Quotes of the Day:

"First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end." 

– Aristotle

U.S. Army Special Forces, which traces its origins to OSS Jedburghs and Operational Groups, was established as one of the Army’s basic branches in 1987. “There was only one predecessor to Special Forces and that was OSS.”

– Col. Aaron Bank

"The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization." 

– Sigmund Freud

1. North Korea fires ballistic missiles days after reported ‘super-large warhead’ test

2. N. Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

3. North Korea files short-range ballistic missiles toward east coast: South

4. S. Korea, U.S. to hold 1st round of defense cost sharing talks this week

5. North Koreans Secretly Animated Amazon and Max Shows, Researchers Say

6. Editorial: Kim Jong-un eclipses Kim Il-sung’s sun, signaling North’s regime decline

7. Korea-Poland mega arms deal jeopardized by financial hurdles

8. Polish delegation visits S. Korea amid negotiations for arms deals

9. Experts see possibility of N.K. conducting nuclear test before U.S. presidential vote

10. Korea, US to cooperate for proliferation resistance optimization of research nuclear reactors

11. Kim Il Sung's birthday didn't lead to fall in grain prices this year

12. The impact of N. Korea's harsh lockdown of Onsong County in 2022 still reverberates today

13. S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions

14. N. Korea's rural areas suffer from high rates of infant mortality

1. North Korea fires ballistic missiles days after reported ‘super-large warhead’ test

​Kim needs to generate the threat to justify the suffering and sacrifice of the Korean people and to divert their attention from his failures and failed promises. . And he has likely not received the response he needs to highlight the threat. It seems the alliance and international community are becoming desensitized to Kim's missile tests and are not overreacting or appear to be acting out of fear.

North Korea fires ballistic missiles days after reported ‘super-large warhead’ test

Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · April 22, 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes marksmanship training, March 6, 2024, in this image from the state-run Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Monday afternoon, the South’s military told reporters soon after the launch.

The weapons went up at 3:01 p.m. and flew roughly 190 miles before splashing down into what South Korea calls the East Sea, according to a text message from the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

They did not specify how many missiles were launched.

The Joint Chiefs described the launches as a “clear provocation that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.” South Korea, Japan and the United States are analyzing the flight details, they said.

The launches came two days after the state-run Korean News Agency said the North had tested a “super-large warhead” atop a cruise missile, along with a new anti-aircraft missile, the previous day in the Yellow Sea.

Seoul detected several cruise missiles and anti-aircraft missiles being fired from the North at around 3:30 p.m. Friday, South Korea’s Yonhap News reported Saturday, citing unnamed sources.

North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile from the Pyongyang area on April 2. That solid-fueled weapon flew roughly 370 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan. A hypersonic glide vehicle mounted on the missile was unsuccessful in its final gliding phase, the South’s military said at the time.

Monday’s launches happened the same day the head of U.S. Space Command, Gen. Stephen Whiting met with the chairman of the South’s Joint Chiefs, Adm. Kim Myung-soo, in Seoul.

The military leaders discussed promoting joint space capabilities between their countries and North Korea’s reconnaissance satellite launches, according to a news release from the South’s Joint Chiefs.

North Korea may launch a new satellite as soon as mid-April, South Korean National Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said during a news conference April 8. The communist regime successfully launched a spy satellite in November after two failed attempts in May and August.

U.S. and South Korean forces are in the midst of their largest annual air exercise, which ends Friday. The two-week Korea Flying Training includes around 25 aircraft types from the two air forces, the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command, according to an 7th Air Force news release.

Roughly 200 U.S. and South Korean special operations troops jumped out of U.S. C-17 Globemaster IIIs and U.S. and South Korean C-130 Hercules over Osan Air Base as part of Friday’s drills, the release said.

KCNA frequently describes the joint military exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion.

David Choi

David Choi

David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · April 22, 2024

2. N. Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

(LEAD) N. Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 22, 2024

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; UPDATES with latest details throughout)

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired several rounds of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Monday, the South Korean military said, three days after it launched cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected what appeared to be several short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang region at 3:01 p.m.

"The North Korean missiles flew about 300 kilometers and splashed into the sea," the JCS said in a text message to reporters. It did not provide further details, citing an ongoing analysis.

The JCS denounced the North's missile launches as "a clear provocation" that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, vowing to maintain heightened vigilance against its additional launches.

It marks the North's first ballistic missile launch since it test-fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead.

North Korea said it conducted a "super-large warhead" power test for a strategic cruise missile and test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile in the Yellow Sea on Friday.

A Hwasongpho-16B, a new type of intermediate-range solid-fueled ballistic missile equipped with a newly-developed hypersonic gliding warhead, is launched under the inspection of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on April 2, 2024, in this file photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

North Korea has been ramping up weapons tests this year, including the launches of cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with a hypersonic controllable warhead and firing drills involving super-large multiple rocket launchers.

A hypersonic missile is usually hard to intercept with existing missile defense shields. It travels at a speed of at least Mach 5 -- five times the speed of sound -- and is designed to be maneuverable on unpredictable flight paths and fly at low altitudes.

The South Korean military is closely monitoring as North Korea was believed to be preparing to place a second spy satellite into space after its first launch in November.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 22, 2024

3. North Korea files short-range ballistic missiles toward east coast: South

North Korea files short-range ballistic missiles toward east coast: South

The launch comes after Pyongyang test-fired a cruise missile to test a large warhead on Friday.

By RFA Staff

2024.04.22

rfa.org

North Korea fired several rounds of short-range ballistic missiles toward its east coast on Monday, according to South Korea’s military, three days after Pyongyang launched a strategic cruise missile to test a large warhead.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected what appeared to be several short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang region at 3:01 p.m

“The North Korean missiles flew about 300 kilometers [186 miles] and splashed into the sea,” the JCS said in a text message to reporters, without providing further details.

Denouncing the North’s missile launch as “a clear provocation” that seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, the JCS added it is closely working with the U.S. and Japan, while maintaining heightened vigilance against additional launches.

The Japanese government also announced that the ballistic missile, which is estimated to have a range of 250 kilometers and a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers, landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula.

“North Korea’s actions, including its repeated launches of ballistic missiles, threaten the peace and security of Japan and the regional and international community,” Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, said at a regular press conference on the same day.

“These launches are in violation of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious matter of concern for the safety of our people,” he added.

The reports of the launch came as Seoul said its top military officer, Adm. Kim Myung-soo, had hosted the commander of U.S. Space Command, General Stephen Whiting, on Monday to discuss the North’s reconnaissance satellite development and growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

North Korea has been accused of providing weapons to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine after a summit between the leaders of the two nations in September of last year, though both reject the accusation.

Monday’s launch comes three days after Pyongyang test-fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead.

The North said it conducted a “super-large warhead” power test for a strategic cruise missile and test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile in the Yellow Sea on Friday.

Edited by Mike Firn.

rfa.org

4. S. Korea, U.S. to hold 1st round of defense cost sharing talks this week

​It is good to see cost sharing versus burden sharing, I am curious about the Korean language and how it is being portrayed to the Korean people in the South. Are we sharing costs or is it a burden to the Korean people?

S. Korea, U.S. to hold 1st round of defense cost sharing talks this week | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 22, 2024

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will hold their first round of talks in Hawaii this week on sharing the cost for the upkeep of U.S. troops stationed here, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.

The talks will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii, from Tuesday through Thursday (local time), led by Lee Tae-woo, South Korea's chief negotiator, and his U.S. counterpart, Linda Specht, the ministry said in a press release.

It will be their first meeting since Seoul and Washington named the two diplomats early last month to lead the negotiations on determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the stationing of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

"The government will proceed with consultations under the position that our defense cost sharing should come at a reasonable level to create conditions for the stable stationing of the U.S. troops in South Korea and to strengthen the allies' joint defense posture," the ministry said.

The launch of the talks comes earlier than expected, as the allies have agreed to push for an early start of the negotiations amid speculation that the move appears to consider the possibility of former U.S. President Donald Trump, known for his tough bargaining on such deals, getting reelected.

During Trump's presidency, the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiation was a major bone of contention as he demanded a hefty rise in South Korea's share of the cost for the USFK. He reportedly called for a fivefold increase to US$5 billion.

Under the latest and 11th SMA, South Korea agreed to raise the payment by 13.9 percent from 2019 to $1.03 billion for 2021.

The current SMA is set to expire at the end of 2025 under a six-year term.

Since 1991, Seoul has partially shouldered costs under the SMA for Korean USFK workers; the construction of military installations, such as barracks, and training, educational, operational and communications facilities; and other logistical support.

In this file photo, Lee Tae-woo (R) speaks during a brief press availability at the foreign ministry building in Seoul on March 5, 2024, after he was named the chief negotiator for the defense cost sharing talks with the United States. (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 22, 2024

5. North Koreans Secretly Animated Amazon and Max Shows, Researchers Say

Excerpts:

Inside, the files contained editing comments and instructions in Chinese which were translated to Korean, the researchers write in their report. “For a lot of the animation files, we would find things like spreadsheets with details of the workflow,” Williams says. A sample of the files shared with WIRED show detailed anime images and video clips, with notes for the authors and date stamps on various files. In one instance, the report says, an animator was “asked to improve the shape of the character’s head.”

Based on the documents and drawings, the researchers were able to identify some of the shows and projects the North Koreans were working on. Some of the projects included work from season 3 of the Amazon show Invincible, which is produced by California-based Skybound Entertainment. There were also documents linked to Max and Cartoon Network show Iyanu: Child of Wonder, produced by YouNeek Studios, as well as files from a Japanese anime series and an animation studio in Japan.

Some file names gave away clues about the series and episode numbers. There were also files and projects the researchers could not identify—including a “bunch of files” with videos of horses and a Russian book on horses, Williams says.

Sanctions placed upon the North Korean regime, for its ongoing human rights abuses and nuclear warfare programs, prohibit US companies from working with DPRK companies or individuals. However, the researchers say it is highly unlikely that any companies involved would have a clue about North Korean animators working on the shows, and there is nothing suggesting the companies violated any sanctions or other laws. “It is likely that the contracting arrangement was several steps downstream from the major producers,” the report says.

Spokespeople for Amazon and Max spokesperson declined to comment for this story. YouNeek Studios did not respond to a request for comment.

North Koreans Secretly Animated Amazon and Max Shows, Researchers Say

Thousands of exposed files on a misconfigured North Korean server hint at one way the reclusive country may evade international sanctions.

Wired · by Matt Burgess · April 22, 2024

For almost a decade, Nick Roy has been scanning North Korea’s tiny internet presence, spotting new websites coming online and providing a glimpse of the Hermit Kingdoms’ digital life. However, at the end of last year, the cybersecurity researcher and DPRK blogger stumbled across something new: signs North Koreans are working on major international TV shows.

In December, Roy discovered a misconfigured cloud server on a North Korean IP address containing thousands of animation files. Included in the cache were animation cells, videos, and notes discussing the work, plus changes that needed to be made to ongoing projects. Some images appeared to be from an Amazon Prime Video superhero show and an upcoming Max (aka HBO Max) children’s anime.

The findings and security lapse—detailed in a report by the Stimson Center think tank's North Korea–focused 38 North Project, which helped analyze the findings along with Google-owned security firm Mandiant—provide a glimpse at how North Korea can use skilled IT and tech workers to raise funds for its heavily sanctioned regime. It also comes as US officials increasingly warn about North Korean IT workers infiltrating companies and their outsourcing.

North Korea’s internet is a small—and fragile—space. The repressive nation only has 1,024 IP addresses and around 30 websites that connect to the global internet. While there is a limited internal intranet, only a few thousand of the country’s 26 million people can get on the internet. When they do, it’s highly controlled: These select few North Koreans can use the internet for an hour at a time and have a person sitting next to them approving their use every five minutes.

When Roy discovered the exposed cloud server, it was being updated on a daily basis. Martyn Williams, a senior fellow on the 38 North Project who helped analyze the contents of the server, says the server likely allowed work to be sent to and from North Korean animators. The server itself is still live, but it mysteriously stopped being used at the end of February. While there is a login page, its contents can be accessed without a username and password. “I found the login page after I found all the exposed files,” Roy says.

Inside, the files contained editing comments and instructions in Chinese which were translated to Korean, the researchers write in their report. “For a lot of the animation files, we would find things like spreadsheets with details of the workflow,” Williams says. A sample of the files shared with WIRED show detailed anime images and video clips, with notes for the authors and date stamps on various files. In one instance, the report says, an animator was “asked to improve the shape of the character’s head.”

Based on the documents and drawings, the researchers were able to identify some of the shows and projects the North Koreans were working on. Some of the projects included work from season 3 of the Amazon show Invincible, which is produced by California-based Skybound Entertainment. There were also documents linked to Max and Cartoon Network show Iyanu: Child of Wonder, produced by YouNeek Studios, as well as files from a Japanese anime series and an animation studio in Japan.

Some file names gave away clues about the series and episode numbers. There were also files and projects the researchers could not identify—including a “bunch of files” with videos of horses and a Russian book on horses, Williams says.

Sanctions placed upon the North Korean regime, for its ongoing human rights abuses and nuclear warfare programs, prohibit US companies from working with DPRK companies or individuals. However, the researchers say it is highly unlikely that any companies involved would have a clue about North Korean animators working on the shows, and there is nothing suggesting the companies violated any sanctions or other laws. “It is likely that the contracting arrangement was several steps downstream from the major producers,” the report says.

Spokespeople for Amazon and Max spokesperson declined to comment for this story. YouNeek Studios did not respond to a request for comment.

“We do not work with North Korean companies, or Chinese companies on Invincible, or any affiliated entities, and have no knowledge of any North Korean or Chinese companies working on Invincible,” a spokesperson for Skybound Entertainment says. “We take any claims very seriously and have commenced an investigation into this.” In a post on X, the company characterized the findings as “unconfirmed” and said it is working with authorities to investigate.

Williams says it is possible that a front company in China is used to help disguise the activity and involvement of North Koreans. The researchers were able to analyze connections to the exposed server and, despite most having their location masked by a VPN, spotted access from Spain and three Chinese cities. “All three cities are known to have many North Korean–operated businesses and are main centers for North Korea’s IT workers who live overseas,” the report says.

While Williams says the researchers did not find any identifiable names of North Korean organizations buried in the files, the country has a well-established animation company called April 26 Animation Studio, which is also known as SEK Studio. Originally set up in the 1950s, the studio has worked on hundreds of international TV shows and movies.

However, in recent years, the US Treasury Department has sanctioned SEK Studios, individuals linked to it, and various “front companies” that it says are used to “work for foreign customers.” Many of these have links to China, according to the sanctions. “SEK Studio has utilized an assortment of front companies to evade sanctions targeting the government of the DPRK and to deceive international financial institutions,” a statement issued as part of the sanctions in 2021 says.

The main aim of these efforts, says Michael Barnhart, a North Korea researcher at Mandiant, is to raise money for the North Korean regime. The country’s hackers and scammers have stolen and extorted billions of dollars to help fund its military ambitions in recent years, including from huge cryptocurrency heists. In early 2022, the FBI issued a 16-page alert warning companies that remote North Korean freelance IT workers were infiltrating businesses to earn money they could funnel back home.

“The volume is much higher than we were expecting,” Barnhart says of North Korea’s IT workers. They are constantly changing their tactics to avoid being caught, he says. “We had one not too long ago, where during the interview, the person’s mouth was just off-frame. You could tell that someone in the background was speaking on their behalf.” Technically, Barnhart says, companies should verify their remote workers’ devices and make sure that there is no remote software connecting to a company laptop or network. Businesses should also put extra efforts at the hiring stage by training HR staff to detect possible IT workers.

However, he says, increasingly there is a greater crossover between North Korean IT workers and individuals who are members of known hacking groups or classified as advanced persistent threats (APTs). “The more we focus on IT workers, the more we’re starting to see APT operators and efforts blending in with those,” he says. “This might be the most quick learning-on-your-feet, nimble nation-state that I've ever seen.”

Wired · by Matt Burgess · April 22, 2024

6. Editorial: Kim Jong-un eclipses Kim Il-sung’s sun, signaling North’s regime decline

Are we at a major inflection point? Is Kim recognizing hsi decline? What will he do? What comes next? Are we prepared for what may come next?

Opinion

Editorial: Kim Jong-un eclipses Kim Il-sung’s sun, signaling North’s regime decline

By The Chosunilbo

Published 2024.04.22. 08:31

The state-run North Korean newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, depicted the festive atmosphere on the streets of Pyongyang celebrating the 112th anniversary of former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung's birthday, known as the Day of the Sun, on April 15, saying, "Joyful celebrations overflowed on every street of the capital." /Rodong Sinmun News1

North Korea appears to be phasing out the term “Sun” used for Kim Il-sung. State media, including Rodong Sinmun, referred to the late North Korean founder Kim’s birthday on April 15 not as the “Day of the Sun” but simply as “4.15″ or the “April Holiday.” The Ministry of Unification here interpreted this change as a “deliberate deletion.” Kim Il-sung’s birthplace, Mangyongdae, has also been renamed from the “Holy Place of the Sun” to the “Holy Place of Patriotism.” It was Kim Jong-il, the second leader of the Kim dynasty, who in 1997 named Kim Il-sung’s birthday as the Day of the Sun, idolizing him as a god-like figure to justify the family’s dictatorship.

Early in his rule, the current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, imitated Kim Il-sung by adopting similar clothing and hairstyles and mimicking his speech style. Like Kim Il-sung, he promised “white rice and meat soup” and tearfully expressed his regret to the people, saying he was “sorry to the people,” to fill his lack of legitimacy by emulating the deified Kim Il-sung. North Koreans briefly harbored hope, recalling the relatively better days of the Kim Il-sung era, but soon faced harsh realities. Economic hardships have worsened, and Kim Jong-un fortified the 1400 km border with China with iron fences, making defection nearly impossible. Internal dissatisfaction is growing.

Amid this crisis, Kim Jong-un seeks to replace Kim Il-sung as a “god.” Placards reading “General Kim Jong-un, the Sun” have appeared, and state media like Rodong Sinmun have started using the phrase “Sun of Juche Joseon” (self-reliant North Korea). Kim Jong-un did not even attend this year’s Day of the Sun commemoration. North Korea on April 17 released a song titled “Friendly Father” praising Kim Jong-un during the completion ceremony of an apartment complex in Pyongyang. The term “father” was used to describe Kim Il-sung, and even Kim Jong-il used it cautiously. However, Kim Jong-un is making both the “Sun” and “Father” titles of Kim Il-sung his own.

The Sun symbolizes an indisputable power, the source of all existence. Kim Jong-un likely wants to promote the idea that while Kim Il-sung’s Sun is setting, his own is rising. However, Kim Jong-un’s power fundamentally stems from Kim Il-sung. If Kim Jong-un tries to distance himself from Kim Il-sung after inheriting power, it could undermine the foundation of his legitimacy. Such dynamics indicate symptoms of terminal decline in the archaic Kim dynasty.

7. Korea-Poland mega arms deal jeopardized by financial hurdles

Korea-Poland mega arms deal jeopardized by financial hurdles

The Korea Times · by 2024-04-22 17:38 | Defense · April 22, 2024

Officials from Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), including its head Seok Jong-geun, front row fourth from right, pose with a Polish delegation led by Vice Defense Minister Paweł Bejda, center, during a meeting in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of DAPA

Polish defense officials arrive in Seoul for week-long visit

By Lee Hyo-jin

Defense officials from Korea and Poland met in Seoul, Monday, amid mounting concerns that lingering financial hurdles could hamper a second major arms contract between the two nations.

Seok Jong-geun, head of Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), held talks with Polish Vice Defense Minister Paweł Bejda, Marcin Kulasek, vice minister of state assets, and Dariusz Ryczkowski, deputy commander of the Joint Support and Enabling Command under NATO, during the Polish delegation's visit to Korea, according to DAPA.

The visit by senior Polish defense officials took place 10 months after its former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak visited Korea. It marks the first visit by senior defense officials of the new Polish administration under Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who took office in December last year, DAPA added.

The meeting also occurred as Poland, a major buyer of Korean weapons, has been expressing concerns about financial obstacles in closing arms deals with Seoul.

In July 2022, Korea signed a framework agreement with Poland to export arms worth billions of dollars. Under this agreement, the two nations sealed an initial arms export deal worth 17 trillion won ($12.4 billion), marking Korea's largest-ever arms contract with a single country.

This encompassed exports of K239 Chunmoo multi-barreled missile launchers, K-2 tanks, K-9 self-propelled howitzers and FA-50 light combat aircraft.

Korea's defense authorities had aimed to finalize a larger-scale second contract worth 30 trillion won last year but encountered stumbling blocks due to loan issues. In large-scale export deals, it is customary for the bidding country to provide loans to its trading partner to assist in funding the deal.

KAI showcases aerial systems at Iraqi defense fair

Warsaw requested over 20 trillion won in capital support for the second deal, but the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) could not extend the credit as it had nearly reached its legal cap as stipulated by law.

Polish soldiers pose as they ride in a K2 tank, which was delivered in the first batch of arms from Korea, during a military drill at a military range in Wierzbiny near Orzysz, Poland, March 30, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap

To address the issue, the National Assembly passed a revision bill in February aimed at raising Eximbank's capital limit from 15 trillion won to 25 trillion won. However, uncertainty remains regarding additional contracts as the specific timeline and available options for loans have yet to be determined.

In addition to the loan issues, potential shifts in Poland's defense policies could cast a shadow over Korea's arms export.

The initial weapons deal was struck during the tenure of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which lost its parliamentary majority in October's national election in 2023.

Subsequently, the new administration, led by centrist Donald Tusk, was launched in December.

Although the Tusk administration stated that it will respect arms contracts signed by the previous government, upon taking office, the prime minister expressed concerns that there had been misunderstandings regarding the loan Seoul was expected to provide to Poland.

Also, with the upcoming European Union parliamentary elections in June, Poland's ruling party may shift focus to promoting more domestically developed weapons, such as the Krab self-propelled howitzer, potentially impacting further deals with Korea.

It is said that the purchase of K-9 self-propelled howitzers has drawn some criticism within Poland, as it was seen as unfair competition for domestically made Krab.

Korean defense companies may also need to adapt to changes in Poland's arms procurement policy in the long term, with the Polish government potentially turning toward European arms.

The European Commission's European Defence Industrial Strategy, published this March, recommended its members procure at least 50 percent of their defense procurement budget within the EU by 2030.

The Korea Times · by 2024-04-22 17:38 | Defense · April 22, 2024

8. Polish delegation visits S. Korea amid negotiations for arms deals

Polish delegation visits S. Korea amid negotiations for arms deals | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 22, 2024

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- A Polish defense delegation has visited South Korea to examine Korean weapons systems and meet military officials, the state arms procurement agency said Monday, raising expectations for additional arms deals with the European country.

The 20-member delegation on Sunday began their weeklong trip to South Korea, the first high-level visit since the new government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk took office in December.

Seok Jong-gun, commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), met Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda, Deputy Minister of State Assets Marcin Kulasek and other senior officials to discuss ways to expand defense industry cooperation, the agency said.

In 2022, Poland signed procurement deals worth 17 trillion won (US$12.4 billion) to buy K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers to bolster its defenses in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The delegation's visit comes at a time when South Korea is mulling ways to provide state-backed loans and other financial packages to support another round of weapons deals to Poland, estimated at a total of 30 trillion won.

The Polish officials are scheduled to visit Korean defense firms and military units, and observe a test-firing of a Chunmoo rocket system modified for export to Poland to check their capabilities and discuss terms of contracts, industry officials said.

Among the companies on the list are K2 manufacturer Hyundai Rotem, K9 maker Hanwha Aerospace and aircraft manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries.

Following the meeting, Seok said the delegation reaffirmed the new Polish government's willingness to continue cooperation in the defense industry and pledged to build on the momentum from the delegation's visit.

A Polish delegation and senior officials of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) hold an executive meeting on defense industry cooperation at the DAPA office in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, on April 22, 2024, in this photo provided by the state arms procurement agency. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 22, 2024

9.  Experts see possibility of N.K. conducting nuclear test before U.S. presidential vote

​And the sun could rise and set tomorrow. Are these kinds of speculations helpful?

Experts see possibility of N.K. conducting nuclear test before U.S. presidential vote | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · April 22, 2024

SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korea may carry out what would be its seventh nuclear test before the U.S. presidential election in November in efforts to increase its bargaining power in future talks with Washington, experts said Monday.

The assessment came as North Korea has been ramping up weapons tests and aggressive rhetoric this year amid views that the North has completed preparations for another nuclear test at the Punggye-ri test site.

"There is a possibility that North Korea may stage its seventh nuclear test after the third meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) in June and before the U.S. presidential election in November," Lee Sang-kyu, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said in a forum organized by the Institute for National Security Strategy.

The upcoming NCG session that will take place in Seoul is expected to draw up guidelines encompassing a whole range of issues, including information sharing, security systems, consultation procedures for a nuclear crisis and the operation of a real-time leader-level communication channel.

Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University, agreed that the possibility of North Korea carrying out a nuclear test before the U.S. election cannot be ruled out, especially if the North prefers former U.S. President Donald Trump as a counterpart for nuclear talks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Trump held talks in Singapore in 2018 and in Hanoi in 2019, but no lasting deal was reached.

Still, some experts said the North will refrain from another nuclear test for the time being.

"There is a need, but there are also high risks of side effects," Chung Sung-yoon, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said. "There is no urgency for the North to push ahead with it while ignoring such risks."

North Korea conducts a test-launch of the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile on July 12, 2023, in this file photo released by the North's Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · April 22, 2024

10. Korea, US to cooperate for proliferation resistance optimization of research nuclear reactors

Korea, US to cooperate for proliferation resistance optimization of research nuclear reactors

The Korea Times · April 22, 2024

First Vice Science Minister Lee Chang-yune, right, and Jill Hruby, the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, signs a joint statement on cooperation for proliferation resistance optimization of research nuclear reactors in this photo provided by Lee's office, April 22. Yonhap

Korea will join hands with the United States in optimizing nuclear proliferation resistance in its research reactors for export, Seoul's science ministry said Monday.

A joint statement issued by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said the two countries plan to collaborate on designing research reactors and associated facilities developed by Korea under the NNSA's Proliferation Resistance Optimization-X (PRO-X) program, according to the ministry.

Proliferation resistance refers to a nuclear energy system characteristic that impedes the diversion or undeclared production of nuclear material, or misuse of technology with the purpose of acquiring nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is intended to maintain the safety and peaceful use missions of these systems.

The two countries expect their cooperation to help other nations to develop and operate research reactors under the nuclear nonproliferation principles, said the ministry.

In addition, the ministry said Korea, the U.S. and Japan are planning to sign a memorandum of cooperation later this week to push for the facilitation of joint research projects of research institutes and people-to-people exchanges of the three countries.

The trilateral cooperation plan comes as part of a follow-up to an agreement reached among President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their Camp David summit last year to bolster three-way cooperation in almost all areas, including science and technology. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · April 22, 2024

11. Kim Il Sung's birthday didn't lead to fall in grain prices this year

Are grain and presents indicators of the internal situation in north Korea?

Excerpts:

Notably, Kim Il Sung’s birthday does not appear to have had a major impact on grain prices this year.

When grain, sweets and alcohol are distributed to soldiers and party officials around the Feb. 16 birthday of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung’s birthday, that grain typically ends up on the market, pushing grain prices a little lower. But that holiday effect was not very noticeable this year.

As it happened, another source in North Korea told Daily NK that children received considerably fewer presents on Kim Il Sung’s birthday this year than in previous years.

“Sweets were distributed at kindergartens and elementary schools on Apr. 14, but all the kids got was a handful of candy and a pack of cookies. Even that only applied to cities like Sinuiju – there were no treats and no presents in rural areas,” a source in North Pyongan Province said.

Kim Il Sung's birthday didn't lead to fall in grain prices this year - Daily NK English

Children also received considerably fewer presents on Kim Il Sung's birthday this year than in previous years, a source in the country told Daily NK

By Seulkee Jang - April 22, 2024

dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · April 22, 2024

A "grasshopper market," or unofficial market, in a village near Pyongyang. (Chinese blogger Lóng Wǔ*Láng Zhī Wěn)

Grain prices at North Korean markets did not fall as they usually do around Apr. 15, which is Kim Il Sung’s birthday and the country’s biggest holiday.

Daily NK’s regular survey of North Korean market prices found that one kilogram of corn was selling for KPW 2,900 at a marketplace in Pyongyang on Apr. 14.

That was 3.6% (KPW 100) higher than the previous survey, on Mar. 31, two weeks ago, and the first time that Pyongyang corn prices have reached KPW 2,900 since last September.

Corn at a marketplace in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, was trading for KPW 3,200 per kilogram, which was also the highest the price has been there since last September.

Corn prices fell to KPW 1,900 per kilogram in early and mid-December, after last year’s harvest was complete, but have been rising ever since. Currently, they are trading around the KPW 3,000 level.

In contrast with corn, rice prices at North Korean markets have largely stopped increasing and are holding steady.

One kilogram of rice at a market in Pyongyang traded for KPW 5,350 on Apr. 14, which was KPW 50 higher than the survey on Mar. 31.

Rice at a market in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, sold for KPW 5,400 on Apr. 14, the same price as in the previous survey, while rice at a market in Hyesan sold for KPW 6,100. That was down KPW 100 from the previous survey, when rice in Hyesan had climbed to KPW 6,200.

It is possible that demand for rice has shifted to corn as the price of rice shot above KPW 6,000.

The modest decrease in the price of rice at the Hyesan market has narrowed the regional divide between rice prices in Pyongyang, Sinuiju and Hyesan. Even so, rice in Hyesan remained KPW 750 more expensive than in Pyongyang.

Daily NK reported last month that regional variation in rice prices may have been aggravated by the North Korean government’s restrictions on movement.

Notably, Kim Il Sung’s birthday does not appear to have had a major impact on grain prices this year.

When grain, sweets and alcohol are distributed to soldiers and party officials around the Feb. 16 birthday of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung’s birthday, that grain typically ends up on the market, pushing grain prices a little lower. But that holiday effect was not very noticeable this year.

As it happened, another source in North Korea told Daily NK that children received considerably fewer presents on Kim Il Sung’s birthday this year than in previous years.

“Sweets were distributed at kindergartens and elementary schools on Apr. 14, but all the kids got was a handful of candy and a pack of cookies. Even that only applied to cities like Sinuiju – there were no treats and no presents in rural areas,” a source in North Pyongan Province said.

Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · April 22, 2024

12. The impact of N. Korea's harsh lockdown of Onsong County in 2022 still reverberates today

The COVID PAradox: Defend against COVID and implement draconian population and resources control measures to further oppress the people and prevent resistance to the regime.

But like all regime policies, it was a failure unless they are judged by a single standard: The Kim family regime continues to survive.

The impact of N. Korea's harsh lockdown of Onsong County in 2022 still reverberates today - Daily NK English

"...the travel ban and the government's campaign against the private sale of medicine is a painful memory for county residents, who associate it with all the family members and neighbors who died in vain," a source inside the country told Daily NK

By Kim Jeong Yoon - April 22, 2024

dailynk.com · by Kim Jeong Yoon · April 22, 2024

FILE PHOTO: Onsong County, North Hamgyong Province. (Daily NK)

In the summer of 2022, North Korean authorities imposed a strict lockdown in Onsong County, North Hamgyong Province, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They also strictly limited the private sale of medicine, which led to a rash of deaths among people who had been battling serious illnesses before the pandemic.

Because of the lockdown, people could not go to large hospitals for treatment or medication, nor were they allowed to buy the drugs they needed from private vendors. The result was often physical agony and even death.

The North Korean authorities ruthlessly prosecuted people who made private sales of medicine, considering it a violation of “martial law.”

One couple is caught up in the crackdown

For residents of Onsong County, the punishment meted out to a couple for selling medicine in mid-July 2022 is remembered as emblematic of the government’s campaign against private sales of medications.

When the government’s closure of the border made it impossible to smuggle medicines into the country, the couple began selling drugs they had obtained illegally from the medicine cabinets of major hospitals in North Hamgyong Province and from the emergency medical supplies of the Korean People’s Army units stationed in the area.

The couple was sentenced to nine years’ hard labor after their arrest. The Onsong County authorities made a big issue of their illegal behavior because they had been working to consolidate the government’s control over medical services.

However, since the couple’s main clients were elderly people and people with serious illnesses – in other words, people in urgent need of medication – not a few people felt sorry for the couple’s punishment, a resident of the county recalled.

In any case, the prosecution had a chilling effect on private pharmaceutical vendors, and it became nearly impossible for people to find the medication they needed. People who could neither go to the hospital nor get the medicine they needed were dying like flies, and county residents were outraged by the senseless deaths of family members.

“If the government prevents us from buying or selling medicine and doesn’t provide medicine itself, sick people can’t get their medicine anywhere. Banning travel and policing the private sale of medicines without setting up public distribution channels only led to more deaths,” said one resident.

Government crackdown ultimately ends in failure

The government soon lost its zeal to crack down on private drug vendors, and in 2023 reverted to the old system, allowing county residents to buy their medicine from private vendors again. In short, the authorities were unable to establish a proper drug distribution network and eventually had to turn a blind eye to private sales.

“At present, the government does not consider the private sale or purchase of medicine to be something that deserves as harsh a punishment as was meted out in 2022. In the end, the government’s travel ban and campaign against private medicine sales is a painful memory for county residents, who associate it with all the family members and neighbors who died in vain,” said a county resident.

“The government was completely focused on strict control and punishment, without paying the slightest attention to what people actually needed. Imposing controls without doing anything to compensate for them turned out to be a total wash, and all we have to show for it are the people who died in the process,” she said.

Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Kim Jeong Yoon · April 22, 2024

13. S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions

Complicated work for the global pivotal state.

S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · April 22, 2024

By Ji Da-gyum

Published : April 22, 2024 - 15:08

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul delivers opening remarks during an annual conference of chiefs of overseas diplomatic missions on Monday, which commences on the same day and will continue until Friday. (Yonhap)

The annual conference of chiefs of overseas diplomatic missions commenced Monday, with a focus on navigating diplomatic strategy amidst an era of heightened geopolitical uncertainties, exacerbated by escalating tensions in the Middle East, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry.

A total of 181 ambassadors, consul generals and other dignitaries attended the opening ceremony of the five-day gathering entitled, "Our Diplomatic Strategy during the Era of Geopolitical Transition."

Notably absent were the South Korean ambassadors to Israel, Iran and Lebanon, as well as the head of the South Korean Representative Office to Palestine, amid simmering tensions in the Middle East.

"The rules-based international order has already been shaken by the US-China strategic competition, and the ongoing war in Ukraine has caused concern. Yet, with the crisis in the Middle East, where tensions are escalating, it has become challenging to predict the international situation even a step ahead," said Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in his opening remarks.

"The Indo-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula, is no exception."

Cho explained that North Korea, continuing to enhance its nuclear missile capabilities, has now designated South Korea as the "No. 1 hostile country," escalating tensions through provocative actions and rhetoric. Conflict in the South China Sea persists without resolution.

"The escalating confrontation between liberalism and authoritarianism is also ushering us into a world where the pursuit of so-called 'pragmatic diplomacy, which separates values and national interests,' is becoming increasingly challenging," Cho said.

Cho emphasized the need for diplomats to collaborate in exploring avenues to safeguard national interests while simultaneously upholding the rules-based international order and promoting universal values.

"Of course, safeguarding our national interests while simultaneously actively contributing to the freedom, peace and prosperity of the international community amid geopolitical uncertainties is by no means an easy task," Cho said.

Cho underscored that "it entails intense deliberations and discussions as well as difficult decisions, along with responsibilities" to that end.

Around 180 ambassadors, consul generals and other dignitaries attend the opening ceremony of the five-day gathering entitled, "Our Diplomatic Strategy during the Era of Geopolitical Transition" on Monday. (Yonhap)

Cho further highlighted South Korea's role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

"We actively contribute to the efforts of the international community to uphold the rules-based international order, maintaining consistency based on principles and standards, even at times enduring short-term costs and burdens in our bilateral relations (with others)," Cho said.

Against this backdrop, Cho shed light on South Korea's vote in favor of a UN Security Council draft resolution aimed at facilitating full United Nations membership for Palestine on Thursday, describing it as a "difficult decision."

"We believe that Palestine's membership in the UN will contribute to bringing about a lasting peace by facilitating a political process based on the two-state solution."

Cho highlighted, "Just as with our vision as a global pivotal state, we must not dwell in ambiguous diplomatic rhetoric when it comes to our contributions to the rules-based international order."

Cho spoke on the importance of Korean diplomacy breaking away from past conventions, stressing that "In an era of significant transformation, there is no place for diplomacy that merely echoes the past."

"We have become too accustomed for decades to dealing with situations pessimistically, according to the logic of the moment, and accepting geopolitical circumstances as fate in a rush to manage inter-Korean relations and relations with neighboring powerful countries," Cho told participating diplomats.

Cho, however, clarified that "maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula while strategically managing and enhancing relations with neighboring countries remains the steadfast top priority of our diplomacy," specifically referring to its ties with the US, Japan, China and Russia.

South Korea, for instance, will "exert meticulous efforts to ensure that the trilateral summit involving South Korea, Japan and China, slated for the foreseeable future, provides momentum for bilateral relations," according to Cho.

Cho also added that South Korea will "dedicate special efforts to enhance cooperation with the Global South, whose strategic position has been strengthened in the international community."

Following the inaugural Africa Summit scheduled for June, South Korea plans to elevate its cooperation with ASEAN to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" by convening a South Korea-ASEAN Summit in October marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-South Korea relations.

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · April 22, 2024

14. N. Korea's rural areas suffer from high rates of infant mortality

What a terrible situation. Abandoned children?  

This tragic story reminds me of this: 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.

N. Korea's rural areas suffer from high rates of infant mortality - Daily NK English

dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Un · April 22, 2024

FILE PHOTO: A rural area of South Pyongan Province (Daily NK)

The infant mortality rate in North Korea’s rural areas is higher than in the country’s cities, a source in the country told Daily NK recently.

“Although the percentage of women having children in rural areas of North Hamgyong Province such as Yonsa County and Orang County is lower than in the past, it’s still higher than in the cities. If only one in five married women has children in the cities, the rate is two in five in the countryside,” a source in the province told Daily NK on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The reason why more rural women have children is because they can’t afford to get an intrauterine device [IUD] or an abortion. This leads to a lot of unwanted children being born, and many of them are abandoned,” the source said.

When financially strapped rural women abandon their children, the infants often end up dead, the source said.

“People roaming the forests to gather edible herbs or cut firewood sometimes come across abandoned infants wrapped in blankets or clothes. More dead babies can be seen now than in the past, perhaps because women have a hard time just feeding themselves these days,” the source said.

Malnutrition of mothers a major cause of death for infants

There have also been recent cases of new mothers and infants dying from malnutrition and lack of proper medical care, the source said.

According to the source, a woman in her thirties recently died during childbirth in Yonsa County. The woman had asked the doctor to deliver the baby at home rather than at the poorly equipped hospital. But she suffered severe hemorrhaging during childbirth and eventually died.

In Orang County, a woman in her early 30s lost her baby in early April. The child’s death was found to be a direct result of the mother’s malnutrition, as she was unable to eat properly during her pregnancy due to financial difficulties. The mother was unable to produce breast milk, and the baby died just two months after birth.

“People in rural areas can’t count on hospitals for help because the medical facilities are worse than in the cities. And as it becomes harder to make a living, new mothers can’t get the nutrients they need, which often endangers the lives of their babies,” the source said.

“People criticize the government for asking us to have a lot of children without doing anything to address these issues. I’m not sure if these things are reported to the top [i.e., the central government], but if the state is really concerned about the declining birth rate, it must take special measures for the health of mothers and newborns,” she added.

Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Un · April 22, 2024

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