Quotes of the Day:
"Understand then all of you, especially the young, that to want to impose an imaginary state of government on others by violence is not only a vulgar superstition, but even a criminal work. Understand that this work, far from assuring the well-being of humanity is only a lie, a more or less unconscious hypocrisy, camouflaging the lowest passions we possess."
- Leo Tolstoy, The Law of Love and the Law of Violence (1908)
“[Ideas of perfect equality] are…extremely pernicious to human society. Render possessions ever so equal, men’s different degrees of art, care and industry will immediately break that equality. Or if you check these virtues, you reduce society to the most extreme indigence; and instead of preventing want and beggary in a few, render it unavoidable to the whole community.”
-David Hume
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
-Frederick Douglass
1. Security on the back burner (South Korea)
2. Conflict between Korea and USFK simmers
3. Ukraine feud poses downside risk to Korea
4. In giants’ footsteps (South Korean politics)
5. New war plans don’t target China’s regional military activities: Seoul
6. S. Korea's military to deploy homegrown surveillance drones by 2031
7. NK’s nuclear problem requires both peace and denuclearization tracks: Lee’s aide
8. Yongsan Park to include former DAPA, military apartment land
9. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ Addiction and trafficking plummet as methamphetamine prices skyrocket.
10. Ex-USFK Chief Calls for War Plan Against China
11. S. Hamgyong Province conducts review of recent People’s Consumer Goods Exposition
12. Seoul urges N. Korea to start new year by opening door for dialogue
13. N. Korea expands online education for workers: state media
14. In 'Beasts of a Little Land,' a portrait of Korea's quest for independence
15. Civic groups slam pardon for jailed ex-S.Korean Prez
16. Bank Fined for Violating North Korea Sanctions
1. Security on the back burner (South Korea)
So many things to consider from this article.
First and foremost, this is the nature of alliances and one in which each country "co-owns" the warfighting command (e.g., the ROK/US Combined Forces Command). Each has "veto power." If The US was in total charge of the war fight on the Korean peninsula it would not have acquiesced to an absurd position on updating the strategic planning guidance and the defense plan for the ROK (also known as the OPLAN). But these decisions require negotiation and mutual agreement. This same situation will continue even after OPCON transition when a Korean general officer takes command of the ROK/US CFC.
But what we should really focus on is how adhering to erroneous assumptions can damage readiness and defense and warfighting capabilities. The Moon administration's assumption that it could forgo readiness and improved preparation for the defense of the ROK because it believed doing so would improve the changes for north-South engagement and denuclearization negotiations has proven to be naive and wrong.
Monday
December 27, 2021
Security on the back burner
It turns out that the Moon Jae-in administration dismissed the need to upgrade the joint Korea-U.S. wartime operation plans (Oplans) to prepare for nuclear and missile attacks from North Korea. Despite repeated requests from the United States Forces Korea (USFK) to improve the Oplan since 2019 to cope with North Korean threats, the Ministry of National Defense refused. The ministry finally accepted the demand at an annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) on December 2.
That was revealed by former USFK and Combined Forces Commander Gen. Robert Abrams (Ret.) in a recent interview with the Voice of America. Though the current Oplan cannot protect South Korea from the North’s nuclear and missile attacks, the defense ministry was reluctant to ratchet up the plan.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities have noticeably advanced since the launch of the liberal administration in 2017. According to the CIA and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), North Korea successfully conducted its sixth nuclear test in September 2017 — a hydrogen bomb this time. The Rand Corporation assumes that North Korea possess up to 100 nuclear bombs by now. Satellite photos show that the country has reactivated the Yongbyong nuclear facilities, extracted plutonium, and expanded an enrichment facility.
North Korean missiles also raise alarm. The country developed several types of short-range missiles, including ones that are difficult to intercept and ones that can be tipped with warheads. North Korea now aims to deter the U.S. from sending reinforcements to South Korea in an emergency with its ICBMs that can strike as far as the U.S. mainland. Military analysts are warning against the possibility of its tactical nuclear weapons breaking our defense line. Pointing to the comparative weakness of our military, General Abrams advised Seoul to acquire tactical strike capabilities and develop integrated missile defense systems. But the defense ministry brushed off the USFK’s request to renew the Oplan for nearly three years. This astounding aloofness is obviously related to the government’s blind obsession with improving inter-Korean relations and a declaration to end the Korean War. Making such declarations without preparing for nuclear and missile threats leads nowhere. After the two allies agreed to updating the Oplan earlier this month, North Korea’s state mouthpieces denounced the move as “trying to elevate tension on the Korean Peninsula.
The Moon administration rushed to take back wartime operational control from the U.S. But that was just wishful thinking without addressing the intrinsic problem. We urge the government to safeguard the nation no matter what.
2. Conflict between Korea and USFK simmers
Whoa. On the one hand we should not blow this out of proportion though that is what makes this interesting news. These discussions and decisions are a normal part of alliance operations.
What we should learn from this is that as conditions (and assumptions) change on the Korean peninsula (as well as political objectives) new strategic planning guidance is required and operational plans must be revised.
The issue is that there is not consensus on the changes or a difference in assessment of conditions and assumptions. Frankly, the ROK side needs to put the defense of the ROK as the first priority. But this comes down to the fact that I have long railed about - that the stragic assumptions baout he nature, objectives, and the straegy of the Kim familregime are not sufficiently aligned between the ROK and the US.
Most importantly we should learn that sacrificing readiness and defensive capabilities in pursuit of a naive hope that Kim Jong-un will change his behavior is dangerous for the security of the ROK.
Another aspect of this issue is the OPCON transition. Now is the time to revise the plan and have a new plan in place when the new commander assumes command of the CFC. Ideally that commander would be the current deputy commander who is involved in the development of the new plan.
Conflict between Korea and USFK simmers
President Moon Jae-in poses with outgoing U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams after conferring the Tongil Medal of the Order, the highest national security merit, on Abrams at Cheong Wa Dae in this July 1 photo. Joint Press Corps
By Kang Seung-woo
Deep-seated tension between the South Korean government and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) is coming into public view, as a former American four-star general has belittled the Moon Jae-in administration's security pledges, struck back by Cheong Wa Dae and the defense ministry.
Robert Abrams, who led the USFK from 2018 to 2021, told Voice of America, Saturday (local time), that South Korea's military capabilities were not sufficient to take over wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from the United States, while questioning the intentions of the Moon administration's push for an end-of-war declaration.
In 2014, Seoul and Washington agreed upon a conditions-based OPCON transition, and President Moon had sought to complete the task before his term ends in May 2022, although the plan has fallen through due to lack of adequate assessment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"What we do say publicly is that condition one is the Republic of Korea must acquire the critical military capabilities to lead the combined defense that translates into 26 discrete systems. In addition, there's a couple of additional tasks for condition one, which includes certifying that the future CFC (Combined Forces Command) led by a Korean four-star general would be capable of leading the combined defense," Abrams said. The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.
"Condition two is the Republic of Korea must acquire a strategic strength capability and develop and field a Korean integrated air and missile defense capability. And that one frankly, we're furthest behind on."
Regarding the suggestion to formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, the retired general called the plan into question, saying, "I'm very unclear what it is we're trying to accomplish by declaring an end of war, but I think, any premature declaration of an end of war, you open up the possibility for people who will then claim if the war is ended, then it's time for us to revisit some of those Security Council resolutions from the summer of 1950. And, and then, then it becomes what we call here a slippery slope."
Since Moon resurrected his proposal about the declaration in September, South Korean and U.S. diplomats have met with each other frequently to discuss the move, but some are critical of the Moon administration being too hasty in its drive.
In response, Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication, expressed displeasure, Sunday, with the former USFK commander's criticism.
"I am confident that the Moon administration has worked harder on boosting military capabilities than any other government, as illustrated by Korea being the world's sixth-most powerful military and its nurturing of the local defense industry," he wrote on Facebook.
Defense ministry spokesman Boo Seung-chan also said, "While South Korea and the U.S. came up with tangible results from their latest Security Consultative Meeting (on Dec. 2) through close coordination between the allies, we cannot figure out his intentions."
He added that it was not appropriate for the ministry to comment on private opinions of a retired general.
Tensions between the South Korean government and Abrams are nothing new, as he frequently spoke against the Moon administration's OPCON plan and complained of a lack of combined training between the allies, scaled down in part due to both sides' hopes to engage North Korea diplomatically.
Gen. Paul LaCamera, Abrams' successor, also expressed his objection in November, saying the OPCON plan needs some adjustment.
3. Ukraine feud poses downside risk to Korea
Ukraine will have broad and world wide effects.
Ukraine feud poses downside risk to Korea
A cargo vessel carrying liquefied natural gas. Korea Times fileBy Lee Kyung-min
Concerns are mounting that escalating tensions in Ukraine could pose downside risks to Korea, an emerging market highly vulnerable to an exodus of foreign capital triggered by global financial market uncertainties.
A closer look at the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the world's largest natural gas exporter, shows that the standoff involves Moscow and Western countries, a reason why market watchers are paying close attention to how big of an impact a war over geopolitical hegemony could have on the energy market.
Natural gas prices in Europe have spiked six-fold this year, due to supply chain uncertainties. The price volatility increased further after the U.S. delayed the operation of gas pipes connecting Germany and Russia to tame its military aggressions. Europe relies on Russia for about 40 percent of its total natural gas supply.
Energy crisis concerns are mounting, since Korea will not be able to indefinitely delay paying higher energy costs. The government froze electricity fees for the first quarter of next year to curb soaring inflation, but sharp demand for heating in the winter is expected to jack up electricity and liquefied natural gas bills next year.
"The intensifying feud will have a significant impact on the global economy, because it is not only about the two neighboring countries, but a confrontation between Russia and the U.S.-led group of Western countries," Daishin Securities researcher Lee Da-eun said.
Further complicating the matter is the high probability of U.S.-imposed trade sanctions against Russia, a significantly large trading partner of European countries, certain to suffer material, economic and financial damage, if the export is reduced.
Russia has recently gathered some 170,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, raising military tensions with the U.S. and its allies. The world's largest economy warned Russia of "unprecedented" sanctions if it invades Ukraine.
Rising prices of key exports from Russia, the world's third-largest crude oil exporter after the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, will lead to wider fluctuations in the global commodities market. This in turn will directly impact the financial markets of emerging economies highly reliant on exports and foreign capital for investment.
"A deepening conflict will have a graver negative impact on emerging economies, mostly concerning capital outflows. How long and intense the political rivalry will become will determine the degree to which emerging markets are affected," Lee added.
4. In giants’ footsteps (South Korean politics)
A useful synopsis of the crises both Korean political candidates are facing with their campaigns.
But this is a key excerpt that provides a unique view of South Korea presidencies:
Successors Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak had some great accomplishments. And yet Roh, Lee and Park Geun-hye as well as the current President Moon Jae-in failed to have any insight on the presidency as a symbol of national unity. When they resolved one problem, they created more conflicts. As if the conflict between the conservatives and the liberals was not enough, anachronistic conflicts between pro-Lee and pro-Park factions, pro-Roh and anti-Roh factions and pro-Moon and anti-Moon factions became a part of our everyday lives. It is a tragic consequence because presidents abandoned the attitude of communication and reconciliation in order to punish his or her political foes.
Monday
December 27, 2021
In giants’ footsteps
Lee Ha-kyung
The author is the editor-in-chief of the JoongAng Ilbo.
Korea and Germany are similar in many ways. Korea experienced a civil war while Germany experienced two world wars. Both countries overcame difficulties as divided countries. Germany, a state that once tried to destroy Europe, is now a powerful leader of the European Union. Korea, which grew from one of the poorest countries to an advanced economy, is a role model for developing nations. The key to both countries successes were political leaders who utilized the unlimited energies of the two countries’ peoples.
Since World War II, Germany’s chancellors demonstrated visions and beliefs accommodating the Zeitgeist of the times and their great leadership was respected by the German people. Korea also had great leaders. Founding President Syngman Rhee was the president who founded the Republic of Korea and established the Korea-U.S. alliance amid the chaos of confrontation between the left and the right. President Park Chung Hee rebuilt the economy and created the Miracle on the Han River. Roh Tae-woo opened Korea diplomatically with his Northern policy and brought an era of inter-Korean reconciliation. Kim Young-sam risked his life to fight military dictators for democratization, cleaned up the banking system and ended the abuse of power by a military fraternity called Hanahoe. Kim Dae-jung save the country’s economy from the Asian economic crisis and held the historic inter-Korean summit.
None could avoid the challenges of their times. They were realists with feet firmly on the ground. They were able to make unprecedented decisions that go beyond their times. They were leaders who used all efforts to resolve difficult tasks and opened new eras.
Successors Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak had some great accomplishments. And yet Roh, Lee and Park Geun-hye as well as the current President Moon Jae-in failed to have any insight on the presidency as a symbol of national unity. When they resolved one problem, they created more conflicts. As if the conflict between the conservatives and the liberals was not enough, anachronistic conflicts between pro-Lee and pro-Park factions, pro-Roh and anti-Roh factions and pro-Moon and anti-Moon factions became a part of our everyday lives. It is a tragic consequence because presidents abandoned the attitude of communication and reconciliation in order to punish his or her political foes.
A fall after a presidential term is a kind of tragic karma. Roh committed suicide while being investigated. Lee and Park were both imprisoned. Moon, even after he took office, feels like he’s in a besieged fortress. The politics of hatred and division, sugarcoated as a campaign against so-called past evils, will haunt Moon after his presidential term ends. If Moon were able to communicate and unite with his political enemies, Korea would have become a Germany of East Asia: the world’s 10th economic power, 5th technological power and 6th military power.
The capabilities, ethics, words and behavior of Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and his rival Yoon Seok-youl of the opposition People Power Party (PPP) fail to meet the people’s standards ahead of the March 9 election. The people dislike them more than like them. Although the pendulum should swing to an opposition candidate, Yoon is struggling. In the meantime, Lee is trying to position himself as being different from the current administration, but voters are skeptical.
Yoon is facing a serious crisis. Former President Park, whom he had investigated and detained, has been pardoned. Yoon is also repeatedly making slips of the tongue. His wife’s resume falsifications to get jobs and into colleges and his mother-in-law’s suspected corruption as well as his lukewarm apology put a serious dent in the entire reason for his running for president, which is supposed to be to promote fairness. As his supporters were shaken, his wife finally offered an apology. His campaign committee is still facing an internal battle, and some even say he will give up the candidacy.
Lee is also facing a crisis. Key figures in the Daejang-dong development corruption scandal committed suicide one after another as if it were a horror movie. Although Lee had gone on an overseas trip with one of them — a key figure behind the scandal — Lee insisted that he did not know him. That does not make sense. Lee’s son’s suspected gambling and sex trafficking are also a burden for him. Lee changes his policies and pledges at the drop of a hat. He says he is flexible, but he is actually facing criticism that he is a populist without any sincerity.
Instead of planning for the country’s future, both candidates are putting efforts into attacking each other. If this continues, we will have the worst-ever president whose vision and convictions are entirely unclear. We can never advance when we are divided. Lee and Yoon must listen to the voices of their conscience and the demands of history. Only then, can they listen to the wisdom of one another and work together while being engaged in a competition.
Germany’s unification was the outcome of bipartisan cooperation. Ostpolitik or the new eastern policy of Willy Brandt — the first chancellor from the Social Democratic Party — was followed by Helmut Kohl of the Christian Democratic Party to accomplish German unification. Gerhard Schröder, a center-leftist, started labor and social reforms despite losing supporters and elections. Angela Merkel, a conservative, continued the reforms and completed them.
In her inauguration speech in 2005, Merkel expressed her appreciation to Schröder for allowing Germany to open the door to a new era. With a coalition between the left and the right, Germany became the growth engine of Europe. Merkel, who retired early this month, had an approval rate of 80 percent and the people are already missing her. It is completely different from the situation in Korea, where the president has become the largest risk for the country.
After the political giants were gone, small-minded politicians in Korea attacked one another and the country started walking on a path of division. Lee and Yoon should be different from them. They must declare a cease-fire now. To save the ship of Korea from sinking, they must become giants and embody national unity and reconciliation.
5. New war plans don’t target China’s regional military activities: Seoul
General Abrams' comments on VOice of America's Washington Talk are stirring up a hornet's nest.
But discussions of military plans cannot (or should not) take place in public except for broad generalities. We should not over react to this reporting.
New war plans don’t target China’s regional military activities: Seoul
S. Korea, US appear to be on different page in dealing with China challenge
Published : Dec 27, 2021 - 16:05 Updated : Dec 27, 2021 - 18:53
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and South Korean Minister of Defense Suh Wook answer questions during a press conference after the 53rd Security Consultative Meeting. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)
South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Monday publicly dismissed a former US Forces Korea commander’s opinion that China’s growing military activities and presence in the region should be a key consideration in updating military operational plans.
Boo Seung-chan, the ministry’s spokesperson, elucidated that the South Korean and US defense chiefs agreed on a new Strategic Planning Guidance, “reflecting changes to the strategic environment on the Korean Peninsula.”
“The Strategic Planning Guidance approved by South Korea and US provides guidelines for developing operational plans in response to threats posed by North Korea,” Boo said at a regular news briefing, referring to the outcome of the 53rd Security Consultative Meeting held earlier this month.
South Korea’s official stance is that new OPLANs are needed to more effectively respond to the changing strategic environment, including North Korea’s growing threats, South Korea’s Defense Reform 2.0, and changes in the South Korea-US combined command structure.
The Defense Ministry’s public rebuttal came after former USFK commander Gen. Robert Abrams said China’s growing military activities in and around the Korean Peninsula should be considered in updating OPLANs along with evolving conventional, missile, and nuclear threats by North Korea.
“The last piece, of course, is the People’s Liberation Army under the control and command of the Chinese communist party,” Gen. Abrams said in an interview with Voice of America released on Saturday.
“It’s not a secret that they have increased their presence in and around the Korean Peninsula since 2010. It’s significantly increased.”
Retired Gen. Abrams specifically pointed out that Chinese military planes’ violations of the Korean air defense identification zone (KADIZ) have increased by 300 percent in the last three years.
In addition, there have been growing numbers of Chinese fishing boats illegally fishing along the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the disputed maritime demarcation line on the Western Sea and a flashpoint for inter-Korean conflict. North Korea does not officially recognize the line and its vessels have transgressed across the NLL.
“So these are all indications of things that have to be accounted for in the war plan that the current SPG does not contain,” Gen. Abrams said.
Gen. Abrams underscored the urgency of updating OPLANs to “account for all the changes since 2010” given that the current OPLAN 5015 is based on the SPG approved back in 2010.
The evolving threats posed by North Korea include the development of solid-fuel ballistic missiles, diversified short-range ballistic missiles including submarine-launched ballistic missile, ground-launched cruise missile, and enhanced artillery systems.
Gen. Abrams’ comments ‘out of left field’
In response, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it does not understand the intent behind Gen. Abrams’ comments especially at a time when Seoul and Washington achieved a top-notch performance at the defense-ministerial Security Consultative Meeting.
Spokesperson Boo said the ministry’s stance was that Gen. Abrams’ comments on China “came terribly out of left field,” specifically refuting the former USFK commander’s point referring to China’s KADIZ violations.
“When military aircraft from neighboring countries enter the Korean air defense identification zone, the Defense Ministry firmly and properly takes countermeasures, including operation of a direct communication channel and tactical action, adhering to the international law," Boo told reporters.
The Defense Ministry previously acknowledged that Seoul and Washington agreed on updating war plans after a yearslong consultation, hinting its reluctance on the matter.
Gen. Abrams also revealed that South Korea’s Defense Ministry was not "supportive of the need for a new SPG although no specific reason was given” in 2019. Seoul continued to refuse to coordinate on updating an SPG in 2020 even after Gen. Abrams provided a reinforced assessment and review.
In essence, Seoul and Washington are on the same page in updating OPLANs mainly to deal with North Korea’s growing conventional, missile, and nuclear threats, although there are multifaceted determinants for new OPLANs, including the progress in transferring the wartime operational control.
But there appear to be discrepancies between the countries on whether new OPLANs encompass the China challenge and how much focus new OPLANs should put on China’s increasing military activities on and near the Korean Peninsula.
Colin Kahl, US undersecretary of defense for policy, earlier this month said the regional challenges are the key considerations in updating the US-South Korea combined planning on a range of security issues.
“Our planning with South Korea is robust, and it continues to evolve given the evolution of the threat posed by North Korea as well frankly as other challenges in the region,” Kahl said during the Defense One Outlook 2022 event.
“This is just the next turn of the crank in terms of our ongoing planning and the evolution of our alliances with South Korea, which is as strong as it’s ever been.”
6. S. Korea's military to deploy homegrown surveillance drones by 2031
S. Korea's military to deploy homegrown surveillance drones by 2031 | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military approved a plan Monday to locally develop and deploy a reconnaissance and surveillance drone by 2031 to better defend the country's northwestern border islands, the state arms procurement agency said.
The Defense Project Promotion Committee endorsed the project worth 570 billion won (US$479 million) for the drone designed to be operated aboard Navy warships and by Marine Corps units on frontline islands, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
"The new drone, if developed, will reinforce the military's capability to respond to security threats through the real-time monitoring of maritime areas and northwestern border islands," the DAPA said in a press release.
Also at the virtual committee session, the military approved a basic plan to locally develop a landing attack helicopter under a 450 billion won project that runs from 2022-26.
The committee also approved a plan to purchase large military choppers from foreign companies under a project to replace aging CH-47D helicopters currently operated by the Army. The project is to last from 2022-28 with a budget estimated at 1.4 trillion won.
In addition, the committee endorsed a plan for the first mass production of a wheeled armored command post vehicle. For this project from 2022-29, the country plans to spend 1.51 trillion won.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
7. NK’s nuclear problem requires both peace and denuclearization tracks: Lee’s aide
Explanation of foreign policy/north Korea views from candidate Lee's foreign policy advisor Ambassador Wi Sung-lac.
NK’s nuclear problem requires both peace and denuclearization tracks: Lee’s aide
Published : Dec 27, 2021 - 17:01 Updated : Dec 27, 2021 - 17:01
Former South Korean Ambassador to Russia Wi Sung-lac, who chairs the foreign affairs committee of Lee Jae-myung’s presidential campaign, speaks during an interview with The Korea Herald. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)
For years, South Korea, the US and the international community have tried to coax North Korea into giving up its nuclear and missile program. Despite a series of negotiations, headline-grabbing summits and carrot-and-stick tactics, the reclusive regime has not ceased from developing the weapons of mass destruction, but instead has been advancing them.
What the years of failed negotiations have taught us is that the North’s nuclear issue is a complex conundrum that requires a multifaceted approach, says Wi Sung-lac, former South Korean Ambassador to Russia and top foreign policy adviser to Lee Jae-myung, presidential nominee of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
“If we want to make progress on the denuclearization track, we have to simultaneously operate the peace track as well,” Wi told The Korea Herald in a recent interview in Seoul. “The two tracks need to move in synergy and in complement to each other.”
But Wi said running the two tracks simultaneously is difficult, as there are risks that the North could “cherry pick” one over another depending on its needs. “We can’t let that happen, and have to operate the two tracks in sync,” he said.
The much talked about proposal to declare a formal end to the Korean War is a small part of this peace process, but not all of it, according to Wi. The peace treaty, establishment of peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and normalization of relations with Pyongyang take up the larger part of the peace track.
In this light, the end-of-war declaration is worthy of pursuing, as a step to the larger peace process, said Wi. But he also acknowledged difficulties in getting all the parties to sign on to the agreement, given the current security situation.
The end-of-war declaration, and approaches to denuclearize North Korea is one of main areas where candidate Lee contrasts with his archrival Yoon Suk-yeol, presidential candidate for the conservative opposition People Power Party. The two are running neck-and-neck in the upcoming March 9 election.
Lee backs President Moon Jae-in’s end-of-war proposal as a meaningful measure that could serve as a catalyst for future denuclearization and the establishment of a peace regime, whereas Yoon opposes pushing for the declaration when Pyongyang has yet to dismantle its nuclear program.
Mix of rewards, sanctions for denuclearization
Pundits view Lee is widely expected to continue incumbent President Moon’s diplomacy of engagement with Pyongyang. While there will be similar conciliatory approaches, Wi stressed that Lee’s policy anchors on “pragmatic and balanced” stance, using not only rewards but also sanctions to achieve denuclearization.
“Negotiations with Pyongyang should be flexible. But when the North conducts wrongful behavior and breaks promises, we have to respond with corresponding measures,” said Wi.
Wi, who also served as Seoul’s top envoy for North Korea’s nuclear programs, suggested the conditional easing of sanctions against Pyongyang with a “snapback clause,” which would reimpose all sanctions immediately if North Korea fails to comply with its denuclearization promises.
As part of the path toward denuclearization, Wi -- based on his years of experiences in negotiating with the North -- said a “step-by-step” process is inevitable, as the North will only be willing to agree through an incremental approach. But the number of steps has to be minimal with big chunks of agreements within each steps, to avoid the North from resorting to the so-called “salami-slicing tactic” of cutting the slices too thin to buy time while reaping the benefits from agreeing to the initial steps.
In order to denuclearize the reclusive regime, Wi stressed the need to closely work with other countries, considering the US and China have all the tools for sanctions on the North. “What we have is limited, and without help from the US and China, we can’t work alone.”
But first, inducing the North back to the stalled dialogue would be critical. The North, however, expressed reluctance in returning to dialogue, despite continuous calls for negotiation from both Washington and Seoul. Pyongyang has reiterated that it will ignore the allies’ offer of dialogue, unless the US withdraws what it calls a “hostile policy” toward the North -- apparently referring to the joint military exercises between South Korea and the US, and international sanctions.
“South Korea and the US have to put more efforts to resume dialogue with the North,” he said. “If the negotiation process doesn’t restart smoothly, the North could launch provocation, and then maybe try to return to talks after a huge outburst. This is not a desirable way to begin a dialogue.”
“Close to the US, not too far from China”
Tensions between the US and China have reached the most acute level since the two countries normalized diplomatic ties more than four decades ago, said Wi, as the rivalry looks set to escalate further next year.
So far, South Korea has been taking a “case-by-case stance” between its important ally the US and biggest trading partner China, but warned that such an approach may become more difficult as the competition and confrontation intensify between the two superpowers.
“We should begin from a simple and clear fact: The US is our ally and China is not, but a strategic partner,” said Wi. “There are more areas where South Korea shares value with the US, than China.”
Under this security environment, South Korea should set a guideline that is “closer to the US and not too far from China,” said Wi. “What’s important is to be consistent in policy that is predictable, and not changing from one to another depending on the situation.”
Wi stressed that candidate Lee views the South Korea-US alliance as the basis for Korea to develop into a new frontier, which goes beyond from the security alliance to various areas, including climate change, cutting-edge technology and the pandemic, among others.
“But there is also the reality of a rising China, with which Korea has deep economic ties,” said Wi. “China may have influence on the future of peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula, so we need to maintain a friendly relationship with China.”
Another pressing concern for South Korea amid intensifying US-China rivalry is the so-called “economic security” where economic and security issues have become increasingly intertwined with growing cases of countries weaponizing the economy for political gains.
Specifically, Washington and Beijing’s battle over technology supremacy is looming large over Seoul’s most important industries of semiconductor and battery. While Korean companies require advanced technology from the US, China is the largest market and its core manufacturing base.
As the US seeks to establish a supply chain that is more resistant and less reliant on China, it has been putting efforts to effectively corral allies, including South Korea, to join its initiative.
Wi identified that these “economic security” issues as one of the most urgent and important security challenges facing South Korea, and urged the need for the government’s better involvement.
“This is also a matter of setting the guideline on where South Korea will stand,” he said. “If the government remains ambiguous, and does not establish a right direction, it’s the companies that will have to pay the price.”
Lee called on the government to set up a control tower where it comprehensively deals with both traditional security issues and emerging security threats, such as technology and trade issues.
Importance of trilateral ties with the US and Japan
South Korea’s frayed ties with Japan over wartime history is another pressing foreign policy concern that needs to be fixed, said Wi, stressing candidate Lee views improving relations with Tokyo as an important matter. “We cannot leave the Seoul-Tokyo relations as it is, for the sake of South Korea’s national interest, for the bilateral relations, as well as for the trilateral ties involving the US and also for the power structure in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Wi. “The two sides have to make gradual steps toward resolving the past.”
He also said there is a need for an enhanced three-way security cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan, for sharing information and intelligence, as well as dealing with the North’s nuclear problem.
In this aspect, he also saw the need to continuously operate Seoul’s military-intelligence sharing pact with Tokyo, known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement, divergent from the current Moon administration that indicated a possibility of scrapping the bilateral agreement depending on the situation.
In August 2019, South Korea decided to terminate the GSOMIA, in retaliation for Japan’s decision to tighten export controls against Seoul in response to the wartime forced labor issue. But Seoul made a last-minute decision to retreat from its planned exit from GSOMIA in response to US pressure -- and on the condition that negotiations take place with Japan on the export curbs and the forced labor issue. But Seoul had said it can end the pact at any time.
8. Yongsan Park to include former DAPA, military apartment land
The issue of environmental remediation is going to be difficult to resolve.
Excerpts:
That seven-year period includes doing environmental studies on oil spills and other possible incidents of contamination at the army site, which have sparked public concerns in recent years.
Last December, 2.9 million square meters of land which had been used as a sports field and softball stadium was returned to the South Korean government. But this still accounts to just 2 percent of the total land to be returned.
By early next year, the US and South Korea have agreed to return one fourth of the remaining site, some 500,000 square meters of land inside Yongsan Garrision’s Southpost area where schools, sports fields and accommodation facilities for officers were set up. This equals to some 27 percent of the land to be returned to the country.
Yongsan Park to include former DAPA, military apartment land
Despite grandiose plan, only 2 percent of land has been returned by US Army
Published : Dec 27, 2021 - 16:22 Updated : Dec 27, 2021 - 16:23
(Yonhap)
Yongsan Park, now a vacant area set to become a public park by 2027 will be expanded to hold a total of 3 million square meters of land by absorbing nearby sites that have been used by the military.
According to the revised plan for establishment of Yongsan Park released by the Land Ministry on Monday, the site for Yongsan Park has expanded by 570,000 square meters, or 23.5 percent, compared to the 2014 plan. The plan to turn the USFK’s Yongsan Garrison into a national park was first created in 2011.
Some 95,000 square meters of land used for Defense Acquisition Program Administration office and 45,000 square meters of land that housed military apartments will be part of the park. The new space will add an ecological space inside the park. But buildings with historical and artistic value will be preserved for later use for cultural programs, the ministry said.
While the 84,000-square-meter US military hotel Dragon Hill Lodge located in the middle of the Yongsan garrison and a 57,000-square-meter heliport were still excluded from the park site, the total land area for Yongsan Park is expected to increase by 30,000 square meters as an accommodation facility for US Embassy employees will be established outside the park.
The revised plan also showed that based on suggestions from Seoul citizens, the park will be open to public around the clock and use smart technologies like big data and IoT.
The ministry said the establishment of the park will cost some 2.1 trillion won ($1.7 billion), about 1.78 times higher than the previous plan released in 2014.
Meanwhile, the opening of the Yongsan Park remains undecided.
It was initially planned to have a 2027 opening when the US Army was scheduled to return the site by 2016. But with the relocation to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek being delayed, the ministry said it has changed the time frame to seven years after the US Army’s move out is completed.
That seven-year period includes doing environmental studies on oil spills and other possible incidents of contamination at the army site, which have sparked public concerns in recent years.
Last December, 2.9 million square meters of land which had been used as a sports field and softball stadium was returned to the South Korean government. But this still accounts to just 2 percent of the total land to be returned.
By early next year, the US and South Korea have agreed to return one fourth of the remaining site, some 500,000 square meters of land inside Yongsan Garrision’s Southpost area where schools, sports fields and accommodation facilities for officers were set up. This equals to some 27 percent of the land to be returned to the country.
Authorities said that the reason why the return takes time is because the ROK-US Combined Forces Command has not moved out yet and still uses major facilities such as telecommunication infrastructure inside Yongsan Garrison. The CFC said that it would complete the relocation to Camp Humphreys during the first half of next year.
In 2017, the relocation of 26 US army forces scattered across in Korea to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, kicked off with the Eighth Army moving there. The United States Forces Korea headquarters moved out from Yongsan in 2018.
The Korean government paid 91 percent of the total of 12 trillion won it cost to build infrastructure in Camp Humphreys.
9. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ Addiction and trafficking plummet as methamphetamine prices skyrocket.
There are always interesting and often unexpected second and third effects of policy decisions such as in this case with closing the Chinese border.
＜Inside N. Korea＞ Addiction and trafficking plummet as methamphetamine prices skyrocket. Without Chinese ingredients, the supply is depleted. What alternative measures have addicts taken?
(Photo) Methamphetamine smuggling from North Korea is a threat to China. The photo shows a "No Smuggling and Drug Trafficking" sign erected by public security authorities along the border, photographed by ISHIMARU Jiro in July 2017.
◆ Is methamphetamine pollution almost eliminated?
The price of methamphetamine trafficking has skyrocketed in North Korea, and the number of people caught for taking or black-marketing the drug has plummeted. It is said that the reason is the coronavirus (Kang Ji-won).
"The price of methamphetamine trafficking was 100-150 Chinese yuan per gram a year ago, but now you can't buy it even if you pay 1,000 yuan. There is no product. Ever since the Chinese border was closed to prevent coronavirus spread, raw materials and reagents have failed to enter the country, making bootlegging impossible. Thanks to this, women whose husbands are addicts are very relieved."
Our reporting partner in North Hamkyung Province informed us of this on December 22. (※One Chinese yuan is about 0.13 USD)
◆ Progress in "Switching" from Methamphetamine to Opium
North Korean society is highly contaminated with methamphetamine. Since around 2000, technicians at pharmaceutical factories have been involved in producing the drug, which has been trafficked and spread throughout the country with the claim that 'it is effective in relieving fatigue.' Many people took the drugs casually as if they were smoking a cigarette. A shocking report of a survey of North Korean defectors has been published in South Korea, stating that 10 to 20 per cent of the adult population has used methamphetamine before.
Instead of methamphetamine, which has been depleted, opium is gaining popularity. Traffickers and addicts are switching from methamphetamine to opium.
In North Korea, opium has long been used as a medicine. It has been grown in gardens and manufactured for medical use. As a result, society has been lenient in its attitude toward the use of opium, and the punishment for its use has been loose.
General medicines have also been depleted since the COVID-19 pandemic due to a sharp decrease in imports from China. However, traffickers have turned their attention to it. They are distributing it as a therapeutic alternative to Chinese products. Still, since new addicts have been born and even fatal accidents have occurred, the security bureau (police) is shifting its focus to opium rather than stimulants.
◆ The fatal accident occurred by opium
"Opium is sold at 20,000 won per gram (about 4.16 USD). In mid-December, a man addicted to methamphetamine died after taking the wrong amount of opium in Musan County. There was also a case where a parent gave opium to their 12-year-old daughter who had a cold, and she did not regain consciousness for three days," said our reporting partner.
The North Korean economy has been hit hard by the drastic decline in trade with China, but, fortunately, the severe methamphetamine contamination is disappearing.
※ ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.
10. Ex-USFK Chief Calls for War Plan Against China
It is really amazing how the general's comments have been blown out of proportion.
The good thing about all of this is that there can be a public discussion that can help educate the pundits, the press, and the people.
As a side note the USFK "chief" is not responsible for developing the defense plans for South Korea. That is the responsibility of the Commander of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command. Perhaps someday the ROK press will know the differences among the various commands.
Ex-USFK Chief Calls for War Plan Against China
December 27, 2021 11:40
A former chief of the U.S. Forces Korea has called for South Korea and the U.S. to draw up a new war plan that takes in China as the U.S. intensifies its cold war against the world's most populous country.
In an interview with Voice of America last Saturday, Robert Abrams, who was USFK commander until July this year, warned the Chinese People's Liberation Army has increased its presence around the Korean Peninsula since 2010 "significantly."
Robert Abrams
Just in the last three years, there has been a 300-percent increase in China's incursions into South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone and fleets of Chinese trawlers illegally fishing along the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea, he added. He insisted all these ought to be accounted for in a new war plan.
At the bilateral Security Consultative Meeting on Dec. 2, the two allies agreed to draw up a new operational plan or OPLAN that focuses on preemptive strikes on key facilities in North Korea in a war.
Abrams called for including a plan for a response to China. Washington is keen to make the USFK more flexible so it can be roped into its campaign to contain China's rising military might.
Abrams also complained that South Korea is "not supportive" for the plan and added that "no specific reasons were given." He recalled that he called for a new plan during his first joint exercise with South Korea after he assumed command of the USFK in November 2018.
A government source here said, "At the time, the U.S. asked for revising the war plan with more focus on containing China, but the government in Seoul didn't accept it."
But a Defense Ministry spokesman said, "We won't comment officially on a personal opinion from a former USFK commander," adding, "No mention of China has been made in the latest discussions."
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
11. S. Hamgyong Province conducts review of recent People’s Consumer Goods Exposition
Excerpts:
There were many exemplary units, but the clothing produced by the Tonghungsan Unha Garment Factory received the highest evaluation. The factory’s winter cardigans were the most popular and most sought out product at the expo.
Accordingly, the factory reportedly received many awards and commendations, but officials in some other factories apparently resent this.
They are complaining that since the state founded Tonghungsan Unha Garment Factory to earn foreign currency, it would naturally produce relatively higher quality products now that it is doing full-scale business in the province.
S. Hamgyong Province conducts review of recent People’s Consumer Goods Exposition
The expo featured about 75,000 items of roughly 570 kinds of consumer goods
By Jong So Yong - 2021.12.27 3:57pm
A source says the authorities in South Hamgyong Province plan to rank and award the enterprises that participated in the province’s recent People’s Consumer Goods Exposition, with units receiving the Order of the National Flag, Order of Korean Labour, Medal of Labor Merit and other honors.
With light industrial factories and units producing daily necessities taking part, the expo featured about 75,000 items of roughly 570 kinds of consumer goods.
According to a Daily NK source in South Hamgyong Province, the provincial party committee and people’s committee carried out on Dec. 18 a review of the People’s Consumer Goods Exposition held from Dec. 10.
There were many exemplary units, but the clothing produced by the Tonghungsan Unha Garment Factory received the highest evaluation. The factory’s winter cardigans were the most popular and most sought out product at the expo.
Accordingly, the factory reportedly received many awards and commendations, but officials in some other factories apparently resent this.
They are complaining that since the state founded Tonghungsan Unha Garment Factory to earn foreign currency, it would naturally produce relatively higher quality products now that it is doing full-scale business in the province.
Drinking water produced at a factory near North Korea’s Ryongak Mountain. / Image: Uriminzokkiri homepage
Meanwhile, as they hand out the awards, North Korean authorities are reportedly calling on enterprises to make substantive contributions to the people’s livelihoods rather than just show off.
That is to say, they called on Tonghungsan Unha Garment Factory to sell products at slightly less than market prices with low margins so that the people may benefit and South Hamgyong Province — where a textile “city” is located — can take the lead in consumer goods production.
The People’s Consumer Goods Exposition has from its inception aimed to improve the livelihoods of the people, focusing on provincial light industry. The source said another aim — albeit unspoken — of this year’s expo is to allow the authorities to provide residents with low-priced consumer goods to mark the solar New Year.
However, things are unlikely to unfold as the authorities hope as the light industrial factories that took part in this year’s expo may be unable to cover their supply and labor costs if they sell their goods cheaply.
This is because they produce their goods by purchasing expensive raw materials in the markets.
Moreover, the source said state procurement shops are also purchasing — at cost — the goods produced by the enterprises at the expo to put on display for sale.
Though state procurement shops usually sold items imported from China, such goods are currently in short supply.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Jong So Yong is one of Daily NK’s freelance reporters. Questions about her articles can be directed to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
12. Seoul urges N. Korea to start new year by opening door for dialogue
A continued opportunity for Kim Jong-un to act like a responsible member of the international community.
Seoul urges N. Korea to start new year by opening door for dialogue | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry on Monday urged North Korea to start the new year with a step for dialogue and cooperation, as Pyongyang is set to convene a key party meeting this week to discuss domestic and foreign policy issues.
North Korea earlier announced the ruling Workers' Party will hold a plenary meeting of its central committee "in the last third of December" to "discuss and decide on work plans for the new year."
"The plenary has been usually held for one to four days with leader Kim Jong-un's attendance," ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo said during a regular press briefing.
The Seoul government is keeping a close watch on the expected event for possible messages on inter-Korean relations or nuclear negotiations, she said.
"We hope North Korea will start the new year by opening the door for dialogue with the international community, and take a step forward for engagement and cooperation," Lee said.
The remarks came as the nuclear talks between North Korea and the United States remain stalled since the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit.
Pyongyang has remained unresponsive to overtures for talks, demanding Washington first retract what it calls "double standards" and "hostile policy" against its regime.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)
13. N. Korea expands online education for workers: state media
The connected north Korean society becomes the more opportunity there will be for eventual exploitation.
N. Korea expands online education for workers: state media | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is spurring online education at major universities as part of efforts to train "intellectual-type workers" with science and technology expertise, according to its state media Monday.
The North's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, said around 100,000 workers are currently enrolled for online classes across the country, including 10,000 newly registered this year.
North Korea has been highlighting its efforts to develop the remote education system as a tool to help workers acquire "modern science and technology" necessary at their workplaces.
The North launched its first online education course 10 years ago at Kim Chaek University of Technology, with the number of students enrolled in such courses constantly increasing, according to the state media.
"At any workplace, there are workers who are eager to contribute to the wealth and power of their homeland by learning more science and technology," the newspaper said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been stressing the importance of science and technology for self-reliant economic development amid crippling sanctions against its nuclear and missile programs.
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)
14. In 'Beasts of a Little Land,' a portrait of Korea's quest for independence
In 'Beasts of a Little Land,' a portrait of Korea's quest for independence
ELISSA NADWORNY, HOST:
Author Juhea Kim says she had to learn to write twice. The first was in Korean, her native language and the country of her birth. She learned to write Korean at the age of 2 by looking over the shoulder of her older sister. But when she moved to Portland, Ore., at the age of 9, it was a different story.
JUHEA KIM: I was dropped into this environment without any English. I actually didn't even know the alphabet. I remember very clearly not being able to distinguish between B and D. And many people assumed that I would pick up English in about six months tops. And what actually happened was I was pretty much deaf and mute for the next year, year and a half. I almost didn't understand anything. But once I started actually picking up the language, I realized language is agency. Language is power. If you don't have the language, you can't express yourself. You can't assert your identity.
NADWORNY: Much of Kim's work centers on identity. And in her new book "Beasts Of A Little Land," she writes about Korea in the early 20th century, when it was fighting for independence from Japan and trying to maintain a national identity despite divisions about what that meant. The novel centers on a young girl named Jade. Her life is shaped by the struggle for independence and all the social and political divides it created. The novel is epic in scope, but it's also filled with intimate language and moments. Juhea Kim says that's by design.
KIM: I always tell people that Korean gave me my values. It's hierarchical, of course, but it's also very warm. It's highly textured. It has a ton of onomatopoeias, and it's very affectionate. And it values integrity and honor above everything else, whereas English is very rational. It's not the international language of science for no reason. I think in English when I'm trying to be logical. And it's very egalitarian. So every time I acquire a new language, I feel like it allows me to access a different side of me, which is very valuable to me as a writer.
NADWORNY: You know, there's a lot of characters in this book, but one of the main kind of shepherds of the story is Jade. And we meet her as a young girl who becomes a courtesan - a sex worker, essentially - to help support her family. How did this character come to you, and how did you decide to center so much of the story on her?
KIM: The Korean courtesan was essentially almost the only women intellectuals and women artists for centuries in Korea, going back to the medieval times. And so I knew that I wanted a woman who's very strong-willed and well-educated and creates her own destiny. And during that time, one of the only professions that could do those things for a woman was being a courtesan.
NADWORNY: Why is it that courtesans played that role in Korea?
KIM: I think that because courtesans were a part of the lowest class of society, they also were driven to prove themselves with acts of extraordinary valor and courage and honor. And another explanation, too, is that they're people, too, right? So they're driven by the same desires for validation, for love and for self-expression that everybody else is also driven by.
NADWORNY: Korea has a fascinating history, especially given the way the country - well, now two countries - exist today. And in the book, the political divides we see on the Korean Peninsula today were taking shape. You know, you know - we all know how that story ended. And so I kind of wonder how your knowledge of North Korea and South Korea now impacted the way you thought about your characters, especially those with political alliances.
KIM: For me, it was important to highlight the fact that there are these independence activists who were more socialist who were erased by history. I consider myself pretty idealistic. So my personal sympathies were, of course, to uncover these people who were forgotten. But at the same time, I know very well that the communist experiment failed, and North Korea - right now, it's committing its own human rights atrocities. So I definitely wanted to give a more complex view on the topic than just to say one ideology or one country is better than the other. It's really not about that, and it's about acknowledging the whole complexity.
NADWORNY: What do you hope people take away from the novel?
KIM: This, for me, was an exploration of how to live meaningfully in the face of all of these threats - violence, injustice, poverty, colonialism. And sadly, these are not issues that have gone away. These are issues that we're still facing today. And on top of that, the world is even more in peril now than ever before with its ecological destruction and climate crises. So I think these characters show how we can live in a meaningful way, even when the world is falling apart, even when the sky is falling down.
NADWORNY: That's writer Juhea Kim. Her novel, "Beasts Of A Little Land," is out now. Juhea Kim, thank you so much for your time.
KIM: Happy Holidays.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
15. Civic groups slam pardon for jailed ex-S.Korean Prez
Civic groups slam pardon for jailed ex-S.Korean Prez
By flip.it1 min
Seoul, Dec 27 | South Korean civic groups on Monday slammed the recent special pardon for former President Park Geun-hye imprisoned on corruption charges, arguing that the decision is a blow to the country’s democracy.
Activists representing 1,001 civic groups, including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, staged a press conference in front of the Presidential Palace or Cheong Wa Dae earlier in the day, calling for the withdrawal of the amnesty, reports Yonhap News Agency.
“President Moon Jae-in’s unilateral pardon for ex-President Park, whom the people ousted through candlelit (rallies), constitutes a challenge to South Korea’s democracy,” KCTU chief Yang Kyung-soo said.
“History will remember Moon as a sinner who flouted democracy and turned back the advance of the wheel of history.”
The angry protesters also stressed the pardon may engender “seeds of discord” that could in turn originate “excessive social dissipation.”
On December 24, the government announced special pardons for Park and some 3,000 other convicts in celebration of the new year.
The special amnesty, granted by Moon, was decided in consideration of Park’s deteriorating health.
Park has been serving a combined 22-year prison sentence since March 2017 after being impeached and removed from office over far-reaching corruption charges and an influence-peddling scandal.
16. Bank Fined for Violating North Korea Sanctions
Bank Fined for Violating North Korea Sanctions
The North Korean sanctions were violated when the bank, over a nearly two-year period between 2016 and 2018, processed nearly 1,500 transactions totaling $382,685.48, on behalf of five people who worked for the North Korean mission to the UN, without obtaining a proper license from the Treasury’s OFAC.
The Department of the Treasury announced this week that it has reached a settlement with a major American bank after the bank committed violations against America’s sanctions on North Korea.
According to a Treasury release, the settlement was reached between TD Bank and the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), related to the bank’s violations of North Korea Sanctions Regulations and the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations.
The bank agreed to pay $115,005.04 to settle “two separate matters involving apparent violations” of the two sanctions regulations.
“In the first matter, [TD Bank] processed 1,479 transactions totaling $382,685.38 and maintained nine accounts on behalf of employees of the North Korean mission to the United Nations without a license from OFAC,” the announcement said. “In the second matter, TDBNA maintained two accounts for more than four years for a U.S. resident who was listed on OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.”
Both violations, per the report, entailed “multiple sanctions compliance breakdowns,” although OFAC concluded that the violations in question were “voluntarily self-disclosed and were non-egregious.” In addition, OFAC determined that no managers or supervisors knew about the transactions, the transactions “would likely have been licensable under existing licensing policy,” and OFAC has determined that the bank has taken steps to address and stop the conduct.
The North Korean sanctions were violated when the bank, over a nearly two-year period between 2016 and 2018, processed nearly 1,500 transactions totaling $382,685.48, on behalf of five people who worked for the North Korean mission to the UN, without obtaining a proper license from the Treasury’s OFAC.
TD Bank personnel did not properly list “North Korea” as the country in their files for these accounts, often stating “Korea” or “South Korea” or leaving the field blank. Also, those people were never flagged in the system, because the bank was relying on a Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) list supplied by a vendor that did not include the North Korean individuals.
As for the violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations, they deal with Esperanza Caridad Maradiaga Lopez, who opened an account with a TD Bank branch in Florida in 2016, despite being placed on the Specifically Designated Nationals (SDN) List three years earlier. A sanctions screening alert was even generated by the opening of the account, but a reviewer dismissed that alert, as well as several more in the ensuing years.
“Only the fifth and final alert, in February 2020, was determined by a reviewer to be a true hit, triggering the blocking of Lopez’s accounts four years late and disclosure to OFAC. After the accounts were blocked, however, TDBNA’s Fraud Unit, unaware of the sanctions-related reason for account closure, credited one of Lopez’s accounts, causing it to be re-opened,” Treasury said. This was attributed by OFAC to “human error and a breakdown in TDBNA’s sanctions compliance procedures.”
Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
Image: Reuters
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
