Quotes of the Day:

"Life is short. That’s all there is to say. Get what you can from the present – thoughtfully, justly."

- Marcus Aurelius

“Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me; I want people to know ‘why’ I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way, and some of the roads weren’t paved.”

- Will Rogers

“Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you’re going to conceal faults by concealing the evidence that they never existed. Don’t be afraid to go in your library and read every book…”

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

1. South Korea to pardon Samsung’s Lee, other corporate giants

2. Lee Jae-yong: Why South Korea just pardoned the Samsung 'prince'

3. Seoul Must Not Yield to Chinese Bullying

4. Beijing's double standard

5. Yoon, US senator meet to discuss alliance

6. Kim Yo Jong: COVID-19 introduced to N. Korea due to propaganda leaflets

7. Yoon to hold press conference to mark 100 days in office

8. U.N. chief voices support for complete denuclearization of N. Korea

9. Unification ministry expresses regret over 'groundless claims' on origin of its COVID-19 outbreak

10. China’s live ammo drills off South Korea are part of effort to control seas

11.  N. Hamgyong Province imposes quasi-taxes on Kimchaek residents for new construction project

12. S. Korea, US to hold high-level defense talks on alliance deterrence against N. Korea

13. South Korea to Join US-Led Weapons of Mass Destruction Drill

14. North Korea Declares Victory Over Covid, Hints Kim Jong Un Was Infected

15. ROK-US alliance well on track, but real tests yet to come

16. North Korean soldiers ordered to harvest grass for compost in spare time

17. Did Kim Jong-un Have COVID?

18. Many farms in S. Pyongan Province damaged by unusually hot and wet weather

19. Kim Yo Jong Targets South Korean Leaflets as Root Cause of North’s COVID-19 Pandemic

1. South Korea to pardon Samsung’s Lee, other corporate giants

This is the big news in South Korea today

South Korea to pardon Samsung’s Lee, other corporate giants

The pardon underscores Samsung’s huge influence over a country that relies on its technology exports.

NBC News · by Associated Press · August 12, 2022

South Korea’s president will formally pardon Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong, one year after he was released on parole from a prison sentence for bribing former President Park Geun-hye as part of the massive corruption scandal that toppled Park’s government, the justice minister announced Friday.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin and two other top business leaders will be pardoned as well, extending South Korea’s history of leniency toward convicted business tycoons and major white-collar crimes. They are among some 1,700 people President Yoon Suk Yeol will pardon on Monday, a national holiday celebrating Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II.

The pardon of Lee, who was released on parole in August 2021 with a year left on his 30-month term, underscores Samsung’s huge influence over a country that relies on its technology exports. He was convicted of bribing Park and her close confidante, who both were sentenced to lengthier prison terms, to win government support for a 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates that tightened Lee’s control over the corporate empire.

Lotte’s Shin received a suspended prison term in 2018 on similar charges of bribing Park, whom then-President Moon Jae-in pardoned in December. Other business leaders to be pardoned are Chang Sae-joo, chairman of Dongkuk Steel Mill, and former STX Group Chairman Kang Duk-soo.

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said the pardons of the business tycoons were aimed at “overcoming the economic crisis through encouraging business activity.” Yoon earlier told reporters that his pardons could help create “breathing room” for struggling domestic livelihoods. Lee, 54, runs the Samsung group in his capacity as vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s largest makers of computer memory chips and smartphones. He was freed by Moon’s government, which then defended its decision on unspecified concerns related to the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement released through Samsung, Lee said he expresses his sincere gratitude for “receiving an opportunity to start anew.”

“I want to express my apologies for causing concerns for many people because of my shortcomings. I will work even harder to fulfill my responsibilities and duties as a businessperson,” Lee said.

Lee still faces a separate trial on charges of stock price manipulation and auditing violations related to the 2015 merger.

A coalition of civic groups, including People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, issued a statement criticizing Yoon’s move to pardon Lee Jae-yong and the other business tycoons, accusing him of cozying up to “chaebol,” referring to the family-owned conglomerates that dominate the country’s economy.

“President Yoon Suk Yeol’s sell-out (to business tycoons) sends a signal to chaebol chiefs that they are free to commit all the crimes they want,” the groups said.

But recent opinion polls have indicated South Koreans — years removed from the angry protests in late 2016 and 2017 that ousted Park from office — largely favored granting Lee a pardon, reflecting Samsung’s influence in a country where it provides smartphones, TVs and credit-cards people use, the apartments they live in and the hospitals where they are born or go to die.

Business leaders and politicians had also called for Lee’s pardon, which they said would allow Samsung to be bolder and quicker in business decisions by fully reinstating his rights to run the business empire. South Korea’s law bans people convicted of major financial crimes from returning to work for five years following the end of their sentences.

Critics say Lee has always been in control of Samsung, even when he was behind bars, and pretty much fully resumed his management duties following his parole. Former Justice Minister Park Beom-kye, who served under the Moon government, had defended Lee’s involvement in Samsung’s management following his parole, insisting that his activities weren’t in violation of the five-year ban because the billionaire heir wasn’t receiving wages from Samsung.

Park Geun-hye was convicted of a broad range of corruption crimes, including colluding with her longtime confidante, Choi Soon-sil, to take millions of dollars in bribes and extortion from Samsung and other major companies while she was in office.

She faced a prison term of more than two decades before Moon pardoned her in December, citing a need to promote unity in the politically divided nation. Choi remains in jail. Chang was released on parole in 2018 with about six months left on a 3 1/2-year prison term over charges that he embezzled millions of dollars in corporate funds and used some of it to gamble in Las Vegas.

South Korea’s Supreme Court last year confirmed a suspended prison sentence for Kang, who headed STX from 2003 to 2014, on charges of embezzling corporate funds and other crimes.

A notable exclusion from Yoon’s pardons was former President Lee Myung-bak, who in June was granted a temporary release from a 17-year prison term over his own set of corruption charges after prosecutors acknowledged his health problems.

Han said that the government did not consider the pardons of any convicted politicians or government employees this time, saying that the focus was on the economy.

Lee, a CEO-turned-conservative hero before his fall from grace, was convicted of taking bribes from big businesses including Samsung, embezzling funds from a company that he owned, and other corruption-related crimes before and during his presidency from 2008 to 2013.

NBC News · by Associated Press · August 12, 2022

2. Lee Jae-yong: Why South Korea just pardoned the Samsung 'prince'

I happened to listen to a very prominent Korean leader (non-government) give a talk today at a closed door meeting and he made many of the same points about the relationship among Chaebols, banks, and the government.

Excerpts:

Samsung and other chaebols are so omnipresent they're known as "octopus" firms, says Prof YoonKyung Lee, a political sociologist at the University of Toronto.

And those tentacles have long wormed their way into the highest levels of Korean politics. Prof Lee was at the 2016 protests and says most of the anger was directed at President Park's personal actions. But she said labour activists and others strove to highlight the chaebols' outsize influence on government.

Chaebols were heavily supported by the government after the Korean War. They were given cheaper electricity and tax incentives, there was a "Buy-Korea" policy and even help in suppressing union movements.

But the resulting monopolies also crushed competition, stifled labour movements and their practices spawned decades of bribery and corruption cases.

In many cases, Prof Lee said, executives were given light or suspended sentences. In some cases judges said the economy might suffer if a chaebol leader was taken out of action.

Lee Jae-yong: Why South Korea just pardoned the Samsung 'prince'

BBC · by Menu

By Frances Mao

BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Protesters had once focused on Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong in anti-corruption demonstrations

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong - convicted of bribery and embezzlement in 2017 - has been granted a special presidential pardon.

One of South Korea's most powerful white collar criminals, Lee was twice imprisoned for bribing a former president.

South Korea's government justified the move, saying the de-facto leader of the country's biggest company was needed back at the helm to spearhead economic recovery post-pandemic.

This marks another swing in a struggle over how the country is run that has raged since mass protests took over Seoul six years ago and ousted a president from office.

Lee's crimes were directly tied up in the corruption scandal that led to the imprisonment of former president Park Geun-Hye, in office from 2013-2017.

The "Crown Prince of Samsung" - as he was dubbed by protesters - paid $8 million (£6.6m) in bribes to President Park and her associate to secure support for a merger opposed by shareholders that would shore up his control of his family's empire.

When it was revealed, millions of South Koreans turned out at candlelit protests every weekend in the 2016/2017 winter, demanding an end to Park's government and the stitch-up between politics and business.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Millions of people attended the protests against President Park and her corruption

Korea's parliament impeached Park and she was imprisoned in 2017 for 25 years.

Lee, who is also known as Jay Y Lee in the West, was jailed a year later for offences including embezzling company funds to buy a $800,000 (£650,000) horse for the president's friend's daughter.

A new president, Moon Jae-in swept into office with a mandate to clean up the mess. But he failed to make much headway. In his last days as president, he granted a pardon to his predecessor.

Now eight months later, under another new president, Samsung's chief has also received the same clemency.

For those who have been fighting against corruption, it's a dispiriting blow.

"It is a setback. And it means Korea retreats to the time before the candlelit demonstrations," said Sangin Park, an economics and industrial policy professor at Seoul National University.

'Octopus' influence

Lee's case reaffirms popular conception that business leaders are untouchable and above the law.

In Korea, giant conglomerates dominate the economy, with the top 10 accounting for about 80% of GDP. Known as chaebols, they are family-controlled empires which provide a span of services. LG, Hyundai, Lotte, and SK are among them.

But Samsung is the biggest and most powerful of them all.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Lee was first jailed for bribery and corruption in 2017 - but then was later released from jail twice.

As the world's largest smartphone maker, it's a global electronics brand. But at home it does much more - hospitals, hotels, insurance plans, billboards, shipyards and even theme parks.

Samsung and other chaebols are so omnipresent they're known as "octopus" firms, says Prof YoonKyung Lee, a political sociologist at the University of Toronto.

And those tentacles have long wormed their way into the highest levels of Korean politics. Prof Lee was at the 2016 protests and says most of the anger was directed at President Park's personal actions. But she said labour activists and others strove to highlight the chaebols' outsize influence on government.

Chaebols were heavily supported by the government after the Korean War. They were given cheaper electricity and tax incentives, there was a "Buy-Korea" policy and even help in suppressing union movements.

But the resulting monopolies also crushed competition, stifled labour movements and their practices spawned decades of bribery and corruption cases.

In many cases, Prof Lee said, executives were given light or suspended sentences. In some cases judges said the economy might suffer if a chaebol leader was taken out of action.

Mr Lee's own father, Lee Kun-hee was convicted of bribery and fraud in the 1990s when he was Samsung chairman. But he didn't serve a single day of jail time.

So in 2017, when his son was hauled away to a cell on a five-year sentence, activists hoped the case would mark a turning point.

In and out of jail

Celebration however was short lived. Lee's court battle dragged on for years with twists and turns worthy of the most dramatic Korean serials.

An appeals court released him, a higher court then ordered a retrial at which he was again found guilty and jailed.

But just a few months into his second jail term, the Moon government released him on parole, saying it was in the national interest.

Since then, he has returned as the public face of Samsung - in May greeting US President Joe Biden on a trade visit to South Korea.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Lee has largely resumed his public duties as a Samsung executive, meeting with the US leader in Seoul in May

Lee still faces criminal allegations - of rigging company valuations, accounting fraud and making Samsung business decisions in breach of his sentence conditions. Clemency means he will be able to fully resume his executive responsibilities.

It follows a pattern of convicted chaebol leaders having their slates wiped clean.

"When it comes to formal power, there's the president's office and the National Assembly [legislature] - they're making the laws," Prof Lee said,

"But when it comes to political influence or cultural influence or even how people think about the importance of chaebol in Korean society, it's really down to a coalition of conservative political and business elites who all have interests with each other."

Divided reaction

The government's pardon of Lee rests on the argument that chaebol leaders are needed for the economy. But numerous economists have pointed out this isn't backed up by hard proof.

"The pardoning of chaebol controllers has not contributed to economic growth or turnaround historically," said Prof Park.

Analysts say Samsung has fared perfectly well while Lee has been in and out of prison. Reform advocates say South Korea also needs to end its dependence on chaebols, where growth has been slowing for years.

"Several studies have shown that it's getting harder to get the 'trickle-down effect' - it's time to move away from the old notion that any illegal acts done by chaebols are 'forgivable' if they do their jobs," says Roh Jong-Hwa, a lawyer from an advocacy group Solidarity for Economic Reform.

Still the dismay among critics over Lee's pardoning is not shared among the broader South Korean public. A recent public poll recorded 70% support for the pardon.

How to explain that support?

The desire to tackle corruption and chaebol influence remains, experts say. But it is mingled with fear and concerns over a looming recession - and residual pride over Samsung representing Korea on the world stage.

"There's a core belief that if Samsung does well, Korea does well. And Koreans have lived with this myth for so many decades, it's really hard for ordinary citizens to break out of it," says Prof Lee.

"Right now, amid an economic downturn, people want to see some concrete sign that we are moving forward and Lee's release is a sign of that."

With reporting by the BBC Korean Service

More on this story

• Samsung heir released from prison on parole
• 13 August 2021
• Samsung heir faces fresh charges over 2015 merger
• 1 September 2020
• Samsung scandal: Who is Lee Jae-yong?
• 5 February 2018

Related Topics

• Samsung
• Corruption
• South Korea

BBC · by Menu

3. Seoul Must Not Yield to Chinese Bullying

​This is illustrative of a number of OpEds in Korea this week.

​

Seoul Must Not Yield to Chinese Bullying

english.chosun.com

August 11, 2022 13:22

The top diplomats of South Korea and China met Tuesday for the first time since President Yoon Suk-yeol was inaugurated, but China seems to have no awareness that it is dealing with a new government. In the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Park Jin that Seoul and Beijing should not meddle in each other's affairs, must respect their interests and stabilize supply chains. But in the same breath, China was telling South Korea not to join the U.S.-led "Chip 4" alliance and Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and that it should limit the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. as well as recognizing China's sovereignty over Taiwan. Such demands are a blatant insult to South Korea's autonomy in economic and security matters.

China has shamelessly bullied Korea to abide by the three no's -- no additional deployment of THAAD batteries, no South Korean integration into a U.S. led regional missile defense system, and no trilateral military alliance with the U.S. and Japan. All those demands are none of China's business and are not pledges Seoul has any reason to adhere to. They were merely a position expressed by the previous administration and have no binding power.

Of course the best way to prevent more THAAD batteries being stationed here is for China to persuade its ally North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. But instead Beijing blocked additional UN sanctions against North Korea for test-firing ballistic missiles and even a statement lambasting the North's provocations.

China has no qualms about ignoring North Korea's belligerence, but is quick to interfere with South Korea's security interests. Its fighter planes routinely enter South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone without identifying themselves, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has even claimed that the Korean Peninsula was once part of China to see if such nonsense will fly.

Whether South Korea wants to participate in any alliance, be it economic or military, is entirely its own business. Seoul has repeatedly explained that the Chip 4 alliance and IPEF are not intended to isolate China. South Korea's stance on Taiwan and the South China Sea is also based on international law and the principles of peace. The government needs to cooperate with China, but it must stand its ground against attempts at bullying. It only encourages bullies when they sense weakness.

Read this article in Korean

• Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com

english.chosun.com

4. Beijing's double standard

I think a better word is hypocrisy. And we should have no illusions that Beijing has no intention of playing well with others despite its stated principle of non-interference. This is a perfect example of how it does interfere with sovereign nations. It has no respect for sovereignty.

Beijing's double standard

The Korea Times · August 11, 2022

China should respect Korea's sovereignty

The latest talks between South Korean and Chinese foreign ministers have left a bad taste as Beijing went too far in putting forward irrational demands that could lead to interference in a sovereign state's internal affairs. This is raising concerns that bilateral ties might turn sour amid the escalating rivalry between China and the United States.

Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed during their talks held Tuesday in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao that the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile battery in South Korea should no longer hamper Seoul-Beijing relations. However, they only agreed to disagree on the most pending issues.

Minister Wang suggested that the two countries develop their ties based on the principle of independence, self-reliance and friendship. He also called for the promotion of smooth supply chains to benefit both sides. Besides, Wang stressed the importance of non-interference in each other's domestic matters. But he contradicted himself by demanding that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration uphold the "Three Nos" policy of the previous Moon Jae-in government.

The policy refers to no additional deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system here, no participation in a U.S.-led missile defense network and no trilateral military alliance with the U.S. and Japan. China has repeatedly requested the new Seoul government to stick to the policy. However, Yoon has left open the possibility of South Korea allowing more THAAD batteries on its soil in order to strengthen the country's alliance with the U.S.

Seoul has already made it clear that the THAAD deployment is a matter of security and sovereignty to protect the country from North Korea's possible nuclear and missile attacks. In other words, Beijing has no right to tell Seoul what to do and what not to do about the THAAD issue. Minister Park explained this to Wang, making it clear that THAAD is a "means for self-defense" against the North's military threats. It is regrettable that the Chinese side has refused to accept the South Korean position.

What's more serious is that the Chinese foreign ministry unilaterally said Wednesday that Seoul has even pledged to limit the operation of the anti-missile battery in addition to the Three Nos principle. Immediately, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed displeasure over what its Chinese counterpart said. It warned that the issue would become an obstacle to bilateral relations if Beijing continues to raise the issue.

It is also absurd for Minister Wang to call on Seoul not to join the U.S.-proposed chip alliance, also known as Chip 4. The demand came after South Korea decided to attend a preliminary Chip 4 meeting scheduled for late this month or early September. Beijing claimed that the chip alliance is aimed at excluding China from global supply chains amid the escalating Sino-U.S. strategic competition. It would be better Beijing to accept Park's explanation that its decision was made in consideration of national interest and was not intended to exclude China.

If China really wants to develop a strategic cooperative partnership with South Korea 30 years after diplomatic normalization, it should no longer try to put more pressure on Seoul to do what it wants. Otherwise, China cannot avoid criticism for applying a double standard. That's why Wang's stress for independence, self-reliance and non-interference sounds self-contradictory.

The Korea Times · August 11, 2022

5. Yoon, US senator meet to discuss alliance

Yoon, US senator meet to discuss alliance

The Korea Times · August 12, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol, right, poses for a photo with U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) at his office in Seoul, Aug. 12. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk-yeol met with U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) on Friday and discussed strengthening the bilateral alliance.

Markey is in Seoul as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.

During their meeting at the presidential office, Yoon thanked the senator for his efforts over decades in Congress to strengthen the alliance.

Markey expressed confidence the bilateral relationship will grow stronger, saying the CHIPS and Science Act, which focuses on the semiconductor industry and was signed by U.S. President Joe Biden this week, "will only further deepen our partnership economically but strategically as well." (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · August 12, 2022

6. Kim Yo Jong: COVID-19 introduced to N. Korea due to propaganda leaflets

Yes we can chuckle over this propaganda about propaganda. But what this really indicates is how afraid Kim Yo Jong and her brother are of information getting to the Korean people living in the north. Information is an existential threat to the regime. Information efforts have effects nd the ROK/US alliance as well as civil society should advance their information and influence activities.

Kim Yo Jong: COVID-19 introduced to N. Korea due to propaganda leaflets

donga.com

Posted August. 12, 2022 07:49,

Updated August. 12, 2022 07:49

Kim Yo Jong: COVID-19 introduced to N. Korea due to propaganda leaflets. August. 12, 2022 07:49. by Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com.

Kim Yo Jong, vice-department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party (pictured), the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said, "We should take strong retaliatory measures,” as she blamed South Korea for the outbreak of COVID-19 on its soil. She said that the introduction of the coronavirus disease to the North was due to propaganda leaflets, money, sloppy booklets, and some stuff sent by the South, adding it will hold it accountable.

“North Korea is repeating baseless and absurd allegations,” the South Korean Ministry of Unification asserted. "We express deep regret for the rude and threatening remarks made by North Korea toward the South." With North Korea announcing retaliation in advance, some voice concerns that it may launch local provocations by using joint ROK-US military drills as an excuse.

"This quarantine struggle was a real war waged against the enemy,” Kim Yo Jong claimed on Wednesday. "If the enemy continues to engage in dangerous acts that can introduce the virus to the Republic, we will respond by exterminating not only the virus but also those in the South Korean authorities."

In the midst of this, the circumstance that Kim Jong Un had been infected with COVID-19 also came to light. Kim Yo Jong referred to his brother as, “Our dear leader was seriously ill from high fever while waging this quarantine war, but could not lie down for even a second because of the thoughts of his people that he had to take responsibility for until the end.” It is unusual for the North Korean regime to publicly disclose the medical conditions of its supreme leader.

한국어

donga.com

7. Yoon to hold press conference to mark 100 days in office

Can he recover from his historically low approval ratings?

(LEAD) Yoon to hold press conference to mark 100 days in office | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · August 12, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with announcement of press conference; CHANGES headline)

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold a press conference next week to mark his first 100 days in office, a presidential official said Friday.

The press conference will be held at the presidential office at 10 a.m. on Wednesday to coincide with the 100th day and last 40 minutes, Choi Young-bum, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said at a press briefing.

The president will give opening remarks before taking questions from reporters, Choi said.

It will be Yoon's first formal press conference, though he has spoken to reporters on a near daily basis while arriving for work.

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · August 12, 2022

8. U.N. chief voices support for complete denuclearization of N. Korea

Would anyone expect him to say otherwise?

(2nd LD) U.N. chief voices support for complete denuclearization of N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · August 12, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details of meeting)

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday and expressed support for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, officials said.

Guterres, who is on a two-day visit to Seoul, met with Yoon over lunch at the presidential office in Seoul.

Yoon welcomed the secretary-general, saying he looked forward to hearing his thoughts on how to solve the many challenges facing the world.

Guterres said through a translator that he thanks South Korea for being a model nation in the work of the U.N. and especially in peacekeeping efforts around the world.

He also praised South Korea's respect for human rights and contribution to the international community in the areas of socioeconomic development and climate change.

Guterres went further to express the U.N.'s full support for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, saying it was an important goal in achieving security, peace and stability in the region.

The two agreed North Korea's nuclear and missile developments pose a large challenge to not only the Non-Proliferation Treaty regime but also to peace in Northeast Asia and the world.

Yoon discussed specific cooperation measures between South Korea and the U.N. in the areas of development, peace-building and climate change with U.N. officials accompanying the secretary-general.

Guterres said he looks forward to South Korea strengthening cooperation with the international community on peace and security, human rights, development and climate change, and invited Yoon to the U.N. General Assembly in New York next month.

Later in the day, the U.N. chief met with Foreign Minister Park Jin at Seoul's foreign ministry to discuss security on the Korean Peninsula and cooperation on regional and global issues like climate change.

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · August 12, 2022

9. Unification ministry expresses regret over 'groundless claims' on origin of its COVID-19 outbreak

We should make the regime its words by executing a superior form of political warfare and using information to undermine the regime's message.

(2nd LD) Unification ministry expresses regret over 'groundless claims' on origin of its COVID-19 outbreak | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · August 11, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with presidential official's remark in 7th para)

By Yi Wonju

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry on Thursday voiced strong regret over North Korea's claim that its COVID-19 outbreak had originated from the South and its threats of an unspecified retaliatory step.

Earlier in the day, Pyongyang's state media reported that leader Kim Jong-un held a national meeting the previous day and declared victory in the campaign against COVID-19.

During the session, his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, who serves as vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, reiterated Pyongyang's assertion that leaflets from the South carried the virus into the North and raised the need to take "deadly retaliatory" countermeasures.

The government "expresses strong regret over North Korea's insolent and threatening remarks based on repeated groundless claims regarding the inflow of the coronavirus at the national meeting on reviewing anti-epidemic measures," an official at the ministry told reporters on the customary condition of anonymity.

The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it is maintaining a "firm" readiness posture and preparing against "various possibilities."

Kim, who is known to be in charge of inter-Korean affairs, made the first known public speech laden with criticism against South Korea, reaffirming her political role and responsibility in handling cross-border and external affairs. Kim is considered to hold a position equivalent to a vice minister in the South, according to South Korean officials, but she is regarded to be more influential in the authoritarian regime as the sister of the leader.

When asked who her South Korean counterpart would be, a presidential official said, "I would think it would be something like the vice unification minister, but we need to think about that."

In her address aired on the state-run Korean Central Television, with its transcript carried by the KCNA as well, Kim labeled Seoul as the "invariable principal enemy" and blamed the South's scattering of "leaflets, bank notes, awful booklets and things" as the source of the coronavirus.

Last month, the North claimed its coronavirus outbreak originated from "alien things" found near the inter-Korean border, alluding to balloon-carried materials sent by North Korean defector groups in the South.

She also took aim at the current administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol, calling it a "puppet government" and a "gang of conservative puppets."

"If the enemy persists in such dangerous deeds as fomenting the inroads of virus into our Republic, we will respond to it by not only exterminating the virus but also wiping out the South Korean authorities," she said.

North Korea has "already considered various counteraction plans," she added, without providing any further details.

Kim then stressed her brother's devotion and leadership in successfully tackling the coronavirus pandemic. The North's declared the end to the virus crisis comes amid multiple challenges, including economic woes from prolonged global sanctions.

Pyongyang announced its first COVID-19 case on May 12 after claiming to be coronavirus-free for over two years.

julesyi@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · August 11, 2022

10. China’s live ammo drills off South Korea are part of effort to control seas

Damn bully.

As I have said: China seeks to export its authoritarian political system around the world in order to dominate regions, co-opt or coerce international organizations, create economic conditions favorable to China alone, and displace democratic institutions.

China’s live ammo drills off South Korea are part of effort to control seas

Seoul views the People’s Liberation Army war games as an intimidation tactic, analysts say.

By Seung Wook Hong and Jaehoon Shim for RFA Korean

2022.08.10

rfa.org

China’s military exercises in the Yellow and Bohai seas following drills near the self-governing island of Taiwan are part of Beijing’s efforts to exert its power in the region, with an eye toward eventual domination, security analysts in South Korea and the United States say.

On Aug. 5 China’s Maritime Safety Administration announced a series of live-fire training exercises would be conducted on Aug. 6-15 in the Bohai Sea and in the southern waters of the Yellow Sea, which separates China from the Korean Peninsula.

The exercises can be seen as a “multipurpose strategic move” to expand China’s influence in the Yellow Sea, said Park Byung-kwang, director of the Center for International Cooperation at the Institute for National Security Strategy, a South Korean government-​funded public research institute that focuses on security studies.

“It can be seen that it has the meaning of checking the strengthening of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and furthermore, security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan,” he said.

China’s intention is to limit the access of U.S. naval forces, including aircraft carriers, to the Yellow Sea, which Koreans refer to as the West Sea, he said.

Chung Jae-hung, a research fellow at the independent South Korean think tank the Sejong Institute, said the exercises show China is thinking about how to protect its forces moving through the Taiwan Strait from U.S. and South Korean forces.

China’s military fleet is conducting exercises in the Yellow Sea to respond to the U.S. forces stationed in South Korea and Japan in a situation where the Chinese fleet moves to the Taiwan Strait, he said.

It means they are considering protection in the process of moving major forces, including the Chinese fleet, he said.

Bruce W. Bennett, an adjunct international/defense researcher at the RAND Corporation, said China’s moves indicate that it is playing a long game, “something that they’re thinking about for 2030 or 2040.”

“The Chinese play the long game,” he said. “They try to prepare themselves and position themselves so that over a period of many years, they have more capability to pose the kinds of threats that will give them an ability to influence both the United States and South Korea.

“So, this is a longer term effort that they’re carrying on trying to create conditions for dominance in the region,” he said.

Bruce Bechtol Jr., a professor in the Department of Security Studies and Criminal Justice at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, said China is trying to intimidate the South Korean government.

“If Chinese forces are in international waters they are certainly violating no international laws by training in these areas,” he said. “But given the timing, it appears that this training may be taking place in the areas that it is in order to intimidate the ROK [Republic of Korea] government because of its strong support for the ROK-U.S. alliance as well as several ROK policy moves that the Chinese government does not find to be in Beijing's best interests.”

As of Wednesday, neither South Korean nor U.S. military officials had replied to questions from RFA about China’s exercises in the Yellow Sea.

The exercises in the Bohai and Yellow seas follow People’s Liberation Army anti-submarine and sea assault drills in the waters around Taiwan last week after a visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China regards the democratically-ruled island as a renegade province and seeks to unite it with the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing frowns on official visits to Taiwan.

Translated by Leejin J. Chung for RFA Korean. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

rfa.org​

11. N. Hamgyong Province imposes quasi-taxes on Kimchaek residents for new construction project

Propaganda is a key element of the party and regime rule.

Excerpt:

The source said that the provinces’s party and people’s committees ordered farms to form propaganda and agitation teams, explaining that the construction sites in Kimchaek require not only builders, but propaganda personnel as well.

N. Hamgyong Province imposes quasi-taxes on Kimchaek residents for new construction project

The province's leadership believes that producing construction results in Kimchaek could show up very nicely in the province’s end-of-the-year review

By Jong So Yong - 2022.08.12 5:00pm

dailynk.com

FILE PHOTO: A North Korean official questions a resident of Chongjin in early 2017. (Daily NK)

North Hamgyong Province is imposing non-tax burdens (quasi-taxes) on locals as provincial authorities push plans for the construction of residential homes in the second half of the year.

A source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Wednesday that with the province scrambling to fulfill the construction plan it sent this year to the Central Committee, it has designated the city of Kimchaek as the focal point of its efforts, lighting a fire under housing construction projects in the city for the second half of the year.

According to the source, North Hamgyong Province’s leadership believes that while it must also push residential construction in certain rural communities like Onsong County and Saebyol County, producing construction results in Kimchaek could show up very nicely in the province’s end-of-the-year review. Accordingly, it is focusing on construction in the city.

The source said the provincial party committee and provincial people’s committee are pushing construction in the “big city” of Kimchaek, and that it is worthwhile focusing investment on transforming housing in rural communities into “ideal socialist villages.”

In fact, North Hamgyong Province called on ensuring that the investment of all machinery, construction materials and construction personnel in the province go into turning Kimchaek into a “model unit” by this autumn. All this is aimed at elevating the city — named for North Korean founder Kim Il Sung’s aide and close revolutionary comrade Kim Chaek — into the province’s most important gateway.

The project requires machinery, supplies and a ton of manpower, but with problems such as machinery and supply shortages continuously cropping up, carrying out the plan will not be easy despite the province’s energetic attitude.

Facing a dilemma, North Hamgyong Province’s leadership ultimately decided to impose quasi-taxes on local households.

In fact, the provincial party committee and provincial people’s committee asked Kimchaek residents to cough up 5 kilograms of diesel or gasoline per household, saying it was natural for local residents to pay “since the construction in the city was for them” and that locals “have a duty to provide oil since they’re building homes in their city.”

The source said that the provinces’s party and people’s committees ordered farms to form propaganda and agitation teams, explaining that the construction sites in Kimchaek require not only builders, but propaganda personnel as well.

However, farm managers and farmers themselves were nonplussed by all this, complaining that they cannot properly farm when the state is harassing them at the busiest time of year.

The source said the farm managers have no choice but to comply because the instructions came from the provincial party committee.

“As a result, farm managers are threatening farmers, telling them to come up with the oil without fail, even if they have to empty their emergency rice supplies and borrow money,” he added.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com

12. S. Korea, US to hold high-level defense talks on alliance deterrence against N. Korea

The KIDD continues (KIDD - Korean-US Integrated Defense Dialogue) 

Excerpts:

Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Heo Tae-keun will lead the South Korean delegation for the first time since his appointment this month. Siddharth Mohandas, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, will represent the US side.

The two sides will discuss a wide range of alliance issues, including “policy coordination in deterring and responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” South Korea’s Defense Ministry in a press statement.

South Korea and the US will try to figure out ways to enhance the viability of the US extended deterrence in accordance with the agreements at the May 21 South Korea-US summit.

Specifically, both sides will have further concrete discussions on the reactivation of the vice ministerial-level Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) and agenda topics for the meeting, a senior ministry official -- who requested to remain anonymous -- said during a closed-door briefing.

S. Korea, US to hold high-level defense talks on alliance deterrence against N. Korea

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · August 12, 2022

Full-scale operation of THAAD battery, trilateral security cooperation will be key agenda topics for KIDD

By Ji Da-gyum

Published : Aug 12, 2022 - 15:00 Updated : Aug 12, 2022 - 15:05

•  Back to List
• More article by this Writer

(123rf)

South Korea and the United States will discuss how to bolster the alliance’s deterrence and readiness against North Korea at an upcoming high-level defense talk, South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced Friday.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry and the US Defense Department will hold the 21st Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) between Aug. 16 and 17 in Seoul with the participation of key defense and foreign affairs officials.

Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Heo Tae-keun will lead the South Korean delegation for the first time since his appointment this month. Siddharth Mohandas, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, will represent the US side.

The two sides will discuss a wide range of alliance issues, including “policy coordination in deterring and responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” South Korea’s Defense Ministry in a press statement.

South Korea and the US will try to figure out ways to enhance the viability of the US extended deterrence in accordance with the agreements at the May 21 South Korea-US summit.

Specifically, both sides will have further concrete discussions on the reactivation of the vice ministerial-level Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) and agenda topics for the meeting, a senior ministry official -- who requested to remain anonymous -- said during a closed-door briefing.

The South Korean and US defense chiefs tentatively agreed to hold an EDSCG meeting in September during an in-person meeting held in late July in Washington. The last meeting of the EDSCG between South Korean and US vice ministers of foreign affairs and defense -- which was launched in 2016 -- was held in January 2018.

The deployment of the US strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula will be discussed in detail at the upcoming KIDD, the unnamed senior official explained. At the May 21 summit, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden previously reaffirmed the US’ commitment to deploying US strategic assets “in a timely and coordinated manner as necessary.”

The KIDD will be a venue to discuss follow-up measures to the agreements at May 21 summit and prepare for an annual, defense ministerial-level Security Consultative Meeting that is expected to be held this autumn, the unnamed senior official explained.

In addition, South Korean and US high-level officials will exchange views on how to meet conditions for the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control.

South Korea and the US plan to conduct an assessment of the South Korean military’s Full Operational Capability during the upcoming combined military exercise that is scheduled to be held between Aug. 22 and Sep. 1. The FOC assessment is a required process to transfer wartime operational control to South Korea.

The FOC assessment is the second part of the three-phase system to evaluate the South Korean military’s capabilities to command the Future Combined Forces Command or F-CFC. But it has been postponed mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic after both sides completed the first stage in 2019.

South Korea and the US will also talk about how to upgrade their bilateral ties to a “global comprehensive strategic alliance,” the source said. To that end, both sides will have an in-depth discussion on ways to advance cooperation in the field of cyber security, defense and science technology, defense industry and outer space.

Other topics for discussion include trilateral security coordination among South Korea, the US and Japan as well as South Korea’s plan to expeditiously repair and refurbish the military base that hosts the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to ensure its full-scale operation.

A KIDD is a high-level policy consultative meeting between the South Korean and US defense authorities that encompasses defense dialogue mechanisms.

The consultative meeting has been hosted twice a year since 2012 after it was established in accordance with the agreement at the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting in 2011.

But this year, Seoul and Washington have agreed to exceptionally hold a KIDD once for reasons, including the postponement in appointing South Korea’s deputy minister for national defense policy and prolonged war in Ukraine, the unnamed senior official said.

By Ji Da-gyum (dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)

•  Back to List
• More article by this Writer

13. South Korea to Join US-Led Weapons of Mass Destruction Drill

Readine, readiness, readiness. The alliance must prepare and train for the range of contingencies, the most likely and the most dangerous. This certainly one of the most dangerous.

South Korea to Join US-Led Weapons of Mass Destruction Drill

thedefensepost.com · August 9, 2022

South Korea has signified its intention to participate in a US-led military exercise aimed at deterring the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Dubbed Fortune Guard 22, the drill in Honolulu will simulate rapid military decision-making, operational interdiction, seizure, and disposition of various types of WMD.

The exercise will allow participants to share critical information in responding to simulated chemical, biological, and nuclear threats.

The US State Department said that the exercise will provide a platform for participating nations to practice countering those who proliferate WMDs.

It will also reportedly enhance their capabilities in addressing these threats.

Apart from the US and South Korea, 19 other nations will participate in the drill.

thedefensepost.com · August 9, 2022

​14. North Korea Declares Victory Over Covid, Hints Kim Jong Un Was Infected

I guess we can say north Korea and Kim Jong Un know how to win wars. Simply declare victory.

More indications that the regime fears the existential threat of information.

Excerpts:

The Kim regime has blamed South Korea for its Covid-19 outbreak, claiming that it began after two North Koreans touched “alien things” that had been sent over the border from South Korea, according to a state media report.

It was a swipe against a common Kim regime irritant: antiregime leaflets floated over the border by groups led by North Korean defectors based in the South.

At the Wednesday meeting, Kim Yo Jong, who serves as the regime’s mouthpiece, repeated the “alien things” claim and chastised South Korea for attempting to “take advantage of the world health crisis and crush our country.” Ms. Kim also warned of “exterminating” South Korean authorities for introducing the virus into North Korea.

After Ms. Kim’s remarks were published, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification expressed regret at North Korea’s threatening comments.

North Korea Declares Victory Over Covid, Hints Kim Jong Un Was Infected

Dictator’s sister says he recently fell ‘seriously ill with a high fever’

https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-declares-victory-over-covid-hints-kim-jong-un-was-infected-11660210067?utm_source=pocket_mylist

By Dasl YoonFollow

Aug. 11, 2022 5:27 am ET

SEOUL—Kim Jong Un declared victory over North Korea’s Covid-19 outbreak that touched nearly one-fifth of the country’s population—including, apparently, himself.

State media didn’t explicitly say that Mr. Kim, the 38-year-old dictator, had contracted the virus. But the North Korean leader had recently fallen “seriously ill with a high fever,” according to remarks made by his sister, Kim Yo Jong, at a Wednesday meeting attended by top officials.

“He did not lie down for a moment, thinking of the people he had to take care of,” said Ms. Kim, as quoted in state media.

North Korea first disclosed the outbreak in May. Due to a lack of Covid-19 test kits, the impoverished country had tracked daily infections by tallying the number of fever cases. Some 4.77 million had gotten a fever, of which 74 died. No new cases have been reported since July 29.

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

The 10-Point.

A personal, guided tour to the best scoops and stories every day in The Wall Street Journal.

PREVIEW

SUBSCRIBE

It is unclear when Mr. Kim may have gotten sick. He was out of the public eye for roughly two weeks in June, and then around three weeks in July. Pyongyang had previously given no indication that Mr. Kim may have been potentially infected.

Kim Jong Un praised North Korea for exterminating Covid-19 without vaccines.

PHOTO: CHA SONG HO/ASSOCIATED PRESS

At the Wednesday meeting, Mr. Kim, wearing a black Mao suit, appeared vibrant in photos published by state media. Calling it the “greatest miracle” in global health, Mr. Kim praised the country for exterminating the virus without vaccines and accepting maximum-level restrictions for three straight months.

“The long-suffered quarantine war is finally over and today we are able to solemnly declare victory,” Mr. Kim said.

It is plausible that Mr. Kim contracted Covid, given how he had appeared maskless at several events during the country’s outbreak, said Hong Min, of the Seoul-based Korea Institute for National Unification, a government-funded think tank. But even if Mr. Kim had avoided the virus, Mr. Hong said, there would be compelling reasons to say that he had been infected.

“Claiming he led the country out of the outbreak despite experiencing fever symptoms portrays Kim as a hardworking leader putting the people before himself,” said Mr. Hong, director at the institute’s North Korea research division.

North Koreans were seen crying during the national meeting as the leader’s sister said Mr. Kim had suffered a fever, state media footage showed. Hundreds of maskless attendees cheered after the speech.

North Korea’s leader said the lockdowns imposed since May hadn’t affected state economic plans.

PHOTO: KIM WON JIN/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

Mr. Kim’s triumphing over Covid provides a celebratory message domestically, and sends a critical message to China on cross-border trade, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. Earlier this year, the two countries reopened a rail route that had been largely sealed off throughout the pandemic, but it was closed again after North Korea began to report Covid cases.

“Declaring the country virus-free signals Kim wants to shift focus to boosting the economy,” Mr. Yang said.

North Korea’s economy shrank by 0.1% in 2021, hampered by pandemic restrictions and sanctions, according to a recent estimate by South Korea’s central bank. The estimate is closely watched and relies on data gathered by other South Korean government departments, including Seoul’s spy agency.

Advertisement - Scroll to Continue

At the Wednesday meeting, Mr. Kim claimed the lockdowns imposed since May hadn’t affected state economic plans. All travel between regions had been blocked, with exceptions made for agricultural or construction work. But now, the maximum anti-epidemic measures would be relaxed and returned to normal levels, Mr. Kim said. He also ordered North Korea to maintain border controls and strengthen quarantine measures to prevent new variants from spreading.

Kim Jong Un ordered North Korea to maintain border controls and strengthen quarantine measures to prevent new variants from spreading.

PHOTO: KCNA/VIA REUTERS

The Kim regime has blamed South Korea for its Covid-19 outbreak, claiming that it began after two North Koreans touched “alien things” that had been sent over the border from South Korea, according to a state media report.

It was a swipe against a common Kim regime irritant: antiregime leaflets floated over the border by groups led by North Korean defectors based in the South.

At the Wednesday meeting, Kim Yo Jong, who serves as the regime’s mouthpiece, repeated the “alien things” claim and chastised South Korea for attempting to “take advantage of the world health crisis and crush our country.” Ms. Kim also warned of “exterminating” South Korean authorities for introducing the virus into North Korea.

After Ms. Kim’s remarks were published, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification expressed regret at North Korea’s threatening comments.

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

Appeared in the August 12, 2022, print edition as 'North Korea Declares Victory Over Covid; Hints Kim Had Virus'.

​

​15. ROK-US alliance well on track, but real tests yet to come

A very good assessment of the ROK/US alliance and the hard work and four challenges that are still ahead.

Conclusion:

The road ahead will be very long and bumpy. Formidable obstacles and risks are already palpable and will continue to unfold. Seoul and Washington need to continue with a sophisticated strategy and roadmap to implement the latest agreement between the two leaders ― a new guiding post in upgrading our alliance in the coming years.

ROK-US alliance well on track, but real tests yet to come

The Korea Times · August 11, 2022

By Yun Byung-se

Three months into the presidency, the Yoon Suk-yeol government is in full swing with its foreign and security policy agendas, in contrast to the turbulent domestic political situation.

His team set the right tone and direction for a new course, including on the ROK-U.S. alliance, as well as on policies toward North Korea, Japan and China, and on other regional and global agendas, such as economic security, human rights and democracy.

The restoration and upgrading of weakening alliance is indeed conspicuous. The Biden administration lost no time in recognizing President Yoon's efforts with unusual speed and with high priority.

U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Korea in May served as a sort of ribbon-cutting ceremony. It happened to coincide with the 140th anniversary of the two countries' Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation of 1882, equivalent to the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in today's terms.

This visit has been followed by a continuous series of mutual visits and meetings between top-ranking officials and politicians over the past two months, ranging from: cabinet ministers and secretaries on both sides, Korea's intelligence chief and even U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week, who unfortunately did not get a face-to-face meeting with President Yoon.

Such unusually frequent high-level engagements at the beginning of a new administration are a strong indication of confidence and mutual trust and tend to trigger a virtuous cycle. During my recent visit to Washington, I felt that the American policy community from top to bottom was very pleased and relieved to see high caliber professionals in senior positions in the Korean government and to have heart-to-heart communication and coordination on many sensitive issues.

Another moment for the deepening alliance was witnessed during the unveiling ceremony for the Wall of Remembrance, which was held in the Korean War Veterans Memorial on July 27, the day of the conclusion of the Korean Armistice Agreement.

This wall records the names of around 44,000 American and Korean soldiers who laid down their lives during the war. President Biden sent the 2nd gentleman as well as his national security adviser to the ceremony. President Biden's friendly gesture is a reflection of the U.S.' unshakable commitment to the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, which will turn 70 years old next year.

Setting aside atmospherics, it is noteworthy that the Biden-Yoon agreement on a "Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance" in May is now being translated into specific actions in various areas.

First, the Yoon administration has brought back the concept of complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement (CVID) by North Korea of all its nuclear weapons and programs. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a four-nation ministerial statement ahead of the Tenth NPT Review Conference now being held in New York, recommitting to this principle which had been dormant and shelved for the last five years due to North Korea's allergic response.

Second, ROK-U.S. foreign and defense ministers agreed to revitalize the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) ― a "2+2" vice-ministerial meeting, which remained suspended since 2018.

This move will upgrade America's extended deterrence against fast-growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats. Full-fledged joint military exercises ― another suspension during former President Trump's time ― will not only be resumed but will be expanded in scale and scope.

Third, the U.S., Korea and Japan reportedly decided to conduct trilateral missile warning and tracking exercises on a regular basis to bolster their readiness against North Korea's threats. ROK-Japan foreign ministers met again in Cambodia two weeks after their meeting in Tokyo. Well-functioning bilateral ties are indispensable for trilateral security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Fourth, on economic security, following its membership in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in May, Seoul proposed to establish a bilateral "2+2" ministerial meeting. Washington is working to form the "Fab 4" (or "Chip 4") semiconductor alliance comprising the U.S., Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and the first preliminary meeting is now expected to be held early next month.

Some of these recent developments represent a return to the policy direction before the Moon Jae-in administration while others are in response to the fast changing geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. What matters is that mutual trust is replacing trust deficit during the last five years between Seoul and Washington, as well as between Seoul and Tokyo.

For one thing, General Robert Abrams, former commander of U.S. Forces in Korea, spoke candidly before a Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation seminar two weeks ago, about his frustrations with the alliance during his service between 2018 and 2021.

They ranged from an inter-Korean military memorandum to the suspension of all publicized joint military exercises and of strategic assets deployment to the Korean peninsula. He implied that Pyongyang's unbridled missile tests and potential seventh nuclear test are the price for such choices. I used to liken such abnormal situations to ostriches burying their heads in the sand.

A return to normalcy in the alliance relationship is a welcome development, but it is not a sufficient condition for a safe and comfortable journey to the next destination. In the coming weeks, we will be able to see some early litmus tests on the strength of the comprehensive strategic alliance.

First, how will it deal with China's challenge, in combination with Russia and North Korea, to the rules-based order and with its efforts to decouple the U.S.-ROK alliance? Foreign Minister Park Jin, during his visit to China this week, made efforts to advance the positive aspects of the Sino-Korean strategic partnership, which will mark the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations in two weeks' time.

He also made clear our principled stance on several sensitive issues. Nevertheless, China's strong stance on them and wolf warrior diplomacy has not relented. Bilateral relations could turn into another phase of tension particularly on the "Three Nos" issues (no additional deployment of THAAD batteries, no Korean integration into a U.S. led regional missile defense system, and no trilateral alliance with the U.S. and Japan), the scope of strategic flexibility for the U.S. Forces Korea with regards to Taiwan and Korea's stance on the U.S.-proposed Fab 4 or Chip 4 semiconductor alliance.

Second, how will it enhance the credibility and assurances of extended deterrence in the face of North Korea's nuclear preemptive strike strategy. The reformulated ROK-U.S. joint military exercises in August and the revitalized EDSCG should serve to send a timely and powerful message to North Korea, benchmarking the NATO model or other formulas among allies.

Third, the door for diplomacy with North Korea remains open, but the prospect of its denuclearization is far from bright. Under these circumstances, the forthcoming "Audacious Plan" floated by the South Korean government should be thoroughly prepared, coordinated and in lockstep with the Biden administration.

Fourth, South Korean government should have an integrated strategy on economic security to take a comprehensive look at inter-linked issues such as the IPEF, the Fab 4 alliance, the Quad and the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 as well as Korean semiconductor industry strategy. South Korea's decision to attend the Fab 4 or Chip 4 prep meeting early next month should be part of this overall strategy.

The road ahead will be very long and bumpy. Formidable obstacles and risks are already palpable and will continue to unfold. Seoul and Washington need to continue with a sophisticated strategy and roadmap to implement the latest agreement between the two leaders ― a new guiding post in upgrading our alliance in the coming years.

Yun Byung-se, former foreign minister of South Korea under former President Park Geun-hye (2013-2017), is now a board member of the Korea Peace Foundation and is a member of several ex-global leaders' forums and task forces, including the Astana Forum and its Consultative Council as well as the Task Force on U.S. Allies and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation sponsored by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

The Korea Times · August 11, 2022

16. North Korean soldiers ordered to harvest grass for compost in spare time

Spare time? How much spare time do soldiers have? This is an indication of the dire state of agriculture and the desperate actions the regime is forced to take.

North Korean soldiers ordered to harvest grass for compost in spare time

The grass is used to produce natural fertilizer in a country short of chemicals.

By Myung Chul Lee for RFA Korean

2022.08.11

rfa.org

North Korean soldiers in low-level military units have an unusual and not entirely welcome new mission: collecting grass during summer training breaks to produce compost for farms, sources inside the country said.

The impoverished and isolated country suffers from chronic shortages of chemical-based fertilizer during the summer growing season, a situation that has grown worse since 2020 because of border closures with China that cut off trade during the coronavirus pandemic.

Each year, North Korean citizens are tasked by their government to fill unrealistically high government quotas for fertilizer. But the material they typically collect is human waste, which gets mixed with soil and applied to farm fields.

“The dissatisfaction among soldiers is increasing as each unit uses their free time to meet the grass quotas,” a military-related source in North Hamgyong province told RFA on Tuesday.

The General Political Bureau of the People’s Army sets grass compost production quotas for all military units each August and September, said the source who declined to be identified so as to speak freely.

Each soldier is required to produce 50 kilograms (110 lbs.) of grass daily in order to produce compost, he added.

They make natural fertilizer by cutting grass on a nearby mountainside as well as in areas to which they are assigned for their quotas, the military-related source said.

“This is all after their daily training,” he said. “As they are required to produce natural fertilizer in their free time after mandatory training, the soldiers are becoming exhausted. The morale of the soldiers participating in the training is declining day by day.”

North Koreans cannot understand why authorities are mobilizing soldiers and assigning them to miscellaneous tasks like grass collection for compost, even though they verbally emphasize the importance of their training during the summer months, the military-related source said.

They order the soldiers to produce grass-based fertilizer, stressing the importance of providing for the greater society to the benefit of all North Koreans, he said.

“The soldiers are confused because they have no idea how to go along with all these different orders,” he said.

High-level commands are conducting frequent inspections to encourage the soldiers’ production of grass-based fertilizer, a military-related source in Ryanggang province told RFA on Tuesday.

“The staff in each unit is obligated to report the grass-cutting performance of subordinate units,” said the source who declined to be named for the same reason. “Each officer in charge of a unit is struggling to match the daily performance.”

Even officers are questioning why authorities are forcing them to produce grass-based fertilizer, he said.

“Some military officers are complaining and saying, ‘We should make the military’s main job of training as a side job instead, and change farming to the main job of the military,’” said the source.

Earlier this week, RFA reported that North Korean authorities are dispatching veterans and soldiers about to demobilize to collective farms to make up for labor shortages, raising fears among the military ranks that they will be stuck working in rural areas for the rest of their lives.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee for RFA Korean. Translated by Roseanne Gerin.

rfa.org

17. Did Kim Jong-un Have COVID?

​We must not forget this. KJU has rebuffed nearly all offers of aid especially from the South and the U.S>

Excerpt:

North Korea has refused vaccines and other supplies offered by the international community to fight the outbreak.

Did Kim Jong-un Have COVID?

english.chosun.com

August 12, 2022 12:29

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un suffered a "severe fever" while overseeing coronavirus quarantine efforts in the isolated country, according to his younger sister.

The official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday cited Kim Yo-jong as saying in a meeting, "Even though he was seriously ill with a high fever, he could not lie down for a moment thinking about the people he had to take care of until the end in the face of the anti-epidemic war."

That suggests the dictator contracted the virus himself. The National Intelligence Service told the National Assembly last May that Kim Jong-un did not appear to have been vaccinated.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with health officials in a meeting in Pyongyang on Wednesday, in this photo from the [North] Korean Central News Agency the following day.

But North Korea watchers have dismissed the claim as tear-jerking propaganda. Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who is now a People Power Party lawmaker here, said, "The comments are meant to show that Kim Jong-un understands the pain of the North Korean people. The North can change their words anytime according to their needs, so we shouldn't take those words at face value."

North Korea has refused vaccines and other supplies offered by the international community to fight the outbreak.

N.Korea Blames South for COVID Outbreak

N.Korea Blames COVID Outbreak on Leaflets from S.Korea

N.Korea Asks China for Urgent COVID Assistance

N.Korea Faces COVID Catastrophe

N.Korea Admits COVID 'Emergency'

N.Korea Goes into Lockdown

N.Korea Building 'Coronavirus Wall'

N.Korea Keeps Insisting on Zero Coronavirus Infections

• Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com

english.chosun.com

18. Many farms in S. Pyongan Province damaged by unusually hot and wet weather

​The Korean people in the north do not deserve this hardship.​

Many farms in S. Pyongan Province damaged by unusually hot and wet weather

"Unless the authorities take appropriate measures toward heavy rain, it’s bound to lead to smaller crop yields this fall,” an expert on North Korean agriculture told Daily NK

By Seulkee Jang - 2022.08.12 9:17am

A large number of North Korean farms in South Pyongan Province are reporting that their crops have been damaged by unusual weather this year, including heat spells and heavy rains, Daily NK has learned. That is prompting concerns that this year’s fall harvest will be smaller than normal.

A source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Wednesday that a recent fact-finding investigation of farms by the province’s agricultural management committee learned that unusual weather had caused severe damage in areas with a high concentration of collective farms, including Sukchon County, Pyongwon County, Mundok County and the city of Kaechon.

In addition to an unusually poor harvest of barley and wheat, farmers found potato fields in which the leaves were lush, but the potatoes were rotten, the source said.

After a decent potato harvest, the potato fields should look like plowed fields of dirt, with no leaves. But in many fields, the source said, farmers didn’t even bother to harvest potatoes stunted by drought, heat waves and heavy rains.

The source said that less than 120kg of potatoes were harvested at the beginning of July from just over a hectare on a farm in Kaechon.

In a good year for potatoes, the typical yield from a hectare of farmland would be 10 tons, or 10,000kg. In other words, this year’s potato harvest has been much leaner than typical years because of the unusual weather.

In a recent inspection of South Pyongan Province, North Korean Premier Kim Tok Hun officially acknowledged the crop damage and stunted growth caused by unusual weather.

“If we’re to faithfully carry out party policy in regard to decisively increasing agricultural yields, we need to aggressively adopt technological methods for managing fertilizer and nutrients and advanced farming methods that can allow us to grow crops that are reliable and resilient from an early stage under the assumption that we’ll face unusual weather on a disastrous scale,” Kim was quoted as saying by Rodong Sinmun on Aug. 6. Kim reportedly made the remarks while reviewing the agricultural situation in South Pyongan Province.

In effect, the North Korean government has acknowledged that its crops have either been stunted or spoiled by a series of inclement weather patterns — heavy rain in March, an early heat wave, and monsoon rain bringing over 100mm of precipitation per day since June.

Heavy rain is expected to continue in August and September, which would impact rice cultivation as well. The problem is that those two months are a crucial period for rice formation. If large numbers of North Korean farms suffer flood damage, it would likely cause a huge drop in the cereal harvest this fall.

“August is when the rice flowers bloom and the seeds form. Heavy rain at this time would keep rice ears from growing. Unless the authorities take appropriate measures toward heavy rain, it’s bound to lead to smaller crop yields this fall,” said Cho Chung-hee, director of Good Farmers and an expert on North Korean agriculture.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com

​19. Kim Yo Jong Targets South Korean Leaflets as Root Cause of North’s COVID-19 Pandemic

Should we be worried about "deadly retaliatory" countermeasures? But again this really is an indication of the existential threat information poses to the regime. See conclusion.

I think it is simply rhetoric to blame the South and make north Korean look great (again). Conduct a biological warfare attack is a possibility but you have to ask to what end? What would be the effect they are trying to achieve? They certainly would not claim it as that could invite retaliation. So it would be covert and for no-attribution. Then what?  Would the effect simply be to create chaos and possible unrest in the South? Simply to make the South Look bad? What kind of biological weapon would they use? We suspect they have been working on anthrax (which is why we attracted the anthrax vaccination program two decades ago.

While it is always a possibility and should never be discounted I do not see how a biological attack would support current objectives fo the regime. Since it would be covert it would not be useful for blackmail diplomacy. Since our declaratory policy is such that we supposedly reserve the right to respond to any weapons of mass destruction attack - biological weapons fall into the WMD category - how would we respond especially if it was not attributable to the regime? If they used it and we learned to counter it (vaccination or some kind of antidote) would it be worth the the loss of its potential use at a more appropriate time such as the lead up to hostilities. If it is exposed we will work hard to neutralize it so it may have not future potential value. Weighing the pros and cons and the cost and benefit I think Kim Yo Jong's threats are merely words and part of the political warfare strategy of the regime.

​Conclusion:

Experts and North Korean defectors have consistently argued that the Kim regime is profoundly afraid of outside information being spread to the people. Pyongyang has never allowed its people to get access to foreign media, but such restrictions have been strengthened since the South Korean drama, “Crash Landing on You,” brought a huge viewership in early 2020.

​

Kim Yo Jong Targets South Korean Leaflets as Root Cause of North’s COVID-19 Pandemic

With Kim Jong Un’s declaration of victory over the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim Yo Jong warned of “deadly retaliatory” countermeasures against leaflets sent from South Korea.

thediplomat.com · by Mitch Shin · August 11, 2022

Advertisement

In the statement published by North Korea’s state media KCNA on Thursday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the main voice of inter-Korean relations, said that the country’s COVID-19 crisis was South Korea’s fault.

“Now that many countries in the world are taking more effective anti-epidemic measures, realizing once again the danger of the spread of the malignant pandemic disease through contact with the objects infected with the malicious virus, it is a matter of grave concern that the disgusting ones in south Korea stage a farce of scattering leaflets, bank notes, awful booklets and things over our territory,” the statement quoted Kim as saying during the National Meeting of Reviewing Emergency Anti-epidemic Work on Wednesday.

When North Korea’s state media unexpectedly announced its first case of the coronavirus in May, its propaganda blamed the leaflets and objects sent from a civic organization led by Park Sang-hak, who defected to South Korea decades ago. The leaflets and other objects are believed to have been sent by Park weeks before the North confirmed its first case of the virus in May.

“It is the universally accepted opinion of the international community that it is necessary to thoroughly disinfect the surface of objects as the malignant virus spreads via objects,” Kim said. “Such scientific clarification can never change no matter how desperately anyone may deny.”

As COVID-19 normally spreads from person to person, between people who are in close contact with each other, the South Korean Unification Ministry again denied the accusation by saying there is no connection between leaflets sent over the border and COVID-19 cases.

Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.

However, North Korea seems to have concluded that South Korea will be held responsible for the outbreak, as Kim warned that the countermeasure against the “uninterrupted influx of rubbish from south Korea” would be “a deadly retaliatory one.”

“If the enemy persists in such dangerous deeds as fomenting the inroads of virus into our Republic, we will respond to it by not only exterminating the virus but also wiping out the south Korean authorities,” Kim said.

During the meeting, North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un declared victory in “the maximum emergency anti-epidemic campaign,” which he kicked off months ago.

Advertisement

For the past three months, North Korean state media had published daily counts of the number of fever patients and casualties, as other countries have done. The considerably low number of fever patients and casualties raised suspicion among experts, as there should have been more confirmed cases and deaths based on the figures in other countries – especially because North Korea lacks the proper medical treatments and vaccines. Yet on Wednesday Kim proudly declared his victory against the highly contagious virus.

As Pyongyang officially ended the devastating battle against COVID-19, it will likely resume testing short-range ballistic missiles targeting the South’s soil as an extension of Kim Yo Jong’s address.

After North Korea blew up the joint inter-Korean liaison office in 2020, the former Moon Jae-in administration and the Democratic Party enacted and passed a law banning sending leaflets and other objects toward the North. The main reason for enacting the law was to protect people living near the border with the North.

The People Power Party strongly criticized the law, slamming the Democratic Party and the Moon government for a “disgraceful submission to Kim Yo Jong’s order.”

U.S. House Representative James McGovern, who is a co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, also expressed his pessimistic view over the law and recommended that the National Assembly revise the law, as it may suppress the freedom of expression.

South Korea now has a president from the PPP, Yoon Suk-yeol, but without control of the legislature his options are limited. Because nearly two-third of 300 lawmakers are members of the Democratic Party, it is unlikely the law will be revised to allow North Korean defectors to distribute leaflets and other items toward the North. The Yoon government will likely try to revise or withdraw the law if it regains a majority in the National Assembly in the 2024 elections.

Park, the North Korean defector, kept sending leaflets toward the North even after the law passed at the National Assembly, including a batch sent in late April. He was indicted under the law in January 2022 and is standing trial.

Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.

Experts and North Korean defectors have consistently argued that the Kim regime is profoundly afraid of outside information being spread to the people. Pyongyang has never allowed its people to get access to foreign media, but such restrictions have been strengthened since the South Korean drama, “Crash Landing on You,” brought a huge viewership in early 2020.

thediplomat.com · by Mitch Shin · August 11, 2022

thediplomat.com · by Mitch Shin · August 11, 2022

Advertisement

In the statement published by North Korea’s state media KCNA on Thursday, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the main voice of inter-Korean relations, said that the country’s COVID-19 crisis was South Korea’s fault.

“Now that many countries in the world are taking more effective anti-epidemic measures, realizing once again the danger of the spread of the malignant pandemic disease through contact with the objects infected with the malicious virus, it is a matter of grave concern that the disgusting ones in south Korea stage a farce of scattering leaflets, bank notes, awful booklets and things over our territory,” the statement quoted Kim as saying during the National Meeting of Reviewing Emergency Anti-epidemic Work on Wednesday.

When North Korea’s state media unexpectedly announced its first case of the coronavirus in May, its propaganda blamed the leaflets and objects sent from a civic organization led by Park Sang-hak, who defected to South Korea decades ago. The leaflets and other objects are believed to have been sent by Park weeks before the North confirmed its first case of the virus in May.

“It is the universally accepted opinion of the international community that it is necessary to thoroughly disinfect the surface of objects as the malignant virus spreads via objects,” Kim said. “Such scientific clarification can never change no matter how desperately anyone may deny.”

As COVID-19 normally spreads from person to person, between people who are in close contact with each other, the South Korean Unification Ministry again denied the accusation by saying there is no connection between leaflets sent over the border and COVID-19 cases.

Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.

However, North Korea seems to have concluded that South Korea will be held responsible for the outbreak, as Kim warned that the countermeasure against the “uninterrupted influx of rubbish from south Korea” would be “a deadly retaliatory one.”

“If the enemy persists in such dangerous deeds as fomenting the inroads of virus into our Republic, we will respond to it by not only exterminating the virus but also wiping out the south Korean authorities,” Kim said.

During the meeting, North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un declared victory in “the maximum emergency anti-epidemic campaign,” which he kicked off months ago.

Advertisement

For the past three months, North Korean state media had published daily counts of the number of fever patients and casualties, as other countries have done. The considerably low number of fever patients and casualties raised suspicion among experts, as there should have been more confirmed cases and deaths based on the figures in other countries – especially because North Korea lacks the proper medical treatments and vaccines. Yet on Wednesday Kim proudly declared his victory against the highly contagious virus.

As Pyongyang officially ended the devastating battle against COVID-19, it will likely resume testing short-range ballistic missiles targeting the South’s soil as an extension of Kim Yo Jong’s address.

After North Korea blew up the joint inter-Korean liaison office in 2020, the former Moon Jae-in administration and the Democratic Party enacted and passed a law banning sending leaflets and other objects toward the North. The main reason for enacting the law was to protect people living near the border with the North.

The People Power Party strongly criticized the law, slamming the Democratic Party and the Moon government for a “disgraceful submission to Kim Yo Jong’s order.”

U.S. House Representative James McGovern, who is a co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, also expressed his pessimistic view over the law and recommended that the National Assembly revise the law, as it may suppress the freedom of expression.

South Korea now has a president from the PPP, Yoon Suk-yeol, but without control of the legislature his options are limited. Because nearly two-third of 300 lawmakers are members of the Democratic Party, it is unlikely the law will be revised to allow North Korean defectors to distribute leaflets and other items toward the North. The Yoon government will likely try to revise or withdraw the law if it regains a majority in the National Assembly in the 2024 elections.

Park, the North Korean defector, kept sending leaflets toward the North even after the law passed at the National Assembly, including a batch sent in late April. He was indicted under the law in January 2022 and is standing trial.

Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.

Experts and North Korean defectors have consistently argued that the Kim regime is profoundly afraid of outside information being spread to the people. Pyongyang has never allowed its people to get access to foreign media, but such restrictions have been strengthened since the South Korean drama, “Crash Landing on You,” brought a huge viewership in early 2020.

thediplomat.com · by Mitch Shin · August 11, 2022​

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

VIDEO "WHEREBY" Link: https://whereby.com/david-maxwell

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com