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Quotes of the Day:
“It is usually futile to try to talk facts … to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.”
- Thomas Sowell
“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.”
- Sophocles
"It is in the nature of a group and its power to turn against independence, the property of individual strength."
- Hannah Arendt
1. U.S. concerned about N. Korea's additional missile launches, nuclear test: Sullivan
2. Kim's sister calls US 'delusional' for believing in North Korea's disarmament
3. US, South Korea answer North’s ICBM launch with airpower drill involving B-52 bomber
4. Korea expected to increase defense exports 87% by 2027: FKI
5. S. Korea's stance against lethal arms aid to Ukraine remains unchanged: defense ministry
6. N. Korea ramps up efforts to minimize damage from heavy rains
7. Asean diplomats expected to criticize North's nuke program
8. Competing drills in East Sea reflect growing bloc rivalry
9. S. Korea to join US-led cyber drill
10. Satellite pics reveal Kim Jong-un is ‘building ANOTHER private train station and horse racing track near beach mansions’
11. North Korea's Hwasong-18 ICBM Launch Sparks Tensions: A Closer Look
1. U.S. concerned about N. Korea's additional missile launches, nuclear test: Sullivan
Yes, we should be concerned. However, at this point, every launch and every test represents Kim's failed strategy. Kim has been unable to coerce any concessions from the ROK/US/international community despite his blackmail diplomacy which uses increased tensions, threats, and provocations to attain political and economic concessions. Each of Kim's actions strengthens the ROK/US alliance (which he seeks to split) and drives improved trilateral cooperation (ROK/Japan/US). It represents resources diverted from the Korean people in the north who are suffering horrendously. The people suffer because of Kim Jong Un's deliberate policy decisions to prioritize nuclear and missile development over the welfare of the people. We should emphasize these points are part of our strategic information campaign and we should be using information to pressure the Kim family regime.
U.S. concerned about N. Korea's additional missile launches, nuclear test: Sullivan | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Oh Seok-min · July 16, 2023
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday said Washington remains concerned about North Korea's additional intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches and another nuclear test.
Last week, the North test-fired a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel ICBM under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un despite international condemnation over its recent missile launches.
"I have been concerned for some time that North Korea would conduct what would be its seventh nuclear test," Sullivan said during an interview with CBS' Face the Nation.
"I don't see any immediate indications that's going to happen, but it would not come as a surprise if North Korea moves forward with another test with respect to its intercontinental ballistic missile capability," Sullivan said, adding that the U.S. "coordinate extremely closely with" South Korea and other allies.
Kim's sister, Yo-jong, on Friday claimed the ICBM launch served as a "rightful" exercise of self-defense in response to the U.S.' hostile policy.
Pyongyang conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.
North Korea fires a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile on July 12, 2023, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un guided the launch, and the missile flew 1,001 kilometers for 4,491 seconds at a maximum altitude of 6,648 km before splashing into the East Sea, the North said. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Oh Seok-min · July 16, 2023
2. Kim's sister calls US 'delusional' for believing in North Korea's disarmament
Sometimes you just have to take the Kim family regime at its word.
Of course we could respond that it is a delusion for the regime to keep executing its 7 decade old strategy of political warfare and blackmail diplomacy and expect a different outcome.
Kim's sister calls US 'delusional' for believing in North Korea's disarmament
The Korea Times · July 17, 2023
A TV screen shows a file image of Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, during a news program at Seoul Station, June 1. AP-Yonhap
The powerful sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned Monday that it would be "delusional" for the United States to believe that Pyongyang's disarmament was possible.
Kim Yo-jong criticized Washington's policies of strengthening its extended deterrence and military alliance with South Korea, stating that such actions would only make it difficult for Pyongyang to engage in dialogue, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency.
"The U.S. is being delusional if it believes that it could halt our advancement and further achieve irreversible disarmament by temporarily halting joint military drills, suspending the deployment of strategic assets or reversibly easing sanctions etc," Kim said.
Kim also rejected U.S. calls for unconditional talks, dismissing them as a ploy to hinder North Korea's progress.
"We stand ready to firmly respond to any actions that could infringe upon our sovereignty and harm the stability of our people," Kim said, adding that its recent firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was just the beginning.
Kim has made several remarks in recent days, including her condemnation of the United Nations Security Council for convening a meeting to discuss the ICBM firing. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · July 17, 2023
3. US, South Korea answer North’s ICBM launch with airpower drill involving B-52 bomber
We should not be thinking about this as a response. We should be emphasizing that we are able to conduct these exercises because of the high state of readiness weare sustaining and we have the right assets in the right places for the right missions.
US, South Korea answer North’s ICBM launch with airpower drill involving B-52 bomber
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · July 14, 2023
U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons and South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles escort a B-52H Stratofortress bomber over the Korean Peninsula, Thursday, July 13, 2023. (South Korean Ministry of National Defense)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The U.S. and South Korean air forces conducted a bomber escort drill a day after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that achieved a new flight record.
Three South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles flew alongside U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons and a B-52H Stratofortress bomber over the Korean Peninsula, according to a news release late Thursday from the South’s Ministry of National Defense.
Four U.S. F-16s accompanied the B-52H during the drill, 7th Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Rachel Buitrago said in an email Friday.
Aircraft tail markings from photos released by the ministry showed the F-16s were assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base and the B-52H was assigned to Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
B-52s from Barksdale arrived at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on July 5 as part of a bomber task force mission, one of an ongoing series intended to project U.S. airpower in the region, Pacific Air Forces said in a news release Tuesday.
U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons and South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles escort a B-52H Stratofortress bomber over the Korean Peninsula, Thursday, July 13, 2023. (South Korean Ministry of National Defense)
The joint air drill over South Korea was conducted “in a timely manner” and showcased the allies’ military capabilities and commitment to defend South Korea, according to the ministry’s release.
The demonstration came a day after North Korea fired its second, solid-fueled Hwasong-18 ICBM, which flew 74 minutes, a record for the regime’s missile program. It was fired around 10 a.m. Wednesday from the Pyongyang area and splashed into the East Sea, or Sea of Japan, 155 miles west of Okushiri Island, outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The test “fully demonstrated the might” of the North’s missile program, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday.
North Korea last fired the Hwasong-18 on April 13, prompting the Japanese government to warn people in Hokkaido to seek shelter.
The ICBM launch was condemned Wednesday at the NATO summit in Lithuania by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
“Even if North Korea continues to develop its nuclear and missile programs and threaten the use of nuclear weapons, it will only bolster the international community’s resolve to achieve [the] complete denuclearization of North Korea,” said a joint statement from the four leaders.
The North fired the ICBM two days after accusing the U.S. and South Korea of violating its airspace on multiple occasions this month. North Korea’s Defense Ministry in a statement published by KCNA on Monday alleged U.S. surveillance aircraft had flown into the country’s airspace; Washington and Seoul denied the claim.
David Choi
David Choi
David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · July 14, 2023
4. Korea expected to increase defense exports 87% by 2027: FKI
I know I continue to beat a dead horse, but another example of Korea's potential as a partner in the Arsenal of Democracy.
Korea expected to increase defense exports 87% by 2027: FKI
The Korea Times · July 17, 2023
K2 tanks manufactured by Hyundai Rotem / Korea Times file By Lee Kyung-min
Korea will be able to generate 29.7 trillion won ($23.4 billion) in defense exports by 2027, up about 87 percent from 15.9 trillion won in 2021, as sustained by robust growth momentum in recent years, according to a state-run think tank, Monday. The industry will create 69,000 jobs by 2027, more than doubling the 33,000 in 2021, it added.
The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET), which conducted the study at the request of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), said the strong figures will push up Korea's rank on the list of global defense powerhouses to fourth, up from the current eight.
The report said Korea's defense exports came to $17.3 billion last year, almost a six-fold increase from $3 billion in 2020.
Advancing the rapid growth is defense exports to Poland.
Exports of Korea-made fighter jets, tanks and artillery weaponry to Poland over the past year have topped 600 billion won.
Korea's export of tanks and other armored vehicles to Poland stood at $255 million in the first four months of this year. It already exceeded all of last year's exports of $201 million of the said items.
Included are FA-50 light attack fighter jets, K2 battle tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers. A howitzer is an artillery weapon somewhere between a cannon and a mortar. It can be used with other artillery pieces, such as long-barreled guns, mortars and rocket artillery.
Korea-Poland trade volume reached an all-time high of $8.95 billion in 2022. This year is the 10th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership.
The FKI said the growth outlook for the defense market will remain bright, as strengthened by hefty new demand from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India.
Korea's growth in those markets will in turn be strong, provided that the country's overseas expansion and local manufacturing of key products are propelled by timely revision of trade and defense policies, the report said.
"Korea should foster diplomatic relations with countries expressing interests in fortifying defense business ties," the report said.
"Embassies, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and private defense firms should mobilize efforts to establish a strong local base as soon as possible."
Also recommended is fortifying bilateral tech ties with the U.S. to establish a system whereby key defense and industrial technology transfers are arranged.
"Supply chains will determine the role and presence of Korea as well as how effective the country's say is on the global market," the report said.
"Strategies for quantitative and qualitative growth will be needed for the recent strong export momentum to continue."
The Korea Times · July 17, 2023
5. S. Korea's stance against lethal arms aid to Ukraine remains unchanged: defense ministry
Is this only a policy stance? I was under the impression that there is a constitutional restriction on providing lethal aid to a country at war (though I am not sure). If there is, I would expect that the spokesman would include that in his remarks.
S. Korea's stance against lethal arms aid to Ukraine remains unchanged: defense ministry | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · July 17, 2023
SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's policy stance against the provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged, the defense ministry said Monday, after President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to the war-torn nation in a show of solidarity over the weekend.
During his talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday, Yoon agreed to provide Ukraine with a package of security, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance under the name "Ukraine Peace and Solidarity Initiative."
"There is no change in the government's position that South Korea does not provide lethal weapons," Jeon Ha-kyu, the ministry's spokesperson, told a regular press briefing.
Following the summit between Yoon and Zelenskyy, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said South Korea will supply Ukraine with more mine detectors and demining equipment as part of its assistance package.
Seoul recently sent portable mine detectors and protective suits in its latest batch of military supplies to support Ukraine
Last year, it sent three batches of nonlethal military assistance to Ukraine, including first-aid kits, medicine, gas masks, tents, bulletproof vests and food for field troops.
Jeon Ha-kyu, spokesperson of South Korea's defense ministry, speaks during a regular press briefing at the ministry in Seoul on May 2, 2023. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · July 17, 2023
6. N. Korea ramps up efforts to minimize damage from heavy rains
If the effects of rains are bad in South Korea, we can expect them to be much worse in the north.
N. Korea ramps up efforts to minimize damage from heavy rains | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 17, 2023
SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has ramped up efforts to minimize damage to crops from the monsoon season, with its premier inspecting farms in several counties to call attention to grain protection, state media said Monday.
Kim Tok-hun called for "scientifically" managing crops and mobilizing all means for weeding during his latest visits to farms in some regions, including South Hwanghae Province and South Pyongan Province, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
He instructed officials to better manage drainage facilities and seawalls with "responsibility" to brace for abnormal weather, such as heavy rains and typhoons, it added.
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on July 17, 2023, shows North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun (C) inspecting a farm in South Hwanghae Province amid the monsoon season. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
North Korea has put its top priority on crop protection in the face of a food crisis that has been aggravated by its COVID-19-related border closure and global sanctions on its nuclear and missile programs.
Downpours could be devastating to the North, as it is vulnerable to flash flooding due to poor irrigation and deforestation.
South Korea's unification ministry said there has been no known damage from heavy rains in the North and repeated its call on Pyongyang to give prior notice if it releases water from dams near the inter-Korean border.
"We once again request North Korea to take sincere measures to prevent its inaction from causing damage (to border areas)," ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam said in a press briefing.
In October 2009, North Korea agreed to notify the South in advance when it plans to release water from dams, following an accident that killed six South Koreans after the North discharged water from the Hwanggang Dam without notice.
But last year, North Korea released water from the Hwanggang Dam without notifying Seoul, prompting the ministry to voice regret over the North's action.
This file photo, taken July 5, 2023, shows water being released from a dam in the border town of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 17, 2023
7. Asean diplomats expected to criticize North's nuke program
This is a result of strong South Korean diplomacy and the frustration with north Korean malign activities and threats.
Monday
July 17, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Published: 17 Jul. 2023, 18:39
Asean diplomats expected to criticize North's nuke program
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/07/17/national/diplomacy/korea-ARF-china/20230717183910150.html
North Korea’s ambassador to Indonesia and the Asean region, An Kwang-il, center, attends the Asean Regional Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday. [YONHAP]
Top Asean diplomats are soon expected to release a statement heavily critical of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
“Indonesia, the chair of the Asean Regional Forum [ARF], will decide the timing of the announcement of the chairman’s statement, but for now, the expression on CVID [complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization] is expected to be reflected in the North Korea-related texts in the statement,” a Foreign Ministry official told the press in Seoul on Monday.
The chairman’s statement from the ARF is usually announced a few days after the annual forum’s conclusion. The forum was hosted this year by Indonesia from last Thursday to Friday.
The complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, a term used by previous South Korean and U.S. administrations, was largely avoided during the liberal Moon Jae-in administration which sought political engagement with Pyongyang. However, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has resumed using it at international fora.
“We have coordinated [with our counterparts] to issue a firm and united message that would serve as a stinging warning to North Korea,” said the official.
During the forum’s official programs and in sideline meetings with Asean diplomats and ministers from Australia, India and other regional powers, Foreign Minister Park Jin stressed the need for a united regional response to the North’s continued military provocations, according to the ministry.
This wouldn't be the first time the term CVID has been used in the chairman’s statement from the Asean Regional Forum.
Last year, under Cambodia’s chairmanship, the statement criticized the North’s military actions and expressed “support for the international efforts to bring about the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.”
The forum is the only multilateral forum in the Indo-Pacific region attended by North Korea. For the past four years, North Korea’s ambassador to Indonesia and the Asean region, An Kwang-il, has attended the forum.
Foreign Minister Park Jin meets with Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat and director of the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs committee, on the sidelines of the Asean Regional Forum in Jakarta on Friday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
The regional forum this year coincided with the North’s Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile launch last Wednesday. Asean foreign ministers issued a statement on Friday expressing "grave concern" about the missile launch.
Park held no official meetings with An but conveyed a message in a brief encounter on Friday morning after his meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
“Shouldn't North Korea stop missile launches and start denuclearization talks for peace on the Korean Peninsula?” Park was quoted to have asked An, according to a high-ranking ministry official.
An was said to have given no particular response.
In a foreign ministerial meeting on that day, An reportedly blamed others in the region for escalating tensions, including South Korea and the United States. He had also denied that the North’s military actions pose a threat to the region.
“That’s equivalent to shooting away with a machine gun and then saying to those who didn’t get hit that you are safe,” Park was quoted to have said in his remarks in the same meeting, according to the ministry. “The argument that the Republic of Korea-U.S. joint military exercises caused the escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula is unreasonable, like putting the cart before the horse.”
From left, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin meet on the sidelines of the Asean Regional Forum in Jakarta on Friday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
High-level meetings with China, the United States and Japan also took place on the sidelines of the forum last week.
Park met on Friday with Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat and director of the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs committee. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, originally scheduled to attend the forum, pulled out at the last minute, citing health reasons.
Contrary to the tit-for-tat war of words that Seoul and Beijing have engaged in for months this year over regional issues including Taiwan, the official statements that followed the meeting were largely cordial.
“Recently, the difficulties and challenges facing China-Republic of Korea relations have increased, which is not in the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples,” said the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a statement on Saturday. “We are willing to work with the Republic of Korea in the spirit of mutual respect [...] and return the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership to the track of healthy and stable development.”
The Foreign Ministry in Seoul also stressed the need for closer bilateral cooperation to encourage the North to return to talks and the denuclearization process.
Park also met with his Japanese and U.S. counterparts on Friday. While all three governments released statements about the meeting afterward, only the Japanese Foreign Ministry included details about its plan to release treated radioactive water into the sea.
“The three Ministers exchanged views on [...] coordination to prevent the spread of disinformation regarding ALPS treated water,” it said, referring to the Advanced Liquid Processing System used to treat the contaminated water of the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The plan has been met with strong opposition from both civic groups and fishing communities in Korea.
Oh Young-ju, the second vice foreign minister of Korea, said that the Fukushima issue was unlikely to be included in the Asean Regional Forum’s chairman’s statement, in an interview with local media outlet YTN on Sunday.
BY PARK HYUN-JU, ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]
8. Competing drills in East Sea reflect growing bloc rivalry
The Korean Theater of Operations is not just about the north-South conflict.
Excerpts:
China and Russia have held six such combined exercises since 2019.
But a South Korean military official who spoke on condition of anonymity to reporters said that the purpose of Chinese and Russian joint air force exercises, and incursions into the Kadiz, could be “to test the readiness of the Korean Air Force, as well as to collect information on various weapons systems and communication signals.”
Monday
July 17, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Published: 17 Jul. 2023, 16:44
Updated: 17 Jul. 2023, 17:48
Competing drills in East Sea reflect growing bloc rivalry
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/07/17/national/defense/Korea-Japan-United-States/20230717164442702.html
Aegis-equipped destroyers ROKS Yulgok Yi I, left, USS John Finn, center, and JS Maya, right, take part in a trilateral missile defense exercise by South Korean, U.S. and Japanese naval forces in the East Sea on Sunday. [REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY]
The waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula appear increasingly crowded with dueling military drills that highlight the hardening divide between the United States and its regional allies on one side, and China and Russia on the other.
On Sunday, South Korea, the United States and Japan staged a joint missile defense exercise in the East Sea, four days after the North fired a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile into the sea just outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The trilateral exercise also took place a day after Beijing’s defense ministry said Moscow will send an air force and naval contingent to take part in the Northern/Interaction-2023 exercise in the East Sea, which is to be held by the Northern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at an unspecified date.
Seoul, Washington and Tokyo agreed last year to deepen security cooperation in the face of saber-rattling by Pyongyang, whose leader Kim Jong-un vowed to carry out an “even stronger military offensive” against the United States and the South, according to the North’s state-controlled Korean Central News Agency on Thursday.
Sunday’s drill was the fourth trilateral missile defense exercise to take place under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, which has pushed for heightened security cooperation with Tokyo after a years-long chill in bilateral relations over Korean court decisions ordering Japanese companies to compensate Korean forced labor victims.
During the exercise, personnel aboard three Aegis-equipped destroyers — ROKS Yulgok Yi I, USS John Finn and JS Maya — practiced detecting missile launches, tracking a computer-simulated ballistic missile target, and sharing relevant information with each other, according to the South Korean Navy.
“This exercise served as an opportunity to enhance our military’s response capabilities against ballistic missiles and improve security cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan,” said a South Korean Navy official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.
The official also said that the South Korean military “will meet North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats with a powerful response system and trilateral coordination.”
But whereas cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan is aimed at countering the North’s missile launches, China’s upcoming joint exercise with Russia appears to have a different, geographic dimension, with Beijing’s defense ministry saying the drill would focus on “maintaining the security of strategic maritime corridors.”
“This joint exercise aims at enhancing the level of strategic cooperation between the Chinese and Russian militaries, as well as strengthening both sides’ ability to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability when dealing with various security challenges,” the ministry said in a statement.
Although the exercise was first announced on June 9 by Liu Zhenli, head of China’s joint staff department, and Valery Gerasimov, the Russian military’s chief of general staff, the statement by Beijing’s defense ministry confirms the involvement of both Russia’s navy and air force.
The choice of the East Sea as the location of the joint exercise also underlines Beijing and Moscow’s suspicions that trilateral cooperation between Washington and its regional allies is aimed at blocking Chinese and Russian access to the western Pacific in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.
Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, told the South China Morning Post that the “strategic maritime corridors” mentioned by the Chinese defense ministry refer to the Tsushima Strait near Korea and the Soya and Tsugaru straits in northern Japan, which could become “possible barriers,” or choke points closed to China and Russia in the event of armed hostilities.
Russia also led its own multinational exercise in the East Sea last year, which was joined by China, India and others.
The initial announcement of the Northern/Interaction-2023 exercise by the two countries’ military leaders came three days after Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered South Korea’s air defense identification zone (Kadiz) without prior notice on June 6.
The Chinese defense ministry claimed at the time that the intrusion was merely part of a “joint aerial strategic patrol” in the East China Sea and East Sea.
China and Russia have held six such combined exercises since 2019.
But a South Korean military official who spoke on condition of anonymity to reporters said that the purpose of Chinese and Russian joint air force exercises, and incursions into the Kadiz, could be “to test the readiness of the Korean Air Force, as well as to collect information on various weapons systems and communication signals.”
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
9. S. Korea to join US-led cyber drill
We must be able to defend against the regime's all purpose sword of cyber as well as conduct offensive cyber operations against the north.
S. Korea to join US-led cyber drill
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · July 17, 2023
Published : Jul 17, 2023 - 13:51 Updated : Jul 17, 2023 - 16:04
The flags of South Korea (right) and the United States. (123rf)
South Korea’s Cyber Operations Command will take part in an annual US-led virtual exercise throughout next week to boost readiness against threats in what is increasingly becoming a new battlefront for the military, the South Korean Defense Ministry said Monday.
The Cyber Flag drill, running from Monday to Friday next week, is meant to bolster not only cybersecurity by simulating defense and sharing information, but ties among the participants led by the Five Eyes network -- an intelligence alliance made up of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
South Korea, which took part in the multinational exercise for the first time last year, agreed with the US on regularly participating in the event at their Cyber Cooperation Working Group meeting in May this year.
“Our command will seek to bolster joint cybersecurity capabilities through command to command exchanges with the US as well as personnel and technology sharing,” the Cyber Operations Command said in a statement.
On June 22, Seoul and Washington set up a working group on cybersecurity, a separate follow-up on what the two allies agreed at the April summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US counterpart, Joe Biden.
There, an interagency team of Korean and American officials responsible for cybersecurity established what they called a “senior steering group” to start responding to cyberthreats, singling out cryptocurrency theft as one of their major concerns.
By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)
10. Satellite pics reveal Kim Jong-un is ‘building ANOTHER private train station and horse racing track near beach mansions’
A horse racing track? It is hard to believe the regime could get even more weird. Photos at the link.
KIM’S NEW TOYS
Satellite pics reveal Kim Jong-un is ‘building ANOTHER private train station and horse racing track near beach mansions’
https://www.the-sun.com/news/8614157/satellite-kim-jong-un-train-station-horse-racing-track/
SATELLITE images suggest that Kim Jong Un is apparently building his own private train station on the east coast near his mansions.
Pictures reveal the station's construction site is located between Hamhung City and Rakwon County - close to the North Korean leader's Majon and Soho beach mansion complexes.
4
North Korea's leader is seemingly building a new private train stationCredit: AFP
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Satellite images show Kim's new train station near the Majon ResortCredit: NkNews
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The new station is located between Hamhung City and Rakwon CountyCredit: NkNews
The satellite images by Planet Labs, analysed by NK Pro, show that the new station is also close to the elite Kim Jong Suk Naval University.
It appears it is one of the despot's favourite spots as he has previously used the beaches at his Majon mansion and Majon Hotel next door to launch missiles.
The images reveal that construction of the station began in December while three months later crews started building small bridges to connect the railway to the station.
After the instalment of the roof in June, the train station appeared nearly ready this month and could open over the summer.
An analysis of the images by NK Pro speculates that the new train station is for Kim and his family due to its similarities with another station, in Pyongyang, where his main private palace complex reportedly is.
The North Korean leader built a large 1,200 feet private train station in 2020 in Pyongyang, arguing he was looking for safe ways of travelling amid security concerns.
The new one on Majon Beach is 985 feet and just over half a mile away from a different station in front of the Majon Resort beach.
The satellite images have also uncovered a new oval track on a beach that could be used for horse racing.
Kim has built private runways around the country as well as top-of-the-line horse tracks.
The tyrant has splurged on multiple luxurious properties across North Korea as well as underground buildings at his office complex in the capital.
Last year eight luxury houses were detected in his Ch’angkwangsan compound at the heart of Pyongyang.
The compound opposite the ruling party’s offices in Kim’s “forbidden city” is only one of about 13 available to the dictator, his family and close aides across the country.
In 2019, the despot built his personal beach resort and upgraded his fleet of megayachts.
Kim's new construction plans have been revealed just days after he launched another ballistic missile out to sea.
The launch has sparked concerns from the White House he will conduct yet another missile test.
Speaking to CBS News, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said: "I have been concerned for some time that North Korea would conduct what would be its seventh nuclear test.
"I don't see any immediate indications that's going to happen, but it would not come as a surprise if North Korea moves forward with another test with respect to its intercontinental ballistic missile capability."
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The construction of an oval track suggests it could be a horse-riding trackCredit: NkNews
11. North Korea's Hwasong-18 ICBM Launch Sparks Tensions: A Closer Look
The "United States National Park Service" confirms....? Perhaps this is a machine translation of an article in another language.
Excerpt:
Currently, only three countries possess land-based ICBMs with such a range: Russia, the United States, and China. The United States National Park Service confirms that ICBMs have a range that can potentially make targets across the globe vulnerable.
North Korea's Hwasong-18 ICBM Launch Sparks Tensions: A Closer Look | Explained - News18
news18.com · by News Desk · July 17, 2023
North Korea recently announced the launch of the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), raising concerns and escalating tensions with the United States and its allies.
Let’s explore the details surrounding the launch and its implications.
First, Let’s Understand What an ICBM is:
ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) are highly potent nuclear missiles with an extensive range of approximately 6,000 to 9,300 miles. They were initially developed by the Soviet Union in 1958 during the Cold War and subsequently by the United States in 1959. These missiles are considered strategic defense weapons due to their ability to inflict significant destruction, as per a report by National World.
Currently, only three countries possess land-based ICBMs with such a range: Russia, the United States, and China. The United States National Park Service confirms that ICBMs have a range that can potentially make targets across the globe vulnerable.
ICBMs come in various types, including the Atlas missile, Titus missile, Minuteman, and Peacekeeper missile, among others, the report explains. They possess immense destructive power and can cause widespread devastation through explosions and subsequent radiation.
According to Missile Defense Advocacy, an ICBM carrying an average of 3.6kg of high-explosive payload could generate an explosion damage radius of up to 1.47km. If such an event were to occur in an urban area, it is estimated that there could be over 180,000 casualties depending on local population density. This underscores the grave consequences associated with the use of ICBMs.
The Hwasong-18 ICBM Launch
North Korea conducted the launch of the Hwasong-18, a potentially advanced ICBM, with a flight time of 74 minutes. This represents a marginal improvement compared to previous ICBM tests conducted earlier this year. The Hwasong-18 possesses the necessary range to potentially target the continental United States, as per a report by CNN.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reacts as Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile is launched on July 13, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS
Escalating Tensions and Threats
The missile launch followed North Korea’s recent threat to shoot down US military reconnaissance aircraft engaged in activities it deemed “hostile espionage" near its territory. These actions contribute to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, particularly as the United States and South Korea strengthen their defense cooperation.
The timing of the launch coincides with the NATO summit, where discussions among South Korea, Japan, and the US are focusing on security matters (Image: Shutterstock)
Additionally, the timing of the launch coincides with the NATO summit, where discussions among South Korea, Japan, and the US are focusing on security matters, including North Korea’s threat perception, the report explains.
About the Hwasong-18
The Hwasong-18 is an ICBM developed by North Korea. It was first showcased during the February 8 parade earlier this year, which commemorated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army in Pyongyang. Notably, the Hwasong-18 utilizes solid propellants, distinguishing it from previous liquid-fueled ICBMs, as per a report by Indian Express.
Experts highlight that the use of solid propellants in the Hwasong-18 enables faster missile deployment. Solid propellants offer advantages such as increased speed and quicker acceleration at liftoff compared to liquid propellants.
Experts highlight that the use of solid propellants in the Hwasong-18 enables faster missile deployment. KCNA via REUTERS
The history of solid propellants can be traced back to ancient times, with the Chinese developing early rockets employing variations of black powder, a type of solid propellant, during the first millennium, as per the report. While solids were utilized in various military applications, including short-range rockets, they were not initially employed for long-range purposes or spaceflight due to their relatively lower power. However, solid propellants gained popularity in military missile systems primarily because they could be easily stored, providing convenience and operational flexibility.
In the context of the Hwasong-18, the use of solid propellants contributes to its faster deployment capabilities and enhances North Korea’s missile program.
What Does North Korea Say?
According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea conducted the missile launch during what it considers a critical period of military security on the Korean Peninsula. The country perceives intensified military provocations from the United States and its allies, characterizing the situation as a nuclear crisis reminiscent of the Cold War era.
Russia’s ‘Feathers Ruffled’, US ‘Not Surprised’
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened an emergency National Security Council meeting during the NATO summit to address the missile launch. President Yoon expressed the need for “strong international solidarity" in response to North Korea’s actions.
According to state media, Russia is conducting an investigation to determine whether a North Korean ICBM crashed in its waters during a recent test launch, Reuters reported. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko stated that Russia’s defense ministry is looking into the matter but currently lacks clear information regarding whether the missile fell within Russia’s economic zone.
Meanwhile, a senior White House official stated that the United States would not be surprised if North Korea conducts another nuclear test following its recent launch of an ICBM. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed long-standing concerns about North Korea’s potential for a seventh nuclear test, highlighting that Pyongyang began testing its nuclear capabilities several years ago and has continued to do so.
With inputs from agencies
news18.com · by News Desk · July 17, 2023
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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