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Quotes of the Day:
"The Senator from Wisconsin cannot frighten me by exclaiming, “My country, right or wrong.” In one sense I say so too. My country; and my country is the great American Republic. My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."
– Carl Schurz (1829–1906)
"My dad - who was a tough guy, a Green Beret - always looked nice and wore these bright Sansabelt pants. He always said, "You have two options: You can be a follower or you can be a leader. And you don't ever want to follow anybody." And that's kind of become my philosophy about everything."
– Bubba Watson
"Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability."
– Marcus Tullius Cicero
1. A North Korean Missile Explodes in the Sky—and a Mystery Emerges
2. US to confront Russia at UN over North Korean weapons
3. UN Security Council: DPRK (North Korea): Open Briefing
4. N. Korea says planned party plenary meeting will become 'politically important' event
5. S. Korean military unveils video of N.K. missile exploding in midair
6. New Horizons in Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Cooperation
7. (Yonhap Interview) NATO chief says S. Korea's potential arms support for Ukraine fundamentally different from N.K. arms supply to Russia
8. Yoon vows to overcome N.K. threats through cooperation with U.S., Japan
9. Cruel summer: North Koreans ordered to provide human waste for fertilizer
10. 66% of South Koreans back nuclear armament amid North Korean threats: poll
11. S. Korea, U.S. chip lobby groups discuss ties in technology, supply chain
12. S. Korea urges N. Korea to give prior notice over border dam water discharge
13. S. Korea slaps sanctions on N. Korea's Missile Administration, 4 Russian vessels for violating U.N. resolutions
14. Editorial: April birth rate rebound offers hope for South Korea's population decline
15. ＜Interview with a N. Korean Woman＞What was happening in the spring of 2024? (2) Excluding S. Korea and erasing unification; Reign of terror
16. Weapons coproduction with S. Korea makes 'a lot of sense,' US Army weapons buyer says
1. A North Korean Missile Explodes in the Sky—and a Mystery Emerges
A MIRV or not a MIRV, that is the question.
Excerpts:
In North Korea’s state-media account, three separate warheads fired from an intermediate-range missile hit their unspecified targets. State media released photos of smoke trails it claims show warhead separation. But the images make it difficult to confirm the missile’s flight characteristics, and North Korea has fabricated details of its weapons achievements before, the experts say.
Among the top weapons priorities that Kim detailed in a policy speech in 2021, one was possessing the ability to launch several nuclear warheads from a single missile—or, in military parlance, a “multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle,” or MIRV. Having that would raise North Korea’s threat to the U.S., since multiple warheads can be aimed at different targets at once. Pyongyang wants to add MIRV capabilities to its long-range missiles that already have a demonstrated range to strike the U.S. mainland.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff dismissed the Kim regime’s assessment as “deceptive and exaggerated.” Seoul labeled the Wednesday launch as a test of hypersonic technology. Hypersonic missiles fly at high speeds and closer to the Earth than ballistic missiles, which makes them difficult to detect on radar. While the separation of warheads in a MIRV test would occur on the descent, the North Korean missile launched on Wednesday exploded in the flight’s initial stage, a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman said.
A multi-warhead missile uses complex technology. North Korea has yet to demonstrate it can mount even a single warhead onto a missile that safely re-enters the atmosphere after withstanding enormous pressure and heat. The Wednesday launch was intentionally carried out within a smaller radius for safety reasons, Pyongyang said.
Some of the experts think South Korea may have erred in their assessment, identifying the intended warhead separation as an accidental explosion. The North Korean imagery of the launch isn’t sufficient in quality to make a firm determination. Without elaboration, Seoul’s military defended its conclusion by saying it had relied on classified information and data that couldn’t be shared publicly.
A North Korean Missile Explodes in the Sky—and a Mystery Emerges
Pyongyang and Seoul give opposing appraisals of whether Kim Jong Un achieved a prized advance in weapons technology
https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/a-north-korean-missile-explodes-in-the-skyand-a-mystery-emerges-31a80429?mod=hp_trending_now_article_pos4
By Dasl YoonFollow
June 27, 2024 7:45 am ET
SEOUL—North Korea said it had successfully tested technology for raining down multiple nuclear warheads at once—a top weapons goal for Kim Jong Un and an increased threat to the U.S. and its allies.
But, in an unusually pointed rebuke, South Korea denounced the self-declared achievement as a bluff.
The contradictory assessments illustrate high stakes for both Koreas: Seoul is trying to keep close tabs on its neighbor’s missile program as Pyongyang develops an increasingly capable nuclear threat. North Korea covets multi-warhead weapons because they are harder to defend against.
Relations between the neighboring countries have worsened in recent years, growing more militaristic and confrontational. Kim abandoned hopes of peaceful reunification in January and signed a new defense pact with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin just last week. South Korea, under conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, has tightened its military partnership with the U.S. and Japan, including new three-way drills that began Thursday.
South Korea has held live-fire drills on Yeonpyeong Island this week. PHOTO: YONHAP/SHUTTERSTOCK
The truth from Wednesday’s fiery test isn’t so readily apparent, weapons experts said. Both Koreas conceded a missile roared into the sky and then left a trail of smoke behind before crashing into the water.
In North Korea’s state-media account, three separate warheads fired from an intermediate-range missile hit their unspecified targets. State media released photos of smoke trails it claims show warhead separation. But the images make it difficult to confirm the missile’s flight characteristics, and North Korea has fabricated details of its weapons achievements before, the experts say.
Among the top weapons priorities that Kim detailed in a policy speech in 2021, one was possessing the ability to launch several nuclear warheads from a single missile—or, in military parlance, a “multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle,” or MIRV. Having that would raise North Korea’s threat to the U.S., since multiple warheads can be aimed at different targets at once. Pyongyang wants to add MIRV capabilities to its long-range missiles that already have a demonstrated range to strike the U.S. mainland.
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North Korea’s Kim Jong Un says he and Russian President Vladimir Putin share an “unbreakable relationship of comrades-in-arms.” WSJ’s Ann Simmons explains what they hope to gain from each other. PHOTO: GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/SHUTTERSTOCK
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff dismissed the Kim regime’s assessment as “deceptive and exaggerated.” Seoul labeled the Wednesday launch as a test of hypersonic technology. Hypersonic missiles fly at high speeds and closer to the Earth than ballistic missiles, which makes them difficult to detect on radar. While the separation of warheads in a MIRV test would occur on the descent, the North Korean missile launched on Wednesday exploded in the flight’s initial stage, a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman said.
A multi-warhead missile uses complex technology. North Korea has yet to demonstrate it can mount even a single warhead onto a missile that safely re-enters the atmosphere after withstanding enormous pressure and heat. The Wednesday launch was intentionally carried out within a smaller radius for safety reasons, Pyongyang said.
Some of the experts think South Korea may have erred in their assessment, identifying the intended warhead separation as an accidental explosion. The North Korean imagery of the launch isn’t sufficient in quality to make a firm determination. Without elaboration, Seoul’s military defended its conclusion by saying it had relied on classified information and data that couldn’t be shared publicly.
Under Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea has tightened its military partnership with the U.S. and Japan. PHOTO: KYODONEWS/ZUMA PRESS
The MIRV system that North Korea is working on is based on old Soviet technology, but it is unlikely that Russia would transfer such key nuclear technologies despite recently vowing closer military cooperation with Pyongyang, including last week, said Yang Uk, a military expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.
“We haven’t seen evidence that North Korea’s warheads successfully hit the targets or whether the launch was successful, but the continued investment in this technology means North Korea is advancing the capability to launch a nuclear strike on the U.S.,” Yang said.
With its botched spy-satellite launches in recent years, including one last month, North Korea has come clean on its failures within hours. But Pyongyang has a record of stretching the truth about other weapons advances. In 2022, Pyongyang claimed to have fired the Hwasong-17, one of its newer intercontinental ballistic missiles. It turned out to be an older-generation Hwasong-15, and Seoul’s military concluded that footage released by state media was heavily edited.
“Exaggeration can be a political tool to showcase a deterrent against U.S. and South Korea’s military capabilities,” said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.
A North Korean military guard post as seen from across the border. PHOTO: LEE JIN-MAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com
Corrections & Amplifications
North Korea launched a missile test on Wednesday. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said it happened on Monday. (Corrected on June 27)
2. US to confront Russia at UN over North Korean weapons
Good. We need to call them out.
US to confront Russia at UN over North Korean weapons
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-confront-russia-un-over-north-korean-weapons-2024-06-28/
By Michelle Nichols
June 28, 202412:40 AM EDTUpdated 7 hours ago
A general view shows the inside of the U.N. headquarters, on the day members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, in New York City,... Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read more
UNITED NATIONS, June 28 (Reuters) - The United States will confront Russia at the United Nations Security Council on Friday over violating a North Korea arms embargo, and will push for China's view on growing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, said deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood.
The meeting of the 15-member council comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Pyongyang last week to sign a pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in which they agreed to provide military assistance if either faces armed aggression.
"This should be of great concern to the entire global community," Wood told Reuters ahead of the meeting, accusing Russia of "in essence siding with a rogue state to violate countless U.N. Security Council resolutions."
"This is unprecedented, and we need to call it out for what it is," he said. "We also want to see what China has to say about this growing military cooperation between DPRK and Russia. They cannot view this as a positive development."
China reacted guardedly last week. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the summit was a bilateral exchange between Russia and North Korea, but did not elaborate.
Formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and those measures have been strengthened over the years - with Russia's support.
But over the past year the United States has repeatedly accused North Korea of sending weapons to Russia to use in its war against Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations.
'TRAINING GROUND'
U.N. sanctions monitors told a Security Council committee, in a report seen by Reuters in April, that the debris from a missile that landed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Jan. 2 was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile.
3. UN Security Council: DPRK (North Korea): Open Briefing
Some good background to prepare for today's UNSC meeting.
What's In Blue
Posted Thu 27 Jun 2024
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DPRK (North Korea): Open Briefing
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2024/06/dprk-north-korea-open-briefing-9.php
Tomorrow morning (28 June), the Security Council will convene for an open briefing on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) under the “Non-proliferation/DPRK” agenda item. France, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), the UK, and the US requested the meeting to discuss the issue of “unlawful arms transfers from the DPRK”. The anticipated briefers are High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu and a representative of Conflict Armament Research, a UK-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) that tracks weapon supplies into armed conflicts.
Background
Security Council resolution 1718 of 14 October 2006 imposed sanctions on the DPRK for its nuclear and ballistic missiles programme and established a sanctions committee to oversee its implementation. It decided that the DPRK must cease the export of specific weapons, a provision later expanded by resolution 2270 of 2 March 2016 to include exports that “support or enhance the operational capabilities of armed forces of another member state outside the DPRK”. Resolution 1718 also decided that all member states should prohibit the procurement of such items from the DPRK by their nationals.
Security Council resolution 1874 of 12 June 2009 established a Panel of Experts to assist the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee. The Panel was tasked with gathering, examining, and analysing information regarding the implementation of the sanctions regime and incidents of non-compliance, and reporting its findings to the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee and the Security Council.
In its final report, issued on 7 March, the Panel of Experts concluded that satellite imagery provided “clear evidence” of the transfer of goods and materials between the DPRK and Russia, although the specific contents of the containers could not be determined.
On 28 March, Russia vetoed a draft resolution that would have extended the Panel’s mandate for another year, until 30 April 2025. The remaining Council members—apart from China, which abstained—voted in favour of the text. The Panel’s mandate expired on 30 April. (For more information, see our 22 March What’s in Blue story.)
Tomorrow’s Meeting
Tomorrow’s meeting marks the first briefing under the “Non-proliferation/DPRK” agenda item focused specifically on weapons exports from the DPRK. Since late 2022, the US and other like-minded states have repeatedly raised concerns about Russia’s alleged procurement of arms from the DPRK and their assessment that the DPRK seeks military, economic, and technological assistance from Russia in return. These countries have emphasised that such actions constitute a clear violation of the UN Security Council arms embargo on the DPRK.
The meeting request followed a summit on 19 June between Russian President Vladimir Putin and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, during which the two leaders signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty. Putin described the treaty as outlining extensive objectives and guidelines for deepening long-term Russia-DPRK “links”, including in politics, trade and investment, culture, humanitarian affairs, and security. He added that Russia “does not rule out developing military and technical cooperation” with the DPRK under the agreement. Notably, the treaty stipulates mutual military assistance in the event of aggression against either country.
Following the summit, Kim Jong-un characterised the treaty as elevating relations between the DPRK and Russia to “a new high level of alliance”. Meanwhile, Putin linked Russia’s deepening ties with the DPRK to what he views as increasing Western support for Ukraine. He thanked Kim Jong-un for taking an “objective and balanced stance” on the situation in Ukraine and criticised the DPRK sanctions regime imposed by the Security Council, calling for its revision.
At a 20 June press conference, Putin maintained that the treaty, particularly its provision for mutual military assistance, is not a novel development, as a 1961 agreement signed between the Soviet Union and the DPRK similarly included provisions for mutual assistance in the event of armed aggression against either party by a state or coalition of states. (Notably, in February 2000, the DPRK and Russia signed the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Good Neighborliness, which replaced the 1961 treaty but did not stipulate a military alliance between the two countries.) He explained that Russia signed the recent treaty because the previous agreement had expired and that all the clauses remain the same.
Putin emphasised that the treaty does not entail a request for the DPRK to use its military capabilities in the Ukraine conflict, since the hostilities began before the “Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics…became part of Russia”. Regarding whether the clause could be triggered by the use of Western weapons on Russian territory, Putin said that it is a possibility that cannot be ruled out and requires further consideration.
In a 25 June joint statement, Japan, the ROK, and the US condemned the deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, stressing that “continued arms transfers from the DPRK to Russia…prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violate multiple [UN] Security Council resolutions, and threaten stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe”. On 20 June, the ROK said that it would consider sending arms to Ukraine, marking a significant policy shift.
At tomorrow’s meeting, the briefers are expected to provide an overview of weapons transfers from the DPRK. Nakamitsu is likely to reaffirm the position of Secretary-General António Guterres, expressed in 21 June remarks to the press, emphasising that any country’s relationship with the DPRK, including Russia’s, must fully comply with Security Council sanctions. The Conflict Armament Research representative may refer to an investigation conducted by the NGO in early January that analysed remnants of a ballistic missile that struck the Kharkiv region in Ukraine on 2 January. A report on the investigation concluded that the missile was manufactured in the DPRK and claimed that Russia’s “use of such missiles is another demonstration of its intent to sustain its war efforts in Ukraine, even at the cost of undermining global nonproliferation regimes”.
Tomorrow, several Council members—including the members that called for the meeting—are expected to accuse the DPRK of providing military equipment and munitions to Russia for use in Ukraine, in contravention of Security Council resolutions. These members have repeatedly expressed concern over Russia’s alleged use of ballistic missiles from the DPRK in Ukraine, allegations denied by both the DPRK and Russia. In addition, some members might highlight alleged military cooperation between the DPRK and other state and non-state actors.
Some members are expected to criticise Russia for vetoing the draft resolution extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts on 28 March, arguing that it undermined the global non-proliferation regime and emboldened the DPRK in its attempts to evade sanctions. Several members—including France, Japan, the ROK, the UK, and the US—have linked the veto to Russia’s alleged purchase of arms from the DPRK.
Some of these members may also emphasise that the 1718 regime remains in place and advocate for continued efforts to monitor and enforce its provisions. Council members are still considering how to respond to the expiration of the Panel’s mandate. (for more information, see the brief on the DPRK in our May 2024 Monthly Forecast.)
Russia is expected to reject claims that it has procured weapons from the DPRK for use in Ukraine. In its explanation of vote on 28 March, Russia claimed that the Panel had become politicised and that the sanctions regime no longer reflected realities on the ground. Moreover, at the meeting of the General Assembly to discuss the 28 March veto, Russia said that the true intentions behind certain Council members’ support for the Panel of Experts was to “investigate Russia with predetermined conclusions”.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Russia is also expected to raise the issue of Western arms transfers to Ukraine, repeating its accusations that Ukraine is using Western-supplied weapons to target civilian areas in Russia.
Tags: DPRK (North Korea), Insights on Asia, Insights on Europe, Ukraine
4. N. Korea says planned party plenary meeting will become 'politically important' event
This will give us more insight to confirm the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime.
N. Korea says planned party plenary meeting will become 'politically important' event | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 28, 2024
SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Friday a planned plenary meeting of its ruling Workers' Party will be a "politically important" event, amid speculation on whether it would discuss follow-up measures to implement a new partnership treaty signed with Russia.
North Korea earlier said it will hold a plenary meeting of the party's central committee in late June to review its policy performances in the first half. But the North's state media have yet to report whether it opened the key party meeting.
The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, called the planned party meeting a "politically important occasion" to spur North Koreans' march toward the socialist development.
North Korea usually holds a party plenary meeting for a few days in June. But this year's meeting draws more attention due to the possibility that it could discuss detailed measures to expand cooperation with Russia following its signing with Moscow of the treaty of comprehensive strategic partnership.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Pyongyang on June 19, and clinched the treaty that calls for providing military assistance to each other without delay if either side comes under an armed attack.
Article 4 of the 23-point treaty could be seen as warranting automatic military intervention in the event of aggression on either country. That would amount to the restoration of a Cold War-era alliance for the first time in 28 years since a mutual defense treaty was scrapped in 1996.
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on May 25, 2024, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (C) presiding over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea the previous day to decide to convene a party plenary meeting in late June. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 28, 2024
5. S. Korean military unveils video of N.K. missile exploding in midair
S. Korean military unveils video of N.K. missile exploding in midair | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · June 28, 2024
By Lee Minji and Chae Yun-hwan
SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military released a video clip Friday showing a midair explosion of a North Korean missile after it spiraled out of control, in yet another dismissal of North Korea's claim of a successful test of a multiple-warhead missile.
The disclosure came a day after North Korea said it successfully conducted a missile test Wednesday aimed at securing multiple warhead capability, which allows a single ballistic missile to deliver multiple warheads to different targets.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has said the North launched a ballistic missile toward the East Sea, but the missile exploded in midair after traveling some 250 kilometers, labeling the North's claim of a successful test a "method of deception and exaggeration."
This photo, released by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on June 28, 2024, shows a North Korean missile ascending in an abnormal manner during a failed launch earlier this week. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The 28-second video, filmed by the South's thermal observation devices in different front-line units, showed the North's missile ascending in an abnormal manner, rolling left to right before it completely tumbled out of control.
The missile later exploded into multiple pieces of debris, contradicting the North's claim that the separated warheads were guided correctly to three targets.
"North Korea may have attempted to make a new type of missile ... but analysis is very limited as the missile exploded in the very early stage," a JCS official said, stressing the military has "completely" ruled out the possibility of North Korea even attempting to conduct a multiple-warhead missile test.
This photo, released by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on June 28, 2024, shows a North Korean missile exploding into multiple fragments in midair during a failed launch earlier this week. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · June 28, 2024
6. New Horizons in Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Cooperation
Excerpts:
In addition, a higher level of information sharing will be necessary for greater security cooperation. At this point, the three countries should focus on the effective sharing of ballistic missile warning data, which is crucial to deter and defend against North Korea.
While trilateral security cooperation has already made substantial progress, there are new areas in which it is necessary for the three countries to advance cooperation in the future.
...
Additionally, the United States’ developing concept of all-domain operations and its corresponding practices should be further shared with Korean and Japanese allies.
...
Notably, alongside the annual defense ministers’ dialogue, the role of the Defense Trilateral Talks as an assistant secretary–level consultation group should be strengthened to plan and coordinate trilateral security cooperation more effectively. Furthermore, working groups such as the maritime security working group should be established to coordinate activities in specific priority areas as trilateral security cooperation progresses.
New Horizons in Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Cooperation
csis.org · by Wooseon Choi Published June 27, 2024
Drivers
Increasing threats and leadership are the two main factors that have propelled trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan in recent years.
The China threat has increased as the balance of power has changed and as China’s behaviors have become more assertive. U.S. leaders now see China as a near-peer competitor and have entered an earnest power competition with it. Most states in Asia, including Korea, perceive an increasing potential threat from China.
Many Asian countries thus want to prepare for the growing potential threat of China by gradually strengthening their cooperation with the United States and forming minilateral groups. Nonetheless, most of these states do not yet perceive an imminent and truly serious military threat from China. Even U.S. leaders do not believe that a conflict with China is imminent, and thus tend to see the competition with China from a long-term perspective.
The North Korean threat is also growing as North Korea makes real progress in nuclear armament. This threat has increased the necessity of trilateral cooperation, especially from the Korean perspective. However, the North Korean threat has been present for many years, and North Korea does not pose a threat to the extent that it makes Korea, the United States, and Japan feel the imperative to cooperate.
These threat factors are important propellants for cooperation now, and they will become even more powerful in the future. However, compared to the Cold War period, the threat factors are not currently strong enough to compel the three countries to overcome all other obstacles to cooperation.
The Camp David process became possible with the Korea-Japan rapprochement. This rapprochement was not just driven by threats; it required the initiative of President Yoon and the reciprocation of Prime Minister Kishida. Since the Cold War ended, Korea and Japan have had a precarious and sometimes rocky relationship, and historical problems in particular became increasingly difficult to deal with. Strong leadership, as found during the tenures of Kim Dae-jung and Obuchi Keijo in the 1990s as well as in the current leadership, has been central to creating a cooperative relationship.
Obstacles
There are still serious obstacles that the three countries need to manage or overcome in the process of trilateral cooperation.
In the current security environment, for instance, the strategic priorities of the three countries still differ. While Korea prioritizes North Korea as the most imminent and significant threat, the United States and Japan tend to focus on China.
The policies of the United States and Japan toward China also have some differences, although they are converging. Korea is still pursuing a cooperative relationship with China, although it is increasing its efforts to hedge against the potential threat China poses. The United States and Japan are mainly balancing China.
Furthermore, as structural pressures are not yet overwhelming, domestic political factors can quite easily intervene to disrupt the whole process. Importantly, Korea-Japan relations remain the weak link in trilateral cooperation. Their improved relationship is based on precarious political support. Especially in Korea, historical problems can still seriously disrupt the relationship, and leadership changes or political calculations might dial back the process of rapprochement.
Considering this situation, if Japanese leaders make sincere statements about their forward-looking view of history, potentially in the joint vision statement commemorating the 60th anniversary of normalization of relations next year, it will help consolidate political support for rapprochement in Korea. Both states should also maintain their long-term efforts toward trust building.
What to Do?
During the Camp David summit, a comprehensive package of cooperation initiatives was agreed upon, encompassing various high-level consultations, avenues for security cooperation, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, economic and technology cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges.
Among these measures, security cooperation needs to be the first priority for trilateral cooperation. Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation is primarily intended to maintain the status quo in East Asia in the face of the increasing threats posed by China and North Korea. Moreover, the deep and institutionalized cooperation among the three countries’ militaries and security institutions could serve as a firmly established area of cooperation that should be sustained.
The three countries should establish the tradition of regular trilateral exercises in surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, missile defense, and air operations to increase interoperability and coordination of roles and ways of operation over time.
And, as agreed recently, the three countries should establish regular multi-domain military exercises. In the future, multi-domain operations will be the way for the three countries’ militaries to jointly operate in order to maintain their superiority.
In addition, a higher level of information sharing will be necessary for greater security cooperation. At this point, the three countries should focus on the effective sharing of ballistic missile warning data, which is crucial to deter and defend against North Korea.
While trilateral security cooperation has already made substantial progress, there are new areas in which it is necessary for the three countries to advance cooperation in the future.
First, the three countries should prioritize engaging in extensive discussions on their respective roles and methods of cooperation in the maritime area. The most serious threat in East Asia is the growing naval power of China. If China were to dominate the near seas of Korea and then the East China Sea, defense lines could be seriously breached and alliances weakened. It is necessary for Korea, the United States, and Japan to dominate those seas and, at a minimum, to deny Chinese dominance. Furthermore, the North Korean submarines carrying nuclear weapons are becoming serious threats.
In this regard, achieving information dominance will also be crucial to maintaining strategic superiority. It is necessary to increase sharing of the three states’ intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets, gradually strengthen the linkages of battle networks, and enhance cooperation on maritime domain awareness.
Second, to maintain an advantage against revisionist powers, the three countries should synchronize military innovation by commonly developing future capabilities and operational concepts that would strengthen their military effectiveness and interoperability.
For this purpose, trilateral cooperation on advanced military technologies should be enhanced. The three countries particularly need to cooperate in developing anti-ship ballistic missiles, counter-hypersonic missile systems, laser weapons, cyber capabilities, and automated weapons systems, as well as fundamental technologies such as AI and quantum computing. This technological cooperation could be implemented through a trilateral format or through Pillar Two of AUKUS, a security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Additionally, the United States’ developing concept of all-domain operations and its corresponding practices should be further shared with Korean and Japanese allies.
Third, strategic dialogues at various levels should be deepened. The three countries still have differences in strategic priorities and policies. Substantive discussions regarding each other’s understandings of the security environment and varying policy views constitute a critical basis for advancing trilateral cooperation.
Notably, alongside the annual defense ministers’ dialogue, the role of the Defense Trilateral Talks as an assistant secretary–level consultation group should be strengthened to plan and coordinate trilateral security cooperation more effectively. Furthermore, working groups such as the maritime security working group should be established to coordinate activities in specific priority areas as trilateral security cooperation progresses.
Dr. Wooseon Choi is a professor and Director-General of the Department of International Security and Unification Studies at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.
csis.org · by Newsletter by Wooseon Choi Published June 27, 2024
7. (Yonhap Interview) NATO chief says S. Korea's potential arms support for Ukraine fundamentally different from N.K. arms supply to Russia
Yes. Tamp down the "whataboutism." There is no north-South equivalency.
(Yonhap Interview) NATO chief says S. Korea's potential arms support for Ukraine fundamentally different from N.K. arms supply to Russia | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · June 28, 2024
BRUSSELS/SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's potential arms support for Ukraine should not be viewed on the same footing as North Korea's suspected delivery of munitions to Russia, given the illegal nature of Russia's invasion, the chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also said that NATO would welcome "any major support" from South Korea to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia, pointing out that issues like North Korean threats and the war in Ukraine show that ensuring security is not bound by region.
"We should not have some kind of moral equivalence between North Korea's support to Russia, and potential support from South Korea to Ukraine, because this is war aggression," Stoltenberg said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Brussels on Thursday.
"Russia has violated law, attacked a neighbor, so support to Russia's illegal war is illegal. Support to Ukraine defending themselves is legal. It is enshrined in the U.N. Charter," Stoltenberg said.
"Any attempt to equalize support to Russia with support for Ukraine is completely wrong," he said.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Brussels on June 28, 2024, in this image provided by NATO. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Stoltenberg's remarks came as South Korea signaled the possibility of providing weapons to Kyiv, after Russia and North Korea signed a new treaty pledging mutual military assistance in case either of them comes under armed attack.
National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin said Sunday that South Korea could consider supplying weapons to Ukraine and the decision will depend on Moscow's actions.
"I welcome any support, any major support for Ukraine," Stoltenberg said. "South Korea has an advanced defense industry ... You have big amounts of ammunition and all the things that Ukraine needs, but of course, it's for South Korea to make those decisions," he said.
Seoul's suggestion of changing its policy of providing only non-lethal aid to Ukraine has sent the Seoul-Moscow relations to a low point, with the two sides warning each other against taking any further action that could turn their ties into an "irreversible" state.
Stoltenberg strongly denounced the North for providing "significant" military support to Russia to help its war efforts in Ukraine.
"More than 1 million artillery shells have been transported directly from North Korea to Russia and to the front lines ... North Korea should not support Russia's illegal war against Ukraine," he said.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Brussels on June 28, 2024, in this image provided by NATO. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Their mutual defense agreement just highlights how much aligned they are now and this is something we have to take very seriously," he said.
Stoltenberg went on to call for the world to not let Russia win this war because it will send the wrong message to other authoritarian countries that "they can get what they want if they use military force in violation of international law."
"(It) makes even more important that democratic nations work together as we do, and when NATO and South Korea and our Asia Pacific parties meet in Washington," he said, referring to the upcoming NATO summit set for next month.
On the prospect of NATO's cooperation with South Korea after the U.S. election, Stoltenberg expressed optimism that it will continue to further strengthen no matter who becomes the next U.S. president.
"NATO's cooperation with the Pacific partners doesn't depend on a one single individual. This is a strong commitment by all 32 allies," Stoltenberg said.
Former President Donald Trump, seeking a second term at the White House, was notorious for downplaying the NATO framework as a group of "delinquent" members "ripping us off" in the defense spending.
"It is in our interest and in the interest of South Korea and Asian Pacific partners to work closely together. I'm absolutely confident this will continue and be further developed," he said.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · June 28, 2024
8. Yoon vows to overcome N.K. threats through cooperation with U.S., Japan
(LEAD) Yoon vows to overcome N.K. threats through cooperation with U.S., Japan | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · June 28, 2024
(ATTN: CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Friday to overcome North Korea's provocations and other global challenges by strengthening trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan.
Yoon made the pledge in a message read on his behalf at the opening of the 10th annual peace forum co-hosted by Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading newswire service, and the unification ministry.
"We will wisely overcome North Korea's provocations and the global polycrisis," he said, citing the constant threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile development, as well as geopolitical tensions and rising energy, resource and food insecurity.
President Yoon Suk Yeol's message is shown on a screen at a symposium co-hosted by Yonhap News Agency and the unification ministry at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on June 28, 2024. (Yonhap)
Yoon said his administration is doing its best to overcome such crises and challenges, having "completely restored" the South Korea-U.S. alliance soon after its inauguration in 2022 and expanded it to a "global comprehensive strategic alliance."
Yoon also noted South Korea's relations with Japan were normalized under his administration, leading to the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit at Camp David last August and the opening of a "new horizon" in trilateral security and economic cooperation.
"We will further strengthen the institutional foundation and cooperation of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation system and solidify solidarity and cooperation with nations that share our values," he said.
This year's symposium was held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul under the theme "Status and Challenges of Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Cooperation."
The forum brought together key officials from the three countries as well as foreign policy experts to discuss solutions to international challenges, including growing military ties between North Korea and Russia.
"The government and I will build a free and prosperous Republic of Korea based on strong security," Yoon said, referring to South Korea by its formal name.
"We will play a responsible role for peace and prosperity not only in the region but also in the world by conducting diplomacy as a global pivotal state."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · June 28, 2024
9. Cruel summer: North Koreans ordered to provide human waste for fertilizer
Imagine if you had to live in such conditions with such demands made on you. A 100% socialist tax system.
Excerpt:
“The party is always saying that we live happily under a tax-free socialist system, but the party’s orders are always a tax, 100%,” she said. “Every time the party gives us instructions it’s all about collecting payment.”
Cruel summer: North Koreans ordered to provide human waste for fertilizer
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/human-waste-used-for-farming-purposes-north-korea-06272024172352.html
Usually this is done in the winter, when it is less smelly and there are fewer flies.
By Kim Jieun for RFA Korean
2024.06.27
A North Korean bathroom, 2015.
Uwe Brodrecht via Wikimedia Commons
North Koreans are in deep doo doo, literally, as their government has ordered each household to collect 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of human waste and dry it for use as fertilizer, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.
North Koreans are used to donating human waste for agricultural purposes, but usually this is done in the winter ahead of planting season. Recently, a summer collection was announced as one of the policies under leader Kim Jong Un’s new agriculture-first initiative.
Residents are complaining that this time they are being asked to dry feces in their yards in the summer heat, when smells travel more easily and flies and maggots are attracted.
The entrance to toilets is reflected in a mirror in the lobby of Yanggakdo International Hotel, Oct. 11, 2015 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
As in the past, those who can afford it can pay their way out of it can avoid doing their duty. This time it will cost 5,000 won or about 30 US cents, a resident of the northern province of Ryanggang told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
That's a rather large sum for many North Koreans.
“Today, the neighborhood-watch unit held a residents’ meeting and issued an order from the party to dry human waste and donate it for collection,” he said. “Residents could not hide their bewilderment at the party’s order to dry human waste … in the hot weather.”
He said that they were told to deliver the 10 kilograms of dry dung to a nearby fertilizer factory where they would receive a certificate as proof of their contribution.
Related Stories
Yearly ‘battle’ begins in North Korea over human waste for fertilizer — Radio Free Asia
North Korea Orders Farmers to Collect Urine for Fertilizer Amid Shortage — Radio Free Asia
North Korean Community Leaders Granted Right to Sell Sewage as Fertilizer for Farms
Citizens Fight Over Feces to Fill Human Fertilizer Quota in North Korea
“Residents expressed their dissatisfaction, saying that this was the first time they had been ordered to dry human waste in the summer when flies were flying around,” he said.
“At least the households in single family homes can scoop up and dry the waste with some privacy,” he said. “But households living in apartments protested, asking how they are supposed to accomplish this.”
From left, North Korean balloons carrying waste, June 2, 2024 in Incheon, South Korea, May 29, 2024 in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, and June 2, 2024 in Incheon, South Korea. (Yonhap via Reuters/South Korea Defense Ministry via AP/Yonhap via Reuters/RFA illustration)
Another Ryanggang resident likened the order to an unofficial tax, because most households would rather pay the 5,000 won than go through the smelly ordeal of drying their own excrement.
“The party is always saying that we live happily under a tax-free socialist system, but the party’s orders are always a tax, 100%,” she said. “Every time the party gives us instructions it’s all about collecting payment.”
Translated by Claire S. Lee Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
10. 66% of South Koreans back nuclear armament amid North Korean threats: poll
1. Tell us what deters Kim Jong Un.
2. Tell us how ROK nuclear weapons will deter Kim Jong Un.
3. Describe a concept of employment for ROK nuclear weapons.
4. Describe what targets in north Korea require ROK nuclear weapons.
Respond to these four and then let's talk about ROK nuclear weapons.
66% of South Koreans back nuclear armament amid North Korean threats: poll
The Korea Times · by 2024-06-28 11:40 | World · June 28, 2024
A TV installed at Seoul Station in central Seoul, Friday, shows people watching a new report about the first U.S. presidential debate of the election season held on Thursday (local time) in Atlanta, Ga. With no guarantee of another term for Biden next year, more South Koreans now say they prefer having their own nuclear weapons over U.S. military forces stationed in their country, according to a new poll. Newsis
For 1st time, more people support nuclear arms over US forces stationed here
By Jung Min-ho
Public support in South Korea for developing its own nuclear weapons has rebounded this year, with 66 percent backing the idea amid ongoing nuclear threats from North Korea, a new poll shows.
According to a report released on Thursday by the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), a state-funded think tank, 66 percent of 1,001 respondents indicated they "support or strongly support" the idea of equipping their country with nuclear weapons unless the North Korean regime abandons its nuclear ambitions.
The support rate has increased from the think tank's 2023 poll, where 60.2 percent expressed favorability toward the idea. The previous result was published shortly after the Washington Declaration, in which U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed American commitment to defending the South against any potential nuclear attack from the North.
With no guarantee of another term for Biden next year, more South Koreans now say they prefer having their own nuclear weapons over U.S. military forces being stationed in their country.
According to this year’s poll, 44.6 percent said they prefer having South Korea’s own nuclear arms to having U.S. military equipment and soldiers stationed here ― marking the first such preference shift since the think tank began including that question in its report in 2021. Just last year, 49.5 percent preferred having U.S. military forces stationed in their country, while only 33.8 percent favored possessing their own nuclear arms.
When asked about the credibility of Washington’s nuclear umbrella, 66.9 percent said they trust it, down from 72.1 percent last year.
U.S. President Joe Biden looks down as he participates in the first presidential debate of the election season with former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Atlanta, Ga., Thursday (local time). AFP-Yonhap
All of this suggests a growing concern among South Koreans about the potential for changes in America’s foreign policy, including its security commitments, especially with the prospect of Donald Trump securing a second presidential term. During his first term, Trump repeatedly proposed completely withdrawing U.S. troops from South Korea, former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in a memoir.
According to a New York Times report last month, surveys conducted jointly by the newspaper, Siena College, and the Philadelphia Inquirer indicated that Trump was leading among registered voters in a head-to-head matchup against Biden in five out of six key states: Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
The KINU’s report shows that 52.2 percent of respondents believe Trump’s election win would mean the deterioration of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
For that important reason among others, 62.8 percent said they prefer Biden to Trump as the leader of the U.S., while only 10.6 percent said they prefer having Trump in that position.
In another notable result, 56.6 percent said they believe that, if Trump returns to the White House, he will likely hold another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, despite their two previous fruitless meetings during Trump’s first term.
The Korea Times · by 2024-06-28 11:40 | World · June 28, 2024
11. S. Korea, U.S. chip lobby groups discuss ties in technology, supply chain
S. Korea, U.S. chip lobby groups discuss ties in technology, supply chain | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kang Yoon-seung · June 28, 2024
SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- The semiconductor lobby groups of South Korea and the United States discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in technology research and maintaining a stable supply chain, Seoul's industry ministry said Friday.
The U.S.-Korea Supply Chain and Commercial Dialogue Semiconductor Forum, held in Washington, was organized following an agreement between the two countries in April last year to create an event to explore ways to expand ties in the sector, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
During the event, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, as well as officials from leading chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics Co., SK hynix Inc., Intel Corp. and IBM Corp., shared ideas on expanding cooperation in different areas of the industry.
The Korea Semiconductor Industry Association and the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association also signed a memorandum of understanding to hold the forum regularly and seek business partnerships in emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence.
"South Korea plans to expand investment in global research and development projects, and support bilateral technology cooperation through the Global Industrial Technology Cooperation Centers," Ahn said.
Ahn added that the country will also promote exchanges of experts with master's or doctoral degrees to address the workforce shortage in the chip industry.
South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun (R), U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo (C) and Japanese Industry Minister Ken Saito pose for a photo in Washington on June 26, 2024, in this photo released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kang Yoon-seung · June 28, 2024
12. S. Korea urges N. Korea to give prior notice over border dam water discharge
The dam as a weapon.
S. Korea urges N. Korea to give prior notice over border dam water discharge
The Korea Times · June 28, 2024
Deputy spokesperson at Seoul's unification ministry Kim In-ae speaks during a regular press briefing at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Seoul, June 21. Yonhap
The unification ministry urged North Korea on Friday to give prior notice if it releases water from a dam near the inter-Korean border, citing the need to prevent damage in border areas from possible heavy rains.
The request came as North Korea opened the floodgates of the Hwanggang Dam to release water during the summer monsoon season without notifying the South in advance.
"The government urges North Korea to give prior notice if it releases water from the dam to prevent flooding in border areas during the monsoon season," Kim In-ae, deputy spokesperson at the ministry, told a press briefing.
She criticized North Korea for discharging water "maliciously" in violation of an inter-Korean agreement that calls for the North to give such a notification in advance.
"This is an issue directly related to our people's lives, safety and property. It is a humanitarian issue that is not related to the political and military situation between the two Koreas," Kim said.
The official called on North Korea to immediately normalize the now-suspended inter-Korean liaison communication channel so that Seoul could receive the prior notice over water discharges.
In October 2009, North Korea agreed to notify the South in advance when it plans to release water from the dam, following an accident that killed six South Koreans after the North discharged water from the dam without notice.
But since then, North Korea has given such prior notice only three times, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · June 28, 2024
13. S. Korea slaps sanctions on N. Korea's Missile Administration, 4 Russian vessels for violating U.N. resolutions
S. Korea slaps sanctions on N. Korea's Missile Administration, 4 Russian vessels for violating U.N. resolutions | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · June 27, 2024
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, June 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has imposed independent sanctions on four Russian vessels and eight North Koreans for engaging in illicit weapons and fuel trade and other activities in violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.
The sanctions also include five entities, including North Korea's Missile Administration, which is responsible for the latest missile launch on Wednesday that Seoul claims was a failed test, the ministry said in a press release.
The ministry noted that the latest move is in response to a military pact signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit in Pyongyang on June 19. This pact calls for the provision of military and other assistance from one side to the other "with all means" at their disposal and "without delay" if either of the two countries is invaded or enters a state of war.
The four Russian vessels were involved in supplying refined oil to North Korea through ship-to-ship transfers, a critical resource for North Korea's development of nuclear and missile armaments.
Such activity violates UNSC sanctions, specifically Resolution 2397 adopted in December 2017, which bans the supply, sale and transfer of luxury items to North Korea.
The sanctioned vessels will require special approval from South Korean port authorities if they wish to enter a South Korean port.
Other entities include Russia-based M Leasing LLC, responsible for weapons trading between Moscow and Pyongyang, and Euromarket, located in Georgia, which has been selling Russian oil to North Korea.
The sanctions also target eight North Koreans, all of whom are involved in developing and managing missiles within North Korea's Missile Administration, according to the ministry.
Han Kum-bok and Kim Chang-rok are involved in missile development within the agency, while Choi Chol-ung and Ma Chol-wan have been engaged in missile operations. Notably, Choi accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Russia last September.
Ryu Sang-hun, an official spearheading a program to develop a spy satellite, was also responsible for the country's successful launch of a military spy satellite in November 2023.
The other three North Koreans are involved in the development of ballistic missiles, the ministry said.
Financial and foreign exchange transactions with the sanctioned entities and individuals will require prior approval.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · June 27, 2024
14. Editorial: April birth rate rebound offers hope for South Korea's population decline
Editorial: April birth rate rebound offers hope for South Korea's population decline
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2024/06/28/HLLN73K4EVA47L6N4AGUUGLDQE/
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2024.06.28. 08:30
Updated 2024.06.28. 09:03
Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Joong-keun, center, poses with an employee's family, after giving them 200 million won (approximately $144,340) in cash during a New Year ceremony at the company headquarters in Seoul, on Fe. 5, 2024./Yonhap News
The number of births in South Korea in April reached 19,049, marking a 2.8% (521 births) increase compared to a year earlier. Since September 2022, the monthly birth rate had been declining, but it has now risen for the first time in 19 months. The birth rate per 1,000 people increased by 0.2 to 4.6 compared to the previous year. This is also the first rebound in April births in nine years, providing encouraging news amid concerns about South Korea’s declining population.
Marriage registrations, a leading indicator of birth rates, also increased to 18,039 in April, a 24.6% (3,565 marriages) rise from the same month last year. The April marriage growth rate is the highest since October 2018 (26%) and is the highest ever recorded for April. While some of this increase can be attributed to the low number of marriages last April, various low birth rate policies by local governments likely contributed to the rise.
In Daejeon, which saw a 44.1% increase in marriages (the highest rate), newlyweds ages 19-39 received up to 5 million won (approximately $3,607) in marriage incentives starting in January. Daegu, with the second-highest increase of 37.6%, provided up to 3.2 million won annually in interest subsidies for rental loans to newlyweds within seven years of marriage. The significant rise in marriages in these areas indicates that even if not groundbreaking, local measures to combat low birth rates are having some effect.
Corporate initiatives to encourage births are also showing results. Booyoung Group, which offers a birth incentive of 100 million won per child to its employees, saw over five times more applicants for its new hires this year compared to previous years. There was also a notable increase in the number of applicants in their 20s and 30s for experienced positions, which were previously dominated by applicants in their 40s and 50s. This demonstrates that companies promoting birth rates and creating family-friendly work environments can effectively encourage higher birth rates.
To ensure that this positive trend in birth rates continues, it is essential for the entire country to transform into a society where raising children is easier and more desirable. The government and local authorities need to implement and consistently execute policies that address housing affordability, job creation, childcare support, and the reduction of excessive private education costs. Such measures will undoubtedly be effective.
15. ＜Interview with a N. Korean Woman＞What was happening in the spring of 2024? (2) Excluding S. Korea and erasing unification; Reign of terror
Important insights. KIm is weak and fearful.
Will the Korean people reach a breaking point or will the horrendous population and resources control measures imposed by the regime maintain suiffict suppression of any possible resistance?
Most important is that Kim's promises have failed. He promised that nuclear weapons would bring peace and prosperity and in 2018 the Korean people thought they were on the path to a better life because they thought Kim Jong Un's political warfare and blackmail diplomacy were becoming successful as Kim tried to play Moon and Trump.
Excerpt:
"We received rice from them (South Korea), we had talks at Panmunjom (the inter-Korean summit in April 2018), and we were expecting to live well with each other for a while. That's why people are confused. They don't know if the government is doing this to prepare for war or if they are afraid that South Korea will absorb us because its living well. The government may be afraid that if we open the border with South Korea, it's all going to go downhill.
―― Are people around you scared?
"Yes, they only do what they are told to do and see what they are told to see. The families of North Korean defectors in particular are unable to say much of anything because of the fear of getting sent to prison. If you say something wrong, you'll face surveillance, and no one knows what will happen then. The authorities say that people who don't follow the law should die, and tell people they should turn themselves in or report wrongdoing. That's the kind of system that's in place. If you get caught, you're going to die. I don't know why they do this."
＜Interview with a N. Korean Woman＞What was happening in the spring of 2024? (2) Excluding S. Korea and erasing unification; Reign of terror
asiapress.org
A North Korean soldier stands on guard duty near the barbed wire fence along the Yalu River on the North Korea-China border. Photographed from the Chinese side in October 2023 (Asia Press)
＜Interview with a N. Korean Woman＞What was happening in the spring of 2024? (1) Who is starving and why?
Earlier this year, Kim Jong Un's regime declared South Koreans to be enemies and set out to erase all traces of South Korea and reunification in the country. In late April, ASIAPRESS conducted a phone interview with a woman in Ryanggang Province to find out about how ordinary people are feeling about this change in policy. (JEON Sung-jun / KANG Ji-won)
◆ North Koreans are confused about sudden changes, while the military is erasing unification slogans
―― Kim Jong-un declared earlier this year that South Korea and North Korea are not the same people and not worthy of reunification. What was the reaction inside the country?
"It became a big deal here. They don't even let us say the word Korea, and South Korean dramas and movies are considered something for the enemies to watch. The military has been instructed to remove all unification slogans, so there are a lot of soldiers coming (to the city) to obtain paint."
"We received rice from them (South Korea), we had talks at Panmunjom (the inter-Korean summit in April 2018), and we were expecting to live well with each other for a while. That's why people are confused. They don't know if the government is doing this to prepare for war or if they are afraid that South Korea will absorb us because its living well. The government may be afraid that if we open the border with South Korea, it's all going to go downhill."
―― What are you referring to when you talk about soldiers coming to obtain paint?
"They're coming to get it so that they can paint over the slogans related to reunification."
◆North Koreans still want unification and economic exchanges
―― What do people around you think of South Korea?
"We have the same ethnicity, and it's a country that's doing well economically. People who have family in South Korea are referred to as part of the "Hallasan Bloodline" and they're better off than those part of the "Paekdusan Bloodline." It would be great if there was reunification, and even if there wasn't, it would be great if there was economic exchange. I hope that exchanges can become normalized.”
* People who are part of the "Baekdusan Bloodline" are the immediate family members of those who fought alongside Kim Il-sung in the anti-Japanese struggle when Korea was a colony of Japan, and have been favored by the North Korean regime. In recent years, the families of those who defected to South Korea have been referred to as part of the "Hallasan Bloodline" and envied because the remittances sent by defectors have raised their standard of living beyond that of those in the "Baekdusan Bloodline."
―― Do you wish for reunification, even if the country opposes it?
"Yes. We can't hear or talk about what's going on outside the country, and it's become a really, really scary world. All we focus on is getting something to eat... I wish I could go out and see how people live in the outside world."
◆ Emergency arrests and public executions: People are numbed by fear
(FILE PHOTO) North Korea’s guard post No. 10 seen across the Yalu River. It is under the jurisdiction of the National Security Bureau (secret police) and blocks major roads leading to the border, mainly inspecting ID cards, travel documents, and cell phones of passers-by. Photographed from the Chinese side in Sakju County, North Pyongan Province, September 2023 (ASIAPRESS)
―― We've heard that there's more control over the population than before. What is that like?
"Like I said, it's become a world where everybody here can't say anything, and you have to stay away from your friends and relatives. It's become a world where you have to spend two years in reeducation camps if you do almost anything wrong. They'll line you up and shoot you in an instant. Recently, there's been something called an "emergency arrest.” If they see someone involved in a case, they take them away, no matter where they are. It's hard just walking around because we’re all numbed by fear. There's been three public executions since last year, and there are still many people who are going to face executions, I've heard."
* Between August and December of last year, 12 people were executed in three public executions in Hyesan alone.
＜Urgent Report＞ Public execution takes place again on December 19, the third in Hyesan this year…large numbers of people mobilized to witness event
―― Are people around you scared?
"Yes, they only do what they are told to do and see what they are told to see. The families of North Korean defectors in particular are unable to say much of anything because of the fear of getting sent to prison. If you say something wrong, you'll face surveillance, and no one knows what will happen then. The authorities say that people who don't follow the law should die, and tell people they should turn themselves in or report wrongdoing. That's the kind of system that's in place. If you get caught, you're going to die. I don't know why they do this."
(End of Interview Series)
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
Map of North Korea (ASIAPRESS)
＜Interview with a N. Korean Woman＞What was happening in the spring of 2024? (1) Who is starving and why?
asiapress.org
16. Weapons coproduction with S. Korea makes 'a lot of sense,' US Army weapons buyer says
South Korea is a full partner in the Arsenal of Democracy.
Weapons coproduction with S. Korea makes 'a lot of sense,' US Army weapons buyer says - Breaking Defense
“We need co-r&d, coproduction, and co-sustainment and cooperation. We need to be able to cooperate in various sectors so all this manned and unmanned systems will replace our traditional systems,” said South Korea’s minister for Defense Acquisition Program Administration Seok Jong-gun.
breakingdefense.com · by Ashley Roque · June 27, 2024
US Army soldiers with 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-US Combined Division conduct a range tour of training locations in South Korea, Oct. 11, 2022 (US Army/Sgt. Evan Cooper)
WASHINGTON — Senior US and South Korea defense acquisition officials took the stage in Washington today, touting potential avenues for weapon coproduction, development and sustainment, spanning everything from artillery systems to robots.
As the US eyes China as its top strategic competitor and gleans lessons from the war inside Ukraine, it is working to set up bilateral military coproduction agreements with countries throughout the Indo-Pacific region, like a decision last year to produce Lockheed Martin’s Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munitions in Australia. And according to the head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Seok Jong-gun and US Army acquisition head Doug Bush, there’s no reason that the two longtime allies can’t find projects to work together on.
From a US Army vantage point, Bush said it could “make a lot of sense” to either coproduce or sustain “traditional” weapons like helicopters, ground combat vehicles, artillery and infantry systems inside South Korea, Bush said.
“It’s really a win-win,” he added during the event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“The advanced, very technologically capable, defense industrial base that can clearly support us logistically including through maintenance of aircraft, for example, where we share fleets already, we already operate similar aircraft, that would make a lot of sense, but also in working overtime on production cooperation and sharing of resources,” Bush said.
Speaking through a translator, Seok agreed and also cited a keen interest in developing new, unmanned weapons with the US, especially at a time when his nation’s population is shrinking.
“It’s hard to have enough force, human resources…. We have to apply that to the weapons system and use that as a game changer in our battlefield environment,” he said.
“We need co-r&d [research and development], coproduction, and cosustainment and cooperation,” Seok added. “We need to be able to cooperate in various sectors so all this manned and unmanned systems will replace our traditional systems.”
For decades, South Korea has maintained a robust defense industry, but one focused on internal defense. In recent years that has shifted, with Korean firms netting major wins around the globe thanks, in part, to coordinate support from Seoul.
Accordingly, Seok used today’s venue to tout Seoul’s defense industrial base push to break into the US market, especially inside the artillery realm. Specifically, he called out Hanwha’s interest in entering its K9 Thunder 155-millimeter self-propelled howitzer into a US Army competition for a new mobile howitzer. And Bush, for his part, sounded interested.
“The K9 system, as a 52-caliber 155-mm system, is very advanced [and] in some ways more advanced than our systems because, for example, it has an automatic loading capability,” Bush said, acknowledging the system as a potential candidate for a competition. While he did not discuss the pending competition further, he noted South Korea’s “ability to do end-to-end production of artillery ammunition…which is extremely important.”
Earlier this year, the service announced it was halting all work on its Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) platform prototype, a bid to add a 30-foot, 58-caliber gun tube to BAE Systems’ Paladin M109A7 self-propelled howitzer. The goal, up until then, was to use the modified artillery platform to launch 155-mm rounds out to 70km, an increase from the current max range of up to 30km.
More broadly, Bush emphasized, having a partner able to produce weapons used by the US military in country is hugely helpful when considering a regional conflict.
“The importance of having things forward with our allies on the ground in place, rather than having to rely on very long supply chains back to the United States, especially in a conflict — building up those stocks, repair parts, repair capability ammunition stores — is both deterrence, but also would help overcome fighting a sophisticated enemy who attacked our supply chains in our state and our supply routes,” Bush said.
breakingdefense.com · by Ashley Roque · June 27, 2024
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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