Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

On this Day In History: Inchon landing

General Douglas MacArthur, USA, Planning Conference for the Battle of Inchon, 1950.

"I can almost hear the ticking of the second hand of destiny. We must act now or we will die. . . . We shall land at Inchon, and I shall crush them."

Quotes of the Day:

“All things must be examined, debated, investigated, without exception and without regard for anyone's feelings."

- Denis Diderot

“History is, indeed, little more than the register of the ’crimes, follies, and misfortunes’ of mankind. But what experience and history teach is is this – that peoples and governments never learned anything from history or acted on principles deduced from it.”

- Georg Hegel

“This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both, moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. “

- Frederick Douglass

1. United States of America-Republic of Korea Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG)

2. A more confident and desperate North Korea

3. Britain: Russia 'almost certainly' buying more weapons from Iran, North Korea

4. North Korean Hackers Steal Nearly $1 Billion Worth of Crypto From DeFi Protocols

5. North Korea SNUBBED as Kim Jong-un is banned from the Queen's funeral

6. North Korean cyberespionage actor Lazarus targets energy providers with new malware

7. Yoon to hold first summit with Japan's Kishida next week

8. Vice FM to visit U.S. to help address concerns over Inflation Reduction Act

9. S. Korea still waiting for N. Korea to accept offer of talks on separated families: official

10. U.S. Aircraft Carrier to Stop in Busan Next Week

11. N. Korea may pursue nuclear threat after US midterm election

12. Korea to hold bilateral summits with Japan, U.S. at UN General Assembly

13. [INTERVIEW] 'NK will conduct nuclear test for position of strength in talks'

14. S. Korea, US to craft 'tailored' responses to potential nuclear crises: defense chief

15. Suriname may take legal action against producers of 'Narco-Saints' over unfair portrayal (South Korea)

16. Decrease in workload at Chinese factories is hurting N. Korean laborers

17. 6 Ominous Things You Can Only Experience At DMZ South Korea

18. On this day in history, Sept. 15, 1950, US troops land at Inchon, turning the tide of the Korean War

19. Inchon Landing

1. United States of America-Republic of Korea Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG)

United States of America-Republic of Korea Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) - United States Department of State

state.gov · by Office of the Spokesperson

Home Office of the Spokesperson Press Releases...United States of America-Republic of Korea Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG)

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Media Note

September 8, 2022

The United States and the Republic of Korea will hold a bilateral Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) meeting on September 16, 2022. The United States delegation will be led by Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, and Dr. Colin Kahl, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. The Republic of Korea delegation will be led by Mr. Cho Hyundong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Shin Beomchul, Vice Minister of National Defense.

The EDSCG provides an opportunity for the two governments to discuss peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific. President Joseph R. Biden and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea agreed to re-establish the EDSCG at the May 2022 Summit in Seoul. This will be the first EDSCG meeting since 2018.

state.gov · by Office of the Spokesperson

2. A more confident and desperate North Korea

I am going to recommend adopting Ambassador DeTrani's new moniker for the "Nancy Reagan Korean Strategy;" – "Just Say No!" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Say_No)

Excerpt:

North Korea wants a normal relationship primarily with the United States. We know this from almost 30 years of negotiations and informal meetings and exchanges. The problem was and is that North Korea wants this normal relationship on their terms – accepting them as a nuclear weapons state. This has been and is the rub – we correctly continue to say “no.” Normalization is available with complete and verifiable denuclearization and significant progress on human rights. We should hold to this principled decision.

We should also remember why we absolutely cannot normalize relations with north Korea: Human rights abuses. There is no way we could morally normalize relations with a regime that commits crimes against humanity on a scale we have not seen since World War II.

I would also argue that whenever we talk of the nuclear threat we are helping the legitimacy of the regime. However, when we discuss human rights we undermine its legitimacy. Therefore, in every discussion of the nuclear threat we must bring up human rights as well. And human rights must be an integral part of our information and influence strategy. After all, the UN Commission of Inquiry in 2014 identified the information violation of the Korean people in the north as one of the major human rights abuses and called on the international community to get information into the Korean people. One of the key lines of effort must be to inform and educate them on their basic and universal human rights.

A more confident and desperate North Korea

America should just say 'no' to normalizing a nuclearized North Korea

By Joseph R. DeTrani - - Wednesday, September 14, 2022

washingtontimes.com · by The Washington Times https://www.washingtontimes.com

OPINION:

On Sept. 9 Kim Jong-un, at a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, made it officially clear that North Korea will remain a nuclear weapons state with an expansive nuclear doctrine that includes the preemptive use of nuclear weapons.

Clearly, this was a message from Mr. Kim to the United States and South Korea. He was telling the United States that any future negotiations will focus on arms control issues, not denuclearization. And in this context, Mr. Kim now appears confident that the United States eventually will relent and accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, something the North has been pursuing since the Six Party Talks from 2003-2009. North Korea was told then and continues to be told now, that the United States will never accept the North as a nuclear weapons state, concerned that other countries would pursue their own nuclear weapons program, despite U.S. extended deterrence commitments, and that a nuclear weapon or fissile material for a dirty bomb would be provided to a rogue state or terrorist organization.

Equally concerning was Mr. Kim’s other pronouncement that North Korea now has a nuclear “first use” doctrine that includes the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack or an imminent attack on the leadership or its nuclear command structure or, indeed, a threat to the existence of the state.

South Korean President Yoon Suk yeol, during his campaign, had publicly stated that a preemptive strike was an option for his country in response to an imminent attack from North Korea. It appears that this may have been Mr. Kim’s response – we also have a preemptive use policy — to Mr. Yoon’s comments about a preemptive strike.

Although Kim Jong-un’s Sept. 9 expansive commentary on the preemptive use of nuclear weapons was not too surprising, since he had made similar comments about the preemptive use of nuclear weapons on April 25, 2022, at a military parade celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s army, it was noteworthy in that Mr. Kim now stated clearly – what many suspected – that North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons, seemingly dashing any hope for the resumption of denuclearization talks.

On September 16, 2022, the United States and South Korea will convene a session of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG). At the May 2022 summit of President Joe Biden and Mr. Yoon, it was agreed that the EDSCG would be reactivated since its last meeting in 2018. Both presidents agreed to enhance extended deterrence capabilities and resume robust annual joint military exercises. Accordingly, from August 22 to Sept. 1, the largest joint military exercise in five years, Ulchi Freedom Shield, was successfully conducted with live-fire exercises that involved thousands of troops and land, sea, and air forces.

These developments on the Korean Peninsula are happening at a time when North Korea has been supportive of Russia in its war with Ukraine. Pyongyang has recognized the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic and reportedly is providing Russia with rockets and millions of artillery shells.

Unconfirmed reporting also mentioned North Korea sending workers to these breakaway provinces of Ukraine and possibly also sending troops to aid Russia and these breakaway provinces in the war with the government of Ukraine. No doubt this is a calculated move on the part of Mr. Kim to secure Russia’s support – its veto power as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council — in the United Nations to ensure that no further sanctions will be imposed on Pyongyang, regardless of their reckless behavior, to include a seventh nuclear test. Additionally, North Korea would receive needed oil, natural gas, and wheat from Russia, in exchange for Pyongyang’s support in the war with Ukraine.

Although North Korea has had close relations with Russia, going back to Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union’s support of North Korea during the Korean War and through the 1980s when the Soviet Union was helping North Korea with its missile and nuclear programs, to include the provision of a research nuclear reactor in the 1980s, and aid that abruptly ceased with the implosion of the Soviet Union in 1991.

However, aligning with a revanchist Russia probably isn’t the option Mr. Kim and his father, Kim Jong-il, wanted to pursue. Rather, it was normalizing relations with the United States. This goes back to former President Jimmy Carter’s meeting in Pyongyang with Kim Il-sung in 1994, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright’s meetings in Pyongyang with Kim Jong-il in 2000 and Kim Jong-un’s meetings with former President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019.

North Korea wants a normal relationship primarily with the United States. We know this from almost 30 years of negotiations and informal meetings and exchanges. The problem was and is that North Korea wants this normal relationship on their terms – accepting them as a nuclear weapons state. This has been and is the rub – we correctly continue to say “no.” Normalization is available with complete and verifiable denuclearization and significant progress on human rights. We should hold to this principled decision.

• Joseph R. DeTrani is the former special envoy for negotiations with North Korea and the former director of the National Counterproliferation Center. The views are the author’s and not any government agency or department.

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washingtontimes.com · by The Washington Times https://www.washingtontimes.com

3. Britain: Russia 'almost certainly' buying more weapons from Iran, North Korea

There is an awful lot of reporting on this. Is it true?

Britain: Russia 'almost certainly' buying more weapons from Iran, North Korea

By Darryl Coote

upi.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shake hands following a meeting in Tehran in July. On Wednesday, British intelligence said Russia is increasingly relying on Iran and North Korea to buy weapons to continue its war in Ukraine. File Photo courtesy of Iranian Presidential Office | License Photo

Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Russian forces are increasingly sourcing weaponry from sanctioned Iran and North Korea as its own stockpiles dwindle amid its ongoing war with Ukraine, British intelligence said Wednesday.

The daily intelligence update from Britain's ministry of defense said Russia was "almost certainly increasingly" arming itself with weapons from the heavily sanctioned countries.

The analysts cited as proof reports from Kyiv officials that their military had on Tuesday shot down an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle in Kupiansk, where Ukrainian troops have made recent gains.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense had published photos of the downed UAV Shahed-136 on Tuesday, stating the relationship between Russia and Iran was "a perfect union of two despots."

The Shahed-136 is a one-way attack UAV with a claimed range of 1,553 miles, according to the British analysts, who said similar Iran-manufactured systems have previously been deployed in the Middle East. They said it was the weapon used against oil tanker Mercer Street in the summer of 2021.

Iranian attack UAV Shahed-136, eliminated by the #UAarmy near Kupiansk, Kharkiv region. and : A perfect union of two despots. @kms_d4k pic.twitter.com/M7sQ9PX1hJ— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 13, 2022

"The loss of a Shahed-136 near the front lines suggest there is a realistic possibility that Russia is attempting to use the system to conduct tactical strikes rather than against more strategic targets farther into Ukrainian territory," the British intelligence update states.

The update follows the White House statement in July that it believes Russia was seeking weaponry from Iran as the tolls of the war began to mount.

"Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs, on an expedited timeline," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a press briefing July 12.

"Our information further indicates that Iran is preparing to train Russian forces to use these UAVs."

Last week, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills told the Security Council in New York that Russia was also turning to North Korea for weapons.

"Speaking of scrounging for weapons ... Moscow is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from the DPRK for use on the battlefield in Ukraine," Mills said Thursday, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Russia has denied the allegations, with its ambassador to the U.N., Vassily Nebenzia, disregarding them as "dogmatic" statements.

"I would like to ask them to either provide evidence or admit the dissemination of unreliable information within the walls of the Security Council," he said during last week's meeting. "I want to say right away that publications in the Western media, or meaningful comments, and unconvincing and non-assertive assumptions of U.S. officials do not count as such evidence."

upi.com

4. North Korean Hackers Steal Nearly $1 Billion Worth of Crypto From DeFi Protocols

Think of what this could do for the Korean people in the north. Oh wait, that can't happen because Kim prioritizes the development of nuclear weapons over the welfare of the Korean people.

North Korean Hackers Steal Nearly $1 Billion Worth of Crypto From DeFi Protocols

techtimes.com · by Joaquin Victor Tacla · September 14, 2022

Joaquin Victor Tacla, Tech Times 14 September 2022, 06:09 am

North Korean hackers have stolen almost $1 billion worth of crypto from DeFi protocols, according to a report by Interesting Engineering.

DeFi protocols are decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols made up of specialized autonomous computer programs created to address problems within the traditional financial sector. They would enable bitcoin commerce between protocols, facilitating the payment of products and services in cryptocurrency.

(Photo : JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

An illustration picture taken in London on May 8, 2022, shows a gold plated souvenir cryptocurrency Tether (USDT) coin arranged beside a screen displaying US dollar notes. - Tether (USDT) is an Ethereum token known as a stablecoin that is pegged to the value of the US dollar, and is currently the largest stablecoin with a market value of USD 83 billion dollars.

North Korea's Crypto Heist

As was demonstrated in 2022, these protocols are susceptible to attacks, especially in cross-chain bridges. The data for 2022 has been released by TradingPlatform.com, revealing that while North Korea is responsible for about 1 billion worth of cryptocurrency in 2022 alone, some thefts have also been carried out by highly competent hacker outfits like the Lazarus Group.

There have been numerous attacks on DeFi platforms, according to analyst Edith Reads of TradingPlatform.com. The attacks are expertly planned and executed. To combat this, various participants in the crypto realm have put mechanisms in place.

"More than $30 million in stolen crypto has been recovered from North Korean hackers, which gives hope. It is a win for the crypto enthusiast. It will boost confidence among crypto investors and even attract those with reservations about crypto security," Reads said in a statement.

Despite the overall decline in the value of digital assets, one of the more concerning aspects is that cryptocurrency crime appears to be expanding.

Legal transactions decreased by about 35%, while illegitimate transactions decreased by 15%, according to TradingPlatforms.com.

In March 2022, hackers stole almost $600 million from the Ronin bridge of Axie Infinity, and three months ago-the Horizon bridge of harmony lost more than $100 million.

It must be acknowledged that while there has been a considerable decline in criminal activity in the cryptocurrency area, hackers continue to pose a significant concern. The $1.6 billion in crypto that North Korea took through cybercrime was 66% less than the $4.3 billion stolen in 2021.

The 43% decline in revenue on darknet marketplaces this year was also a result of the Hydra marketplace crackdown in April, as noted by Interesting Engineering.

Crypto Winter

Crypto winter, a period when values and activity in the crypto markets diminish, typically during the winter months, may be to blame for the varied dips in criminal activity in cryptocurrency.

According to two South Korean government sources that talked to Reuters in June, North Korea's alleged stolen funds are compromised by the sudden drop in cryptocurrency values, which began in May due to a larger economic downturn.

It happened at a time when North Korea is preparing to resume nuclear testing while conducting a huge number of missile launches that, according to Seoul's Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, have cost more than $620 million this year.

North Korea is believed to spend roughly $640 million annually on its nuclear weapons, according to a report by the Geneva-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The central bank of South Korea also predicted that the nation's GDP would be about $27.4 billion in 2020.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

techtimes.com · by Joaquin Victor Tacla · September 14, 2022

5. North Korea SNUBBED as Kim Jong-un is banned from the Queen's funeral

It took three generations of the Kim Dynasty to outlast the Queen's reign.

North Korea SNUBBED as Kim Jong-un is banned from the Queen's funeral

Mirror · by Benjamin Lynch · September 14, 2022

Kim Jong-Un will not attend the funeral of the Queen on Monday, and a North Korean ambsassador will instead head to the Westminster service.

Delegates from the country will attend, but the tyrannical dictator himself won't be in attendance at Westminster Abbey. Leaders from Taliban Afghanistan, Venezuela and Syria were also not invited.

The man responsible for vicious labour camps, people in his country going hungry, and a dangerous nuclear weapons programme is on the same list of no-shows as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The UK has had relations with North Korea since 2000 and there is even an embassy located in Ealing, London.

An ambassador will attend in Kim's place (

Image:

via REUTERS)

President of neighbouring South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, is set to be in London for the funeral.

Whitehall sources confirmed to The Sun that ambassadors from North Korea were invited to be among the list of VIPs and dignitaries in attendance, which includes US President Joe Biden.

Kim has a difficult relationship with the West, due in part to his nuclear weapons programme, the testing for which is widely believed to be resuming shortly.

Thousands gathered to watch the Queen being moved from Buckingham Palace to Parliament (

Image:

PA)

Recently, the country put into place an alarming "irreversible" law that made clear the scenarios in which nuclear weapons can be used.

North Korea is already a nuclear state, according to its constitution, but the legislation change said it can use them in response to an attack or an invasion.

As reported by state TV KCNA, Kim said in a speech: "The utmost significance of legislating nuclear weapons policy is to draw an irretrievable line so that there can be no bargaining over our nuclear weapons."

The Queen's body was taken to lie in state in Parliament before the funeral next week (

Image:

PA)

Reports from within the country are likely to have factored into the decision not to invite Kim to the funeral. Only recently did more shocking reports emerge of women starving in labour camps, their families unable to bring them food due to the restrictions in place for Covid.

Despite the horror reports, Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny likened the commemoration of the Queen's death as akin to the mourning of Kim Jong-il's death in 2011, as reported by the Scottish Daily Express.

The UK and North Korea have a difficult relationship, but Kim sent his congratulations to the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee this year (

Image:

Getty Images)

Calling for an independent Scottish Republic, he said: "Sort of thing that when Kim Jong-il died that was made fun of on the British news and used to highlight the lack of democracy in North Korea."

The Queen's body will lie in state in Parliament for the next four days, before the funeral on Monday, September 19.

Mirror · by Benjamin Lynch · September 14, 2022

6. North Korean cyberespionage actor Lazarus targets energy providers with new malware

We really have to get engaged in the cyber war. (I am sure we are). But we have to start aggressively taking down these organisations. We need to eliminate the Lazarus group's ability to operate in cyberspace.

North Korean cyberespionage actor Lazarus targets energy providers with new malware

by Cedric Pernet in Security

on September 14, 2022, 10:22 AM PDT

Lazarus, a North Korean cyberespionage group, keeps hitting energy providers in the U.S., Canada and Japan with a new malware arsenal.

techrepublic.com · September 14, 2022

Image: Adobe Stock

Lazarus, also known as Hidden Cobra or Zinc, is a known nation-state cyberespionage threat actor originating from North Korea, according to the U.S. government. The threat actor has been active since 2009 and has often switched targets through time, probably according to nation-state interests.

Between 2020 and 2021, Lazarus compromised defense companies in more than a dozen countries including the U.S. It also targeted selected entities to assist strategic sectors such as aerospace and military equipment.

The threat actor is now aiming at energy providers, according to a new report from Cisco Talos.

SEE: Mobile device security policy (TechRepublic Premium)

Attack modus operandi

Lazarus often uses very similar techniques from one attack to the other, as exposed by Talos (Figure A).

Figure A

Image: Cisco Talos. Full attack scheme from the current Lazarus operation.

In the campaign reported by Talos, the initial vector of infection is the exploitation of the Log4j vulnerability on internet-facing VMware Horizon servers.

Once the targeted system is compromised, Lazarus downloads its toolkit from a web server it controls.

Talos has witnessed three variants of the attack. Each variant consists of another malware deployment. Lazarus could use only VSingle, VSingle and MagicRAT, or a new malware dubbed YamaBot.

Variations in the attack also imply using other tools such as mimikatz for credential harvesting, proxy tools to set up SOCKs proxies, or reverse tunneling tools such as Plink.

Lazarus also checks for installed antivirus on endpoints and disables Windows Defender antivirus.

The attackers also copy parts of Windows Registry Hives, for offline analysis and possible exploitation of credentials and policy information, and gather information from the Active Directory before creating their own high-privileged users. These users would be removed once the attack is fully in place, in addition to removing temporary tools and cleaning Windows Event logs.

At this point, the attackers then take their time to explore the systems, listing multiple folders and putting those of particular interest, mostly proprietary intellectual property, into a RAR archive file for exfiltration. The exfiltration is done via one of the malware used in the attack.

SEE: Protect your business from cybercrime with this dark web monitoring service (TechRepublic Academy)

Exclusive malware developed by Lazarus

Lazarus is a state-sponsored cyberespionage threat actor that has the capability to develop and distribute its own malware families. Lazarus has created several malware, which it uses for its operations. Three different malware are used in the current attack campaign exposed by Talos, dubbed VSingle, YamaBot and MagicRAT.

VSingle

VSingle is a persistent backdoor used by the threat actor to run different activities, such as reconnaissance, exfiltration and manual backdooring. It is a basic stager, enabling attackers to deploy more malware or to open a reverse shell that connects to a C2 server controlled by the attackers, which allows them to execute commands via cmd.exe.

Using VSingle, Lazarus typically runs commands on infected computers to collect information about the system and its network. All this information is mandatory for lateral movement activities, in which attackers can plant more malware on other systems or find information to exfiltrate later.

Lazarus has also used VSingle to force the system to cache users credentials, so it is possible to collect them afterward. The threat actor has also used it to get administrator privileges on users added to the system. This way, if the malware is fully removed, attackers still might access the network via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

Lazarus makes use of two additional software when using VSingle: a utility called Plink, which enables the creation of encrypted tunnels between systems via the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, and another tool named 3proxy, a small proxy server available publicly.

MagicRAT

MagicRAT is the newest malware developed by the Lazarus team, according to Talos. It is a persistent malware developed in C++ programming language. Interestingly, it uses the Qt framework, which is a programming library used for graphical interfaces. Since the RAT has no graphical interface, it is believed the use of the Qt framework is to increase the complexity of the malware analysis.

Once running, the malware provides its C2 server with basic information about the system and its environment. It also provides the attacker with a remote shell and a few other features such as an automatic deletion of the malware or a sleep function to try to avoid being detected.

In some Lazarus group attacks, MagicRAT has deployed the VSingle malware.

YamaBot

During one particular attack, Lazarus group deployed YamaBot after several attempts to deploy the VSingle malware. YamaBot is written in the Go programming language, and just like its peers, it starts by collecting basic information about the system.

YamaBot provides the capability to browse through folders and list files, download and execute files or arbitrary commands on the infected computer, or send back information about processes running on the machine.

Energy companies at risk

While Talos does not disclose much about the actual targets of this attack campaign, the researchers mention that “Lazarus was primarily targeting energy companies in Canada, the U.S. and Japan. The main goal of these attacks was likely to establish long-term access into victim networks to conduct espionage operations in support of North Korean government objectives. This activity aligns with historical Lazarus intrusions targeting critical infrastructure and energy companies to establish long-term access to siphon off proprietary intellectual property.”

How to protect from the Lazarus cyberespionage threat

Lazarus group makes heavy use of common vulnerabilities to compromise companies. In the current operation, it leveraged the Log4j vulnerability in order to gain an initial foothold on networks. Therefore, it is strongly advised to keep operating systems and all software up to date and patched to avoid such vulnerability exploitation.

It is also advised to monitor all connections to RDP or VPN services coming from outside of the company, since attackers sometimes impersonate employees by using their credentials to log in the system. For this reason, it is also advised to deploy multi-factor authentication (MFA), so an attacker cannot simply use valid credentials to log in systems.

Finally, security solutions need to be deployed and customized in order to detect malware and potential misuse of legitimate tools such as Plink.

Disclosure: I work for Trend Micro, but the views expressed in this article are mine.

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techrepublic.com · September 14, 2022

7. Yoon to hold first summit with Japan's Kishida next week

Some good news. We must manage expectations but we should be cautiously optimistic.

(LEAD) Yoon to hold first summit with Japan's Kishida next week | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · September 15, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with details of Yoon's trip; RECASTS lead; ADDS photo)

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold his first-ever summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in New York next week on a trip that will include his attendance at the U.N. General Assembly and a separate meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, his office said Thursday.

The meeting with Kishida will mark the first summit between the two countries in nearly three years since the last meeting in December 2019 and raises hope for improving relations frayed badly over wartime forced labor and other issues related to Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

Yoon is set to attend the U.N. gathering on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a three-nation tour that will also take him to London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and Canada for a summit with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo said at a press briefing that the summits with Biden and Kishida have been agreed upon, and will be held on either day in New York, though the exact times have yet to be fixed.

The Yoon-Kishida meeting will be watched closely, as the two countries have been locked in a protracted row over disputes stemming from Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

The issue of compensation for Korean forced labor victims is being handled by Seoul in line with its "own process," and opinions are being "privately" exchanged with Tokyo, making it unnecessary for the two leaders to "check" on it when they meet, a presidential official said.

The agenda for the talks has not been predetermined, but both sides "gladly agreed" to the meeting, the official added.

With Biden, Yoon is expected to discuss the implementation of agreements reached during their first summit in Seoul in May.

Aside from the U.N. gathering and the bilateral summits, Yoon is scheduled to attend a host of other events during his seven-day tour.

On Sunday, Yoon will attend a reception hosted by King Charles III where he will express his condolences over the Queen's death and mingle with other foreign leaders.

Kim said Yoon could also make visits to a Korean War memorial to honor the 56,000 British troops that fought alongside South Korea during the 1950-53 conflict and Westminster Hall, where the Queen lies in state.

On Monday, the president will attend the state funeral of the Queen at Westminster Abbey and then head to New York.

Yoon will make his first address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday as the 10th of 185 state leaders scheduled to speak during the session.

The keynote address will likely outline Yoon's vision for increasing global solidarity with nations that share and respect the values of freedom.

Later that day, Yoon plans to meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss North Korea and other key regional and international issues, Kim said.

Other items on the president's New York itinerary include meetings with businesspeople, academics and Korean residents. On Wednesday, Yoon will attend a reception hosted by Biden at the American Museum of Natural History.

On the third and final leg of his trip, the president will fly to Canada next Thursday, a country that sent 27,000 troops to fight alongside South Korea in the Korean War and shares values related to a liberal democracy and human rights, Kim said.

Yoon will stop first in Toronto to meet with world-famed scholars on artificial intelligence and exchange opinions on expanding cooperation between South Korea and Canada. The president will then meet with Korean residents in the city.

From Toronto, Yoon will head to Ottawa on Friday for a summit with Trudeau and discuss ways to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership ahead of the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties next year.

Canada is a key producer of core minerals used in the production of electric vehicle batteries, with South Korean businesses planning large-scale investments in Canada's battery sector, Kim said.

Yoon will return home Sept. 24.

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · September 15, 2022

8. Vice FM to visit U.S. to help address concerns over Inflation Reduction Act

Vice FM to visit U.S. to help address concerns over Inflation Reduction Act | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · September 15, 2022

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- A senior South Korean diplomat will visit the United States next week, the foreign ministry said Thursday, in a diplomatic effort to address concerns over a new U.S. law excluding electric vehicles made outside of North America from tax benefits.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon is set to visit New York and Washington from Monday through Sept. 23 for a series of talks with officials from the U.S. government and Congress, including Jose W. Fernandez, under secretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.

During the meetings, Lee is expected to highlight the need for Washington to take steps to address concerns in South Korea over the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which Korean automakers see as discriminatory against their products.

The IRA, signed by U.S. President Joe Biden in August, gives tax credits to buyers of EVs assembled only in North America, sparking concerns that carmakers here will lose ground in the U.S. market as they make EVs at domestic plants for export.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · September 15, 2022

9. S. Korea still waiting for N. Korea to accept offer of talks on separated families: official

The regime has no incentive for allowing family reunions. This is another example of human rights abuses. There should be no reason to prevent family reunions. But if the regime cannot extort concessions (and money) in return for allowing reunions it is unlikely to agree to anything related to easing the suffering of families on both sides of the DMZ.

S. Korea still waiting for N. Korea to accept offer of talks on separated families: official | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 채윤환 · September 15, 2022

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will continue to wait for a response from North Korea to its recent proposal to hold talks on the issue of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, an official at Seoul's unification ministry said Thursday.

Last Thursday, Unification Minister Kwon Young-se publicly made the offer, stressing the urgency of resolving the matter, as many of those with family members across the border are in their 80s and 90s. The North has so far remained silent on the proposal.

Speaking to reporters on background, the ministry official said the government does not regard Pyongyang as having rejected the offer.

"North Korea has not expressed its position via official news outlets to reject it," the official said.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 채윤환 · September 15, 2022

10. U.S. Aircraft Carrier to Stop in Busan Next Week

Just happened to be in the neighborhood so I just thought I would stop in to visit Pusan.

U.S. Aircraft Carrier to Stop in Busan Next Week

english.chosun.com

September 15, 2022 11:33

The U.S. Navy has released photos of flight training aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which arrives in Busan next week.

The photos on the Pentagon website on Tuesday show F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters of Strike Fighter Squadron 195 (VFA-195), also known as the "Dambusters," taking off from and landing on the aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

The squadron earned the moniker after its fighter jets disabled the heavily defended Hwacheon Dam held by North Korean troops with aerial torpedoes in May 1951 during the Korean War. It was the last aerial torpedo attack in history.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter lands on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in the Pacific on Tuesday. /Yonhap

The publicity seems to be a warning message to North Korea, which is thought to be preparing for another nuclear test.

South Korea and the U.S. plan a joint naval exercise in the East Sea after the Reagan arrives in Busan. It will be the first time a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier has conducted joint training with the South Korean Navy since November 2017.

Commissioned in 2003, the Reagan carries about 80 aircraft, including Super Hornet fighters and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye tactical airborne early warning aircraft.

U.S. Deploys 2 Aircraft Carriers Near Korean Peninsula

3 U.S. Aircraft Carriers to Hold Drills off S.Korean Coast

Another U.S. Aircraft Carrier Fleet Deployed to Pacific

english.chosun.com

11. N. Korea may pursue nuclear threat after US midterm election

Excerpt:

“There is a possibility that the North will try to save Xi’s face by avoiding provocative moves during China’s largest political events,” South Korean government sources said. “However, it could soon press the nuclear button before or after the U.S.’s election to make it look like Biden’s administration has failed in its North Korea policy and nuclear deterrence.”

N. Korea may pursue nuclear threat after US midterm election

donga.com

Posted September. 15, 2022 07:57,

Updated September. 15, 2022 07:57

N. Korea may pursue nuclear threat after US midterm election. September. 15, 2022 07:57. by Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com.

The intelligence agencies from South Korea and the U.S. have reportedly analyzed the recent passage of North Korea’s bill allowing pre-emptive nuclear strike to build a ground to conduct the seventh nuclear test and turn around its current dynamics by successfully winning its nuclear disarmament negotiations.

“Seoul and Washington think the North is trying to highlight its justification of nuclear weapons development before carrying out its seventh nuclear test,” a source from the Korean military said on Wednesday. It could be interpreted that Pyongyang is aiming to blame the U.S. for its nuclear development while showing confidence in its increased deterrence power of nuclear weapons, to deliver the message that the denuclearization of Seoul and Washington would not work on it. The two countries believe that North Korea will be able to strike them once it succeeds in the seventh test, the next step after its strategic nuclear development. The authorities of both countries said that the North would come forth after that to negotiate nuclear disarmament as an equal to the U.S.

Seoul and Washington are closely monitoring the possibility that the North would take the U.S. midterm election on Nov. 8 as a chance to escalate its provocation. This is after its Party Foundation Day on Oct. 10 and China’s 20th Communist Party Conference starting on Oct. 16, which will confirm‎ the long-term power seizure (three terms in a row) of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“There is a possibility that the North will try to save Xi’s face by avoiding provocative moves during China’s largest political events,” South Korean government sources said. “However, it could soon press the nuclear button before or after the U.S.’s election to make it look like Biden’s administration has failed in its North Korea policy and nuclear deterrence.”

한국어

donga.com

12. Korea to hold bilateral summits with Japan, U.S. at UN General Assembly

Thursday

September 15, 2022

dictionary + A - A

Korea to hold bilateral summits with Japan, U.S. at UN General Assembly

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/09/15/national/diplomacy/Korea-Yoon-Sukyeol-president/20220915155545538.html

First Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan on Thursday. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold bilateral summits with the United States and Japan on the occasion of the UN General Assembly to be held in New York next week, the Korean presidential office announced Thursday.

“We are coordinating a Korea-U.S. summit and a Korea-Japan summit at the UN General Assembly,” said First Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan on Thursday, while detailing Yoon’s schedule for visiting Britain, the United States and Canada starting on Sept. 18.

The last Korea-Japan summit was held in December 2019 between then-President Moon Jae-in and then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the Korea-China-Japan trilateral meeting in Chengdu, China.

Yoon and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida previously met several times on the occasion of the NATO summit held in Spain in June, but failed to reach an official bilateral meeting.

The Korea-U.S. summit follows Yoon's meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Seoul on May 21, during Biden’s visit to Korea.

“We agreed early on that we would hold bilateral talks with the U.S. and Japan,” said a high-ranking official from the presidential office.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]

13. [INTERVIEW] 'NK will conduct nuclear test for position of strength in talks'

In addition to testing a nuclear weapon simply necessary to advance the program and its nuclear capabilities, we should try to anticipate what effect the regime will be seeking to achieve when they conduct a test. Scott Snyder offers some useful insights and disuse more than what is in the headline (e.g. QUAD)

[INTERVIEW] 'NK will conduct nuclear test for position of strength in talks'

The Korea Times · September 15, 2022

Pyongyang to return to talks with Washington only after advancing nuclear capabilities

By Kim Yoo-chul

The chief North Korea analyst at a New York-based nonpartisan think tank believes Pyongyang is set to conduct a nuclear test within this year at the earliest.

The projection by Scott A. Snyder, a senior fellow for Korea studies and director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), comes just a few days after North Korea passed a law authorizing preemptive nuclear attacks with its leader Kim Jong-un saying the decision is "irreversible."

The recently-passed North Korean law is interpreted as Pyongyang's intention of not returning denuclearization talks and voices its intention of executing a preemptive nuclear strike, if necessary, to protect the regime.

North Korea conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, according to intelligence officials in South Korea.

"I believe North Korea is likely to conduct its seventh nuclear test at some point in the coming months. As Kim Jong-un appears to have suggested, the purpose is to make nuclear weapons possession indivisible from North Korea's regime security by attaining an undeniable and irreversible nuclear capability," Snyder said in a recent interview.

Reiterating that North Korea has always been a "security first" state, its recent decision should be viewed as the North Korean leader's affirmation of nuclear weapons being the main means to guarantee the security of his regime, according to Snyder. "The move to codify the North's nuclear weapons status is consistent with efforts to include it in the preamble to the North Korean constitution a decade ago," he added.

Scott A. SnyderPresident Yoon Suk-yeol's foreign policy team still hopes to bring North Korea back to talks with the presidential office saying the South Korean leader will elaborate on his "audacious initiative" at next week's United Nations General Assembly in New York that may help improve North Korea's moribund economy and the living conditions of North Korean citizens depending the progress of Pyongyang's denuclearization efforts.

But Snyder expects the chances are low that North Korea will accept South Korea's offer.

"What is absent from inter-Korean dialogue is an immediate and overarching need on either side to rely on dialogue to achieve essential national security objectives. As a result, dialogue may not be forthcoming until both sides have a felt need and sense of urgency around the necessity to engage in diplomacy with each other," the chief Korea analyst at CFR responded.

Talks between the two Koreas and North Korea and the United States have been stalled since a summit in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2019 ended without a deal when then U.S. President Donald Trump refused to accept the North Korean leader's demand for a partial lifting of sanctions and offer security guarantees in exchange for a phased nuclear disarmament.

The U.S. said it is willing to resume dialogue with North Korea, but only after certain conditions are met. Washington said its position in pursuing a verifiable and complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula hasn't changed since the former Trump administration.

Citing North Korea's failed approach in Hanoi of requesting partial sanctions relief for phased (partial) denuclearization, Snyder said the North has moved on from that position after securing partial sanctions relief through China and Russia's non-enforcement of sanctions.

"If we consider the lessons learned from Hanoi, one possible lesson Kim Jong-un may have taken from the experience is that from his perspective, the United States did not take sufficiently seriously the idea that the North was negotiating from a position of strength. North Korea is asserting that its laws make denuclearization negotiations a non-starter. As a result, it is hard to imagine how the United States and North Korea will be able to frame a diplomatic negotiation process around a set of commonly held objectives," he said.

Political analysts say Pyongyang's continued missile tests underscore its dual purpose _ to sharpen its nuclear arsenal, and to force the United States to view it as a nuclear state. Therefore, the prevailing view among North Korea experts in Seoul is that the North believes it can obtain security guarantees and more economic concessions from a "position of strength."

People watch a TV screen showing a file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at Seoul Station in Seoul, Sept. 9. Kim stressed his country will never abandon its nuclear weapons to counter the United States, which he accused of attempting to weaken the North's defenses and eventually topple the leadership, state media said. AP-Yonhap

"A logical course of action would be to further strengthen the North's military program so that its nuclear capabilities would be regarded as undeniable and irreversible. Once North Korea's Kim believes he has adequately achieved those objectives, he might in principle then be ready to return to diplomatic negotiations with the United States, but from an even stronger position than the North's Kim was in when he met with Trump in Hanoi in February of 2019," he added.

Quad: a tool for improved Seoul-Tokyo relations

As long as talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea are stalled, South Korea remains highly dependent on China's leverage over the North.

Washington wants to expand the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an informal strategic architecture comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, to include South Korea, New Zealand and Vietnam. But South Korea's decision to join the expanded Quad will face diplomatic challenges. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration is shifting closer to the United States and hopes to continue discussions on Seoul's participation in the Quad Plus.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, meets India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, left, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Tokyo, Sept. 9. AP-YonhapSnyder said the Biden administration wants to use the Quad Plus as a tool to improve relations between Japan and South Korea. Relations between the two neighboring countries, both key U.S. allies, have deteriorated dramatically in recent years over disputes stemming from Japan's World War II atrocities.

Japan removed South Korea from its list of most preferred trading partners after Seoul's top court ordered Japanese companies to compensate surviving South Koreans who were forced to labor in Japanese factories during World War II. Later, the country terminated its military information sharing pact, better known as GSOMIA, with Japan. The U.S. views GSOMIA as a being crucial to the operation of its regional anti-ballistic missile systems. An early renewal of the pact would be a plus for Washington to further strengthen the Quad architecture.

"An apparent precursor for South Korea to pursue more active diplomacy in the context of broader multilateral initiatives such as the Quad is the need for more effective and deeper trilateral U.S.-Japan-South Korea coordination on security issues including the North Korea threat. The Biden administration has emphasized trilateral consultations at the highest levels to achieve progress in the spheres of diplomacy, military and intelligence coordination," Snyder said.

"The Biden administration may see trilateralism as a tool by which to stabilize the Japan-South Korea relationship and to broaden a sense of like-mindedness to address a range of common security challenges in the region," according to the CFR director.

The Korea Times · September 15, 2022

14. S. Korea, US to craft 'tailored' responses to potential nuclear crises: defense chief

Extended deterrence can only deter a nuclear attack which is its focus. Extended deterrence is less able and likely to deter nuclear tests and provocations.

Excerpts:

Designed to reinforce the credibility of extended deterrence, the EDSCG will touch on a raft of issues, such as the sharing of intelligence, crisis-period communication, allied defense exercises and the deployment of U.S. strategic military assets, according to Lee.

"The credibility of extended deterrence refers to the U.S. delivering on its commitment to the defense of the Korean Peninsula despite risks of an attack on the U.S. mainland," the minister pointed out.

Touching on the possibility of the North pressing ahead with a nuclear test, Lee warned the test would be met with a "stronger-than-usual" response from the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

But a tailored response might be developed along these lines:

The ROK and U.S. should make sure the press, pundits, and public understand that this is a fundamental part of North Korean strategy and that it conducts provocations for specific objectives. It does not represent a policy failure; it represents a deliberate policy decision by Kim Jong-un to continue to execute his political warfare strategy. The following is a response framework for consideration:

First, do not overreact. But do not succumb to the criticism of those who recommend ending exercises. Always call out Kim Jong-un’s strategy As Sun Tzu would advise- “ …what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy; … next best is to disrupt his alliances.” Make sure the international community, the press, and the public in the ROK and the U.S. and the elite and the Korean people living in the north know what Kim is doing.

Second, never ever back down in the face of North Korean increased tension, threats, and provocations.

Third, coordinate an alliance response. There may be times when a good cop-bad cop approach is appropriate. Try to mitigate the internal domestic political criticisms that will inevitably occur in Seoul and DC. Do not let those criticisms negatively influence policy and actions.

Fourth, exploit weakness in North Korea – create internal pressure on Kim and the regime from his elite and military. Always work to drive a wedge among the party, elite, and military (which is a challenge since they are all intertwined and inextricably linked).

Fifth, demonstrate strength and resolve. Do not be afraid to show military strength. Never misunderstand the north’s propaganda – do not give in to demands to reduce exercises or take other measures based on North Korean demands that would in any way reduce the readiness of the combined military forces. The north does not want an end to the exercises because they are a threat, they want to weaken the alliance and force U.S. troops from the peninsula which will be the logical result if they are unable to effectively train.

Sixth, depending on the nature of the provocation, be prepared to initiate a decisive response using the most appropriate tools, e.g., diplomatic, military, economic, information and influence activities, cyber, etc., or a combination.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/01/north-koreas-ballistic-missile-test-a-6-step-strategy-to-respond/

S. Korea, US to craft 'tailored' responses to potential nuclear crises: defense chief

The Korea Times · September 15, 2022

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at his office in Seoul, Sept. 14. Yonhap

South Korea and the United States will formulate concrete contingency plans for various nuclear crisis scenarios in their joint deterrence strategy to be revised in order to counter North Korea's evolving military threats, Seoul's defense chief said.

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup unveiled the scheme in an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency following the North's recent codification of an assertive nuclear policy that leaves the door open for launching a preemptive strike in case of a regime security threat.

"In the tailored deterrence strategy set to be revised, the South and the U.S. will make the sharing of intelligence and contingency consultation procedures more systematic, and further flesh out responses to each nuclear crisis situation," Lee told Yonhap at his office in Seoul on Wednesday.

Among the crisis scenarios is the North's verbal threat of a nuclear attack, the minister said. He did not elaborate on other scenarios, but they could include a phase when signs emerge of an impending nuclear strike or the North's actual recourse to nuclear options.

Adopted in 2013, the allies' tailored deterrence strategy (TDS) is designed to cope with growing threats from the North's nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. It is the first such bilateral deterrence document that Washington has crafted with a single treaty ally.

The need for the revision has arisen, as Pyongyang has been doubling down on its nuclear program despite years of peace efforts under the former liberal Moon Jae-in administration. The regime is thought to have completed key preparations for what would be its seventh nuclear test.

"At present, the North's nuclear threats are far more advanced compared with what they were in 2013, while the capabilities of our military and the U.S. military have also developed considerably," Lee said. "In a comprehensive consideration of such changes, we are working on revising the TDS."

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at his office in Seoul, Sept. 14. Yonhap

The revision work took on greater importance last week, as the North promulgated a law on its nuclear policy outlining five conditions for its nuclear use, which indicated its intention for first-strike nuclear options.

In a reassuring tone, the defense minister reiterated his ministry's stern message against the North's potential use of nuclear arms.

"Should the North attempt to use nuclear arms, it would face the overwhelming response from the South Korea-U.S. alliance and its regime would be put on a path of self-destruction," Lee emphasized.

His message is likely to be backed up by the session of the allies' vice-ministerial Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) slated to take place Friday in Washington, D.C., for the first time since 2018. Extended deterrence means the U.S.' stated commitment to mobilizing a full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear ones, to defend its ally.

Designed to reinforce the credibility of extended deterrence, the EDSCG will touch on a raft of issues, such as the sharing of intelligence, crisis-period communication, allied defense exercises and the deployment of U.S. strategic military assets, according to Lee.

"The credibility of extended deterrence refers to the U.S. delivering on its commitment to the defense of the Korean Peninsula despite risks of an attack on the U.S. mainland," the minister pointed out.

Touching on the possibility of the North pressing ahead with a nuclear test, Lee warned the test would be met with a "stronger-than-usual" response from the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Despite his emphasis on deterrence, Lee also held out the prospect of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration taking reciprocal measures to reduce tensions and build trust with the North, which he said would be discussed should the North take substantive steps towards denuclearization. But he did not specify them.

"We will take such measures in a bolder manner," Lee said.

Commenting on the U.S. Forces Korea's efforts to upgrade its THAAD missile defense battery in the southern county of Seongju, Lee called them "not unusual."

The U.S. military has been working on the upgrade designed to streamline and integrate its THAAD and Patriot missile defense systems into a single program for enhanced, more flexible security operations.

"All weapons systems are bound to be upgraded continuously. It's not unusual," he said in broad generalities. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · September 15, 2022

15. Suriname may take legal action against producers of 'Narco-Saints' over unfair portrayal (South Korea)

Soft power, Korean Wave suffers a setback.

[Newsmaker] Suriname may take legal action against producers of 'Narco-Saints' over unfair portrayal

koreaherald.com · by Shim Woo-hyun · September 15, 2022

Director of South Korean Netflix show says he did not create fictional country as show is based on true events

By Shim Woo-hyun

Published : Sept 15, 2022 - 15:44 Updated : Sept 15, 2022 - 15:48

A scene from the new Neflix Korea series "Narco-Saints" (Netflix)

The government of Suriname said it will consider legal action against the producers of the recent Netflix series "Narco-Saints," which possibly casts a negative image of the country.

The South Korean Embassy in Venezuela issued an advisory to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals living in Suriname, according to local reports on Thursday.

"Narco-Saints," which is titled "Suriname" in Korean, revolves around a South Korean drug lord operating in Suriname and secret agents who try to capture him. The story is based on real-life events involving Cho Bong-haeng who operated a massive trafficking organization in the South American country between the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The government of Suriname earlier this week strongly protested the show, saying the series portrays the country as a narco state, in a statement released on its official government website, Monday.

The government of Suriname said the country no longer has the image that emerges in the series and no longer participates in the kinds of practices portrayed.

Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin expressed concerns that the recent Netflix series could reinforce a negative image of Suriname, which has suffered damages in recent decades in terms of crime and cross-border activities.

“Whether the practices presented in the documentary are true or false, it's about creating a negative perception. The whole world sees these things, so this is not good and we will pay close attention to that," Ramdin said in a statement released by the government of Suriname.

Ramdin noted the government of Suriname could take legal action against the producers and lodge a diplomatic protest with the South Korean government.

The South Korean government said it had not received any formal statement from Suriname yet, according to an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official from the Foreign Ministry also said, “it is doing its best to maintain a friendly relationship with Suriname.”

South Korea and Suriname first established diplomatic relations in 1975. South Korea currently does not have an embassy in Suriname, as the South Korean Embassy in Venezuela operates as its diplomatic channel with the country.

The South Korean Embassy in Venezuela on Tuesday made an announcement concerning the safety of South Korean people living in Suriname in such a case that bilateral tensions escalate further between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Yoon Jong-bin, the director of "Narco-Saints,” on Thursday refused to comment on the issue when he was asked about his thoughts on the government of Suriname’s take on the series.

Yoon also answered that he did not feel the need to create a fictional country because the story is based on true events, to a question asking why he had chosen an actual country for the story’s setting.

An official from Netflix’ South Korean office said no announcement was to be made relating to the issue at the moment.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)

16. Decrease in workload at Chinese factories is hurting N. Korean laborers

Excerpts:

China’s strict COVID-19 policies, which have restricted movement even within the same cities, have made it difficult for North Korean workers to take on additional side jobs. The source explained that the only option for workers today is to work at just one job, whether it be at a restaurant or a factory.

Accordingly, there is word among cadres managing the workers that the North Korean authorities may not deploy additional workers to electronics parts production plants in the future if workloads continue their downward spiral.

“There were workers who could not even earn a penny last month,” said the source, adding, “It is meaningless for such people to travel all the way to China for work unless they switch industries or new measures are implemented.”

Decrease in workload at Chinese factories is hurting N. Korean laborers

China’s strict COVID-19 policies have also made it difficult for North Korean workers to take on additional side jobs

By Seulkee Jang - 2022.09.15 11:20am

dailynk.com

FILE PHOTO: A factory in the Chinese city of Hunchun, Jilin Province, that reportedly employs North Korean workers. (Daily NK)

North Korean workers in China are facing troubles as multinational companies such as Apple and Google are accelerating the process of “de-sinicization.” The decrease in the overall workload has reportedly resulted in decreasing income for these workers.

Global companies have been aiming to relocate local factories in China to India and Vietnam as China’s repeated impositions of strict border closures on major cities according to the “zero coronavirus” policy have resulted in a paralysis of distribution systems.

In the midst of all this, wages for North Korean workers working at electronics assembly plants in Liaoning and Jilin provinces reportedly plunged more than 50% last month.

A source in China said on Sept. 9 that North Korean workers of an electronics parts assembly plant earned RMB 2,200-2,500 per month during the first half of 2022 but earned only about RMB 1,000 last month, approximately half the former amount.

The source also reported that a factory that produces parts for a luxury watch company in Europe has been receiving less than half of its usual orders. Workers at the factory, who had worked an average of ten hours per day in the past due to heavy workloads, have been working only about five hours a day since mid-July with the reduction of orders.

The major problem for these workers is that the quota of party funds to be paid to the North Korean authorities remains the same as before. Workers are left with no real income after paying various fees, such as loyalty funds and women’s union fees.

Just two to three years ago, workers were able to supplement insufficient wages by undertaking two jobs, working for factories or restaurants in the daytime and working on side jobs or at karaoke bars at night.

China’s strict COVID-19 policies, which have restricted movement even within the same cities, have made it difficult for North Korean workers to take on additional side jobs. The source explained that the only option for workers today is to work at just one job, whether it be at a restaurant or a factory.

Accordingly, there is word among cadres managing the workers that the North Korean authorities may not deploy additional workers to electronics parts production plants in the future if workloads continue their downward spiral.

“There were workers who could not even earn a penny last month,” said the source, adding, “It is meaningless for such people to travel all the way to China for work unless they switch industries or new measures are implemented.”

Translated by Youngheon Kim.

Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com

17. 6 Ominous Things You Can Only Experience At DMZ South Korea

6 Ominous Things You Can Only Experience At DMZ South Korea

koreatravelpost.com · by Siwaoo Park · September 13, 2022

DMZ, or the Korean Demilitarized Zone, in South Korea is one of the world’s most dangerous frontiers despite being the cease-fire line. Tank traps, electrified fences, and landmines make it impossible to escape feeling the tension between North Korea and South Korea. Additionally, seeing the troops in battle uniform standing upright with their dark sunglasses on heightens the intimidating atmosphere.

However, the ominous experiences definitely add to the thrill.

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A post shared by North Korea Unreported (@zoediscoversnk)

The Eerie Feeling with Only a Handful of Cars Around

If you are coming from Seoul to the DMZ, you will probably encounter severe traffic jams, but as you slowly approach the DMZ, the amount of traffic will substantially decrease. Most likely, the only vehicles going the other way are those that entered earlier.

This lack of activity undoubtedly creates an uneasy atmosphere. At times, you may even start to fear for your security and the safety of the people you are traveling with.

Therefore, if you are considering visiting this region, do not be surprised if you witness absolute stillness for quite some time.

Very Few People Still Reside in the Area

As you may anticipate, outsiders are not permitted to reside. The only people who live there are those who were either born there or married members of the neighborhood. There is a school with 30 kids and 20 teachers, with one UNC officer teaching 5G and English to the children for free.

You will see the North Korean “propaganda village” Kijong on the other side. This abandoned village was built in 1953 to entice the South Korean military to the North.

All of the structures are concrete shells, some of which have no backs. So, apparently, the maintenance personnel maintain streets with no residents.

The 525-foot flagpole, which is the fourth tallest in the world, is the only feature worth praising about the location.

The Murder Site May Give You Chills

Camp Bonifas was designed in honor of commander Captain Arthur Bonifas of the Joint Security Force unit, who was assassinated in 1976 with no proper warning while his squad went to prune a tree in the Joint Security Area.

The site of the memorial is where the tree formerly stood. It is worth noting that the diameter of the memorial is the same as that of the tree.

The fact that you cannot descend the vehicle while visiting this spot adds to the uneasiness. Although the tour guides may not disclose the actual explanation, it is generally understood as a safety measure because North Korean soldiers are stationed nearby.

Properties With Bullet Holes from As Recently As 2017

“Defector” is a well-known term used to describe an individual who dares to cross the DMZ from North to South Korea after growing weary of living in deplorable circumstances.

One such incident took place in 2017 when a North Korean defector attempted to flee. Tourists can still see the bullet holes left by the North Korean soldiers who fired at him but missed and hit one of the buildings.

You can also view the spot beside the retaining wall where the man laid shot after his vehicle got trapped in a ditch before the South Korean soldiers rescued him to safety.

You Can Enter North Korea, But The Responsibility is Entirely Yours

Upon reaching the negotiating rooms that act as the line between North and South Korea, you will see a warning signboard stating “Entering this room” will imply admission into a “hostile area” and danger of “injury or death as a direct result of enemy action.”

An expressionless soldier guards the interior, ready to fight anyone trying to cross the border. Although it might seem unsettling, he is actually there to stop you from entering hell.

“Plant Peace and Prosperity” Tree is Foreboding

Representatives from North and South Korea mutually planted the tree in 2018 as a gesture of harmony and prosperity.

However, as history goes, a pine tree, the national tree for both nations, was initially planted in 1953 when both sides agreed to a cease-fire, but according to local guides, it started dying right away and required special care to survive.

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A post shared by 러닝전도사 안정은 (@totoolike)

To many, visiting DMZ from South Korea will undoubtedly seem ominous.

Safe travels.

koreatravelpost.com · by Siwaoo Park · September 13, 2022

18. On this day in history, Sept. 15, 1950, US troops land at Inchon, turning the tide of the Korean War

Thank you Fox News for reporting on this today.

But it was just not the Marines landing there. And it was just not US troops but South Korean troops as well.

Excerpts:

"The amphibious assault at Inchon marked the Cold War rebirth of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps," the piece said about Operation Chromite, as it was named.

"The expertly planned and boldly executed air-sea-ground attack," according to the same source, "put to rest the post-World War II argument that globe-spanning warplanes armed with atomic bombs were all that was needed for the United States to fight and win wars of the future."

On this day in history, Sept. 15, 1950, US troops land at Inchon, turning the tide of the Korean War

foxnews.com · by Maureen Mackey | Fox News

Video

Gen. Jack Keane on 70th anniversary of Korean War

President Trump and first lady Melania pay their respects during a wreath-laying ceremony on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War; retired four-star Army General Jack Keane weighs in.

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It was characterized as too risky, too dangerous, too out-of-the-question — but ultimately, that didn't deter the United States of America or Gen. Douglas MacArthur, for that matter.

Just months after the Korean War began and with brilliant scheduling and coordination, U.S. Marines landed at Inchon on the west coast of Korea on this date in history, Sept. 15, 1950.

Inchon was 100 miles south of the 38th parallel and just 25 miles from Seoul.

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General Douglas MacArthur, who had been made supreme commander of the United Nations (U.N.) forces in July of that year, insisted on carrying out the landing — a complicated operation and coordination of forces by air, land and sea, as History.com and other sources have noted.

American troops are shown pushing inland following the U.N. invasion of the key Korean part of Inchon. With U.N. forces going on the offensive in Korea, Picture Post sent cameraman Bert Hardy to record the movements of American, British and South Korean troops. He photographed front-line scenes, the arrival of U.K. troops, U.S. landings at Inchon, wounded prisoners, refugees and other scenes of the Korean campaign. (Photo by©Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

By the early part of the night, the Marines had overcome moderate resistance and secured Inchon.

What was the impact?

The operation was "epic in scale" and "audacious in concept."

"The brilliant landing cut the North Korean forces in two and the U.S.-led U.N. force pushed inland to recapture Seoul, the South Korean capital that had fallen to the communists in June," History.com noted.

"Allied forces then converged from the north and the south, devastating the North Korean army and taking 125,000 enemy troops prisoner."

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The operation, according to an article published by the U.S. Naval Institute, was "epic in scale" and "audacious in concept."

First Lt. John R. Grimes (left) of Milledgeville, Ga., and M/Sgt. George H. Trout of Richland, Pa., examine mortar shells left behind in a roadside ditch by North Koreans hastily fleeing the town of Waegwan in Korea on Sept. 27, 1950. (AP Photo/Gene Herrick)

"The Inchon invasion dramatically altered the course of the Korean War — and validated anew the importance of being able to project sea power ashore," the same article noted.

"The amphibious assault at Inchon marked the Cold War rebirth of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps," the piece said about Operation Chromite, as it was named.

"The expertly planned and boldly executed air-sea-ground attack," according to the same source, "put to rest the post-World War II argument that globe-spanning warplanes armed with atomic bombs were all that was needed for the United States to fight and win wars of the future."

MacArthur famously said, "The Navy has never let me down in the past and it will not let me down this time."

Instead, "sea power projected ashore would enable the United Nations to preserve the independence of the Republic of Korea and limit the conflict to the Korean Peninsula."

The piece went further: "Throughout the Cold War, Navy-Marine Corps amphibious forces, aircraft carrier battle groups, and surface warships bristling with guns (and eventually long-range ship-to-shore missiles) discouraged aggression around the world and, when necessary, contributed to the success of American arms."

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The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea, pushing the latter back on its heels.

Yet on Sept. 15, 1950, the tides began to turn when the MacArthur-envisioned plan was implemented and U.N. forces began the drive toward Seoul.

In explaining his rationale to other military leaders, many of whom were dubious, MacArthur famously said, "The Navy has never let me down in the past and it will not let me down this time."

He also said, "We shall land at Inchon and I shall crush them!"

MacArthur later explained that he felt he could turn the tide if he made a decisive troop movement behind the lines of North Korea's KPA (Korean People's Army) — and he preferred Inchon over other locations as the landing site.

He also expressed that he felt the enemy would be caught off-guard by the attack.

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By his own account afterward, he also said that because Inchon was so heavily defended, the North Koreans would not expect an attack there; that victory at Incheon would avoid a terrible winter campaign; and that, by invading a northern strong point, the U.N. forces could cut off North Korea's lines of supply and communication.

Maureen Mackey is managing editor of lifestyle for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent on Twitter at @maurmack.

foxnews.com · by Maureen Mackey | Fox News

19. Inchon Landing

Excerpts:

MacArthur activated the X Corps to take part in the landings. Led by Edward Mallory “Ned” Almond, the X Corps was composed of the 7th Infantry Division, 1st Marine Division, and South Korean troops. On September 15, 1950, the soldiers, sailors, and Marines of X Corps landed at Inchon. Even though the Inchon plans had been leaked in U.S. media and throughout Japan, North Korea was unprepared for the landing. Key objectives were taken with far fewer casualties than past U.S. amphibious operations. MacArthur’s gamble was a smashing success.

Inchon Landing

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Douglas MacArthur and members of his staff watch pre-landing bombardment and air strikes on Inchon

from the flag bridge of the U.S.S. Mt. McKinley. Courtesy - Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

The summer of 1950 went poorly for the United States and the rest of the United Nations Command. North Korea attacked South Korea, a vulnerable country the American military was advising. Loss after loss piled up as U.S. forces and other United Nations allies scrambled to come to South Korea’s aid. By August 1950, U.S. and South Korean forces established the Pusan Perimeter, a defensive line surrounding Pusan, South Korea, and its critical port. The Pusan Perimeter enabled the U.S. and South Korea to blunt North Korea’s attempts to unify Korea under a Communist, pro-Soviet Union government. Execution of a bold amphibious landing at Inchon reversed the war’s course entirely. This landing, and the U.S.-led offensive that followed, caused many to believe that the war would be over before the end of the year. Reviewing this moment captures the great instability that typified the Korean War in its first year.

The process of getting the Inchon plan to fruition was not easy. Military authorities at the highest level of the U.S. government doubted whether the plan could succeed. Navy planners feared the Yellow Sea’s tides, which varied by as much as 30 feet at times. Marine Corps strategists worried about the difficulty in having Marines scale the large sea walls that surrounded Inchon. The Joint Chiefs of Staff were concerned by what would happen if the operation failed. They knew the U.S. did not have ready reserves to replace the men who were lost. Douglas MacArthur, head of the Far Eastern Command, viewed the plan for the landing as a great opportunity to change the course of the war. His advocacy shepherded the bold Inchon landing plan over the Joint Chief’s objections.

MacArthur activated the X Corps to take part in the landings. Led by Edward Mallory “Ned” Almond, the X Corps was composed of the 7th Infantry Division, 1st Marine Division, and South Korean troops. On September 15, 1950, the soldiers, sailors, and Marines of X Corps landed at Inchon. Even though the Inchon plans had been leaked in U.S. media and throughout Japan, North Korea was unprepared for the landing. Key objectives were taken with far fewer casualties than past U.S. amphibious operations. MacArthur’s gamble was a smashing success.

After the fall of Inchon, U.S. forces focused on the former South Korean capital, Seoul, an objective twenty-five miles away. The Han River and over 20,000 North Korean soldiers occupying the city made capturing it more difficult. With the 7th Infantry Division on the 1st Marine Division’s southern flank, the Marines were able to fight toward Seoul. By September 22, 1950, the X Corps reached Seoul’s western edge. A hard fight for the city ensued. On September 29, 1950, the city fell to U.S. forces. A brief ceremony gave control of the city to South Korean president Syngman Rhee.

CPL Francis James of the 2nd Signal Corps carries a disabled elderly Korean person out of a rice field -

on September 24, 1950. Credit: Edwin T. Tarr, United States Army. Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.

U.S. and South Korean forces made progress in southern Korea as the fight for Inchon and Seoul was waged. The Eighth Army broke out from the Pusan Perimeter. After some resistance, the North Korean forces were defeated at Waegwan, Chungam-ni, and the western port of Kunsan. While some North Korean forces broke into a chaotic scramble, others waged a fighting retreat that involved holding tight to certain positions in South Korea. These examples of North Korean resistance cost U.S. and Allied forces significant casualties. Despite this, North Korean soldiers soon found out that they could not defend the X Corps attacks near Seoul and Inchon and hold allied forces back in southern Korea.

Costly but thrilling victories after a painful summer caused United Nations leaders to debate going beyond the pre-war boundary set during the post-World War II U.S.-Soviet occupation of the peninsula. Military authorities believed that the North Korean Army had to be destroyed before real security could be achieved. A wounded North Korean Army would always lay in waiting to attack south. Others in the U.S. National Security Council cautioned against crossing the 38th parallel because they thought it might set off a Chinese and Soviet intervention. President Truman sided with his military advisers. On September 27, 1950, the Joint Chiefs of Staff directed MacArthur to move across the 38th parallel and destroy North Korea’s military. By October 9, 1950, U.S. forces had crossed the border. Before the month was over, important cities like Pyongyang and Wonsan fell to U.S. and allied soldiers. The war’s end seemed like it was on the horizon.

Given the optimism of this moment, Chinese intervention at the end of November 1950 came as a great surprise. Intelligence sources across the U.S and allied countries had reported Chinese concerns about their security. However, the excitement of Inchon and the bold offensive that followed caused U.S. leaders to underestimate the danger of Chinese involvement. Chinese intervention brought the war into a new phase.

The search for unaccounted-for remains from the Inchon campaign to the Chinese intervention started before the end of the war. From 1951 to 1956, Army Graves Registration Service and different divisional quartermaster units sought remains in South Korea. Though the rapid movement of units during this phase of the war made locating remains more difficult, over 20,000 individuals were located in this period. The DPAA currently maintains a semi-permanent office in South Korea to search for remains year-round. South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery and Identification also assists U.S. teams.

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De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

V/R

David Maxwell

Senior Fellow

Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Phone: 202-573-8647

Personal Email: d avid.maxwell161@gmail.com

Web Site: www.fdd.org

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Subscribe to FDD’s new podcast, Foreign Podicy

FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

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