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Quotes of the Day:
“Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company.”
- George Washington
The Veteran
When I was young and bold and strong,
Oh, right was right, and wrong was wrong!
My plume on high, my flag unfurled,
I rode away to right the world.
“Come out, you dogs, and fight!” said I,
And wept there was but once to die.
But I am old; and good and bad
Are woven in a crazy plaid.
I sit and say, “the world is so;
And he is wise who lets it go.
A battle lost, a battle won –
The difference is small, my son.”
Inertia rides and riddles me;
The witch is called philosophy.
- Dorothy Parker
"We learn from history only that we do not learn from history."
- Capt. Sir Basil Liddell-Hart
1. N. Korea says it conducted 'important' test for developing reconnaissance satellite
2. N. Korea to stay away from denuclearization talks in 2023: think tank
3. North Korea Launches Two Missiles, Adding to a Historic Year of Weapons Testing
4. South Korea Accuses the North of Launching Missiles. The North Says It Was a Satellite Test.
5. Pyongyang student dies in police detention after arrest for distributing foreign videos
6. Japan 'counterstrike capabilities' raise constitutional questions (for Korea)
7. Military buildup of Japan, Australia sparks regional arms race - North Korea expected to exploit military buildup
8. Yoon's office says Japan needs to seek S. Korea's approval on Korean Peninsula matters
9. Yoon's office voices regret over 'malicious' editing by news channel YTN
10. Iran says it will launch two satellites into space in coming months
11. Korea's Dokdo sovereignty and San Francisco Peace Treaty
12. Indian embassy prepares for 'golden jubilee' of Korea-India ties
13. Game of mouse and cat: why war on NK hacking is still losing battle
14. Is Russia Receiving Weapons From North Korea?
1. N. Korea says it conducted 'important' test for developing reconnaissance satellite
The photos at the link are not nearly as good as Google Earth. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20221219000452325?section=nk/nk
We need to look at the totality of north Korea's actions and rhetoric and not individual actions and statements. This is all part of its political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies while it does pursue advanced fighting capabilities. This is to support its single long term objective and that is to dominate the peninsula.
(3rd LD) N. Korea says it conducted 'important' test for developing reconnaissance satellite | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · December 19, 2022
(ATTN: UPDATES with Seoul official's remarks in paras 17-18; RECASTS 14th para)
By Kim Soo-yeon
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has conducted an "important final-stage" test at its rocket launching facility on putting a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit, with a plan to complete preparations for the project by April next year, according to its state media Monday.
The test was conducted at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground on Sunday mainly to "evaluate the capabilities of satellite photography and data transmission system and ground control system," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The country fired a vehicle carrying a "test-piece satellite" at a lofted angle to an altitude of 500 kilometers, an unnamed spokesperson at the National Aerospace Development Administration said in an English-language statement carried by the KCNA.
North Korea will "finish the preparations for the first military reconnaissance satellite by April, 2023," the official said, adding that the latest test was the "final gateway process" for the launch of such a satellite.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Sunday it detected the launches of two medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) from Tongchang-ri areas into the East Sea. The missiles, fired at steep angles, flew some 500 kilometers, it added.
The North's media did not mention whether leader Kim Jong-un inspected Sunday's firing in person.
The development of a spy satellite is on a list of high-tech weapon systems that Kim ordered to advance at a key party congress in January last year, along with tactical nuclear weapons and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The Sohae rocket launching facility in Tongchang-ri, not far away from the border with China, is a site where North Korea tested a high-thrust solid-fuel rocket engine last week for a "new-type strategic weapon system," a move seen as developing a solid-fuel ICBM capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
Meanwhile, the KCNA released black-and-white photos of Seoul and a port of its adjacent city of Incheon presumed to be shot from the test-piece satellite. When magnified, the photos vaguely showed areas surrounding the South Korean presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul.
Some experts here said the photos seem too "crude" to say they were shot from a military spy satellite, raising doubts about the North's claim. Some said that regardless of the authenticity of the photos, Pyongyang apparently aims to boast of its reconnaissance ability.
"North Korea appears to be making a mockery (of the South) to show that they can spy on us," Hong Min, a researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, said.
North Korea launched Hwasong-17 ICBMs in February and March, claiming they were test-launches of spy satellites.
Outside experts said North Korea's purported launch of a satellite is widely seen as a covert test of ballistic missile technology. North Korea is banned from developing ballistic missiles under a series of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions.
The North may seek to fire a vehicle carrying what it claims to be a satellite to mark one of its key anniversaries in April 2023, according to observers. Those include the 11th anniversary of leader Kim Jong-un taking the first secretary post at the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on April 11 and the birthday of late founder Kim Il-sung on April 15.
South Korea's unification ministry on Monday condemned the North's firing of ballistic missiles the previous day, calling the firing a clear violation of related UNSC resolutions and "grave" provocations that threaten peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.
"North Korean authorities need to make efforts to develop their economy and improve North Korean people's human rights and the quality of life," the ministry's spokesperson Cho Joong-hoon, told a regular press briefing.
Despite the North's claim, the South Korean military maintained its initial analysis that Sunday's launch involved two MRBMs.
"Given the specifics of the missile detected, the assessment by the South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities remains unchanged that what the North fired yesterday were MRBMs," JCS spokesperson Col. Kim Jun-rak said during a regular press briefing.
North Korea has fired more than 60 ballistic missiles so far this year, the largest in a single year, including last month's launch of a Hwasong-17 ICBM, amid speculation it may conduct a nuclear test in the near future.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · December 19, 2022
2. N. Korea to stay away from denuclearization talks in 2023: think tank
A pretty safe bet that talks will not happen in 2023. While our policy has no preconditions, Kim requires either the actual lifting of sanctions or at least a promise to do so if he comes to the negotiating table.
Two points. As some escapees tell me, Kim's attempt to get sanctions relief since 2017 has been arguably the greatest failure of the Kim family regime in seven decades. Kim supposedly promised the elite and the military that he could "play" the ROK and US and get sanctions relief. I gedit both the Moon and Yoon administrations as well as the Trump and Biden administrations for not giving in to this demand.
Second, although counterintuitive and against the conventional wisdom, the sustained alliance response as well as alliance operations that are not in direct response to north Korean actions are indications that Kim's strategy is failing. This is really key. If we provide concessions/sanctions relief then Kim will assess his strategies a success and double down. The only path to substantive negotiations is for Kim to be pressured from within when the elite and military leadership finally judge that Kim cannot be successful and exert pressure on him to negotiate. Our external pressure is important but not sufficient. The real pressure must come from within. That is why, in addition to a foundation of deterrence and defense, we must execute a superior political warfare strategy based on a human rights upfront approach, a sophisticated influence campaign, and the pursuit of a free and unified Korea.
The most important response to north Korea’s political warfare, blackmail diplomacy, and advanced warfighting strategies is to recognize the strategies, understand them, expose them, and then attack them with a superior political warfare strategy based on information warfare while maintaining military readiness and deterrence.
Every time the ROK and U.S. respond with statements about the north Korean nuclear and missile threats it reinforces regime legitimacy. The Propaganda and Agitation Department uses these statements to justify the sacrifices the Korean people in the north must make as Kim prioritizes these over their welfare and human rights. However, whenever human rights abuses are exposed, the regime’s legitimacy is undermined. ROK and U,S, leaders should never discuss the nuclear and missile threats without talking about north Korean human rights and include such simple statements that the Kim denires human rights in order to remain in power and the. Korean people in the north are suffering because Kim prioritizes nuclear and missile development over the welfare of the people.
What can an effective influence campaign do? Most importantly, it will support deterrence by demonstrating the alliance is operating from a position of strength. There are three specific outcomes to strive for. First, it seeks to change Kim’s behavior. Second, the elite and military leadership may force Kim to change his decision making. Lastly, it could cause the people to effect change on their own. Although dangerous, it is what will eventually cause the necessary change to end the regime’s threats and human rights abuses and will lead to a solution to the “Korea question” (paragraph 60 of the Armistice), which is the unnatural division of the peninsula.
In addition, an influence campaign can respond to every north Korean action with themes and messages that show Kim that his strategies will fail. The alliance will never bend to his will.
There is one other outcome that will likely occur. Information will help prepare the Korean people for unification. This is arguably the most important long term objective.
N. Korea to stay away from denuclearization talks in 2023: think tank | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · December 19, 2022
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is expected to continue to ignore calls for the resumption of denuclearization negotiations next year, while asserting its status as a "nuclear state," in line with its new policy on the use of nuclear weapons, according to a state-run South Korean think tank Monday.
In its report projecting key international relations developments in 2023, the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) also expected the North to continue provocative actions aimed at the South.
In September, the North's rubber-stamp parliament approved a law that lowers the bar for its preemptive nuclear strikes. Leader Kim Jong-un stated the new law makes the country's nuclear power status "irreversible."
The institute added that South Korea and the United States will likely place a focus on strengthening deterrence in response to the North's saber-rattling amid frosty inter-Korean ties.
#shorts
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · December 19, 2022
3. North Korea Launches Two Missiles, Adding to a Historic Year of Weapons Testing
Yes, a historic year. But it is actually a year of failure for Kim Jong Un because he has been unable to accomplish his political and military objectives. And the end result of all the tests is that he has made the ROK/US alliance stronger and contributed to the imporvide of trilateral military cooperation among the ROK. Japan, and the US.
North Korea Launches Two Missiles, Adding to a Historic Year of Weapons Testing
Pyongyang has conducted more than 30 rounds of weapons tests in 2022
https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-launches-two-missiles-adding-to-a-historic-year-of-weapons-testing-11671343355?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1
By Timothy W. MartinFollow
Updated Dec. 18, 2022 8:38 pm ET
SEOUL—North Korea launched two ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sunday, adding to what has already been a historic year of weapons activity.
The medium-range missiles were fired between 11:13 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. local time from the North’s Tongchang-ri area, Seoul’s military said. They flew roughly 310 miles and hit altitudes of about 340 miles, before splashing into the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, according to Toshiro Ino, Japan’s vice defense minister.
South Korea would maintain a full readiness posture in close coordination with the U.S., Seoul’s military said. Mr. Ino noted the unprecedented frequency of Pyongyang’s provocations, adding they pose a threat regionally and to the international community.
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The launch helped evaluate the performance of components for a North Korean military-reconnaissance satellite, set to be completed by April 2023, Pyongyang’s state media said in a Monday report. The “final-stage” test simulated a space environment, state media said, evaluating the performance of various video and photo cameras, control devices and batteries.
North Korea has no space-based surveillance tools and has listed a spy satellite as a key pursuit. In prior years, the United Nations Security Council has condemned Pyongyang’s satellite launches, viewing them as ballistic-missile tests aimed at improving the country’s nuclear program.
The Kim Jong Un regime has conducted more than 30 rounds of weapons tests in 2022—more than it has ever done in a single year by a wide margin. The activity has featured the country’s first long-range weapons test since 2017, a major provocation in lobbing a missile over Japan and new breakthroughs such as hypersonic technology.
On Thursday, Mr. Kim oversaw the test of a new, solid-fuel rocket engine that could enable quicker deployments of a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile.
Pyongyang has shown little interest in engaging the outside world, despite offers to talk from Washington and Seoul.
North Korea faces tremendous domestic pressures, as the country remains largely sealed off because of Covid-19. As a result, the country’s economy has faltered, with cross-border trade with China, the North’s main ally and benefactor, a fraction of where it stood before the pandemic.
Mr. Kim this year has further shifted the nation’s priorities to agriculture and boosting the local economy, while updating the country’s nuclear doctrine to include pre-emptive attacks in certain scenarios.
South Korea, under President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has vowed to tighten the security alliance with the U.S., while bolstering its own defenses in the face of the Kim regime’s weapons provocations.
Japan unveiled plans on Friday to spend billions of dollars in the coming years on missile systems that would warn potential aggressors, including North Korea, that any attack on Japan would be too costly.
Chieko Tsuneoka in Tokyo contributed to this article.
Write to Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com
4. South Korea Accuses the North of Launching Missiles. The North Says It Was a Satellite Test.
Excerpt:
North Korea has launched at least 90 ballistic and other missiles this year, more than in any previous year, even though a series of resolutions from the United Nations Security Council bans the country from developing or testing ballistic missile or nuclear weapons technologies.
South Korea Accuses the North of Launching Missiles. The North Says It Was a Satellite Test.
nytimes.com · by Choe Sang-Hun · December 18, 2022
News coverage in Seoul of North Korea’s missile launch on Sunday.Credit...Heo Ran/Reuters
SEOUL — North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sunday, South Korea said, days after Japan vowed to double its military spending to help guard against the growing threats from China and North Korea.
The launches were the first by the North since the country fired its newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17, on Nov. 18.
The two missiles were launched from Tongchang-ri, where the North’s state media said its leader, Kim Jong-un, watched a ground test of a solid-fuel ICBM booster rocket, the first of its kind in the country, on Thursday.
It was unclear whether the missiles launched on Sunday had anything to do with solid-fuel missile engine technologies the North has been testing. Most of North Korea’s ballistic missiles use liquid fuel. The country has been trying to switch to solid fuel, which makes missiles easier to transport and faster to launch, according to experts.
On Monday, North Korea disputed the South’s characterization of the previous day’s events, saying it had fired a rocket as part of its preparations to deploy a military reconnaissance satellite by April. The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency released aerial photos that it said had been taken by a camera mounted on the rocket.
Card 1 of 5
North Korea made similar claims when it launched what the United States and South Korea called a ballistic missile off its east coast on Feb. 27 and March 5. But those earlier launches turned out to be rocket tests in preparation for a series of ICBM launches, including those that took place on March 24, Nov. 3 and Nov. 18.
The two North Korean missiles fired on Sunday flew only 310 miles to the east before falling in waters between North Korea and Japan, the South Korean military said. But it said the missiles were launched at deliberately steep angles so they would fly shorter distances than they were designed to. South Korea classified them as medium-range ballistic missiles that usually fly 620 to 1,860 miles.
Such missiles, when fired from North Korea, would reach most or all of Japan. Any future conflict on the Korean Peninsula could involve Japan, where the United States keeps a military presence. North Korea flaunted its ability to launch ballistic missiles at Japan when it fired missiles that flew over Japan — in 2017 and again in October.
Japan lodged a protest about Sunday’s launches with North Korea via its embassy in Beijing, Japan’s senior vice defense minister, Toshiro Ino, told reporters, according to the Kyodo news agency.
The North’s missile tests came two days after Japan updated its national security strategy for the first time in nine years, citing the growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia and vowing to double the money earmarked for military spending.
Its new buildup plans called for the officially pacifist Japan to acquire counterstrike abilities, including missiles that could be used to target bases in enemy territory in response to an attack.
Japan hopes to obtain around 1,000 missiles, starting with U.S.-made Tomahawks before eventually moving to its own weapon systems. Its new national security documents called North Korea’s recent military activities an “imminent threat.”
North Korea has launched at least 90 ballistic and other missiles this year, more than in any previous year, even though a series of resolutions from the United Nations Security Council bans the country from developing or testing ballistic missile or nuclear weapons technologies.
nytimes.com · by Choe Sang-Hun · December 18, 2022
5. Pyongyang student dies in police detention after arrest for distributing foreign videos
Among the many human rights abuses identified in the 2014 UN Commissionof Inquiry is the isolation of the Korean people in the north and that the regime prevents their access to information.
I wonder how the complaint from the bereaved family will turn out.
Pyongyang student dies in police detention after arrest for distributing foreign videos
The bereaved family submitted a complaint to the Workers' Party Central Committee and asked for help from a relative who is a high-ranking cadre in the Ministry of State Security
By Mun Dong Hui - 2022.12.19 5:00pm
dailynk.com
Kim Jong Un at a commemorative photo event reported by North Korean state-run media in early May. (Rodong Shinmin-News1)
One of several students arrested in Pyongyang on charges of distributing foreign video content died during police detention last month, Daily NK has learned.
According to a Daily NK source in Pyongyang on Thursday, four high school students in Taesong District, Pyongyang,were arrested by Unified Command 82 (below: UC 82) in November on charges of watching, possessing and distributing “impure videos” in violation of the law to eradicate reactionary thought and culture, as well as for covering up, abetting and failing to report those violations.
The source said on Mother’s Day (Nov. 16), students at the high school gathered at the home of one of the students where they drank, listened to South Korean music and danced.
“Another student who wasn’t invited to the gathering reported it out of spite,” he said. “Based on the report, the UC 82 raided the home, and in the course of their search they discovered a memory card with foreign music, movies and videos.”
UC 82 conducted back-to-back investigations to discover the source of the videos, and arrested four students they singled out as the initial distributors.
North Korea enacted its law to eradicate reactionary thought and culture — which includes punishments for importing and distributing foreign videos — in December of 2020 and called for its strict enforcement during the National Conference of Judicial Officers in September.
Believing the importation and distribution of foreign videos endanger the regime, the authorities are heavily enforcing the law.
DEATH OF ARRESTED STUDENT LEADS TO UPROAR AMONG FAMILY MEMBERS
Based on the source’s account, an uproar ensued after one of the arrested students died in the lockup from cruel treatment and beatings.
“One of the students in the lock-up asked the guard to let him go to the bathroom because he really needed to defecate, but the guard ignored him, so he was forced to go in his pants,” said the source.
“Outraged by this, the guard punished him by telling him to stand on his head. But when the student kept falling, he beat him, and during the beating, the student hit his head hard on the floor and lost consciousness,” he added.
However, the guard did not take the unconscious student to the hospital, leaving him lying there in the lock-up for a while. A while later, he was belatedly brought to the hospital, but he ultimately died, the source said.
After receiving the body and learning of how the student died, the bereaved family submitted a complaint to the Workers’ Party Central Committee and asked for help from a relative who is a high-ranking cadre in the Ministry of State Security.
“The dead student’s uncle is a Ministry of State Security cadre,” said the source. “He mediated, calling on the family to quietly settle matters if they could and persuading them to withdraw the complaint, and demanding through the unified command that the lockup guard be discharged and the family compensated for their loss.”
The source said the resolution was aimed at preventing the issue from getting any bigger given that the student was facing charges of illegally distributing impure videos, something strictly prohibited by the regime.
REMAINING STUDENTS AWAITING TRIAL
Meanwhile, the source said it will likely take five or six months of investigations until the other arrested students face trial.
“The court will decide their punishment based on whether they were the initial distributors, how many times they watched the videos, how many times they distributed them, their history of ideological statements, and other factors,” he said.
According to explanatory materials on the law to eradicate reactionary thought and culture obtained by Daily NK, the punishment for importing and distributing South Korean movies, recordings, videos or publications is life in a forced labor camp or death, depending on the circumstances.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
6. Japan 'counterstrike capabilities' raise constitutional questions (for Korea)
The Joongang Ilbo is talking about the ROK constitution.
Excerpts:
“It is our position that close consultations and agreements with South Korea in advance are absolutely necessary for issues that have a significant impact on the security of the Korean Peninsula and our national interest, such as the exercise of counterattack capabilities against the Korean Peninsula,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Counterattack by Japan of targets on the peninsula could potentially be seen as a hostile act by South Korea given the wording of the constitution, whereby all of the Korean peninsula is seen as sovereign territory.
“The territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean peninsula and its adjacent islands,” reads Article 3 of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court spelled this out in a ruling in 1996.
Monday
December 19, 2022
dictionary + A - A
Japan 'counterstrike capabilities' raise constitutional questions
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/12/19/national/diplomacy/korea-japan-north-korea/20221219182916136.html
Members of a civic group rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Monday to protest a revision in Japan's national security strategy that would give the country counterstrike capabilities. [NEWS1]
Japan's development of "counterstrike capabilities" would create knotty constitutional questions for South Korea and command-and-control complexities in the event of hostilities with the North.
The ability to strike at missile launch sites within North Korea — counterstrike capabilities — was discussed in Japan's national security strategy, the first in nine years, released Friday.
In South Korea, the document created a stir.
“It is our position that close consultations and agreements with South Korea in advance are absolutely necessary for issues that have a significant impact on the security of the Korean Peninsula and our national interest, such as the exercise of counterattack capabilities against the Korean Peninsula,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Counterattack by Japan of targets on the peninsula could potentially be seen as a hostile act by South Korea given the wording of the constitution, whereby all of the Korean peninsula is seen as sovereign territory.
“The territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean peninsula and its adjacent islands,” reads Article 3 of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court spelled this out in a ruling in 1996.
“As long as the Constitution stipulates that the territory of the Republic of Korea is the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands, the Constitution of the Republic of Korea applies to the entire Korean Peninsula, including North Korea, so the North Korean region naturally becomes the territory of the Republic of Korea, and North Korean residents are generally included in the nationals of the Republic of Korea,” reads its ruling on a case related to forced labor during the 1910-45 Japanese annexation of Korea.
The two Koreas were a united country during the Japanese annexation period.
When specifically asked if Japan would consult the South Korean government before it counterstrikes North Korea, an official of the Japanese government said in a press briefing last Friday that Japan would make such decision independently.
Speaking with a group of reporters at the Foreign Press Center Japan, the official explained that any such counterstrike decision would be made “only in the most desperate and emergency situation” and that in such circumstances, it would be impossible to consult with any foreign power.
He added however that existing cooperation with the United States and South Korea on military intelligence would be utilized fully in such contingencies.
Some academics argue that this would be enough.
“In the event of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula or a crisis in the Taiwan Strait, the Indo-Pacific region will effectively act as a theater of war with Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation as the main axis,” Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, told the JoongAng Ilbo on Monday. “At such a time, whether Korea and Japan can communicate individually won’t be of great significance.”
South Korea and Japan once had a military intelligence exchange system, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (Gsomia), but the agreement hasn’t been renewed since 2019 when South Korea refused to renew it over bitter historical disputes.
Gsomia requires annual renewal.
“Until now, South Korea and the United States have been discussing various military threat scenarios involving North Korea through Oplan [Operations Plan], but such discussions have not taken place between South Korea and Japan,” Park Young-june, professor of national security at Korea National Defense University, told the JoongAng Ilbo. “In order to avoid accidental clashes, it is necessary to discuss in what areas Korea, the United States and Japan can cooperate and in what areas they cannot.”
Washington, unlike Seoul, welcomed Japan’s decision last week.
“We applaud the release of Japan’s new National Security Strategy and defense policy documents, which demonstrate Japan’s commitment to fundamentally expand, enhance and upgrade its defense capabilities,” according to a statement issued by a number of U.S. Congress members, including Gregory Meeks and Michael McCaul, on Friday.
BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]
7. Military buildup of Japan, Australia sparks regional arms race - North Korea expected to exploit military buildup
I think north Korea would continue building up its military whether there is a regional arms build up or not. Yes the Propaganda and Agitation Department will use this in its themes and messages but no one should think that if Japan and Australia decided against making defense improvements that that would somehow moderate north Korean behavior.
Military buildup of Japan, Australia sparks regional arms race
The Korea Times · December 19, 2022
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gets into the cockpit of a U.S. fighter jet during his visit to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier in Sagami Bay, southwest of Tokyo, Nov. 6. AP-Yonhap
North Korea expected to exploit military buildup
By Kang Seung-woo
Earlier this year, North Korea's growing provocations with the launches of upgraded weapons sparked concerns about a possible arms race in East Asia. The North Korean threat has caused a chain reaction leading to military buildups by Australia and Japan in the Asia-Pacific region. This has intensified speculation that a regional arms race is inevitable.
Japan's recent pursuit of a military buildup is raising concerns about a regional arms race due to North Korea's nuclear ambitions, according to diplomatic observers, Monday.
In addition, Australia's push to build nuclear-powered submarines with the United States and the United Kingdom under the AUKUS security agreement is deepening concerns over the growing competition among neighboring countries to get more or better weapons. AUKUS is a trilateral security pact between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.
On Friday, the Japanese government released its revised national security strategy amid growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia, highlighted by an acquisition of counterstrike capabilities and a defense budget hike, which is seen as a major break from its defense-only principle.
"Although North Korea's nuclear and missile threats are the biggest reason for an arms race in the region, the entire world has been moving to enhance their conventional weapons since Russia's invasion of Ukraine," said Go Myong-hyun, a senior fellow of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
"It is obvious that countries with high budgets should build up their defense capabilities. Although the Japan decision is giving us some dilemmas, the whole world is now moving toward a military buildup."
Japan's push for stronger rearmament has long been a source of concern for China as well as South Korea, the two victims of its past aggression, as it could prompt a regional arms race at a time when its neighbors believe Tokyo has yet to fully atone for its wartime atrocities.
Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told China's state-run Global Times, Friday that the present policy change will have an impact on the whole area, as many nations will have to raise their military spending, leading to a new arms race in Northeast Asia.
The military buildup by South Korea and Japan comes as the U.S. has a limited bandwidth to deal with its ongoing regional threats ― China, Russia and North Korea ― at the same time.
In that sense, Washington fully supports Tokyo's revision to its national security documents.
However, Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, said it is a concern that North Korea may exploit Japan's military buildup as a pretext for the modernization of its nuclear and missile programs.
The North Korean regime has accused the international community of applying double standards over missile tests.
In November, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said the United Nations Security Council "has turned blind eyes" to the military drills of the U.S. and South Korea and their greedy arms buildup, while taking issue with Pyongyang's "exercise of its inviolable right to self-defense."
"North Korea will be back to a narrative that Japan has unveiled its imperial ambitions of attacking Pyongyang and invading it as part of its efforts to justify its decision to develop its nuclear and missile weapons," he said.
The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine Key West is anchored at a naval base in Busan, Nov. 2. NewsisPark said since September, North Korea has taken issue with the combined military exercises between South Korea and the U.S., something the North had not seemed to mind in the past.
"In that respect, North Korea could use them as an excuse for its arms buildup," he added.
Along with the Japanese rearmament, Australia's envisaged nuclear-powered submarines are emerging as another cause for concern.
China has lambasted the nuclear submarine plan as a grave risk to non-proliferation that will only exacerbate an arms race, while Indonesia's Ambassador to Australia Siswo Pramono warned it must not fuel a hypersonic arms race in the region during his recent interview with the Guardian in November.
In response to the criticism, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), admitted, last week, that he was aware of the political repercussions of this decision in this region in particular.
"The three countries involved are still in a process of technical exchanges to see what kind of system they are going to adapt, what kind of reactor they will be applying, and once they have a conclusion about that, then we will have to sit down with them and see what are the necessary technical activities that we will have to perform in order to prevent any proliferation stemming from this project," he said during an interview with Korean reporters at the foreign ministry in Seoul, Friday.
The Korea Times · December 19, 2022
8. Yoon's office says Japan needs to seek S. Korea's approval on Korean Peninsula matters
More friction.
Of course Japan will argue that the right of self defense cannot be denied and if north Korea threatens Japan (or conducts military actions) that Japan has the right to defend itself with all appropriate means.
Yoon's office says Japan needs to seek S. Korea's approval on Korean Peninsula matters | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · December 19, 2022
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday that Japan needs to consult closely with South Korea or win its approval on matters directly connected to security on the Korean Peninsula.
The comment came amid concern in South Korea that by including "counterstrike capability" in its recently revised security documents, Japan could launch a counterattack in the event it comes under attack from North Korea.
"If it is a grave matter directly connected to security on the Korean Peninsula or our national interest, it is obvious that there need to be close consultations with us or our agreement in advance," a presidential official told reporters.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · December 19, 2022
9. Yoon's office voices regret over 'malicious' editing by news channel YTN
Yoon's office voices regret over 'malicious' editing by news channel YTN | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · December 19, 2022
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol voiced "strong regret" Monday after cable news channel YTN released footage of a presidential town hall meeting that included unauthorized scenes from a rehearsal.
In the footage, which was posted on YTN's YouTube channel the day after Thursday's town hall, a presumed presidential staff member stands in for the president while Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon takes questions from a member of the public who was invited to take part in the town hall.
The video, which was later deleted, led to accusations from the main opposition Democratic Party that the town hall was scripted, as the actual meeting was identical to the rehearsal.
"In order to diminish an event where the president and minister vividly explained policy directions to the people, YTN used test footage without permission and edited it maliciously as if it was a pre-planned event," deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said during a press briefing.
"We believe this was an action that ignored entirely the principles and promises of the press. We express strong regret," he said, calling for a "responsible attitude" from those responsible for the mishap.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · December 19, 2022
10. Iran says it will launch two satellites into space in coming months
My questions: Are Iran and north Korea coordinating their actions? Or are their actions simply a coincidence? Or if not coordinating, are they making their own independent decisions to conduct based on what the other is doing?
Iran says it will launch two satellites into space in coming months
Such launches spur concerns among Western powers over Iran’s ballistic missile technology, which could extend to the potential delivery of nuclear warheads
timesofisrael.com · by AFP Today, 6:03 pm Edit
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran prepares to launch “at least two satellites” into space by late March, Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour said Sunday, just over a month after successfully testing a launcher.
The United States has repeatedly voiced concern that such launches could boost Iran’s ballistic missile technology, extending to the potential delivery of nuclear warheads.
But Iran insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defense purposes only.
“Nahid 1 and Nahid 2 satellites are being prepared,” Zarepour was quoted as saying by the official news agency IRNA.
Nahid is the name given to a series of telecommunications satellites developed by the Iranian Space Research Center.
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According to Zarepour, “we will have launches by year’s end,” March 20 in the Persian calendar.
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division, stands in front of an Iranian rocket carrying a satellite in an undisclosed site believed to be in Iran’s Semnan province, April 22, 2020. (Sepahnews via AP)
In early November, Iranian state television announced the “successful suborbital launch of the satellite launcher named Ghaem-100.”
The Ghaem-100 rocket was manufactured by the aerospace organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and it is the country’s first three-stage solid-fuel satellite launcher, the channel added.
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Iran successfully put its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020, drawing a sharp rebuke from Washington.
In August this year, another Iranian satellite, named Khayyam, was launched by Russia on a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Iran’s space agency said the device was constructed by Russia under Iran’s supervision.
The US alleged at the time that the Khayyam would enable “significant spying capabilities” and that a deepening Russia-Iran alliance amounted to a “profound threat” to the world.
Iran’s space agency rejected those allegations, countering that the purpose of Khayyam was to “monitor the country’s borders,” and help with the management of natural resources and agriculture.
timesofisrael.com · by AFP Today, 6:03 pm Edit
11. Korea's Dokdo sovereignty and San Francisco Peace Treaty
Korea's Dokdo sovereignty and San Francisco Peace Treaty
The Korea Times · December 19, 2022
By Doh See-hwan
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the entry into force of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Forty-eight allied powers, including the United States, the victor of World War II, and Japan, the defeated country, signed the treaty in 1951 to clear up responsibility for the Asia-Pacific War and establish a peace regime in East Asia.
However, at the time of the signing of the treaty, it was intended to settle Japan's war responsibilities, but on the other hand, it received a contradictory evaluation as a treaty to build a Cold War regime in East Asia.
It is because Japan, which is paradoxically the biggest beneficiary even though it is a perpetrator, is causing territorial conflicts that run counter to the East Asian peace community, presupposing the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which is evaluated as an unprecedented "generous peace treaty" as its stance has shifted from a punitive treaty to an anti-communist treaty due to the rise of the Cold War regime.
On that premise, it is worth noting that the Japanese government and Japanese society of international law are re-summoning the doctrine of terra nullius through the San Francisco Peace Treaty, because it was impossible to establish Japan's historical title to Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo recognized by the Edo Shogunate's prohibition of the crossing the seas of 1696 and the Dajokan directive of state in 1877, since the Ulleung Island dispute that began after the capture of An Yong-bok in 1693.
Thus, it is an important task to identify the essential problem of legal distortion inherent in the research of the title of the Japanese society of international law that has been building the policy basis of the Japanese government's claim to Dokdo, as the essence of violence and greed declared in the Cairo Declaration in the process of establishing the San Francisco Peace Treaty.
The most important decisions in the territorial policy toward Japan implemented by the Allied powers in wartime were the Cairo Declaration of 1943 and the Potsdam Declaration of 1945. The Cairo Declaration is a document of basic principle in the territorial policy of the Allied Powers and has been cited as the provisions of Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration, thus establishing itself as the official territorial policy of the Allied Powers. The declaration consisted of deportation from all areas that Japan had taken by violence and greed, and liberation and independence of Korea at the appropriate time.
The Potsdam Declaration specified the territory of postwar Japan through the succession of the Cairo Declaration, and it became the basic principle of the Allies' agreement at the end of the war by determining the demand for surrender to Japan and the treatment principle for postwar Japan. Article 8, which defines the implementation of the Cairo Declaration and the territory of Japan, was specific that Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands determined by the Allies.
Under the policy of separating Dokdo from Japan after World War II until the San Francisco Peace Treaty entered into force, the Allied Powers General Headquarters defined Dokdo as an area excluded from Japan's rule throughout the allied occupation of Japan through the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Instruction Notes (SCAPIN) 677 (Jan. 29, 1946) and SCAPIN 1033 (June 22, 1946).
Along with this continuation, Dokdo was specified as Korean territory until the fifth draft of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. By the way, Dokdo was changed to Japanese territory in the sixth draft due to lobbying through a telegram (Nov. 14, 1949) and written opinion (Nov. 19, 1949) of William J. Sebald, a political adviser to Japan. However, in the final draft after the seventh draft, Dokdo was omitted from the text of the treaty without being mentioned specifically.
Regarding the research of the treaty-based title of the Japanese society of international law on the San Francisco Peace Treaty, I reviewed the problems of distortions on the legal principles of international law as follows.
First, in relation to SCAPIN 677, paragraph 6, which stipulates that it is not the ultimate determination of the minor islands, Japanese international law scholars argue for the nullification of SCAPIN by the San Francisco Peace Treaty. However, paragraph 6, the exclusion clause, should be interpreted in connection with paragraph 5 as an exemplary provision. Paragraph 5 stipulates that unless the territory of Japan is specified separately in all orders to be issued by the headquarters, the territorial scope of Japan shall continue to be effective.
Second, Sebald's proposal through lobbying was as follows. "In view of security, establishing a weather and radar base on Dokdo is a matter of interest to the United States," he said. In accordance with the interests of Japan and the United States, in the sixth draft, Dokdo was designated temporarily as Japanese territory.
In the end, the Dokdo notation itself disappeared. Sebald's lobby also ended in failure. It is worth noting that Dokdo was marked as the territory of Korea in "the reference map of the Japanese territory" of the Japan National Maritime Security Agency in August 1951, which was produced on this premise.
Third, regarding the Rusk letter, which was not released to Japan in 1951, it is necessary to pay attention to re-summoning the doctrine of terra nullius on Dokdo in 1905 based on false information provided by Japan, in addition to its utilization of the changes in the international situation caused by the rise of the Cold War, as can be seen from the temporary change in U.S. policy due to Sebald's lobby.
Meanwhile, in relation to the claim that Dokdo became Japanese territory before Japan's forced annexation of Korea, it is necessary to pay attention to the invasion of Dokdo and the coercion of the treaty, which are illegal and invalid under international law, starting from the occupation of Jinhae Bay and Masan City on Feb. 6, 1904, an invasion of the Korean Empire, which declared wartime neutrality on Jan. 21, 1904.
Therefore, Japan's claim to Dokdo, lacking legality and legitimacy under international law put forth by Japan, as the essence of violence and greed of ongoing Japanese colonialism, is a serious violation of Korea's territorial sovereignty. It will be our task today on the 70th anniversary of the San Francisco Peace Treaty to build a basis for a true East Asian peace community through historical reflection and international legal justice.
Dr. Doh See-hwan (drdoh@naver.com) is a senior research fellow at the Northeast Asian History Foundation.
The Korea Times · December 19, 2022
12. Indian embassy prepares for 'golden jubilee' of Korea-India ties
Korea and India have unique historical ties.
Indian embassy prepares for 'golden jubilee' of Korea-India ties
The Korea Times · December 19, 2022
Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar delivers opening remarks during the curtain raiser for the 50th anniversary celebrations on the diplomatic relations between Korea and India at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Yongsan District, Seoul, Dec. 16. Courtesy of Embassy of India in Korea
By Kwon Mee-yoo
As Korea and India will celebrate the 50th anniversary, or the golden jubilee, of diplomatic ties next year, the Embassy of India in Korea, excited about the commemorative occasion, held a preview event for the year-long celebrations, Dec. 16.
During the event at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Seoul, Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar introduced the strong historical and cultural connections between the two countries, which go back more than 2,000 years, and the significant progress that has been made in areas such as trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
He emphasized the deep and enduring relationship between India and Korea and the important role it has played in their mutual development and success.
"India and the Republic of Korea many common values. We are both robust democracies, we are free market economies, we follow the rule of law and we are both entrepreneurial and innovative societies," he said.
Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar, second from right, and the Korean foreign ministry's Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Choi Young-sam, right, push a button to reveal the logo for the 50th anniversary celebration of diplomatic ties at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Yongsan District, Seoul, Dec. 16.
Courtesy of Embassy of India in Korea
He also highlighted the potential for intensified bilateral engagement in areas such as security and defense, trade and investment, sustainable development, future mobility and new and emerging technologies.
"We inhabit a world today that is witnessing geopolitical shifts, global supply chain disruptions and the advent of transformative technologies. All this requires us to anticipate potential emerging areas and new ways of leverage. India's presidency of the G-20, the Indo-Pacific region and several global issues offer avenues of cooperation for us. India and the Republic of Korea need to seize the opportunities," Ambassador Kumar said.
"The embassy looks forward to working with all the stakeholders to realize tangible outcomes on the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations next year."
From the Korean government, Korean foreign ministry's Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Choi Young-sam noted that the two countries need to open a new chapter of deeper strategic cooperation with the country he spent two years of his diplomatic career.
"Despite COVID-19, bilateral trade hit an all-time high of $23.7 billion last year only and many Korean companies actively investing in India have been contributing to the success of the 'Make in India' flagship program. We also help in developing future oriented cooperation in the defense industry, science and technology, including digital transformation, space and infrastructure," Choi said.
The dignitaries also unveiled the logo for the 50th anniversary celebration. The logo was chosen through a contest jointly organized by the Indian Embassy in Seoul and Korean Embassy in New Delhi.
The event also featured a Kathak Dance performance by Korean dancer Oh Suk-hee and Indian dancer Sonali Roy and a musical duet on traditional Indian instruments of Sitar and Tabla by Han Saembawy and Jung Myung-cheol. An exhibition of Son Sang-Shin's India-themed paintings is also underway at the Indian Cultural Centre in Seoul.
The Korea Times · December 19, 2022
13. Game of mouse and cat: why war on NK hacking is still losing battle
The ROK and US can and should apply their full suite of capabilities to defend against north Korean cyber capabilities as well as go on the offensive.
Game of mouse and cat: why war on NK hacking is still losing battle
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · December 19, 2022
This is the final installment of a three-part series shedding light on North Korea’s cryptocurrency thefts and their links to the hermit regime’s nuclear ambitions. -- Ed.
The financially-isolated North Korean regime is behind one of the biggest cryptocurrency heists of all time. The North Korean state-run Lazarus Group, for instance, stealthily raked in hundreds of millions of dollars with only one cryptocurrency theft this year which appears to be directly linked to their astronomical spending on nuclear missile development.
But are there ways to stop North Korean hackers? Experts remain gloomy.
“Stopping cyberattacks is impossible. Every cyber threat actor is strongly motivated. They fully understand what kind of benefits they can acquire through cyberattacks,” Park Seong-su, lead security researcher of Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team, told The Korea Herald. “Although we can’t stop cyberattacks, we should do our best to slow down and minimize the cyber threat.”
North Korean hackers will be persistent because they have a strong, shared goal.
“North Korea has a clear goal: to generate funds and foreign currencies for the regime and missile and nuclear programs. North Korea leaves no stone unturned to that end,” said Moon Jong-hyun, director at South Korean cybersecurity firm EST Security. “As long as Kim Jong-un is alive and North Korea needs funds for the regime’s ruling, the country will continue to hack and steal cryptocurrencies routinely.”
There are countries that conduct state-sponsored, systemic cyberattacks such as China and Russia. North Korea is known to be the only country in the world that supports cyber hacking against financial institutions to earn foreign currencies, Moon explained.
“As long as cryptocurrency remains opaque and the survival of the regime rests on asymmetric capabilities, North Korea is likely to continue exploiting the murky regulatory landscape to make gains,” said Millie Kim, a researcher with the North Korea Cyber Working Group, an initiative of the Korea Project at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
“North Korea has little to lose and much to gain from a loosely regulated market, especially as cryptocurrency can purchase increasingly more goods and services.”
But Moon said that it would be almost impossible to “thoroughly block North Korea from earning foreign currency” through cryptocurrency theft in light of the decentralized nature of blockchain which enables the existence of cryptocurrency.
“Blockchain is not supposed to be under control. Putting blockchain in control is such an oxymoron,” Moon said. “If we understand the system and structure of blockchain infrastructure, we can easily come to realize why North Korea has conducted cyber-enabled crimes, especially on blockchain platforms.”
In a nutshell, North Korean hackers have exploited the decentralized structure of blockchain that ensures that cryptocurrency exists outside of the control of central governments and financial authorities and no single individual or entity has control of cryptocurrency.
“Right now what we’re seeing is a cat-and-mouse game between US investigators and the North Korean hackers,” said Jean Lee, a fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington and a co-host of the “Lazarus Heist” podcast from the BBC World Service.
“US Treasury sanctions are designed to stop and disrupt the North Koreans from stealing cryptocurrency and converting it into hard currency but authorities have acknowledged that the Lazarus Group of North Korean hackers has already made off with hundreds of millions of US dollars in cryptocurrency this year alone,” Lee added.
Preemptive deterrance
To deter hacking attacks, experts underscored that cryptocurrency markets should improve cybersecurity maturity and cyber defenses.
Erin Plante, vice president of investigations at New York-headquartered Chainalysis, said that “hackers are always looking for the newest and most vulnerable services to attack,” citing increasing attacks on DeFi protocols including cross-chain bridges as an example.
“Cryptocurrency services – including but not limited to bridges – should invest in security measures and training,” Plante said. “For example, with North Korean-linked hackers in particular, sophisticated social engineering tactics that take advantage of the trusting and carelessness of human nature to gain access to corporate networks has long been a favored attack vector. Teams should be trained on these risks and warning signs.”
Echoing this view, Nick Carlsen, a blockchain analyst at TRM Labs and a former FBI analyst, underlined the importance of preemptively deterring North Korea’s cryptocurrency theft rather than responding to it.
Carlsen assessed that the US Treasury Department’s sanctioning of two cryptocurrency mixers was a “preemptive step.” A cryptocurrency mixer is a software tool that pools and scrambles cryptocurrencies from thousands of addresses to obfuscate and conceal the flow of transactions.
The US Treasury Department sanctioned two decentralized, non-custodial cryptocurrency mixers, Blender.io and Tornado Cash, for providing mixer services to the North Korean state-sponsored Lazarus Group respectively in May and August. The Lazarus Group was notably accused of using Tornado Cash and Blender.io to respectively process over $455 million and $20.5 million illicit proceeds from the Ronin Bridge heist netting $625 million in March.
(123rf)
Claw back
After two designations, the US also seized over $30 million worth of cryptocurrency stolen by the Lazarus Group from the Ronin Bridge, Chainalysis said in September, adding it marks the first such case.
Carlsen underscored that the US and international regulators should focus on clawing back stolen cryptocurrency.
“The big technique is to limit the ability to launder and cash out stolen funds. Cryptocurrency thefts are inevitable due to their nature, but if North Korea can’t extract (the money), it doesn’t do them any good,” said Dr. Nicholas Weaver, a senior researcher at the nonprofit International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley, California.
“That is why the OFAC sanctions on Tornado Cash and other such systems are important, they don’t stop the theft but if you stop the ability to profit then North Korea won’t bother with the thieving anymore,” he added, referring to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department, which administers and enforces US economic and trade sanctions.
Moon from EST Security pointed out that regulators and blockchain companies should take it a step further from blockchain and cryptocurrency forensics in tracking down cryptocurrency transactions and cryptocurrency criminals.
Moon suggested the idea of the public and private sectors working together to track down North Korean agents and their fake identities used for cryptocurrency heists and build databases. The repository of personal information will enable investigators to unearth and track cryptocurrency wallets which North Korean hackers possessed with fake identities.
Punitive steps
Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, pointed out that “there have been very few United Nations or US sanctions imposed or legal actions taken against North Korean cyber groups.”
“The US should fully enforce existing laws and assess whether additional legislative and executive actions are needed, including enhanced regulations of cryptocurrency exchanges,” Klingner said. “Washington should determine a range of punitive steps, both cyber and kinetic, for responding to attacks deemed detrimental to national security.”
Eric Penton-Voak, a coordinator at the UN Security Council’s Panel of Experts which monitors the enforcement of sanctions on North Korea, also elucidated in April that UNSC sanctions resolutions have not established any provisions that forbid cryptocurrency theft.
Annie Fixler, deputy director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, underscored that “preventing North Korea’s malicious cyber activity also requires escalating economic penalties against the financial and digital networks that help North Korean hackers launder stolen cryptocurrencies and other funds.”
“To prevent, mitigate, and thwart North Korean crypto heists requires a combination of better cyber defense from companies themselves as well as better collaboration between the cryptocurrency ecosystem and law enforcement and financial regulators. These two steps will help strengthen security and block that ability of hackers to launch these attacks,” Fixler said.
International collaboration
Intergovernmental and cross-sector coordination is essential to map out strategies for stopping North Korea’s cryptocurrency robberies, according to experts. Coordination is also needed to outstrip hackers who seek to develop their techniques and tactics to outpace regulations and security in cryptocurrency markets.
Joe Dobson, senior principal analyst at Mandiant based in Virginia, underscored that “tackling North Korea’s cyber crime activities will require a multi-pronged effort.”
“Communication and collaboration between governments, cyber threat intelligence teams, and cryptocurrency communities/companies will go a long way at the strategic level.”
For instance, South Korea and the US have stepped up efforts to deter and stop North Korea from exploiting cryptocurrency.
“It may be a long time before we see international regulation of cryptocurrency, but in the meantime, governments such as South Korea and the United States need to work together by sharing information and pursuing a joint strategy on how to disrupt, slow and stop the Lazarus Group,” Lee from the Wilson Center said.
South Korea and the US had the first and second working group meetings on North Korean cyber threats in August and November. The two countries discussed policy coordination and strategies to address North Korea’s malicious cyber activities, including cryptocurrency heists and laundering. They also held a joint symposium on countering North Korean threats to cryptocurrency exchanges in Seoul in November, where government officials from 16 countries and around 200 personnel from cryptocurrency exchanges, blockchain companies and think tanks.
“Hackers will always be one step ahead when it comes to exploiting emerging blockchain technology,” Allison Owen, a research analyst at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said. “To slow this process, it is up to public and private sectors to work together to identify gaps and adapt risk mitigation strategies.”
Experts underscored that governments and cybersecurity and cryptocurrency-related companies should carry out long-term, multi-pronged strategies to address hidden and systemic risks inherent in cryptocurrency markets and blockchain platforms.
“In the long run, North Korea may seek to leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to augment cyber operations targeting cryptocurrency exchanges. While distant and uncertain, this would further complicate the detection and mitigation of state-sponsored crypto heists,” Kim from Harvard University’s Belfer Center said.
“It is critical for key actors in both the public and private sectors, including banks, crypto exchanges and intergovernmental organizations, to discuss and develop a security framework for crypto that can parallel the rigor and posture taken by traditional financial institutions.”
By Ji Da-gyum (dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · December 19, 2022
14. Is Russia Receiving Weapons From North Korea?
Is Russia Receiving Weapons From North Korea? - The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times · by James Beardsworth · December 18, 2022
Washington claimed last month that Russia was buying weapons from North Korea and using those weapons in Ukraine.
The allegations that the two heavily sanctioned states were stepping up military cooperation came almost nine months into Russia’s war against its pro-Western neighbor that has severely depleted its stocks of artillery shells, ammunition and cruise missiles.
If true, the transfers would violate an arms embargo placed on Pyongyang in 2016 by the United Nations.
Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied the allegations.
The Moscow Times looked at the evidence of such weapons sales — and the impact that North Korean hardware could be having on the battlefield in Ukraine.
What is the evidence of North Korean arms supplies?
Aside from the claims by U.S. officials, much is guesswork.
The weapons and munitions owned by Pyongyang are mostly manufactured according to Soviet designs and could be easily deployed by Russian forces, Darya Dolzikova, a research fellow at London-based Royal United Services Institute, told The Moscow Times.
Russian BM-21 Grad missile launchers Vitaly V. Kuzmin (CC BY-SA 4.0)
While there has been no evidence of North Korean weapons on the battlefield — unlike in the case of Iranian drones used by Russia — this does not necessarily mean that North Korean weapons or munitions are not being deployed in Ukraine.
North Korea could be supplying types of munitions that are hard to identify, for example, and shipments into Russia and transportation to the front could be disguised, according to analysts.
What weapons could Pyongyang be sending to Moscow?
The U.S. has alleged that Russia is buying millions of artillery shells from North Korea.
This sort of purchase would fit with the needs of Russia’s style of fighting in Ukraine, which involves the intense use of artillery and missile attacks.
“Russia has used BM-21 [Grad missile launchers] in Ukraine extensively and North Korea has sold 122mm rockets before,” said Daniel Salisbury, an arms trade expert and senior research fellow at the Center for Science and Security Studies at King’s College London.
Pyongyang has other weapons which Moscow could need, as well.
In addition to anti-tank and surface-to-air missiles, North Korea has extensive stockpiles of ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades.
And, crucially, Pyongyang could help Russia restore its depleted supplies of missiles.
A Russian Tochka-U ballistic missile system Mil.ru
According to Salisbury, North Korea could provide equipment similar to Russia’s Tochka-U ballistic missile system, which Russia has used to target Kyiv’s artillery.
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky said last month that Russia had fired over 4,700 missiles over the course of the conflict, including barrages of missiles aimed at destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
This has likely reduced Russia’s stockpiles, with The New York Times reporting last week that Russia is now firing munitions manufactured in the last few months.
How could Russia be receiving these weapons?
Amid a UN arms embargo and sanctions on Moscow imposed in the wake of February’s invasion, North Korea and Russia are likely using clandestine supply channels.
“States like to keep any illicit arms transactions that breach sanctions secret due to the legal implications, but my guess is they’re probably worried about the U.S. and others trying to disrupt shipments,” Salisbury said.
While North Korea and Russia share a 17-kilometer land border, reduced trade after the coronavirus pandemic means arms transfers would be relatively easy to spot if they were sent directly into Russia on trains or trucks.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin kremlin.ru
Instead, it’s more likely that any weapons shipments are passing through a third country, according to Salisbury.
“This is not unusual for North Korea, who frequently send things via circuitous routes in order to deceive anyone who might be watching,” he said.
How could the receipt of North Korean weapons help Russia in Ukraine?
Procuring weapons from countries like Iran and North Korea could provide a stopgap for Moscow as it ramps up domestic defense production to meet the military’s needs, according to Sam Cranny-Evans, a defense analyst at London’s Royal United Services Institute.
This would allow Russia to keep fighting at a similar tempo.
“[Russia is] essentially competing with the West’s industrial output now, and they need to shift their defense economy accordingly, which will take time,” Cranny-Evans said.
At the same time, experts believe that there are risks associated with North Korean missiles and ammunition, which are not likely to have been manufactured to a high standard.
“Russia has no idea what the quality control in North Korea is like," William Alberque, the director of arms control at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told The Moscow Times.
"And if there’s one place I have a little bit less faith in quality control than Russia, it would be North Korea.”
The Moscow Times · by James Beardsworth · December 18, 2022
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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