Quotes of the Day:
"Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise."
- Sigmund Freud
"It is the repeated performance of just and temperate actions that produces virtue."
- Aristotle
"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud."
- Coco Chanel
1. Yoon says sorry to ex-President Park, invites her to inauguration ceremony
2. N.K missile tests aimed at defeating U.S. missile defense: CRS report
3. North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs (CRS Report)
4. N. Korean leader celebrates completion of major housing project in Pyongyang
5. N. Korea demolishing S. Korean-built golf resort at Mount Kumgang: Seoul official
6. N. Korea says forest fire broke out in Mount Kumgang area over weekend
7. N. Korea releases photo books touting late founder's diplomacy with China, Russia
8. Navy carrier strike group steams off Korean Peninsula amid talk of North Korean test
9. Possibility of Yoon-Biden summit in May arises
10. Shame on our lawmakers (South Korea)
11. RDP MOU, the FTA in defense?
12. Presidential office relocation expected to usher in new era for Yongsan
13. N. Korean security officials use arrested foreign mobile phone users to investigate persons of interest
14. UN aviation agency chief voices concern over North Korea's unannounced missile launches
15. North Korea's Recent Missile Tests and Activity at Nuclear Test Site
1. Yoon says sorry to ex-President Park, invites her to inauguration ceremony
This must have been an awkward meeting. I think his invitation to the inauguration will help rehabilitate President Park's reputation in some way.
(3rd LD) Yoon says sorry to ex-President Park, invites her to inauguration ceremony | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS more quotes in paras 8, 10-12)
By Joo Kyung-don
SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol met with former President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday, telling her he was sorry over their erstwhile relationship surrounding a corruption probe of Park and inviting her to his inauguration ceremony.
"We talked about the president's health," Yoon told reporters after paying a visit to Park at her residence in her hometown of Daegu. "And we do have a history. I told her about my regret and that I felt sorry for her in my heart."
After Yoon invited Park to his May 10 inauguration ceremony, she said in response that, given her current health condition, she is not sure whether she can attend it but she will try to improve her health and make it to the ceremony, according to officials of both sides.
Yoon led an investigation team in 2016 into Park's corruption scandal that led to her impeachment, ouster from office and imprisonment. Yoon said during the election campaign that even though he did what he was supposed to do as a prosecutor, he feels apologetic toward Park.
Park was pardoned in December after spending four years and nine months in prison on a 22-year sentence for corruption. After months of treatment at a Seoul hospital, she returned to a new residence in her hometown last month.
Their 50-minute meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere, according to Rep. Kwon Young-se, a close aide to Yoon, and lawyer Yoo Yeong-ha, a key aide to Park.
During the meeting, Yoon said he feels regret over the fact that good policies and achievements of Park are not recognized, and that he will try to redeem her honor by promoting and succeeding her work, the officials said.
Park then expressed her gratitude.
She also told Yoon to take good care of his health, saying "health is really important once you take office," and said she wishes Yoon will become a good president.
In response, Yoon asked Park to give him a lot of advice.
Yoon also promised he will make sure Park does not feel any inconvenience as a former president in regards to her recovery, including security issues when visiting a hospital in Seoul.
Yoon also mentioned Park's father and late former President Park Chung-hee, saying he looked into how Park Chung-hee ran the Cabinet and the presidential office, and is learning from how he handled state affairs.
Daegu was the last stop in Yoon's two-day swing through key cities in North Gyeongsang Province that was organized to express gratitude for the support that people in the region showed him in last month's presidential election.
Yoon was scheduled to return to Seoul later Tuesday.
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)
2. N.K missile tests aimed at defeating U.S. missile defense: CRS report
Yes and to support blackmail diplomacy and political warfare as well.
N.K missile tests aimed at defeating U.S. missile defense: CRS report | Yonhap News Agency
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's recent missile tests appear to be aimed at developing capabilities to evade U.S. missile defense systems deployed in the region, a U.S. congressional report suggested.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), however, said the actual capabilities of North Korean missiles remain uncertain in the report released Friday.
"The recent advances in North Korea's ballistic missile test program appear to be directed at developing capabilities to defeat or degrade the effectiveness of missile defenses deployed in the region: Patriot, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)," said the report.
"In addition, North Korea's progress with submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) suggests an effort to counter land-based THAAD missile defenses by launching attacks from positions at sea outside the THAAD's radar field of view, although local Aegis BMD systems could likely still track these projectiles," it added.
South Korea currently houses a U.S. THAAD unit, and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has said his administration may consider deploying additional THAAD units in the country amid continued North Korean missile provocations.
The North has conducted 12 rounds of missile launches this year, including seven rounds in January alone that marked the largest number of missile tests staged in any single month.
Pyongyang has also fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), ending its self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile testing after more than four years.
The North has claimed to have successfully test launched its newest and largest ICBM, Hwasong-17, on March 24, but Seoul officials have said the North's initial test launch of the Hwasong-17 on March 16 had ended in failure and that the secretive country actually fired an older Hwasong-15 missile on the claimed date.
The CRS report noted the North's newest missiles, including both the Hwasong-15 and the Hwasong-17, demonstrate "mobility, potency, precision and has characteristics that make the missiles difficult to defeat in flight."
"These traits suggest that the North Korean test program may be intended to increase the reliability, effectiveness, and survivability of their ballistic missile force," it reiterated.
The report in addition noted the actual capabilities of North Korea's newest missile remain unknown, saying, "Without further testing, neither the North Koreans nor others can assess whether the missiles will function as designed."
"North Korean tests have demonstrated growing success and, coupled with increased operational training exercises, suggest a pattern designed to strengthen the credibility of North Korea's regional nuclear deterrent strategy," it added.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
3. North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs (CRS Report)
North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs
Updated April 8, 2022
North Korea continues to advance its nuclear weapons and missile programs despite UN Security Council sanctions and high-level diplomatic efforts. Recent ballistic missile tests and military parades suggest that North Korea is continuing to build a nuclear warfighting capability designed to evade regional ballistic missile defenses. Such an approach likely reinforces a deterrence and coercive diplomacy strategy—lending more credibility as it demonstrates capability—but it also raises questions about crisis stability and escalation control. Congress may choose to examine U.S. policy in light of these advances.
According to the U.S. intelligence community’s 2022 annual threat assessment, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un views nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as “the ultimate guarantor of his totalitarian and autocratic rule of North Korea and believes that over time he will gain international acceptance as a nuclear power.” At the January 2021 North Korean Workers’ Party Conference, Kim hailed the “status of our state as a nuclear weapons state” and praised its “powerful and reliable strategic deterrent.” Kim Jong-un has said that “nuclear weapons of the DPRK can be used only by a final order of the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army [Kim Jong-un] to repel invasion or attack from a hostile nuclear weapons state and make retaliatory strikes.”
4. N. Korean leader celebrates completion of major housing project in Pyongyang
What will we see on April 15th, Kim Il Sung's birthday?
N. Korean leader celebrates completion of major housing project in Pyongyang | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony to celebrate the completion of a major housing project in the country's capital, state media reported Tuesday.
The event was to mark the completion of 10,000 apartments and an 80-floor skyscraper in the Songsin and Songhwa areas of Pyongyang, and a major street with "public catering facilities," according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim did not deliver a speech in person while warmly waving to the cheering crowds and "wishing them happiness" in the new houses.
The workers and soldiers involved in the project "performed an eye-opening miracle of building the distinctive grand architectural group of 10,000 flats" by waging a fierce campaign despite challenges, the KCNA said.
Top officials attended the ceremony, including Jo Yong-won, secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, and Premier Kim Tok-hun.
At the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party meeting last year, North Korea announced its aim of building 50,000 apartments in Pyongyang by 2025, or 10,000 units each year.
Last month, Kim called for the construction of the Songsin and Songhwa areas to be completed before the 110th birth anniversary of the North's late founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung on April 15.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
5. N. Korea demolishing S. Korean-built golf resort at Mount Kumgang: Seoul official
I wonder if they think they can somehow extort money from the South for future construction. Probably not for the next 5 years.
N. Korea demolishing S. Korean-built golf resort at Mount Kumgang: Seoul official | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is continuing to unilaterally demolish a South Korea-built golf resort near Mount Kumgang on its east coast, still unresponsive to Seoul's inquiry about the issue, according to a government official here Tuesday.
"The dismantlement of the Haegumgang Hotel and demolition of the golf course have been constantly ongoing," the unification ministry official told reporters on the condition of anonymity. The official refused to elaborate, saying it is an intelligence-related matter.
NK News, a news outlet specializing in North Korea issues, reported earlier the North appears to have demolished facilities at the Ananti Golf and Spa Resort on April 9 and 10, citing satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs.
On Monday, the South's government asked the North via the inter-Korean liaison hotline to confirm the status of the hotel and the golf resort, but there has been no formal reply yet, the official said.
"We strongly urge North Korea to immediately stop its unilateral measures that infringe upon the property rights of our companies," the official said.
Pyongyang earlier announced it would remove the facilities at Mount Kumgang, as its leader Kim Jong-un ordered the authorities to tear down all "unpleasant-looking" facilities at the resort in 2019, which was once an icon of inter-Korean joint ventures.
The tour program to Mount Kumgang was launched in 1998, in which many South Koreans made cross-border trips to the scenic mountain. It came to a halt in 2008, when a South Korean tourist was fatally shot by a North Korean solider.
Meanwhile, North Korean state media reported that a forest fire broke out on Mount Kumgang over the weekend, damaging hundreds of hectares of forests and facilities. It was not immediately confirmed whether the fire was related to the demolition of the golf resort.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
6. N. Korea says forest fire broke out in Mount Kumgang area over weekend
I guess starting a fire is a good way to quickly destroy the golf course.
(LEAD) N. Korea says forest fire broke out in Mount Kumgang area over weekend | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with Seoul official's remarks in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Tuesday a forest fire broke out on Mount Kumgang in the eastern Kangwon Province over the weekend, damaging hundreds of hectares of forests and facilities.
The fire started at about 3:20 p.m. Saturday on a hill near Kuryong Pool of Mount Kumgang and the Kosong Port Golf Course in the border county of Kosong, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
All available firefighters were immediately mobilized, and the fire was extinguished the next day at 11:20 a.m., the KCNA said. It did not elaborate on the exact size of the damaged area.
The North's Cabinet and the State Emergency Disaster Committee took emergency measures to "rehabilitate" the area, with surveillance to prevent another outbreak under way, it added.
"The field of land and environment protection and all institutions and units were ordered to take due measures for establishing a stricter system for monitoring and notifying forest fires and mobilizing the public to prevent it," the KCNA said in an English-language article.
An official at Seoul's unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs said the government is trying to check whether South Korean facilities that are part of a suspended joint tourism project in the area were damaged by the fire.
The government made a related inquiry to Pyongyang via inter-Korean communication lines Monday, but there has been no reply, the official told reporters on the customary condition of anonymity.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
7. N. Korea releases photo books touting late founder's diplomacy with China, Russia
History, yes. Honor grandfather, yes. But does this also indicate an attempt to shape relations with CHina and Russia?
N. Korea releases photo books touting late founder's diplomacy with China, Russia | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, April 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Monday published photo books highlighting its late founder Kim Il-sung's efforts to strengthen the country's relations with China and Russia in commemoration of his upcoming 110th birth anniversary.
The North's Foreign Languages Publishing House posted the two publications on its website, touting Kim's diplomatic achievements with Beijing and Moscow over his lifetime, ahead of his birthday that falls on Friday this year and is celebrated as a major holiday in the North.
The photo book on ties between the North and China carries photos of meetings between the two sides' leadership between 1953 and 1992, including Kim's meeting with Chinese leader Mao Zedong during his visit to China in 1953.
The book on Pyongyang-Moscow relations includes photos of Kim's trips to Russia, such as his visit to Moscow in 1949, when he met with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
8. Navy carrier strike group steams off Korean Peninsula amid talk of North Korean test
"4.5 acres of sovereign and mobile American territory"
Navy carrier strike group steams off Korean Peninsula amid talk of North Korean test
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sails through the South China Sea, April 1, 2022. (Thaddeus Berry/U.S. Navy)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group are operating with Japanese forces near the Korean Peninsula amid speculation that North Korea will conduct another weapons test.
The carrier group was conducting “routine bilateral operations” with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, according to an email from the 7th Fleet to Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.
“Our training enhances the credibility of conventional deterrence by demonstrating the strength of our bilateral partnerships,” wrote 7th Fleet spokesman Lt. Mark Langford. Operations like this “reassure our allies and partners of the U.S. commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Langford, citing security concerns, declined to say how long the Abraham Lincoln and its strike group will be in the region. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, which first reported on the operation, reported Tuesday that the group will be in the area for three to five days.
U.S. Forces Korea, the command responsible for roughly 28,500 troops, also cited security concerns and declined to comment on upcoming military operations on Monday.
A South Korean official told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday that the military has been “maintaining close cooperation in the deployment of strategic U.S. assets” and directed questions to the U.S. Defense Department.
The operation marks the first time since 2017 that a U.S. carrier group has deployed to the East Sea. At the time, the USS Ronald Reagan, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz sailed together with their naval counterparts from South Korean and Japan for an exercise off the peninsula’s coast.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry threatened to retaliate against the exercises in 2017, which it characterized as a preemptive move for a full-scale invasion.
The latest operation comes amid speculation that North Korea may soon conduct a nuclear test. Its most recent and largest underground nuclear test happened on Sept. 3, 2017, in what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb.
Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea Policy, told reporters on April 6 that the communist regime could test a nuclear weapon on April 15, which is the late North Korean leader Kim Il Sung’s birthdate.
Other evidence has prompted nuclear watchdogs to theorize that a nuclear test may be looming.
In March, analysts from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies reported seeing “very early signs of activity” at the Punggye-ri site where North Korea conducted its past underground nuclear tests.
Based on satellite photos, the analysts found evidence of a new building under construction, as well as repairs on other structures. The test site was supposedly demolished in 2018 after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump signaled they would establish closer ties and lower tensions.
Those efforts now appear to be shelved as the North conducted at least 11 rounds of missile tests so far this year, including the March 24 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile theoretically capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
South Korean President-elect Yoon Seok-youl, who is scheduled to take office May 10, has said he favors strengthening the U.S-South Korean military alliance and resuming large-scale joint military drills.
9. Possibility of Yoon-Biden summit in May arises
I hope they can make this work.
Tuesday
April 12, 2022
Possibility of Yoon-Biden summit in May arises
In a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, U.S. President Joe Biden, left, says he looks forward to seeing him in Japan in May at a meeting of leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, at the White House in Washington Monday. Biden’s first trip to Asia could be an opportunity for a visit to Korea for a summit with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol. [AP/YONHAP]
U.S. President Joe Biden plans to visit Japan next month to attend a Quad meeting, leading to a possibility that he could stop in Seoul for a summit with Yoon Suk-yeol shortly after his inauguration as Korea's new president.
Biden said in opening remarks in a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday that he is "looking forward" to seeing him in Japan around May 24 at a meeting of leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad. Quad is a U.S.-led cooperative forum with India, Japan and Australia.
While Biden has traveled to Europe, this would be his first visit to Asia since taking office in January 2021.
There is speculation that Biden could visit Korea for a summit with Yoon, who will be inaugurated on May 10.
If that happens, it would be an unusually fast summit with an American president for a new Korean president.
Traditionally, a newly elected Korean president visits Washington soon after his or her inauguration for a first summit with the U.S. leader.
Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said in a press briefing Monday, "The president is looking forward to going to Asia at some point, but I don't have any more details at this point in time."
Her remarks seemed to suggest that Biden was planning a visit to the Asian region, not just Japan, leaving open the possibility of a Korea stop.
Biden was the first foreign leader President-elect Yoon spoke to over the phone on March 10, hours after his election victory was declared.
Earlier this month, Yoon sent a policy consultation delegation to Washington led by People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Park Jin. Yoon's delegation returned from Washington Monday, concluding an eight-day trip to meet with officials at the White House and State Department, congressional leaders and experts at think tanks.
The visit included a trip to the White House to meet with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss the Korea-U.S. alliance, deployment of U.S. strategic assets, North Korea issues and a possible bilateral summit.
Park gave Sullivan a personal letter from Yoon to Biden.
"The two sides shared a consensus on the need for an early Korea-U.S. summit," Park said in a press conference with correspondents in Washington on April 7. "If President Biden has an opportunity to visit Asia, it would be very desirable for him to visit Korea and hold a summit, and I was able to confirm that the U.S. side thought the same."
Yoon previously said he supports South Korea's participation in the Quad, often seen as a means of containing China. The Quad issue was also discussed during Yoon's policy delegation's meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman last week.
Biden hosted an in-person meeting of Quad leaders at the White House in Washington last September to emphasize the allies' shared commitment to safeguarding democracy in the Indo-Pacific region. At that time, he hosted Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
Fumio Kishida succeeded Suga as Japanese prime minister last October, and Tokyo has been working with Washington to arrange an early visit by Biden for the Quad summit in the springtime, with Australia's general election on May 21 being a factor in the timing.
Choi Ji-hyeon, senior deputy spokesperson for the presidential transition committee, was asked in a press briefing Tuesday about reports that Biden could visit Korea at the end of May. "The president-elect's side and the transition team have not heard anything, she said. "I believe the source of information is from overseas."
President Moon Jae-in held a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in June 2017, 51 days after taking office. Former President Park Geun-hye held a summit with her U.S. counterpart after 71 days and former President Lee Myung-bak did so 54 days after taking office. Former President Roh Moo-hyun met with U.S. President George W. Bush 79 days after taking office.
A summit between Yoon and Biden would be an opportunity to discuss North Korean denuclearization and strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance and possibly improving Seoul-Tokyo relations.
Summits are prepared by the Blue House National Security Office, Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Embassy in Korea. However, Yoon is still establishing his foreign affairs and security teams.
Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea, will visit Seoul next week to coordinate Pyongyang policy ahead of the launch of the new Yoon administration.
His trip, expected to kick off Monday, will include meetings with South Korean nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk and other officials of the outgoing Moon administration and also with members of Yoon's transition team. It will coincide with an annual springtime joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington that runs from Monday to April 28, traditionally a period of escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
10. Shame on our lawmakers
Wow. They should be ashamed. South Korea should show solidarity with Ukraine.
Tuesday
April 12, 2022
Shame on our lawmakers
Our lawmakers reacted shamefully to the speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the National Assembly on Monday. Only 60 out of the 300 legislators were present at the time. Some of them talked on their smart phones, and some were indifferent to the virtual address. After the speech, many were not impressed, in sharp contrast to their U.S., European and Japanese counterparts who filled their legislature entirely and gave standing ovations to the Ukrainian president.
The legislative branch is crucial for diplomacy with the executive branch. The executive makes policy decisions and implements them, but it is up to the legislative branch to determine the direction of diplomacy.
It was the U.S. House Resolution 121 proposed by Rep. Mike Honda in 2007 that draw global attention to the Japanese Army’s sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.
Our National Assembly has a long way to go. Despite a brief hiatus amid the pandemic, our lawmakers were infamous for making excessive demands for their trips overseas and off-the-track behavior in foreign countries. In 2019, 23 lawmakers were accused of violating the law after making overseas trips with money from government ministries. But none of the lawmakers have been punished.
It could be hard for the National Assembly to accept Zelensky’s request for weapons to help him fight against Russia. Instead, our lawmakers can consider the idea of helping Ukraine through international organizations or expanding aid for non-combat areas. But that should be preceded by a sincere effort to empathize with the Ukrainians and denounce the aggression by Russia. But the lawmakers did not show any concern about Ukraine or demonstrate respect for a head of state doing his best to protect the people.
In the 20th century, Korea suffered aggression from the West and the Korean War. It is certainly in a position to condemn war waged by an imperialistic leader more than any other countries. Filling the chambers and giving standing ovations means the principle of free democracy is functioning well. Some countries proved the quintessential values of democracy and self-determination through such actions.
Where were the Democratic Party lawmakers who had been united when they pushed for a controversial bill aimed at establishing a new investigation authority to weaken the prosecution’s power to investigate? Where were the lawmakers from the People Power Party after so ardently championing free democracy? During the Ukrainian president’s speech for 17 minutes, Korea lost much.
11. RDP MOU, the FTA in defense?
Hmmm.... I have to admit I am unfamiliar with this issue. I am going to have to get up to speed on this.
Tuesday
April 12, 2022
RDP MOU, the FTA in defense?
Hwa Yu
The author is CEO of Delta One LLC, a consulting firm on industrial cooperation between the United States and Korea.
On Dec. 13, 2021, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin signed a Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP) memorandum of understanding (MOU) with his Lithuanian counterpart to promote mutual industrial cooperation, improve acquisition of defense items, and increase interoperability between the two countries. This made Lithuania the 28th “qualifying” country with which the United States has signed an RDP MOU. Among the 28 countries, however, South Korea is found nowhere, while the Korean government is rigorously pursuing equal defense cooperation with and defense exports to the United States. Why has South Korea, a so-called blood tied ally, not yet signed an RDP MOU?
An RDP MOU provide a framework for communication regarding market access and procurement matters that enhance effective defense cooperation, promoting defense research, development, and production. Countries that have signed RDP agreements include the United States’ traditional NATO allies such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, as well as major non-NATO allies, such as Japan, Australia, Israel, and Egypt. In the 21st century, Eastern Bloc country such as Poland and the Czech Republic and former Soviet Union countries such as Estonia and Latvia have joined the RDP MOU club, standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States’ traditional allies.
The RDP MOU, so-called an FTA in defense, was first addressed by the Korean government in the late 1980s. The two governments have discussed it since then but could not narrow their differences between the U.S.’ demand for reciprocal, full access to the Korean defense procurement market and Korea’s concerns that its weaker defense industrial base would collapse under an RDP MOU. Thirty years later, some Korean government officials and defense companies still express fear and anxiety that the Korean defense industry will become subordinate to the U.S. under an RDP MOU. Their reasoning is that just as the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took a toll on sectors such as agriculture, the more vulnerable defense industry of Korea would be severely hit under the RDP MOU.
However, the conclusion of the Korea-US RDP MOU cannot be delayed any longer.
First, unlike FTAs, the customer of defense products is the government. The Korean government, which pursues economic feasibility in the government procurement, opts for more economical products if the required performance is met. Therefore, even in a situation where Korean defense companies have to compete with U.S. companies, it is unlikely that Korean products, which have met the requirement performance and been delivered to the military, will give way to expensive American products. Of course, it would be a different story if the competing Korean products were of low quality and exorbitantly expensive while the American products had excellent quality and price competitiveness.
Second, an RDP MOU promotes joint development and production. This is the most programmatic and practical reason why an RDP MOU must be in place. Let’s take the example of Japan. The need for an RDP MOU emerged as the United States and Japan were pursuing joint development and production of advanced missiles. Such joint effort was being hindered by a U.S. federal law requiring domestic contents to a certain percentage and Japan’s policy restricting overseas arms exports. The U.S. and Japan signed an RDP MOU in 2016, which facilitated joint development and production of SM-3 missiles between Raytheon company of the U.S. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan. It is because that the U.S. has determined it inconsistent with the public interest to apply restrictions of Buy American statute to the acquisition of qualifying country end products from the qualifying countries that signed the RDP MOU, and that joint development or joint production does not violate Japan’s three principles on arms exports. Japan is now co-developing a fighter jet with the United States. It is the RDP MOU that has played a pivotal role in removing the barriers to joint development and production. Korea boasts a strong and long-standing ROK-U.S. alliance, as strong as the U.S.-Japan alliance, but the reality is that there is no joint development or joint production project between Korea and the United States. An RDP MOU signed will contribute to the advancement of Korea’s defense technology as well as strengthening of its defense industrial base by accumulating national intellectual property through joint development with the U.S.
Kang Eun-ho, center, head of Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), poses for a photo with research fellows of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), at the DAPA-CSIS Forum in Washington, on Feb. 9. [NEWS1]
Third, there are political, diplomatic, and security effects. The United States does not simply use RDP MOUs to facilitate procurement on an equal footing with its allies. The three Baltic states that recently signed RDP MOUs — Estonia (2016), Latvia (2017), and Lithuania (2021) are ranked 108th, 94th, and 95th respectively in terms of military power as of 2022, according to the Global Fire Power. It is highly unlikely that the United States would have expected any substantial reciprocal benefits from these countries. Majority opinion is that the United States signed them to show off the strong relationship between these countries and to hold Russia and China in check. Therefore, the RDP MOU signing is also a symbolic political and diplomatic act that can strengthen and promote the alliance externally beyond the level of opening the defense procurement market.
Fourth, as the number of RDP MOU countries increases, the United States is expanding its defense supply chain worldwide. The United States does not have to look to Korea as the number of allies with which it can collaborate to develop and produce defense systems grows. Moreover, in order to maximize the use of U.S. goods, products and materials, the United States finalized the Buy American rule change in March 2022, which will require any goods purchased with taxpayer money to contain 75 percent U.S.-made content by 2029 in phase. This will make it more difficult for foreign products to enter the U.S. market. Despite criticism that such a change would increase costs and complicate businesses, Congress and the federal government responded that RDP MOU signatories could bypass the BAA and more positive partnerships with allies would be promoted. In such an environment, Korea “standing alone” will likely face a situation where it cannot move forward, blocked by the huge entry barrier although it desperately wants to enter the U.S. defense procurement market.
Back in February, Minister Eun-ho Kang, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), shared the vision for the development of Korea-U.S. defense cooperation during the CSIS — DAPA Conference on the U.S.-Korea Defense Cooperation in the Biden Administration in Washington, DC. “The U.S. and Korea should move toward the third generation industrial cooperation,” stated Mr. Kang. Following the first generation Military Assistance Program (MAP) and grants and the second generation industrial cooperation characterized by Korea’s arms purchases and technology development through technology transfer and technical assistance, and Korean companies’ supplies of parts to U.S. contractors under programs such as offsets, the third generation industrial cooperation refers to an extended partnership where the U.S. and Korea industrial bases and companies partner for joint R&D, production, and marketing so that the two countries can achieve a win-win. A RDP MOU signed, while strengthening the alliance and breaking down the barriers of BAA, will open the toll gate wide open for the two countries to enter the highway of the 3rd generation industrial cooperation envisioned by the Korean government.
12. Presidential office relocation expected to usher in new era for Yongsan
Yes, radical change to Yongsan. And I bet real estate prices have already made a huge jump.
Presidential office relocation expected to usher in new era for Yongsan
The Ministry of National Defense's headquarters is seen from the top of Mount. Nam on April 12. Behind President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's new office in Seoul's Yongsan district are residential and commercial buildings to the south of the ministry's headquarters. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Relocation move raises hopes among some, while others scratch heads
By Ko Dong-hwan
Less than 300 meters from the main entrance of the Ministry of National Defense's headquarters in Yongsan district is a small Chinese restaurant that has been open more than 40 years. The owner of the restaurant sounded rather indifferent to the news about the presidential office moving close to her place of business from Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno district.
But she added that she hopes the relocation will bring more customers to her restaurant.
"I know I may sound greedy to think the relocation could bring more customers to our store," she said. "But I just take in customers whether there are many of them or not. I don't know what will happen (after the relocation), so I can't say anything for sure now, can I?"
The presidential office will move to the defense ministry's headquarters, while the ministry will relocate to the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff building next door. The relocation has already caused real estate prices in the area to creep up.
A realtor in the area said the news has prompted some people to inquire about buying residential property in the district, while existing residents are trying to sell their homes and stores located in underdeveloped areas of the district.
"Residential property prices in this area have gone up about at least 10 percent," the realtor, whose office is close to Shin Yongsan metro station, about one kilometer south of the defense ministry's headquarters, told The Korea Times. "There is clearly rising demand in the real estate market in Yongsan right now. I have been getting so many calls inquiring about buying apartment or officetel units. There are many officetels particularly in Yongsan. But it's difficult matching the hopeful buyers with the right property, because right now the supply pool is just too low."
An officetel is a multi-purpose building housing both residential and office units.
Many of those who own property in Yongsan are not in a rush to sell, according to the realtor, because they are betting on the incoming administration's promise to slash property taxes for homeowners.
But more and more people who own property in underdeveloped areas of Yongsan are looking for buyers, the realtor said. They are concerned that they might not be able to develop their property once the new presidential office moves into their neighborhood, because regulations could be imposed limiting construction.
"So rather than risking those regulations, people are rather choosing to sell them," the realtor said.
But it remains unknown exactly which regulations, if any, will kick in once President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's new office moves into the area following his inauguration on May 10.
"That's a question we also would like to ask," Han Jin-hee, the head of the planning team at Yongsan district office's Planning and Budget Division, told The Korea Times. "Those regulations will usually come down from the central government, like the defense ministry or the land, infrastructure and transport ministry. But we haven't heard anything from the central government so far."
Outlook for Yongsan
Yoon has been adamant about the relocation plan ― using 36 billion won ($29 million) from the national coffer as an initial cost ― which was announced on March 20. Cheong Wa Dae has been the location of the country's top office since Korea's first President Syngman Rhee took office in 1948. But Yoon claims that the secluded location of the current presidential office hinders communication with the public.
The president-elect also declared that he will not use an existing bunker beneath the presidential office, which contains a state-of-the-art command center for the country's leader in the event of a national disaster or emergency. Yoon said he wishes to open the bunker to the public along with the pristine compound of Cheong Wa Dae. He said he can instead use a special vehicle that serves as a mobile command center in the event of a national emergency.
The new presidential office is eager to use Yongsan Park located a block across the defense ministry, as a symbolic landmark in the area. The site used to house the United States Forces Korea's (USFK) main garrison. The USFK, which moved the main base to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, started returning the site to Korea step by step. So far, 10 percent of the site's overall area of over 2.03 million square meters has been returned.
Yongsan Park is seen behind the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District. The property used to be owned by the United States Forces Korea. Newsis
Yoon said that once the site is fully returned, he will build a Korean version of Blair House inside the park, which is the U.S. presidential guest house in Washington D.C. He also said that no additional regulations will be enforced in the area following the relocation so that local residents won't be affected.
The relocation plan has prompted city planners and architects to call for the launch of a state-level urban development project in Yongsan.
The new presidential office, according to the experts, completes a seven kilometer-long vertical line which already connects Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun Square and the Seoul Metropolitan Government building north of Yongsan. The complete line then can be further developed into a symbolic avenue by constructing new skyscrapers housing residences and offices as well as high-end hotels. The experts compared the symbolic avenue to Paris' Champs Elysees and Washington D.C.'s National Mall.
The relocation plan is also viewed by historians as putting an end to the history of Cheong Wa Dae's geographical site, which has hosted the country's rulers for the past 900 years. The site was home to a royal palace in 1104 during the reign of King Sukjong of the Goryeo Kingdom. It lived on throughout the following Joseon Kingdom, except during Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592 and over 200 years following that, during which the royal palace at the site wasn't used.
The site also hosted the residential house of three governor-generals of the Japanese forces in Korea during Japan's colonial occupation from 1910 to 1945. Following Korea's liberation, the residence was used by Gen. John Reed Hodge who commanded the U.S. Army Forces in Korea from 1945 to 1948. After the Korean government was established in 1948, 12 presidents inhabited Cheong Wa Dae.
Historians also point out the fact that Yoon's new office is moving to a part of the country that had repeatedly housed invading troops for centuries. Forces from Mongolia stationed their logistics base in Yongsan during the Goryeo Kingdom in 1231 because of the region's proximity to the Han River, which gave them a convenient route to infiltrate Kaesong (now in North Korea). Chinese forces occupied the area in 1882 during the Joseon Kingdom to control rebels during the Im-O Military Revolt, and so did Japanese military troops around Mount. Nam in Yongsan during the colonial occupation. USFK troops had occupied the Yongsan Park site from 1945 until 2017 when Yongsan Garrison started moving to Pyeongtaek south of Seoul.
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol explains to journalists about his plan to relocate the country's presidential office to the defense ministry's headquarters in Yongsan at the presidential transition committee's press room in Seoul's Jongno District, March 20. Joint Press Corp.
Questionable motive
The relocation plan has left many wondering why Yoon is being so adamant about not spending a single day inside Cheong Wa Dae and moving to Yongsan as soon as possible. It remains unclear what the relocation will eventually achieve.
Yoon said Cheong Wa Dae must be open to the public. But the current Cheong Wa Dae is already open to the public, allowing tourists to visit during designated hours. Also, Yoon pledged during his election campaign to become more accessible to the public than the incumbent Moon Jae-in administration by moving the country's presidential office to Gwanghwamun and not Yongsan.
Political analyst and Ewha Womans University professor Yoo Sung-jin said the relocation plan hasn't presented any solutions on how Yoon will better communicate with the public.
At Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential staff and president work in separate buildings. The press room is located in a different building.
"The presidential transition committee said it will set up a press room on the first floor of the defense ministry's building when the new office is relocated to better communicate with the public, but that's what Cheong Wa Dae is sort of doing right now," said Yoo. "And the ministry's headquarters looks even more isolated than Cheong Wa Dae to the eyes of the public, with a big fence around the place blocking the view. They haven't also specified to what extent they will allow people to visit inside the ministry's building."
The presidential transition committee said it will enforce a regulation banning any protest within 100 meters from the office, which is already being enforced by the present Cheong Wa Dae, according to Yoo.
"So, I don't know what exactly will be better after the relocation plan," said Yoo.
13. N. Korean security officials use arrested foreign mobile phone users to investigate persons of interest
The nature of the regime. Recall that the regime fears the Korean people in the north more than it fears the US. And it fear the people armed with information most of all.
N. Korean security officials use arrested foreign mobile phone users to investigate persons of interest
The Ministry of State Security has once again called on agents to use all means and methods to “root out the noxious weeds” of foreign-made mobile phones
By Kim Chae Hwan - 2022.04.12 1:39pm
A border patrol checkpoint in Pungso County, Yanggang Province. This photo was taken in February 2019. (Daily NK)
North Korean security officials along the China-North Korea border have recently been attempting to engage in video calls with interested parties in China and South Korea through locals arrested for using foreign-made mobile phones.
This suggests that with North Korean security authorities declaring a “mop-up operation” against users of foreign-made mobile phones to completely “root out” so-called “anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior,” the scope of the Ministry of State Security’s investigation is expanding beyond North Korea’s borders.
According to a Daily NK source in Yanggang Province, Ministry of State Security branches along the border have been “brashly” carrying out their investigations by using locals arrested for using foreign-made mobile phones to make video calls to persons of interest in South Korea and China to confirm their identities.
They are reportedly confirming the nationalities, areas of residence and remittance sources of those who have been in contact with the arrested locals.
In fact, a woman in her 40s identified by her family name of Kang was arrested in Hyesan last month by the city branch of the Ministry of State Security for illegally receiving remittances and using an illegal mobile phone. When security officials searched Kang’s house, they found the Chinese-made mobile phone she used and a fat stack of cash.
Recently, a Ministry of State Security investigator handling her care called her to an interrogation room and forced her to engage in video chatting with about 80 people on her WeChat list. WeChat is a Chinese instant messaging app.
The authorities aimed to confirm the credibility and accuracy of Kang’s confession, and to determine whether the people on her list were simply ordinary people or spies.
Essentially, investigators have gone beyond their existing practice of bringing cases to a conclusion by extracting confessions from suspects, and are expanding the scope of their inquiries.
The source said the Ministry of State Security has once again called on agents to use all means and methods to “root out the noxious weeds” of foreign-made mobile phones, calling users a “pack of traitors.” The ministry issued a previous order to that effect earlier this year.
He said security bodies are apparently responding by employing all investigative means at their disposal.
This behavior by the Ministry of State Security was confirmed on the ground in China, too. A Chinese man in his 50s who communicates with North Koreans — identified by his family name of Hwang — received a video call on Apr. 4 from a certain North Korean who had been incommunicado for a while.
In a dark room, the North Korean introduced himself in a sobbing voice and handed the phone over to a security agent. Hwang said the agent asked him all sorts of questions.
Hwang said he understood that based on the cooperative investigation treaty between North Korea and China, designated personnel from the border branches of the Ministry of State Security may roam around regions approved by the Chinese government. However, this was the first time he had received a video call from an investigator inside North Korea itself.
Hwang said because he knows full well what the “notorious” Ministry of State Security does, he is frightened and razzled when he thinks that his name is on their list. He said wants nothing to do with North Korea going forward.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
14. UN aviation agency chief voices concern over North Korea's unannounced missile launches
As we should be concerned.
UN aviation agency chief voices concern over North Korea's unannounced missile launches
Juan Carlos Salazar, secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) speaks during the 2022 ICAO Legal Seminar in Seoul, April 12. YonhapThe head of the United Nation's civil aviation agency urged North Korea on Tuesday to make prior notifications on its missile launches, saying Pyongyang's unannounced missile tests would pose a risk to international civil aviation.
Tensions have recently escalated on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile last month since November 2017.
The latest launch ended North Korea's self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile testing in 2018 and came after a series of shorter-missile launches in recent months.
"Every time that North Korea is conducting these unexpected tests, one of the first concerns we have is precisely the risk that is posed to international civil aviation," Juan Carlos Salazar, secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul.
"ICAO member states, including North Korea, are expected to notify all other member states and adjacent countries of any activity or incident arising from their territory, which may pose a risk to nearby civil aviation and operations," he said.
The agency sent "a formal letter to North Korea expressing our concerns whenever the situation arises," though ICAO does not have regular communication channels with the North amid restrictions in engagement with the communist country over international sanctions, the secretary general said.
North Korea is one of the agency's 193 member nations.
As for North Korea's proposal in 2018 of opening new flight routes between its capital city of Pyongyang and South Korea's western city of Incheon, the chief expressed support, though he said it is more of a bilateral matter between the two Koreas.
"The preamble of the Chicago Convention says that the international air connectivity fosters peace and exchange among member nations," Salazar said.
"If such an agreement is made between South Korea and North Korea, of course, ICAO will welcome that. And of course, ICAO will be ready to support any decision that the two states made in that regard," he added.
Speaking of Russia's recent ban on airlines from dozens of European and other nations, the ICAO chief said his agency has been "communicating" with nations concerned to remind them of their commitments to making "safe and secure international air travel over that territory or between those territories."
Russia prohibited airlines from 36 nations, including 27 European Union nations, in response to sanctions imposed on the country for its invasion of Ukraine.
Salazar is in Seoul to attend the 2022 Legal Seminar that kicked off in Seoul on the day for a three-day run, where hundreds of participants discuss ways of ensuring the safe recovery of the global aviation sector in the post-pandemic era.
"Since I was appointed secretary general of the ICAO last year, I have made my key priority to support the sector's pandemic recovery and reconnect the world while keeping vigilant on our long-term strategies to support the development of safe, secure and sustainable air transport," he said. (Yonhap)
15. North Korea's Recent Missile Tests and Activity at Nuclear Test Site
Some interesting views.
North Korea's Recent Missile Tests and Activity at Nuclear Test Site | Asia-Pacific Leadership Network
North Korea has tested more missiles since the beginning of 2022 than the last few years combined, including an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) on January 30 and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on March 24, effectively lifting its moratorium. Recent satellite images also suggest the resumption of activity at its nuclear test site, which had been formally shut down in 2018. In response to remarks made by the South Korean defense minister Suh Wook, Kim Yo Jong, senior North Korean official and sister of Kim Jong Un, warned Seoul that Pyongyang’s “nuclear combat force will have to inevitably carry out its duty” in the face of a military confrontation.
Four experts share their analysis on the implications of North Korea’s recent activities.
Chung-in Moon
Chair of Sejong Institute, Vice-Chair of APLN, and former Special Adviser of National Security and Foreign Affairs to the ROK President.
Judging from its past practices, North Korea is likely to take worrisome actions such as additional ICBM tests, test launching of military satellites, and a seventh nuclear test to celebrate the 110th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s birthday on April 15.
Why has North Korea recently become more assertive after four years of moratorium? Several factors account for the shift, the most critical being Kim Jong Un’s disillusionment with the United States. Kim Jong Un felt betrayed by the US since he received nothing but sanctions for his cooperative moratorium. His distrust of Washington has led him to place a great emphasis on self-defense. So Kim states: “Only when we possess formidable striking capabilities and overwhelming military strength that cannot be stopped by anyone, we can prevent war, guarantee national security, and deter and control all kinds of threats and blackmails by the imperialists.” Furthermore, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has likely reinforced his conviction in the deterrence value of nuclear weapons and missiles.
The exchange of harsh words between South Korean defense minister Suh Wook and North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong portends a major crisis escalation much worse than 2017. Such crisis escalation could be catastrophic and should be avoided by all means. It is high time for preventive diplomacy, dialogue, and negotiations to be brought back in. The US needs to discard its futile policy of strategic patience and engage with the North actively to reopen channels of communication. A personal gesture from President Biden, along with signs of concrete incentives, will be essential for a breakthrough. Beijing should no longer remain a passive bystander and should cooperate with Washington in persuading Pyongyang to return to dialogue. The new government in Seoul also needs to take a more pragmatic and facilitative stance. Most importantly, Pyongyang should restore a more realistic and forward-looking policy.
Gabriela Bernal
Korean affairs analyst specializing in North Korea and freelance contributor for Nikkei Asia, Daily NK, the Asia Times, The Diplomat, and more. PhD candidate at the University of North Korean Studies.
North Korea’s recent ICBM test practically marks the end of the Moon Jae-in peace era and signals the resumption of tensions on the Korean Peninsula once again. Given that North Korea has already terminated its moratorium on ICBM testing, it is highly likely that they will conduct a nuclear test as well, possibly even this year. With Biden distracted with Ukraine and South Korean president-elect Yoon showing no signs of interest in diplomatic engagement with North Korea, Pyongyang has relatively little to lose in conducting provocations. As North Korea’s provocations increase, Yoon and Biden are likely to beef up US-ROK cooperation, especially in terms of defense coordination. Both sides will likely continue to focus on deterrence of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, sanctions enforcement, and pressure. However, if North Korea does indeed conduct a nuclear test, then Seoul and Washington will be forced to find a way to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. For this to work, they will need to make sure they study the mistakes of the Trump administration and other, previous diplomatic engagements with North Korea to better grasp exactly what it is North Korea is demanding and what they are willing to give up in exchange.
Markus Garlauskas
Nonresident senior sellow with the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security within the Atlantic Council.
The United States and its allies should be concerned about the potential for renewed North Korean nuclear testing—particularly given Kim Jong Un’s January 2021 declaration that North Korea has been able to “miniaturize, lighten and standardize nuclear weapons and to make them tactical ones.”
Testing of a lighter and smaller nuclear warhead, combined with continued flight tests of missiles with large payloads, could increase the credibility of North Korea’s nuclear threat to the United States and its allies. Smaller warheads would help North Korea to construct re-entry vehicles (RVs) small enough to utilize multiple RVs on a wider range of missile types, and more RVs on its biggest missiles—thereby increasing North Korea’s prospects of overwhelming missile defenses.
In addition, if smaller North Korean missiles and even some of its artillery rockets could be proven nuclear capable with viable “tactical” nuclear warheads, the risk of nuclear escalation in a crisis or conflict would increase. Such weapons would give Pyongyang more options to initiate “limited” nuclear use. They would also blur the distinction between nuclear-capable and conventional systems, increasing the risk of misperception and unintentional escalation crossing a nuclear threshold.
Na Young Lee
Director of Nuclear Security at the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation And Control (KINAC).
Despite declaring a moratorium on ICBM and nuclear tests, North Korea has continued to test its missiles. So far, over ten tests have been conducted in 2022, and there is a high probability of nuclear tests in the near future. Recent international developments such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted many countries to reconsider their needs for self-defense. This situation could ultimately lead to a major crisis for the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The war in Ukraine has forced the international community to realize that nuclear weapons are not a distant threat. This realization should lead us to acknowledge the importance of strengthening the international non-proliferation regime, which has largely prevented the proliferation of nuclear weapons at this level. Under current circumstances, measures to improve and strengthen the international nuclear non-proliferation regime should be further developed and made a priority at the NPT Review Conference planned for August this year.
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
