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Quotes of the Day:
“You must think for yourself or others will do your thinking for you.”
- Henry David Thoreau
“The fact that an opinion has been widely held, is no evidence, whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.”
- Bertrand Russell.
“As long as you live, keep learning how to live.”
- Seneca
1. Washington Declaration: Restoring The Pacific Balance – Analysis
2. South Korea-Japan Deal Helps Counter Pyongyang, Adviser Says
3. Japan, South Korea eye visit by team of experts as Fukushima nuclear plant prepares water release
4. Blinken says retiring deputy secretary Sherman helped deepen U.S. relations with key allies, including Korea
5. Korean proficiency highly sought after for jobs in Vietnam
6. S. Korea, US stage friendship flight during memorial for late US veteran
7. #ROK: #Japan: Working in alliance vs the #PRC
8. North Korea cracks down on bribery in prisons
9. Scarce drinking water in North Korea during severe spring drought
10. Google chooses Korean for its AI-based chatbot service
11. S. Korea, Japan agree on Seoul team's four-day visit to assess nuclear water release plan
12. S. Korea lags in some key defense technologies: report
1. Washington Declaration: Restoring The Pacific Balance – Analysis
Some good points here.
Washington Declaration: Restoring The Pacific Balance – Analysis
eurasiareview.com · by Observer Research Foundation · May 12, 2023
By Vivek Mishra and Pratnashree Basu
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s six-day visit to Washington from 26 April–1 May was highly symbolic for bilateral relations and potentially consequential for what the US-ROK relationship would mean in the Indo-Pacific in the next decade. Politically, the visit marked a high with the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the United States (US)-ROK alliance.
The Biden-Yoon meeting also marked the fifth meeting and second summit between the two leaders in less than a year. During his visit to Washington, Yoon addressed a joint session of the US Congress, packed a visit to NASA, and was accompanied by a business delegation which was hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce—dividing attention between politics, business, and technology. However, one of the most important developments which came out of the visit has been the Washington Declaration which extends to the ambit of their bilateral relationship to a global alliance underscored by democratic principles, economic cooperation, and technological advancements and most importantly, the declaration conjoins the changing nature of the threat that the two countries face on the Korean Peninsula with those in the larger Indo-Pacific region.
US motivations
The US motivations behind the Washington Declaration with Seoul are two-pronged. The first has to do with security assurances to one of the most important allies in the Pacific theatre about a strong and credible extended deterrence. This is critical for Washington’s somewhat eroding trust in the region and the growing compulsions of regional countries to hedge between US and China.
The second factor is driven by a consistent attempt by the Biden administration to recentre the Indo-Pacific in the light of the China threat in its policy orientation despite the ongoing war in Europe and a significant diversification of resources and strategic focus for Washington. The Taiwan question is writ large in the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy which requires creating enough bulwark against a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan within the next decade—as estimated in a recent US intelligence assessment. As such, creating a robust alliance architecture in the Pacific is indispensable to US strategy in the Indo-Pacific. If the AUKUS agreement provided non-lethal justification to the US’ growing efforts in the Pacific to re-energise its strategic presence with promises of nuclear-powered submarines, the Washington Declaration carries the nuclear teeth with a ‘full confidence’ of its extended deterrence capabilities.
The persuasions for the Washington Declaration are also embedded in both countries’ commitments to adapt in dealing with new strategic realities in the Indo-Pacific which have four major strands: destabilised Korean Peninsula; the China threat, a broader favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific; and ensuring leadership in a new tech-era.
For the Biden administration, strengthening the strategic resilience of the Pacific theatre ranks high in his list of policy compulsions and choices. This has been evident in successive attempts by President Biden in the recent past to not just reassure its Pacific US allies but also to re-energise its alliance and partnerships in the region. The strategic momentum provided to the US efforts in the Pacific by the AUKUS agreement together with Australia and the UK has been complemented by other bilateral and multilateral efforts by Washington to seek a favourable balance in the Pacific theatre particularly and the broader Indo-Pacific region generally.
The decision by the Philippines to allow four more bases by the US troops apart from access to five bases mandated by the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA); a lingering possibility of a strategic partnership with Vietnam and a much-welcomed rapprochement between Japan and South Korea together seek to bolster the US’ security umbrella in the Pacific. Besides, there is a new persuasion to reinvigorate the US’ security relationship with Japan which could significantly impact how a rapidly shifting balance of power in the Pacific due to China’s rise can be restored in Washington’s favour.
What the Washington Declaration means for Seoul and the Indo-Pacific
The decision, taken prima facie, to deter North Korean aggression, comes in the wake of President Yoon declaring earlier in January this year that Seoul may have to proceed with the acquisition of nuclear weapons on its own given the increasing nuclear arsenal and posturing by Pyongyang. Yoon’s suggestion is not a scenario that Washington approves of and is keen to have Seoul continue its commitment to non-proliferation. The Washington Declaration ensures three things for the US—first, it ensures that Seoul does not develop its nuclear weapons and that the US has the decision-making prerogative in the event of any escalation; second, that Seoul’s concerns regarding its vulnerability as a non-nuclear power, sharing a border with a volatile nuclear country are allayed; and third, that the US continues to maintain a strong security presence in the region.
The nuclear threat posed by North Korea has long been a concern for South Korea and the wider Indo-Pacific region with the situation becoming particularly precarious in recent years as North Korea has developed more advanced nuclear weapons and delivery systems. South Korea has been on the front line of this nuclear threat for decades with the threat of nuclear attack being a constant concern for South Koreans. The country has developed a range of defence measures to counter any potential attacks, including early warning systems, missile defence systems, and emergency response plans.
Seoul has quite naturally, welcomed the Declaration—a first of its kind as an obligation in writing—which also allows for the creation of a Nuclear Consultative Group to facilitate collaboration and planning of a nuclear response, should such a situation arise. It strengthens South Korea’s three-axis defence system—Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in a major conflict, the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike platform and the Korean Air and Missile Defense system (KAMD). Moreover, the Declaration also comes in the wake of the release of Seoul’s Indo-Pacific strategy in December 2022 which paves the way for a more active role for Seoul in the region.
The North Korean nuclear threat also poses a wider security risk to the Indo-Pacific region as well as concerns about nuclear proliferation. Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme has increased tensions with other countries, including Japan and the US. In response, the US has increased its military presence in the region, conducting joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan and deploying its most advanced military hardware to the region. Efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear threat have so far been largely unsuccessful with diplomatic efforts yielding little progress, and economic sanctions having limited impact despite former President Moon’s efforts and former President Trump’s interventions during his meeting with Kim Jong Un in 2018.
Pyongyang has unsurprisingly denounced the Declaration and reiterated the expansion of its capabilities. While sending nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines the movements of which are generally not publicly disclosed and are also being perceived as a symbolic move, the objective here is to deter and reassure. Ironically, the adoption and expansion of security measures would also lead to further insecurities, but measures like the Declaration are indicative of a region that is cautious about the steps it takes while also signalling intentions about not capitulating. For the Indo-Pacific therefore, the Declaration serves as a deterrence not only against North Korea’s unpredictability but also as an added bulwark to existing security mechanisms (with Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam, for instance) in a region that is more often than not geopolitically tense.
*About the authors:
- Vivek Mishra is a fellow at the Strategic Studies Programme at Observer Research Foundation.
- Pratnashree Basu is an Associate Fellow with the CNED Programme at Observer Research Foundation.
Source: This article was published by Observer Research Foundation
eurasiareview.com · by Observer Research Foundation · May 12, 2023
2. South Korea-Japan Deal Helps Counter Pyongyang, Adviser Says
Excerpt:
“If we stand strongly together with the US and Japan, we are in a much more comfortable position to deal with China,” Park said, adding “the Korean government is not against China. It’s our mission to re-embrace China in a favorable way.”
South Korea-Japan Deal Helps Counter Pyongyang, Adviser Says
- Deal architect Park Cheol Hee speaks with Bloomberg TV
- Agreement helps US, South Korea and Japan stand up to China
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-11/south-korea-japan-deal-helps-counter-pyongyang-adviser-says?sref=hhjZtX76
ByJeong-Ho Lee and Emily Yamamoto
May 11, 2023 at 12:35 AM EDTUpdated onMay 11, 2023 at 3:33 AM EDT
A deal between South Korea and Japan to remedy a long-running impasse can help work with their US ally to share intelligence on North Korea and boost their economic leverage with China, according to a top architect of the pact.
“We are advancing the issues of security cooperation, especially information sharing among the three countries,” Park Cheol Hee, chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said of the deal between Seoul and Tokyo that was unveiled in March.
“We definitely leveled up our relationship between Korea and Japan,” Park told Bloomberg Television on Thursday, adding the pact would help the neighbors work on economic security issues and address concerns about global supply chains.
The recent rapprochement has also helped advance a plan to link the radar systems of Japan, South Korea and the US, allowing them to better track missiles from North Korea and provide instantaneous information of any launch. North Korea in recent years has set its sights on the three by rolling out new ballistic missiles that are quick to deploy and designed to deliver nuclear strikes to all of Japan and South Korea, which host the bulk of US troops in the region.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida struck a chord of unity at a rare summit held Sunday where the US allies agreed to cooperate on North Korea. The visit marked the first formal summit in Seoul in about a dozen years between the neighbors.
They also advanced the deal to compensate Koreans forced to work at Japanese factories and mines during its 1910-1945 colonial rule over the peninsula. The pact calls for South Korean firms to contribute to a compensation fund for the conscripted Korean workers.
Read: Why South Korea-Japan Ties Are Plagued by History: QuickTake
The payments were meant to avoid forcing Japanese companies to provide compensation, in line with Tokyo’s contention all such claims were settled under a 1965 agreement. President Joe Biden’s administration welcomed the move, calling it “groundbreaking” but Yoon has had trouble winning over the public at home with surveys showing most voters were against the pact.
Park said the deal marked “an achievement by the two leaders, and the United States facilitated it and encouraged it.”
A few previous South Korean presidents have ramped up pressure on Japan in attempts to stir up domestic support through populist sentiments against a country that left deep scars due to its colonial rule.
But, in his first year in office, Yoon has rolled out security policies that align with those of Kishida’s government and said finding ways to heal historical differences could lead to long-lasting benefits.
Despite the plan for a resolution on a historical issue, Park acknowledged that numerous conflicts could still arise in the future. However, he emphasized that “the Yoon administration remains steadfast in its commitment to not leverage the Japan matter for domestic popularity,” and hence “the deal is here to stay.”
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The friction between Seoul and Tokyo caused headaches for the US as it sought help from its partners in securing global flows of key materials that were less dependent on China. The Biden administration has also been seeking help to impose sweeping curbs on the sale of advanced chips equipment to China in a policy aimed at preventing the country’s progression in a range of cutting-edge technologies.
Kishida said his summit with Yoon helped him “deepen the relationship of trust,” as the two leaders applauded a resumption of shuttle diplomacy and cooperation on items such as semiconductors. Park said the deal should help the partners address economic concerns posed by China.
“If we stand strongly together with the US and Japan, we are in a much more comfortable position to deal with China,” Park said, adding “the Korean government is not against China. It’s our mission to re-embrace China in a favorable way.”
— With assistance by Shinhye Kang, David Ingles, Yvonne Man, Rishaad Salamat and Joanne Wong
(Updates with additional quotes and backgrounds)
3. Japan, South Korea eye visit by team of experts as Fukushima nuclear plant prepares water release
Japan, South Korea eye visit by team of experts as Fukushima nuclear plant prepares water release
AP · by MARI YAMAGUCHI · May 12, 2023
Officials from Japan and South Korea eyed a potential visit by South Korean experts to the Fukushima nuclear plant before it begins the controversial release of treated but radioactive water to sea. It’s one of their major sticking points between the two sides that are quickly thawing long-strained ties.
Discussions were to take place later Friday, and the Japanese government was expected to give updates on the status of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which is preparing for a release of the water, saying it’s an unavoidable step to move its decommissioning process forward.
The government and the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, say the release will begin between spring and summer and take decades to finish.
A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and release large amounts of radiation. Water used to cool the three damaged reactor cores, which remain highly radioactive, leaked into the basements of the reactor buildings and was collected, treated and stored in about 1,000 tanks that now cover much of the plant.
The government and TEPCO say the tanks must be removed so that facilities can be built for the plant’s decommissioning, while minimizing risks of leaks in case of another major disaster. The tanks are expected to reach their capacity of 1.37 million tons in spring 2024.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, during his May 7-8 visit to Seoul for a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, announced that Japan will receive a team of experts to visit the plant later in May to address South Korea’s concerns in a show of his enthusiasm to further improve relations.
Seoul wants to send some 20 government experts to visit Fukushima Daiichi plant May 23-24, although the group’s size would be determined after talks with Japan, according to South Korean officials. Japan was reluctant to accept private experts, saying it’s a government-to-government matter.
Japan is expected to give them a tour — not a safety inspection — of the plant.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Thursday the visit would not affect the timing of a planned release of the water and that Japan continues to give explanation about safety measures to gain understanding.
Japanese officials say the water will be safely filtered to below releasable levels by international standards and further diluted by large amounts of seawater before release, making it unharmful to human health or to marine life.
The plan has faced fierce protests from local fishing communities that are concerned about safety and reputational damage. Neighboring countries, including South Korea, China and the Pacific Island nations, have also raised safety concerns.
Some scientists say the impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to tritium and other radionuclides on the environment and humans is still unknown and the release should be delayed.
Japan has been assisted by the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure credibility and transparency.
Historical disputes have strained ties between Tokyo and Seoul — most recently over compensation of wartime Korean forced laborers during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relationship has thawed rapidly since March, when Yoon’s government announced a local fund to compensate some of the former laborers. Tokyo and Seoul, under pressure from Washington, share a sense of urgency to mend ties amid growing security threats in the region.
___
Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.
AP · by MARI YAMAGUCHI · May 12, 2023
4. Blinken says retiring deputy secretary Sherman helped deepen U.S. relations with key allies, including Korea
Blinken says retiring deputy secretary Sherman helped deepen U.S. relations with key allies, including Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · May 13, 2023
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, May 12 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. diplomat expressed his gratitude to outgoing Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Friday, also praising the first female deputy secretary of state for having deepened U.S. relations with key allies including South Korea and Japan.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also noted Sherman had broken barriers at the department as the first female deputy secretary.
"Wendy has helped lead our engagement in the Indo-Pacific, the region where the history of the 21st century will be written," Blinken said in a released statement.
"She has deepened our bonds with our friends around the world, especially with the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the European Union," he added, referring to South Korea by its official name.
In this photo, provided by the South Korean Embassy in the U.S. shows then South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong (R), currently serving as ambassador to the U.S., posing for a photo with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman (C) and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori during their talks at the U.S. Department of State in Washington on Feb. 13, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Sherman's departure comes about two weeks after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a state visit to the U.S.
During his six-day trip here, Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden reached a historic agreement, dubbed the Washington Declaration, to increase the visibility of U.S. strategic assets in and around the Korean Peninsula, which they said will effectively upgrade the countries' 70-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty.
"Wendy broke barriers as our first female under secretary of state for political affairs and our first female deputy secretary of state," Blinken said of Sherman.
"Her remarkable career -- which spans more than three decades, three presidents, and five secretaries of state -- addressed some of the toughest foreign policy challenges of our time. Our nation is safer and more secure, and our partnerships more robust, due to her leadership," he added.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · May 13, 2023
5. Korean proficiency highly sought after for jobs in Vietnam
[Hello Hangeul] Korean proficiency highly sought after for jobs in Vietnam
koreaherald.com · by Choi Jae-hee · May 13, 2023
(Left) Dang My Anh and Pham Hai Yen, students in grade 10 at Marie Curie High School in Hai Phong’s Ngo Quyen district, pose for a photo after an interview with The Korea Herald on Feb. 9, 2023. (Choi Jae-hee / The Korea Herald)
HAI PHONG, Vietnam -- In this coastal city in northern Vietnam, it's said that having English skills can double your salary, while having Korean skills can triple it. Although the saying may be somewhat exaggerated, it certainly captures the high value placed on proficiency in the Korean language.
Korean companies and institutions are prominent employers in the city, running immense factories, leading a variety of business projects, and they attract top-quality manpower with solid compensation.
Pham Yen, a 15-year-old student at Marie Curie High School in Hai Phong’s Ngo Quyen district, is learning Korean as part of her future career plan.
“I want to work at a Korean company after college graduation just like my mom, who currently works at one of the many Korean firms in Hai Phong,” Yen said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.
“I think becoming fluent in Korean will be a great advantage” in terms of job opportunities.
Korean companies in the city, which has a population of about 2 million, employed some 40,940 people in 2022. Of these workers, more than 90 percent, or 39,230, were Vietnamese, industry data showed. According to the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority, Korean firms accounted for 40 percent of the city’s total foreign direct investment last year.
Among the first and largest Korean firms to set up factories here, LG Group has poured $7.24 billion into the region since 2015, with its flagship unit LG Electronics producing home appliances and auto electronics for the global market.
Yen said her goal is to first get into the Korean language department at the University of Languages and International Studies under Vietnam National University (VNU-ULIS) in Hanoi.
Her classmate, Dang My Anh, dreams of a career in the entertainment industry and spoke of the opportunities she believes Korean skills could bring her.
“I'm interested in music and fashion, especially those of the K-pop industry. I believe being able to speak Korean will open up more opportunities," she said, mentioning the “synergy” between her artistic talent and language skills.
Students in grade 10 at Marie Curie High School listen to a lecture on the Korean language on Feb. 9, 2023. (Choi Jae-hee / The Korea Herald)
Yang Su-yeon, a Korean language teacher at Marie Curie High School teaches Korean phrases about directions on Feb. 9, 2023. (Choi Jae-hee / The Korea Herald)
The two teen girls’ Korean learning accelerated after entering Marie Curie High School last year, where Korean classes are offered to students in grade 10 and 11.
It is among nine schools in the city that offer Korean courses as part of the curriculum, with a total of 888 students currently learning, according to the Korean Education Office in Hanoi under the Korean Embassy.
No longer just for factory jobs
According to a survey conducted by VNU-ULIS on its 754 graduates in 2021, the monthly wage of Korean majors ranged between 10 million to 15 million Vietnamese dong ($424-$636), almost twice the average monthly salary of Vietnamese workers in large cities, which was estimated at 6.42 million Vietnamese dong.
Tran Thi Huong, the dean of the faculty of Korean language and culture at VNU-ULIS, stated in an interview with The Herald that the department is facing difficulties in recruiting and training future lecturers and professors because graduates with Korean majors are often able to command significantly higher salaries than what professors earn in the country.
Nguyen Anh, a Korean major graduate of VNU-ULIS who works for the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology’s branch office in Hanoi, described Korean proficiency as the most sought-after qualification for employment in Vietnam today.
“While Korean-speaking personnel were mostly employed by Korean companies’ manufacturing plants in the past, now they are regarded as highly qualified job candidates in various business sectors, including services, IT and education,” Anh said.
"Nowadays, graduates in Vietnam who hold bachelor’s degrees in the Korean language typically earn 1.5 times more than those who major in other foreign languages such as English, Chinese and Japanese," she added.
Korea’s Ambassador to Vietnam Oh Young-ju noted that corporate investment and jobs for Korean-speaking workers fuel the demand for education, which in turn increases public interest in Korean business, culture and language, creating a vicious circle.
Oh Young-ju, Korean ambassador to Vietnam (The Korea Herald)
“This market-driven demand for Korean language learning gained further momentum as the global popularity of Korean content continued,” the envoy said.
Korea is the largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with accumulated registered capital of nearly $80 billion, data provided by the embassy showed. There are currently about 9,000 Korean companies operating in the country, led by Samsung, LG, Hyosung, Hanwha, Hyundai, CJ and Lotte.
“The current proliferation of the Korean language in Vietnam is largely backed by Korean public agencies, including the Korean Education Office in Hanoi and the Korea Foundation. For the sustainability of Korean education here, we need more Vietnamese schools, teachers and scholars who are willing to take the initiative in research and the education of Korean,” Oh said.
Meanwhile, the envoy placed high hopes on the role of Korean-speaking Vietnamese in public diplomacy.
“Vietnamese talents in various industries who are proficient in Korean could become opinion leaders and cultural bridge-builders who bridge the gap between the two countries,” she said.
By Choi Jae-hee (cjh@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Choi Jae-hee · May 13, 2023
6. S. Korea, US stage friendship flight during memorial for late US veteran
S. Korea, US stage friendship flight during memorial for late US veteran
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · May 12, 2023
By Yonhap
Published : May 12, 2023 - 09:48 Updated : May 12, 2023 - 09:48
South Korean and US fighter jets stage a friendship flight over the southern island of Jeju on Thursday as part of a remembrance ceremony for Dean Hess, a late American fighter pilot who helped rescue around 1,000 war orphans during the Korean War (1950-53). (ROKAF)
South Korea and the United States staged a friendship flight this week as part of a remembrance ceremony for a late US veteran who helped rescue around 1,000 orphans during the 1950-53 Korean War, officials said Friday.
The flight took place Thursday over the southern island of Jeju during the memorial for US Air Force Col. Dean Hess at the Jeju Aerospace Museum, involving three South Korean KF-16 jets and two US F-16 fighters, according to South Korea's armed service.
The five aircraft also had decals on their vertical tails commemorating the 70th anniversary of the two countries' alliance.
The ceremony, which also involved a memorial flight by the South Korean Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team, was attended by the late veteran's sons, South Korean and US officials, and five of the orphans who were airlifted to safety due to Hess' efforts.
Hess took part in a rescue operation in December 1950 to airlift about 1,000 war orphans from Seoul to Jeju. He later helped establish an orphanage on the island and led fundraising activities for the war orphans for over two decades.
The US veteran died on March 2, 2015. The Air Force has held an annual remembrance ceremony for Hess since 2017. (Yonhap)
7. #ROK: #Japan: Working in alliance vs the #PRC
My interview with John Batchelor and Gordon Chan.
https://audioboom.com/posts/8298795-rok-japan-working-in-alliance-vs-the-prc-david-maxwell-senior-fellow-at-the-foundation-for
#ROK: #Japan: Working in alliance vs the #PRC. David Maxwell, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation, @GordonGChang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill:
8. North Korea cracks down on bribery in prisons
Corruption is endemic in every part of north Korean society.
North Korea cracks down on bribery in prisons
Wealthy inmates bribe prison officials to get out of hard labor and live in ‘special cells.’
By Hyemin Son for RFA Korean
2023.05.12
rfa.org
North Korea is cracking down on prison officials who accept bribes from wealthy prisoners in exchange for preferential treatment while they are incarcerated, two former inmates in the country told Radio Free Asia.
Bribery and corruption are a way of life in North Korea because the average wage from government-assigned jobs is nowhere near enough to live on. For most people, it means they have to get a side gig or run their own businesses.
Police and government officials, however, can make their living by using the power of their position to extract bribes from the public.
In January 2021, the government established the Justice and Discipline Investigation departments. The two offices are tasked with auditing people in positions of authority to uncover any corruption and illegal behavior and report them to the Central Committee, the governing body of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party.
In April, the two departments spent a week investigating correctional officers at Chungsan Prison in South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, a woman sent to Chungsan in 2019 told RFA’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Special cell
“The inspection started when a prisoner who was released from the prison reported to the Central Committee that there was a ‘special cell’ in prison camp No.11 [Chungsan Prison],” she said.
The special cell is where rich prisoners who can afford to bribe the right officials are sent to do their time. They receive preferential treatment and are exempt from hard manual labor unlike most of their fellow inmates.
Those who can’t afford to pay the bribe for the special cell can bribe their way into the cafeteria staff or livestock raising teams, according to the source.
This is advantageous because the government does not provide food, and the prisoners must cultivate it for the entire prison population. The cafeteria workers can sneak food away, whereas the livestock raising team can eat food intended for the animals.
In any case, the special cell is the preferred choice.
The source, who was imprisoned for accepting money sent by an escapee relative who had resettled in South Korea, said that several hundred U.S. dollars is all it costs to buy special cell privileges.
“If you give US$500 a year to a correctional bureau official, he will give a call to the prison you’re going to to set you up,” she said. “If you don’t have a personal connection with a correctional official, then you can give $100 per month to the official in the prison to get into the special cell.”
The source said she did not know how many people were in the special cell, but estimated that during her time in Chungsan, there were 20 inmates in the women’s side of the prison.
“During the inspection, two provincial correctional department officials and the head of Chungsan Prison were fired for receiving bribes and giving special treatment to prisoners,” she said.
Inmates also punished
Another source, who was released from Chungsan in April after serving a five-year sentence, told RFA that it was not only the prison officials who accepted bribes that got punished – the special cell inmates who bribed them were also in trouble.
“They are temporarily forbidden from family visits and they are also getting three years of hard labor tacked on to the backend of their sentences,” she said.
As a result of the inspection, face-to-face family visits for prisoners will only be allowed once per six months. This is an abrupt change, as normal prisoners are allowed a visit every 15 days.
The second inmate said that new prisoners will also now be separated based on their occupation and crime. Executives, wholesalers and meth dealers are separated because they have experience moving large sums of money around on the outside and are more likely to be able to afford bribes.
“These measures appear to be aimed at eradicating the source of bribes to the prison officials, but I don’t know if they will be effective,” she said.
Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
rfa.org
9. Scarce drinking water in North Korea during severe spring drought
We must be observant for potential indicators of instability.
Scarce drinking water in North Korea during severe spring drought
Satellite imagery shows that reservoirs have a net loss of water over the past year.
By Jungmin Noh and Jieun Kim for RFA Korean
2023.05.11
rfa.org
The Ransong reservoir in Pyongyang county, Kangwon province, North Korea, experienced a significant water level decline between April 10, 2022 [left] and April 13, 2023 [right]. Credit: NASA
Drinking water is becoming more difficult to obtain for many North Koreans as the country is in the midst of one of the worst droughts since the government began keeping records in 1981, sources in the country told Radio Free Asia.
And satellite evidence shows that many of the country’s reservoirs have shrunken, sometimes dramatically, over the past year.
State media reported Tuesday that a lack of water could make food shortages worse, and there was a “nationwide effort” to try to save crops from damage.
On a personal level though, the people are having to go to greater lengths to obtain water to drink, a source from the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFA’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
“There are many reservoirs, [but they dry up, so] we fetch water and drink it. We carry water with a bucket, but the water supply is not working well,” she said. “We can more easily fetch water in the winter, but the spring and fall seasons are the worst. The water pumping station is running dry and we don’t get tap water at all.”
The source said that the people go to the riverside to fetch water and purify it so that it is safe to drink.
“It’s a really serious situation and we don’t use disinfectants. We use charcoal,” the source said. “We spread sand, put on a layer of charcoal, pour the water over it and make a hole in the bucket. That’s what we drink.”
View from the sky
Satellite imagery of reservoirs in North Korea shows that spring droughts this year and last year have greatly reduced water levels, Bruce Songhak Chung, a researcher at the South Korea-based Korean Institute for Security and Strategy, told RFA.
His team used images taken by NASA’s Landsat 8 and 9 satellites to compare water levels from April 2022 in 12 reservoirs in various parts of the country with their water levels in April 2023.
“We found that the water in the 12 agricultural reservoirs across … had a net decrease compared to last year. In particular, the Ransong Reservoir in Pyonggang County, Kangwon Province, had a 62% decrease in water,” said Chung, who added that this would mean a “crisis” when trying to find water for irrigation.
Chung noted that the images could be used to measure the surface area of the lakes, but it would be difficult to determine volume because that requires knowledge of the reservoirs’ average depths.
“Depending on the region, some reservoirs showed an increase in water levels,” said Chung. “However, overall, we can confirm that the water in North Korean reservoirs has decreased this year compared to last year.”
This year’s record-breaking drought is due to weather events that have happened over the last year including “La Niña,” which is caused by rising sea surface temperatures due to global warming, Chung said.
That means North Korea’s farms could be in big trouble, he said.
“The preparations for farming are in an emergency situation and it does not seem like irrigation alone will solve the problem,” he said. “If this year’s spring drought is similar to last year’s or a little more severe, the outlook for this fall’s harvest will be bleak.”
Black market for water
Due to the scarcity of water, a black market for water has emerged, said the North Pyongan source.
“Water sellers carry containers filled with spring water and they go here and there and sell spring water for a certain amount per container,” said the source. “They sell a five-liter [1.3 gallon] container, or a 10-liter [2.6-gallon] container. Water is difficult to carry and it has to be brought in from a place far from downtown. So you buy water when the water sellers bring it by.”
Water for farming is even more difficult to obtain, the source said.
“Every farm has an irrigation canal and every river has an irrigation canal. In places where there is no irrigation canal, they use a pump. They pump up the water with electricity. However, right now the fields are all dry and it is a very bad situation,” she said. “There is no problem with the areas near the river, but farming is difficult in the areas with no rivers close by. It is making a bad situation even worse.”
Another source, from the western province of South Hwanghae, told RFA that the irrigation channel is no longer working.
“The waterway is a mess right now,” she said. “People come and carry water on their backs, or with an ox cart. It’s been so long without irrigation, and people don’t have any idea how difficult life is here.”
Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong.
rfa.org
10. Google chooses Korean for its AI-based chatbot service
Google chooses Korean for its AI-based chatbot service
donga.com
Posted May. 13, 2023 07:40,
Updated May. 13, 2023 07:40
Google chooses Korean for its AI-based chatbot service. May. 13, 2023 07:40. namduck2@donga.com.
During the annual Google I/O developer conference held on Thursday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared a captivating anecdote from his visit to Seoul, Korea in 1999. While taking a taxi, he encountered a remarkable driver who skillfully managed three different cell phones. This incident left a lasting impression on Pichai and influenced his recent decision to include Korean as one of the initial service languages, alongside English, for its AI-based chatbot 'Bard.'
Pichai recognized Korea as an incredibly dynamic and intriguing country, always at the forefront of embracing new technologies. Additionally, Pichai reminisced about his time in Japan as he selected Japanese as the other service language. Reflecting on a dining experience, he recalled observing two customers sitting across from him in a restaurant. They were engaged in an awe-inspiring exchange of text messages, typing at an astonishing speed that Pichai found impossible to keep up with."
Amidst the conference held at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, the CEO convened a meeting with journalists representing a multitude of nations. In a significant announcement of its entire Bard-powered services across a staggering 180 countries, the tech giant unveiled Korean and Japanese as the initial service languages for its groundbreaking AI chatbot, Bard.
When questioned about his choice of Korean and Japanese as the company's service languages, Pichai elaborated on their unique ability to inspire Google's pursuit of new technologies due to their inherent foreignness. He further emphasized that the company's exposure to these languages enables valuable insights and facilitates more efficient learning across other linguistic domains.
Addressing recent concerns about Google falling behind Microsoft in AI development, Pichai firmly asserted that Google was the pioneering force behind the transformer model, a fundamental breakthrough in generative AI. He also stressed that the early stages of development should not be seen as definitive indicators of a highly complicated technology's future, and assured that his team has been diligently strategizing to steer future technologies onto a better path.
When discussing his company's vision for the next 25 years, Pichai outlined an ambitious goal of creating inclusive and beneficial AI accessible to all. He emphasized the company's motivation to delve into AI research has been driven by the desire to provide information and knowledge to as many individuals as possible. Pichai expressed his excitement, stating that the present moment marks the realization of long-held aspirations.
On the same day, Google convened a dedicated partnership meeting with Samsung, unveiling a range of collaborative initiatives spanning XR and other domains. Erik Kay, Google's Vice President for Engineering, Platforms & Ecosystems, highlighted the extensive and enduring partnership between Samsung and Google, emphasizing their robust alliance built on a foundation of trust.
한국어
donga.com
11. S. Korea, Japan agree on Seoul team's four-day visit to assess nuclear water release plan
S. Korea, Japan agree on Seoul team's four-day visit to assess nuclear water release plan
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · May 13, 2023
Korea and Japan have agreed that a delegation from Seoul will visit Japan for four days to assess Tokyo's plan to discharge radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday.
Working-level officials from the two countries held a meeting in Seoul on Friday to discuss details of South Korean experts' planned visit to the nuclear plant. The meeting lasted for 12 hours until around 2 a.m. Saturday.
The two sides agreed on the team's four-day visit during the meeting and will hold an additional consultation in coming days, the ministry said.
The director-general-level meeting came after President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reached an agreement on the visit during a summit held Sunday.
It was headed by Yun Hyun-soo, head of the foreign ministry's bureau for climate change, energy, environment and scientific affairs, on the South Korean side and Atsushi Kaifu, director-general of the Japanese foreign ministry's disarmament, non-proliferation and science department.
South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission as well as Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority and Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings Inc., the operator of the crippled power plant, also attended the meeting.
On Friday, Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, told a press briefing that the inspection team will comprise some 20 experts in safety regulation, check the operation of treatment and discharge facilities in Fukushima and secure information South Korea needs to conduct scientific evaluation of the contaminated water. It reportedly plans to visit Japan from May 23.
The inspection comes amid concerns over possible health and environmental hazards from the release of more than 1 million tons of water from the wrecked plant.
The two countries appear to have been at odds over the mission of the team during the meeting. Seoul has said the inspection is aimed at checking the safety of the discharge process, but Tokyo has suggested a limited scope for its activity.
Speaking at a press briefing earlier this week, Japanese Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said the inspection is intended to "help deepen understanding" about the safety of the release, not to evaluate or certify its safety.
The Fukushima plant has stored more than 1.3 million tons of water through a custom purification system known as the Advanced Liquid Processing System since three reactors melted down after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast in March 2011.
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · May 13, 2023
12. S. Korea lags in some key defense technologies: report
S. Korea lags in some key defense technologies: report | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 채윤환 · May 12, 2023
SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea lags behind advanced nations in developing some key defense technologies, a report showed Friday, despite Seoul's efforts to bolster defense capabilities against North Korean threats.
The Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement made the analysis in a report that assessed 30 key defense technologies in 10 sectors, such as space, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) response and artificial intelligence.
The report found the South Korean defense sector's hypersonic propulsion technology and state-of-the-art engines fell behind the United States, the leader in these technologies, by 15 years each.
The U.S. led all three key technologies in WMD response analyzed in the report -- missile defense, high-power precision strikes and intelligence-based chemical, biological and radiological defense, according to the report.
South Korea's defense sector fell behind that of the U.S. by 7.1 years in missile defense, 4.6 years in high-power precision strikes and 6.1 years in intelligence-based chemical, biological and radiological defense, it showed.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 채윤환 · May 12, 2023
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
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