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Quotes of the Day:
"The most important scientific revolutions all include, as their only common feature, the dethronement of human arrogance from one pedestal after another of previous convictions about our centrality in the cosmos."
- Stephen Jay Gould
"The mind of the bigot is like the pupil of the eye; the more light you pour upon it, the more it will contract."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't. It's knowing where to go to find out what you need to know; and it's knowing how to use the information you get."
- William Feather
1. Satellite imagery highlights 'dramatic' increase in N. Korea-Russia border rail traffic: U.S. monitor
2. Unification ministry urges N. Korea to immediately send detained S. Koreans back home
3. NK sports broadcast labels S. Korea ‘puppets'
4.US citizens divided over troop mobilization to defend S. Korea in case of N. Korean invasion: poll
5. Seoul must brace for Washington’s increasing isolationism
6. Why does North Korea use term 'puppet' to describe South Korea?
7. First North Korean defector to become a full-time professor recalls starvation, hardship and danger
8. Putin given 'weapons' gifts by North Korea 'chums' ahead of 'birthday raids'
9. Kim Yo Jong Is the World’s Most Dangerous Woman (Book review)
10. The Growing China-North Korea-Russia Axis and South Korea’s Response
11. Sen. Mitt Romney says he is concerned about a nuclear North Korea
12. Actress' donation rekindles controversy over former President Syngman Rhee
13. BTS' J-Hope shares new pic, talks about handling responsibility in military's special force: ‘Somewhat content'
14. North Korea renovates long abandoned factory in quest to address food shortages
1. Satellite imagery highlights 'dramatic' increase in N. Korea-Russia border rail traffic: U.S. monitor
The axis of authoritarians at work.
Satellite imagery highlights 'dramatic' increase in N. Korea-Russia border rail traffic: U.S. monitor | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · October 7, 2023
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (Yonhap) -- This week's satellite imagery showed a "dramatic" surge in rail traffic along the border between North Korea and Russia, a U.S. monitor said Friday, amid concerns about possible arms transfers following last month's summit between the two countries.
Citing imagery captured on Thursday, Beyond Parallel, a project of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, reported an "unprecedented" number of freight railcars totaling roughly 73 in number at Tumangang Rail Station in Rason, a North Korean border city with Russia.
The level of traffic is far greater than what the project has observed at the facility during the past five years, even compared to pre-pandemic levels, it said.
The development comes in the wake of a rare summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last month. The summit raised speculation that it might have led to a deal feared to help advance North Korea's weapons development and in return prop up Russia's war in Ukraine.
"Given that Kim and Putin discussed some military exchanges and cooperation at their recent summit, the dramatic increase in rail traffic likely indicates North Korea's supply of arms and munitions to Russia," the project said in a report.
"However, the extensive use of tarps to cover the shipping crates/containers and equipment makes it impossible to conclusively identify what is seen at the Tumangang Rail Facility," it added.
On Thursday, broadcaster CBS reported that the North began transferring artillery to Russia as Moscow continues its war in Ukraine.
Seoul and Washington have criticized any possible transfer of arms between Pyongyang and Moscow, warning they would flout multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, which Russia itself voted for.
This image, captured from footage of North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television on Sept. 14, 2023, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin holding a summit at Russia's Vostochny spaceport the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · October 7, 2023
2. Unification ministry urges N. Korea to immediately send detained S. Koreans back home
In addition to all the internal human rights issues in north Korea from the gulags, to the rule of three, to Songbun, to forced isolation from information there are some external human rights issues that the human rights community should focus on holistically.
These influence the illegally detained, the abductees (not only those from Japan but from South Korea as well, the forced repatriation of refugees in China, the 93,000 Japanese Korean "returnees" who were duped into returning by the Kim family regime, and the 78,000 ROK soldiers who were POWs and not returned. And for both the 93,000 and 78,000 we have to consider their decenedents because due to their low Songbun descendents are living the lives of slaves. The international community must address all these issues collectively and holistically.
(LEAD) Unification ministry urges N. Korea to immediately send detained S. Koreans back home | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · October 8, 2023
(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in last 5 paras; ADDS photo)
By Kim Soo-yeon
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry on Sunday urged North Korea to immediately send a South Korean pastor and five other nationals back home, condemning their yearslong detention as "illegal and inhumane."
The ministry made the appeal in a statement marking 10 years after South Korean pastor Kim Jung-wook was arrested in Pyongyang in 2013 and then sentenced to hard labor for life on charges of spying for South Korea's spy agency.
In 2014, two other South Korean missionaries, Kim Kuk-gi and Choe Chun-gil, were also detained in the North on charges of committing what the North's regime called anti-North Korea crimes. Three former North Korean defectors, who had obtained South Korean citizenship, were detained in 2016.
"The government condemns North Korea's illegal and inhumane measure and strongly calls on North Korea, a signatory to the International Covenants on Human Rights, to immediately send them back to their beloved family members," Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at the ministry, said in the statement.
He said the government will work closely with the religious community and civic groups to find out the whereabouts of the detainees and win their repatriation, and cooperate with the international community to help resolve the issue.
"If North Korea has any understanding about human rights, it should not avoid the basic human rights issue any longer," Koo said.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has taken a hard-line stance against the North's provocative acts and has stressed the need to make the international community aware of North Korea's human rights abuses.
Last month, the ministry set up a task force to handle South Korean detainees, abductees and prisoners of war in North Korea.
This file photo, provided by Yonhap News TV, shows Kim Jung-wook, a South Korean pastor who has been detained in North Korea since 2013. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Apart from the detainees, a total of 516 South Koreans had been estimated to be living in the North as of 2003 following abductions in the years since the 1950-53 Korean War, and more than half of them are believed to have since died, the leader of an association of families with abductees in the North claimed Sunday.
Choi Sung-ryong made the claim, citing information from sources in the North, calling on the government to make greater efforts to promote the international awareness of the issue to confirm their fates and ultimately bring them back.
The ministry said it cannot verify Choi's claim, as it is impossible to confirm such numbers without cooperation from the North.
Of an estimated 3,835 South Koreans who were kidnapped by North Korea after the war, 3,310 people were sent back home and nine escaped the repressive regime, with the other 516 South Koreans having yet to return home, according to government data.
This file photo, taken July 20, 2016, shows Choi Sung-ryong (L), head of a civic group of family members of South Koreans who were detained in North Korea after being abducted after the 1950-53 Korean War, holding a press conference in Seoul, calling on North Korea to release their family members in the North. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · October 8, 2023
3. NK sports broadcast labels S. Korea ‘puppets'
Typical? Yes but it just really illustrates the nature of the Kim family regime.
NK sports broadcast labels S. Korea ‘puppets'
koreaherald.com · by Lee Jung-joo · October 8, 2023
By Lee Jung-joo
Published : Oct. 8, 2023 - 14:26
North Korea's Korean Central Television refers to South Korea as "goeroe" or "puppets" in the subtitles beside the score for the South Korean team during a women's soccer match between North and South Korea during the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 30. (Korean Central Television)
North Korea’s state media, including Rodong Sinmun and Korean Central Television, dropped the term “Nam Joseon” -- South Joseon -- when referring to South Korea in a recent sports broadcast.
Instead, North Korea’s state media used the term “goeroe,” which means “puppets” to indicate South Korea. A score graphic televised by Korean Central Television referred to South Korea as such during a women’s quarterfinal soccer match during the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 30.
While North Korea has used derogatory and sharp-worded expressions to describe the South on political and military issues, the use of a derogatory term in relation to a sporting event is unusual.
Use of “Nam Joseon” to refer to the South has been abandoned in recent months, according to a report by Yonhap News.
The last time Rodong Sinmun used the term was on Sept. 13, in an article written by Ho Jong-man, chairman of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, titled “Our Fatherland is the Eternal Embrace of Our Lives.” Rodong Sinmun rarely covers news about South Korea, except for its recent coverage of protests against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, in which it described the South as a “puppet region.”
Korean Central Television last described South Korea as a “puppet region” when reporting on the global spread of COVID-19. On the North’s radio service Korean Central Broadcasting Station and Korean Central Television, the term “Nam Joseon” was last used on July 15, during its coverage of the COVID-19 omicron outbreak.
Experts say Korean Central Television's "puppet" reference at the games is an indicator that the label has likely become standard, regardless of the topic.
The use of “puppets” instead of “Nam Joseon” could also be seen as an attempt to instill hostility toward South Korea among North Koreans, according to experts.
“It’s part of North Korea’s move to shift away from the previous framework that depicted the North and South relations as a special one and treated the two countries as a unified entity, into a more adversarial relationship,” said Hong Min, director of North Korean research division at Korea Institute for National Unification.
Tensions between North and South Korea have been increasingly heightened since President Yoon Suk Yeol assumed office in May 2022. The two countries have not held any official talks in over a year, and South Korea referred to the North Korean regime and its military as the “enemy” for the first time in six years in a defense white paper issued in February.
As South Korea’s new Defense Minister Shin Won-sik took office on Saturday, Shin made a pledge during his inauguration speech that he would sternly respond to North Korea’s provocations and strengthen cooperation with the United States.
“In case of North Korean provocation, I will take action immediately, strongly and until the end to shred the enemy’s will and capacity to make further threats,” said Shin.
“I will create a defense posture that overwhelms the enemy. Punishment is containment and containment is peace.”
Defense Minister Shin Won-sik delivers his inauguration speech during his inaugural ceremony on Saturday. (Yonhap)
koreaherald.com · by Lee Jung-joo · October 8, 2023
4. US citizens divided over troop mobilization to defend S. Korea in case of N. Korean invasion: poll
It pains me to read this. But the people of course have the right to their opinion and we must respect it. But I fear this is a result of the growing acceptance of a desire for America to become more isolationist.
But as Voltaire said: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
US citizens divided over troop mobilization to defend S. Korea in case of N. Korean invasion: poll
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · October 6, 2023
By Yonhap
Published : Oct. 6, 2023 - 09:25
US troops engaging in combined drills with South Korean forces in Jangseong, 252 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sept.1. (Yonhap)
Half of US citizens favor using American troops to defend South Korea in the event of a North Korean invasion, a recent US poll showed Thursday, underscoring the public polarization over the security issue.
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs recently released the outcome of the 2023 Chicago Council Survey conducted by Ipsos, a market research firm, from Sept. 7-18. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
The poll found that 50 percent of those questioned supported the idea of committing US troops to defend South Korea if it was invaded by the North, while 49 percent opposed it.
In previous surveys conducted in 2020, 2021 and last year, the percentages of those backing the idea were 58 percent, 63 percent and 55 percent, respectively.
In the latest poll, a majority of Americans -- 57 percent -- continued to favor the mobilization of US troops if Russia invaded a Baltic NATO state namely Latvia, Lithuania, or Estonia, and an even higher proportion -- 64 percent -- favored the use of US troops if Germany were invaded by Russia.
On the question of whether the US should have long-term military bases in South Korea, 64 percent responded positively.
"It is possible that the ongoing war in Ukraine has highlighted the costs to the United States of coming to the aid of US allies," the council said in a conclusion. (Yonhap)
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · October 6, 2023
5. Seoul must brace for Washington’s increasing isolationism
Unfortunately one conclusion Seoul may reach is the need to go nuclear. We should understand that the ROK going nuclear would play into the Kim family regime's political warfare strategy because going nuclear could lead to severe fallout for the ROK/US alliance. Going nuclear will not have the effects that some in the ROK desire.
I am asked the question about the election and the next US president by the Korean media and Korean friends. Here is my recent standard response.
I am non- partisan and I can't make predictions on elections nor will I engage in partisan politics. What we need to ensure is sustaining the long term tradition of bipartisan support for US national interests in Korea. Rather than prematurely worrying about the election, we should be working hard to ensure the long term sustainment of the Camp David Principles and the Spirit of Camp David regardless of which political party occupies the White House or has majorities in the Congress.
Seoul must brace for Washington’s increasing isolationism
donga.com
Posted October. 06, 2023 08:51,
Updated October. 06, 2023 08:51
Seoul must brace for Washington’s increasing isolationism. October. 06, 2023 08:51. .
A recent survey has revealed that 49% of Americans oppose the idea of U.S. troops defending South Korea in the event of a North Korean invasion. This sentiment varies among political affiliations, with 53% of conservative Republican supporters opposing the idea, while 43% of Democratic supporters share the same view. These findings come from a survey conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA), which polled over 3,200 Americans last month. Support for defending South Korea has declined from 63% two years ago to the current 50%.
The reluctance of the U.S. public to endorse military intervention can be a significant variable in our national security strategy. The current administration is emphasizing a new framework for trilateral cooperation between the United States, South Korea, and Japan, built on the unity of the free world. However, this survey suggests that the immediate joint response of these three countries, not only in upholding mutual defense commitments but also in addressing North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, may not function as effectively as we hope.
It is a fact that there is public sentiment in the United States that questions the role of being a global policeman even after the end of the Cold War. Former President Donald Trump, a potential Republican candidate in the upcoming presidential election, has previously voiced his doubts about why a large contingent of U.S. forces is maintained in South Korea, given the substantial costs involved.
As we approach the U.S. presidential election in November next year, it is crucial to refine our national security strategy. This requires behind-the-scenes discussions with not only the Biden administration but also Republican experts who may shape Trump's potential second term. Our government should also engage in public diplomacy efforts to explain how the 70-year-old South Korea-U.S. alliance has benefited American interests to the ordinary people in the United States. Furthermore, we must be prepared for the possibility that the U.S. government may attempt to reduce the scale and alter the missions of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea against our wishes. Therefore, we should calmly proceed with the restructuring and readiness of our military.
한국어
donga.com
6. Why does North Korea use term 'puppet' to describe South Korea?
It is the nature of the regime. It lacks confidence. It must do so to deflect news about he superioroty of the ROK from military capability to sports events.
Why does North Korea use term 'puppet' to describe South Korea?
The Korea Times · October 8, 2023
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a speech at the 9th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang on Sept. 26, as reported by North Korea's Central TV Sept. 28. Yonhap
'Pyongyang may feel pressured by Seoul's emphasis on achieving peace through strength,' expert says
By Kim Hyun-bin
North Korea has recently appeared to abandon the use of the term South Korea. Instead, the reclusive regime uses the term “puppet” to describe the South.
Experts said Sunday that Pyongyang’s sharp expression denouncing the South reflects the current state of inter-Korean relations, which have remained tense, with the North stepping up efforts to advance its missile and nuclear weapons programs.
The term South Korea was last used on Sept. 13 on the North’s state publication Rodong Sinmun.
On the North’s Korean Central Television and radio service Korean Central Broadcasting Station, the term was last used on July 15.
Then, the radio service used the term “puppet” instead of South Korea on Aug. 19 when reporting the spread of COVID-19 around the world.
This trend persisted on Sept. 30 when Korean Central Television referred to South Korea as the “puppet team” while reporting the results of a women’s football quarterfinal match between the two Koreas at the Asian Games, signaling the widespread adoption of “puppet” as the standard term when referring to South Korea in various contexts.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has also ceased using the term South Korea since reporting on the interim investigation results related to U.S. soldier Travis King, who was detained in the North after running across the inter-Korean border in July.
The initial report on Aug. 16 identified King as an "American soldier stationed in South Korea," but the final investigation results released on Sept. 27 referred to him simply as an "American soldier."
Yang Moo-jin, the president of the University of North Korean Studies, who has been monitoring the language employed in North Korean rhetoric, said the situation appears to signify a nadir in inter-Korean relations.
“The selection of derogatory terms could be construed as North Korea’s endeavor to gain an edge in the ongoing competition between the two Korean regimes,” he said. “Alternatively, it might also be seen as a form of derision and critique directed at our side within the context of this regime competition. Fundamentally, this mirrors the current state of inter-Korean relations, marked by confrontation and rivalry.”
The term “puppet” is metaphorically used when censuring individuals or governments perceived as lacking independence and resilience. North Korean dictionaries define the term as “a political group of traitors to the nation who serve as puppets for foreign invaders, including imperialists and betray their homeland and people.”
Some experts posit that this heightened rhetoric from Pyongyang is in response to increased deterrence measures against North Korean nuclear weapons.
"When North Korea reacts to this extent, there is a possibility that South Korea, led by the U.S. and Japan, is working to strengthen its deterrence against North Korean nuclear weapons,” said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Woman's University.
“From North Korea's perspective, they may be feeling pressured by South Korea's emphasis on achieving peace through strength. So, there is also a possibility that this stern reaction is stemming from that perspective.”
South Korean government officials said North Korea's utilization of the term "puppet" in their coverage of the women's football match reflects a lack of confidence on North Korea's part.
"North Korea had typically used the term South Korea as the standard reference in sports events, but employing highly derogatory language and displaying excessive reactions, even in sporting events, suggests that North Korean authorities have displayed their lack of confidence," a unification ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
"While North Korea has previously referred to our national team as the puppet team in international sports competitions, we have not observed them using the term puppet in broadcast coverage and articles until now."
The Korea Times · October 8, 2023
7. First North Korean defector to become a full-time professor recalls starvation, hardship and danger
Friday
October 6, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Published: 06 Oct. 2023, 09:00
Updated: 06 Oct. 2023, 14:29
First North Korean defector to become a full-time professor recalls starvation, hardship and danger
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-10-06/national/socialAffairs/First-North-Korean-defector-to-become-a-fulltime-professor-recalls-starvation-hardship-and-danger/1883875
North Korean defector Kim Seong-ryeol, who became a full-time professor at Busan University of Foreign Studies, speaks during a lecture at the university. [BUSAN UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN STUDIES]
North Korean defector Kim Seong-ryeol, who came to the South after two attempts to flee the North, was named a professor of international studies at Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS).
This marks the first time that a North Korean defector became a full-time professor at a university in South Korea.
According to the university, Kim has been giving lectures on South-North Korean relations and international political theory since the academic semester last month.
Kim, 38, described the daily starvation he suffered back in North Korea in a phone interview with the JoongAng Ilbo.
He was born in Chongjin in North Korea’s Hamgyong Province and lived there until he crossed the Tumen River to China.
According to Kim, there was little food in Chongjin in the 1990s.
The food shortage forced his mother to sell the household television, the only property the family had left.
His mother spent the money to purchase flour from China and resell it to North Koreans.
But as overseas Chinese began selling flour themselves, the family had to find other ways to survive.
In March 1997, Kim’s mother took 12-year-old Kim and his older sister across the Tumen River to China.
“I still vividly recall how my mother carried my sister and me, desperately crossing the river by breaking the frozen water,” Kim said.
Kim and his sister began working at a factory in China until Chinese police caught the family three years later.
He was sent back to the North together with his mother and sister and subsequently jailed.
He was jailed for about three months and freed when the North Korean authorities decided “to release those who crossed the Tumen River due to famine” following the inter-Korean summit in June 2000.
But Kim decided to escape the country again as he had no place to live after being released.
Other people were already living in his home in Chongjin, and the family did not have any relatives to ask for help.
Kim fled the North in August 2000. returning to the factory in China for which he previously worked. Two months later, his mother and sister also successfully came to China.
He came to South Korea in 2005 and settled in Seoul.
“I was desperate to come to South Korea and study what I wanted to study,” Kim said.
After he came to South Korea, he was accepted to Handong Global University’s School of International Studies, Languages and Literature in 2007 after passing qualification exams for elementary, secondary and higher education in just a year.
It took a whole seven years for Kim to graduate from university.
Kim, who became interested in international politics and diplomatic matters after escaping from and being repatriated to the North, wishes to build a university in North Korea once the country unifies.
“I want to make changes in North Korea through academics,” he said.
Kim received a master’s degree at Yonsei University in Korean unification studies. He was then awarded a Fulbright scholarship and received a Ph.D. from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in New York.
BY KIM MIN-JU, CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]
8. Putin given 'weapons' gifts by North Korea 'chums' ahead of 'birthday raids'
Putin given 'weapons' gifts by North Korea 'chums' ahead of 'birthday raids'
dailystar.co.uk · by Ewan Gleadow · October 7, 2023
Putin received plenty of 'presents' from his 'chums', but they come as Ukraine begins a 'birthday raid' on troops (Image: SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin has found himself inundated with grim birthday presents from ruthless dictator "chums" from around the world, including North Korea and Iran.
The Russian president may be relieved to see he has been given "weapons" from despot Kim Jong-un, especially as Professor Anthony Glees alleges Ukrainian "birthday raids" are to be carried out. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's forces are hitting back at Russian aggressors.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Professor Glees noted a number of "deep holes" punched by Ukrainian counter-attacks on "three Russian defensive lines". It may be the last birthday for the Russian president too, should the war in Ukraine lead to a major loss for Russia.
For the latest news and updates from the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, click here.
Some gifts for the 71-year-old despot, who blew out the candles and received his wartime presents today (October 7), were not what the warmonger was wishing for.
Weapon gifts to Russia come as Ukraine punctures 'deep holes' in Putin's forces (Image: TASS via Getty Images)
Professor Glees said: "Putin of course will be thinking about presents. He's already had some good ones from his chums. Kim Jong-Un has offered him North Korean weapons and Iran has offered him drones.
"Slovakian voters have just given his sinister chum Robert Fiko most votes in their recent election, so the EU could now have three heads of government alongside Hungary's Orban and Poland's Morawiecki, who veer towards Russia and away from Ukraine."
It is not all rosy for Putin, who has found himself fending off wave after wave of Ukrainian advances in occupied territory. Russian troops found themselves battered and pushed back in what Professor Glees described as "some presents he does not want to have."
Despot Kim has reportedly armed Putin following a recent trip to Russia (Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Image)
He continued: "For example four deep holes punched by the Ukrainians through the three Russian defensive lines to the south east of Ukraine. These are now being widened, destroying Russian forces and clearing Russian minefields in the process, creating a path for the US Abram tanks Biden has given him to start to battle their way towards Crimea.
"We are reminded of the Allied advance into Western Germany in 1945. For example Ukrainian forces are carrying out many other daring raids against Russia, striking deep into Russian controlled areas, including blowing up the HQ of the Black Sea fleet in Crimea and taking out a submarine and warship.
"For example Ukrainian grain ships can use the Black Sea for exports and Putin is powerless to stop them." A powerless Putin may be worried for his future in the Kremlin, with a failed coup from Yevgeny Prigozhin earlier this year rattling the ruler's grip on power.
dailystar.co.uk · by Ewan Gleadow · October 7, 2023
9. Kim Yo Jong Is the World’s Most Dangerous Woman (Book review)
Excerpts:
But Lee illuminates what he calls three dark secrets that the Kim family keeps hidden from the North Korean people for fear that their exposure could topple the regime. The first is that Kim Yo Jong and Kim Jong Un’s mother, Ko Yong Hui, was born in Japan. Second, one of their aunts defected to the United States in 1998. And finally, Kim Il Sung’s parents were Christian, with his mother a deaconess.
None of these family factoids would be remarkable in a normal country. But in a society where one’s place in the hierarchy stems from guilt by association, the existence of any one of these relatives would mark any other North Korean for the Hostile Class and perhaps destined for hard labor or a concentration camp.
...
Lee concludes the book by explaining that Kim Yo Jong is well-placed to wield power for decades, whether as Kim Jong Un’s deputy or successor. Given the opaque and secretive nature of the North Korean system, the book does not provide any detail on the precise maneuverings for power, potential signs of conflict between Kim Yo Jong and her brother, or what kind of foreign policy she might pursue. It remains unclear how North Korea’s male-dominated elites, including the military, would react to the first woman to lead their country. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un has confounded observers who believe Kim Yo Jong is first in line for the succession by beginning to elevate his own 11-year-old daughter, letting her accompany him to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch and other military visits. That could be a sign that he plans to pass the country to one of his children, as his father and grandfather did.
Kim Yo Jong may feel secure based on her membership in the Kim dynasty. But the overall theme throughout Lee’s book offers a cautionary tale: The only person in North Korea who is truly secure is the leader—after all, Kim Jong Nam’s position in the family dynasty did not prevent Kim Jong Un from having him killed with VX nerve agent in an airport in Malaysia. If Kim Jong Un passes the country to his daughter, even Kim Yo Jong’s vaunted bloodline may not save her.
Kim Yo Jong Is the World’s Most Dangerous Woman
A new book profiles the possible future leader of North Korea.
OCTOBER 7, 2023, 7:00 AM
By Anthony Ruggiero, the senior director of the nonproliferation and biodefense program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Foreign Policy · by Anthony Ruggiero · October 7, 2023
He needs to “shut his mouth.” That was the advice Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, gave to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol after his offer to provide economic aid to Pyongyang in exchange for nuclear disarmament. In the just-released book The Sister: North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World, South Korean scholar Sung-Yoon Lee chronicles the younger Kim’s rise to power within the North Korean system and expertly describes her function as the regime’s de facto deputy leader. A closer look at Kim Yo Jong is long overdue, for she appears well-positioned to become the paramount leader of a nuclear-armed state one day.
The Sister: North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World, Sung-Yoon Lee, PublicAffairs, 304 pp., , September 2023
The Sister: North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World, Sung-Yoon Lee, PublicAffairs, 304 pp., $30, September 2023
A deep dive into the often inscrutable dynamics of the Kim family and the North Korean elite can be intimidating for the nonexpert reader. Lee is a Korean studies professor and can draw on his deep expertise in the Korean Peninsula’s politics; he also attended the International School of Geneva at the same time as Kim Yo Jong’s half-brother, Kim Jong Nam. In the first-ever book that focuses solely on Kim Yo Jong, Lee provides meticulously researched color and detail, helpfully accompanied by a family tree and chart of the principal characters. His book is a clinical narrative but also comes with a strong point of view: He does not hide his disdain for Kim Yo Jong and her facilitation of her brother’s many atrocities against the country’s population. As the book’s cover notes, Lee considers her to be the most dangerous woman in the world.
Lee begins Kim Yo Jong’s story with an explanation of the “Mount Paektu bloodline,” the official North Korean propaganda term for the ruling dynasty that has devastated the North Korean people for more than 70 years. The North Korean narrative details how Kim Il Sung, Kim Yo Jong’s grandfather and the country’s founder, used Korea’s highest mountain as a staging area for guerrilla operations to defeat the Japanese colonial masters in 1945. Lee calls it a “fictitious narrative” that serves as the “ideological foundation” of the Kim family’s rule.
huge statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il
North Koreans pay their respects to statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at the Mansudae Grand Monument in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug. 19, 2018.Carl Court/Getty Images
Understanding the North Korean regime’s obsession with the Kim family bloodline helps explain Kim Yo Jong’s and her brother’s exalted status above the rest of the elite. In Korean culture, Mount Paektu is imbued with mythical significance, and, as Lee explains, by locating the Kim dynasty’s imaginary origins there, that mythical power is extended to them. As quasi-mythical figures, the Kims reign at the top of a strict class hierarchy also determined by birth—a classification system known as songbun, or “birth status,” that divides North Koreans into three broad categories. As Lee writes, they are “the favoured Core Class, the middle Wavering Class, and the lowest Hostile Class (as well as over fifty subclasses).”
Just as the Kims’ origin narrative makes them born to rule, most North Koreans acquire their place in the songbun hierarchy by birth. It determines “where you live, your education, your job, and your food rations,” Lee writes. The Core Class includes North Korean elites and other generally trusted regime supporters. Laborers, farmers, and business owners are in the Wavering Class, Lee explains, and are placed under general surveillance. Koreans repatriated from Japan, those who flee North Korea, and religious people are relegated to the Hostile Class.
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Three tanks lined side-by-side in a row parade down a broad paved boulevard. Soldiers in green uniforms and helmets stand on the tanks and salute. Behind them is a large building fronted with columns, North Korean flags, and a portrait of Kim Il Sung.
Moscow’s deal with Pyongyang for more artillery rounds will fill Russian gaps—but likely not turn the tables in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talk before a meeting in the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea on June 30, 2019.
I helped negotiate the Trump-Kim meeting. Real peace is still possible.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who smiles back at him. Both men are wearing black suits. Behind them, security personnel and photographers move around in front of hanging Russian and North Korean flags.
Their recent summit showcased just how transactional the Russia-North Korea relationship has become.
But Lee illuminates what he calls three dark secrets that the Kim family keeps hidden from the North Korean people for fear that their exposure could topple the regime. The first is that Kim Yo Jong and Kim Jong Un’s mother, Ko Yong Hui, was born in Japan. Second, one of their aunts defected to the United States in 1998. And finally, Kim Il Sung’s parents were Christian, with his mother a deaconess.
None of these family factoids would be remarkable in a normal country. But in a society where one’s place in the hierarchy stems from guilt by association, the existence of any one of these relatives would mark any other North Korean for the Hostile Class and perhaps destined for hard labor or a concentration camp.
Kim Jong Un and Kim Yo Jong escaped that fate and remained at the top of the hierarchy. Throughout the book, Lee explains that Kim Yo Jong has been far more than just a face at her brother’s party meetings. Kim Jong Un might be the main “face of the nation,” he writes, but his sister is the “chief censor” and “enforcer.” Lee describes her sinister role as the head of the powerful Propaganda and Agitation Department, which controls and directs all North Korean media. Lee also highlights that under Kim Yo Jong, North Korean propaganda leveled “vile, racist invective[s]” toward then-U.S. President Barack Obama, saying he was a “wicked black monkey” and a “crossbreed with unclear blood”—illustrating the Kim family’s obsession with bloodlines again. Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, according to North Korean media, was a “dirty old prostitute.”
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Kim Yo-Jong at the olympics
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (front right) and Kim Yo Jong (back left) watch the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 9, 2018. Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
Lee uses Kim Yo Jong’s February 2018 visit to Pyeongchang, South Korea, for the Winter Olympics to highlight her real power in the regime. South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon met with the delegation shortly after their arrival. North Korea’s nominal head of mission motioned for Kim Yo Jong to take the seat opposite Cho, reinforcing that Kim was in charge, even if she was not the formal head of the delegation. (She demurred and took another seat.) Lee explains that official ranks and titles matter little in North Korea, where “the lives of cabinet members and four-star generals often hang on the whims of a real powerholder of a much lower rank.”
Her reception in South Korea was largely positive, with the local media gushing over her appearance and manner—a successful hoodwinking, Lee argues. Even the New York Times was blinded by Kim Yo Jong’s charms, contrasting her supposed “messages of reconciliation” with the “old message” of confrontation delivered by the highest-ranking U.S. guest, then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Following the Olympics, Kim Yo Jong accompanied her brother to multiple summits with the leaders of South Korea, China, and the United States. But these engagements did not produce a diplomatic breakthrough, and Kim Yo Jong returned to the old playbook of verbally attacking South Korea. Lee highlights that in June 2020, Kim Jong Un unofficially elevated his sister to de facto deputy leader, whereby, according to Lee, “her words were his words, vetoable only by him.” In March 2020, Kim Yo Jong made the first public statement in her own name, dismissing South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s criticism of North Korean military drills, calling it “perfectly foolish” and the work of a “three-year-old.”
Leaders from North and South Korea in a conference room
South Korean President Moon Jae-in (center left) attends the inter-Korean summit with Kim Jong Un (center right) and Kim Yo Jong (front right) in the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea on April 27, 2018. Korea Summit Press Pool/AFP via Getty Images
She doubled down three months later. Saying she was exercising the power authorized by her brother, she ordered the destruction of North-South liaison buildings just north of the border. Lee explains that the buildings were maintained with South Korean funds of more than $15 million. That same month, she also demanded that South Korea stop its citizens from sending propaganda leaflets across the border, one of the few holes in North Korea’s totalitarian control over what its citizens are permitted to know and a potential crack in the regime’s narrative. Moon, eager to calm relations, accepted Kim Yo Jong’s demands, effectively allowing her to extend “her repressive nation’s censorship” across the entire Korean Peninsula, Lee writes.
Kim Yo Jong has recently been engaged in dismissing the United States, which suggests an expanded role in the regime. She responded forcefully to the Washington Declaration by Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden in April to strengthen U.S. nuclear commitments to South Korea. Kim Yo Jong called Yoon a “fool” and Biden senile. In July, she threatened “shocking” consequences if the United States continued reconnaissance flights near North Korea. Later that month, she rejected the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s overtures for talks, warning Washington to avoid “foolish” acts.
Lee concludes the book by explaining that Kim Yo Jong is well-placed to wield power for decades, whether as Kim Jong Un’s deputy or successor. Given the opaque and secretive nature of the North Korean system, the book does not provide any detail on the precise maneuverings for power, potential signs of conflict between Kim Yo Jong and her brother, or what kind of foreign policy she might pursue. It remains unclear how North Korea’s male-dominated elites, including the military, would react to the first woman to lead their country. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un has confounded observers who believe Kim Yo Jong is first in line for the succession by beginning to elevate his own 11-year-old daughter, letting her accompany him to an intercontinental ballistic missile launch and other military visits. That could be a sign that he plans to pass the country to one of his children, as his father and grandfather did.
Kim Yo Jong may feel secure based on her membership in the Kim dynasty. But the overall theme throughout Lee’s book offers a cautionary tale: The only person in North Korea who is truly secure is the leader—after all, Kim Jong Nam’s position in the family dynasty did not prevent Kim Jong Un from having him killed with VX nerve agent in an airport in Malaysia. If Kim Jong Un passes the country to his daughter, even Kim Yo Jong’s vaunted bloodline may not save her.
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Foreign Policy · by Anthony Ruggiero · October 7, 2023
10. The Growing China-North Korea-Russia Axis and South Korea’s Response
The threesome of convenience. A transactional axis of authoritarians.
Excerpts:
Seoul’s concerns were communicated during a meeting between the South Korean and Chinese foreign ministers, where South Korea’s Park Jin asked China to abide faithfully by the “UNSC resolutions and international norms.” Even though the perspective toward Beijing’s role has turned quite negative under the Yoon administration, it is still likely that Beijing will not let Pyongyang push things beyond a certain threshold, as it will jeopardize its security.
The China-Japan-South Korea trilateral, expected to meet sometime later this year, is one platform that may help establish some ground rules and understanding between the three.
However, Seoul will not repeat the mistake of trusting Beijing again on North Korea. During South Korea’s National Security Council meeting in August, the NSC members decided to take forward the cooperation with the U.S. and Japan “to block illegal acts such as the exploitation of North Korean workers overseas, cyber hacking, and maritime smuggling, and to cooperate with the international community actively.”
The current situation has put Seoul in a bind, with South Korea seeking ways to increase it security via its alliance with the U.S., and by strengthening ties with Japan. At the same time, Seoul also risks making the peninsula more unstable in pursuit of that security.
The Growing China-North Korea-Russia Axis and South Korea’s Response
The realignment currently taking place between China, North Korea, and Russia will have serious implications globally, but especially for South Korea.
thediplomat.com · by Abhishek Sharma · October 6, 2023
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The G-20 summit hosted recently by India saw the absence of two important leaders, the Chinese and Russian presidents, which highlighted an emerging division in international politics between the West and East. This division is playing out clearly in Northeast Asia. The region is reverting back to its post-Cold War alignments, as Russia and China are again getting cozy with North Korea. All of this is happening amid increasing pressure on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the ongoing war. And China is also feeling the heat of new restrictions related to access to technology.
The realignment currently taking place between China, North Korea, and Russia will have serious implications globally, but especially for South Korea, which lies at the center of politics and geopolitics. Why is the axis between Beijing-Pyongyang-Moscow developing now, and what factors are responsible for it? In addition, how has Seoul reacted to this development?
The China-North Korea-Russia Axis: Why Now?
Before understanding Seoul’s reaction to this development, it is crucial to analyze the factors that are driving China, North Korea, and Russia to come together. The Japan-South Korea-United States trilateral may seem like the trigger motivating closer relations between China, North Korea, and Russia. However, that is not the only reason. The growing relationship between the three countries is rooted in an accumulation of events that have raised security concerns in the respective capitals and acted as triggers simultaneously. Of course, the final nail can certainly be said to have been the Japan-South Korea-United States trilateral partnership announced at Camp David in August.
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The first trigger that motivated a renewed relationship between China, North Korea, and Russia can be traced back to when the Indo-Pacific concept was introduced. Beijing and Moscow were furious and suspicious of the concept, which they saw as a new Cold War containment strategy aimed at containing China. North Korea also sided with Beijing and Moscow in their opposition. However, differing perceptions in Beijing stopped it from going all out against the Indo-Pacific Strategy at the beginning. Some in China saw the concept as a temporary part of then-U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy posturing.
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The second trigger was the normalization of relations between Seoul and Tokyo earlier this year. Although the focus of the rapprochement was countering the North Korean threat, the shift raised concern about whether the partnership could be a ploy or even a potential platform that could be used against Beijing in the future. Joint defense exercises between the United States and its two Northeast Asia allies strengthened this belief. Growing relations between Japan and South Korea with NATO also added to the notion.
In addition, as enunciated in its National Security Strategy and Defense White paper earlier this year, Japan’s rising military power gave an explicit signal to changing dynamics in Northeast Asia geopolitics. By this time, it was clear in Beijing that the U.S., with its allies, had already formed a broad consensus on the perceived threat emanating from the China-North Korea-Russia axis.
The third and final trigger was the Japan-South Korea-U.S. trilateral summit, which cleared any doubts Beijing had, particularly about where Seoul stood. The trilateral summit saw the three leaders of Japan, South Korea, and the United States meeting at Camp David, where they announced their intention to work together to counter North Korea. In addition, the meeting saw an unprecedented strong condemnation of Chinese action in the South China Sea by all three. But what was most important was the expression of the commitment to consult and the institutionalization of the trilateral; this showed that the alliance was now moving beyond just mutual concern about the threat from North Korea to include converging interests on a range of regional security issues and development of a robust agenda across sectors: the economy, cyber, intelligence, and security.
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After the trilateral summit, Beijing reportedly reached out to Pyongyang, de facto taking the lead on heightening the axis. North Korea also wants to increase its security by bandwagoning with Beijing and Moscow in this new partnership. Moscow, for its part, is trying to deepen its cooperation with Beijing. The recent visit of Wang Yi to Russia is a testimony to this relationship. China’s top diplomat said that “in the face of unilateral actions, hegemony, and confrontation, China and Russia should … continue to strengthen strategic cooperation.”
In September, Kim Jong Un visited Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly accepted an invitation to visit Pyongyang.
Although the growing cooperation between China, North Korea, and Russia is an attempt to come together, there will likely be a hedging strategy playing out within Pyongyang. China is North Korea’s largest trading partner, and its economic heft puts it in a priority place in Kim Jong Un’s strategic calculus. At the same time, Moscow is looking to expand its influence wherever it can. North Korea is therefore in a geopolitical sweet spot and will likely aim to leverage this opportunity to get benefits in technology and equipment, particularly militarily strategic assets.
There is a catch: The current geopolitics does not give Pyongyang much choice to hedge against Beijing and Moscow. However, such a possibility in the future cannot be ignored.
In the meantime, this axis will affect Seoul, and we can already see tensions rising.
Seoul’s Concern About the New Partnership
The newfound interest by China and Russia to forge a partnership with North Korea has made Seoul anxious. The apprehension has come from the highest political levels. The president of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, at the recent U.N. General Assembly expressed his discontent with Moscow’s behavior, saying that “it is paradoxical that a permanent member [Russia] of the [U.N. Security Council] entrusted as the ultimate guardian of the world peace would wage war … and receive arms and ammunition from a regime that blatantly violates UN Security Council resolutions.”
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He further warned that “if [North Korea] acquires the information and technology necessary to enhance its WMD capabilities … the deal will be a direct provocation threatening the peace and security …. of the Republic of Korea, and [we]… would not stand idly by.”
The day before Yoon’s address at UNGA, the Russian envoy to South Korea was summoned by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which complained about the prospects of any “arms deals and military cooperation with North Korea.” Even the joint statement released by the U.S. and South Korea following a meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group enunciated its opposition to the cooperation between Russia and North Korea as inconsistent with U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and warned of its impact on advancing North Korea’s “illicit nuclear and ballistic weapons program.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared the sentiment when he said, “We don’t want to see North Korea benefitting from whatever technologies it might get from Russia.”
Seoul Navigating the Path Carefully
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Due to the closer cooperation between Beijing, Pyongyang, and Moscow, we may see increasing rhetoric in Seoul against Russia going forward, even while South Korea takes a toned-down approach toward Beijing, pushing for it to play a constructive role.
Seoul’s concerns were communicated during a meeting between the South Korean and Chinese foreign ministers, where South Korea’s Park Jin asked China to abide faithfully by the “UNSC resolutions and international norms.” Even though the perspective toward Beijing’s role has turned quite negative under the Yoon administration, it is still likely that Beijing will not let Pyongyang push things beyond a certain threshold, as it will jeopardize its security.
The China-Japan-South Korea trilateral, expected to meet sometime later this year, is one platform that may help establish some ground rules and understanding between the three.
However, Seoul will not repeat the mistake of trusting Beijing again on North Korea. During South Korea’s National Security Council meeting in August, the NSC members decided to take forward the cooperation with the U.S. and Japan “to block illegal acts such as the exploitation of North Korean workers overseas, cyber hacking, and maritime smuggling, and to cooperate with the international community actively.”
The current situation has put Seoul in a bind, with South Korea seeking ways to increase it security via its alliance with the U.S., and by strengthening ties with Japan. At the same time, Seoul also risks making the peninsula more unstable in pursuit of that security.
Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma is a non-resident Kelly fellow at the Pacific Forum and a Ph.D. student at the University of Delhi. His research focuses on climate change, militarization, and new emerging technologies in the Indo-Pacific.
thediplomat.com · by Abhishek Sharma · October 6, 2023
11. Sen. Mitt Romney says he is concerned about a nuclear North Korea
Excerpts:
“In some respects, we are facing another Cold War today — not with the former Soviet Union so much as with an assertive China,” he said.
But two things are different. First, South Korea, Romney said, has become “an extraordinary technological leader and economic powerhouse.”
The country is a hub for AI startups and robotics adoption and topped the Bloomberg Innovation Index, ranking at least 10 spots higher than the U.S.
Romney said South Korea “has fought well above its weight class in the world of economic affairs and in geopolitics, which is greatly appreciated here and by other nations around the world.”
Second, its neighbor, North Korea, has risen to be “more belligerent and more malevolent” in recent years.
North Korea President Kim Jong Un’s missile testing and potential arms deal with Russia for their invasion of Ukraine have created tension in the Korean Peninsula.
“I’m concerned about the fact that South Korea has a nuclear neighbor to its north with a massive investment in conventional as well as nuclear arms and at the same time does not have a nuclear capacity of its own,” Romney said.
He said he assumed South Koreans were disturbed by the lack of security and sought more stability.
Sen. Mitt Romney says he is concerned about a nuclear North Korea
deseret.com · October 6, 2023
At a Foreign Relations Committee hearing Wednesday on the Korean Peninsula, chaired by Sen. Mitt Romney, the senators discussed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The Utah senator noted the Korean War took place in the early 1950s when the U.S. and the former Soviet Union were in the midst of the Cold War.
“In some respects, we are facing another Cold War today — not with the former Soviet Union so much as with an assertive China,” he said.
But two things are different. First, South Korea, Romney said, has become “an extraordinary technological leader and economic powerhouse.”
The country is a hub for AI startups and robotics adoption and topped the Bloomberg Innovation Index, ranking at least 10 spots higher than the U.S.
Romney said South Korea “has fought well above its weight class in the world of economic affairs and in geopolitics, which is greatly appreciated here and by other nations around the world.”
Second, its neighbor, North Korea, has risen to be “more belligerent and more malevolent” in recent years.
North Korea President Kim Jong Un’s missile testing and potential arms deal with Russia for their invasion of Ukraine have created tension in the Korean Peninsula.
“I’m concerned about the fact that South Korea has a nuclear neighbor to its north with a massive investment in conventional as well as nuclear arms and at the same time does not have a nuclear capacity of its own,” Romney said.
He said he assumed South Koreans were disturbed by the lack of security and sought more stability.
During his testimony, witness Victor Cha, the senior vice president for Asia and Korea at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made recommendations to smooth tensions in the region. This included taking preemptive action on North Korea’s missile launches, which Romney asked Cha to elaborate on.
“Since last year, North Korea has done over 100 ballistic missile tests,” Cha said. “All of us have been studying this issue for decades, and we’ve never seen that level, that tempo of activity before.”
Cha explained that the tests demonstrate the country’s capabilities to the world while advancing military technology.
“You need to test to know whether it works,” Cha said, adding there isn’t a “good way to deter” the missile testing.
Japan, South Korea and the U.S. have developed integrated missile tracking defense systems that give a warning alert ahead of time but because it's a moving target, additional deterrents need to be put in place, Cha said.
One “risky” idea is a declaratory policy, where the U.S. and its allies can reserve the right to strike down a missile if it heads to Japan or Hawaii, even if the weapon is mid-course or on the launchpad.
“But the idea is that we need to consider something to deter further missile testing and we don’t have anything that’s doing that right now,” he said. “It’s risky. I acknowledge it’s risky, but perhaps we’re at that point now.”
Can the U.S. negotiate with North Korea over nuclear weapons?
Romney asked the witnesses about the relationship the U.S. should have with North Korea, which has gone “from being aggressive and oppositional on one hand, to writing love letters on the other.”
“What might we do to develop a consistent policy approach with regards to the (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)?” he asked. “Because what we do so far, from what I can tell, hasn’t worked.”
Cha noted that since the 1980s, the era of President Ronald Reagan, the U.S. has been unsuccessful in forging relations with North Korea.
Yet the deal the U.S. has presented to North Korea has stayed the same over the decades: Freeze and dismantle its own nuclear ambitions in exchange for economic assistance, and an assurance of peace in the region.
“But I think we have to come to the realization that’s not the deal that they want anymore,” Cha said. “Frankly, we’re at a loss as to what to pursue next.”
He added that the U.S. isn’t willing to consider North Korea’s demands, like dissolving its alliance with South Korea or removing American troops from the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Another witness, Scott Snyder, a senior fellow for Korea studies at the Council for Foreign Relations, said that the U.S. has learned something by engaging with the North Korean president at global summits — “Kim Jong Un does not want to give up his nuclear weapons.”
But, as Snyder noted, “even though he thought he was entering into negotiations from a position of strength, he wasn’t nearly powerful enough to coerce us into accepting him as a nuclear state.”
deseret.com · October 6, 2023
12. Actress' donation rekindles controversy over former President Syngman Rhee
Excerpts:
\The actress said she believes unity, rather than ideological conflicts, will make Korea a mature democratic nation, adding that she has been making donations to organizations commemorating other former presidents.
The news of Lee's donation coincided with the government's recent move to challenge history involving independence fighters.
The government recently removed the statue of independence fighter Hong Beom-do (1868-1943) who fought for Korea's liberation in the Soviet Union from the Korean Military Academy. Hong received the honor only in 2021 when his remains returned to Korea ― former President Moon Jae-in flew to Kazakhstan in person to honor him.
However, the incumbent Yoon Suk Yeol administration took issue with Hong's involvement with the Soviet Communist Party and removed Hong's bust from the Korean Military Academy. Some historians expressed concerns that the Yoon government's recent move is aligned with the president's anti-communist stance, labeling people with communist connections as adversaries.
Actress' donation rekindles controversy over former President Syngman Rhee
The Korea Times · October 7, 2023
Actress Lee Young-ae speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Nov. 4, 2019. Yonhap
By Kim Se-jeong
Actress Lee Young-ae's recent donation to commemorate Korea's first President Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) has sparked controversy over the former president.
In September, Lee donated 50 million won ($37,000) to the Syngman Rhee Memorial Foundation, which is currently conducting a fundraising campaign to build a memorial building for the former president.
In response to growing criticism over the act, the actress defended herself weeks later in a letter to a local journalist who had published an article criticizing her move and questioning her motivation for the donation.
"History should remember presidents' shortcomings, but it also should recognize their achievements. Doing so will make the country more united and make Korea a better place for the next generation," she wrote.
Lee also recognized that Rhee had helped build the foundations for democracy in South Korea. "If the South fell to the communist North, my children would be among the poorest and the most suppressed children in the world." She concluded the letter by expressing regret that her intentions were misunderstood.
Born in 1875, Rhee spent most of his younger days fighting for Korea's independence from Japan in the U.S. After liberation in 1945, he came back to Korea and was elected a lawmaker before becoming the nation's first president in 1948. The Korean War broke out in 1950 during his term. Rhee was forced out of office in 1960 after the April 19 Revolution, the pro-democracy uprising to protest the ruling party's election rigging. He left the country immediately and passed away in Hawaii in 1965.
Critics argue that he failed to bring justice to pro-Japanese Koreans during his terms, accusing him of actively involving them in his government. They also labeled him as corrupt and a dictator as he revised the Constitution, which enabled him to be in power for more than a decade. His supporters, however, give Rhee credit for ushering in liberal democracy to Korea and securing the Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S.
The actress said she believes unity, rather than ideological conflicts, will make Korea a mature democratic nation, adding that she has been making donations to organizations commemorating other former presidents.
The news of Lee's donation coincided with the government's recent move to challenge history involving independence fighters.
The government recently removed the statue of independence fighter Hong Beom-do (1868-1943) who fought for Korea's liberation in the Soviet Union from the Korean Military Academy. Hong received the honor only in 2021 when his remains returned to Korea ― former President Moon Jae-in flew to Kazakhstan in person to honor him.
However, the incumbent Yoon Suk Yeol administration took issue with Hong's involvement with the Soviet Communist Party and removed Hong's bust from the Korean Military Academy. Some historians expressed concerns that the Yoon government's recent move is aligned with the president's anti-communist stance, labeling people with communist connections as adversaries.
The Korea Times · October 7, 2023
13. BTS' J-Hope shares new pic, talks about handling responsibility in military's special force: ‘Somewhat content'
Do I have this right? This BTS member assigned to the ROKA Special Forces? Or is this some kind of misreporting?
Photos the link. He looks about 12 years old.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/music/bts-j-hope-new-pic-talks-about-handling-responsibility-in-military-101696592637420-amp.html?utm_source=pocket_saves
BTS' J-Hope shares new pic, talks about handling responsibility in military's special force: ‘Somewhat content'
hindustantimes.com · October 6, 2023
BTS member J-Hope surprised fans with a new post on the online fan community, Weverse, after a long time. Sharing a new photo of himself from the military, he informed fans about his new responsibilities as a part of Special Forces. He also told them that he is ‘somewhat content’ and satisfied as he used to feel during BTS activities. Also read: BTS' Kim Taehyung goes back to black hair
J-Hope's new pic from military
BTS member J-Hope shared a new from military.
In the photo, J-Hope looked refreshing with a healthy glow on his face. The show had him sitting on a couch during the golden hour and typing something, most likely the Weverse post, on his phone. He sported a military t-shirt.
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Hobi wrote, as per a translation by X user @BTStranslation_, “ARMY you all, you've been well right? The days (weather) have gotten quite colder! Maybe it's because of the cold air, it's a moment where I realize that the time is passing by.”
J-Hope in Special Force
J-Hope enlisted in the military on April 18. Talking about his time so far, he shared about his new responsibilities. He said, “It does also seem quite exciting, while also making my shoulders heavier and more reverent. I'm adjusting diligently quicker than I expected but.. since it is a role where I guide and help the young people/youth of ROK in things such as their first steps and also their first starts in the military organization, the pressure along with each group division is also huge.”
The singer urged fans to not worry about him and revealed he is doing good. “Still in meaning, I somewhat feel as content/prideful/satisfied as BTS activities. Ah...! And also, I achieved Special Forces. As I do my best every moment in a situation, there's good results as well. I came to let you know that I'm doing really well and maturing even more nicely. Always be healthy and don't get sick/hurt. Take care, to not catch a cold, our ARMY,” he signed out and quoted John Cena who once claimed to be a fan of BTS.
Fans happy to see J-Hope
Reacting to J-Hope's new post, a fan shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, “You really make me proud of you Hobi. You excel in everything. Truly the ace.” “Look at him!!! Mighty mighty fine,” added another. Someone also posted, “Hobi is ageing backwards. Cheekies are back and he is glowing too.”
After J-Hope, Suga became the next BTS member to enlist in the military. BTS consist of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook. Currently, Jin, J-Hope and Suga are serving their duties. Others are expected to join too. Previously, their agency had shared that they would be revealing the upcoming enlistment dates for RM, Jimin, V aka Kim Taehyung, and Jungkook by the end of 2023.
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hindustantimes.com · October 6, 2023
14. North Korea renovates long abandoned factory in quest to address food shortages
North Korea renovates long abandoned factory in quest to address food shortages
NK Pro analysis shows only partial revival of Sunchon Chemical Complex so far, as DPRK looks to build more greenhouses
https://www.nknews.org/pro/north-korea-renovates-long-abandoned-factory-in-quest-to-address-food-shortages/?utm_source=pocket_saves
Colin ZwirkoOctober 6, 2023
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A panorama of the newly renovated fertilizer factory building | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Oct. 5, 2023)
North Korea has heralded the opening of a fertilizer factory to support new greenhouse farm construction and help address chronic food shortages, though satellite imagery suggests the facility is more modest than state media made it seem.
The Rodong Sinmun said Thursday that the newly opened “nutrient solution fertilizer factory” is part of the Sunchon Chemical Complex — a large aging complex north of the capital that authorities have sought to revive for years.
NK Pro analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery shows that the fertilizer factory is in fact a building that has existed for decades, which sat abandoned with no roof from 2014 until one was reinstalled starting in January this year.
Workers appeared to renovate just one of three connected buildings of similar size in the southeast corner of the old Sunchon Chemical Complex, according to the imagery and a computer render of the factory displayed at the opening ceremony.
This timelapse shows that major construction started in early 2023 on the newly established fertilizer factory (highlighted inside a yellow dashed line box in the bottom right) | Images: Planet Labs; edited by NK Pro
The nutrient fertilizer factory building still did not have a roof in Sept. 2022 | Image: Google Earth (Sept. 19, 2022); edited by NK Pro
The roof was removed between 2013 and 2014 | Image: Google Earth (Sept. 3, 2013); edited by NK Pro
The roof was removed between 2013 and 2014 | Image: Google Earth (July 5, 2014); edited by NK Pro
State media reported Thursday that Kim personally oversaw the newer factory’s construction to provide “a material and technical foundation for producing and supplying nutrient solution to greenhouse farms to be newly built in the western region.”
Print and TV reports did not elaborate on what type of nutrient fertilizer the factory specializes in.
Kim Jong Un officially opened a much larger phosphatic fertilizer factory across town in Sunchon in May 2020 that experts suspect could produce military-use chemicals. But state media has largely ignored the facility in the years since, raising questions over its operational status.
Kim previously “called for building similar large-scale greenhouse farms in all provinces” at the east coast Ryonpho Greenhouse Farm opening ceremony last October, which state media has claimed is the largest such facility in the world.
The computer render of the factory displayed at the ceremony (left) shows only one building is part of the newly established factory, reflecting satellite imagery showing this was the only building reroofed this year | Image: KCTV (Oct. 5, 2023)
Chemical Industry Ministry head Kim Chol Ha speaks at the opening ceremony held on Oct. 4 | Image: KCTV (Oct. 5, 2023)
Sunchon Chemical Complex chief engineer Yang Chun Nam speaks at the opening ceremony held on Oct. 4 | Image: KCTV (Oct. 5, 2023)
Nutrient solution fertilizer factory manager Ri Chung Hyok speaks at the opening ceremony held on Oct. 4 | Image: KCTV (Oct. 5, 2023)
Cabinet Vice Premier Jon Sung Guk leads officials into a control room at the opening ceremony held on Oct. 4 | Image: KCTV (Oct. 5, 2023)
In this interior photo, red text on the machine on the left indicates it is part of a “carbonization” (탄산화” process | Image: Minju Josun (Oct. 5, 2023)
Red text on these machines indicate they are “reduction reactors” (환원반응기) | Image: Minju Josun (Oct. 5, 2023)
Authorities often couch these projects under the overall goal of addressing “food problems,” with international organizations assessing that the North Korean population is severely undernourished.
The Hungnam Fertilizer Complex near Hamhung on the east coast reportedly provides nutrient solution supplies to Ryonpho and the Jungphyong Greenhouse Farm built further up the coast in 2019.
Construction on the Kangdong Greenhouse Farm near Pyongyang started earlier this year. All three of these large-scale farms were built on top of demolished air force base runways.
The Ryonpho and Kangdong farms are also located in key weapons production and administration hubs, suggesting Kim may have prioritized their construction to benefit workers of the sector he values most.
There are not yet any known large-scale greenhouse projects with Kim’s direct backing in western regions, though smaller greenhouse farms have been built in some cities like Kusong, which is another weapons hub.
North Korea’s Foreign Trade magazine promotes the Ryonpho Greenhouse Farm | Image: Foreign Trade (2022-4)
Another large-scale farm was partially built in Kim’s hometown of Wonsan on the east coast, but it has been left unfinished for years and has not received much attention in state media.
Elsewhere in Sunchon, state media remains vague about when a factory complex it cryptically calls the “project for establishing the C1 chemical industry” will finally open, more than six years after construction started.
“C1” is a North Korean term referring to government plans to convert simple carbon compounds into synthetic fuels, agricultural inputs and other chemicals that Pyongyang otherwise has a hard time acquiring.
Though a ceremony to kick off construction of the C1 project in May 2017 took place next to the nutrient fertilizer factory building, it is actually located to the south on the grounds of the now-demolished Sunchon Vinalon Complex.
Satellite imagery shows construction on the C1 project has continued this year, while Cabinet Premiere Kim Tok Hun last publicly visited it in May.
The main ''C1'' project site is inside the yellow dashed line box, while another unknown project to revive old facilities nearby in the yellow dotted line box started this year | Images: Planet Labs; edited by NK Pro
Edited by Alannah Hill
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
dent Syngman Rhee
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