korean military hotline calls?

The Korea Times · April 9, 2023

A South Korean government worker makes a call to North Korea via a military hotline in this July 27, 2021 file photo. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense 

Communication line shutdown could be prelude to additional provocations

By Nam Hyun-woo

North Korea has not responded to scheduled inter-Korean calls via a military hotline for the third day in a row, Sunday, in what seems to be a form of protest against Seoul's recent military drills and criticism of human rights in the North.

Experts said the shutdown of communication lines could be a build-up to Pyongyang staging additional provocations, given the previous pattern the regime has shown. But it remains uncertain what means the North may resort to.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the North did not answer two hotline calls scheduled for Sunday morning and the afternoon, extending its silence for the third day.

The two Koreas are supposed to hold calls twice a day ― 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ― via military hotlines set up across the border. The North has stopped answering calls from the military communication lines since Friday.

The North also did not respond to Seoul's calls via an inter-Korean liaison hotline on Friday. The liaison office hotline does not operate during weekends.

In the past, North Korea did not respond to routine calls several times due to technical issues. This time, however, it is speculated that the North is snubbing the calls on purpose because both military and liaison communication lines became unresponsive simultaneously.

Due to this, the North's apparent refusal to respond to the calls is seen as a form of protest against Seoul's joint military exercises with the U.S. and Japan and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's criticism of human rights conditions in the North.

On Sunday, Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda outlet, reported that recent South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises are "a risky militaristic gamble having no odds of winning," mentioning the Ssangyong (double dragon) landing exercise and a joint air drill involving a U.S. B-52H bomber. The report also criticized a trilateral anti-North Korea submarine drill between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.

Seoul's recent criticism of human rights conditions in North Korea is also considered a reason for Pyongyang's silence.

On March 31, the South Korean government revealed the "2023 Report on North Korean Human Rights" and described that North Koreans are not guaranteed their civil, political, economic and cultural rights.

South Korea has been producing the report each year since 2017 under its North Korean Human Rights Act, but this was the first time that it was revealed to the public.

Upon publishing the report, Yoon said in multiple meetings with his aides, "It is very important to inform the public about the grim reality of human rights in North Korea" and added that Seoul should "make efforts for the practical implementation of the North Korean Human Rights Act."

This photo provided by the North Korean government shows the demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office building in Kaesong, North Korea, June 16, 2020. AP-Yonhap 

Against this backdrop, North Korea's failure to respond through the military hotline is being interpreted as a preparatory step towards further provocations.

On June 9, 2020, the North cut all communication lines with the South after denouncing South Korean activists for sending anti-North leaflets across the border. In response, it blew up a joint liaison office in the North's Kaesong just seven days later.

"In 2020, the North was quite clear about the reasons it was angry and Kim Yo-jong (North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister) elaborated on the context," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.

"But this time, the North has yet to clarify what made the regime cut the hotlines, although we can assume that it was due to the recent joint military exercise between South Korea and the U.S. and the repeated references to the North Korean human rights issue."

Park said the previous pattern hints at how the North may stage a new provocation, but it will not likely be a nuclear test, because it is one of the ultimate options that the regime may choose under the current security dynamics.

A day earlier, the North claimed that it tested the Haeil-2, a new type of underwater drone "capable of carrying a nuclear warhead." On March 28, the North released photos of the Hwasan-31 nuclear warheads, claiming that they can be mounted on submersible vehicles.

The Korea Times · April 9, 2023

13. Apple at heart of US-China selective decoupling, US lawmaker says

Excerpts:

The Biden administration has been working on a programme that would restrict investments in some sectors of China’s economy and require reporting on other areas, but those plans have yet to be finalised.

Mr Gallagher said he doesn’t see Congress acting on legislation on outbound investments until lawmakers see what the administration has planned.

The one exception to the selective decoupling scenario is if China does decide to take military action against Taiwan, in which case all bets are off, Mr Gallagher said.

“I think there’s still a tendency for people to discount the likelihood of a kinetic confrontation with China over Taiwan,” he said. “We still have questions we want to ask these companies and this was the beginning of a much broader and longer line of effort for the Select Committee.”

Apple at heart of US-China selective decoupling, US lawmaker says

By CUE The Straits Times2 min

April 8, 2023

View Original

Representative Mike Gallagher is the chairman of a House committee focused on US-China competition. PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON – Apple Inc. and Walt-Disney Co. are among US businesses that will face the steepest challenges in a “selective decoupling” from China, a key lawmaker said after a series of meetings with executives and experts in Hollywood and Silicon Valley this week.

Representative Mike Gallagher, the chairman of a House committee focused on US-China competition, met with Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook and Disney CEO Bob Iger as part of a three-day trip through California to learn more about how companies are navigating the tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

“Apple’s at the heart of what is the most complex aspect of this competition, which is companies that have a massive presence in China are going to have to deal with the fact that some form of selective economic decoupling is inevitable,” Mr Gallagher said in a phone interview. “It’s going to continue.”

Mr Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, and his Democratic counterpart, Mr Raja Krishnamoorthi, led a group of about a half dozen lawmakers through a jam-packed programme filled with meetings with tech and entertainment executives.

The agenda included a lunch with Mr Cook and executives from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Microsoft Corp. and Palantir Technologies Inc., and dinner with about a dozen prominent venture capitalists, including Mr Marc Andreessen and Mr Vinod Khosla. 

Lawmakers also met with Mr Iger and other Hollywood executives to discuss concerns over US entertainment companies censoring their content for the Chinese market. The trip was part of an effort by lawmakers on the newly created committee to get outside of Washington, DC, and to hear from the private sector.

Mr Gallagher said that despite the recent tensions – including military manoeuvres by China in response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to New York and California – he doesn’t see a total break from China in the near future. Instead, there will be “selective decoupling” that would see some supply chains of sensitive materials gradually moved out of China, a process he acknowledges is complicated and costly for companies.

He said that in his conversations with industry executives, most want “bright clear lines from the government” around which areas of the Chinese economy they should stay away from. 

There was “near unanimous” support for outbound investment restrictions on investments in Chinese-developed artificial intelligence, Mr Gallagher said, as well as curbs on investments in other key areas such as quantum computing, bioengineering, advanced semiconductors and other technologies that could be used for military purposes.

The Biden administration has been working on a programme that would restrict investments in some sectors of China’s economy and require reporting on other areas, but those plans have yet to be finalised.

Mr Gallagher said he doesn’t see Congress acting on legislation on outbound investments until lawmakers see what the administration has planned.

The one exception to the selective decoupling scenario is if China does decide to take military action against Taiwan, in which case all bets are off, Mr Gallagher said.

“I think there’s still a tendency for people to discount the likelihood of a kinetic confrontation with China over Taiwan,” he said. “We still have questions we want to ask these companies and this was the beginning of a much broader and longer line of effort for the Select Committee.” BLOOMBERG

14. [Column] Korea finds voice on democracy, human rights

Excerpts:

That is why it is so encouraging that the Yoon government released a detailed report on human rights violations in North Korea last week. These reports were prepared by the government since 2018 but the previous Moon government classified them — not because the sources and methods were secret, but because the Blue House did not want to upset Pyongyang. As President Yoon Suk Yeol said, he took a different tack because:” the reality of the appalling human rights violations against the North Korean people must be fully revealed to the international community.” The detailed and gruesome accounts of brutal torture and execution in the report will have exactly that impact on world opinion.

The Yoon administration is also putting Korea back on the map in the international debate about democracy. Where the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations played important roles in hosting the Summit of Democracy, the Moon government was largely quiet on that front. Indeed, progressive scholars of democracy like Shin Gi-wook at Stanford published work critical of the way that Moon’s government was using soft tools of democratic repression borrowed from earlier authoritarian leaders on the right. This, too, was a lost opportunity for Korea and Asia. In my own travels to Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar, I found that the model for successful democratization is not the United States or Japan — it is Korea. There is much to attract both non-governmental activists and reform-minded government officials to the Korean precedent because democratization resulted in both wealth and a strong and respected military establishment. It was, therefore, a promising development that last week the Yoon government also co-hosted the second (virtual) Summit for Democracy launched by President Joe Biden in 2022. The Biden administration had come under some criticism for framing the earlier summit as a democracy-versus-authoritarianism grouping. The decision to not invite important strategic players like Thailand and Singapore did not go over well with U.S. Asian allies like Japan and Australia. But Korea had the credibility this year to bridge the Asian-Atlantic divide and reforge consensus on the universality of democratic norms to successful states and peaceful and prosperous regional orders.

Sunday

April 9, 2023

 dictionary + A - A 

[Column] Korea finds voice on democracy, human rights

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/09/opinion/columns/human-rights-North-Korea-South-Korea/20230409195945025.html

Michael Green

The author is CEO of the U.S. Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and Henry A. Kissinger Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

One of the most puzzling aspects of politics in Korea for Americans is the way that progressives who once fought the hardest for human rights in South Korea are often least willing to fight for human rights in North Korea. President George W. Bush was so perplexed by this dynamic that he asked President Kim Dae-jung in the Blue House in February 2002 how President Kim — who almost died for democracy and once famously took on Lee Kuan Yew in the pages of Foreign Affairs to champion democracy in Asia — was so silent on the horrors occurring north of the DMZ. President Kim paused for a moment and then asked everybody to leave the room. For the next 40 minutes, he explained to President Bush that his greatest desire was to bring hope to the people in the North. But he then said that his path to do so was through reconciliation and dialogue with the regime rather than through confrontation. It was so passionate and heartfelt that Bush believed his sincerity and came away far more impressed with Kim than he had been before the meeting.

But if Kim retained his passion for restoring human dignity to those suffering in the North, subsequent progressive governments seem to have lost it. The so-called “386 Generation” that came into power with President Roh Moo-hyun had no such passion and viewed the authoritarian governments in the South as the real enemy, often ignoring the horrific human rights abuses in the North, which many around President Roh had once dismissed as fabrications used by the Park, Chun and Noh governments to suppress the rights of democracy advocates in the South. That criticism of the previous authoritarian governments in Seoul was not completely wrong, but the way so many intellectuals around Roh turned a blind eye to the suffering in the North was difficult to excuse. The Moon Jae-in administration struck me as having much less passion for democracy in either the North or the South and seemed fixated instead on diplomacy with Pyongyang. Human rights concerns were seen by Moon’s Blue House as a distraction from their dream of a Kim Jong-un visit to the South and the signing of a historic peace agreement of some kind.

As a result, Korea lost its proper voice on democracy and human rights. And Korea’s voice matters. When the United States highlights human rights abuses in North Korea by itself, Pyongyang ignores American entreaties. Japan’s joining in the fray since 2002 has offered little more leverage, given North Korea’s animosity to Tokyo. But when Europe and other parts of the world spotlight human rights abuses in North Korea, Pyongyang and its patron China find it much more difficult to simply claim that everyone in the North is very happy (which is what North Korean senior negotiator Kim Kye-kwan told me in Pyongyang in 2002 when I was asked to raise these issues by President Bush). When Seoul is not willing to speak out on human rights, in other words, much of the world stays silent. But when Seoul leads, the world follows.

That is why it is so encouraging that the Yoon government released a detailed report on human rights violations in North Korea last week. These reports were prepared by the government since 2018 but the previous Moon government classified them — not because the sources and methods were secret, but because the Blue House did not want to upset Pyongyang. As President Yoon Suk Yeol said, he took a different tack because:” the reality of the appalling human rights violations against the North Korean people must be fully revealed to the international community.” The detailed and gruesome accounts of brutal torture and execution in the report will have exactly that impact on world opinion.

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopts a resolution on North Korea’s human rights violations through consensus without voting at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. [UNITED NATIONS TV]

The Yoon administration is also putting Korea back on the map in the international debate about democracy. Where the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations played important roles in hosting the Summit of Democracy, the Moon government was largely quiet on that front. Indeed, progressive scholars of democracy like Shin Gi-wook at Stanford published work critical of the way that Moon’s government was using soft tools of democratic repression borrowed from earlier authoritarian leaders on the right. This, too, was a lost opportunity for Korea and Asia. In my own travels to Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar, I found that the model for successful democratization is not the United States or Japan — it is Korea. There is much to attract both non-governmental activists and reform-minded government officials to the Korean precedent because democratization resulted in both wealth and a strong and respected military establishment. It was, therefore, a promising development that last week the Yoon government also co-hosted the second (virtual) Summit for Democracy launched by President Joe Biden in 2022. The Biden administration had come under some criticism for framing the earlier summit as a democracy-versus-authoritarianism grouping. The decision to not invite important strategic players like Thailand and Singapore did not go over well with U.S. Asian allies like Japan and Australia. But Korea had the credibility this year to bridge the Asian-Atlantic divide and reforge consensus on the universality of democratic norms to successful states and peaceful and prosperous regional orders.

This week in Sydney, I will host the third annual meeting of the Sunnylands Initiative focused on reinforcing democratic resilience in the Indo-Pacific. Our group of thought leaders from the United States, Australia, Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, and the rest of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands will build on prior meetings held in Sunnylands, California and Odawara, Japan. Korea’s hosting of the Democracy Summit and recent report on human rights will give a great boost to the participants, who include prominent Korean scholars of democracy such as Prof. Lee Sook-jong at the East Asia Institute, Sungkyunkwan University.

But it is not just scholars and policymakers who will take encouragement from Korea’s renewed voice on democracy and human rights. I suspect that someday we will hear from former political prisoners in North Korea or other parts of Asia on how Seoul’s clear stand gave them the courage to persevere until history vindicated their stand against dictators.

15. Korea to 'consult' with US over alleged wiretapping of national security office

Wiretapping? I do not think there is any evidence of wiretapping.

Korea to 'consult' with US over alleged wiretapping of national security office

koreaherald.com · by Shin Ji-hye · April 9, 2023

Serhii (35) and Andrii (29), Ukrainian snipers with the 1st Tank Brigade, rush to their vehicle prior to a mission amid Russia's attack on Ukraine at the frontline near Donetsk, Ukraine, on April 8. (Reuter)

The South Korean presidential office said on Sunday it “will have necessary consultations with the US side” following a high-profile American media report that the US intelligence services had wiretapped the Korean government regarding its arms support for Ukraine.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that a significant amount of classified documents from the US Department of Defense were leaked on social media. At least two of the documents contained internal discussions of the Korean government about whether to give the US artillery shells for use in Ukraine, violating Seoul’s policy on providing lethal weapons aid. Korean officials expressed concern that US President Joe Biden may call and pressure Seoul to deliver the goods.

Citing secret Pentagon documents leaked through social media, the NYT reported that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's former secretary for foreign affairs, Yi Mun-hui, informed his boss and former national security adviser Kim Sung-han of a concern that the US may not be the final recipient of ammunition. Both Kim and his subordinate stepped down last month for unclear reasons.

It is not the first time that the US has been accused of wiretapping foreign governments. In 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked the US to explain the alleged wiretapping of European politicians.

The presidential office held a meeting presided over by Cho Tae-yong, the new head of the National Security Office, on Sunday to review the contents of the NYT report and discuss countermeasures, according to Yonhap News Agency. President Yoon Suk Yeol also ordered a close examination of the issue.

When asked by Korean reporters about the report, a senior official from the presidential office said on Sunday on condition of anonymity that the government “will take a look at countermeasures by reviewing past precedents and cases in other countries.”

When asked specifically about the Korean government's support for ammunition to Ukraine, which was included among the details of the US wiretapping report, the senior official declined to comment, saying that it “has been reported, but not confirmed,” and added there is “no change” in the country’s position over the Ukraine war.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (left) shakes hands with US President Joe Biden at a summit held at a hotel in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, on Nov. 13 last year. (Yonhap)

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, the US and NATO have been pressuring the Korean government to provide weapons to Ukraine. The Korean government has consistently maintained that it can send humanitarian and economic aid, but not lethal weapons.

Multiple news reports from the US indicate that South Korea has supplied the US with approximately 200,000 units of 15 mm artillery ammunition intended for Ukraine.

“The issue of aid to Ukraine is not a matter of right or wrong. Indeed, morally we should support it, but it is difficult because of our relationship with Russia,” said Shin Yool, a professor of political science at Myongji University.

“However, the issue of wiretapping is different,” Shin said. “Wiretapping is illegal and cannot be justified in the name of an alliance. If it is true that the US wiretapped Korea, South Korea should get an apology from the US.”

By Shin Ji-hye ([email protected])

koreaherald.com · by Shin Ji-hye · April 9, 2023

​16. Why K-pop's future is in crisis, according to its chief guardian

Why K-pop's future is in crisis, according to its chief guardian

NPR · by By · April 8, 2023

Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of HYBE, speaks during a debate hosted by the Kwanhun Club in Seoul, South Korea, on March 15. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean pop has quickly grown into a global phenomenon, and its popularity seems to only expand. But a leading figure of the industry says K-pop "is in crisis."

Bang Si-hyuk, who chief produces the megahit group BTS, gave the assessment in a rare press conference last month. He said K-pop's business growth has slowed or even turned negative in some markets.

This trend is especially concerning, he said, because K-pop is yet to have an economy of scale. Despite the explosive growth both in business and cultural impact in recent years, major K-pop companies account for only 2% of global music record and streaming sales, according to Bang.

"K-pop exports hit a new high last year," says Kim Jin-woo, the head researcher at Circle Chart, one of the most influential Korean popular music charts. "But nevertheless, there are signs of slowdown."

South Korean customs data shows that K-pop album exports last year exceeded $230 million, marking a 4.8% growth from the previous year. That figure is dwarfed by previous years' growth — 62.1% in 2021 and 82.6% in 2020.

Kim says the slowdown is noticeable in some of the most important markets. The U.S. share of total K-pop album imports has remained at 17% for two years. The United States is the third-largest importer of K-pop albums after Japan and China. And in Southeast Asia, album sales dropped in all major countries other than Vietnam last year.

BTS' break is seen as a big factor

While it is difficult to determine the reasons for the downtrend — which could vary by country — Kim agrees with Bang that BTS' hiatus as a group is a main one.

The seven-member band announced a break last June to fulfill mandatory military service and has since focused on solo projects.

But Bang and experts also say that there are bigger troubles than the group's absence.

Visitors pose with cardboard cutouts of K-pop group BTS members at a tourist information center in Seoul on June 15, 2022. Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images

As the first Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart and to grab Grammy Awards nominations, BTS has achieved unprecedented success, especially in the United States.

"The biggest influence of BTS is that they increased K-pop's dependency on the overseas market and made it truly a part of the global popular music market," says Lee Gyu-tag, an associate professor at George Mason University Korea who has studied the globalization of K-pop.

And they transformed the entire K-pop industry in their wake.

"We raised our bar so high," says music critic Kim Do-heon, about expectations for K-pop artists from both the industry and fans.

An increasing number of K-pop groups are going on Billboard charts and holding large-scale concerts overseas at a faster pace than BTS. But their achievements no longer receive the kind of nationwide attention and celebration that BTS did, in a sign that success in the global market is now almost anticipated of K-pop idols.

Critic Kim, however, says the K-pop industry lacks infrastructure and a system to continue to progress.

Problems range from unhealthy management structure of some major companies, to the regularized production system that can hinder originality, to treatment of artists' rights.

Even South Korea's declining population will make it harder for the industry to find new talents inside the country, Kim predicts.

And these issues may make Bang's diagnosis more evident in the near future, says Kim.

Professor Lee thinks a "transitional period" is a more fitting description for the current status of K-pop than a "crisis," with a new generation of artists emerging in BTS' absence.

K-pop pivots more ways than one

K-pop has a distinct "total management" system that is both credited for success and criticized. Companies recruit and train young talents into all-around performers and manage almost every aspect of artists' activities — records, stage performances, music videos, media appearances and so on.

And the role of owner/producer of major companies like SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment has long been crucial in shaping artists' styles and music.

But in recent years, companies like Bang's HYBE began to diversify and give more autonomy to producers.

"I think a generational shift is happening in K-pop not only of the owners but also the creators," says the critic Kim Do-heon.

Another change is happening in the way companies localize global business.

At least three groups, selected through auditions in the United States by Korean companies and their U.S. partners but trained in South Korea, are scheduled to debut in the U.S. later this year.

A similar model of artist development achieved considerable success in Japan, with the most prominent example being NiziU.

The girl group was created through an audition program jointly made by Sony Music Japan and JYP. All nine members are Japanese, and they mainly perform in Japan.

BLACKPINK performs onstage at the 2022 MTV VMAs at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Theo Wargo/Getty Images for MTV/Paramount Global

Circle Chart's Kim Jin-woo says the industry has now evolved from introducing artists already popular in South Korea to foreign audiences.

Kim says the nascent model of "combining K-pop's producing technology with foreign talents" will eventually move on to the next stage: non-Korean producers developing local artists in the K-pop model.

And that, he adds, is how K-pop "lives forever," as something anyone can recreate anywhere regardless of nationality.

Critic Kim Do-heon says such creation can be an ultimate symbol of K-pop's influence.

HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk also said in the press conference that he thinks "the letter K needs to be diluted" because K-pop is "a culture encompassing everything from fans, their consumption behaviors, production and industrial system" rather than a music genre.

Bang said he believes being free from the "K" identity will ironically help K-pop resolve the current crisis.

"K" is already fading from music by artists with bigger foreign following, such as South Korean girl group BLACKPINK, says Circle Chart analyst Kim, with some songs sounding indistinguishable from American pop songs.

Will, and can, K-pop go so far that it becomes disassociated from Korea at all?

Professor Lee Gyu-tag says the Koreanness, however it is defined, will survive.

"Just as hip-hop retains its identity as Black music even in the genre of Korean hip-hop," Lee says, "K-pop's identity as a Korean music genre will not disappear, even as it evolves into American K-pop or Japanese K-pop."

NPR · by By · April 8, 2023​

​17. Should We Sign a Peace Treaty with North Korea? (Podcast)

This is a very interesting podcast. It is worth the 45 minutes. There is only a slight comment about the headline question - it is not the main focus of the podcast.  And as Frank notes it is unlikely to ever come to pass in the current political environment as the senate would never have 2/3 in favor to ratify a treaty.

Jenny Town and Frank Aum lay out many ideas for how to engage north Korea and they provide critiques of many of our actions.

After listening to both of them and Victor Cha's questions I realize that my fundamental disagreement with Frank and Jenny is that we disagree about the fundamental nature of the Kim family regime, and its objectives, and strategy. In my opinion it seems that they believe it is possible that Kim Jong Un will negotiate and that he seek peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and will eventually be willing to reduce his nuclear program through disarmament (though they both emphasize that denuclearization is worthy goal and must be included in all strategies and policies to be accepted by the interagency and Congress). I of course believe Kim Jong Un is committed to his political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies with the objective to eventually unify the peninsula under northern domination and I believe we must deal with north Korea through that lens rather than the less pessimistic one used by Frank and Jenny (I will not call their lens optimistic because I do not think anyone is optimistic about north Korea).

But even though we disagree on the fundamentals there are a lot of interesting insights about Congress, the interagency, past history, exercises, and more. If you disagree with their views it is very much necessary to listen to them because their views represent many within the Korea watcher community.

Should We Sign a Peace Treaty with North Korea?

https://www.csis.org/podcasts/impossible-state/should-we-sign-peace-treaty-north-korea

In this episode, Dr. Victor Cha is joined by Ms. Jenny Town and Mr. Frank Aum to discuss the incentives versus pressure debate, rethink working theories around sanctions and China’s role in negotiations, and explore how North Korea is affected by its changing external security environment.​

​18. Five Challenges for the U.S.-Korea Alliance

Excerpts:

Of all of the changes over the next decade, AI has the potential to be both the most profound for society, politics, economics, and national security, but also the one whose impact is most difficult to predict.

The next decade will look very different from the past decade, and will shape the decades to follow. To address these trends the United States and South Korean need to engage in deeper, long-term discussions about the future U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula to better prepare for the demographic shifts to come. There will also need to be more coordination between the United States and South Korea, and their partners and allies, on climate change and emerging technologies.

Climate, demographic and technological shifts will also take place against the backdrop of a different geostrategic context that is reshaping the threat from North Korea. Managing these disparate but interconnecting challenges will require deeper coordination between the United States and South Korea, but also an approach that integrates what used to be thought of as separate issues.

Five Challenges for the U.S.-Korea Alliance

The next decade may present the U.S.-Korea alliance — which soon marks 70 years — with more profound changes than any prior decade. 

thediplomat.com · by Troy Stangarone · April 7, 2023

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The United States and South Korea will mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance when South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol visits Washington, DC for a state visit at the end of April. After seven decades, the alliance has become an enduring partnership that continues to provide peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, while the relationship between the United States and South Korea has deepened to include close diplomatic, economic, technological, and cultural ties.

Despite the long-standing nature of the alliance, the next decade may present the U.S.-Korea relationship with more profound changes than any prior decade. These changes will come not only from shifts in geopolitics and North Korea’s weapons developments but also from climate change, technology and demographics. How the United States and South Korea respond to these five changes and the policy challenges that will develop from them will shape the prospects for U.S.-Korea relations.

In the most recent U.S. National Security Strategy, President Joe Biden described the coming decade as a “decisive decade” for the geostrategic competition taking shape with China. While this competition is often described in terms of a new Cold War, this geostrategic rivalry will play out differently for the United States and its allies.

In contrast to the original Cold War, in which the allies and partners of the United States and the Soviet Union were largely in separate economic camps, China is integrated into the global economy and is the largest trading partner for more than 120 countries – including South Korea. China has also replaced the United States as the world’s largest manufacturing hub. These deep economic ties make states, including South Korea, more sensitive to their economic and diplomatic interests in China, a dynamic that was less of a factor during the Cold War.

Since the United States continues to maintain a technological edge over China, it has turned to export controls to preserve its advantage while using subsidies to rebuild its manufacturing base. In the areas of semiconductors and electric vehicles, this has created tensions within the U.S.-Korea alliance. South Korean firms are heavily invested in the production of semiconductors in China, and U.S. export controls and the CHIPS Act have raised concerns about the viability of maintaining those operations. The discriminatory granting of subsidies for electric vehicles – where U.S. national security policy and climate policy intersect – in the Inflation Reduction Act has also been a point of contention.

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With the expectation that the United States will continue to deploy export controls in areas related to cloud computing, quantum computing, biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI), the U.S.-China rivalry is likely to continue to shape the economic relationship between the United States and South Korea.

Geostrategic rivalry is also shaping policy regarding North Korea as it draws closer to Russia and China. For much of the last three decades, China and Russia have been partners, if not always as helpful as Washington would have hoped, in efforts to denuclearize North Korea. That is changing.

With North Korea resuming its missile tests, China and Russia have provided political cover by blocking new resolutions and sanctions at the United Nations. North Korea has reciprocated Russia’s support by blaming the United States for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, voting against U.N. resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion, and criticizing the transfer of U.S. tanks to Ukraine. At the same time, North Korea is reported to be providing Russia with ammunition, something Moscow hopes to continue, as Pyongyang seeks to negotiate an arms-for-food deal to deepen ties with Russia.

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The U.S.-Korea alliance faces the prospect of diminishing leverage in its denuclearization efforts as North Korea continues to develop its weapons systems while receiving political cover and likely economic support from Moscow and Beijing despite U.N. sanctions. While deeper ties among the three countries, driven by shifting geopolitics, do not eliminate the prospect of talks with North Korea, they significantly dim them. They also complicate South Korea’s ability to work with the United States in its geostrategic competition with China due to Seoul’s concerns related to growing Chinese influence over North Korea.

Geostrategic and security concerns are not the only challenges the U.S.-South Korea partnership will need to address. If the next decade will be key for the geostrategic competition between the United States and China, a new U.N. report suggests that it will also be critical for averting the global temperature rises that would bring about extreme changes to the climate.

The United States and South Korea have increased cooperation on climate change in recent years, but the cooperation will need to deepen and expand to other countries if there is to be measurable progress on quickening emissions reductions. The two allies will also need to avoid the types of disputes that have taken place over industrial policy in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Climate change will also impact security policy for the alliance. North Korea’s already fragile infrastructure and agriculture will face greater strains from extreme weather. Those strains on food production could result in increased instability if they push the availability of food to more extreme levels than have been seen during the pandemic.

The United States and South Korea are also undergoing demographic shifts with implications for national security. These shifts will be slow moving and play out over the next two decades but will be most dramatically felt in South Korea. Decades of declining births have resulted in decreases in both the working-age population and the overall population. These trends are unlikely to change anytime soon and have become more extreme in recent years. Since 2018, South Korea’s total fertility rate has fallen below 1.0, well below the population replacement rate of 2.1, and reached a new low of 0.78 in 2022.

The demographic trends in South Korea have implications for the alliance. As the workforce declines and the population ages, South Korea will face declining economic growth prospects and increased strain on resources from rising healthcare and pension costs, but it will also face a declining number of conscripts for the military. Since 2018, South Korea has reduced its active-duty military from 618,000 troops to around 500,000. The current plan calls for maintaining those levels through 2027, but demographic trends will increasingly create pressures to reduce the size of active-duty forces further. Enlisted members currently account for 299,000 active-duty troops, but over the last two decades, male births have fallen from roughly 110,000 in 2000 to a little under 105,000 last year. As males born over the last two decades begin their service over the two decades ahead, there will be a shortage of roughly 80,000 enlisted members.

Technology will serve as one potential solution for South Korea’s troop shortages. Seoul is already experimenting with using AI to power drones for reconnaissance and image recognition, and is working to develop other strategies for the future use of AI in defense. Ultimately, AI could help with tasks related to the autonomous transfer of weapons, field medical diagnosis and treatment, and improved missile defense.

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While AI may be able to help South Korea address the needs of future troop decreases, technology will also present challenges beyond the questions on the ethics of utilizing autonomous weapons and AI integration between U.S. and Korean systems.

In contrast to the Cold War, when states largely monopolized strategic technologies, the private sector will play the dominant role in the development and deployment of AI and there will be relatively low barriers to entry. Two of the more recent entries, ChatGPT and DALL-E 2, have shown the potential of AI, but also the possibilities for AI to be used as a tool of political subversion both domestically and by foreign powers; it is increasingly hard to know if text, sound, and images are real or artificial.

Of all of the changes over the next decade, AI has the potential to be both the most profound for society, politics, economics, and national security, but also the one whose impact is most difficult to predict.

The next decade will look very different from the past decade, and will shape the decades to follow. To address these trends the United States and South Korean need to engage in deeper, long-term discussions about the future U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula to better prepare for the demographic shifts to come. There will also need to be more coordination between the United States and South Korea, and their partners and allies, on climate change and emerging technologies.

Climate, demographic and technological shifts will also take place against the backdrop of a different geostrategic context that is reshaping the threat from North Korea. Managing these disparate but interconnecting challenges will require deeper coordination between the United States and South Korea, but also an approach that integrates what used to be thought of as separate issues.

CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

Troy Stangarone

Troy Stangarone is Senior Director and Fellow at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI). The views expressed here are the author’s alone.

thediplomat.com · by Troy Stangarone · April 7, 2023

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De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: [email protected]