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Quotes of the Day:
“Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”
- Francis Bacon, The Essays
“Without a full understanding of the harm caused by war, it is impossible to understand the most profitable way of conducting it.”
- Sun Tzu, The Art Of War
“The perceptive power of the brain in this undirected mode is so strong that it seems to border on a kind of telepathy. Test subjects can tell winning poker hands, for example, by watching two-second clips of professional players moving their chips to the center of the table to place a bet. Players with winning hands were almost imperceptibly smoother and looser in their body movements. (Their faces were unobservable in the study. A separate study found that facial expression—which is easy to mask—did not help observers judge the strength of a hand at all.) And the same is true of athletes: If you show basketball players a brief video of fellow players taking a free throw, roughly two-thirds of the time they can determine whether or not he will make the shot, based solely on the movement of the arm. There is something about grace that tells athletes what is about to happen. In short, quicker, more efficient movement gives small fighters an advantage over large ones, and unconscious perceptions allow them to see punches before they have been launched. Were either not true, larger fighters would regularly crush small ones, but they don't. This allows humans to confront or disobey the largest male in the group, which is a departure from millions of years of primate evolution.”
- Sebastian Junger, Freedom
1. Blinken reaffirms U.S. commitment to defend South Korea and Japan
2. N. Korea’s vulgar response to S.Korea’s audacious plan
3. Assistant State Sec. Kritenbrink to visit Seoul next week
4. Kim Yo-jong calls Yoon's 'audacious initiative' repulsive
5. Inter-Korean ties slumping from early days of new S. Korean administration
6. China's appeal as manufacturing hub is fading real fast (for South Korea)
7. U.N. special rapporteur for N. Korea human rights to visit S. Korea this month
8. S. Korean lawmakers leave for U.S. visit
9. Why do NK refugees take to the stage?
10. How the Rivalry Between China and South Korea May Help America
11. North Korea imports of Chinese masks, gloves surged before it declared COVID victory
12. Kim Jung Un praises military medics after declaring victory over COVID last week
13. Yanggang Province arrests gang that allegedly sold gold from Taebong Mine
14. N. Korean hospitals ordered to create management system for infectious disease-related medical records
15. Infamous Lazarus hacking group targeting Mac users with fake job listings
16. Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo spoke at a 'Moonies'-affiliated event, despite Japan controversy
17. Suspicious Overseas Remittance Increased to $6.5 Billion, Funds May Have Gone to North Korea
18. North Korea’s elderly, struggling to survive, sell what they can for food
19. Will Pyongyang’s NATO Tirades Pay Dividends?
20. Korean DMZ bike trail makes you forget a hostile frontier is close by
1. Blinken reaffirms U.S. commitment to defend South Korea and Japan
You would think he would not have to say this but it is good that he did. We must ensure no one forgets our commitments.
Blinken reaffirms U.S. commitment to defend South Korea and Japan
Reuters · by Reuters
WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitment" to the defense of South Korea and Japan in a call with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on Friday, the State Department said.
Blinken expressed his appreciation for South Korea's "concerted efforts to improve its relationship with Japan and secure the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
The two also discussed stability in the Indo-Pacific, including the Taiwan Strait, Price added.
Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Mark Porter
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Reuters · by Reuters
2. N. Korea’s vulgar response to S.Korea’s audacious plan
north Korean "diplomacy."
As an aside you would think the Donga Ilbo editorial board would know the name of the exercise that begins next week. Ulchi Freedom Guardian is the old name. But the focus on readiness of the combined defense capabilities is correct.
Conclusion:
The government should maintain a steady stance and solidify its national security readiness against North Korea’s provocations. Through next week’s Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercise between South Korea and the U.S., we need to review our defense readiness and show North Korea how strong the ROK-US combined forces’ readiness for combat is against its huge nuclear provocations so that it can’t miscalculate. We need to be composed and maintain our door open to dialogues by fleshing out the audacious initiative with the international community including the U.S.
N. Korea’s vulgar response to S.Korea’s audacious plan
donga.com
Posted August. 20, 2022 07:33,
Updated August. 20, 2022 07:33
N. Korea’s vulgar response to S.Korea’s audacious plan. August. 20, 2022 07:33. .
North Korea has rejected South Korea's offer called an “audacious plan” through Kim Yo Jong, a top official and the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, four days after President Yoon Suk-yeol proposed it in his Liberation Day speech on August 15. Kim Yo Jong reproached the proposal, saying, “It’s as stupid as trying to dry the dark blue ocean and turn it into a mulberry field.” South Korea's presidential office said it regretted her "rude" remarks, and “such attitude will only accelerate its international isolation further.”
In fact, the North’s rejection had been predicted beforehand. There is nothing new about the North dismissing the South’s offer. However, its recent one, done by the leader’s closest next of kin, was filled with rude and obscene remarks that a gangster would say without any dignity. N.Korea once made sarcastic remarks at its dialogue partner, former President Moon Jae-in, that “a person who had sought to take the questionable driver’s seat”, was gone. In addition, North Korea taunted South Korea about the South’s intelligence on the North saying the S.Korean military was wrong about the North’s cruise missile provocation.
The North’s attitude would mean that it is willing to continue the tensions between the two. Kim Yo Jong repeated that North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons, saying, “South Korea's ‘audacious offer’ of economic support in exchange for denuclearization is absurd.” As North Korea receives protection from China and Russia in this New Cold War era, the North would never accept the South’s proposal no matter how extraordinary it is. However, this kind of opportunist approach would bring turbulence within the regime and make it vulnerable to international situations.
The government should maintain a steady stance and solidify its national security readiness against North Korea’s provocations. Through next week’s Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercise between South Korea and the U.S., we need to review our defense readiness and show North Korea how strong the ROK-US combined forces’ readiness for combat is against its huge nuclear provocations so that it can’t miscalculate. We need to be composed and maintain our door open to dialogues by fleshing out the audacious initiative with the international community including the U.S.
한국어
donga.com
3. Assistant State Sec. Kritenbrink to visit Seoul next week
Sustained high diplomatic engagement. Alliances matter.
Assistant State Sec. Kritenbrink to visit Seoul next week | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · August 20, 2022
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink will visit South Korea next week for talks on various issues including North Korea's evolving threats, the state department said Friday.
The assistant secretary will travel to Mongolia and South Korea from Monday through Saturday.
"In Seoul, the assistant secretary will hold meetings with ROK government officials to discuss strengthening the U.S.-ROK alliance and bilateral cooperation across a wide range of regional and global issues, including the threat posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Russia's unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine," the department said in a press release, referring to North Korea by its official name.
ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
The planned visit comes amid fears of a potential nuclear test by North Korea.
Officials in Seoul and Washington have said the North appears to have completed all preparations for what will be its seventh nuclear test and that the country may only be gauging the timing.
North Korea conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.
"The assistant secretary will also highlight the importance trilateral cooperation among the United States, ROK, and Japan," the department said of Kritenbrink's upcoming trip to Seoul.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · August 20, 2022
4. Kim Yo-jong calls Yoon's 'audacious initiative' repulsive
Suchh colorful diplomatic language that I think is unique to north Korea.
Friday
August 19, 2022
dictionary + A - A
Kim Yo-jong calls Yoon's 'audacious initiative' repulsive
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/08/19/national/northKorea/north-korea-kim-yojong-yoon-sukyeol/20220819132348008.html
Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader’s sister, speaks in Pyongyang on Aug. 10. The photo is a screen grab from North Korean state-controlled Korean Central Television. [YONHAP]
The sister of North Korea leader lambasted the so-called “audacious initiative” of the Yoon Suk-yeol government, stressing that the regime will not give up its nuclear weapons.
“The most repulsive point," said Kim Yo-jong in a statement released by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday, "was when he [Yoon] recited absurd words impertinently ... proposing us [an audacious initiative] to radically improve the economy and public welfare if we would stop nuclear development and turn towards substantial denuclearization.”
In his inauguration speech in May and again on Monday, Yoon proposed an "audacious initiative" to persuade the North to give up its nuclear weapons with offers of aid for the country's economy. In the English-language KCNA report Friday, Kim called the plan “the height of absurdity,” adding that it wasn't very new.
“The ‘bold plan’ is not a new one, but a replica of ‘denuclearization, opening and 3,000’ raised by traitor Lee Myung Bak 10-odd years ago,” she said.
Former conservative President Lee Myung-bak proposed a North Korea policy called “Vision 3000” in 2008 that was supposed to help Pyongyang reach $3,000 in per capita annual income in 10 years if it denuclearized.
North Korea will not give up its nukes, Kim said.
“No one barters its destiny for corn cake,” she said, calling the North’s nuclear program its “destiny” and “honor,” and describing Seoul’s offers of economic assistance to the North as “simple” and “childish.”
Kim’s statement was also released in the state-controlled Rodong Sinmun and on Korean Central Television. It came four days after Yoon stressed his initiative in a Liberation Day speech.
Kim is vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
The presidential office in Seoul responded to Kim's statement with "deep regret" on Friday.
BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]
5. Inter-Korean ties slumping from early days of new S. Korean administration
They are "slumping" for the same reason they "slumped" during the Moon administration: Kim JOng Un and his deliberate decision making to prioritize nuclear weapons, missile, advanced military capabilities, and support to the elite over the welfare of the Korean people in the north. Kim refuses to engage.
Inter-Korean ties slumping from early days of new S. Korean administration
donga.com
Posted August. 20, 2022 07:35,
Updated August. 20, 2022 07:35
Inter-Korean ties slumping from early days of new S. Korean administration. August. 20, 2022 07:35. by Jin-Woo Shin, Su-Young Hong niceshin@donga.com,gaea@donga.com.
As Kim Yo Jong, Vice director of the North Korean Workers’ Party’s Propaganda and Agitation Department, unleased criticism without reservation against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s ‘audacious plan,’ its roadmap for inter-Korean relations, watchers say inter-Korean ties that were already at low point will further slump. As Kim, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s younger sister, who is in effect comprehensively overseeing South Korean affairs, mentioned President Yoon’s name nine times saying, “I hate Yoon Suk-yeol as human being,” the South Korean government responded by saying “She has crossed the red line.” The South Korean presidential office also expressed discomfort, saying “We deeply regret.”
However, some watchers say that the fact Pyongyang has reacted by directly mentioning the ‘audacious plan,’ can be seen as a signal that a dramatic turnaround can unfold in inter-Korean relations. “The fact Pyongyang refuted the audacious plan item by item means the North has closely examined the plan,” a ranking official in the Yoon administration said. “The fact the North intensified its criticism against the South could be indicative of the former’s intention to elevate its valuation before starting negotiations.”
Kim, who called the ‘audacious plan’ “the excessive revelation of (Yoon’s) ignorance,” blasted President Yoon by calling him “A heinous man who mentions an audacious plan today and pushes to implement war drills to invade the North tomorrow.” “The old saying said a dog will bark regardless of whether it is an adult dog or a pup,” and “The so-called president is not much different either,” she said bluntly. “While living in anxiety because he could be kicked out anytime due to messy economic situation and people’s livelihoods,’ how on earth can he afford to mention improvement of others’ economy and livelihood,” Kim said of Yoon sarcastically.
As Pyongyang effectively rejected Yoon’s audacious plan even by mentioning his name, the South Korean government instantly countered by expressing ‘regret’ across the board. “We deeply regret that the North has continued to make rude remarks by calling our President by name and distort our ‘audacious plan’ while continuing to express its intention to develop nuclear weapons,” the presidential office said. Unification Minister Kwon Young-se and the Foreign Affairs Ministry also expressed “‘strong regret.’ The ruling People Power party said, “’The audacious plan’ is a suggestion to secure humane life for North Korean people, not the Kim Jong Un regime that has stayed in power through violence and use of force for three consecutive generations,” adding, “If Pyongyang comes to the path of dialogue, we will keep open the door to peace.”
As Pyongyang has rejected the Yoon administration’s North Korea policy, which the new administration announced after agonizing, it is highly likely that tension will intensify further at least for the time being. Watchers say the North could step up its provocations by firing ballistic missiles and conducting nuclear tests after firing two cruise missiles on Wednesday, or 100th day since Yoon’s inauguration. Notably, with joint South Korea-US military drills set to start on Monday, the North could launch a flurry of provocations at the pretext of the drills.
한국어
donga.com
6. China's appeal as manufacturing hub is fading real fast (for South Korea)
Chart at the link.
Saturday
August 20, 2022
dictionary + A - A
[ANALYSIS] China's appeal as manufacturing hub is fading real fast
Representatives of Samsung Electronics and Chinese government officials celebrate the opening of its second chip plant in Xi'an in March 2018. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]
China is losing its luster as a manufacturing hub for Korean companies due to tensions between Washington and Beijing, strict Covid-related lockdowns and higher labor costs.
Big Korean manufacturers spent billions of dollars to build factories in China but now they're searching for more stable locations like Vietnam — or even the United States.
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix haven’t made any major investments in China since 2019, after a trade war between the world’s two largest economies broke out the previous year.
“The latest spending in China primarily concerned maintenance of equipment and operations rather than capacity expansion or an upgrade to more advanced manufacturing processes,” said an executive at Samsung Electronics who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The executive cited multiple layers of U.S. sanctions and regulations as the primary factor for putting a brake on investment in China, where the Korean chipmaker runs chip plants in Xi'an and Suzhou.
Samsung Electronics' workforce in China has shrunk 49 percent from 34,843 in 2017 to 17,820 as of the end of 2021, according to reports released by the company.
The U.S.-China battle in the technology sector dates to 2019 when President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring U.S. companies from using information and communications technology from Huawei, citing concerns about security.
The same year, the Department of Commerce prohibited the sale of components in which U.S. technology is used to Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).
Since then, the U.S. government has been trying to include its allies — notably Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Europe — in an effort to contain China’s rise in the tech sector through diplomatic dialogue and the passage of regulations at home.
The U.S. Chips Act, which was passed in July, bans any firm receiving subsidies under the Act from investing in advanced chip manufacturing in China for 10 years. The 10-year restriction does not apply to existing facilities and an exemption is possible for building plants with old manufacturing processes above the 28 nanometer generation.
“The exemption is meaningless because most of the latest memory chips are made using the 10 nanometer-range process,” said a source in the semiconductor industry.
“So, the law squarely says no new chip factory in China given that no company will be interested in building old-process facilities.”
U.S. restrictions are not confined to semiconductors. The Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law on Aug. 16, limits tax credits on electric vehicles to those with batteries produced in North America.
SK hynix has already tested Washington's resolve, and found it robust. The world’s second largest memory chipmaker attempted to bring in advanced lithography equipment using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) to China last year, but the U.S. government blocked entry.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said last December that the move was “unexpected,” adding, “The Wuxi plants will continue to operate without the advanced equipment.” Its two plants in Wuxi are responsible for making half of SK hynix's dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips.
Chey struck a cautious note about locating factories in countries with such political risks.
“Geopolitical conflicts impact the semiconductor industry,” Chey said during a conference in Washington.
“In the past, we were after the places that cost less to reduce expenditures,” Chey said, “But the metrics should be changed in case that additional spending could incur due to unexpected problems.”
While companies are reducing their presence in China, big investments have been committed at home in Korea and in the United States.
Samsung Electronics plans to invest at least $17 billion to set up a new chip manufacturing plant in Taylor, Texas. The chip giant has a massive plot of land in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi where it plans to build at least six semiconductor plants. The third plant, widely known as P3, is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
SK hynix is looking to Yongin, Gyeonggi, as its next-generation manufacturing hub and has committed 120 trillion won ($90 billion) to developing a new cluster there.
In the U.S., SK companies will invest $22 billion in manufacturing advanced memory chips, electric vehicle batteries and biopharmaceuticals through 2025, Chey told U.S. President Joe Biden in a video conference last month.
The trend is not unique to Korea.
Apple has decided to shift iPad production to Vietnam from China, according to media reports, after Covid-related lockdowns in Shanghai caused massive supply chain disruptions.
U.S. sanctions and regulations will keep on isolating China, experts predict.
“The U.S. is strengthening its restrictions against China with its allies,” said Cho Eun-kyo, a researcher at Korean Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade.
“Given that the U.S. holds key technologies for chip design and manufacturing, the push to isolate China will be intensified going forward."
The U.S. government has suggested a consultative body on supply chain management in semiconductors to its allies – Taiwan, Japan and Korea.
The Korean government expressed its intent on attending a preliminary meeting for the body, called by the Korean press Chip 4.
BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]
7. U.N. special rapporteur for N. Korea human rights to visit S. Korea this month
I understand she is depaying her DC trip until there is a US Ambassador for north Korean human rights.
U.N. special rapporteur for N. Korea human rights to visit S. Korea this month | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 심선아 · August 20, 2022
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- Elizabeth Salmon, newly appointed U.N. special rapporteur for North Korea's human rights, will make her first official visit to South Korea this month, a U.N. office said Saturday.
Salmon will be in South Korea from Aug. 29 to Sept. 3, an official of the U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) in Seoul told Yonhap News Agency by phone.
During her stay, she is expected to gather materials necessary to write a report on the human rights situation in North Korea for the U.N. General Assembly in October and meet officials of the South Korean foreign and unification ministries and North Korea human rights groups.
The special rapporteur position was first created in 2004 to investigate and report to the U.N. Human Rights Council and General Assembly on the human rights situation in the reclusive regime in light of international human rights law.
sshim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 심선아 · August 20, 2022
8. S. Korean lawmakers leave for U.S. visit
S. Korean lawmakers leave for U.S. visit | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김나영 · August 20, 2022
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- A group of lawmakers from South Korea's rival parties departed for Washington, D.C., Saturday for a weeklong visit at the invitation of the U.S. State Department.
National Assembly Vice Speaker Chung Jin-suk, Reps. Kim Seok-ki and Kim Jung-jae from the ruling People Power Party and Reps. Kim Han-jung and Lee Jae-jung from the main opposition Democratic Party will meet with officials from the U.S. government and think tanks to discuss various pending issues, according to the lawmakers.
A number of Japanese lawmakers are also expected to attend the State Department invitation program.
"Lawmakers from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are meeting in Washington to participate in a program aimed at exchanging opinions about issues of common interest," Chung told Yonhap News Agency over the phone ahead of his departure.
The program will begin with a session at the Center for Strategic and International Studies with Victor Cha, Korea chair and senior vice president of the think tank.
The delegation will return home on Aug. 28.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 김나영 · August 20, 2022
9. Why do NK refugees take to the stage?
We need to hear their voices and stories.
Why do NK refugees take to the stage?
The Korea Times · August 20, 2022
Park Eun-hee, the winner of the 9th English Speech Contest organized by Freedom Speakers International, also gave a TEDx Talk in late 2018. Courtesy of Casey Lartigue Jr.
On August 27, 2022, Freedom Speakers International (FSI) will be holding its 16th English Speech Contest. North Korean refugees were asked what motivated them to participate in the contest.―Ed.
Soo-yeon
She escaped from North Korea in 2011 and arrived in South Korea in 2011.
I am so nervous about speaking at the contest. I know that my English is not good. I am also shy and I don't have confidence about myself.
Despite that, I believe that it is a great opportunity to give a speech in English. Freedom Speakers International is making it possible for North Korean refugees to share their stories with the world. I am so thankful to the co-founders and volunteers for creating such a wonderful platform.
It is a great chance for North Korean refugees to learn from other North Korean refugees. I am from North Korea, but every experience is different so this gives me a chance to learn about different experiences of others. I am nervous about giving a public speech live online, but I am really looking forward to speaking at FSI's English Speech Contest.
______________________________________________________________
Chul-soo
He escaped from North Korea in 2004 and arrived in South Korea in 2004.
I wanted to study through the FSI English mentoring program. I decided to participate in the English speech contest because I thought it would be a good opportunity. I think participating in the contest can be helpful for me because it is an opportunity to deliver a formal speech in English. I think it's also a good opportunity for North Korean refugees who want to talk about their life stories in English.
______________________________________________________________
Min-ju
She escaped from North Korea in 2013 and arrived in the United States in 2014.
I am joining the contest because I think it will be a great new experience. I always get great energy and new experiences with Freedom Speakers International.
This kind of contest is valuable because if you speak English, people from all over the world can understand you. It is a great chance for me to practice public speaking and to tell my story.
______________________________________________________________
Su-jong
She escaped from North Korea in 2018 and arrived in South Korea in 2018.
I want to talk about the life that I experienced in North Korea. First of all, I want to depict the "real" lives of North Koreans, not the fabricated stories that the North Korean government wants to show to the outside world.
Second, I hope people pay more attention to North Korean human rights issues.
I am participating in this English speech contest in the hope of helping North Koreans live in a freer world like ours someday.
English is a window of communication. I hope that the world can learn more about the reality of North Koreans through this window.
______________________________________________________________
Jung-in
She escaped from North Korea in 2007 and arrived in South Korea in 2013.
I think a great way to improve my English is to participate in an English speaking contest. I could see how much my English ability improved after participating in two competitions before.
I need a platform where I can tell my story honestly. I think that's the FSI's speech contest. It's so good that my story can be shared with the participants and many people who are interested in North Korea.
I believe it is really important for North Korean defectors to be able to speak out. There are still many people with a negative view of North Korean defectors. Their negative gazes stigmatizing those of us from North Korea may be resolved naturally after more time passes by. However, if we can make our voices heard, even a little bit, if we can tell the truth about how difficult life can be for North Korean defectors, the time will probably be shortened. I am joining FSI's speech contest again so I can share my thoughts in English. It is good that other North Korean defectors can share their stories here as well.
______________________________________________________________
Young-hee
She escaped from North Korea in 2011 and arrived in South Korea in 2012.
English is essential when you settle down in South Korea, to get a good job and to enjoy various activities. It is not easy for to concentrate on studying English because I take care of my child and also work to support my family. But with FSI, I could naturally learn English while looking up and studying new words when I talk about my life story.
I can also answer people's questions on North Korea when I talk about my life in English.
It is good that I can learn English and also reveal the reality of North Korea through FSI.
Usually, people have indifferent or negative views on North Korea issues. But I appreciate that FSI and its supporters always have affection and interests on North Korean refugees and try to communicate with us like good friends. I hope I can be with FSI for a long time.
Most North Korean refugees have sad stories, but most of them want to hide their stories. They might be afraid of retaliation from North Korea, or it might be because of low self-esteem. However, through FSI and communicating in English, I witnessed that many refugees improved their awareness, elevated their self-esteem, and cultivated a global mindset.
FSI is playing an important role in awakening and unleashing the potential of North Korean refugees. Through FSI, more North Korean refugees will not only reveal the truth and reality of North Korea, but also will grow into individuals who can help people achieve freedom in North Korea. I believe it is important for North Korean refugees to learn English and grow through FSI.
Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of Freedom Speakers International, edited this text for publication. Lee Eun-koo, co-founder of FSI, and Park Jee-yeon, Translator and Interpreter of FSI, translated the remarks of the North Korean refugees from Korean to English. The names of the North Korean refugees have all been changed.
The Korea Times · August 20, 2022
10. How the Rivalry Between China and South Korea May Help America
Charts at the link.
How the Rivalry Between China and South Korea May Help America
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-08-20/the-rivalry-between-china-and-south-korea-new-economy-saturday?sref=hhjZtX76
BySam Kim and Chris Anstey
August 20, 2022 at 6:45 AM EDT
The modern-day economic relationship between China and South Korea began in 1992, months after aging Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s now-famous “southern tour” aimed at reenergizing his transformative program of reform.
Diplomatic relations between the two nations—which had been on opposite sides of the Cold War—were established in August that year, and Korean conglomerates lost no time in rushing to tap their neighbor’s potential. Within months, deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars were signed for cement, cold-rolled steel and tin-plate plants.
Thirty years on, trade between what’s now Asia’s No. 1 and No. 4 economies has soared by a factor of 50, Bank of America Corp. calculates. The tightening economic relationship helped China develop, pulling millions of its people out of poverty. For South Korea’s part, it aided a remarkable rebound from the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s.
But change is afoot. President Xi Jinping has taken China in a much-different direction than predecessor Deng, championing a bigger role for the Communist Party in the economy, with key, nationally-set goals. Among them: the “Made in China 2025” plan to push Chinese industries into advanced manufacturing, which has direct consequences for South Korea.
Xi Jinping.Photographer: Seong Joon Cho
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While Beijing no longer officially refers to that plan—after the wave of angst it produced abroad—Korean companies, policymakers and commentators alike are rethinking the bilateral economic relationship.
Trade ties have grown noticeably competitive rather than cooperative. While China remains South Korea’s No. 1 trading partner, the two overlap in many of the products they market to the world, from displays to cars and semiconductors.
From Superiority to Rivalry
Korea is losing superiority over China in high-tech products
Source: Trade Specialization Index by Korea International Trade Association
* Higher score means superiority; Lower indicates a more competitive relationship; 2021 numbers are as of September
Among the advanced products and industries the two increasingly compete over are electronics, optical devices, aerospace, medicine and automobiles. While South Korea isn’t alone in losing global market share to China, it may be the most vulnerable in Asia, due to the strong similarity in the makeup of their export industries.
China's Rivals
Korea resembles China most among Asian nations in export makeup
Source: Global Trade Atlas, JETRO via Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency
* As of 2021
The growing rivalry between China and South Korea may be an opportunity for the Biden administration, which is trying to reshape global supply chains toward “friend-shoring” —shifting US economic ties towards allies and partners rather than strategic competitors such as China and Russia.
The effort was a centerpiece of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s Asia trip last month, as she visited LG Corp.’s sprawling research and development cluster in Seoul. In May, President Joe Biden stopped by a Samsung Electronics Co. chipmaking plant, hailing supply-chain cooperation.
US Rising
US is already rising steadily in share of Korean exports
Source: Korea International Trade Association
Still, switching sides is easier said than done. When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Seoul after her tumultuous Taiwan trip (replete with angry protests and live-fire drills from China), President Yoon Suk Yeol skipped a personal meeting with her, instead opting for a phone call.
That maneuver was heavily criticized by both Yoon’s supporters and his critics. But it also served as a reminder of China’s importance to Seoul, with many of its businesses still actively operating there, including Samsung and SK Hynix Inc. semiconductor factories.
“Trade with China stands at a critical juncture,” wrote Kathleen Oh, a Bank of America economist, in a note this month. “While China remains Korea's largest trade partner, we think Korea will likely hedge its overdependence” by strengthening links with Southeast Asia and other emerging markets, she said.
11. North Korea imports of Chinese masks, gloves surged before it declared COVID victory
As an aside, has anyone heard anything about the status of the "COVID hospital" that was supposed to be completed by October 2020 then pushed to 2021?
North Korea imports of Chinese masks, gloves surged before it declared COVID victory
Reuters · by Reuters
BEIJING, Aug 20 (Reuters) - North Korea imported more than 1 million facial masks and 15,000 pairs of rubber gloves from China in July, shortly before declaring victory over COVID-19, Chinese trade showed on Saturday.
Pyongyang last week declared victory over the coronavirus, ending a little-detailed fight against "fever" cases that had risen to 4.77 million. It has registered no new such cases since July 29. read more
Still, China exported 1.23 million facial masks to North Korea in July, worth $44,307, surging from 17,000 the previous month, according to data released by Chinese customs.
From January to July, the last month for which data is available, the North bought more than 11.93 million masks from China, data showed.
North Korea did not import any COVID-19 prevention and control products from China in May, the data showed. read more
China's overall exports to North Korea surged to $59.74 million in July from $19.05 million in June.
Top exports were semi- or wholly milled rice, cigarettes, disodium carbonate and smoked sheets of natural rubber.
North Korea bought $5.16 million worth of semi or wholly milled rice, $1.98 million of soybean oil & fractions, $1.21 million of granulated sugar in July, the Chinese customs data showed.
China suspended cross-border freight train services with North Korea following consultations due to COVID-19 infections in its border city of Dandong, China's foreign ministry said on April 29. read more
Reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by William Mallard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Reuters · by Reuters
12. Kim Jung Un praises military medics after declaring victory over COVID last week
Kim Jung Un praises military medics after declaring victory over COVID last week
North Korean Leader Kim Jung Un holds ceromony to honor the country's military medics
foxnews.com · by Reuters
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a ceremony to thank and praise military medics for spearheading the country's fight against the coronavirus in the capital Pyongyang, state media said on Friday.
Thousands of medics of the Korean People's Army, who had been dispatched to the "emergency anti-epidemic front", were discharged after Kim declared victory over COVID-19 and eased restrictions last week.
NORTH KOREA DISMISSES SEOUL'S AID OFFER AS 'FOOLISH' REPEAT
Kim held the event at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang on Thursday to celebrate the medics' "heroic feats" on the frontline of the COVID battle in the country's most populated city.
North Korean leader Kim Jung Un poses with military medics during a celebration of their contributions, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug. 18, 2022. (KCNA via REUTERS)
"Noting that the army medics took the greatest trouble to defuse the anti-epidemic crisis in the capital city, he gave warm thanks ... to them who displayed the indefatigable spirit and the invincible combat strength of our army," the official KCNA news agency said. "He specially called and congratulated medics who performed distinguished feats in the capital's anti-epidemic struggle."
KCNA said this week that the medics had returned to their units on Sunday without a sending-off ceremony, but Kim said he had felt "empty and sorry" that he had not done enough to publicly recognize their sacrifice, the report said.
North Korea has never confirmed how many people caught COVID, apparently lacking the tools to conduct widespread testing.
N. KOREA FIRES TWO CRUISE MISSILES FROM WEST COAST TOWN OF ONCHON
Infectious disease experts have cast doubts on North Korea's claims of progress, and the World Health Organization said the COVID situation there could be getting worse, not better, citing an absence of independent data.
foxnews.com · by Reuters
13. Yanggang Province arrests gang that allegedly sold gold from Taebong Mine
The Korean people in the north are trapped in 'a vicious cycle of deprivation, corruption, repression and endemic bribery' according to the UN Commission of Inquiry.
Yanggang Province arrests gang that allegedly sold gold from Taebong Mine
“Most of the money coming in from China comes from smuggled metals, including gold,” a source told Daily NK
By Kim Chae Hwan - 2022.08.19 10:00am
dailynk.com
Kumya Youth Coal Mine in North Korea (Yonhap News)
Prosecutors in Yanggang Province recently arrested a gang accused of extracting and selling gold from ore illegally acquired from Taebong Mine.
A source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Wednesday that provincial prosecutors arrested the gang in the act early this month.
“However, the case is growing as they testified during questioning that they had sold gold extracted from tons of illegally acquired ore over two years,” he said.
According to the source, multiple prosecutors have been put on the case. He said that unlike ordinary cases involving the collection of alluvial gold or theft of small amounts of ore, this was a relatively large-scale operation involving the sale of gold extracted from tons of wrongfully acquired ore, so provincial prosecutors put an additional six investigators on the case to carry out a thorough probe.
With so many prosecutors put on the case, the authorities appear to be thoroughly investigating accomplices, too.
Located in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, Taebong Mine is a gold production facility used as a ruling party cash cow. Accordingly, compared to other mines, it is reportedly subject to relatively tight control regime and entry restrictions.
For example, ordinary security guards man the tunnel entrances of Hyesan Youth Copper Mine, but at Taebong Mine, armed security personnel reportedly guard the tunnel entrance and quarry 24 hours a day.
Security guards at Taebong Mine carry out methodical searches of all personnel and vehicles moving to and from the entrance of the mine. The guardpost at the entrance of the tunnel also carries out thorough body searches of laborers leaving work for the day.
Besides this, workers are subject to surveillance from the cadres of each workstation and Ministry of Social Security and Ministry of State Security personnel, giving Taebong Mine a multi-layered net of inspections.
That the gang could pilfer tons of gold ore despite this, amid the COVID-19 pandemic no less, and with signs emerging that some of the extracted gold was smuggled overseas, provincial prosecutors are reportedly expanding their investigation.
“Workers at Taebong Mine also hide ore on their bodies when they leave work, selling it to people who extract the gold,” said the source. “However, given how big this case is, one cannot discount the possibility that mine cadres or legal officers were involved or behind it all.”
The source said he thinks it especially unlikely prosecutors will quietly pass on the case since it broke prior to the recent emergency quarantine review meeting in Pyongyang.
“Given that investigations are underway into the gang’s backers and accomplices, those already arrested and everyone else involved will have a tough time avoiding severe punishments,” he said.
Meanwhile, the source said gold has been smuggled across the border several times even since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“Most of the money coming in from China comes from smuggled metals, including gold,” he said.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
14. N. Korean hospitals ordered to create management system for infectious disease-related medical records
No mention of the Pyongyang "COVID hospital" that was supposed to be built.
N. Korean hospitals ordered to create management system for infectious disease-related medical records
The development comes amid efforts to build dedicated hospitals and facilities for quarantining confirmed and suspected patients and those who come into contact with them
dailynk.com
Physicians in Pyongyang's People's Hospital No. 2 wearing masks. (Rodong Sinmun)
While North Korea has declared victory over the COVID-19 pandemic within its borders, the Ministry of Public Health has instructed infectious disease hospitals in various regions to set up a system for managing public medical records about exposure to infectious diseases, Daily NK has learned.
“According to an order given by the Ministry of Public Health at the beginning of this month, infectious disease hospitals around the country are working to develop infectious disease charts for each family under the name of ‘health notebooks’ that can be managed by hospital administrators,” a source inside North Korea told Daily NK on Wednesday.
According to the source, the ministry intends to use these “health notebooks” to record not only a history of tuberculosis, hepatitis and other infectious diseases for each family member but also whether they were quarantined at home or in a government facility because of fever or other symptoms during the recent emergency that was declared over COVID-19.
North Korea had steadily maintained that it was free of COVID-19 until May 12, when it first acknowledged that the disease was spreading inside the country. After declaring an emergency to combat the disease, the government began publishing statistics in local media about people being treated for fever around the country.
However, those statistics have been criticized as being unreliable and unscientific both inside and outside the country.
The North Korean government has concluded that the lack of a system for recording and managing underlying conditions, infectious diseases, and the incidence of suspicious symptoms among the populace was to blame for the shortcomings of its initial response to the outbreak and the unscientific nature of its statistics, the source said. As such, the government is taking pains to stress the importance of setting up such a system.
“The Ministry of Public Health has announced that medical histories based on tests and checkups carried out during the pandemic response will be managed through family ‘health notebooks’ not only at infectious disease hospitals that are already in operation around the country but also at those that are currently under construction. The ministry plans to manage infectious diseases through scientific statistics based on the information in those notebooks,” the source said.
As a result, the source said, the ministry has asked pandemic response departments in both the central government and local governments to share the results of tests and checkups carried out around the country over the past 90 days so that infectious disease hospitals in each region can create the necessary medical records.
The ministry is reportedly advertising this program to public health organizations at all levels by claiming that a more professional and focused system of scientific management will improve public health and quality of life while laying a concrete and reliable foundation for comprehensive statistics and the initial national response to infectious diseases in the future.
In a related development, the North Korean government is currently building dedicated hospitals and facilities for quarantining confirmed and suspected patients and those who come into contact with them in line with epidemiological needs as part of the government’s five-year plan. That project has its legal basis in the Emergency Anti-epidemic Law, which was adopted as Ordinance No. 369 by the standing committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly in August 2020.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
15. Infamous Lazarus hacking group targeting Mac users with fake job listings
The all purpose sword strikes again.
I have been recently receiving emails that look like this:
Immediate EMPLOYMENT
60016 - 7-22-22 <Listings@jobdolphin.com>
DAVID: Immediate Employment
Des Plaines Work <Listings@jobdolphin.com>
Infamous Lazarus hacking group targeting Mac users with fake job listings - SiliconANGLE
siliconangle.com · by Duncan Riley · August 18, 2022
UPDATED 20:40 EDT / AUGUST 18 2022
SECURITY
Infamous Lazarus hacking group targeting Mac users with fake job listings
by
Infamous North Korean hacking group Lazarus is attempting to target Apple Inc. Mac users via fake job offers.
Detailed Aug. 16 by security researchers at ESET s.r.o on Twitter, the new Lazarus campaign involves phony emails impersonating Coinbase Inc. developer job listings. The fake job emails include an attachment containing malicious files that can compromise both Intel and Apple chip-powered Mac computers.
The Mac malware drops three files: a decoy PDF document, a fake font updater app and a downloader called “safarifontagent.” The bundle of malicious files is timestamped July 21, indicating that the campaign is new, not part of previous Lazarus campaigns. That said, a certificate used to sign the malicious files was issued in February this year to a developer known as “Shankey Nohria.”
Other differences in the new campaign include a previously known Lazarus downloader “safarifontagent” connecting to a different command and control server. The ESET researchers noted that the C&C server did not respond at the time they attempted to analyze the threat.
The Lazarus Group has an extensive track record of targeting potential victims. The group is best known for being behind the spread of the WannaCry ransomware in 2017 but has regularly popped up since then. Previous campaigns include Lazarus targeting Linux systems in December. Lazarus was also linked to the theft of $615 million in cryptocurrency in the hack of the Ronin Network, the blockchain underlying the popular “Axie Infinity” game.
Although the campaign has so far been successfully blocked, the result could have been far worse. The campaign remains ongoing.
“This attack targeting developers with signed executables has the potential to inflict huge damage on North Korea’s rivals,” Kevin Bocek, vice president of security strategy and threat intelligence at cybersecurity company Venafi Inc., told SiliconANGLE. “A key component of the attack is the use of a signed executable disguised as a job description. Code signing certificates have become the modus operandi for many North Korean APT groups, as these digital certificates are the keys to the castle, securing communication between machines of all kinds, from servers to applications, Kubernetes clusters and microservices.”
Szilveszter Szebeni, chief information security officer and the co-founder at encryption-based security solutions company Tresorit AG, warned that while the attack has been successfully prevented, the threat is still there. “Since the certificate signing the executable has been revoked, it is hard to stop an attacker if an unsuspecting victim runs their code,” Szebeni said.
Szebeni noted that organizations have two options to prevent campaigns such as this — significantly limiting the executables that users are allowed to run by whitelisting trusted applications, or making sure that users do not run the applications from untrusted sources.
“While option A can potentially be effective, it can also be quite impossible for IT to process and run executables they come across to prevent this malware from infecting,” Szebeni noted.
Image: Slate/Wikimedia Commons
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siliconangle.com · by Duncan Riley · August 18, 2022
16. Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo spoke at a 'Moonies'-affiliated event, despite Japan controversy
Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo spoke at a 'Moonies'-affiliated event, despite Japan controversy
Business Insider · by Alia Shoaib
Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich.
John Raoux/AP, Allison Joyce/Getty Images, AP
- Trump and Pompeo were US politicians who appeared at a Unification Church-affiliated event in Seoul.
- The Japanese government is currently examining its ties to the group following the assassination of Shinzo Abe.
- The group has been described as a cult by former members and has ties to right-wing politicians.
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Former President Donald Trump and ex-CIA chief Mike Pompeo spoke at an event affiliated with the Unification Church in Seoul, South Korea.
The Unification Church, formed in South Korea in the 1950s by self-declared messiah Sun Myung Moon, is known to have deep-rooted ties with conservative politicians worldwide. Its followers are often colloquially referred to as "Moonies."
Former CIA director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich spoke in person at a conference affiliated with the church in Seoul on August 12 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the death of Sun Myung Moon.
Pompeo and Gingrich's speeches spoke about the value of religious freedom and the dangers of communism – a view they share with the church.
The controversial religious organization – formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – has been in the spotlight following the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The assassin told police that he was motivated by anger towards Abe and his links to the church. It is widely described as a cult by former members.
Former President Donald Trump recorded a video message played during the meeting, per Japanese outlet NTV News 24. During his speech, Trump said that Abe was a "good friend and a great man" and praised Reverend Moon's widow Hak Ja Han, who now heads up the church.
Other billed speakers included former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former US ambassadors and generals.
According to Dr. Steven Hassan, an expert on cults and a former Moonie, the ties between right-wing politicians and the church are due to a shared hatred of communism and the group's vast wealth and influence.
The Moon empire has been estimated to be worth billions of dollars and includes ownership of the conservative newspaper The Washington Times.
"It doesn't shock me that Pompeo, the former head of the CIA and the State Department, spoke for them. I'm sure he got a lot of money. I'm sure Trump got a lot of money," Hassan told Insider, speculating about their speaker's fees. "I'm sure they don't believe Moon was the Messiah."
Rev. Moon and his wife perform a Blessing at New York City's Madison Square Garden on July 1, 1982.
Bettmann/Getty Images
Former President George H.W. Bush donated his speaking fee after being scrutinized for appearing at a church-sponsored event in the 1990s, which was around $80,000, according to The Washington Post.
Representatives for Trump, Pompeo, and Gingrich did not respond to Insider's queries about why they appeared at the conference and what compensation they received.
Hassan describes the church as a "dangerous, destructive cult," citing allegations and lawsuits by former members claiming they were brainwashed. The church has denied the allegations and says members joined of their own free will.
The group gained notoriety for hosting mass weddings, and the church currently claims to have hundreds of thousands of members worldwide.
The Moonies-affiliated Network organizing last week's Seoul conference, the Universal Peace Federation, did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
Shinzo Abe's assassination shines a light on Japan's ruling party's links to the church
Trump virtually spoke at one of their events last year, and other GOP politicians have appeared at their events for decades). This conference comes when the church is facing a reckoning in Japan.
Tetsuya Yamagami, Abe's assassin, told police that he believed his mother's donations to the church had caused her to become bankrupt and had ruined their family.
A candlelight vigil to pay tribute to the late former prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.
Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images
He blamed Abe for promoting the group, whose family had ties to the church and just last year delivered a speech at an event affiliated with them.
The church confirmed that Yamagami's mother was a member of its Japanese branch but declined to comment on her donations.
In response to Abe's killing, Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), began re-examining its longstanding ties to the church. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reshuffled the cabinet to remove ministers associated with it.
Japanese media have been actively shining a light on the LDP's relationship with the church, and the church has responded by accusing coverage of being biased.
Hassan told Insider that the Japanese government's moves to re-examine its ties with the group are positive but queries why US politicians are not doing the same.
"It's an authoritarian cult. There's behavior, information, thought, and emotional control. And there are a lot of people born into the Moonies from these mass weddings that are now exiting and talking about it. And it's horrible."
Business Insider · by Alia Shoaib
17. Suspicious Overseas Remittance Increased to $6.5 Billion, Funds May Have Gone to North Korea
Suspicious Overseas Remittance Increased to $6.5 Billion, Funds May Have Gone to North Korea - OKN
onekoreanetwork.com · August 19, 2022
In South Korea, suspicious overseas remittances amounted to more than $6.5 billion, which is $1.17 billion higher than the ROK Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) estimated last month.
Several news outlets reported that most transactions took place through domestic cryptocurrency exchanges, and the funds were sent overseas, such as to the US, China, and Hong Kong, via domestic South Korean banks.
In June, Woori Bank and Shinhan Bank detected suspicious transactions worth $2.02 billion in their own inspection and reported them to the FSS in June. It is expected that the Financial Supervisory Service would carry out large-scale on-site inspections on illegal money laundering and potentially impose sanctions.
Suspicion among overseas transactions is rising as the amount of foreign exchange remittance increases. The Public Prosecutor’s Office and National Intelligence Service also expanded their investigation, and the Prosecutor’s Office recently arrested three people who established a front company and transferred $365 million overseas by submitting false documents.
Lawmaker Yoon Han-hong pointed out, “Since the foreign exchange transactions have not been identified clearly, there are many rumors such as that there were political slush funds, money may have gone to North Korea, and various illegal funds would have been sent overseas.”
The FSS stated, “We will conduct additional inspections for other banks other than Woori Bank and Shinhan Bank where suspicious foreign exchange transactions have been detected.” An official of the FSS said, “The actual amount of overseas remittance may be higher (if the inspection is conducted.)”
“We take (illegal) foreign exchange remittances seriously and may impose sanctions,” FSS Chief Lee Bok-hyun said.
Author
onekoreanetwork.com · August 19, 2022
18. North Korea’s elderly, struggling to survive, sell what they can for food
Nearly all Korean people in the north are suffering, especially the elderly.
North Korea’s elderly, struggling to survive, sell what they can for food
Many seniors have taken to trading beer rations for money but only get pennies in return.
By Chang Gyu Ahn for RFA Korean
2022.08.19
rfa.org
Elderly people in North Korea, unable to live on their meager state pensions, are resorting to selling their beer ration tickets to earn enough money for food, another example of the dire state of the country’s economy.
The salaries and pensions provided by the North Korean government have not been enough to survive for at least several decades. Border closures at the start of the coronavirus pandemic have devastated the country, including by creating food shortages that have pushed prices so high some residents are now struggling even more to come up with enough money to eat.
For the aged, the options are limited. One is to sell the 12 beer ration coupons the government distributes every six months, which equates to about two liters (slightly more than four pints) per month.
“Now in the third consecutive year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hardships of the residents are high, but the living conditions among the elderly are even worse. Most of them are struggling to earn money for food,” a resident of the capital Pyongyang told RFA’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
“You can see the elderly who are old and weak selling beer tickets to earn money near the Taedonggang Beer Bar. These are elderly people who can't afford to live on their social security pension of only about 1,000 won (U.S. $0.12) per month, so they come out to earn a few pennies,” said the source.
It’s a buyer’s market because the coupons only give the bearer the right to buy the liter of beer. The beer itself is sold separately.
According to the source, the coupons are bought by the elderly traders, who then resell them for a profit of about $0.10 per ticket. If they sell an entire six-months of coupons, they can earn about 9,600 won, or about $1.20.
“They are outside all day sweating in the hot weather. But the elderly people who don’t have money saved up or are not in a situation to get support from their children have to do this,” the source said. “There are countless elderly people in this situation in the capital Pyongyang.”
Some elderly residents in the capital are even forced to sell their homes in order to feed themselves, according to the source.
“In early July, my friend’s parents, who were living in Chung district, sold their three-bedroom apartment and moved to a smaller one-bedroom in Mangyongdae district. My friend’s father, who was awarded the honorable ‘Hero of Labor’ title, and the family lived in the Youngwoong apartment near Pyongyang station,” the source said.
“However, as their livelihood became difficult and their children could not afford to support their parents, they couldn’t make ends meet. So they moved to a smaller house,” the source said, adding that their livelihood was now tied to the leftover money they had from selling the larger home.
The “Hero of Labor” title conferred additional food rations to the father and a pension five times higher than other elderly people at 5,000 won ($0.62), but that is only enough to buy one kilogram (2.2 lbs) of rice, according to the source.
Government pensions are too small to live on and the harsh economic conditions brought on by the coronavirus has made it almost impossible for many elderly people to survive, a resident of the city of Hoeryong in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.
“These days, people are complaining that the unavailability of work makes it more difficult to live now than during the Arduous March,” the second source said, referring to the 1994-1998 North Korean famine that killed millions, as much as 10 percent of the population by some estimates.
“The lives of the elderly who either do not have children to look after them or are incapable of earning money in a business are truly miserable,” the second source said.
North Koreans are expected to work at their jobs until they are 60 years old, the source said. After that they can receive a meager pension for the duration of their retirement, between 700 and 1,500 won ($0.09 to $0.19) per month.
“Regardless of your age, how can you live on only 1,000 won [$0.12] for an entire month?” the second source said.
“It is often the case that even the meager social security pension is not paid on time. In Hoeryong as well as in most provinces, the social security pension given to the elderly is covered by the tax from the market merchants,” the second source said.
The marketplace has not been operating at full capacity in Hoeryong due to recent lockdowns and restrictions of movement, according to the second source.
“The number of merchants has decreased significantly, so the People’s Committee of the city has no money for the pensions,” the second source said.
To address the problem of poverty among the elderly, North Korea recently built a new nursing home in each province, the second source said, but demand is extremely high and only the privileged can get a bed in any of them.
“In principle, the elderly who have no children to take care of them and the disabled who have lost their ability to work should be admitted to nursing homes. In reality, only seniors with strong backgrounds, such as veterans, people of merit, or officials can enter the homes,” the second source said.
“It is a reality in our country that the lives of the elderly are getting worse day by day, no matter how many children they have.”
Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
rfa.org
19. Will Pyongyang’s NATO Tirades Pay Dividends?
I was in Seoul with the author last week. Will a strengthening of US alliances in Northeast Asia create a Ukrainian like scenario for Kim Jong Un? Would Kim act out like Putin?
Excerpts:
Against the growing tensions in Asia, it is important to learn and adapt from the events that have unfolded in Europe, namely the ongoing Ukraine war. Undoubtedly, Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked war on Ukraine to fuel his imperialistic ambitions; but experts had long predicted that NATO’s eastward expansion would inevitably lead to tragic consequences, and some even blame NATO for its “tone‐deaf policy toward Russia over the past quarter‐century.” At the same time, there is a widespread view that a lack of a pushback by the West in the 2014 Crimean crisis was a “fatal mistake.” Many also fear that Moscow’s “excessive” demands, namely legally binding security guarantees from the United States and NATO, were just a “pretext” for invasion.
Taking Europe as a distinct but cautionary tale, the US alliances with Japan and South Korea and their trilateral cooperation, therefore, must not put deterrence measures above dialogue, or allow a scenario where the Kim regime either feels cornered enough to retaliate or finds a pretext to do so. For above all, it is imperative to avoid a Russia-like confrontation in Northeast Asia.
It is, therefore, critical to learn from the European example and recognize that expansionism—or even the perception of expansionism—can enhance tensions and instability and lead to dire actions. East Asia is ruptured with half-frozen and high-stakes conflicts encompassing territorial and maritime disputes. While the focus on US alliances in East Asia under Biden is reassuring for American partners, it is viewed as Washington sharpening its instruments for a new Cold War, indicating that the region is already moving toward greater volatility. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and China’s military showmanship thereafter, as well as ROK President Yoon’s explicit support for the Indo-Pacific, are some examples demonstrating this trend. Therefore, keeping in mind NATO’s experience with Russia, the US (and its allies) must reassess its North Korea policy to ensure it balances projecting continued strength and credibility while avoiding further instability.
Will Pyongyang’s NATO Tirades Pay Dividends?
https://www.38north.org/2022/08/will-pyongyangs-nato-tirades-pay-dividends/
As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit was being held in Madrid, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK or North Korea) state media outlet Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published a commentary that called NATO a “perpetrator of the US hegemonic strategy” and indicted the Republic of Korea (ROK; South Korea) for shaking NATO’s “dark” hands. The DPRK accused NATO of bringing disaster to Eastern Europe and now “turning its sinister eyes” to the Indo-Pacific.[1]
North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric against the US, its regional allies and NATO has strengthened since the war started in Ukraine in support of China and Russia, echoing especially Beijing’s fear of an “Asian NATO” materializing in the Indo-Pacific. Furthermore, the Ukraine war has provided North Korea a unique opportunity to not just distract attention from its expanding missile and nuclear programs, but also put multidirectional pressure on the US and its European and Asian allies.
Even as the US is coalescing the democratic states via bilateral, minilateral (such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue [“Quad”] and the Australia-United Kingdom-United States [“AUKUS”] security pact), and multilateral partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, concerns among authoritarian states like Russia, China, and the DPRK of an accelerated new cold war have been rekindled. This is especially significant in Northeast Asia as Japan and the ROK move toward greater trilateral cooperation under the US umbrella, giving fresh impetus for NATO cooperation. Should a new socialist axis emerge from these geopolitical trends, Pyongyang will surely benefit from heightened political value within its values-bloc. There are lessons to be learned, though, by the US and its allies in Northeast Asia from the Ukraine situation to avoid escalating tensions to the point of conflict over North Korea.
NATO Tongue-lashing: Effective Provocation or Sign of Desperation?
North Korea officially first came out in support of Russia early in March, defending Moscow’s legitimate security interests, and blaming the West, NATO specifically, for blatantly deploying attack weapons systems while pursuing eastward expansion. Pyongyang claimed the deployment had caused a military imbalance in the region, while the expansion “systematically undermined” European security. It witnessed the US and NATO’s “high-handedness and arbitrariness” as the root cause of the war; and, importantly, implied that the same tools would enable the US and its regional allies to cause instability in Northeast Asia. The response echoed Russian grounds for the invasion and was in line with China’s continued vituperation against NATO’s “confrontational and expansionist agenda.”
The DPRK’s staunch criticism even extended to the inclusion of Finland and Sweden into the NATO fold, complaining that the US was pressuring non-militarily aligned states to ultimately encircle Russia by squeezing out its available “strategic space.” Interestingly, Russia initially expressed strong opposition to Finland and Sweden’s accession into NATO by calling the move a “grave mistake” that would have “far-reaching consequences.” However, soon after, Russia made a U-turn by saying that the two states did not pose a “direct threat” and so Russia had “no problems” with them joining NATO. This contrasted Moscow’s inflexible stance of barring future NATO membership of former Soviet republics like Ukraine.
North Korea’s criticisms of NATO this year have roots in the formalization and restructuring of this collective security arrangement in the aftermath of the Korean War—a war that served as “context and inspiration” for NATO’s development as a military and diplomatic organization amid wider Cold War trends. While NATO’s primary focus was on the North Atlantic region, its reach goes beyond this geographical area.
As such, the uptick in NATO’s relations with South Korea, which has been a NATO partner since 2010, appears to have sparked new criticisms from North Korea. This year, ROK’s state intelligence agency became the first-ever Asian country to join NATO’s cyber defense group, and soon afterward, Seoul participated in the Madrid summit. The summit was highly-anticipated because of the launch of NATO’s Strategic Concept after 12 years, during which the landscape of global geopolitics has changed irrevocably. The summit was expected for the first time to underscore the strategic threat from China and included several Indo-Pacific states as observers—highlighting NATO’s expanded geographical goals.
During the summit, the US, Japan, and South Korea held a trilateral meeting along the sidelines, underscoring the recent resurgence of cooperation among the three allies since ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol took office. Pyongyang called their military cooperation “a dangerous prelude to the creation” of an “Asian NATO.”
Notwithstanding NATO’s largely inconsequential nominal status in Korean affairs today, it is likely that North Korea worries about the role NATO might undertake in the event of a war on the peninsula or that the US and its Asian allies (“Asian NATO”) may be envisioning a Russia-like “encirclement” in Northeast Asia.[2] Further, under an increasingly Cold War-like situation where DPRK’s ballistic missiles have the capability to reach the US overseas territory of Guam, and amid speculation, North Korea will soon conduct a seventh nuclear test, the debate on invoking Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty against North Korea could be renewed.
Reemerging Socialist Axis: North Korea’s Growing Profile
Under the current circumstances, as the US-led democratic leaders are coalescing values-based (“like-minded”) partnerships so as to rise against the “battle” with autocracy, the increasingly isolated socialist states of China, Russia and North Korea are looking at each other as their own support system to further their respective ambitions. China, Russia and North Korea feeling isolated is not unwarranted, as the West, including NATO, is increasingly wary of China as a “systemic challenge” for its magnificent yet belligerent rise; Russia for taking on the Cold War-era enemy mantle, especially with the war with Ukraine; and North Korea for its unstable, unfamiliar, rogue status as a nation state.
In the Indo-Pacific, the US strategy of supplementing its bilateral alliances with complementary minilaterals, such as the AUKUS defense pact and the increasingly relevant Quad, has concretized fears within this socialist bloc of a concerted multidimensional threat. This has not only fueled an arms race in the region, but also a sense of solidarity—however misplaced or delicate owing to historical tensions—among the China-led authoritarian states.
Against such a scenario, a strengthening within the China-Russia-North Korea axis seems natural. Evidence of this includes China and Russia vetoing a draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on May 26 aimed at tightening the sanctions regime against the DPRK after several rounds of ballistic missile tests. It resulted in a UNSC split against the DPRK for the first time since 2006, when the UN imposed its first sanctions against the country for its nuclear ambitions. Instead of agreeing to new sanctions, China blamed the US for the DPRK’s continued WMD buildup, pointing to policy “flip-flops,” the US failure to reciprocate DPRK’s denuclearization measures in 2018, and the US disregard for the “reasonable concerns” of the DPRK. Russia echoed the Chinese sentiments, calling the new sanctions “irresponsible.” The two also called for a partial sanctions relief based on humanitarian needs for the DPRK. Further, it is often contended that China and Russia favor the stability of the North Korean regime over denuclearization, which is especially true in the current tense climate; and neither would tolerate an ROK-led unification.
Moreover, allegations about NATO’s intent to expand into Asia have been solidified further due to the US and its allies’ recent remarks over Taiwan, China’s Achilles’ heel, which Beijing sees as crossing a “red line” over what it calls its “internal affairs.” North Korea links the Taiwan situation with the Korean Peninsula; its recent statements denounced the “reckless interference” of US forces around Taiwan and emphasized that it could lead to “a military operation targeting the DPRK at any time.” Since the controversial Pelosi visit to Taiwan, too, both Russia and North Korea have resolutely supported the “One China Principle,” calling out the trip as “pure provocation” and “imprudent interference.”
In the current geopolitical environment, North Korea serves less as a buffer state and more of an asset for both Russia and China. They have been not only mutually reinforcing each other’s political strategies versus the West but also providing each other moral and economic support. China’s renewal of the Friendship Treaty with the DPRK has furnished another angle: military aid. Although no such treaty exists with Russia, a sudden announcement to that effect would be hardly surprising. Recently, speculations were abound that North Korean “volunteers,” armed with “counter battery experience,” could be deployed to assist the Russian military effort in Ukraine. Although some critics called such reports alarmist, such a possibility is not totally dubious in the wake of the DPRK’s resolute support of Russia, be it in the UNSC or by recognizing the separatist Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
At the same time, what seems to be a confluence of interests between these three belies the delicate balance in their relations, which have been historically fraught and are characterized by deep mistrust. Moreover, China is the strongest of the three states in this axis and the only one with expanding political and economic clout. It is unlikely that Russia or North Korea will be content playing second fiddle to China for very long. However, today only North Korea is in a position to leverage its series of provocations—from verbal attacks against the US and its allies (like NATO) to missile tests and nuclear expansion—to gain mileage with the US, should it choose to do so.
Conversely, President Biden’s ratcheting up of engagement with Japan and ROK may be, in part, to bring the North back to negotiations, but the growing emphasis of China as an adversary and intensifying strategic competition between the US and China will only hinder negotiations with North Korea. Pyongyang has “despite the complicated international situation,” accelerated its bilateral ties with China “toward a brighter future.” In this context, Biden’s focus on shoring up American alliances with Japan and the ROK and bolstering their trilateral cooperation with a view of the China threat, has (even if inadvertently) led to a heightening of tensions. In other words, greater US-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation, especially in terms of their rhetoric on Taiwan, is further fueling instability in Northeast Asia (and the Indo-Pacific at large).
Conclusion
Against the growing tensions in Asia, it is important to learn and adapt from the events that have unfolded in Europe, namely the ongoing Ukraine war. Undoubtedly, Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked war on Ukraine to fuel his imperialistic ambitions; but experts had long predicted that NATO’s eastward expansion would inevitably lead to tragic consequences, and some even blame NATO for its “tone‐deaf policy toward Russia over the past quarter‐century.” At the same time, there is a widespread view that a lack of a pushback by the West in the 2014 Crimean crisis was a “fatal mistake.” Many also fear that Moscow’s “excessive” demands, namely legally binding security guarantees from the United States and NATO, were just a “pretext” for invasion.
Taking Europe as a distinct but cautionary tale, the US alliances with Japan and South Korea and their trilateral cooperation, therefore, must not put deterrence measures above dialogue, or allow a scenario where the Kim regime either feels cornered enough to retaliate or finds a pretext to do so. For above all, it is imperative to avoid a Russia-like confrontation in Northeast Asia.
It is, therefore, critical to learn from the European example and recognize that expansionism—or even the perception of expansionism—can enhance tensions and instability and lead to dire actions. East Asia is ruptured with half-frozen and high-stakes conflicts encompassing territorial and maritime disputes. While the focus on US alliances in East Asia under Biden is reassuring for American partners, it is viewed as Washington sharpening its instruments for a new Cold War, indicating that the region is already moving toward greater volatility. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and China’s military showmanship thereafter, as well as ROK President Yoon’s explicit support for the Indo-Pacific, are some examples demonstrating this trend. Therefore, keeping in mind NATO’s experience with Russia, the US (and its allies) must reassess its North Korea policy to ensure it balances projecting continued strength and credibility while avoiding further instability.
- [1]
- “Asia-Pacific Is Not North Atlantic: Researcher of Int’l Politics Study Society,” KCNA, June 29, 2022.
- [2]
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Even the NATO 2022 Strategic Concept merely calls attention to the DPRK without laying out a definite agenda.
20. Korean DMZ bike trail makes you forget a hostile frontier is close by
Photos the link. https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3189426/summer-bike-ride-skirting-koreas-dmz-offers-bucolic?utm_source=rss_feed
Korean DMZ bike trail makes you forget a hostile frontier is close by
By Matthew C. Crawford South China Morning Post7 min
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Barbed wire and fences are common on the Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil bike path, in South Korea along the Demilitarised Zone, but the route also meanders through farmland, past rice paddies, rivers and wildlife. Photo: Matthew C. Crawford
Living in Seoul, it’s easy to tune out thoughts of North Korea, a rogue state just 50km away yet completely sealed off from the outside world. However, a bike path that runs along a stretch of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) near the South Korean capital has piqued my curiosity.
The Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil (“peace country path”) was opened in 2010 and is currently split into seven sections, running east to the border of Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, close to Baekmagoji station, which is serviced by the infrequently running Peace Train. The trail is being extended, though, and will, when it’s complete, run all the way to the east coast of the Korean peninsula.
The DMZ is said to be the most militarised place on Earth and the North is suffering a dire food shortage. It’s not clear how the country is faring with Covid-19 and the hermit state has been making bold statements about its military missile capabilities. These are worrying issues, but the main risk of a cycling trip near North Korea at this time of year is probably heatstroke.
At 215km, the completed section of Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil is about as long as the lengthiest stage of the Tour de France. Top riders need five hours to cover that distance on good roads, so, anticipating less than perfect surfaces, I optimistically budget a full Sunday, being sure to catch the first subway train of the day. The Seoul Metro welcomes bicycles on weekends and holidays.
After taking Line 7 then Incheon Line 2 to their terminuses, I emerge from the Geomdan Oryu station to the chirping of birds, the hissing of insects and rising humidity.
Riding through an industrial area of box-like factories, the scenery shifts to farmland. A whiff of manure lets me know the big city is already far behind.
Cruising along the road to Daemyeong Port, a place of squawking seagulls and raw fish emporiums, I’m eager to start course one of seven. After an awkward dirt trail, I begin to see helpful trail infrastructure: aluminium route signs and a blue line to follow painted on the road.
Thus begins a hypnotic sequence of 90-degree turns and straightaways through paddies on narrow farmers’ roads. The emerald-green rice stalks sashay and whisper in the warm breeze; egrets’ heads poke up here and there like cheeky white periscopes.
It’s monsoon season, and recent torrents have littered the roads with stones and silt, making me regret my choice of a road bike, especially when I come upon a strip of soft, wet dirt, with an excavator roaring and scraping away at the far end.
Soon, though, I’m speeding north on asphalt next to a heavy-duty fence topped with razor wire, with ducks and cormorants camped out on the mud beyond and a muggy view of Ganghwa Island further off.
The entire Korean royal court fled to Ganghwa during the Mongol invasions (from 1231 to 1270), but it’s now more of a beach and camping destination.
As I close in on the northern part of the Gimpo Peninsula, just 2km from North Korea, a heavy fog descends. Out of white cloud appears a barrier gate manned by two young soldiers wearing automatic weapons and camouflage boonie hats. One steps forward apologetically to request an ID and passes over a clipboard with a form to fill out.
“Is that North Korea?” I ask, gesturing at the whiteout conditions.
“Sure is,” he replies, handing me the pass I need to go any further (“Civilian Control Zone Entry/Period of Entry: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset/2nd Marine Divisional Commander,” it says) and saluting as I stand and pedal to get moving again.
On my left are the neutral waters between the two Koreas, an estuary that has been closed to shipping for about 70 years. Surprisingly, fields and paddies line the road here in the Civilian Control Zone, a reminder that many South Koreans couldn’t care less about the threat of the North.
A couple of kilometres after entering the control zone I leave again, handing back my pass at another checkpoint.
Noon is approaching when I reach the east side of the Gimpo Peninsula and the well-developed cycling infrastructure of the Han River.
There’s still plenty of Cold War scenery – barbed wire, camouflaged watchtowers, barricades – and the path is doubly fenced off from the river because there have been incursions by North Korean special forces. But I’m riding among other cyclists now, most shielded from the sun with elastic face masks and forearm protectors.
Speeding along a berm, past shaded benches and a wetland park, I pass Sunday riders of every description, from dainty young ladies with front baskets to eccentrics with fat tyres and husbands and wives riding tandem in matching outfits.
Heading back towards the capital, the mountains of northern Seoul loom hazily on the horizon like an overexposed photo. No sooner do I enter the city limits than signs direct me across the Haengju Bridge and sharply northwards again, on course number three.
Riding past vinyl greenhouses along a highway that technically continues up to Pyongyang, I’m able to hold my bike’s drop bars at their lowest point and ride on autopilot for a while.
At the 100km mark, I’m tempted by a sign pointing to the Urban Grove coffee shop, where I find Giant and Cervélo bikes worth a small fortune parked out front. To counter the day’s heat, I order a coconut smoothie and wash it down with a Calamansi Slurpee before devouring some packed sweet potatoes.
My rattan chair is beginning to feel extremely comfortable, but then a lounge version of U2’s New Year’s Day begins oozing from the speakers, motivating me to return to the saddle.
With the glitzy cafes of Paju Book City, a publishing company cluster, and Heyri Art Valley behind me, I close in on the low residential blocks of Munsan, the closest town of any size to the DMZ.
Few cyclists have made it up this far today, and the ones who pass going southwards look gassed. A middle-aged fellow rolls past biting his lip in concentration, gripping his straight handlebars like a tightrope walker might his balancing pole.
Reaching Bangu Pavilion, just upriver from where the snaking Imjin merges with the Han, I stop to ease a crick in my neck and take in the view. Chosen by the politician-scholar Hwang Hui (1363-1452) as a place to spend his retirement, the site’s original buildings were burned down during the Korean war (1950-1953) but faithfully replaced decades later.
I make my way up a set of bulbous stone steps towards the russet brown beams and sea-foam-green underside of the pavilion’s gently curving eaves. Sitting there on the wooden floor with legs outstretched is a bespectacled old lady with curly grey hair, totally absorbed in a smartphone game.
The journey continues with another intricate dance from one farmers’ road to another. Dramatic white clouds have formed near the horizon, tinged with a trace of pink, and nature seems to be overflowing from the hills.
For its abundance of wildlife, including leopard cats and golden eagles, the area hugging the DMZ is protected as a Unesco biosphere reserve, and it’s no surprise to see a road sign warning of wild boar.
As I ride deeper into the countryside and the sun begins to slant down, the rice stalks appear greener and the hills, plains and weeded ravines grow grander and more haunting. Often, the path is violated by creeping kudzu vines, which breathe out a spicy odour.
I pass a boarded-up primary school and abandoned houses collapsing inward. Do I sense the ghosts of Korean, Chinese or United Nations forces who died here during the Korean war? Or do I just need another drink break?
Approaching Jangnam Bridge, a scaly mosaic of orange, green and black slithers into the tall weeds, possibly a venomous tiger keelback snake. Then, with the sun glowing like an ember on a mountain ridge, I turn a bend and grip the brakes, stopping short of a hulking black-and-white cow.
A sweaty farmer is standing nearby. Gritting his teeth, he yanks a frayed rope and growls, “Come on!”
We’re both too tired for conversation, and the cow’s busy munching on fresh greens, but I can see from a glimmer in his eye that he’s found humour in the situation. The cow makes way, and I ride off sorely towards Soyosan station, the northern end of Seoul Metro’s Line 1.
If history had taken a different track, perhaps I’d have ridden the last 20km into the fading daylight, to reach the Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil’s current end point: a tunnel for a North Korea-bound train that stopped running in 1945.
Matthew C. Crawford
Matthew C. Crawford is a Canadian writer with a mania for mountains. He's climbed trekking peaks in Bolivia, India and Nepal and is still working away at the 7,715 mountains of his adopted country, South Korea. He has written on travel for the BBC, Singapore Airlines and other titles.
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David Maxwell
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