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Quotes of the Day:
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another."
- Charles Dickens
"It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled."
- Mark Twain
Those who fear the facts will forever try to discredit the fact-finders."
- Denis Diderot
1. U.S. will impose sanctions on N. Korea, Russia when necessary: state dept.
2. Trilateral summit at Camp David to serve as opportunity to build friendship: officials
3. N. Korea frequently releases water from dam near inter-Korean border in July: Seoul
4. Disney and Steinem Respond on Korean Peace
5. NGO releases paper solidifying links between NK's Kim family and crimes against humanity
6. Biden sees Korea-US-Japan ties as special: envoy
7. US must show that Seoul, Manila made right choices
8. ＜Inside N.Korea＞ Spring wheat harvest is finished and delivered to the army・・・Farmers rebel without their share
9. Plan to overhaul Unification Ministry criticized as “step backward” for inter-Korean exchange, dialogue
1. U.S. will impose sanctions on N. Korea, Russia when necessary: state dept.
It is time to shift from the economic instrument of power to the information instrument of power. Kim fears information more than he fears sanctions on his failed economy (and more than he fears the military from the ROK and US). I urge the ROK/US alliance to begin a sophisticated and comprehensive information campaign against the regime (and in support of the Korean people in the north).
U.S. will impose sanctions on N. Korea, Russia when necessary: state dept. | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · August 1, 2023
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, July 31 (Yonhap) -- The United States will not hesitate to impose sanctions on North Korea and Russia when necessary, a state department spokesperson said Monday, following the Russian defense minister's trip to Pyongyang that many believe may lead to increased military cooperation between the two countries.
The spokesperson, Matthew Miller, also highlighted that the close relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow has "not exactly been productive" to international security.
State Department Press Secretary Matthew Miller is seen answering questions during a daily press briefing at the department in Washington on July 31, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)
"It certainly did not appear that Defense Minister (Sergei) Shoigu was in North Korea for vacation," the department spokesperson said when asked about the Russian defense minister's visit to Pyongyang last week for events marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, which is celebrated in North Korea as Victory Day.
"I am not going to speak anymore in any more detail, but will say that we have imposed a number of sanctions on North Korea in the past for various activities, but also imposed sanctions on a number of entities and individuals around the world for assisting Russia in its war effort. We won't hesitate to do so in the future," Miller told a press briefing.
His remark follows an earlier report that Ukraine has been firing North Korean rockets seized from a ship that was potentially headed to Russia, indicating an apparently ongoing weapons trade between North Korea and Russia.
Seoul stressed that any weapons trade with North Korea directly violates United Nations Security Council resolutions.
"We have never hesitated to impose sanctions on North Korea and North Korean entities when we found violations or we found actions that merit sanctions, and we won't hesitate to do so in future," Miller reiterated.
"Obviously, there has been a close relationship between those two countries for a while," he added when asked about Russia-North Korea cooperation. "When that's not exactly been productive to increasing the security of the world, I wouldn't expect that to change as a result of this."
bdk@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · August 1, 2023
2. Trilateral summit at Camp David to serve as opportunity to build friendship: officials
An important summit, yes. But we must manage expectations. Every summit cannot have a breakthrough. Improving relations among the three nations and leaders is a good outcome but unfortunately there are those who are looking for something big. I doubt we are going to see an announcement of a new trilateral alliance. Then again maybe the action officers can create some new grouping with a catchy name - Perhaps "The Triple Threat" against north Korea and the axis of authoritarians.
Trilateral summit at Camp David to serve as opportunity to build friendship: officials | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · August 1, 2023
SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- The upcoming three-way summit at the U.S. Camp David presidential retreat will serve as an opportunity for the leaders of South Korea, Japan and the United States to have more casual get-together time such as going for strolls, officials said Tuesday.
The White House earlier announced that U.S. President Joe Biden will host his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David, a presidential retreat on the outskirts of Washington, on Aug. 18.
"The three leaders will have various opportunities to build friendship, such as going for strolls," a presidential official told Yonhap News Agency, adding that the detailed schedule at the compound is under discussion.
It is largely expected that the three leaders will dine together with their wives, and there is also the possibility of Biden's pet surprisingly showing up at the event.
"There will be several meaningful scenes that showcase friendship between the leaders," a government official said on the condition of anonymity.
It will be the first time for the three leaders to meet solely for the purpose of a trilateral summit, not on the margins of a multilateral gathering. The latest trilateral summit took place during the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May.
The size of the entourage is expected to be small-scale, and the rest of the presidential staff could possibly stay back in Washington, which is about 100 kilometers away from Camp David.
Camp David, which opened in 1942, has traditionally been a place for U.S. presidents to relax with their families to host foreign leaders. In 2008, former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited Camp David for a summit with former U.S. counterpart George W. Bush. Lee spent a day at the camp, and the two leaders rode on a golf cart there.
Yoon will reportedly be visiting Camp David for a day trip and will also hold bilateral summits with each leader separately.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · August 1, 2023
3. N. Korea frequently releases water from dam near inter-Korean border in July: Seoul
Not very responsible.
N. Korea frequently releases water from dam near inter-Korean border in July: Seoul | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 1, 2023
SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea frequently released water from a dam near the inter-Korean border in July despite South Korea's request for prior notice, Seoul's unification ministry said Tuesday.
Some of the floodgates of the Hwanggang Dam were opened to discharge water on July 20, 24 and 27, without the North notifying the South of its release plan in advance, according to a report by U.S.-based media outlet Radio Free Asia (RFA) last week.
"The North was found to have frequently discharged water (from the dam) in July, including on those three dates, in a bid to adjust the water level," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The ministry earlier requested North Korea to give prior notice if it releases water from the Hwanggang Dam on concerns that Pyongyang's potential discharge of a large amount of water during the seasonal monsoon season could cause damage to border areas.
This file photo, taken July 5, 2023, shows water being released from a dam in the border town of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)
The official said the government is closely watching the situation, as there has been no serious damage so far in South Korean border regions.
"But it is very regrettable that North Korea has discharged water from the dam despite our repeated request," he added.
In October 2009, North Korea agreed to notify the South in advance when it plans to release water from the dam, following an accident that killed six South Koreans after the North discharged water from the dam without notice.
But last year, North Korea released water from the Hwanggang Dam without notifying Seoul, prompting the ministry to voice regret over the North's action.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 1, 2023
4. Disney and Steinem Respond on Korean Peace
I am sorry to see them drag Lt Gen (RET) Dan Leaf down with them.
Frankly these groups just have no understanding of the nature, objectives, and strategy of Kim Joing Un and the Kim family regime.
Identifying comments as pro-Pyongyang is not a red herring. It is calling out the fact that these groups are using the specific talking points of the Kim family regime and the Propaganda and Agitation Department.
This excerpt in particular is a north Korean talking point. But the fact is it is the north that has a hostile policy and if you replace the US with the Kim family regime the statement will be correct.
U.S. approach of hostility, militarization and isolation
But I finally learned why these people and groups may be acting out the way they do. A very astute Korea watcher mentioned to me at dinner last evening that some people may think of Pyongyang as "the Palestine" of Northeast Asia. These groups have developed many of the same views toward America that pro-Palistinian groups have, namely that it is all America's fault. They have romanticized notions that they will help liberatePalestine and Pyongyang from the hostile policies of the imperial powers led by the US.
Disney and Steinem Respond on Korean Peace
We met with women’s groups in North and South Korea and felt their anguish.
By Readers
July 30, 2023 12:09 pm ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-nuclear-south-peace-movement-war-4867ec96?mod
Members of the Women Cross DMZ group attend a rally rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea, May 25, 2018. PHOTO: ED JONES/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
North Korean defector Ji Seong-ho names us in an op-ed accusing the Korea peace movement of being a “deception” (“The Phony Korean ‘Peace’ Movement,” op-ed, July 26). In 2015 we were among the 30 women peacemakers who traveled to North Korea and South Korea on a women’s peace delegation, where we walked with 10,000 Korean women on both sides of the demilitarized zone, the world’s most militarized border.
We met with women’s groups in North and South Korea and learned about the devastating consequences of the continuing Korean War on their lives. Although their circumstances were vastly different, women on both sides of the DMZ expressed the same yearning for peace. We felt their anguish over the millions of divided family members, most of whom have died without ever seeing their loved ones again.
There is nothing “phony” about a peace-first approach to diplomacy. What is phony is the accusation that calling for peace is “pro-Pyongyang”—a tired red herring critics often use to discredit the peace movement.
Retired Lt. Gen. Dan Leaf, a decorated combat veteran who served two tours of duty in South Korea and headed the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, has written that we are one bad decision away from nuclear war. “No matter how challenging the negotiations and politics of securing peace on the Korean Peninsula may prove,” wrote Mr. Leaf, “they are nothing compared with nuclear war.”
Building peace is more urgent than ever. The decadeslong U.S. approach of hostility, militarization and isolation has failed to stop North Korea’s nuclear program. A formal peace agreement between Washington and Pyongyang is the first, essential step toward reducing tensions and establishing the trust needed to address thorny issues such as denuclearization and human rights.
Abigail Disney and Gloria Steinem
Advisers, Women Cross DMZ
New York
5. NGO releases paper solidifying links between NK's Kim family and crimes against humanity
Human rights are a moral imperative and a national security issue because Kim Jong un must deny the human rights of the Korean people in the north in order to remain in power.
I have not been able to access the report yet. The NK Watch web site is under reconstruction.
NGO releases paper solidifying links between NK's Kim family and crimes against humanity
The Korea Times · August 1, 2023
Ahn Myeong-chul, executive director of NK Watch, speaks at a press conference in downtown Seoul, July 25. Courtesy of NK Watch
By Rachel Stine
Nonprofit organization NK Watch held a press conference, July 25, to present its new report, titled "The Suryong Dictatorship Mechanism: Who Is Ultimately Responsible for Crimes Against Humanity." The 239-page document solidifies the links between Kim Jong-un's regime and the brutal oppression North Korea has become infamous for.
While blaming the Kim dictatorship for the North's state of affairs might seem obvious, there is a pressing need for such research. If members of the Kim family were to someday be brought to court, documentation would be necessary to find individuals guilty of specific crimes. Reports such as this one lay the groundwork for that day.
NK Watch's new publication uses confidential documents, including Kim Jong-un's "Teaching and Instructions," to build its case.
"We need to focus on the North Korean people," said Lee Kwan-hyung, one of the authors. "Schools have broken down (in North Korea), so indoctrination has also broken down."
His co-author, Kwak In-su, is a former North Korean spy. "There is no civil society due to horizontal surveillance," he said. The report emphasizes this aspect of North Korean society, arguing that it constitutes a "crucial element that enables automatic operation…of the dictatorship."
The event was sponsored in part by the National Democratic Institute, which has ties to the U.S. government. NK Watch, however, was started by former victims of prison camps in the North. Ultimately, the group plans for a future in which human rights violators are held to account.
Rachel Stine has volunteered in the North Korean human rights sphere for over a decade. Her writing has appeared in The Huffington Post, The Korea Times and other major news outlets. You can view nature photography from her journeys around the world at flickr.com/photos/rachelstinewrites.
The Korea Times · August 1, 2023
6. Biden sees Korea-US-Japan ties as special: envoy
From one of my briefing slides:
I believe there cannot be success for US, ROK, and Japanese interests without strong ROK/US and Japan/US alliances (and good tri-lateral coordination)
Excerpts:
“The momentum for a completely new kind of three-way cooperation is borne out of an improvement in ties between South Korea and Japan,” Cho noted. The US-led coalition, working on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, is stepping up efforts for disarmament as Pyongyang doubles down on missile tests.
The envoy was referring to a Seoul-Tokyo thaw in May, when the two leaders decided to put behind historical disputes involving Japan’s colonial occupation, and resume regular visits to each other’s countries after a 12-year hiatus.
Since last year, South Korea has been seeking closer ties with Japan, a neighbor that shares such “common interests” with Seoul in fighting off nuclear threats from North Korea, according to the Yoon administration, which took over in May of that year. Pyongyang since then has shown no signs of returning to nuclear talks.
Biden sees Korea-US-Japan ties as special: envoy
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · August 1, 2023
The summit US President Joe Biden is hosting on Aug. 18 for South Korea and Japan at Camp David in Maryland, the first of its kind, is evidence that Biden considers the alliance special, South Korea’s ambassador to the US said Monday.
The trilateral meeting, meant to curb China’s influence and North Korea’s aggression while boosting economic ties, is the first Camp David summit Biden will hold since taking office in January 2021.
“We took the initiative in making this work,” Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong told reporters. Speculation is high over whether the summit could take place regularly, a decision that the three leaders would have to make on their own, according to officials familiar with the matter.
A senior official at President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said, “Details are still being discussed.”
“The momentum for a completely new kind of three-way cooperation is borne out of an improvement in ties between South Korea and Japan,” Cho noted. The US-led coalition, working on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, is stepping up efforts for disarmament as Pyongyang doubles down on missile tests.
The envoy was referring to a Seoul-Tokyo thaw in May, when the two leaders decided to put behind historical disputes involving Japan’s colonial occupation, and resume regular visits to each other’s countries after a 12-year hiatus.
Since last year, South Korea has been seeking closer ties with Japan, a neighbor that shares such “common interests” with Seoul in fighting off nuclear threats from North Korea, according to the Yoon administration, which took over in May of that year. Pyongyang since then has shown no signs of returning to nuclear talks.
Cho, who served as the first vice foreign minister before the ambassadorship, said the first meeting of a new Seoul-Washington group last month on managing US nuclear assets to deter the North’s aggression “drastically reinforced” the current deterrence plans, which chiefly rely on the US nuclear umbrella.
The Nuclear Consultative Group, which solidifies the US commitment to provide deterrence with nuclear weapons against North Korea, is one of the “very key outcomes” of the April summit between Yoon and Biden, according to Cho, who described the NCG as concrete progress in the allies’ pursuit of a nuclear-free North Korea.
“The overwhelming defense readiness of the allies will only be tighter as the North’s nuclear threats get bigger,” Cho said, adding that Seoul and Washington are closely monitoring developments in North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last week met with the Russian defense minister in Pyongyang, as part of events held to mark what the North calls its victory against the US-led United Nations forces in the 1950-53 war. It was the first time for Kim to hold high-level talks since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020. China also sent a delegation.
“There are growing concerns over potential military cooperation between Russia and North Korea,” Cho said, stressing any weapons exchanges with North Korea would be a violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions that ban them. Pyongyang is also banned from using ballistic missile technology, which is also used in launching satellites.
Last week, US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the US and its allies currently see little room for diplomacy on North Korea’s disarmament, noting the US-led coalition is seeking to advance military capabilities.
By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · August 1, 2023
7. US must show that Seoul, Manila made right choices
Excerpts:
Indeed, Moon and his closest associates were accused, and not without reason, of being pro-China and even pro-North Korea. Many of the legislators in Moon’s party were similarly inclined. That was even though within the South Korean public writ large there was no great love for China or for North Korea. And, ironically, opinion polls regularly showed overwhelming support for the South Korea-US alliance and the American military presence as well.
So one sees the difficulty the Americans faced in their long-standing efforts to build Japan-South Korea ties. That includes trying to create a trilateral approach to dealing with North Korean threats and, although not explicitly stated, the Chinese threat as well.
...
So one hopes the Americans aren’t taking things for granted. They must also realize things can just as easily shift back to when then-President Duterte called then-President Barack Obama a “son of a …..”
That contretemps, by the way, didn’t come out of the blue. Duterte’s souring on the US grew out of frustration over the Obama administration’s supineness in allowing the Chinese to seize the Philippines’ Scarborough Shoal in 2012. Washington disingenuously argued that the US-Philippines security treaty did not apply.
Washington should be grateful that some things have turned its way in Asia – as they have in South Korea and the Philippines. But they’ll swing back the other way if the US State Department and the administration don’t pay attention. The United States must demonstrate that there are tangible benefits – both economic and in terms of the protection that come from being America’s friend.
US must show that Seoul, Manila made right choices
Make sure tangible benefits – both economic and in terms of protection – reward policy shifts by Yoon and Marcos
asiatimes.com · by Grant Newsham · July 29, 2023
Officials from America, South Korea and Japan met in Nagano, Japan in mid-July to discuss a response to North Korea‘s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test. This is the latest example of South Korea warming up to Japan. It comes after the deep freeze of the Moon Jae-in presidency.
An acquaintance asked what this meeting tells us about the South Korea-Japan relationship – and, in particular, whether Seoul and Tokyo have put historic and territorial disputes behind them?
I told him there are lessons not only for that relationship but for the United States in its dealings with allies such as South Korea and the Philippines that have made some hard choices and need help justifying those choices.
Three parties in Nagano
The meeting in Nagano regarding North Korea is further evidence that South Korea has at least put historic and territorial issues on the back burner. Such things never completely go away.
The Japanese have been more willing to overlook past history. Meanwhile, the Koreans – seeing themselves as the perpetually aggrieved party, have found it difficult to “let it go.”
However, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is showing impressive statesmanship since taking office in March 2022. He has tamped down anti-Japanese resentments while prioritizing what he considers South Korea’s broader national interests. Those interests are underpinned by the Republic of Korea-United States alliance.
Yoon is bringing South Korea back to closer and friendlier ties with Japan. And into something of a three-way security tie-up with the United States.
The Americans have wanted this for a long time.
Japan, the United States, and South Korea hold talks on North Korea on July 20 in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture. Photo: Pool
Progress from the Moon years
This is a major change from just a couple of years ago when then-President Moon Jae-in stoked and wielded anti-Japan sentiments in South Korea for political gain – even accusing the conservative opposition of being Japanese stooges.
In the process, he drove South Korea – Japan relations to the lowest point in recent memory. Meanwhile, he irked his erstwhile ally, the United States. Any real cooperation from Seoul with the Japanese on defense matters was out of the question – beyond the most grudging measures that Washington could force on South Korea.
Moon was also not particularly friendly towards the United States – despite superficial performances to the contrary.
Indeed, Moon and his closest associates were accused, and not without reason, of being pro-China and even pro-North Korea. Many of the legislators in Moon’s party were similarly inclined. That was even though within the South Korean public writ large there was no great love for China or for North Korea. And, ironically, opinion polls regularly showed overwhelming support for the South Kroea-US alliance and the American military presence as well.
So one sees the difficulty the Americans faced in their long-standing efforts to build Japan-South Korea ties. That includes trying to create a trilateral approach to dealing with North Korean threats and, although not explicitly stated, the Chinese threat as well.
Japan-US-South Korea defense exercise against North Korean ballistic missiles on the Sea of Japan, July 16, 2023. Photo: provided by South Korea’s Ministry of Defense
Give credit where it’s due
Let’s give credit where it’s due for the recent improvement in ROK-Japan ties and for South Korea’s willingness to do more in a joint way with the US and Japan.
As noted, the Americans, and particularly the US military, have been pushing this for years. Now they are finally getting some results.
It’s to be hoped that the Americans realize that even though South Korea has shifted towards a more cooperative stance – both towards Japan and towards the United States – for which President Yoon deserves much credit – such things are never permanent.
Pay attention, Washington
There is still a sizeable constituency in South Korea that would move things back to where they were, and that will play the Japan card for all its worth in domestic politics.
Note also that the South Korean opposition, the Democratic Party of Korea (with pro-China and pro-North Korea elements) still holds a majority in the National Assembly. And it doesn’t support President Yoon’s foreign policy shifts towards closer Japan and US ties. Yoon was, in fact, elected by a razor-thin margin.
So the Americans ought to pay close attention. For example, they should offer President Yoon and the conservatives some special treatment and advantages (not least economic advantages).
Let President Yoon demonstrate to the Korean public that it is worth siding with the United States. And getting along with America’s principal Asian ally – the Japanese.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Photo: © Aaron Favila/Pool
And in the Philippines
A similar dynamic is playing out in the Philippines. Things have shifted in the US’s favor following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos‘ election in 2022. But Philippine politics is mercurial. And Marcos faces plenty of opposition – not least from former President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Sara. She is now vice president.
Marcos also isn’t on speaking terms with his own sister, Imee, who is a political force in her own right.
So one hopes the Americans aren’t taking things for granted. They must also realize things can just as easily shift back to when then-President Duterte called then-President Barack Obama a “son of a …..”
That contretemps, by the way, didn’t come out of the blue. Duterte’s souring on the US grew out of frustration over the Obama administration’s supineness in allowing the Chinese to seize the Philippines’ Scarborough Shoal in 2012. Washington disingenuously argued that the US-Philippines security treaty did not apply.
Washington should be grateful that some things have turned its way in Asia – as they have in South Korea and the Philippines. But they’ll swing back the other way if the US State Department and the administration don’t pay attention. The United States must demonstrate that there are tangible benefits – both economic and in terms of the protection that come from being America’s friend.
Grant Newsham is a retired US Marine officer and former US diplomat. He is the author of the book When China Attacks: A Warning To America. This article was originally published by JAPAN Forward and is republished with permission.
Related
asiatimes.com · by Grant Newsham · July 29, 2023
8. ＜Inside N.Korea＞ Spring wheat harvest is finished and delivered to the army・・・Farmers rebel without their share
We must continue to observe for the potential indicators of internal instability.
＜Inside N.Korea＞ Spring wheat harvest is finished and delivered to the army・・・Farmers rebel without their share
asiapress.org
(FILE PHOTO) North Korean farmers have long been looked down upon as the country’s most poverty-stricken class of people. Taken at a farming community on the outskirts of Pyongyang in October 2008. JANG Jung-gil (ASIAPRESS)
North Korea finished its harvest of wheat and barley in the northern regions of the country in mid-July. However, discontent among farmers at collective farms is growing because the harvested crops are being sent to the military on orders from the government instead of being distributed to farmers. (KANG Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro)
A reporting partner living in a city in North Hamgyung Province went to investigate the situation at a collective farm in the province in mid-July. The collective farm has around 500 employees and mainly cultivates corn. The farm is slightly on the small side relative to other farms in the province.
Kim Jong-un ordered the start of cultivation of wheat and barley in 2022, and the farm started a test crop of the grains last year. The crop yield was poor; nonetheless, wheat and barley farming received good reviews from farmers because they required less fertilizer than corn and could be harvested earlier than corn.
The reporting partner told ASIAPRESS that the farm devoted a small amount of land to wheat and barley farming this year as well, and that the crop yield was 800 to 1,000 kilograms per jongbo (approximately equal to one hectare). The reporting partner was unable to confirm exactly how much land was devoted to wheat and barley farming on the farm.
◆ Government orders harvested wheat and barley to be given to military
The reporting partner told ASIAPRESS that the farm is not allowed to use the harvested wheat and barley crops, which has caused a problem among farmers. He explained that “the harvested barley was all sent to the Rural Management Committee in the city for use by the military. This is the barley hump season, which means farming communities don’t have enough food and there are a lot of food-short households. Farmers are really unhappy because they received none of the harvest that they had expected.
Some sub-work unit leaders were caught distributing wheat and barley to food-short families during the threshing process and called in to answer for their actions by the authorities. The authorities have handed down repeated orders to farms for them to stop handling the harvest crops by themselves.”
※ The “barley hump” is a period when food is in short supply and people must wait until the corn harvest in August to September for fresh supplies of food. This period sees food shortages in farming areas.
※ Food-short households refer to families that have no food (and/or cash) on hand.
※ Sub-work teams are the lowest-level production units at North Korean farms and are usually made up of 10 people.
The collective farm has had two brigades of soldiers stationed there since the spring to provide farming support and security. The soldiers are using the harvested wheat and barley for their meals, the reporting partner said.
◆ Wheat and barley circulates in markets
Despite the government’s tightened management over harvested crops, wheat and barley are still making it into markets. A reporting partner in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, told ASIAPRESS that, based on a survey conducted on July 21, domestically grown whole wheat is selling for 3,700 North Korean won (around 580 South Korean won) per kilogram at a local market. Russian-grown whole wheat is also being sold at the same price in the market. This suggests that management over harvested wheat and barley varies depending on the region and collective farm.
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
asiapress.org
9. Plan to overhaul Unification Ministry criticized as “step backward” for inter-Korean exchange, dialogue
Of course the progressive Hangoreyeh Ilbo focuses on engagement and not on unification. I think the Yoon administration has an opportunity to really turn the ministry into an organization that takes over complete planning for unification. I have written the following before:
It should have a number of critical planning functions:
1. Long term unification planning as the primary focus.
2. In conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense it should focus on crisis action unification planning - hastily converting the long term planning efforts into crisis action implementation if there is war or regime collapse.
3. The interagency focal point for coordinating unification planning among all Korean government agencies as well as with the international community.
4. Support for a human rights upfront approach to north Korea.
5. Design,development, and implementation of an information campaign to inform and educate multiple target audiences (north, South and international community) on the importance of unification and how it will happen).
It if focuses on the major tasks it can be streamlined and made efficient. The problem as I have heard is that there are many in the ministry who have been appointed by the previous administration who do not really support the pursuit of a free and unified Korea but instead a form of coexistence. They are more interested in the fantasy of engagement rather than seeking unification.
Plan to overhaul Unification Ministry criticized as “step backward” for inter-Korean exchange, dialogue
Posted on : Jul.31,2023 16:52 KST Modified on : Jul.31,2023 16:52 KST
https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1102430.html?utm
The Yoon administration is coming under fire for a plan that seeks to dismantle an exchange framework that has already been firmly established
Kim Young-ho, the newly appointed minister of unification, gives his inaugural address at his appointment ceremony held at the central government complex on July 28. (Yonhap)
The Ministry of Unification’s announcement of a restructuring plan that would downsize and merge divisions that have promoted the ministry’s core work of inter-Korean dialogue and exchange is being criticized as a political move to downplay the importance of the ministry.
Given that previous conservative administrations have at least tried to leave a window open for inter-Korean dialogue, this latest move by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is seen as a regressive one that turns back the clock.
“In 1972, during the Park Chung-hee era, one of the agreements in the July 4 South-North Joint Communique was about exchange and cooperation. This sparked the history of inter-Korean exchanges,” shared a former senior unification ministry official to the Hankyoreh on Sunday, commenting on restructuring. “Eliminating that while claiming it is due to stressful external circumstances is behavior that could only be seen and rationalized during the Cold War.”
“The ministry is responsible for preparing for peaceful reunification in accordance with the Constitution, and this constitutional spirit should be upheld,” they added.
The former official argued that improving human rights in North Korea and resolving the issue of abductees must also be predicated on inter-Korean dialogue.
“Without communication channels, it’s hard to see how we can achieve these goals,” they said. “The Unification Ministry was created by a conservative regime to consolidate inter-Korean relations work that was scattered across ministries, but now there’s a likelihood its legitimacy will be compromised.”
On Friday, the ministry announced plans to create a smaller body headed by a single bureau director out of the current Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue, Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Bureau, Inter-Korean Cooperation District Policy Planning Directorate, and Inter-Korean Transit Office. Over 80 positions are expected to be cut.
“The president’s aim is to eliminate the parts that have failed to yield results [such as North Korea support projects] and focus on North Korean human rights and practical dialogue,” a key presidential office official told the Hankyoreh on Sunday.
But some observers are saying it shows disregard for the ministry’s mission to downscale its inter-Korean exchange and cooperation activities — which are stipulated in the Government Organization Act — based on the current strain in relations with Pyongyang.
“If the Ministry of Unification does need to be downscaled, the focus should be on inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, which are its original sphere of duties, whereas the activities related to North Korean human rights and support to defectors could be passed along to a different agency or organization,” said Kang Young-sik, the former chairperson of the South-North Korea Exchanges and Cooperation Support Association.
“Instead, the administration is going in the opposite direction,” he added.
Koh Yu-hwan, an emeritus professor at Dongguk University, said, “The Ministry of Unification is meant to prepare for future reunification, and it’s worrisome when any reorganizations are based on the current political situation or the administration’s North Korea policy approach.”
“The administration has been inconsistent with its policies, talking about unification based on the constitutional spirit while discussing reunification in a way that does not recognize North Korea,” he added.
Given that dialogue, exchange, and cooperation activities are ministry duties that were reinforced under the conservative governments of past leaders like Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, critics said it represents a step backward for the Yoon administration to dismantle an exchange framework that has already been firmly established.
First created as the Board of National Unification during the rule of Park Chung-hee in 1969, the state agency was focused as recently as the 1970s on research and education activities.
But in 1980, it acquired a role in inter-Korean dialogue when the activities of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency’s inter-Korean coordination committee secretariat were transferred to the board under Chun’s military regime.
After the Roh administration took office and began pursuing its Nordpolitik approach, the board gained even greater authority with the addition of inter-Korean exchange duties and responsibilities for formulating and implementing unification policies.
Some analysts are warning the organizational changes could leave the ministry ill-equipped to respond to a fast-changing international political situation.
“There’s a great deal of variability in the international political situation,” said Jeong Se-hyun, who served as unification minister under Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun.
“It’s also unclear when we’ll see any resolution to the [tensions] associated with inter-Korean relations and the alliance among North Korea, China and Russia,” he continued.
“I’m not sure how they’ll respond if there is a change in the situation, such as an easing of relations between the US and China,” he said.
By Jang Ye-ji, staff reporter; Bae Ji-hyun, staff reporter
Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
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
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