Quotes of the Day:
“Hatred is the most accessible and comprehensive of all the unifying agents. Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a god, but never without a belief in a devil.”
― Eric Hoffer, The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements
“If the mind is to emerge unscathed from this relentless struggle with the unforeseen, two qualities are indispensable: first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmerings of the inner light which leads to truth; and second, the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may lead.”
― Carl Von Clausewitz, On War: Volume 1
“Loyalty is a noble quality, so long as it is not blind and does not exclude the higher loyalty to truth and decency.”
― B.H. Liddell Hart, Why Don't We Learn from History?
1. N. Korea says it will stop sending trash-filled balloons, will resume if S. Korea sends leaflets
2. NSC decides to fully suspend 2018 inter-Korean peace pact after N.K. trash balloon campaign
3. Possible North Korean balloon debris falls near elementary school on Osan Air Base
4. Activists mull suspending leaflet operation if Kim Jong-un apologizes for balloon campaign
5. How the North Korea-Russia alliance could damage Biden in 2024
6. U.S., South Korea and Japan agree to hold joint military exercises
7. Border residents call for halt to sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to N. Korea
8. Kim Jong Un’s new line more bark than bite
9. Editorial: S. Korea must consider loudspeaker broadcasts assuming N. Korean military provocations
10. Jeju Forum seeks to ‘secure free navigation’ with global maritime security experts
11. Is the 'female commander' the essence of Army trainee’s death?
12. Farmers protest against lack of food rations, police mobilized Cadres diverted food to other uses
13. Unification minister slams North Korea for trash balloons, GPS jamming
14. Defense Intelligence Agency report confirms Russia is using North Korean missiles in its war against Ukraine
15. Two Sariwon teenagers publicly tried for distributing S. Korean songs, photos
16. One N. Korean's view of the ongoing crackdown on the China-North Korea border
1. N. Korea says it will stop sending trash-filled balloons, will resume if S. Korea sends leaflets
This is classic north Korean political warfare and negotiating strategy. The regime's major objective is to stop information from flowing into north Korea. So now it is willing to give up sending filth to the South in return for the South stopping information from going into the north. And of course it says it reserves its "right" to resume its S**T show if the South allows information to go north.
N. Korea says it will stop sending trash-filled balloons, will resume if S. Korea sends leaflets | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Yoo Jee-ho · June 2, 2024
SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Sunday it will temporarily stop sending trash-filled balloons across the border to South Korea, though it also threatened to resume such operations if Seoul sends more anti-Pyongyang leaflets.
In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il claimed Pyongyang had sent 3,500 balloons, carrying 15 tons worth of debris, toward South Korea between Tuesday night and Sunday morning.
Kim offered to temporarily halt that activity because it was solely in response to anti-communist leaflets flown up north by South Korean activists.
Kim added that should South Korea send such leaflets again, North Korea will retaliate with balloons carrying "garbage amounting to 100 times" the quantity of those propaganda pieces of paper.
A cleaner takes away bags of trash carried airborne by North Korean balloons in a parking lot outside a shopping mall in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, on June 2, 2024. (Yonhap)
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Yoo Jee-ho · June 2, 2024
2. NSC decides to fully suspend 2018 inter-Korean peace pact after N.K. trash balloon campaign
South Korea is not going to allow itself to be duped by north Korea.
(2nd LD) NSC decides to fully suspend 2018 inter-Korean peace pact after N.K. trash balloon campaign | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · June 3, 2024
(ATTN: UPDATES with background of loudspeakers in last six paras)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- The presidential National Security Council (NSC) decided Monday to fully suspend the 2018 inter-Korean reduction pact until mutual trust is restored in response to North Korea's massive sending of trash-carrying balloons into South Korea.
The NSC held a meeting with related ministries to evaluate North Korea's recent series of provocations and agreed to propose a motion suspending the Comprehensive Military Agreement during a Cabinet meeting slated for Tuesday.
"The attendees decided to submit a proposal to suspend the entire effectiveness of the September 19 Military Agreement until mutual trust between the two Koreas is restored," the presidential office said in a release.
National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin (4th from R) presides over a NSC meeting at the presidential office on June 3, 2024, to discuss North Korea's sending of trash-carrying balloons to South Korea, in this photo provided by the presidential office. (PHOTONOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The North has sent nearly 1,000 balloons carrying trash into the South since Thursday in what it said was a tit-for-tat campaign against South Korean activists sending balloons carrying propaganda leaflets denouncing the North's regime.
No human casualties were reported, but some balloons caused property damage, such as a broken windshield.
The NSC meeting, presided over by Deputy Principal National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo, concluded that North Korea's recent provocations have caused real harm and threats to South Korean citizens and negatively impacted the military's readiness posture.
Monday's decision to suspend the whole pact came months after South Korea suspended part of the pact and removed no-fly zones along the border, after the North successfully launched its first military spy satellite in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The full suspension of the pact, which is often dubbed the "Sept. 19 military agreement" after the day when it was signed in 2018, would allow South Korea to resume military training near the border and loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts into the North.
"This measure will enable military training near the Military Demarcation Line, which has been restricted by the agreement, and allow for more adequate and immediate responses to North Korean provocations. The government will take all necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of our citizens," the office said.
On Sunday, National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin said the government will take "unbearable" measures against North Korea in response to its sending of trash balloons and continued jamming of GPS signals last week. It raised speculation over resuming propaganda campaigns via loudspeakers along the border.
Hours after the warning, North Korea said it will temporarily stop sending trash-carrying balloons across the border into South Korea, though it also threatened to resume such operations if anti-Pyongyang leaflets are sent from South Korea.
The North said its balloon campaign came purely in response to leaflets sent by South Korean activists.
To resume the front-line broadcasts, it would be necessary to nullify a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, which bans hostile acts between the two Koreas. The loudspeakers used to air criticism of the Kim Jong-un regime's human rights abuses, news and K-pop songs, drawing angry responses from Pyongyang.
The 2018 agreement, signed to reduce tensions along the border, remains effectively scrapped after the North conducted live-fire artillery drills near the western border islands in January.
This photo, provided by the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police, shows a car's windshield destroyed by a North Korean balloon carrying trash on June 2, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Loudspeaker propaganda began in 1963 under former President Park Chung-hee's administration and was halted in 2004 following an inter-Korean military agreement during the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration.
It was temporarily resumed as a countermeasure to North Korean provocations, including the 2010 Cheonan warship sinking, which claimed the lives of 46 sailors, and Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in 2016.
The propaganda campaign has been suspended since former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to halt hostile acts along the border following their summit at the truce village of Panmunjom in April 2018.
Fixed loudspeakers, audible up to 24 kilometers, were installed at around ten frontline locations, while about 40 mobile units, with a greater range, were also used.
The fixed loudspeakers were dismantled following the 2018 agreement and have been stored in warehouses, while the mobile units are parked by nearby military bases, according to military officials.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it is ready to implement the government's decision to resume the propaganda broadcasting following the NSC meeting on Sunday.
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · June 3, 2024
3. Possible North Korean balloon debris falls near elementary school on Osan Air Base
Data for north Korea to evaluate the flight distances of its balloons.
I do not know if we still do this, but in years past we used to provide copies of Stars and Stripes to the north Korean duty officers at Panmunjom.
Possible North Korean balloon debris falls near elementary school on Osan Air Base
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · June 2, 2024
A bag of trash carried by a North Korean balloon is pictured in Seoul, South Korea, June, 1, 2024. (South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff)
SEOUL, South Korea — Debris discovered Sunday near a school on Osan Air Base may have come from one of about 720 balloons North Korea floated across the border over the weekend.
The debris found near Osan Elementary School was cleaned up after an explosive ordnance team set up a cordon, principal Allyse Struhs said in a 6:15 p.m. email to parents and guardians.
“Please be assured that we anticipate no threats or school delays to our students on Monday,” she wrote.
Further details were not available, but the incident is under investigation, Capt. Michelle Chang, a spokeswoman for Osan’s 51st Fighter Wing, told Stars and Stripes by phone.
Hundreds of balloons carrying trash from North Korea have been discovered in several South Korean provinces since late Saturday, prompting Seoul to issue a second mass-alert warning in a week.
The South’s government sent the latest alert to cellphones around 9 p.m. Saturday, warning people to watch out for falling objects. Those who see a balloon were advised to avoid contact with the object and report it to police or the nearest military unit.
Some balloons were discovered around 8 p.m. Saturday, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a news release the next morning. Tethered to the balloons were bags of scrap paper, cigarette butts and other household trash.
The South Korean military and local police have been dispatched to collect the balloons; no harmful substances were immediately detected in the bags, the Joint Chiefs said.
The government issued a similar alert Tuesday after 260 balloons were discovered floating throughout South Korea. Some carried manure, according to the South Korean military.
North Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il warned last week that “mounds of wastepaper and filth will soon be scattered over the border,” according to a state-run Korean Central News Agency report on May 26.
The North Korean balloons are a response to balloons sent north of the border by South Korean human rights activists, the KCNA report said. The activists regularly send balloons carrying food and money in hopes they’ll reach struggling North Koreans.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said the balloons are a form of “freedom of expression” and warned that more could be on South Korea’s horizon, according to a KCNA report on Wednesday.
U.N. Command, the multinational body responsible for upholding the armistice agreement between North and South, began investigating the balloons last week.
“The military action of deploying mass numbers of balloons with substances (e.g. fecal matter and other contaminants) that can cause harm to local populations is not only offensive and unsanitary but constitutes a violation of the armistice agreement,” the command said in a statement Wednesday.
South Korean troops inspect trash carried by a North Korean balloon to Seoul, South Korea, June 1, 2024. (South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff)
Trash carried by a North Korean balloon is pictured in Seoul, South Korea, June, 1, 2024. (South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff)
David Choi
David Choi
David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · June 2, 2024
4. Activists mull suspending leaflet operation if Kim Jong-un apologizes for balloon campaign
Do not suspend operations. Koreans in the north want this information. They deserve it.
But they are right to demand the condition (and one in which we can be sure Kim will not honor). This allows them the justification to continue operations.
I understand that there are those in the South who will protest these operations and who are afraid of the regime's rhetoric and what the regime will do in response (more than just a thousand balloons of filth).
Activists mull suspending leaflet operation if Kim Jong-un apologizes for balloon campaign | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 3, 2024
SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean defectors' group said Monday it could consider temporarily halting the scattering of anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border if the North's leader Kim Jong-un apologizes for the sending of trash-carrying balloons to South Korea.
Since Tuesday, North Korea has sent nearly 1,000 balloons carrying trash to the South in what it called a "tit-for-tat" action against Seoul activists' leaflet campaigns.
Park Sang-hak, head of the Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK), said there is basically no change in his stance that the group will resume the leaflet operations if winds blow in a northern direction.
"But we can consider temporarily stopping (the sending of the leaflets) if Kim Jong-un politely apologizes for letting South Koreans be hit with trash," he said.
The FFNK and other North Korean defectors' groups in South Korea have sent big plastic balloons carrying propaganda leaflets and USB sticks loaded with K-pop and drama content over the North in what they say is aimed at freeing North Korean people from the North Korean regime with outside information.
South Korea said Sunday it will not rule out the option to switch on loudspeaker broadcasting along the border as part of its "unendurable" responses to Pyongyang following the North's latest balloon operations and GPS jamming attacks.
Hours after Seoul's announcement, North Korea said it will temporarily stop flying rubbish-carrying balloons to the South, but also threatened to resume sending them if the South scatters anti-Pyongyang leaflets.
In September, the Constitutional Court ruled that a clause banning leaflet launches in the act on the development of inter-Korean relations is unconstitutional, saying it excessively restricts the right to freedom of expression.
This undated photo, provided by the Fighters for a Free North Korea, a North Korean defectors' group, shows plastic balloons carrying leaflets critical of the North Korean regime that the group was sending to the North in Paju, a city near the inter-Korean border. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 3, 2024
5. How the North Korea-Russia alliance could damage Biden in 2024
What action could north Korea take that would cause US voters to change their presidential vote? There is probably nothing short tof war.
How the North Korea-Russia alliance could damage Biden in 2024
BY ELLEN MITCHELL - 06/02/24 6:00 AM ET
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4696498-north-korea-russia-damage-biden-2024-election/?utm
An intensifying military alliance between Russia and North Korea could spell trouble for President Biden in November.
Pyongyang — already accused of supplying Moscow with vast amounts of munitions for its war in Ukraine in return for military technology — is suspected of planning a major provocative military action close to the U.S. presidential election, according to U.S. intelligence and experts.
That stormcloud on the horizon comes in addition to an expanded deal between the two countries that could be inked in a few weeks during an expected visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea to meet leader Kim Jong Un.
Such a deal would likely further entrench the grinding war in Ukraine and bolster Pyongyang’s nuclear aims, increasing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region during an already rocky year for Biden when it comes to foreign policy.
“This is definitely something that the Biden administration has to worry about,” said Harry Kazianis, the senior director of national security affairs at the Center for the National Interest think tank.
The alliance between Kim and Putin has been steadily growing since September, when the two first met to negotiate the purchase of North Korean artillery shells, rockets and missiles in exchange for valuable Russian military technology.
By November, U.S. and South Korean officials estimated Pyongyang had sent a million artillery shells to Moscow in addition to rockets and ballistic missiles — a violation of numerous U.N. sanctions on both countries — though North Korea firmly denies those claims.
The North Korean missiles have had a deadly impact in Ukraine, according to Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh.
“We’ve seen this deepening of partnership between North Korea and Russia. We know that the munitions being supplied by DPRK to Russia are being used on the battlefield in Ukraine,” she told reporters Thursday, referring to the country’s official name of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“We know that they have been successful in causing damage to infrastructure, causing civilians to be killed.”
Now, with Putin planning to visit Kim in the next several weeks, experts predict a further solidified military alliance. The union is beneficial for both Russia’s aim of grinding down Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear and space ambitions, but it’s problematic for the rest of the globe.
“The relationship between Russia and North Korea makes Russia a little bit more dangerous and a little bit more problematic, but it makes North Korea a lot more dangerous and a lot more problematic,” said Markus Garlauskas director of the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council.
Garlauskas told The Hill the alliance is likely to embolden Kim into levels of escalation he might not otherwise be willing to take, while also helping North Korea refine their capabilities and give them insights as to how they can use those in real conflicts or full-scale war.
Kim, in particular, is reportedly looking to Russia to help North Korea complete final steps needed to launch its first nuclear-armed submarine, as well as successfully get a spy satellite into space.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of talk about a very firm military partnership,” Kazianis said of the upcoming meeting. “I think the North Koreans are going to formalize their aid to Russia in terms of military hardware, missiles, all that type of stuff. And I think the Russians are going to be reciprocating by offering satellite equipment, [Intercontinental Ballistic Missile] technology, missile technology, helping with advanced artillery equipment.”
He said such an agreement is “extremely dangerous for the Biden administration” given North Korea’s already potent arsenal that could soon be bolstered by Soviet technology.
“I think the Biden administration has got to start thinking about what they can do to limit that impact and I don’t think they are right now,” he added.
Russia’s military, which is eating up ammunition on the battlefield faster than its factories can churn it out, will continue to need help from the outside, likely from North Korea’s surplus of old military stocks left over from the Korean War, according to Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In exchange, North Korea appears eager for a major military boost via Moscow after a series of setbacks, including Monday’s explosion of a spy satellite launch just minutes after liftoff — the third such failure in Pyongyang’s last four attempts to put a satellite into orbit.
That failure set off an angry barrage of at least 10 North Korea ballistic missiles fired from Pyongyang into the Sea of Japan on Thursday, according the U.S. and South Korean officials.
“Russia would not [normally] give important technology to North Korea … but because Putin needs this ammunition he’s probably willing to provide things that he or his predecessors were not willing to provide in the past,” Cha said.
“The Ukraine war is about the best thing that could have ever happened for North Korea,” he added. “It’s like the candy store has opened up…just because they’ve got Putin in a position where he needs North Korea more than North Korea needs Putin.”
Such an agreement between the two countries “definitely complicates the situation for Biden because Putin is now doing things with North Korea that not only affects the battlefield in Ukraine, but affects security in the Indo-Pacific,” Cha said. “It is quite concerning.”
What’s more, North Korea’s saber rattling could soon ramp up.”
Data compiled by CSIS shows that North Korea typically increases their military activity in U.S. presidential election years by nearly four times their usual pace.
But U.S. intelligence officials are further bracing for the isolated nation to undertake a major military action — potentially the largest in a decade — close to November, NBC News reported.
Kazianis said he fully expects a so-called “October surprise” from Pyongyang to be a nuclear test as the last couple of years North Korea has fallen off the U.S. media map
“He’s got to do something really big. The biggest thing he could do that he hasn’t done in years is a nuclear test,” Kazianis said. “The question for Kim is, does he make it a tactical nuclear weapons test that’s kind of small but can show a new military capability? Or does he go big and prove to the world that he has the ability to produce hydrogen bombs?”
That possibility has been bolstered by U.S. intelligence that points to increased activity at one of the North Korean nuclear test facilities.
In addition, satellite images from April 2 by Beyond Parallel, a CSIS project, showed activity at Tunnel No. 3 at North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear facility.
“Any activity in or around Tunnel No. 3 is always of concern as both the United States and South Korea have assessed North Korea as having completed all the required preparations for conducting a seventh nuclear test from the tunnel,” the group noted.
Others, including Cha, predicted North Korea will continue its pace of missile demonstrations through the rest of this year, which could include a major ICBM test flight.
And North Korea does not appear to be swayed to give up on its military ambitions by any outside prodding. The U.S. has made no significant headway with the Kim regime since Biden has been in office, despite multiple offers to begin talks without any conditions. The one outreach attempt made this year garnered no response, officials told NBC.
6. U.S., South Korea and Japan agree to hold joint military exercises
U.S., South Korea and Japan agree to hold joint military exercises
By Reuters
June 2, 20248:32 AM EDTUpdated a day ago
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-skorea-japan-agree-hold-joint-military-exercises-2024-06-02/?mc_cid=91e621b56b&mc_eid=70bf478f36
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik attend a trilateral meeting on sidelines of the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, June 2, 2024. REUTERS/Caroline Chia Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
SEOUL/TOKYO, June 2 (Reuters) - The United States, Japan and South Korea agreed to hold new trilateral joint exercises this summer, a joint statement issued by U.S Department of Defense said on Sunday, after a meeting of the three allies' defense ministers.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Japan's Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik met on Sunday in Singapore on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security summit there.
The three "committed to continue to strengthen trilateral cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific, and beyond," according to the statement.
The three also agreed to establish a Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework this year in an effort to institutionalize their three-way defense cooperation.
The top defense officials of the three countries criticized North Korea's recent launches of ballistic missiles and a military spy satellite using ballistic missile technology as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Coming soon: Get the latest news and expert analysis about the state of the global economy with Reuters Econ World. Sign up here.
Reporting by Hyunsu Yim in Seoul and Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo Editing by Peter Graff
7. Border residents call for halt to sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to N. Korea
Balloons have gone back and forth across the DMZ for decades. I do not recall that there was ever a single incident of anyone being hurt by a balloon or by actions in response to a balloon.
Border residents call for halt to sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Hyun-soo · June 3, 2024
SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- Residents near the inter-Korean border called on South and North Korea to halt hostile acts against each other Monday as tensions have been running high in the wake of the North's massive sending of trash-carrying balloons into the South.
During a news conference held in front of the presidential office, a network of civic groups and residents residing near the inter-Korean border urged the government to crack down on acts of sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North.
The North has sent nearly 1,000 balloons carrying trash into the South since Thursday in what it said was a tit-for-tat campaign against South Korean activists sending balloons carrying propaganda leaflets denouncing the North's regime.
No human casualties were reported, but some balloons caused property damage, such as a broken windshield.
"Military clashes should be prevented at all costs. What is necessary now is to halt hostile acts so as to remove the possibility of military clashes and reopen the door for dialogue and peace," the groups said in a statement.
"As North Korea's distribution of trash came in response to leaflets sent toward the North, the solution to this situation lies not in expanding psychological warfare, such as resuming loudspeaker broadcasts, but in cracking down on and halting the distribution of leaflets toward the North," they said.
In response to the North's campaign, the South Korean government said it will take "unbearable" measures against the North, with speculations over resuming propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers along the border.
The unification ministry on Monday said it will not stop South Korean activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North, citing freedom of expression.
A civic group holds a press briefing in Seoul on June 3, 2024, calling for the government to stop activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North. (Yonhap)
sookim@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Hyun-soo · June 3, 2024
8. Kim Jong Un’s new line more bark than bite
Very interesting analysis that we have been stressing for some time.
Excerpt:
What to make of all this? First, this whole turn should be seen primarily as an event in DPRK domestic politics, rather than inter-Korean relations.
It reflects Kim’s frustration, shared by his predecessors, at the fact that South Korea exists: right there, on his doorstep and in his face, ever more successful and infinitely more prosperous. That is a profound challenge on many levels. Any North Korean government must find a way to account for and handle the South, in theory and practice alike.
Second, I suspect this is Kim’s own idea. His visceral dislike for the ROK underlay an earlier episode: the razing of Southern-built facilities at the former Mount Kumgang tourist resort.
Kim’s remarks at the time betrayed a seething anger at the very idea of South Korean property on Northern territory. He seemed to be against cooperation as such, not just annoyed at how this project had turned out.
Third, another reason to attribute this idea to Kim is the sheer incoherence noted above. What does he mean by “ROK”: Regime? Territory? People? He slips between all three, especially the first two. And if ROK is a separate state, on what basis is the DPRK entitled to subjugate it?
Put another way, this bears the hallmark of Kim Ki Nam’s retirement. If the master molder of DPRK ideology and propaganda over many decades had still been on the case – he died aged 94 on May 7, having retired some years earlier – such a crass idea would surely never have been approved. For it solves no problems but creates a number of new ones.
Kim Jong Un’s new line more bark than bite - Asia Times
Fire-breathing threats to subjugate the South may – or may not – briefly distract his people from their hardships
asiatimes.com · by Aidan Foster-Carter · June 3, 2024
This is part two of a two-part series on the implications of North Korea’s recent official change of stance toward South Korea, and is adapted from the author’s recent chapter in Comparative Connections: A Triannual E-journal of Bilateral Relations in the Indo-Pacific.
Barely a fortnight after the December Workers’ Party of Korea Plenum ended, many of the same people were recalled to Pyongyang for the 10th Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) on January 15. This year’s meeting of North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament was grandly titled: “On the Immediate Tasks for the Prosperity and Development of Our Republic and the Promotion of the Wellbeing of Our People.”
As that suggests, like at the plenum the focus was once again on economic policy. Yet, addressing the SPA, Kim began with a warning about the worsening security environment. This included a sideswipe at Seoul:
The suicidal acts of such servile states as the ROK unconditionally submitting to the US inflame the enmity of our Republic and … offer reasonable and full justification for strengthening the military capability and more rapidly improving the overwhelming nuclear war deterrent.
Kim now acknowledges this other state as a fact – but seems not to accept its right to exist.
Military threats loomed large in Kim’s SPA speech. He reiterated the DPRK’s longstanding non-recognition of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border in the West/Yellow Sea:
“As the southern border of our country has been clearly drawn, the illegal ‘northern limit line’ and any other boundary can never be tolerated, and if the ROK violates even 0.001mm of our territorial land, air and waters, it will be considered a war provocation.”
Kim then moved on to revising the constitution. He pronounced himself vexed that the ROK constitution lays claim to the whole peninsula, whereas the DPRK’s has no such provision. Therefore “it is necessary to take legal steps to legitimately and correctly define the territorial sphere where the sovereignty of the DPRK as an independent socialist nation is exercised.”
If that seems fair, what follows is startling:
In my opinion, we can specify in our constitution the issue of completely occupying, subjugating and reclaiming the ROK and annex it as a part of the territory of our Republic in case … a war breaks out” on the Korean Peninsula.
Moreover,
It is necessary to delete such expressions in the constitution as “northern half’” and “independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity.”
Instead, the constitution must specify that
Education should be intensified to instill into [our people] the firm idea that ROK is their primary foe and invariable principal enemy.
Kim cannot have it both ways. If the ROK is a wholly separate entity, such that “northern half” is a wrong term, then on what conceivable basis can the DPRK lay any kind of claim to it, let alone the right to occupy, subjugate, reclaim, and annex it? He talks as if this were a matter of territory alone – but what of 52 million South Koreans, who (whatever he says) remain compatriots by kinship, language, culture, and history?
It will be interesting, to say the least, to see how the amended constitution tries to square all these circles. The existing Supreme People’s Assembly will probably be reconvened later this year, to amend the Constitution according to Kim’s whims, before a new SPA is elected to approve whatever he comes up with next.
The new line also dictates practical tasks. Kim called for cross-border railways to be cut off, physically, completely, and “irretrievably.” Furthermore, “we should also completely remove the eye-sore ‘Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification’ [in] Pyongyang.” The monument seems to have come down promptly, with the railway and other work following some months later.
Kim’s speech ended in a welter of militancy and contradictions. The DPRK’s military buildup does not, he insisted, presage any “preemptive attack for realizing unilateral ‘reunification by force of arms.’”
Ah, so this is purely for self-defense?
I have already clearly mentioned the second mission of our nuclear force, in addition to its basic duty of deterring war.
This second mission reserves the right to make a pre-emptive nuclear strike. In other words, Kim maintains the right to strike first if he feels threatened or provoked.
He concluded:
We do not want war, but we also have no intention of avoiding it. There is no reason to opt for war and, therefore, there is no intention of unilaterally going to war, but once a war becomes a reality facing us, we will never try to avoid it, and we will take perfect and prompt action we thoroughly prepared…. The war will terribly destroy the entity called the Republic of Korea and put an end to its existence. And it will inflict an unimaginably crushing defeat upon the US.
The pro forma protestation of not wanting to fight seems belied by the glee with which the prospect is savored.
Less than meets the eye
What to make of all this? First, this whole turn should be seen primarily as an event in DPRK domestic politics, rather than inter-Korean relations.
It reflects Kim’s frustration, shared by his predecessors, at the fact that South Korea exists: right there, on his doorstep and in his face, ever more successful and infinitely more prosperous. That is a profound challenge on many levels. Any North Korean government must find a way to account for and handle the South, in theory and practice alike.
Second, I suspect this is Kim’s own idea. His visceral dislike for the ROK underlay an earlier episode: the razing of Southern-built facilities at the former Mount Kumgang tourist resort.
Kim’s remarks at the time betrayed a seething anger at the very idea of South Korean property on Northern territory. He seemed to be against cooperation as such, not just annoyed at how this project had turned out.
Third, another reason to attribute this idea to Kim is the sheer incoherence noted above. What does he mean by “ROK”: Regime? Territory? People? He slips between all three, especially the first two. And if ROK is a separate state, on what basis is the DPRK entitled to subjugate it?
Put another way, this bears the hallmark of Kim Ki Nam’s retirement. If the master molder of DPRK ideology and propaganda over many decades had still been on the case – he died aged 94 on May 7, having retired some years earlier – such a crass idea would surely never have been approved. For it solves no problems but creates a number of new ones.
Whatever Kim says, ordinary North Koreans know that South Koreans are in fact their kin, both in general and in particular. Highly publicized family reunions, whatever their inadequacies, are not a distant memory.
People will be puzzled, to say the least, at now being told otherwise. Moreover, this runs directly counter to the line decreed by previous Kims. Kim Jong Un’s legitimacy rests largely on fidelity to his father and grandfather, so for him to openly defy this legacy must be risky.
Bark or bite?
We know what Kim now says but what will he do? At risk of sounding complacent, my bet is: Nothing much.
First, Kim’s keenness to snuggle up to both Russia and China by no means creates a strong, united troika. Behind the formal bonhomie, both Xi and Putin are wary that this Kim might emulate his grandfather and drag them into costly and distracting conflict. China, in particular, which holds the purse strings, will not tolerate peninsular adventurism.
A second point: If Kim seriously intended to cause trouble at the Northern Limit Line, for instance, would he really give advance warning? Hamas did not go around shouting like this before October 7, nor warn that they planned to cut Israel’s border fence.
A third reason is Kim’s record. Readers may recall the politically tempestuous summer of 2020. Pyongyang frothed with talk of marching south, though this was not billed as a change of line. It all ended explosively, but no one was hurt when the North blew up the (by then unoccupied) former inter-Korean liaison office near Kaesong.
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None of this suggests a peninsula on the brink of war. Both sides are pushing the envelope, and the North’s new doctrine is alarming if taken at face value – but that is the nub. Kim Jong Un faces a mountain of problems at home. Threatening to subjugate the South solves none of them but may – or may not – briefly distract his people from their hardships.
While vigilance remains essential, Kim’s lurid new stance looks very like a new variation on a very old theme of fire-breathing performativity.
Aidan Foster-Carter (afostercarter@yahoo.com) is an honorary senior research fellow in sociology and modern Korea at Leeds.
This article was first published by Pacific Forum and is republished with permission.
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asiatimes.com · by Aidan Foster-Carter · June 3, 2024
9. Editorial: S. Korea must consider loudspeaker broadcasts assuming N. Korean military provocations
Loudspeakers are fine but...much more is needed.
That said, loudspeakers and leaflets are not anachronisms when it comes to north Korea. Read the work of Dr. George Hutchinson here. He shows how they do have effects.
ARMY OF THE INDOCTRINATED The Suryong, the Soldier, and Information in the KPA
https://www.hrnk.org/uploads/pdfs/Hutchinson_KPA_web_0426.pdf
But one of the things we really need is people to people contact. How can we achieve that with the north being such a hard target that is closed and isolated?
If I were part of an organization to orchestrate an information campaign I would develop the following program. I would have Korea Telecom construct a system of cell phone towers along the South Barrier Fence of the DMZ to project cell phone coverage into the north. I would purchase tens of thousands of SAMSUNG smart phones and I would have ROK soldiers on the DMZ place bags full of the handsets on the north side of the DMZ on every patrol, e.g., I would "flood the zone" with smartphones. They would be pre-programmed with phone numbers such as the ROK Army military commanders on the South Side of the DMZ with the intent that some of the smartphones would reach the north Korean military commander.
The phones would also be pre-programmed with myriad apps to include dating apps. The intent here is that most of the phones would remain in the hands of the troops and be passed (or sold) to others. They would watch videos and play games, etc.
In the South I would develop a team of South Korea young women who would manage a number of dating profiles to respond to nKPA soldiers and others who will eventually start exploring the dating apps. Once contact is made the South Korean women will communicate with these soldiers from the north and use these conversations to describe what life is like in the outside world and what opportunities are available. They will develop long term "electronic pen-pal" relationships. And from there the opportunities for information flow into the north grow and the ability to influence people in the north will grow by one person and one smartphone at a time.
Editorial: S. Korea must consider loudspeaker broadcasts assuming N. Korean military provocations
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2024/06/03/TLDJCO2CRVB67O65I5RNMRWYMM/
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2024.06.03. 08:43
On June 2, the South Korean presidential office held a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to discuss resuming loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea. This response follows North Korea’s launch of more than 720 “trash balloons” filled with feces, cigarette butts, and waste paper, along with five consecutive days of GPS jamming attacks near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea (Yellow Sea). Although these provocations are crude, failing to respond could embolden North Korea to continue. The preparations to resume loudspeaker broadcasts are entirely a reaction to North Korea’s actions.
South Korean soldiers dismantle a loudspeaker aimed at North Korea in the civilian control zone of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on May 1, 2018./Newsis
Loudspeaker broadcasts are considered a key asymmetric force feared by the North Korean military. In 2017, a North Korean soldier who defected from the front lines testified that hearing about South Korea’s progress through the broadcasts was a significant factor. These loudspeakers can project sound up to 10 kilometers during the day and 24 kilometers at night, broadcasting the latest K-pop songs, news about the Korean Peninsula, and weather updates in a radio format. Even if Kim Jong-un tries to strictly block the influence of South Korean culture, front-line North Korean soldiers would inevitably be exposed to it. Given the nature of the North Korean regime, information from the free world is likely more threatening than U.S. missiles.
North Korea has historically shown extreme sensitivity to these broadcasts. In June 2004, during inter-Korean military talks, the North agreed to cease provocations in the West Sea in exchange for stopping the loudspeaker broadcasts. In August 2015, after North Korea’s landmine provocations, South Korea resumed the broadcasts, prompting the North to declare a “quasi-state of war” and react strongly. However, unable to endure it for long, the North proposed high-level talks and unusually expressed regret over the incident. The loudspeaker broadcasts were resumed in 2016 following North Korea’s fourth nuclear test but were halted again by the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration under the Moon Jae-in administration. Despite various provocations from the North, including the demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office, the Moon administration did not resume the broadcasts.
If South Korea resumes the loudspeaker broadcasts, North Korea will not remain idle. In 2015, after threatening to directly target the loudspeakers, North Korea engaged in artillery provocations, which were met with South Korean counter-fire. There is a possibility of high-intensity military provocations along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) or the NLL, using the loudspeakers as a pretext. North Korea may hope that any South Korean casualties from these clashes would lead to political agitation and criticism of the government, similar to the reactions following the sinking of the Cheonan warship. Additionally, North Korea might aim to create a crisis on the Korean Peninsula ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. Therefore, when discussing the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts, the South Korean government must also prepare military countermeasures to anticipate North Korean provocations. There should be no room for error in matters of national security.
10. Jeju Forum seeks to ‘secure free navigation’ with global maritime security experts
Our boss, Hee-Eun Kim and my colleagues from the Center for Asia Pacific Studies (Joe Carrigan and Greg Kennedy) at work at the Jeju Forum last week.
This is a google translation.
Jeju Forum seeks to ‘secure free navigation’ with global maritime security experts
Entered 2024.05.31. 1:59 PM Modified 2024.05.31. 2:01 PM Original text of article
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19th Jeju Forum Cooperation Session for Free Navigation (from left, Kim Hee-eun, Representative of the U.S. Asia-Pacific Strategy Center, Emigdio Tan Huatgo, Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Philippine House of Representatives, Jeong Sam-man, Director of the Maritime Security Center at the Korea Maritime Research Institute, and Joseph Carrigan, U.S. Asia-Pacific) Strategic Center Senior Researcher, Bae Hak-young, Professor at the National Defense University, and Professor Greg Kennedy at King’s College London)
A special session on the theme of 'Cooperation for Free Navigation' was held at the 19th Jeju Forum held at the Jeju International Convention Center on the afternoon of Thursday, May 30.
Recently, as peace and stability in the Red Sea and Taiwan Strait have been threatened, cooperation for free navigation has emerged as a topic in the international community. Free navigation faces various restrictions and problems, including natural disasters and international trade, as well as areas of military conflict. This instability in navigation is increasing concerns about geopolitical crises and global supply chains. Securing free navigation requires global cooperation, while at the same time recognizing that this is a complex issue. This session, hosted by
the Jeju Institute of Peace, the Asia-Pacific Strategy Center ( CAPS ), and the Korea Institute for Maritime Security Strategy ( KIMS ), was chaired by Kim Hee-eun, CEO of the Asia-Pacific Strategy Center ( CAPS ), and Professor Jeong Ho-seop of KAIST Graduate School of Future Strategy and Christian Mezza. Ross, Director of Partnership and International Affairs, NATO Political and Security Policy Department, delivered the keynote speech.
Professor Jeong Ho-seop of KAIST Graduate School of Future Strategy gave a keynote speech, saying, “Korea has achieved success in transforming itself from one of the poorest countries in the world into a maritime powerhouse,” adding, “This is also an achievement that can be achieved based on the global maritime supply chain and freedom of navigation. “I want to emphasize that we did it,” he said. “If this maritime security environment changes rapidly, it could lead to questions about whether Korea can survive as a sovereign nation,” he said. “Today, maritime security is not something to be taken for granted, and everyone must recognize it as a common problem.” .
Christian Messzaros, who was the keynote speaker and Director of Partnerships and International Affairs at NATO's Department of Political and Security Policy, said, “ NATO has no intention of intervening in maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas, but we are closely monitoring situations in the Pacific region that run counter to NATO 's values.” “We will keep an eye on it,” he said. In addition, “when state actors use force, instability increases in all regions, including the sea, and everyone suffers damage,” and “protecting international law and international order in the maritime sector is very important as an extension of this peace and prosperity.” “Do it,” he emphasized.
In the panel discussion that followed, maritime security experts from Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom gathered together to diagnose the current status of the international navigation order and discuss how the international community should cooperate to ensure stable navigation.
Joseph Carrigan, a senior researcher at the U.S. Asia-Pacific Strategic Center, said, “With maritime security deteriorating, the best way to resolve this is for everyone to work together for continued cooperation among partner countries and a rules-based order.”
Professor Greg Kennedy of King's College London said, "The sea is an important environment, even when considering areas such as climate change, collective action, and unrestricted access." He added, "If we look at the Black Sea of the future, we will be able to secure safe access." I put it out. He also said, “For this, it is important whether not only NATO but also countries have the will to cooperate.”
Reporter Jo Hyo-min jo.hyomin@joongang.co.kr
11. Is the 'female commander' the essence of Army trainee’s death?
This has been causing a lot of controversy in Korea but I had not seen the reports of the commander.
Excerpts:
Unexpectedly, what garnered significant attention online was the emergence of a disturbing phenomenon known as 'heterophobia.' This was fueled by the fact that the company commander who ordered the training happened to be a woman. On predominantly male-centric platforms, thousands of posts surfaced, often vaguely disclosing the commander's real name and alma mater. Speculation ran rampant, with many attributing the incident to the commander's gender.
Is the 'female commander' the essence of Army trainee’s death?
donga.com
Posted June. 03, 2024 07:46,
Updated June. 03, 2024 07:46
Is the 'female commander' the essence of Army trainee’s death?. June. 03, 2024 07:46. .
A trainee in the Army collapsed during military training on May 23 and passed away two days later. This individual, who aspired to become a nurse, had only been in training for nine days prior to the incident. It was revealed that the intensity was extremely rigorous during the training, which included over an hour of push-ups and running while carrying equipment weighing more than 20 kilograms. Upon being rushed to the hospital, it was determined that the trainee's muscles had suffered severe damage. The presumed cause of death is septic shock resulting from exposure to a toxic substance.
There is a clear violation of regulations in this case. Army regulations explicitly state the necessity to prevent military training from crossing into cruelty by taking special care to avoid any potential for human rights violations. Furthermore, training can only proceed after receiving a confirmation letter from the trainee and only if the same mistake is repeated despite oral training. The physical condition of trainees must be carefully considered, and if training extends beyond an hour, a minimum rest period of 10 minutes must be provided. The court deemed the dismissal of a battalion commander who ordered subordinates to stand at attention for over an hour justified, declaring this order an "abusive act." This ruling was made four years ago.
In this case, the company commander and deputy company commander who ordered the training are currently under civilian police investigation. The military has deemed them guilty of professional negligence manslaughter. There are allegations that harsh military training has been conducted previously among soldiers who have passed through this unit. It's imperative that the police thoroughly investigate whether military training that violated regulations has been a recurring issue, not just in this incident but also in the unit's past. Additionally, they must determine whether the unit's command system to prevent and monitor such incidents has been functioning properly. Based on the outcome of the investigation, the military must take proactive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. This requires a detailed analysis of the exact cause and the implementation of effective solutions.
Unexpectedly, what garnered significant attention online was the emergence of a disturbing phenomenon known as 'heterophobia.' This was fueled by the fact that the company commander who ordered the training happened to be a woman. On predominantly male-centric platforms, thousands of posts surfaced, often vaguely disclosing the commander's real name and alma mater. Speculation ran rampant, with many attributing the incident to the commander's gender. Comments insinuated that the tragedy occurred due to a female commander's supposed ignorance of physical limitations or suggested that she imposed unreasonable training to undermine male trainees' spirits. Shockingly, a post featuring a picture of the commander garnered hundreds of likes, accompanied by derogatory remarks such as, "Her short haircut makes her seem like a feminist who harbors animosity towards men."
This not only diverts attention from the core of the incident but also disrespects the trainee's tragic demise. If the gender of the commander were truly a significant factor, how do we reconcile this with the fact that the majority of the 655 perpetrators who died in military accidents over the past decade (2013 to 2022) were men? Whether the actions were driven by ignorance of physical limitations or malicious intent, it underscores a systemic issue within the military's command structure.
I am not inclined whatsoever to defend the suspects. It's imperative that the investigative agency meticulously considers the critique, suggesting that this incident was, in fact, a case of 'torture to death' perpetrated by state power. A thorough investigation must be conducted, and the responsible party must be duly punished. However, if we become fixated on demonizing and condemning one or two individuals, we risk achieving nothing more than a false sense of satisfaction that 'justice has been served.' Are those expressing heterophobic sentiments merely venting their anger because they perceive it as an opportune moment to do so?
The national interest and the public outrage sparked by such incidents constitute a finite 'social resource.' Over time, this outrage often diminishes, overshadowed by other pressing matters. To ensure that the government and the National Assembly take appropriate actions, they must refrain from singling out certain groups based on gender, age, or race for criticism. Instead, the focus should be on identifying the flaws within the system. This is the least we can do out of respect for the young man whose life was tragically lost.
한국어
donga.com
12. Farmers protest against lack of food rations, police mobilized Cadres diverted food to other uses
One of the many stresses facing the regime (that are caused by the regime).
Farmers protest against lack of food rations, police mobilized Cadres diverted food to other uses
asiapress.org
A soldier appears to be taking a delivery of corn from a field. A scale is used to record the yield. Photo taken from the Chinese side of the border in late September 2023 in Sakju County, North Pyongan Province (ASIAPRESS)
During the process of rationing out food at a collective farm in North Hamgyong Province, farmers accused the farm’s management of not handing out enough food, leading to protests and the deployment of local Ministry of Social Security riot police, according to an ASIAPRESS reporting partner. (JEON Sung-jun / KANG Ji-won)
◆ Farmers angrily protest unfair system
According to a reporting partner in North Hamgyong Province, a collective farm in the province experienced food-related unrest in early April. Farmers erupted in anger in protest against the farm’s management committee officials. The farm is a medium-sized farm in North Hamgyong Province with about 500 employees.
The unrest began when the farmers rebelled against a farm rationing system that ignored the conditions on the farm.
◆ What is North Korea’s farm distribution system?
Unlike factory laborers, who receive rations, farmers receive a lump sum of food in the fall at the end of the farming year to sustain them for the next year. In North Korea, this is referred to as the “farm rationing system."
North Korea’s national ration system nearly collapsed in the 1990s, which has meant that the farm rationing system has become virtually inoperable. Low agricultural production and the fact that rural areas prioritize harvests for various national programs, including the harvest of rice for the military, has led to this situation. As a result, most farmers don't get much food, and even if they do, it's not enough to sustain them until the next year.
Under these circumstances, the number of people in the countryside who were unable to work due to hunger increased year by year, resulting in a vicious cycle of labor shortages during the farming season that negatively impacted agricultural productivity. That's why North Korea introduced the farm rationing system in 2019. In a nutshell, farms store three months of food for the next year's farming season (April-June) and then distribute it to households in the spring. (There may be differences in the timing and status of the system between regions.)
The farm rationing system seems to have been designed to prevent people from missing work during the farming season. If food is distributed all at once, farmers would run out of food before spring. However, ASIAPRESS was unable to confirm whether this is nationwide policy or limited to a few farms in the northern region.
◆ Farmers erupt in anger upon given just one months’ worth of food instead of three
However, problems arose during the implementation of the rationing at the farm in North Hamgyong Province, the reporting partner said. When the rations were distributed in early April, what was supposed to be a three-month supply was only two months' worth of food.
"People thought they had food left on their farms, but when they were only given one months' worth, farmers protested."
In addition, the food was not stored properly, "so when farmers saw that the corn they were given was moldy, they were angry and erupted in anger," the reporting partner explained.
"Farmers were angry because they had been waiting for their rations, eating only two meals a day, but ended up with much less," the reporting partner said, adding, "Some people went to the farm management committee, yelling and screaming at them to give them their rice, and the Ministry of Social Security riot police were called in."
◆ Farm management hurries to quiet unrest
But the blame for the poor rations is not entirely at the feet of the farm’s management.
"They have to do various assignments (tasks handed down by higher authorities or cadres, bribes, etc.) and purchase farming materials for farm management, but they have nowhere to get money, so they resorted to rationing," said the reporting partner, emphasizing that the situation is unacceptable for farmers.
Meanwhile, the farm's management is in a hurry to get the situation under control while keeping an eye on local residents. As for the people who caused the disturbance, the reporting partner said, they were not questioned or arrested.
"The village party committee has also informed the farmers that it will be responsible for providing additional food supplies over fears of the issue getting out of hand."
This recent incident is due to the Kim regime's rural policies. Any new measures or policies will only be a stopgap in the state exploitation of farmers and urban exploitation of the countryside.
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
A map of North Korea (ASIAPRESS)
asiapress.org
13. Unification minister slams North Korea for trash balloons, GPS jamming
Unification minister slams North Korea for trash balloons, GPS jamming - The Korea Times
koreatimes.co.kr
Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho speaks at a conference in Gangnam district, Seoul, May 30. Yonhap
Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho criticized a recent series of provocations by North Korea on Monday, emphasizing that such “inhumane and regressive” acts will only lead to deepening the regime’s isolation.
Kim made the remarks during a luncheon with former South Korean foreign ministers, citing North Korea’s release of balloons carrying trash into South Korea and its continued jamming of GPS signals.
“The North Korean regime must clearly understand that these inhumane and regressive actions are increasingly isolating it from the international community,” Kim said.
After the Seoul government had announced that it would take “unbearable” measures against North Korea, Pyongyang said it would temporarily stop sending trash-carrying balloons across the border into South Korea. However, the North also threatened to resume such operations if anti-Pyongyang leaflets are sent from South Korea.
“At times like these, the Republic of Korea must take the lead in the international community’s efforts to deter North Korean provocations, resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, improve the human rights of North Korean residents and ultimately achieve reunification,” Kim said.
Attendance at the luncheon included former ministers Song Min-soon and Yun Byung-se, who each served under the previous Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations, respectively. (Yonhap)
koreatimes.co.kr
14. Defense Intelligence Agency report confirms Russia is using North Korean missiles in its war against Ukraine
As an aside I do not think any US administration has used intelligence for information and influence purposes the waas much as this administration has.
The 12 page report released on May 29 can be downloaded here: https://www.dia.mil/Portals/110/Documents/News/Military_Power_Publications/DPRK_Russia_NK_Enabling_Russian_Missile_Strikes_Against_Ukraine.pdf
Now I am waiting for a report on north Korean missiles fired by Iran at Israel as well north Korean support to Hamas' and Hezbollah's tunnel networks.
Defense Intelligence Agency report confirms Russia is using North Korean missiles in its war against Ukraine - Daily NK English
According to the DIA, the DPRK also delivered ammunition to Russia’s “Wagner Group," a state-funded private military company, in November 2022
By Laura Geigenberger - June 3, 2024
dailynk.com · by Laura Geigenberger · June 3, 2024
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia on Sept. 13 last year, according to the Rodong Sinmun on Sept. 14, 2023. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
The US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has confirmed in an unclassified report that Russia used North Korean-made ballistic missiles in its war against Ukraine. In its analysis published at the end of May, the DIA discovered striking similarities between images of missile debris found in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv after the Jan. 2, 2024 attack and photos of short-range solid-fuel ballistic missiles (SRBMs) in North Korean state media showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting a missile factory last August.
According to the DIA, the eight attachment tabs in the forward motor section used to mount the flight instruments and payload to the engine were identical in both images examined, as was the igniter used to start the rocket engine at launch. The latter was assembled with 20 bolts in both the North Korean missiles and the Kharkiv debris.
The physical features of the aft motor section of a North Korean SRBM system, too, matched those of missile debris from Kharkiv, according to the DIA: the bolted-on nozzle that directs the engine’s exhaust plume as well as mounting holes in the tail section. The proportions of the cable tray and the handling ring connectors were also identical.
The DIA’s report comes after an investigation by Ukrainian prosecutors, who told Reuters news agency in early May that they examined debris from 21 of around 50 North Korean ballistic missiles launched by Russia between last December and February. “About half of the North Korean missiles lost their programmed trajectories and exploded in the air; in such cases the debris was not recovered,” the office of Ukraine’s top prosecutor, Andriy Kostin, then wrote in a statement to Reuters.
A chronology of Russian-North Korean negotiations and arms deals
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, both Moscow and Pyongyang have repeatedly denied accusations that North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia for the war effort. However, in its report, the DIA notes that two weapons systems were tested on the east coast of the DPRK as early as 2019, both of which were allegedly utilized by Russia in Ukraine. Since then, the DPRK has also conducted dozens of flight tests of SRBMs, which are believed to be more powerful than Pyongyang’s older Soviet-era liquid-propellant systems.
Just over six months after the start of the war in Ukraine, on Sep. 5, 2022, the White House released information that Russia was negotiating with the DPRK to purchase millions of artillery shells and missiles. According to the DIA, the DPRK delivered ammunition to Russia’s “Wagner Group,” a state-funded private military company, in November 2022.
In 2023, North Korea and Russia conspicuously deepened both their trade and diplomatic relations. In addition to increased trade in goods and mutual support between the two countries before the international community and the United Nations in particular, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu visited the DPRK in July to attend a military parade and defense exhibition showcasing Pyongyang’s growing ballistic missile program. Shortly thereafter in August, a Russian military plane made an unannounced trip to Pyongyang, reportedly carrying several high-ranking Russian Defense Ministry officials. The timing suggests that a delegation involved in high-level arms negotiations was on board, the DIA believes. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, in turn, traveled to Russia in September – his first trip abroad since 2019 – to meet Russia’s state leader Vladimir Putin for a suspected arms deal and tour the Federation’s military facilities.
Already in late August, the DPRK had allegedly begun to supply Russia with ammunition using Russia’s merchant ships. Further deliveries are said to have taken place in November, when Russian planes allegedly picked up North Korean ballistic missiles and associated cargo, which were then tested at a firing range in western Russia.
According to the DIA report, the Russian armed forces fired North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine for the first time on Dec. 30, 2023; further attacks followed until February 2024. Despite the backlash of the international community, on Mar. 28, 2024, Russia vetoed the renewal of the UNSC 1718 Committee Panel of Experts mandate, which investigates DPRK violations of Security Council resolutions.
The DPRK’s missile program began in the 1976 under Kim Il Sung
The North Korean missile program commenced in 1976 under former leader Kim Il Sung when the country first acquired the short-range SCUD-B missile from the Soviets, brokered through Egypt. After reverse engineering the SCUD technology, the regime conducted its first missile tests in 1984. Since then, North Korea has run more than 244 tests of numerous weapons systems, including short-, medium-, intermediate- and intercontinental-range ballistic missiles – the latter of which the North Korean government claims can reach the continental United States – as well as submarine-launched ballistic missiles and space rockets.
Pyongyang has historically sold ballistic missile systems and components to countries such as Burma, Iran, Libya, Syria and Yemen. Furthermore, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed earlier this year the deployment of North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) with Korean characters such as “비저-7류” and “시8-80-53” by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in its war with Israel.
In view of the new findings from the Russian war against Ukraine, the DIA assumes that the DPRK is continuing to work on expanding its missile program – also in order to demonstrate its willingness to use ballistic missiles in the event of war and make them available to its allies. “The Kim regime remains willing to provide ballistic missiles to countries for use in furthering conflicts, exemplified by its shipment of dozens of ballistic missiles to Russia to sustain Moscow’s ongoing conflict against Ukraine,” the US intelligence agency said.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
dailynk.com · by Laura Geigenberger · June 3, 2024
15. Two Sariwon teenagers publicly tried for distributing S. Korean songs, photos
For north Korea (to paraphrase James Carvil) - it is information ,stupid. It is the existential threat to the regime.
Excerpt:
One of the boys was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor and the other to life imprisonment.
Two Sariwon teenagers publicly tried for distributing S. Korean songs, photos - Daily NK English
When their sentences were read, their mothers let out terrible screams and fainted on the spot, a source told Daily NK
By Jong So Yong - June 3, 2024
dailynk.com · by Jong So Yong · June 3, 2024
FILE PHOTO: A clip from a North Korean video showing a public struggle session obtained by Daily NK in March 2023. (Daily NK)
Two teenage boys in Sariwon were recently sentenced in a public trial on charges of distributing South Korean songs and photos, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in North Hwanghae Province told the Daily NK on Wednesday that two high school boys in Sariwon’s Mangum district were publicly tried on May 23 for “inciting the corrupt and depraved spirit of capitalism by distributing songs and photos of the puppet state [South Korea].” One of the boys was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor and the other to life imprisonment.
The trial was held in a conference room at the Sariwon court and was attended by the heads of all the neighborhood watch units in the Mangum area, as well as school staff and ordinary citizens.
The two boys had often played songs and videos of South Korean idol singers on USB flash drives without their parents’ knowledge. They were so obsessed with the songs that they sang the tunes and performed the dances at school.
Even when they were not in school, the two boys carelessly sang South Korean songs and performed dances in the presence of people from their neighborhood watch group. Their behavior rubbed off on other teenagers in their neighborhood when they were reported by a state security informant and put on trial.
“This public trial was held with the purpose of sounding an alarm for all of Sariwon. While the public’s attention was focused on the trial, the authorities denounced the two boys for their treacherous affection for the ‘puppet state,’ knowing full well that South Korea is an enemy state and not the same nation as North Korea. The authorities concluded by saying that the two boys can’t be allowed to live in the same society as other North Koreans,” the source said.
The mothers of the two boys were also brought in and kept their heads bowed throughout the trial. When their sentences were read, the mothers let out terrible screams and fainted on the spot.
“Those attending the trial had assumed that the defendants, being teenage boys, would receive at most a few years in juvenile detention, so they were stunned by the harsh sentences handed down at the end of the trial. Many were confused as to why the boys had to be punished so harshly when it wasn’t as if they had killed anyone, and lamented that the world is gradually becoming more brutal,” the source said.
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
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dailynk.com · by Jong So Yong · June 3, 2024
16. One N. Korean's view of the ongoing crackdown on the China-North Korea border
When the regime (party can o longer govern from Pyongyang and there is a loss of coherency and support of the military and security services we are likely to see the conditions for possible regime collapse.
One N. Korean's view of the ongoing crackdown on the China-North Korea border - Daily NK English
"About 30 people were detained in April and May for charging people to make calls to the outside world using Chinese cell phones," he told Daily NK
By Jeong Tae Joo - June 3, 2024
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · June 3, 2024
FILE PHOTO: A sentry post on the Sino-North Korean border in Sakju County, North Pyongan Province. (Daily NK)
After declaring April the “Month of Eradicating Illegal Behavior,” North Korea’s Ministry of State Security has begun cracking down on illegal behavior in the border areas. Since then, many people have been arrested and are undergoing interrogations.
As more cases have surfaced of people in the border regions paying others to contact people outside the country using Chinese cell phones, the Ministry of State Security has warned that such behavior will be severely punished. These measures appear to be aimed at preventing people who have made contact with the outside world from becoming disaffected with the regime.
In short, the regime’s actions suggest that North Koreans who charge fees to call people outside the country are no longer viewed as mere lawbreakers, but as a serious threat to regime stability by undermining internal cohesion and public commitment to state ideology.
Daily NK recently interviewed a resident of Chagang Province to learn about the mood in the China-North Korea border region and the restrictions imposed on people by the provincial state security bureau following the Ministry of State Security’s declaration of the “Month of Eradicating Illegal Behavior.”
Daily NK (DNK): Are there still a lot of brokers nowadays who charge fees to connect North Koreans with people in other countries on Chinese mobile phones?
There were a lot of them at the beginning of the year, but in April and May, they’ve all either been arrested or gone underground.
DNK: We’ve heard that the Ministry of State Security has been cracking down on anti-socialist and non-socialist activity after defining April as the “Month of Eradicating Illegal Behavior.” How many people were caught in the dragnet?
From April to mid-May, the Chagang Provincial State Security Bureau conducted a rigorous crackdown on illegal activities along the border with China, using tips from the public and equipment that detects mobile phone signals. About 30 people were detained in April and May for charging people to make calls to the outside world using Chinese cell phones, and are currently being held in detention for joint interrogation by the provincial state security bureau and the Ministry of State Security. People who charged two yuan or more per minute for illegal phone calls were immediately detained through tips from the public and various types of investigation.
DNK: How would you describe the 30 or so people who were arrested in the latest sweep?
Most of them are from the Chunggang, Chasong, Wiwon and Manpo areas. I’ve heard about ten of them were family members or relatives of state security agents who had purchased Chinese cell phones from state security agents who had confiscated the phones from the public but then held on to them instead of destroying them. The brokers had then paid ongoing bribes to state security agents and operated with their tacit approval. While some 30 people have been arrested, a number of compromised state security officials have also been called in for questioning by ministry investigators.
DNK: What kind of punishment will they receive?
The provincial state security bureau has announced that anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior will be severely punished. Individuals who threaten the socialist system are expected to face harsher legal punishment than ever before under the Reactionary Ideology and Cultural Rejection Act. After being detained for questioning by the provincial state security bureau, they’ll be handed over to the provincial police. Depending on the outcome of that investigation, they’re likely to receive the harshest possible prison sentences. A woman in her late 20s who made the most money this year by calling other countries on a Chinese cell phone is currently under intense questioning by the Ministry of State Security. She’s being treated as a spy and her actions are deemed too suspicious to be turned over to the police for normal criminal proceedings.
DNK: How have the arrests impacted state security organizations in regions of Chagang Province that aren’t on the border?
This came as a shock to state security departments in other parts of Chagang Province. Border access restrictions and public surveillance in areas such as road and rail travel, checkpoints, and lodging have become much stricter in the province. The Ministry of State Security sees this as a perfect opportunity to radically strengthen border security initiatives and has promised to restore order along the border with China.
DNK: What is the response from locals? What’s the mood like around there?
While many people in Chagang Province see these measures as unavoidable to protect the state, the fact is that the Ministry of State Security’s harsh measures have increased tensions. But since many of those arrested aren’t ordinary civilians, but relatives or friends of state security officers – the very people who are supposed to enforce these rules – people see the incident as a way to expose the state security agents. Some people ask how state security agents can hold anyone else accountable when they’re guilty of so much more wrongdoing themselves. Since corruption and misconduct among state security agents have been exposed in the border region, the mood in the local community will probably be affected by how the Ministry of State Security and the provincial state security bureau respond to questionable activities within their own ranks.
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
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dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · June 3, 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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