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Quotes of the Day:
This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
- George Bernard Shaw
“We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long and trust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must be willing, individually, and as a nation, to accept whatever sacrifices may be required of us. A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”
- Dwight D Eisenhower.
"We must either learn to live together as brothers, or we are all going to perish together as fools."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
1. N. Korea defends military spy satellite as 'indispensable strategic option'
2. S. Korea vows high-level follow-up talks with U.S., Japan for stronger trilateral cooperation
3. Defense minister vows to push for suspension of 2018 inter-Korean military accord
4. N. Korea touts Kim's leadership on 78th founding anniversary of ruling party
5. Most S.Koreans Believe N.Korea Could Attack Any Time
6. Satellite pics show spike in rail activity at NKorea-Russia border
7. N. Korea blames Israel for conflict with Hamas
8. Election watchdog's cybersecurity system vulnerable to hacking attacks: NIS
9. Some N. Korean restaurant workers return home amid broader repatriation drive
10. Assessing North Korea’s Nuclear Intentions
11. US carrier Ronald Reagan to visit South Korea in show of force
12. International Forum on One Korea Examines Peace and Security, Regional Economic Development, and Support for Korean Unification
13. The dignity of nations (South Korea and Poland)
14. North could replicate Hamas's strategy to attack South
15. Seoul urged to boost readiness against Hamas-like NK ambush
16. NK news agency says 'important report' is coming up
17. Former UNC, USFK soldiers to visit Korea upon invitation of veterans ministry
18. Foreign Minister Park Jin reaffirms confidence in Indo-Pacific strategy
1. N. Korea defends military spy satellite as 'indispensable strategic option'
If they do get it up, we should include in our themes and messages that the regime could not do it alone and needed help and stimulation from Russia.
N. Korea defends military spy satellite as 'indispensable strategic option' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 10, 2023
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean official on Tuesday called the country's military spy satellite an "indispensable strategic option" to counter the United States, which is "getting hell-bent on space militarization."
Following two botched attempts to launch the military spy satellite, named the Malligyong-1, mounted on the Chollima-1 rocket in May and August, North Korea has announced plans for a third attempt in October without specifying a specific launch date.
"The space development including military reconnaissance satellite is an indispensable strategic option for guaranteeing the security interests and right to existence of the DPRK," Ri Song-jin, a researcher of the North's National Aerospace Technology Administration, said in an English article carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency.
DPRK refers to the acronym of the North's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Ri said North Korea will strengthen its "self-defensive capabilities" amid what the official called the "ever-escalating military threat and aggression scheme of the U.S. and its vassal forces in all areas including space."
A military spy satellite is among the high-tech weapons that the North has vowed to develop, which also include solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles and a nuclear-powered submarine.
This file photo provided by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on June 1, 2023, shows the launch of the North's new Chollima-1 rocket, allegedly carrying a military reconnaissance satellite, the Malligyong-1, from Tongchang-ri on the North's west coast at 6:29 a.m. the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 10, 2023
2. S. Korea vows high-level follow-up talks with U.S., Japan for stronger trilateral cooperation
All three countries (especially the ROK and the US) need to work hard to institutionalize the Camp David Summit peninsula and spirit to inoculate the trilateral security relationship from changing political leaders.
S. Korea vows high-level follow-up talks with U.S., Japan for stronger trilateral cooperation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · October 10, 2023
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will continue efforts to hold high-level talks with the United States and trilaterally with Japan to further strengthen the three-way security cooperation, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
The ministry made the pledge in a report for the annual parliamentary audit, as a follow-up step to the flurry of diplomacy between Seoul and Washington and also among the two and Tokyo, including the first-ever three-way Camp David summit in the U.S. in August.
"We will work to ensure that high-level follow-up consultations continue to take place between South Korea and the United States, and among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, and make every effort to implement follow-up measures at a pan-government level for the further development of the South Korea-U.S. alliance," the ministry said in the report.
At the Camp David summit, President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to significantly expand trilateral security cooperation, with a pledge to immediately consult one another in the event of common threats, such as North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile provocations.
On relations with Japan, the ministry said it will work to keep up the momentum for thawing bilateral ties, created after South Korea decided to compensate the Korean victims of wartime forced labor under Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule without asking for contributions from Japanese companies.
Seoul's decision led to a dramatic warming of relations with Tokyo and the resumption of "shuttle diplomacy," or regular visits of their leaders. Yoon and Kishida visited each other's country in March and May, respectively, the first bilateral trips of the leaders of the two neighbors in 12 years.
The ministry also vowed a "thorough monitoring" of Japan's discharge process for the treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, prioritizing the safety and health of the Korean people.
The ministry reaffirmed it will pursue "a more mature and healthy" relationship with China, with a goal to resume the long-suspended three-way summit with China and Japan within this year.
Foreign Minister Park Jin (R) speaks during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly on Oct. 10, 2023. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · October 10, 2023
3. Defense minister vows to push for suspension of 2018 inter-Korean military accord
I do not recommend total withdrawal. I recommend taking the moral high ground and the ROK telling the north which parts are unacceptable and hinder proper readiness and defense.
Defense minister vows to push for suspension of 2018 inter-Korean military accord | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · October 10, 2023
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new Defense Minister Shin Won-sik vowed Tuesday to push for the suspension of the 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement, citing its impact on limiting Seoul's surveillance capabilities against North Korean military activities.
Shin made the remarks in his first meeting with reporters after taking office on Saturday, noting the no-fly zone set by the agreement near the border "greatly" limits surveillance on signs of imminent North Korean provocations in the front line.
"I will push for the suspension of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement as soon as possible," he said. "Scrapping (the agreement) requires a legal process, but I understand a suspension only requires a Cabinet approval."
Shin noted Israel could have suffered fewer losses from Hamas' recent attack if it had conducted round-the-clock surveillance with unmanned aerial vehicles.
"Our reconnaissance and surveillance assets need to watch (North Korean military activities)," he said, noting South Korea faces an even higher-intensity threat from North Korea.
The agreement, signed under the previous liberal President Moon Jae-in who sought inter-Korean reconciliation, also includes setting up a land buffer zone, where artillery drills and regiment-level field maneuvers are to be suspended, as well as maritime buffer zones, banning artillery firing and naval drills.
Defense Minister Shin Won-sik speaks during his inauguration ceremony at the defense ministry compound in central Seoul on Oct. 7, 2023, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · October 10, 2023
4. N. Korea touts Kim's leadership on 78th founding anniversary of ruling party
N. Korea touts Kim's leadership on 78th founding anniversary of ruling party | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 10, 2023
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Tuesday lauded leader Kim Jong-un for "exceptionally" strengthening the country's combat power as Pyongyang marked the 78th founding anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party.
The Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North's ruling party, said Kim "exceptionally strengthened the combat power" over the past decade to "firmly secure the party's future that would successfully carry on for thousands of millions of years."
Noting how the North amended the constitution to enshrine the policy of bolstering its nuclear force in a key parliamentary meeting last month, the newspaper said the regime has "achieved yet another meaningful and important political feat."
This photo, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Oct. 10, 2023, shows a celebratory performance held to mark the 78th founding anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
The North held celebratory events, such as performances and fireworks, to mark the anniversary, according to state media, but there have been no signs of a military parade or other provocative shows of force taking place.
The North tends to mark every fifth and 10th anniversary with larger events, such as military provocations, including missile launches and parades of troops, newly developed strategic weapons and other military hardware.
In July, the reclusive regime staged a massive military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, with Chinese and Russian delegations in attendance, displaying its latest intercontinental ballistic missiles and drones in a show of its military might.
Last month, it staged a scaled-down paramilitary parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the regime's founding day, with its leader in attendance.
This photo, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Oct. 7, 2023, shows a meeting of workers on Oct. 5 marking the founding anniversary of the ruling Worker's Party. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 10, 2023
5. Most S.Koreans Believe N.Korea Could Attack Any Time
Everyone better be ready to fight tonight.
Most S.Koreans Believe N.Korea Could Attack Any Time
english.chosun.com
October 10, 2023 09:32
One in every six South Koreans believe that North Korea could attack South Korea whenever it lets its guard down.
In a poll by the Korea Institute for National Unification this year, 61.3 percent of respondents said the North has "hostile intent" towards the South, the most since the poll began in 2014.
The proportion is growing from only 48.1 percent three years ago.
A mere 11.5 percent now believe dialogue with the Kim Jong-un regime is possible.
"People's negative perception of the North is growing due to worsening inter-Korean relations and the constant threat of nuclear weapons from the North," the institute said.
Some 59.5 percent also believe reunification with the North is unnecessary if the two Koreas can coexist peacefully without war, compared to 55 percent in 2020.
Just 53.9 percent favor reunification at all, compared to 55.4 percent in 2021.
The institute polled 1,001 adults in April and May.
U.S. Think Tank Calls for Talks on Redeploying Nukes to S.Korea
Young S.Koreans Support Nukes for the Country
Most S.Koreans Believe N.Korea Will Never Abandon Nukes
Most S.Koreans Support Nuclear Weapons Development
Schoolkids Grow More Hostile to N.Korea
Most Young S.Koreans Don't Trust N.Korea's Nuclear Pledges
Most Young S.Koreans Don't Believe in Reunification
S.Koreans Slowly Wake up to N.Korean Threat
Most S.Koreans Support Nuclear Armament
Most S.Koreans Support THAAD Deployment
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
english.chosun.com
6. Satellite pics show spike in rail activity at NKorea-Russia border
Photos/imagery at the link: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/russia-10092023161409.html
Satellite pics show spike in rail activity at NKorea-Russia border
Experts speculate images may indicate the transfer of weapons following the Kim-Putin summit.
By Jamin Anderson for RFA Korean
2023.10.09
rfa.org
Satellite images show a sharp increase in activity at a railway yard in North Korea on the Russian border, prompting experts to speculate that Pyongyang may be sending trainloads of weapons to its northern neighbor.
Photos of a depot just north of North Korea’s Tumen River Station – separated by just 5 kilometers (3 miles) of track from Khasan Station in the Russian Far East – taken Sept. 22 by U.S. commercial satellite operator Planet Labs show an abundance of rail cars appearing to carry cargo. The area was completely empty in photos taken on Sept. 14.
The activity ramped up following the conclusion of Kim Jong Un’s Sept. 13-17 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders agreed to boost their military cooperation amid Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Experts said this would most likely occur through Russia’s weapons technology transfer in exchange for North Korea’s conventional ammunition.
Satellite photos taken Sept. 24 show that the cargo was more organized, with two lines of rail containers on the track, one line extending about 200 meters (220 yards) and the other 300 meters (330 yards). Additionally there are several loaded trains parked on the track, about 20 meters in length each.
The Tumen River rail depot in North Korea is empty, Sept. 14, 2023. Credit: Planet Labs
Experts say there is no clear evidence in the photos that North Korea is shipping munitions to Russia. But the proximity to the summit and the increased level of cooperation between Seoul and Moscow over the past year suggest that is what is happening, experts said.
Jacob Bogle, a private satellite imagery analyst and curator of the AccessDPRK project, told RFA that when compared to the period between 2020 and early 2022, exchanges between the two countries have increased over the past year.
“It cannot be ruled out that the activity seen is arms trading, but it could also be more benign cargo as well,” Bogle said. “Russia expends around 10 million artillery shells a year in Ukraine, so rapid transfers by North Korea would help relieve those shortages.”
Artillery ammunition?
North Korean exports to Russia have traditionally included minerals such as coal and seafood, and suspicions of arms trade between North Korea and Russia were first raised in late 2022.
North Korea could be supplying Russia with older artillery shells based on Soviet-era weapons, Gary Samore, a former White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction, told RFA.
“North Koreans have a very large stockpile of ammunition for artillery and tanks and rockets,” he said. “It has been manufacturing ammunition for its own military forces, especially artillery … for decades. … if they're sending old ammunition to Russia, … from Russia’s standpoint, it's better than having nothing.”
Changes in the quantity and location of trains and cargo are seen between Sept. 28 and Oct. 1 at the Tumen River rail depot in North Korea. Researcher Bruce Songhak Chung assessed that the train was carrying cargo to Russia. Credit: Planet Labs
The images appear to show that North Korea loaded cargo onto a train and transported it to Russia, Bruce Songhak Chung, a researcher at the Seoul-based Korean Institute for Security and Strategy, told RFA Korean.
If the cargo had been coming from Russia, it would have been unloaded at Tumen River Station instead of at the depot in between the station and the border, he said.
Chung said the latest imagery is not the first that indicates rail shipments from North Korea to Russia, as the depot is the same area identified by the United States in December 2022 as having a train being loaded with weapons heading to Russia.
“The operation of cargo-laden trains at Tumen River Station was confirmed several times, even as far back as before … the Russian minister of defense visited North Korea on the Day of Victory on July 27,” said Chung, referring to the anniversary of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
Chung said that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit to North Korea and Kim’s visit with Putin suggest that “arms trade using logistics exchanges between North Korea and Russia is likely to increase.”
The Beyond Parallel website, run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, reported Friday that satellite photos likely showed weapons shipments from North Korea to Russia.
“Given that Kim and Putin discussed some military exchanges and cooperation at their recent summit, the dramatic increase in rail traffic likely indicates North Korea’s supply of arms and munitions to Russia,” the report said. “However, the extensive use of tarps to cover the shipping crates/containers and equipment makes it impossible to conclusively identify what is seen at the Tumangang Rail Facility.”
A State Department spokesperson told RFA on Oct. 2 that previous arms discussions between Russia and North Korea likely continued during Kim Jong Un’s trip to Russia.
“A burgeoning military relationship between Russia and the DPRK, including additional transfers of weapons from the DPRK to Russia and technology transfers from Russia to the DPRK, will further undermine the global non-proliferation regime,” the spokesperson said, using an acronym to refer to North Korea and urging the two countries to suspend military cooperation.
Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
rfa.org
7. N. Korea blames Israel for conflict with Hamas
Possible north Korean weapons proliferation: could be directly or could from north Korea through Iran to Hamas.
(LEAD) N. Korea blames Israel for conflict with Hamas | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 10, 2023
(ATTN: ADDS ministry official's assessment)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Tuesday denounced Israel over its escalating conflict with the Hamas militant group, saying it is the "consequence of Israel's ceaseless criminal actions" against the people of Palestine.
The criticism marked Pyongyang's first response to the conflict after Hamas launched rocket attacks on Israel during a major Jewish holiday Saturday and Israel staged retaliatory strikes against it.
"A large scale armed conflict has occurred between Hamas of Palestine and Israel," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a short article without specifying which side first launched the attacks.
"The international community calls the conflict the consequence of Israel's ceaseless criminal actions against the people of Palestine," the newspaper said, adding the "fundamental" solution is an independent Palestinian state.
The criticism came days after the newspaper denounced Israeli soldiers for killing Palestinians in separate incidents that occurred ahead of the conflict.
An official at South Korea's unification ministry said Pyongyang's claim may have been aimed at strengthening an "anti-U.S. alliance."
"It is not surprising given that North Korea has revealed its perception on various international issues that is far from common sense or conventional standards," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity, adding the North may have "considered an anti-U.S. alliance in the bigger picture."
Radio Free Asia, a Washington-based media outlet, reported on the suspected use of North Korean weapons by Hamas fighters, citing a video shared by the X account War Noir.
It said one of the fighters was seen holding an F-7 high-explosive fragmentation rocket manufactured in the North, which had been exported to the Middle East in the past.
It remains unclear whether North Korea directly supplied the weapons to Hamas or whether they were provided through transactions involving other countries.
This image, captured from a video shared on the X account War Noir, shows a Hamas fighter holding an F-7 high-explosive fragmentation rocket originally produced in North Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 10, 2023
8. Election watchdog's cybersecurity system vulnerable to hacking attacks: NIS
north Korea's all purpose sword can conduct damaging attacks in myriad ways against myriad targets. As part of north Korea's political warfare strategy, subversion does not get any better than undermining the legitimacy of elections.
(2nd LD) Election watchdog's cybersecurity system vulnerable to hacking attacks: NIS | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · October 10, 2023
(ATTN: ADDS reaction from election watchdog in para 13)
By Kim Soo-yeon
SEONGNAM, South Korea, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- The voting and ballot counting systems at the state-run election watchdog remain vulnerable to potential hacking attacks by North Korea, the intelligence agency said Tuesday.
Announcing the outcome of a joint cybersecurity checkup on the National Election Commission (NEC), the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said North Korea could penetrate into the election watchdog's network "at any time" due to its weak security system, though no such infiltration has been identified.
The NIS and the Korea Internet and Security Agency, the internet safety watchdog, jointly conducted the cybersecurity checkup on the NEC between July and September amid criticism that the watchdog did not do enough to secure its systems from hacking attempts.
The probe showed the NEC had multiple cybersecurity vulnerabilities to hacking attempts in terms of the management of its voter register, ballot counting and early voting systems.
Potential hackers could have penetrated the NEC's election-managing network so as to manipulate registered voter information and the outcome of an election, the NIS said.
This file photo, taken March 16, 2023, shows a demonstration of running a ballot counting device held at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
In the case of a hacking attack, voters who cast their ballots in early voting could be marked as those who did not participate in the voting. It is also possible to manipulate voter registrations and ballot counts, as well as print ballots without authorization, the NIS said.
The NEC has also failed to take proper measures against North Korean hackers' attacks on emails and other information of its officials despite the intelligence agency's warnings, the probe showed.
Classified NEC documents were leaked in April 2021, as a North Korean hacking organization identified as "Kimsuky" used a malicious code to affect a PC at the election watchdog to steal information.
In June, South Korea imposed unilateral sanctions on Kimsuky, a unit within North Korea's intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, over the North's botched launch of a military spy satellite in May. Kimsuky is believed to be behind the 2014 hacking of the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., a South Korean power generation agency.
The NEC's vulnerable cybersecurity system spawns concerns about the possibility that North Korea may carry out illegal cyber activities targeting South Korea's parliamentary elections in April next year.
When asked about the possibility of North Korea having broken into the NEC network to manipulate the results of South Korea's previous elections, the spy agency refrained from confirming it, saying that the latest checkups did not cover all ballot-counting devices and other equipment at the NEC.
"The latest probe showed that the NEC's cybersecurity system remains vulnerable to hacking attempts. But even so, we should be careful about conclusively saying that (such hacking) occurred in the past," Baek Jong-wook, a deputy director at the NIS, told reporters in Pangyo, just south of Seoul.
In response to the spy agency's announcement, the election watchdog said that even if it is technically possible to hack into the election system, that does not necessarily lead to a rigged election, as it is almost impossible to manipulate the outcome of an election without organized assistance from insiders at the NEC.
The election watchdog initially rejected a recommendation by the NIS to receive online security checks, citing the need to maintain political neutrality. But it agreed in May to the checkups amid criticism about its lax attitude toward cybersecurity.
North Korean hackers are widely known for engaging in cryptocurrency thefts and other illicit cyber activities in a bid to help fund the country's nuclear and missile programs.
This file photo, taken Sept. 22, 2023, shows the National Election Commission, South Korea's state-run election watchdog, in Gwacheon, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · October 10, 2023
9. Some N. Korean restaurant workers return home amid broader repatriation drive
Excerpts:
According to the source, some restaurants in Liaoning Province have recently extended their hours to lunch after a recent flood of customers. The restaurants previously operated only at dinner hours.
The women at the restaurants perform their usual singing and dancing, and guests can reserve private rooms with performances for about RMB 2,000 (around USD 280).
Meanwhile, the repatriation of workers at sewing shops and electronic parts factories in China has recently slowed, the source said.
“From late August to the middle of last month, dozens of workers returned home from each factory, but recently, few people are going home. The repatriations have slowed because no one is arriving to take their places.”
Some N. Korean restaurant workers return home amid broader repatriation drive
The women selected to return were unable to work due to health problems, or had been in China the longest, a source told Daily NK
By Seulkee Jang - 2023.10.10 1:36pm
https://www.dailynk.com/english/some-north-korean-restaurant-workers-return-home-amid-broader-repatriation-drive/
FILE PHOTO: In this photograph taken in June 2019, North Korean workers are seen entering a store in Dandong, China. (Daily NK)
After being stranded for three years overseas due to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korean workers have been returning in waves since the State Emergency Anti-epidemic Command began repatriations on Aug. 27. Among the recent returnees are some women who worked at North Korean restaurants in China.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a Daily NK source in China said Thursday that last month, North Korean authorities ordered the return of about 10% of the workers at North Korean restaurants in China. The restaurants generally employ about 15 to 20 female workers each.
The women selected to return were unable to work due to health problems, or had been in China the longest, the source told Daily NK.
“The male cadres managing the women who work at the North Korean restaurants say they received an order early last month to return just a minimum of workers so that no problems arise in restaurant operations.”
The repatriation order — coming despite the risk of hindering foreign currency earnings from a partial return of workers at restaurants with small workforces of 20 people or less — may form the groundwork for a more sweeping personnel rotation.
In fact, North Korean authorities plan to gradually rotate out two or three female workers at each restaurant, the source said.
“Restaurants have limited staff, so a vacuum opens even if they lose one or two workers. Nevertheless, the repatriation order means they’re sending new workers soon.”
However, new female workers for the North Korean restaurants have not yet arrived. The source said that while some women working in China are changing workplaces, North Korea has sent no new workers to the country.
Number of repatriations fall in sewing shops, electronic parts factories
According to the source, some restaurants in Liaoning Province have recently extended their hours to lunch after a recent flood of customers. The restaurants previously operated only at dinner hours.
The women at the restaurants perform their usual singing and dancing, and guests can reserve private rooms with performances for about RMB 2,000 (around USD 280).
Meanwhile, the repatriation of workers at sewing shops and electronic parts factories in China has recently slowed, the source said.
“From late August to the middle of last month, dozens of workers returned home from each factory, but recently, few people are going home. The repatriations have slowed because no one is arriving to take their places.”
Translated by David Black. 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.
10. Assessing North Korea’s Nuclear Intentions
With all due respect to Dr. Sigal's education and experience with north Korea I just do not think he assesses the political warfare strategy of the Kim family regime (or the nature, objectives, and entire strategy of the regime).. There is unfortunately a lot of wishful thinking and revisionist history in this piece.
Assessing North Korea’s Nuclear Intentions
North Korea’s willingness to denuclearize depends on the balance of power between China and Russia.
The National Interest · by Leon V. Sigal · October 6, 2023
The chances that North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons are slim. Understanding why requires recalling what may have motivated Pyongyang to stop reprocessing plutonium in 1992, then shut its nuclear reactor, halt construction of a larger reactor, store its plutonium-laden spent fuel in a cooling pond, and allow around-the-clock international monitoring from 1994 until 2002—at a time when it had no nuclear weapons.
During the Cold War, North Korea’s fundamental strategy played off the Soviet Union against China to ensure some freedom of maneuver in securing its autonomy and developing its economy.
In 1988, observing China’s turn down the capitalist road and anticipating the breakup of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union, Kim Il-sung reached out to the United States, South Korea, and Japan. He did this hoping to hedge against a rising China and limit his nation’s economic dependence on Beijing. Kim and his successors hoped for a fundamental change in relations with Washington, opening the way to economic engagement with South Korea and Japan. To that end, he was willing to suspend his nuclear program and test Washington’s willingness to end hostility. DPRK representatives even suggested allying with the United States. If enmity ceased, they hinted, U.S. troops would no longer pose a threat and might remain on the Korean Peninsula, perhaps as peacekeepers in the DMZ.
From Pyongyang’s vantage point, the key to the 1994 Agreed Framework was a mutual commitment “to move toward full normalization of political and economic relations.” (That was also the key to its 2002 Pyongyang Declaration with Japan, which committed the two sides to “establishing a fruitful political, economic and cultural relationship”) The two light-water reactors symbolized the end of enmity in two ways: Washington was unlikely to provide nuclear reactors to an enemy, and the reactors would require deep engagement with Americans not only in providing nuclear fuel but also in operating and maintaining them.
Few in Washington have ever accepted this interpretation of Pyongyang’s motives. Most officials and experts believed North Korea was determined to arm itself with nuclear weapons and that only China had enough influence to persuade it otherwise.
When Washington was slow to implement the Agreed Framework, Pyongyang, in 1997, began seeking the means to enrich uranium and attempted to launch a satellite in hopes of reengaging with Washington. It did not restart its plutonium program until after the Bush Administration renounced the accord in 2002. Its subsequent steps similarly had this double purpose: to improve its weapons capabilities while pressuring Washington to resume nuclear diplomacy to end enmity.
That North Korean strategy came to a close after President Donald Trump walked away from the Hanoi summit. Without any prospect of ending enmity with Washington, Pyongyang had no motive to curtail nuclear arming. Instead, it reverted to its Cold War strategy of playing off a revived Russia and a greatly strengthened China. It is unlikely to reconsider that course unless the Russian army in Ukraine were to collapse, weakening its counterweight to China.
Leon V. Sigal is the director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project and author of Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea. He and other former U.S. officials participated in numerous Track II meetings with the North Korean government.
Image: Shutterstock.
The National Interest · by Leon V. Sigal · October 6, 2023
11. US carrier Ronald Reagan to visit South Korea in show of force
We can walk and chew gum at the same time.
All our actions must be built on a foundation of deterrence and defense.
Excerpts:
The visit of the carrier comes after the United States pledged to enhance the “regular visibility” of its strategic military assets in the Washington Declaration, which President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. leader Joe Biden issued during a summit in April.
The South Korean and U.S. navies held joint maritime drills with Japan’s defence force in waters near South Korea’s Jeju Island on Monday and Tuesday, the South Korean navy said.
The drills, which are the first of their kind since 2016, are aimed at deterring and responding to North Korea’s “advancing nuclear and missile threats”, the navy said in a statement.
US carrier Ronald Reagan to visit South Korea in show of force
theprint.in · by Reuters · October 10, 2023
By Hyunsu Yim
SEOUL (Reuters) -The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan is due to dock at the South Korean port of Busan on Thursday, as Seoul warned of a greater threat from North Korea and held joint maritime drills with the United States and Japan.
The carrier, which is expected to remain in Busan until Oct. 16, will strengthen the defence posture of South Korea and the United States in case of any North Korean provocations, South Korea’s defence ministry said.
The Ronald Reagan last visited South Korea in 2022 for the first time in about four years, joining other military vessels in a show of might intended to send a message to North Korea.
North Korean state media KCNA on Tuesday criticised the deployment of U.S. strategic assets, including submarines and bombers, in the Asia-Pacific region while defending its plans for a spy satellite program as “indispensable”.
Pyongyang has failed twice to place a spy satellite in orbit, in May and August, and has vowed to try again as early as October.
South Korea’s defence minister Shin Won-sik told reporters on Tuesday that South Korea faces a more severe threat from North Korea, according to news agency Yonhap.
The visit of the carrier comes after the United States pledged to enhance the “regular visibility” of its strategic military assets in the Washington Declaration, which President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. leader Joe Biden issued during a summit in April.
The South Korean and U.S. navies held joint maritime drills with Japan’s defence force in waters near South Korea’s Jeju Island on Monday and Tuesday, the South Korean navy said.
The drills, which are the first of their kind since 2016, are aimed at deterring and responding to North Korea’s “advancing nuclear and missile threats”, the navy said in a statement.
A meeting was also held on the carrier on Sunday, attended by South Korea’s Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Kim Myung-soo and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, to discuss countermeasures to Pyongyang’s “underwater threats” as well as its nuclear and missile programs.
(Reporting by Hyunsu YimEditing by Ed Davies and Gerry Doyle)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.
theprint.in · by Reuters · October 10, 2023
12. International Forum on One Korea Examines Peace and Security, Regional Economic Development, and Support for Korean Unification
International Forum on One Korea Examines Peace and Security, Regional Economic Development, and Support for Korean Unification - Global Peace Foundation
globalpeace.org · by Eric Olsen · October 4, 2023
The latest convening of the International Forum on One Korea in Seoul on October 2, “Free and Unified Korea: A Catalyst for Regional and Global Peace and Development,” urged unification as the ultimate and permanent solution to the security and human rights crises, and as a catalyst for regional and global peace and development.
The recent trilateral summit of U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David stated clear agreement on the goals of “complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions,” a commitment to address North Korean human rights and humanitarian issues, and support for “a unified Korean peninsula that is free and at peace.”
Experts discuss security, economics, and approaches to build support for a unified Korea at the International Forum on One Korea in Seoul.
Yet deteriorating security conditions in the region, decreasing popular support especially among youth in South Korea, the continuing Russia-Ukraine war, intensifying U.S.-China geopolitical confrontation, and sobering worldwide economic setbacks and uncertainty present obstacles to the priority of ending the division of the Korean peninsula.
Underscoring the urgency of unification, prominent experts, policymakers, journalists, and civil society leaders from Korea and the international community called for steps to build stronger and broader global support for a free and unified Korea during a three-day forum and series of public events.
Opening remarks from civil society leaders and ROK National Assembly members emphasized the need for a coordinated international movement for unification and the resolve to end ongoing human rights abuses that are violating fundamental freedoms of Koreans living in the North.
Noting the many challenges to advancing unification presented by North Korean provocations and international economic, military, and geopolitical pressures, Baek Seung-ju, president of the Korean War Memorial Association and former ROK National Assembly member and Deputy Defense Minister, said “the message of Korean peninsula unification can fundamentally solve the challenges posed by the reality of international politics. Unification means that the North Korean regime no longer has to be obsessed with nuclear weapons.”
Former U.S. Army General John H. Tilelli stressed the continuing alliance and commitment of U.S. and ROK forces to a free Korea.
Adding that the confrontation between the United States and China could naturally resolve into a partnership by removing the Korea flashpoint, Baek said the unification process can be “a catalyst for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the world, a solution that can solve various challenges in international politics at once.”
Former U.S. Army General and Chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation John H. Tilelli emphasized that the main initiators of change will be the people of Korea. Having witnessed the citizen-led efforts to reunify Germany, Gen. Tilelli said, only “continuity of purpose, patience, persistence and strategic thought will make this happen.”
“The process of developing North Korea and gradually integrating it into the South Korea’s economy will open many new opportunities for new creative enterprises that will harness and reward the talents of youth.”
–GPF Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon
He stressed the continuing alliance and commitment of U.S. and ROK forces, who serve side by side everyday with common purpose. “President Yoon has promoted major policies to strengthen the alliance with the U.S. and extending global alliances,” he said. “While the military is committed each day to defense, the real commitment is to set the conditions for peace on the peninsula and a reunified Korea.”
Keynote speaker Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder and Chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, told the forum that Koreans today “have two major, interconnected challenges. One is the re-unification of our traditional homeland. That is the only viable solution to the threat of the Pyongyang regime.
“It must be driven by a civil society movement of Koreans, in the South and the diaspora, with broad international support. Inter-governmental talks alone will never lead to unification. For over seven decades, it has achieved nothing to date except to help create a more powerful nuclear-armed North Korea.
GPF Chairman Dr. Hyun Jin P. Moon said unification must be driven by a civil society movement of Koreans with a renewal of Korean cultural consciousness.
The second challenge, the GPF chairman said, “is for free Koreans to rediscover their Korean identity and reconnect with the destiny we are called to achieve. That is the precondition for overcoming the first challenge. We are one people.
“Reunification based on the Korean Dream framework will restore basic human rights and freedoms to the DPRK and bring peace and security to the Peninsula. In addition, it will create long-term economic benefits. . . . The process of developing North Korea and gradually integrating it into the South Korea’s economy will open many new opportunities for new creative enterprises that will harness and reward the talents of youth here in the South and in the North.”
Regional security and the nuclear threat
During Session II, Peace and Security, Dr. Dong Su Kim, Senior Advisor, National Institute for Security and Strategy, said the three goals of North Korea policy of the Yoon administration are to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through a “Bold Plan,” promote principled and practical inter-Korean relations, and lay the foundation for peaceful unification with the Korean people and the international community.
Global Peace Institute President Baek San Kim said that up to now, the international community’s efforts to compel North Korea to give up its nuclear program have been through two measures. “One is to use all diplomatically feasible tactics to negotiate with North Korea over its nuclear program. The other is to use military means and risk engaging in an armed conflict.
The Peace and Security session said unification was the only viable option to resolve the threat posed by the North Korean regime.
The first option, Kim said, “presents a possibility, a very slight one, that North Korea, on the condition of giving up or freezing its nuclear program, would be guaranteed its regime sustenance with the large-scale support of the international community.” However, this approach acknowledges the legitimacy of three-generations of dictatorship, he said, exonerating the North Korean regime and prolonging the suffering of 25 million North Koreans.
“The second [military] option risks enormous consequences that involve the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons [and] can worsen into a global war where the international community gets embroiled and thus an option that should never be chosen.”
The third course of action, Kim said, is to realize peaceful unification on the Korean peninsula. “We call this the Korean Dream Unification. The international community then make concerted efforts to diplomatically settle the Korean peninsula issues, in comprehensive areas such as sanctions and pressure on North Korea, human rights and governance, and economic development.”
Other panelists presenting international perspectives on peace and security included U.S. Col. (Ret.) David Maxwell, a Senior Fellow at the Global Peace Foundation and vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy; Ambassador Jargalsaikhan Enkhsaikhan, Chairman of Blue Banner and former Mongolian Ambassador to UN; Kenji Sawai, Program Specialist on Northeast Asia Freedom and Human Rights at the Global Peace Foundation; Dr. Vladimir Ivanov, a Russian national and Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center, and Dr. Markandey Rai, president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Indian Council for International Cooperation and Chairman, of Global Peace Foundation India.
Scholars and economists from the United States, China, India, Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia the regional economic implications of a unified Korea during a third session.
Addressing the regional economic implications of a unified Korea during a third session, scholars and economists from the United States, China, India, Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia explored the promise of development, prosperity, and peaceful international commercial exchange through Korean unification.
Kwang Kyu Nam, Professor and Director of the Center for North Korea Studies at the Asiatic Research Institute at Korea University, said a unified Korea is an important opportunity to promote a Northeast Asian economic community. “By expanding human and material exchanges in various fields centered on energy cooperation and free trade agreements a Northeast Asian economic community can be born. In addition, the global economic structure is changing due to the 4th industrial revolution, and Korea and China are leading the way in this field.
“One Korea serves as a transport for free trade connecting the Pacific Rim and the European continent. Large-scale projects linked to the North Korean region and trilateral economic cooperation between South Korea, North Korea, and Russia can become a reality.” –Kwang Kyu Nam
“Peace, economic development, and win-win cooperation represent an unstoppable trend of our time,” said Dr. Laode Masihu Kamaluddin, President of Insan Cita University in Indonesia. “Therefore, addressing any obstacles and opportunities an integrated Korea economy and its impacts on stability and prosperity in the region must be the mission of all nations,” Kamaluddin said. “The first step is economic integration whose goals are free movement of goods, services, investment, and skill workers, and freer movement of capital. From an ASEAN perspective, peace and economic stability on the Korean peninsula will provide the prosperity in the region and the world.”
The International Forum on One Korea was organized in conjunction with the “Korean Dream Festival 2023,” a celebration of Korea’s National Foundation Day on October 3. The festival is mobilizing 100,000 civil society activists and leaders (from the peninsula and the global diaspora) in Seoul and other cities leading to a global campaign of 10 million activists in support of unification in 2025.
The International Forum on One Korea was convened by the Global Peace Foundation, Action for Korea United, and One Korea Foundation in partnership with AKU Professors Association, Alliance for Korea United USA, Blue Banner, Asia Institute and with sponsorship of the ROK Peaceful Unification Advisory Council and Ministry of Unification.
See more highlights of the forum and learn more about the Global Peace Foundation’s One Korea Global Campaign.
globalpeace.org · by Eric Olsen · October 4, 2023
13. The dignity of nations (South Korea and Poland)
The dignity of nations
donga.com
Posted October. 10, 2023 08:00,
Updated October. 10, 2023 08:00
The dignity of nations. October. 10, 2023 08:00. .
Though only furnishing indirect artillery backing, South Korea has not extended significant military support to Ukraine. Yet, it has emerged as a major beneficiary of the Russia-Ukraine war. The driving force? The sharp rise in exports of its defense products. At the vanguard of this initiative is Poland. Allying with South Korea, Poland is building local production facilities to become Europe's hub for Korean defense equipment. This collaboration is deepening across a broad spectrum of sectors.
Among many European nations, why does Poland bear a distinct affinity for South Korea? While possessing a sizable territory and considerable military and civilian might, Poland's strategic location, straddling Russia and the European heartland, has subjected it to myriad challenges and historical traumas.
During Napoleon’s march on Russia, Polish forces led the charge. A force of 50,000 Polish troops battled courageously, eventually facing a devastating fate. In World War II, Poles dispersed among the Free Polish Forces, the Red Army, and even the Wehrmacht. They made valiant stands in iconic battles, including the Battle of the Atlantic, the Normandy landings, Operation Market Garden, and the Monte Cassino assault. With the Cold War's dawn, however, they experienced betrayal by everyone, ending in tragedy.
Poles, therefore, grasp the essence of a formidable nation. As many NATO allies downsized their armies, Poland upheld a force of 160,000 regulars and 200,000 reservists. While part of NATO, Poland’s embrace of South Korea as a strategic partner, diverging from an overreliance on arms from Germany, the UK, or the US, is indelibly etched by historical lessons.
Yet, an even more foundational element is the unwavering Polish national spirit. Although "national spirit" might echo authoritarian undertones, it’s apt here. Even after eschewing conscription recently, Poland persists in its quest for military might, with its populace recognizing the imperativeness of a potent defense. History is replete with nations that couldn’t sustain this ethos. Hardships don’t invariably fortify; many nations capitulate and degrade. Defense hinges on citizens' resolute will and sagacious historical comprehension. The aspiration is for South Korea and Poland to synergize, not in defense and industry, and is intrinsic national resolve.
한국어
donga.com
14. North could replicate Hamas's strategy to attack South
Hmmm...
Tunnels, check,
Drones, check,
Rockets and artillery, check.
SOF air and maritime infiltration, check.
But are these really parallels? Or do the events just rhyme?
Monday
October 9, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Published: 09 Oct. 2023, 17:06
Updated: 09 Oct. 2023, 19:20
North could replicate Hamas's strategy to attack South
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-10-09/national/northKorea/North-could-replicate-Hamass-strategy-to-infiltrate-South/1886078
A military parade in Pyonyang on Sept. 8 [NEWS1]
North Korea experts in Seoul said the large-scale surprise attack by Hamas militants on Israel over the weekend is a strategy that Pyongyang may also deploy against Seoul, combining traditional warfare with modern guerrilla tactics to wrongfoot South Korean security forces.
“The North Korean strategy would focus on causing extreme social chaos and security confusion in South Korea via very diverse attack patterns at the beginning of the war,” said a military official speaking with the JoongAng Ilbo on condition of anonymity on Monday. “This kind of strategy is intended to make it difficult for the South Korean military to find a point of counterattack.”
Related Article
Hundreds of gunmen from Hamas staged a surprise attack against Israel on Saturday, reportedly killing at least 600 people in Israel and taking Israeli civilians and soldiers hostage.
Hamas also fired thousands of rockets at cities and towns in Israel to aid the attack.
“Israel’s air defense system may have had trouble intercepting the rockets because it was overwhelmed,” said Ryu Seong-yeop, a Korea Research Institute for Military Affairs researcher.
It’s something that the North Korean military may seek to replicate in a potential attack on South Korea, according to experts in Seoul.
According to military authorities, North Korea has deployed more than 1,000 long-range artillery pieces near the Demilitarized Zone, including 170 mm self-propelled howitzers and 240 mm multiple rocket launchers, which can fire directly at Seoul and its surrounding areas.
They estimated that if the North mobilized all this artillery, it could pour 16,000 rounds into the greater Seoul area in an hour.
A military parade in Seoul on Sept. 26 for the 75th Armed Forces Day exhibits weapons, including the Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM) [YONHAP]
According to South Korea’s defense white paper published last year, a North Korean invasion would likely incorporate special forces on the ground.
North Korea’s special forces number some 200,000. Their primary mission is to “use tunnels or various infiltration methods such as submarines, hovercraft, high-speed landing craft, and helicopters” to carry out combined operations.
North Korean special forces were believed to be training with gliders attached to aircraft, including Polish-made PZL light aircraft, to allow special forces personnel to infiltrate the South by flying at low altitudes under the radar.
“Hamas has interpreted and applied the concept of hybrid warfare, most recently witnessed in the war in Ukraine,” said Hong Hee-beom, executive editor of Platoon, a military magazine in Korea.
Hamas militants also used social media to sow fear, which the North may replicate by spreading fake information about their invasion.
“Without thorough intelligence preparation against North Korea, the South’s security system could easily collapse during hybrid warfare,” said Shin Jong-woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense and Security Forum.
The Foreign Ministry issued a travel advisory on Israel on Sunday, advising all Korean nationals in Israel, including tourists, to fly to a third country as soon as possible.
Korean Air was reported to be scheduling a flight from Israel to Korea on Tuesday. The airline’s flight from Incheon to Tel Aviv on Monday was canceled.
According to the ministry, around 570 Koreans reside in Israel — some 290 in Jerusalem, 210 in major cities including Tel Aviv and the other 70 in other cities.
No Koreans have been reported injured or killed in Israel as of Sunday.
The presidential office held an emergency security meeting Monday following the Hamas attack.
President Yoon Suk Yeol was scheduled to meet with leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as early as this month.
The office said Monday that the summit meetings will not be affected by the recent attack on Israel.
“We don’t foresee any immediate effects on the summit schedule, but we are watching the situation closely,” a presidential official told the press on Monday.
The Yoon government signed 26 memorandums of understanding worth 40 trillion won ($29.5 billion) with Saudi Arabia last year and gained $30 billion in investments through a state visit to the United Arab Emirates in January.
Choi Sang-mok, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, told the press Monday that the government was also closely monitoring the attack’s impact on financial markets.
BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG, ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]
15. Seoul urged to boost readiness against Hamas-like NK ambush
Seoul urged to boost readiness against Hamas-like NK ambush
The Korea Times · October 10, 2023
Israeli reservists stand on an armored personnel carrier (APC) at a military camp near Beer Sheva, Monday. Israel said it had called up an unprecendented 300,000 reservists and warned residents in parts of the Gaza Strip to leave, in the latest sign that it could be planning a ground attack on Hamas. EPA-Yonhap
S. Korean defense minister seeks to ditch inter-Korean military accord
By Lee Hyo-jin
The recent surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel has prompted South Korea to reassess its deterrence strategy against a potential North Korean invasion. Analysts highlighted the need for Seoul to prepare for multi-front attacks by Pyongyang, a tactic used by the Hamas militant group.
Hamas launched thousands of rockets from the blockaded Gaza Strip into Israel, Saturday, while employing guerrilla tactics that involved hundreds of gunmen infiltrating the country via land, sea, and air, some using paragliders. The unprecedented scale of attacks, which caught Israeli security forces off guard, has raised concerns of simliar assaults by North Korea against the South.
"The Hamas attack showed that a country relying heavily on advanced military hardware could fail to defend itself in the case of sudden attacks," said Yang Uk, a senior fellow at the Asan Insitute for Policy Studies, pointing to the failure of Israel's Iron Dome, which is regarded as the world’s leading air defense system.
Despite its known interception rate of 90 percent, the Iron Dome was overwhelmed by the barrage of rockets fired by Hamas, with some managing to bypass the system resulting in civilian caualties and damage to infrastructure.
According to South Korean military sources, North Korea has deployed more than 1,000 long-range artillery pieces near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), capable of firing approximately 16,000 shells per hour. Among those, some 340 are aimed at Seoul and it surrounding areas.
South Korea had once considered procuring the Israeli Iron Dome, Yang said, but ultimately decided against it because the system was developed to deter mortar shells, which are less powerful than artillery rounds and short-range ballistic missiles fired by North Korea.
Instead, Seoul is developing its own defensive shield called the Low Altitude Missile Defense (LAMD) system to counter the North's long-range artillery and plans to deploy it by 2026.
Yang also expressed concerns about the decreasing number of soldiers stationed in strategic locations as South Korea grapples with a chronic shortage of military personnel.
Shin Jong-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, a think tank, underscored the importance of strengthened intelligence capabilities and monitoring the North, mentioning the failure of the Israeli forces to preemptively detect signs of Hamas's attacks.
"It appears that the Israeli intelligence services did not detect any signs that Hamas was preparing to launch the coordinated land, air and sea strikes that were obviously planned for a long time," Shin said.
In order for the South Korean forces to better monitor the North's military activities, Seoul should also utilize its air surveillance assets near the border areas, he added.
Such actions would require scrapping the Sep. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, signed in 2018 by the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, which created military buffer zones along land and sea boundaries and no-fly zones above the border.
Defense Minister Shin Won-shik leaves the session of the National Assembly National Defense Committee's audit into the ministry, held at the ministry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
The effectiveness of the military accord, however, has been called into question in recent months as Pyongyang has repeatedly taken military actions in blatant disregard of the agreement, advancing its nuclear and missile programs.
Seoul's new defense minister Shin Won-shik said he would push for the suspension of the military agreement.
Shin, who was sworn in as the new defense chief on Saturday, said Israel would have suffered less damage from Hamas's recent attack if it had conducted surveillance using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
"I will push for the suspension (of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement) as soon as possible," he told the press, Tuesday, in his first meeting with reporters after taking office. "I believe a complicated legislative process is needed to fully abandon the agreement, but suspending it only requires a decision from a Cabinet meeting."
As the war entered the fourth day, as of Tuesday, about 1,600 civilians and soliders have died on both sides. The Israeli military said more than 900 people have been killed in Israel. In Gaza, more than 680 people have been killed, according to the authorities there.
The Korea Times · October 10, 2023
16. NK news agency says 'important report' is coming up
I am waiting with baited breath.
NK news agency says 'important report' is coming up
The Korea Times · October 10, 2023
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the ninth session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly that runs from Sept. 26 to 27 in Pyongyang, in this photo captured from Pyongyang's official Korean Central Television, Sept. 28. Yonhap
North Korea's official news agency said Tuesday an "important report" is coming up.
The Korean Central News Agency gave no details in the short Korean-language dispatch sent at 7:28 a.m.
As of 10 a.m., there has been no surprise announcement or report.
Tuesday is the 78th founding anniversary of the North's ruling Workers' Party.
The North has also said it would try to launch a military spy satellite in October after two failed launch attempts in May and August. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · October 10, 2023
17. Former UNC, USFK soldiers to visit Korea upon invitation of veterans ministry
There is no country that honors veterans of foreign military quite like the ROK.
Former UNC, USFK soldiers to visit Korea upon invitation of veterans ministry
The Korea Times · October 9, 2023
By Jun Ji-hye
Former soldiers who served in U.N. Command (UNC) and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) after the 1950-53 Korean War, will visit South Korea on Tuesday upon the invitation of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
Robert Eugene Jenkins / Courtesy of Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
The ministry invited 45 former UNC and USFK soldiers to express the country’s gratitude for their contribution to post-war reconstruction and maintaining a security posture here.
Six of them are sons of war veterans who fought for South Korea under the U.N. flag. They include Dennis Michael Bullard, 67, James Edward Truman, 66 and David Lee Nutter, 67.
Two war veterans ― Robert Eugene Jenkins, 88, and Kenlym Hinshaw Moy, 92 ― are also on the invitation list, the ministry said, noting that a total of 91 people ― 87 U.S. nationals, two Swedish nationals and two Italian nationals ― including families of the former soldiers will visit and stay in Korea until Oct. 15.
During their visit, the guests will tour Osan Air Base, Camp Humphreys, the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom, Seoul National Cemetery and the War Memorial of Korea.
“Those who served in the UNC and USFK propped up the country after the war,” Veterans Minister Park Min-shik said. “The ministry will give full efforts to enhance ties with countries that helped South Korea in the war by expanding our gratitude to the former UNC and USFK soldiers.”
This marks the third time that the ministry has invited former UNC and USFK soldiers ― 16 and 50 were invited in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
The Korea Times · October 9, 2023
18. Foreign Minister Park Jin reaffirms confidence in Indo-Pacific strategy
Foreign Minister Park Jin reaffirms confidence in Indo-Pacific strategy
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · October 10, 2023
Plan has boosted relations with US, Japan while resetting China ties, Park says
By Choi Si-young
Published : Oct. 10, 2023 - 16:07
Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks during an interview with The Korea Herald at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, Sept. 25. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)
Long before he became foreign minister, Park Jin had set his sights in high school on practicing medicine, just like his father. That was, until a news article changed course for him.
“So my father, who used to read English newspapers every day, handed me this report and the words he underlined were: the US-China detente,” the foreign minister said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.
Park, 67, was referring to a Korea Herald article of former US President Richard Nixon’s visit to China, the first of its kind, in late February 1972.
The word “detente” changed everything, he said.
“I looked up detente. And I thought to myself: This is diplomacy, I mean ‘real diplomacy,’” Park added. At that moment, he decided to pursue just that. Nixon was impeached before ties could be fully established, but the tour eventually led to the start of full diplomatic relations in 1979, a watershed moment in world history.
Park had a taste of what it was like at diplomacy’s top table in April 1993, when he was former President Kim Young-sam’s young press secretary interpreting a discussion with Nixon. Park reached the top of his profession in May last year, when President Yoon Suk Yeol took office and named him foreign minister.
A four-term lawmaker who had previously chaired the National Assembly committee on foreign affairs and unification, Park is the chief architect behind Yoon’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
The plan, revealed in December, focuses on making South Korea a “global pivotal state,” one that looks after its own as well as global interests, while upholding the rules-based international order.
A copy of The Korea Herald’s front page on Feb. 22, 1972, on the US-China detente. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin described the report as what led him to pursue diplomacy as his career. (Korea Herald file photo via National Library)
Looking beyond North Korea
The grand initiative, Park underscored, starts with South Korea increasing curbs on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, with backing from countries like the US and Japan, and like-minded countries committed to following the rules-based international order.
“Korea’s journey toward freedom, peace, and prosperity would not have been possible in the absence of the rules-based international order,” Park said.
Washington’s military support has been instrumental in Seoul’s ascent, given their defense treaty inked to prevent another Korean War. Before that, the South’s chief ally helped push back the North’s forces in the 1950-53 conflict and reach an armistice.
“Korea is strengthening its alliance with the US and trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan,” Park said of a White House summit in April when Yoon met with US President Joe Biden, and a trilateral meeting in August, when Yoon sat down with Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The April meeting led to a nuclear pact that gives Seoul a bigger say in how Washington handles its nuclear umbrella, a strategy the two allies call “extended deterrence” aimed at preventing a North Korean nuclear strike. The August summit ensures deeper trilateral ties to counter threats from the regime, such as missile launches, in their first-ever security pledge.
The “rapprochement with Japan” is another proof that Yoon’s Indo-Pacific policy “is working in reality,” Park noted. Many see the Korean leader’s March proposal to clear colonial disputes with Japan dating back to its 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula had contributed to bolstering the coalition on North Korea.
The March deal, which offers restitution to Korean laborers forced to work for Japanese companies during World War II through private donations, helped end a 12-year hiatus in May on “shuttle diplomacy” or leader-level visits the two neighbors consider essential to robust ties. Park described the measure as “building future-oriented relations.”
“We will continue to take a comprehensive approach of deterrence, dissuasion and diplomacy,” Park said of a three-pronged approach to Pyongyang, which defies not only United Nations sanctions on its nuclear weapons programs but outreach for dialogue. The approach would likely involve economic aid in return for disarmament. The North wants sanctions relief first, the reason talks have stalled.
Not cornering China, a key partner
The push for closer ties with the US and Japan while championing the rules-based international order appears to have worried China, a country that is looking to make changes to the “the US-led order.”
Critics argue that friction with China is unavoidable, but Park disputes that. He said Korea is cultivating a “sound and mature relationship,” an effort in progress as the two pursue “shared interests based on mutual respect and reciprocity.”
“Our Indo-Pacific Strategy makes it clear that China is a key partner for achieving peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Accordingly, we are promoting cooperation with China under the spirit of ‘harmonious coexistence while respecting differences,’” Park said.
Tensions between Seoul and Beijing flared earlier this year, when China’s top envoy in Korea publicly warned Seoul against betting on Beijing losing out to Washington.
“There is a steady flow of high-level talks between Korea and China,” Park added.
In early September, Yoon met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, a meeting followed by another later the same month between Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Han was visiting Hangzhou, China, for the Asian Games.
Xi told Han he would seriously consider visiting Korea. A trip, which would be his first since 2014, could be a clear political win for the Yoon administration. Yoon’s national security adviser, Cho Tae-yong, has declined to elaborate on the timeline but has said a trip will happen in one way or another.
The visit is likely to follow a summit between Korea, China and Japan -- a get-together Seoul is planning to reopen this year as this year’s host. The COVID-19 pandemic and international tensions led to the suspension of the talks since the three sides last met in 2019.
“The resumption of the trilateral consultative mechanism will open up new opportunities for the three countries to cooperate even more closely and contribute to strengthening their respective bilateral relationships,” Park said.
Foreign Minister Park Jin poses for a photo ahead of an interview with The Korea Herald at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul, Sept. 25. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)
Dealing with Russia
The latest headache for Foreign Ministry policymakers is the growing potential for Russia’s arms deals with North Korea, an exchange where Moscow restocks munitions to advance its grinding war in Ukraine while Pyongyang secures weapons technologies like satellites and submarines.
From Sept. 15-16, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un toured weapons plants in Russia’s eastern cities of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Vladivostok, two days after his meeting with President Vladimir Putin, also in Russia’s Far East. The first summit between the two leaders in four years came as the two autocrats faced increasing global isolation.
“Military cooperation, especially arms trade, between Russia and North Korea is not only illegal but unjust,” Yoon said in a Sept. 19 speech at the UN General Assembly, describing such project as violating UN Security Council Resolutions and international sanctions.
The resolutions ban the North from making arms transfers and testing ballistic missile technology, which is used in satellite launches. The regime is eyeing a third spy satellite launch after two previous failures this year, having also unveiled what it says is a submarine capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons.
That fanned speculation that Pyongyang is serious about acquiring Moscow’s weapon know-how.
“The Republic of Korea government will not stand idly by in the face of such threats,” Park said, using South Korea’s official name. Any illegal arms trade is a global concern, Park added. “To this end, we will continue to impose autonomous sanctions on North Korea and strengthen our cooperation with the international community.”
For Park and his ministry, December is more than a month to round out the year, because the country will mark the first anniversary of the Indo-Pacific strategy, when the top diplomat says he could possibly roll out a “blueprint for effectively implementing” the initiative while also identifying related projects and partner countries.
“The international community is looking to countries like Korea to do more to step up to uphold the rules-based international order and help overcome the global crises,” Park said.
Who is Park Jin?
Park Jin began his diplomatic career at the Foreign Ministry in 1977, after passing the foreign service examination at the age of 20. After quitting the job the following year, he earned a master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 1985 and a Ph.D. in politics at the University of Oxford in 1994. In between, he served as a politics lecturer at Newcastle University from 1990 to 1993.
From 1993-1998, he served as former President Kim Young-sam’s press and political affairs secretary, separately.
Park entered politics winning a by-election in 2002, representing the Jongno district at the Hannara Party or the Grand National Party -- a predecessor to the ruling People Power Party. He has since been with the conservative party, which underwent name changes. As a four-term lawmaker who chaired the foreign relations committee, he currently represents part of the Gangnam district.
Versed in foreign relations with a forte in handling North American and Commonwealth affairs, Park helped Yoon craft his foreign policy when he was president-elect. Like Yoon, Park is a Seoul National University law graduate.
Foreign Minister Park Jin (center) at an interview with The Korea Herald with Korea Herald reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on Sept. 25, 2023. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · October 10, 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
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