Quotes of the Day:

"The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you what it felt like."

- E.L. Doctorow

"Lies. Let them come into the world… But not through me. The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie.” 

- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.” 

- Thomas Paine

1. S. Korea stages military parade in downtown Seoul for 1st time in decade

2. Yoon says S. Korea-U.S. alliance will end N.K. regime in event of nuclear weapons use

3. N. Korea's criticism of Yoon reflects sense of isolation, crisis: unification ministry

4. N. Korea scheduled to hold key parliamentary meeting following Kim-Putin summit

5. N. Korea opens border to foreigners for first time since COVID-19: report

6. Two rescued after armored vehicle submerges during test run

7. North Korea says cooperation with Russia 'natural' for neighbours

8. 'Glad I finished Thaad, Gsomia before going to prison' – Former President Park Geun-hye

9. N. Korean fuel vendors face heavy crackdown by police

10. Seoul warns of N Korean regime termination, if nuclear weapons used

11. No dating at historic sites, North Korea warns young couples

12. South Korea Presidents clash over North Korea policy

13. ＜Inside N. Korea＞Unusual changes in the Army (1) In a rare move, police are tasked with cracking down on breaches of military discipline as crimes by soldiers and desertions increase

14. Biden will try to ‘manage’ NK nukes, not resolve it: US expert

15. Kim Jong-un's lifeline

16. Unification minister to visit Britain, Germany

1. S. Korea stages military parade in downtown Seoul for 1st time in decade

Despite the rain it was packed downtown. The fencing to control the crowds reminded me of New York Times Square on New Year's Eve. 

I missed this.

Excerpt:

Some 300 U.S. combat troops took part in the parade for the first time in a show of its commitment to the bilateral alliance, which marks its 70th anniversary this year.

(LEAD) S. Korea stages military parade in downtown Seoul for 1st time in decade | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · September 26, 2023

(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES with military parade throughout; REPLACES, ADDS photos)

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Missiles, tanks and other military hardware paraded through central Seoul together with troops and ordinary people Tuesday as the country held the first such military procession in 10 years to mark Armed Forces Day.

President Yoon Suk Yeol joined the procession in the rain, walking together with Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and military commanders behind a military brass band, and waving to people lining the street. At the end of the parade, Yoon gave a brief remark as troops and cadets surrounding him cheered.

It marked the first parade of its kind since 2013, as Seoul has recently stepped up efforts to bolster its military's capabilities amid Pyongyang's continued push to develop nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

South Korea has usually held a military parade every five years in time for Armed Forces Day, which falls on Oct. 1, but the preceding Moon Jae-in government skipped the event amid its push for inter-Korean reconciliation.

In Tuesday's parade, some 3,700 troops and over 170 pieces of military equipment, including the country's "high-power" missiles, K2 main battle tanks and unmanned aerial vehicles, moved in formation through foggy weather under autumn rain from Sungnyemun Gate to Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul.

Mechanized troops take part in a military parade in central Seoul on Sept. 26, 2023, to commemorate the 75th founding anniversary of South Korea's armed forces this year. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Crowds of spectators holding umbrellas lined the traffic-controlled Sejongno Street, which pierces through downtown Seoul, to catch a glimpse of the waves of soldiers, military academy cadets and armored vehicles.

In an apparent warning against North Korea, the parade featured key weapons systems utilized in Seoul's three-axis deterrence structure, including Hyunmoo surface-to-surface missiles.

South Korea has developed a series of Hyunmoo missiles, including ballistic and cruise-type ones, as centerpieces of Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in case of a major conflict.

KMPR is a pillar of the three-pronged system that includes the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform and the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system.

The military did not disclose exactly which Hyunmoo missiles were on display in line with the secrecy surrounding them, but a military official said a "high-power" type was included in the event.

Hyunmoo sufrace-to-surface missiles are on display in central Seoul on Sept. 26, 2023, in a military parade commemorating the 75th founding anniversary of South Korea's armed forces this year. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

The parade also showcased the country's Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile system under development, designed to shoot down an incoming ballistic missile at altitudes of 50-60 kilometers and expected to be a key element of KAMD.

Unmanned combat systems that the military seeks to utilize for future warfare were also on display, including unmanned aerial vehicles and an unmanned underwater vehicle.

Some 300 U.S. combat troops took part in the parade for the first time in a show of its commitment to the bilateral alliance, which marks its 70th anniversary this year.

Due to the weather, the military cancelled performances by the Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team as well as flights by helicopters and warplanes, including Apache attack choppers and F-35A stealth fighters.

Earlier in the day, President Yoon Suk Yeol inspected the troops and military equipment featured at the parade at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of the capital, in a commemorative ceremony for the anniversary.

Military academy cadets take part in a military parade in central Seoul on Sept. 26, 2023, to mark the 75th founding anniversary of South Korea's armed forces this year. (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · September 26, 2023

2. Yoon says S. Korea-U.S. alliance will end N.K. regime in event of nuclear weapons use

Note the human rights upfront approach included as well. It is important that every time we talk about the north's nuclear and missile threats that we talk about human rights. The first is exploited by the Propaganda and Agitation Department to legitimize the regime while the latter undermines the legitimacy of the regime and gives hope to the Korean people in the north.

Excerpts:

"The North Korean regime must clearly realize that nuclear weapons will never be able to guarantee its security," he said during a commemorative ceremony held at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of the capital, noting the regime has been upgrading its nuclear and missile capabilities in defiance of the international community's warnings and "blatantly threatening" to use nuclear weapons.

"This constitutes an existential threat to our people and a grave challenge to world peace," he continued. "Based on battle-ready combat capabilities and a solid readiness posture, our military will immediately retaliate against any North Korean provocation. If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response from the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

Yoon also accused the North of human rights violations.

"The North Korean regime's obsession with the development of nuclear weapons aggravates the North Korean people's suffering," he said. "It continues to exploit and oppress its people, and violate their human rights."

(LEAD) Yoon says S. Korea-U.S. alliance will end N.K. regime in event of nuclear weapons use | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · September 26, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks by Yoon, details of event; ADDS photo)

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a stern warning against North Korea on Tuesday, saying the regime will be brought to an end by the South Korea-U.S. alliance if it uses nuclear weapons.

Yoon made the remark during a speech marking the 75th Armed Forces Day, which is celebrated on Oct. 1 and commemorates the founding of the country's armed forces.

"The North Korean regime must clearly realize that nuclear weapons will never be able to guarantee its security," he said during a commemorative ceremony held at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of the capital, noting the regime has been upgrading its nuclear and missile capabilities in defiance of the international community's warnings and "blatantly threatening" to use nuclear weapons.

"This constitutes an existential threat to our people and a grave challenge to world peace," he continued. "Based on battle-ready combat capabilities and a solid readiness posture, our military will immediately retaliate against any North Korean provocation. If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response from the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

Yoon also accused the North of human rights violations.

"The North Korean regime's obsession with the development of nuclear weapons aggravates the North Korean people's suffering," he said. "It continues to exploit and oppress its people, and violate their human rights."

Yoon said South Korea will further strengthen security cooperation with the United States and Japan based on its "ironclad" alliance with Washington, and establish a strong security posture by standing in close solidarity with its partner nations.

"On top of this, our people will never be deceived by the fake peace tricks of North Korea's communist regime and its followers," he said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a ceremony to mark the 75th Armed Forces Day at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Yonhap)

Yoon vowed to do all he can as commander-in-chief to build a strong military that instills fear in the enemy and trust in the people, saying, "We have learned from history that only a strong military can guarantee true peace."

He referred to the Washington Declaration he adopted with U.S. President Joe Biden during their summit in April and the South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation framework established during a trilateral summit at Camp David last month. Both mechanisms, he said, will help strengthen deterrence against North Korea's nuclear program.

Yoon also stressed the importance of developing cutting-edge defense technology, such as the AI-based Manned-Unmanned Teaming System, and space, cyber and electromagnetic weaponry.

"The government will double its support so that the defense industry -- a future growth engine that is driving the cutting-edge industries -- can contribute to national security and grow into a leading sector that drives economic progress," Yoon said.

"Solid support will be provided to our soldiers in all areas, including wages, military supplies, meals, housing and medical care, to improve their combat capabilities," he added.

A large-scale military parade is scheduled to take place in central Seoul later Tuesday as part of the commemorations, featuring some 4,000 troops and over 170 pieces of military equipment, including K2 battle tanks, the country's new "high-power" missile, and attack drones, according to defense officials.

It will be the first such parade since 2013.

The country has usually held a military parade every five years in time for Armed Forces Day, but the preceding Moon Jae-in government skipped the event amid its push for inter-Korean reconciliation.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (R, in car) reviews troops during a ceremony to mark the 75th Armed Forces Day at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Yonhap)

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · September 26, 2023

3. N. Korea's criticism of Yoon reflects sense of isolation, crisis: unification ministry

The MOU spokesman makes a good point. The regime cannot compete with the strength of JAROKUS (Japan- ROK-US)

Excerpt:

"North Korea has been expressing a sense of isolation and crisis at a time when the Yoon administration's state affairs stance -- freedom and solidarity -- has been gaining firm support from the international community, as shown in the outcome from the Camp David summit in August," a ministry official told reporters, referring to the talks among the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan.

The regime is under severe internal stress and therefore must externalize its problems through threats in order to generate the perception of an external threat to justify the sacrifice and extreme suffering of the Korean people in the north.

N. Korea's criticism of Yoon reflects sense of isolation, crisis: unification ministry | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 26, 2023

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's latest rebukes against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol showed how the secretive regime feels isolated and a sense of crisis amid the international community's united front against Pyongyang, the unification ministry said Tuesday.

North Korea on Monday lambasted Yoon for making "hysterical" remarks after he warned against a possible arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow in a U.N. General Assembly speech in the wake of the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"North Korea has been expressing a sense of isolation and crisis at a time when the Yoon administration's state affairs stance -- freedom and solidarity -- has been gaining firm support from the international community, as shown in the outcome from the Camp David summit in August," a ministry official told reporters, referring to the talks among the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Using vulgar remarks, the North described Yoon as having the disgraceful ill fame of the "political immature" and a "diplomatic idiot" in its latest state media report written by an individual, not by any government or party official.

It marked the first time that an unidentified North Korean individual has condemned Yoon in the country's state media reports since he took office in May 2022, according to the ministry.

The North has so far lambasted Yoon 19 times, mostly by Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North's leader.

This photo, taken Sept. 20, 2023, shows President Yoon Suk Yeol making a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 26, 2023

4. N. Korea scheduled to hold key parliamentary meeting following Kim-Putin summit

Yes, enquiring minds want to know: what will the Supreme People's Assembly do and say?

Excerpts:

An official at South Korea's unification ministry said it is hard to prejudge what the SPA could discuss, including the possibility of Kim Jong-un delivering a public speech.

In a parliamentary meeting in September 2022, the North's leader publicly announced the legalization of nuclear weapons, as its parliament approved a new law that allows for a preemptive nuclear strike.

N. Korea scheduled to hold key parliamentary meeting following Kim-Putin summit | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 26, 2023

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is scheduled to convene a key parliamentary meeting Tuesday amid keen attention over whether its leader Kim Jong-un will attend it to deliver any message related to his latest summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

North Korea earlier announced its plan to hold the ninth session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Tuesday to discuss organizational matters and the issue of reviewing and adopting various laws.

The secretive regime's state media has not reported whether the meeting has kicked off. The results of the session will likely be made public a day after the session wraps up.

The SPA is the highest organ of state power under the North's constitution, but it actually only rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 22, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) presiding over a politburo meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea to discuss the outcome of his latest summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

One of the major focal points for the SPA session would be whether Kim will use the session to deliver a public speech toward South Korea or the United States following his latest summit with Putin.

Kim and Putin held the summit at a Russian spaceport on Sept. 13, raising speculation North Korea may have reached a deal to supply ammunition for Russia's war in Ukraine in exchange for food aid and the transfer of weapons technology.

After returning home last week, Kim held a politburo meeting with top officials last week to discuss the outcome of his summit with Putin and called for unspecified "thorough" follow-up measures.

Whether Premier Kim Tok-hun could be replaced will be also one of the main issues that will likely be decided at the SPA.

The North's leader recently strongly berated Premier Kim and the Cabinet over their "irresponsible" attitude in failing to prevent flood damage and "spoiling" the country's economic plans.

His sharp-worded comments fueled speculation that he may replace the premier, a move seen as aiming at shifting responsibility to the Cabinet for the faltering economy. Premier Kim was appointed to the post in 2020.

Still, he has been carrying out his official duty as premier, as state media reported Monday that Kim has inspected the agricultural sector in South Hwanghae Province.

An official at South Korea's unification ministry said it is hard to prejudge what the SPA could discuss, including the possibility of Kim Jong-un delivering a public speech.

In a parliamentary meeting in September 2022, the North's leader publicly announced the legalization of nuclear weapons, as its parliament approved a new law that allows for a preemptive nuclear strike.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 26, 2023

5. N. Korea opens border to foreigners for first time since COVID-19: report

A significant development but will the borders be opened to allow trade? (and will the necessary smuggling resume - I doubt it as the regime seems to have stemmed it and likely will continue to do so to maintain control over the population and the markets).

N. Korea opens border to foreigners for first time since COVID-19: report | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · September 25, 2023

SEOUL, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea will allow the entry of foreigners to the country from Monday, Chinese state media reported, lifting its border closure to foreign nationals for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

China's state broadcaster CCTV reported Pyongyang authorities said they will allow foreigners to enter the country after a two-day quarantine period upon arrival, without specifying the source of the announcement. North Korean state media has not yet reported on the move.

North Korea has slowly been easing its border curbs imposed at the start of the pandemic in early 2020 by allowing delegations from China and Russia in July and allowing the re-entry of North Koreans from abroad last month.

Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un led a delegation of high-ranking officials to visit Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin and sent North Korean athletes to the 2023 Asian Games which opened in China's Hangzhou on Sunday.

A flight by Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel agency specializing in tours to North Korea, lands at the Beijing Capital International Airport in this file photo taken Aug. 24, 2023. (Yonhap)

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · September 25, 2023

6. Two rescued after armored vehicle submerges during test run

As an aside, I recall that during river crossing training our battalion sunk the first Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Germany in 1983 or 1984 when we were going through Bradley transition (from our old M1113 APCs). Later we learned that the shell of the Bradley was placed in front of Building Four of the Infantry School at Fort Moore.

(LEAD) Two rescued after armored vehicle submerges during test run | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · September 26, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info throughout; ADDS photo)

POHANG, South Korea, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Two defense company employees were rescued after an armored vehicle was submerged during a test operation on the southeastern coast in Pohang on Tuesday, military officials said.

The accident occurred at around 3 p.m. near the headquarters of the 1st Marine Division in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The two employees who were inside the landing assault armored vehicle went missing after the incident, but were later rescued and taken to a hospital. The current state of their condition was not immediately clear.

DAPA said it is investigating the accident in cooperation with relevant authorities to determine the exact cause.

Military officers, the coast guard and firefighters search for two missing defense company employees after an armored vehicle was submerged during a test operation on the southeastern coast in Pohang on Sept. 26, 2023. The employees were later rescued and taken to a hospital, according to officials. (Yonhap)

ycm@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · September 26, 2023

7. North Korea says cooperation with Russia 'natural' for neighbours

Excerpts:

Any activities assisting North Korea's weapons programmes are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions.

"The foreign policy of the DPRK ... will not be tied to anything, and its friendly and cooperative relations with the close neighbours will continue to grow stronger," the commentary said. DPRK is the initials of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea says cooperation with Russia 'natural' for neighbours

Reuters

SEOUL, Sept 25 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday slammed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for criticising its cooperation with Moscow following leader Kim Jong Un's Russia visit, saying it is "natural" and "normal" for neighbours to keep close relations.

Yoon, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly last week, said that if Russia helped North Korea enhance its weapons programmes in return for assistance for its war in Ukraine, it would be "a direct provocation."

In a piece carried by KCNA news agency, the North denounced Yoon for "malignantly" slandering its friendly cooperation with Russia, and said Yoon was serving as a "loudspeaker" for the United States.

"It is quite natural and normal for neighbouring countries to keep close relations with each other, and there is no reason to call such practice to account," it said.

Kim returned home last week from a week-long trip to Russia in which he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to boost military and economic cooperation.

U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that Russia could be trying to acquire ammunition from the North to supplement its dwindling stocks for the war in Ukraine while Pyongyang seeks technological help for its nuclear and missile programmes.

Any activities assisting North Korea's weapons programmes are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions.

"The foreign policy of the DPRK ... will not be tied to anything, and its friendly and cooperative relations with the close neighbours will continue to grow stronger," the commentary said. DPRK is the initials of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Reuters

8. 'Glad I finished Thaad, Gsomia before going to prison' – Former President Park Geun-hye

A relatively long interview. This is the former president's first interview.

Tuesday

September 26, 2023

 dictionary + A - A 

Published: 26 Sep. 2023, 20:35

'Glad I finished Thaad, Gsomia before going to prison'

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-09-26/national/politics/Glad-I-finished-Thaad-Gsomia-before-going-to-prison/1879059

Former President Park Geun-hye at her home in Dalseong County, Daegu, on Sept. 11. [KWON HYUK-JAE]

Former President Park Geun-hye spent 1,737 days in prison. 

However, she said she has never been impatient about her 22-year prison sentence as she was confident in her innocence. 

Park said she had never accepted bribes or engaged in corruption that would benefit another person.

The interview with the JoongAng Ilbo was conducted for two hours at former President Park Geun-hye’s home in Dalseong County, Daegu on Sept. 11.

The following is the full interview: 

Q. This is your first interview since you were released on a special pardon. Is there anything you would like to say to the people?  

A. I would like to offer my sincere apologies once again for the disappointment and concerns I caused by not fulfilling the role entrusted to me due to my failure to properly manage the people around me. 

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and deep gratitude to the people across the country who unwaveringly placed their trust in me and offered their support during the most challenging moments of my life. 

I am in debt to those people. 

But above all, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the five individuals who died while participating in the rally that opposed my impeachment. 

I would like to take this opportunity to give my heartfelt prayers to the individuals who passed away and their surviving family. 

Q. Your impeachment started from your relationship with Choi Seo-won. How did you get to know her and what was her role? 

Although I knew her as the daughter of Reverend Choi Tae-min, we weren’t particularly close in the beginning. When I ran for Dalseong County’s by-election in 1998, Choi’s mother came to assist me, accompanied by Choi and her husband Chung Yoon-hoi. 

When I was elected president, I didn’t have anyone around me to whom I could turn for personal errands. As a woman, there were certain challenges in seeking assistance from male secretaries. That is when Choi began to visit the Blue House. I genuinely believed that Choi was someone who was aiding me without personal interest as she had never sought to exploit our relationship for her own benefit or interfere in affairs before I was elected. 

Q. Were you unaware that Choi Seo-won personally managed the Mi-R and K-Sports foundations? 

It is true that the board members of both Mi-R and K-Sports were recommended by Choi. However, I didn’t think it would be a problem since they went through a screening process and they were experts in their respective fields. Looking back, I regret not refusing Choi when she first told me that she would like to introduce several individuals as board members for the foundations. I was shocked when I was told during the prosecutors’ investigation that Choi was heavily involved in management including hiring employees. Nevertheless, I sincerely apologize to the people as it was my fault of failing to properly manage those around me. 

*The Mi-R and K-Sports were foundations created by Choi Seo-won using her long-time relationship with Park and her influence within the government to strong arm major conglomerates including Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK and LG to make contributions.  

Q. The court acknowledged that the contributions by Lotte and SK in the establishment of Mi-R and K-Sports constituted bribery. Did you personally request the contributions during one-on-one meetings with the heads of the conglomerates? 

The court ruled both Lotte’s contribution to the K-Sports Foundation, which was later refunded, and the initially planned contribution by SK, which was later abandoned, as bribes.

However, I cannot accept the ruling because, for a crime to be established, it must be proven that an illegal favor was granted. There were no favors asked to me by either Lotte or SK. 

Since it was a personal meeting with a president, there may have been issues that had been discussed regarding the difficulties the companies faced. But I have never granted favors. 

I believed that conglomerates sponsoring sports promotion would contribute to improving people’s lives. Never did I imagine that the sponsorships would come with expectations of favors. 

I never asked the conglomerate chairmen for specific amounts of sponsorships. 

But I think it was my responsibility for not knowing Choi was trying to personally profit through the foundation, and it was my fault for misjudging the person. 

Q. It has been confirmed that you had received 3.65 billion won ($2.7 million) in special activity funds from former National Intelligence Service directors Nam Jae-joon, Lee Byung-kee and Lee Byung-ho between May 2013 and September 2016. Why did you receive the funds and where did you spend them?  

When I first assumed office, my aides reported to me about an NIS fund that could be used in managing the Blue House. They mentioned that the NIS provided such financial assistance to the Blue House in previous administrations. I had instructed my staff to utilize the funds for official purposes. 

However, I have neither received any reports nor have knowledge on where the funds were used. 

I have never used the special activity fund for personal purposes. 

In September 2016 then-NIS Director Lee Byung-ho sent 200 million won, which Secretary Jeong Ho-seong delivered to my residence. 

I used it to hand out Chuseok motivational money to the Blue House staff. 

Because I made the order to the Blue House, whatever the reasons may be, I extend my deep apologies to the three former NIS directors, who had to endure such difficulties. 

I deeply regret not going through the legal review on the special activity fund. 

The three former directors bear no responsibility. 

*The prison sentences on all three former NIS directors were finalized in July 2021. Nam Jae-joon was sentenced to 18 months, Lee Byung-kee was sentenced to three years while Lee Byung-ho was given three years and six months. The directors were granted special pardons in December last year. 

Q. You were sentenced by the court to two years in prison for illegally intervening in selecting Saenuri Party [today’s People Power Party] candidates running for the 2016 legislative election. The accusation was that the Blue House conducted an illegal survey to manage a list of candidates that were pro-Par so that such candidates could be selected as candidates, while politicians that were against you such as Yoo Seong-min would be excluded.  

It would be a lie to say a president has no interest in the legislative election. However, while I may have spoken about several people, I have no memory of creating a specific list of candidates that I had handpicked as must-haves and handing it over to the party. 

The secretary of political affairs once reported the results of a survey during a senior secretaries’ meeting. However, I recall the survey delivered to the Blue House was conducted by the party. 

I had given warnings [to Saenuri Party politicians] as there were rumors circulating about people calling out non-loyalists. I deeply regret not delivering a stronger warning. 

I never explicitly ordered the disapproval of then Rep. Yoon Seong-min’s candidacy. However, I was aware that there were Blue House advisors who held negative view of Rep. Yoo. 

In the end, I was responsible for the candidate nomination controversy. 

At the time, party leader Kim Moo-sung requested a meeting with me, even a phone call, to discuss matters on the legislative election’s candidate nominations. However, that connection was never made. 

I only learned about it when I was in prison. 

At the time, I had no knowledge of such a situation. And while I was infuriated as to who had intervened, who am I to blame others? I see it as having been my responsibility as president.  

Q. From July 2017, you refused to appear at your own trial. Why?  

Although I might have made several mistakes while governing the country, I didn’t think I had committed such serious wrongdoing to be indicted on bribery and impeached. 

So, I placed my trust in the court and endured up to four trials a week, pushing myself to my physical limits. 

But when the court issued an additional arrest warrant, I reached the conclusion that I could no longer anticipate a fair trial. 

So, I decided to give up on the trial and believed that regardless of the verdict rendered, the truth would eventually come to light.

Q. It has been said that some of the so-called pro-Park politicians voted in favor of your impeachment. 

Among the lawmakers who voted in favor of the impeachment were so-called pro-Parks. And most lawmakers have never once asked about my wellbeing during my lengthy incarceration.  

After hearing that a lawmaker who is a friend of my brother [Park Ji-man] and the party’s floor leader voted in favor of my impeachment, it made me reflect deeply on people and trust issues. 

Q. Tensions between North and South Korea escalated following North Korea's provocation using wooden landmines. However, it has been observed that the Park Geun-hye government maintained a principled stance in contrast to a conciliatory tone. 

Our North Korean policy, which we pursued diligently, aimed to uphold the principle of safeguarding our national security unequivocally while persuading North Korea to denuclearize. 

While there were no under-the-table contacts, we had repeatedly expressed our willingness to engage in dialogue at any given moment if North Korea demonstrates readiness to move forward. 

It was the same principle in which I made the Dresden Declaration. 

In fact, until 2015 there had been efforts made between the North and South in building trust.  

However, after North Korea conducted its nuclear tests and engaged in several missile provocations in 2016, exchanges between the two Koreans were temporarily suspended. 

Since then, the Korea-U.S. alliance strengthened while a structure in the international community against North Korea was established. 

*The Dresden Declaration was a vision on the peaceful unification of the North and South announced by then-President Park in 2014 during her visit to Germany. She made several proposals including solutions to humanitarian issues as well as establishment of infrastructure that would benefit both Koreas. 

Q. On Dec. 28, 2015, the Korean and Japanese government announced an agreement regarding the compensation of women that were sex slaves during the Japanese occupation. The agreement was welcomed in neither country and politically unpopular. And yet you continued to pursue it. Why? 

At the time, compensating the comfort women had been an issue at the center of the relationship between Korea and Japan for 24 years. 

I believed that I could no longer let this issue to pass on to the future generation. 

The agreement was created after collecting the opinion of the people who were involved. 

The key to the three demands that we had made to Japan was that they were demands that the victims themselves had made.

While Korea and Japan were the ones that worked the most in drafting the agreement, the agreement was the results of multilateral diplomatic efforts with the U.S. and the international community.  

Former President Park Geun-hye at her home in Dalseong County, Daegu, on Sept. 11. [KWON HYUK-JAE]

Q.The Moon Jae-in government disbanded the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation. 

Korea’s global credibility had been affected as a foundation that was created with so much effort and international consensus had been smashed into pieces. 

Since the disbanding of the foundation, I don’t know if there are alternative or better solutions. 

In the second half of 2016 there were talks of impeachment at the National Assembly. Yet you pushed through with the signing of Gsomia, which sparked a strong protest from the Democratic Party. 

In 2016, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and launched ballistic missiles 24 times. 

It was a serious national security situation and our military wanted to sign the Gsomia that would enhance our intelligence capacity. 

The U.S. was also having difficulty as the information exchanges between Korea and Japan didn’t go so smoothly. 

While impeachment discussions were raised at the National Assembly, I continued pushing the agreement for national security reasons as president, even thinking it might be the last thing I do. 

I am glad and I find comfort knowing that I may have agonized if I went to prison without doing it. 

Q. There had been a lot of controversy regarding the deployment of Thaad in 2016. 

. 

Thaad is the very least we can do to defend our country from increasing threats from North Korea. 

Although China opposed it, I held to my principle that there is no higher value than the security of our people. 

After the announcement of the Thaad deployment, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test. 

When the UN Security Council agreed to adopt its strongest resolution against North Korea, China actively cooperated. 

The cooperation between Korea and China had continued. 

There was various opposition while deciding the site to deploy the Thaad system. Yet Lotte provided the golf course even at the cost of losing its business in China. 

I express my gratitude to Lotte Group for their patriotism. 

Q. You watched the birth of the Moon Jae-in government while in prison. How did it make you feel? 

My heart fell after hearing the results of the presidential election. The Moon Jae-in government's response to the North Korean nuclear threat and dissonance with allied countries made me worried. 

Q. During the legislative election in 2020, in a letter you wrote from prison, you asked all conservatives to unite. What were your thoughts at the time? 

I thought it was important to unite and to win the election so that the conservative party could secure a majority seat in the National Assembly and balance against the Moon Jae-in government. 

Although I wasn’t entirely comfortable, I conveyed the message of uniting all conservative forces despite my personal reservations.

Q. What are your thoughts on criticism that the Park Geun-hye administration was a failure? 

I can accept criticism that I, as a person, failed as I didn’t finish my presidential term. 

However, I don’t understand which polices were so wrong to say that my administration was a failure in terms of policies. 

I believed that the break-up of the Unified Progressive Party, the reform of the public employees’ pension fund, the shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Park and the deployment of Thaad were all necessary actions that had to be taken as they would determine our national fate.  

The creative economy innovation centers were a policy that we had put much effort into, expecting that it would play a fitting role in an era of the fourth industrial revolution. 

I feel a sense of accomplishment as there were substantial results already out even before I was impeached. 

Q. Some critics argue that because of the public workers’ pension reform, the conservative party lost the legislative election in 2016. Had you not thought about delaying the pension reform after the election? 

I believe that is the president’s job. Many thought the reform of public employee pensions should have happened a long time ago, but it did not. 

They had just let it continue even though it was evident that it was a ticking time bomb that would explode sometime soon. 

I thought that such an issue wouldn’t be solved without the determination of the president. 

Every day, roughly 8 billion won in taxes had been going into filling the deficit in the public employees’ pension fund. 

We had informed the public that if we didn’t make the changes today, next year that daily amount would increase to 10 billion won. 

It wasn’t easy but we created a consensus group that made its decision after numerous discussions.

The reform could have affected the election. 

However, I would have blamed myself more if I didn’t, especially knowing that the public’s burden would grow even larger with the passing of time. 

Q. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who led the special counsel investigation team against you, succeeded in regime change as a candidate of the conservative camp. How do you see the current administration’s direction and governance? 

First of all, I am relieved that the liberal government failed to secure an extension and was replaced by a conservative government. 

I believe several prosecutors that participated in the investigation at the time are now in major positions within the Yoon Suk Yeol government, including a minister. 

However, since the decision on whom to appoint is solely the prerogative of the president, it would not be appropriate for me to comment. 

Nevertheless, when assessing the current government’s direction and policies, it appears that there is a sense of urgency, considering that this administration has been in office for only a year and four months. 

As a former president, I don’t think it is appropriate to address such problems. 

Q. There is speculation that past pro-Park figures are planning a comeback by running in the election. 

Personally, I have no plans of getting involved in next year’s election. I have repeatedly stated that there is no such thing as "pro-Park" in politics. 

As for those who were in politics and now considering a return to the political arena, it is their own personal decision and therefore it is not my place to comment.

However, I hope they will not associate me with it and claim it is to restore my honor. 

I hope that past relationships pass as past relationships. 

Q. The Our Republican Party still argues that the impeachment is invalid. What would your thoughts be if they send out candidates for next year’s legislative elections under the justification of restoring your honor? 

I am well aware of the efforts that the Our Republican Party is making in arguing that my impeachment was invalid. 

However, I think the sincerity of a politician is different from those of a regular person. 

A politician should focus solely on their own political agenda for next year’s election. 

I hope they would refrain from using my image and claiming that they are running in the election to restore my honor. 

Of course, I have limitless gratitude to the people that have gone through so much in supporting me over the last several years. 

Q. You are now 71 years old. How do you plan to spend the rest of your remaining years?  

Throughout my life I have prioritized my public duties over my person life. I see that as my destiny. Even though I am no longer actively involved in frontline politics, I remain committed to contributing, even in a small way, to my country. I consider it the least I can do to reciprocate the love that the people have given me. 

BY KIM JUNG-HA, YOU SEONG-UN AND SON KOOK-HEE [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]

9. N. Korean fuel vendors face heavy crackdown by police

It seems the regime is deliberately trying to make life harder for the Korean people in the north in the name of ensuring fuel for farm equipment for the harvest. And note the corrupt officials who are selling the confiscated fuel. Things are really bad on multiple levels. But we have long known this. But note how the people are adapting. ThThe people demonstrate amazing resilience.

N. Korean fuel vendors face heavy crackdown by police

Some vendors have managed to minimize losses from the crackdown by storing their fuel in several locations instead of a single one, a source told Daily NK

By Lee Chae Un - 2023.09.26 5:00pm

https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-korean-fuel-vendors-face-heavy-crackdown-police/

FILE PHOTO: A gasoline pump in Sinuiju. (Daily NK)

The North Korean authorities have recently launched a heavy crackdown on private vendors of fuel oil, Daily NK has learned.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in North Pyongan Province told Daily NK last Friday that the police have been clamping down hard on private individuals selling fuel in the city of Sinuiju — as well as confiscating their fuel during the arrest.

The source explained that the recent crackdown on private fuel vendors is due to fuel shortages at farms at the beginning of the autumn harvest.

As the harvest gets underway across the country, the authorities are nabbing private fuel vendors and confiscating all the fuel in their possession to ensure that there is enough fuel to run farm equipment.

It appears that the confiscated fuel is being immediately sent to the farms. According to the source, apprehended vendors have been unable to recover their fuel later even after they visited the police with a bribe.

“The plan to toughen enforcement used to be announced through meetings of the inminban [neighborhood watch unit]. But this time, there were no warnings before the police abruptly ratcheted up their enforcement campaign and began ruthlessly confiscating the fuel. The private vendors who were caught on the first day of the crackdown suffered the greatest losses.”

Rumors about the crackdown soon spread through the market, which prompted private vendors to stop selling fuel or even go into hiding.

Police officials pilfer fuel to line their own pockets

Meanwhile, some policemen have been siphoning off a portion of the confiscated fuel and then selling it on the side. That kind of improper behavior is provoking anger not only among the apprehended vendors but among ordinary citizens as well.

“Policemen have been asking friends to sell the pilfered fuel on their behalf to conceal their identity and then failing to adequately compensate them for their troubles. That has caused rumors about inappropriate police behavior to quickly spread through the population,” the source said.

The crackdown on private fuel vendors is underway not only in Sinuiju but also in Hyesan, a city in Yanggang Province.

“It’s considered illegal for individuals to own or sell fuel here [in North Korea]. Even at normal times, fuel vendors have always lived in fear of being apprehended. But more recently, enforcement has gotten a lot tougher, and policemen are randomly raiding vendors’ fuel stashes,” a source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

The source explained that some vendors have managed to minimize losses from the crackdown by storing their fuel in several locations instead of a single one.

“Our government tries to resolve every shortage by forcing citizens to shoulder the burden or shaking them down on the pretext of [punishing] anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior. That practice is making people increasingly frustrated with the government.”

Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler. 

Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.  

Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

10. Seoul warns of N Korean regime termination, if nuclear weapons used

Note this is a Radio Free Asia report broadcast into north Korea.

Seoul warns of N Korean regime termination, if nuclear weapons used

Obsession with nuke development worsens North Koreans’ sufferings as it violates people’s human rights, says Yoon.

By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA

2023.09.25

Seoul, South Korea

rfa.org

South Korea warned that it would seek to terminate the Kim Jong Un regime should nuclear weapons be used in practice, calling Pyongyang’s nuclear intimidation a “grave challenge” to the international community.

“Despite repeated warnings from the international community over the past several decades, North Korea has been upgrading its nuclear and missile capabilities. Moreover, it has been blatantly threatening to use nuclear weapons,” South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday, in a speech to celebrate the South’s Oct. 1, Armed Forces Day.

“If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response from the ROK-U.S. alliance,” Yoon said, referring to South Korea’s formal name. He called the North’s nuclear gamble an “existential threat” to South Korea, and poses a “grave challenge” to global peace.

“Our people will never be deceived by the fake peace tricks of North Korea’s communist regime, its followers and anti-state forces,” the President stressed, adding that South Korea will further strengthen trilateral security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.

Yoon’s comments are the latest in a recent spate of warnings amid rising tensions and the North’s accelerated provocations. North Korea announced a new law regarding its use of nuclear weapons in September last year. In the new legislation, Pyongyang delineated the circumstances under which nuclear weapons could be used, giving it the option to deploy nuclear weapons not merely as a retaliatory measure, but also as a pre-emptive strike mechanism to bolster its deterrence capabilities.

The legislation grants the nation the authority to use nuclear weapons preemptively in scenarios where: a weapon of mass destruction launch or approach is assessed, a nuclear or non-nuclear assault on the state leadership and the command structure of the state’s nuclear forces is initiated or deemed imminent, or a lethal military attack on significant strategic assets of the state is initiated or deemed imminent.

“The North Korean regime must clearly realize that nuclear weapons will never be able to guarantee its security,” Yoon said, vowing that he would expand the scope of the U.S.-South Korea alliance into the space and cyber domains to further strengthen the allies’ capabilities.

Yoon also pinpointed the North Korean regime’s vulnerable point. “The North Korean regime’s obsession with the development of nuclear weapons aggravates the North Korean people’s suffering. It continues to exploit and oppress its people and violate their human rights,” he said.

South Korea has indicated that it would continue to raise the North’s human rights issue. It appointed a North Korean defector as its top policy aide earlier this month, underscoring the Yoon administration’s renewed stance towards a more hardline policy on Pyongyang.

Yoon’s warning came a day after North Korea labeled him a “political immature”, “diplomatic idiot” and “trash-like head.”

The verbal tit-for-tat between the Koreas this week followed Yoon’s harsh message to North Korea and Russia at the U.N. General Assembly last week, vowing that Seoul and its allies “would not just stand idly by,” should the two authoritarian states pursue military cooperation.

In a bilateral summit earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered to aid Kim in perfecting his “satellite” technology.

Yoon, who is a conservative, has been seeking to align Seoul’s foreign policy stance with the U.S. to counter global challenges including North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

Edited by Elaine Chan and Taejun Kang.

rfa.org

11. No dating at historic sites, North Korea warns young couples

Again, it seems the regime is deliberately making the people suffer. I guess the regime does not want the "competition." Perhaps they worry young couples will love each other more than they love the regime when they visit these sites.

No dating at historic sites, North Korea warns young couples

Beautifully maintained and lit up at night, the monuments to the revolution are popular romantic rendezvous spots.

By Son Hyemin for RFA Korean

2023.09.25

rfa.org

Increasingly, North Korean young people seeking a romantic rendezvous have been flocking to meticulously maintained historical sites because they are beautiful and lit up at night – appealing in a country with a dearth of parks and lots of rolling blackouts.

But authorities have noticed the trend and warned them to stop what they called disrespectful behavior, threatening to punish lovebirds discovered holding hands at such sites for their “degenerate” actions, sources tell Radio Free Asia.

The warning came after a recent ceremony at the birthplace of Kim Jong Suk, the first wife of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and a revolutionary hero.

The traditional thatched-roof house – which has been turned into a museum – in the northeastern city of Hoeryong is considered sacred, in a country which confers almost god-like status to its third-generation ruler Kim Jong Un and his family.

The house sits at the end of a carefully maintained white-brick road, with an immaculately primped lawn, surrounded by tall trees – a perfect date spot.

But a provincial official at the ceremony the marking the 74th anniversary of Kim Jong Suk’s death on Sept. 22, 1949, complained that the “ideology of young people has degenerated” because more of them are meeting at the museum, “casually holding hands and openly dating,” a resident of Hoeryong told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“He threatened that if such behavior is discovered in the future, one will be severely punished as an anti-party and counter-revolutionary element,” he said.

Another resident of the city who attended the ceremony could understand why young people used the park as a place to meet.

“In Hoeyryong, trees, flowers, and lawns have been planted at Kim Jong Suk’s birthplace and at the Osan historic site where her statue is located, and these are the only spaces that are brightly illuminated at night,” the second resident said. “It’s no wonder that young men and women want to meet up in those places.”

Then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il [center] visits the birthplace of his mother, Kim Jong Suk, in Hoeryong, North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Feb. 25, 2009. Credit: KNS/KCNA/AFP

The warning would seem to apply to young people across the country.

There are dozens of monuments and historical sites marking the country’s revolutionary past in practically every city in North Korea that are maintained in a near-pristine state, and many are illuminated at night year-round.

Party heroine

Kim Jong Suk was born in the small house on Dec. 24, 1917, to a poor farming family, and stories of her exploits are routinely praised in the country’s Communist Party propaganda.

“At the memorial event, … they talked about Kim Jong Suk’s childhood and the revolutionary activities in which she participated in the anti-Japanese armed struggle and even risked her life to defend Kim Il Sung,” the first resident said.

The presenter recalled the story of how the couple is said to have been ambushed by a group of enemy soldiers while they were both guerrillas during World War II, he said.

According to the story, Kim Jong Suk immediately jumped in front of her future husband to shield him and the two of them gunned down their attackers.

The attendees were told to follow her example by defending, to the death if needed, the current leader Kim Jong Un, the revolutionary couple’s grandson, the resident said.

Generation gap

The second Hoeryong resident said a generational gap might explain the behavior.

The younger generation was not taught as adamantly to revere the revolutionary sites as sacred like the older generation was, he said. To young people, the sites do not have much meaning other than being beautiful.

The warning was not well received by Hoeryong’s younger citizens, he said.

“The authorities are making threats and warnings [because they fear] that the revolutionary historical sites will be transformed into havens of capitalist culture,” said the resident. “The young people are really unhappy about it.”

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

rfa.org

12. South Korea Presidents clash over North Korea policy

South Korea Presidents clash over North Korea policy

Divided stance against Pyongyang may undermine the allies’ policy to curb Pyongyang’s nuke ambition.

By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA

2023.09.19

Seoul, South Korea

rfa.org

Five years ago, when leaders of the two Koreas exchanged a historic handshake in Pyongyang, the Korean people looked on with hope, wishing that this masterpiece of diplomacy may finally put an official end to the seven-decade-long war on the peninsula.

But as time surges forward, the once-celebrated inter-Korean agreement stands vulnerable, overshadowed by North Korea’s escalating nuclear threats, and its leader, Kim Jong Un reinforcing ties with his fellow authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin of Russia. Now, South Korea grapples with a growing divide on whether to uphold that deal.

The debate is set to intensify on the back of former South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s attendance of the commemorative event of the fifth anniversary of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration in Seoul on Tuesday.

“The [current] government and the ruling party have expressed their intentions to reconsider or possibly scrap the military agreement,” Moon said at the event. “However, it’s crucial to note that the inter-Korean military agreement has been instrumental in preventing military confrontations between the two Koreas.”

Moon’s comments are largely seen as a warning against the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol for its hardline policy on North Korea.

“It would be irresponsible to remove the last safety pin in place,” Moon added. “As relations between the two Koreas deteriorate and military tensions escalate, it’s imperative for both sides to uphold the agreement.”

His remarks may potentially improve public opinion of South Korea’s progressives before the general election in April. Should that happen, it would conversely work against Yoon’s hardline policy on Pyongyang.

Under the 2018 inter-Korean military deal, the two Koreas agreed to “end hostility” and to “take substantial steps to make the Korean Peninsula a permanent peace zone.”

“Military accords should be honored and respected to the fullest extent to ensure dialogue continues and to prevent dire consequences,” Moon said.

The former president was supported by key officials from his administration – his foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha and unification minister Kim Yeon-chul at the event.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with South Korean President Moon Jae-in inside the Peace House at the border village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone, South Korea on April 27, 2018. (Credit: AP)

South Korea’s progressives see consistent engagement with North Korea as a potential catalyst for altering Pyongyang’s hostile behavior and its actions of violating human rights. They believe that integrating North Korea into the international stage would foster transparency, open avenues for dialogue, and gradually shift the North’s stance towards global norms and values.

Conservatives, on the other hand, have long protested against what it defined as far-fetched engagement, saying that excessive aid to North Korea despite its continued provocations would only foster its nuclear ambitions. The conversative Yoon administration is thus adopting a hawkish policy on North Korea, aimed at pressing Pyongyang to forfeit its nuclear weapons.

The ongoing debate is set to gain its momentum, as Yoon’s Defense Minister nominee Shin Won-sik has opined about his inclination to scrap the inter-Korean military deal last week.

Some analysts consider the deal invalid, with North Korea returning to its brinkmanship diplomacy after its high-stakes summit with the United States collapsed in Hanoi February 2019. For instance, in November 2019, North Korea fired coastal artillery near the maritime buffer around the border island of Changlin-do.

In May 2020, North Korea fired gunshots towards a South Korean guard post at the inter-Korean border, and in September 2020, a South Korean civilian was shot dead at the maritime border by the North and subsequently incinerated.

Further complicating matters is North Korea’s amplified nuclear and missile threats. The threats are expected to further intensify with Putin vowing to aid North Korea in developing its satellite technology.

Rocket technology can be used for both launching satellites and missiles. For that reason, the UN bans North Korea from launching a ballistic rocket, even if it claims to be a satellite launch.

South Korea’s internal disagreement surrounding its North North Korea policy could potentially undermine that of the allies. The lack of a unified stance – be it hardline or dovish policy – risks disabling Seoul and Washington to form a coherent strategy that could be implemented in the long-term.

Experts, however, noted that the main reason for this policy inconsistency is due to Kim Jong Un’s altered stance on his diplomacy after the fallout in Hanoi in 2019.

“North Korean inconsistency is what leads to South Korea having to change its policy. If Pyongyang had continued to engage post-Hanoi summit, I think that both, Moon first, and Yoon now would have probably sought to try to accommodate this. Alas, this hasn’t been the case,” said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Professor of International Relations at King’s College London and the KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Brussels School of Governance of Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

“Likewise, I think that it was domestic instability in North Korea in the late 2000s, due to Kim Jong Il’s health condition, and then the transition process to Kim Jong Un, [being] the main reason behind the end of the inter-Korean engagement. So liberals and conservatives may not fully agree on how to approach North Korea, but I actually think that Pyongyang is the main reason why Seoul changes its policy.”

Edited by Elaine Chan and Taejun Kang.

rfa.org

13. ＜Inside N. Korea＞Unusual changes in the Army (1) In a rare move, police are tasked with cracking down on breaches of military discipline as crimes by soldiers and desertions increase

This could be a very serious indicator. Loss of military coherency and the support of the military for the regime is one of the two conditions that will lead to regime collapse (the other being the loss of central governing effectiveness - the ability of the party to govern all the northern territory from Pyongyang).

＜Inside N. Korea＞Unusual changes in the Army (1) In a rare move, police are tasked with cracking down on breaches of military discipline as crimes by soldiers and desertions increase

asiapress.org

Young soldiers on guard inside a barbed-wire fence. Wearing masks halfway down the face appears to be universal. Photo of Sinuiju on the Chinese side of the border in July 2021. (ASIAPRESS)

In mid-September, North Korean’s police agencies began a rare effort to crackdown on increasing desertions and an increase in robberies and other crimes committed by Korean People’s Army soldiers. Two reporting partners in Yanggang Province and North Hamgyung Province provided the following report. (KANG Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro)

◆ “Inform the police about wandering soldiers”

A reporting partner in Yanggang Province told ASIAPRESS: “Yesterday (September 18) at our inminban meeting, there was an order to inform the police about soldiers wandering around not accompanied by officers. Recently, there’s been an increase in robberies and burglaries by soldiers around the country, along with frequent desertions, so they said the measure is aimed at preventing incidents from occurring.”

Another reporting partner in North Hamgyung Province gave ASIAPRESS a similar report on September 21, saying: “There was an order handed down by the authorities telling people that the police and judicial authorities have placed restrictions on soldiers leaving their bases.”

It is rare for the police and other public safety agencies to place restrictions on the military since the military has its own military police.

There are also an increasing number of military deserters, and soldiers who return home for disease or malnutrition-related treatment must register themselves with their local police station to avoid being classified as deserters.

The Yanggang Province reporting partner said: “Police officers who catch soldiers detain them in police offices and then contact the military police to turn them over. It’s now difficult for soldiers to just wander around the streets. Military officers and police units get into frequent altercations with (soldiers) on the streets.”

Does this all mean that the military police are unable to prevent crimes being committed by soldiers?

◆ Soldier robs and then kills woman in her own house

What kind of crimes are soldiers committing?

“I heard from a woman that after barging into a house in Kilju, North Hamgyung Province, several deserters had an argument with the female owner before hitting her on the head, killing her.” (Yanggang Province reporting partner)

“There are frequent cases of people pretending to be discharged soldiers and committing acts of robbery and extortion, so we’ve received orders to report anyone loitering around in soldiers’ clothing.” (Reporting partner in North Hamgyung Province)

◆ Starving soldiers commit crimes, frequently desert their bases

The drastic increase in crime committed by soldiers began in and around June. That was when disease control measures were loosened, allowing soldiers to be able to leave their bases, training facilities, and workplaces after being prohibited to do so as part of efforts by the government to reduce their interaction with civilians.

Food supplies to military bases throughout the country also began to worsen in and around June.

“The son of a neighboring household recently returned home (from the military) on a temporary basis because he was suffering from malnutrition. His base is in Jajupo, North Hwanghae Province. There were several deserters at the base who ended up robbing civilian homes, so the base commander walked around more than three times per night to make sure no one had run off.”

Ultimately, the frequency of robberies committed by soldiers is due to the difficulties of supplying food and other necessities to military bases. (To be continued in the next installment)

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.

Map of North Korea ( ASIAPRESS)

asiapress.org

14. Biden will try to ‘manage’ NK nukes, not resolve it: US expert

Excerpts:

U.S. President Joe Biden will continue to “manage” North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats rather than actively trying to resolve the problem, according to Charles Kupchan, a former U.S. diplomat and national security official, Tuesday.

“The U.S. has so many balls in the air right now … There’s the war in Ukraine while China is breathing down on his (Biden’s) neck, and the U.S. is trying to prevent a war with Iran that could be just inches away. Some difficult problems will be put back on the back burner,” Kupchan said during an online seminar.

Biden will try to ‘manage’ NK nukes, not resolve it: US expert

Lecture series to examine US foreign policies

koreatimes.co.kr

Charles Kupchan, a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, speaks during an online lecture on U.S. foreign policy, Tuesday. The lecture was the first in a series of seminars coorganized by Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies, Medici Media and Los Angeles-based Pacific Century Institute. Screenshot from Zoom

Lecture series to examine US foreign policies

By Lee Hyo-jin

U.S. President Joe Biden will continue to “manage” North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats rather than actively trying to resolve the problem, according to Charles Kupchan, a former U.S. diplomat and national security official, Tuesday.

“The U.S. has so many balls in the air right now … There’s the war in Ukraine while China is breathing down on his (Biden’s) neck, and the U.S. is trying to prevent a war with Iran that could be just inches away. Some difficult problems will be put back on the back burner,” Kupchan said during an online seminar.

“So when it comes to issues like North Korea, Iran, Israel and Palestine, they will be in a ‘management mode’ under the Biden administration. They are going to be managed, but not resolved.”

The seminar, organized by Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies, Medici Media and the Los Angeles-based Pacific Century Institute, was moderated by Moon Chung-in, a professor emeritus at Yonsei University and former special presidential adviser for foreign affairs and national security.

Kupchan, who currently teaches international affairs at Georgetown University, positively assessed the U.S. government’s position on the Taiwan Strait.

“I think the U.S.’ policy toward Taiwan is about right. That is to say, it would defend the island if it were attacked by China. Not to rock the boat, but to manage the problem,” he said, adding that the Taiwan issue needs to be managed with a cool head so as to avoid provocative actions.

When asked for an overall assessment of the Biden administration’s foreign policy, Kupchan said, “In many respects, it is continuing the best of Trump. While one sees Biden as a swing away from Trump, it’s important to keep in mind that Biden continued some of what Trump implemented.”

The Biden administration’s strategic retrenchment from the Middle East and protectionist trade policies are consistent with that of the previous government, he noted.

But an aspect where Biden has set himself apart from Trump was in repairing relations with America’s allies.

“It’s important to recognize areas where Biden has had significant success, and that is repairing alliances like getting South Korea and Japan to work closely together, forming the Quad and fashioning a new relationship with India that I think will withstand the test of time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kupchan said that U.S. officials’ portrayal of the state of world affairs as “a battle between democracies and autocracies” is not helpful for its foreign policies.

U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Sept. 19 (local time). Reuters-Yonhap

“In fact, we (the U.S.) are now out there having to cooperate with non-democracies. So that kind of ideological rigidity, even though it may sell well at home, doesn’t help us navigate a world with ideological dividing lines,” he said.

Tuesday’s seminar was the first episode in a series of lectures dubbed the “James Laney Lecture Series” where prominent American scholars are invited to give lectures on U.S. foreign and defense strategies and their implications on the East Asian region.

Under the theme “The United States and the World,” 12 lectures will be delivered from this month until next June in offline and online formats. The lectures will be open to students of Yonsei University as well as the general public.

“The lectures, which will consist of debates and Q&A sessions, will address the impact of U.S. foreign policies on the Korean Peninsula and the East Asian region from a broad perspective,” said Professor Emeritus Moon, who organized the events.

The second lecture will be held on Oct. 17 at Yonsei University’s Seoul campus, where Walter Mead, a distinguished fellow at Hudson Institute, will discuss U.S. foreign policy from a conservative perspective.

Following that, there will be two lectures in November ― one by professors Siegfried Hecker and Robert Carlin from Stanford University and the other by John Ikenberry, a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University. On Dec. 15, Susan Thornton, former acting assistant secretary of state, will give a lecture on the U.S.-China rivalry.

koreatimes.co.kr

15. Kim Jong-un's lifeline

But there is a report that Kim waved off food aid from Russia. I think we all assume that given the dire food and economic situation in the north that offers of food aid would be welcomed by Kim Jong Un. Perhaps they would be if he had any concern for the welfare of the Korean people. But instead he is only concerned with control and preventing resistance.

Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/09/103_359817.html

Excerpts:

But now as North Korea reopens its borders after a hiatus of four years, it appears to be in a stronger position than it has been in some time.

That is largely due to the recent summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian Far East.

The summit produced several benefits for North Korea. One is that it made it clear that Moscow will block any future sanctions against Pyongyang in the U.N. Security Council. In addition, Russia hinted that it would be willing to break existing U.N. sanctions by importing banned North Korean products and supplying prohibited items, including weaponry, to Pyongyang.

At a minimum, North Korea can look forward to deliveries of Russian food and fuel to rescue the economy.

Kim Jong-un's lifeline

The Korea Times · September 26, 2023

China urged to play active role in new Cold War

By John Burton

Over the last few years, North Korea has truly lived up to its reputation as the "hermit country." It closed its borders and shut itself off from the rest of the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With imports of food and fuel curtailed, pundits predicted that the country might be entering a death spiral as its population starved and froze.

But now as North Korea reopens its borders after a hiatus of four years, it appears to be in a stronger position than it has been in some time.

That is largely due to the recent summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian Far East.

The summit produced several benefits for North Korea. One is that it made it clear that Moscow will block any future sanctions against Pyongyang in the U.N. Security Council. In addition, Russia hinted that it would be willing to break existing U.N. sanctions by importing banned North Korean products and supplying prohibited items, including weaponry, to Pyongyang.

At a minimum, North Korea can look forward to deliveries of Russian food and fuel to rescue the economy.

The revived alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang, with its promises of Russian military support in return for the supply of North Korean munitions to be used in fighting Ukraine, is likely to advance Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile arsenal and escalate tensions in Northeast Asia.

Kim’s meeting with Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome spaceport and his subsequent tour of a Russian fighter jet factory and naval base suggest things to come. North Korea is anxious to gain access to Russian missile, satellite and submarine technologies.

The summit also strengthens Kim Jong-un’s hand domestically. He can portray himself to his people as an effective global statesman, while pleasing his military with the promise of more advanced weapons.

The prospect of a North Korea equipped with a more sophisticated nuclear force is likely to set off a new arms race in the region by putting pressure on Seoul and Tokyo to respond in kind.

What can be done to prevent an already dangerous situation from becoming worse? One possible solution might lie with China, which has opposed nuclear proliferation and values stability in the region. It also wants to avoid a situation that would provoke an increased U.S. defense presence in Northeast Asia. Beijing is probably not too happy about Kim’s statement that he considers strengthening relations with Moscow his “top priority.” Although China may have a motivation to intervene, there are still doubts about whether it will have the means.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is threatening to take further action against North Korea if it conducts an arms deal with Russia, with U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan saying it will “pay a price for this.”

But earlier U.S. actions have failed to stop North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and any unilateral sanctions it imposes are likely to have a minimal impact.

The more serious problem for Washington is that it has probably lost any remaining diplomatic leverage with Pyongyang. It once offered the prospect of diplomatic normalization in return for denuclearization, but North Korea no longer seems interested in that bargain.

The last chance that the U.S. had to reach such a deal was in 2018 and 2019 with President Donald Trump’s meetings with Kim Jong-un. But any progress was torpedoed by hardliners in Wasington who warned that the U.S. couldn’t appear weak and make too many concessions. After that, Pyongyang lost patience with a negotiating process that had lasted for 30 years.

That diplomatic process, which involved the U.S., China, Russia and the two Koreas, was based on the premise that it would advance common and overlapping interests. Russia was happy to be included in regionally transformative arrangements. China could both protect its North Korean neighbor and prevent it from becoming a very problematic nuclear power. And the U.S. could cap the North’s nuclear ambitions while supporting its slow integration into a South Korean-led economic relationship. The dangers from a paranoid and starving North Korea would be drastically scaled back.

But the process slowly unraveled, beginning with the presidency of George W. Bush, who favored more sticks than carrots in dealing with North Korea. President Barack Obama oversaw a period of diplomatic drift on the issue. Then came the violent swings of President Donald Trump from “fire and fury” to “love letters” with Kim Jong-un.

Under the Biden administration, the region has settled into a period of Cold War-style confrontation with the trilateral alliance of the U.S., South Korea and Japan on one side and the Russia-North Korea alliance on the other.

The prospects for a diplomatic solution on North Korea appear dim.

John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.

The Korea Times · September 26, 2023

16. Unification minister to visit Britain, Germany

Excerpts:

In Germany, Kim will visit Hamburg to attend a ceremony marking the reunification of Germany in 1990 and meet government officials to gain support for Seoul's policy goal of building a reunified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.

In both countries, Kim will meet with North Korean defectors who have settled abroad.

Unification minister to visit Britain, Germany

koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · September 26, 2023

By Yonhap

Published : Sept. 26, 2023 - 11:50

This file photo on Sept. 14 shows Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho attending a press conference in Seoul. (Yonhap)

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho will embark on a weeklong trip to Britain and Germany this week for discussions on North Korea's denuclearization, its human rights conditions and unification, the ministry said Tuesday.

The seven-day trip will first bring Kim to Britain, where he will deliver a keynote speech at the Korea Global Forum, and discuss ways to cooperate with European countries on North Korea's denuclearization and human rights conditions.

In Germany, Kim will visit Hamburg to attend a ceremony marking the reunification of Germany in 1990 and meet government officials to gain support for Seoul's policy goal of building a reunified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.

In both countries, Kim will meet with North Korean defectors who have settled abroad.

Britain is home to one of the biggest communities in the West for defectors coming from the North, with 659 of 1,971 North Korean refugees living overseas based there, according to the data by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Kim will also promote South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southeastern port city of Busan during his trip, the ministry said. (Yonhap)

koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · September 26, 2023

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com