Quotes of the Day:

"Man has never made any material as resilient as the human spirit." 

- Bernard Williams

"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing." 

- Thomas Jefferson

"Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or woman who has read perhaps three and you give me a dangerous enemy indeed." 

- Anne Rice

1. [U.S.-ROK Alliance 70th Anniversary Planning] 2. “A strong and creative alliance… “Expanding international influence”

2. Ruling party vows to investigate China's alleged influence operations

3. Bipartisan Senate delegation to visit S. Korea, China, Japan this month

4. N. Korea spurs efforts to raise crop production during fall harvest season

5. Growing NK nuclear threat

6. N. Korea enshrines nuclear enhancement in constitution

7. Twenty-two Chinese nationals caught after illegal entry attempt (South Korea)

8. One step closer to complete isolation (north Korea)

9. North reaffirms satellite launch plan

10. North Korea Poses as Meta to Deploy Complex Backdoor at Aerospace Org

11. North Korea executes warehouse manager for stealing penicillin

12. Fleeing North Korea has never been harder, or costlier

13. South Korea: America’s Forgotten Ally?

1. [U.S.-ROK Alliance 70th Anniversary Planning] 2. “A strong and creative alliance… “Expanding international influence”

This is a google translation of a VOA report by Eunjung Cho. Many Korea Watchers contributed to this. I discuss the need for a Northeast Asia Command.

[U.S.-ROK Alliance 70th Anniversary Planning] 2. “A strong and creative alliance… “Expanding international influence”

https://www.voakorea.com/a/7293905.html

The U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty, signed by the U.S. and South Korea to jointly respond to military threats, celebrated its 70th anniversary on October 1. VOA took this as an opportunity to prepare a planned report examining the past 70 years of the U.S.-ROK alliance and looking at its direction of development. Today, in the second order, we will look at the current status of the US-ROK alliance in the military, diplomatic, and economic fields. Reporter Cho Eun-jeong reports.

U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized the important role the U.S.-ROK alliance plays in the international community beyond the Korean Peninsula at a summit held in Washington, D.C. in April to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance.

[녹취: 바이든 대통령] “From tracking the climate crisis and strengthening our effort to fight it, and strengthening global health, no two countries are better suited to meet the challenges ahead than the Republic of Korea and the United States.”

“There will be no country better suited than South Korea and the United States to face the challenges of tracking the climate crisis, working to combat it, and strengthening global health,” President Biden said at a press conference after the summit at the White House. said.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken also said in a keynote speech at the recently held Korea-U.S. Strategic Forum that the U.S.-ROK alliance has grown from a security alliance to an essential global partnership, saying, “The United States is cooperating with Korea on numerous important priorities for the people of both countries, the Indo-Pacific, and the world.” He said.

Mitchell Riess, former director of the State Department's policy planning office, told VOA on the 2nd that Korea has proven to be a "strong and creative ally" to the United States in responding to international issues.

Korea shares the same values ​​as the United States and cooperates based on its strong national power.

[녹취: 리스 전 실장] “There are a lot of global challenges, global health challenges, climate change, nuclear proliferation, terrorism. And South Korea has proven itself to be a strong and creative ally with the United States together. They have a very strong voice, along with other friends and allies in Asia and elsewhere around the world. So South Korea is positioning itself now as one of the world's great democracies and is aligned with the Europeans, with the North Americans and Japan and other great democracies that believe in free enterprise and promoting human rights.”

Former Director Ris said, “There are numerous international challenges, including global health issues, climate change, nuclear proliferation, and terrorism,” and “Korea has proven to be a strong and creative ally with the United States.”

He continued, “Korea is raising a very strong voice along with other friends and allies in Asia and around the world,” adding, “Korea is a great player in the world that promotes free markets and human rights along with Japan, European countries, and North American countries.” “It is establishing itself as one of the democratic countries,” he said.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin is speaking at a high-level meeting on Ukraine held by the UN Security Council on the 20th of last month.

Scott Snyder, director of the U.S.-Korea Policy Department at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the U.S.-ROK alliance has expanded its scope beyond the Korean Peninsula to international issues over the past 15 years, and evaluated it as a "bilateral agreement with international implications."

[녹취: 스나이더 국장] “Increasingly, where there are problems around the world, there is also a joint response from the US and South Korea. I would say that the evidence of the relevance of the alliance is increasingly obvious, including and on issues that are very far away from the peninsula.”

“We are seeing more and more joint U.S. and South Korean responses to trouble spots around the world,” Snyder said. “Evidence is becoming increasingly clear that the U.S.-ROK alliance is involved, even in problems that occur very far away on the Korean Peninsula.” “He said.

He said the U.S. and Korea jointly responded to the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa and several natural disasters that occurred in Southeast Asia, discussed maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, and cooperated in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Professor Terence Lorig of the U.S. Naval War College said that Korea is making a very important contribution to a variety of international issues, especially the Ukraine war.

[녹취: 로리그 교수] “Ukraine and South Korea has been very careful to not provide lethal aid directly. But yet has been a very important supporter to other countries, Poland, in particular with some of its weapons sales, and has been very vocal and its support for the Ukraine cause and against Russian aggression in Ukraine.”

Professor Rohrig said, “Korea has been very careful not to provide lethal weapons directly to Ukraine,” adding, “However, it has played a very important role in arms sales to neighboring Poland and other countries, and has played a very important role in opposing Russian aggression against Ukraine.” “I have been very vocal about this,” he said.

At the same time, he evaluated that Korea is becoming an important country that is more respected in all areas, from regional security and economy to international economy and security linked to Europe.

The U.S. and South Korean navies and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted maritime missile defense training in the high seas south of Jeju last August to respond to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats. Photo = Korean Navy.

“U.S.-Korea-Japan security cooperation… “Transformation of Northeast Asia’s security landscape”

From a military perspective, experts say that the expansion of the U.S.-ROK alliance and deepening cooperation with Japan has a significant impact on security in Northeast Asia.

“The ability of the United States and South Korea to maintain peace and stability on and around the Korean Peninsula is stronger than ever,” Evans Revere, former principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told VOA.

[리비어 전 수석부차관보] “Today, with the trilateral partnership that has been formed with Japan, a robust, highly capable security partnership is being built that has already changed the security architecture in Northeast Asia for the better and sent a strong message to all potential adversaries, including North Korea, the PRC, and Russia.”

Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Revere said, “Today’s trilateral cooperation with Japan is creating a strong and capable security cooperation that is already changing the security architecture of Northeast Asia for the better and sending a strong message to all potential adversaries, including North Korea, China, and Russia. “There is,” he said.

Meanwhile, cooperation between the U.S. and Japan supports the liberal democratic international order, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), AUKUS, a security alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and the Quad, a consultative body of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. He said it was an important component of the structure.

David Maxwell, former deputy director of the Asia-Pacific Strategy Center and former chief of staff for the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, also assessed that with the signing of the trilateral security agreement between the U.S. and Japan, the U.S. and Japan have become the most powerful forces in the region.

At the same time, he said he strongly supports the creation of a 'Northeast Asia Command' by integrating the US Forces in Korea and the US Forces in Japan to support the expansion of military cooperation between the United States and Japan.

[녹취: 맥스웰 부대표] “It is time to relook because Indopacom is just too large. If you read it is the largest theater in the US system. It has more water, it has more people, and it is really time to have an Indopacom that focuses on the maritime and on the rest of the region, and a Northeast Asia command that focuses on the Asian landmass.”

Vice President Maxwell said, “The Indo-Pacific Command is the largest theater within the U.S. military,” and added, “It is time to take a look again.”

“It is time to create a Northeast Asia Command focused on the Asian continent,” he said, adding that the INTAE Command could focus on maritime and other regions.

At the same time, he said that studies had already been conducted in 1992, 1997, and 2002 to establish a Far East Command or Northeast Asia Command, and it was always concluded that such a command was necessary.

Vice Representative Maxwell also emphasized that Korea, with its advanced defense industry, is a major supplier of military supplies to U.S. allies.

[녹취: 맥스웰 부대표] “It is developing high tech, high-quality military equipment that is interoperable, and therefore interoperable with NATO. We have seen it so really important weapon systems, tanks, artillery, to Poland, Romania, developing aircraft. So from that aspect, South Korea is a key partner, especially because the US industrial base has not been able to keep pace.”

Vice Representative Maxwell said, “South Korea is developing high-quality, cutting-edge military equipment that is interoperable with NATO.”

He continued, “Korea has provided important weapons systems such as tanks and artillery shells and aircraft to Poland and Romania,” and added, “Korea has served as a key partner especially when the U.S. military industrial base could not keep up (with demand).” .

U.S. President Joe Biden, who visited Korea in May last year, visited Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek factory together with South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol.

“Control of popular high-tech technology… “Korea’s key partner”

Tammy Overby, former head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, told VOA that Korea is a very special economic and trade partner to the United States, and that it is one of the few countries in Asia, along with Singapore and Australia, to have signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.

He also said that the U.S. and Korea have a complementary relationship in high-tech technology, especially in the semiconductor field, and that Korea is one of the key partners in the U.S.'s high-tech export control measures to China.

[녹취: 오버비 전 대표] “It's called tall fence and small yard. What that means is the U.S. came out with export controls where the U.S. is very clearly trying to deny China access to a very small number of cutting-edge technologies and advanced equipment. Countries like South Korea, Japan, in the Netherlands and Taiwan are working together with us. But South Korea is one of our most important partners in that effort.”

Former Representative Overby mentioned ‘small yards and high fences’, which is the key to controlling public advanced technology, and said, “Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, and Taiwan are cooperating with the United States, and Korea is the most important partner.”

In October last year, the U.S. government announced a comprehensive export control policy that effectively banned the export of U.S. semiconductor equipment to China, and temporarily suspended export controls for one year for Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Former CEO Overby said, “There have been reports that the U.S. government will extend the moratorium on Samsung and SK Hynix indefinitely,” and added, “It appears that this decision was made because the two governments went through very detailed and extensive consultations.”

“The governments of both the United States and South Korea clearly understand the risks of this technology that could be used for military purposes,” he said.

Former CEO Overby said, “Korean companies also have very high-quality technology that needs to be protected, but unfortunately, China has shown its will to secure that technology by any means possible,” adding, “This is a rule-based rule for all countries.” “It’s dangerous,” he said.

In this regard, Director Snyder said that the United States and South Korea are working to jointly respond effectively to China's economic coercion, and that "the level of coordination and cooperation on this issue and the economic and security consultation channel between the two governments is increasing."

However, he said, “China has not yet tested the newly evolved cooperation between the United States and South Korea,” and “it remains to be seen whether joint efforts to curb China’s economic coercion will yield results.”

Sidney Siler, former national intelligence analyst for North Korea at the National Intelligence Council (NIC), who has covered Korean Peninsula issues since the 1980s, said that cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea is more important than ever as the economic and security situation is dynamically changing.

[녹취: 사일러 전 분석관] “As we face the challenges of an ever-dynamically changing geo-economic condition, I am absolutely certain that our cooperation will be so crucial going forward. And this is where, you know, I know the off-stated. Paradox, as it's placed that somehow the the Republic of Korea is dependent on the US for its security is dependent on China for its economy is a gross oversimplification. It misses the ways in which Republic of Korea is integrated with the United States and a number of other countries other than China. And it also doesn't really take into account fully the downsides that can be associated, as we see with Beijing's use of economic coercion.”

Former analyst Seiler said, “The claim that Korea is dependent on the United States for security and China for the economy is an oversimplification,” and added, “This analysis misses the way in which Korea is integrated with the United States and other countries in addition to China.”

He also said that the analysis did not take into account the disadvantages caused by Korea's deepening economic dependence on China, such as China's use of economic coercion.

Siler said mutual investment, job creation, and people-to-people exchanges between the U.S. and South Korea are increasing, and the integration of the two countries' economies is benefiting both countries.

In addition, through the U.S.-ROK summit at the White House in April and the U.S.-ROK-Japan summit at Camp David in August, the leaders of the U.S. and Korea demonstrated a vision for a future relationship between the two countries that will continue to ensure the peace and prosperity that has been maintained for the past 70 years.

This is Cho Eun-jeong of VOA News.

2. Ruling party vows to investigate China's alleged influence operations

I wish they would also investigate north Korea's influence operations and political warfare.

Ruling party vows to investigate China's alleged influence operations

The Korea Times · October 3, 2023

Hong Hyun-seok of South Korea, left, controls the ball during a quarterfinal match against China during the Asian Games at Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou, China, Sunday. Yonhap

Search giant suspends online support poll for Asiad after questionable results

By Jung Min-ho

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) will propose a bill to prevent other countries' potential manipulation of online opinions here, following a questionable online event result which it suspects shows China's attempts to influence public opinion here.

The party's stance has come after Daum, a Korean search giant, launched a feature where sports fans can express their support by selecting a team to root for at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

But after millions of questionable clicks were detected during Korea’s football game against China on Sunday night, the company said the following day that it decided to suspend the function to prevent “unnecessary misunderstanding.”

The move came amid suspicion that Beijing exploited the function as part of its global online influence campaign. By Monday afternoon, more than 20 million clicks were garnered for the Chinese football team, compared with some 2 million clicks for the Korean athletes. This result raised the eyebrows of many here, given that Daum focuses almost exclusively on Korean services.

Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Rep. Park Sung-joong of the PPP said the result was the latest example of China’s attempts to manipulate online opinion here and vowed to take legislative action.

“The National Assembly will overhaul laws against such manipulation, including perpetrators, accomplices and web portal companies that neglect it,” he said.

Park said the different result of a similar service by Naver, another Korean search engine, added speculation, as it showed 5.6 million people, or 94 percent of the total event participants, supporting the Korean team.

He vowed to investigate the issue through parliamentary inspections slated for later this month, urging the two tech giants to take their own measures to dispel such worries. Otherwise, revised laws may close the news comment sections on their sites entirely, he warned.

With a by-election for the chief of Gangseo District Office in Seoul set to be held next week and the general elections slated for April next year, Park said agents of Beijing or Pyongyang could well try to influence election results through disinformation campaigns against certain candidates to help elect their competitors.

His concern follows an announcement by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, about a month ago. The company said that it took down 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 Facebook pages, 15 Facebook groups and 15 Instagram accounts tied to China’s influence operations. Chinese law enforcement appeared to work on the campaign from offices spread throughout the country, the company said. A plethora of other social media accounts also participated in the campaign, its report found.

In a separate statement, the PPP said the Daum issue should be taken seriously, mentioning a massive opinion-rigging scandal in which former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo was given a two-year prison sentence for attempting to rig public opinion ahead of the 2017 presidential election in favor of the then-Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Moon Jae-in.

“This is not the first time that allegations of opinion meddling by Chinese or North Koreans have been brought up,” the party said. “Given the seriousness of the matter, it should be probed and the facts about the incident should be established."

Some have raised the possibility that a macro program may have been used to generate unusually high click numbers against Team Korea, which was also observed during other Asiad events including the Sept. 28 women's football game with Hong Kong.

The Korea Times · October 3, 2023

3. Bipartisan Senate delegation to visit S. Korea, China, Japan this month

Bipartisan Senate delegation to visit S. Korea, China, Japan this month | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · October 4, 2023

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (Yonhap) -- A bipartisan Senate delegation will travel to South Korea, China and Japan this month, in an East Asia swing aimed at advancing U.S. economic and national security interests, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer's office was quoted as saying Tuesday.

The six-senator group, including Schumer and Republican Mike Crapo, plans to make the trip, during which it will meet government and business leaders in each country, according to Reuters.

Schumer's office confirmed to Yonhap News Agency that the trip will take place, but other details were not immediately available.

In South Korea, the delegation is expected to discuss with Seoul officials a wide range of issues, including trilateral security cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo and evolving military threats from North Korea as well as economic security cooperation.

The delegation includes Sen. Jon Ossoff, a co-founder of the Senate Korea Caucus, his spokesperson confirmed. He is expected to urge closer defense and economic relations between Korea, the U.S. and Japan.

In Beijing, the delegation reportedly hopes to meet President Xi Jinping.

The planned visit to China would come as Washington has been seeking engagement with Beijing through high-level visits to the Asian power under its drive to "de-risk" and "responsibility" manage the Sino-U.S. relationship.

The U.S.' outreach to China has been seen as an effort to ensure that Xi will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit slated to take place in San Francisco next month, setting the stage for a bilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden.

This AP file photo shows Senator Chuck Schumer. (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · October 4, 2023

4. N. Korea spurs efforts to raise crop production during fall harvest season

Excerpts:

In a separate report, the newspaper also called on people to plant wheat and barley this year in an apparent bid to diversify crop production, which has been centered on rice and corn so far.

South Korea's unification ministry said the North's food situation appears to have improved, compared with the first six months of the year, on the back of an increase in the crop harvest and imports.

With deaths from starvation reported in some regions, North Korea has reportedly been facing serious food shortages, as its prolonged COVID-19 border closure and disruptions in state-controlled food supply have aggravated the situation.

N. Korea spurs efforts to raise crop production during fall harvest season

The Korea Times · October 2, 2023

North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun, second from right, inspects a farm in North Pyongan Province in this Oct. 2 photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

North Korea has been ramping up efforts to boost crop production during the fall harvest season amid expectations that the impoverished country's food shortages have improved, compared with the first half of the year.

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, recently carried a report that a "critical" time has come in attaining the goal of this year's grain production while urging officials to lead efforts to produce satisfactory outcomes in the agricultural sector.

"It is essential for the country's provincial, city and county committees to well guide efforts to produce achievements in the agricultural sector with the attitude that they are fully responsible for the outcome of farming in their regions," North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was quoted as saying by the paper issued Sept. 23.

In a separate report, the newspaper also called on people to plant wheat and barley this year in an apparent bid to diversify crop production, which has been centered on rice and corn so far.

South Korea's unification ministry said the North's food situation appears to have improved, compared with the first six months of the year, on the back of an increase in the crop harvest and imports.

With deaths from starvation reported in some regions, North Korea has reportedly been facing serious food shortages, as its prolonged COVID-19 border closure and disruptions in state-controlled food supply have aggravated the situation.

Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora said in a recent interview with Russia's state news agency TASS that North Korea turned down Russia's offer to provide food aid, saying it has had a "good harvest."

North Korea's crop production is estimated to have reached 4.51 million tons last year, down 3.8 percent from a year earlier, according to a report by the South's Rural Development Administration. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · October 2, 2023

5. Growing NK nuclear threat

Excerpts:

Against this backdrop, the South Korea-U.S. alliance which marks its 70th anniversary is especially meaningful. The alliance kicked off with the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the South and the U.S. on Oct. 1, 1953. It has played a decisive role in preventing war on the peninsula. Now it has evolved into the current state where the two allies jointly discuss the operation of the U.S. nuclear arsenal through the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG).

Yet, we have still a long way to go. As the North has amended its constitution to bolster its nuclear force, the Korea-U.S. alliance must be fortified with steadfast sustainability. There should be a device to prevent the alliance from being undermined by changes in government. However, it does not necessarily mean the need to rely on a certain nation only for national security, given the fluctuations and shifts in international security and diplomatic situations. While maintaining close relations with the U.S., there should be more efforts to have brisker contacts and dialogues with China and Russia. As the North has been desperate to cope with the emergence of a new Cold War era, we also need to employ more proactive attitudes in dealing with the changed security environment.

Growing NK nuclear threat

The Korea Times · October 4, 2023

ROK-US alliance should be strengthened steadfastly

North Korea has recently revised its constitution to expand and boost its nuclear capabilities. Pyongyang's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) included a new law into the constitution, indicating the drive to bolster the North's nuclear force is now permanent, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday. The North has refuted any possibility for discussion about its possible denuclearization.

The recent move follows a similar one made last year when the North institutionalized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to increase the production of nuclear weapons exponentially and take the central role in cementing ties with countries that confront the United States and the West. Kim has enhanced the status of the agency in charge of developing missiles and satellites to provide more power and authority.

This means Pyongyang's bid toward nuclear buildup has entered a new phase. The North displayed a tactical nuclear submarine earlier this year and will likely test a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) soon. The U.S. Department of Defense said the North places the U.S. and its regional allies at risk. It went on to say the North can use nuclear weapons at any stage of military confrontations in its report, "2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction." This means the North would possibly use nuclear weapons even at the initial stage of a potential war.

We cannot help but express a strong regret over the North's recent decision as it has had a far-reaching adverse impact on the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. Further, it would darken the prospects for seeking solutions to regional security problems through dialogue and negotiations. It is nonsense that the North claims it would bolster ties with Russia "for the sake of world peace" in that it had been the target of international criticism for its repeated military provocations in violation of United Nations resolutions.

North Korea's endeavor to build up its nuclear arsenal prompts the need for us to boost the alliance with the U.S. further and join hands with global society in denouncing the North’s provocations. In this vein, it is timely that representatives from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan fired salvos at the North while calling for its denuclearization in a joint message delivered at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Against this backdrop, the South Korea-U.S. alliance which marks its 70th anniversary is especially meaningful. The alliance kicked off with the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the South and the U.S. on Oct. 1, 1953. It has played a decisive role in preventing war on the peninsula. Now it has evolved into the current state where the two allies jointly discuss the operation of the U.S. nuclear arsenal through the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG).

Yet, we have still a long way to go. As the North has amended its constitution to bolster its nuclear force, the Korea-U.S. alliance must be fortified with steadfast sustainability. There should be a device to prevent the alliance from being undermined by changes in government. However, it does not necessarily mean the need to rely on a certain nation only for national security, given the fluctuations and shifts in international security and diplomatic situations. While maintaining close relations with the U.S., there should be more efforts to have brisker contacts and dialogues with China and Russia. As the North has been desperate to cope with the emergence of a new Cold War era, we also need to employ more proactive attitudes in dealing with the changed security environment.

The Korea Times · October 4, 2023

6. N. Korea enshrines nuclear enhancement in constitution

The Korean media is catching up after the holidays.

N. Korea enshrines nuclear enhancement in constitution

donga.com

Posted October. 03, 2023 08:28,

Updated October. 03, 2023 08:28

N. Korea enshrines nuclear enhancement in constitution. October. 03, 2023 08:28. by Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com.

North Korea’s state-owned Korean Central News Agency reported that the issue of "constitutionalizing the policy of strengthening nuclear power" was adopted with full support at the Supreme People’s Assembly held Tuesday and Wednesday last week.

Despite its adoption of a "law" in September last year, it is the first time North Korea has specifically revealed its nuclear policy in its constitution, emphasizing its commitment to enhance nuclear development to guarantee the country's right to survival and development as a nuclear power, deter war, and safeguard regional and global peace and stability. This constitutional amendment highlights a significant task to rapidly and massively enhance nuclear power, suggesting the possibility of a seventh nuclear test soon.

Officials from South Korea, the United States, and Japan criticized North Korea’s constitutional amendment, saying the nation openly reveals its nuclear ambitions despite the devastated living conditions of its people. "The only feasible way forward for North Korea is through diplomacy,” the U.S. State Department said.

한국어

donga.com

7. Twenty-two Chinese nationals caught after illegal entry attempt

Excerpts:

“All of those that had been taken into custody are believed to be Chinese nationals and left from China,” said a Boryeong police official. “We are still conducting an investigation on their final destination and if they had help from inside Korea.”

Though most of the detainees are reported to be in their 40s, one individual, a 57-year-old Chinese man, managed to escape authorities upon arrival.

However, the police had tracked him down and arrested him at a residence in Wongok-dong, Danwon District, Ansan, at 8:47 a.m.

The individual was then handed to the Boryeong police.

The boat that took the 22 individuals to Korea evaded capture.

Tuesday

October 3, 2023

 dictionary + A - A 

Published: 03 Oct. 2023, 11:48

Updated: 03 Oct. 2023, 15:18

Twenty-two Chinese nationals caught after illegal entry attempt

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-10-03/national/socialAffairs/22-Chinese-apprehended-in-attempted-illegal-entry/1881997

The Boryeong coast guard apprehends Chinese nationals that are accused of trying to illegally attempting to enter the country in Boryeong, South Chungcheong, on Tuesday. The Chinese nationals tried to swim to shore on a life jacket. [KOREA COAST GUARD]

All 22 Chinese nationals attempting to smuggle themselves into Korea through Boryeong, South Chungcheong, were apprehended on Tuesday.

Initially, 21 Chinese nationals were taken into custody immediately after they were detected, but one individual managed to flee to Ansan in Gyeonggi using a taxi.

The unidentified escapee was eventually tracked down by the Korean police.

The operation involved the coordinated efforts of the Korean coast guard, Boryeong police and the military.

According to the coast guard and the Boryeong police, the 32nd Infantry Division, responsible for coastal surveillance, spotted an unidentified ship located 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) offshore southwest of Sinheuk-dong, Boryeong, at 1:53 a.m.

The Korean military alerted the coast guard after observing people on the ship jumping into the water.

Approximately 500 personnel from the 32nd Infantry Division were deployed to the scene, where they, along with the Korean coast guard, apprehended the Chinese individuals attempting to enter the country illegally.

A joint investigation team, comprising members of the military, intelligence agency and coast guard, began questioning the Chinese detainees at 9 a.m.

The investigation is focused on determining the purpose of their illegal entry and the route they had traveled.

“All of those that had been taken into custody are believed to be Chinese nationals and left from China,” said a Boryeong police official. “We are still conducting an investigation on their final destination and if they had help from inside Korea.”

Though most of the detainees are reported to be in their 40s, one individual, a 57-year-old Chinese man, managed to escape authorities upon arrival.

However, the police had tracked him down and arrested him at a residence in Wongok-dong, Danwon District, Ansan, at 8:47 a.m.

The individual was then handed to the Boryeong police.

The boat that took the 22 individuals to Korea evaded capture.

The coastline along South Chungcheong has gained a reputation as a common route for individuals attempting to smuggle themselves into or out of Korea as Shandong, China, is only 350 kilometers away.

In April and May 2020, there were three separate attempts by 21 Chinese individuals to smuggle into the country on small motorboats.

Some were deported to China, while others faced legal repercussions.

The individuals in the latest bust were reportedly coming to Korea to find work at Korean farms. The individuals paid brokers 1.85 million won ($1,400) for each person.

In April, a Chinese man, believed to be a human rights activist, was caught trying to enter the country illegally, traveling approximately 300 kilometers on a jet ski and navigating the sea using binoculars and a compass.

He was taken into custody in Incheon.

The latest incident represents the largest number of foreigners caught by the Korean coast guard while attempting to enter the country illegally by sea since 2020.

According to the Korean coast guard, 42 people were arrested while trying to smuggle themselves into the country in 2020.

Those figures significantly decreased in 2021 and 2022 due to tightened border controls related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]

8. One step closer to complete isolation (north Korea)

How can it be even more isolated? We should not forget that this is of Kim Jong Un's own making. He could change all of this by simply complying with all UN Security Council Resolutions. (but for him it is not so simple).

Excerpt:

There could be limits to the international community’s checks on the North’s repeated violation of international laws through illicit weapons trading or a show of force to ratchet up tensions in the region. But such acts will only invite further isolation from the world. The North Korean leader demanded his people stand on their feet and look at the world outside. Given the way the athletes and others behave, though, they seem to be reluctant to follow what their leader says.

Tuesday

October 3, 2023

 dictionary + A - A 

Published: 03 Oct. 2023, 20:10

One step closer to complete isolation

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-10-03/opinion/editorials/One-step-closer-to-complete-isolation/1882281

Despite the international community’s concerns, North Korea and Russia have started to show signs of suspicious trading. According to the satellite images from Planet Labs, a U.S. satellite data company, North Korea is converging large containers and cargo to a train station bordering Russia. The move was caught from Sept. 18, five days after the summit in Russia between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. What’s inside the containers has not been disclosed.

But the international society cannot dismiss the suspicion that the two countries have embarked on a weapons trade: North Korea providing artillery shells and ammunition to Russia, in a war with Ukraine, in return for sensitive military technology. To dispel such doubts, they must make public what’s being exchanged between them. Otherwise, it will only exacerbate the pains of their people from international sanctions.

In a Supreme People’s Assembly meeting last month, North Korea stipulated the advancement of its nuclear weapons in its Constitution. Following the legislation last year of a pre-emptive nuclear strike against its enemies, North Korea inserted the clause on sophistication of nuclear weapons into the Constitution. That is nothing but a brazen threat to the security and peace in Northeast Asia — and a warning to Uncle Sam.

While delivering news about the Hangzhou Asian Games in China on Monday evening, North Korea even called South Korean teams “puppets.” After South Korean reporters called the country “North Korea” instead of the “Democratic People’ Republic of Korea (DPRK)” in the press conference, North Korean reporters attacked them for not using the official name of the country. We wonder why it adheres to ideology even in international sports competitions.

Interestingly, North Korean athletes’ uniforms did not have any trademarks or advertisements of international brands on them, just the flag. The country could have improved its image of a closed society by taking advantage of such advertisements. But it didn’t — in order to avoid any sponsorships by global sporting goods companies. Even in the sports venue, North Korea is being shunned by the rest of the world.

There could be limits to the international community’s checks on the North’s repeated violation of international laws through illicit weapons trading or a show of force to ratchet up tensions in the region. But such acts will only invite further isolation from the world. The North Korean leader demanded his people stand on their feet and look at the world outside. Given the way the athletes and others behave, though, they seem to be reluctant to follow what their leader says.

9. North reaffirms satellite launch plan

Can Kim handle another failure? Can or will Russia provide assistance to prevent another failure?

North reaffirms satellite launch plan

koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · October 3, 2023

By Choi Si-young

Published : Oct. 3, 2023 - 17:27

The flags of South Korea (left) and North Korea. (123rf)

North Korea reaffirmed that it will launch a military reconnaissance satellite this month, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday.

The third attempt to put the satellite into orbit after two previous failures, each in May and August, could take place as early as next week when the regime marks the founding of the country’s ruling Workers’ Party. Leader Kim Jong-un has used such events to tout his achievement.

The regime -- banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions from using ballistic missile technology, also used in satellites, because of its nuclear weapons programs -- is doubling down on advancing its weapons, having unveiled in early September a submarine capable of tactical nuclear attacks.

Later the same month, Kim met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first summit in four years. It took place in Russia’s Far East and was immediately followed by Kim’s trips to weapons plants in the eastern cities of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Vladivostok.

The US has accused Kim of supplying munitions to aid Moscow’s war in Ukraine in arms deals that would in return offer Pyongyang weapons technologies like satellites and submarines. Washington and Seoul, citing UN sanctions barring such weapons transfers, have warned of making the North “pay a price” for pushing to make them happen.

Domestically, Kim is stepping up efforts for what the two allies consider aggression. Last week, the Supreme People’s Assembly, the North’s rubber-stamp legislature, decided to write into the constitution the policy of exponentially growing nuclear forces.

“It was a strategic decision by the party and the government that we should continue to strengthen our nuclear forces,” Kim said during the session, accusing South Korea, the US and Japan of forming Asia’s NATO, the Western military alliance. The three nations shook hands on a security pledge at their historic summit in August.

The latest show of defiance against the US-led coalition underscores the growing impasse over restarting disarmament negotiations in which the North would be given economic aid in exchange for dismantling its nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang has demanded sanctions relief first, which Washington has refused.

On Monday, the North released a statement criticizing a resolution the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted Friday urging the regime to disarm. Recognizing the North as a nuclear weapons state is now “irreversible,” the statement said, calling out the UN nuclear watchdog for giving into US-led pressure to pass the resolution.

The same day, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called on China to help bring back North Korea to dialogue.

“China is uniquely positioned to use its influence with the DPRK to urge the DPRK to take de-escalatory steps and to urge the DPRK to return to diplomacy,” Miller said at a press briefing, using the acronym of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

China, historically the largest benefactor backing the North, is hosting a high-level global forum this month, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet with Putin for policy alignment to respond to the US and its allies. The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, to be held from Oct. 17-18, is born out of Xi’s signature Belt and Road infrastructure program to bolster China’s clout in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · October 3, 2023

10. North Korea Poses as Meta to Deploy Complex Backdoor at Aerospace Org

The regime's all purpose sword isc critical to regime survival.

North Korea Poses as Meta to Deploy Complex Backdoor at Aerospace Org

https://www.darkreading.com/cloud/north-korea-meta-complex-backdoor-aerospace?utm

The Lazarus Group's "LightlessCan" malware executes multiple native Windows commands within the RAT itself, making detection significantly harder, security vendor says.

Jai Vijayan

Contributing Writer, Dark Reading

October 03, 2023

Source: shaneinsweden via Shutterstock

PDF

North Korea's state-sponsored Lazarus Group appears to have added a complex and still evolving new backdoor to its malware arsenal, first spotted in a successful cyber compromise of a Spanish aerospace company.

Researchers from ESET who discovered the malware are tracking the new threat as "LightlessCan" and believe it is based on source code from the threat group's flagship BlindingCan remote access Trojan (RAT).

Lazarus is a North Korean state-backed threat group that US organizations and enterprise security teams have become very familiar with over the years. Since it first gained wide notoriety with a devastating attack on Sony Pictures in 2014, the Lazarus group has established itself as one of the most pernicious advanced persistent threat (APT) groups that are currently active. Over the years, it has stolen tens of millions of dollars with attacks on banks and other financial institutions; exfiltrated terabytes of sensitive information from defense contractors, government agencies, healthcare organizations and energy firms; and executed numerous cryptocurrency heists and supply chain attacks.

Spear-Phishing as Meta for Initial Access

ESET's analysis of the attack on the Spanish aerospace company showed that Lazarus actors gained initial access via a successful spear-phishing campaign targeted specific employees at the company. The threat actor masqueraded as a recruiter for Facebook parent Meta, and contacted developers at the aerospace firm via LinkedIn Messaging.

An employee who was tricked into following up on the initial message received two coding challenges, purportedly to check the employee's proficiency in the C++ programming language. In reality, the coding challenges — hosted on a third-party cloud storage platform — contained malicious executables that surreptitiously downloaded additional payloads on the employee's system when they attempted to solve the challenge.

The first of these payloads was an HTTPS downloader that ESET researchers dubbed NickelLoader. The tool basically allowed Lazarus group actors to deploy any program of their choice to the compromised system's memory. In this case, the Lazarus group used NickelLoader to drop two RATs — a limited-function version of BlindingCan and the LightlessCan backdoor. The role of the simplified version of BlindingCan — which ESET has named miniBlindingCan — is to collect system information such as computer name, Windows version, and configuration data, and to also receive and execute commands from the command-and-control (C2) server.

For organizations that the Lazarus group is targeting, LightlessCan represents a significant new threat, according to ESET researcher Peter Kálnai wrote in a blog post detailing the newly discovered malware.

The malware's design gives Lazarus group actors a way to significantly contain traces of malicious activity on compromised systems thereby limiting the ability of real-time monitoring controls and forensic tools to spot it.

A RAT Hiding From Real-Time Monitoring & Forensic Tools

LightlessCan integrates support for as many as 68 distinct commands, many of which mimic native Windows commands, such as ping, ipconfig, systeminfo, and net for gathering system and environment information. Only 43 of those commands are actually functional at the moment — the rest are sort of placeholders that the threat actor will presumably make fully functional at some later point, suggesting the tool is still under development. 

"The project behind the RAT is definitely based on the BlindingCan source code, as the order of the shared commands is preserved significantly, even though there may be differences in their indexing," Kálnai explained in the blog post.

However, LightlessCan appears to be significantly more advanced than BoundlessCan. Among other things, the new Trojan enables execution of the native Windows commands within the RAT itself. 

"This approach offers a significant advantage in terms of stealthiness, both in evading real-time monitoring solutions like endpoint detection and response (EDRs), and postmortem digital forensic tools," Kálnai wrote.

The threat actor also has rigged LightlessCan in such a manner that its encrypted payload can only be decrypted using a decryption key that is specific to the compromised machine. The goal is to ensure that the payload decryption is possible only on target systems and not in any other environment, Kálnai noted, such as a system belonging to a security researcher.

11. North Korea executes warehouse manager for stealing penicillin

Corruption.  Brutality.  

The root of all problems in Korea is the existence of the most evil mafia- like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime that has the objective of dominating the Korean Peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State. 

North Korea executes warehouse manager for stealing penicillin

But some who were forced to watch doubted one person could commit such a crime.

By Kim Jieun for RFA Korean

2023.10.03

rfa.org

A manager at a North Korean pharmaceutical warehouse was publicly executed last month for stealing 20,000 doses of penicillin, sources inside the country said.

The man, who was in his 40s, was shot to death on Sept. 25 in Hyesan, a northern city in Ryanggang province on the Chinese border, said a resident of the province who declined to be identified for safety reasons.

It was the same spot where 25,000 people were forced to watch the execution of nine people on Aug. 30 for running a beef smuggling ring.

But this time, the number of people who witnessed the execution was much smaller, the source told Radio Free Asia.

“Only housewives and relevant officials gathered at the execution site,” the source told RFA Korean. “Factory and farm work did not stop, and the marketplace was not closed.”

North Korean authorities carry out both secret and public executions by firing squad, hanging or other brutal methods as a means of deterrence to keep its estimated 26 million people in line and loyal to the authoritarian socialist state.

The Sept. 25 execution took place as officials were on edge about the rising number of people with coronavirus-like symptoms and respiratory illnesses, a second source from Ryanggang province said.

“In the public execution, it seemed as if the rapid increase in colds and respiratory symptoms was caused by a shortage of penicillin,” he said.

‘No more than a fly’

And while those who witnessed the execution believe there is a medicine shortage, many believe that shooting someone to death was too excessive a punishment, said the second source.

“In August, people were shot to death for distributing beef, and this month, a manager is shot to death for stealing penicillin,” he said.

“In this country, human life is worth no more than that of a fly.”

Residents also raised doubts that one person could commit such a crime on his own, the first source said.

“Security is not so lax so that only one person could steal them,” he said. “It is difficult for one manager to steal more than 20,000 doses of penicillin as stated by the court.”

The manager who died oversaw medicines at the No. 4 Warehouse where supplies belonging to the Civil Defense Department under the Provincial People’s Committee are stored for use during wartime, the first source said.

The man had “secretly sold a large amount of wartime reserve medicine” but it wasn’t clear who he had sold it to, the source said.

The No. 4 Warehouse sends medicines that have almost expired to local hospitals and receives new orders to replace them, he added.

“In this process, the entire shortage of penicillin was blamed on one person, and he was shot,” the source said.

A day after the execution, the government-controlled Korean Central News Agency issued a report on the further strengthening of quarantine measures in response to seasonal changes in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.

City officials are closely monitoring the quarantine situation, quickly establishing preventive measures related to respiratory diseases, including colds, and ensuring that the rapid mobile quarantine team and rapid diagnosis and treatment team are always on high alert, the article said.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee for RFA Korean. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

rfa.org

12. Fleeing North Korea has never been harder, or costlier

I know of only one group that did not cease operations during COVID and was the only one that was responsible for getting all 60 or so escapees out of north Korea in 2022.

Fleeing North Korea has never been harder, or costlier

A South Korean group that helps escapees starts up again after COVID, but fewer are getting through.

By Cheon Soram for RFA Korean

2023.10.03

rfa.org

More North Koreans fleeing poverty and a repressive government have reached South Korea this year compared to last, as rescue operations restart after a hiatus during COVID.

But the number remains well below the historical average – and advocates say likely will for the foreseeable future given the rising challenges of safely navigating the perilous route, which for most escapees includes traveling through China to a third country from which they can be safely flown to Seoul.

An expansion of surveillance technologies both in North Korea and China has made the trek harder and costlier than ever, Ji Chul-ho, who heads the settlement support team for Now Action & Unity for Human Rights (NAUH), told RFA Korean. The group recently restarted helping to rescue escapees after a three-year pause for the pandemic.

North Koreans desperate to flee the repression of their government and limited opportunities offered by their economy used to pay $1,500 for a chance to make it to South Korea, according to rescue groups RFA spoke with. Now the price is at least $6,000, and some estimates put the cost much higher.

Ji said a planned rescue in May of four escapees had to be called off when it became too difficult for the group to move safely. The group included a woman in her late 20s who had been trapped in China for a decade, trafficked as a “wife” to a rural Chinese man.

“We went as scheduled, but that time crackdowns in China were intense, and the North Korean refugees were unable to come toward the Mekong River as scheduled,” Ji said.

A rise in surveillance

Defection rates have fallen steadily since Kim Jong Un took power after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in late 2011. Two years earlier, the number of defectors who made it was more than 2,900, a record level, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification. By 2019, the number had fallen by about 1,000.

In 2021, when COVID border restrictions were at their peak, only 63 North Koreans reached the South. So far this year, 99 have made it.

In total, nearly 34,000 escapees are thought to have settled in South Korea.

One thing that experts on North Korea say hasn’t changed is a desire to leave. With a repressive regime and one of the world’s poorest economies, North Korea’s conditions remain depressingly constant.

But Kim has made a point of making it harder to escape.

The regime built a border wall during COVID as the country sought to shut itself in even further in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to keep the virus out, and border guards reportedly have orders to shoot to kill North Koreans trying to flee.

Migrants, not refugees, China says

Some North Koreans are sent abroad by their government to earn wages for a regime shut off from the global economy by economic sanctions. Most wind up in China, where some have then fled.

But China presents its own difficulties. The country considers the escapees illegal migrants, not refugees. If caught, they are deported to North Korea, where they face years of hard labor or even execution.

Restrictions within China imposed in response to the pandemic made travel by anyone problematic, let alone people as vulnerable to exploitation as escapees.

The Mekong River runs low in May 2023. North Korean escapees must spend more time walking on newly exposed riverbeds, which increases their chance of capture. Credit: Courtesy of Ji Chul-ho

Now-ubiquitous facial recognition technologies can help spot defectors on buses and trains. As a result, it’s safe only to travel by car or vans provided by brokers, limiting the number of passengers to four at a time, a U.S.-based rescue activist told RFA Korean. The person asked to remain anonymous so as not to jeopardize future rescue efforts.

The greater risk has translated into fewer brokers willing to help, another problem for desperate North Koreans fleeing their country.

Even climate change may be complicating the journey. Escapees usually try to reach a Southeast Asian country by crossing the Mekong River before their flight to South Korea.

But Ji said water levels on a recent trip to a rendezvous point along the river were much lower than in previous years, making it difficult even for small boats to cross. For North Korean escapees, that means more time walking on newly exposed riverbeds, which also increases the chances of capture.

“There were more ways to rescue North Korean refugees in the past than there are now, but the number of rescue options is starting to decrease,” Ji said.

A rare success

Eager to help North Koreans, NAUH must nevertheless be careful that the people who reach out for rescue are genuine and not decoys trying to infiltrate rescue operations.

Ji asks why they want to leave and checks to see that their dialects match where they say they come from in North Korea.

“Once we connect with them, we will ask simple questions like how they lived, their address and place of birth in North Korea to confirm that they are North Korean refugees,” Ji said.

The South Korean government gives the escapees a settlement package of $40,000, which includes money for vocational training and housing. It is often from this money that escapees pay the brokers, and the higher costs of escape leaves new arrivals with fewer financial resources to navigate what is often a bewildering environment.

In its 12 years of operation, NAUH has rescued more than 500 escapees. This year, they’ve been able to get six North Koreans to safety.

In 2019, an employee of a North Korean refugee rescue group says goodbye to a refugee before heading to a police station to surrender after being smuggled into a country in Southeast Asia [left. At right, 13 North Korean refugees head to the police station. Credit: RFA

The woman who was among the four whose rescue was thwarted at the last minute had been pushed to leave North Korea by her extreme poverty. Still in her late-teens, she dreamed of studying in South Korea.

Instead Ji said she was trafficked to a man and caught in a horrible holding pattern: stay and live her life largely as a slave or run and risk the likely circumstance she would be caught and sent back to North Korea.

It was only recently that she was able to contact NAUH to set up an escape plan.

While the initial effort went awry, Ji later learned that the group made it to another country in Southeast Asia. From there, she and the three other escapees would be flown to South Korea, a success story that’s rarer these days.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and edited by Jim Snyder and Abby Seiff.

rfa.org

13. South Korea: America’s Forgotten Ally?

In my opinion, The Republic of Korea is a global pivotal state that chooses to be a peaceful nuclear power, that is a partner in the arsenal of democracy that is a champion of human rights, that supports a free and open Indo Pacific, and seeks to protect the rules based international order.

Excerpts:

Whether in national security or economics, South Korea is an important partner for the United States beyond the peninsula even while dealing with an existential threat from North Korea. Yet, despite contributing more to its own defense than any U.S. ally and playing a significant role in U.S. efforts to reduce dependence on China for critical technologies, South Korea’s reluctance to play a more vocal role as an ally often leaves its contributions less noticed than those of other allies more willing to speak publicly about Washington’s concerns. That reluctance has left one of the United States’ increasingly important partners underappreciated in Washington despite the capabilities it brings to the table.

As an aspiring global pivotal state, South Korea frequently puts forward upholding democratic norms and values, combatting climate change, and fostering overseas development as key policy areas. Were Seoul to be more vocal about South Korea’s contributions and adopt more concrete and consistent policies in these critical areas, it could openly support Washington’s concerns as well as enhance its standing so as to more firmly defend South Korea’s own interests in a more uncertain international environment.

South Korea: America’s Forgotten Ally?

South Korea’s reluctance to play a more vocal role often leaves its sizable contributions less noticed than those of other allies.

By Troy Stangarone and Clint Work

October 02, 2023

thediplomat.com · by Troy Stangarone · October 2, 2023

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On October 1, the United States and South Korea marked the 70th anniversary of their security alliance. For much of the period, the United States’ “forgotten war” also produced its most underappreciated ally. However, as the alliance prepares to begin its eighth decade South Korea has established itself as an indispensable partner for the United States.

The security relationship between the United States and South Korea dates to before the Korean War but has evolved significantly over the last seven decades. Commensurate with its transformation into one of the world’s largest and most advanced economies, South Korea has gradually assumed the overwhelming burden in its own defense and conventional deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.

Additionally, Seoul has become an important security provider in the broader region. From U.S. allies in Australia and Philippines to partners in Vietnam and Indonesia, Seoul supplies arms and defense technologies at more affordable rates than Washington, building defense relationships with countries that are critical to both the U.S. and South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategies. And the trend extends well beyond the region.

South Korea’s contributions don’t end there. Unbeknownst to most Americans, South Korea sent around 320,000 troops to the U.S. war in Vietnam, significantly more than any other U.S. ally. In fact, at one point, South Korea had more troops in Vietnam on a per capita basis than even the United States. Since the Cold War, Seoul has deployed military and support personnel to both Iraq wars – including the second largest allied contingent to Iraq in 2003-04, behind only the United Kingdom – and to Afghanistan and various peacekeeping operations, usually under U.N. auspices.

In recent years, “America first” political trends, worsening China-U.S. relations, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have combined to highlight the need for allies to increase spending for collective defense. Compared to others, Seoul answers the call.

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While Tokyo recently received effusive praise for promising to increase defense expenditures from 1.1 to 2 percent of its GDP, Seoul consistently spent around or above 2.5 percent of GDP for the last 30 years. In terms of raw numbers, South Korea currently spends roughly the same amount on defense as Japan, despite the latter’s economy being 2.7 times larger. Among all other U.S treaty allies, both in the Indo-Pacific and NATO, only eight have hit the 2 percent mark and only one, Greece, has surpassed South Korea.

However, in an era when economic issues are increasingly viewed through the lens of national security, Seoul’s contributions transcend traditional military and defense issues. To begin with, South Korea is the United States’ sixth largest trading partner and an FTA partner. Furthermore, Seoul is a key ally for Washington in securing critical technologies and achieving climate goals.

Semiconductors drive the modern world. They are key components of modern military technology, provide computing power for artificial intelligence, and are ubiquitous in everyday items such as smartphones and cars. As the Biden administration looks to rebuild the semiconductor supply chain in the United States, two Korean firms, Samsung and SK Hynix, have become important partners.

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Samsung, which already has a plant in Texas that accounts for 5 percent of global semiconductor production, and SK Hynix are investing a combined $32 billion in semiconductor facilities in the United States. Samsung is also considering longer-term investments in the U.S. semiconductor industry of up to $200 billion.

On climate change, Korean firms are set to play a significant role in the United States’ transition to clean energy. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, no country has invested more in clean tech projects in the United States.

With the automotive industry transitioning to electric vehicles, Hyundai and Kia are set to invest $5.5 billion in a new EV production facility in Georgia. Korean firms are also partnering with U.S. and foreign automakers to supply EV batteries from 12 high-capacity battery production facilities in the United States. One estimate suggests that these investments will account for 69 percent of all EV batteries sold in the United States by 2025.

South Korea’s impact on the U.S. energy transition extends beyond EVs and EV batteries. Hanhwa Qcells, one of largest non-Chinese producers of solar panels, is investing $2.5 billion in a new facility. Once completed, Hanhwa Qcells is expected to produce 30 percent of the solar panels in the United States.

Whether in national security or economics, South Korea is an important partner for the United States beyond the peninsula even while dealing with an existential threat from North Korea. Yet, despite contributing more to its own defense than any U.S. ally and playing a significant role in U.S. efforts to reduce dependence on China for critical technologies, South Korea’s reluctance to play a more vocal role as an ally often leaves its contributions less noticed than those of other allies more willing to speak publicly about Washington’s concerns. That reluctance has left one of the United States’ increasingly important partners underappreciated in Washington despite the capabilities it brings to the table.

As an aspiring global pivotal state, South Korea frequently puts forward upholding democratic norms and values, combatting climate change, and fostering overseas development as key policy areas. Were Seoul to be more vocal about South Korea’s contributions and adopt more concrete and consistent policies in these critical areas, it could openly support Washington’s concerns as well as enhance its standing so as to more firmly defend South Korea’s own interests in a more uncertain international environment.

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.

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CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

Clint Work

Clint Work, Ph.D., is Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI).

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thediplomat.com · by Troy Stangarone · October 2, 2023

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com