|
Quotes of the Day:
"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society. The optimist invents the aeroplane, the pessimist invents the parachute.”
- George Bernard Shaw
“There is no belief, however foolish, that will not gather its faithful adherents, who will defend it to the death.”
-Isaac Asimov
“A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone.”
-Anonymous
1. N. Korea blames US for first-use nuclear doctrine
2. Harris' trip to DMZ will highlight U.S. commitment to security of S. Korea: U.S. official
3. Activists urge efforts for launch of N.K. human rights foundation
4. [News Focus] Did media harm nation's integrity? (South Korea)
5. ‘Diplomatic disaster’: Democratic Party calls on Yoon to sack foreign minister
6. USS Ronald Reagan in S. Korean waters for routine exercise: Pentagon
7. Tank, howitzer exports to Poland feared to create arms shortage in Korean military
8. Top S. Korean, US military officers visit US aircraft carrier in combined exercise
9. Envoy to UN says Washington is 'picking on' Pyongyang
10. Hints dropped that USFK might have to help defend Taiwan
11. In Tokyo, Harris calls US-Japan alliance 'a cornerstone'
12. Starving N.Korea Squanders Billions on Developing Nukes
1. N. Korea blames US for first-use nuclear doctrine
The regime's political warfare strategy continues. We should keep in mind that the real hostile policy is being executed by the Kim family regime. It is the one that has an offensive war plan and it seeks to dominate the peninsula.
This speech appears to be an appeal to all those in South Korea and the US who blame the alliance and in particular the US. I am sure this is designed to generate support for sanctions relief as well as arms control negotiations. I wonder if Kim somehow senses growing support for arms control negotiations among many of the pundits in the ROK and US.
N. Korea blames US for first-use nuclear doctrine
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · September 27, 2022
North Korea claimed Monday that the United States compelled the country to adopt a first-use nuclear doctrine and vowed to continue military buildup in a tit-for-tat move against the US’ “hostile policy.”
At the UN General Assembly, the claim was immediately dismissed by South Korea, but North Korea repeatedly clarified that it no longer seeks to discuss Korean Peninsula affairs with the Yoon Suk-yeol government.
North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song underscored the legitimacy of the country’s nuclear expansion in his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Kim claimed that the “growing hostility of the US and its following forces” against North Korea has put the security environment of the Korean Peninsula into a vicious cycle of tension and confrontation. Notably, Kim did not make any direct reference to South Korea in his 18-minute speech.
The ambassador cited the US’ combined military exercises with its allies and like-minded countries in and around the Korean Peninsula as one of the reasons for bolstering its military and nuclear capabilities.
“Obviously, this is an extremely dangerous act of igniting the fuse to drive the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war,” Kim said, according to an official translation.
“The DPRK has found another correct answer to defending its sovereignty and fundamental interests from the persistent hostile policy and military threat of the United States and its following forces and to ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” the North Korean ambassador added, using the acronym for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament on Sept. 8 passed a new law which legitimizes the state’s possession of nuclear weapons and nuclear buildup. The new law also allows a preemptive nuclear strike under certain circumstances.
“The US compelled the DPRK to adopt a law on the policy of nuclear forces in defiance of the US’ hostility,” Kim argued, suggesting that the country will adhere to the principle of strength-for-strength.
“In direct proportion to the increase of the hostile policy and military blackmail by the United States against us, our strength is bound to be built up continuously to contain them.”
Kim also said that North Korea has categorically rejected the UN Security Council’s resolutions and denounced US President Joe Biden’s speech at the UN General Assembly last week. Biden said North Korea “continues to blatantly violate UN sanctions” despite the US’ efforts to “begin serious and sustained diplomacy.”
“To put it clearly, we have never recognized such resolutions of the United Nations that impose pressure because we do not abide by its rules, made unilaterally by the US,” Kim said. “We will also not accept them in the future.”
In his speech, Kim In-chol also repeatedly and harshly criticized the “rules-based international order.” This world order, which has been openly challenged by China and Russia, has been the core of the Biden administration's foreign policy.
“The rules-based international order advocated by the United States is no less than the US-centered international order permeated with unilateral and hegemonic American values,” Kim said.
Two Koreas clash at UN
At the UN General Assembly, Kim’s speech immediately drew backlash from the South Korean delegation.
“Their nuclear and ballistic missile programs are not only unlawful, but are posing a serious threat to the peace and stability in the region and beyond,” South Korea’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Bae Jong-in said, exercising the right of reply.
Bae pointed out that North Korea has launched a total of 32 ballistic missiles this year.
“Any attempt by the DPRK to justify its position and potential use of nuclear weapons, including the adoption of the new nuclear force law on Sept. 8 will not be recognized by the international community under any circumstances.”
Bae underscored that South Korea cannot agree with North Korea’s claim that its development of nuclear weapons and missiles was inevitable.
“It is a choice that cannot be justified,” Bae said. “We cannot agree that compliance with UN Security Council resolutions is a matter of choice. It is a legal obligation.”
Bae also underlined that the South Korea-US alliance's efforts to maintain a combined defense and deterrence posture including combined military exercises are “in response to such military threats from the DPRK.”
“These defensive measures are a duty of a responsible government at the least.”
In return, Kim In-chol, first secretary at the North Korean mission to the UN, dismissed Bae’s remarks as “baseless and provocative” by exercising the right of reply at the UN General Assembly.
The delegate vehemently underscored that North Korea does not consider South Korea as a dialogue partner, and that it seeks to shun South Korea.
“We would like to emphasize that we are not dealing with South Korea in terms of the Korean Peninsula situation,” Kim In-chol said. “South Korea is now at the forefront of the hostility of the US against the DPRK.”
By Ji Da-gyum (dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · September 27, 2022
2. Harris' trip to DMZ will highlight U.S. commitment to security of S. Korea: U.S. official
It will be interesting to see the regime's propaganda response to her visit.
(LEAD) Harris' trip to DMZ will highlight U.S. commitment to security of S. Korea: U.S. official | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · September 28, 2022
(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks from the U.S. administration official, more details, information in last 6 paras)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) will underscore the U.S.' commitment to the defense of South Korea, a senior U.S. official said Tuesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said the trip had been planned for weeks, despite the sudden announcement of plans this week.
"The key messaging that she's talking about on this trip is how our defense commitments are ironclad," the administration official said of Harris' trip to the DMZ in a press briefing in Tokyo, according to the White House.
"We know there's been a lot of discussions with the Koreans about extended deterrence commitments. And to really put those words into action, we believe it's a powerful signal of that," the official added.
South Korea and the U.S. held their first meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group in nearly five years in Washington earlier this month.
The U.S. vice president is set to arrive in South Korea on Thursday, following her ongoing visit to Japan to attend the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Her planned visit to the DMZ came to light on Tuesday (Seoul time) when she met with the head of South Korea's delegation to Abe's funeral, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who said Harris' trip to the heavily-fortified area inside of the four-kilometer wide inter-Korean border will be a "symbolic move" for the Korea-U.S. alliance.
The U.S. administration official said they already had plans to announce Harris' trip to the DMZ when asked if the South Korean prime minister may have overstepped and forced such an announcement.
"We were comfortable with it. We were going, obviously, to announce it soon anyway," the official was quoted as saying.
The official said the vice president's trip to the DMZ will also send a message to South Korea that the U.S. continues to be focused on North Korea while dealing with other major issues.
"I think the vice president showing up there makes very clear to our friends and allies in South Korea that even when there are other threats in the region -- you know, to Taiwan, which is more important, whatever -- we are not losing sight of the fact that the DPRK remains a real threat," the official said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The White House earlier said Harris and Han discussed Seoul's concerns over the Inflation Reduction Act that offers government tax credits to buyers of new electric vehicles (EVs) assembled in North America, thereby excluding South Korean-made EVs from the benefit.
The administration official explained that the vice president "listened carefully" to Seoul's concerns and that she also explained the U.S.' view that the law benefits not only the U.S. but also other countries, including South Korea.
"What the vice president did was explain our view, which is as follows: that this law is really a good thing for Americans, the world, and the planet, in terms of what it does for clean energy and climate," the official said.
"We think that the South Koreans and all of our partners in this region and beyond recognize that, so it's a hugely important step on the climate front and dealing with the climate crisis," the official added.
Still, the official noted the vice president has reaffirmed the U.S.' commitment to addressing the issue.
"All I can say is that we listen carefully, because it's such a close and important ally; we take the concern seriously; and we pledged to put our experts together to work on the issue," the official said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · September 28, 2022
3. Activists urge efforts for launch of N.K. human rights foundation
A human rights upfront approach must be part of our superior political warfare strategy: human rights up front, comprehensive and sophisticated influence operations, and the pursuit of a free andu unified Korea. Civil society can plan an important supporting and enabling role in this.
Activists urge efforts for launch of N.K. human rights foundation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · September 27, 2022
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- A group of activists here on Tuesday called for the establishment of a North Korean human rights foundation that has been delayed for years due to a stalemate at the National Assembly.
They issued the appeal during a press conference in Seoul held on the occasion of North Korea Freedom Week, an annual campaign that aims to raise public awareness of the humanitarian situation in the reclusive nation.
"We hereby repeatedly urge the Democratic Party (DP), in particular, to fulfill its obligation as the majority party by promptly responding to our call for the establishment of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation," Kim Tae-hoon, chair of the North Korean Human Rights Association, said at the conference, attended by other rights advocate and defector groups.
Kim stressed that the government should "make every effort to protect and promote the human rights of North Koreans" in line with international human rights norms.
Suzanne Scholte, head of the North Korea Freedom Coalition based in the United States, also urged President Yoon Suk-yeol to redouble efforts for the creation of the foundation, as she criticized the previous liberal Moon Jae-in government for failing to promote the human rights of North Koreans.
"We lost valuable lives and ground under the Moon administration, and Moon abandoned the people of North Korea in favor of the Kim dictatorship," she said. "I am hoping through the work of the Human Rights Foundation that we can regain valuable ground."
Under the North Korean Human Rights Act, which passed the National Assembly in 2016, the conservative ruling People Power Party and the main opposition party are each required to recommend five candidates for a 12-member board committee. The liberal DP, which holds a majority of seats at the parliament, has not recommended its share of members. The unification ministry is entitled to pick the remaining two.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · September 27, 2022
4. [News Focus] Did media harm nation's integrity? (South Korea)
President Yoon made a very minor gaffe. He should own it. The alliance was not damaged in any way by his gaff. He is human and he was upset concerning the circumstance. His administration really caused problems trying to spin the gaffe. The administration is making it worse by attacking the media. They have to stop this insanity. The media would have stopped reporting on this within 24 hours of the President saying he owned the gaffe and made a mistake. There is no need to apologize. The US is not upset. US presidents and congressmen have said far worse. The really troubling aspect of this is how the Yoon administration seems to be going after the press. South Korea is a democracy and the Administration should be defending the free press which is critical to holding the government accountable in a functioning democracy. There is always going to be and there must be an adversarial relationship between the government and the press. It is what keeps democracies healthy.
[News Focus] Did media harm nation's integrity?
koreaherald.com · by Shin Ji-hye · September 27, 2022
The controversy surrounding President Yoon Suk-yeol's possible use of vulgar language during his recent US trip continues, despite numerous attempts from the presidential office and the ruling party to downplay the issue.
While the ruling and opposition blocs clash head on, the Yoon administration has put the blame on local media, saying that “untrue” reports could damage South Korea’s alliance with the US and put people “at risk.” However, experts say the media should play its role even if reports do so.
When the controversy first erupted, the presidential office focused on avoiding offending US entities. The first statement released by the office was that Yoon’s vulgar language was not targeted at US Congress, but Korean lawmakers.
During his first in-office interview after the overseas trip on Monday morning, Yoon said: “Damaging the alliance (with the US) with reports that are different from the facts is putting the people at risk.” The US is South Korea's most important security and economic ally.
The next day, Lee Jae-myung, deputy spokesman for the presidential office, also said in a local radio interview: "The essence of the problem (that we deem serious) is (an attempt) to denigrate an ally, not just the use of slang."
A high-ranking official told reporters on Monday that they had explained to a high-ranking White House National Security Council official that the media reports on President Yoon's remarks were not about the US.
"The NSC responded that it was well understood and there was no problem," the official said.
The ruling People Power Party said it would take legal action against local broadcaster MBC, which first reported Yoon’s remarks, saying MBC damaged “national interest.”
Experts say, however, that the media should continue to play its role.
“Now (is the time) that everything can be revealed -- transparent and wise communication has become the royal road,” said Shin Ho-chang, a professor at Sogang University’s communication college.
In the past, even leading media in advanced countries avoided reporting that damaged national interests. And to some extent, journalists around the world agreed, Shin said. But this became impossible after China's Tiananmen Square protests and the ensuing massacre in 1989 and after the Iraq-Kuwait War in the early 1990s. He added that these nations were humiliated because of the misinformation disseminated by the press intended to protect the national interest.
“If the Korean media now speaks or distorts an issue under the pretext of national interest, it will lose credibility at home and abroad,” the professor said, adding that while trust in the government can be restored with the next administration, it will not be easy to restore trust in the Korean media. “The media is the last bastion of national interest and national dignity,” he said.
Another communications professor, Kim Kyun-soo at Chonnam National University, shared Shin’s view.
“I think the media has done what it has to do, which is monitoring public matters, including the president,” Kim said, and agreed that the presidential office mishandled the matter.
“The response and confusing messages from the presidential office afterward raises doubts about its ability to manage this crisis,” he said, referring to the presidential office and the ruling party's denial of the incident and lashing out at media.
Kang Youn-gon, a professor at School of Media and Communication at Chung-Ang University, questioned whether the reports violated national interest.
“There is no reason for the media not to report what the most important news source says,” Kang said. "Also, it is necessary to examine whether there is sufficient evidence for the claim that such reports violate the national interest.”
Multiple media advocacy associations staged protests and released statements on Tuesday, criticizing the presidential office and the ruling party for blaming the media as the source of the controversy.
Six media groups held a joint press conference outside the presidential office on Tuesday.
"What harms the national interest is the president's harsh remarks that stick out like a rugby ball at any time and place, not the media reporting it,” a joint statement read.
Park Soo-hyun, a former senior presidential secretary for public relations under the Moon Jae-in administration, said: "If President Yoon Suk-yeol apologizes, all problems will be solved, but the situation is getting bigger as he continues to explain and not apologize."
"Whether it is Biden, the US Congress or the Korean National Assembly, the essence was his use of slang," he said, calling for Yoon's apology.
Some critics say the South Korean media went too far by spreading the video of Yoon before the press embargo was lifted.
Kim Geun-sik, a professor at Kyungnam University who worked on Yoon’s election campaign, said that there are suspicions that the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and some media intentionally spread President Yoon’s remarks in New York to besmirch the president.
“The video of the controversy became a fait accompli … damaging the Korea-US relationship an instant before the embargo was lifted,” Kim said. “It is basic journalistic ethics for the video to have been sent to the president's office after the release of the embargo.”
By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Shin Ji-hye · September 27, 2022
5. ‘Diplomatic disaster’: Democratic Party calls on Yoon to sack foreign minister
Of course the opposition party is going to try to exploit this situation. But I am sure no one in the Biden administration or Congress really takes serious offense to President Yoon's very minor gaffe.
The irony is the opposition party is not pro-ROK/US alliance. Many in the opposition support ending the alliance and withdrawing zUS troops though they cannot say so publicly. It is the height of hypocrisy that the apportion party would exploit the situation to make political points by appearing to be pro-alliance. The Yoon administration is one of the strongest pro-alliance administrations we have seen in recent years.
‘Diplomatic disaster’: Democratic Party calls on Yoon to sack foreign minister
koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · September 27, 2022
Yoon’s hot mic moment ‘feared to weaken alliance with US,’ opposition claims
By Kim Arin
Published : Sept 27, 2022 - 15:54 Updated : Sept 27, 2022 - 22:10
Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin speaks with reporters after a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihama Hayashi on Sept. 20 at a Manhattan hotel. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s main opposition is demanding that Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin be removed from office over what it calls the “unprecedented diplomatic disaster” that unfolded during President Yoon Suk-yeol’s recent trip to the US.
The Democratic Party of Korea convened a general meeting Tuesday afternoon and ratified a proposal to sack the top diplomat.
Park “ought to be held to account for the series of diplomatic gaffes,” the party said in a statement released ahead of the meeting, claiming that the president’s trip “did not lead to any accomplishments” and “only caused damage to the country’s international reputation.”
The party said that among other things, Yoon “appearing to insult the US Congress and President Biden” in a hot mic moment was “feared to weaken the alliance with the US.”
Last week, South Korean public broadcaster MBC released a low-definition video footage suggesting the president used coarse language as he was supposedly alluding to members of the US Congress.
Yoon’s office has denied the remarks in question, saying the president was discussing something else, and accused the broadcaster of a “misleading portrayal.”
“President Yoon and his office should know they cannot fool everybody,” said the Democratic Party of Korea’s floor leader, Rep. Park Hong-keun, on Tuesday. “Perhaps in an effort to control the damage, the president is blaming the press for reporting the truth when the problem is his language.”
In response to Yoon aides telling reporters that the president “does not recall his exact words,” the party’s top spokesperson Rep. Ahn Ho-young said during a press conference late Tuesday, “How convenient.”
“If there is something worse than foul language, it’s lying,” he said. “The president should own up to what he said and apologize.”
Following the calls to fire the foreign minister, the ruling People Power Party’s floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young said the Democratic Party “can take advantage of its majority control in the National Assembly and push ahead with the proposal.”
Proposals on dismissing a member of the Cabinet require an affirmative vote from more than half of the National Assembly, whose majority is currently controlled by the opposition party.
“If the Democratic Party was acting in the best interest of the country, it would not do something that would restrict diplomatic activities,” Joo said.
In a statement also released on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ministry was “working on the frontlines of national security.”
“It’s regrettable that the opposition party is willing to wield its majority power in a way that would deal a blow to South Korean diplomacy at a time when the country is facing daunting diplomatic challenges,” the ministry said.
By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)
6. USS Ronald Reagan in S. Korean waters for routine exercise: Pentagon
Since it has not taken place for the last five years, going forward this will be routine and will (should)take place on a regular readiness to ensure interoperability and readiness among ROK and US naval forces and to demonstrate strength and resolve to support deterrence.
USS Ronald Reagan in S. Korean waters for routine exercise: Pentagon | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · September 28, 2022
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are undertaking a joint naval exercise that is aimed at improving their interoperability and joint defense capabilities, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday.
The remarks come after North Korea lashed out at the U.S. for conducting a joint military exercise that it claims is aimed at toppling its regime in Pyongyang.
"The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group began a series of exercises in the East Sea with the Republic of Korea Navy (on) September 26 and they'll go through the 29th," Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said of the ongoing exercise, referring to South Korea by its official name.
"And these are intended to strengthen maritime interoperability and tactics, techniques and procedures between our two navies," he added.
On Monday, the North's ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, argued the joint military exercise aroused "serious concerns" while addressing the 77th U.N. General Assembly.
The North Korean diplomat also called the joint exercise an "extremely dangerous act" that he said can drive the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the "brink of war."
"The U.S. routinely conducts carrier strike group operations in the waters around the Republic of Korea (ROK) to exercise maritime maneuvers, strengthen the U.S. and ROK alliance and improve regional security," the Pentagon press secretary said.
The ongoing naval exercise marks the first of its kind in five years to involve a U.S. aircraft carrier as the allies had refrained from conducting large-scale drills amid dialogue with North Korea.
North Korea, however, has avoided attending denuclearization talks since late 2019. It has also fired more than 30 ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions this year.
On U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' upcoming trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the Pentagon spokesperson said the U.S. will provide any necessary support needed, without elaborating.
"Obviously, for security reasons, I'm not going to go into details on the types of support to provide," he said, when asked if the department plans to provide additional security measures for the vice president's scheduled trip to the DMZ on Thursday (Seoul time).
Still, he added, "The Department of Defense supports our senior leadership wherever they go, and provide whatever support is required."
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · September 28, 2022
7. Tank, howitzer exports to Poland feared to create arms shortage in Korean military
Interesting analysis that I did not see coming. To be a partner in the Arsenal of Democracy you must first be able to defend yourself.
Tank, howitzer exports to Poland feared to create arms shortage in Korean military
The Korea Times · September 27, 2022
The K2 Black PantherBy Kang Seung-woo
Dozens of tanks and self-propelled howitzers that were supposed to be delivered to the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army will be shipped to Poland, according to a lawmaker.
In addition, some howitzers that have already been in operation for years, will also be delivered to the Central European country, raising concerns over a possible weapons shortage in the military.
Korea and Poland agreed to a framework contract in July, under which Warsaw will purchase 980 K2 tanks from Hyundai Rotem and 648 K9 howitzers from Hanwha Defense as well as 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries. The deal was among Korea's most important and largest defense orders in recent years.
In addition, the two sides inked follow-up contracts, last month that calls for the delivery of 180 K2 tanks from 2022 to 2025 and 212 K9 howitzers between 2022 and 2026.
According to Rep. Song Ok-joo of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), 32 K2 tanks and 12 K9 howitzers will be exported to Poland.
"The ROK Army plans to procure 10 K2 tanks this year, 18 in 2023 and four in 2024, all of which will be deployed to units in Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces," she said.
The lawmaker also said the military initially planned to station the howitzers in Gyeonggi Province.
In addition, 36 howitzers that the Army has been operating for the last 14 years will be exported to Poland following the consent of the Eastern European country.
According to the lawmaker, the decision was made between the military authorities and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in July to meet the Polish demand amid limited domestic production capacities and tight export deadlines.
In order to avoid a shortage of military weapons in the Army, DAPA plans to ramp up production of K-9 self-propelled howtizers.
The K9 Thunder
In addition, DAPA plans to reinforce the Army's capabilities by also boosting K2 tank production.
However, there are still concerns that the military authorities' decision may lead to a shortage of weapons.
"There were concerns that there would be a vacuum in national security as the weapons used in Korea and the weapons that were planned to be deployed were suddenly shifted to exports," Song said.
"We plan to thoroughly check whether there are any problems during the upcoming National Assembly audit of the defense ministry."
The Ministry of National Defense is scheduled to face the annual parliamentary audit on Oct. 4.
The K2 Black Panther is a next-generation main battle tank and combines an auto-loaded 120-milimeter main gun, advanced composite armor and state-of-the-art protection systems.
The K-9 Thunder is equipped with a 155-milimeter cannon designed to meet the tactical concept of "Shoot and Scoot," which refers to firing while on the move, which makes it tougher for enemies to detect it. The mobile howitzer has been exported to nine countries ― Turkey, Poland, India, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Australia, Egypt and Korea since 2001.
The Korea Times · September 27, 2022
8. Top S. Korean, US military officers visit US aircraft carrier in combined exercise
As they should. It is a chance to visit 4.7 acres of US sovereign territory.
Top S. Korean, US military officers visit US aircraft carrier in combined exercise
The Korea Times · September 27, 2022
Gen. Kim Seung-kyum, right, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, and Gen. Paul LaCamera, second from right, the commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, visit the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in the East Sea, Tuesday, in this photo provided by the JCS. Yonhap
Top South Korean and U.S. military officials on Tuesday boarded the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier partaking in a combined naval exercise in the East Sea, Seoul officials said, in an apparent display of the allies' unity against North Korean threats.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum and Gen. Paul LaCamera, the commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, visited the nuclear-powered carrier that arrived here on Friday to join the allies' first naval drills near the peninsula in five years.
The four-day exercise kicked off on Monday amid growing concerns that Pyongyang could engage in provocative acts, such as a nuclear test or a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
Aboard the carrier, Kim and LaCamera received a briefing on the ongoing exercise, for which the allies deployed more than 20 vessels, including the nuclear-powered USS Annapolis submarine as well as key South Korean assets such as the 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer Seoae Ryu Sung-ryong.
There, Kim highlighted the alliance's readiness to counter North Korean threats.
"The South Korea-U.S. alliance would respond sternly to any North Korean provocations or aggression," Kim was quoted by his office as saying. "(We) would make North Korea clearly aware that should it attempt to launch a nuclear attack, its regime would be left with no scenario for survival anymore."
Kim also vowed to continue cooperating with the U.S. "systematically" to strengthen the credibility of America's extended deterrence, its stated commitment to mobilizing a full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear options, to defend its ally.
LaCamera stressed the "ironclad" U.S. security commitment to Seoul.
"The latest carrier striker group's visit to Korea and the ROK-U.S. combined naval exercise show U.S. determination and execution capability for extended deterrence and combat readiness," the commander was quoted by his office as saying. ROK stands for the South's official name, the Republic of Korea.
The arrival of the carrier, a centerpiece of America's naval might, came after Presidents Yoon Suk-yeol and Joe Biden reaffirmed their commitment to deploying U.S. strategic assets in a "timely and coordinated manner as necessary" during their summit in Seoul in May. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · September 27, 2022
9. Envoy to UN says Washington is 'picking on' Pyongyang
But President Biden only slightly mentioned the DPRK in his UNGA speech and did not even acknowledge their nuclear weapons. But like most totalitarian/authoritarian leaders Kim likes to play the victim card.
No one is "picking on" Pyongyang. The Kim family regime is executing a hostile policy. not the US or the ROK/US alliance.
Tuesday
September 27, 2022
dictionary + A - A
Envoy to UN says Washington is 'picking on' Pyongyang
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/09/27/national/northKorea/Korea-United-Nations-Kim-Song/20220927162726368.html
Kim Song, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s 77th session on Monday in New York. [UNITED NATIONS]
North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations blamed the United States for maintaining "a vicious cycle of tension and confrontation" by conducting military exercises on the peninsula.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday, Ambassador Kim Song noted that U.S.-North Korea tensions are “heading into a much more dangerous phase” and referred to U.S. President Joe Biden’s address to the body on Sept. 21 as evidence that Washington is “picking on” Pyongyang by criticizing its continued violations of United Nations sanctions.
The United Nations Security Council, which is comprised of ten rotating members and five veto-wielding permanent members – the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia – has passed eight resolutions between 2006 and 2017 either sanctioning or strengthening trade restrictions on North Korea.
“To put it clearly, we have never recognized such ‘resolutions’ of the United Nations that impose pressure because we do not abide by its ‘rules’ made by the United States unilaterally,” Kim said.
The North Korean ambassador argued that the North has been singled out among several countries that possess nuclear weapons for “the most brigandish and brutal” sanctions because the international body “connived” with the United States in “antagonizing the independent DPRK,” referring to his country by the acronym for its official name, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
All Security Council resolutions sanctioning North Korea were passed with support from China and Russia, the country’s traditional allies.
Kim also referred to ongoing joint naval exercises by the United States and South Korea in the East Sea as “an extremely dangerous act of igniting the fuse to drive the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war.”
He added, “The United States should clearly understand that its heinous and hostile policy against the DPRK over the past 30 years had just brought about today’s reality and ask and answer itself and ponder over how far it would prolong this situation in the future.”
Kim’s speech, which last 18 minutes, made no mention of South Korea.
South Korea and the United States began their first combined naval exercise in five years on Monday, a day after North Korea conducted a ballistic missile launch and just before Kim’s speech at the General Assembly.
“This exercise was prepared to demonstrate the strong will of the South Korea-US alliance to respond to North Korean provocations,” the South Korean Navy said in a press release about the drill.
A U.S. naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrived in Busan last Friday to join the exercise and departed Monday to the East Sea for the joint exercise with a South Korean naval contingent.
The U.S. carrier’s arrival followed a joint pledge by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden during a summit in Seoul in May to deploy U.S. strategic assets to South Korea.
Observers believe the North’s short-range ballistic missile launch on Sunday morning was a response to the allies’ joint naval exercises, and particularly the arrival of the Ronald Reagan in Busan.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
10. Hints dropped that USFK might have to help defend Taiwan
USFK and the forces assigned to it are optimized for support to the ROK/US Combined Forces Command. Very few of the forces (except for air power) would provide any type of critical or decisive support to the defense of Taiwan. The priority for on peninsula forces will remain deterrence and defense.
Pundits and the ROK media make too much of this.
That said, the US has the right to use whatever forces it deems necessary to defend its interests.
Tuesday
September 27, 2022
dictionary + A - A
Hints dropped that USFK might have to help defend Taiwan
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/09/27/national/defense/Korea-Taiwan-South-Korea/20220927162716723.html
Retired Gen. Robert Abrams, former commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK), at a press conference at the USFK headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi in November 2020. [YONHAP]
U.S. military and diplomatic officials made remarks Monday implying that South Korea could be expected to work with the United States to support a defense of Taiwan in case of a conflict with China.
In an interview with Radio Free Asia on Tuesday, retired Gen. Robert Abrams, who served as the commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) from 2018 to 2021, said that the United States will keep open "all options" in deciding what forces might be used in the event of a military conflict between China and Taiwan, "including those assigned to the USFK."
Abrams stopped short of spelling out what South Korea's involvement in such a conflict might be.
His comments followed remarks last week by current USFK Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera, who said USFK commanders do "contingency planning" for "anything," leading to speculation that U.S. troops in South Korea could be mobilized in the event of a military conflict over Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China.
The remarks by Abrams and LaCamera prompted Seoul's defense ministry to issue an explanation that USFK's "top priority" was to ward off a North Korean attack.
"As current Commander LaCamera has said, the USFK, along with our military, has been maintaining a solid combined defense posture," Col. Moon Hong-sik, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, told a regular press briefing. "[LaCamera] also said that the USFK places top priority on missions to deter and respond to potential North Korean aggression."
Meanwhile, at a Monday press briefing in Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price stressed that while the United States shares "an ironclad alliance with our South Korean partners," he said their security relationship is built not only on shared interests, but also on "shared values" — values which he cited as factors in U.S. support for Taiwan.
Price added that Washington has a shared interest with Seoul "in upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific."
Ships from the U.S. Navy regularly transit through the Taiwan Strait between the island and mainland China to underscore Washington's argument that most of it is in international waters.
While the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea defines territorial waters as extending only 12 nautical miles from a country's coastline, Beijing claims sovereignty over the strait as part of its claim over the island.
The Taiwan Strait is around 110 miles wide, but only 81 miles wide at its narrowest point.
The oblique comments by both Abrams and Price hint at a U.S. expectation that South Korea will not sit on the sidelines during a potential conflict over Taiwan.
In an interview with CBS that aired on Sept. 18, U.S. President Joe Biden explicitly stated that U.S. troops would be involved in the effort to defend Taiwan if China launched an invasion of the island.
But Seoul has not specified what actions it would undertake to support a U.S. defense of Taiwan in case of an attack by China.
When asked in a recent interview with CNN if South Korea would join in the defense of Taiwan, President Yoon Suk-yeol only said the probability of a North Korean provocation would rise in such a case.
"Therefore, in that case, the top priority for Korea and the U.S.-Korea alliance on the Korean Peninsula would be based on our robust defense posture," Yoon said, adding, "We must deal with the North Korean threat first."
According to a survey commissioned by the JoongAng Ilbo and the East Asia Institute, 42 percent of South Korean survey respondents said Seoul should limit its involvement in a military conflict over Taiwan to supporting U.S. forces, while 22.5 percent said South Korea should also send troops to help defend the island.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
11. In Tokyo, Harris calls US-Japan alliance 'a cornerstone'
And I am sure she will call the ROK/US alliance the linchpin.
In Tokyo, Harris calls US-Japan alliance 'a cornerstone'
AP · by CHRIS MEGERIAN and MARI YAMAGUCHI · September 26, 2022
TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday shortly after arriving in Tokyo for the state funeral of assassinated former leader Shinzo Abe.
Abe, a former prime minister who was assassinated in July, will be honored on Tuesday, and Harris is leading a U.S. delegation to pay its respects.
“The alliance between Japan and the United States is a cornerstone of what we believe is integral to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” she said at the Akasaka Palace.
Kishida said Abe “poured his heart and soul” into strengthening ties between their two countries.
“I feel it is my duty to carry on his aspirations,” Kishida said.
Abe forged closer ties with the United States at a time of increased concern about China’s ambitions, and Kishida is continuing his push for a stronger national defense.
The potential for war over Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as part of its own territory, has troubled Japan, which would likely be pulled into such a conflict.
ADVERTISEMENT
President Joe Biden said recently that the U.S. would send its own troops to defend Taiwan if China attacked.
“The president has addressed that issue. And if it comes up, the vice president will align with the president,” said a senior administration official, who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting.
Kishida opens diplomacy rush as Japan preps divisive funeral
EXPLAINER: Why is Japan split over Abe's state funeral?
Ceremony and controversy await Harris during visit to Asia
Hundreds demand cancellation of Japanese ex-leader's funeral
The official also said Harris would “make clear our ironclad commitment to Japan’s security.” More than 50,000 U.S. troops are based there.
Harris, who is scheduled to spend three nights in Tokyo, is visiting at a politically fraught moment. Kishida’s decision to hold a state funeral for Abe, a conservative nationalist, has been controversial in a country where such memorials are uncommon, and some oppose honoring him in this way.
Kishida is also pushing for a dramatic expansion of defense spending that would give Japan the world’s third-largest military budget in the coming years, after the United States and China. A new national security strategy, the first in almost a decade, is in the works as well.
The debate is playing out as Japan reevaluates the risk of war after the shock of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said Christopher Johnstone, senior adviser and Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
ADVERTISEMENT
The fighting in Europe is a reminder that “conflict really is possible,” he said, and “Japan lives in a pretty difficult neighborhood.”
Japan is upgrading missiles and considering using them for preemptive strikes — a move critics say would fundamentally change the country’s defense policy and breach the postwar pacifist constitution that limits use of force to self-defense.
It has also shifted its defense from the northeast to southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and other remote islands.
AP · by CHRIS MEGERIAN and MARI YAMAGUCHI · September 26, 2022
12. Starving N.Korea Squanders Billions on Developing Nukes
Timely. I was just speaking to some information professionals on this very topic this week.
This should be a key talking point every time we must mention north Korea's nuclear and missile program. This is why we need a human rights upfront approach.
This must be a key message going into the Korean people living in the north so that they know the accounting of the regime. The regime has enough resources to care for the welfare of the Korean people if Kim did not deliberately prioritize nuclear weapons over their well being, safety, and health.
Starving N.Korea Squanders Billions on Developing Nukes
english.chosun.com
September 27, 2022 12:55
North Korea has squandered somewhere between US$1.1 and $1.6 billion developing nuclear weapons over the past 50 years, according to recent calculations. It will likely cost the regime another $160 million to conduct another nuclear test.
According to data from the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, the North has spent up to $1.6 billion developing nuclear weapons, including six nuclear tests since the 1970s.
It spent $600 to $700 million building a uranium refinery in Pyongsan, nuclear fuel manufacturing and fuel rod reprocessing facilities, a nuclear reactor and a light-water reactor at Yongbyon, and $200 to $400 million making centrifuges and building a uranium enrichment facility.
/News1
KIDA estimates that the $1.6 billion the regime has squandered would have been enough to buy 1.41 to 2.05 million tons of rice or 2.82 to 4.1 million tons of corn. This is equivalent to four years' worth of food for the entire North Korean population given that the North is 860,000 tons of food short this year alone, according to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
The regime is expected to conduct three or four more nuclear tests in the future. Each test is estimated at $110 to $160 million, bringing the total cost to $440 to $640 million.
N.Korea Keeps Earning Illegal Cash for Nuke Development
N.Korea 'Spent Enough on Nukes to Buy Food for 8 Years'
N.Korea Squandered $650 Million Firing Missiles This Year
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
english.chosun.com
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
| 
