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Quotes of the Day:
“War itself is, of course, a form of madness. It’s hardly a civilized pursuit. It’s amazing how we spend so much time inventing devices to kill each other and so little time working on how to achieve peace.”
- Walter Cronkite
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is."
- Attributed to a computer scientist named Jan L. A. van de Snepscheut and Yogi Berra
Rules of the Rucksack:
1. No matter how carefully you pack, a rucksack is always too small.
2. No matter how small, a rucksack is always too heavy.
3. No matter how heavy, a rucksack will never contain what you want.
4. No matter what you need, it's always at the bottom.
1. Kim's sister rejects US offer of dialogue with North Korea and vows more satellite launches
2. Ex-USFK chief raises prospects of tensions following suspension of inter-Korean military accord
3. US and Allies Impose New Sanctions on Old North Korean Foe
4. Why is North Korea saying it's watching the White House?
5. North Korea bars contact between soldiers and civilians
6. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ A year after “Kim Ju-ae“ ’s first appearance, what kinds of things are people saying about her?
7. Is ruling party's reform drive at end of road?
8. S. Korea Set To Launch First Spy Satellite With SpaceX
9. U.S. leaves N. Korea on state sponsors of terrorism list in 2022 report
10. N. Korean leader calls for increased aerial combat posture amid tension over satellite launch
11. N. Koreans must use electronic certificates to make digital payments
12. US, allies impose sanctions on N Korea following satellite launch
13. Korea and Japan re-establish $10 billion currency swap deal
14. South Korea Offers a Chance to Modernize Old Alliances
15. South Korea's population collapse is set to deepen
16. Kim Jong-un’s daughter joins dad in wearing leather trench coats for an air show
1. Kim's sister rejects US offer of dialogue with North Korea and vows more satellite launches
We should be talking about how the Kim family regime is failing. This rhetoric indicates regime strategic failure. It is failing to accomplish every objective yet it continues to double down on its political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies. So I again offer my five key questions:
1. What do we want to achieve in Korea? (neither State nor DOD will answer this with unficiation)
2. What is the acceptable durable political arrangement that will protect, serve, and advance US and ROK/US Alliance interests on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia?
3. Who does Kim fear more: The US or the Korean people in the north? (Note it is the Korean people armed with information knowledge of life in South Korea)
4. Do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the seven decades old strategy of subversion, coercion-extortion (blackmail diplomacy), and use of force to achieve unification dominated by the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State in order to ensure the survival of the mafia like crime family cult known as Kim family regime?
5. In support of that strategy do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the objective to split the ROK/US Alliance and get US forces off the peninsula? Has KJU given up his divide to conquer strategy - divide the alliance to conquer the ROK?
The answers to these questions should guide us to the strategy to solve the "Korea question" (para 60 of the Armistice) and lead to the only acceptable durable political arrangement: A secure, stable, economically vibrant, non-nuclear Korean peninsula unified under a liberal constitutional form of government with respect for individual liberty, the rule of law, and human rights, determined by the Korean people. A free and unified Korea or, in short, a United Republic of Korea (UROK) (interestingly neither State nor DOD seem to embrace or will even talk about unification despite the strong emphasis now seen in these areas by the ROK and the statements made by both President Yoon and President Biden on the pursuit of a free and unified Korea.)
The root of all problems in Korea is the existence of the most evil mafia- like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime that has the objective of dominating the Korean Peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.
Of course the truth is our strategies, other than deterrence, thankfully, have failed for the past 4-3 decades as we have sought to denuclearize the north.
Kim's sister rejects US offer of dialogue with North Korea and vows more satellite launches
BY HYUNG-JIN KIM
AP · November 30, 2023
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday dismissed U.S. calls for a return to diplomacy and lambasted its condemnations of the North’s recent spy satellite launch, vowing more launches in violation of U.N. bans.
During a U.N. Security Council meeting earlier this week, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called the North’s satellite launch a “reckless, unlawful” action that threatens its neighbors. But she reiterated the U.S. offer for dialogue without any preconditions, saying North Korea “can choose the timing and topic.”
Kim’s sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, rejected the U.S. overture and threatened more satellite and other weapons launches.
“The sovereignty of an independent state can never be an agenda item for negotiations, and therefore, (North Korea) will never sit face to face with the U.S. for that purpose,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media.
“(North Korea) will continue to make efforts to develop everything belonging to its sovereign rights and continue to exercise the sovereign rights, enjoyed by all the member states of the U.N., in a dignified manner without being restricted in the future, too,” she said.
Multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from performing any launches using ballistic technology, such as satellite liftoffs and missile tests. But the North has argued it has sovereign rights to launch spy satellites and test-flight ballistic missiles to cope with what it calls U.S.-led military threats. It views major U.S.-South Korean military drills as invasion rehearsal and often reacts with its own weapons tests.
Kim Yo Jong said the U.N. Security Council meeting last Monday was convened at “the gangster-like demand of the U.S. and its followers.” She said Thomas-Greenfield must first explain why U.S. strategic assets have frequently appeared at South Korean ports, rather than branding the North’s satellite launch as “illegal.”
She apparently referred to the increasing temporary deployments of powerful U.S. military assets like aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines in line with an earlier U.S.-South Korean agreement to boost their defense against North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats.
In 2018, Kim Jong Un and then U.S. President Donald Trump launched high-stakes diplomacy on the future of the North’s advancing nuclear arsenal. But their summit diplomacy fell apart a year later in 2019 due to wrangling over international economic sanctions on North Korea. Kim Jong Un has since focused on expanding and modernizing his nuclear arsenal, a move experts say he thinks would give him greater leverage to win U.S. concessions in future negotiations.
Spy satellites are among many high-tech weapons systems that Kim Jong Un has publicly pledged to introduce. He said North Korea needs several spy satellites to better monitor its’ rivals’ moves and bolster the precision-guided missile strike capability against enemy targets.
After two failed launch attempts earlier this year, North Korea claimed to put its first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit last week. The North has since claimed its “Malligyong-1” spy satellite was transmitting imagery with space views of key sites in the U.S. and South Korea, such as the White House and the Pentagon. North Korea has not released any of those satellite photos.
U.S. and South Korean officials confirmed the North Korean satellite entered orbit. Outside experts still doubt whether the North Korean satellite can produce militarily meaningful high-resolution imagery.
“I will say that there are plenty of images of the Pentagon and the White House online, so I’ll just leave it at that. Yeah?” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told a briefing Tuesday.
South Korean officials said Russian support likely enabled North Korea to put a spy satellite into orbit amid a growing cooperation between the two countries. After retrieving debris from the North’s first failed satellite launch in May, South Korea’s military said the North’s spy satellite wasn’t advanced enough to conduct reconnaissance duties. But South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said last Friday that he worries Russia could help North Korea produce higher-resolution satellite photos.
North Korea’s two failed satellite launches and barrage of banned ballistic missile tests since last year didn’t earn the country fresh U.N. sanctions because Russia and China, both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have stymied any Security Council response amid separate confrontations with the U.S.
The spy satellite launch deepened animosities between North and South Korea, with the rivals taking respective hostile military steps along their heavily fortified border in breach of their previous tension-reduction deal.
AP · November 30, 2023
2. Ex-USFK chief raises prospects of tensions following suspension of inter-Korean military accord
The UNC is overlooked.
Excerpt:
Scaparrotti underscored the importance of the South Korea-based U.N. Command (UNC) for security on the peninsula.
"Its activity with respect to stabilizing activity on the peninsula is often not fully realized, but it's powerful and it's very important," he said
"Those 17 (UNC member) countries have influence through their national powers, and some of those actually still have consulates in North Korea, or at least they have diplomatic relations ... so they can assist here in this communications with North Korea," he added.
Led by a U.S. general, UNC enforces the armistice agreement that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War. During annual defense ministerial talks this month, Seoul and Washington agreed to seek to expand UNC membership.
Ex-USFK chief raises prospects of tensions following suspension of inter-Korean military accord
The Korea Times · December 1, 2023
Former U.S. Forces Korea Commander Curtis Scaparrotti is shown in this undated file photo, captured from the YouTube livestreaming of a forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Yonhap.
A former U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) chief raised the possibility Thursday that tensions on the Korean Peninsula could rise to a level unseen in recent years as North Korea walked away from a 2018 inter-Korean military accord following South Korea's partial suspension of it.
Retired Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, who led USFK from 2013-2016, also expressed his "greatest concern" over the absence of dialogue with Pyongyang, as the two Koreas have started to restore activities suspended under the 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) aimed at reducing cross-border tensions and preventing accidental clashes.
Seoul partially suspended the CMA in response to Pyongyang's launch of a space rocket last week. The North later said it would "never" be bound by the CMA, and started reinstalling guard posts and weapons in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.
"My view is this. I think it will introduce a level of tension again that we've not seen since the CMA was put in place in 2018," he said at the forum hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Scaparrotti touched on a series of steps that the two Koreas took under the CMA, including moving troop positions on both sides away from the DMZ.
He, in particular, pointed out South Korea installed sensors and electronic devices for an early warning program along the border instead of putting troops right on the DMZ — a posture change, which he called "some real positive."
"I hope that they will balance how they react to this," he said. "We will see what happens but overall, I think it probably will lead to a little more opportunity for tension than we've had here recently."
Describing the overall contours of security in Korea, he noted that Pyongyang has been advancing in "almost every area" of their weapons programs — a development that he stressed as a "real cause for concern."
"They now have missile and nuclear capability that's greater in diversity and lethality, and in scope than they've had," he said.
With the two North Korean backers, China and Russia, the North is in a place to "act with a little more ease and a little more agility," the retired general said.
"My greatest concern is we're not talking to North Korea," he said.
Commenting on deterrence efforts by South Korea and the U.S., Scaparrotti applauded the Washington Declaration that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden issued during their April summit to strengthen the credibility of extended deterrence, the U.S.' commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities to defend its ally.
But he called for concrete action to ensure the declaration will deliver effective deterrence. He stressed the need to improve the command and control apparatus in the South Korea-U.S. alliance to enhance communications, particularly in terms of military data transfers.
"Even though we've spent 70 years together, we still have areas that we keep isolated with each country," he said. "And it impacts your ability to communicate across the entire spectrum at the speed which you need to do warfare."
Scaparrotti underscored the importance of the South Korea-based U.N. Command (UNC) for security on the peninsula.
"Its activity with respect to stabilizing activity on the peninsula is often not fully realized, but it's powerful and it's very important," he said
"Those 17 (UNC member) countries have influence through their national powers, and some of those actually still have consulates in North Korea, or at least they have diplomatic relations ... so they can assist here in this communications with North Korea," he added.
Led by a U.S. general, UNC enforces the armistice agreement that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War. During annual defense ministerial talks this month, Seoul and Washington agreed to seek to expand UNC membership. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · December 1, 2023
3. US and Allies Impose New Sanctions on Old North Korean Foe
Okay. This has to be done. But why aren't we attacking the regime's blackmail diplomacy and political warfare strategies with an information campaign? If you want to create conditions for change - or a range of types of change - you must effectively employ information.
US and Allies Impose New Sanctions on Old North Korean Foe
- Green Pine has been a US and UN target more than a decade
- Suspected cyber espionage Kimsuky group also hit in move
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-01/us-and-allies-impose-new-sanctions-on-old-north-korean-foe?sref=hhjZtX76
By Jon Herskovitz
December 1, 2023 at 4:00 AM EST
The US and three of its partners united to impose sanctions on North Korea for its spy satellite launch, with a primary target being an arms-trading company that has been subject to international punishment for more than a decade.
Australia, Japan, South Korea and the US announced Friday Asia time sanctions against foreign-based agents of North Korea, many working in conjunction with a firm called Green Pine. It has been a sanctions target since at least 2010 when then US President Barack Obama tried to cut off sources of income that supported the nuclear program of Kim Jong Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong Un.
The US Treasury imposed sanctions on individuals it said were associated Green Pine, which it described as specializing in arms production and assisting Iran’s defense-related firms. It said Green Pine is under the umbrella of North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, which the US, UN and others have charged with leading the illicit networks that help Pyongyang dodge sanctions, procure cash and conduct weapons trades that further the country’s nuclear arms program.
Treasury said representatives for Green Pine worked to sell conventional weapons to foreign governments and conducted illegal sales of commodities. No contact details or website for Green Pine could be immediately found.
North Korea has routinely denied international accusations that it or its entities conduct illegal operations. The Treasury has said: “Businesses serving as front companies for illicit North Korean activity frequently do not maintain a website or other online presence despite their significant transaction.”
Green Pine, also a subject of UN sanctions, has been accused of using a variety of shell and front companies to stay afloat despite being a sanctions target. Its latest appearance on a fresh sanctions list shows how hard it is to shut down North Korea’s suspected illicit activities.
The US, Japan and South Korea have accused North Korea of violating United Nations Security Council resolutions with its Nov. 21 launch of a rocket that put a spy satellite into orbit.
North Korea has said it has the right to a space program and the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un blasted the criticism of the launch at Security Council.
In a statement released Thursday on state media, Kim Yo Jong, said the body “is being turned into a land of lawlessness where the sovereignty of independent states is wantonly violated, extreme double standards are imprudently applied and injustice and high-handed practices are rampant due to the US and some forces following it.”
The new sanctions also targeted the suspected cyber espionage Kimsuky group, which Treasury said has been active since at least 2012. The Kimsuky group focuses its intelligence collection activities on foreign policy and national security issues related to the Korean Peninsula, according to the US Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Read: Growing Army of Hackers Helps Keep Kim Jong Un in Power
South Korea accused the group this year of trying to obtain information on joint military drills with its US ally. Kim Jong Un’s regime has also apparently sent the group after its friends, trying to glean information from Russia on its aerospace and defense companies.
Follow all new stories by Jon Herskovitz
4. Why is North Korea saying it's watching the White House?
Again, the instead of imagery from the satellite, Kim's sycophants may simply be showing him downloads of Google Earth and of course the Propaganda and Agitation Department are reporting them as from the satellite
Excerpts:
To begin with, there's still significant doubt over whether the North's satellite is working at all.
It's been floating up there for over a week now and there's been no independent confirmation that it's beaming images back to Mr Kim.
The US, South Korea and Japan say only that they know it is in orbit.
Why is North Korea saying it's watching the White House?
BBC
By Frances MaoBBC News
KCNA
Kim Jong Un, clasping hands with his daughter (left), poses for a picture with scientists and engineers who worked on the North's satellite launch.
North Korea has declared it's got the White House in its sights thanks to its new spy satellite - which the regime says is up and running, although the West has its doubts.
Still, leader Kim Jong Un has been crowing over his new surveillance toy; and he's been happily sharing the alleged results.
Reports put out by state media on Tuesday trumpeted a list of targets the North says it's seen: the White House, the Pentagon and air force bases along the US north-east coast and in its Pacific territory of Guam.
Closer to home, Pyongyang also listed South Korean military targets and its port city of Busan. Further afield and slightly more baffling: Rome.
But while the scope might at first seem impressive, there may be less to it than meets the eye.
"I will say that there are plenty of images of the Pentagon and the White House online," said a US military official on Tuesday in response to the picture reports. "So, let's leave it at that."
Anyone can clap eyes on the White House these days using Google Earth and internet livestreams. The BBC tried it - a live cam of the White House was the first result on YouTube.
So what is Mr Kim playing at here? Why has he made a big deal of this and does he actually get anything useful?
Does the North have a working satellite?
To begin with, there's still significant doubt over whether the North's satellite is working at all.
It's been floating up there for over a week now and there's been no independent confirmation that it's beaming images back to Mr Kim.
The US, South Korea and Japan say only that they know it is in orbit.
And if we know one thing about the North, it's that it is a country that "lies all the time", says Fyodor Tertitskiy, who researches North Korean politics at Kookmin University in Seoul.
"If they say something, that is not necessarily true. Always look at the action," says Mr Tertitskiy.
Getty Images
North Korea specifically named the White House as a target
Pyongyang has a history of peddling doctored images- making claims about military prowess and weapons far exceeding its actual capability- for propaganda aimed at domestic and international audiences.
The North this time has also chosen not to release the pictures it's supposedly receiving. It might be withholding the pictorial evidence so its enemies won't know the scope of what it's seeing exactly.
But it has in the past released pictures it's proud of. In 2022, it put out photos of Earth as seen from space, which the North said were taken on their most powerful missile launch in years.
Strategic value
But if it is the case that the satellite is functioning, experts believe the surveillance content delivered would be of a pretty poor quality.
The North Korean satellite has a limited resolution range of of 3m-5m per pixel, analysts say.
"So even if it can see the White House, it has no tactical usage," says Uk Yang, a North Korea military researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.
Despite the low resolution, though, North Korea's satellite now means it can identify and select targets for nuclear strikes. "So the satellite has its strategic meaning," says Mr Yang.
And while it might currently be inadequate for gathering more meaningful intelligence, this move might also be about the North pushing its tech edge.
"The goal is to advance capabilities while normalising its launches... that violate UN Security Council resolutions," says Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha University in Seoul.
The regime has long defended its satellite programme. It argues that having it is a sovereign right, a military necessity and a domestic political promise, says Prof Easley.
Dave Schmerler, a satellite imagery expert at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), also says he thinks "it's a big leap for them going from zero to something".
"But until we can see the images they're collecting, we're speculating on its use cases," he told Reuters news agency.
Symbolic value
For Pyongyang, having eyes in the sky has also been a long-term goal politically - especially when the West has been able to surveil its territory for decades already.
"Pyongyang resents and fears what American satellites can see and believes it's in a space and arms race with Seoul," says Prof Easley.
PLANET LABS PBC
A satellite image from October shows the North Korean port of Rason
That the reports surfaced in North Korea's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmum, suggests they were aimed at both domestic and foreign audiences, says Mr Tertitskiy.
For Western audiences, the North is presenting a "conspicuous show of force" regardless of whether it is real or not, he says, and a deliberate message of deterrence, warning the West against striking the North's military and nuclear bases.
"The message is if you ever dare strike our military targets, we will kill you.
"And one of the reasons why they're so obsessed with the White House - the idea is to send that message personally to Joe Biden: We see you. And not just you America, but you Mr Biden. We see you and we can kill you."
For those living in the isolated Communist dictatorship, the claims of technical advancement are also designed to show the country is performing well. The launch announcement last week and the picture reports on Tuesday bookended "elections" held for local assemblies across the country.
KCNA
Ecstatic crowds welcomed the Supreme Leader at a polling booth in South Hamgyong on the weekend
"I suspect the claim that the new satellite can see important sites in the US such as the White House and the Pentagon may be aimed at a domestic audience rather than an international one," said Dr Sarah Son, a lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Sheffield in the UK.
"[This is] based on the fact that ordinary North Korean civilians have no access to the internet and likely have no awareness of the extensive resources available in the rest of the world for looking at satellite imagery of other places."
BBC
5. North Korea bars contact between soldiers and civilians
At an HRNK event yesterday a comment was made about the decline of escapees from north Korea. Bob Collins shared this important analysis that comments the information in the article:
There is a direct relationship between the increased NK military build up along the NK-China border, decrease in escapees, and human rights denial. Those army divisions manning the border are no longer combat ready. They are not capable of their combat missions focused on exploitation of KPA front attacks. Consequently, these units are mostly malnourished and soldiers suffer dramatically. Their rights don't exist , even though they murder those trying to escape. The point is those soldiers are suffering in ways that parallel those of the escapees.
North Korea bars contact between soldiers and civilians
The move aims to prevent theft and smuggling of military resources.
By Moon Sung Hui for RFA Korean
2023.11.30
rfa.org
North Korea is barring even casual contact between soldiers and civilians, apparently to keep soldiers from smuggling military goods to the public, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the two groups were able to interact, and in fact North Korean propaganda portrays a unifying bond between the military and ordinary people.
But soldiers stole military supplies such as food, fuel and Chinese cell phones and smuggled them to civilians, who then sold them in the markets.
When the pandemic struck in early 2020, authorities banned contact between the military and public for health reasons – to keep the disease from spreading.
And authorities found that the theft and smuggling of military goods plummeted, residents said.
So the government wants to continue to keep soldiers and civilians separate even though the worst of the pandemic is over – despite hopes that normal interaction would be allowed again, they said.
Last month, the Korean People’s Army issued instructions to each unit saying that soldiers who contact residents without the unit's permission would be punished.
A similar notice was sent to neighborhood watch units on Nov. 9: “Those who attempt to contact soldiers or invade soldiers’ security areas without any special reason will be severely punished.”
Not even casual chatting
Even bumping into a soldier that you know on the street is a no-no, a resident of the northern province of Ryanggang told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
“You can’t even ask him how he is doing,” he said of such interactions. “If you are caught talking to the soldier, he will be taken to the military police, and the resident will be taken to a nearby police station for investigation.”
North Korean men, women and soldiers walk and push their bicycles past apartment blocks in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 13, 2017. (Wong Maye-E/AP)
The soldier and the civilian will be investigated separately, the resident said.
“[They] must fill out a fact-check form detailing the circumstances in which they met each other and the conversations they had when they met,” he said. “The police officers compare the facts and if the information matches, they will be released. If the information is different, they will have to undergo an investigation for several days.”
Undermines propaganda
The decision to limit interaction between soldiers and residents is part of Kim Jong Un’s “new ruling style,” another Ryanggang resident, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, told RFA.
She said Kim wants to “completely destroy the traditional relationship between soldiers and residents by controlling any contact between them” as a way of stopping goods intended for the military from appearing in the local market.
“Everything in the marketplace, from the medicine to gasoline and diesel fuel, food, military uniforms, and even salt were all items stolen from the military units by soldiers who were in close contact with the residents,” she said. “It would be difficult to run the market without the goods stolen by the soldiers.”
Soldier-civilian relationships also facilitate cross-border smuggling and information sharing with contacts in China, she said.
“Kim Jong Un’s determination and ruling method is to break this vicious cycle even if the tradition of military-civilian unity is damaged,” she explained, referring to prevalent propaganda campaigns suggesting the two groups are one and the same.
When the country’s nascent market economy was in its infancy during the rule of Kim Jong Un’s father Kim Jong Il, the elder Kim had enacted policies to eliminate marketplaces from emerging, but he was not successful, she said.
“Since the close relationship between soldiers and residents is a means of survival that goes beyond the marketplace, it remains to be seen whether Kim Jong Un can break it off through the force of his will,” she said.
The first source explained how different government-aligned organizations can catch civilians having contact with soldiers if they are not careful.
“The organizations that monitor encounters between soldiers and citizens include the youth crackdown group under the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, the inspection unit under the Worker-Peasant Red Guards, and the Ministry of Social Security’s patrol task force and strike force,” he said.
“In addition, there are state security agents and social security agents in charge of each region. There is also a resident reporting system.
Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
rfa.org
6. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ A year after “Kim Ju-ae“ ’s first appearance, what kinds of things are people saying about her?
Excerpts:
Most people think that “she’s still too young. She’s a woman, so people don’t think she can become the successor.”
“There are people who are curious about why she is brought so frequently to events. There are rumors that she’s an all-round genius. It would be strange for the daughter to become the leader, but perhaps (Kim Jong-un) is seriously thinking about turning power over (to his daughter).” (reporting partner in North Hamgyong Province)
“It’s ridiculous that the next leader would come from the same family. I oppose that.” (female reporting partner in Yanggang Province)
Kim Ju-ae first appeared in public in November 2022, and then again in February 2023’s military parade. These days, however, her image is changing, according to some in the country.
“When she first appeared, she just looked like a small child, but this year, she’s been wearing more adult-like clothing and hairstyles, so people have begun whispering to each other that perhaps she’s already old enough to have graduated from school or that she may in fact be advising her father.” (female reporting partner in Yanggang Province)
＜Inside N. Korea＞ A year after “Kim Ju-ae“ ’s first appearance, what kinds of things are people saying about her?
asiapress.org
Kim Ju-ae, Kim Jong-un’s daughter, seen sitting next to her father at a banquet held to celebrate the success of the launch of a military reconnaissance satellite. Published in the Rodong Sinmun on November 22.
It has been a year since Kim Jong-un’s daughter “Kim Ju-ae” (her name according to South Korean authorities. They also claim she was born in 2013) appeared for the first time in public. Initially, North Koreans were highly interested in her name, age and other personal information; now, however, people are thinking about the reasons the regime has brought Kim Ju-ae into the public sphere. (KANG Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro)
◆ The authorities may be intentionally spreading rumors that she’s an “all-round genius “
In November 2022, a girl wearing red shoes appeared at the test launch site for a ballistic missile accompanied by her father, Kim Jong-un. State-run media called her the “respected daughter,” and her appearance at the time marked the first time that North Koreans saw Kim’s daughter in public.
At the time, reporting partners in different areas of North Korea told ASIAPRESS that regular people had a strong interest in the personal details of Kim’s daughter, including her name, age, whether she had siblings, what school she attend, and the fact that she was similar in appearance to her father and mother (Ri Sol-ju).
Moreover, the reporting partners said they had also heard rumors that she was a “genius with a memory so good she never forgets anything she sees just once,” and that “she was such an all-round genius that she was advising Kim Jong-un despite her young age.” The reporting partners opined that it was the authorities that were intentionally spreading such rumors.
◆ Government provides no explanation to people about Kim’s daughter
In North Korea, information about policies and orders from the regime are typically delivered and explained to people through meetings organized by social organizations, such as inminban, workplaces, and Socialist Women’s League branches. State-run media outlets have widely promoted images and videos of Kim Ju-ae; however, these reports have not provided any explanation about her other than she has accompanied her father to events.
※ Inminban are North Korea’s lowest administrative units and typically manage 20-40 households each. The Socialist Women’s Union is an organization for women not in the work force and is generally made up of housewives.
How is Kim Ju-ae talked about during various meetings for ordinary North Koreans? This is very important to know in order to understand the intentions behind the regime’s promotion of Kim Jong-un’s daughter.
After Kim Ju-ae first appeared in November of last year, ASIAPRESS instructed six reporting partners living in North Hamgyong, Yanggang, and North Pyongan provinces to pay attention to and report on how the authorities are mentioning and explaining Kim Ju-ae at various meetings organized by organizations they are affiliated with.
What the six reporting partners found was that over the meetings they attended over the past year, the authorities did not talk about Kim Ju-ae’s name, age, the reason she accompanied her father to events, or any other explanations about her (although cadres may have provided explanations outside of meetings).
However, a reporting partner in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, did tell ASIAPRESS that: “On August 31, the Socialist Women’s League branch held a lecture entitled, ‘Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is the model for the love of the people and is always devoting his time to bettering the lives of the people.’ A Hyesan party cadre came and told us that ‘Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is devoting even the time spent with his daughter to bettering the lives of the people by bringing her on on-the-spot inspections.’ The same kind of propaganda began to be repeated from around that time, but it was so ridiculous to me that I wasn’t happy hearing it.”
Kim Ju-ae in her first public appearance in November 2022. South Korean authorities believe she was nine-years-old at the time. Published in the Rodong Sinmun.
◆ No evidence that people named “Ju-ae” are being forced to change their names
On February 10 of this year, Radio Free ASIA (RFA) published a story that said a woman with the name “Ju-ae” was taken away by the police and forced to change her name. If the story is true, it suggests that the regime intends to make Kim Ju-ae the successor to her father given that men named “Jong-un” were forced to change their names starting in February 2011 after Kim Jong-un officially came into the open as the successor to his father.
That being said, all six reporting partners told ASIAPRESS that the authorities are not moving to have women with the name Ju-ae change their names. In mid-November, ASIAPRESS contacted several reporting partners about the issue, but they all said that they had never heard of any move to get people to change their names. Moreover, the reporting partners said that the authorities have not officially announced that Kim Jong-un’s daughter is named Ju-ae, so nobody knows her real name for sure. They added that there had also been no rumors to that effect, either.
◆ People banned from talking about daughter
As Kim Ju-ae’s appearances in state media increased, there seems to have been an increase in rumors about her spreading among interested North Koreans. According to a reporting partner, a related incident occurred in Musan County in late August.
“Members of the Youth League were carelessly talking about the daughter while having drinks, and this led several people to be called into the Ministry of State Security. The group included a former soldier, two women in their 20s, and another man, and they said, ‘Women will get stronger. We will receive consideration from a female Suryong (Supreme Leader).’ These comments caused an issue and all four were called into the Ministry of State Security and are currently under investigation.”
People are unable to talk badly about Ju-ae because they know any criticism toward her will be met with arrest. Multiple reporting partners told ASIAPRESS that people avoid talking about Ju-ae in front of other people as a result. Moreover, after Ju-ae’s appearances in state media, most people had nothing more than a passing interest in Kim Jong-un’s daughter. One reporting partner said: “Life is so hard that people can’t be too concerned about her all the time.”
◆ Is Kim Ju-ae her father’s successor?
With the increase in Ju-ae’s public appearances, Japanese and South Korean media outlets have more frequently discussed the possibility of a fourth-generation shift in power in North Korea. What do North Koreans think about this? Below, ASIAPRESS has gathered the opinions of reporting partners and those around them:
Most people think that “she’s still too young. She’s a woman, so people don’t think she can become the successor.”
“There are people who are curious about why she is brought so frequently to events. There are rumors that she’s an all-round genius. It would be strange for the daughter to become the leader, but perhaps (Kim Jong-un) is seriously thinking about turning power over (to his daughter).” (reporting partner in North Hamgyong Province)
“It’s ridiculous that the next leader would come from the same family. I oppose that.” (female reporting partner in Yanggang Province)
Kim Ju-ae first appeared in public in November 2022, and then again in February 2023’s military parade. These days, however, her image is changing, according to some in the country.
“When she first appeared, she just looked like a small child, but this year, she’s been wearing more adult-like clothing and hairstyles, so people have begun whispering to each other that perhaps she’s already old enough to have graduated from school or that she may in fact be advising her father.” (female reporting partner in Yanggang Province)
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
asiapress.org
7. Is ruling party's reform drive at end of road?
Is ruling party's reform drive at end of road?
The Korea Times · December 1, 2023
Ihn Yo-han, chief of the ruling People Power Party's innovation committee, attends a meeting at the party's headquarters in Seoul, Nov. 23. With the committee's reform drive having become stuck in its most critical stage, Ihn now appears to have no other options but to wait things out or step down, according to experts on Friday. Yonhap
Ferocious opposition from establishment puts committee chief in tough spot
By Jung Min-ho
In what he called an “ultimatum,” Ihn Yo-han, chief of the ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) innovation committee, demanded on Thursday the right to nominate its candidates for the April 10 general elections, saying he would wait for an answer by Dec. 4.
But within two hours, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, the party’s chairman, turned him down. Speaking to reporters, he said it would be “inappropriate” to stir up controversy by bringing up the issue of who should have the nomination right. Then he added, “The innovation committee has done a lot of work. I want to thank them for having tried their best to make good suggestions they could come up with.”
Experts believe his answer has left the committee under Ihn with only two possible options: He could wait out the remainder of his two-month term or resign. Either option could be interpreted as a failure of the party’s mission to transform itself ahead of the elections.
When it was launched on Oct. 23, the committee drew much attention and praise from both within and outside the PPP. Ihn, a naturalized Korean doctor with four generations of close ties to the country, said its 13 members including himself, mostly people with no experience in politics, symbolized “changes to come.”
When the committee recommended special pardons to key members of a PPP minor faction for the sake of "unity” in its first proposal, the party’s Supreme Council approved it in just three days.
But the efforts to improve the PPP have lost speed since it proposed that senior lawmakers not seek reelection or run in swing districts instead of the party’s traditional strongholds. No progress has been made since amid ferocious opposition from the establishment.
"Perhaps the committee was doomed to fail from the beginning, ironically due to their lack of political experience," said Cho Jin-man, a politics professor at Duksung Women’s University.
“One of the most obvious mistakes Ihn made was issuing too many uncoordinated, personal messages to the public. This is something an experienced politician leading such a committee would not do,” Cho told The Korea Times, Friday.
“In doing so, Ihn was criticized for making politically inappropriate remarks about (former PPP chief) Lee Jun-seok’s parents and talking about the president’s intention. As a result, he lost support from the public and once-supportive politicians.”
Cho said if the committee announces its breakup on Monday as widely expected, this would result in the very opposite of the strengthened establishment it initially intended.
“Those who opposed the committee’s way of reform will likely have a bigger say during the nomination process if it ends like this,” he added.
With dwindling support from the PPP leadership and even other members of the committee, Ihn would be able to achieve little even if he chooses to remain and finish his term (until Dec. 24), said Hahm Sung-deuk, a professor political science at Kyonggi University.
According to a survey released on Friday by Gallup Korea, a pollster, the approval rating for the PPP was 33 percent. The rate increased to 37 percent in the second week of November when the reform committee was stepping up efforts to lay out proposals. But it dropped to 35 percent the following week amid a stalemate before reaching the current level.
The Korea Times · December 1, 2023
8. S. Korea Set To Launch First Spy Satellite With SpaceX
S. Korea Set To Launch First Spy Satellite With SpaceX
Barron's · by AFP - Agence France Presse
SpaceX released a photo of its Falcon 9 rocket erected vertically on the launch pad with the letters "KOREA" emblazoned across it.
If it is successfully put into orbit, South Korea will have acquired its first domestically-built spy satellite to monitor nuclear-armed North Korea.
Seoul plans to launch four additional spy satellites by the end of 2025 to bolster its reconnaissance capacity over the North.
Set to orbit between 400 and 600 kilometres above the earth, Seoul's satellite is capable of detecting an object as small as "30 centimetres" (11.8 inches), according to the Yonhap news agency.
"Considering resolution and its capacity for Earth observation... our satellite technology ranks in the top five globally," the defence ministry official said, as quoted by Yonhap.
The launch comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang had successfully put its own spy satellite into orbit.
"Until now, South Korea has relied heavily on US-run spy satellites" when it comes to monitoring the North, Choi Gi-il, professor of military studies at Sangji University told AFP.
While the South has "succeeded in the launch of a military communications satellite, it has taken much longer for a reconnaissance satellite due to higher technological hurdles", he said.
Following the North's successful launch of its own spy satellite, Choi said, "the South Korean government needs to demonstrate it can also pull this off".
Experts have said putting a working reconnaissance satellite into orbit would improve North Korea's intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and provide crucial data in any military conflict.
Since last week's launch, the North has claimed its new eye in the sky has provided images of major US and South Korean military sites, as well as photos of the Italian capital Rome.
It has not yet disclosed any of the satellite imagery it claims to possess.
Last week's launch of the "Malligyong-1" was Pyongyang's third attempt at putting such a satellite in orbit, after two failures in May and August.
Seoul has said the North received technical help from Moscow, in return for supplying weapons for use in Russia's war with Ukraine.
kjk/ceb/aha
Barron's · by AFP - Agence France Presse
9. U.S. leaves N. Korea on state sponsors of terrorism list in 2022 report
Certainly north Korean support to Hamas (and Hezbollah) warrants it remaining on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. It will have to be on the 2023 list, the 2024....
U.S. leaves N. Korea on state sponsors of terrorism list in 2022 report | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · December 1, 2023
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- The United States has kept North Korea on its list of state sponsors of terrorism, an annual State Department report showed Thursday, noting the reclusive regime repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism.
The department released the 2022 Country Reports on Terrorism, which serves as a guide for policy decisions on counterterrorism. The document entails the list of state terrorism sponsors, which includes the North, Iran, Cuba and Syria.
The North has remained on the list since November 2017, when the secretary of state redesignated it.
"The secretary determined that the DPRK government repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism, as the DPRK was implicated in assassinations on foreign soil," the report said. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The North was first listed as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1988 for its involvement in the 1987 bombing of a Korean Air passenger flight, but its designation was rescinded in 2008 after a legal review.
The North was put back on the list in 2017 as the secretary of state determined that the North had repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism in the nine years since its designation had been rescinded.
As examples of the North's support for terrorism, the report mentioned that four Japanese Red Army members, who are wanted by the Tokyo government for participating in a 1970 Japan Airlines hijacking, continue to shelter in the North.
The report also noted that Tokyo continues to seek a full accounting of the fate of numerous Japanese nationals believed to have been abducted by the North's state entities in the 1970s and 1980s.
The terrorism sponsor designation can be rescinded when a designated country meets an array of requirements, such as not supporting any acts of international terrorism during the previous six months and offering assurances that it will not support terrorism in the future.
This AFP file photo shows the U.S. Department of State in Washington. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · December 1, 2023
10. N. Korean leader calls for increased aerial combat posture amid tension over satellite launch
What do US and ROK airmen call north Korean aircraft? Targets. (or Ace makers).
N. Korean leader calls for increased aerial combat posture amid tension over satellite launch
The Korea Times · December 1, 2023
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visiting the Air Force Command on the previous day on the occasion of the Day of Airmen, Dec. 1. Courtesy of North Korea's official Korea Central News Agency
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on the air force to enhance its combat posture to immediately respond to military threats by enemies, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday.
Kim made the remark during a visit to the Air Force Command on Thursday on the occasion of the Day of Airmen that fell on Nov. 29, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The visit came amid fresh tension on the Korean Peninsula following the North's launch of a military spy satellite and its resumption of all military measures halted under a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.
Photos carried by state media showed an oversized display screen on the floor of what appears to be the Air Force's operation command post.
On display screens installed at the wall were blurred images of the peninsula, part of Japan and Southeastern Asian nations as well as the Pacific Ocean.
North Korea did not specify whether those images were taken from the spy satellite that it launched on Nov. 21. But there is a possibility that those could be satellite photos or footage, given that words like "north latitude" or "Pyongyang time" are spotted on the displays.
Pyongyang has claimed the spy satellite has taken photos of major facilities and military installations in South Korea and the United States, including the White House and Pentagon. But the North has not released related satellite photos.
North's leader Kim Jong-un visiting the Air Force Command on the previous day on the occasion of the Day of Airmen, Dec. 1. Courtesy of North Korea's official Korea Central News Agency
At the command, Kim stressed the need for the Air Force to take the lead in modernizing the operational command system and beef up its combat readiness.
"He set forth operational and tactical policies arising in putting the air force on a regular combat posture and increasing its capabilities to fight a war to the full so as to counter any military provocation and threat of the enemy immediately and powerfully," the KCNA said in an English-language dispatch.
His remarks are seen as aimed at strengthening the combat readiness by North Korea's air force, which is viewed as relatively weak among its conventional forces.
North Korea's air force has a total of 1,570 aircraft, including 810 combat aircraft, according to South Korea's 2022 defense white paper.
The white paper said North Korea is pushing to bolster its air defense capability through the development and deployment of new surface-to-air missiles as its introduction of new combat aircraft is limited.
South Korea partially suspended the 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement last week in response to the satellite launch, condemned as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
In a tit-for-tat, North Korea said it would restore all military measures halted under the military accord aimed at reducing cross-border tensions and preventing accidental clashes.
On Thursday, Kim also visited a regiment of the first division of the air force with his daughter, believed to be named Ju-ae, and watched a demonstration flight at an observation post, the KCNA said. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · December 1, 2023
11. N. Koreans must use electronic certificates to make digital payments
The regime must try to control every aspect of every Korean's life. But with introduction of more and more electronic devices there may be a tipping point where the regime can no longer control everything surrounding electronic media.
N. Koreans must use electronic certificates to make digital payments
Individual electronic certificates verify users' identities and serve to provide more secure online transactions
By Mun Dong Hui - 2023.12.01 5:00pm
dailynk.com
N. Koreans must use electronic certificates to make digital payments | Daily NK English
North Korean e-commerce app, Manmulsang (Photo capture from Seogwang)
North Koreans need their own electronic certificates when they make digital payments, Daily NK has learned.
“When you pay fees in the digital media player Manbang, you need your own electronic certificate,” a source in North Korea told Daily NK on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “The method uses unique individual identifiers to verify users and approve payments for registration and quarterly fees.”
According to an instruction manual for the payment app Ullim obtained by Daily NK, users must copy their private electronic certificate to a storage device and connect it to the app in order to run Ullim in Manbang.
Ullim is North Korea’s leading e-payment application, providing various services, including money transfers and fee payments. The instruction manual suggests that to run the application, users must have their own electronic certificates.
An electronic certificate verifies a user’s identity and serves to provide more secure online transactions.
In several countries, including South Korea, people ordinarily use individual electronic certificates or public certificates to prove their IDs and ensure security during online payments.
North Koreans receive private electronic certificates from nearby post offices, according to the source.
“You can receive an electronic certificate by going to the post office and paying the account manager,” the source said. “You can get them issued as a document or to your mobile phone or computer. You receive a QR code when you get them in document form.”
However, the manual obtained by Daily NK says that users “can simply find the nearest electronic certificate vendor on the electronic certificate website of [North Korea’s official web portal] Naenara.” The manual even provides a specific web address.
This suggests that consumers can receive their own electronic certificates from authorized vendors other than post offices.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
Mun Dong Hui
Mun Dong Hui is one of Daily NK’s full-time journalists. Please direct any questions about his articles to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
dailynk.com
12. US, allies impose sanctions on N Korea following satellite launch
US, allies impose sanctions on N Korea following satellite launch
The move comes after Pyongyang last week successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite.
By Taejun Kang for RFA
2023.12.01
Taipei, Taiwan
rfa.org
The United States has announced that it imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea following its launch of a spy satellite last week and on designated foreign-based agents it accused of assisting Pyongyang in evading sanctions in order to acquire technology and revenue for its weapons of mass destruction program.
The U.S. also applied sanctions to cyber espionage group Kimsuky, accusing it of collecting intelligence to bolster North Korea’s strategic and nuclear ambitions, according to a statement by the U.S. Treasury Department on Nov. 30.
Washington’s move, which was coordinated with Australia, Japan, and South Korea, follows North Korea’s successful launch of its first reconnaissance satellite last week. Pyongyang has stated that the purpose of the satellite was to monitor the military activities of the U.S. and South Korea.
The launch drew international condemnation as it violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit such launches by the North. The rocket technology can also be used for ballistic missiles, which potentially could be used to deliver nuclear weapons.
After the launch, the North claimed that its spy satellite captured images of significant U.S. locations, including the White House, without releasing images, while its ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song defended the country’s launch of the satellite.
“Today’s actions by the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea reflect our collective commitment to contesting Pyongyang's illicit and destabilizing activities,” Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement, referring to South Korea by its official name.
“We will remain focused on targeting these key nodes in the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation and weapons proliferation,” Nelson added, calling North Korea by the initials of its official name.
South Korea’s foreign ministry announced on Friday that 11 North Koreans were sanctioned and prohibited from engaging in financial transactions due to their involvement in the country’s satellite and ballistic missile development.
Separately, Japan’s foreign ministry also said on the same day that it sanctioned four organizations, including the hacking group Kimsuky, and five individuals for their involvement in North Korea’s nuclear and weapons of mass destruction programs or activities prohibited by U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Kimsuky, under North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau or RGB, has been active since 2012, according to the Treasury.
“Although Kimsuky is primarily an intelligence collection entity, its cyber espionage campaigns directly support the DPRK’s strategic and nuclear ambitions,” said the Treasury in the statement.
“Kimsuky primarily uses spear-phishing to target individuals employed by government, research centers, think tanks, academic institutions, and news media organizations, including entities in Europe, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States,” it added.
In this scheme, the attacker poses as a reporter or a think tank analyst to collect intelligence, including by asking experts and academics to answer questions on topics related to North Korea, Radio Free Asia reported in March. Often the attackers pretend to be people who are well-known in their field to develop rapport with others in the field before asking them to provide strategic analysis on specific subjects.
“Kimsuky employs social engineering to collect intelligence on geopolitical events, foreign policy strategies, and diplomatic efforts affecting its interests by gaining illicit access to the private documents, research, and communications of their targets,” the Treasury said.
Apart from the hacking group, the Treasury also imposed sanctions on Iran and China-based representatives of U.S. and U.N.-designated Green Pine, a trading company controlled by the RGB for overseas sales of North Korean weapons, two Russia-based representatives of North Korean banks and one China-based official for assisting the North’s overseas transactions.
Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.
rfa.org
13. Korea and Japan re-establish $10 billion currency swap deal
Excerpt:
The swap deal comes with profound diplomatic implications, in addition to its economic effects; it is considered representative of a thaw in the two neighboring countries’ relations.
Friday
December 1, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Published: 01 Dec. 2023, 14:24
Updated: 01 Dec. 2023, 16:53
Korea and Japan re-establish $10 billion currency swap deal
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-12-01/business/economy/Korea-and-Japan-reestablish-10-billion-currency-swap-deal/1925947
President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, shake hands during the G20 meeting held in India in September. [YONHAP]
Korea and Japan officially struck a $10 billion currency swap deal Friday. The announcement comes eight years after the end of the two countries' former agreement, which aimed to offer liquidity support to both countries’ financial markets in times of crisis.
The swap line was established in U.S. dollars and will last for three years, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK) and the Finance Ministry.
Related Article
The decision was born out of the bilateral discussion between Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho and his Japanese counterpart, Shunichi Suzuki, that took place back in June.
The swap deal comes with profound diplomatic implications, in addition to its economic effects; it is considered representative of a thaw in the two neighboring countries’ relations.
During the June meeting, Finance Minister Choo said the currency swap has shaped the establishment of solidarity and cooperation among Korea, the United States and Japan, given that the Japan has a permanent currency swap line with the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The improved foreign exchange liquidity and a safety net among advanced nations will expand to Korea’s financial and foreign exchange market, Choo added.
“The fact that the currency swap was restored in eight years is more meaningful than the swap size,” the ministry said. “The swap line was agreed on in dollars because it is a resumption of the currency swap that was suspended in 2015.”
Seoul’s first currency swap line with Tokyo was signed in 2001. The last swap expired in 2015 during the administration of former President Park Geun-hye.
Talks of a new swap line were suspended in 2017 when the relationship between the two countries soured over Korean victims of forced labor during World War II. The relationship was further strained in 2019, as Japan imposed import restrictions on Korea in retaliation against the Korean court rulings that had ordered Japanese companies to compensate Korean victims.
Korea is currently bolstering its network of currency swap deals. Korea and Australia, for instance, renewed their agreement in February of this year with an increased exchange amount of 9.6 trillion won.
The country's currency arrangement with the U.S. has not been restored after the previous $60 billion swap contract expired in 2021.
The BOK and the U.S. Federal Reserve signed a currency swap contract in March 2020 to ease financial anxiety from the coronavirus pandemic and had since extended the deal three times.
BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]
14. South Korea Offers a Chance to Modernize Old Alliances
As an aside, Clint is right – for the US it seems that north Korea is a persistent threat simply to be managed, which is why DOS and DOD refuse to discuss a free and unified Korea (despite the President stating that as an objective). Furthermore the new alliance defense vision not only does not mention unification it does not mention denuclearization either.
Clint provides some excellent analysis and recommendations about the United Nations Command.
Excerpts:
Washington calls North Korea a “persistent threat.” But from Seoul’s view, it is a steadily worsening one. Seoul needs more partners willing to support its defense. For Washington, which had serious doubts about its ability to meet the challenge from China even before the intensification of conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, inviting greater and more formalized allied contributions to the UNC makes sense, especially before a crisis or conflict forces its hand.
The innumerable, complex challenges and enormous demands on U.S. forces and resources in a potential conflict with China are such that Washington needs to clarify what other allies and partners can bring to bear. Shoring up these commitments now, during peacetime, would not only help with preparedness, but also send a powerful collective deterrent signal, thus reducing the chances of conflict to begin with.
A true peace on the peninsula may continue to elude the United States, China, and the two Koreas (at least for the foreseeable future). At the very least, efforts should be made to stabilize the armistice
South Korea Offers a Chance to Modernize Old Alliances
An often-overlooked command group can revitalize Asian defense.
By Clint Work, a fellow and the director of academic affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America. , and Hanbyeol Sohn, an associate professor in the Department of Military Strategy at the Korea National Defense University.
Foreign Policy · by Clint Work, Hanbyeol Sohn · November 27, 2023
November 30, 2023, 3:07 PM
There’s growing skepticism among the American public about U.S. commitments abroad., matched with growing doubt among allies and partners—monitoring political currents in the United States—about the credibility of those commitments. Even for those who still retain faith in Washington, concern is rising about U.S. capacity to meet its commitments, considering increased demands on U.S. attention and resources amid ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Observers question if the United States can properly meet what it calls its pacing challenge—China—in the Indo-Pacific or beyond.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other U.S. officials have argued that the United States can walk and chew gum at the same time, mainly because of its unparalleled network of allies and partners. To uphold what it calls the rules-based international order, Washington has increasingly leaned upon existing alliances and partnerships that exist largely outside of the multilateral institutions that previously underpinned that order, such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization.
Instead, Washington has sought to strengthen long-standing treaty alliances (i.e., NATO as well as the U.S.-Japan and U.S.-South Korea alliances) and tried to reenergize or establish various minilateral bodies throughout the Indo-Pacific, ranging from the Quad (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States) and AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) to IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) and Chip-4 (a proposed grouping of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States). However, these groupings have achieved only limited traction and continue to face significant hurdles.
The United Nations Command (UNC), a U.S.-led multinational command headquartered in South Korea (formally named the Republic of Korea, or ROK), is often overlooked in discussions of the minilateral architecture that Washington hopes to construct in the Indo-Pacific. To be sure, there are good reasons for this. The UNC has a narrow scope, and its own history was marked by long periods when it was understaffed and relatively unimportant, even on the Korean Peninsula.
Nevertheless, the UNC has a much longer history and is far more institutionalized than other minilaterals, such as the Quad or AUKUS. If the broader multilateral architecture has fallen into disrepair, building a latticework of institutions and bodies underneath it may be the next best alternative. The recent ROK-UNC defense ministerial meeting provides an opportunity to underscore recent efforts to modernize the UNC.
The UNC was established in the early stages of the Korean War as a U.S.-led, multinational warfighting command, made up of 15 member states that sent forces and five others that provided medical or humanitarian assistance. However, UNC member state commitment quickly waned after the armistice was signed and most members withdrew their forces.
And following the establishment of the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command in 1978, all warfighting responsibilities were passed from the UNC to that group, while the UNC remained focused on implementing, managing, and enforcing the armistice. Over the next 20 years, it was deemphasized and understaffed.
In the early 2000s, South Korea’s remarkable political and economic transformation resulted in many UNC member states, such as Australia, Canada, and the U.K., strengthening diplomatic ties with Seoul and, by extension, recommitting in various ways to the UNC. Improved inter-Korean relations brough increased attention to the UNC’s role overseeing the demilitarized zone and military demarcation line between the two Koreas. Additionally, North Korea’s nuclear program meant the UNC’s armistice enforcement responsibilities took on added significance. Successive four-star U.S. commanders in chief of the UNC began to see increased involvement by the group’s member states as an untapped resource.
Starting in 2008, a multinational coordination center was established under United States Forces Korea, a U.S. unilateral command, but later folded into the UNC as part of the broader so-called revitalization campaign begun in 2015 (and ended in 2018). The center facilitates multinational planning and coordination in and outside of U.S.-ROK military exercises.
In 2018, the Canadian and U.S. governments co-hosted the Vancouver Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula. It brough together 18 foreign ministers from the ROK, Japan, and UNC member states that provided support to Seoul during the Korean War, marking the first diplomatic consultation based upon UNC affiliation since the war. And since 2018, successive Canadian, Australian, and U.K. officers have served as the deputy commander at the UNC headquarters, with another Canadian three-star general recently appointed to the position.
Under the new terminology of UNC “modernization,” the U.S.-ROK alliance has welcomed increased member state involvement on the Korean Peninsula, with Washington and Seoul aligning their messaging on the issue. For example, during the alliance’s Ulchi Freedom Shield combined military exercises in August, ROK and U.S. officials announced the participation of UNC personnel in a joint statement, a subtle yet noteworthy shift in strategic communication given that previous announcements were unilaterally made by United States Forces Korea.
Moreover, the ROK itself has begun to welcome greater UNC member state participation in its own military activities. In October, bomb disposal teams from Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines, alongside U.S. personnel and naval assets, participated in South Korea’s multinational mine warfare drills. Simultaneously, ROK and U.K. forces engaged in combined, high-tech military training drills at the Korea Combat Training Center, which included a company of the British Army’s Scots Guards.
Importantly, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been outspoken in his praise of the UNC as playing a critical role in peace on the Korean Peninsula. This stance differs from both his progressive and conservative predecessors, who criticized the UNC for infringing on South Korean sovereignty, whether by limiting inter-Korean engagement or hamstringing the ROK’s self-defensive measures against North Korean provocations. Yoon has also openly noted that the UNC’s rear bases and facilities in Japan play an important role in deterring North Korea, marking one part of a broader effort to boost bilateral ROK-Japan ties.
The ROK-UNC Member States Defense Ministerial Meeting held on Nov. 14 in Seoul, the day after the annual U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting, built upon these previous efforts. The meeting was notable in that it was the first such meeting hosted by the ROK and combined defense ministers and representatives from 17 UNC member states, although only South Korea and United States sent their highest-level defense officials.
In addition to honoring the past contributions and sacrifices of member states, one outcome of the meeting was the participants’ determination to “continue increasing mutual exchange and cooperation between the ROK-U.S. Alliance and UNC Member States to inform our combined training and exercises”; in other words, to build upon existing efforts.
The participants’ joint statement was also of note, declaring “that they will be united upon any renewal of hostilities or armed attack on the Korean Peninsula challenging the principles of the United Nations and the security of the Republic of Korea.” The statement offered a toned-down rehashing of the so-called Greater Sanctions Statement released during the Korean War.
Unlike the 1952 statement, this year’s version jettisoned mention of being “prompt to resist” or expanding the conflict beyond the frontiers of the Korean Peninsula, even though any renewed conflict in Korea would almost certainly expand beyond the peninsula and do so quickly.
The November meeting’s value was more symbolic than substantive. Nonetheless, it provides a framework upon which to build in the future. This could be done in several ways.
First, beginning with this inaugural meeting and in addition to South Korea’s continued strengthening of bilateral relations with individual UNC member states, an official multilateral diplomatic consultative body should be created under the UNC’s name. And South Korea should take a leading role as a host nation of the annual gathering. Currently, the U.S. four-star commander of the UNC/CFC/USFK presides over a regular roundtable attended by ambassadors (and military attaches) from each member country.
However, the UNC should also create and convene the new consultative body, with annual meetings led by South Korea’s Defense or Foreign Ministry. Over time, it also may be worthwhile for other UNC member states not only to increase the level of defense officials attending, but also to host such meetings in their home countries, signaling to their publics the importance of the commitment.
Second, for substantive military cooperation, member states’ participation in the UNC’s “force-providing” mission is necessary. Up to this point, UNC member states have been reticent to clearly delineate what sort of contribution they could or would make in the case of a renewal of hostilities—but they need to indicate more clearly what assistance they could offer.
Further down the road, the UNC should develop an institutional framework for the provision of forces. Once tasks and resources are allocated based on member states’ capabilities and willingness, the UNC should establish institutional mechanisms for government-level requests. Strengthening both multilateral and bilateral cooperation will emphasize South Korea’s responsibility and leadership, especially as the alliance moves toward a future-oriented, ROK-led Combined Forces Command.
Visiting force agreements would clarify South Korea’s status as a host nation and facilitate stable and institutionalized force contributions from member states. These agreements can have several benefits, including strengthening diplomatic cooperation among UNC members, mitigating domestic political resistance in member states, and expediting the process of readying forces for combat. Given that both the United States (as the lead nation) and South Korea (as the host nation) are both invested in this process, a compromise approach to negotiating these visiting force agreements is necessary.
Third, following the joint communique released after the recent U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting , Washington and Seoul should seek to broaden UNC membership through the participation of like-minded countries that share values with the ROK and the United States, anchored in the principles and mandates of the U.N. Charter. This should start with South Korea adding its own general-level officers to the UNC; move on to adding previous member states, such as India and Germany; and potentially expand to others where the situation is currently politically fraught, such as Japan.
Fourth, more effort should go into public diplomacy within South Korea to garner support for modernizing the UNC. The ROK-UNC meeting already caused blowback from Pyongyang, which called it a “dangerous scheme to ignite a new war of aggression.” Beijing also likely views any upgrading of the UNC with profound skepticism. If improved U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral relations are seen by Pyongyang and Beijing as the creation of an Asian NATO, then a more robust UNC—along the lines recommended above—would only enhance that feeling, which is one that some South Koreans share.
That would require smart public diplomacy to counter. This messaging should emphasize that rather than a U.S.-led militarization strategy that compromises Korean sovereignty, the process would require Seoul’s leadership. And no UNC member state is going to increase and regularize its commitment without determining that it’s in its own interest to do so and that its voice will be heard. In fact, such a process will reduce, relatively speaking, the U.S. ability to shape the environment, since Washington will need to incorporate allied and partner perspectives into both peacetime and crisis-oriented planning.
Moreover, growing multilateral consultation and diplomatic signaling around maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula could help shift some of the balance away from nuclear blandishments and strategic asset deployments as the optimal way to deter North Korea. It may help reduce the temperature by growing the team. Finally, given the intense demands on U.S. resources and attention, it behooves all stakeholders involved to think hard now about ways to upgrade the UNC.
Washington calls North Korea a “persistent threat.” But from Seoul’s view, it is a steadily worsening one. Seoul needs more partners willing to support its defense. For Washington, which had serious doubts about its ability to meet the challenge from China even before the intensification of conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, inviting greater and more formalized allied contributions to the UNC makes sense, especially before a crisis or conflict forces its hand.
The innumerable, complex challenges and enormous demands on U.S. forces and resources in a potential conflict with China are such that Washington needs to clarify what other allies and partners can bring to bear. Shoring up these commitments now, during peacetime, would not only help with preparedness, but also send a powerful collective deterrent signal, thus reducing the chances of conflict to begin with.
A true peace on the peninsula may continue to elude the United States, China, and the two Koreas (at least for the foreseeable future). At the very least, efforts should be made to stabilize the armistice
Foreign Policy · by Clint Work, Hanbyeol Sohn · November 27, 2023
15. South Korea's population collapse is set to deepen
How will unification affect Korean-wide demographics?
South Korea's population collapse is set to deepen
Newsweek · by Micah McCartney · November 30, 2023
South Korea faces a profound demographic shift as its young adult population is anticipated to halve by mid-century, contributing to concerns in the country grappling with the planet's lowest fertility rate.
An analysis from South Korea's national statistical agency, released on Monday, underscores the continuing decline in the proportion of youth within the population.
The decline in the youthful working-age population also raises concerns about the long-term economic competitiveness of South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy.
In 1990, young adults aged 19 to 34 comprised almost a third of the populace. However, by 2020, this demographic had dwindled to 10.21 million, constituting a mere fifth of the total 51 million population. Forecasts from the Statistics Korea report project this figure will drop to 5.21 million by 2050.
In stark contrast, South Koreans aged 65 and above constituted 17.5 percent of the population last year. This trend indicates that the elderly will outnumber young adults by the decade's end, according to Statistics Korea.
Korean Statistics had not responded to Newsweek's request for comment by publication time.
Japan's shrinking population faces point of no return
Read more
Japan's shrinking population faces point of no return
A societal shift has also seen an increasing number of young adults living alone, accounting for one-fifth of youth in 2020—threefold the figure for 2000.
In addition, over 7.8 million young adults, or more than four in five, were unmarried in 2020, a figure that has progressively risen since 2000.
Notably, there were higher rates of single men (86.1 percent) compared to women (76.8 percent), with 87.4 percent of 25-29 year olds and 56.3 percent of 30-34 year olds identifying as single.
The falling proportion of young adults, coupled with the proportion of them who are single, looms large against South Korea's falling fertility rate, which President Yoon Suk Yeol has called a "crucial national agenda."
Last December, Yoon said the country had allocated over $200 billion over 16 years in efforts to address population decline.
Some policy makers have gotten innovative.
A woman walks past a mural entitled "We are Young," by graffiti mural artist Won Yeong-seon, in Seoul on November 14, 2023. The proportion of youth among South Korea's population will be halved by 2050, according to a recent report by the country's statistics bureau. Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images
The government has been providing $1,500 bonuses to mothers for each birth since 2022, alongside additional monthly payments contingent on the children's ages.
Seongnam, South Korea's fourth-largest city, has initiated mass matchmaking events this year in a bid to encourage more eligible singles to start families.
South Korea's fertility rate, presently at a mere 0.78 per 1,000 women according to Statistics Korea, falls far below the replacement rate required to sustain a stable population, estimated at 2.1 children per woman by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
The country isn't alone in confronting this demographic challenge.
Neighboring China, Japan, and Taiwan are experiencing similar shifts in their population dynamics.
Recent data from China's statistics bureau revealed a decline in births across about two-thirds of its regions, despite the government's attempts to incentivize child-rearing, such as relaxing the "one-child" policy in recent years.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek · by Micah McCartney · November 30, 2023
16. Kim Jong-un’s daughter joins dad in wearing leather trench coats for an air show
During the Kim Jong Il - to Kim Jong Un transition it was the big furry hat sign. They were the only two wearing big furry hats in 2009-2010. I guess it is leather coats now.
Kim Jong-un’s daughter joins dad in wearing leather trench coats for an air show
MetroUK · by Sian Elvin · December 1, 2023
The supreme leader watched an air show on ‘Aviation Day’ today (Picture: Reuters)
Kim Jong-un has celebrated success in the North Korean ‘elections’ this week by watching an air show.
The supreme leader of the repressive regime called for his military to be ready to respond to threats on the country’s ‘Aviation Day’ holiday.
He was seen watching the show alongside his young daughter, Kim Ju Ae, while both wearing long trench coats.
Pyongyang has today vowed to deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons along its border with the South.
State news agency KCNA reported this will increase North Korea’s ‘capabilities to fight a war to the full’.
‘He set forth operational and tactical policies… so as to counter any military provocation and threat of the enemy immediately and powerfully,’ the agency added.
Kim praised the air force for being ‘fully prepared to perfectly carry out their air combat missions under any unfavourable situation’.
He was seen watching the show alongside his young daughter, Kim Ju Ae (Picture: Reuters)
Pyongyang has vowed to deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons along its border with the South (Picture: Reuters)
The supreme leader of the repressive regime called for his military to be ready to respond to threats (Picture: Reuters)
Kim Jong-un has celebrated success in the North Korean ‘elections’ this week (Picture: Reuters)
Tensions between North and South Korea have increased since the dictator last month launched a spy satellite.
This prompted Seoul to partially suspend an inter-Korean military agreement, with Japan criticising the North for violating UN Security Council regulations.
But Pyongyang since said it would launch more satellites, saying the North has a right to self-defence.
The latest North Korea elections earlier this week saw the number of people who voted for Kim’s party fall by 0.09%.
Just 99.91% residents voted for the Workers’ Party of Korea, despite the last elections of this kind in July 2019 seeing 100% of votes go towards the party.
An official at South Korea’s unification ministry said it is the first time North Korea has referred to opposing votes in local polls since the 1960s.
Analysts have suggested the election ‘results’ are simply an attempt to portray an image of a normal society, rather than an indication of an increase of rights in the country.
Elections in North Korea are widely viewed as a sham, or simply a formality.
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MetroUK · by Sian Elvin · December 1, 2023
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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