Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

China Intensifies Espionage Crackdown Targeting Alleged CIA Spies

Quotes of the Day:

“The same reason that makes us chide and brawl and fall out with any of our neighbors, causeth a war to follow between Princes.”

- Michel de Montaigne

“We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness. We are monkeys with money and guns.”

- Tom Waits

“Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.”

- T.S. Eliot

1. North Korean hackers target U.S.-South Korea military drills, police say

2. Beijing Rejects Seoul's Demand to Stop Repatriating North Korean Defectors

3. Full-scale civil defense drill planned for Wednesday (ROK)

4. N. Korean leader visits navy unit, inspects cruise missile test aboard warship

5. A quantum jump to trilateral cooperation

6. Yoon says N.K. threat will only make S. Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation stronger

7. S. Korea welcomes first U.N. meeting on N. Korea's human rights in 6 years

8. Biden’s Success in North Asia . . .

9. South Korea, Japan and US vow ‘new era’

10. ＜Inside N. Korea＞New proclamation calls for intensified control over the economy…Intense crackdowns on circulation of goods and use of foreign currency (1) The authorities confiscate Chinese yuan and US dollars

11. Closer Cooperation with U.S., Japan Is Vital for Korea's Economy

12. South questions accuracy of cruise missiles launched from North's new warship

13. NK abruptly cancels first post-COVID int'l commercial flight

14. Advantage North Korea

15. S. Korean military denies NK report on 'strategic' cruise missile drills

16. N. Koreans turn to ancestral rites to ward away misfortune

17. Japan’s Strategy to Confront North Korea’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missiles

1. North Korean hackers target U.S.-South Korea military drills, police say

No surprise. The regime will never again sheath the all purpose sword of cyber.

North Korean hackers target U.S.-South Korea military drills, police say

Reuters · by Ju-min Park

SEOUL, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Suspected North Korean hackers have targeted a joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise being held this week though classified information has not been compromised, South Korean police said on Sunday.

South Korean and U.S. forces will on Monday begin 11-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian summer exercises to improve their ability to respond to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.

North Korea objects to such exercises saying they are preparations by the U.S. and its South Korean ally for an invasion of it.

The hackers were believed to be linked to a North Korean group that researchers call Kimsuky, and they carried out their hack via emails to South Korean contractors working at the South Korea-U.S. combined exercise war simulation centre, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said in a statement.

"It was confirmed that military-related information was not stolen," police said in a statement on Sunday.

North Korea has previously denied any role in cyberattacks.

The Kimsuky hackers has long used “spear-phishing” emails that trick targets into giving up passwords or clicking attachments or links that load malware, according to researchers.

South Korean police and the U.S. military conducted a joint investigation and found the IP address used in the hacking attempt matched one identified in a 2014 hack against South Korea's nuclear reactor operator, police said.

At that time, South Korea accused North Korea of being behind that cyberattack.

Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Josh Smith, Robert Birsel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Acquire Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Reuters · by Ju-min Park

2. Beijing Rejects Seoul's Demand to Stop Repatriating North Korean Defectors

China is complicit in north Korean human rights abuses. China is forcing these Korean refugees to return to certain torture and for some, death.

Beijing Rejects Seoul's Demand to Stop Repatriating North Korean Defectors

August 18, 2023 7:16 PM

Christy Lee

voanews.com · August 18, 2023

Beijing is pushing back on Seoul's demand that China stop repatriating North Koreans who have left their homeland and been detained as they attempt to make their way to a third country.

China is detaining as many as 2,000 North Korean defectors who face severe punishment for fleeing the repressive Kim regime, South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho said Wednesday at a seminar in Seoul.

Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights, estimated the number of North Korean defectors in China as of 2022 that the South Korean minister used.

China considers North Koreans entering its country to be illegal immigrants rather than refugees and arrests them when they are caught, then sends them back to North Korea, which treats them as traitors.

Human rights advocates expect China to repatriate those detained when the China-North Korea border fully reopens after being locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We ask cooperation from the Chinese government on the issue of North Korean defectors detained in China [subject to] forcible repatriation" to North Korea, Kim Yung Ho said.

China has an "obligation to abide by international norms prohibiting forced repatriation," Kim continued, adding, "The South Korean government will accept all defectors who wish to come to South Korea."

China, North Korea becoming closer

South Korea's call for China to stop sending back North Korean defectors came two days ahead of a historic trilateral summit that Washington hosted for Seoul and Tokyo at Camp David on Friday. Beijing said it opposed the gathering of leaders of the three countries.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, on Thursday told VOA's Korean Service, "The Chinese government has all along handled issues related to the DPRK people illegally entering into China in keeping with Chinese laws, international law and humanitarianism."

The official name of North Korea is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

China ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol in 1982 and is obligated to follow the convention's core principle of nonrefoulment. That is a principle of international law that forbids a country receiving asylum-seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in probable danger.

Ties between China and North Korea are becoming closer as tensions between Beijing and Washington increase. The two Asian nations agreed to increase cooperation when a Chinese delegation visited Pyongyang in July as the allies marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War of 1951-53.

South Korea's Kim said China must designate North Korean defectors as refugees who have the right to receive protection rather than as illegal immigrants.

He added that the human rights of North Korean defectors in China should be guaranteed according to international norms and that the North Koreans in China should be allowed to go to a country of their choosing such as South Korea.

Robert King, who served as the U.S. special envoy for North Korea's human rights under the Obama administration, said, "The Chinese are cooperating with the North Koreans on the human rights abuses."

He continued, "I commend the South Korean government for making the issue and for raising the problem."

New focus on human rights

Seoul has been raising human rights issues since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022.

The previous administration of Moon Jae-in shunned the issue to avoid upsetting Pyongyang and Beijing. Moon, a former human rights attorney, wanted to improve inter-Korean relations with China's support.

Roberta Cohen, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for human rights during the Carter administration, said Beijing should examine "whether China is complicating its relations with South Korea by forcibly repatriating North Koreans trying to reach Seoul," as they are "beaten up, tortured, subject to forced labor, detention and possibly execution in the DPRK" when they are repatriated.

She continued, "South Korea can hardly remain silent when it is the country most affected by the forced repatriations of North Koreans."

In the first open U.N. Security Council meeting on North Korea's human rights in six years, South Korea's U.N. Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook on Thursday condemned North Korea's human rights abuses.

He said human rights abuses are a "critical national security issue" for South Korea as Pyongyang represses its people to develop nuclear and missile programs that threaten South Koreans.

Kim Hyungjin contributed to this report.

voanews.com · August 18, 2023

3. Full-scale civil defense drill planned for Wednesday (ROK)

Sunday

August 20, 2023

dictionary + A - A

Published: 20 Aug. 2023, 10:49

Updated: 20 Aug. 2023, 17:21

Full-scale civil defense drill planned for Wednesday

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-08-20/national/defense/Fullscale-civil-defense-drill-planned-for-Wednesday-/1850494?utm_source=pocket_saves

Children hold their school bags over their heads as they take part in a civil evacuation drill at the Central Government Complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 16. [YONHAP]

South Korea will hold a nationwide civil defense drill next week amid rising threats from North Korea.

The 20-minute drill on Wednesday will be the country’s first nationwide drill involving the public in over six years.

Around 2,800 sirens will sound and 216 roads across the country will be restricted, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

An earlier civil defense drill on May 16 involved schools and government institutions but not the general public.

Fifty-seven areas, including cities and counties in Chungcheong, North Jeolla and South Jeolla regions, will be exempted from participating in the drill as they were declared special disaster zones due to recent heavy rains and Typhoon Khanun.

The drill will begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday, with minute-long air-raid sirens alarming residents. Public safety alert messages will also be sent to people’s phones.

After the sirens sound, residents will be required to evacuate to the nearest civil defense shelter.

As of December last year, the country designated a total of 17,483 places, including subway platforms and underground shopping malls, as civil defense shelters.

The public can learn the locations of designated evacuation areas on portal sites and the ministry’s Emergency Ready App.

People are advised to evacuate to closed underground areas if there are no designated shelters nearby.

Outdoor movements will be restricted through 2:15 p.m.

Those driving on roads that are restricted during the drill will need to park their cars on the right side of the road and turn on the radio for instructions.

Airplanes and subways will operate as usual.

But passengers who get off the subway and train stations will not be allowed to leave the platform.

At designated shelters, people will receive emergency guidelines, including lists of necessities to bring in emergency situations.

From 2:15 p.m. people will be allowed to freely move outside but are advised to keep alert.

The drill will end at 2:20 p.m., with the public notified through broadcast and emergency alert text messages.

The ministry said it also established a cooperative system with crowded facilities, such as cinemas and department stores, to increase participation in the drill.

Special practice drills will take place in areas adjacent to the demilitarized zone, on the five islands of the West Sea and Yeongjong Island in Incheon.

The nationwide drill will take place against a backdrop of rising nuclear threats from North Korea.

According to a survey by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, around 58 percent of respondents said the country was insecure.

North Korea fired a total of 17 missiles between January and July 24 of this year.

The North also launched a space launch vehicle that crashed into the Yellow Sea on May 31. An emergency alert was mistakenly sent to residents in Seoul following the launch, startling many in the early morning.

Last year, North Korea fired 38 missiles, a dramatic increase from just five in 2020 and eight in 2021.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]

4. N. Korean leader visits navy unit, inspects cruise missile test aboard warship

I do not want to gloat or make derogatory comments about Kim saying things like is this all he has in response to the Summit and the exercises? (By saying that I am sure we will get something more!)

(3rd LD) N. Korean leader visits navy unit, inspects cruise missile test aboard warship | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 21, 2023

(ATTN: REWRITES lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)

By Kim Soo-yeon and Song Sang-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a navy unit and inspected a cruise missile test aboard a warship, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday, as South Korea and the United States began their annual joint military drills.

The North's leader visited the Navy flotilla tasked with defending the east coast and watched the seamen on a patrol ship stage a launching drill of "strategic" cruise missiles, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without disclosing the date of his visit.

Photos carried by state media showed a missile firing from Patrol Ship No. 661, with Kim observing the scene aboard a separate vessel.

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 21, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) inspecting a navy unit's test launch of cruise missiles. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

South Korea and the U.S. kicked off the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise Monday, featuring various contingency drills, such as the computer simulation-based command post exercise, concurrent field training and Ulchi civil defense drills. The exercise will run until Aug. 31.

Kim vowed to strengthen the North's navy to make it an "all-round and powerful" service group with improved combat efficiency and modern means of surface and underwater offensive and defensive capabilities, the KCNA said.

North Korea will "put spurs to the modernization of naval weapons and equipment including the building of powerful warships and the development of shipboard and underwater weapon systems," he said.

In response to the KCNA report, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said later that many parts of the North's announcement were "exaggerated and different from facts."

"South Korea and the U.S. detected related signs in advance, and have been monitoring them in real time," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.

It added that the South Korean military will carry out an ongoing combined exercise with the U.S. in a "high-intensity, thorough" manner and maintain a firm readiness posture based on capabilities to respond "overwhelmingly" to any North Korean provocation.

An informed source said the cruise missile fired in last week's test was not a "strategic" nuclear-capable one given the size of the vessel, which was too small for such an important missile launch. He added that the missile failed to hit an apparently preset target.

Kim's inspection came amid expectations that North Korea could carry out major provocations, such as the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), in a bid to protest the allies' joint military drills. The North has long denounced the Seoul-Washington military exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion.

The North's leader called for a "drastic boost" of the country's missile production capacity and war contingency preparations in an "offensive" manner during his latest visit to major munitions factories.

The leaders of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan held a trilateral summit at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland last week, where they adopted a series of documents that outlined their commitments to enhance security and economic cooperation and called for the three countries' leaders to meet annually.

In particular, they agreed to consult one another in the event of common threats amid the security and economic challenges posed by North Korea and China.

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 21, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) visiting a navy unit and overseeing a test launch of cruise missiles. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 21, 2023

5. A quantum jump to trilateral cooperation

Perhaps a quantum leap is not just hyperbole. This summit was significant.

Sunday

August 20, 2023

dictionary + A - A

Published: 20 Aug. 2023, 20:09

A quantum jump to trilateral cooperation

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-08-20/opinion/editorials/A-quantum-jump-to-trilateral-cooperation/1850760

President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a milestone agreement after their first exclusive summit at Camp David on Friday. The three leaders adopted the “Camp David principles,” a guideline on the tripartite cooperation in the future, and “the spirit of Camp David,” which contains visions for the cooperation and detailed ways to implement them. The leaders agreed to hold the trilateral summit regularly and conduct a joint military exercise annually.

The three countries have so far pursued the U.S.-led security cooperation based on the Korea-U.S. and U.S.-Japan alliances. But after the summit at Camp David, a new trilateral cooperation system was established, representing a quantum jump in their security coordination. As a result, some security experts have questioned if the development signifies an escalation of their relations to a quasi-military alliance.

But clearly, the enhanced cooperation represents their joint response to the seismic shift in geopolitics and security environments stemming from the deepening hegemony war between the U.S. and China, the mounting nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, and the Ukraine war. The trio also denounced North Korea for its military provocations and declared the complete denuclearization principle toward Pyongyang. But at the same time, they urged North Korea to return to the negotiating table without any strings attached, which reflects their intention not to blindly push the North into a corner. Directly mentioning China, they expressed their opposition to a unilateral move to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific theater, while urging China to peacefully resolve the disputes over the Taiwan Strait. The deletion of a hawkish wording like “opposition to changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by force” from their statement reportedly reflected President Yoon’s position on the issue.

The agenda items for the summit were extended to space, cyber and AI realms beyond diplomatic and security issues, as well as the traditional economic, trade, technology and energy fields. Another noticeable move was their agreement to start a meeting among finance ministers of the three countries.

Putting their agreements into action will certainly pose many challenges. Fortunately, the three leaders accentuated the need for being united to tackle them, which points to the need for both Korea and Japan to improve their relations for close coordination.

A bigger risk is apparent resistance from North Korea, China and Russia. The two allies must brace for the possibility of North Korea resorting to a military provocation during the joint Ulchi Freedom Shield drills from August 21 to 31. China’s state mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency attacked the Camp David summit for building tension. The Yoon administration needs to watch closely if Beijing chooses to backtrack on its deregulation on Chinese people’s group tour to Korea.

6. Yoon says N.K. threat will only make S. Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation stronger

And the stronger JAROKUS is the less likely Kim will attack. He is smart enough to know that attacking into strength is suicide. Which is why the regime has devoted so much effort toward driving wedges in US alliances. And these efforts have been an abject failure.

Yoon says N.K. threat will only make S. Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation stronger | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · August 21, 2023

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that increased threats of provocation from North Korea will only strengthen security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, a day after he returned from a trilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (C) presides over a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2023, as the four-day Ulchi civil defense drill kicked off earlier in the day as part of South Korea and the United States' joint annual military exercise, the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS). The UFS exercise against North Korean nuclear and missile threats will run until Aug. 31. (Yonhap)

"The larger North Korea's threats of provocations become, the more solid the structure of trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will become," Yoon said.

"These structures of trilateral cooperation will lower the risk of North Korea's provocations and further strengthen our security," he added.

The first stand-alone summit among the three countries' leaders produced a series of agreements on bolstering security and economic cooperation, including a "commitment" to immediately consult one another in the event of common threats and an agreement to hold annual trilateral defense exercises.

The three leaders also agreed to hold trilateral summits at least annually and operationalize the real-time sharing of missile warning data on North Korea before the end of the year.

"From now on, cooperation mechanisms among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will function as powerful cooperation mechanisms promoting peace and prosperity in and outside the region, together with AUKUS and Quad, and continue to expand and develop," Yoon said, referring to the trilateral security pact involving Australia, Britain and the U.S., and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue involving the U.S., Australia, Japan and India.

"Once South Korea, the U.S. and Japan connect the supply chain early warning systems they have been operating individually until now, our supply chain information and resilience level will improve dramatically," he added.

Monday's Cabinet meeting was also held to discuss the Ulchi civil defense exercise that kicked off the same day for a four-day run.

The annual exercise was fully reinstated last year after being scaled back under the previous administration and will involve some 580,000 officials from about 4,000 central and local government agencies and public institutions to check and enhance readiness for war and other contingencies.

Yoon called for readiness against what he said would be North Korea's attempts to sow severe social confusion and division in the event of war through the distribution of fake news and the mobilization of anti-state forces for propaganda.

He also warned of North Korea's likely attempts to paralyze national infrastructure through attacks on nuclear power plants, cutting-edge industrial facilities and national telecommunication networks.

"In order to achieve its goal in war, North Korea will fully mobilize all available means and will be willing to use nuclear weapons," Yoon said, noting that starting this year, the Ulchi exercise will include a government-led drill on responding to a potential North Korean nuclear attack.

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · August 21, 2023

7. S. Korea welcomes first U.N. meeting on N. Korea's human rights in 6 years

The ROK/US alliance must sustain a human rights upfront approach.

S. Korea welcomes first U.N. meeting on N. Korea's human rights in 6 years | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · August 21, 2023

SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign ministry on Monday welcomed a rare public meeting by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on North Korea's human rights last week.

The UNSC convened the briefing on Aug. 17 (New York time) and discussed the North's human rights situation and international security as requested by Albania, Japan and the United States.

It marked the first open meeting of the 15-member council on Pyongyang's human rights violations since 2017.

In a statement, Seoul's foreign ministry spokesperson welcomed the meeting, saying it "provided an important opportunity to increase global awareness and create a new momentum in discussions on the issue of North Korea's human rights."

South Korea also participated in the meeting as a country involved in the issue and urged the UNSC's concerted efforts to address the rights violations in Pyongyang, according to the ministry.

Seoul will "make efforts" to continue discussions on the issue at the UNSC when it serves as a nonpermanent member in 2024 and 2025, the ministry said.

This undated file image, provided by Yonhap News TV, shows a meeting of the United Nations Security Council. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

julesyi@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · August 21, 2023

8. Biden’s Success in North Asia . . .

Hmmm... more hard power.

Excerpt:

The weaknesses in the Biden strategy, and they’re considerable, involve military power and economic engagement. President Biden has refused to support the military buildup necessary to make its Asia-Pacific strategy more credible.

Maybe it is time to create (or recreate) a Far East Command or a Northeast Asia Combatant Command

Biden’s Success in North Asia . . .

The President’s diplomacy with Japan and South Korea needs more hard power and freer trade.

By The Editorial Board

Aug. 20, 2023 2:52 pm ET

President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at Camp David in Frederick County, Md., Aug. 18. PHOTO: ADAM SCHULTZ/WHITE HOUSE/ZUMA PRESS

The White House is touting President Biden’s trilateral summit on Friday with the leaders of South Korea and Japan, and for once the spin is right. The meeting was a diplomatic success in symbolism and substance that may strengthen deterrence in East Asia against North Korea and Communist China.

The symbolism includes the U.S. joining with two Northeast Asian allies who share a fraught 20th-century history that echoes today. Progressive identity politics lumps Asian-Americans into a single demographic group. But anyone who has spent time in Seoul knows that Koreans haven’t forgotten their 35-year subjugation by imperial Japan. Leaders in both countries have tried to put aside this enmity, but the domestic politics can be difficult.

China’s imperial intentions in Asia are responsible for pushing South Korea and Japan closer under the umbrella of U.S. military assistance. Beijing has designs on the Senkaku islands off Japan’s coast and on Taiwan near Japan’s southern most islands. China also empowers its client state in North Korea despite its military and nuclear threats against the South, Japan and the U.S.

The trilateral substance expands economic and military cooperation. This includes missile-defense enhancements and annual military exercises that will improve defensive readiness. What the parties are calling a new “early warning system” could protect against Chinese mercantilism that uses natural resources or supply-chain dominance as a weapon. There are other useful details, and an annual trilateral summit will help to formalize the cooperation and provide a framework for the future.

Some critics say the agreement should have included a NATO-style Article 5 vow of military help if one of the parties is attacked. But the U.S. has forward-deployed forces in Japan and South Korea, and no one thinks those troops will sit in their barracks if one country is attacked. As for extending NATO to Asia, the trans-Atlantic alliance has enough to handle in defending free Europe from Russia and its allies. One step at a time.

The Biden Administration has done well, at least diplomatically, in fortifying U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific. The Administration has built on the Trump Administration’s progress with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to improve cooperation with India, Australia and Japan. It has also struck a deal with the Philippines for four new bases on the archipelago, including on Luzon near Taiwan.

The Aukus nuclear submarine deal with Australia and the U.K. is a defense against Chinese aggression in the South Pacific. And after being caught flat-footed by Chinese military machinations in the Solomon Islands, the Administration has energetically expanded ties with other countries in the so-called second island chain and Papua New Guinea.

The weaknesses in the Biden strategy, and they’re considerable, involve military power and economic engagement. President Biden has refused to support the military buildup necessary to make its Asia-Pacific strategy more credible.

The U.S. needs more attack submarines for its own forces and Aukus. Only an average of some 31 of America’s current 49 attack subs are operationally ready, and the Navy says it needs 66 hulls. The U.S. isn’t close to having enough long-range missiles to stop a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, even as the People’s Liberation Army practices naval landings and deploys military patrols around the island.

The White House has also failed to expand trade ties with the Pacific. This would make countries in the region less dependent on China and help to diversity U.S. supply chains. But Mr. Biden’s political team fears the domestic politics of trade, which means in practice that his Administration has been nearly as protectionist as Donald Trump’s.

Summits and trilateral diplomacy are important. But in a region where China is seeking military and economic dominance, there is no substitute for the influence that comes with hard U.S. military power and free trade.

South Korea, Japan and US vow ‘new era’

At Camp David, the three leaders laud a 'blossoming' of ties and pledge annual summits and military exercises.

By Alex Willemyns for RFA

2023.08.18

Washington

rfa.org

The leaders of South Korea, Japan and the United States will meet annually from now on and discuss all regional security issues on a threeway hotline before making decisions, President Joe Biden said after a high-profile trilateral summit at Camp David on Friday.

Military exercises between the countries will also be organized each year, the U.S. president said, and the three countries would prioritize the “peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea.”

Biden hosted South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the redoubt in northern Maryland for five hours amid a push by the leaders to seize on a slim window of opportunity to “institutionalize” ties towards a trilateral alliance.

The South Korean and Japanese governments, experts say, are seeking to lock-in a U.S. role in their region amid fears next year’s U.S. presidential election could return an isolationist to office, while Tokyo remains skeptical Yoon’s fervor for closer ties can last in a country where many still harbor anti-Japanese resentment.

But Biden said at a press conference after the summit he believed increased trilateral cooperation now looked set in concrete, with Yoon and Kishida – the leaders of two historical enemies, both separately allied with the United States – coming together in joint interest.

“If it looks like I’m happy, that’s because I am,” Biden said. He called the summit “historic” and “a long-term structure for a relationship that will last” and may even be “expanded” into something larger.

Biden made reference to a 2010 hot-mic moment in which he was caught, as vice-president, using an expletive to emphasize excitement: “Someone once said in a different context – about health care provision in my country, a while ago – this is a ‘big deal,’” he said.

Lasting ties

Biden also said South Korean and Japanese citizens should not be concerned about a return to his predecessor as president, Donald Trump, because the summit created shared institutions across the countries aimed to make ties “more certain to remain in place.”

“There's not much, if anything, I agree on with my predecessor on foreign policy. His ‘America First’ policy, walking away from the rest of the world, made us weaker, not stronger,” Biden said. “What makes today different is it actually launches a series of initiatives that are actually institutional changes in how we deal with one another.”

President Joe Biden stands with South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl [left] and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a joint news conference, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, at Camp David in Maryland. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Yoon said the summit laid the basis of much closer trilateral ties across levels of government, and not just on the leader level.

“In addition to making our trilateral summit regular, we have agreed to have our government personnel at all levels – including foreign ministers, defense ministers and national security advisors – meet every year to closely coordinate our trilateral cooperation,” Yoon said.

A “consultative body for development policy coordination” would also be created, he added, and the three capitals would coordinate the tracking of North Korean missile tests, which are being launched with increasing frequency over both South Korea and Japan.

Kishida noted that all three countries would be members of the U.N. Security Council next year and said they should use their unity to put pressure on Beijing’s expansion and Pyongyang’s nuclear program, which he noted were driving forces of the Camp David summit.

“The unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas are continuing, and the nuclear and missile threat of North Korea, are only becoming ever larger,” Kishida said.

“Under such circumstances, to make our trilateral strategic collaboration blossom and bloom is only logical, and almost inevitable.”

No trilateral alliance

The leaders released two documents: a shorter text called “The Principles of Camp David” and an official statement for the summit called “The Spirit of Camp David,” which among other things slammed China’s government for its “dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea.

The principles, meanwhile, avowed “the complete denuclearization” of North Korea, “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” and that the three countries would “stand as one” and remain “aligned in our objectives and in our actions” while operating in the Indo-Pacific.

However, the statement skirted the fact that the three countries were not signing a formal trilateral alliance, with the relationships still to be defined by Tokyo and Seoul’s separate alliances with Washington, which have been in effect since 1952 and 1953, respectively.

“With the renewed bonds of friendship—and girded by the ironclad U.S.-Japan and U.S.-ROK alliances—each of our bilateral relationships is now stronger than ever,” it said. “So too is our trilateral relationship.”

Beijing has described the summit as an example of the United States trying to hem in its power in the region. On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin again criticized the meeting and argued it would not be received well throughout Asia.

“The Asia-Pacific is an anchor for peace and development and a promising land for cooperation and growth, and should never be turned into a wrestling ground for geopolitical competition again,” Wang said, slamming attempts to create “exclusionary groupings and bring bloc confrontation and military blocs into the Asia-Pacific.”

‘Staying power’

Before the summit began, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, noted that no summit of foreign leaders had been held at Camp David since 2015, under former President Barack Obama.

President Joe Biden speaks at the press conference with South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl [left] and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida [out of frame] at Camp David in Maryland on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (Jim Watson/AFP)

But he noted the location – the site where former President Franklin Roosevelt hosted British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II and where Bill Clinton hosted the leaders of Israel and Palestine to try to end their conflict in 2000 – was chosen deliberately.

“In keeping with the time-honored tradition of hosting significant, consequential diplomatic meetings at Camp David, this summit signifies a new era of trilateral cooperation for the U.S., Japan and the ROK,” he said, referring to South Korea’s government. “We're opening a new era, and we're making sure that era has staying power.”

He also denied claims leveled by Beijing that the summit marked the start of U.S. efforts to create a security pact like NATO in the east, saying the partnership was not being aimed “against anyone.”

“It's explicitly not a NATO for the Pacific,” Sullivan said. “We will continue to underscore that, and so will both Japan and Korea.”

France and Germany redux

Another senior administration official, speaking on the condition he not be identified, said on a call he believed the summit marked a permanent warming in the rocky ties between Tokyo and Seoul.

He likened the event to similar meetings between historical enemies France and Germany in the 1970s and 1980s, which he noted were also controversial among the two populations at the time but had over the decades forged an entirely political reality in Europe.

“I've been doing diplomacy in Asia for 30 years, or longer; I don't think I've ever been involved in a series of preparations in which alignment between the three governments was so clear,” he said, pointing to the shared sense of “threat perception, opportunities and duty.”

He was less cautious than Sullivan about citing China’s role, and said the newfound union between Seoul and Tokyo, in particular, could be attributable to the deteriorating security situation in Northeast Asia caused by Beijing’s expansionism and Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

“What you're seeing in Japan, South Korea and the United States is largely a response to security steps and measures that we believe are antithetical to our interests,” he said, before adding that the three were still “committed to effective, practical diplomacy with China.”

Edited by Malcolm Foster.

rfa.org

Control, control, control. That is the focus of the regime. Foreign currency has become very important to markets and too much market activity is a threat to the regime yet is key to survival for many of the Korean people in the north.

＜Inside N. Korea＞New proclamation calls for intensified control over the economy…Intense crackdowns on circulation of goods and use of foreign currency (1) The authorities confiscate Chinese yuan and US dollars

asiapress.org

(FILE PHOTO): A female street seller accepting Chinese yuan. She has change worth RMB 1 in her hand. Taken in Yanggang Province in October 2013 (ASIAPRESS)

The Kim Jong-un regime recently handed down a “proclamation” under the name of the national police agency and moved to intensify crackdowns on private economic activity. The proclamation states that the distribution of goods and the use of foreign currency are only permitted under government auspices. The proclamation has led to unrest among North Koreans. ASIAPRESS will report on this issue through two installments. The first installment below focuses on the ban on the use of foreign currency. (KANG Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro)

◆ The police distribute a “proclamation”

The “proclamation” was suddenly handed down in early August. Two reporting partners in the northern region of the country reported that the proclamation had been put up at district offices and that lectures were held to explain the content of the document.

A reporting partner living in North Hamgyung Province told ASIAPRESS that the title of the proclamation was “In Regards to the Thorough Ban on Goods Transactions Outside of Government Control and the Circulation of Foreign Currency.” The proclamation was handed down by the Ministry of Social Security, the country’s national police agency.

“An official came to conduct a lecture at a neighborhood watch unit meeting. The official told us that up until now, the authorities have strictly controlled the use of foreign currency, but failed to eliminate its use, so we must report anyone using foreign currency.”

Most of the foreign currency circulating in North Korea is Chinese yuan and American dollars. China accounts for over 90% of North Korean trade. A diverse range of goods are supplied into North Korean markets, and starting in the 2000s, the Chinese yuan was used widely in the country.

Due to the national currency reform of November 2009, North Koreans experienced suddenly being unable to use their own currency. As a result, the value of the North Korean won plummeted, and people avoided using it. Instead, North Koreans tried to acquire as much foreign currency as possible. From 2010, Chinese yuan began to be used in private transactions at markets, so much so that people used the currency to purchase blocks of tofu through street vendors.

At the time, the Kim Jong-il regime handed down a proclamation about the widespread use of foreign currency. The proclamation included mention of execution for those caught using foreign currency, but that did not stop people from turning to foreign cash to conduct transactions.

(FILE PHOTO) A proclamation distributed in December 2009 in South Pyongan Province stating: “Regarding the Severe Punishment of Those Circulating Foreign Currency in the DPRK.” The proclamation even mentions execution for violators. Taken by KIM Dong-chul.

◆ Crackdowns begin in 2019

North Korean authorities began heavily cracking down on the use of foreign currency from November 2019, when remarks made by Kim Jong-un – where he complained of people’s avoidance of North Korea’s own currency and their desire for foreign currency – was promoted throughout the country.

This immediately led to the banning of foreign currency in markets, but people still continued to demand foreign currency in transactions to protect their assets, even if they couldn’t use foreign currency in the open.

◆ The authorities unconditionally confiscate foreign currency, even from people’s wallets

A reporting partner in Yanggang Province provided the following report about what kinds of crackdowns are occurring following the handing down of the “proclamation.”

“The authorities have started conducting random inspections at markets. If someone is even suspected of having used Chinese yuan, their personal items and even their wallets are inspected. If foreign currency is found in the inspection, it is confiscated without question.

“Up until now, people could ask officials to calculate the worth of the confiscated foreign currency and get the North Korean won equivalent back, but that’s not how things are done anymore. The authorities just confiscate the foreign currency without question. Money exchangers have become targets of crackdowns and even face house searches. On August 13, people who had their Chinese yuan confiscated by authorities at a market made a fuss. There are people who have avoided getting their Chinese cash taken away by going to banks and exchanging it for North Korean won.”

Regional banks have long exchanged foreign currency for local currency. However, the reporting partner said that there are few people who exchange their foreign currency at banks because the exchange rates are much worse than black market exchange rates, and because people don’t want to let the authorities know they have foreign currency by giving the banks personal information, such as their names.

The reporting partner added: “The authorities are ordering people to exchange their foreign currency at banks for North Korean won. People can’t buy or sell things with foreign currency, except at state-run grain shops. Many people are unhappy about the crackdowns on foreign currency. There are people who know they’ll never give up their foreign currency because of uncertainty about when North Korea’s currency will become as worthless as toilet paper. Meanwhile, many others are thinking hard about what to do given the worsening crackdowns.”

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.

Map of North Korea ( ASIAPRESS)

asiapress.org

11. Closer Cooperation with U.S., Japan Is Vital for Korea's Economy

JAROKUS is key to national security AND national prosperity.

Closer Cooperation with U.S., Japan Is Vital for Korea's Economy

english.chosun.com

August 21, 2023 13:33

The U.S., Korea and Japan agreed at a trilateral summit at Camp David to create a broad three-way cooperation platform focusing on semiconductors, biotechnology, space research, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other innovative technologies to foster growth. That could be vital in helping the Korean economy emerge from the low-growth doldrums.

Washington has been trying to reorganize global supply chains for core high-tech products by freezing out Beijing. The U.S. established the Chip 4 Alliance, which includes four of the world's top producers -- the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, and Korea -- to form its own supply chain. But Korea, afraid of agitating China, had been unable to play a leading role, and while it hesitates, Taiwan's TSMC started building a factory in Japan and joined hands with the U.S. to manufacture next-generation semiconductors. That has prompted concerns that the industrial structure for semiconductors could be realigned into a triangle of U.S. design, Japanese materials and Taiwanese production. But the latest trilateral partnership means the U.S. wants to strengthen the alliance with Korea, which now has allies that virtually dominate the global market for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, minimizing the threat of retaliation from China. Korea has also minimized the risk of retaliation from China in the area of rechargeable batteries since the U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership will contribute to lowering its dependence on China for materials.

In the areas of space research, AI and quantum computing, the U.S. and Japan have world-leading technologies. The Korean economy could benefit tremendously from joint research and development with the two allies in those fields. Now that the new framework has been created, the Korean government must draw up detailed plans to elicit private-sector investment in those areas, nurture experts and provide the necessary support.

Read this article in Korean

english.chosun.com

12. South questions accuracy of cruise missiles launched from North's new warship

Good. No one should paint the nKPA and the regime as 10 feet tall.

Excerpts:

But the North’s claims about the cruise missiles were questioned by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), which said the North Korean state media report was “exaggerated and different from the facts.”

The JCS told reporters in a text message on Monday that South Korea and the United States detected signs of the cruise missile launches in advance and “have been monitoring them in real time.”

A South Korean defense official who later spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity said the cruise missiles were not “strategic” based on the relatively small size of the North Korean frigate.

The official added that the missiles failed to hit their preset target but did not present proof to back up his claims.

The JCS also told reporters that the South Korean military will conduct its ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with the United States with “high intensity” and in a “thorough” way to maintain a “firm readiness” to respond “overwhelmingly” to any North Korean attacks.

Monday

August 21, 2023

dictionary + A - A

Published: 21 Aug. 2023, 17:38

Updated: 21 Aug. 2023, 17:53

South questions accuracy of cruise missiles launched from North's new warship

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-08-21/national/northKorea/South-questions-accuracy-of-cruise-missiles-launched-from-Norths-new-warship/1851431

Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central Television released this photograph of a suspected Hwasal-2 cruise missile being launched from a new North Korean naval frigate on Monday. [YONHAP]

North Korea's state media reported Monday that leader Kim Jong-un observed the launch of several cruise missiles from a new frigate during his inspection of a naval flotilla, but South Korean officials later cast doubts on the missiles’ accuracy.

The report on the North Korean leader’s visit was released the same day that South Korea and the United States kicked off Ulchi Freedom Shield, a large-scale joint military and civil exercise designed to bolster preparedness against the North’s advancing military threats.

According to the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim recently visited a naval unit responsible for defending the North’s eastern coast and watched “strategic cruise missiles” being launched from a new Amnok-class naval corvette.

During the drill, the missiles launched from the ship “rapidly hit [their] target without even an error,” the KCNA said in an English-language report.

In this footage released by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central Television, a cruise missile is launched from a newly commissioned Amnok-class naval frigate. [YONHAP]

The state news agency did not specify the timing of Kim’s visit.

Photos released by state media of the new corvette, labeled Patrol Ship No. 661, showed it has around eight cruise missile launch tubes.

The missiles launched from the ship appeared to be Hwasal-2 cruise missiles, which were tested earlier this year on land and from a submarine, according to previous state media reports.

The state news agency reported that Kim vowed during his visit to modernize his navy’s weaponry to make it an “all-round and powerful” force with both offensive and defensive capabilities above the surface and underwater.

He also called for the deployment of anti-aircraft missiles along the eastern coast, according to the KCNA.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, gives guidance to naval officials in this footage released by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central Television on Monday. The number of the new naval frigate, 661, can be seen behind him above the dock. [YONHAP]

But the North’s claims about the cruise missiles were questioned by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), which said the North Korean state media report was “exaggerated and different from the facts.”

The JCS told reporters in a text message on Monday that South Korea and the United States detected signs of the cruise missile launches in advance and “have been monitoring them in real time.”

A South Korean defense official who later spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity said the cruise missiles were not “strategic” based on the relatively small size of the North Korean frigate.

The official added that the missiles failed to hit their preset target but did not present proof to back up his claims.

The JCS also told reporters that the South Korean military will conduct its ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with the United States with “high intensity” and in a “thorough” way to maintain a “firm readiness” to respond “overwhelmingly” to any North Korean attacks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, observes the launch of a ship-borne cruise missile from a distance in this undated footage released by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central Television on Monday. [YONHAP]

The joint South Korean-U.S. military exercise started on Monday and is scheduled to run until Aug. 31.

The exercise involves 58,000 South Korean and U.S. troops and features various drills, including a computer simulation-based command post exercise, simultaneous large-scale field training and Ulchi civil defense drills involving different agencies across the South Korean government.

On Monday, South Korea’s Air Force staged its own air drills across 12 units nationwide.

Twenty aircraft, including F-35A, F-15K, KF-16 and FA-50 fighter jets, were mobilized for the exercise, which focused on intercepting hypothetical enemy cruise missiles and intrusions by hostile aircraft.

Troops from air and missile defense units also rehearsed tracking and shooting down enemy missiles and aircraft using surface-to-air missile systems, including the mid-range Cheongung system, according to the Air Force.

This year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield is set to feature a total of 30 joint field training drills by the allies, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The North has long objected to the allies’ annual military drills, accusing them of rehearsing for an invasion of its territory. South Korea and the United States denied the accusation, arguing the drills are defensive in nature.

Kim has also recently upped tensions on the peninsula by calling for a “drastic boost” in the country’s missile production capacity and upgrading his regime’s “offensive” capabilities.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers on Thursday during a closed-door briefing that the North is preparing various “provocative” acts during the allies’ joint exercise, such as an intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

During their three-way summit at Camp David, Maryland, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to strengthen their countries’ joint cooperation against rising military threats from North Korea.

They agreed to hold annual joint military exercises, to cooperate closely for stronger missile defense against North Korea and to regularize the trilateral summit, as well as lower-level talks.

Biden told reporters that the three countries “all committed to swiftly consult with each other in response to threats to any one of our countries from whatever source it occurs,” adding they will have a “hotline to share information and coordinate our responses whenever there is a crisis in the region or affecting any one of our countries.”

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]

13. NK abruptly cancels first post-COVID int'l commercial flight

Excerpts:

Journalists gathered on Monday at Beijing's Capital International Airport to await Air Koryo flight JS151 from Pyongyang, due to arrive at 09:50 a.m.

But almost two hours after its scheduled arrival, a signboard in the terminal unexpectedly signalled it had been cancelled, prompting groans of disappointment from media waiting to see some of the isolated North's first international travellers in years.

Beijing airport customer service told AFP that Air Koryo had not given a reason for the cancellation.

AFP was unable to contact Air Koryo's Beijing office on Monday, and a journalist who visited the state-owned airline's outpost in the Chinese capital found the glass doors locked and bolted.

NK abruptly cancels first post-COVID int'l commercial flight

The Korea Times · August 21, 2023

North Korea's Air Koryo freight plane parked at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi, on Feb. 24, 2019. Yonhap

North Korea's national airline was set to make its first commercial flight in over three years on Monday, only for it to be abruptly cancelled at the last minute.

North Korea has been largely closed off from the outside world since early 2020, when it shut its borders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Journalists gathered on Monday at Beijing's Capital International Airport to await Air Koryo flight JS151 from Pyongyang, due to arrive at 09:50 a.m.

But almost two hours after its scheduled arrival, a signboard in the terminal unexpectedly signalled it had been cancelled, prompting groans of disappointment from media waiting to see some of the isolated North's first international travellers in years.

Beijing airport customer service told AFP that Air Koryo had not given a reason for the cancellation.

AFP was unable to contact Air Koryo's Beijing office on Monday, and a journalist who visited the state-owned airline's outpost in the Chinese capital found the glass doors locked and bolted.

But the office seemed well-maintained, and a worker on the same floor said airline staff did occasionally show up, though none had appeared that morning.

A person with knowledge of Air Koryo's China operations told AFP they were not aware of any scheduled flights between Pyongyang and Beijing.

The person, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, added that the company had not received notice from the North Korean government to restart flights to China.

"The information that you have is mistaken. Flights have not resumed," they said.

North Korean women wearing track suits with the North Korean flag and the words Taekwon-Do printed on the back walk to Chinese customs after checking in for a flight to Astana at the Capital Airport in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 18. AP-Yonhap

Taekwondo delegation

After three years of COVID-induced isolation, there are increasing signs Pyongyang may be becoming more flexible on border controls, experts say.

Chinese and Russian officials attended a military parade in the North Korean capital last month ― the first foreign dignitaries to visit the country in years.

Last week Pyongyang allowed a delegation of athletes to attend a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan.

The Yonhap and Kyodo news agencies reported that a group of people, believed to be North Korean athletes, had crossed the land border into China last Wednesday before travelling on to Beijing, then flying to Central Asia.

Monday was expected to see Air Koryo ― Pyongyang's beleaguered national air carrier ― conduct its first commercial flight in over three years.

Seoul's Unification Ministry, which manages relations with the North, told AFP there was "absolutely nothing we are aware of" regarding the cancellation of the flight.

"There have been various signs regarding North Korea's reopening of its borders," an official said "But it is difficult to determine yet whether it is a full-scale opening of the border or a fairly limited and controlled opening," they added.

Specialist website NK News reported Monday that Air Koryo was set to carry out two flights from Russia's Vladivostok to Pyongyang on Friday and next Monday. (AFP)

The Korea Times · August 21, 2023

14. Advantage North Korea

I think I will put up JAROKUS against any alignment of authoritarian regimes. I think the author's analysis is a stretch.

Conclusion:

China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Pakistan and several other rivals are more connected now with one another and the spread of the U.S. rivals and their connections are growing rather than getting reduced. In the changing global rivalry and competitive Indo-Pacific, the equations are changing through moves and countermoves of big players but at least at this point of time, North Korea appears to have an advantageous position.

Advantage North Korea

The Korea Times · August 21, 2023

By Sandip Kumar Mishra

It was reported that an Ilyushin IL-62 M Russian Air Force jet traveled from Moscow to Pyongyang on July 31 and stayed there for 36 hours. That happened just a few days after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang and his participation in a military parade hosted by North Korea on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement.

There is no clarification from Russia or North Korea on who traveled aboard the Russian jet or what was the purpose of the flight. But it has been speculated that the trip was related to a weapons deal. There is speculation that Russia, at war with Ukraine, is looking for ammunition from North Korea. The North has artillery shells and rockets which Russia needs right now. The U.S. has already accused North Korea of supplying arms and ammunition to Russia in the Ukraine war.

According to the United Nations sanctions committee, Russia restarted its oil supply to North Korea in December 2022. And until June 2023, Moscow has supplied around 67,000 barrels to North Korea. In 2023, Russia also resumed grain exports to North Korea. This shows that the proximity between North Korea and Russia has improved significantly in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.

All attempts to isolate Russia may have had an impact. But North Korea is smiling at the developments as it has got a golden opportunity to get reconnected to Russia. It is important to note that because of international sanctions and border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea's external trade plummeted to $710 million in 2021. Even though it has improved a bit in 2022 by reaching $1.59 billion, it is still quite meager.

Thus, any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would give some relief to the North. Actually, North Korea took the visiting Russian defense minister to a weapons exhibition that included nuclear-capable missiles and military drones and the possibility of an arms deal appears real.

Over the last two years, North Korea appears to have become less isolated, not only because of the Ukraine crisis, but also because of the U.S.-China rivalry. With increasing efforts to decouple or de-risk from China, North Korea has got a window to improve its utility as well as connections with China. Actually, in the "Victory Day" parade in North Korea on July 27, a Chinese delegation led by Politburo member Li Hongzhong also participated.

Li delivered a personal letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kim Jong-un. Contests between the U.S. and China on issues such as Taiwan, South China Sea, trade manipulations and critical technologies have provided more strategic possibilities to North Korea to move closer to China. Overall, the Ukraine crisis and the U.S.-China rivalry have made a quasi-triple alliance among North Korea, China and Russia a reality which was dormant and minimal in the past.

The Trump administration, after a failed summit meeting at Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2019, tried to isolate the North and increase pressure and sanctions on it. The Biden administration took more than a year to formulate its North Korea policy and practically reintroduced the Obama era's policy of 'strategic patience' plus continuation of the policy of the Trump era. Overall, the goal of the U.S. administration in the post-Hanoi period has been to push North Korea for denuclearization through sanctions.

However, the result has been quite the opposite. North Korea since early 2022 has had more than 100 missile tests and despite economic hardships along with dealing with the pandemic, the Kim Jong-un regime appears to be politically more stable. Another objective of the U.S. foreign policy to isolate North Korea also failed to get the desired outcome as North Korea appears to have renewed closeness and exchanges with China and Russia.

On Aug. 18, the U.S. hosted the Japanese and South Korean leaders at the Camp David in a trilateral summit but this summit would not be able to stop North Korea to forge more proximity with China and Russia, rather it would do the opposite.

Actually the goal of foreign policy at the basic level is to consolidate your friends and not allow your rivals to come together. The U.S. might claim success that its allies and friends are more closely connected to one another at present but it cannot deny that it has been unable to stop its rivals from coming together. It even may be said that the U.S. policies have also been responsible for making it easier for its rivals to come together.

China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Pakistan and several other rivals are more connected now with one another and the spread of the U.S. rivals and their connections are growing rather than getting reduced. In the changing global rivalry and competitive Indo-Pacific, the equations are changing through moves and countermoves of big players but at least at this point of time, North Korea appears to have an advantageous position.

The author is an associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India, and could be reached at sandipmishra10@gmail.com.

The Korea Times · August 21, 2023

15. S. Korean military denies NK report on 'strategic' cruise missile drills

Excerpts:

The JSC official also confirmed that the missile launches occurred on a weekday during the previous week.

The media report came on the first day of Ulchi Freedom Shield, a routine defense-focused computer-simulated military exercise conducted by South Korea and the United States. The allies plan to stage 38 field training exercises associated with the exercise.

Choi Il, a former South Korean submarine captain, additionally noted that North Korea's state media report is evidently a direct and straightforward response triggered by the initiation of the UFS exercise.

Choi took note of Kim Jong-un's emphasis on bolstering defensive naval capabilities alongside offensive measures during the inspection.

"This underscores North Korea's apprehension regarding the naval capabilities of South Korea or the collective naval strength of South Korea, the US and Japan," Choi said. "North Korea's emphasis on its navy reflects its determination to respond in kind to the unified naval presence, particularly amid the recent strengthening of collaborative efforts between South Korea, the US and Japan."

S. Korean military denies NK report on 'strategic' cruise missile drills

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · August 21, 2023

Some experts say NK corvette capable of firing long-range cruise missile

By Ji Da-gyum

Published : 2023-08-21 15:23:49

This undated photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Monday, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) on a patrol boat watching a test launch of what it has called a strategic cruise missile during a visit to the Guards 2nd Surface Ship Flotilla of the East Sea Fleet of North Korea's navy. The test was apparently made in a bid to respond to South Korea and the United States' annual military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, which kicked off Monday for an 11-day run. (Yonhap)

The South Korean military on Monday refuted a belated report from North Korean state media that "strategic cruise missiles" were fired from a newly revealed naval corvette as part of its live-fire drills.

Earlier in the morning, North Korean state media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had inspected the Guards 2nd Surface Ship Flotilla of the East Sea Fleet of the Navy of the Korean People's Army. Without elaborating on the date, the report also mentioned his observation of the launch of "strategic cruise missiles" from "Patrol Ship No. 661."

Kim reportedly received a comprehensive overview of the naval fleet's preparedness for combat mobilization and wartime readiness, the daily military routines of soldiers and strategies for upgrading a naval port. Kim was aboard Patrol Ship No. 661, which will soon be designated for maritime surveillance duty.

"At the drill aimed to reconfirm the combat function of the ship and the feature of its missile system and make the seamen skilled at carrying out the attack mission in actual war, the ship rapidly hit target without even an error," read an English-language report from North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency. "As a result, the ship's regular posture for mobilization and offensive ability were perfectly appreciated."

Subsequently, Kim articulated the party's directive to bolster and advance its navy into a self-reliant force with comprehensive capabilities. This involves substantially elevating its combat preparedness and outfitting it with "significantly upgraded combat capabilities, encompassing state-of-the-art surface and underwater offensive and defensive systems."

"The information provided by North Korea is exaggerated and contains multiple inconsistencies with the actual facts," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement in response to the North Korean media report. "Both South Korea and the United States preemptively detected pertinent indications and closely monitored the situation in real time."

South Korea's JCS disputed every aspect of the North Korean state media's account.

"Primarily, this does not qualify as a strategic cruise missile. To apply the term 'strategic,' it would necessitate the inclusion of a nuclear warhead," a senior official from the JCS -- who requested to remain anonymous -- said during a closed-door briefing.

"Hence, on vessels of such small scale, it is more typical to deploy anti-ship missiles, which fall under the category of cruise missiles. Therefore, the two are different types of missiles. This distinction underscores that the (launched anti-ship) missiles have limited ranges and do not possess a strategic nature," the official clarified.

Anti-ship cruise missiles are meticulously crafted to pinpoint and engage naval vessels, rendering them a distinct subset of cruise missiles tailored for naval warfare scenarios.

South Korea's JCS braced for the possibility of North Korea launching existing anti-ship missiles or their upgraded version.

North Korea might launch an upgraded variant of the Kumsong-3 or KN-19, their rendition of the Soviet-originated Kh-35 Uran anti-ship cruise missile. The KN-19 is widely believed to encompass a range of 130 to 250 kilometers.

This undated photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Monday, shows a test launch of a purported strategic cruise missile, which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected during a visit to the Guards 2nd Surface Ship Flotilla of the East Sea Fleet of North Korea's navy. (Yonhap)

Differing opinions

But there are opinions among some experts based in Seoul that differ from assessments of the JCS.

Shin Jong-woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, emphasized that a naval vessel of 1,500 to 2,000 tons would indeed possess sufficient capacity to accommodate the launch of long-range cruise missiles.

"The missile(s) launched shares resemblances in shape and paint with North Korea's Hwasal-2 (long-range land-attack cruise missile), setting it apart from existing anti-ship missiles modeled after the Kh-35 Uran," Shin told The Korea Herald.

"It appears that North Korea conducted an initial flight test with the objective of demonstrating the operation and launch of a cruise missile from the naval vessel. As a result, the observed range of the launch appears to be relatively restricted."

North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television broadcasts images of a "strategic" cruise missile launch (left) on Monday. The accompanying photo on the right depicts the Hwasal-2 long-range land-attack cruise missile, which was launched Jan. 25. The two are nearly indiscernible in appearance. (Yonhap)

Ryu Seong-yeop, an intelligence analyst at the Korea Research Institute for Military Affairs, reiterated the significance of not underestimating North Korea's progress in missile development, pointing to the case of the 2010 Cheonan sinking where North Korea's acoustic homing torpedo technology was overlooked.

"As a case in point, when evaluating missile sizes the disparities in dimensions between short-range and long-range cruise missiles are not substantial. Even a comparison of the dimensions of the (US) Harpoon and Tomahawk cruise missiles reveals a difference of approximately 10 centimeters in diameter and 1-2 meters in length," Ryu told The Korea Herald.

"Given that the maximum length of medium to long-range cruise missiles, like the Tomahawk, is around 6 meters, it's crucial to acknowledge the potential for the short-range cruise missile launched to be upgraded into a Hwasal-type medium-range cruise missile."

When asked about the rationale behind the silence maintained by both South Korea and the US despite the real-time detection of the missile launch, the JCS official clarified, "Anti-ship missiles of this nature have relatively limited ranges and aren't typically viewed as highly threatening capabilities."

The JCS also rejected the North Korean state media's assertion that the missiles had successfully hit their target. The military clarified that in past cases, state media had released images or videos of successful strikes. However, as of Monday morning, no such evidence had been presented.

"Furthermore, according to data collected by our surveillance equipment, it seems that the missile did not hit its intended target," the official said.

Regarding the newly disclosed North Korean Navy corvette, the official clarified that its construction dates back over 10 years, indicating it is not a recently built vessel.

The JSC official also confirmed that the missile launches occurred on a weekday during the previous week.

The media report came on the first day of Ulchi Freedom Shield, a routine defense-focused computer-simulated military exercise conducted by South Korea and the United States. The allies plan to stage 38 field training exercises associated with the exercise.

Choi Il, a former South Korean submarine captain, additionally noted that North Korea's state media report is evidently a direct and straightforward response triggered by the initiation of the UFS exercise.

Choi took note of Kim Jong-un's emphasis on bolstering defensive naval capabilities alongside offensive measures during the inspection.

"This underscores North Korea's apprehension regarding the naval capabilities of South Korea or the collective naval strength of South Korea, the US and Japan," Choi said. "North Korea's emphasis on its navy reflects its determination to respond in kind to the unified naval presence, particularly amid the recent strengthening of collaborative efforts between South Korea, the US and Japan."

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · August 21, 2023

16. N. Koreans turn to ancestral rites to ward away misfortune

Unfortunately the Korean people in the north need all the help they can get.

But even this activity is a threat to the regime as it undermines regime legitimacy. Therefore the regime cracks down on this.

Excerpts:

North Koreans suffering psychologically due to severe hardships, facing interrogations by the Ministry of State Security or Ministry of Social Security, or enduring constant criticism or complaints from their inminban (neighborhood watch unit) leaders are increasingly visiting shamans to have their fortunes read and conducting ancestral rites, according to the source.

For example, a woman in her 50s in Hyesan – identified by her family name of Pak – visited a shaman in early August to ward off misfortune from her son, who was sentenced to seven years of forced labor for watching banned videos in June, and from her husband, who was sentenced to four months of forced labor for assaulting a neighbor.

N. Koreans turn to ancestral rites to ward away misfortune

“Many people are pinning their hopes on superstition, having suffered various challenges after the outbreak of the pandemic," a source told Daily NK

By Lee Chae Un -

2023.08.21 10:00am

dailynk.com

FILE PHOTO: A grave site in a rural area of North Korea. (Daily NK)

North Koreans are increasingly performing ancestral rites to ward away misfortune, Daily NK has learned.

Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Wednesday that “following the outbreak of COVID-19, people hardly performed rites to mark the births or deaths of their ancestors, but recently, more people are devoting themselves to performing the rites, even if they have to skip meals to do so.”

North Koreans suffering psychologically due to severe hardships, facing interrogations by the Ministry of State Security or Ministry of Social Security, or enduring constant criticism or complaints from their inminban (neighborhood watch unit) leaders are increasingly visiting shamans to have their fortunes read and conducting ancestral rites, according to the source.

For example, a woman in her 50s in Hyesan – identified by her family name of Pak – visited a shaman in early August to ward off misfortune from her son, who was sentenced to seven years of forced labor for watching banned videos in June, and from her husband, who was sentenced to four months of forced labor for assaulting a neighbor.

According to the source, the shaman told the woman: “Only if you care for your ancestors with devotion will your household prosper and be at peace. If not, misfortune will continue in your family, so perform the ancestral rites, even if you have to starve to do so.” After reflecting on how she skipped the ancestral rites due to hardships she had faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pak took time to perform ancestral rites in the proper way.

“Many people are pinning their hopes on superstition, having suffered various challenges after the outbreak of the pandemic. They hear tales of others suffering misfortune for failing to take care of their ancestors, and – no matter how hard life is – they devote themselves to preparing food for ancestral rites and pray to be liberated from all their suffering,” the source said.

“That people are doing all this work to prepare food for ancestral rites is a reflection of how sick and tired they are of worrying everyday about surviving. It shows that people are grasping at straws to escape hardships and suffering.”

Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.

Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com

17. Japan’s Strategy to Confront North Korea’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missiles

Conclusion:

Almost 20 years have passed since the Japanese government decided to introduce ballistic missile defense capabilities. During this period, North Korea has dramatically advanced its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. The Aegis Ashore was expected to protect all of Japan from North Korean ballistic missiles, but it is unclear whether the new Aegis-equipped vessels can do the same. The Japanese government prepared three security-related documents at the end of 2022 and has shifted its focus from “peacetime to gray zone” responses to “emergencies,” increased its defense budget from 1 percent to 2 percent of GDP, and acquired a counterstrike capability. Based on these decisions, it will now exercise not only denial deterrence but also punitive deterrence against the North Korean ballistic missile threat. With this major shift in Japan’s security policy, the ballistic missile defense concept will probably undergo significant changes and the country will no longer commit to maintaining an uninterrupted 24/7 missile defense system over the long term.

Japan’s Strategy to Confront North Korea’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missiles - War on the Rocks

warontherocks.com · by Tokuhiro Ikeda · August 21, 2023

On May 31, 2023 (around 6:30 a.m. Japan Standard Time), North Korea launched a satellite. North Korea announced the launch in advance, prompting the Japanese government to deploy Aegis destroyers in advance. The Aegis destroyer is designed to detect and track ballistic missiles and intercept them if they appear to be threatening or landing on Japanese territory itself. When the Japanese government decided to acquire ballistic missile interceptor capability in 2003, the ballistic missile defense concept assumed that a launch would be reported in advance or that clear signs of a launch would be obtained, as in this case. The circumstances in Asia have changed a lot in 20 years.

As North Korea’s ballistic missile development progresses, the frequency of launches, the types of missiles, and the form of launches have varied. Japanese leaders also have to consider the development of hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles. North Korea has also been developing nuclear weapons, conducting its sixth nuclear test in 2017, and it is expected to conduct a seventh test in the next several years.

To defend Japanese territory from attack, the government initially pursued the Aegis Ashore missile defense system, which was expected to protect all of Japan from North Korean ballistic missiles 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, the procurement was cancelled and the Japanese government has now responded to North Korea’s nuclear and missile development with a concept centered on the Aegis destroyer. These ships have been upgraded successively since 2007 to have ballistic missile defense capabilities. Japan now has eight ballistic missile-capable ships in its fleet.

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The Japanese government is now rethinking its traditional approach to ballistic missile defense, following the decision to purchase and develop longer-range missiles for counter-strike contingencies. Based on the decision to possess a counterstrike capability and three security-related documents prepared by the Japanese government at the end of 2022, it will now exercise deterrence by denial but also punitive deterrence against the North Korean ballistic missile threat.

The Decision to Introduce Aegis Ashore

When the Japanese government first decided to introduce ballistic missile defense in 2003, leaders had the benefit of time: It was known “when, from where, and what type” of North Korean missiles would be launched. For example, once a missile launcher was erected near a North Korean missile launch site and then fueled, Japanese leaders knew that North Korea would then launch that missile within a few days. Also, the only missiles that posed a threat to Japan were the Nodong or the Taepodong, which were in the development stage at that time.

As North Korea’s missile capability gradually progressed, it developed mobile ballistic missiles that could be launched from locations other than missile launch sites. This has made tracking North Korean missiles more difficult and the deployment of defenses more challenging. In 2012, when I was commander of the Fleet Escort Force, we had to deploy Aegis destroyers for more than 70 days in order to counter North Korean ballistic missiles. Since 2016, North Korea has launched more than 30 ballistic missiles a year, and this has resulted in longer range, improved saturation attack capability, improved surprise attack capability, and more diverse launch modes. As a result, Japan’s Aegis destroyers had to be engaged in continuous missions for even longer periods of time.

Japan’s ballistic missile defense concept is to “defend all of Japan with the Aegis [ballistic missile defense] systems and deploy PAC-3s for double defense in key protected areas such as the Tokyo metropolitan area.” This has become difficult to realize with the Aegis, which carries out its missions at sea.

In December 2017, the Japanese government decided to deploy two land-based Aegis Ashore units to maintain a 24/7, 365-day uninterrupted missile defense system over the long term. The government then began local coordination for the deployment of Aegis Ashore in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures facing the Sea of Japan to protect all of Japan. In my experience, this coordination proved difficult, however, and although Aegis Ashore-related equipment was purchased, the location of its deployment could not be determined. Eventually, in June 2020, two and a half years after the decision to deploy Aegis Ashore, the Japanese government decided to suspend this project.

Alternative Plan of Aegis Ashore

When the Japanese government decided to suspend the deployment of Aegis Ashore in June 2020, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, “What should we do to strengthen our deterrence and response capabilities? We will discuss thoroughly what our security strategy should be, firmly establish a new direction, and promptly put it into action.” Thus, Abe put forth the idea of reviewing Japan’s security strategy itself, including ballistic missile defense, and the government began to consider alternatives to Aegis Ashore. As a result, the government decided to build two Aegis-equipped vessels to replace Aegis Ashore in December 2020. It is impossible, however, to realize the ballistic missile defense aim of protecting all of Japan from ballistic missiles 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with two Aegis destroyers deployed at sea. Consequently, the operational requirement of Aegis-equipped destroyers as a replacement for Aegis Ashore could not be determined. More than two years after the suspension of the Aegis Ashore deployment, an appropriation was finally requested in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget to build Aegis-equipped vessels.

Three Security-Related Documents

It took six long years from the decision to deploy Aegis Ashore to the suspension of its deployment and the decision on its replacement. There is no clear indication of how the Japanese government intends to respond to the North Korean ballistic missile threat. Late last year, the Japanese government prepared three security-related documents (the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Plan). Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described these documents as “a major shift in Japan’s security policy since World War II.” The major shifts include a significant increase in the defense budget (from 1 percent to 2 percent of GDP by FY2027) and the retention of a counterstrike capability.

As for missile defense, the Defense White Paper states, “The Cabinet has decided to replace Aegis Ashore with two Aegis System Equipped Vessels.” The three documents do not mention the replacement of Aegis Ashore. However, they state that the new Aegis-equipped vessels will be built to improve the integrated air defense missile defense capability. I believe that Japan is rethinking its traditional approach concerning ballistic missile defense.

The first reason for this belief is that the three security-related documents clearly focus on emergency measures, and the second is the decision to possess a counterstrike capability. There are two ways to deter a North Korean ballistic missile attack: deterrence by denial, which involves enhancing ballistic missile defense capabilities, and punitive deterrence, which requires counterstrike capabilities. The National Security Strategy states, “if Japan continues to rely solely upon ballistic missile defenses, it will become increasingly difficult to fully address missile threats with the existing missile defense network alone.” For this reason, according to the new strategy, “the Japanese military needs counterstrike capabilities, which, in the case of missile attacks by an opponent, enable Japan to mount effective counterstrikes against the opponent to prevent further attacks. At the same time, Japanese forces should be defending the island from incoming missiles by means of the missile defense network.”

In the past, Japan has only used denial deterrence and left punitive deterrence to the U.S. military. Japan now will be able to use punitive deterrence at will. Therefore, the response to missiles launched by North Korea in peacetime is based on a missile defense capability to intercept them, along with a counterstrike capability to deter them from causing an emergency. Concerning the integrated air defense missile defense capability, the National Defense Strategy states, “Missile attacks will first be intercepted by missile defense systems. Then, the capability to launch an effective counterattack in the opponent’s territory will be utilized. By having the ability to launch a counterattack, Japan will constrain the opponent’s missile launch, making it easier for missile defense to intercept, which, coupled with missile defense, will deter missile attacks themselves.”

The new Aegis-equipped vessels will be developed by FY2027 as a capability for this purpose. Thus, the new Aegis destroyers are described as a function of the integrated air defense missile defense capability, not a replacement for Aegis Ashore. The Maritime Self-Defense Force is, I believe, trying to develop a system to prepare for emergencies, including the new Aegis-equipped vessels. In addition, the Defense Buildup Plan indicates the goal of a 12-strong Aegis destroyer fleet in ten years. The eight existing Aegis destroyers will be supplemented by four more Aegis-equipped ships, including the two new Aegis-equipped vessels.

Operational Concept of a 12-Aegis Destroyer Fleet

As noted above, Japan’s three security-related documents indicate that the new Aegis destroyers are not a replacement for Aegis Ashore. In addition, based on my experience, it is not feasible to deploy two new Aegis destroyers in two different locations 24 hours a day, 365 days a year during peacetime. Therefore, the Japanese government will have to change its ballistic missile defense concept. Specifically, the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis destroyers will no longer be always deployed during peacetime to prepare for a North Korean ballistic missile launch. The Aegis destroyers will be deployed according to the situation, taking into consideration the effect of punitive deterrence through its counterstrike capability. Specifically, they will be deployed flexibly in cases where two Aegis ships are deployed to protect all of Japan, one Aegis destroyer is deployed to protect the Tokyo metropolitan area, or no Aegis ships are deployed at all.

The National Defense Strategy states that as a measure for sustainability and resilience, a system to make all Aegis destroyers operational, except for those under repair, will be established as soon as possible. If 25 percent of the Aegis destroyers are being repaired, approximately nine Aegis destroyers can be made operational. With nine Aegis destroyers in an operational state, it would be possible to deploy the ships in two areas on a continuous basis to protect all of Japan in an emergency. In an emergency, such as if China invades Taiwan, it may be necessary to permanently deploy Aegis vessels to two locations in preparation for a North Korean missile attack. In such a case, two Aegis ships could be deployed for a short period of time to respond to North Korean missile attacks, and the remaining seven Aegis ships could be assigned to other missions related to contingencies involving Taiwan,

Conclusion

Almost 20 years have passed since the Japanese government decided to introduce ballistic missile defense capabilities. During this period, North Korea has dramatically advanced its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. The Aegis Ashore was expected to protect all of Japan from North Korean ballistic missiles, but it is unclear whether the new Aegis-equipped vessels can do the same. The Japanese government prepared three security-related documents at the end of 2022 and has shifted its focus from “peacetime to gray zone” responses to “emergencies,” increased its defense budget from 1 percent to 2 percent of GDP, and acquired a counterstrike capability. Based on these decisions, it will now exercise not only denial deterrence but also punitive deterrence against the North Korean ballistic missile threat. With this major shift in Japan’s security policy, the ballistic missile defense concept will probably undergo significant changes and the country will no longer commit to maintaining an uninterrupted 24/7 missile defense system over the long term.

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Tokuhiro Ikeda is a director of the National Security Institute at Fujitsu Defense & National Security Limited, a former vice admiral, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, and was a senior fellow at the Harvard University Asia Center (2021-2023).

Commentary

warontherocks.com · by Tokuhiro Ikeda · August 21, 2023

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."

Access NSS HERE

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