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Quotes of the Day:
"I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well."
- Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions." "In 1984", Huxley added, "people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure."
In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us."
~Neil Postman
"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
1. 'If left divided, Korean Peninsula will never be at peace'
2. Pro-N. Korea newspaper slams S. Korea, U.S., Japan for seeking to conspire trilateral military alliance
3. S. Korean space rocket to be positioned on launch pad ahead of launch
4. South Korea signals its chipmakers can fill gap after China’s ban on Micron
5. China’s New Chip Ban on Micron Puts South Korea in a Delicate Spot
6. South Korea, EU agree to boost pressure on Russia, condemn North Korean missile tests
7. Private group chief convicted in N. Korea remittance case
8. Why Kim Jong Un is paying unprecedented tribute to a late military official
9. N. Korea could launch spy satellite 'in near future': nat'l security adviser
10. Plans to form a trilateral nuclear umbrella entity
11. Is Korea Losing Its Edge in the Global Market?
12. Mad Cow Disease Case in U.S. Prompts Tougher Screening (ROK)
13. ＜Investigation Inside N. Korea＞Famine in the provinces : “Many people have died from the start of May due to starvation and disease…”
14. No time to waste in global ‘semiconductor industry reshuffle’
15. 'Coalition of free world' to bring peace to Korean Peninsula: Yoon
16. N. Korea continues to release new smartphones despite border closure
1. 'If left divided, Korean Peninsula will never be at peace'
My strong opinion. Also shared by my good friend and colleague from north Korea Hyun Seung Lee (See comments below)
'If left divided, Korean Peninsula will never be at peace'
The Korea Times · May 23, 2023
David Maxwell, senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation and vice president at the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, speaks during an interview after the forum on "The 70th Anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance ― Onward Toward a Free and Unified Korea" on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 17 (local time). The event was co-hosted by the Global Peace Foundation, Action for Korea United, Alliance for Korea United and One Korea Foundation. Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation
Experts share views on why unification, not denuclearization, should be ultimate goal
By Jung Min-ho
WASHINGTON ― While denuclearization and security issues are dominating the news about North Korea, the vision for peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula now appears out of date. Politicians barely talk about it as a serious possibility and when they do, no one seems to listen.
Such pessimism has prompted those who fear another possible armed conflict on the peninsula to find alternative solutions, such as seeking peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas. Unification, cynics say, this hope is not feasible and that the time is long overdue for South Korea and the United States to offer a peace deal that the North would accept.
During a forum on the 70th anniversary of the Seoul-Washington alliance on Capitol Hill on May 17 (local time), experts said such ideas are even more unrealistic. If left undivided, they said, the two governments on the peninsula will always remain exposed to the risk of violent clashes, given the political and legal conditions of the North.
"It sounds nice. However, that (coexistence idea) is based on the assumption that the North wants to peacefully coexist. As long as North Korea has nuclear weapons and given what we know, its constitution, party charter and history, they are going to seek domination of the peninsula," retired Col. David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, a think tank, said during an interview.
"So I think peaceful coexistence is really a fantasy … I understand why people say that should be pursued, but North Korea under the Kim family will always be a threat and, as long as they exist, South Korea will never be at peace."
Under the 10 Principles of the One-Ideology System, which serves as the supreme law of North Korea, all North Koreans must give their all in the struggle to unify the peninsula under their rule. It is mistaken to say that the regime is developing nuclear weapons only to survive; they are the means ― not the final aim ― of accomplishing that written objective, Maxwell, who also serves as a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), said.
His view was echoed by other attendees at the event cohosted by four nonprofit groups ― the GPF, Action for Korea United, Alliance for Korea United and One Korea Foundation.
Lee Hyun-seung, a former sergeant in the North Korean Army who escaped to South Korea in 2014, said, when he was in the military, he was called a unification soldier ― as his father was called by the same term decades before him.
"Every soldier who joins the military is a unification soldier. This means that they (the regime) have never changed the goal: unification by force," Lee said during a panel discussion.
Denuclearization, an issue that has distracted the world's attention from all the other critical issues regarding North Korea in recent years, has created the illusion that it will somehow lead to peace on the peninsula. History suggests there is no causal relationship between the two.
Over the past seven decades, North Korea killed hundreds of thousands of people, including civilians, in the war on the peninsula (for unification), sent armed agents to assassinate leaders in Seoul, abducted a commercial airplane, attacked an island near the inter-Korean border and committed numerous other atrocities ― all without using nuclear weapons.
This is why unification, not denuclearization, should be not only the policy objective of both Seoul and Washington but also the top priority in that joint effort, according to Seo In-teck, president of GPF Korea.
"Maintaining the status quo on the peninsula could be possible and it may seem even more beneficial than unifying with North Korea over the next five to 10 years," Seo said. "But how about 50 to 100 years later?"
Given that the regime continues to build up its nuclear arsenal and develop other weapons at a time when South Korea is facing a dramatic population decline, the fragile peace may not last and the status quo cannot be maintained, he added.
Participants in a panel discussion listen to their moderator, David Maxwell, back row left, senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation and vice president at the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, at the forum on "The 70th Anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance ― Onward Toward a Free and Unified Korea" on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 17 (local time). Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation
Korean unification for world peace
The world today is in crisis. Russia's war in Ukraine has continued for more than a year. The situation in the Taiwan Strait looks more precarious than ever before, with Beijing flexing its economic and military muscles in the region in an intensifying U.S.-China rivalry.
With the world increasingly splitting into two blocs, the Korean Peninsula appears to be on the frontline of the hegemony competition, which is resembling the Cold War.
Under the current geopolitical circumstances, the peaceful unification of the peninsula ― or even just a sincere effort to pursue what appears to be a far-fetched dream ― could have a profound impact on the world, Chung Kyung-young, an expert on security and international relations at Hanyang University in Seoul, said.
"It would send a powerful message to the world," he said. "It would be historical and affect world affairs such as the war in Ukraine and the Cold War climate forming."
In his speech, Seo also emphasized the significance of the vision for Korean unification, saying Seoul and Washington can and should mutually support the pursuit and achievement of forming a free and unified Korea that can benefit the region and world.
With the economic miracle it accomplished following the devastating Korean War (1950-53), Koreans inspired the world in a way no other country did. They can do so again, he said, but this time they cannot do it without the people in the North.
The Korea Times · May 23, 2023
2. Pro-N. Korea newspaper slams S. Korea, U.S., Japan for seeking to conspire trilateral military alliance
We are having an effect. This is another example of the failure of Kim Jong Un's strategy to split the ROK/US alliance. Not only is the ROK/US alliance getting stronger every day, we are moving to the best level of trilateral cooperation than we have ever had.
Pro-N. Korea newspaper slams S. Korea, U.S., Japan for seeking to conspire trilateral military alliance | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · May 23, 2023
SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- A pro-North Korea newspaper in Japan on Tuesday condemned the latest summit of leaders from South Korea, the United States and Japan as an attempt to plot a trilateral military alliance, claiming the move is "maximizing" the risk of war on the Korean Peninsula.
The Choson Sinbo, the pro-North Korea newspaper, lashed out at the outcome of the trilateral meeting held Sunday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
At the summit, President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to further strengthen trilateral strategic cooperation to bolster deterrence against North Korea's nuclear threats, vowing to develop their cooperation to a new level.
The North's paper said such a meeting was nothing but a "deceptive play" designed to hide the risk of a military collusion.
"A plan to build a three-way military alliance plotted by the leaders of the three nations is maximizing the risk of war outbreak on the Korean Peninsula," it said. "This is a reality that cannot be reversed even with any diplomatic rhetoric."
The Choson Sinbo is not North Korea's state media outlet, but it serves as an unofficial spokesperson for Pyongyang.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R), U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida greet each other ahead of their trilateral talks in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21, 2023, in this photo provided by the AP. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · May 23, 2023
3. S. Korean space rocket to be positioned on launch pad ahead of launch
Who will launch their rocker first? The ROK or north Korea?
S. Korean space rocket to be positioned on launch pad ahead of launch | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김보람 · May 23, 2023
SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday began the process to position the homegrown rocket Nuri on the launch pad at Naro Space Center, a day ahead of its liftoff to send multiple satellites into orbit.
Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, will reach the launch pad about an hour after it left an assembly building at 7:20 a.m., according to the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
It is expected to be erected at the space center in the southern coastal village of Goheung before noon and undergo prelaunch checks in the afternoon.
The liftoff -- Nuri's third launch -- is likely to take place at 6:24 p.m. Wednesday, but the time could change, the ministry said.
Officials integrate the upper stage with the lower stages of South Korea's homegrown rocket Nuri at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on May 17, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
In June last year, South Korea successfully launched the space rocket Nuri in its second attempt to put satellites into orbit, reaching a major milestone in the country's space program.
South Korea has become the seventh country in the world to develop a space launch vehicle that can carry a more than 1-ton satellite, after Russia, the United States, France, China, Japan and India.
In 2021, Nuri successfully flew to its target altitude of 700 kilometers but failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit, as its third-stage engine burned out earlier than expected.
On Wednesday, Nuri will perform a mission to launch practical satellites into orbit and will carry eight satellites, including the country's second next-generation small satellite and four microsatellites developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, codenamed SNIPE.
It is the first time that Nuri is tasked with handling separate multiple satellites in one flight.
South Korea has invested nearly 2 trillion won (US$1.8 billion) in building Nuri since 2010. The project was carried out with domestically made technology on its own soil, including the design, production, testing and launch operation.
The country plans to conduct three additional Nuri rocket launches by 2027 as part of efforts to further advance the country's space rocket program.
brk@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 김보람 · May 23, 2023
4. South Korea signals its chipmakers can fill gap after China’s ban on Micron
Very complex.
South Korea signals its chipmakers can fill gap after China’s ban on Micron
Financial Times · by Ryan McMorrow · May 22, 2023
Seoul has signalled it will not intervene to stop South Korean companies Samsung and SK Hynix from filling in a market gap after China imposed a ban on US chipmaker Micron, in an escalation of the tech battle between the superpowers.
Last month, the White House quietly asked South Korea to urge its chipmakers to hold back from boosting sales to China if the sale of Micron products was restricted by Beijing.
But policymakers in Seoul on Monday said they were unwilling to wade into the dispute and would defer to the companies.
“Regarding what the US tells us to do or not to do, it is actually up to our companies. Both Samsung and SK Hynix, with global operations, will make a judgment on this,” South Korea’s vice-minister of trade Jang Young-jin told reporters. Samsung and SK Hynix declined to comment on the issue.
Washington last year unveiled tough chip export controls on China and has hit Huawei and several of the country’s other top tech titans with sanctions. Beijing on Sunday retaliated by imposing sanctions on the US memory chip champion, limiting its sales in the country on cyber security grounds following a seven-week review.
The measures against Micron outlined by the Cyberspace Administration of China bar critical infrastructure operators from buying products containing the US company’s chips because of alleged “serious network security risks”.
Mark Murphy, Micron’s chief financial officer, said the Idaho-based company estimated the ban could hit a low to high single-digit percentage of its revenue.
“Depending on what type of customers, products and end applications are included in the definition of ‘critical information infrastructure’, the potential impact would vary,” he said on Monday at JPMorgan’s global technology, media and communications conference. “We remain unclear as to what security concerns exist and we’ve had no complaints from customers on the security of our products.”
Micron generated sales of $30.8bn in its fiscal year that ended in September 2022, though a glut of memory chips across the industry has hit its performance this year. Executives say about a quarter of its sales are typically derived from China, both directly and indirectly.
Murphy said the company’s initial estimates assume the ban affects networking and data centre equipment but not smartphones, with analysts pointing to South Korean chipmakers such as Samsung and SK Hynix as the likely beneficiaries of the rising geopolitical tensions.
Samsung and SK Hynix are also working to increase business in the US and need one-year waivers from the country to be extended so they can ship new equipment into their chip fabrication facilities in China. The waivers must be renewed later this year, giving Washington potential leverage to use against the companies.
Shares in Samsung and SK Hynix both ended the day up less than 1 per cent, buoyed by expectations of positive effects on them from China’s move against Micron. Shares in Micron were down 5 per cent in pre-market trading.
“There are not many Chinese companies that get chips only from Micron. Even if we increase our supply to Chinese customers, how can they examine all these deals individually and judge that the increased volume comes from us, replacing Micron’s?” said a senior industry executive in Seoul.
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The comments from Seoul show the difficulty of unifying US allies in responding to Beijing’s economic coercion, a focus of the three-day G7 summit that wrapped up in Hiroshima on Sunday.
Two employees at Chinese makers of servers and telecoms products told the Financial Times that their companies were moving quickly to replace Micron chips already in kit built for their home market, but were not yet planning to do the same for those in products sold abroad.
Analysts said they expected the hit to Micron to be manageable over the long term with the majority of its memory chip output commoditised so new customers would eventually offset the lost China sales.
“You can swap a Micron memory part out for Samsung or SK Hynix in nearly all cases without any changes,” said Dylan Patel, chief analyst at semiconductor research group SemiAnalysis.
“Memory is a commodity and supply chains will adjust in a couple [of] quarters.”
Additional reporting by Eleanor Olcott in Hong Kong, Nian Liu in Beijing and Demetri Sevastopulo
Join leading FT journalists and a Nikkei Asia colleague for a subscriber-exclusive webinar on the US-China tech war on May 25 at 12.30 BST and put your questions to the panel. Sign up for your free subscriber pass
Financial Times · by Ryan McMorrow · May 22, 2023
5.China’s New Chip Ban on Micron Puts South Korea in a Delicate Spot
A complex and complicated situation.
China’s New Chip Ban on Micron Puts South Korea in a Delicate Spot
Cashing in on Micron’s woes in China won’t be easy for South Korea or rivals Samsung and SK Hynix
By Jiyoung SohnFollow
in Seoul and Yang JieFollow
in Tokyo
Updated May 22, 2023 11:06 am ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-new-chip-ban-on-micron-puts-south-korea-in-a-delicate-spot-21ce5259?mod=hp_user_preferences_pos1#cxrecs_s
A new Chinese clampdown on American chip giant Micron Technology MU -2.85%decrease; red down pointing triangle has put South Korea in an uncomfortable position.
Amid a series of tit-for-tat trade moves between Beijing and Washington, China, citing national-security risks, banned certain local firms in key information-infrastructure industries from buying memory chips from Micron. The clampdown affects parts of Micron’s roughly $3 billion in annual sales from China.
South Korea, a U.S. ally, is home to Micron’s two largest rivals in the memory-chip business, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix 000660 -0.81%decrease; red down pointing triangle. But cashing in on Micron’s woes in China won’t be easy for South Korea, Samsung or SK Hynix. Geopolitics complicate what could be a welcome opportunity to boost sales during a major downturn in the memory market.
How South Korea’s chip industry reacts will largely determine to what extent China’s ban on Micron proves a success for Beijing—or widens the supply chain gulf with the U.S. and its allies. China’s own memory chip makers can’t currently match the technology and production capacity of Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix, industry analysts say. 2
After working for years to catch up on U.S. technology, China has developed a chip that can rival Nvidia’s powerful A100. WSJ unpacks the processors’ design and capability as the two superpowers race for dominance in artificial intelligence. Illustration: Sharon Shi
Mark Murphy, Micron’s chief financial officer, on Monday said that the company derives about a quarter of its revenue from Chinese companies by selling chips directly and through distributors. The Chinese curbs, Murphy said, could have an impact between a low-single-digit to a high-single-digit percentage of its total revenue.
Micron stock was down about 3.5% in Monday trading.
The two South Korean firms and Micron last year represented about 95% of the market for DRAM and roughly 64% for NAND flash, the two major types of memory, according to TrendForce, a tech-market research firm.
Any American pressure campaign could prove painful to South Korea, Samsung and SK Hynix, as they have deep exposure to China.
China, by far, is South Korea’s largest trade partner. Samsung and SK Hynix both operate semiconductor facilities inside China, which is a key market for the two companies and the global supply chain. The two firms together produce about 22% of the world’s NAND flash memory supply from China, while SK Hynix provides about 12% of global DRAM production from the country, according to TrendForce.
South Korea has drawn even closer to Washington under conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office a year ago and just got back from a successful visit to Washington where he sang “American Pie” at President Biden’s request during a state dinner at the White House.
Despite protests from Beijing, Seoul has joined Washington-led efforts to build up tech supply chains and economic initiatives that exclude China, including the so-called “Chip 4” semiconductor alliance and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
After Beijing’s Micron ban, the U.S. Commerce Department on Sunday said it would engage with key allies and partners to address “distortions of the memory chip market caused by China’s actions.”
China has banned certain local firms in information-infrastructure industries from buying memory chips from Micron. PHOTO: QILAI SHEN /BLOOMBERG NEWS
But South Korean support has its limits. Unlike fellow American allies Japan and the Netherlands, Seoul hasn’t put forth its own chip-industry restrictions that would compliment the Biden administration’s efforts to curb China’s access to high-end semiconductors. Samsung and SK Hynix have been sensitive about Washington’s ban on advanced chip-making equipment exports to China and have had to obtain exemptions from the U.S. to keep operating their China-based factories.
China’s Micron ban wouldn’t bring harm to South Korea’s chip makers, said South Korea’s vice minister for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Monday. Last week, in a meeting with foreign media, South Korean trade minister Ahn Duk-geun said he hadn’t received a request from the U.S. on moves in response to a potential Chinese ban of Micron. Even if the South Korean government was asked to engage, Ahn said any decision would be left to the individual companies.
“It’s hard for the government to dictate what a company should or should not do,” Ahn said.
Samsung Electronics said it didn’t have a comment. An SK Hynix spokeswoman said it hadn’t received a request from the South Korean government on the matter.
Not all of Micron’s $3.3 billion in revenue in China will be blocked. Roughly a fifth of the U.S. chipmaker’s sales in the country are expected to be affected by the ban, according to a Bernstein Research note to investors. Other parts of Micron’s China business, such as semiconductors that go inside consumer tech products that get sold outside of the country, aren’t legally bound to the ban, according to Bernstein Research.
In addition to Samsung and SK Hynix, Japanese memory makers Kioxia and Western Digital could serve as alternative vendors for Chinese firms. But the odds that the South Korean and Japanese firms ignore U.S. requests—given other American limits on chip business in China—are “very low,” the Bernstein Research analysts wrote.
The Micron ban, an apparent political gesture aimed at responding to Washington’s curbs on advanced chip making technology to China, came from China’s Cyberspace Administration. The regulator didn’t provide a specific definition for “operators of critical information infrastructure,” though the term is typically associated with government agencies, state-owned enterprises and sectors including finance, telecom operators and cloud-service providers.
Any pickup by Micron’s rivals for the affected business would “not be significant” to any one company, assuming the business would be distributed among competitors, said TrendForce analyst Avril Wu.
The U.S. has been seeking its allies’ cooperation in the areas of advanced semiconductors, which are viewed increasingly as a centerpiece of national security and a technology that it has sought to prevent China from advancing on.
Last week, government and business leaders from the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Taiwan—part of a coalition of chip powerhouses—met and said they would seek ways to “counter malign practices” by China and “foster resilience to economic coercion.” The meeting came on the eve of the Group of Seven summit held in Hiroshima, Japan, where Beijing’s perceived economic intimidation was a central theme.
Write to Jiyoung Sohn at jiyoung.sohn@wsj.com and Yang Jie at jie.yang@wsj.com
Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Appeared in the May 23, 2023, print edition as 'Micron Ban Pressures South Korea'.
6. South Korea, EU agree to boost pressure on Russia, condemn North Korean missile tests
Excerpts:
The three leaders called on North Korea to cease actions that raise military tensions and return to nuclear disarmament talks.
“The European Union will never accept (North Korea’s) possession of nuclear weapons as the normal state of affairs, just like we do not accept Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,” von der Leyen said at a joint news conference.
Yoon said the three leaders recognized that North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs pose a threat beyond the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea, EU agree to boost pressure on Russia, condemn North Korean missile tests
The Washington Post · by Hyung-Jin Kim | AP · May 22, 2023
SEOUL, South Korea — Leaders of South Korea and the European Union agreed Monday to increase pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine and condemn North Korea’s ballistic missile tests.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Seoul after attending the weekend summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Hiroshima, Japan.
“We agree to maintain and increase the collective pressure on Russia, particularly through effective implementation of the respective restrictive measures,” they said in a joint statement. “We are committed to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction and remain resolved to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Michel said Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine show that deeper cooperation between the EU and South Korea is “not a luxury. It’s a vital necessity.”
The three leaders called on North Korea to cease actions that raise military tensions and return to nuclear disarmament talks.
“The European Union will never accept (North Korea’s) possession of nuclear weapons as the normal state of affairs, just like we do not accept Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,” von der Leyen said at a joint news conference.
Yoon said the three leaders recognized that North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs pose a threat beyond the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has launched about 100 missiles since the start of 2022, many of them nuclear-capable weapons that place the U.S. mainland and South Korea within striking distance. Experts say North Korea believes its expanded weapons arsenal will help it wrest concessions from its rivals.
At the G7 summit, the leaders of Japan, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy as well as the European Union condemned Russia’s invasion and reiterated their support for Ukraine. They demanded that North Korea refrain from any destabilizing or escalatory actions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with some of his biggest backers as the G7 summit closed on Sunday, building momentum for his country’s war effort even as Russia claimed a battlefield victory that was quickly disputed by Ukraine. Even before Zelenskyy landed Saturday, the G7 nations had unveiled new sanctions and other measures meant to punish Moscow over its invasion that began in February last year.
Yoon also met with Zelenskyy on the margins of the G7 summit and promised to send demining equipment, ambulances and other items. South Korea has provided humanitarian and other support to Ukraine while joining U.S.-led economic sanctions against Russia, but it hasn’t directly provided arms to Ukraine in line with its longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.
The Washington Post · by Hyung-Jin Kim | AP · May 22, 2023
7. Private group chief convicted in N. Korea remittance case
I do not think we understand the amount of north-South contact that has taken place in the past along these lines.
Private group chief convicted in N. Korea remittance case | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김한주 · May 23, 2023
SUWON, South Korea, May 23 (Yonhap) -- The chief of a Seoul-based private organization was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison on Tuesday on charges of colluding with a business tycoon embroiled in a scandal involving unauthorized foreign currency remittances to North Korea.
The Suwon District Court found An Bu-soo, the chairman of the Asia Pacific Exchange Association, guilty of multiple charges, including violating the foreign exchange transactions law.
This verdict marks the first ruling in the scandal involving Kim Seong-tae, former chairman of underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group. He is suspected of transferring US$8 million to North Korea via China, allegedly on behalf of Gyeonggi Province.
An was found guilty of smuggling a total of about 500 million won (US$380,000) into China on two separate occasions in 2018 and early 2019, with the money eventually making its way to North Korea.
Under the law, overseas foreign currency remittances in excess of US$10,000 must be reported to customs.
He was also found guilty of embezzling around 1.2 billion won and spending it for his personal purpose.
Kim is currently on trial for making the payment on behalf of Gyeonggi Province during the time when Lee Jae-myung, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, was the governor.
Prosecutors suspect that Kim transferred $8 million to North Korea, with $5 million intended for the provincial government's smart farm support program in North Korea and the remaining amount allocated for Lee's planned visit to Pyongyang at that time.
Lee Hwa-young, a former vice governor of Gyeonggi Province and a trusted ally of the opposition party leader, is also on trial on charges of bribery and alleged involvement in the illegal transfer.
This file photo shows An Bu-soo, the chairman of the Asia Pacific Exchange Association. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by 김한주 · May 23, 2023
8. Why Kim Jong Un is paying unprecedented tribute to a late military official
Interesting analysis. But the jury is still out on the meaning of these actions and the implications.
Excerpts:
Contrary to expectations, Kim Jong Un appears to hold a deeper respect for the old guard compared to his father or grandfather. This may seem counterintuitive, as one might assume that a young prince who inherited the throne at a young age would behave like a spoiled brat.
But Kim has defied this stereotype entirely. Not only did he demonstrate unwavering respect for figures like Lee Ul Sol and Hyon Chol Hae upon their passing, but he also acknowledged the “old revolutionaries” who have passed away since the previous event in his speech at the Seventh Party Congress, a departure from the practices of his grandfather.
Additionally, Kim has exhibited reverence toward elderly military veterans during organized events in Pyongyang, like during a Korean War anniversary event last year.
It’s obvious that Hyon Chol Hae was a dear figure to Kim Jong Un, likely because played a key role in his rise to power. But the latest commemoration is also about more than just Hyon, demonstrating a respect for former comrades that has been a key characteristic of Kim’s rule.
This may be the leader’s attempt to present himself as the one carrying on their legacy, though for now, we don’t have enough information to draw a definitive conclusion.
Why Kim Jong Un is paying unprecedented tribute to a late military official
https://www.nknews.org/2023/05/why-kim-jong-un-is-paying-unprecedented-tribute-to-a-late-military-official/?utm
North Korea has honored Hyon Chol Hae in ways usually reserved for Kim family, with leader even kneeling at his grave
Fyodor Tertitskiy May 22, 2023
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un kneels while laying a flower at the grave of late army marshal Hyon Chol Hae | Image: KCNA (May 20, 2023)
North Korea held a large-scale commemorative event for late military official Hyon Chol Hae on Friday, and for analysts like myself, the spectacle presented in state media was nothing short of astounding.
Photos published in the Rodong Sinmun on Saturday showed a grand hall adorned with a portrait of Hyon positioned on the stage — an honor typically reserved exclusively for members of the Kim family. State TV later aired a 39-minute video of the event.
But even more significantly, the front page showed Kim Jong Un kneeling before Hyon’s grave. This unprecedented act marks a notable departure for North Korea, as it appears to be the first time that state media has shown the Supreme Leader kneeling before anything or anyone.
Hyon also received a large state funeral in Pyongyang when he died last year, despite an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak at the time, and state TV aired a documentary on Kim and Hyon’s relationship that said the DPRK leader was with Hyon when he died.
But who exactly was Hyon Chol Hae, and why has the state bestowed him with such extraordinary posthumous honors?
As I explore in my recent book on the North Korean army, Hyon Chol Hae dedicated his entire career to serving as a guard for the Kim family, and he appears to have played a key role in overseeing Kim Jong Un’s rise to power.
But Hyon’s loyalty to the current leader is likely not the only reason he has received so much praise, as Kim makes paying tribute to elderly and deceased comrades a major pillar of his propaganda strategy.
A giant portrait of Hyon Chol Hae on stage at last week’s commemorative event to mark the one-year anniversary of his death | Image: Rodong Sinmun (May 20, 2023)
THE BODYGUARD
Born in 1934, Hyon joined Kim Il Sung’s bodyguard platoon as a teenager, while the Korean War was still raging. During this period, he crossed paths with Kim Il Sung’s son, Kim Jong Il, and the two became friends.
Over the following decades, Hyon Chol Hae steadily climbed the ranks of authority. By the time of Kim Il Sung’s death in 1994, he had become a member of the Central Committee, signaling his promotion to the top elite, and held the esteemed position of colonel general.
Hyon continued to prosper under the leadership of Kim Jong Il, achieving the rank of full general in 1995, and even his nephew Hyon Song-il’s defection to South Korea in the mid-1990s did not interrupt his career.
Hyon would make an impressive number of joint appearances with the leader in 2008, and there have been reports that Kim Jong Il, already a seriously ill man at the time, entrusted Hyon with the crucial task of providing a military education for his son, Kim Jong Un.
Hyon reportedly spared no effort in ensuring that Kim Jong Un would be the one to inherit the throne. The frequency of his joint appearances with the leader’s son in 2008 lends credence to these claims, as the campaign for Kim Jong Un’s succession began soon after in Jan. 2009.
After Kim Jong Un rose to power, Hyon Chol Hae enjoyed even more career success. In 2012, he became a vice marshal, and within a remarkably short span of four years, he was named a Korean People’s Army (KPA) marshal, the highest military rank after the leader himself. Hyon was not in active military service during this time, so his promotion was symbolic, serving as a gesture of gratitude from Kim Jong Un.
North Korean defectors who knew Hyon Chol Hae personally have told this author that he was a composed individual devoid of a thirst for power. Undoubtedly, these traits played a significant role in his remarkable success.
Within the DPRK, serving as the leader’s chief guard is valuable for career advancement. This is exemplified by the fact that two other marshals in North Korea’s history served as guards in earlier stages of their careers: Lee Ul Sol, who also received a grand, high-profile funeral under Kim Jong Un; and Kim Jong Il himself, as evidenced by Soviet documents from the 1960s that indicate his service as his father’s guard.
This phenomenon sets the DPRK apart from the other communist states. Neither Stalin’s chief guard Nikolay Vlasik, Mao’s Wang Dongxing or Ceausescu’s Dumitru Burlan managed to become as prominent as these three North Koreans.
Kim Jong Un (left) bows at Hyon’s grave | Image: KCNA (May 20, 2023)
THE COMMEMORATION
Kim Jong Un undoubtedly orchestrated the commemoration for Hyon Chol Hae on Friday, as there is no established tradition dictating that North Korea hold such an event.
During Kim Il Sung’s initial years in power, he had to adhere to the Soviet model, which regarded all members of the Politburo as significant figures. Following the passing of vice defense minister Kim Chaek in 1951, for instance, the state renamed the city of Songjin in his honor.
However, once Kim Il Sung broke free from Moscow’s control, he no longer felt obligated to extol the virtues of recently deceased comrades. The creation of the pantheon of “anti-Japanese partisans” after 1967 included individuals who had died years earlier, such as O Jung Hup (died 1939) or Kang Gon (died 1950).
And while the state held funerals for Kim’s closest confidants like Kim Il or Lim Chun Chu, it did not hold commemorative events like the recent one for Hyon Chol Hae.
Kim Jong Il had his own way of expressing grief and respect for a deceased comrade: He would keep the position they had occupied vacant for a few months.
For instance, after O Jin U, minister of the People’s Armed Forces, passed away in Feb. 1995, his successor Choe Gwang was not appointed until October. Similarly, following Choe’s own demise in Feb. 1997, his successor Kim Il Chol did not assume the position until September.
All these tributes and commemorations, however, pale in comparison to the grand scale of the latest event for Hyon Chol Hae.
Contrary to expectations, Kim Jong Un appears to hold a deeper respect for the old guard compared to his father or grandfather. This may seem counterintuitive, as one might assume that a young prince who inherited the throne at a young age would behave like a spoiled brat.
But Kim has defied this stereotype entirely. Not only did he demonstrate unwavering respect for figures like Lee Ul Sol and Hyon Chol Hae upon their passing, but he also acknowledged the “old revolutionaries” who have passed away since the previous event in his speech at the Seventh Party Congress, a departure from the practices of his grandfather.
Additionally, Kim has exhibited reverence toward elderly military veterans during organized events in Pyongyang, like during a Korean War anniversary event last year.
It’s obvious that Hyon Chol Hae was a dear figure to Kim Jong Un, likely because played a key role in his rise to power. But the latest commemoration is also about more than just Hyon, demonstrating a respect for former comrades that has been a key characteristic of Kim’s rule.
This may be the leader’s attempt to present himself as the one carrying on their legacy, though for now, we don’t have enough information to draw a definitive conclusion.
Edited by Bryan Betts
9. N. Korea could launch spy satellite 'in near future': nat'l security adviser
As I asked, who will launch their space vehicle first? The ROK or north Korea?
N. Korea could launch spy satellite 'in near future': nat'l security adviser | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · May 23, 2023
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea could launch its first military spy satellite "in the near future," National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong said Tuesday, as speculation has grown over the timing of the launch.
Cho made the remark during an interview with Yonhap News TV, warning the North will be met with stronger sanctions if it goes ahead.
"North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un announced it would come by the end of April, but he isn't keeping his promise," Cho said, citing "various" possible problems.
In this file photo, National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong speaks to reporters at the presidential office in Seoul on March 30, 2023. (Yonhap)
"There's a chance of a launch in the near future. In such an event, there will be efforts on our part and it will result in deepening North Korea's diplomatic isolation in the international community," he said.
Kim visited a preparatory committee for the satellite launch last week and approved of its "future action plan," according to the North's Korean Central News Agency, signaling the launch could be imminent.
Cho said Seoul would respond by pressing the international community to strictly enforce sanctions on North Korea, while also imposing additional standalone sanctions together with like-minded nations.
"What's important is making clear that whether North Korea launches a reconnaissance satellite or carries out a nuclear test, it will no longer be able to boast its presence to the international community or gain any practical economic benefits," he said.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · May 23, 2023
10. Plans to form a trilateral nuclear umbrella entity
Excerpt:
In an interview with The Dong-A Ilbo held at the official residence of the U.S. ambassador in Jung-gu, Seoul, Ambassador Goldberg replied that “either is possible, which should be determined by the leaders,” in reply to a question whether the new security consultative group among Korea, the U.S., and Japan would take the form of including Japan in the Korea-U.S. NCS. Goldberg said that “nothing is ruled out about the trilateral consultative group. Let’s see what happens.”
Plans to form a trilateral nuclear umbrella entity
donga.com
Posted May. 23, 2023 07:55,
Updated May. 23, 2023 07:55
Plans to form a trilateral nuclear umbrella entity. May. 23, 2023 07:55. by Jin-Woo Shin, Na-Ri Shin niceshin@donga.com,journari@donga.com.
U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg remarked on Monday regarding establishing a trilateral nuclear umbrella entity among Korea, the U.S., and Japan that “the heads of state will meet to discuss these issues in Washington in the very near future.”
In an interview with The Dong-A Ilbo held at the official residence of the U.S. ambassador in Jung-gu, Seoul, Ambassador Goldberg replied that “either is possible, which should be determined by the leaders,” in reply to a question whether the new security consultative group among Korea, the U.S., and Japan would take the form of including Japan in the Korea-U.S. NCS. Goldberg said that “nothing is ruled out about the trilateral consultative group. Let’s see what happens.”
The U.S. ambassador emphasized that the trilateral summit between the three countries, proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday to the heads of state of Korea and Japan, would be “an upgrade (of trilateral cooperation).” He also said that “cooperation between the three countries is needed for the Korean peninsula and overall security reinforcement of the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting of the three leaders in Washington would play a positive role in strengthening real-time information sharing of missile alerts.”
The Korean Presidential Office is considering the possibility of the summit being held in July or August. “It would be difficult for the three heads of state to meet in Washington due to the UN general assembly and other multilateral meetings,” said Kim Tae-hyo of the National Security Office, hinting that a separate date could be set up for the three countries.
When asked whether Korea should participate in the Anti-coercion Instrument to be launched at the G7 summit that closed on Sunday, Goldberg answered that it was a matter to be decided by Korea. “However, as a democracy, Korea is a country of order based on rules and principles. If China ignores decisions based on rules and international order, we shall not pay a blind eye to this,” he said. His remarks are suggestive of Korea’s need for participation.
한국어
donga.com
11. Is Korea Losing Its Edge in the Global Market?
Is Korea Losing Its Edge in the Global Market?
english.chosun.com
May 22, 2023 13:00
Korean exports seem to be losing their edge on the international market. Products that are thought to be losing out in the competition increased from 815 in 2013 to 846 last year, while Korean products that remained competitive in the global market dwindled from 401 to 375.
Out of the country's top 10 exports, seven are losing out to foreign rivals. A decade ago, fuel was the only product Korea had to import, but now Korea also imports optical, precision and medical equipment as local products are no longer top of the range. Machinery, cars and ships also lost competitiveness.
The effects can be seen most drastically in trade with China. The number of products where Korea was overtaken by China increased by 145 items from a decade ago, while the number of Korea's exports where Korea has the edge over China declined by 128. Exports to Korea's biggest market have declined for 11 straight months, and China has fallen to 22nd place in terms of sources of a trade surplus for Korea.
Exports are floundering due to the global economic slowdown. Semiconductor shipments, which account for 20 percent of Korea’s total exports, have fallen for nine consecutive months. But the diminishing edge of other Korean exports is perhaps more worrying. China is now competing with Korea in the same lineup of products and has caught up in high-value-added goods. Unless the country can drastically improve its technological standards in all areas, it will end up being left behind in the global market.
Read this article in Korean
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
english.chosun.com
12. Mad Cow Disease Case in U.S. Prompts Tougher Screening (ROK)
Oh no. Get ready for another disinformation campaign about US beef.
Mad Cow Disease Case in U.S. Prompts Tougher Screening
english.chosun.com
May 23, 2023 09:37
Korea will tighten screening of American beef after mad cow disease was found in a slaughterhouse in the U.S. state of South Carolina.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Monday said it will increase sampling inspections on American beef from three percent of shipments to 10 percent.
The outbreak has been attributed to "atypical" bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), which occurs naturally and sporadically among cows over eight years old. It is not thought to be transmissible to other cows and there have been no reports of its transmission to humans, the ministry said.
The BSE-infected animal was a beef cow raised in Tennessee, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was culled and has not been butchered for beef.
"American beef imported by Korea only comes from cows aged up to 30 months, and there are no slaughterhouses or meat processing plants in South Carolina or Tennessee certified for exports to Korea," a ministry official said. "There's zero possibility that beef from BSE-infected cattle can be imported."
But the ministry promised to consider extra measures once it reviews the investigation report of the case.
Korea Becomes Largest Buyer of U.S. Beef
Over Half of Korea's Beef Imports Come from U.S.
Korea Consumes Most U.S. Beef Per Capita in the World
U.S. Meat Reclaims Lead in Imported Beef Market
Imports of U.S. Beef Hit All-Time High
U.S. Beef Tops 50% of Korea's Import Market
Screening of American Beef to Be Strengthened
Demand for Imported Delicacies Grows
Most Customers Still Prefer Korean Beef
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
english.chosun.com
13. ＜Investigation Inside N. Korea＞Famine in the provinces : “Many people have died from the start of May due to starvation and disease…”
Potential for instability? Have we reviewed and updated contingency plans?
Anecdotal evidence but it bears watching.
＜Investigation Inside N. Korea＞Famine in the provinces : “Many people have died from the start of May due to starvation and disease…” (2) Workers can’t go to work due to malnutrition…even at the DPRK’s largest iron mine
asiapress.org
A young homeless boy wandering the streets with a sack. Taken by ASIAPRESS in Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, in September 2013.
＜Investigation Inside N. Korea＞Famine in the provinces : “Many people have died from the start of May due to starvation and disease…” (1) The state’s food supplies have hit rock bottom
North Korea’s agricultural areas are now in the midst of the “barley hump,” an annual period of food shortages. During this period, all of the food harvested during the autumn of the previous year has been consumed, and the country must wait until the corn harvest in September to replenish its food stores. It is the single most challenging period for farmers in North Korea. In the DPRK’s cities, the impact of the “barley hump” can be felt through the rise in market food prices, but this year is different. In provincial cities, people are experiencing a severe shortage of food. Even in Musan County, an area of North Hamgyung Province that is home to North Korea’s largest iron mine, the humanitarian crisis is acute. ASIAPRESS heard from a reporting partner inside the country about the extent of the crisis. (KANG Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro)
Since around the time of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Kim Jong-un regime has recklessly moved to implement a state-run monopoly over the country’s food supply. The sales of rice and corn – the country’s staple foods – have been severely restricted in the markets, leading ordinary people to rely on food purchased from state-run “grain shops” and the small amount of food rations they receive from their workplaces.
The Kim Jong-un regime’s attempt to monopolize the country’s food supply has made it imperative for the state to acquire as much food as possible. During the “barley hump,” the state’s stores of food are low, which has made it impossible to distribute food to workers and ordinary people in provincial cities. This situation has led to famine.
Musan County is located across from China on the Tumen River. The iron ore mine is located on the left-hand side of the photo. Taken by ASIAPRESS on the Chinese side of the river in July 2012.
◆ Some workers can’t go to work due to malnutrition
Musan County in North Hamgyung Province is an iron mining region located on the China-North Korea border and is home to an estimated 100,000 people. ASIAPRESS heard from a reporting partner (“A”) in the area about the situation on the ground:
―― What is the situation like at Musan Mine nowadays?
A: There are workers who can’t go to work due to malnutrition. Workers received only six kilograms of corn in April, and that was just for workers themselves (excluding family members). The government is saying that wartime rations will be used to distribute food until food aid is sent from China in mid-May, but (as of May 16) this food aid is nowhere to be seen. Even if the food aid does come, each worker is entitled to only around five kilograms (of corn), so (the food aid) won’t do much good.
※ Musan Mine is North Korea’s largest iron ore mine and has an estimated workforce of 10,000 people. The mine has departments devoted to logistics, mining, and smelting, and each workplace may provide different levels of rations to its employees.
―― What are the authorities providing to workers?
A: Musan Mine authorities had severely been cracking down on people who have skipped work for extended periods, but workers’ lives have gotten so difficult that the authorities now allow workers to take rest period to go and buy food or to take on jobs outside of their regular work. The Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, for its part, has sent work uniforms to show support to the miners, and there was talk of it sending seafood as well, but nothing has arrived yet.
※ Starting in around 2020, the Kim Jong-un regime began severely cracking down on workers taking on wage labor outside of their assigned workplaces. The authorities have now made an about-face on the issue, loosening restrictions enough to allow people to acquire their own food and earn money outside of their assigned workplace on a temporary basis.
◆ Urban dwellers come to rural areas to beg for food
―― We’ve heard that people living in cities are living difficult lives.
A: I have a relative living in a nearby farming village who told me that “everyone, from the young to the old, is coming from the cities to borrow or beg for food 4-5 times a day.” People are coming to farming areas because there’s no food (they can afford) in the cities.
―― We’ve heard that there’s been a rise in deaths in provincial cities. What’s the situation in Musan?
A: In May, there’s been a lot of people dying. In my neighborhood, there were four people who died in April, along with two others who are about to die. All of them suffered from preexisting conditions like tuberculosis, hepatis, and asthma, and maybe eat just one meal a day. No one can get their own food, so they’re just waiting for the government to give it to them.
―― Is the government saying that they died of starvation?
A: No, they don’t say that they died of starvation, just that they died of disease. There are people who are unhappy that the government is hiding the fact that they died of starvation.
―― Is the government supporting people facing poverty?
A: Party organizations are ordering that measures be taken to help poverty-stricken people, but there’s no food available to make the measures effective. A work unit leader I know is going to wealthy households to borrow money and food, saying that he will pay them back after food aid comes from China. He is handing out this food and money to poverty-stricken households.
(to be continued in the next installment)
※ A “work unit leader” is someone who heads a workplace or neighborhood watch unit.
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
asiapress.org
14. No time to waste in global ‘semiconductor industry reshuffle’
Excerpt:
South Korea passed a special semiconductor law in March this year after turns and twists. However, due to problems including power supply concerns, it is already uncertain whether Samsung’s bid to complete a semiconductor cluster by 2023 can be achieved. Rival countries have entered a do-or-die battle to compress the period from investment decision to factory operation to two to three years. Amid this ’chip war,’ which has become an all-out battle between the world’s strongest players in chipmaking, stumbling even for a moment can quickly turn South Korea into an underdog.
No time to waste in global ‘semiconductor industry reshuffle’
donga.com
Posted May. 22, 2023 08:00,
Updated May. 22, 2023 08:00
No time to waste in global ‘semiconductor industry reshuffle’. May. 22, 2023 08:00. by Joong-Hyun Park sanjuck@donga.com.
The global semiconductor war, which was sparked by the signing of the Semiconductor Act by U.S. President Joe Biden in August last year, is increasingly intensifying. China, which is being checked by the U.S., is pumping massive amounts of funds into the chipmaking sector to secure ‘semiconductor independence.’ Both Taiwan, No. 1 in foundry chip making, and South Korea, No. 1 in memory chip production, have increased investment at home and abroad. Recently, Japan succeeded in attracting a number of global chipmakers to the country. At the same time, the U.K., which possesses fundamental technology for semiconductor design, has also jumped into the race to gain the upper hand.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported the total of investment pledged by Japanese and foreign chipmakers in Japan since 2021 has exceeded 2 trillion yen (14.5 billion U.S. dollars). Taiwan’s TSMC, which is receiving half of its investment in Japan from Tokyo through subsidies, is constructing a foundry plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. Micron, the world’s No. 3 memory chip maker, has also decided to invest 500 billion yen (approximately 360 million dollars) in Japan to produce DRAM chips. Samsung Electronics has decided to invest 300 billion won (225 million dollars) in Yokohama to establish an R&D center for the late-stage chipmaking process.
Japan, the No. 1 player in the global chip industry in the 1970s and 1980s, still has robust potential. The country is atop in the global basic materials market by controlling a 55 percent share of the market and is ranked No. 2 after the U.S. in semiconductor manufacturing equipment by taking up a 35 percent share. Japan is considered an ideal partner for the U.S.’ ‘Friend shoring’ that aims to build a supply network by forming an alliance with allies when compared with Taiwan, which is under China’s threat, and South Korea, which is exposed to risks from North Korea. U.S.-Japan cooperation is gaining momentum, with a possible merger between Japan's Kioxia, the world’s No. 2 NAND flash chip maker after Samsung, and U.S.’ Western Digital, No. 4.
The U.K. government has also pledged to invest about 248 million dollars in semiconductor R&D through 2025. The U.K.'s ARM designs 90% of the application processors, which function as the brains of smartphones, and is a semiconductor design powerhouse that Qualcomm, Alphabet, Apple, and others depend on. For this reason, the British government never allows ARM to be sold to another country, although SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is its majority shareholder.
South Korea passed a special semiconductor law in March this year after turns and twists. However, due to problems including power supply concerns, it is already uncertain whether Samsung’s bid to complete a semiconductor cluster by 2023 can be achieved. Rival countries have entered a do-or-die battle to compress the period from investment decision to factory operation to two to three years. Amid this ’chip war,’ which has become an all-out battle between the world’s strongest players in chipmaking, stumbling even for a moment can quickly turn South Korea into an underdog.
한국어
donga.com
15. 'Coalition of free world' to bring peace to Korean Peninsula: Yoon
Excerpts:
"All of the diplomatic actions which we pursue, should be based on the universal values of freedom, the rule of law and international norms, as well as on the spirit of our Constitution," Yoon said in a nationally televised speech.
"I am convinced that a solid coalition of the free world will help secure peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine, and will eventually bring out the victory of liberty."
'Coalition of free world' to bring peace to Korean Peninsula: Yoon
The Korea Times · May 23, 2023
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at his office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
President slams labor unions for overnight street rally
By Nam Hyun-woo
President Yoon Suk Yeol called Tuesday, for "a coalition of the free world," which he believes will eventually help to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine, signaling a push for stronger security relations with the United States and Japan.
Yoon made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting. He recalled discussions and achievements shared with global leaders in a flurry of diplomatic events on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan last week. There he reiterated the importance of a coalition with Western democracies, which share common values such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law.
"All of the diplomatic actions which we pursue, should be based on the universal values of freedom, the rule of law and international norms, as well as on the spirit of our Constitution," Yoon said in a nationally televised speech.
"I am convinced that a solid coalition of the free world will help secure peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine, and will eventually bring out the victory of liberty."
From May 17 to 22, Yoon held summits and meetings with leaders of 12 countries ― Canada, Australia, Vietnam, India, the United Kingdom, Japan, Comoros, Indonesia, Ukraine, Italy, Japan and the United States ― and the European Union in South Korea and Japan, on the occasion of his attendance at the G7 event in Hiroshima.
During the summits, Yoon reiterated South Korea's strong intention to stand by countries seeking freedom and the rule of law, asking for their support for Seoul's effort to deter North Korea's threats and echoing the condemnation by Western countries of Russia's aggression toward Ukraine.
The president said he engaged with the leaders with the constant aim of prioritizing security.
"During the G7 summit, I urged for a stronger coalition and cooperation between countries safeguarding freedom and the rule of law," Yoon said. "The leaders condemned North Korea's illegal actions ― which are contrary to the nuclear non-proliferation regime ― in a single voice as well as pledging their support for Seoul's efforts to strengthen its security."
During the G7 summit, Yoon had a brief meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Sunday. Although the content of their talks was not revealed, the three countries each released statements saying that they will strengthen trilateral security cooperation, which was viewed as a warning not only to North Korea but also to China.
"On the occasion of the summit, I reaffirmed the necessity for stronger trilateral security cooperation between the three countries with Biden and Kishida, and we decided to continue discussions," Yoon said.
"The trilateral security cooperation against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats will be upgraded, and the three countries' cooperation will naturally expand to advanced future technologies."
Yoon also stressed that the free world's strong support and effort to bring freedom and peace back to Ukraine are "a just measure against an illegal invasion."
"South Korea will be in solidarity with countries sharing the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, and make every possible support for securing peace in Ukraine and rebuilding its economy," Yoon said.
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions stage a rally in central Seoul, May 16, in a protest against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's labor policy. The rally continued until the following day, causing an inconvenience to the public. Yonhap
On the domestic front, Yoon slammed the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) for its overnight street rally last week, saying its actions infringed on people's freedoms and disturbed public order.
From Tuesday to Wednesday, approximately 25,000 KCTU members staged an overnight rally in protest against the Yoon administration's labor policy. In doing so, however, some members drank alcohol and caused a disturbance, but the police did not control them.
"Guaranteeing the freedom of assembly and demonstration does not mean infringements on another person's freedoms and basic rights, or acts that disturb the public order, are justified," Yoon said.
He blamed the previous Moon Jae-in administration, saying that effectively, it had given up its law enforcement duties concerning illegal rallies and demonstrations, leading to intolerable levels of inconvenience for the people.
"The KCTU's rally practices that infringed the public's freedom and basic rights will not be tolerated by the people … I urge police and government officials to strictly enforce the law against these illegal activities," Yoon said.
The Korea Times · May 23, 2023
16. N. Korea continues to release new smartphones despite border closure
We must penetrate this network.
N. Korea continues to release new smartphones despite border closure
The Madusan 222, for example, appears to have a fingerprint reader similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold
dailynk.com
An advertisement for the "Jindallae" phone. Daily NK was unable to confirm the exact model shown in the ad. (Daily NK)
North Korea has continued to release new smartphone models despite the closure of its borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the economic difficulties that have resulted, Daily NK has learned.
Recently, several reporting partners inside North Korea sent Daily NK a photo of an advertisement for North Korea’s “Jindallae” smartphone, along with information on the major performance specs of the Jindallae 400, Jindallae 9 and Madusan 222.
When exactly the phones in question were released remains unknown, but given that some of them incorporate the latest, previously unused technology and later versions of the Androi operating system, they appear to have been produced recently.
North Korea promotes the Jindallae as an indigenously developed smartphone, designed by the Mangyongdae Information Technology Corporation. The last released model was 2020’s Jindallae 7.
Daily NK could not determine the model of the Jindallae smartphone that appears in the photo of the ad, but its use of a pop-up camera is noteworthy. A popup camera remains hidden at the top of the phone, but pops up when the user uses the front camera. The phone featured a bezel-less display design. In particular, the ad says the camera passed a “100,000 use inspection” in response to the fragility of popup cameras.
The ad also says the camera has “four levels of artificial intelligence.” Considering this, it appears the smartphone has an AI camera. AI cameras do things such as automatically focusing on the subject and blurring the background in portrait shots, or ensuring properly lit photos in dark environments — for example, it the user photographs a flower, it might analyze the shape and color of the floor and automatically search for information, or if the camera detects text, it can extract and translate the information.
Moreover, Daily NK obtained performance information on other smartphone models that appear to be recently released.
According to the performance info, the Jindallae 400 has two versions: a standard one and an “expanded” one.
This ad provides information about the operating system on the Jindallae 7. (Daily NK)
Both models are 158.5×75.7×9.5mm, have 6.39-inch AMOLED displays with full HD (2340×1080/409ppi), MediaTek MT6785 8x Cortex-A73 2.3GHz processors, Android 11.0 operating systems (Rainbow 6.0) and 4500mAh batteries. Both weigh 215 grams.
The Rainbow 6.0 is the Jindallae’s exclusive UI system. The Jindallae 7 released in 2020 used Rainbow 4.0. It appears an updated version was released in the meantime.
The standard version of the Jindallae 400 has 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage, while the expanded version has 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage, while the front and rear cameras have 16MP and 48MP and 24MP and 64MP, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Jindallae 9 is 156.8×76.2×9.5mm, has a 6.22-inch screen (HD/720×1560), a MT6580 4X Cortex-A71 1.3GHz processor, Android 7.0 operating system (Rainbow 4.5) and a 4200mAh battery. It weighs 180 grams.
Given that the Jindallae 9 is less high-performance than the Jindallae 400, it appears to be a low-end smartphone. North Korea may be trying to maximize profits by releasing smartphones of various performances and prices to satisfy consumer demands.
The Madusan 222 smartphone developed by the Madusan Economic Federation is 168×76.8×8.6mm, has a 6.78-inch display (1080×2460), a MT6789(G99) 8Core, 2.2GHz processor and Android 12.0 operating system, along with a 4500mAh battery.
Given that it uses a more recent version of Android than the Madusan 217 model released in 2022, the Madusan 222 may be a new model released after the Madusan 217.
The striking thing about the Madusan 222 is that it can read thumbprints. Like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, the phone seems to have a fingerprint reader that can unlock the phone. Thus, North Korea appears to be releasing smartphones that incorporate the latest technology.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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