Quotes of the Day:
"Reason has built the modern world. It is a precious but also a fragile thing, which can be corroded by apparently harmless irrationality."
- Richard Dawkins
"It is in the nature of foolish reasoning to seem good to the foolish reasoner."
- George Eliot
"Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing animal."
- Robert A. Heinlein
1. Are 'North Korean defectors' traitors?
2. Photos show North Korea expanding uranium enrichment plant
3. Kim Yo-Jong Has Tough Words for South Korea
4. Trump reportedly called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a 'lunatic': book
5. Moon heads to New York for U.N. speech during Chuseok holiday in Korea
6. New cases fall below 2,000 amid concerns about spike in outbreaks after Chuseok holiday
7. Korean-American staff members of U.S. Congress hold first public meeting with Korean Amb.
8. No decision yet on FM talks with Japan in New York: S. Korean official
1. Are 'North Korean defectors' traitors?
NO. This is why I use the phrase, "Koreans living in the north" and the term, "escapees." This is part of my own personal information and influence campaign. Defectors connote being a traitor to one's country. I emphasize one Korean people by calling them Koreans living in the north or South (and I try to never capitalize the "n" in north so as to not recognize "north Korea" as a legitimate government which I learned from my Korean military colleagues in the 1980s and 1990s but that is no longer fashionable - but old habits die hard -the only thing harder than getting a new idea into a military mind is getting an old one out -and my use of "north" is a constant source of frustration to those who edit my work!). I think these Koreans have escaped from the most despotic regime in the world. However, because the ROK Constitution (like the north's) claim's sovereignty over all of Korea and all Korean people, I do not consider them defectors but rather escapees.
That said, defector is the commonly used, understood, and accepted term. I do use it (reluctantly) for such things as recommending the establishment of a Korean Defector Information Institute (KDII) to harness the knowledge, expertise, and capabilities of escapees to help shape information and influence activities to develop the themes and messages appropriate for each of the three major target audiences in the north: the elite, the 2d tier leadership, and the people. And most importantly a KDII organization can provide the necessary support for plans for eventual unification., from key communicators to potential leaders.
So no, these heroic people are not traitors but Korean people to be respected and valued for their experiences and commitment to freedom.
Are 'North Korean defectors' traitors?
Lee Jeong-cheol, center, poses after receiving the grand prize of $2,000 for winning the 14th Freedom Speakers International (FSI) English Speech Contest at the Next Korea Future Foundation office in Seoul, Sept. 11. Lee donated half of the prize money to FSI. Courtesy of Voices from the NorthOn Sept. 11 at the Next Korea Foundation office, Freedom Speakers International (FSI) held its 14th English speech contest. Eight North Korean refugees competed in the contest sponsored by The Shin and Kim Law Office, Next Korea Foundation, the Atlas Network and the Korea Hana Foundation. The theme of the contest: "I am from North Korea." Lee Jeong-cheol, who joined FSI in 2015 as a student, was selected as the winner by a panel of judges. His main mentor getting him prepared to speak at the contest was Irene Yoon. ― ED.
By Lee Jeong-cheolNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, has accused North Koreans in South Korea of being defectors, defining this word as being synonymous with "traitors and trash." I think many of you have seen Kim Yo-jong in the media. One of her roles is being the North's voice who places all blame on South Korea.
Those words used in her statement are not good words, right? Not to mention, they are so negative.
The North Korean regime always accuses North Koreans like me who left the regime as being traitors. Also, the world calls us North Korean defectors. And you know what? One of the more obscure synonyms for "defector" is "traitor."
One day, this made me ask, "Am I a traitor?" Today, I want to talk about the words defector and traitor by looking back on my life in North Korea.
My father was a teacher in North Korea. He was an elementary school teacher and also worked?as a carpenter.
However, his income was only about $3 a month. Not $300 or $3,000 ― just three dollars. In many parts of North Korea, regardless of whether you work as a teacher, doctor or public servant, people were getting paid about $3 a month when I was there. To put this bluntly, North Koreans are working as slaves.
The thing is, you cannot buy 1 kilogram of?rice with the money, far from enough to feed a family.
So my mother had to do something that I called a "business" ― or maybe smuggling. She went to China to sell things like copper, silver, even animals like frogs. That's how my family could survive.
Because of that, she went to prison many times because that kind of business was illegal in North Korea. But she managed to get out by offering bribes. One day, she went to China, and never came back.?She did not want to go to prison again.
That's how the rest of my family got separated from my mother. This happened when I was eight years old. After she left, my family suffered from hunger.
Seven years later, she contacted me and asked me, "Why don't you join me in China?" I said yes. There was no reason to stay in North Korea. I knew that at least I would not have to worry about having enough food in China.
In South Korea, there are about 34,000 North Korean defectors. Most of them left North Korea because of?severe hunger. I am one of them. We got nothing from the regime but hunger.
For this reason, when I think about North Korea, most of my childhood memories are related to starving.
Now, I want to ask you: Does leaving North Korea to escape from hunger mean I am a traitor?
I lived in China for nine months in 2006, and I came to South Korea in 2007.
One thing I got to know after I started to live in South Korea was that living here is much better than living in North Korea. There is no comparison ― no match. I can use a computer, the internet, and most importantly, hunger is not a problem here.
The North Korean regime usually propagates that North Korea is a paradise on earth. The regime says North Koreans have nothing to envy in the world, which is not true. However, I used to believe that was true because I had been brainwashed.
Of course, I don't buy it anymore. North Korea was almost hell, and when I chose to leave it to come to South Korea, it felt like paradise. Because of this decision I made, the North Korean regime accuses North Koreans like me of being defectors/traitors.
I want to ask you again: Does choosing paradise over hell mean I am a traitor?
The funny thing is, many people in South Korea, including the media, call North Koreans defectors. That's the same word that the North Korean regime is using.
Fourteen years ago, when I first arrived to South Korea, I was afraid of being called a defector. I tried to hide my background because I am from North Korea and North Korea is an enemy to South Korea.
However, I don't mind revealing my background anymore. I always talk about my hometown, Hyesan, whenever I introduce myself to someone.
Today, one of the reasons that I am here is not to ask you what to call me. I think it's pointless to focus on the meaning of the words for North Koreans because the important thing is what kind of life you live.
But I want to ask you to take a moment to think about the meaning of the label "North Korean?defectors," especially if you sincerely want to talk about the lives of North Koreans. Sometimes labels determine who you are.Kim Yo-jong calls North Koreans like me traitors. Many other people around the world refer to us using the same word.
Do I look like a defector? A traitor? What do you think?
Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of Freedom Speakers International and a lecturer in public speaking at Seoul University of Foreign Studies, edited this text for publication.
2. Photos show North Korea expanding uranium enrichment plant
Photos show North Korea expanding uranium enrichment plant
This Sept. 18 satellite photo from Planet Labs shows a uranium enrichment plant at North Korea's main Yongbyon nuclear complex. AP-Yonhap Recent satellite images show North Korea is expanding a uranium enrichment plant at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, a sign that it's intent on boosting the production of nuclear weapons material, according to experts.
The assessment comes after the North recently raised tensions with its first missile tests in six months amid long-dormant nuclear disarmament negotiations with the United States.
''The expansion of the enrichment plant probably indicates that North Korea plans to increase its production of weapons-grade uranium at the Yongbyon site by as much as 25 percent,'' Jeffrey Lewis and two other experts at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey said in a report.
The report said the photos taken by satellite imagery company Maxar showed construction in an area adjoining the uranium enrichment plant at Yongbyon.
It said a satellite image taken Sept. 1 showed the North had cleared trees and prepared the ground for construction, and that a construction excavator was also visible. The report said a second image taken Sept. 14 showed a wall erected to enclose the area, work on foundations, and panels removed from the side of the enrichment building to provide access to the newly enclosed area.
The new area is approximately 1,000 square meters, enough space to house 1,000 additional centrifuges, which would increase the plant's capacity to produce highly enriched uranium, the report said.
Nuclear weapons can be built using either highly enriched uranium or plutonium, and North Korea has facilities to produce both at Yongbyon. Last month, earlier satellite photos of Yongbyon showed signs that North Korea was resuming the operation of other facilities to produce weapons-grade plutonium.
Pyongyang calls the Yongbyon complex ''the heart'' of its nuclear program. During a summit with then-President Donald Trump in early 2019, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered to dismantle the entire complex if he was given major sanctions relief. But the Americans rejected Kim's proposal because they viewed it as a limited denuclearization step.
Some U.S. and South Korean experts speculate North Korea is covertly running at least one additional uranium-enrichment plant. In 2018, a top South Korean official told the National Assembly that the North was estimated to have already manufactured up to 60 nuclear weapons.
Estimates on how many nuclear weapons North Korea can add every year vary, range from six to as many as 18.
In the past week, North Korea launched both ballistic and cruise missiles toward the sea in tests seen as an effort to diversity its missile forces and strengthen its attack capability against South Korea and Japan, where a total of 80,000 American troops are based. Experts say both types of missiles could be armed with nuclear warheads.
Kim has threatened to bolster his nuclear arsenal and acquire more sophisticated weapons unless Washington "drops its hostility against his country," an apparent reference to U.S.-led sanctions and its regular military exercises with Seoul. But Kim still maintains his self-imposed moratorium on testing long-range missiles directly targeting the U.S. mainland, suggesting he wants to keep chances for future diplomacy with Washington alive. (AP)
3. Kim Yo-Jong Has Tough Words for South Korea
She is an evil woman and seems to be relishing her role as the "bad cop."
Kim Yo-Jong Has Tough Words for South Korea
Kim Yo-Jong has likely had a change from her previous role in the regime’s propaganda department, judging by the statement about South Korea’s launch.
Earlier this week, both North Korea and South Korea tested missiles. When South Korea launched theirs, a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), it led to an outraged reaction from Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"If even the 'president' supports the act of faulting and hurting the dialogue partner, it will naturally result in a corresponding action and then the north-south relations will end up in a total deadlock,” Kim Yo-Jong said in a statement, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency.
The comments came after South Korean President Moon Jae-in personally attended the SLBM launch, and described the launch as a potential deterrent against provocation by the North Koreans.
Meanwhile, a subsequent Yonhap story noted that Kim Yo-Jong’s statement had not been carried by most North Korean state media, including the Rodong Sinmun newspaper and the Korean Central Broadcasting Station.
“North Korea's direct criticism of our president is not beneficial at all in improving inter-Korean relations and bringing peace on the Korean Peninsula,” a spokeswoman for the South Korean unification ministry told Yonhap this week.
“The video starts with a shot from a drone flying over train tracks that lead into a tunnel,” the Bloomberg description of the video said. “From there, two reddish-bronze train carriages emerge pushed by a locomotive. The airborne drone footage captures men in what appear to be matching beige jumpsuits leaving a carriage, while the roof from one carriage is retracted and a missile rises.”
The same piece noted that Kim Yo-Jong has likely had a change from her previous role in the regime’s propaganda department, judging by the statement about South Korea’s launch.
“Given what we have seen in the last four years, realizing the near-impossible task of denuclearization after the Biden administration takes office will require a new and creative approach to the problem,” Seong-Chang Cheong, a fellow at the Wilson Center’s Asia Program and senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute in the Republic of Korea, wrote. “I am of the view that Vice President Kamala Harris should be given full authority to sit down and negotiate with her counterpart, Kim Yo-jong, the de facto number two in the North Korean power hierarchy. I believe this would be a good idea for a number of reasons.”
These included that Kim Yo-Jong appears to have established herself as the number two in the administration and that the experience of the diplomatic opening during the Trump Administration indicates that the new approach is needed.
Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist, and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
Image: Reuters
4. Trump reportedly called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a 'lunatic': book
By any western or normal standard, it would seem that Kim is a lunatic. But from a Kim family regime perspective, he appears to act very rationally and brutally in accordance with the true nature of the Kim family regime and its objectives and strategy. Thinking of him as a lunatic might make us feel good but it does not help us in trying to better understand him and assess what his future actions may be.
The buried lede; Trump's relationship with LTG Kellog.
Trump reportedly called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a 'lunatic': book
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump before a meeting in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Panmunjom, Korea, on June 30, 2019.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images
- Former President Donald Trump called Kim Jong Un "a fucking lunatic," according to a new book.
- The comment was reportedly made in the presence of Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a staunch ally of Trump.
- While Trump and Kim managed to mend fences, their earlier exchanges featured a furious war of words.
10 Things in Politics: The latest in politics & the economy
Despite the public show of affection between former President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as they sought to propel the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the former president made a less-than-flattering comment about the leader during his time in office, according to an upcoming book by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.
Insider obtained an early copy of the book, "Peril," which at one point details the relationship between Trump and Ret. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a staunch ally of the then-president who also worked as the national security advisor for then-Vice President Mike Pence.
According to the book, the president had a high comfort level with Kellogg, who "had the kind of look Trump liked for his generals," possessing a "straight jaw" and "a gruff manner of speaking." Trump reportedly felt at ease cursing around the retired lieutenant general, and one day, Kim was the target of his ire.
"I'm dealing with a fucking lunatic," Trump reportedly said during a meeting with Kellogg regarding his relationship with the North Korean leader.
The book did not say when the statement was made, but Kellogg became Pence's national security advisor in April 2018, the same month as the historic inter-Korean summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kellogg served in that capacity until January 2021.
The authors write that Kellogg was "torn between two worlds" as part of the Pence orbit, as well as Trump World.
"I make no bones about it. I'm a Trump loyalist," Kellogg reportedly told others, despite his post in Pence's office.
While the Trump administration early on sought to thaw their relationship with Kim, the pathway to doing so was not easy.
In September 2017, Trump called Kim "rocket man," which set off a stream of insults between the two men.
According to The Washington Post, the then-president remarked that he felt as though the comment could be taken as a compliment and not in a derogatory manner.
However, Trump previously called Kim a "maniac" who "actually has nuclear weapons" during a GOP presidential debate in September 2015.
In February 2016, he said that Kim was "a bad dude" who shouldn't be underestimated, and added: "I would get China to make that guy disappear in one form or another very quickly."
Kim was no slouch in the insult department, calling Trump "a mentally deranged US dotard" in September 2017 after the then-president threatened to "totally destroy" nuclear-armed North Korea as he gave his first address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
"He is surely a rogue and a gangster fond of playing with fire, rather than a politician," Kim said in response to Trump's comments.
While the relationship between the two men grew stronger over time, their push for a peace treaty did not produce a concrete deal that would lock in North Korea's denuclearization in exchange for sanctions relief.
5. Moon heads to New York for U.N. speech during Chuseok holiday in Korea
(LEAD) Moon heads to New York for U.N. speech during Chuseok holiday in Korea | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES lead para with departure; CHANGES headline)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in left for New York on Sunday to attend an annual session of the United Nations General Assembly later the same day.
He plans to deliver a keynote speech on Korean peace and Seoul's role in resolving global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis, according to his office.
His five-day visit to the U.S., which will also take him to Hawaii for an alliance event, comes as Korean people celebrate Chuseok, one of their biggest and most important traditional holidays. It is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving Day.
Moon is scheduled to address the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly at the headquarters of the international organization Tuesday (local time).
He is expected to request support for Seoul's peace drive and reaffirm its commitment to make more contributions to the international community.
This year, in particular, the two Koreas mark the 30th anniversary of their simultaneous accession to the U.N.
On Monday, Moon will be present at the Sustainable Development Goals Moment (SDG Moment) event, along with the members of BTS, a globally renowned South Korean boy band and Moon's special envoy for "future generations and culture." The SDG Moment is designed to put a fresh vigor into the campaign to achieve the U.N.-led goals adopted in 2015.
Moon will then hold bilateral summit talks with Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the U.N. session.
His aides said there is no plan for a separate meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Moon plans to meet with Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, and join a roundtable meeting on South Korea's bid to become a global vaccine hub.
Following a two-night stay in New York, Moon will fly to Honolulu for the transfer of the remains of South Korean and American troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. He will also award medals to independence activists under Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910-45, who reside currently in Hawaii.
Moon is to return to Seoul on Thursday, a day after the Chuseok holiday season.
(END)
6. New cases fall below 2,000 amid concerns about spike in outbreaks after Chuseok holiday
This could be a tough holiday week for Korea.
(3rd LD) New cases fall below 2,000 amid concerns about spike in outbreaks after Chuseok holiday | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS details in para 5)
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily coronavirus cases fell below 2,000 on Sunday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but concerns linger over a spike in transmissions after the Chuseok holiday, when millions of people usually travel across the country to meet relatives.
The country reported an additional 1,910 COVID-19 cases, including 1,871 local infections, raising the total caseload to 285,931, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The country added 10 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 2,404. The fatality rate was 0.84 percent.
Sunday's number came after the nation reported more than 2,000 daily infections for the second day in a row.
As of 9 p.m., the country had added 1,534 more cases for the day, down 318 cases from the same time a day earlier, according to health authorities and local municipalities. The daily tally is counted until midnight and announced the following morning.
Daily cases have stayed above 1,000 for 75 consecutive days amid the fast spread of the more transmissible delta variant nationwide.
Health authorities remain on high alert as the spread of the virus could further expand in other regions after the five-day Chuseok holiday running from Saturday through Wednesday, when a huge number of people are traveling across the country.
The authorities urged people to minimize travel and gatherings during the holiday. They also plan to enforce special quarantine measures, including running COVID-19 testing clinics at highway rest stops, for two weeks through Sept. 26.
South Korea earlier said it will maintain Level 4 social distancing rules, the highest in the four-tier social distancing regime, for Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, home to around half of the country's total population, and Level 3 for other regions until Oct. 3, though the government recently eased some restrictions to help struggling small stores and businesses.
Health authorities have sought to increase the vaccination rate in a bid to reduce exposure to the virus ahead of the holiday.
As of early Sunday, 36.47 million people, or 71 percent of the country's population, had received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines, and 22.12 million people, or 43.1 percent, had also been fully vaccinated, the KDCA said. South Korea aims to vaccinate 70 percent of the population by end-October.
Of the newly confirmed domestic cases, 732 cases came from Seoul, 544 from Gyeonggi Province and 180 from the western port city of Incheon, the KDCA said.
Busan, the country's second-largest city, added 44 cases, while the southeastern city of Daegu reported 47 more cases.
(END)
7. Korean-American staff members of U.S. Congress hold first public meeting with Korean Amb.
Korean-American staff members of U.S. Congress hold first public meeting with Korean Amb. | Yonhap News Agency
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- Dozens of Korean-American staff members of U.S. Congress came together this week for the first public event hosted by the South Korean embassy in Washington.
The event, held at the official residence of South Korean Amb. Lee Soo-hyuck on Thursday, brought together a bipartisan group of over 30 current and former U.S. House and Senate staff members, according to the Congressional Korean American Staff Association (CKASA).
The event "serves as a significant milestone for Korean American representation in all levels of government and the advancement of our shared priorities," CKASA said in a press release.
It added Thursday's event sought to help strengthen U.S.- South Korea relations and also reaffirm communication between the staff members of the South Korean embassy and U.S. Congress that had been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
CKASA is a non-partisan Congressional staff organization, which was officially recognized by the House of Representatives in 2019, and is sponsored by all four sitting members of Congress of Korean descent: Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) and Rep. Michelle Park Steel (R-CA).
Its main mission is to expand Korean-American representation in public service, foster strong relationships with the greater Korean-American and Washington community and build a platform for professional development and mentorship, according to the association.
(END)
8. No decision yet on FM talks with Japan in New York: S. Korean official
No decision yet on FM talks with Japan in New York: S. Korean official | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- No decision has been made yet on whether to hold talks with Japan's foreign minister on the sidelines of a U.N. meeting in New York, a South Korean official said Sunday.
The official at South Korea's foreign ministry made the remarks after Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi may hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the 76th U.N. General Assembly later this month.
The South Korean official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed Seoul and Japan have pushed for a bilateral meeting between Chung and Motegi, but said, "No decision has been made."
In May, Chung and Motegi held bilateral talks in Britain.
South Korea and Japan have been caught in a protracted row over Japan's wartime forced labor and sexual slavery, as well as its export curbs.
(END)
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
