Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

“We hereby declare that Korea is an independent state and that Koreans are a self-governing

people. We proclaim this fact to all nations to reaffirm the great truth that all humans are

equal, so that our descendants may forever enjoy their rights to live as an autonomous

people.” - Korean Declaration of Independence (1919)

"In the absence of affirmative decision on our part, the rest of the free world is almost certain to become demoralized.

Our friends will become more than a liability to us; they can eventually become a positive increment to Soviet power.

In sum, the capabilities of our allies are, in an important sense, a function of our own.

An affirmative decision to summon up the potential within ourselves would evoke the potential strength within others and add it to our own."

- NSC 68, April 7. 1950, https://irp.fas.org/offdocs/nsc-hst/nsc-68.htm

"The strength of a person's spirit [can be] measured by how much truth he could tolerate or more precisely, to what extent he needs to have it diluted, disguised, sweetened, muted, and falsified."

- Friedrich Nietzsch

1. Full text of President Yoon Suk Yeol's speech on 104th March 1 Independence Movement Day

2. U.S., S. Korea agree on need to strengthen extended deterrence: Pentagon

3. Teak Knife exercise confirmed as U.S. reiterates commitment

4. South Korea's Yoon says Japan has transformed into a partner

5. Japan changed from 'aggressor' to 'partner' with shared universal values: President Yoon

6. Kim Jong-un's 3 Children: Everything to Know

7. 2 Koreas split on UN move on Ukraine War

8. Human Rights in North Korea to Stay on UN Security Council Radar

9. 'In North Korea, you exist for Kim family': Elite defectors recollect 'unjust', 'corrupt' Pyongyang life with horror

10. 'Enemy' North Korea: Do labels help?

11. US, Japan, South Korea Launch Forum to Cut Off Chips to China

1. Full text of President Yoon Suk Yeol's speech on 104th March 1 Independence Movement Day

Every Korean (and freedom loving person around the world) should be inspired by Korea's March First Independence Movement. Someday there will be a free and unified Korea - a United Republic of Korea (UROK).

Full text of President Yoon Suk Yeol's speech on 104th March 1 Independence Movement Day | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · March 1, 2023

SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- The following is a translation of President Yoon Suk Yeol's speech to commemorate the 104th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement. It was provided by his office.

Fellow Koreans, 7.5 million Korean compatriots overseas, decorated patriots who fought for the nation's independence,

Today we celebrate the 104th March First Independence Movement Day.

First of all, I pay a heartfelt tribute to our fallen patriotic forefathers and patriots who sacrificed and devoted themselves to the cause of Korea's freedom and independence.

My deepest gratitude also goes to our independence heroes and their bereaved families.

The March First Independence Movement in 1919 was a movement to build a free, democratic nation where the people are the rightful owners as stipulated in the 1919 Proclamation of Korean Independence and the Provisional Charter of the Constitution by the Korean Provisional Government.

It was a historic day. On that day our people showed to the whole world how much they yearned for change. The movement was an embodiment of their vision of the new world they dreamed of.

Today, 104 years later, we must look back to that time when we lost our national sovereignty; the time when our people suffered because we failed to properly prepare for a changing world.

We must gather our wisdom to seek ways to overcome the crises facing us: global polycrisis; North Korea's nuclear threats and severe security environment; an increasingly fragmented and polarized society.

If we fail to read the changing trends of world history and do not properly prepare for the future, it is evident that the misfortunes of the past will be repeated.

Above all, we must remember those patriotic martyrs who gave their all for our country's freedom and independence during the dark days when no one could ever imagine independence coming in their lifetime.

There is no future for us if we fail to rightfully remember the patriotic martyrs who devoted themselves to our homeland.

Fellow Koreans,

Now, a century after the March First Independence Movement, Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner that shares the same universal values with us. Today Korea and Japan cooperate on issues of security and economy. We also work together to cope with global challenges.

In particular, the trilateral cooperation among the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan has become more important than ever to overcome the security crises including North Korea's growing nuclear threats and global polycrisis.

We must stand in solidarity with countries that share universal values in order to contribute to promoting the freedom of global citizens and the common prosperity of all humankind.

This spirit of solidarity and cooperation is the same spirit that called for our nation's freedom and independence 104 years ago.

Fellow Koreans,

The prosperity that we enjoy today is the result of our ceaseless efforts to defend and expand our freedom as well as our enduring belief in universal values. We must never stop making such effort.

It is the right way to honor the patriotic martyrs who sacrificed and dedicated themselves to the freedom and independence of our country.

Whether glorious or shameful, our history must not be forgotten. It must be remembered to protect our future and to prepare for the decades to come.

Marking the 104th anniversary of the March First Independent Movement, let us remember the patriotic heroes who devoted themselves to our homeland; and let us reflect on the unfortunate times of our history and contemplate what must be done for our future prosperity.

Fellow Koreans,

Let us inherit the spirit of the Proclamation of Korean Independence and build a free, peaceful, and prospering future.

Thank you.

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · March 1, 2023

2. U.S., S. Korea agree on need to strengthen extended deterrence: Pentagon

U.S., S. Korea agree on need to strengthen extended deterrence: Pentagon | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · March 1, 2023

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- The United States and South Korea agree on the need to further strengthen U.S. extended deterrence, a U.S. defense department spokesperson said Tuesday, also reaffirming U.S. commitment to deploying strategic assets to South Korea on a rotational basis.

The remarks from Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder come after the countries held a Deterrence Strategy Committee Table-Top Exercise (DSC TTX) aimed at enhancing their joint deterrence against North Korean nuclear threats.

U.S. Department of Defense Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is seen answering a question during a daily press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)

"We did conduct a successful discussion in regards to various approaches on the alliance deterrence posture and response posture in the face of the DPRK's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities," the department press secretary said of the table-top exercise held here in Washington last week, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"Coming out of that tabletop exercise, both sides agreed on the need to continue to strengthen extended deterrence, including through robust consultative mechanisms in crisis communication, as well as information sharing and joint planning and execution," he added.

Ryder, however, said he had nothing to announce when asked about future plans.

Cho Tae-yong, South Korean ambassador to the U.S., said on Monday that the countries have agreed to hold follow-up exercises in the near future.

The Pentagon spokesperson also declined to comment when asked if the U.S. planned to deploy more strategic assets to South Korea in the wake of unprecedented North Korean missile tests.

Still, he highlighted security commitments made by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during his trip to Seoul late last month.

"You have heard our senior leadership to include Secretary Austin highlight the fact that we will be on a rotational basis, deploying strategic assets into the region and to South Korea in support of extended deterrence," he told the press briefing. "But I don't have any specifics to provide."

North Korea launched 69 ballistic missiles last year, marking a new record of ballistic missiles fired in any given year. Its previous annual record was at 25.

bdk@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · March 1, 2023

3. Teak Knife exercise confirmed as U.S. reiterates commitment

Combined exercises by all components, to include the ROK /US CFC SOF component, continue ensure a high level of readiness and interoperability,.

Wednesday

March 1, 2023

dictionary + A - A

Teak Knife exercise confirmed as U.S. reiterates commitment

U.S. soldiers take part in exercises during Teak Knife at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 28, 2022, in a photo from the Facebook account of the U.S. Special Operations Command Korea. [YONHAP]

South Korea and the U.S. held a close-air-support training exercise utilizing AC-130J and MC-130J combat transport aircraft, a U.S. official said Tuesday, after a Pentagon spokesman said the defense officials of the two countries agreed to strengthen extended deterrence during their table-top exercise.

The special operations exercise, Exercise Teak Knife, began early last month, according to Capt. Kimberly Chatto, director of public affairs for U.S. Special Operations Command Korea.

“It is training that ensures combat readiness for special operations forces no matter the environment while also strengthening the ironclad commitment between the United States and the Republic of Korea,” Chatto told Yonhap, referring to the South by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

The exercise marks the first time a Lockheed AC-130J Ghostrider, a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack transport aircraft, has been deployed to Korea, according to Chatto.

“Having this aircraft come from the United States gives us opportunities throughout the exercise to support extended deterrence and what special operations aircraft is able to provide throughout different training scenarios with both U.S. and ROK special operations forces,” Chatto said.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. pledge to use all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend South Korea if it comes under attack.

The AC-130J was flown from Hurlburt Field in Florida, while the MC-130J multi-mission combat transport aircraft was dispatched from the 353rd Special Operations Wing based in Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.

Chatto said that the allies incorporated the AC-130J and MC-130J into training missions involving strike aircraft stationed here.

Exercise Teak Knife has taken place since the 1990s, but often without public disclosure. The last time the U.S. Special Operations Command-Korea said the exercise took place was in September last year.

The announcement of the latest exercise came after the United States and South Korea agreed on the need to further strengthen U.S. extended deterrence following their 8th Deterrence Strategy Committee Table-Top Exercise (DSC TTX) at the Pentagon, a U.S. Department of Defense spokesman said Tuesday.

“Coming out of that tabletop exercise, both sides agreed on the need to continue to strengthen extended deterrence, including through robust consultative mechanisms in crisis communication, as well as information sharing and joint planning and execution,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at a Pentagon briefing.

DSC TTX, also known as a table-top exercise, is a discussion-based joint exercise where the allies plan their response to hypothetical scenarios where the North launches an attack with nuclear weapons.

Ryder declined to provide additional details when asked if the U.S. plans to deploy more strategic assets to South Korea in response to advances in North Korea’s missile program, but reiterated commitments made by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his trip to Seoul last month.

“You have heard our senior leadership including Secretary Austin highlight the fact that we will be deploying strategic assets into the region and to South Korea on a rotational basis in support of extended deterrence, but I don’t have any specifics to provide,” the spokesman said.

Cho Tae-yong, South Korea’s ambassador to Washington, said on Monday that the countries have agreed to hold follow-up exercises in the near future.

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

4. South Korea's Yoon says Japan has transformed into a partner

This is an in important day in Korea-Japan History and relations (The March First Movement)

Excerpts:

"Trilateral cooperation among the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan has become more important than ever to overcome the security crises including North Korea's growing nuclear threats and complicated global crises," Yoon said.

Japan's immediate response to Yoon's speech was guarded.

"For Japan, South Korea is an important neighboring country that we have to cooperate with on various international issues," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters in Tokyo.

South Korea's Yoon says Japan has transformed into a partner

President calls for cooperation with Tokyo, Washington in independence day speech

KIM JAEWON, Nikkei staff writer

March 1, 2023 12:47 JSTUpdated on March 1, 2023 17:40 JST

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-South-Korea-rift/South-Korea-s-Yoon-says-Japan-has-transformed-into-a-partner?del_type=1&pub_date=20230301190000&seq_num=3&si=1a7616f4-4be1-42a4-8e48-bcfa3a262b90

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday said Japan was a partner nation that shares universal values, indicating that Seoul seeks to mend the fractious ties with its former occupier at a time of rising regional threats.

"A century after the March First Independence Movement, Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner that shares the same universal values with us," Yoon said in a speech to commemorate the 104th anniversary of a protest movement against Japan's 35-year occupation of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

"Today the Republic of Korea and Japan cooperate on issues of security and economy," Yoon said. "We also work together to cope with global challenges."

The neighbors, both U.S. allies, have been at loggerheads for decades over a territorial dispute, the wartime use of so-called comfort women in Japanese military brothels and the issue of Koreans being forced to work for Japanese companies during the colonial period. Yoon did not touch on these issues in his speech.

Diplomats from the two countries are in talks on how to compensate the colonial period laborers, following a South Korean Supreme Court ruling in 2018 that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel must pay compensation to the Korean plaintiffs.

The issue hamstrung the previous administration of President Moon Jae-in as the progressive leader turned his foreign policy toward improving relations with North Korea. The Yoon administration is now prioritizing security and economic issues such as strengthening ties with the U.S. and Japan.

"Trilateral cooperation among the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan has become more important than ever to overcome the security crises including North Korea's growing nuclear threats and complicated global crises," Yoon said.

Japan's immediate response to Yoon's speech was guarded.

"For Japan, South Korea is an important neighboring country that we have to cooperate with on various international issues," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters in Tokyo.

As the world splits between democracy and authoritarianism, Yoon said South Korea is showing solidarity with countries promoting freedom and common prosperity.

"This spirit of solidarity and cooperation," he said, "is the same spirit that called for our nation's freedom and independence 104 years ago."

5. Japan changed from 'aggressor' to 'partner' with shared universal values: President Yoon

President Yoon is putting national security and national prosperity above historical issues. He is absorbing political criticism from the opposition to do the right thing for the security and prosperity of Korea. The question is, will Prime Minister Kishada be willing to stand up to his domestic critics and do the right thing for Japanese national security and prosperity?

I think this excerpt from the Korean Declaration of Independence may be guiding President Yoon's thoughts for his speech.

Our Three Pledges

First, our declaration of independence today represents the wish of our people to safeguard and advance justice and human principles in their lives. Therefore, we shall only spread the spirit of freedom far and wide and avoid from being exclusive of others.

Second, everyone, down to the last of us, shall represent the voice of our people’s rightful will.

Third, all actions shall be respectful of order to demonstrate our honorable cause and rightful conduct.

—Korean Declaration of Independence (1919)

Japan changed from 'aggressor' to 'partner' with shared universal values: President Yoon

The Korea Times · March 1, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech during a ceremony to commemorate the 104th anniversary of March 1 Independence Movement Day at Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall in Jung District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Yoon extends olive branch to mend ties with Tokyo

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk Yeol extended another olive branch to mend relations between South Korea and Japan, saying Tokyo has "transformed from a militaristic aggressor into a partner" during his March 1 Independence Movement Day speech, Wednesday.

"Now, more than a century after the March 1 Independence Movement, Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner that shares universal values with us," Yoon said during a ceremony to commemorate the peaceful protest that took place in 1919 to resist Japan's colonial rule.

Yoon said the trilateral security cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington to counter North Korea's nuclear threats was one of the fields in which the two countries are working together to address global challenges, adding that South Korea should "stand in solidarity with countries sharing universal values."

"This spirit of solidarity and cooperation is the same spirit that called for our nation's freedom and independence 104 years ago," Yoon said.

In his speech, which lasted slightly over five minutes, Yoon did not make any remarks that could be interpreted as a demand for Japan's apology for its past actions.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee wave Korea's national flag during a ceremony to commemorate the 104th anniversary of March 1 Independence Movement Day at Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall in Jung District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

This contrasts starkly with the Independence Movement Day speech made by Yoon's predecessor, Moon Jae-in, in 2018, calling on Japan to issue an apology as a "perpetrator" of "crimes against humanity."

Since Yoon took office in May last year, he has been making efforts to mend ties between the two countries, holding multiple summits with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

In line with this direction, Yoon also did not mention pending bilateral issues, such as compensating Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor.

The forced labor issue is one of the key reasons that the two countries' relations deteriorated in recent years. In 2018, separate rulings by Seoul's Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms to compensate 15 Korean victims, but no payments have been made yet, causing bilateral relations to chill during the past five years.

However, since the inauguration of the Yoon administration, Seoul and Tokyo have held several rounds of working-level consultations on ways to resolve the forced labor issue, and the South Korean government dropped hints at a plan last month to compensate the victims through its own public foundation, instead of using funds from Japanese companies, despite outcries from some victims.

However, Japan has yet to show any progress in whether it will allow its companies to donate to the South Korean foundation or make repentant gestures. Due to this, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said on Feb. 13, "We have urged Japan to make political decisions in sincere response (to South Korea's efforts)."

Against this backdrop, Yoon's speech is interpreted as another conciliatory gesture to Japan and indirect pressure to influence Kishida's political decisions.

"During his speech, Yoon clearly stated his direction in terms of South Korea-Japan relations, but did not tap into delicate pending issues," said Jin Chang-soo, the director of Sejong Institute's Center for Japanese Studies.

"Yoon seems to have decided not to mention the forced labor issue, because the working-level negotiations are ongoing and Yoon's detailed remarks on this issue during the Independence Movement Day speech may become an unnecessary influence on the negotiations. With daunting domestic tasks and diplomatic challenges surrounding him, a detailed commentary on pending issues may become an additional burden for Yoon."

Although Yoon mentioned the importance of the trilateral security cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington to counter the North's nuclear threats, he did not call for Pyongyang's denuclearization nor stressed his "audacious initiative" of engaging North Korea in the speech.

President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Jae-myung during a ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of March 1 Independence Movement Day at Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

Also on Wednesday, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) slammed Yoon's dovish approach to Japan.

In a statement on the 104th anniversary of the Independence Movement, the party said, "The Yoon government is maintaining a submissive stance before Japan under the pretext of improving bilateral ties."

"The Yoon government is begging Japan to accept a plan in which [South] Korean companies are compensating forced labor victims instead of Japan. … This is shameful to our ancestors who fought for independence with their bare hands," it said.

Meanwhile, Yoon had an awkward encounter with DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung during the ceremony. Yoon and Lee shook hands to greet each other, but did not exchange words.

It was their first encounter in five months, since both of them attended an Armed Forces Day event on Oct. 1 last year.

Lee, who competed against Yoon for the presidency last year, is engaged in a harsh confrontation with the current administration, as prosecutors seek to indict the main opposition party chief on various corruption allegations. Lee is accusing Yoon of political persecution.

Before attending the ceremony, Lee wrote on Facebook: "The Yoon administration is impairing the spirit of the March 1 Independence Movement with its submissive diplomacy."

The Korea Times · March 1, 2023

6. Kim Jong-un's 3 Children: Everything to Know

It is a good thing I have specific information feeds set up to help find information because I promise I do not normally go to People Magazine for information on north Korea (I would have missed this otherwise). But here is what they have on KJU's three children (but it is not much). It is interesting that People Magazine would be interested in the Kim family regime but that must surely be because of all the attention given to Kim Ju Ae and her attendance at the parade and other public events.

Kim Jong-un's 3 Children: Everything to Know

Kim Jong-un is a father to three children, but only his daughter Ju-ae has been seen publicly

By People Staff Published on February 28, 2023 11:46 AM

https://people.com/politics/kim-jong-un-children-everything-to-know/

00:0300:16

Kim Ju-ae

EYEPRESS NEWS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Ju-ae was reportedly born around 2013, and she is believed to be about 10 years old, according to South Korea's spy agency.

In 2013, former NBA star Dennis Rodman made a trip to North Korea, telling The Guardian that he spent time on vacation with Kim and his family, where he met Kim's daughter during their "relaxing time by the sea."

"I held their baby Ju-ae and spoke with [Kim's wife] as well. He's a good dad and has a beautiful family," Rodman said at the time.

Despite making her first public appearance at the November 2022 missile launch, Ju-ae's age was not known (nor was her name at the time). For that occasion, she wore a white coat and red shoes and had her hair pulled back.

"As the Rodong Sinmnum newspaper publicized the photo of the daughter, who took after Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol Ju so much ... she has no choice but to live special lives," analyst Cheong Seong-Chang of the Sejong Institute in South Korea told NPR. " ... Kim Jong-un may have his daughter, who resembles him the most in his mind, as his successor."

Ju-ae made her second public appearance less than 10 days after her first. North Korea state media released photos showing Kim and his daughter holding hands as they walked at an undisclosed location with North Korean soldiers. In one picture, Ju-ae can be seen in a long fur-trimmed black coat while subtly waving, while in others she gave a handshake to a soldier.

Ankit Panda, an expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the AP that it "is certainly striking" to see Ju-ae with her father while he was being celebrated for the launch, as it "would support the idea that this is the start of her being positioned as a potential successor." She also noted that North Korea's state media was "underscoring her father's love for her" and that both public appearances involved nuclear weapons, which didn't seem "coincidental."

With the second appearance, AP also noted that the Korean Central News Agency's description of Kim's daughter evolved from "beloved" on Nov. 19 to the more honorific "most beloved" or "precious" child.

Kim's Other Two Children

INTER KOREAN PRESS CORP/NURPHOTO VIA GETTY

Almost nothing is known about Kim's other two children. The first is said to be a son born in 2010 and the third was born in February 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal via reports from South Korean press and intelligence officials. According to the AP, some reports say the third child is a daughter.

What is known is that under North Korea's system, all three children "would have the status of a prince or princess, like in a dynasty," Cheong told the AP.

Though he rarely speaks publicly about his family, during former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in April 2018, Kim reportedly said he didn't want his children to bare the burden of nuclear weapons.

"'I'm a father and husband … and I don't want my children to carry the nuclear weapon on their back their whole life,'" former CIA official Andrew Kim quoted Kim telling Pompeo, as reported by South Korea's Yonhap news agency and the Wall Street Journal.

Kim's private family life is in line with how he was raised. He was 26 when he was first mentioned in state media in 2010, taking many top posts ahead of inheriting power the next year after his father, Kim Jong-il, died. Kim Jong-il was also not mentioned in state media until he was an adult.

North Korea is infamously closed off from other countries, and information about its society and government, particularly about Kim himself, is difficult to verify.

7. 2 Koreas split on UN move on Ukraine War

There is no surprise that the north and South would have the opposite position on Putin's War. But who would have thought both the north and South would be supporting a war on the other side of the Eurasian landmass not only diplomatically but materially as well?

2 Koreas split on UN move on Ukraine War

The Korea Times · March 1, 2023

By John J. Metzler

A year after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the U.N. General Assembly firmly and sternly rebuked Russia's brutal war against a sovereign country. With a thumping majority of 141 in favor, only 7 against and 32 abstentions, the Assembly again issued a non-binding resolution demanding Russia's military withdrawal from Ukraine and calling for a "comprehensive, just and lasting peace."

Thus, to the unrelenting backdrop of thudding artillery and lethal cruise missile attacks, Ukraine still stands tall but battered a year into what Russian leader Vladimir Putin calls a "special military operation," which has hardly brought glory to his own once vaunted military. Ukraine's war has become a grinding stalemate.

Nevertheless, on the diplomatic front in New York, while lacking the danger, drama and debilitating cold of this ongoing war in Europe, there's a clear consensus to censure and sanction Russia's actions, which violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The hallowed principles of "a rules-based international order" are regularly recited by most diplomats almost in rote and offer the relentless chorus to what remains a long path to any negotiated peace.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated at the onset of the Emergency Special Session on Ukraine, "The one-year mark of Russia's invasion of Ukraine stands as a grim milestone, for the people of Ukraine and for the international community." He added that 40 percent of Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian assistance with 8 million refugees "creating the largest refugee crisis since the Second World War."

Yet diplomatic denunciations of Russia aside, here's how the U.N. Assembly vote tallied. Yes, 141 with the United States, Canada, all of Europe and most of Latin America supporting the resolution. So did Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore. Among African states, key countries such as Nigeria and Kenya backed the plan along with Egypt and Morocco.

Only six countries backed Russia; Belarus, Eritrea, Mali, North Korea, Nicaragua and Syria.

Among 32 abstentions there's nuance and "non-alignment," India, Iran, Pakistan and South Africa. But China, Cuba, Vietnam and Zimbabwe abstained to the chagrin of Moscow.

"We are satisfied with the outcome and the message is clear," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the media after the vote.

The U.S. U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield commented, 141 countries demanded Russia, "withdraw immediately, completely and unconditionally from Ukraine's internationally recognized territory, send your troops home, end this war."

Interestingly China "abstained" sensing it could politically "afford to do it," in what is a non-binding resolution. Now China has unveiled its 12-point Peace Plan for Ukraine. Is this to offer Russia respite or try to impose a Beijing-brokered Peace for a key region in Central Europe?

The role of China is increasingly mercurial. While Beijing backs Moscow as a military foil to disrupt Europe and the West in general, China secretly wishes to see a weakened Russian state become more dependent on the People's Republic. Indeed China may send military ordinance to Russia to replenish its dwindling supplies. But in the longer term, China can assess the situation, gauge military tactics and weapons systems, and sharpen its sword for what is likely an inevitable military showdown with democratic Taiwan in a few years.

The Assembly vote comes in parallel to massive U.S. and NATO military aid for the beleaguered Ukrainians. Washington has provided over $100 billion in lethal aid and that's probably a low number. Britain, France and Germany are rushing more supplies to Ukraine too including long-awaited battle tanks, such as the British Challenger and German Leopard II.

Ukraine's military crisis is deepening. Ironically U.S. actions to engage in this proxy war with Russia, have ensured closer political solidarity between Putin's Russia and Xi Jinping's China.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, offered a different perspective; calling on the international community to focus on establishing an immediate ceasefire and help launch peace talks soon. He admonished that, "in Central Europe, the lesson of history is clear. Whenever there is a conflict between East and West, we in central Europe have always lost." As Ukraine's neighbor, Hungary lives with the tragic consequences of this brutal war. "Hungary is carrying out the largest humanitarian operation ever in its history, having received more than a million refugees," Minister Szijjarto told the Assembly.

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a stirring address just before the Assembly voted. "We did not choose this war," she affirmed, "But the truth is if the Russian Federation stops fighting, this war ends, while if Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends."

John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism The Diplomacy of Separated Nations; Germany, Korea, China."

The Korea Times · March 1, 2023

8. Human Rights in North Korea to Stay on UN Security Council Radar

But any substantive action will be vetoed by China and /or Russia.

Human Rights in North Korea to Stay on UN Security Council Radar

By U.S. News Staff U.S. News & World Report2 min

February 28, 2023

View Original

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The issue of human rights in North Korea will stay on the U.N. Security Council agenda at the request of the United States and Albania after they submitted a note on Tuesday with the support of dozens of countries - double what they received last year.

The move is likely to anger Pyongyang, which has repeatedly rejected accusations of abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation. Since 2006 North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions over its ballistic missiles and nuclear programs, but there are exemptions for humanitarian aid deliveries.

North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The short note to the president of the 15-member council, seen by Reuters, was signed by the United States and Albania and had the backing of 59 other countries and the European Union.

According to council procedure, if a public meeting has not been held on an agenda item in the past three years then it will be deleted unless a member objects. Then the issue will remain on the agenda list for another year.

The council has annually discussed rights in North Korea for the past three years, but behind closed doors. China and Russia object to the issue being raised in the council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security.

Between 2014 and 2017 the council held annual public meetings on human rights abuses in North Korea.

In 2018 it did not discuss the issue amid now failed efforts by North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and then U.S. President Donald Trump to work toward Pyongyang's denuclearization.

The following year the United States instead convened a meeting on the threat of escalation by North Korea amid growing tensions between Pyongyang and Washington.

A landmark 2014 U.N. report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly leader Kim himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities. The United States sanctioned Kim in 2016 for human rights abuses.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Tags: United Nations, North Korea, European Union

9. 'In North Korea, you exist for Kim family': Elite defectors recollect 'unjust', 'corrupt' Pyongyang life with horror

Just to reinforce Oh Hye Son's comments.

This is what Hwang Jang Yop said in 1999. He called it "Dear Leader Absolutism."

“The fundamental reason for human rights being trampled in North Korea lies in the ‘Dear Leader Absolutism’ dictatorship. There can be no human rights for the people in North Korea where the greatest morality and absolute law is giving one’s mind and body to the Dear Leader; and living as a slave who obeys completely and unconditionally the Dear Leader - it is the only life permitted the North Korean People.”

'In North Korea, you exist for Kim family': Elite defectors recollect 'unjust', 'corrupt' Pyongyang life with horror

timesnownews.com · by Edited by: Times Now Digital · March 1, 2023

North Korea Flag used for representation.

Photo : iStock

Seoul: Born into an elite North Korean family with ties to the ruling dynasty, Oh Hye Son grew up believing she was "special" -- but then she tasted freedom overseas and decided to defect.

Most of the tens of thousands of North Koreans who have escaped repression and poverty at home make an arduous, high-risk journey across the country's land border with China, where they face arrest and possible deportation.

Oh's family's defection was less dangerous but equally as wrenching: she convinced her husband Thae Yong Ho, then deputy ambassador at North Korea's London embassy, to give up their privileged place in the Pyongyang regime for the sake of their children.

"I wanted to never return to North Korea and questioned why North Koreans had to live such a hard life," she told AFP in an interview in Seoul, where she now lives.

Years of postings across Europe -- in Denmark, Sweden, and Britain -- exposed the family to a different life, she said, adding that when she first arrived in London she thought: "If there is paradise, this must be it".

Oh, who recently published a Korean-language memoir, was once part of Pyongyang aristocracy -- a descendent of a famed North Korean general who fought alongside leader Kim Il Sung against the Japanese in the 1930s.

But despite this impeccable pedigree, she still "lived in fear of power", she said.

"No one except the Kim family had privileges, and as my children learned about freedom and democracy when they lived abroad, I realised there was no future for them in North Korea," she added.

Oh's eldest son Thae Juhyok had chronic health problems including nephrotic syndrome, a condition which can cause life-threatening kidney problems if not treated.

Getting that treatment was near impossible in Pyongyang's crumbling health system -- one of the world's worst -- where doctors had to be bribed to do anything and crucial medicines were lacking.

Oh said it was eye-opening when the family first arrived in London in 2004 and became eligible for the National Health Service. Her son was soon able to get free treatment at one of the best medical facilities in the city, she said, adding that her children also went to British schools, where they settled in well.

"The children grew up so bright in England, in a society that respected them," she said.

It was a stark contrast to life in Pyongyang, to which they returned in 2008 after her husband's first London posting ended. Juhyok attended the Pyongyang Medical University, but instead of studying he was put to work on a construction site hauling cement, Oh said.

North Korea is beset by labour shortages across economic sectors and it is common for the government to order students, even schoolchildren, to do manual labour as a demonstration of loyalty.

If one fails to comply, the government reportedly withholds food rations or imposes taxes, according to a 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report published by the US State Department.

As her overseas-raised children began questioning the corruption and injustice they observed in North Korea, Oh realised it would be impossible for them to fully integrate into Pyongyang society.

"They had completely different values," she said.

"It was then that I began thinking that if I ever had a chance to go overseas again, I will not return."

Oh's chance came when her husband was again posted to London as the deputy ambassador, and she convinced him to defect as she did not want to be "resented by her children in the future".

She had hoped the North Korean regime would collapse after the death of Kim Jong Il, the father and predecessor of current leader Kim Jong Un, and was crushed when his son emerged as the third generation of Kims to rule.

"In North Korea, you existed -- from morning to night -- for the sake of the Kim family," Oh said.

Thae became the first defector to be elected to South Korea's parliament, where he is now a high-profile lawmaker for the conservative People Power Party.

Oh loves her new life in Seoul, but is haunted by thoughts of her mother and siblings left behind in North Korea, which is known to punish defectors' family members.

She can't check in with them: civilian contact is banned between the two Koreas, although some defectors have used intermediaries to smuggle Chinese mobile phones across the border.

Oh has not managed to contact her family, but she once glimpsed her brother-in-law when he was part of an official North Korean delegation that visited Seoul in 2018 during a rare bout of diplomacy.

It gave her hope that her relatives had not been purged by the Kim regime as a result of her family's escape. "Will they resent me? Will they envy me? Or will they silently cheer for me?" she said, wiping away tears.

10. 'Enemy' North Korea: Do labels help?

A critique from India. If north Korea is an existential threat to the South (which I believe it is) then you should call them the enemy. I do not think not calling them the enemy is helpful. It certainly will not sway Kim Jong Un to act differently. We must deal with the situation as it really is and not as we would wish it to be.

'Enemy' North Korea: Do labels help?

The Korea Times · March 1, 2023

By Sandip Kumar Mishra

South Korea in its Defense White Paper released on Feb. 16 again referred to North Korea and its military as an enemy. The label hardly surprised anyone and it was quite expected. Actually, after coming to power, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration adopted a tit-for-tat approach toward North Korea and his policies, statements and behavior clearly indicate that South Korea considers North Korea as an enemy country.

The Defense White Paper just appears to be formal recognition of the fact. Furthermore, it's not the first time that South Korea has labeled North Korea as an enemy or the main enemy. It started in 1995 and South Korea's conservative administrations have used the term in official documents and progressive administrations have generally withdrawn such labels.

There is no proof that putting the label enemy for North Korea has helped South Korea in dealing with it. However, some may say that even if it has not helped, it is a statement of fact and not using it would be appeasement to North Korea. But it must be remembered that formally, the Korean War has not ended yet and both Koreas are technically at war with each other and this fact is more fundamental than the inclusion or exclusion of the word enemy in an official South Korean document. The question remains that by reiterating the fact by using the word enemy, does South Korea acquire any benefits in its dealings with North Korea?

On the contrary, such reiterations create obstacles for South Korea in dealing with North Korea. First, such inclusions are largely populist and largely they are political moves rather than strategic. Moreover, they are meant more for the domestic politics of South Korea. It garners support from a section of South Koreans who feel that North Korea is an 'evil' state and it must be dealt with strictly. It also gives some solace to people who are frustrated with North Korea's dangerous and provocative behavior.

These people feel better that at least their government is bold and doing something to deal with North Korea. However, a more composed reflection would make them realize that such labels do not have any substance and they just deflect people's expectations to have an effective North Korea policy, which could resolve or at least manage the problem.

Second, using such labels by South Korea annoys North Korea and it gives them excuses to overtly and aggressively pursue weapons of mass destruction. Actually, two days after the release of South Korea's Defense White Paper, North Korea had an ICBM launch. There are going to be many such provocative acts by North Korea as it feels annoyed or deliberately portrays itself to be annoyed. North Korean missile and nuclear programs have been getting more advanced and sophisticated and there must be moves to decelerate the process rather than doing the opposite with the reintroduction of the label of enemy.

Third, even though the current South Korean administration wants to have a strict policy toward North Korea, it must have space to make backward-forward moves. It means that putting pressure on North Korea must be pursued with flexibility so that if and when North Korea shows a positive response, South Korea must be ready to diplomatically engage with it. Labeling North Korea as the enemy restricts such flexibility.

Fourth, South Korea must also be aware that through its miraculous economic success, democratic transformation and developmental approach, the image of the country has been enhanced in the community of nations. South Korea is considered to be a country, which provides developmental aid and cultural content and leads by working for green technologies.

It is contrary to North Korea which has become a highly problematic state because of its domestic mismanagement and dangerous obsession with weapons of mass destruction. Even though both Koreas have the same origin, both countries are considered polar opposites. By using the term enemy, South Korea has apparently responded to North Korea which called South Korea an "obvious enemy," a few weeks prior.

South Korea's current administration talks about a "preemptive strike," its "own nukes," "revenge of a hundred or thousand times" or having missile tests in response to North Korea's missile tests. It is well understood in the world that South Korea is a responsible country, which has been dealing with an irresponsible country. However, similar tactics and metaphors/labels have the potential to be counterproductive to South Korea's image.

Overall, it appears that labeling North Korea and its military as an enemy has hardly any benefit except self-deception and false solace, but it has several unintended negative consequences. The South Korean administration, therefore, must be more creative and cool-headed in its dealings with North Korea. Not because North Korea is a lesser evil, but because it is a serious problem and it must be dealt with by going beyond semantics.

The author (sandipmishra10@gmail.com) is an associate professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.

The Korea Times · March 1, 2023

11. US, Japan, South Korea Launch Forum to Cut Off Chips to China

US, Japan, South Korea Launch Forum to Cut Off Chips to China

February 28, 2023 8:20 PM

Patsy Widakuswara

voanews.com

WASHINGTON —

In a bid to outcompete China technologically, the Biden administration on Tuesday launched a new dialogue forum with Japan and South Korea on friend-shoring semiconductors as it invites companies to compete for a share of the $50 billion already approved to revitalize the U.S. chip industry.

The inaugural meeting of the Economic Security Dialogue among the United States, Japan and South Korea was launched Tuesday in Honolulu. Japan and South Korea are home to two of the world's strongest semiconductor industries, and the forum aims to address issues related to critical and emerging technologies, supply chain resilience of semiconductors, batteries and critical minerals, as well as data transparency amid the U.S.-China tech war.

Also Tuesday, the administration launched the first CHIPS for America funding opportunity — an invitation for companies to compete for a share of the $50 billion approved by Congress under the CHIPS Act last year, specifically the $39 billion allocated to fund the construction of new and expanded domestic manufacturing semiconductor facilities.

Much of the funds will be used by the few companies already producing the world's most advanced chips — including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology — to ramp up their production capacity in the United States.

As the Biden administration aims to constrain Beijing's semiconductor industry, there are hurdles to overcome, including whether Seoul will be willing to join Washington's ban on exports of advanced chip-making equipment to China that Japan and the Netherlands have recently agreed to join. Both are home to companies that are global leaders in chip manufacturing technologies.

There is also concern that Washington's moves to reshape the global semiconductor ecosystem might weaken Taiwan's semiconductor industry, which Taipei believes to be one of its strongest security guarantees to deter an invasion by Beijing.

Tri-country dialogue

The economic security dialogue is an expansion of the trilateral cooperation among Indo-Pacific partners that previously focused largely on the North Korean nuclear threat. The terms of the partnership were laid on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh in November 2022.

The dialogue is an important forum for Washington as it seeks to build a unified front with partners to restrict sales of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. A key issue will be where Seoul stands on the U.S. export control ban enacted by the Biden administration in October 2022, said Gregory Allen, director of the artificial intelligence governance project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"What if the United States and Japan stopped selling certain types of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, and the South Korean industry moves in to fill that gap?" he told VOA. "That's the sort of scenario that both the United States and Japan want to avoid."

Seoul is also seeking clarity on how the rules stemming from the export control ban might impact South Korean companies that are running significant semiconductor manufacturing operations in China. South Korea has received a one-year exemption, as details of how the ban might be implemented are still being worked out.

Much work still needs to be done in getting Japanese and South Korean industries to buy into Biden's strategy of cutting off chips to China, said Samantha Howell, a research assistant with the technology and national security program at the Center for a New American Security.

"China is a really big market for Japanese and South Korean companies, so there's a little bit of hesitation to pull out of that market or even restrict involvement in that market, because it could potentially harm these companies financially," she told VOA. "There's also fear, particularly in South Korea, about potential retaliation from China should South Korea get on board with U.S. export controls."

Last week, senior officials from the U.S., South Korea, Japan and Taiwan held a virtual preliminary meeting for the Biden administration's proposed Chip 4 initiative designed to stabilize semiconductor supply chains, including by setting up an early warning system to prevent disruptions, potentially including chipmaking raw materials and manufacturing equipment.

Meanwhile, China is ramping up its own domestic chip capacity. It is reportedly planning on a massive $140 billion package to bolster self-sufficiency and counter U.S. moves.

Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Washington has "overstretched the concept of national security, abused export control measures, disrupted normal economic and trade activities, and destabilized global industrial and supply chains" to maintain economic and technological supremacy.

Taiwan concerns

As part of the U.S.-led push to secure global chip supply chains, TSMC has agreed to invest $40 billion to build semiconductor plants in Arizona. The facilities are scheduled to be operational in 2024 and are among the largest foreign investments in U.S. history.

However, as producer of more than 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductors, some in Taiwan are concerned that moving its production to the U.S. and elsewhere may weaken one of the island's most important geopolitical assets known as the "silicon shield."

Theoretically, the silicon shield protects Taiwan from a Chinese military invasion in two ways. First, China depends on TSMC to produce the bulk of the chips it needs for its consumer electronics industry, linking Beijing's bottom line to Taiwan's stability, which may push China toward military restraint. Second, the dependence of major economies, including the U.S. and the European Union, motivates those countries to stand up for Taipei's sovereignty.

Allen said such an acute dependence on one country's chip factories is simply not sustainable. He stressed that with increased digitization globally, Taiwan will remain strategic in any scenario.

"Even if you go from 90% to 75%, Taiwan is still going to be a critical node in the global economy," he said, adding that by having TSMC set up production operations in the U.S., Taiwan will grow the overall number of computer chips that it produces even as its share of the global market is reduced.

America's technological leadership

In the coming months, additional funding opportunities for supply chain companies and research and development investments will be announced, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said last week in a speech on the administration's goals to "build a reliable and resilient semiconductor industry that protects America's technological leadership for the coming decades."

"In 1990, the U.S. accounted for 37% of global chip manufacturing capacity," Raimondo said. "Today, that number is only 12%."

The pandemic-induced semiconductor shortage has wreaked havoc on numerous industries, from automobiles to consumer electronics. The U.S. Department of Commerce estimated that the chip shortage caused a 1% decline in the country's 2021 GDP growth.

Paris Huang contributed to this report.

voanews.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

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

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

Access NSS HERE

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