Quotes of the Day:
"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood."
- Marie Curie
“A military situation at its worst can inspire fighting men to perform at their best.”
- Marguerite Higgins, War in Korea: The Report of a Woman Combat Correspondent
"War's one of those things, don't you think, where everyone always thinks they're in the right have you noticed that? Nobody ever says we're the bad guys, we're going to beat shit out of the good guys."
- Caryl Churchill
1. U.S. Deputy Secretary Sherman to visit S. Korea next week
2. Sharp Focus: A Unique View of the Sinpo Shipyard
3. Son of slain fisheries official files damages suit against Coast Guard, calls for apology
4. Guardian of international order (US or China?)
5. South Korea’s democratic deconsolidation
6. North Korea Sets Stern Punishments for ‘Anti-Socialist’ Acts
7. Chinese Traders in Dire Straits Over Frozen Border Trade With North Korea
8. Is the North Korean Economy Under Kim Jong Un in Danger? “Arduous March” in the Age of COVID-19?
9. Trump says he will 'blow up' Korea-US alliance if reelected: book
10. NUKE THREAT North Korea’s nuke expansion is ‘one of most immediate threats to US as Kim Jong-un tries to drive wedge between allies’
11. Survey: More than 90% of S. Koreans don't believe N. Korea will denuclearize
12. S. Korean, Israeli leaders agree on closer ties in response to COVID-19
13. US deputy state secretary's visit to focus on China-curbing alliance
14. Three Haeju university students brought to court for watching and distributing S. Korean videos
1. U.S. Deputy Secretary Sherman to visit S. Korea next week
An important development here:
It will also mark the first time for the three countries to resume the vice-ministerial talks in nearly four years. The three-way dialogue, launched in 2015, had taken place at least once every year until 2017 but remained inactive during the Donald Trump administration.
(LEAD) U.S. Deputy Secretary Sherman to visit S. Korea next week | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: CHANGES dateline; RECASTS lead paras)
SEOUL/WASHINGTON, July 15 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will visit South Korea next week for talks on various issues that will include climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Department said Thursday.
Sherman will first head to Japan, where she will be joined by her Japanese and South Korean counterparts for three-way talks, according to the department.
In Tokyo, "Deputy Secretary Sherman, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo, and ROK First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong Kun will hold a joint meeting to discuss trilateral cooperation on pressing shared challenges, including regional security issues such as the DPRK," it said in a press release, referring to South and North Koreas by their official names -- the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Officials in Seoul said Choi will also meet bilaterally with his Japanese counterpart while in Japan.
"The deputy secretary will then travel to Seoul for meetings with ROK officials and a strategic dialogue with ROK First Vice Foreign Minister Choi to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation on shared priorities, including the climate crisis, pandemic relief, and post-COVID-19 economic recovery," the State Department said.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry earlier said Sherman will arrive in Seoul on Wednesday for a three-day visit.
"The visit by U.S. Deputy Secretary Sherman will offer an occasion that will further strengthen coordination between South Korea and the United States on the Korean Peninsula, regional and global issues," the foreign ministry said.
In Seoul, Sherman and Choi are expected to discuss efforts to reengage with Pyongyang to move the stalled denuclearization talks forward. Also on the table will likely be the follow-up measures to the outcome of the May 21 summit between Presidents Moon Jae-in and Joe Biden, particularly on expanding cooperation in supply chains for vital products like memory chips.
While in Tokyo, the three are also expected to discuss the shared challenges, including dealing with an assertive China, as the Biden administration has been intent on bringing the two Asian allies closer for stronger trilateral cooperation in the region.
It will also mark the first time for the three countries to resume the vice-ministerial talks in nearly four years. The three-way dialogue, launched in 2015, had taken place at least once every year until 2017 but remained inactive during the Donald Trump administration.
(END)
2. Sharp Focus: A Unique View of the Sinpo Shipyard
Sharp Focus: A Unique View of the Sinpo Shipyard - Beyond Parallel
Sharp Focus: A Unique View of the Sinpo Shipyard
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Key Findings
- The Sinpo Shipyard is the counterpart to the Sinpo South Shipyard and focuses primarily on the production, maintenance, and repair of small fishing vessels. To a lesser degree, it has also been involved in the production, maintenance, and repair of small Korean Peoples’ Navy combatants.
- Since about 2009, the graving dock at the shipyard – one of the largest in North Korea – has played a crucial role in maintaining the operational status, repair, maintenance, and scrapping of the nation’s submarine force.
- This is the third of several reports providing a unique view of the Sinpo South Shipyard, Sinpo area, and Mayang-do navy facilities using a unique high off-nadir (HON) image collected by Maxar Technologies during April 2021.
As with our recent Sharp Focus high off-nadir (HON) reports of the Sinpo South Shipyard and Mayang-do Submarine Base, the same April 21, 2021 Maxar Technologies image provides a unique look at the Sinpo Shipyard. While a majority of satellite imagery is collected at 0O to 35O off-nadir, the April 21 image was collected at 49.6O off-nadir—placing the Worldview 2 satellite approximately 780 kilometers away over the Yellow Sea. This image presents a view that an individual would have if they were looking at the facility out the window of an airliner showing the sides of buildings and objects and providing a sense of relative height.
A high-off nadir overview of the Sinpo Shipyard, April 21, 2021. Click image to enlarge.
The Sinpo Shipyard was built during the late 1950s and early 1960s on the site of a small port that was present since at least the 1940s. During the 1960s-1980s, it was expanded and became involved in the low-level production and repair of small combatants for the Korean Peoples’ Navy (KPN) and small fishing vessels. Following the death of Kim Il-sung in 1994 and the subsequent period of repeated drought, famine, and economic collapse (known collectively as the Arduous March), vessel production declined to a halt and the shipyard focused on repair of fishing vessels and a few small KPN combatants. By the late 1990s, activity began to rise slowly, and construction of one of the largest graving docks in North Korea began. During the years that followed, repair and minor civilian construction activity on open ways resumed. By 2009, construction of the graving dock was finished and has since been used for the maintenance, repair, and scrapping of KPN ROMEO class submarines (SS), combatants, and fishing vessels.
Close-up view of the Sinpo Shipyard showing the repair ways and graving dock, April 21, 2021. Click image to enlarge.
Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. is an internationally recognized analyst, award-winning author, and lecturer on North Korean defense and intelligence affairs and ballistic missile development in developing countries. He is concurrently senior fellow for Imagery Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Security (CSIS); senior adviser and imagery analyst for the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK); author for IHS Markit (formerly the Jane’s Information Group); and publisher and editor of KPA Journal. Formerly, he has served as founder and CEO of KPA Associates, LLC, senior imagery analyst for 38 North at Johns Hopkins SAIS, chief analytics officer and co-founder of AllSource Analysis, Inc., and senior all-source analyst for DigitalGlobe’s Analysis Center.
Victor Cha is senior vice president and the inaugural holder of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Headline image credit: Copyright 2021 by Maxar Technologies.
3. Son of slain fisheries official files damages suit against Coast Guard, calls for apology
The deceased fisherman and his family have been treated very badly.
Son of slain fisheries official files damages suit against Coast Guard, calls for apology | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, July 15 (Yonhap) -- The son of a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea's military last year filed a damages suit against the country's Coast Guard on Thursday, demanding an apology for defaming the deceased's family.
On Sept. 22, 2020, North Korean soldiers fatally shot the 47-year-old man, who was floating in North Korean waters in the Yellow Sea, and burned his body, according to Seoul's military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeong.
At the time, the Coast Guard announced that the deceased appeared to be trying to defect to North Korea, apparently out of panic related to his debt from habitual gambling, though his bereaved family strongly denied the account.
The official's son, surnamed Lee, asked the court to order Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Hong-hee and other related officials to pay 20,200,922 won (US$17,711) in compensation to the family for violating their human rights in the course of publicizing the investigation results.
"Hopefully, the Coast Guard officials could be able to fathom what the bereaved family has been going through, when they look at the reparations sought by the family," Kim Ki-yun, Lee's attorney, said during a press conference at the Seoul Central District Court. The sum of money matches the date of the late official's death.
The family took the legal action to receive an apology from the Coast Guard, the attorney said, adding that it is willing to drop the case when it is offered an apology. If not, it plans to donate the compensated money if and when it wins the case.
"I want a public apology from the Coast Guard because they openly disgraced (my husband and my family's) honor and infringed on our basic rights," Lee's mother said. Lee was absent from the press conference as he is a minor.
Last week, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea recommended the Coast Guard Commissioner discipline officials who were in charge of handling the case, saying that the disclosure of the late official's personal details and financial situation constituted libel and breach of human rights.
The Coast Guard hasn't offered an apology since the watchdog's decision came out, according to the family.
(END)
4. Guardian of international order (US or China?)
A key data point:
When asked who to economically cooperate with between the United States and China, 75 percent of Korean respondents chose the United States. Only 17 percent chose China. In the same survey in 2015, 47 percent preferred China, more than the 39 percent opting for the United States. In a survey on opinons of neighboring countries last month, young Koreans in their 20s and 30s said they dislike China more than Japan.
Tuesday
July 13, 2021
Guardian of international order
YOU SANG-CHUL
The author is the director of the China Institute of the JoongAng Ilbo.
The power contest between the United States and China is in full swing. The United States is uniting allies while China emphasizes its 108 partners. What is noteworthy is that China is not necessarily defensive. It is offensive at the same time. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s address marking the centennial of the Chinese Communist Party on July 1 is a typical example.
He warned that “Foreign powers harassing China will have their heads cracked and bleeding,” and China will “be builders of world peace, advocates for global development and guardians of the international order.”
The speech revealed China’s ambition to replace the United States and lead the world. The spirit is admirable, but how was it received? We need to look at a result Pew Research Center survey released on June 30.
In a survey of 18,850 people in 17 developed countries, unfavorable feelings toward China were at the highest point ever. Nearly 70 percent of respondents were negative about China, and the country that showed the most antagonism was Japan, with 88 percent saying they dislike China, followed by Sweden (80 percent), Australia (78 percent), Korea (77 percent) and the United States (76 percent). In 2015, 37 percent of Korean respondents said they disliked China, but in six years, it has more than doubled.
The negative perception of Xi was even stronger. In 14 out of 17 countries, Xi had a worse reputation than China. Japan and Sweden tied with 86 percent, followed by Korea with 84 percent. China’s Thaad retaliation, which began in 2016, and its claim to be the origin of both kimchi and hanbok, contributed to the growing negative perception.
When asked who to economically cooperate with between the United States and China, 75 percent of Korean respondents chose the United States. Only 17 percent chose China. In the same survey in 2015, 47 percent preferred China, more than the 39 percent opting for the United States. In a survey on opinons of neighboring countries last month, young Koreans in their 20s and 30s said they dislike China more than Japan.
You need to win the hearts of the people to become the leader of a state. To be the leader of the world, support from each country is essential. Xi wants China to become the “guardian of international order.” But the surveys show otherwise.
China says, “Our friends are getting stronger and growing in number.” Is that really the case? Rather than gaining friends, I am worried that China is becoming isolated.
5. South Korea’s democratic deconsolidation
While we do not want to interfere with Korea's domestic politics, it is important for us to understand the dynamics.
Some would argue that there are those around President Moon who did not want a true vibrant democracy but instead have been more concerned with conlistaing and remaining in power. Like the author I am bullish on the young Koreans ( (as I am bullish on young Americans).
The Moon administration began with both significant difficulty and high hopes for reinvigorating a vibrant democracy. The outbreak of COVID-19 has certainly burdened it with unforeseen problems. Any administration would have struggled to meet high public expectations during this time. But the continuation of corrupt practices, failed economic policies and a lukewarm attitude towards working with other democracies are clear signs of ongoing democratic deconsolidation.
But there is still hope. The growing political participation of younger South Koreans may lead to dramatic changes in the country’s political sphere through reforms in the presidency, political party leadership and the party constitutions of the PPP and DP. With both general and regional elections scheduled next year, how the public — particularly the young population — vote and push for political change will be critical in shaping South Korea’s democratic future.
South Korea’s democratic deconsolidation | East Asia Forum
Author: Hannah June Kim, University of Nebraska Omaha
The 36-year-old politician Lee Jun-seok made history by becoming the main leader of the People Power Party (PPP) in South Korea last month. As the youngest leader of the country’s main conservative party, Lee shocked the entire nation. His win occurred shortly after the PPP won by-elections in Seoul and Busan.
Increasing support for the PPP today contrasts sharply with one year ago, when the PPP secured only 102 seats in the National Assembly, while the Democratic Party (DP) won 174 seats. The opposition PPP’s rapidly growing support from young people highlights the public’s increasing dissatisfaction with the current Moon administration and the numerous challenges the DP faces in the lead up to the March 2022 presidential elections.
South Korea has historically been considered one of the successful Third Wave democracies with its thriving democratic culture and competitive elections. The country was further heralded as a democratic miracle during the 2016–17 Candlelight Movement that ended with the impeachment of former president Park Geun-hye, the first president to be impeached through democratic procedures. Indeed, the country was seen to ‘serve as inspiration to defenders of liberal democracy around the world’ during this time. But South Korea has since followed the global trend towards deconsolidation. Like many other struggling democracies, the quality of democracy seems to be deteriorating from within.
Inheriting the spirit of the 2016–17 Candlelight Movement, the Moon administration initially gained significant support under the slogan of ‘equal opportunity, fair process, and righteous result’. The public had high expectations for the progressive administration to ‘drain the swamp’, including the lingering issue of elite privileges as well as economic and gender polarisation. The administration experienced significant public backlash after it failed to meet these expectations.
Tension and conflict escalated in the South Korean political landscape as the public increasingly expressed disappointment with the administration’s perceived hypocrisy and double standards. Though President Moon Jae-in denounced former president Park’s corruption scandals and promised to eradicate ‘deep-rooted evils’, his party members were also accused of enjoying similar ‘gold spoon’ elite privileges, including former justice minister Cho Kuk. This led many of his initial supporters to view the administration as being equally corrupt and untrustworthy.
The Moon administration’s failed economic policies may be another reason for public frustration. Youth unemployment has increased, despite South Korea’s youth being the most educated generation the country’s history. Apartment prices have soared in Seoul by nearly 60 per cent. The Korea Land and Housing Corporation scandal further exacerbated public dissatisfaction. Approval ratings for President Moon have been increasingly low from both ends of the political spectrum, with ratings hovering around 34 per cent earlier this year.
President Moon has lost a majority of supporters from his key voting bloc. Young South Koreans who traditionally vote left have turned into swing voters. His approval rating is lowest among young South Korean men, who are increasingly expressing conservative political views. Many young South Korean women who traditionally supported the DP also express relatively low approval ratings at around 37 per cent. While not all young South Koreans are fully supportive of the opposition party, growing support for the PPP signifies that they are unwilling to tolerate the current administration’s alleged abuse of power and deviation from democracy.
Democratic deconsolidation may be further accelerated by the fact that President Moon has shown hesitancy and reluctance to work with other democracies and to join the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue — a democratic coalition comprising Australia, India, Japan and the United States — due to fears of antagonising China. Moon has instead pivoted his attention towards improving inter-Korean relations, but there has been no substantial outcome here. Rather, the administration has been criticised by other democracies and international organisations for its illiberal practices towards North Korean defectors and its failure to denounce North Korean human rights violations.
The Moon administration began with both significant difficulty and high hopes for reinvigorating a vibrant democracy. The outbreak of COVID-19 has certainly burdened it with unforeseen problems. Any administration would have struggled to meet high public expectations during this time. But the continuation of corrupt practices, failed economic policies and a lukewarm attitude towards working with other democracies are clear signs of ongoing democratic deconsolidation.
But there is still hope. The growing political participation of younger South Koreans may lead to dramatic changes in the country’s political sphere through reforms in the presidency, political party leadership and the party constitutions of the PPP and DP. With both general and regional elections scheduled next year, how the public — particularly the young population — vote and push for political change will be critical in shaping South Korea’s democratic future.
Hannah June Kim is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
6. North Korea Sets Stern Punishments for ‘Anti-Socialist’ Acts
This illustrates all that is wrong with north Korea and the Kim family regime. With the country in dire straits officials have to add two more hours of ideological training. How "productive" is ideological training? You cannot "eat"ideology. Ideology does not put a roof over your head or clothe one's body. It does not produce goods or grow food. Ideology (perhaps like war): "what is it good for?" or so asked Edwin Starr (or the original by the Temptations) to which they responded: "Absolutely nothing."
North Korea Sets Stern Punishments for ‘Anti-Socialist’ Acts
Party officials forced to study an extra two hours a day to defend socialism from ideological cracks.
North Korea is trying to reinforce its brand of socialism by punishing citizens for “anti-socialist acts,” including distorting the lyrics of revolutionary songs, and forcing party officials to spend an extra two hours a day studying political ideology, sources in the country told RFA.
The list of acts and punishments, issued by the Central Party’s Propaganda and Agitation Department, is based on the relatively new Reactionary Idea and Culture Law, which authorities passed in Dec. 2020.
North Korean state media reported shortly after the law was promulgated that it is aimed at “further cementing our ideological, revolutionary and class positions by thoroughly preventing the inroads and spread of the antisocialist ideology and culture and firmly maintaining our idea, spirit and culture.”
The Seoul-based Korea Joongang Daily noted at the time that the law did not precisely define which acts and ideas could be called “reactionary.”
A government official in the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFA’s Korean Service Monday that the standardized list issued this month defines the acts and allows authorities to harshly punish citizens for what they wear, for singing certain songs, or for failing to adhere to “public morals.”
“The list was approved by the Supreme Leader, so if caught, nobody will be able to avoid severe punishment,” said the source, referring to head of state Kim Jong Un.
“Depending on the level of violation, you could be sent to a short-term labor camp, a long-term labor camp or prison,” said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
The new provision hopes to remove capitalist influences over society through banning specific acts or thoughtcrimes.
“Failure to observe public morals in the streets, parks, and recreation areas, distorting the lyrics of revolutionary songs, wearing anything other than Korean traditional clothing to a wedding, lending money or food at a high interest rate and seizing the borrower’s property when they can’t pay you back, and other various acts were defined as anti-socialist,” said the source.
“Additionally, instructions have been given to stop people from trying to make money by driving people on a motorcycle or bicycle, or by capturing animals and other natural resources,” the source said.
Other anti-socialist acts included receiving money for transporting people to work on farms, for renting out farming equipment, or stealing equipment or other materials from cooperative farms.
“Minor acts that the authorities had either tolerated or did not care about were also included in the punishments. The people are starting to get very nervous, as there is a high possibility that they will be punished over the most trivial things,” the source said.
A resident of the same province told RFA Monday that the new punishments could unfairly target people who live near the Chinese border.
“People in the border area have no choice but to violate these restrictions in their daily lives. Families with members who escaped North Korea may be in a position where they must risk making contact with the escapees because they rely on remittances for their livelihood,” said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.
“These days, not only phone calls, but also text messages are risky, making it really difficult for these families of escapees to get by.”
While North Korean authorities have recommended strict punishments for the people in the name of advancing the cause of socialism, the government is hoping to do the same by forcing those with leadership positions in the party to study political thought for an additional two hours each day.
“Under the direction of the central government, two extra hours of ideological study will be held every day, in addition to the weekly self-criticism session, Wednesday lecture session and Saturday study session,” a party official in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA June 9.
During the weekly self-criticism sessions, every citizen in North Korea must confess their loyalty shortcomings and receive criticism from their peers. The sessions have been described by North Korea watchers as a way for the government to deny human rights on the individual level.
“There was an order to report the results of the extra learning session in the self-criticism sessions. Party organizations across the country are intensifying cultural education for party officials under the slogan of ‘Nurturing Party Officials to Meet the Needs of Development in Reality,’” said the third source, who declined to be named.
The additional study hours are not sitting well with many of the officials.
“They say they already learn enough from the Saturday study session, the Wednesday lecture sessions and the self-criticism sessions. They wonder how much more they could possibly learn,” the third source said.
A party official in South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, confirmed to RFA the same day that the extra daily sessions began in June.
“The order was given to hold the two-hour daily study session for all party officials regardless of rank or position, so naturally, complaints are mounting among the officials,” the fourth source said.
“The Central Committee has threatened to increase penalties on any officials who defy party policy, saying that the ideological cracks and corruption of the party officials is one of the most dangerous factors we must protect the socialist system from,” said the fourth source.
The officials, upon hearing that, began griping that nobody would want to become a party official anymore, according to the fourth source.
Protecting society from the influences of South Korea and other capitalist countries has been a major concern for North Korea in recent years.
Last year RFA reported that the government cracked down on citizens for storing foreign videos on smartphones, for speaking with a South Korean accent or using South Korean slang, or even spelling words in the South Korean way in text messages.
Reported by Myungchul Lee and Jeong Yon Park for RFA’s Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
7. Chinese Traders in Dire Straits Over Frozen Border Trade With North Korea
But their straits are not as dire as those of the Koreans on the other side of the river.
Chinese Traders in Dire Straits Over Frozen Border Trade With North Korea
Medicines and chemicals have decayed in storage since the border was closed in January 2020 to fight the coronavirus.
China’s exporters to North Korea are struggling under mounting debts as chemicals, medicines, and metal products ordered by their neighbor decay in warehouses awaiting the reopening of border that has been closed since early 2020 to fight the coronavirus, according to sources in the main Chinese border city.
Although North Korea maintains outwardly that is untouched by COVID-19, the complete shutdown of the Sino-Korean border and the suspension of all trade with China in January 2020 were the first of a series of extensive pandemic prevention measures taken by Pyongyang.
The shutdown has damaged North Korean livelihoods across the 1,350-km (840-mile) frontier, where many residents rely on cross-border trade and smuggling from China to survive. The border closure has also contributed to food shortages in the chronically hungry nation, cutting off imports that could help cover and making it hard for the North’s farmers to get fertilizer.
Nineteen months without trade has also clobbered once-successful Chinese traders, who now are going bankrupt in the face of monthly warehouse rent or bills for goods purchased on credit but not yet delivered to North Korea, the sources told RFA this week.
“Chinese traders in the Dandong and Donggang areas, who were mainly engaged in trade with North Korea, are in the worst situation these days,” said a source based in Dandong, who requested anonymity to speak freely.
A major bridge crossing the Yalu River, called the Amnok River in North Korea, connects the Chinese city of Dandong with North Korea’s northwestern city of Sinuiju. Donggang lies 28 km (17 miles) is southwest of Dandong.
“These days, Chinese traders are struggling with their trade cargo bound for North Korea, which has been stored in their warehouses in the Dandong area during the rainy season,” said a Korean-Chinese source also in Dandong on Tuesday.
“Various materials ordered by North Korea in 2019 have been piled up in warehouses until now because of customs closures due to COVID-19,” he said.
Traders in northeastern China’s Liaoning province who serve the North Korean market have bought materials, equipment on credit from Chinese companies but are now unable to export anything, said the source, who requested anonymity to be able to speak freely.
“The traders, who couldn’t predict the sudden coronavirus outbreak early last year, are desperately waiting for the resumption of trade with North Korea because of difficulties in paying off their debts and storage fees,” he said.
RFA reported in April that North Korea had built a dedicated rail route to Sinuiju and a nearby border quarantine center designed to isolate freight in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a development sources at the time said pointed to the resumption of some trade.
But the opening of the border and expectations that trade would resume soon have not yet panned out, the Korean-Chinese source said.
Traders waiting to ship goods must pay monthly rent of anywhere from 500-1,000 yuan (U.S. $65-131) for warehouse space, he said.
Most warehouses in the border area with capacity for three 30-ton truckloads of cargo charge monthly rent of 800 yuan, he added.
Rainy weather hasn’t helped
Humid weather has rusted iron and steel materials in storage, while medicines and chemicals packed in warehouses have deteriorated, forcing traders to hire local laborers to move the materials to other warehouses that had dehumidifiers, the Korean-Chinese source in Dandong said.
“Most iron and steel products have been piled up in warehouses for more than a year and a half, and they are rusted so badly that they are impossible to be used as is,” he said.
But the traders cannot return them, having already purchased the material on credit, and are still unable to transport them across the border and into North Korea in the near future,” so they have no choice but to keep them in the warehouse at their own expense,” said the source.
The financial strain has caused some Chinese traders to resort to drastic measures.
A Chinese trader who stored chemicals and medicines to be sent to North Korea in a warehouse disappeared one night after the export and delivery date for the goods had been postponed indefinitely, the first source in Dandong said.
“The trader, who once made a lot of money by exporting medicines and chemicals from Dandong to North Korea, disappeared without any trace after failing to pay the warehouse rent,” he said. “It was because medicines and chemicals quickly deteriorated during the rainy season and became useless.”
The Chinese trader tried to keep and preserve all the medicines and chemicals in three warehouses by borrowing money from acquaintances to pay the rent and hiring workers to turn over the containers holding them periodically to prevent them from deteriorating, he said.
”But when there was no sign of resumption of China-North Korea trade, he couldn't hold out any longer and disappeared with some medicine that could be still used from the warehouse,” the source said.
In the meantime, some traders have taken jobs as laborers to earn money to pay their warehouse rent, he said.
In 2019, the last full year before North Korea and China stopped trading, total trade volume between the two nations amounted to just over U.S. $3 billion, according to data from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.
China was the origin country for 96 percent of North Korea’s imports in 2019 and was the destination country for 67 percent of North Korean exports, according to data published on the website of the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
Reported by Jieun Kim for RFA’s Korean Service. Translated by Jinha Shin. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
8. Is the North Korean Economy Under Kim Jong Un in Danger? “Arduous March” in the Age of COVID-19?
We must continue to pay close attention to the indications and warnings inside north Kora and observe not only for possible military action but also for international instability and potential regime collapse.
I do not think we should be lulled into any kind of false sense of security by analysis that compares today's situation with the Arduous March.
External assistance? Kim Jong-un has to want it and must allow it. I do not think that will be happening any time soon.
Excerpt:
North Korea appears much better off today, despite its acute difficulties, than it was during the mid-1990s. Then, there was a vicious circle of inflation, official corruption, colossal economic mismanagement and mass starvation which essentially ruined the North’s agricultural sector and caused millions of North Korean deaths due to starvation. Today, in contrast, the North is stabilizing prices and purging corrupt officials. However, a key problem for the North Korean economy lies in the widening economic gaps between rich and poor, cities and rural areas, and successful and failed firms. While innovative business people in cities such as Pyongyang and Nampo have been accumulating wealth with lucrative incentives from the government, workers and farmers have been suffering. External assistance for North Korea will be essential to deal effectively with this challenge.
Is the North Korean Economy Under Kim Jong Un in Danger? “Arduous March” in the Age of COVID-19? | 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Most countries around the world are experiencing difficulties with the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] By comparison, North Korea’s situation must have been much worse because its economy has been beset by the triple whammy of COVID-19, prolonged United Nations Security Council and US government sanctions and natural disasters. Some US media, citing selective claims made by South Korean economists and North Korean defectors, have been reporting that the North is on the brink of another famine or already in one, reminiscent of the 1990s. Although the North Korean economy faces daunting post-COVID-19 challenges, the North’s situation today is fundamentally better than it was during the period of the Arduous March from 1994-1998.[2] Food prices are stable, and disorder like the looting that was seen in the 1990s has not occurred. What’s more, we are not witnessing large-scale movements of urban workers to the countryside in search of food. Rather, the current migration from rural regions into cities is the result of a wage gap between workers in these two areas.
Then and Now
North Korea’s public distribution system (PDS) collapsed in 1994, while high-ranking officials, who were shocked by the sudden death of Kim Il Sung, monopolized food and supplies. As a result, the price of food and daily necessities soared. In 1995, corn per kilogram rose more than eight times from 8 to 70 North Korean won (KPW) and rice from 16 to 120 won. Widespread starvation occurred among urban workers in heavy industrial areas, and looting was rampant. Furthermore, the economy collapsed due to panic buying and corruption. The collapse of the PDS and corruption in high places created discord across society.
In January 2020, on the other hand, the North Korean authorities voluntarily closed the border to control the spread of COVID-19. But monthly foreign exchange rate data, and prices for daily necessities like rice and diesel, have been stable over the past 18 months (Figure 1). Although the exchange rate is trending downward, it is a normal price signal that responds flexibly to whether the Sino-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) border is closed.
Figure 1. Trends in North Korean rice prices and exchange rates since January 2020.
Data source: Daily NK. Graph by Eun-lee Joung.
It is known that sugar, flour and soybean oil prices recently soared five to ten times, leading to misinterpretations of statistics among South Korean economists. These are ingredients needed to produce snacks but also staple food in North Korea. Citizens in rich countries like the United States may find it difficult to understand, but most people in economically developing countries have a diet comprised only of staple food. The soaring price of these ingredients means that the size of the middle class in North Korea who consume these items has increased. During Kim Jong Il’s rule, sugar, flour and soybean oil were not necessities directly affecting the diet—they were ingredients for making snacks or bread, not basic staples.
Figure 2. Trends in North Korean rice prices and corn prices since January 2020.
Author’s compilation from data drawn from an independent source on North Korean investment development. Graph by Eun-lee Joung.Author’s compilation from data drawn from an independent source on North Korean investment development. Graph by Eun-lee Joung.
The recent rise in corn prices should be interpreted in a similar vein. If the economy is in a difficult situation, corn price increases, compared to rice, should have been higher because of a sharp rise in demand for relatively cheap corn (Figure 2). Some North Korean watchers argue that the food shortage is serious because the price of corn per kilogram increased from 2,300 won in November 2020 to 3,300 won one month later. However, due to the development of markets, corn has been used more for livestock feed and alcohol production than for a staple. And corn is more likely to have been used as a substitute for flour and sugar in response to soaring prices for both. In fact, North Korea uses a mixture of flour and corn to make bread and candy. It is noteworthy that the increase in corn prices took place from December 2020 through March of this year, a period coinciding with the government’s production of large quantities of candy snacks which Kim Jong Un gave North Korean residents as seasonal gifts.
One notable exception to stable food prices has been the jump in the price of fishery products. Western media have inaccurately reported that fish have spoiled because North Korean ports are failing to export marine products due to sanctions; however, goods that cannot be exported from developing countries such as North Korea are consumed domestically. In fact, the spike in fishery prices was the result of a decision by North Korean authorities to impose a temporary ban on sea fishing operations to prevent the spread of COVID-19; fishery operations, however, have recently resumed and these prices have moved downward. For example, the price of frozen pollack rose from 5,500 won per kilogram just before the pandemic to 50,000 won after it, but is now back down to 25,000 won.
In sum, prices of rice, meat and vegetables are relatively stable, except for some imported foods and fishery products, and supply and demand are fairly balanced. Further, in the Kim Jong Un era, the North has been expanding the managerial rights of state firm managers, which has not only given state firms much more autonomy, but also allowed a strong crackdown on corruption among high-ranking officials. This is a hard-won lesson from the days of the “Arduous March” in the 1990s, during which the collapse of the PDS due to hoarding and widespread corruption caused a massive famine.
Conclusion
North Korea appears much better off today, despite its acute difficulties, than it was during the mid-1990s. Then, there was a vicious circle of inflation, official corruption, colossal economic mismanagement and mass starvation which essentially ruined the North’s agricultural sector and caused millions of North Korean deaths due to starvation. Today, in contrast, the North is stabilizing prices and purging corrupt officials. However, a key problem for the North Korean economy lies in the widening economic gaps between rich and poor, cities and rural areas, and successful and failed firms. While innovative business people in cities such as Pyongyang and Nampo have been accumulating wealth with lucrative incentives from the government, workers and farmers have been suffering. External assistance for North Korea will be essential to deal effectively with this challenge.
- [1]
Dr. Eun-lee Joung is a research fellow at Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU). She was a researcher at the Korean Exim Bank’s Northeast Asian Research Center as well as the ERINA Research Institute in Japan. Dr. Joung also served as a professor at Gyeongsang National University. She is currently a member of the policy advisory committee at the Ministry of Unification and a visiting scholar at the Korean Peninsula Research Center, Beijing University (PKU). She obtained her MA and PhD from the University of Tohoku in Japan.
Around this period, the industry collapsed, distribution was stopped and North Koreans began to live and survive by activating the market. This is also the period when various non-socialist acts began to expand as the socialist values armed with collectivist consciousness and the Juche ideology were shaken. Paradoxically, however, what symbolizes the Arduous March of the 1990s is the cessation of rations, the shadows of hunger, disease and death. See the North Korea information portal of the Ministry of Unification of the Republic of Korea (www.unikorea.go.kr).
- [3]
“3rd Plenary Meeting of 8th Central Committee of WPK Opens,” Rodong Sinmun, June 16, 2021.
Data provided by KINU’s DPRK-China border field research team (June 11, 2021).
- [5]
See: Peter Makowsky, Jenny Town, Michelle Y. Kae and Samantha J. Pitz, “The Sepho Tableland: Changing Food Production in Marginal Areas,” 38 North, January 21, 2021, https://www.38north.org/2021/01/the-sepho-tableland-changing-food-production-in-marginal-areas/; “Sci-tech promotes development of livestock farming,” Pyongyang Times, June 15, 2021, http://www.pyongyangtimes.com.kp/?bbs=38392; and “German-North Korean Cooperation in the Field of Forestry,” Hanns Seidel Stifung, November 27, 2018, https://korea.hss.de/en/news/detail/german-north-korean-cooperation-in-the-field-of-forestry-news3930/.
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Most countries around the world are experiencing difficulties with the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] By comparison, North Korea’s situation must have been much worse because its economy has been beset by the triple whammy of COVID-19, prolonged United Nations Security Council and US government sanctions and natural disasters. Some US media, citing selective claims made by South Korean economists and North Korean defectors, have been reporting that the North is on the brink of another famine or already in one, reminiscent of the 1990s. Although the North Korean economy faces daunting post-COVID-19 challenges, the North’s situation today is fundamentally better than it was during the period of the Arduous March from 1994-1998.[2] Food prices are stable, and disorder like the looting that was seen in the 1990s has not occurred. What’s more, we are not witnessing large-scale movements of urban workers to the countryside in search of food. Rather, the current migration from rural regions into cities is the result of a wage gap between workers in these two areas.
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[3] However, judging by these price indicators, it is hard to say that ordinary people face a food crisis that is severe enough to cause major starvation. According to North Korean university professors who have not returned home due to COVID-19, the DPRK economy is struggling but hanging on. Chinese scholars and entrepreneurs who maintain close networks in North Korea have also offered similar views. In addition, the North Korean region bordering China is relatively stable, and 22 DPRK-China land customs clearance posts are preparing to open the border by repairing and expanding their facilities.[4]
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[5] One can easily see similar livestock farming areas at the border between North Korea and China, which continue to function even under the current COVID-19 situation as of June 2021.
9. Trump says he will 'blow up' Korea-US alliance if reelected: book
Wow. If true I guess the alliance dodged the proverbial bullet.
Trump says he will 'blow up' Korea-US alliance if reelected: book
Published : Jul 14, 2021 - 09:36 Updated : Jul 14, 2021 - 09:36
In this Jan. 9, 2019 file photo, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., left, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., stand with President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., as Trump speaks while departing after a Senate Republican Policy luncheon, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP-Yonhap)
Former US President Donald Trump had indicated to his close aides that he would "blow up" the US-South Korea alliance in his second term as president, excerpts from an upcoming book showed Tuesday.
The book, "I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year," alleges that Trump also wanted to withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
"In fact, Trump had privately indicated that he would seek to withdraw from NATO and to blow up the US alliance with South Korea, should he win reelection," says the book, according to excerpts carried by the Washington Post.
The book is co-authored by two Washington Post journalists -- Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker -- and is set to be published next Tuesday.
"When those alliances had come up in meetings with (then-Defense Secretary Mark) Esper and other top aides, some advisers warned Trump that shredding them before the election would be politically dangerous," they wrote.
"Yeah, the second term, We'll do it in the second term," Trump is quoted as having told his aides.
Trump lost the 2020 election by a large margin of nearly 8 million popular votes, but continues to claim that the election was rigged. Many believe he may run for president again in 2024.
The authors also write that Esper rooted for Biden, instead of Trump, in the 2020 presidential election, partly because of Trump's views on national security and US alliances.
"Esper had worked with Biden and his secretary of state in waiting, Antony Blinken, when he was a senior staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He had confidence that they were serious, stable people who cared deeply about shoring up national security," says the book. "Esper couldn't say the same about Trump." (Yonhap)
10. NUKE THREAT North Korea’s nuke expansion is ‘one of most immediate threats to US as Kim Jong-un tries to drive wedge between allies’
I am not sure everyone thinks so.
NUKE THREAT North Korea’s nuke expansion is ‘one of most immediate threats to US as Kim Jong-un tries to drive wedge between allies’
NORTH Korea's nuclear ambitions remain a serious "threat" to the US and part of Kim Jong-un's strategy is to "drive a wedge" between Washington and its allies, according to an expert.
The recently-disclosed Joint Nuclear Operations 2020 report revealed Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions pose "the most immediate and dire proliferation threat to international security and stability".
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North Korea's nuclear ambitions remain a threat to the US, an expert saysCredit: AFP or licensors
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Biden is 'focused' on strong alliances with Japan and South Korea amid North Korea's nuclear threatCredit: Reuters
Edward Howell, an expert on US-North Korean relations at Oxford University, said North Korea remains a threat to US security as the country tries to create tensions between Washington and its allies.
He told The Sun: "The Biden administration has made it clear that the nuclear program of North Korea is posing a clear threat to regional security in East Asia.
"Most importantly, it is part of North Korea's strategy of driving a wedge between the US and its allies.
"The Biden Administration is very much focused on strong alliance systems, particularly with Japan and South Korea."
The rogue state paraded a new intercontinental ballistic missile last October and analysts suggest it may be one of the largest mobile liquid-fueled missiles ever developed, according to the Council of Foreign Relations.
Experts think the Hwasong-15 ICMB, which was tested in November 2017, has a potential maximum range of 13,000km - meaning it could reach the US mainland.
Howell estimates that North Korea’s production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium means it has the capacity to build between 12-40 nuclear warheads.
The academic thinks that the country can produce between 180-800kg of highly enriched uranium, and warned that North Korea has been "very clear to show the international community only what it wants the international community to see".
The complete denuclearization of North Korea looks extremely unrealistic and unlikely for now."
Edward Howell, US-North Korean relations expert at Oxford University
In comparison, data shows that the US inventory is in the region of 6,000 nuclear warheads but not all are operational.
Howell said it was important to recognize the "value" of nuclear weapons to North Korea rather than focus too much on the specific number.
The expert refused to speculate whether there will be a war or an escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula but said Pyongyang appears to show "very little intention" of abandoning its nuclear program.
He called on nations, including the US, to seek alternative solutions - adding "the complete denuclearization of North Korea looks extremely unrealistic and unlikely for now."
Dr Jeffrey Lewis, of Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies, once said: "We're going to have to live with North Korea's ability to target the United States with nuclear weapons."
Howell said Pyongyang's nuclear stock helps provide "domestic legitimacy" to Kim.
'PREPARING FOR CONFLICT'
It comes as Biden is pursuing a strategy of "stern deterrence and diplomacy" as he wrestles with the ongoing threat on the Korean Peninsula.
Last month, Kim Jong-un reportedly said he is preparing for a "military confrontation" with the US.
He said the country "should be ready for both dialogue and, in particular, confrontation with America", according to state media.
It was his first message since Biden’s inauguration as he critiqued the White House’s stance and outlined his “counteraction” toward the US.
Kim also vowed to "sharply and promptly react to the fast-changing situation on taking control of the situation on the Korean peninsula," Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Biden's approach marks a shift from former President Donald Trump who held summits in Singapore, and Hanoi and met Chairman Kim in the demilitarized zone in June 2019.
At the time, Trump was the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea.
Howell said: "Trump's approach was certainly unprecedented and went beyond what previous presidents' had done.
"He took the road not taken by trying to engage with North Korea on a top-down level."
He said the Republican's approach "did not bear any fruit at all in terms of outcome" as denuclearization didn't happen.
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Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula appears 'unlikely'Credit: AP
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The North Korean despot said he's 'preparing' for conflict with WashingtonCredit: EPA
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The Hwasong-15 ICBM has a maximum range of 13,000km - meaning it could reach the US mainlandCredit: AP:Associated Press
11. Survey: More than 90% of S. Koreans don't believe N. Korea will denuclearize
So more than 90% of the Korean people in the South are probably right.
I will continue to beat the drum: We must develop a strategy to solve the "Korea question" (para 60 of the Armistice) and lead to the only acceptable durable political arrangement that will serve, protect, and advance the interests of the US and the ROK/US Alliance. The only way we are going to see an end to the nuclear program and threats as well as the human rights abuses and crimes against humanity being committed against the Korean people living in the north by the mafia-like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime is through achievement of unification and the establishment of a United Republic of Korea that is secure and stable, non-nuclear, economically vibrant, and unified under a liberal constitutional form of government based on individual liberty, rule of law, and human rights as determined by the Korean people. In short, a United Republic of Korea (UROK).
Survey: More than 90% of S. Koreans don't believe N. Korea will denuclearize
By Thomas Maresca flip.it2 min
More than 90% of South Koreans expressed doubt that North Korea would give up its nuclear weapons, according to an annual survey by the Korean Institute of National Unification. File photo by Jeon Heon-kyun/EPA-EFE
SEOUL, July 16 (UPI) -- More than nine in 10 South Koreans don't believe Pyongyang is willing to give up its nuclear weapons, according to a new survey by government-run think tank Korea Institute for National Unification.
The annual survey, released on Thursday, saw a dramatic increase in the percentage of respondents who believed that North Korea was unwilling to denuclearize over the past five years, from 71.3% in 2016 to 90.7% in April.
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Only 14.3% of the 1,003 respondents aged 18 and over said they trusted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, down from a high of 33.5% in April 2019, after a period of diplomatic rapprochement with Pyongyang.
At the same time, less than half of South Koreans said they were worried by the nuclear threat posed by the North, with 42.5% saying they were "somewhat" or "very" concerned. Only 18.6% felt the nuclear threat had an impact on their lives.
Nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang have been at a standstill since a February 2019 summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump failed to produce an agreement.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has signaled its willingness to meet with North Korea as part of what officials call a "calibrated and practical approach" toward the nuclear-armed state.
Some 69% of the KINU survey's respondents said they thought Biden should hold a summit with Kim, but most wanted there to be conditions that North Korea either made concessions or gave up its nuclear arsenal entirely.
Inter-Korean relations have also been at a low ebb since Pyongyang cut off all communications channels with Seoul and destroyed a shared liaison office in June last year.
However, North Korea has maintained a relatively low profile as it struggles with the economic fallout of closed borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pyongyang has not conducted any nuclear or long-range missile tests since 2017, although it did launch a pair of short-range ballistic missiles in March, in violation of United Nations sanctions.
The KINU survey found that South Koreans generally aren't paying much attention to North Korea, especially younger ones. Overall, 61% of respondents described themselves as "disinterested" in North Korea, with that figure climbing to 74.1% among those born after 1991.
The younger generation also showed very little interest in pursuing unification with North Korea, with just 12.4% in favor, as opposed to 71.4% calling for peaceful coexistence.
Survey respondents also showed strong support for the alliance between the United States and South Korea, with 93.8% saying it would remain necessary in the future, and 90.3% saying the U.S. military is currently needed in Korea.
12. S. Korean, Israeli leaders agree on closer ties in response to COVID-19
S. Korean, Israeli leaders agree on closer ties in response to COVID-19 | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- The leaders of South Korea and Israel agreed during phone talks Friday to strengthen cooperation in efforts to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.
The pandemic was a main topic in discussions between President Moon Jae-in and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, according to Cheong Wa Dae. It marked their first phone call since Bennett's inauguration last month.
Moon talked about the 700,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine that were shipped here from Israel under a bilateral vaccine swap accord. Earlier this week, local health authorities began giving South Koreans the vaccine shots.
"The exchange of vaccines will be a catalyst for the further deepening of friendship and trust between the two countries," Moon said.
Their vaccine swap will also become an exemplary case of international cooperation, he added.
The prime minister noted that South Korea has been effective in handling the coronavirus crisis from the initial stage and expressed hope that Israel will learn from its experience.
Moon said that if South Korea, which has been relatively successful in virus control, and Israel, a model in vaccinations, share their experiences, that would help facilitate better responses to COVID-19.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
13. US deputy state secretary's visit to focus on China-curbing alliance
How to deal with a north Korea provocation in response to the combined exercises in August?
First, do not overreact. But do not succumb to the criticism of the appeasers.
Second, never ever back down in the face of north Korean increased tension, threats, and provocations.
Third, coordinate an alliance response. There may be times when a good cop-bad cop approach is appropriate. Try to mitigate the internal domestic political criticisms that will inevitably occur in Seoul and DC. Do not let those criticisms influence policy and actions.
Fourth, exploit weakness in north Korea - cause internal pressure on Kim and the regime from his elite and military. Always work to drive a wedge among the party, elite, and military (which is a challenge since they are all intertwined and inextricably linked).
Fifth, demonstrate strength and resolve. Do not be afraid to show military strength. Never misunderstand the north's propaganda - do not give into demands to reduce exercise of take other measures based on north Korean demands that would in any way reduce the readiness of the combined military forces.
Sixth, depending on the nature of the provocation, be prepared to initiate a decisive response using the most appropriate tools, e.g,. diplomatic, military, economic, information and influence activities, cyber, etc. or a combination.
Excerpts:
"As respective summits with South Korea and Japan earlier focused pn China-related issues, she will confirm the procedure for each country implementing their agreements."
Kim Yeoul-soo, chief of the Security Strategy Office at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, said, "Sherman's visit is likely to have to do with collaborating on emerging technologies and South Korea joining the quadrilateral security dialogue (Quad), both of which are aimed at containing Beijing.
"In particular, the Joe Biden administration is stressing the importance of building technology alliances and partnerships with its allies, as evidenced by its National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan's direct involvement in the issue," Kim said.
The Quad, comprised of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S., is a strategic forum, largely regarded as a means to contain China. Due to Beijing being Seoul's largest trading partner, Korea has been averse to accepting the U.S.'s repeated calls to join it, but during a May 21 summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Biden, they jointly acknowledged the importance of open, transparent, and inclusive regional multilateralism, including the Quad.
Although it is expected to take a back seat to the China issue, Pyongyang's nuclear weapons could also be on the table, the experts added.
"As North Korea is calling for the suspension of the combined military exercise between South Korea and the U.S., and it may stage a provocation to protest the drill, the three countries are expected to discuss how to deal with this possible scenario," Park said.
US deputy state secretary's visit to focus on China-curbing alliance
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman speaks during her visit to Jakarta in this May 31 photo. She is scheduled to visit South Korea from July 21 to 23. Reuters-Yonhap
By Kang Seung-woo
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's planned visit to South Korea next week is more likely to focus on strengthening and evolving the two countries alliance as part of Washington's campaign to curb China's sprawling power, rather than discussing North Korea's nuclear program, diplomatic observers here said Friday.
According to the foreign ministry, Sherman is scheduled to travel to Seoul from July 21 to 23 and will hold vice foreign ministerial strategic talks with First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun on the last day of her trip. She also plans to visit Japan for trilateral vice foreign ministerial talks that will include Japanese vice foreign minister Takeo Mori.
Following her stops in South Korea and Japan, Sherman will travel to Mongolia. She had been widely expected to visit China as well, but the State Department's announcement on her Asia visit Thursday (local time) did not include this.
"Given her itinerary, Sherman's visit to South Korea as well as Japan is likely to center on bolstering its alliances with the two countries in its competition against China. During her tour to U.S.-aligned nations, the China issue will be high on the agenda," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Woman's University.
"As respective summits with South Korea and Japan earlier focused pn China-related issues, she will confirm the procedure for each country implementing their agreements."
Kim Yeoul-soo, chief of the Security Strategy Office at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, said, "Sherman's visit is likely to have to do with collaborating on emerging technologies and South Korea joining the quadrilateral security dialogue (Quad), both of which are aimed at containing Beijing.
"In particular, the Joe Biden administration is stressing the importance of building technology alliances and partnerships with its allies, as evidenced by its National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan's direct involvement in the issue," Kim said.
The Quad, comprised of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S., is a strategic forum, largely regarded as a means to contain China. Due to Beijing being Seoul's largest trading partner, Korea has been averse to accepting the U.S.'s repeated calls to join it, but during a May 21 summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Biden, they jointly acknowledged the importance of open, transparent, and inclusive regional multilateralism, including the Quad.
Although it is expected to take a back seat to the China issue, Pyongyang's nuclear weapons could also be on the table, the experts added.
"As North Korea is calling for the suspension of the combined military exercise between South Korea and the U.S., and it may stage a provocation to protest the drill, the three countries are expected to discuss how to deal with this possible scenario," Park said.
14. Three Haeju university students brought to court for watching and distributing S. Korean videos
Who does Kim fear more: the US or the Korea people in the north? What do the Korean people fear the most? being ratted out by other Koreans.
And the hypocrisy is every one of the officials/authorities involved with this are probably just as guilty for watching South Koreaa dramas and news.
Excerpts:
The three defendants were students in their 20s who attend the Haeju University of Education. They were shackled during the trial, where they were charged with regularly gathering together to watch South Korean films and music videos and sharing them with other students.
North Korean authorities reportedly sat the parents of the students, the party secretaries of the companies where their parents worked, and even the heads of those companies in the front row. Calling out the names of the students, the names of their parents, and even the details of the families, the court officials slammed all involved, telling them they “will no longer be able to walk around town with their heads held high.”
Three Haeju university students brought to court for watching and distributing S. Korean videos - Daily NK
The three students involved were arrested based on a tip from the head of their "people’s unit"
Three university students in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province, were tried in a public court late last month for watching and distributing South Korean videos.
According to a Daily NK source in South Hwanghae Province on Wednesday, North Korean authorities publicly tried the three individuals before a crowd gathered in the yard of the Haeju Farm Machine Factory on June 30. They were accused of watching and distributing so-called “capitalist recorded material (videos)” consisting of South Korean movies and music videos.
The crowd included cadres from major government institutions, students from middle schools and universities, as well as local residents.
The three defendants were students in their 20s who attend the Haeju University of Education. They were shackled during the trial, where they were charged with regularly gathering together to watch South Korean films and music videos and sharing them with other students.
North Korean authorities reportedly sat the parents of the students, the party secretaries of the companies where their parents worked, and even the heads of those companies in the front row. Calling out the names of the students, the names of their parents, and even the details of the families, the court officials slammed all involved, telling them they “will no longer be able to walk around town with their heads held high.”
Popular media players for watching foreign content in North Korea (to the left, a “notel”; to the right, an mp4 player). Image: Daily NK
According to what Daily NK knows so far, when the three students learned that another student had reported them to the authorities, they found and threatened the informant and tried to flee. However, they were arrested based on a tip from the head of their inminban (people’s unit), who was keeping an eye on them.
The Ministry of State Security found several USBs with South Korean films, music broadcasts, and music videos in the students’ homes and lockers. However, the students refused to confess to where the content had come from to the very end, further outraging the ministry’s agents.
Following the incident, North Korean authorities declared it would immediately send inspection teams to the Haeju University of Education and other universities in the city to root out “anti-socialist and non-socialist” behavior among students.
The authorities stressed in particular that the struggle against “anti-socialist and non-socialist” behavior must be regarded as a political and class struggle, and that the entire nation should “confess [to illegal activities], report on each other, and monitor each other” to prevent “the infiltration of the enemy’s reactionary culture.”
The source said the authorities told law enforcement agencies and the “unified command” tasked with inspections and crackdowns regarding “non-socialist and anti-socialist behavior” that they should demonstrate leadership and creativity to uncover problematic behavior and “mercilessly” punish it. They also warned offenders that they faced “expulsion from the party, losing their jobs, and even exile.”
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
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.
