Quotes of the Day:

“We do not describe the world we see. We see the world we can describe.” 

- Rene Descartes

“Men judge generally more by the eye, then by the hand, for everyone can see if you can feel. Everyone sees what you appear to be, if you really know what you are.” 

- Niccolo Machiavelli

Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person, even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspective? Because if not, there's absolutely no point.” 

- Morgan Freeman

1. Austin Will Underscore U.S. Partnerships, Progress on Indo-Pacific Trip

2. Putin bringing Kim dangerously out of the cold

3. Austin Heads to Indo-Pacific as Space Race Heats Up on Korean Peninsula

4. ‘Day may come’ when North Korea will attack US to help Palestine: Hamas official

5. N. Korea warns of 'shower of shells,' military clashes over anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign

6.  S. Korea, IAEA discuss N.K. nuclear program in high-level policy talks

7. N. Korea slams upcoming S. Korea visit by Blinken, Austin

8. N. Korea to field multiple candidates to pick deputies for local assemblies

9. 32 pct of S. Koreans say unification with N. Korea unnecessary: poll

10. Blinken arrives in S. Korea for talks on N. Korea, alliance

11. Yoon to meet Kishida in U.S. next week on APEC sidelines: Kyodo

12. South Korea and the Neo-Cold War

13. Major South Korean Political Parties Signed Agreements with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

14. Polish ambassador highlights strong Korea-Poland ties, global responsibilities

15. N. Korea poised to have 'eye in the sky' to observe S. Korea

16. 'In North Korea, nobody knows Harvard, but almost everyone knows Oxford'

17. US Treasury removes Korea from currency manipulation watchlist

1. Austin Will Underscore U.S. Partnerships, Progress on Indo-Pacific Trip

And will attend the 55th Security Consultation Meeting in Seoul. But here is the buried lede:

Following the security meeting, the U.S. and South Korea are expected to release a defense vision statement to further showcase the breadth of the alliance. 

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3581516/austin-will-underscore-us-partnerships-progress-on-indo-pacific-trip/#:~:text=Following%20the%20security%20meeting%2C%20the%20U.S.%20and%20South%20Korea%20are%20expected%20to%20release%20a%20defense%20vision%20statement%20to%20further%20showcase%20the%20breadth%20of%20the%20alliance.%20%C2%A0

What will be in this new vision? What I will be especially looking for and what I hope to see is that the ROK/US combined military will declare military support to the political endstae - of the acceptable durable political arrangement that will support, protect, and advance ROK/US alliance interests on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia. This is the support to the pursuit of a free and unified Korea.  Following war or regime collapse or some other contingency is this the end state that the military must support the political process of unification.? The military must conduct military operations in support of the political objective. A military operation is only victorious or successful if it accomplishes the political object. Or will the military fall back on the tired pablum of denuclearization and military defeat of the nKPA if Kim Jong Un attacks. 

To me this is the most important result to look for from the SCS. DOD and MND must acknowledge the key points of the Biden Yoon Summit in April and the Camp David Summit in August. We have definitive statements that their presidents (and prime minister in August) are calling for a free and unified Korea. As a military planner I take what the Commander in Chief says as an order. Will the SECDEF and MINDEF and the uniformed military accept the direction (or orders )from their Commanders in Chief and address how the military will support their nations’ political objectives which is what successful military operations do- they accomplish the political objective set by the commander in chief. 

These should be accepted as orders by the military. Failure to do so means the militaries are not completely doing their jobs. 

●“Buried Lede” – 26 Words

●"The two presidents are committed to build a better future for all Korean people and support a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace." 

●https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/04/26/leaders-joint-statement-in-commemoration-of-the-70th-anniversary-of-the-alliance-between-the-united-states-of-america-and-the-republic-of-korea/

●Spirit of Camp David

●“We express support for the goal of the ROK’s Audacious Initiative and support a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.”

●https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/08/18/the-spirit-of-camp-david-joint-statement-of-japan-the-republic-of-korea-and-the-united-states/

●Camp David Principles:

●“We support a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.”

●https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/08/18/camp-david-principles/

Austin Will Underscore U.S. Partnerships, Progress on Indo-Pacific Trip

defense.gov · by Joseph Clark

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will underscore the United States' deep commitment to its allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific as he embarks on his ninth official visit to the region later this week, senior defense officials said today.

The trip includes stops in India, South Korea and Indonesia, where the secretary will meet with his regional counterparts and attend a series of engagements showcasing the growing cooperation among the U.S. and its allies.

Pass and Review

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is welcomed to the Philippine Department of National Defense in Manila, Philippines, Feb. 2, 2023. Austin is traveling to Asia to meet with senior government and military leaders in Korea and the Philippines to advance regional stability, further strengthen the defense partnerships and reaffirm the deep commitment of the United States to work in concert with allies and partners in support of the shared vision of preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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Photo By: Chad McNeeley, DOD

VIRIN: 230202-D-TT977-0298

"Every stop on this trip will highlight how the department continues to do more than ever alongside its allies and partners to deliver a shared regional vision of peace, stability and prosperity," an official said while previewing the trip from the Pentagon.

"Next week, you will see just how diverse the region's security architecture really is and the depth of our commitment across the board," the official said.

While in India, Austin will meet with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh as the two countries progress on expanding their defense industrial cooperation and enhancing interoperability through the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem, or INDUS-X.

Over the summer, the U.S. and India released their road map for the strategic partnership, which identified key areas for cooperation between the countries' defense industrial sectors. Those include cooperation on technology related to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, undersea domain awareness, air combat and support, munitions systems and mobility.

Austin and Singh will also discuss U.S. and Indian defense interoperability, including bilateral exercises focused on the Indian Ocean and multilateral engagements with other partners in the region.

The defense leaders will also participate in an expanded dialogue alongside Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar in New Delhi.

Austin Arrival

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III arrives at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 31, 2023.

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Following their meeting, Austin and Blinken will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While in South Korea, Austin will meet with South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik and other senior leaders as part of the 55th annual Security Consultative Meeting and the United Nations Command inaugural meeting of member states' defense ministers.

"While meeting with our South Korean allies, the secretary will reinforce the ironclad commitment to the security of the Republic of Korea, including through the full arsenal of our capabilities, including extended deterrence," a senior defense official said.

The visit will take place as U.S. and South Korea mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance this year. That alliance, the official said, remains an "important linchpin of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific."

Following the security meeting, the U.S. and South Korea are expected to release a defense vision statement to further showcase the breadth of the alliance.

"This is critical given the recent activities by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [North Korea], and Secretary Austin will state that the Department of Defense is fully committed to the denuclearization of the DPRK," the official said referring to North Korea by its formal name.

While in South Korea, Austin will honor U.S. and South Korean veterans in a ceremony marking Veterans Day.

Talisman Sabre

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who also serves as defense minister, visit U.S. and Australian service members participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre in Townsville, Australia, July 30, 2023.

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In Indonesia, Austin will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministerial Meeting-Plus, which includes representation from China, Russia, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand in addition to the 10 ASEAN member states and the U.S. Timor Leste will also attend this year's ADMM-Plus in observer capacity for the first time.

"In terms of the secretary's engagement with ASEAN and our Southeast Asian partners, a big focus of our discussion in the plenary will be the support for ASEAN capacity building and, specifically, how we are helping with our people-to-people ties," a defense official said.

Those areas include a new, emerging leaders defense program and a new gender adviser initiative that the U.S. will support alongside ASEAN partners.

During his engagements, Austin is also expected to address shared concerns around regional security.

Officials said Austin's trip throughout the region will further underscore how the U.S. and its regional allies are meeting what is a pivotal moment in the Indo-Pacific.

"Whether we're in New Delhi or Seoul [South Korea] or Jakarta [Indonesia] over the next week and a half, that's a major through line you will see," one official said. "We believe we are delivering results with our partners."

Spotlight: Focus on Indo-Pacific Spotlight: Focus on Indo-Pacific: https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/Focus-on-Indo-Pacific/

defense.gov · by Joseph Clark

2. Putin bringing Kim dangerously out of the cold

Excerpts:

Moscow may become a willing suitor, providing the North with critical non-nuclear weapons and technology such as reconnaissance satellites and fighter jets. Russia and North Korea could even stage joint military drills, a possibility hinted at even prior to Kim’s visit.

The years ahead will see a return to the Cold War era when Moscow and Beijing acted as guarantors of Pyongyang’s security. But this time the division of roles will be different.

China will stay on as Pyongyang’s main economic benefactor and diplomatic protector while Russia plays the role of the North’s main military partner. Moscow will be happy with such a role if only because it has little to lose with Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.

Putin bringing Kim dangerously out of the cold

Putin-Kim summit signaled new era of ties that could include joint military exercises to pressure S Korea for supporting Ukraine

asiatimes.com · by Artyom Lukin · November 8, 2023

From September 12-17, 2023, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un made an official visit to the Russian Far East. Compared to his first trip, which took place from April 24-26, 2019, the voyage was both longer and more extensive. Kim’s itinerary left little doubt that a major focus of his visit was to promote military and technological links with Russia.

Kim held a one-day summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vostochny. The Russian host gave his North Korean guest a tour of the spaceport, highlighting Russia’s main rockets, Soyuz and Angara. Kim then proceeded to an aviation center in Komsomolsk-on-Amur where some of Russia’s most advanced warplanes are manufactured.

The final leg of his tour across the Russian Far East was Vladivostok, where Kim spent two full days. He visited an airbase where he was shown an array of Russia’s fighter jets and strategic bombers. The North Korean leader was also hosted aboard a guided-missile frigate.

Not much is known about the substance of the Putin–Kim talks at Vostochny. No joint statement was released and no agreements were signed. Putin and other Russian officials made clear that ‘all issues’, including the possibility of bilateral military cooperation, were discussed. North Korea presented the visit as a milestone in “strengthening strategic and tactical cooperation between the two countries.”

The Kim-Putin summit was followed up by dispatching Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov to Pyongyang in October, which coincided with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Lavrov held talks with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui and was given an audience with Kim Jong Un.

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The Russian foreign minister called Moscow’s relations with Pyongyang a “strategic, all-encompassing partnership.” This was apparently the first time the Kremlin had publicly used the term “strategic” to describe bilateral cooperation with North Korea.

Several factors are driving Russia and North Korea closer together. Apart from Syria, North Korea is the only United Nations member that recognizes Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as Russian territories. North Korea’s willingness to openly defy the West and speak in support of Russia has its own value for Moscow.

Russia is skeptical that South Korea is providing only ‘non-lethal’ supplies to Ukraine. Photo: Asia Times Files / AFP / South Korea Air Force

There is little doubt that Moscow’s embrace of Pyongyang is also motivated by South Korea’s support for Ukraine. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has emerged as one of the major international backers of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Despite Seoul’s assertions that it only provides non-lethal aid to Ukraine, it is an open secret that South Korean artillery shells, officially sent to backfill US weapons depots, are highly likely to end up killing Russian troops on the Ukrainian frontlines.

There are also economic calculations behind the Moscow-Pyongyang engagement. North Korean labor in exchange for Russian cash and commodities would be the most logical area for commercial partnership.

The possibility of North Korean arms deliveries to Russia is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Kim’s summit with Putin, although both North Korea and Russia deny that this was on the table. In any case, North Korean weapons, even if they do arrive in Russia, would at most play an auxiliary role in Ukraine.

Pyongyang may have short-term commercial considerations, such as receiving Russian cash, oil and food in exchange for labor and munitions. But it is a long-term balance-of-power calculation that likely appeals most to Kim.

Nuclear weapons have made it possible for North Korea to feel secure in its strategic solitude. But like all weapons, nuclear weapons are susceptible to technological change. Pyongyang faces the grave risk that its nuclear weapons may be trumped by new emerging weapons. Its most cutting-edge delivery vehicles are already woefully outdated by US and Russian standards.

North Korea’s conventional forces are no match for the combined might of the US–South Korea alliance nor in any way equipped to handle a new era of highly accurate weapons, remote sensing and powerful artificial intelligence.

Nuclear weapons may, for now, provide Pyongyang with a deterrent against head-on aggression, but they are useless in most other crisis scenarios. Kim Jong-un cannot use his nuclear weapons in a war he expects to win.

The emergence of a US-South Korea-Japan coalition, epitomized by the recent trilateral summit at Camp David, makes the situation even more worrying for North Korea.

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There is no realistic way for North Korea to close the widening gap in modern warfighting capabilities on its own. The only way to address the increasingly precarious balance of military power is to look for strategic allies.

North Korean troops see off Kim Jong Un as he leaves for a September meeting with Vladimir Putin. Photo: KCNA

Moscow may become a willing suitor, providing the North with critical non-nuclear weapons and technology such as reconnaissance satellites and fighter jets. Russia and North Korea could even stage joint military drills, a possibility hinted at even prior to Kim’s visit.

The years ahead will see a return to the Cold War era when Moscow and Beijing acted as guarantors of Pyongyang’s security. But this time the division of roles will be different.

China will stay on as Pyongyang’s main economic benefactor and diplomatic protector while Russia plays the role of the North’s main military partner. Moscow will be happy with such a role if only because it has little to lose with Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.

Artyom Lukin is Associate Professor and Deputy Director for Research at the School of Regional and International Studies, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok.

asiatimes.com · by Artyom Lukin · November 8, 2023

3. Austin Heads to Indo-Pacific as Space Race Heats Up on Korean Peninsula

The Koreans in the South are winning.

Austin Heads to Indo-Pacific as Space Race Heats Up on Korean Peninsula

airandspaceforces.com · by Unshin Harpley · November 7, 2023

Nov. 7, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

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Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III embarks this weekend on his ninth trip to the Indo-Pacific theater, with visits set for India, South Korea, and Indonesia. Austin’s visit follows the announcement last week that South Korea’s first-ever reconnaissance satellite will be launched into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Nov. 30.

Austin’s trip will take him, among other meetings, to the 55th U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) and the Defense Ministers’ Meeting of the United Nations Command in South Korea, the Pentagon said in a Nov. 7 release.

Seoul’s first recon satellite is one of five planned by the Republic of Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Known as Project 425 and begun in 2018, the $900 million program aims to include four Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites and a fifth featuring electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) capabilities.

The satellites are key to Korea’s “Kill Chain” strategy, designed to counter North Korean missile attacks through early detection and preemptive strikes. Some experts worry, however, that the two Koreas are too close and that the decision window for launching such strikes is too short, inviting error and disaster.

Eric Brewer, deputy vice president for the Nuclear Materials Security Program at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, said the South’s Kill Chain strategy has already forced Pyongyang to accelerate its nuclear launch procedures, increasing risk.

“The end result is that warning times for our thinking and decision-making timelines are drastically reduced, which raises the risks of nuclear use in a conflict,” Brewer said Nov. 6 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

U.S. missile restriction guidelines imposed in 1979 had kept South Korea from launching its own satellites until the U.S. lifted those restrictions in 2021. Once the entire constellation is in place in the mid-2020s, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense expects to be able to detect, identify, decide, and strike within 30 minutes of an initial indicator.

North Korea, meanwhile, is turning up the heat on its own satellite intelligence program. North Korea promised its third spy satellite launch in October, but that appears so far to not have occurred. Pyongyang previously failed in two successive launch attempts, in May and August this year.

Russia, which is buying artillery rounds from North Korea, may be helping with its space program. On Nov. 6, South Korea’s Unification Minister asserted Russia may be providing technical support, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles in late summer, ahead of Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia for meetings with Vladimir Putin there on Sept. 13.

Austin’s trip to South Korea, meanwhile, continues U.S. efforts to deter aggressors in the region and strengthen U.S. alliances.

Space

Technology

airandspaceforces.com · by Unshin Harpley · November 7, 2023

4. ‘Day may come’ when North Korea will attack US to help Palestine: Hamas official

​Exactly what Kim has been hoping to hear.

‘Day may come’ when North Korea will attack US to help Palestine: Hamas official

https://www.nknews.org/2023/11/day-may-come-when-north-korea-will-attack-us-to-help-palestine-hamas-official/

Foreign affairs head praises DPRK as ally that can strike America, but expert says remarks are ‘wishful thinking’

Joe Smith November 8, 2023

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Kim Jong Un oversees a missile test aboard a navy warship in Aug. 2023 | Image: KCNA

The “day may come” when North Korea intervenes to help Palestine by attacking the U.S., a senior Hamas official has warned, describing Pyongyang as part of a growing alliance of Washington’s enemies.

In an interview with a Lebanese YouTube channel last week, Hamas’ head of external relations Ali Baraka praised DPRK leader Kim Jong Un as “perhaps the only one in the world capable of striking the United States.”

“Iran does not have weapons that can reach America … North Korea, however, does have the capability to strike America. The day may come, when North Korea intervenes, because it is, after all, part of [our] alliance,” he said, according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

Baraka made the comments in response to a question about reports that Kim Jong Un ordered officials to “comprehensively aid Palestine” following the outbreak of the conflict between Hamas and Israel last month.

Avram Agov, a professor in the Asian Studies department at Langara College, told NK News that Baraka’s remarks are “wishful thinking.”

He compared the comments to when “Russian propagandists” claimed North Korea would send troops to help their fight against Ukraine. 

“Of course, none of this was true,” Agov said.

Gabriela Bernal, a Korean affairs analyst and Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Korean Studies, said that the DPRK has the capability to attack the U.S. with its long-range nuclear missiles but that the likelihood it would do so is “very slim,” especially without the U.S. striking first.

She added that while Pyongyang has a history of arming Palestinian groups, North Korea “will only ever get involved (in anything) if there is some benefit to gain.”

Rather than attack the U.S., the DPRK is more likely to sell “more weapons to Hamas in exchange for foreign currency,” according to Bernal.

“It’s very possible especially if you look at North Korea’s close ties with other players in the region such as Syria and Iran, both of which could help facilitate arms transfers to Palestine,” she said.

A screenshot of Ali Baraka, Hamas head of external relations, during his interview on Thursday with Lebanese media | Image: SpotShot Video

Analysis of images shared by the Israel Defence Forces in October suggested that Hamas used North Korean rocket grenades in its surprise attack on Israel. 

But experts assessed that Hamas may have acquired the weapons indirectly through a third country like Iran, and DPRK state media denied that it had sold the weapons to Hamas, claiming that “fake media organizations” and “quasi-experts” had been responsible for spreading “baseless rumors.”

Since Hamas’ surprise attack last month, North Korean state media has castigated Israel for “ceaseless criminal acts” and repeatedly criticized U.S. support for Israel, while pointedly ignoring the role of the Palestinian militants.

Yet while the DPRK has long refused to recognize Israel, it has taken a more evasive stance toward the rivalry between Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, according to scholar Balazs Szalontai.

In a recent analysis for NK Pro, he wrote that “North Korea is more likely to support Hamas’ latest campaign against Israel by covert means (as it did in 2009 and afterward) than to openly advocate its cause.”

Edited by Bryan Betts

5. N. Korea warns of 'shower of shells,' military clashes over anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign

Information is an existential threat to the regime. The 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry recognized that the regime's forced information isolation of the Korean people in the north is a human rights abuse. We have a moral obligation to get information to the 25 million Korean people suffering in the north.

A response to the regime's provocations and blackmail diplomacy:

§First, do not overreact. Always call out Kim Jong-un's strategy As Sun Tzu would advise- “ …what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy’s strategy; … next best is to disrupt his alliances.” Make sure the international community, the press, the public in the ROK and the U.S. and the elite, and the Korean people living in the North know what Kim is doing.

§Second, never ever back down in the face of North Korean increased tension, threats, and provocations.

§Third, coordinate an alliance response. There may be times when a good cop-bad cop approach is appropriate.  Try to mitigate the internal domestic political criticisms that will inevitably occur in Seoul and DC. Do not let those criticisms negatively influence policy and actions.

§Fourth, exploit weakness in North Korea - create internal pressure on Kim and the regime from his elite and military. Always work to drive a wedge among the party, elite, and military (which is a challenge since they are all intertwined and inextricably linked).

§Fifth, demonstrate strength and resolve. Do not be afraid to show military strength. Never misunderstand the North’s propaganda - do not give in to demands to reduce exercises or take other measures based on North Korean demands that would in any way reduce the readiness of the combined military forces. The North does not want an end to the exercises because they are a threat, they want to weaken the alliance and force U.S. troops from the peninsula which will be the logical result if they are unable to effectively train.

§Sixth, depending on the nature of the provocation, be prepared to initiate a decisive response using the most appropriate tools, e.g., diplomatic, military, economic, information and influence activities, cyber, etc. or a combination.

North Korea’s Ballistic Missile Test: A 6-Step Strategy To Respond

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/01/north-koreas-ballistic-missile-test-a-6-step-strategy-to-respond/

North

(LEAD) N. Korea warns of 'shower of shells,' military clashes over anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · November 8, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with English-language statement by KCNA, background throughout)

By Kim Soo-yeon

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korea threatened Wednesday to "pour a shower of shells" into South Korea over anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets in the latest bellicose rhetoric amid lingering tensions on the divided peninsula.

In September, South Korea's Constitutional Court struck down a law banning the cross-border leaflet campaign, saying it excessively restricts the right to freedom of expression.

The Ministry of Unification, which handles inter-Korean affairs in Seoul, has launched a procedure to repeal the guidelines banning floating balloons carrying propaganda leaflets in all areas of South Korea.

This undated photo, provided by Fighters for Free North Korea, shows one of the balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets that the North Korean defectors' group claimed it sent toward North Korea across the inter-Korean border. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) warned that the psychological warfare, including the anti-Pyongyang leafleting campaign, will act as a "detonator" for the end of South Korea.

"It is the stand of the enraged revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK to pour a shower of shells into the bulwark of the region of south Korean puppets as well as the base of leaflet-scattering by surpassing the previous counteraction," Kim Yun-mi, a North Korean commentator, said in an English-language article carried by the KCNA.

Kim called the leafleting campaign high-level psychological warfare and a preemptive attack conducted before the start of war.

"There is no guarantee such military conflicts as in Europe and the Middle East would not break out on the Korean peninsula," Kim said, apparently referring to Russia's war in Ukraine and the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas.

For years, North Korean defectors in the South and conservative activists have sent leaflets to the North via balloon to help encourage North Koreans to eventually rise up against the Pyongyang regime.

North Korea has bristled at the propaganda campaign amid concern that an influx of outside information could pose a threat to its leader Kim Jong-un.

In 2014, the two Koreas exchanged machine gun fire across the border after the North apparently tried to shoot down balloons carrying propaganda leaflets critical of North Korea.

North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in the North's border town of Kaesong in 2020 in anger over anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets sent via balloon by North Korean defectors in Seoul.

In the runup to the destruction of the office, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim, threatened to scrap the 2018 no-hostility military pact with South Korea and demanded South Korea's legislation of a law to stop the sending of leaflets.

In December 2020, South Korea's parliament passed the so-called anti-leaflet act, which stipulates violators can face a maximum prison term of three years or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$23,000).

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · November 8, 2023

6.  S. Korea, IAEA discuss N.K. nuclear program in high-level policy talks

Remember that the ROK chooses to be a peaceful nuclear power. It has 24 nuclear power plants and exports nuclear power around the world. It certainly has the technical capabilities to develop nuclear weapons if it chose to.

(LEAD) S. Korea, IAEA discuss N.K. nuclear program in high-level policy talks | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · November 8, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 5-6)

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held regular high-level policy talks Wednesday and discussed North Korea's nuclear program and other areas of cooperation, the foreign ministry said.

Park Yong-min, the deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, met with Massimo Aparo, deputy director general of the IAEA, in Seoul for their 12th round of the meeting earlier in the day, the ministry said in a release.

The two sides discussed joint efforts to strengthen readiness for verifying North Korea's nuclear program and stepping up cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

According to the ministry, Aparo stressed the IAEA is strictly maintaining its readiness for verification of the program.

Separately, Aparo also held talks with Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and voiced "deep concerns" over North Korea's continued nuclear activities in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Kim stressed that South Korea has emerged as a nuclear powerhouse that exports nuclear reactors abroad with its peaceful use of nuclear energy, while the North has continued with its illicit development of nuclear weapons, even threatening to stage a preemptive nuclear strike, according to the ministry.

Seoul and the IAEA have held the high-level talks annually since 2013 as part of efforts to promote bilateral communication and cooperation in nuclear safeguards.

Park Yong-min (R), Seoul's deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, shakes hands with Massimo Aparo, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency ahead of their high-level policy consultations on Nov. 8, 2023, in this photo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

julesyi@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · November 8, 2023

7. N. Korea slams upcoming S. Korea visit by Blinken, Austin

The regime "slams" the visit because it demonstrates both the importance of Korea to the US and international community and the respect the ROK commands. It also shows the strength of the ROK to be an ally and treated as an equal partner with the US.

(LEAD) N. Korea slams upcoming S. Korea visit by Blinken, Austin | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · November 8, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with English-language commentary)

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Wednesday denounced upcoming visits to Seoul by top U.S. officials, branding them as a "field inspection" by "warmongers."

The North's criticism came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to arrive here later in the day for talks on North Korea, the alliance and regional issues, amid growing concerns over the North's closer military ties with Russia.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is set to visit Seoul next week for annual bilateral defense ministerial talks and attend an inaugural defense ministerial meeting, involving the member states of the United Nations Command, a U.S.-led multinational force established to support South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War.

"This provocative act reminds one of the visits of the warmongers for field inspection to ignite the second Korean war," Kim Myong-chol, an international affairs critic, said in an English-language commentary carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

The commentator claimed that the upcoming visits by "uninvited guests," in an apparent reference to Blinken and Austin, will bring about a "new war cloud" in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Whether or not a new geopolitical crisis hastening the end of the U.S. will be created in the Asia-Pacific region entirely depends on the U.S. behavior," Kim said.

This undated EPA file photo shows a North Korean flag. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · November 8, 2023

8. N. Korea to field multiple candidates to pick deputies for local assemblies

​Maybe the DPRK is going to honor the name democratic in its name. It must be that they do not like my criticism that north Korea (with a deliberate lowercase "n") is neither democratic nor a republic and it certainly does not belong to the people.

But I want to see an opposition candidate to Kim Jong Un in their next "election."

(LEAD) N. Korea to field multiple candidates to pick deputies for local assemblies | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · November 8, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 4, 8, 9)

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has revised an election law to recommend multiple candidates to pick new deputies for local assemblies in a move seen as aimed at diverting criticism that elections in the North are a formality.

In some constituencies, North Korea plans to field two candidates for picking deputies for local elections set for Nov. 26, after taking into account various factors, such as regions, jobs and gender, the Minju Choson, the North's Cabinet newspaper, reported Wednesday.

The move appears to intend to introduce competition in the election system, albeit on a rudimentary level, as the ruling Workers' Party has handpicked one candidate per electoral district so far. Still, there will be some precincts filing a single candidate.

The North will review qualifications of multiple candidates, such as loyalty and revolutionary mindset, and pick final candidates for local deputies via a preliminary vote, the paper said.

This file photo, captured from footage of North Korea's state-run Korea Central Television on July 22, 2019, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (R) casting a ballot for elections to pick new deputies of local assemblies the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Facing international criticisms that the repressive regime has long limited the suffrage of its people, North Korea seems to have revised the election system in a bid to ease people's complaints amid prolonged economic difficulties, according to experts.

North Korea earlier announced a plan to hold elections in late November to choose new deputies for local assemblies of provinces, cities and counties across the nation.

The local elections are held every four years, and the number of seats is determined by the population of each area. But the elections are widely viewed as a formality as the candidates are hand-picked by the North's ruling party and rubber-stamped into office.

Kim In-tae, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank affiliated with South Korea's National Intelligence Service, said those who receive support from ordinary people, such as workers and farmers, could be included as candidates for new deputies.

"On the surface, the revision in the election system appears to have some elements of improvement. But it would serve as measures to strengthen the Kim Jong-un regime, given qualifications of candidates and other details," he said.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · November 8, 2023

9. 32 pct of S. Koreans say unification with N. Korea unnecessary: poll

Or does that mean 68% do think it is necessary. I would bet a deeper dive into the 32% might reveal a lack of knowledge about unification and north Korea in general. In my two weeks in Korea this summer talking to graduate students in about 9 different schools, I learned from some students that they had no thoughts about unification until they started studying the issues and process and as they learned more about it they became very enthusiastic about pursuing a free and unified Korea.

Some other interesting data in this poll as well.

32 pct of S. Koreans say unification with N. Korea unnecessary: poll | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · November 8, 2023

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- A record 32 percent of South Koreans said unification with North Korea is unnecessary, a survey showed Wednesday, as inter-Korean relations remain frosty amid the North's persistent military threats.

The figure from a poll of 1,000 adults conducted by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) from Sept. 15-17 marked the highest level since the organization began compiling the data in the first quarter of 2015.

The PUAC, a presidential consultative body set up to draw up policies on democratic and peaceful unification, conducts the survey every quarter to gauge public opinion on unification.

Those who perceived the North as a hostile force that should be handled with vigilance came in at 48 percent, higher than 42 percent who viewed the recalcitrant regime as a partner for cooperation and beneficiary of support.

This May 10, 2023, file photo shows the road that connects the South Korean border city of Paju to the now-shuttered Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North's namesake city. (Yonhap)

In an assessment of the current security situation, 52.3 percent said it is unstable, compared with 42.6 percent who said it is stable.

On the South Korea-United States alliance that marked its 70th anniversary this year, 44.3 percent said the alliance should be expanded, followed by 36.9 percent who said it should be maintained at the current level. Only 16 percent said it should be reduced.

The respondents expressed concerns over North Korea and Russia's growing military ties.

Some 71.4 percent said they were worried about the possibility of their arms transfer and joint military drills, with 42.3 percent saying they are "very" concerned about the situation.

South Korean military officials estimated about 2,000 containers of military equipment and munitions were shipped from North Korea's northeastern port of Rajin to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East, which is sharply up from 1,000 containers revealed by the White House on Oct. 13, citing satellite imagery taken in September.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · November 8, 2023

10. Blinken arrives in S. Korea for talks on N. Korea, alliance

(LEAD) Blinken arrives in S. Korea for talks on N. Korea, alliance | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · November 8, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES story as Blinken arrives; CHANGES photo)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for talks on North Korea, alliance and regional issues amid growing concerns over the North's closer military ties with Russia.

Blinken landed at the U.S. Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, late at night, flying in from Tokyo where he attended a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministerial meeting.

It marks his first trip to Seoul since the launch of the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol in May 2022, and first in nearly 2 1/2 years after his last visit here for a "two plus two" meeting of the foreign and defense chiefs.

On Thursday, Blinken will hold bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Park Jin and meet with top security officials in Seoul. He is also expected to pay a courtesy call on Yoon.

His visit comes amid concerns that Pyongyang is in the final stage of preparations to make a third attempt to put a military spy satellite into orbit, after its failed attempts in May and August.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he arrives at the U.S. Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 8, 2023. Blinken is here on a two-day trip for talks with his South Korean counterpart, Foreign Minister Park Jin, and other top Seoul officials to discuss North Korea, the alliance and other issues. (Yonhap)

South Korea suspects Russia's involvement in the technical assistance for the test launch, as part of an arms deal at the rare September summit between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The United States revealed last month that Pyongyang provided Moscow with a large amount of military equipment and munitions for use in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Blinken is expected to discuss ways to respond to the expanding military cooperation between the North and Russia and the North's continued nuclear and missile threats.

He will likely use the trip to reaffirm Washington's commitment to defending its key Asian ally against security threats posed by the North and highlight the U.S.' steadfast strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific, even amid the Israel-Hamas war and other global challenges.

China-related issues could be discussed ahead of a highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco, set for later this month.

Also on the table will be the Israel-Hamas conflict, as Washington is bolstering diplomacy to prevent the war from spreading and to facilitate humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.

Before coming to Asia, Blinken had a marathon trip through the Middle East region, where he pushed for those two objectives.

He will fly out of Seoul on Thursday and head for India, the last leg of his Asia swing, before returning home.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · November 8, 2023

11. Yoon to meet Kishida in U.S. next week on APEC sidelines: Kyodo

Keep talking.

Yoon to meet Kishida in U.S. next week on APEC sidelines: Kyodo | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Oh Seok-min · November 8, 2023

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the United States next week on the sidelines of the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, a Japanese media report said Wednesday.

Yoon and Kishida are "likely to reaffirm their cooperation in dealing with North Korea's nuclear and missile programs" during the meeting in San Francisco, and "will also both visit Stanford University to deliver speeches on Nov. 17," Japan's Kyodo News said in its English-language report, citing government sources.

Earlier in the day, South Korea's presidential office said Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee will depart next Wednesday for a three-day visit to San Francisco, during which the president will attend a summit of the 21-member APEC forum and hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

According to the report, the two leaders will brief the audience about their diplomatic ties, as well as trilateral cooperation with the U.S. on security and other issues during their speeches.

In August, Yoon and Kishida joined U.S. President Joe Biden at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David, during which they agreed to enhance three-way cooperation on cybersecurity and North Korean issues, among other matters.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida talk in New Delhi in this file photo taken Sept. 10, 2023, on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in India. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

graceoh@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Oh Seok-min · November 8, 2023

12. South Korea and the Neo-Cold War

Tue, Nov 07, 2023 page8

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2023/11/07/2003808788

South Korea and the Neo-Cold War

• By Taewoo Kim
• 
  
•  
•  
• When explaining the Israel-Palestine conflict, two analytical frameworks can be applied. One is the traditional framework of “complex national, religious, and territorial conflicts” between the two, and the other is a new framework termed the “Global Neo-Cold War.” Both frameworks are necessary these days, as the world has long entered a “Neo-Cold War” era, characterized by challenges orchestrated by the “Axis of Tyrannies” that seek to alter the “status quo” by force from the existing international order led by democratic nations.
• Under the latter framework, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula can be considered four major potential flashpoints, where authoritarian powers seek to alter the “status quo” through force.
• In Eastern Europe, Russia is attempting such a change in Ukraine, while in the Middle East Islamic forces are challenging the “status quo” by exporting Islamic revolutions in a bid to reignite pan-Islamism, deny Western influence in the region and the existence of Israel.
• In Asia, concerns are increasing over China’s military capabilities pointed at the Taiwan Strait. On the Korean Peninsula, North Korea seeks to alter the Korean “status quo” through nuclear threats. The hermit kingdom, which now is undeniably the ninth nuclear power in the world, is threatening “first use of nukes” against South Korea. playing flashy nuclear games to neutralize the South Korea-US alliance, the largest obstacle to juche unification.
• Seen from the “Neo-Cold War” framework, Hamas’ “Tufan al-Aqsa Operation” — an anti-Israel air-land operation on Oct. 7 which demonstrated a level of sophistication and precision beyond Hamas’ capabilities — seems to be a “calculated adventure” staged by Hamas according to a script written by Iran and sponsored by the Axis of Tyranny countries and anti-Israeli militias in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, etc.
• Now the conflict is escalating, as Israel has begun a military response and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is worsening, complicating international efforts toward reaching an immediate ceasefire. Thus, the question of whether this conflict will escalate beyond the Middle East has significant implications not only for the Neo-Cold War strategic landscape but also for the “flashpoint” regions.
• If the crisis leads to a”clash of civilizations” — in which a reunited Islamic world confronts Israel and its Western supporters, then Russia and China, as well as Hamas, would be beneficiaries.
• Escalation of the Israel-Hamas war would deepen the insecurity of Taiwan and South Korea. It would add to Taiwan’s difficulty in resisting China’s “one China” ambitions, and it would deteriorate South Korea’s nuclear security.
• North Korea, as Pyongyang claims, is armed with fission and fusion bombs and possesses a variety of delivery means, including short and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, ICBMs, hypersonic missiles etc. Recently, it has launched a submarine operating tactical nukes. North Korea, showing off its growing nuclear prowess, threatens de facto “pre-emptive nuclear use” against South Korea while undermining the US’ commitment to its extended deterrence. North Korea nught believe that Washington would not intervene in a second Korean War if the conflict in Gaza escalated into a major international war, especially given the US’ already significant material support to Ukraine, depleting the US’ defense stocks.
• If the communist regime in Pyongyang mistakenly judges that they have a“window of opportunity,” war clouds would quickly gather over the Korean Peninsula.
• This situation behooves the two allies, the US and South Korea, to discuss ways to deter such a misjudgment. This is why South Korean strategists — actively discussing what their country can do to independently deal with North Korea’s threats — would like the US and its allies to view the Israel-Hamas war through a Neo-Cold War lens. In other words, to view the conflict as having possible repercussions on the other side of the globe. Undoubtedly, how to stop the Israel-Hamas war, engineer a ceasefire and prevent the internationalization of the conflict would be Washington’s priorities.
• Nevertheless, many South Koreans want Washington not to lose sight of what pariah states in other parts of the world are capable of. In the case of North Korea: the continuation of nuclear weapons development, missile launches, defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, alongside the incapacitation of the council through veto power misuse from Axis of Tyranny nations and shaking the global nuclear nonproliferation regime, resulting in a never-ending nuclear nightmare for South Koreans.
• Taewoo Kim is senior research fellow of nuclear security research at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs.

13. Major South Korean Political Parties Signed Agreements with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

This is not in the media. Thanks to Dr Tara O and her diligent research. Photos at the link below.

I have often described north Korea's subversion activities against the South as an ideological war about values. I guess we have to had CCP "values" in support fo the Kim family regime's values while both are working to subvert South Korean society and the ROK government.

What is subversion?

§The Undermining Of The Power And Authority Of An Established System Or Institution.

§As In: "The Ruthless Subversion Of Democracy"

§Ideological War – A Choice Between:

§Shared ROK/U.S. Values

§Freedom And Individual Liberty, Liberal Democracy, Rule Of Law, Free Market Economy, And Human Rights

§Kim Family Regime (KFR) “Values”

§Juche/Kimilsungism, Socialist Workers Paradise, Songun, Songbun, Byungjin, Rule BY Law, And Denial Of Human Rights To Sustain KFR Power

§NK Engages In Active Subversion Of The ROK As Well As The ROK/U.S. Alliance

Home  >  China / Influence Operations / South Korea / Subversion

Major South Korean Political Parties Signed Agreements with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

https://eastasiaresearch.org/2023/11/05/major-south-korean-political-parties-signed-agreements-with-the-chinese-communist-party-ccp/?amp=1&utm

 PUBLISHED DATENOVEMBER 5, 2023

 LAST MODIFIED DATENOVEMBER 6, 2023

 AUTHOR_

 COMMENTS: 0

Two major political parties in South Korea have signed agreements with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Furthermore, a large number of lawmakers, 100, signed up to be members of a new organizations of lawmakers between China and South Korea, designed to go around restrictions.

It is important to note that in communist party-run countries, the party is above the state, not below. In this instance, the CCP is above the state, while in the Republic of Korea (ROK), the political parties are below the state. Thus, it is more accurate to think of these agreements as the cooperation of South Korean political factions directly with the Chinese Communist government, and all of the resources that the Chinese state can bring to bear, rather than with the resource-constrained and monitored political parties of the western and its value-sharing states working along common political interests.

Above: GNP-CCP agreement of 2009-11-3

On November 3, 2009 in Beijing, the Grand National Party (GNP, Hannara Dang), the predecessor to the People Power Party (PPP), signed an agreement with the CCP, specifically with its Central Committee. In the name of strengthening exchanges and cooperation, it seeks visits by politicians and leaders, exchanging views on international issues as well as exchanging views on running the country’s domestic affairs. The latter seem to run counter to China’s insistence that others do not interfere in its domestic affairs, and its claims that it does not interfere in other country’s domestic affairs.

Paragraph 5 states that modifying or terminating the agreement is possible only when both parties—the GNP and CCP—agree amicably. In other words, if the CCP does not want the agreement to end, the agreement cannot end. Surprisingly, the termination clause is much stricter than the Mutual Defense Treaty between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea. 

It is unclear whether PPP inherited the agreement from GNP.

DPK-CCP Agreement

Above: Democratic Party of Korea’s Yang Jung-chul (left) signed an agreement with CCP Central Party School’s Vice President Li Ji on 2019-7-10, source: Yonhap News

Nine months before the April 2020 National Election in Korea, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) (or Deobureo Minjoo Dang in Korean, 더불어민주당) also signed an agreement with the CCP on July 10, 2019. Yang Jung-chul (양정철), then-Director of the Institute for Democracy, an arm of the DPK responsible for election strategy, visited Beijing in July 2019 and signed an agreement with the CCP Central Committee’s Party School (Central Party School), which produces the party elites. Initially, it was established as Marx School of Communism under the CCP Central Committee in 1933. The CCP Central Party School superintendents include Xi Jinping, Hu Jintao, and Mao Zedong. 

Yang Jung-chul is a close confidant of previous president Moon Jae-in and wielded significant influence behind the Moon administration. In the April 2020 elections, his party, the DPK, won in an unexpected landslide, but instead of rejoicing, he hurriedly resigned and left Korea, stating “I’m terrified and afraid because they made such an enormous outcome (landslide victory for his party).”

Han-Joong Uiwon Yonmang (한중의원연맹, Korea-China Parliamentary Federation)

Above: Korea-China Parliamentary Federation founding celebration, 2022-12-2, Source:  Newspim

The CCP’s influence over the lawmakers of various South Korean parties is suspected even more with the establishment of the Han-Joong Uiwon Yonmang (한중의원연맹, Korea-China Parliamentary Federation) last year. The below is quoted from “China’s United Front Influence Operation Agencies in Korea Revealed as Search for Chinese Police Stations Continue; Political Ties Discovered” found here.

On December 2, 2022, 100 South Korean lawmakers became founding members of the Han-Joong Uiwon Yonmang (한중의원연맹, Korea-China Parliamentary Federation) at an inauguration ceremony held at the National Assembly in Yoido, Seoul. That is 100 of 300 or 1/3 of the South Korean National Assembly. The slogan on the banner read “Korea-China Co-existence and Prosperity.”

The two lawmakers in the Preparatory Committee for the Founding of the Korea-China Parliamentary Federation were Hong Young-pyo (홍영표), Democratic Party of Korea (DPK, Deobureo Minjoo Party) and Kim Hak-yong (김학용), People Power Party (PPP). Hong Young-pyo became the chairman and Kim Hak-yong became the Senior Vice President of the new corporation. Hong stated, “the Korea-China Parliamentary Federation will be a stepping stone for the two countries to work together with one heart and create a prosperous future.”

Additionally, the Board of Directors elected are as follows: Kang Byung-won (강병원), Kim Sung-won (김성원), Kim Young-bae (김영배), Kim Cheol-min (김철민), Mang Sung-kyu (맹성규), Park Kwang-on (박광온), Park Jeung (박정), Yu Eui-dong (유의동), Youn Kun-young (윤건영), Jeon Bong-min (전봉민), Joo Ho-young (주호영), Jin Sun-mee (진선미), and Hong Kee-won (홍기원).

The two groups –“Korea-China Parliamentary Forum on Foreign Relations” (한중의회외교포럼) and the “Regular Exchange System between the Korea-China Parliaments” (한중의회 간 정기교류체제)—already existed. However, “the limitations of parliamentary diplomacy with China” applies to these existing groups, and they sought to bypass the limitations. The limitations may include the maximum amount of money the lawmakers can receive, as stipulated in the Kim Yong-ran Law.”

Here are the 100 lawmakers who signed up to be the members of the Korea-China Parliamentary Federation:

Democratic Party of Korea (더불어민주당) (59):

▲ Kang Deuk-gu (강득구)

▲ Kang Byung-won (강병원)

▲ Kang Sun-woo (강선우)

▲ Ko Young-in (고영인)

▲ Kwon Chil-seung (권칠승)

▲ Kim Kyung-hyup (김경협)

▲ Kim Nam-kuk (김남국)

▲ Kim Duk-wan (김두관)

▲ Kim Min-ki (김민기)

▲ Kim Byung-wook (김병욱)

▲ Kim Sung-joo (김성주)

▲ Kim Young-bae (김영배)

▲ Kim Eui-kyeom (김의겸)

▲ Kim Ju-young (김주영)

▲ Kim Cheol-min (김철민)

▲ Kim Hang-jung (김한정)

▲ Kim Hoi-jae (김회재)

▲ Do Jong-hwan (도종환)

▲ Mang Sung-kyu (맹성규)

▲ Min Hong-chul (민홍철)

▲ Park Kwang-on (박광온)

▲ Park Yong-jin (박용진)

▲ Park Jeung (박정)

▲ Seo Sam-seok (서삼석)

▲ Sul Hoon (설훈)

▲ So Byung-chul (소병철)

▲ So Byung-hoon (소병훈)

▲ Shin Hyun-young (신현영)

▲ Ahn Gyu-back (안규백)

▲ An Ho-young (안호영)

▲ Yang Kyung-sook (양경숙)

▲ Yang Ki-dae (양기대)

▲ Eoh Kiy-ku (어기구)

▲ Oh Gi-hyoung (오기형)

▲ Wi Seong-gon (위성곤)

▲ Youn Kun-young (윤건영)

▲ Youn Kwan-suk (윤관석)

▲ Yoon Yeong-deok (윤영덕)

▲ Yoon Young-chan (윤영찬)

▲ Yoon Jae-kab (윤재갑)

▲ Yoon Joon-byeong (윤준병)

▲ Lee Kai-ho (이개호)

▲ Lee Byung-hoon (이병훈)

▲ Lee Sang-heon (이상헌)

▲ Lee Yong-sun (이용선)

▲ Lee In-young (이인영)

▲ Lee Jae-jung (이재정)

▲ Lim Jong-seong (임종성)

▲ Jang Chul-min (장철민)

▲ Jeon Hae-cheol (전해철)

▲ Jung Tae-ho (정태호)

▲ Jin Sun-mee (진선미)

▲ Choe Kang-wook (최강욱)

▲ Choi In-ho (최인호)

▲ Han Jeoung-ae (한정애)

▲ Huh Young (허영)

▲ Hong Kee-won (홍기원)

▲ Hong Sung-kook (홍성국)

▲ Hong Young-pyo (홍영표)

People Power Party (국민의힘) (35):

▲ Kang Dae-sik (강대식)

▲ Kang Min-kuk (강민국)

▲ Kwon Myung-ho (권명호)

▲ Kim Sung-won (김성원)

▲ Kim Seung-su (김승수)

▲ Kim Hak-yong (김학용)

▲ Kim Hyung-dong (김형동)

▲ Kim Hee-gon (김희곤)

▲ Rho Yong-ho (노용호)

▲ Park Duk-hyum (박덕흠)

▲ Park Sung-joong (박성중)

▲ Baek Jong-hean (백종헌)

▲ Suh Bum-soo (서범수)

▲ Suh Jung-sook (서정숙)

▲ Yu Eui-dong (유의동)

▲ Yoo Sang-bum (유상범)

▲ Yun Ju-keyng (윤주경)

▲ Lee Dal-gon (이달곤)

▲ Lee Myoung-su (이명수)

▲ Lee Jong-seong (이종성)

▲ Lee Hun-seung (이헌승)

▲ Lim Byung-heon (임병헌)

▲ Jeon Bong-min (전봉민)

▲ Jeong Dong-man (정동만)

▲ Jung Hee-yong (정희용)

▲ Cho Eun-hee (조은희)

▲ Joo Ho-young (주호영)

▲ Choi Seung-jae (최승재)

▲ Choi Youn-suk (최연숙)

▲ Choi Young-hee (최영희)

▲ Choi Chun-sik (최춘식)

▲ Choi Hyung-du (최형두)

▲ Ha Tae-keung (하태경)

▲ Her Eun-a (허은아)

▲ Hwangbo Seung-hee (황보승희)

Justice Party (정의당) (3):

▲Bae Jin-gyo (배진교)

▲Sim Sang-jeung (심상정)

▲Lee Eun-ju (이은주)

Transition Korea Party (시대전환, Shidae Jeonhan-dang) (1):

▲Cho Jung-hun (조정훈)

Non-affiliated (무소속) (2):

▲Kim Hong-gul (김홍걸) (the son of former president Kim Dae-jung)

▲Yang Jung-suk (양정숙)

In September 2022, Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (SCCNPC, 중국 전국인민대표대회) visited the National Assembly, where he met Kim Jin-pyo (김진표), the National Assembly Speaker, and lawmakers in other political parties. After the meetings, the efforts to create the Korea-China Parliamentary Federation suddenly accelerated.

Given the vast resources of the Chinese Communist Party, the large number of South Korean lawmakers from across the political spectrum participating in this Korea-China Parliamentary Federation, and the desire to use a corporate entity to get around existing anti-corruption laws, this development deserves more visibility from NGOs, news organizations, and government watch-dogs. These actions risk South-Korea’s lawmakers becoming proxies of the Chinese Communist Party through influence, graft, and corruption.

Note: The negative view of China begin to rise rapidly in Korea from about 2017. In a 2022 poll, China was the country that South Koreans had the most negative view, at 81%. It appears that there is a major discrepancy between the South Korean citizens and their representatives.

Categories:China​Influence Operations​South Korea​Subversion

Tags:CCP

​14. Polish ambassador highlights strong Korea-Poland ties, global responsibilities

The ROK is a global pivotal state that chooses to be a peaceful nuclear power and is a partner in the arsenal of democracy that supports the rules based international order, free market economies, rule of law, and human rights.

Polish ambassador highlights strong Korea-Poland ties, global responsibilities

The Korea Times · November 7, 2023

Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski gives a welcome speech during a ceremony marking Poland's National Independence Day at a hotel in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kim Hyun-bin

By Kim Hyun-bin

Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski delivered a compelling speech on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of Poland's independence, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and global responsibility in these unpredictable times.

Ostaszewski opened his speech with a quote from former U.S. President John F. Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."

The ambassador stressed the profound relevance of these words in a world that is in a constant state of flux. He spoke about the duty of serving one's country and fostering peaceful coexistence, support and cooperation.

He emphasized that this is what the world expects from diplomats, politicians, businesses and artists alike. "Our duty is to serve our countries and to think about peaceful coexistence, support and cooperation between all of us," he said.

Reflecting on Poland's history and journey to independence, Ostaszewski said, "Like many central European countries, Poland reappeared on the map after more than a century of nonexistence. Losing statehood does not mean losing identity; it is the solid foundation of power and will for life."

He went on to highlight Poland's remarkable progress in the 20th century.

Discussing diplomatic relations between Poland and Korea, he noted, "At the beginning of 1989, Poland started its diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea, and economic disproportion was very conspicuous."

However, he proudly stated that Poland has become a symbol of success and prosperity, offering ideal conditions for business and attracting Korean investors.

Bilateral trade between the two nations last year was estimated to be close to $10 billion, with Korean investments exceeding $4.5 billion and still growing, particularly in the fields of national defense, nuclear energy and infrastructure.

Ostaszewski also shared the exciting development of a direct flight connection between Warsaw and Seoul with Polish Airlines servicing direct flights from Warsaw for the first time.

As a member of NATO and the European Union, Poland is committed to future development and stability.

However, the ambassador expressed deep concerns about the ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine, which is a victim of Russian aggression, and stressed the importance of respecting and celebrating independence while advocating for peace and cooperation.

In his closing remarks, Ostaszewski invoked the wisdom of Saint Francis, saying, "Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope."

He emphasized the need for these principles to guide the world's actions and create a better future for the next generation.

The Korea Times · November 7, 2023

15. N. Korea poised to have 'eye in the sky' to observe S. Korea

One satellite does not a superpower make. Sure it is of some concern but it will not be a game changer for the north (assuming they even get it off the ground).

Maybe it would make a good ASAT target.

N. Korea poised to have 'eye in the sky' to observe S. Korea

The Korea Times · by 2023-11-08 16:17 | Foreign Affairs · November 8, 2023

This photo, provided by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, shows the launch of the North's new Chollima-1 rocket, allegedly carrying a military reconnaissance satellite, Malligyong-1, from Tongchang-ri on the North's west coast at 6:29 a.m., June 1. AP-Yonhap

Russia's technology transfer to North Korea creates grave security threat for South Korea

By Kang Hyun-kyung

The ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have created a rare boon for cash-strapped North Korea.

The North is cashing in on the wars by supplying artillery and munitions to Russia for the war in Ukraine and exporting weapons to Hamas and providing them with training and tactics to help the terrorist group improve its capabilities against Israel.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said last week that North Korea is believed to have exported more than 1 million shells to Russia following a weapons deal in July.

If this is true, the North would have earned more than $300 million as shells are priced at $300 to $400 each, according to experts.

The revenue will likely be used to finance North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program. But Pyongyang’s extra income generated directly from arms sales to Moscow can stop at any time if Russia signs a ceasefire with Ukraine. Therefore, the long-term impact of the North Korea-Russia arms deal on the security situation in East Asia could be limited.

However, the real security threat comes from the quid pro quo that North Korea is believed to have already received from Russia in return for the weapons provision.

South Korea is wary of Russia’s technology transfer to the North as it embarks on a third attempt to launch a military spy satellite after two failed efforts.

A North Korean spy satellite will pose one of the gravest security threats to South Korea, according to Cheong Seong-chang, a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute.

This is because North Korea will have an “eye in the sky” that can help it detect and strike South Korea’s major military and industrial facilities more easily, he said.

“As seen in its previous successful launches of various missiles, North Korea has the capabilities to launch the satellite. But they revealed critical limitations in other details, such as the development and installation of high-resolution cameras on the satellite. I think Russia helped North Korea fix this problem,” he told The Korea Times. “I think the chances of North Korea succeeding in a third attempt to launch a spy satellite are high. If they succeed this time, it will be just a matter of time before North Korea ends up with an eye in the sky to keep tabs on South Korea’s major facilities.”

Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, also known as ISR, is an area where North Korea lags far behind South Korea.

To make up for its asymmetrical military capabilities in ISR, North Korea attempted to put a spy satellite into space twice this year, first in May and later in August. But the first two attempts failed and the North announced that it would try again in October but it was delayed without any official explanation.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea could attempt to launch a satellite on Nov. 18, or Military Industry Day.

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said on Monday that North Korea seemed to have delayed the schedule of the spy satellite launch perhaps because of Russia’s technology transfer.

Blinken's Seoul visit to focus mainly on NK-Russia cooperation

During a news conference to mark 100 days in office, Minister Kim told reporters that certain evidence shows t her details.

He condend North Korea for violating U.N. Security Council sanctions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un shake hands during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the Amur region, of the Russian Far East, Sept. 13. AP-Yonhap

The latest developments in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East are grave enough to make North Korean leader Kim Jong-un believe that time is on his side.

Among others, the Joe Biden administration has shifted attention back to the Middle East in an effort to curb the spread of the war from becoming a regional crisis, from its prior focus on the Indo-Pacific region to counter China.

The shift in U.S. foreign policy, although temporary, benefits North Korea, according to experts.

“U.S. attention on North Korea has been reduced by a shift of U.S. attention to Hamas,” Bruce Bennett, an adjunct international defense researcher at RAND Corporation, said in an email interview with The Korea Times. “A shift of U.S. attention away from North Korea had already started with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and before that with rising U.S. concerns about China and that shift will almost certainly continue now.”

The more the Israel-Hamas War drags on just like the protracted Russia-Ukraine war, the easier North Korean leader Kim will find to invest in his dangerous military experiment.

Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s former ambassador to Russia, said the ongoing two wars ― one in Ukraine and the other the Middle East ― have created a security environment in favor of North Korea one way or another.

“North Korea has now more room to maneuver than before,” he said. “Russia and China remain reluctant to cooperate with other permanent U.N. Security Council members in imposing fresh sanctions on North Korea, despite the North’s provocations.”

Visibility in the Middle East

The Israel-Hamas war seemed to have helped North Korea become more visible in the Middle East.

Calling it an ally, a senior member of Hamas touted North Korea as an emerging country that can lead an “axis of resistance” against the U.S. and the West. The terminology was coined in the early 2000s in response to then-U.S. President George W. Bush’s characterization of Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an "axis of evil."

Ali Baraka, also known as Ali Barakeh, a member of Hamas’s exiled leadership in Beirut, said North Korea is an ally of the terrorist group.

“Iran does not have the capabilities to attack America on its territory, but North Korea does have,” he said in a video uploaded by the Middle East Media Research Institute on YouTube on Nov. 3. He was referring to North Korea’s successful launch of the inter-continental ballistic missiles.

“The day may come when North Korea intervenes, because it is, after all, part of our alliance,” he said. “Today, all of America’s enemies or all those shown enmity by the U.S. are growing closer. Today, Russia contacts us on a daily basis. The Chinese sent envoys to Doha and China and Russia met with the leader of Hamas.”

Cheong said North Korea is certainly a beneficiary of the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East.

“I think there are three nations that are enjoying the turbulent geopolitical landscape after the Israel-Hamas war. They are China, Russia and North Korea,” he said.

Cheong said South Korea should be thoroughly prepared as North Korea will become more provocative than before.

The Korea Times · by 2023-11-08 16:17 | Foreign Affairs · November 8, 2023

16. 'In North Korea, nobody knows Harvard, but almost everyone knows Oxford'

'In North Korea, nobody knows Harvard, but almost everyone knows Oxford'

The Korea Times · November 8, 2023

Eom Yeong-nam, third from left, a North Korean escapee and human rights advocate, speaks about his experience in North Korea's army during an event at the U.K. Parliament in London, Oct. 24. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International

By Jung Min-ho

Almost everything about America is vilified by the regime in North Korea, where people are taught from an early age to use phrases like “American bastards.”

Unsurprisingly, ordinary North Koreans know little about the country. Harvard University, its globally famed school, has no name recognition there. But many would know what Oxford is. Although Britain is a key member of the West and a democratic country, North Korea’s state media tends to describe it relatively more fairly.

This is why Britain and other countries in Europe should be more active in promoting human rights in North Korea, Eom Yeong-nam, a North Korean escapee, said.

“The regime would not listen to the U.S. but it might listen to Britain and other countries in Europe, even though it does not like what they have to say,” Eom, 43, told The Korea Times during a recent interview.

“North Koreans know almost nothing about America. Growing up and attending a college in North Korea, I did not even see any official documents other than ones created to stir up anger and resentment.”

Pyongyang’s hostility toward Washington is also reflected in its foreign language education system, through which students learn British English, not American pronunciation or spelling. Eom believes this anti-U.S. sentiment is so entrenched that even if diplomatic relations somehow begin to improve, it would take many years for North Koreans to change how they feel about Americans and their leaders.

Last month, Eom and officials of Freedom Speakers International, a Seoul-based group that supports North Korean refugees, visited the United Kingdom, where he spoke about violations of human rights under the regime.

At the parliament as well as Oxford University, he shared what he experienced in the North, where the line between abusers and the abused was often too vague to the point of being a meaningless differentiation.

While serving in the North Korean army, Eom said he was deprived of food. Eom, about 175 centimeters tall, weighed less than 90 pounds (40.8 kilograms) there.

“My company commander took almost all of the food,” he said. “Not surprisingly, around 60 percent of my colleagues in the company were malnourished … That’s why stealing food and money from civilians was very normal.”

At every chance, Eom said he asked politicians and diplomats in Britain to use the country’s global influence and diplomatic leverage to improve the human rights situation in North Korea.

The former resident of Hyesan, a North Korean city near its China border, escaped the regime in 2010 after the stigma as a “child of defectors” deprived him of all his hope for a better life and future after his parents’ escape.

Since entering South Korea, he has experienced a country very different from what he was taught in the North, he said, adding that he would like to continue to be part of the effort to spread truth.

The Korea Times · November 8, 2023

17. US Treasury removes Korea from currency manipulation watchlist

US Treasury removes Korea from currency manipulation watchlist

koreaherald.com · by Im Eun-byel · November 8, 2023

By Im Eun-byel

Published : Nov. 8, 2023 - 16:15

Korean won banknotes and coins (123rf)

South Korea has been removed from the US Treasury Department’s list of trading partners that it closely monitors for unfair foreign exchange practices, according to the department’s announcement Tuesday. It is the first time since 2016 for Korea to be pulled from the list.

In its biannual report to the US Congress, the US Treasury placed six economies on its "monitoring list" -- China, Germany, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan -- and removed South Korea and Switzerland. Vietnam was newly added to the list.

The US Treasury biannually assesses the macroeconomic and exchange rate policies of its 20 major trading partners based on three criteria. An economy is removed from the monitoring list when it meets one or none of the three criteria for two reports in a row. If a country triggers two or more criteria, further restrictions follow.

The three criteria are a trade surplus with the US over $15 billion, a current account surplus surpassing 3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and the extent of intervention in foreign currency shown by net purchases of at least 2 percent of GDP.

Korea was excluded from the list as it met only one of the three criteria -- that regarding trade surplus with the US -- for two consecutive reports. The reports show the figure stood at $37 billion throughout the year of 2022 and at $38 billion between July 2022 and June 2023, well above the $15 billion bar.

With its slump in exports, Korea did not meet the criterion for current account balance during the period. Korea’s current account surplus remains far from surpassing the threshold set at 3 percent of national GDP. The figure stood at 0.5 percent during the assessment period, according to the US Treasury.

Furthermore, while the clause involving intervention on the foreign exchange market criterion is intended to guard against net purchases of the US dollar, Korea has been maintaining a net selling stance on the greenback to defend the Korean won’s value since last year.

According to the Bank of Korea, net selling of the US dollar extended to around $40 billion. In the first half of this year, Korea sold off $8 billion to strengthen the won's value.

“Removal from the watchlist gives Korean authorities the room to intervene in the foreign exchange market in the case of volatility, carrying out what we call a ‘smoothing operation,’” said Kim Hyo-sang, head of the international finance team at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.

“This, of course, does not directly precipitate more involvement from authorities, as severe intervention could lead to manipulation suspicions," Kim said.

Despite the removal, the Korean won’s exchange rate against the US dollar remained steady on Wednesday. It closed at 1,310.6 won, up 2.7 won from the previous trading day. After opening at 1,306 won, it fluctuated in the 1,300 range.

Industry sources said the exclusion would not directly affect the Korean won’s exchange rate against the US dollar.

“The US Treasury is likely to continue to exclude Korea from the watchlist in the first half of next year, as it is projected the current account balance will not surpass the threshold then, too,” said economist Park Hee-chan of Mirae Asset Securities.

"The decision does not specifically impact the forecast on the currency exchange rate. Though Korea has been pulled off the watchlist, the authorities' stance on foreign exchange intervention is unlikely to be affected,” Park said.

The Korean won slightly strengthened earlier this week, compared to an exchange rate that hit 1,360 won at the end of September, as the local market gained traction following the Korean government’s short selling ban. Projections that the US Federal Reserve’s rate-hike cycle will end soon also helped the Korean won gain value against the greenback.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury did not designate any trading partner as a currency manipulator. If so designated, the country could be be imposed trade sanctions by the US government.

But it further mentioned China must be monitored closely for its lack of transparency regarding key features of its foreign exchange system, adding it makes the country "an outlier among major economies."

koreaherald.com · by Im Eun-byel · November 8, 2023

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com