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Quotes of the Day:
“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible and invisible labor. To contemplate it to toil. To think is to do.”
- Victor Hugo
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."
- Mahatma Gandhi
"No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent."
- Abraham Lincoln
1. House highlights importance of U.S. Forces Korea in passed budget bill
2. Conversation with COL (Ret) Dave Maxwell, Potential for North Korea Influence & Information Campaign
3. [Washington Talk] Photos of North Korean defectors repatriated to North Korea released 'shock and astonishment'... Accelerating trilateral cooperation between the United States and Japan
4. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 500: state media
5 S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit 66-day high at 41,310
6. Could South Korea make the Quad a Quint?
7. 3 Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War for the South Korea-US Alliance
8. ‘I couldn’t sleep,’ defector says of images of North Koreans resisting deportation
9. [INTERVIEW] Teaching and learning from North Korean defectors
10. Crimes Against Humanity Continue Unabated In North Korea - Will Kim Jong-Un Face Justice?
11. U.S. official warns against hiring N. Korean IT workers posing as 3rd country nationals
12. Intelligence on the Civil Servant Killed by North Korea Deleted from Defense Ministry’s Network, the 2 Defectors Sent back to North Korea After the Blue House Abruptly Halted Investigation
13. State-sponsored hackers are launching 'sustained' attacks on journalists
14. Microsoft links Holy Ghost ransomware operation to North Korean hackers
15. Kim Jong-Un Slams Ukraine For Joining US' Illegal Actions In Past
16. The United Nations Command Needs a Korean Deputy Commander
1. House highlights importance of U.S. Forces Korea in passed budget bill
It seems that Congress and the Administration are aligned on the importance of the ROK/US alliance and alliances writ large.
House highlights importance of U.S. Forces Korea in passed budget bill | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · July 16, 2022
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, July 15 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. House of Representatives stressed the need to maintain and even strengthen U.S. military presence in South Korea in its defense budget bill passed earlier this week, the bill showed Friday.
The National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House on Thursday, seeks to allow defense spending of up to US$839 billion in fiscal year 2023.
"It is the sense of Congress that South Korea continues to be a critical ally of the United States," says the bill.
It adds that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) "serves as a strong deterrent against North Korean military aggression and as a critical support platform for national security engagement in the Indo-Pacific region."
The bill also notes the 28,500-strong USFK serves "not only as a stabilizing force to the Korean Peninsula but also as a reassurance to all our allies in the region."
To this end, the bill calls on the U.S. government to "maintain and strengthen" U.S. relationships with South Korea and other allies in the region, including Japan.
It also highlights the need for the U.S. to "maintain its existing robust military presence in South Korea to deter aggression against the United States and its allies and partners."
In a separate report accompanying the defense authorization act, the House armed services committee also calls on the Department of Defense to report to the committee on ways to enhance the allies' joint deterrence, noting President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, have agreed to reactivate the countries' high-level "Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG)."
"The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than March 1, 2023, on how the Department of Defense will seek to implement the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to the Republic of Korea as well as progress made on the EDSCG," said the report, referring to South Korea by its official name.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · July 16, 2022
2. Conversation with COL (Ret) Dave Maxwell, Potential for North Korea Influence & Information Campaign
This is a recent discussion with my good friend Terry Doan of the Joint Special Operations University on north Korea and Information and Influence. Terry and I served together on the DMZ in Korea in the 1980s when we were young Captains. This subject is near and dear to my heart and one that a few of us have been focused on since the 1990s but for which we have never gotten much traction.
Conversation with COL (Ret) Dave Maxwell, Potential for North Korea Influence & Information Campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0E9032OEOo
44 views Jul 14, 2022 Mr. Terry Doan, the Chair of the Department of Applied SOF Art at the Joint Special Operations University has the opportunity to speak with COL (Retired) Dave Maxwell, currently a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. COL Maxwell’s background and experiences have made him uniquely qualified to discuss the value of an influence and information campaign in support of US National objectives regarding North Korea. During the discussion, COL Maxwell provides his perspectives on North Korea’s aims, US objectives regarding those aims, the methods by which influence and information can support those objectives, and the resources available to conduct those methods
3. [Washington Talk] Photos of North Korean defectors repatriated to North Korea released 'shock and astonishment'... Accelerating trilateral cooperation between the United States and Japan
Today on Voice of America's Washington Talk, Young Gyo Kim hosts Scott Snyder and me as we discuss the forced repatriation issue and South Korea's challenges among China and Russia and the rules based international order. In English with Korean subtitles. Note that the target audience is the elite in Pyongyang.
[Washington Talk] Photos of North Korean defectors repatriated to North Korea released 'shock and astonishment'... Accelerating trilateral cooperation between the United States and Japan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fBK95i3mC8
533 views Premiered 42 minutes ago South Korea's Unification Ministry has released shocking photos of two North Korean fishermen crossing the Military Demarcation Line and forcibly deported to North Korea in November 2019. . Meanwhile, at the G20 meeting of the 20 major countries, the United States, South Korea and Japan discussed efforts to promote trilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and around the world amid challenges from China and Russia. Let's discuss it with the experts. Moderator: Kim Young-kyo / Interview: David Maxwell (Senior Research Fellow, Democracy Defense Foundation), Scott Snyder (Director of the Korean Policy Bureau, American Foreign Relations Association)
4. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 500: state media
Reported declines versus South Korea increases.
N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 500: state media | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이치동 · July 16, 2022
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases dropped below 500, according to its state media Saturday.
More than 460 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.
It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reported.
The total number of fever cases since late April came to over 4.77 million as of 6 p.m. Friday, of which 99.97 percent had recovered and at least 980 others are being treated, it added.
The North's daily fever tally has been on a downward trend after peaking at over 392,920 on May 15, three days after it announced a coronavirus outbreak.
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en.yna.co.kr · by 이치동 · July 16, 2022
5. S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit 66-day high at 41,310
Excerpts:
The number of critically ill patients was 70, up from the previous day's 65.
The KDCA has said the country has entered a new virus wave, ending a downward trend from the peak of more than 620,000 in mid-March, and that the daily infections could surge to over 200,000 next month.
The BA.5 subvariant accounted for 35 percent of the country's total COVID-19 cases last week, up from 28.2 percent a week earlier, according to the KDCA.
It is known to be more contagious and better able to escape immunity compared with earlier versions.
S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit 66-day high at 41,310 | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · July 16, 2022
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases reached a 66-day high at over 41,000 on Saturday amid the spread of a highly contagious new omicron subvariant.
The country reported 41,310 new COVID-19 infections, including 287 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,721,415, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
Saturday's figure more than doubled from 20,286 new cases recorded a week earlier, as the country has seen a marked increase in infections from end-June due to the highly contagious omicron subvariant BA.5.
The daily count hit over 10,000 on June 29 for the first time in about three weeks and rose to over 20,000 last Saturday and then above 40,000 on Wednesday. The infection tally on Thursday and Friday stood at 39,196 and 38,882, respectively.
The KDCA reported 16 deaths from the virus Saturday, putting the death toll at 24,728. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent.
The number of critically ill patients was 70, up from the previous day's 65.
The KDCA has said the country has entered a new virus wave, ending a downward trend from the peak of more than 620,000 in mid-March, and that the daily infections could surge to over 200,000 next month.
The BA.5 subvariant accounted for 35 percent of the country's total COVID-19 cases last week, up from 28.2 percent a week earlier, according to the KDCA.
It is known to be more contagious and better able to escape immunity compared with earlier versions.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · July 16, 2022
6. Could South Korea make the Quad a Quint?
I think one of the things we should not do is try to establish an "Asian NATO".: And I think talking about it does harm to the alliances and partnerships we are building in Asia (INDOPACIFIC). We need organizations, alliances, and partnerships, that will work in Asia and not simply describe our desires by the shorthand of an "Asian NATO." We have tried to create organizations in the image of NATO before: NEATO, SEATO, and CENTO.
Could South Korea make the Quad a Quint?
South Korean leader has indicated his wish to join the Quad but Biden is still lukewarm to expanding the group into a ‘Pacific NATO’
asiatimes.com · by Richard Javad Heydarian · July 15, 2022
SEOUL – During his keynote speech at this week’s Asia Leadership Conference in Seoul, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol presented his nation as a confident and constructive “global force” whose time has arrived.
After decades of rapid economic growth and technological innovation, Yoon reiterated South Korea’s commitment to contribute to international peace and stability like never before.
Among other speakers at the major conference, dubbed as “Asia’s Davos”, were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
The South Korean president’s buoyant and self-assured speech echoed his inauguration address earlier this year, where he maintained, “[i]t is incumbent upon us to take on a greater role befitting our stature as a global leader,” and that “[w]e must actively protect and promote universal values and international norms that are based on freedom and respect for human rights.”
Just weeks earlier, Yoon made the unprecedented decision to attend a NATO summit in Madrid where South Korea and Japan were invited as partner nations. During the June 29-30 summit, the South Korean leader emphasized his commitment to foster “a cooperative relationship between NATO and the Indo-Pacific” as “a cornerstone of a coalition defending universal values.”
He also held meetings with several European countries that are keen on purchasing advanced defense equipment from South Korea, which has become a major global arms exporter.
Earlier this year, South Korea also joined the US-backed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which aims to counter China’s growing economic influence in the region. Yoon has also vowed to repair frayed ties with neighboring Japan in order to strengthen US-Japan-Korea trilateral relations.
Crucially, the new South Korean president has also made it clear that his country is now ready to join the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), whether as a partner nation or to form a new “Quint” alliance along with Australia, India, Japan and the US altogether.
So far, however, the Biden administration has proven lukewarm to the idea, despite growing calls at home, especially in the US Congress, for a “Pacific NATO” poised against the resurgent authoritarian powers of China and Russia.
A new Korea
Despite being a US treaty ally, South Korea has traditionally pursued a “multi-vector” foreign policy doctrine, which ensured the Northeast Asian country maintained relatively cordial and economically fruitful ties with all major powers, especially China and the US, but also with Russia and Japan.
Under former president Moon Jae-in, this long-established tradition gained greater salience in light of his tireless efforts to end the Korean Peninsula conflict, which requited the buy-in of rival powers such as China and the US.
But given the difficulty of the task, the liberal Moon administration, which faced heavy criticism at home for its pro-engagement policy towards North Korea, scaled back his country’s global profile.
His conservative successor, however, has adopted a far more assertive foreign policy, which befits South Korea’s emergence as a leading industrial economy and arms producer.
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol gives a speech at the construction site of a nuclear power plant. Image: Twitter
In an oft-cited piece for the Foreign Affairs magazine in February, Yoon argued “for clarity and boldness, and for a commitment to principles. South Korea should no longer be confined to the Korean Peninsula.”
Describing his country as a “global pivotal state,” he underscored South Korea’s unique set of capabilities as well as moral obligation to advocate for “freedom, peace and prosperity through liberal democratic values and substantial cooperation.”
To this end, the Yoon administration has recalibrated his country’s foreign policy by adopting a tougher stance on both China and North Korea, while welcoming closer defense cooperation with the US, including through the hosting of American-made advanced missile defense systems, submarines and nuclear-capable bombers.
He has also stepped up his country’s defense policy by pursuing large-scale arms deals with partners from Eastern Europe to the Middle East to Southeast Asia.
Two decades earlier, South Korea wasn’t even among the top 30 nations in terms of global arms exports, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Last year, the country ranked eighth in the world, as major arms exports increased by 177% over the 2017-2021 period.
This year, defense exports are expected to transcend $10 billion – a figure that is almost three times larger than the country’s total arms exports in the preceding decade.
Among South Korea’s customers are India, Australia and Egypt, which have purchased K9 self-propelled howitzers, as well as the Persian Gulf nations of United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have purchased Korean-made air defense systems.
South Korea is also keen on exporting its next-generation KF-21 fighter to Arab, Southeast Asian, African and Latin American countries. During the latest NATO summit, Yoon held meetings with Central European counterparts who are seeking to replenish their arms inventories amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
US Skepticism
Cognizant of South Korea’s growing international profile, Yoon has signaled his country’s commitment to institutionalized participation in not only the expanded G7 grouping of industrialized democracies, better known as G11, but also the Quad strategic grouping.
Earlier this year, the South Korean president announced that he will “positively review” any invitation to join the much-vaunted grouping.
The announcement came at a particularly crucial time for two reasons. On one hand, there are growing calls in the US for the formation of a “Pacific NATO” to counter Chinese influence in the region. South Korea, for instance, is already a major node in the US-led integrated deterrence strategy in the Indo-Pacific.
The Northeast Asian country has also been a regular participant in Quad-related working groups which aim to enhance multi-dimensional security cooperation, including on supply-chain resilience and climate change among like-minded regional powers.
Australian, US, Indian and Japanese leaders all convened in person for the Quad’s second summit held in Tokyo. Photo: Screengrab / BBC
Moreover, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also exposed fault lines within the Quad grouping, which often bills itself as an alliance of democratic nations. India’s insistence on maintaining robust defense and energy ties with Moscow has drawn the ire of the Biden administration, which has even questioned New Delhi’s human rights record and threatened sanctions against any major purchase of Russian military equipment.
Still, the Biden administration has remained lukewarm to Yoon’s overtures to join the Quad or form a new Quint. To begin with, there are doubts as to whether South Korea can significantly project power overseas amid the escalating tensions with Pyongyang following the virtual collapse of Moon’s “Sunshine Diplomacy.”
The US is also wary of turning the Quad into a more ostensibly anti-China alliance. After all, India is technically a “neutral” nation and has constantly emphasized that the Quad is not an “Asian NATO”, but instead a flexible cooperative arrangement among like-minded powers.
The inclusion of an additional US treaty ally such as South Korea, aside from Australia and Japan, would inevitably make the Quad look more like an “Indo-Pacific NATO”, thus exacerbating structural tensions with Beijing as well as belie India’s non-alignment strategic posture.
Instead, the Biden administration is more interested in expanding bilateral cooperation with South Korea as well as trilateral cooperation among its Northeast Asian allies, with a special focus on supply-chain resilience, joint technological innovation, and sustained upgrade of defense cooperation across a range of military dimensions with both Seoul and Tokyo.
At least for now, the US is primarily interested in less provocative yet consequential cooperative regimes, which will leverage South Korea’s emergence as a major industrial, technological and military power in the Indo-Pacific.
“There are many ways that we engage with South Korea. It’s an incredibly important partnership, relationship. But the Quad will remain the Quad,” then-White House press secretary Psaki said in a press briefing earlier this year, immediately shutting down any speculation about an expansion of the Quad grouping.
Follow Richard Javad Heydarian on Twitter at @richeydarian
asiatimes.com · by Richard Javad Heydarian · July 15, 2022
7. 3 Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War for the South Korea-US Alliance
The first two could be for Kim Jong Un and the third is how Kim Jong Un intends to offset his weaknesses in the first two lessons.
Excerpts:
The first key lesson is a simple but critical insight based on Russia’s poor military performance throughout the war: quantitative superiority cannot compensate for shortcomings in logistics, training, leadership, and air support.
...
The second vital lesson that the allies can derive from this conflict stems from Russian decision-making in the lead up to its invasion: Closeted leaders may overestimate their ability to prevail in armed conflict.
...
A third and final lesson for the allies pertains to Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling: Nuclear weapons can play a significant role in deterring even limited outside intervention in a local conflict.
3 Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War for the South Korea-US Alliance
thediplomat.com · by Jihoon Yu · July 15, 2022
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine offers several vital lessons for South Korea-U.S. alliance in its efforts to deter North Korea.
By and Erik French for The Diplomat
Republic of Korea Marines with 1st Assault Amphibian Vehicle Battalion, 1st Marine Division conduct amphibious assault training during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022.
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In Eastern Europe, Russia’s bloody war against Ukraine grinds on in its fifth month. This ongoing conflict offers several vital lessons for the South Korea-U.S. alliance in its efforts to deter North Korea.
The first key lesson is a simple but critical insight based on Russia’s poor military performance throughout the war: quantitative superiority cannot compensate for shortcomings in logistics, training, leadership, and air support. On paper, the Russian Army massively outmanned and outgunned Ukraine’s forces. Despite this clear quantitative advantage, however, the Russian military has performed poorly throughout the war. It failed to seize Kyiv early in the war and has continued to struggle to secure the Donbas region, all while suffering catastrophic losses.
Analysts have attributed the Russian military’s failings to a wide range of critical shortcomings. The Russian Army has struggled to remain supplied with adequate munitions, food, and fuel, putting its units at a significant disadvantage. Russian forces have also proved poorly-trained and led, unable to conduct effective combined-arms warfare. Armored units have frequently deployed without adequate infantry support, for instance, rendering them vulnerable to anti-tank weaponry. Finally, the Russian military has been unable to secure command of the air over Ukraine, reducing its ability to employ airpower in support of its offensive.
Russia’s poor performance in offensive operations despite its quantitative superiority is a positive sign for South Korea-U.S. alliance given North Korea’s vast but qualitatively inferior Korean People’s Army (KPA). The KPA’s active duty personnel outnumber the Republic of Korea Army nearly two to one, with 950,000 active duty personnel opposing South Korea’s 550,000. Nevertheless, the KPA lacks the fuel, and transportation capabilities necessary to maintain a major offensive against South Korea. Even in peacetime, it suffers from chronic food shortages. The KPA is also poorly trained and lacks any recent combat experience. Finally, in any war against the allies, North Korea’s antiquated air force would likely prove easy pickings, denying the KPA any meaningful air support. Overall, this lesson bodes well for the allies; despite the intimidating size of the KPA, it would likely struggle far more than Russia has in a major offensive operation.
The second vital lesson that the allies can derive from this conflict stems from Russian decision-making in the lead up to its invasion: Closeted leaders may overestimate their ability to prevail in armed conflict. In hindsight, Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to have grossly exaggerated his prospects for victory in a Russia-Ukraine War. Many analysts have pointed out that Putin surrounded himself with political cronies and “yes men” inclined to report only positive estimates of Russian prospects. This may have contributed to Putin’s decision to launch what has proved to be a risky, overly-ambitious, and poorly-planned offensive.
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The South Korea-U.S. alliance should pay heed to this development. Although there are many vital differences between Putin and North Korean despot Kim Jong Un, Kim has also reportedly centralized power and surrounded himself with devoted loyalists after numerous purges. This could very well skew Kim’s assessments of his country’s military capabilities and the KPA’s ability to prevail in a limited conflict. As such, the South Korea-U.S. alliance must work to ensure the continued strength and credibility of their combined deterrent.
A third and final lesson for the allies pertains to Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling: Nuclear weapons can play a significant role in deterring even limited outside intervention in a local conflict. Russia possesses one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world and has deterred external intervention in the war in Ukraine by brandishing the threat of nuclear retaliation. The United States and its European allies have supplied Ukraine with significant armaments, but have refrained from becoming more directly involved. Even this indirect support has been constrained due to concerns about escalation; the U.S., for instance, balked at Polish plans to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
As North Korea enhances the survivability and versatility of its own nuclear arsenal, most recently pursuing tactical nuclear weapons, the South Korea-U.S. alliance will face a similar challenge. Although the U.S. is treaty-bound to contribute to the defense of South Korea, the prospect of North Korean nuclear retaliation would dramatically raise the cost of doing so. As such, Washington and Seoul must continue to bolster the credibility of the U.S. commitment to South Korean security to ensure that Pyongyang cannot drive a wedge between the allies in the event of a conflict.
Authors
Guest Author
Jihoon Yu
Jihoon Yu is a commander in the ROK Navy and a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.
The authors’ views are theirs alone and do not represent those of the ROK government.
Guest Author
Erik French
Erik French is an assistant professor of international studies at SUNY Brockport.
thediplomat.com · by Jihoon Yu · July 15, 2022
8. ‘I couldn’t sleep,’ defector says of images of North Koreans resisting deportation
This is surely what every escapee fears. I am sure many have nightmares about this.
Deportation is the wrong word. They are not being deported to another country. They were forcibly sent to the northern part of Korea that is occupied by a despotic brutal dictator who does not value human life.
‘I couldn’t sleep,’ defector says of images of North Koreans resisting deportation
koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · July 15, 2022
By Kim Arin
Published : Jul 15, 2022 - 21:17 Updated : Jul 15, 2022 - 21:40
At a forum on Friday activists and North Korean defectors discussed implications of the possible human rights violations in the forced repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019. (Kim Arin/The Korea Herald)
A North Korean defector told a forum Friday that he was “appalled” by the newly released photographs of two North Koreans being forcibly handed over to North Korea through the border village of Panmunjom in November 2019.
The photographs, made public by South Korea’s Ministry of Unification on Tuesday, showed the two men struggling as they were dragged toward North Korean soldiers waiting on the North Korean side of the demarcation line. One of them collapsed. Their faces were blurred to cover their identities, but according to police accounts they were blindfolded and bound with ropes.
South Korean authorites at the time repatriated the two North Korean men in their 20s, after concluding they were criminals who killed 16 other crew members of the squid fishing boat as they fled North Korea. After they were captured by the South Korean coast guard, they said in handwritten statements that they wished to defect to South Korea.
What happened to the fishermen is every North Korean defector’s “worst fear,” said Jang Se-yul, the president of the National Association of North Korean Defectors.
On the day the images were out, he said he was “unable to sleep.”
“I know that about 30,000 other North Korean defectors in South Korea shuddered at these images, as I have,” he said.
He said that if he were in their place, he would have “chosen death” over what would await him in North Korea -- an execution.
“I would have taken my own life if I knew I was being returned to North Korea,” he said. “These fishermen even had that choice to decide their own fate taken away from them.”
He said that he, as well as many fellow North Koreans who were able to make it to the South, have fought against the Chinese government’s forcible repatriation of defectors to North Korea.
“The very cruetly that we most dread, and were fighting against happened here in this country we are grateful to call home,” he said.
“What the deportation by the South Korean government tells people of North Korea is that South Korea is no longer a safe homeland where they can seek refuge.”
On the claims that the fishermen were sent back because they were criminals, he said, “North Korea is not a normal country.”
“I know people back home who stole and broke laws to survive and feed their family on their ways to eventual escape,” he said.
He said that of argument also seemed to cater to the prejudice against North Korean defectors. “If you look at studies North Korean defectors are actually more likely to fall victim to crimes than the average South Korean,” he said.
“The worst criminals are Kim Jong-un and his father. And they were returned to be murdered at their hands,” he said.
At the same forum, Yoon Yeo-sang, the president of the Database Center for North Korea Human Rights, said that the circumstances revealed so far were “already fraught with possible human rights violations.”
“Our authorities at the time admitted to arresting and deporting the two men based on the grounds that they were violent criminals -- although whether that’s true or not remains disputed -- which is not very convincing,” he said.
He said that in the entry interviews North Korean defectors would claim that they had come here to escape conviction in North Korea, to make their case that they had no intentions of ever returning.
“Since opening in 2003, our database has documented more than 79,000 cases of human rights violations involving North Korea. This is the first case in which the South Korean goverment is the potential violator,” he said.
He said the Center was committed to staying politically neutral, but that the principle of political neutrality “does not mean not choosing sides between the victim of the human rights abuse and the abuser.”
He said that the killing of a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official named Lee Dae-jun by North Korea, which also took place during former President Moon Jae-in’s tenure, has made progress by comparison with at least one court victory to date.
“That was possible because the fisheries official has a family who is fighting for him. The two deported men, on the other hand, don’t,” he said. “The job of the human rights watchers is to speak for victims who cannot speak for themselves.”
The director of the Institute for Transitional Justice and Integration, Kim Woong-gi, agreed that sending two fishermen back to North Korea to a “highly probable abuse” raised serious human rights concerns.
“The authorities who were in charge have yet to offer an acceptable explanation other than that the young North Korean men were criminals, and that their intentions to defect did not appear sincere,” he said.
“Neither of those explanations addresses why that decision was kept secret from the press, how the determination that they were criminals was made in just three days, and why they treated the way they did,” he said.
Rep. Tae Young-ho, a former senior diplomat for North Korea who fled to seek asylum in South Korea in 2016, said how South Korea responds to the deportation case would send a “strong message” to the international community.
“How this case comes to a close would set off reverberations beyond South Korea. The Kim Jong-un regime itself will be closely watching,” said the North Korean defector-turned-lawmaker.
“The conclusions South Korea reach would set an incredibly crucial precedent for other countries -- especially countries like China, Russia and Vietnam that often repatriate North Korean defectors against their will -- to follow in how they treat North Korean defectors, who are already among those more vulnerable.”
By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)
9. [INTERVIEW] Teaching and learning from North Korean defectors
On a more positive note relating to escapees from north Korea:
[INTERVIEW] Teaching and learning from North Korean defectors
The Korea Times · July 15, 2022
From left in the front row, Kim Min-jae, Song Hyung-min and Gu Hyo-won, former leaders at the Global High School Union of the Freedom Speakers International (FSI), smile at its office in Seoul, July 10. From left in the second row are FSI co-director Lee Eun-koo, Shim Te-ri, Lee An-su and FSI co-director Casey Lartigue. Lee An-su, 17, from Yongsan International School of Seoul, and Shim, 17, from Seoul Foreign School, will lead the union over the next year as general director and vice general director, respectively. Courtesy of FSI'
They are just like us': Teenage volunteers share their experiences at FSI
By Jung Min-ho
Nuclear weapons, starvation and gross abuses of human rights: North Korea is the country everyone loves to hate. For many of those who used to live there, such negative images are among the many challenges they face when trying to start anew elsewhere.
High school students who have volunteered to assist North Korean defectors settle in South Korean society said one of the best things that came from their hands-on experiences ― raising funds and teaching them English ― was the realization that North Koreans are just like them.
Three volunteers shared their experiences interacting with North Korean defectors at the Global High School Union, the Freedom Speakers International's (FSI) support group of more than 100 students from 40 schools in Korea and overseas.
Among the most unforgettable memories for Gu Hyo-won, 17, a former co-director, was the three days he spent with his North Korean peers for an education program.
"It did not take long for us to become intimate as we were around the same age," Gu said in a recent interview. "One noticeable difference we had was the type of worries each of us had, which came from different circumstances. While most South Korean students, supported by family and friends, were concerned about school issues, many of those from the North did not receive such support and spent much time thinking about how to fast achieve financial independence … They were not much different, and that's the way we should look at them."
Gu, a student at Valor International Scholars in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, hopes that the new Yoon Suk-yeol administration will encourage more such interactions, which he believes help North Koreans adjust to life in the South and erase prejudices about them.
Song Hyung-min, 18, a former co-director who graduated from Asia Pacific International School in Seoul earlier this year, said his three-year experience at the FSI profoundly affected the ways he views the world and his own life.
"My time there changed many of my thoughts, about them and how I should live my life," he said. "I would also like to participate in more volunteer work like this when I'm in college. I hope I can play a role in changing people's lives positively."
Song, who had been indifferent to North Korean defectors living in the South before volunteering there, said he later found himself putting a lot of passion in as he taught English to a person who was taking the opportunity to learn seriously.
From his own experience, Song understands the people who pay little attention to North Korean defector issues. However, as their voices slowly changed him, he believes they can change others too.
Listening to their stories of surviving and escaping from the North was motivating and heart-wrenching at the same time, said Kim Min-jae, 19, who was involved in raising funds for the FSI. He also graduated high school at Seoul Scholars International early this year.
"I was touched by their bravery and will to act. I was also sad that they had no other choice but to escape," Kim said. "I used to have a prejudice about North Koreans such as aggressive or ignorant images … As I spent more time working for and with them, I realized they were the opposite of what I thought they were … I also felt we are all Koreans."
Kim, who is set to start his first semester at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana, said he plans to study computer science and use his expertise to help the underprivileged.
"For now, I am a novice programmer, but as I grow, I want to continue to help good causes. My experience at the FSI-GHSU has served as the foundation for my plans," he said.
The Korea Times · July 15, 2022
10. Crimes Against Humanity Continue Unabated In North Korea - Will Kim Jong-Un Face Justice?
As South Korea criticizes itself and conducts an investigation of its own human rights tragedy (doing the right thing to right a wrong) we should keep in mind the were the sustained crimes against humanity are being perpetrated. And of course since Kim is such a horrific human rights abuser, it amplifies the tragedy of South Korea's mistake.
Crimes Against Humanity Continue Unabated In North Korea - Will Kim Jong-Un Face Justice?
Forbes · by Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab · July 16, 2022
A new report published by the International Bar Association’s (IBA) War Crimes Committee and the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) has found there is reasonable basis to conclude that Kim Jong-un, leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, but also other North Korean officials, should be investigated for crimes against humanity committed on a massive scale in detention centers in North Korea. The report, launched end of June 2022, is the culmination of over two years of work of the Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity in North Korean Detention Centers (the Inquiry) run by both organizations, as supported by pro-bono lawyers. The Inquiry aimed at increasing public awareness of the situation in North Korea, exploring the practical and legal options for justice and accountability, among others. The launch of the report follows several hearings which heard testimonies from North Korean escapees and experts.
... [+]Getty Images
The report concluded that ten of the eleven crimes against humanity enumerated in Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, have been and continue to be committed, including, murder, extermination, enslavement, forcible transfer, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, persecution, enforced disappearances, apartheid and other inhumane acts.
The Inquiry cited evidence of arbitrary executions, infanticide, and forced abortions being commonplace in detention centers and testimonies of “repeated instances of infanticide and forced abortions at detention centers, particularly targeting ‘impure’ half-Chinese babies.”
The Inquiry presented evidence of detainees being intentionally deprived of food as a “weapon of punishment and control” resulting in severe illnesses, malnutrition, and often death by starvation. One witness testified of being fed “mostly skin of corn or potatoes mixed in with stones and coal.” Other witnesses testified to eating rodents, frogs, or snakes to survive.
The Inquiry reported on evidence of detainees being subjected to beatings and other forms of torture. One witness described being “beaten so severely at an underground detention facility that all of his lower teeth were broken. He was also subjected to waterboarding and electric shocks.”
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The Inquiry shed light on the issue of sexual violence against detainees. According to the findings, it was very common for female detainees to be sexually assaulted. Such abuse is said to occur “virtually every day.” One witness testified to being “brutally beaten and raped by the deputy head of a detention facility, who also raped most of the young women detained in the facility.”
The Inquiry found evidence of severe violations of human rights, and especially, of the right to freedom of religion or belief. As the report states, Christians, in particular, were targeted for detention and subject to grave treatment in detention, including, “detention periods have been documented as being longer for Christians than other groups”, and “Christians are interrogated for longer periods, usually under torture and subjected to some of the worst forms of torture to force them to incriminate others during interrogation.”
Lastly, the Inquiry reported on detainees being subjected to grueling forced labor and abhorrent living conditions in detention facilities. Witnesses testified of being treated like “animals” and subjected to extreme working conditions. Children as young as seven were forced to do hard labor, including cutting large trees on the mountains.
The report named Kim Jong-un high-level officials and lower-level guards as those responsible for the crimes, including, members of the Organization and Guidance Department (OGD), of the State Affairs Commission (SAC), of the Ministry of Social Security (MPS) and members of the Ministry of State Security (MSS).
The report called for urgent action, including the launching of an investigation by the International Criminal Court or a special international tribunal; the exercise of universal jurisdiction by national courts; and targeted sanctions against those responsible for the crimes. Many of these recommendations have been identified by the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, led by Justice Michael Kirby, in their report published in 2014. Unfortunately, eight years later, many of the recommendations have not been implemented. The dire situation in North Korea continues to be met with very little action. Clear leadership in response to grave human rights violations in North Korea is urgently needed.
Forbes · by Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab · July 16, 2022
11. U.S. official warns against hiring N. Korean IT workers posing as 3rd country nationals
If you dig deeper into this you might ask how is it that Koreans from the north can pose as non-Koreans? You might ask why the regime has invested so much in kidnapping people well as how they have exploited defectors from the west. They might be forcing these people to mate with non-Koreans to produce offspring with ambiguous ethnic characteristics so they might fit in in other countries and regions as not being from north Korea. The regime takes a long term view and is willing to make an immoral investment in human capital by grooming future "spies" from birth. Just saying.
U.S. official warns against hiring N. Korean IT workers posing as 3rd country nationals | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · July 16, 2022
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- A senior U.S. official has briefed industry and government officials on risks associated with the hiring of North Koreans who pose as third-country citizens working in the information and technology (IT) sector, according to a State Department bureau.
C.S. Eliot Kang, assistant secretary at the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, met those officials Thursday (Washington time), the bureau tweeted, warning of the risks, including intellectual data theft, legal consequences and reputational harm.
The warning came as Seoul and Washington have been stepping up security coordination to rein in Pyongyang's provocative acts amid concerns the recalcitrant regime could further escalate tensions by conducting a nuclear test.
"Those highly skilled North Korean IT workers are generating revenue for the DPRK regime's (weapons of mass destruction) and ballistic missile programs," the bureau tweeted. DPRK stands for the North's official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"They often target wealthier nations where pay is the highest, all while deceptively hiding their true nationality," it added.
The bureau reiterated Washington's continued pursuit of dialogue with Pyongyang but underscored its commitment to disrupting the North's "illicit revenue-generating activities around the world."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · July 16, 2022
12. Intelligence on the Civil Servant Killed by North Korea Deleted from Defense Ministry’s Network, the 2 Defectors Sent back to North Korea After the Blue House Abruptly Halted Investigation
Detailed analysis from Dr. Tara O. Also, photos at the link.
Intelligence on the Civil Servant Killed by North Korea Deleted from Defense Ministry’s Network, the 2 Defectors Sent back to North Korea After the Blue House Abruptly Halted Investigation, Former Intelligence Chiefs Park Ji-won, Suh Hoon, Others Charged
https://eastasiaresearch.org/2022/07/12/intelligence-on-the-civil-servant-killed-by-north-korea-deleted-from-defense-ministrys-network-the-2-defectors-sent-back-to-north-korea-after-the-blue-house-abruptly-halted-investigation-fo/
2022-7-12, Tara O
On July 6, 2022, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) filed criminal charges against Park Ji-won and Suh Hoon, NIS directors in the Moon Jae-in administration, for violating the National Intelligence Service Act (abuse of authority).
Park Jie-won and Suh Hoon
Park Jie-won (박지원), who was the NIS Director from July 2020 to May 2022 (a little after Moon Jae-in’s term ended), was reported to have destroyed intelligence reports related to Lee Dae-jun’s case. Lee Dae-jun was the South Korean civil servant in the Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries, who was shot and killed by North Korea and his body burnt at sea in September 2020. The Moon administration framed the events as if Lee was defecting to North Korea, but his family retorted that was not the case.
In a separate case, Suh Hoon (서훈), NIS Director from June 1, 2017 – July 2, 2020, was charged with prematurely stopping an investigation into the case of the two fishermen who defected from North Korea, but were forcibly sent back to North Korea by the Moon administration on November 7, 2019. In addition to the Abuse of Authority, Suh is also charged with Fabricating False Public Documents (허위 공문서 작성). After NIS, Suh Hoon moved to the Blue House to become the Director of the National Security Office from July 3, 2020 – May 9, 2022 (until the end of the Moon administration). Suh replaced Chung Eui-yong (정의용), who was the Director of the National Security Office from May 20, 2017 – July 2, 2020. After May 2022, Suh Hoon hurriedly left South Korea. He is believed to have gone to the U.S., probably to avoid the investigation.
On June 20, 2022, Park Sang-hak, president of the Fighters for a Free North Korea, filed a complaint with the Seoul National Police Agency against Suh Hoon (then-NIS Director), Chung Eui-yong (then-Director, National Security Office), and Kim Yoo-geun (then-1st Deputy at the National Security Office) for the Crimes of Aiding and Abetting Murder (살인방조죄), Abuse of Authority (직권남용죄), and Crimes of Fleeing (the country, most applicable to Suh Hoon) (범인도피죄) related to the forced repatriation of the two defectors.
Related to the same forced repatriation, on July 12, 2022, Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) (북한인권정보센터) representatives filed charges at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office against eleven Moon administration officials, including Chung Eui-yong, Kim Yoo-keun, Kim Hyun-jong (김현종) (the 2nd Deputy at the National Security Office), Suh Hoon, Choi Yong-hwan (최용환) (1st Deputy, NIS), Kim Yeon-chul, Seo Ho (서호) (then-Vice Minister of Unification; Acting Minister of Unification during June 19-July 27, 2020), and a Lieutenant Colonel (Battalion Commander at the JSA, see here for more information) for crimes, including Abuse of Authority (직권남용), Dereliction of Duty (직무유기), Unlawful Arrest (불법체포), Confinement (감금), the Crime of Fleeing, and Evidence Tampering (증거인멸). They stated, “The repatriation of the defector fishermen, who expressed their intention to defect (to South Korea), is a violation of sovereignty by renouncing the jurisdiction of the Republic of Korea and a violation of human rights.”
The below are photos released recently, which show that the defectors resisted being sent to North Korea across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) on November 7, 2019:
More Details Emerge Contradicting Moon Administration’s False Accusations
In both cases, further details are emerging that counter the Moon administration’s narrative, and show severe violations of human rights as well as acts that help the adversary, North Korea.
Lee Dae-jun’s case
An artist’s rendition of North Korea shooting and burning Lee Dae-jun’s body at sea
On September 21, 2020, Lee Dae-jun was reported missing from a government ship on the West Sea. In the morning the next day (September 22), the South Korean authorities became aware that Lee Dae-jun was alive floating at sea, and a report went up to then-president Moon Jae-in, but no orders were given to try to rescue the South Korean citizen. That night after 9 p.m., North Korea shot and killed Lee Dae-jun and incinerated his body at sea.
The Blue House convened emergency meetings of the National Security Council (NSC) about Lee’s situation at 1 a.m. and again at 10 a.m. on September 23, attended by the National Security Director Suh Hoon (Chair), NIS Director Park Jie-won, and Defense Minister Seo Wook (서욱) (Defense Minister from September 18, 2020 to May 11, 2022). Instead of any decisions to try to rescue Lee Dae-jun, it appears what came out of the meetings was an instruction to destroy the information about Lee.
It was revealed that after the National Security Council (NSC) held meetings, “about 40 pieces of secret information regarding Lee’s death were deleted, including intercepted North Korean information about Lee, from MIMS,” a Defense Ministry’s classified system. Deleting such information from the system requires a decision from the highest levels. The deletion occurred over two days, September 23 and 24, 2020.
It is for the deletion of such crucial sensitive information for which the NIS filed charges against its former director Park Jie-won. The deleted documents at NIS include a report prepared by the NIS analysts assessing that Lee was adrift (after falling from a boat), rather than defecting to North Korea. The deleted report used intercepted intelligence from the military that showed Lee Dae-jun identified himself as a Republic of Korea (ROK) civil servant and asked the North Koreans for assistance. It appears that Suh Hoon, the National Security Director at the Blue House instructed the destruction of the classified reports and Park Jie-won carried it out at NIS. However, Park Jie-won denied it.
Another event occurred at the time of the 1st NSC meeting. On September 23, 2020 at 1 a.m. (Seoul time), Moon Jae-in’s pre-recorded video of his keynote address regarding the end of the war declaration was shown at the United Nations General Assembly, which prompted speculation that they tried to fit the issue of Lee Dae-jun’s death at the hands of North Korea in line with the Moon government’s North Korea policy. In other words, the Moon administration wanted to ensure North Korea does not get blamed for the murder of a South Korean citizen, when Moon was trying to get the support of the U.S. and other states in his quest for an “end of war” declaration.
On September 24, the Moon administration suggested that the dead civil servant defected to North Korea, which essentially turned Lee into a traitor. This accusation turned out to be a fabrication. The Moon administration never provided any evidence to form a basis for their accusation, but its assertion was extremely hurtful to Lee’s family. See here for a letter from his son. The Coast Guard recently reversed their earlier position only after the Moon administration ended, saying there is no evidence of Lee defecting to North Korea, and apologized.
The Two Fishermen Escapees Case
The Moon administration justified its action of forcibly returning two young fishermen to North Korea by falsely accusing them of murdering 16 North Koreans, although there was no evidence. The administration also claimed the two fishermen wrote statements ‘even if I die, I want to return to my homeland (North Korea).’ Both of these accusations are not supported by evidence, and new information revealed in recent days refutes such an argument.
Doh Hee-yun (도희윤), president of the Happy Unification Road (행복한통일로) and the Solidarity for Abductees and Defectors (피랍탈북연대), relayed what he heard from a multitude of North Koreans who were familiar with the situation. Doh’s interview was published in the Monthly Chosun on July 8, 2022. He said, “The Korean fishermen who were forcibly repatriated to North Korea were not murderers, but rather young North Koreans who defected (North Korea), because they were caught making a statement criticizing Kim Jong-un.” He further stated, “the two people are not murderers of fellow fishermen, but were laborers belonging to the “storm troop unit” (돌격대) in the Kalma district in Wonsan.” The “storm troops” in this case means young people recruited throughout North Korea to pursue major core projects. Doh said Kim Jong-un formed the unit to “complete his long-cherished development project of coastal tourism at the Kalma district in Wonsan.” They wrote a statement criticizing Kim Jong-un when they felt their lives were at risk due to the brutal work conditions. Unfortunately, the statement was discovered, and they defected to South Korea, because in North Korea, criticizing a leader is a crime of subversion and is punishable by death.
The same Chosun Monthly pointed out that “North Korea’s position is to never let dissidents fall into the hands of the ‘enemy,’ and often charges any dissenters “with murder or drug use in order to prevent them from escaping,” or in cases they do succeed in escaping North Korea, use the accusations to discredit their claims.
Doe lamented that “if the information I have obtained is correct, the Moon Jae-in government believed only the North Korean regime, and committed an anti-constitutional and inhumane crime of driving two young men, who fled to our country against Kim Jong-un’s dictatorship, into the pit of death” and emphasized the need to reveal the truth and hold accountable those responsible.
The Moon administration claimed the two youth also wrote statements expressing their desire to return to North Korea “even if I die,” but that turned out to be fabricated as well. Chung Eui-yong was the National Security Director at the Blue House at the time of the incident. In 2021, when Chung was moving on to become Foreign Minister, he even testified at the National Assembly that the 2 fishermen gave “absolutely no intent to defect” to South Korea. The government recently admitted that they indeed hand wrote statements expressing their desire to defect to South Korea.
Why would the two young fishermen risk their lives to escape to South Korea just to return to North Korea to die? That does not make sense. Additionally, after their blindfolds were removed at the DMZ and realized what was about to occur, they fell into despair, and one began to weep and another rammed his head against the wall. It is because they did not realize until then that they were being sent back to North Korea, where the punishment of death awaits them. As the below photos released on July 12, 2022 show, they physically resisted stepping across the MDL into North Korea, but were overwhelmed by force that pushed and pulled them across the MDL.
The Moon administration also returned the fishing boat to North Korea, after it sanitized it. If North Korea is supposed to investigate a murder case, why would the Moon administration destroy the evidence (the fishing boat) by sanitizing it? This is yet another act that does not make sense. The sanitization was done by the NIS, not the Coast Guard or the ROK Navy.
On July 7, 2022, more information about the Blue House’s role was revealed. On November 4, 2019, 2 days after the two fishermen arrived in South Korea, a meeting convened at the Blue House, chaired by then-Chief of Staff Noh Young-min (노영민), to determine what steps to take regarding the two defectors. Afterwards, the NIS’s initial plan to investigate was abruptly cancelled, and the decision was made to send the two defectors back to North Korea. Suh Hoon was the NIS Director then.
The next day on November 4, 2019, then-president Moon Jae-in sent a personal letter to Kim Jong-un, inviting him to the upcoming ROK-ASEAN Special Summit in Busan to be held on November 27, 2019, one of numerous attempts by Moon to appeal to Kim Jong-un to attend the Summit. Along with the personal invitation, Moon also expressed his desire to hand over the two defectors and their fishing boat to North Korea, as if the 2 defectors were gifts to Kim Jong-un in exchange for Kim’s visit.
Ironically, it was North Korea that unilaterally disclosed the secret communications; The South Korean public was in the dark. On November 21, 2019, KCNA announced “On November 5, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea sent a polite letter to the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Kim Jong Un) earnestly inviting him to attend this special leaders’ meeting.” It further stated, South Korea “has sent a fervent request to let a special envoy visit (if Kim Jong-un can’t go), but “We know that the south side is eagerly looking forward to (Kim Jong-un’s) visit to Busan and is preparing at the highest level for the reception, including the security and protocol, but what exactly can north and south do by meeting, and what meaning would such a (unproductive) meeting have?” and publicly declined the invitation.
This prompted the defector community and the public at large to question Moon’s motive for sending the defectors back to North Korea, “even to their death.” They asked whether Moon was offering the two defectors as a “gift” to Kim Jong-un to be sacrificed for the Moon administration’s desperately hoped-for visit by Kim Jong-un.
It also was revealed recently that soon after the Moon administration inhumanely sent the two defectors to North Korea, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism prepared the “Seoul-Pyongyang Joint Bid and Host Plan for the 2032 Summer Olympics” in November 2019.
An NIS official stated that upon instructions from the Blue House, Suh Hoon prematurely cancelled the NIS investigations into the murder claims, and the forced repatriation of the defectors occurred exceptionally quickly afterwards.
The military quickly prepared a public statement right after the issue of repatriation became public due to a text message from the battalion commander at the JSA to Kim Yoo-keun (1st Deputy, National Security Office) which was captured in a photograph and reported by the media. The military, however, could not release the statement, since the National Security Office strictly controlled the two defectors case.
Despite the Moon administration’s claim that there was no intention to defect, a recent revelation makes their intention to defect clear. On July 11, 2022, the Unification Ministry officially verified that there were statements of intent to defect handwritten by the two escapees.
Kim Yeon-chul
Then-Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul (김연철) stated he heard of the existence of the statements of intent to defect later, since they did not have jurisdiction over the two defectors. Around the time of the forced repatriation, the Unification Ministry announced to the media that the two defectors killed 16 fellow fishermen. The Unification Ministry now stated that they made the announcement after the National Security Office at the Blue House required the Ministry to do so.
Conclusion
So much went wrong. The Moon Jae-in government gave up the Republic of Korea’s sovereignty and violated the human rights of its citizens, rather sacrificed the citizens’ lives, instead of defending the ROK’s sovereignty and protecting the ROK citizens. The acts were so egregious that they must be investigated and those responsible held to account. Additionally, Korean institutions must be improved with strong safeguards to protect the ROK and its citizens from the tyrannical fiat of a small coterie of those in powerful positions, even at the highest levels. This is the homework for not only those in the top echelons of the current government, but also the public at large.
13. State-sponsored hackers are launching 'sustained' attacks on journalists
I have received phishing emails from journalists who work on Korea issues whose emails were spoofed. As an example there would be one letter difference on the email address that I did not notice at first. But what keyed me to the fact they were phishing is that while the message was very professionally worded and with links to supposed other references to Korea issues, was that there were no personal messages and the normal references to our families, etc that are usually contained in the messages we exchange. The phishing messages were not in line with the relationships that we have established and; therefore, suspect.
State-sponsored hackers are launching 'sustained' attacks on journalists
Reporters and other media staff have become targets for cybercriminals, with attacks ramping up in the last 18 months.
techmonitor.ai · by Claudia Glover · July 15, 2022
State-sponsored hackers from China, North Korea, Iran and Turkey are targeting journalists to glean sensitive information from their messages, new research says. There has been a “sustained effort” to infiltrate reporters’ messages in recent years, according to the report from security company ProofPoint, using sophisticated phishing tactics and impersonation techniques.
Journalists are being targeted by cybercriminals. (Photo by Paul Bradbury/iStock)
Cyberattacks on journalists: China and North Korea launch offensives
Espionage attacks on journalists have increased since the start of 2021, ProofPoint says, particularly at times of political importance such as during the US presidential elections. This focus is “unlikely to ever wane,” states the report, “making it important for journalists to protect themselves, their sources and the integrity of their information, by ensuring they protect themselves online.”
China’s main aim has been gaining information from American journalists, with an APT group known as TA412 leading the charge. “The campaigns by TA412 and their ilk evolved over the course of months, adjusting lures to best fit the US political environment and switching to target US-based journalists focussed on different areas of interest to the Chinese government,” the report says.
This particular group would send malicious emails masquerading as press releases or information about politically contentious US stories, such as the January 2021 attack on the Capitol Building. Hidden in the messages would be “web beacons”, hyperlinked non-visible objects within the body of an email (often an image file of a single pixel in size) that, when enabled, allows the hackers to gather information from an infected system to launch follow-up attacks.
This year researchers have noticed an uptick in Chinese threat actors targeting journalists, indicating a desire to gather information on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In February, Tech Monitor reported on a cyberattack on journalists at News Corp, publisher of The Times and The Wall Street Journal, which saw information stolen from the company’s reporters. News Corp said in an SEC filing that it had been “the target of persistent cyberattack activity”. Mandiant, the security company brought in to investigate the breach, said it believed the incident to be the work of Chinese hackers “involved in espionage activities to collect intelligence to benefit China’s interests”.
North Korean state-backed hacking group Lazarus attacked an unnamed US-based media company this year after it published an article deemed critical of Kim Jong Un, the report says. Using a bogus job offer, the gang enticed journalists to interact with the malicious link and from then would track the journalist while gathering information from their device. It is likely that once successful, Lazarus would continue to send emails to endeavour to gain further details.
Hackers stealing Twitter credentials and posing as reporters
Turkish APT actors have mainly used social media to manipulate members of the media into surrendering their credentials, the report says. The group termed TA482 has been seen “regularly engaging in credential harvesting campaigns that target the social media accounts of mostly US-based journalists and media organisations.”
This has mainly taken the form of sending fake Twitter security emails which convince reporters to give up their credentials. ProofPoint says the motivations of this group are unknown, but that they could use the compromised accounts to spread propaganda. It expects to see the number of attacks ramp up ahead of the 2023 Turkish presidential elections.
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Iranian hackers have gone as far as to impersonate journalists. “The threat actor uses these personas to engage in benign conversations with targets, which consist mostly of academics and policy experts working on Middle Eastern foreign affairs,” the report says, with the aim of harvesting valuable credentials.
techmonitor.ai · by Claudia Glover · July 15, 2022
14. Microsoft links Holy Ghost ransomware operation to North Korean hackers
Ahem... Everything done by people from north Korea is "state sponsored, " or more correctly party and regime sponsored.
Microsoft links Holy Ghost ransomware operation to North Korean hackers
They're not state-sponsored, but are linked to the government
techradar.com · by Sead Fadilpašić · July 15, 2022
Holy Ghost, a lesser-known ransomware (opens in new tab) operator, is most likely being managed by North Korean hackers, Microsoft has said.
The company’s Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) has been tracking the malware (opens in new tab) variant for more than a year now, and has found multiple evidence pointing to North Koreans being behind the operation.
Although the group seems to be linked to the country’s government, it appears as if it’s not on payroll, but rather a financially motivated group that sometimes co-operates with the government.
Typical MO
MSTIC says the group has operated for quite some time now, but failed to become as big or as popular as other major players, such as BlackCat, REvil, or others.
It has the same modus operandi: find a flaw in the target’s systems (Microsoft spotted the group abusing CVE-2022-26352), move laterally across the network, mapping all of the endpoints, exfiltrate sensitive data, deploy ransomware (earlier, the group used SiennaPurple variant, later switched to an upgraded SiennaBlue version), and then demand a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key and a promise that the data won’t be leaked/sold on the black market.
The group would usually target banks, schools, manufacturing organizations, and event management firms.
As for payment, the group would demand anywhere between 1.2 and 5 bitcoins, which is approximately $30,000 - $100,000, at today’s prices. However, even though these demands are relatively small, compared to other ransomware operators, Holy Ghost was still willing to negotiate and reduce the price even further, sometimes getting just a third of what it initially asked for.
Even though the things like attack frequency, or choice of target, made researchers think Holy Ghost is not a state-sponsored actor, there are some connections to the government. Microsoft found the group communicating with the Lazarus Group, which is a known state-sponsored actor. What’s more, both groups were “operating from the same infrastructure set, and even using custom malware controllers with similar names.”
techradar.com · by Sead Fadilpašić · July 15, 2022
15. Kim Jong-Un Slams Ukraine For Joining US' Illegal Actions In Past
Kim Jong-Un Slams Ukraine For Joining US' Illegal Actions In Past - Benzinga
benzinga.com · by Navdeep Yadav
The North Korean foreign ministry on Friday said Ukraine has "no right" to raise sovereignty and territorial integrity issues due to being a U.S. ally.
"Ukraine has no right to raise the issue or dispute our legitimate exercise of sovereignty after committing an act that severely lacks fairness and justice between nations by actively joining the U.S. unjust and illegal hostile policy in the past," the North Korean foreign ministry said, according to Reuters.
"We will continue to strengthen and develop friendship and cooperation with all countries that respect our sovereignty and treat us favorably based on the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and mutual respect," the spokesperson added.
The scathing attack comes after Ukraine severed its ties with North Korea in protest against the Asian country recognizing Donetsk and Lugansk, the two Russian-backed breakaway self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine, as independent states. The country's ambassador to Russia had also presented a document with official recognition.
Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for the Ukraine foreign ministry, in a tweet, blasted North Korea and said, "Ukraine today breaks diplomatic relations with DPRK in response to its decision to recognize the so-called 'independence' of the temporarily Russian-occupied territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine."
Check out more of Benzinga's Europe and Asia coverage by following this link.
benzinga.com · by Navdeep Yadav
16. The United Nations Command Needs a Korean Deputy Commander
Good insights on why the UN Command in Korea is controversial among the Korean people.
But I have to take exception to this. The commanders of the military commands signed the Armistice. The political leaders did not sign the Armistice. The ROK military was fighting unde the UN command. Kim Il Sung later signed the Armistice not as the head of state but as the commander in chief of the nKPA.
Because South Korea did not sign the Armistice Agreement, it is not technically a member of UNC. I have heard Seoul call itself “a state in association” or a “state at issue” with UNC. Despite this, the ROK military is deeply involved in UNC activities. Hundreds of ROK military personnel, officers and enlisted alike, serve and have served at UNC as part of their military service. Half of the border guards you see at the Military Demarcation Line facing down their North Korea counterparts will be South Korean military.
Also the author does not mention that a ROK Major General is the senior member of the United Nations Military Armistice Commission.
But despite my criticism I agree with his argument that a ROK Deputy Commander of the UNC would be good for the alliance and for the UN Command. It might also become another path for qualification to be a future ROK/US CFC Commander after the OPCON trasnition takes place.
The United Nations Command Needs a Korean Deputy Commander
19fortyfive.com · by ByAnthony Holmes · July 15, 2022
The inauguration of the new administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative People Power Party will lead to a shared view on North Korea that was absent under Yoon’s nationalist-liberal predecessor Moon Jae-in. In a rare policy triangulation, South Korea, the United States, and Japan share the same view that North Korea is first and foremost a major threat to be deterred, not a misunderstood neighbor to be consoled.
While this alignment offers many grand strategic options to improve our current relationship, there is a far less obvious proposal that I assess will have strategic implications and improve our mutual security over the long-term. The United Nations Command (UNC) should appoint a South Korean deputy commander.
I was Special Advisor for North Korea and Senior Advisor for Korea Policy in the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2017 until January 2021. Right after I left office, I wrote an article for The Diplomat on how the United Nations Command in South Korea had become a constant source of friction between the United States and our Korean allies. My proposal is one step to address that tension and hopefully prevent its recurrence when administrations change in South Korea.
As background, the United Nations Command is one of the three major U.S. military commands on the Korean Peninsula, along with the binational U.S.-Korea Combined Forces Command (CFC) and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). The same U.S. general officer commands all three but under different authorities. Among them are setting rules of engagement during Armistice conditions, control over certain strategic waterways like the Han River Estuary, approval of border crossings, and enforcement of the south side of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas.
Contrary to what its name suggests, UNC is not a UN peacekeeping operation, and its only ties to the United Nations organization are the UN Security Council Resolutions that authorized it, the use of UN flag, and its requirement to provide a regular report to the UN on its activities. The UNC signed the Armistice of 1953 with North Korea on behalf of the defenders, while Seoul never has.
UNC has a proud history as the U.S.-led command of the free nations that answered the call to defend South Korea from the North Korean invasion, known as the Sending States. Foreign officers are a regular site at UNC Headquarters and the DMZ. Over the last decade, its deputy commander has been from Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, etc. If conflict again breaks out, many of the original sixteen Sending States (and perhaps new ones) have committed to returning to defend the ROK. If that happens, UNC will receive and allocate those forces to the warfighting elements.
Because South Korea did not sign the Armistice Agreement, it is not technically a member of UNC. I have heard Seoul call itself “a state in association” or a “state at issue” with UNC. Despite this, the ROK military is deeply involved in UNC activities. Hundreds of ROK military personnel, officers and enlisted alike, serve and have served at UNC as part of their military service. Half of the border guards you see at the Military Demarcation Line facing down their North Korea counterparts will be South Korean military.
As I wrote in my previous article for The Diplomat, I assess South Korea’s mistrust of UNC stems from three specific arguments: that it violates South Korea’s sovereignty, that it is designed as an alternative warfighting command to short-circuit the CFC construct, and that it is an embarrassing relic of the country’s past.
I addressed these allegations in my previous article, so I will not readdress them here. However, I cannot discount that many Koreans believe these arguments, and they have deeply infiltrated South Korea’s public discourse on the matter. My proposal can address them.
An ROK Deputy Commander who is daily involved in the operations, maintenance, and management of UNC is a powerful signal of our respect for Korean sovereignty. Similarly, if and when UNC is required to accept and allocate forces, a ROK deputy commander would be involved in their assignments. An ROK deputy commander would also be the domestic face of UNC for the Korean people and its elected leaders. As such, he would be best positioned to explain that UNC is a critical element of Korea’s security now, and not some relic of the Cold War.
Let us not overlook the practical elements, too. The South Korean military is widely trusted and respected, so a Korean UNC deputy commander would help insulate UNC from attacks about its roles, missions, and capabilities.
A general officer from one of the Sending States should remain as a deputy commander, but a second should be created. For example, one general officer could be a Deputy Commander for Plans and Policies, while the other could be Deputy Commander for Operations and Training.
Alliance strain is a real thing and will occur no matter how strong and institutionalized our relationship is. But I assess the Korean polity’s fears of UNC are unique and particularly dangerous to the operations and maintenance of our critical alliance. That is why I propose that UNC needs to take the step now of adding a Korean deputy commander, while our governments are in strategic alignment.
South Korea is a modern, powerful, proud country. So even though I believe UNC has an invaluable role to play in Korean affairs, I also believe the United States must demonstrate unmistakable respect of Korea’s sovereignty and Seoul’s desire to more actively guide its destiny.
Anthony W. Holmes was special advisor for North Korea in the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2017-2021. He is a senior Non-Resident Fellow at Project 2049 Institute. He lives in Florida.
19fortyfive.com · by ByAnthony Holmes · July 15, 2022
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
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Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Editor, Small Wars Journal
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