Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

“It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them - the character, the heart, generous qualities, progressive ideas.”

~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

“You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don’t alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views.”

- Doctor Who (1977)

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: if we have been bamboozled, long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We are no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”

- Carl Sagan, the Demon Haunted World.

1. Kim Jong Un Touts Weapons, as U.S. Worries About North Korea Arms Exports

2. Yoon calls for priority on building deterrence against N. Korea

3. Ministry denies report of Tokyo demanding support for Fukushima water release at S. Korea-U.S.-Japan summit

4. N. Korea urges all-out efforts to minimize damage from Typhoon Khanun

5. Family of Pvt. Travis King Eases Back on Claims of Being Ignored by the Army

6. UN Sending States: The Forgotten Parties in the Korean War

7. Exclusive: North Korean hackers breached top Russian missile maker

8. ＜Inside N. Korea＞The authorities finally start cracking down on housing transactions, “Severely punish anti-socialist behavior”…Crackdown on 25-year-old “housing market” may cause chaos

9. S. Korea, US to discuss holding EDSCG meeting in Seoul

10. North Korean hacking of Russian technology highlights distrust between allies: experts

11. Some signs that China’s relationship with N. Korea isn’t so friendly

12. Seoul to intensify penalties for unauthorized civilian inter-Korean exchanges

13. How can Korea recover from Jamboree debacle?

1. Kim Jong Un Touts Weapons, as U.S. Worries About North Korea Arms Exports

Kim Jong Un Touts Weapons, as U.S. Worries About North Korea Arms Exports

Leader’s recent arms-factory visits could signal an intent to export weapons, South Korea says, potentially to Russia

https://www.wsj.com/articles/kim-jong-un-spotlights-weapons-amid-u-s-concerns-about-illegal-arms-trade-3375283c?

By Dasl Yoon

Aug. 7, 2023 8:07 am ET

Kim Jong Un was shown in state media photos testing new sniper rifles during a recent visit to North Korean weapons factories. PHOTO: STR/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sought to showcase his country’s defense industries and its nuclear-weapons arsenal, as U.S. and South Korean officials worry Pyongyang may seek to expand its illegal weapons trade.

Kim toured North Korea’s weapons factories for three days through Saturday, overseeing production of artillery systems and launch vehicles for nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, Pyongyang’s state media reported Sunday. Last month, North Korea offered another prominent display of its arsenal during a military parade, including its largest intercontinental ballistic missiles and new spy drones.

Kim’s visits to weapons factories are rarely publicized. During the latest visits, Kim ordered factories making artillery and missile engines to boost capacity. He inspected multiple-launch rocket systems and engines for drones that are necessary for North Korea’s “war preparation,” state media said. Kim ordered factory workers to “unleash their creative wisdom and enthusiasm.”

State-media photos showed Kim testing new sniper rifles and walking past launcher trucks designed for ICBMs that have the ability to reach the U.S. mainland. Kim emphasized the need to modernize the sniper rifles and other weapons.

On Monday, Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesman for South Korea’s unification ministry, said Kim’s visits to the arms factories could signal an intent to export weapons. “If North Korea is hinting at weapons exports, it is professing it will violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, which is deplorable,” Koo said during a briefing.

U.S. officials have said Russia is looking to buy more ammunition from North Korea to replenish its stockpiles amid the war in Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the North Korean capital last month, reaffirming Moscow’s military partnership with Pyongyang. “We’re seeing Russia desperately looking for support, for weapons wherever it can find them,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Australia in late July.

Senior officials from Russia and China attended the July military parade in Pyongyang marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the 1950-1953 Korean War. The three countries have been tightening their bonds in the face of a growing U.S. military presence in the region. North Korea has been a rare supporter of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though it has denied that it has been providing arms to Moscow.

During Kim’s recent visits to the arms factories, he emphasized the modernization of his weapons systems and urged workers to improve the quality of artillery shells. State media didn’t specify the names or locations of the factories.

The North Korean leader inspected multiple-launch rocket systems and engines for drones that are necessary for the country’s ‘war preparation,’ state media said. PHOTO: STR/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

While Kim’s mentions of war preparations are in response to the U.S.’s and South Korea’s increasing military cooperation, the rare publicizing of his weapons-factory visits is aimed at Moscow, said Hong Min, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a state-funded think tank in Seoul. State-media reports emphasized improvement in the quality of North Korea’s weapons systems and showcased conventional weapons as well as missiles that few countries are willing to supply to Russia, Hong added.

“This is a very intentional sales pitch,” Hong said.

When Kim hosted Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, in July, they visited a weapons exhibition featuring Pyongyang’s missiles and its newest drones that resemble U.S. aircraft.

As Washington has increased military cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo to counter Pyongyang’s growing nuclear and missile threat, North Korea has found an opportunity to deepen its alignment with China and Russia for a much-needed economic lifeline and a shield against additional sanctions at the U.N. Security Council.

Kim’s weapons-factory visits are possibly aimed at demonstrating Pyongyang’s military strength in light of continuing joint drills involving the U.S. and South Korea, Koo, the unification ministry spokesman, said Monday. Washington and Seoul plan to conduct their next round of military exercises later this month. North Korea has protested Washington’s expanded joint military exercises with Seoul and Tokyo, and the U.S. deployment of more strategic assets to the region.

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

Yoon calls for priority on building deterrence against N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · August 8, 2023

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday the military should prioritize building its deterrence capability against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

Yoon made the remark while presiding over the second meeting of the presidential defense innovation committee at his office, saying the asymmetric threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and cyber and drone capabilities, is an "imminent" threat.

"Through a rational and effective distribution of financial resources, we must build our deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats with priority," he said. "We need to try to boldly adjust projects aimed at operating weapons systems that are not immediately urgent."

Yoon stressed the importance of a new drone operations command set to launch next month, saying it will need to lead defense operations in the event of North Korean drone incursions and demonstrate the military's firm response posture through an "offensive force employment."

The committee was established under the Yoon administration to support its goal of a stronger military built on cutting-edge technologies.

It is made up of 11 members, with the president as chair and eight civilians, including former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin.

Yoon said he will lead committee meetings every quarter.

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during the second meeting of the presidential defense innovation committee at the presidential office building in Seoul on Aug. 8, 2023. (Yonhap)

hague@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · August 8, 2023

3. Ministry denies report of Tokyo demanding support for Fukushima water release at S. Korea-U.S.-Japan summit

Excerpt:

The three sides are expected to discuss the strengthening of security cooperation in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as economic security cooperation and collaborative measures in the Indo-Pacific region.

I also hope they talk about unification. It would be nice to have the Camp David Consensus which will outline the support of the three countries for Korean unification.

Ministry denies report of Tokyo demanding support for Fukushima water release at S. Korea-U.S.-Japan summit | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Chang Dong-woo · August 8, 2023

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's foreign ministry on Tuesday denied a media report that Tokyo has insisted on including support for its Fukushima water release plan in a joint statement following a trilateral summit between South Korea, the United States and Japan later this month.

"It is completely untrue," Ahn Eun-ju, deputy spokesperson for the ministry, told a regular press briefing when asked about the Chosun Ilbo report that Japan was seeking for South Korea and the U.S. to publicly support the water release at the summit set to be held at Camp David, a presidential retreat on the outskirts of Washington, on Aug. 18.

"South Korea, the United States and Japan are closely coordinating to release appropriate documents in line with the purpose of the summit," she added.

The upcoming summit meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, respectively, will be the first gathering between the three leaders to be held independently outside of a multilateral event.

The three sides are expected to discuss the strengthening of security cooperation in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as economic security cooperation and collaborative measures in the Indo-Pacific region.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ahead of their three-way talks in Hiroshima, Japan, in this file photo taken May 21, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

odissy@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Chang Dong-woo · August 8, 2023

4. N. Korea urges all-out efforts to minimize damage from Typhoon Khanun

N. Korea urges all-out efforts to minimize damage from Typhoon Khanun | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 8, 2023

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Tuesday renewed its call for efforts to minimize potential damage from the approaching Typhoon Khanun, saying the country's economy could be dealt a blow if it does not thoroughly prepare for it.

The typhoon is expected to head toward North Korea during the wee hours of Friday after landing on South Korea's southeastern coast the previous day and moving inland, according to Seoul's weather agency.

North Korea called on party officials to make all-out efforts to protect the people's lives and provide safety from a "frenzy of nature," thereby implementing the country's five-year economic policy plan that was adopted in 2021, the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said in a commentary.

The paper also stressed efforts to minimize damage from the typhoon to the country's preparations for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the republic's establishment, which falls on Sept. 9.

North Korea is vulnerable to natural disasters due to its lack of infrastructure, with heavy rains, in particular, leaving thousands of people displaced in the impoverished country in the past.

Along with a typhoon alert, North Korea issued warnings Monday against strong winds, heavy rains and large waves across areas of the country this week.

The country's foreign ministry sent a letter last week to embassies and international organizations in the country, calling on them to brace for a possible typhoon in early August.

A weather agency official looks at the path of Typhoon Khanun at the weather office of the Seoul metropolitan area on Aug. 7, 2023. The typhoon is expected to land on South Korea's southeastern coast later this week. (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 8, 2023

5. Family of Pvt. Travis King Eases Back on Claims of Being Ignored by the Army

Despite his displaince issues and actions at JSA he is an American and we will do our best to see that he is returned. And his family should not be made to suffer any more than they already are because of his actions.

Family of Pvt. Travis King Eases Back on Claims of Being Ignored by the Army

military.com · by Konstantin Toropin,Thomas Novelly · August 7, 2023

The family of Pvt. Travis King is walking back claims that they have not been contacted by the Army since King went over to North Korea.

Jonathan Franks, a spokesman recently hired by the family, took responsibility for the shift in message, telling Military.com in a phone call Monday that "in the hectic end to the week, I got my wires crossed."

An Army spokesman told Military.com that the service was "confirming details with Travis' unit" but asserted it was "in regular contact with the family and endeavored to provide all possible information."

On Monday, Cynthia Smith, an Army spokeswoman, told Military.com that, since King crossed into North Korea, "an Army commander continues to communicate with [King's mother] via telephone several times a week."

Smith did not immediately provide additional details when asked by Military.com about the frequency of the phone calls, duration of each conversation, and the name of the Army commander.

"The questions that she has, like any mother would have, are probably pretty difficult for the military to answer at the moment," Franks said.

Although Franks readily took responsibility for the mismatch in statements, he also noted that the family has struggled with the amount of attention they've received from national media since the story of King's departure broke on July 18, 2023.

Four days ago, King's mother, Claudine Gates, and his uncle appeared on "Good Morning America," where she said she couldn't "function" or "think straight."

"I was sure that at the end of the week, the issue was the Army was calling and not getting an answer, and it turned out they've been calling," Franks said.

Meanwhile, questions swirl about whether the military will consider King a prisoner of war -- a designation that carries certain protections and entitlements under the Geneva Conventions.

Franks says that former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who has negotiated with North Korea on numerous occasions and helped arrange prisoner releases from other countries, has agreed to help in their case.

It was only on Aug. 1 -- two weeks after King disappeared into the reclusive dictatorship -- that the Pentagon announced North Korea had acknowledged the United Nations Command's inquiries. But the Pentagon's top spokesman, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, told reporters at the time that he didn't have "any substantial progress to read out."

Last week, Reuters reported that U.S. officials have yet to confer the status on King, citing his decision to cross into North Korea of his own free will and in civilian attire.

Speaking with reporters Monday, Ryder said that granting King that status is just one possibility -- there are others.

"That's all still under discussion right now," Ryder said, before noting that "the primary goal right now is just ensuring that Pvt. King is OK, that he's being taken care of."

A defense official told Military.com that they expect King to be treated humanely, in accordance with international law.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

military.com · by Konstantin Toropin,Thomas Novelly · August 7, 2023

6. UN Sending States: The Forgotten Parties in the Korean War

Good insights from Dr. Work. However, the title is somewhat misleading. These sending states are certainly not forgotten. While I was in Korea over the Armistice anniversary I saw how the veterans from the sending states were honored by Korea. But they are also not forgotten year around and every year. The Korean Ministry of Veterans Affairs works to honor veterans from all UN sending state nations. I have not seen any other country honor veterans from other countries like Korea does. They are not forgotten by Koreans.

UN Sending States: The Forgotten Parties in the Korean War

Besides the U.S., 15 other states joined the defense of South Korea under the United Nations Command. They can still play a role on the Korean Peninsula today

thediplomat.com · by Clint Work · August 7, 2023

On the July 27 anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, there were numerous tributes to the ultimate sacrifice so many paid during the Korean War. It was the latest milestone in a year-long campaign to mark the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, part of a broader effort to shore up an alliance that has faced numerous challenges in recent years amid an uncertain international environment and former President Donald Trump’s “America First” movement within the United States.

However, before the armistice was ever signed or Washington agreed to enter a mutual defense treaty with Seoul, U.S. officials hoped the collective forces and voices of their fellow United Nations Sending States – the states that fought under the U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC) during the Korean War – would uphold deterrence on the Korean Peninsula in the future. This little-known aspect of armistice history has increased salience today in a context of worsening China-U.S. relations, advancing North Korean nuclear and missile capabilities, and the need for multilateral partners in upholding an increasingly unstable international order.

Although U.N. Sending States decreased their commitments to the UNC during much of the Cold War, their increasing involvement in recent years indicates growing multilateral support for enhancing security on and around the peninsula. Nowadays, deterrence on the Korean Peninsula is seen almost entirely through a nuclear lens, resulting in increasing nuclear threats and tensions. Finding ways to enhance deterrence through broader multilateral partnerships may offer a less destabilizing method to, if not achieve a formal peace, then at least avoid another conflagration.

UNC Establishment and the “Greater Sanctions Statement”

On July 7, 1950, following two previous resolutions recognizing North Korean aggression against South Korea and recommending U.N. members provide assistance to repel the attack and restore peace on the peninsula, U.N. Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 84 authorized the United States to establish a unified command made up of U.N. member states and authorized the command to fly the U.N. flag. It was the world’s first attempt at collective security under the U.N. system.

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Aside from South Korea, which as host nation provided the largest number of military forces, the United States deployed the lion’s share of forces among the 16 U.N. Sending States. The other sending states included: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Five additional states – Denmark, India, Italy, Norway, and West Germany – provided medical or humanitarian assistance to South Korea.

As the conflict stalemated and armistice negotiations began, officials in the Truman administration tried to leverage the U.N. Sending States’ commitment to guarantee South Korea’s future security. Although South Korean President Syngman Rhee pushed hard for a bilateral security treaty, U.S. policymakers believed it was not in the United States’ national interest to negotiate one at that time. Instead, they offered U.S. assistance to bolster South Korean defense capabilities and believed the “Greater Sanctions Statement,” which was approved by the 16 Sending States and was to be released alongside the signing of the armistice, would be sufficient to guarantee Seoul’s security.

The most operative portion of the statement read: “We affirm, in the interests of world peace, that if there is a renewal of the armed attack, challenging again the principles of the United Nations, we should again be united and prompt to resist. The consequences of such a breach of the armistice would be so grave that, in all probability, it would not be possible to confine hostilities within the frontiers of Korea.”

Seoul was first informed of the statement in February 1952. Yet armistice negotiations bogged down for over a year due, among other issues, to intense disagreements about the repatriation of prisoners of war following the war and Stalin’s truculent influence over the negotiating process.

The Armistice and a Mutual Defense Treaty Begrudgingly Given

U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, who took office in January 1953, had campaigned on a promise to end the unpopular war. Like officials in the Truman administration before him, Eisenhower did not believe the U.S. commitment in Korea was important enough to further expand the war on or beyond the peninsula, but thought that it was too important simply to relinquish. Thus, using threats of nuclear escalation (the effectiveness of which remains unclear) and benefiting from Stalin’s timely demise, Eisenhower pushed armistice talks forward upon entering office. Yet, despite Rhee’s insistence, Washington continued to reject a bilateral security pact with Seoul.

Eisenhower administration officials rejected a mutual defense treaty for a variety of reasons. They feared it would minimize the importance of the multilateral U.N. efforts in Korea and provide legal justification for Communist control of North Korea. Seoul’s own intense, public opposition to the armistice also made it very difficult to explain such a treaty to Congress and the American people. Most important, as Secretary of State John Foster Dulles later confessed, the U.S. did not want to enter such a treaty because it would involve the country in “Asian mainland commitments,” which it would rather avoid.

On May 22, 1953, as late as two months before signing the armistice, Washington offered various measures to bolster South Korean security – in lieu of a mutual defense treaty – in exchange for Rhee’s promise not to disrupt the terms of the armistice. These measures included: the “Greater Sanctions Statement”; initiation of discussions regarding an agreement on future U.S. military assistance; a promise to hold a political conference to achieve Korean unification and withdrawal of Chinese forces from the peninsula; and U.S. support for a 20-division Republic of Korea army.

The next month, Rhee Syngman, for whom nothing could replace a bilateral security pact with Washington, played his hand to the hilt and released thousands of non-repatriated Korean prisoners of war to subvert the armistice talks. While U.S. officials explored plans to overthrow Rhee or withdraw U.S. forces from Korea, they ultimately decided upon a mutual defense treaty as the optimal means of guaranteeing Rhee’s promise not to further disrupt the armistice and institutionalizing hierarchical restraint on their smaller South Korean ally.

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UNC Devolution

Furthermore, it was evident that the U.N. Sending States’ interest in maintaining their collective commitment had considerably waned.

Although the “Greater Sanctions Statement,” otherwise known as the Joint Policy Declaration or “Sixteen-Nation Declaration on Korea Issued at Washington,” was released on the same day the armistice was signed, U.N. Sending States quickly reduced or withdrew their combat and medical forces from Korea. By the end of 1956, contingents from 17 of the nations that had contributed forces or medical support had returned to their homelands. By the 1970s, all U.N. Sending States – other than the U.S. – had withdrawn what remained of their much-diminished combat presence.

Following the signing of the armistice, the U.S.-led UNC remained the warfighting command on the Korean Peninsula and was charged with enforcing the armistice. Furthermore, it retained operational control of the South Korean military under the terms of the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty. Nonetheless, by the 1970s, the UNC came under significant criticism at the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA). In fact, both China- and U.S.-backed resolutions calling for the UNC’s disbandment passed in the UNGA, and there was internal U.S. planning explore its dissolution.

The UNC was further denuded with the 1978 establishment of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) as the warfighting headquarters. The establishment of the CFC shifted responsibility for deterrence and the defense of South Korea from the UNC squarely onto the alliance itself, driven partly by Seoul’s enhanced military capabilities. Although the UNC continued to enforce and maintain the armistice, it was perennially understaffed and given less attention.

UNC Resurgence

This began to change with South Korea’s remarkable economic growth and modernization, the tangible improvement of inter-Korean ties following the June 2000 Inter-Korean Summit, and growing concern about North Korea’s nuclear and missile program. For U.N. Sending States, increasing their participation and staffing in the UNC was one way among others to bolster their involvement with South Korea given its increased attractiveness as a diplomatic partner. For its part, the U.S. increased its attention to the UNC to make sure certain aspects of inter-Korean cooperation did not outpace international sanctions. Moreover, revitalizing the UNC through resurgent Sending State contributions and participation was a way to bolster security and stability through multilateral support.

Over the last 10 years, various sending states, such as Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, have increased their personnel and level of engagement with both the UNC headquarters in South Korea and the UNC-Rear headquarters in Japan. In fact, since 2018, successive Canadian, Australian, and British military officers have served as the deputy commander of the UNC. In addition to these countries, the current UNC consists of Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, and the U.S., as well as South Korea, the host nation.

Moreover, multiple U.S. four-star commanders of the UNC/CFC/USFK have highlighted the importance of adding multilateral coalition support to the bilateral alliance. U.S. military officers are aware of the need for additional stability in the context of transitioning operational control from the current CFC to a South Korean-led Future CFC (F-CFC), which would not change the command structure but only place a South Korean general as the commander, as well as in the more complex strategic environment in the region, particularly regarding a possible conflict over Taiwan.

To be clear, though, there remain notable challenges.

For one, successive South Korean administrations have looked askance at what was previously referred to as UNC “revitalization,” viewing it either as obstructing inter-Korean engagement or overly restraining the South Korean military from adopting a firm retaliatory posture in response to North Korean provocations. In either case, bolstering the U.S.-led UNC is seen as infringing on South Korea’s sovereignty. Adding greater multilateral contributions similarly piques sensitivities about sovereignty, reinforced by a long history of foreign intervention and meddling by external powers on the Korean Peninsula.

It also did not help that “revitalization” as a term had serious historical baggage. It translates into Korean as Yushin, the name of Park Chung-hee’s 1972 constitution marking the onset of military authoritarian rule within South Korea. It also harkens back to similar terminology used by the Japanese to describe their Meiji Restoration, which Park lionized but helped result in Japan’s colonial rule over Korea.

Furthermore, on the part of the Sending States there remains a lack of clarity regarding formal standing commitments of forces that the UNC or the alliance can count on in a crisis or during wartime. There are open questions about whether Sending State governments would be willing to commit forces to the alliance, having reservations about being “a coalition in support of an Alliance.” Moreover, the U.S. will have to adjudicate how its own continued leadership of the UNC will play out following OPCON transition to a South Korean-led F-CFC. Historically, the same U.S. 4-star general has commanded both.

Moving Forward

Despite these challenges, though, the alliance should seek ways to better operationalize U.N. Sending States’ international military support to South Korea and the alliance. Sending States’ military capabilities, in addition to their diplomatic, informational, and economic influence, are an extremely valuable untapped resource. Leveraging these resources could significantly shape or alter the outcome of a major crisis, not to mention prove invaluable in a conflict and post-conflict Korean Peninsula landscape.

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Furthermore, given U.S. budgetary and resource constraints, alongside the possible need to develop a more flexible and distributed force posture in the region, Washington needs greater contributions from Seoul not only on the Korean Peninsula but beyond it. However, Seoul, too, faces significant challenges, not the least of which is an advancing North Korean nuclear and missile threat and pending demographic implosion. The former demands immediate attention, whereas the latter trend will gradually reduce the personnel with which to confront this challenge. In this context, the alliance should seek greater multilateral support for peace and security on the peninsula.

The UNC offers an established and well-institutionalized mechanism and the U.N. Sending States optimal multilateral partners. In addition to enforcing and maintaining the integrity of the Armistice Agreement, the UNC’s priorities include maintaining U.N. Sending State and Participating Nation cohesion and international support for South Korea-U.S. alliance activities; maintaining access to UNC-Rear bases in Japan; and establishing efficient procedures to coordinate Sending State force flow and force generation in coordination with the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff to support and sustain those forces in theater in the event of a crisis or conflict.

To navigate the challenges in modernizing the UNC, South Korea should take greater ownership of the process, consistent with its enhanced profile as a “global pivotal state.” The effort must be properly and consistently explained to the South Korean public, with the full support of the United States. Seoul should expand its staffing at the UNC headquarters directly, rather than through the CFC. It should also continue to bolster its already burgeoning military and defense cooperation with various U.N. Sending States and look for opportunities to run exercises and training with them, capitalizing on the fact that in recent years various Sending States that are party to the U.N.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement have increased the frequency with which they rotate forces through the seven designated U.N. bases in Japan.

In the context of preparing for wartime OPCON transition, South Korea should also take greater ownership of the UNC given the fact that leading the alliance’s combined command will require a much firmer grasp of coalition operations, which are integral for flowing both U.S. and U.N. Sending States’ forces to the peninsula. Lastly, taking greater ownership of the UNC will require continuing to improve relations with Japan, considering the crucial role that UNC-Rear HQ and the seven designated U.N. bases in Japan would play in any contingency or conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

Starting in the mid-2010s, some Sending States integrated military forces into CFC training and exercises, notably the twice-yearly CFC theater-level command post exercises held in the late winter and late summer. During such exercises the UNC’s Multinational Coordination Center (MNCC), organized in 2008, played an active role in facilitating the participation of Sending States. For example, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, and the United Kingdom participated in the 2015 Key Resolve combined command defense exercise.

Starting in 2016, the MNCC became a facilitator of multinational planning and coordination for the UNC outside of exercises. The alliance and South Korea should find ways to reenergize the MNCC, further include Sending States in alliance military exercises, and bolster the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff’s relationship with the MNCC.

During recent Warrior Shield combined exercises, Washington and Seoul sent mixed signals about the involvement of UNC personnel. It is time for the alliance to move beyond such divergent messaging. Ongoing talks about UNC modernization indicate that this effort is underway.

Clint Work

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

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thediplomat.com · by Clint Work · August 7, 2023

7. Exclusive: North Korean hackers breached top Russian missile maker

No surprise. To the Kim family regime anyone or any country is a target, even Russia.

Exclusive: North Korean hackers breached top Russian missile maker

Reuters · by James Pearson and Christopher Bing

Summary
Hackers breached systems at NPO Mashinostroyeniya
Russian firm produces hypersonic missiles, satellites
Discovery comes shortly after Russian defence minister visits Pyongyang

LONDON/WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - An elite group of North Korean hackers secretly breached computer networks at a major Russian missile developer for at least five months last year, according to technical evidence reviewed by Reuters and analysis by security researchers.

Reuters found cyber-espionage teams linked to the North Korean government, which security researchers call ScarCruft and Lazarus, secretly installed stealthy digital backdoors into systems at NPO Mashinostroyeniya, a rocket design bureau based in Reutov, a small town on the outskirts of Moscow.

Reuters could not determine whether any data was taken during the intrusion or what information may have been viewed. In the months following the digital break-in Pyongyang announced several developments in its banned ballistic missile programme but it is not clear if this was related to the breach.

Experts say the incident shows how the isolated country will even target its allies, such as Russia, in a bid to acquire critical technologies.

NPO Mashinostroyeniya did not respond to requests from Reuters for comment. Russia's embassy in Washington did not respond to an emailed request for comment. North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not respond to a request for comment.

News of the hack comes shortly after a trip to Pyongyang last month by Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu for the 70th anniversary of the Korean War; the first visit by a Russian defence minister to North Korea since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.

The targeted company, commonly known as NPO Mash, has acted as a pioneer developer of hypersonic missiles, satellite technologies and newer generation ballistic armaments, according to missile experts – three areas of keen interest to North Korea since it embarked on its mission to create an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capable of striking the mainland United States.

According to technical data, the intrusion roughly began in late 2021 and continued until May 2022 when, according to internal communications at the company reviewed by Reuters, IT engineers detected the hackers' activity.

NPO Mash grew to prominence during the Cold War as a premier satellite maker for Russia's space programme and as a provider of cruise missiles.

EMAIL HACK

The hackers dug into the company's IT environment, giving them the ability to read email traffic, jump between networks, and extract data, according to Tom Hegel, a security researcher with U.S. cybersecurity firm SentinelOne, who initially discovered the compromise.

"These findings provide rare insight into the clandestine cyber operations that traditionally remain concealed from public scrutiny or are simply never caught by such victims," Hegel said.

Hegel's team of security analysts at SentinelOne learned of the hack after discovering that an NPO Mash IT staffer accidentally leaked his company's internal communications while attempting to investigate the North Korean attack by uploading evidence to a private portal used by cybersecurity researchers worldwide.

When contacted by Reuters, that IT staffer declined to comment.

The lapse provided Reuters and SentinelOne with a unique snapshot into a company of critical importance to the Russian state which was sanctioned by the Obama administration following the invasion of Crimea.

Two independent computer security experts, Nicholas Weaver and Matt Tait, reviewed the exposed email content and confirmed its authenticity. The analysts verified the connection by checking the email's cryptographic signatures against a set of keys controlled by NPO Mash.

"I'm highly confident the data's authentic," Weaver told Reuters. "How the information was exposed was an absolutely hilarious screwup".

SentinelOne said they were confident North Korea was behind the hack because the cyber spies re-used previously known malware and malicious infrastructure set up to carry out other intrusions.

'MOVIE STUFF'

In 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin touted NPO Mash's "Zircon" hypersonic missile as a "promising new product", capable of travelling at around nine times the speed of sound.

The fact North Korean hackers may have obtained information about the Zircon does not mean they would immediately have that same capability, said Markus Schiller, a Europe-based missile expert who has researched foreign aid to North Korea's missile programme.

"That's movie stuff," he said. "Getting plans won't help you much in building these things, there is a lot more to it than some drawings".

However, given NPO Mash's position as a top Russian missile designer and producer, the company would be a valuable target, Schiller added.

"There is much to learn from them," he said.

Another area of interest could be in the manufacturing process used by NPO Mash surrounding fuel, experts said. Last month, North Korea test-launched the Hwasong-18, the first of its ICBMs to use solid propellants.

That fuelling method can allow for faster deployment of missiles during war, because it does not require fuelling on a launchpad, making the missiles harder to track and destroy before blast-off.

NPO Mash produces an ICBM dubbed the SS-19 which is fuelled in the factory and sealed shut, a process known as "ampulisation" that yields a similar strategic result.

"It's hard to do because rocket propellant, especially the oxidiser, is very corrosive," said Jeffrey Lewis, a missile researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

"North Korea announced that it was doing the same thing in late 2021. If NPO Mash had one useful thing for them, that would be top of my list," he added.

Reporting by James Pearson in London and Christopher Bing in Washington; editing by Chris Sanders and Alistair Bell

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

James Pearson

Thomson Reuters

Reports on hacks, leaks and digital espionage in Europe. Ten years at Reuters with previous postings in Hanoi as Bureau Chief and Seoul as Korea Correspondent. Author of 'North Korea Confidential', a book about daily life in North Korea. Contact: 447927347451

Christopher Bing

Thomson Reuters

Award-winning reporter covering the intersection between technology and national security with a focus on how the evolving cybersecurity landscape affects government and business.

Reuters · by James Pearson

＜Inside N. Korea＞The authorities finally start cracking down on housing transactions, “Severely punish anti-socialist behavior”…Crackdown on 25-year-old “housing market” may cause chaos

asiapress.org

(FILE PHOTO) An apartment for laborers in the city of Anju, South Pyongan Province. The fourth floor’s veranda has been remodeled. The country faces an epidemic of people buying and selling state-owned housing units, which they sometimes expand and remodel. Taken by PAEK Hyang in June 2008 (ASIAPRESS)

North Korea promotes itself as a socialist country, and most of its housing is owned by the state. Over the past 25 years, however, a housing market has existed that has allowed people to buy and sell housing units in secret in Pyongyang and other areas of the country. Recently, the Kim Jong-un regime has moved to intensify crackdowns on these housing transactions as shown by a recent report from an ASIAPRESS reporting partner inside the country. (KANG Ji-won / HAN Ha-yu)

◆ The authorities suddenly crack down on housing transactions

In late June, an ASIAPRESS reporting partner living in the northern area of the DPRK provided the following report:

“The head of my inminban (neighborhood watch unit) started an intensive investigation into people moving homes, living together, and the selling of houses. Officials are telling people to register if they haven’t properly completed their residence registration or in cases where relatives visit their homes, there’s been family disharmony, or families live separately from one another.”

Originally, the investigation was aimed at cracking down on people illegally living together or those who have deserted their assigned workplaces; however, the target is now housing transactions. The authorities are using inminban – the country’s lowest level administrative unit – to understand people’s housing conditions and have started to implement restrictions on housing transactions that used to be conducted openly, handing out punishments as well.

◆ Buying and selling state-owned houses is established practice, but…

Housing is supposed to be free in North Korea, but the country faced a worsening housing shortage starting in the 1960s. When the state’s ability to supply housing failed to meet growing demand driven by an increase in population, it became common for people to share housing.

A severe famine in the mid- to late 1990s caused a massive number of deaths, leading to the emergence of many unoccupied houses. As a tragic last attempt to survive, poor people tried to sell off their homes, which increased the supply of housing inside North Korea. These houses then began to be openly bought and sold. The buying and selling of housing included the sale and purchase of residential registration cards, so that housing that included high-rise apartments in Pyongyang to tiny, old houses in small provincial cities began being placed on the market.

◆ Sudden ban on housing transactions causes spread of anxiety

ASIAPRESS reporting partners said that recent efforts to crackdown on the housing market are aimed at preventing members of the donju (the DPRK’s wealthy entrepreneurial class) from selling houses they built to private buyers:

“The donju pay city construction teams or trading companies to build houses, which are then sold to private buyers or organizations. I’ve heard there’s been an order handed down calling for severe legal punishments to be meted out against anti-socialist behavior like this.”

*City construction teams: Construction companies operated under the auspices of city government agencies.

Moreover, there are rumors that even housing transactions that took place before the recent order will be subject to investigation, which has caused increasing anxiety among donju and ordinary people. Housing transactions have always been illegal in the DPRK, but if the regime moves to completely ban such transactions – which have been part of a housing market that has existed for almost 25 years – chaos is expected to emerge not just in North Korea’s economy but also in the lives of its citizens.

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.

asiapress.org

9. S. Korea, US to discuss holding EDSCG meeting in Seoul

This may create confusion among the population. It is imperative that these groups have an effective public information campaign to inform the public and instil confidence.

Excerpt:

South Korea and the U.S. will operate the two-track consultation bodies of the EDSCG and NCG, which are specialized for extended deterrence. They are consultation bodies in which South Korea proactively discusses joint planning and joint execution with the U.S. with a focus on nuclear operation. The existing Deterrence Strategy Committee (DSC), which is a consultation group attended by the national defense assistant minister and assistant secretary of the two countries dealing with extended deterrence in military and national defense policies, will be absorbed into and replaced by the NCG. The NCG and EDSCG will create synergy with each other, according to a senior member of the South Korean presidential office.

S. Korea, US to discuss holding EDSCG meeting in Seoul

donga.com

Posted August. 08, 2023 08:02,

Updated August. 08, 2023 08:02

S. Korea, US to discuss holding EDSCG meeting in Seoul. August. 08, 2023 08:02. by Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com.

South Korea and the U.S. are discussing a plan to hold a high-level meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) in Seoul next month. It is a plan to operate an extended deterrence consultation channel to be attended by the South Korean vice ministers and the U.S. deputy secretaries of foreign affairs and national defense next month, following the first meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) held last month according to the ‘Washington Declaration’ announced during the earlier summit. The presidents of the two countries will discuss extended deterrence at a bilateral talk, which will be held during the summit among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan next Friday.

According to a government source on Sunday, South Korea and the U.S. authorities are discussing how their representatives will release strategic warning messages against North Korea regarding strategic assets, etc. before and after an EDSCG meeting to be held in Seoul next month. The representatives visited Joint Base Andrews in the U.S. and inspected B-52 strategic bombers during the last year’s EDSCG meeting. The fourth EDSCG meeting is the first to be held in Seoul. The South Korean side proposed holding the meeting this month, but the U.S. suggested holding it next month due to the timing of replacing its under secretary of defense for policy.

The EDSCG is a high-level consultation group to have policy and strategic discussions on how the U.S. will provide South Korea with extended deterrence through its nuclear and conventional forces in case of North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and provocations. After it was launched during the Park Keun-hey administration in October 2016, the second meeting was held in January 2018 during the Moon Jae-in administration. After four years since then, it was resumed last year under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. South Korea and the U.S. announced a joint statement for the first time right after an EDSCG meeting last year. They agreed on an ‘immediate, overwhelming and decisive response to any North Korean nuclear attack,’ reconfirm‎ing the U.S.’s provision of extended deterrence in case of the North’s use of strategic nuclear weapons against the South. “As the Washington Declaration was made and the NCG is in operation this year, even a stronger message to deter North Korea than the last year’s will be announced during this year’s EDSCG meeting,” said a government source.

South Korea and the U.S. will operate the two-track consultation bodies of the EDSCG and NCG, which are specialized for extended deterrence. They are consultation bodies in which South Korea proactively discusses joint planning and joint execution with the U.S. with a focus on nuclear operation. The existing Deterrence Strategy Committee (DSC), which is a consultation group attended by the national defense assistant minister and assistant secretary of the two countries dealing with extended deterrence in military and national defense policies, will be absorbed into and replaced by the NCG. The NCG and EDSCG will create synergy with each other, according to a senior member of the South Korean presidential office.

한국어

donga.com

10. North Korean hacking of Russian technology highlights distrust between allies: experts

No honor among authoritarian dictators.

Excerpts:

"This demonstrates Russia's desperation. It needs weapons and support on the world stage. Since the beginning of the war, Russia has learned that North Korea could be useful for both purposes during and after the conflict. Moscow may have warned Pyongyang privately, but it would continue to promote unity as it cannot afford the other option," Chung said.

The targeted company has been among the key developers of hypersonic weapons. During the Cold War, it was responsible for several major projects including the development of the UR-100N intercontinental ballistic missile, a technology North Korea is eager to obtain.

In the months following the network breach, the North announced developments in its banned ballistic missile program, but it remains unclear if the progress was the direct result of information stolen from Russia.

Despite the network breach, North Korea and Russia's relations will likely continue to improve, said Kim Jung-sup, an expert on security and international relations at the Sejong Institute.

"North Korea has been worried that its dependence on China grows too much. This is why it has been proactive in improving relations with Russia and the U.S. in recent years. With the Washington side showing little sign of progress at this point, the North is expected to focus more on Russia in the coming years," he said.

North Korean hacking of Russian technology highlights distrust between allies: experts

The Korea Times · August 8, 2023

This image shows Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu looking at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War in Pyongyang, North Korea, July 27. Yonhap

But allies expected to promote unity out of necessity

By Jung Min-ho

A team of North Korean hackers reportedly breached the computer networks of a major Russian weapons maker for at least five months last year, in an episode analysts said demonstrates deep-rooted distrust between the two countries.

According to Reuters, the hackers secretly installed stealthy digital back doors into systems at NPO Mashinostroyeniya, a leading manufacturer of missiles and military spacecraft based in Reutov, east of Moscow.

Speaking to The Korea Times, Tuesday, experts said the North Korean attempt to damage Russia's key national interest probably did not surprise Moscow, which knows its ally all too well. They also believe the two countries would nevertheless continue to promote unity as if nothing serious had happened, given that "they desperately need each other."

"The revelation shows mistrust between North Korea and Russia. Their common objective of countering the U.S.-led West has united them, but they have not been able to build enough trust for each other," Chung Eun-sook, an expert on Russia at the Sejong Institute, a think tank, said.

"Their ties are almost entirely based on geopolitical or economic interests rather than values. So the relationship has always been more vulnerable to external factors," Chung added.

Moscow in the 1990s, for example, improved its ties with the West and Seoul following the collapse of the Soviet Union, which deteriorated ties with Pyongyang. Their diplomatic relations have since gone through ups and downs, with Moscow joining the international criticism of Pyongyang's military provocations from time to time. But Russia's war in Ukraine and a new Cold War climate have brought them closer, Chung said.

News of the computer network breach comes shortly after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to North Korea in July on the occasion of the anniversary marking the 1950-53 Korean War armistice. She thinks that Russia pushed for the trip despite knowing the breach and other such attempts.

"This demonstrates Russia's desperation. It needs weapons and support on the world stage. Since the beginning of the war, Russia has learned that North Korea could be useful for both purposes during and after the conflict. Moscow may have warned Pyongyang privately, but it would continue to promote unity as it cannot afford the other option," Chung said.

The targeted company has been among the key developers of hypersonic weapons. During the Cold War, it was responsible for several major projects including the development of the UR-100N intercontinental ballistic missile, a technology North Korea is eager to obtain.

In the months following the network breach, the North announced developments in its banned ballistic missile program, but it remains unclear if the progress was the direct result of information stolen from Russia.

Despite the network breach, North Korea and Russia's relations will likely continue to improve, said Kim Jung-sup, an expert on security and international relations at the Sejong Institute.

"North Korea has been worried that its dependence on China grows too much. This is why it has been proactive in improving relations with Russia and the U.S. in recent years. With the Washington side showing little sign of progress at this point, the North is expected to focus more on Russia in the coming years," he said.

The Korea Times · August 8, 2023

11. Some signs that China’s relationship with N. Korea isn’t so friendly

No love between nK and China.

Excerpts:

After China implemented the revised anti-espionage law, the atmosphere in the China-North Korea border region has turned icy again, the source said.

“In fact, the Chinese are harshly cracking down on North Korean activities around the border. When North Korean vessels have approached China’s maritime boundaries, China has fired warning shots before shooting live ammunition in some cases.”

China also appears to have ramped up restrictions on trade with North Korea. For example, Chinese authorities are now implementing stricter customs inspections on exports to North Korea in places like Shandong Province, where maritime trade had been flourishing. Moreover, China has increased the list of items banned for export to North Korea.

“Ever since the implemention of the revised anti-espionage law, China has been intensifying restrictions on activities conducted with North Koreans,” the source said. “This appears to have put some strain on the bilateral relationship.”

Some signs that China’s relationship with N. Korea isn’t so friendly

"When North Korean vessels have approached China’s maritime boundaries, China has fired warning shots before shooting live ammunition in some cases," a source told Daily NK

By Seulkee Jang - 2023.08.08 10:00am

dailynk.com

FILE PHOTO: View into North Korea from across the Tumen River in China's Jilin Province. (Daily NK)

North Korean intelligence agents in China are being forced to curb their activities in response to China’s recently revised anti-espionage law, Daily NK has learned.

Over the past month, North Korean intelligence agents in China have faced restrictions on their usual information-gathering activities, including limits on photographing buildings and facilities in China and reduced contact with Chinese citizens, overseas Chinese (hwagyo) and ethnic Koreans in China, a source in China told Daily NK last Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

North Korean intelligence agents typically monitor North Korean laborers working in Chinese restaurants and factories, but many are also affiliated with trading companies under the umbrella of the Ministry of State Security. As members of these trade companies, the agents frequently approach and make deals with Chinese business people, including hwagyo and ethnic Koreans in China, collecting their personal information, including pictures, to send back to North Korea.

As part of efforts to obtain photographs, North Korean agents have been known to openly ask their close business partners in China to “take a picture together.” If this method fails, agents would employ a wife or subordinate secretly photograph clandestine meetings.

China’s revised anti-espionage law, however, essentially makes it illegal for foreign nationals to photograph Chinese citizens or facilities in China. North Korean security agents have traditionally taken photos of Chinese buildings and facilities to send back to North Korea, but this kind of intelligence gathering has become much more difficult in the last month due to the new law.

As a result, North Korean authorities have instructed agents in China to “refrain from holding private meetings with Chinese nationals, hwagyo or ethnic Koreans for the time being.” In short, agents have been ordered to keep a low profile and avoid any reckless actions, even if doing so impedes their information-gathering activities.

Another source in China told Daily NK that North Korea’s recent order included instructions to “refrain from personally approaching any Chinese national or making contact with any ethnic Koreans in China or hwagyo with connections to South Koreans.” The order also included instructions to “refrain from travelling to any regions outside of designated areas of activity,” and that agents “must implement thorough security precautions during reconnaissance of any Chinese military facilities or other important facilities.”

Even bilateral trade affected by revised law

After China implemented the revised anti-espionage law, the atmosphere in the China-North Korea border region has turned icy again, the source said.

“In fact, the Chinese are harshly cracking down on North Korean activities around the border. When North Korean vessels have approached China’s maritime boundaries, China has fired warning shots before shooting live ammunition in some cases.”

China also appears to have ramped up restrictions on trade with North Korea. For example, Chinese authorities are now implementing stricter customs inspections on exports to North Korea in places like Shandong Province, where maritime trade had been flourishing. Moreover, China has increased the list of items banned for export to North Korea.

“Ever since the implemention of the revised anti-espionage law, China has been intensifying restrictions on activities conducted with North Koreans,” the source said. “This appears to have put some strain on the bilateral relationship.”

Translated by Rose Adams. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com

12. Seoul to intensify penalties for unauthorized civilian inter-Korean exchanges

Excerpts:

The proposed suggestion in the legal framework reflects the bureau's endeavor to advance "systematic inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation grounded in laws and principles," a senior official, who wished to remain anonymous, during a closed-door briefing.

The official further clarified that sporadic interactions have occurred between individuals from South and North Korea. However, the ministry's assessment suggests that "inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation have reached a state of near-complete suspension."

The Unification Ministry has received a total of 61 cases involving the prior notification of interactions with North Koreans until July this year. These interactions were primarily facilitated through indirect means such as letters, amid a prolonged impasse in inter-Korean relations.

Seoul to intensify penalties for unauthorized civilian inter-Korean exchanges

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · August 8, 2023

The Yoon Suk Yeol government is set to strengthen legal consequences aimed at preventing unauthorized interactions between South and North Korean individuals. A new center will be launched this month to strengthen monitoring of such illicit exchanges, the Unification Ministry said Tuesday.

The Unification Ministry plans to issue a legislative pre-announcement of the proposed amendments to the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act in September.

The amended legislation delineates restrictions for South Koreans who have previously violated the act, aiming to prevent them from engaging in exchanges with North Koreans for a designated period.

The amendment will prohibit the specified South Koreans from engaging with North Korean individuals for a period of one year, following the completion or exemption of their sentence, as well as for six months after the payment of fines.

South Koreans are obligated to report to the unification minister in order to obtain approval if they intend to establish contact with North Koreans through meetings, communication or any other method.

The updated bill will additionally introduce grounds for imposing fines in cases of law violations, encompassing broader instances such as breaching approval conditions for activities like travel to North Korea, the import and export of goods, collaborative projects and the operation of transportation equipment.

South Korea is also working toward establishing a platform to monitor instances of violations such as the illegal import of agricultural and marine products from North Korea and to promote compliance with the law.

To that end, the Unification Ministry is set to inaugurate a center specifically focused on compiling instances of unauthorized inter-Korean exchanges on Aug. 17, operating under the auspices of the current South-North Korea Exchanges and Cooperation Support Association.

South Koreans will have the choice to report violations either online or over the phone to the center. After receiving reports, the process will involve legal guidance, followed by customized measures for each case, including both criminal and administrative penalties, as well as on-site investigations.

The Unification Ministry will also intensify its oversight of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects conducted by local governments. The inter-Korean exchange and cooperation fund, currently managed by 59 local government bodies at both the upper and lower levels, has a total value of 225.5 billion won ($171.7 million).

Tuesday's announcement aligns with the Yoon government's strategy of reducing its role in facilitating inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges, while emphasizing the establishment of inter-Korean relations grounded in legal frameworks and universal principles.

This policy proposal is noteworthy, emerging approximately four months after the office overseeing inter-Korean exchange and cooperation within the Unification Ministry was downsized and restructured into a bureau in April.

The proposed suggestion in the legal framework reflects the bureau's endeavor to advance "systematic inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation grounded in laws and principles," a senior official, who wished to remain anonymous, during a closed-door briefing.

The official further clarified that sporadic interactions have occurred between individuals from South and North Korea. However, the ministry's assessment suggests that "inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation have reached a state of near-complete suspension."

The Unification Ministry has received a total of 61 cases involving the prior notification of interactions with North Koreans until July this year. These interactions were primarily facilitated through indirect means such as letters, amid a prolonged impasse in inter-Korean relations.

By Ji Da-gyum (dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · August 8, 2023

13. How can Korea recover from Jamboree debacle?

Damage to Korean soft power.

How can Korea recover from Jamboree debacle?

Experts urge greater responsibility after initial operational setbacks

koreaherald.com · by Kim Hae-yeon · August 8, 2023

Members of the British contingents to the ongoing World Scout Jamboree visit a memorial park for Britain's participation in a battle during the 1950-53 Korean War in the city of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday to pay tribute to British soldiers who perished in the conflict. (Yonhap)

The World Scout Jamboree, a mega event that brings together tens of thousands of teenaged Scouts worldwide, presents a pivotal opportunity for the host country to boast its global brand value.

The ability to organize such large-scale events leaves lasting impressions on participants and observers alike, offering a platform to showcase the country's hospitality, dynamism and cultural richness.

With soaring expectations for the event in Saemangeum -- a reclaimed tidal flat area of Buan, North Jeolla Province -- some 43,000 participants from 158 countries officially gathered on Aug. 1. Korea aspired to leverage its soft power and booming cultural reputation. However, midway through the event, the country's efforts to position itself as a welcoming and alluring hub appear to have fallen far short.

With unrelenting heat and limited shade at the campsite, the risk of heat-related illnesses and insect bites grew on an hourly basis. Further apprehension over basic food hygiene and sanitation at the campsite facilities ultimately resulted in participants from Britain, the United States and Singapore leaving the site early.

Seoul was announced to host the 2027 World Youth Day by Pope Francis on Sunday. The Catholic youth event is projected to attract up to 300,000 overseas attendees. Meanwhile, the decision for Busan's bid for the 2030 World Expo is scheduled for November.

While a specific city has not yet been determined, the country has also secured a bid to host the Asia-Pacific Scout Jamboree in 2025, which expects to attract approximately 20,000 participants from around 40 countries.

"In the post-pandemic era, global attention is sharply focused on safety, hygiene and other potential hazards for such events" Bae So-young, a professor at Kyung Hee University's College of Hotel and Tourism Management, told The Korea Herald on Monday. "Even a minor oversight can pose a significant threat to the hosting country, and unfortunately, circumstances have unfolded in such a manner. An event like the World Scout Jamboree holds power to directly influence the country's ability to attract subsequent events."

Scouts prepare to leave Saemangeum on Tuesday, ahead of Typhoon Khanun's expected landfall on the nation's southeastern coast. (Yonhap)

According to the 2022 Nation Brands Index presented by Anholt-Ipsos, South Korea ranked 23rd on the list. The index, based on over 60,000 annual interviews of participants from the age of 18 and older, comprehensively measures how a country is perceived in comparison to its top competitors, considering tourism, commerce and other aspects that drive trust and positive perceptions of a country.

"The World Scout Jamboree’s impact on Korea’s image clearly extends beyond the present, as it involves teenagers whose perceptions can influence the national brand long-term when they become the older generation," said Shin Hak-seung, a professor at Hanyang University's Department of Tourism. "The transformative effect on a nation's brand of hosting such mega events has been substantiated by numerous studies.”

Shin mentioned Korea's shifting journey from the middle level to an advanced country in terms of its “global brand” as a nation, solidified through successfully hosting prominent festive events like the 1988 Seoul Olympics, 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

With all eyes focused on wrapping up the Jamboree event on a relatively positive note, some 37,000 remaining Scouts began leaving their campsites Tuesday, taking precautionary measures against a typhoon approaching the peninsula. The Scouts will disperse to various regions to continue their activities until Friday, when they will reunite at Seoul World Cup Stadium in the capital for the closing ceremony and a K-pop concert.

With new plans quickly arranged and coordinated by both the public and private sector, experts highlighted the importance for the host country to avoid a quagmire of negative sentiment and instead concentrate on optimizing available resources.

"As with any large-scale event, it's easy for this year's Jamboree to trigger a ‘negativity bias’ on Korea's brand, where bad memories associated with high-stress situations tend to linger longer in memory than positive ones," commented Yoo Jae-woong, former presidential secretary for public relations planning, who currently heads the Korea Center for Crisis Communication.

Yoo emphasized that this perception becomes more pronounced when “stakeholders,” the Scouts in this case, have held high expectations for the country's image and soft power.

"In scenarios marked by challenges, quick-witted responses become even more crucial. A good example of this is the recent Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs’ swift plan to orchestrate a meaningful program that engaged both British veterans and Jamboree participants," Yoo noted.

In the days that lie ahead, he emphasized that a final chance to improve initial impressions still remains, which can be fulfilled by presenting an organized and captivating content, while ensuring the prevention of any potential safety hazards.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)

koreaherald.com · by Kim Hae-yeon · August 8, 2023

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

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

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

Access NSS HERE

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