Quotes of the Day:
"Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket."
- Eric Hoffer
"The sad reality is that America's armed forces suffer from three intrinsic political vulnerabilities: they're very expensive, they're readily available, and they're both versatile and robust. They therefore invite serial application to tasks for which they weren't designed. That they have little choice in the matter doesn't make that persistent misuse any less painful."
- Richard Sinnreich
“Strategic warriors operate much differently. They think ahead toward their long-term goals, decide which fights to avoid and which are inevitable, know how to control and channel their emotions. When forced to fight, they do so with indirection and subtle maneuver, making their manipulations hard to trace. In this way they can maintain the peaceful exterior so cherished in these political times.”
- Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War
1. N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles into East Sea: JCS
2. S. Korea succeeds in testing ballistic missile launch from submarine: Cheong Wa Dae
3. South Korea plans 'comprehensive review' of North Korea's policy amid talks with U.S., Japan
4. S. Korea's NSC expresses 'deep concern' about N. Korea's missile launches
5. Moon says S. Korea's SLBM development can be deterrent to N. Korean provocation: Cheong Wa Dae
6. Is N.Korea Restarting Uranium Enrichment?
7. New details revealed about North Korea's recent naming of Pak Jong Chon to key positions of power
8. Lecture held for officials in charge of constructing border wall in Yanggang Province
9. North Korean Cops Go Undercover as Phone Brokers to Entrap Refugees’ Families
10. Pyongyang's latest missile launch strengthens case for keeping sanctions in place: Korea Herald
11. North Korea Just Tested a New Missile. Here's What U.S. Diplomats Had to Say About It.
12. What Trump Said About North Korea in His Address to the Unification Church
13. Security crisis on the Korean peninsula cannot be resolved without a peace treaty
14. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi slams US move for South Korea to join ‘outdated’ Five Eyes alliance
15. North Korea Might Have a Sneaky New Way to Transport Nukes
1. N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles into East Sea: JCS
Political warfare and continued attempts at blackmail diplomacy.
Interesting timing with Wang Yi's visit to Seoul and the trilateral meeting of nuclear envoys of the ROK, Japan, and US in Tokyo.
But it could also be a necessary test to advance its missile program and the timing is just coincidental. If we do "downplay" these recent events as simply missile testing to advance their programs we should recognize that Kim's intent is to modernize his military capabilities to support offensive military operations.
But like most things in north Korea there are multiple interpretations and meanings of regime actions. These missiles send signals - * the north is prepared for engagement and confrontation," make good on previous "threats" (if we conduct the exercises there will be a security crisis), maintain the north in the international public eye and especially with the Biden administration (there is a lot happening around the world - do not forget about us), contribute to blackmail diplomacy (the use of increased tension, threats, and provocations to gain political and economic concessions), and attempt to shape the information environment to convince Biden to offer concessions in the form of sanctions relief to "jumpstart" diplomacy in pursuit of a need foreign policy "win' (in Kim's calculus). It also has domestic messaging significance for not only demonstrating the strength of the regime but also to remind the people that they must sacrifice because of the external threats. And then again it has the dual benefit of possibly enhancing the nKPA's warfighting capabilities.
(3rd LD) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles into East Sea: JCS | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS analysis of missile in paras 4, 15-19)
By Oh Seok-min and Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Wednesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, gradually ratcheting up tensions just days after successfully test-firing a newly developed long-range cruise missile.
The projectiles were fired from the central county of Yangdok at 12:34 p.m. and 12:39 p.m. and flew around 800 kilometers at a maximum altitude of around 60 km, the JCS said.
"South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing details for additional information," the JCS said in a release. "Our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States."
Government sources said the tested missiles appear to be an upgraded version of the North's KN-23 Iskander ballistic missile, as the military detected the so-called pull-up maneuver over the course of their flight.
Wednesday's launches came two days after the North announced it successfully test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missile over the weekend, calling it "a strategic weapon of great significance" to indicate its nuclear capability.
Under the U.N. Security Council resolutions, North Korea is banned from ballistic missile activity, while cruise missiles are not subject to sanctions.
Japan's defense ministry said the two missiles fell outside its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The North Korean military has been staging summertime drills, a military official in Seoul said.
The U.S. military said the launches show the destabilizing impact of the North's illicit weapons program.
"We are aware of the missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's illicit weapons program," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.
DPRK is the acronym of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
In a separate statement, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said, "This activity highlights DPRK's continuing focus on developing its military program and the threat it poses to Northeast Asia and the international community."
"We will continue to monitor the situation, consult closely with our South Korean allies and remain committed to providing a combined robust defense posture to protect the ROK against any threat or adversary," it added.
The latest test is the second ballistic missile launch by the North so far this year, and its fifth known major weapons test if the cruise missile tests are taken into account.
The North's last ballistic missile test took place on March 25, when it fired two short-range missiles into the East Sea, believed to be an upgraded version of its KN-23 Iskander missile.
Experts also said the missiles tested on Wednesday could be the North Korean version of Russia's Iskander, and that Pyongyang tried to show its missile prowess in response to South Korea's powerful ground-based Hyunmoo-4 missile.
"The North said after the March test that the new 'tactical guided projectile' has a 2.5-ton warhead. If you reduce the payload, the missile can fly farther," missile expert Ryu Sung-yeop from the Korea Research Institute of Military Affairs said.
At that time, the JCS said that the missiles flew around 450 km at an altitude of about 60 km.
"Or the North could make the missile bigger to secure a longer flight range. The Hyunmoo-4 has a 2-ton payload and a maximum range of 800 km," he noted.
Shin Jong-woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense Security Forum in Seoul, also said that the latest test appears to have been intended to verify the reliability of the Iskander missile, as the North has often brought its weapons to inland regions to fly them across its territory into the East Sea.
Wednesday's test coincided with South Korea's successful test of an indigenous submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the newly launched 3,000 ton-class Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine. Some have raised concerns over an arms race between the two Koreas.
Pyongyang has heightened military tensions in recent weeks. Last month, it warned of a "major security crisis" in protest against the combined summertime military exercise between South Korea and the U.S.
The North has also shown signs of restarting a plutonium-producing nuclear reactor at its mainstay Yongbyon complex.
The latest firing came as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in South Korea for talks with his South Korean counterpart, Chung Eui-yong.
After the talks, Wang told reporters early Wednesday the North's cruise missile launches are military activities that other countries are also engaging in and stressed joint efforts toward the resumption of dialogue involving North Korea.
Denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea have stalled. The Biden government has said it is ready to hold talks with the North anywhere, at anytime, but the communist country has remained unresponsive to U.S. overtures.
On Tuesday, U.S. Special Representative to North Korea Sung Kim expressed his country's willingness to cooperate with Pyongyang on humanitarian issues "regardless of progress on denuclearization," after talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Noh Kyu-duk and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, in Tokyo.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)
2. S. Korea succeeds in testing ballistic missile launch from submarine: Cheong Wa Dae
Now this is coincidental timing. This was likely tested to advance South Korean capabilities. It would not appear to be done in response to the two ballistic missile launches unless the ROK had intelligence there was going to be a nK launch and they decided to test near simultaneously.
One of the messages that should accomplish this test is how much more advanced technology is South Korea than the north. The north's SLBM program is not as advanced as the South's. That said, the South is the only country with an SLBM capability that is not nuclear armed.
(2nd LD) S. Korea succeeds in testing ballistic missile launch from submarine: Cheong Wa Dae | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS photos)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has become the world's seventh country with an indigenous submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), as it succeeded in an underwater test-launch from a submarine, Cheong Wa Dae announced Wednesday.
President Moon Jae-in inspected the firing at a local test center of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), hours after North Korea lobbed two ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
The SLBM was fired from the 3,000-ton-class Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine at the ADD Anheung Test Center in South Chungcheong Province.
It flew a planned distance and precisely hit a target, Moon's office said.
"Possessing SLBM is very meaningful in terms of securing deterrence against omnidirectional threats and it is expected to play a big role in self-reliant national defense and establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula, going forward," it said in a statement.
The ADD earlier carried out several ground- and water tank-based SLBM tests, including ejection ones.
Currently, only six countries have SLBMs with actual field operation capabilities that have high strategic values and are difficult to develop, according to Cheong Wa Dae. They are the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and India.
North Korea claims to have developed a homegrown SLBM. But the South's military officials said that the North seems to have been successful in just the ballistic missile firing from a floating barge, not any underwater launch from an actual submarine.
In addition, the ADD succeeded in a long-range air-to-ground missile separation test for use by the KF-21 next-generation fighter jet, which South Korea is developing with its own technology, Cheong Wa Dae said.
It means South Korea has secured an aerial missile launch technology, an essential element for fighter jet armament, the office added.
The ADD also briefed the president on progress in the development of two other strategic weapons -- a supersonic cruise missile and a high-powered ballistic missile with significantly increased warhead weight.
In July, the state agency had a successful combustion test of a solid-propellant engine for space rockets. It is designed to put small satellites into a low Earth orbit.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
3. South Korea plans 'comprehensive review' of North Korea's policy amid talks with U.S., Japan
This could be the best thing to come out of the recent missile test and rhetoric. Perhaps this review will acknowledge the true nature, objectives, and strategy of the mafia-like family cult known as the Kim family regime that seeks to dominate the peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.
This could result in an effective alignment of ROK and US strategy toward north Korea.
South Korea plans 'comprehensive review' of North Korea's policy amid talks with U.S., Japan
Newsweek · by Tom O'Connor · September 14, 2021
A South Korean official has expressed to Newsweek plans to hold a thorough review of North Korea's positions given recent events on the divided peninsula. The announcement comes as South Korea's most senior official on the issue met with counterparts from the United States and Japan.
The review and trilateral discussion held Tuesday in Tokyo take place in the wake of a North Korea military parade last Thursday, which was followed by the test-firing of long-range cruise missiles on Saturday and Sunday.
In response to the parade, a spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of National Defense told Newsweek that the military was "analyzing precisely under the co-operation between ROK and U.S.," and then gave a similar statement in response to the latest cruise missile launch, which North Korea's state-run media said flew 932 miles over the course of more than two hours.
This position was echoed Monday by South Korean Unification Ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo, who said the ministry would "will work with related agencies including the MND to analyze and keep a watch out for developments in the North."
The Unification Ministry also monitored the commemorative parade that preceded the launch. The event, however, was determined to be more explicitly about North Korea's own history and security, an interpretation suggested by the exhibition of paramilitary and public security forces, including cavalry units, military search dogs and tractor-hauled artillery, rather than the major missile systems seen in past elaborate displays.
"North Korea's military parade was held to mark the 73rd anniversary of its establishment, focusing on boosting internal solidarity and encouraging its people," a South Korean Unification Ministry official told Newsweek.
But the event will be taken into consideration along with upcoming dates as South Korea, officially of the Republic of Korea (ROK), seeks to calibrate its understanding of the intentions of North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"As the North did not release any statement about foreign relations including inter-Korean relations at the ceremony, we will make a comprehensive review on its policy stance including its foreign policy," the official said, "while keeping an eye on major political events such as the Supreme People's Assembly and the foundation day of the Workers' Party Korea in October."
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim (L), director-general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Funakoshi Takehiro (C) and South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk pose ahead of the Japan-US-ROK trilateral meeting on North Korea in Tokyo on September 14. The three "reaffirmed the importance of a robust trilateral relationship as we work together toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," according to a State Department readout, while Kim "also emphasized U.S. readiness to engage with the DPRK and affirmed U.S. commitment to the immediate resolution of the abductions issue." DAVID MAREUIL/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Tuesday's trilateral talks in Tokyo featured U.S. special representative for North Korea Sung Kim, Japanese Foreign Ministry Asian and Oceanic Affairs Bureau Director-General Funakoshi Takehiro, and South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk.
A readout shared by the State Department said that the trio "reaffirmed the importance of a robust trilateral relationship as we work together toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," while Sung Kim "also emphasized U.S. readiness to engage with the DPRK and affirmed U.S. commitment to the immediate resolution of the abductions issue."
The meeting fell in line with the Biden administration's efforts to balance the interests of its two Pacific allies in approaching the North Korea issue.
Under South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Seoul has sought a diplomatic partner in its ally, Washington, to pursuing peace with Pyongyang. But Tokyo has been far more reserved in its approach, while continuing to emphasize the need to consider the cases of at least 17 Japanese citizens — and potentially hundreds more — North Korea is suspected of having kidnapped between 1977 and 1983.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry also released a readout of the three-way interaction, as well as Funakoshi's direct exchanges with Sung Kim and Noh.
The three parties were said to have agreed to "work closely" with one another "toward the realization of complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution, keeping in mind the recent trends in nuclear and missile development," as well as on "the importance of full implementation of the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions," which maintain sanctions on North Korea and forbid it from testing missiles or nuclear weapons.
Funakoshi also asked his U.S. and South Korean counterparts "to continue to understand and cooperate with the abduction issue, and received support."
So far, North Korea has only hardened its stance on the prospect of resuming talks that began alongside the U.S. and South Korea in 2018, only to unravel in the years since.
After history was made by a record three summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, two with then-U.S. President Donald Trump and even a trilateral meeting at the heavily-guarded border between the two Koreas, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un still has no deal to secure sanctions relief, commit to denuclearization or end a war still technically ongoing after more than seven decades.
What has emerged, however, is an increasingly precarious economic situation in North Korea, one of the first countries in the world to institute lockdown measures amid reports of a novel coronavirus in neighboring China, while it remains one of the last nations to still report zero cases of the COVID-19 diseases caused by it.
The effects of the pandemic on North Korea's already heavily restricted trade, in addition to the destruction brought on by both floods and droughts, have prompted Kim Jong Un to acknowledge extensive hardships at home.
But as the ruler's rhetoric on self-reliance remains unwavering, both Seoul and Washington have eyed potential humanitarian assistance to develop an inroad into the notoriously elusive, militarized state.
Sung Kim reiterated this point while talking to reporters after Tuesday's talks in Tokyo.
"We are prepared to work cooperatively with the DPRK to address areas of humanitarian concerns regardless of progress on denuclearization," the U.S. diplomat said, as quoted by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
The remarks came after the International Atomic Energy Agency raised the alarm over what appeared to be new activity at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor.
Sung Kim added that "the United States supports the provision of humanitarian aid, consistent with international standards for access and monitoring to the most vulnerable North Koreans."
Such overtures have been previously communicated to Newsweek by State Department officials, who also said that Pyongyang had so far insulated itself from foreign aid.
"The DPRK has created significant barriers to the delivery of assistance by closing its borders and rejecting offers of international aid, while also limiting the personnel responsible for implementing and monitoring existing humanitarian projects," one State Department spokesperson said last month.
And while both State Department and South Korean Foreign Ministry officials told Newsweek at the time that there were no plans then to share or provide vaccines to North Korea, neither side precluded the possibility of doing so in the future.
Still, the Associated Press reported last week that North Korea had declined 3 million Sinovac shots and 1.9 million AstraZeneca jabs slated to be delivered via the U.N.'s COVAX program.
North Korea test-fires "new type long-range cruise missiles" said to have been launched on September 11 and 12 after joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises that Pyongyang had warned against. Senior official Pak Jong Chon "stressed the need for the field of the national defence science to go all out to increase the defence capabilities, the war deterrence of the country and keep making achievements in meeting the grand and long-term targets of securing war deterrence set forth at the 8th Congress of the Party." Rodong Sinmun
With Seoul's alliance with Washington reassured and relations with Tokyo further stabilized by the recent gathering, South Korea was also set to host the top diplomat of another major power with sway over the Korean Peninsula and the region in general: China.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Tuesday to meet South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong. South Korea has sought to avoid rising tensions between the U.S. and China, and has made strides to maintain strong ties to the leading Asian power that also has an alliance with North Korea.
Taking note of South Korea having recently joined a small list of nations with submarine missile-launching capabilities, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Beijing officials "hope countries concerned can jointly contribute to regional peace, stability and development."
"China and the ROK are important neighbors," he added. "State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will soon visit the ROK. The two sides will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern."
A day earlier, he also shared China's position on the Korean Peninsula issue, advocating for diplomacy to prevail.
"China remains committed to maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula and holds that the issue should be settled through dialogue and negotiation," Zhao said Monday. "We call on relevant parties to exercise restraint, meet each other half way, actively seek dialogue and engagement, and follow the 'dual-track' approach and take phased and synchronized actions to continuously advance the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue."
Newsweek · by Tom O'Connor · September 14, 2021
4. S. Korea's NSC expresses 'deep concern' about N. Korea's missile launches
No surprise. But it should not be concerned simply with the missile tests but with the broader intent and strategy of the Kim family regime.
S. Korea's NSC expresses 'deep concern' about N. Korea's missile launches | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top national security officials expressed "deep concern" Wednesday about a series of missile launches by North Korea.
They pointed out that the North's provocations came at a time when stabilizing the security conditions is very important, as they held an emergency session of the National Security Council (NSC), according to Cheong Wa Dae.
The NSC's standing committee meeting was chaired by Suh Hoon, director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae.
It was convened in response to the North's firing of two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, two days after its announcement of a cruise missile test.
NSC members agreed to consult closely with the United States and other concerned parties, while conducting a thorough analysis of relevant background and intention.
(END)
5. Moon says S. Korea's SLBM development can be deterrent to N. Korean provocation: Cheong Wa Dae
Whenever I see the word deterrent from now on I am going to ask what do we think deters Kim Jong-un? I do not think we give enough thought and analysis to what really deters Kim Jong-un and what will (as Sir Lawrence Freedman says) make "deterrence works. Until it doesn't." We need to really assess what deters north Korea and then determine if our (alliance) actions really contribute to deterring him.And we also have to consider what deters him from what actions Of course our primary focus must be to deter him from attacking the South and executing his campaign plan to dominate the peninsula.. We must deter him from conducting a WMD attack. But can we deter him from provocations as is so often stated? Especially when threats, increased tensions, and provocations are so ingrained in theKim family regime playbook. Is it really possible to deter provocations? I think not.
We should not assume that a demonstration of missile capabilities through testing is considered by Kim as a "provocation" and something that he does not want to happen. That is some of the worst mirror imaging. We do not want him to test missiles but he does not view ROK and US tests in the same manner we do. He will not refrain from provocation as a response to ROK "provocations." Now if the South was prepared to use an SLBM in a strike against a north Korean provocation that might be a different story but I am sure Kim assesses that will not happen. Therefore the South's SLBM capability will not deter north Korean provocations.
Lastly, a north Korean provocation is not a policy failure of the alliance. It is confirmation of the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime. It is expected north Korean action and should never be a surprise.
(2nd LD) Moon says S. Korea's SLBM development can be deterrent to N. Korean provocation: Cheong Wa Dae | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: COMBINES story on emergency NSC meeting in last paras; ADDS details, photos, byline)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that South Korea's upgrading of its missile capabilities can help deter North Korean provocation.
He was speaking to officials at the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) following the successful underwater test-launch of an indigenous submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a local test site.
Hours earlier, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
Moon stressed that his country had conducted the SLBM test as scheduled in accordance with the military's plan for bolstering its missile arsenal, not as a response to the North's latest provocation.
"However, our enhanced missile power can be a sure-fire deterrent to North Korea's provocation," he said, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.
The successful testing of the SLBM and some other missiles on the day has demonstrated that South Korea has "sufficient deterrent" to cope at any time with North Korean provocation, the president added.
He told ADD officials to continue efforts to beef up South Korea's defense capabilities, including the development of various missiles to overwhelm North Korea's "asymmetric" force.
Regarding the latest-known missiles fired by the North, Moon said intensive analysis is necessary to find out the exact type, specifics and Pyongyang's intention.
Later in the day, South Korea convened an emergency session of the National Security Council (NSC) to discuss the North's back-to-back missile launches this week. On Monday, Pyongyang announced that it had conducted a cruise missile test.
During the NSC standing committee meeting, its members expressed "deep concern" Wednesday about the series of missile launches by North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.
They pointed out that the North's provocations came at a time when stabilizing the security conditions is very important.
They agreed to consult closely with the United States and other concerned parties in tandem with a thorough analysis of relevant background and intention.
They also decided to "take necessary measures while closely monitoring North Korea's internal situations and military activities down the road."
The NSC meeting, chaired by Suh Hoon, director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
6. Is N.Korea Restarting Uranium Enrichment?
Again, if so, this is another indicator of the true nature, objectives, and strategy for the Kim family regime.
Is N.Korea Restarting Uranium Enrichment?
The global atomic watchdog has detected signs that North Korea could be resuming uranium enrichment after removing the cooling units from its centrifuge facility in Yongbyon.
The development was mentioned by Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, at a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday.
Grossi's remark came on the heels of the IAEA’s recent report last month saying the North restarted a nuclear reactor that has produced plutonium for nuclear weapons.
"Since early July 2021, there have been indications including the discharge of cooling water, consistent with the operation of the [5-megawatt] reactor," which was shut down in December 2018, the report said.
The additional resumption of uranium enrichment would mean the regime is running the Yongbyon nuclear complex again in full swing.
Grossi called the North's activities a "cause for serious concern." "The continuation of the nuclear program is a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and is deeply regrettable," he added.
7. New details revealed about North Korea's recent naming of Pak Jong Chon to key positions of power
Perhaps useful for understanding the leadership and Kim Jong-un decision making about his key leaders. Of course this is unvetted information and should always be taken with a grain of salt.
Excerpts:
Ministry of Social Security officials say the rise of a former Vice Minister of Defense and Lieutenant General in charge of the military’s weapons bureau to head of the ministry means they should prepare for more intensive “internal supervision.”
“Though somebody with a military background [Ri Yong Gil] has left, another army guy who is an even bigger stickler for rules and absolute obedience has arrived,” the source said, based on what officials were saying.
Meanwhile, in regards to the rise of Yu Jin to the vice chief of the Military Industries Department, the source said Yu comes from an ordinary background, but he has been promoted based on his “own skills and energy” since the time of Kim Jong Il. “He’s a piece of gold cultivated by the General [Kim Jong Il],” he said.
“He’s a top munitions expert who has been a secretary of military factories, secretary of munitions, a member of the Second Economic Commission, and a member of the Military Industries Department,” he added.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service had reported that Ri Pyong Chol, who was demoted over the “grave case,” might be named the new head of the Military Industries Department. With Yu elected to the position instead, people are asking what will happen to Ri.
Daily NK reported in July that Ri was the first vice chief of the Military Industries Department, based on a report from a source in the North Korean military.
New details revealed about North Korea's recent naming of Pak Jong Chon to key positions of power - Daily NK
A source also provided background about the new heads of the General Staff, Minister of Social Security and vice chief of the Military Industries Department
Daily NK has learned new details behind North Korea’s recent naming of Pak Jong Chon to key positions of power along with the replacements of chief of the General Staff, Minister of Social Security and vice chief of the ruling party’s Military Industries Department.
Having been demoted for his involvement in a “grave case” regarding emergency quarantine efforts, Pak was recently elected to the Presidium of the Politburo of the ruling party’s Central Committee and as secretary of the Central Committee. According to a Daily NK source in North Korea on Tuesday, Pak owes his new positions to his “singular capacity with artillery and firepower weaponry, which has been recognized by Comrade Kim Jong Un.”
Pak was demoted from marshal to vice marshal during an expanded meeting of the politburo in late June. However, unlike former Presidium member Ri Pyong Chol and former Defense Minister Kim Jong Gwan – who were rebuked alongside Pak and lost their jobs – Pak maintained his position as chief of the General Staff.
A string of key military figures were punished at the time as the “grave case” was directly connected with military rice stores. However, because the reshuffle focused on Ri, Pak reportedly got off relatively lightly.
A former commander of North Korea’s artillery units, Pak taught North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the ways of artillery when Kim was still just the successor to his father. Kim completed the two-year artillery command course at Kim Il Sung Military University, where he gained such a profound understanding of artillery that there is reportedly “no piece [of artillery] he cannot handle.” The source said this was in large part due to Pak’s instruction.
This is to say, Pak has been able rise to the very top of the power structure not only because he is close to Kim – who prioritizes the strengthening of North Korea’s artillery forces – but also due to the fact that he is regarded as a capable commander who is playing a productive role in the development of new artillery weapons.
While Pak has been wearing suits at official appearances since his latest promotion, he is still a vice marshal in the military, said the source.
People are also talking about Pak’s replacement as chief of the General Staff, Rim Kwang Il. The source that it is an “uncommon move” to put Rim, who is only in his 50s, into such a position “even granting that he’d worked in the General Staff Department in the past.
“He must have been named chief of the General Staff for his accomplishments or out of consideration for future policy,” he added.
Before taking on his new position, Rim headed the Reconnaissance General Bureau. Prior to that, he was a vice chief of the General Staff and head of the Operations General Bureau. In January, he was elected to the Central Military Commission. That he could rise up the ranks at such a young age, attaining a position equivalent to the head of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, was largely thanks to his accomplishments in cyber warfare using the country’s hacking units, said the source.
Kim Jong Un at the leadership podium during the Party Foundation Day military parade in Pyongyang on Oct. 10, 2020. / Image: KCNA
The source said Rim was well-regarded for having led and commanded “North Korean-style modern electronic warfare” that “scares the living daylights out of the enemy.
“He was most certainly named as chief of the General Staff due to the military leadership’s focus on mind warfare,” he added.
Moreover, interest has focused on why North Korea named Jang Jong Nam, an army general, as Minister of Social Security. North Koreans offer various theories to explain the move, speculating that it aimed to “overcome the split in the Ministry of Social Security as a semi-civilian, semi-military organization and strengthen its discipline as the second security bastion of the leadership” and “completely root out the source of the ministry’s familism and self-protective nature.”
Ministry of Social Security officials reportedly believe internal crackdowns will intensify, and have grown quite nervous as a result.
Ministry of Social Security officials say the rise of a former Vice Minister of Defense and Lieutenant General in charge of the military’s weapons bureau to head of the ministry means they should prepare for more intensive “internal supervision.”
“Though somebody with a military background [Ri Yong Gil] has left, another army guy who is an even bigger stickler for rules and absolute obedience has arrived,” the source said, based on what officials were saying.
Meanwhile, in regards to the rise of Yu Jin to the vice chief of the Military Industries Department, the source said Yu comes from an ordinary background, but he has been promoted based on his “own skills and energy” since the time of Kim Jong Il. “He’s a piece of gold cultivated by the General [Kim Jong Il],” he said.
“He’s a top munitions expert who has been a secretary of military factories, secretary of munitions, a member of the Second Economic Commission, and a member of the Military Industries Department,” he added.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service had reported that Ri Pyong Chol, who was demoted over the “grave case,” might be named the new head of the Military Industries Department. With Yu elected to the position instead, people are asking what will happen to Ri.
Daily NK reported in July that Ri was the first vice chief of the Military Industries Department, based on a report from a source in the North Korean military.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
8. Lecture held for officials in charge of constructing border wall in Yanggang Province
What is the meaning of the wall? (hint: the spoken truth is it is to protect the Kim family regime and ensure the Kim family regime remains in power).
Excerpts:
Meeting attendees were further told that they “need to understand the meaning and importance of the construction of the wall and high-voltage wires” along the border “as a manifestation of the party’s desire to protect the people from outside threats.” The lecturer further stressed the need to find even “small flaws” in quarantine efforts and take appropriate measures.
Lecture held for officials in charge of constructing border wall in Yanggang Province - Daily NK
Meeting attendees were told that they “need to understand the meaning and importance of the construction of the wall and high-voltage wires”
By Jong So Yong - 2021.09.15 1:32pm
Yanggang Province’s party committee recently held a lecture for officials in charge of constructing concrete walls and high-voltage wires along the Sino-North Korean border. The lecture emphasized that the officials should strengthen their “quarantine efforts.”
A source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Monday that the provincial party apparatus gathered officials from military units stationed in Kimjongsuk, Kimhyongjik and Taehongdan counties and other towns along the Sino-North Korean border – as well as party officials from government organizations, enterprises and universities who have temporarily mobilized workers for the construction – for a lecture regarding quarantine efforts on Sept. 2.
With the global COVID-19 pandemic refusing to die down, North Korean officials appear to be very concerned about disease control efforts in regions that border China.
The meeting, which was run by the head of the provincial party committee’s propaganda department, was held after the country’s Central Committee ordered a strengthening of quarantine efforts along the border — deemed the “gateway of the infectious disease [COVID-19].”
Meeting participants were told that failed quarantine efforts in Yanggang Province in the past had resulted in “dozens of people” falling ill with high fevers, nausea and other symptoms. The lecturer said this situation had been reported to the Central Committee, causing “distress” among the leadership. Participants were also told that Yanggang Province’s quarantine efforts are the “weakest” in the country.
Meeting attendees were further told that they “need to understand the meaning and importance of the construction of the wall and high-voltage wires” along the border “as a manifestation of the party’s desire to protect the people from outside threats.” The lecturer further stressed the need to find even “small flaws” in quarantine efforts and take appropriate measures.
North Korean soldiers seen constructing fences along the border last year. / Image: Daily NK
The attendees were instructed to step up quarantine efforts by replacing disease control workers with “disease control experts” from within the province or to organize “intensive lectures” to exhort local party officials and administrators working to prevent the spread of the disease.
Meeting participants were also ordered to establish a “new, all-encompassing disinfection routine” to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Officials must now ensure that construction workers, work tools, drinking water, industrial water, and work clothes undergo a disinfection process for one hour each morning and evening while work on the wall and wires continues.
Construction sites are now required to have one “quarantine promotion officer” equipped with “disease control-related tools” for every 30 people. These quarantine promotion officials must record in detail their disinfection efforts every 30 minutes to show they are engaging in sanitation and disinfection activities during work hours.
To certify they have performed the day’s quarantine efforts in a responsible manner, managing officials from each construction unit must also receive signatures from the party secretary, Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Social Security and even the chief quarantine officer before they go home for the day.
The source said meeting participants were also told to establish a system to report bolstered quarantine efforts to provincial officials, with the province in turn giving updates to the country’s Central Emergency Anti-Epidemic Headquarters. During the meeting, the lecturer reportedly warned that, with this new system in place, Yanggang Province “must not be seen to fail again in its quarantine efforts.”
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
9. North Korean Cops Go Undercover as Phone Brokers to Entrap Refugees’ Families
Outside information and money in the hands of the people) are threats to the regime.
Excerpts:
Now families in North Korea trying to contact overseas relatives must also be careful when working with a broker, because some could actually be police.
“As the refugees’ families resume their connection with overseas family members and the number of telephone brokers continues to increase, law enforcement is using a mean method of contacting North Korean refugees’ families by disguising security agents or police officers as phone brokers,” a law enforcement source from the city of Hoeryong in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA.
“But now that the residents are aware of the authorities’ cunning and mean strategy, the families are extremely careful not to speak to unknown brokers,” said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
The source said that at the beginning of the pandemic, most families of escapees cut off contact with them because the government had stepped up surveillance and punishments.
“They were enduring economic hardship with all their might, but they are no longer able to. So more and more of them are trying to contact their overseas relatives again, saying that dying of hunger is no better than dying from harsh punishment,” the source told RFA’s Korean Service.
North Korean Cops Go Undercover as Phone Brokers to Entrap Refugees’ Families
Authorities threaten to send families to prison camps if a member contacts relatives overseas.
North Korean agents are going undercover as phone brokers to entrap citizens attempting to contact overseas relatives for money to cope with a worsening food shortage and an economy devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, sources in the country told RFA.
Phone brokers charge money for using Chinese cell phones to tap the mobile network in China to provide a channel for North Koreans who have escaped the country to send money and information to their families back home.
But since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in January 2020, Pyongyang has been cracking down on its citizens’ contact with people outside the country, especially in the border regions, where Chinese cellular networks are accessible.
The crackdown coincided with the closure of the Sino-Korean border and the suspension of all trade to stop the spread of the virus into North Korea, a move that devastated the North Korean economy and caused shortages of food, medicine and industrial inputs.
RFA reported last month that the dire food situation made escapees’ families and the phone brokers themselves desperate enough to assume the heightened risk of using that method to move money.
Now families in North Korea trying to contact overseas relatives must also be careful when working with a broker, because some could actually be police.
“As the refugees’ families resume their connection with overseas family members and the number of telephone brokers continues to increase, law enforcement is using a mean method of contacting North Korean refugees’ families by disguising security agents or police officers as phone brokers,” a law enforcement source from the city of Hoeryong in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA.
“But now that the residents are aware of the authorities’ cunning and mean strategy, the families are extremely careful not to speak to unknown brokers,” said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
The source said that at the beginning of the pandemic, most families of escapees cut off contact with them because the government had stepped up surveillance and punishments.
“They were enduring economic hardship with all their might, but they are no longer able to. So more and more of them are trying to contact their overseas relatives again, saying that dying of hunger is no better than dying from harsh punishment,” the source told RFA’s Korean Service.
“Law enforcement is telling the residents that they will be sent to political prison camps immediately if they discover any contact with their family outside the country, but if they voluntarily confess that they’ve been in contact, they will be treated leniently,” the source said.
A resident of nearby Musan county said police were mixing threats and ruses to catch residents trying to reach their relatives overseas.
“They visit the families of escapees and trick them into giving them detailed information, saying they will help them connect with their loved ones,” said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.
“The State Security Department and the Police Department are telling refugees’ families to immediately alert the authorities if they receive any contact from overseas, or else they and the rest of the family will be arrested as political criminals,” the second source said.
“Even so, residents who are in desperate need of help from their escapee relatives are able to use certain words, numbers or special expressions as code to verify who is a real broker and who is a police officer faking it,” said the second source.
The second source said that despite all the threats from law enforcement, most families with relatives abroad find ways to keep in touch with the outside world.
“The threats presented by the living difficulties happening here right now far outweigh any threats of surveillance by the State Security Department.”
The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, which interviewed 414 North Koreans in the South, reported that 47 percent of them were in constant contact with their families in the North in 2018. Of those, about 93 percent said they called their families on the phone.
In the same survey, 62 percent said they had sent money to North Korea. Based on their answers, the center estimated that refugees in the South who send money to North Korea do it about twice per year, sending around 2.7 million South Korean won (U.S. $2,260) each time.
Each time they had to pay an average broker fee of almost 30 percent.
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, more than 33,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea since 1998, though only 229 entered the South last year during the coronavirus pandemic.
Reported by Jeong Yon Park for RFA’s Korean Service. Translated by Jinha Shin. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
10. Pyongyang's latest missile launch strengthens case for keeping sanctions in place: Korea Herald
This is showing Kim Jong-un that his strategy of blackmail diplomacy and political warfare is failing and will not result in sanctions relief.
Pyongyang's latest missile launch strengthens case for keeping sanctions in place: Korea Herald
By The Straits Times3 min
SEOUL (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - North Korea test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missile over the weekend in yet another move to bolster its leverage for a deal with the US.
The tests, conducted Saturday (Sept 11) and Sunday, saw the missiles travel for 7,580 seconds in the air above the North's territorial land and waters and hit targets 1,500 kilometres away, according to the communist state's official Korean Central News Agency.
Coming right after a scaled-down military parade in Pyongyang, the test-firing is seen as a low-level provocation intended to pressure the US without violating UN sanctions imposed on the recalcitrant regime to curb its nuclear arms and ballistic missile development programs. Cruise missiles are not subject to the sanctions.
Ballistic missiles carry bigger and more powerful payloads, have a much longer range and fly faster than cruise missiles.
But cruise missiles are still threatening as they follow a relatively straight trajectory at low altitudes, making them harder to detect.
South Korea's military seems to have failed to detect the cruise missiles until the North announced the news Monday.
Pyongyang has continued to upgrade its cruise missiles, making them smaller and possibly compatible with submarines.
A miniaturised nuclear warhead could be placed on one, as the North is believed to be on the verge of acquiring the technology.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said in a release that the latest tests threatened the region and the international community.
Pyongyang's latest saber-rattling comes amid new indications that the North has reactivated a key nuclear complex capable of producing plutonium, a fissile material used to make nuclear bombs.
The North suspended the operation of the aging Yongbyon complex in 2018. Then, at the 2019 summit between then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Mr Kim sought significant sanctions relief from Washington in return for dismantling it. Mr Trump rejected his proposal.
While committing itself to diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang, the administration of Mr Trump's successor, Joe Biden, is determined to make no significant concessions until the isolated regime takes substantial steps toward complete denuclearisation.
The latest missile launch might serve to strengthen the case for keeping sanctions in place, as it suggests the North is still capable of developing weapons despite food shortages and an economic crisis exacerbated by the pandemic.
The North may face a dilemma over its future course of action if the Biden administration remains unaffected by its recent attempts to pressure Washington to agree to a nuclear deal on the North's terms.
It could go on to more serious provocations, such as the firing of long-range ballistic missiles.
But the impoverished regime, mired in a growing economic predicament, might not be ready to endure toughened sanctions from the international community.
Above all, a provocation like that would risk angering China, its only ally and main benefactor, which does not want the regional situation to worsen before the Beijing Winter Olympics kick off in early February.
It is notable that the North conducted its latest missile test right before Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Seoul and consultations in Tokyo among top nuclear negotiators from South Korea, the US and Japan.
During his two-day stay here, which started Tuesday, Mr Wang is expected to stress the need to ease sanctions as a way to draw the North to the negotiating table.
Furthermore, he is likely to call on Seoul not to go against Beijing's interests by aligning itself with Washington's efforts to counter China's increasing assertiveness and influence.
South Korea has been more active than the US and Japan in resuming talks with the North, having provided more humanitarian assistance to the impoverished state.
The outreach is spurred on by President Moon Jae-in's eagerness to make progress in his peace initiative for the peninsula before he leaves office in May.
He is expected to reiterate his determination to carry the peace process forward during his trip to New York next week to attend the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly.
The Moon administration's preoccupation with inter-Korean reconciliation has led it to downplay or keep mum about the North's recent provocative moves.
But it should not turn a blind eye to growing threats from Pyongyang's ever-evolving military capabilities. Eventually, a firm and principled stance might prove more instrumental in ensuring sincere talks and lasting peace with the regime.
- The Korea Herald is a member of The Straits Times media partner Asia News Network, an alliance of 23 news media organisations.
11. North Korea Just Tested a New Missile. Here's What U.S. Diplomats Had to Say About It.
Positive press? I guess that is one interpretation. I think the only "positive" press is the statement from the Fox news commentator. (And I would ask CBS, who do they think Kim was stealing the spotlight from? The real threat is if someone is stealing the spotlight from Kim but no one would dare do that). I think all the statements from official sources were appropriate.
North Korea Just Tested a New Missile. Here's What U.S. Diplomats Had to Say About It.
The test comes just a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received some uncommonly positive press in the U.S. media.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK)’s state media announced that the regime had successfully carried out a cruise missile test.
"The development of the long-range cruise missile, a strategic weapon of great significance.... has been pushed forward according to the scientific and reliable weapon system development process for the past two years," the Korean Central News Agency said Sunday, per the Yonhap News Service. "Detailed tests of missile parts, scores of engine ground thrust tests, various flight tests, control and guidance tests, warhead power tests, etc. were conducted with success.”
The U.S. reacted to the missile launch, meanwhile, by continuing to push the idea of diplomacy.
"So you know our position has not changed when it comes to North Korea," Karine Jean-Pierre, principal deputy spokeswoman for the White House, said Monday, per Yonhap.
"We remain prepared to engage and (sit) with the DPRK toward our objective of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which has North Korea as part of its portfolio, also reacted to the launch.
"This activity highlights DPRK's continuing focus on developing its military program and the threats that poses to its neighbors and the international community," the command said in a statement. "The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad.”
The Pentagon also reacted.
"We are aware of these reports and I'm not in a position to confirm the reports with any great specificity at this time," Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby told the press Monday. "But again, I would just say it just highlights again the threat that the DPRK continues to pose to the region and to its neighbors.”
Also on Monday, per Reuters, the top U.S. envoy to North Korea met with counterparts in South Korea and Japan, to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue.
"The United States has no hostile intent towards the DPRK," the U.S. envoy for North Korea, Sung Kim, said at the top of the talks, Reuters said. “We hope that the DPRK will respond positively to our multiple offers to meet without preconditions.”
Kim appeared at a parade in North Korea last Friday, and CBS News used the headline “Thinner, more energetic Kim Jong Un steals the spotlight at North Korea parade,” praising the leader’s “cream-colored suit and a shiny white tie” and noting his thinner appearance.
The New York Post, meanwhile, went with “Kim Jong Un shows off new body at North Korean parade,” while Fox News contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy opined that Kim looked “better than our president."
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
12. What Trump Said About North Korea in His Address to the Unification Church
Ugh...no comment.
What Trump Said About North Korea in His Address to the Unification Church
Donald Trump blamed his predecessors for failing to address the “threat of conflict from that part of the globe.”
President Donald Trump spent the evening of his September 11 anniversary in a nontraditional place: giving commentary at the Triller-produced boxing match between long-retired former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort. That appearance was shorter than was likely planned because Belfort won the fight in the first round.
Trump skipped the more traditional commemoration ceremonies attended by most of the other living former presidents and had another activity on his docket Saturday: an address to the controversial group known as the Unification Church.
The group, founded in the 1950s by the late South Korean Reverend Sun Myung Moon, is known as the Moonies, and the event held Saturday is called the Rally Hope. Organized by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Rev. Moon’s widow, the event also featured remarks from the presidents of Cambodia, Republic of the Congo and Niger, and former chief executives of the European Commission, India, The Philippines, and Serbia.
During ten minutes of remarks, which appeared to be pre-recorded, Trump called for “peace and unity on the Korean Peninsula,” calling it “a cause that is very close to my heart.” The former president also touted his own diplomatic opening to North Korea.
“One of my proudest accomplishments as president was to help create a new path towards a brighter future for all Koreans, North and South, a path by which the divisions and hardships of the past might one day be healed to a level that nobody thought possible before,” Trump said.
Trump blamed his predecessors for failing to address the “threat of conflict from that part of the globe.”
“Missiles were flying, nuclear weapons were being tested, and powerful threats were being issued every single day,” Trump said of the situation in North Korea prior to his presidency.
“Under my leadership the United States adopted a policy of unprecedented strength, doing more than any prior administration to ensure that American and its allies would always protect its citizens.”
He noted that the “rhetoric got very, very tough, nasty and mean,” likely in reference to his threat to unleash “fire and fury” and his denunciation of Kim Jong-un as “Little Rocket Man.”
“I knew that while any leader could wage war, it takes true courage to pursue a chance for peace,” Trump said of the diplomatic opening to the North Korean regime. He thanked Prime Minister Moon of South Korea and then-President Abe of Japan for their help with the talks in 2018 and 2019.
While acknowledging that the diplomacy did not lead to a deal, Trump touted that Kim has kept his promise, and that North Korea has not engaged in a “major weapons test” since 2017, although the truth of that depends on how one defines “major.”
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
13. Security crisis on the Korean peninsula cannot be resolved without a peace treaty
Christine Ahn admits that she is not concerned with north Korean human rights nor does she advocate a human rights up front approach. Instead she supports the north 's objectives and strategy to use a peace agreement to get US forces off the peninsula. Most dangerous is that she does not understand or acknowledge the nature, objectives, and the strategy of the Kim family regime.
Excerpts:
Rather than demand that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons or improve its human rights record as a precondition to peace – a strategy that North Korea has repeatedly rejected – the US should pursue a peace agreement to build trust and lay the foundation for making progress on those issues.
Letters | Security crisis on the Korean peninsula cannot be resolved without a peace treaty
- Keeping the status quo of a deadlock is neither effective nor conscionable, given the wishes of the Korean people themselves to reconcile
+ FOLLOW
Published: 12:30am, 15 Sep, 2021
By LETTERS South China Morning Post2 min
A North Korean soldier
When it comes to North Korea, “peace” is a dirty word. As evidenced by a recent op-ed in your pages (“Korean peace treaty advocates are chasing an absurd, destructive dream”, September 9), there is an ongoing belief that the status quo – soldiers on both sides of the border aiming weapons at each other, ready to pull the trigger at any time – is effectively keeping the peace.
Yet anyone can see that this is an extremely dangerous situation. In the decades that successive US administrations have failed to resolve the security crisis on the Korean peninsula, North Korea has built up its nuclear arsenal. Its long-range missiles are now thought to be capable of reaching anywhere in the United States.
Without a peace agreement, renewed conflict could break out at any time. In fact, the US came dangerously close to war with North Korea in 2017, according to former US president Donald Trump. Such a war would be catastrophic, especially if nuclear weapons were used.
Solving this problem requires addressing the root cause of tensions between the United States and North Korea – the unresolved Korean war, which never officially ended but was only halted by an armistice. A peace agreement including the US and the two Koreas would bindingly end the state of war, recognising that wartime rights to use force have ended once and for all.
Rather than demand that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons or improve its human rights record as a precondition to peace – a strategy that North Korea has repeatedly rejected – the US should pursue a peace agreement to build trust and lay the foundation for making progress on those issues.
One argument that often gets neglected in this conversation is the desire of the Korean people themselves, who have been separated for more than 70 years. In the Panmunjom Declaration in 2018, the leaders of North and South Korea declared that “there will be no more war on the Korean peninsula and thus a new era of peace has begun”. Yet the US has blocked reconciliation efforts between the two Koreas.
Successive US administrations have failed to resolve the security crisis on the Korean peninsula precisely because they have failed to address North Korea’s security concerns. Continuing to insist on a failed strategy is the definition of absurd and dangerous.
Christine Ahn, executive director, Women Cross DMZ
14. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi slams US move for South Korea to join ‘outdated’ Five Eyes alliance
Not unexpected from the wolf diplomat.
Note that Congress has an effect on foreign affairs simply with draft legislation.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi slams US move for South Korea to join ‘outdated’ Five Eyes alliance
By Associated Press South China Morning Post4 min
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong bump elbows ahead of their talks at the foreign ministry in Seoul on September 15. Photo: EPA-EFE
Wang made the remarks after his talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Seoul, and as a draft US House bill calls on President
The visit comes amid mounting rivalry between
Kim Heung-kyu, a professor of political science at Aju University in Suwon City near Seoul, said Wang’s visit to Seoul highlights South Korea’s growing importance as a “lynch pin” in the US-led defence networks in the Asia Pacific region, backed by its growing military power and technical prowess, especially in semiconductor manufacturing.
“South Korea has never been so important for both China and the United States. If China succeeds in persuading Seoul to keep a discreet distance from the expanding anti-China defence alliance in the region, it would be a significant achievement for Beijing,” he said.
“We’re witnessing a great political chess game by the two superpowers being unfurled on the Korean peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region and it is quite important for South Korea how to position itself.”
For South Korea, the best scenario would be to make progress in defusing tensions over the North’s nuclear development and improve relations with it by taking advantage of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics where President Moon Jae-in could meet the North Korean leader, he said.
“Kim Jong-un, however, would demand handsome gifts from both China and South Korea” such as massive aid, the professor said.
Lee Seong-hyon, a former senior researcher at the Sejong Institute, said Biden had made it clear that he would focus on countering China and strengthening the alliance with Japan and South Korea in Northeast Asia following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“The US government is also reportedly seeking to include South Korea and Japan in the intelligence-sharing alliance known as Five Eyes. Wang’s visit comes against these backgrounds,” he said.
“Broadly speaking, Wang Yi’s visit to Seoul is aimed at breaking through the US-led encirclement by working on what is presumed to be a weak link in the US alliance in the region – South Korea,” he said.
Asked to comment on
“For example, not only the North, but also other countries are engaging in military activities. Having said this, we all have to work together toward the resumption of dialogue,” he said.
As the talks took place, the North fired another projectile into the sea, according to South Korea’s military.
Chung said China is a core partner for the shared goal of the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace, and called on Beijing to continue supporting Seoul’s peace initiative.
Wang called for strengthened ties between China and South Korea, saying they are “close neighbours that cannot relocate themselves and partners that can’t part ways with each other”, especially as the world undergoes major changes exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We, together, have played active roles as guardians of peace, stability and facilitators for development and prosperity,” said Wang, who is on the fourth leg of his Asian tour that also took him to Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore.
Wang later met President Moon, who expressed hope that the two countries further develop their relationship as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year.
Wang said Beijing and Seoul have respected each other’s choice for development, matters of key interest, culture and national sentiments, a tradition which he said should continue.
Meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday, senior diplomats from Japan, the United States and South Korea urged North Korea to return to talks over its missile and nuclear development.
US envoy Sung Kim said the three countries were open to diplomacy with North Korea “to make tangible progress that increases the security of the United States and our allies”. He urged North Korea to “respond positively to our multiple offers to meet without preconditions”.
Washington and its allies will continue to work to fully implement all UN Security Council resolutions in addressing North Korea’s missile development, he added.
Former US president Donald Trump held three meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un but without progress on the US demand that North Korea gives up its nuclear and missile programmes in exchange for sanctions relief.
The Biden administration has said it would explore diplomacy to achieve the goal of the complete denuclearisation of North Korea but would not seek a grand bargain with Kim.
North Korea has said it sees no sign of policy changes from the United States, citing issues such as sanctions as well as joint US-South Korean military exercises, which it says are preparations for war against it.
Park Chan-kyong is a South Korean journalist who has worked for the Agence France-Presse Seoul bureau for 35 years. He is now working for the South China Morning Post. He studied political science at Korea University and economics at the Yonsei University Graduate School.
15. North Korea Might Have a Sneaky New Way to Transport Nukes
Yes, the north intends to improve its warfighting capabilities. "Never assume the enemy will not attack. make yourself incivincale." Sun Tzu.
North Korea Might Have a Sneaky New Way to Transport Nukes
-
North Korea has tested a cruise missile that is reportedly capable of carrying a nuclear weapon.
- If true, the missile could hit U.S. military bases in South Korea and Japan.
-
This is a sign that the country is diversifying its nuclear delivery systems, complicating the job of potential enemies.
North Korea tested a new type of missile over the weekend, designed to penetrate the air defenses of its enemies—and, worryingly, it could be nuclear capable.
The unnamed cruise missile, which resembles the U.S. Navy's Tomahawk cruise missile, is designed to fly under the coverage of enemy radar systems, and is reportedly able to strike American military bases in both South Korea and Japan.
North Korea's state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reports that the tests took place on September 11 and 12. It referred to the missiles as "strategic weapons," a common allusion to nuclear-capable weapon systems. Development took two years, per Rodong Sinmun, and North Korean officials and scientists conducted "detailed tests of missile parts, scores of engine ground thrust tests, various flight tests, control and guidance tests, warhead power tests, etc."
A Tomahawk cruise missile fired from a U.S. Navy warship flies over the USS San Jacinto March 21, 2003 in the Red Sea. Visible under the body of the missile is the air intake for the turbofan engine. The new North Korean missile has a similar appearance.
Mark WilsonGetty Images
North Korean officials claimed that one missile traveled for 7,580 seconds (two hours, six minutes, and 20 seconds) and traveled a distance of 932 miles. At 46,000 square miles, North Korea is a fairly small country—slightly smaller than the state of Mississippi—and the longest contiguous stretch of land is just 385 miles from the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea to the Chinese border. This prevented a straight-line missile test; instead, the missile flew oval and figure-eight patterns over the country.
Most of North Korea's long-range missiles are ballistic missiles. Ballistic missiles are large, powerful rockets that travel straight upward and deliver their warheads into low-Earth orbit (or the upper atmosphere) on a ballistic trajectory. Once the warheads near their targets, the warheads de-orbit and streak downward to rain nuclear destruction. Ballistic missiles get their warhead payloads to target quickly, but anyone looking for them can easily see them through space-based infrared sensors or ground-based radar systems.
"The big advantage of cruise missiles is that...they can surprise an enemy and evade missile defenses."
Cruise missiles, on the other hand, are bullet-shaped missiles with stubby wings. Unlike supersonic rocket-powered missiles, turbofans (scaled-down versions of regular jet engines) power them, causing the missiles to plod along through the atmosphere at subsonic speeds. Cruise missiles typically fly around .75 Mach, or 575 miles per hour, a fuel-efficient speed that squeezes as much range out of the onboard fuel supply as possible.
As a result, cruise missiles have more in common with jet planes or drones than the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. Uncrewed, and with the only real requirement to carry a 1,000 to 2,000 pound warhead, the result is a relatively small, pilotless aircraft using an internal guidance system to navigate to the target. A missile flying at subsonic speeds might not seem like a major threat, but slow speed does have its advantages.
Read This Next
For one thing, cruise missiles are sneaky, according to Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California. "The big advantage of cruise missiles is that they can fly low, below radars that might detect them," he tells Popular Mechanics. "That means they can surprise an enemy and evade missile defenses."
Radars, particularly ground-based radars, are line-of-sight detection systems. Mountains and other terrain block line-of-sight, so a cruise missile will fly around them to reach its target, masking its approach. The biggest radar block is the curvature of the Earth: a cruise missile flying at an altitude of 300 feet will be detected by a radar 15 feet off the ground at just 27.23 miles. Assuming the radar is the target (or co-located with the target), that gives the defender just three minutes to shoot down the cruise missile. And some cruise missiles incorporate stealthy features to make them even more difficult to detect.
A Japanese Patriot missile system on the grounds of Japan’s Defense Ministry headquarters, Tokyo, April 2019.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNOGetty Images
North Korea's new cruise missile complicates things for South Korea, Japan, and American bases in both of those countries. Not only must these countries cast their electronic gaze upward to detect ballistic missiles, but they must also contend with cruise missiles that might suddenly pop up on their radar screens, with just a handful of minutes to shoot down what could well be a nuclear-tipped intruder.
Why would North Korea bother developing cruise missiles? "One reason is that South Korea has a mature cruise missile program oriented against the North, with the most advanced types having a range of 932 miles," explains Joshua Pollack, senior research associate at the James Martin Center. "Just as the North has made efforts to match the South's conventional ballistic missiles, they're trying to match its cruise missiles."
U.S. heavy bombers would lead the way in a preemptive strike against North Korean missiles. Here, all three are depicted. Left to right: B-1B, B-2, and B-52. The B-1B is not a nuclear-capable bomber.
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Additionally, Pollack tells Popular Mechanics, North Korea is always looking to develop new "strategic" capabilities in a bid to sway the U.S.'s policies toward it. "If [intercontinental ballistic missile testing] didn't do it, I doubt cruise missile testing will, but Pyongyang is determined to try," he says.
Finally, North Korea must keep up with the missile defense systems building up around it, Pollack says. "They've addressed it by rehearsing salvo launches of theater ballistic missiles and developing maneuvering payloads and quasi-ballistic missiles. Cruise missiles help to round out the picture."
Joseph Dempsey, research associate for Defence & Military Analysis at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, agrees. "We have already seen North Korea developing a new generation of short-range ballistic missiles, specifically the KN-23," he tells Popular Mechanics. "Developing a land-attack cruise missile capability allows further diversification of delivery system options, presenting a further challenge for existing and planned systems historically focused on countering the ballistic missiles."
Dempsey cautions that this latest missile may not be a wonder weapon, though. "We should be cautious to assign modern capabilities to this new missile, particularly given [that] little is known about guidance or targeting systems at this stage."
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How can the U.S., South Korea, and Japan counter the new North Korean cruise missile threat? The easiest way to destroy cruise missiles is while they're still on the ground, before launch. That assumes, however, that the attacker can destroy all the missiles—both ballistic and cruise missiles—in a single blow. The danger is that once Pyongyang notices its nuclear-tipped missiles are being destroyed, it might launch all of them in response. Just one warhead successfully threading a country's missile defenses could kill and injure hundreds of thousands of civilians in densely populated East Asia.
The second easiest (and most likely) method for countering cruise missiles is early detection. Powerful aircraft-based radars, such as those aboard the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye or the E-3 Sentry AWACS, can peer down and detect a low-flying cruise missile. The aircraft can then warn nearby missile-defense batteries of the incoming threat, ensuring they are ready to fire the moment the cruise missiles enter their engagement zones.
The JLENS early warning system, which used high-altitude aerostats to detect low-flying cruise missiles, was a promising concept that ultimately failed.
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Of course, detecting a cruise missile with airborne radar relies on an airplane actually being in the air when the launch occurs. An alternate method, the JLENS system, proposed using aerostats fitted with radars to protect the U.S. eastern seaboard from surprise Russian cruise missile attack; this program was shelved after one of the aerostats broke free and crashed in a forest in Pennsylvania in 2015.
North Korea's advances in nuclear weapons, and the rockets and missiles to deliver them, are nothing short of astonishing. It's a particularly notable feat for a country that ranks among the poorest in the world. Unfortunately, those advances really benefit no one but North Korea's leadership, and threaten millions of people across East Asia.
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Writer on Defense and Security issues, lives in San Francisco.
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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.
