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Quotes of the Day:
“The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.”
– Joseph Conrad
“Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I've accomplished something, learned something, became a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up. And it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.”
– Nora Ephron
“Do all the good you can,
by all means you can,
in all the ways you can,
in all the places you can,
at all the times you can,
to all the people you can,
as long as ever you can.”
– John Wesley, (1703–1791)
1. China condemns S. Korean lawmaker's attendance at Taiwan president inauguration
2. S. Korea probes hacking of defense officials' emails
3. U.S. envoy for N. Korean human rights to visit Korea this week
4. S. Korea, U.S. hold 2nd round of talks on defense cost sharing
5. Protest against S. Korea-U.S. defense cost sharing talks
6. Trilateral coast guard training would be first among US, Japan, South Korea
7. With back-to-back deals in Peru, South Korea defense industry expands South American foothold
8. ＜Inside N. Korea＞State-led smuggling resumes in the Yalu River, sends seafood and copper ore to China, bringing in UN-sanctioned goods like cars and machinery
9. Opinion | America Hits the Global Snooze Button
10. Rate increases, 'Trump risk' at heart of second round of USFK cost sharing talks
11. Prepare for ‘gray area’ terror attacks (north Korea)
12. Russian delegation arrives in Pyongyang: KCNA
13. N. Korean leader voices condolences over death of Iranian president
14. [Up close in Yeouido] Trump hinting at US troop removal in South Korea ‘election-time talk’
15. Why are N. Korea's agricultural areas seeing a rising mortality rate?
16. Hwasong District holds training sessions for new apartment tenants
1. China condemns S. Korean lawmaker's attendance at Taiwan president inauguration
Support for like minded democracies. It is what a global pivotal state should do.
China condemns S. Korean lawmaker's attendance at Taiwan president inauguration | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 21, 2024
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- China's embassy in South Korea on Tuesday strongly condemned a South Korean lawmaker for attending the inauguration ceremony of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te earlier this week.
The inauguration ceremony on Monday drew more than 500 foreign dignitaries from 51 countries, including Cho Kyoung-tae, a lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, and South Korea's representative to Taiwan Lee Eun-ho.
South Korea did not send an official delegation in a move widely seen as its effort to manage ties with Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its territory.
In a message to reporters on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the embassy said Beijing resolutely opposes and condemns the visit, emphasizing that it "runs counter to the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership."
"We have lodged a stern protest with the South Korean side," the spokesperson said, urging the Seoul government not to interfere in China's internal affairs in any manner.
South Korea said its stance on Taiwan remains unchanged.
"We sent a congratulatory message in the name of our representative in Taipei right after the election in January," Lim Soo-suk, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said during a press briefing.
South Korea severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1992, when it established diplomatic relations with China. In 1993, South Korea opened a mission in Taipei to maintain unofficial bilateral relations and continue substantive cooperation.
This AFP file photo shows Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te waving during his inauguration ceremony in Taipei on May 20, 2024. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 21, 2024
2. S. Korea probes hacking of defense officials' emails
The regime's all purpose sword.
S. Korea probes hacking of defense officials' emails | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 21, 2024
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has launched a joint military-police probe into a recent hacking incident involving defense officials' personal emails, the defense ministry said Tuesday.
The move came after police recently began investigating possible North Korean involvement over breaches of the accounts of an unspecified number of senior defense ministry officials and generals, according to investigative authorities.
Jeon Ha-kyou, the ministry's spokesperson, said a joint investigation was under way, while noting that the accounts in question were unrelated to their work emails connected to military servers.
"We have notified each individual to prevent further damage and have completed security measures for email accounts," Jeon told a regular briefing. "The ministry ... is conducting a joint investigation by forming a military-police consultative body."
When asked about the size of the breach, Jeon said he understood the incident involved many people, without giving further details.
The joint investigation came as the police are also said to be investigating a hacking incident involving the personal emails of some 100 South Koreans, including national security experts.
North Korea is known to stage cyberattacks against South Korean diplomats, government and military officials, and national security experts by infiltrating their email accounts.
Last month, the National Police Agency said three notorious North Korean hacking groups -- Lazarus, Andariel and Kimsuky -- infiltrated about 10 South Korean defense firms over the past 1 1/2 years in a concerted attempt to steal defense technologies.
The North's military is known to be bolstering its cyber capabilities, operating some 6,800 cyber warfare personnel, according to South Korea's Defense White Paper.
This unrelated file image, provided by Yonhap News TV, illustrates a North Korean cyberattack. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 21, 2024
3. U.S. envoy for N. Korean human rights to visit Korea this week
U.S. envoy for N. Korean human rights to visit Korea this week | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · May 21, 2024
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, May 20 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights will visit South Korea this week for talks on a range of issues, including the "inextricable" links between Pyongyang's human rights and security issues, the State Department said Monday.
Ambassador Julie Turner is set to visit Korea from Tuesday through Saturday to meet South Korean officials, civil society members, North Korean escapees, and attend the Asian Leadership Conference hosted by the Chosun Ilbo, a local daily.
"Across a series of speeches, meetings, and site visits, Ambassador Turner will speak to the inextricable links between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) human rights abuses and threats to international peace and security," the department said in a media note. DPRK stands for the North's official name.
The department was referring to the U.S. claim that the North's human rights and security issues are closely linked as its repressive political environment has enabled Pyongyang to divert its scarce resources to advancing its weapons programs without pushback from North Koreans suffering economic hardships.
Turner also plans to highlight the need for greater supply chain due diligence amid allegations that North Koreans have been forced to work in seafood processing plants in China with some of that seafood having apparently ended up on American plates.
In addition, she will draw attention to the plight of families of South Koreans abducted and detained by North Korea, according to the department.
This photo, taken on Oct. 18, 2023, shows U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues Julie Turner attending a press meeting in Seoul. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · May 21, 2024
4. S. Korea, U.S. hold 2nd round of talks on defense cost sharing
(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. hold 2nd round of talks on defense cost sharing | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · May 21, 2024
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead as talks began)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States began a new round of negotiations Tuesday on sharing the costs for stationing American troops here.
The three-day talks through Thursday are aimed at determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), starting in 2026.
The talks were led by Lee Tae-woo, South Korea's chief negotiator from the foreign ministry, and his U.S. counterpart, Linda Specht from the State Department.
The first round of the talks took place in Hawaii last month.
The launch of the talks came earlier than planned, amid the view that Seoul wants an early deal to avoid potentially tough bargaining with Washington in case former President Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Washington under Trump's presidency had demanded more than a fivefold increase in Seoul's payment to US$5 billion.
Linda Specht, U.S. lead negotiator for defense cost sharing talks with South Korea, arrives at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on May 18, 2024. (Yonhap)
Under the current six-year deal, known as the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), ending in 2025, South Korea agreed to raise the payment by 13.9 percent from 2019 to $1.03 billion for 2021 and increase the payment every year for the subsequent four years in line with the rise in Seoul's defense spending.
Seoul has called for a new deal at a "reasonable level" to ensure the conditions for the stable stationing of the USFK and to strengthen the combined defense posture.
Washington has said it seeks to pursue "a fair and equitable" outcome in the talks, as most of Seoul's contributions to the SMA are expended in South Korea's domestic economy, representing a "powerful investment" in the bilateral alliance.
Upon arriving in Seoul on Saturday, Specht said the SMA negotiations are about the "importance of the alliance and the support we give one another."
Since 1991, Seoul has partially shouldered costs under the SMA for Korean USFK workers; the construction of military installations, such as barracks, and training, educational, operational and communications facilities; and other logistical support.
Lee Tae-woo, South Korea's chief negotiator for the defense cost sharing talks with the United States, speaks to reporters at the foreign ministry in Seoul, in this March 5, 2024, file photo. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · May 21, 2024
5. Protest against S. Korea-U.S. defense cost sharing talks
Despite the current strength of the alliance we should remember that there are those who are opposed to it (or aspects of it).
Photo at the link: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/PYH20240521028000315?section=image/general
Protest against S. Korea-U.S. defense cost sharing talks | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Seok-Joo Hwang · May 21, 2024
General 09:59 May 21, 2024
URL is copied.
Protest against S. Korea-U.S. defense cost sharing talks
Progressive civic activists hold a protest in front of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul on May 21, 2024, calling for the suspension of the second round of South Korea-U.S. negotiations on sharing the costs for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong U.S. troops in South Korea, starting in 2026. (Yonhap)
(END)
General 09:59 May 21, 2024
6. Trilateral coast guard training would be first among US, Japan, South Korea
I defer to the Naval and Coast Guard experts but I would think this is a good initiative except for the fact that our Coast Guard resources are stretched pretty thin.
Trilateral coast guard training would be first among US, Japan, South Korea
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · May 20, 2024
ByDavid Choi
Stars and Stripes •
Officials sign a trilateral letter of intent at Coast Guad Base Alameda, Calif., May 9, 2024, for the U.S., Japanese and South Korean coast guards to work together. (Charly Tautfest/U.S. Coast Guard)
SEOUL, South Korea — Coast guard vessels from the United States, Japan and South Korea will reportedly train together for the first time next month, another move to enhance their partnership amid threats from China and North Korea.
The three nations are expected to conduct search-and-rescue training off the western coast of central Japan on June 6, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported Friday, citing unnamed sources.
Neither the Coast Guard’s 14th District Headquarters in Hawaii nor the South Korean coast guard responded to comment requests by phone and email Friday. A Japanese coast guard spokesman would not confirm the exercise by phone but said the three countries generally seek to increase maritime cooperation.
Senior U.S. and Japanese coast guard officials signed a letter of intent on May 9 to “enhance maritime expertise and promote regional cooperation” with their South Korean counterparts.
“This trilateral agreement between U.S., Japan and Korea Coast Guards is the lynchpin that will drive our coast guards to work together to advance maritime safety, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area commander Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson said in a news release May 12. “It will enhance our multilateral operations with each other, as well as other trusted partners in the region.”
The letter was signed nine months after President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida committed to strengthening their economic and military partnerships to ward off China and North Korea.
The Japan coast guard, for example, has reported appearances by the Chinese coast guard off the Senkakus, a handful of islets in the East China Sea claimed by China but under Japanese control just northeast of Taiwan.
The Chinese vessels shadow Japanese fishing vessels until the coast guard intervenes.
Stars and Stripes reporter Hana Kusumoto contributed to this report.
David Choi
David Choi
David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · May 20, 2024
7. With back-to-back deals in Peru, South Korea defense industry expands South American foothold
A partner in the Arsenal of Democracy.
With back-to-back deals in Peru, South Korea defense industry expands South American foothold - Breaking Defense
A new shipbuilding deal could be a test case that, if successful, could lead for years more work and millions more in deals for Seoul, in Peru and South America.
breakingdefense.com · by Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Peruvian navy frigate BAP Villavisencio (FM 52) is guided into port at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., during a three-month training deployment, June 15, 2012. (Official U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker/Released)
WASHINGTON — In the span of weeks, South Korean defense firms recently nabbed back-to-back contracts in Peru, deepening a relationship developed over the past decade and, in the case of a ship construction deal, cementing Lima as Seoul’s “hub” in South America, according to analysts.
First, in late April, the Peruvian state-run shipyard Servicios Industriales de la Marina (SIMA) signed a contract with Korea’s Heavy Hyundai Industries (HHI) for the construction of one frigate, two landing craft units (described by SIMA as a multi-role vessel and an auxiliary transport vessel), and an offshore patrol vessel. The deal is worth around $460 million, and the vessels are expected to be delivered in 2029. The company described the contract as its “largest defense industry export ever to Central and South America.”
Then, earlier this month, Korea’s Hyundai Rotem announced it would sell 30 8×8 White Tiger armored vehicles for the Peruvian Army. The price tag for that deal is approximately $60 million.
Analysts said the shipbuilding deal, especially, signals Korea will have a presence and sway in Peru for long to come.
“South Korea now is in an advantageous position to support and influence the future of Peru’s shipbuilding, paving the way for SIMA to become Seoul’s hub for Central and South America,” said Andre Carvalho, a military sciences PhD researcher at the Brazilian Army Command and General Staff College. (Carvalho’s views do not represent those of the Brazilian Army.)
Hoshik Nam, a political science professor at Jacksonville State University, agreed. He said HHI is now a “strategic partner” for the Peruvian Navy.
RELATED: As UAE firms expand global reach, Brazil takes center stage for EDGE Group
If the SIMA project is successful, Nam, whose research focuses on arms transfers/exports and military aid, said HHI “could participate in more details related to the Peruvian Navy’s future production plans.”
The Peruvian Navy is looking to replace its fleet of six old Italian-made Lupo-class frigates — potentially more business for HHI should the first frigate deal go smoothly.
In the meantime, Mathew George, program director of arms transfers at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said the current deal offers advantages to both sides: SIMA gains “expertise in shipbuilding,” and HHI will have another production facility in Peru for Korean ships, potentially lowering future acquisition costs and allowing Seoul more direct access to the Latin American market.
Breaking In An Ocean Away, Donations In Hand
The new HHI contract is not the first time SIMA has teamed up with a Korean company for shipbuilding projects.
The Peruvian Navy’s two landing platform docks — BAP Pisco, currently operational, and BAP Paita, under construction, as Breaking Defense has previously reported — are based on Daesun Shipbuilding & Engineering’s Makassar-class vessels. Similarly, SIMA has built a fleet of Río Pativilca-class patrol vessels based on designs by STX; the seventh and eighth platforms are currently under construction.
Moreover, over the past decade, South Korea has donated two Pohang-class corvettes, BAP Guise and BAP Ferré, to Peru.
It’s possible those donated ships affected Lima’s decision on the frigate. Siemon Wezeman, also of SIPRI, said that as South Korea’s navy and coast guard decommissions vessels, Seoul “has chosen to donate some of them, generally to states where Korea is marketing newly produced ships or other weapons.” Wezeman noted that this strategy has been successful in Egypt and the Philippines.
Such an approach is not unique to South Korea, Wezeman said, as “many exporting states do use similar donations to further their chances of sales.”
Carvalho said that South Korea “realized very early that South American militaries are pursuing the modernization of their equipment,” hence “exploring this market became one of their priorities.”
It’s also likely Seoul sees Peru as an entry into other South American markets, where it would like to see more of a presence, for its own geopolitical ends, according to Carvalho.
The Pacific Alliance countries — Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico — and Ecuador “hold a somewhat special position within [South Korea’s] Indo-Pacific strategy,” he said, as Seoul aims to “contain” the “strategic influence” of China’s Belt and Road Initiative on the continent.
Outside Peru, Colombia has two Korean-made corvettes: the Donghae-class ARC Nariño, donated in 2014, and the Pohang-class ARC Tono, donated in 2020. Around a decade ago, Korea’s STX shipyard built two patrol vessels for the Colombian Navy, ARC Punta Ardita and ARC Punta Soldado, which are still operational.
Moreover, around 2012, Seoul sold SSM-700K C-Star surface-to-surface anti-ship missiles to Bogota. The Colombian Navy fired them in 2019 and 2023 for target practice to sink decommissioned vessels.
In late April, the Ecuadorean Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with the Korean Coast Guard to transfer a 4,400-ton patrol vessel. This agreement marked the third patrol vessel transferred to the Ecuadorian Coast Guard from Seoul within the five years. In 2020, Seoul donated two Haeuri-class/Type-A patrol vessels, Isla Floreana and Isla Darwin.
Meanwhile, the Chilean Navy operates a fleet of different KIA vehicles, including the KIA KM 420 light tactical vehicle.
Finally, the Uruguayan Army operates howitzers acquired from Korea in the early 1980s. There’s also one donation on the horizon as South Korea and Uruguay negotiate the transfer of a Chamsuri-class Patrol Killer Medium (PKM) patrol boat. As recently as late 2023, Uruguayan naval authorities say the negotiations are ongoing.
But still, the HHI-SIMA shipbuilding project in Peru is something of a test case. Should it go well, analysts said other regional countries, such as Ecuador, could also consider South Korea as a future partner for defense acquisition programs, as their own surface fleets need upgrades.
Seoul, more than 16,000 miles away from Lima over open ocean, appears ready to sail into the breach.
breakingdefense.com · by Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
8. ＜Inside N. Korea＞State-led smuggling resumes in the Yalu River, sends seafood and copper ore to China, bringing in UN-sanctioned goods like cars and machinery
Excerpt:
Q. How is smuggling occuring?
A. Smuggling is mainly in the form of state-led illicit trade. China’s border patrols crack down on smuggling all the time, but smugglers rarely get caught because the DPRK side moves quickly. On the Chinese side, crackdowns have been stepped up, but most smuggling operations are done quietly.
＜Inside N. Korea＞State-led smuggling resumes in the Yalu River, sends seafood and copper ore to China, bringing in UN-sanctioned goods like cars and machinery
asiapress.org
(FILE PHOTO) A North Korean smuggling site being prepared for a nighttime smuggling operation. The buses are meant to carry customs officers and public security personnel. Filmed by KBS in November 2019.
Smuggling between North Korea and China has recently resumed on the upper reaches of the Yalu River. Despite crackdowns by the Chinese, goods are said to be flowing back and forth through smuggling operations led by the North Korean authorities. In mid-May, ASIAPRESS spoke with a trader in Jilin Province who is familiar with the situation on the DPRK-China border. (JEON Sung-jun / KANG Ji-won)
According to the trader, smuggling is mainly taking place in Changbai Korean Autonomous County, which is across from Hyesan, Ryanggang Province. Smuggling had ceased in the area after the start of the COVID pandemic, but has resumed recently.
Q.What is the current situation on the North Korea-China border?
A. Smuggling recently restarted at the border, especially of goods prohibited by sanctions against North Korea. Despite crackdowns by the Chinese, some traders have started smuggling near the No. 21 or No. 15 districts.
The No. 15 and No. 21 districts are rural Chinese areas across from Hyesan. No. 15 District is on the downstream area of the Yalu River and No. 21 District is on the upper reaches of the river. Smuggling has been active here since before the pandemic.
Q.What kinds of goods are being smuggled?
A. Mainly automobiles, mechanical parts, and small electric motors needed by the DPRK are being smuggled. Two used cars from China's Villadi (a luxury car brand made in China) were smuggled into North Korea. The goods exported to China are mainly resources such as copper concentrates and seafood. At markets in the Changbai Korean Autonomous County, North Korean fish is also being sold.
Q. How is smuggling occuring?
A. Smuggling is mainly in the form of state-led illicit trade. China’s border patrols crack down on smuggling all the time, but smugglers rarely get caught because the DPRK side moves quickly. On the Chinese side, crackdowns have been stepped up, but most smuggling operations are done quietly.
State-led smuggling is conducted by individual smugglers in China and state-approved North Korean trading companies in the presence of customs officers, security officers, and police, with strict controls on the items and quantities.
Hyesan seen from the Chinese side of the border. Nearby rural areas have become a hub for smuggling. Photo by ASIAPRESS, August 2013.
Q. Is there any private trade happening?
A. Private traders can’t conduct smuggling operations. The crackdowns are so severe on the North Korean side that there are only a limited number of people who can get involved in state-led smuggling operations.
Q. How are goods acquired from North Korea?
A. There is a shortage of (Chinese) money in North Korea, so trade is mainly done in kind with goods such as seafood products and minerals. However, there are disputes over the purity of the minerals. But it's all still very profitable, so the smuggling continues.
Q. What has been the response of the Chinese authorities?
A. They are cracking down on smuggling. There are daily notices telling people to report smuggling or North Koreans crossing the border, and if caught, they are heavily fined. Therefore, most smuggling is done quietly and on a small scale, and there are very few large-scale smuggling operations.
Q. What about formal trade between the two countries?
A. Through official trade, raw materials for rice and sugar production are entering North Korea. Unlike in the past, the DPRK is not asking for just anything but carefully requesting just what it needs. As I mentioned before, they are bringing in only what they really need through smuggling operations.
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
A map of North Korea (ASIAPRESS)
asiapress.org
9. Opinion | America Hits the Global Snooze Button
And not one mention of Korea. Yes we really are asleep (and yes I am showing my bias).
Excerpts:
The goal is to trap America between two losing choices. We can focus all our efforts and energies on one theater—China, Ukraine or the Middle East—or we can attempt to stop everything everywhere. Neither approach solves our problems. If we ignore Ukraine and the Middle East to focus on China, then Russia and Iran can undermine our alliances and shift the geopolitical balance in their favor. If we focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine, then China and Iran can advance their own regional plans.
To avoid this, some argue that the U.S. should simultaneously confront our adversaries across all three theaters. But we lack the military resources for such a strategy. Even if we had the necessary capabilities, American public opinion isn’t yet united or focused enough for an effort as serious and consuming as the Cold War. Count on the revisionists to use everything in their propaganda tool kit to postpone America’s awakening—and extend their hour of opportunity.
Security analysts generally believe that relatively modest defense increases by Washington could stabilize the military balance. That, plus a mix of more forceful American diplomacy and deeper cooperation with key allies, might halt the slide to war.
Team Biden, unfortunately, would rather starve the military and embrace the diplomacy of retreat. There is an off-ramp for every provocation, a search for a “diplomatic solution” to every military attack.
This can’t last. Our adversaries have ambitious goals. We face an increasingly successful and ambitious assault on the U.S.’s international position. Either we and our allies recover our military might and political will, or our foes will fatally undermine the edifice of American power and the international order that depends on it.
The Wall Street Journal
Following
Opinion | America Hits the Global Snooze Button
Opinion by Walter Russell Mead • May 20, 2024 • 3 min read
https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-hits-the-global-snooze-button-but-cannot-afford-to-rest-national-security-9980a911?mod=opinion_lead_pos10
Opinion | America Hits the Global Snooze Button© Provided by The Wall Street Journal
“This is 1938,” historian Timothy Snyder said at a weekend conference in Estonia. He warned that a Ukrainian defeat would shift the calendar to 1939.
Many Americans still don’t fully grasp how serious the international situation has become. Iran has set the Middle East ablaze, Russia is advancing in Ukraine, and China is pursuing pressure campaigns against Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.
Even more challenging times lie ahead. While Washington and its allies try to calm things and return the world to something like normalcy, the revisionists are strengthening their cooperation and mobilizing their societies and economies for war.
Iran’s sputtering economy has powered its war machine for years. Neither U.S. sanctions nor the costs of supporting proxy militias across the Mideast have prevented Tehran from developing a nuclear program and a massive drone industry. Russia and China are moving in the same direction.
The war in Ukraine was a wake-up call for Russia. Once Kremlin hopes of an early victory disappeared, Moscow put Russia’s society and economy on a war footing for the long term. Dissent is quashed, antiwar protesters are mercilessly pursued, and schools teach hatred of the West. Meanwhile, Mr. Putin appointed the man behind Russia’s recent gains in drones and microelectronics, Andrei Belousov, to modernize the military industrial base.
China’s war preparations are much more advanced than most Americans understand. A recent report by Mackenzie Eaglen of the American Enterprise Institute estimates that measured by purchasing power parity China is nearly matching America’s global defense spending. Although its civilian economy is suffering, Beijing is doubling down on the greatest military buildup in history.
That isn’t all. China is stockpiling key commodities to prevent interruptions in trade that would accompany a war. It is driving for self-sufficiency in energy and food. Under proposed legislation, high-school and college students would face the prospect of compulsory military training.
The revisionists have either developed or stumbled onto a coherent and, so far, successful strategy. The economic and potentially the military might of America and its allies far surpasses what the revisionists can bring to the table. Yet the U.S. and its allies are politically and militarily unprepared for war in the short to medium term. The revisionists therefore want to escalate crises around the globe without triggering an overwhelming response as, for example, Japan did by bombing Pearl Harbor in 1941. Against this pressure, they reason, the disorganized allies will retreat, conciliate and appease.
So far, that bet has paid off. Russia is winning its uneven contest with the West. Iran, despite the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi, is on a roll in the Middle East. China’s relentless campaign of small-scale menacing acts, known as “gray-zone aggression,” is eroding America’s power in the Far East.
The goal is to trap America between two losing choices. We can focus all our efforts and energies on one theater—China, Ukraine or the Middle East—or we can attempt to stop everything everywhere. Neither approach solves our problems. If we ignore Ukraine and the Middle East to focus on China, then Russia and Iran can undermine our alliances and shift the geopolitical balance in their favor. If we focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine, then China and Iran can advance their own regional plans.
To avoid this, some argue that the U.S. should simultaneously confront our adversaries across all three theaters. But we lack the military resources for such a strategy. Even if we had the necessary capabilities, American public opinion isn’t yet united or focused enough for an effort as serious and consuming as the Cold War. Count on the revisionists to use everything in their propaganda tool kit to postpone America’s awakening—and extend their hour of opportunity.
Security analysts generally believe that relatively modest defense increases by Washington could stabilize the military balance. That, plus a mix of more forceful American diplomacy and deeper cooperation with key allies, might halt the slide to war.
Team Biden, unfortunately, would rather starve the military and embrace the diplomacy of retreat. There is an off-ramp for every provocation, a search for a “diplomatic solution” to every military attack.
This can’t last. Our adversaries have ambitious goals. We face an increasingly successful and ambitious assault on the U.S.’s international position. Either we and our allies recover our military might and political will, or our foes will fatally undermine the edifice of American power and the international order that depends on it.
10. Rate increases, 'Trump risk' at heart of second round of USFK cost sharing talks
A graphic outlining costs since 2010 is at the link.
Tuesday
May 21, 2024
dictionary + A - A
Published: 21 May. 2024, 17:23
Updated: 21 May. 2024, 19:16
Rate increases, 'Trump risk' at heart of second round of USFK cost sharing talks
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-05-21/national/defense/Rate-increases-Trump-risk-at-heart-of-second-round-of-USFK-cost-sharing-talks-/2051524
The second round of negotiations between South Korea and the United States on sharing the costs for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong U.S. troops in South Korea, starting in 2026, is held at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in eastern Seoul on Tuesday. [YONHAP]
The second round of negotiations for the 12th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) to determine South Korea's share of the costs for stationing U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) after 2026 was held in Seoul on Tuesday.
The discussions typically focus on the total sum of Seoul's share of USFK stationing costs and the criteria for determining payment rate increases.
A critical issue is whether the current principle of increasing South Korea’s annual defense contributions based on growth in defense spending can be changed.
The meeting began at 9 a.m. at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in eastern Seoul and was led by Lee Tae-woo, South Korea's chief negotiator from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Linda Specht, the U.S. chief negotiator from the State Department.
This follows their initial meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, from April 23 to 25, where they exchanged basic positions.
Previously, the United States described South Korea’s defense cost-sharing as a “powerful investment” in the Seoul-Washington alliance.
In contrast, South Korea has argued that the renegotiated balance should be at a “reasonable level” to ensure the “stable stationing of USFK and to strengthen the allies’ combined defense posture” — reflecting subtle tensions over the size and criteria for determining contributions.
Under the current six-year deal, ending in 2025, South Korea agreed to raise its payment by 13.9 percent from the previous year to $1.03 billion for 2021 and to increase the payment every year for the subsequent four years in line with the rise in Seoul's defense spending.
Korea's contribution to U.S.-ROK defense cost-sharing [NAM JUNG-HYUN]
According to the mid-term defense plan at the time, South Korea’s average annual defense spending increase from 2021 to 2025 was 6.1 percent, which has been criticized as being excessively burdensome for the nation.
Experts have pointed out that linking defense contributions to defense spending is contradictory, as these are inherently complementary.
A CH-47 Chinook helicopter moves at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, the largest U.S. Army base in the world, on Tuesday as the second round of negotiations for the 12th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) to determine South Korea's share of the costs for stationing U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) after 2026 took place. [YONHAP]
Previous multi-year agreements typically reflected inflation rates rather than defense spending, with annual increases capped at 4 percent. The 2019 10th SMA also saw an 8.2 percent increase based on defense spending, but that was a special one-year agreement.
Following the 11th SMA in 2021, the Moon Jae-in administration effectively acknowledged the flawed increase method. Former Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said before the National Assembly in August 2021 that "it was unavoidable to link the increase to the defense budget growth rate," but clarified that this would not be a premise for future negotiations.
The current negotiations, which began 20 months before the expiration of the existing agreement, appear to be an effort to mitigate the so-called "Trump risk."
In the United States, the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) is considered an administrative agreement and can be unilaterally terminated at the president's discretion — raising concerns that any agreement could be overturned.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has exacerbated these concerns by calling South Korea a "very wealthy country" during his recent election campaign. In an interview with Time magazine on April 30, he falsely stated, "They agreed to pay billions of dollars, and now probably now that I’m gone, they're paying very little." There are also fears that Trump could impose additional costs related to the defense of the Korean Peninsula.
"Instead of complicating the SMA established by the previous administration, [the United States] might demand cost-sharing through a new agreement between South Korea and the United States," said Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University. "South Korea should be prepared to bear some costs while identifying potential concessions it can secure in return."
BY PARK HYUN-JU [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
11. Prepare for ‘gray area’ terror attacks (north Korea)
This is from a chapter I contributed to a forthcoming book from the Joint Special Operations University:
More than a Terror State: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a Misunderstood and Neglected Global Malign Actor that Requires an Innovative New Strategy
By David Maxwell
ABSTRACT: This chapter argues that the West has oversimplified the adversarial problem of north Korea by focusing exclusively on nuclear weapons and terrorism. In fact, this malign actor needs further evaluation in terms of state resiliency and internal resistance to that same authority. The state’s oppression and control measures over millions of its people is perhaps unparalleled in modern history. Ironically, Koreans are among the most resilient people on earth yet those in the north simultaneously demonstrate little resistance capability. The scales of resilience and resistance offer the fundamental construct to consider, and its analysis offers insight into what might contribute to changing the lives of the Korean people in the north and the security situation on the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia.
INTRODUCTION
The label "terrorist state" has been used by international actors and analysts to describe north Korea's government, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). This designation raises significant questions and concerns about North Korea's activities, including its nuclear program, human rights abuses and the use of terror to control the population and eliminate internal opposition, its external use of political violence in support of its political warfare strategy against the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the ROK/U.S. Alliance, systemic kidnapping of ROK and Japanese citizens, and support for terrorist or violent extremist organizations around the world. However, what psychologically terrorizes the international community most of all is its possession of nuclear weapons and their use for coercion.[1] But this is a symptom of the larger problem: the existence of the Kim family regime and its intent to dominate the Korean peninsula.
The U.S. has placed North Korea on its list of State Sponsored Terrorism, removed it from the list to spur diplomacy, and then relisted it when the regime continued its malign activities. So, by definition, North Korea can be considered a terrorist state. However, it is crucial to approach this assertion with careful consideration of the broader geopolitical context and how the use of terrorism supports the regime’s strategy and objectives as well as contributes to threats to the rules based international order through its activities around the world.
[1] National Intelligence Estimate, “Scenarios for Leveraging Nuclear Weapons Through 2030,” National Intelligence Council, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, January 2023 (declassified 15 June 2023) https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/NIC-Declassified-NIE-North-Korea-Scenarios-For-Leveraging-Nuclear-Weapons-June2023.pdf
Tuesday
May 21, 2024
dictionary + A - A
Published: 21 May. 2024, 20:03
Prepare for ‘gray area’ terror attacks
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-05-21/opinion/columns/Prepare-for-gray-area-terror-attacks/2051742
Kim Ho-Hong
The author is the director of the North Korea Strategy Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.
Intelligence authorities are alarmed by signs that North Korea is attempting to harm South Korean diplomatic missions and citizens in China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The government immediately activated a working group on terrorism countermeasures and raised the alert level for five diplomatic missions — embassies in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and consulates general in Vladivostok and Shenyang — by two notches from “concern” to “alert.” It is the first time in 14 years that the alert level for diplomatic missions has been upgraded due to the North’s terrorist threats since its torpedoing of the Cheonan warship in March 2010.
Along with Cuba, Iran and Syria, North Korea has been on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. The North’s first inclusion on the list in January 1988 was closely linked to South Korea. The North’s bombing of South Korean leaders in Rangoon in 1983 and its bombing of Korean Air Flight 858 in 1987 were the direct reasons. Although North Korea was temporarily removed from the list in 2008, it was re-designated in 2017 and has been on the list every year since.
North Korea protested its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and made public its stance against terrorism whenever there was a chance. When the September 11 terror attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda under the guidance of Osama bin Laden, North Korea immediately signed the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages, pointing to the dangers of terrorism. At that time, Pyongyang bragged that it had joined “all anti-terrorism conventions.” After a terrorist attack at a Moscow concert hall in March, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed that the country’s stance against terrorism remained unchanged.
Despite such political rhetoric, suspicions were steadily raised that the country is directly and indirectly linked to terrorist attacks. Most recently, Hamas was caught using North Korean-made rockets in its surprise attacks on Israel. The North’s weapons supply to terrorist groups has become an international issue.
In redesignating North Korea in 2017, the United States cited the country’s involvement in assassinations abroad and repeated support for terrorist acts. Circumstantial evidence shows that the recent intelligence reports collected by the South Korean authorities on possible terrorist attacks are highly credible.
Why is North Korea planning terrorist attacks abroad at this time? First, it is likely retaliation for the recent increase in defectors. Last year, 196 North Koreans defected to South Korea, nearly tripling the number of defections in 2022. In particular, the number of elite defectors, including diplomats, reached a record high of 10, the most since 2017.
North Korea has long claimed that South Korean diplomats were involved in the defections of its elites living overseas. After Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea, started public activities in 2016, Pyongyang accused South Korean diplomats of inducing defections and threatened retaliation in a media report three days later. Taking into account this perception, North Korea apparently has an intention to directly harm South Korean diplomats to discourage their activities and issue a warning to its diplomats and trade workers abroad.
Second, there is a possibility that North Korea will choose to make a third type of provocation after Kim Jong-un has defined South Korea as its “primary enemy,” while describing inter-Korean relations as “hostile ones in a state of war” to fuel his country’s animosity toward the South. At this point, the North cannot make direct provocations due to the strong readiness of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and risk retaliatory action, as well as backlash in the international community.
In such a situation, staging provocations in a “gray area,” which deliver a substantial blow but are difficult to trace back to the source, are an attractive option. North Korea would want to push South Korea into a corner by launching surprise attacks overseas. Pyongyang could be tempted to make a move similar to the 1996 murder of a South Korean consular official in Vladivostok. It was clearly an assassination by the North but treated as a simple robbery-murder case by the Russian authorities.
Kim Yo-jong — the North Korean leader’s sister and deputy director of the publicity and information department of the Workers’ Party who is in charge of the country’s South Korea and overseas operations — last week made public a direct threat to proceed with necessary activities more actively as “hostile forces are bluntly making political moves against us.” The threat seems to be related to the North’s apparent preparation of terrorist attacks against South Korean diplomats overseas.
We need to be thoroughly prepared for such acts.
Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
12. Russian delegation arrives in Pyongyang: KCNA
Russian delegation arrives in Pyongyang: KCNA | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 21, 2024
SEOUL, May 21 (Yonhap) -- A Russian delegation visited Pyongyang this week, North Korea's state media reported Tuesday, the latest in a series of deepening exchanges between the two countries following a summit of their leaders in September.
The delegation led by Grigoriy Rapota, a member of the International Affairs Committee of Russia's Federation Council and chairman of the Russia-North Korea friendship parliamentary group, arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
The one-sentence dispatch did not provide further details.
The Russian Embassy in North Korea shared news of the delegation's arrival through its Telegram channel, stating that they will be staying in Pyongyang until Friday.
During this period, the two sides will discuss issues of parliamentary interaction and outline plans for future contacts, according to the posting.
The delegation's visit came as North Korea and Russia have been expanding cooperation in a range of areas following the rare summit between their leaders in September.
On Saturday, a North Korean delegation from the country's border city of Rason returned home after a weeklong visit to Russia's Far East.
Last week, Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Russia's northeastern region of Primorsky Krai, said after a meeting with the North's delegation that passenger trains connecting Vladivostok to the North are set to resume after years of a COVID-19 pandemic-related suspension.
In February, Kim Su-gil, an alternate member of the political bureau of the Workers' Party, and other delegates visited Russia at the invitation of Russia's ruling United Russia party. At that time, Kim met with Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov.
In the photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on May 21, 2024, a delegation of Russia's Federation Council arrives in Pyongyang the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 21, 2024
13. N. Korean leader voices condolences over death of Iranian president
I bet we will not see Kim Jong Un in a helicopter anytime soon.
N. Korean leader voices condolences over death of Iranian president
The Korea Times · by 2024-05-21 17:21 | Law & Crime · May 21, 2024
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, left, meets with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in the Iranian capital Tehran, Aug. 8, 2018. Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has expressed his "deep" condolences over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a recent helicopter crash, state media reported Tuesday.
Kim sent a message of condolence Monday to Mohammad Mokhber, Iran's first vice president, upon receiving the "shocking" news of Raisi's sudden demise, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Mokhber has become Iran's interim president after Raisi's death.
"The message said that the demise of the president is a great loss to the fraternal Iranian people and the world people aspiring after independence and justice," the KCNA said.
Kim said he wished that the Iranian government and people will overcome the grief from the loss of their leader and that the bereaved families will recover stability as soon as possible.
Iran's state media confirmed Raisi's death Monday, saying he and several other government officials accompanying him were found dead hours after their helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of the country's northwest.
Having established diplomatic ties in 1973, Pyongyang and Tehran are known to have close ties while under international sanctions for their weapons programs. The countries have been suspected of exchanging ballistic missile parts and technology, especially during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
North Korea's external economic relations minister visited Iran last month in a rare trip that raised suspicions of possible weapons cooperation between the two nations. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · by 2024-05-21 17:21 | Law & Crime · May 21, 2024
14. [Up close in Yeouido] Trump hinting at US troop removal in South Korea ‘election-time talk’
But it is the assumption that "mainstream thinking" will prevail that will cause problems. That is the whole point of Trump and his supporters - do away with "old think" and "mainstream thinking." What is done can be undone.
Except:
The former US President Donald Trump hinting at possibly pulling troops from South Korea was “election rhetoric that does not align with the mainstream thinking in Washington,” according to Rep. Han Ki-ho, the chair of the National Assembly’s national defense committee.
[Up close in Yeouido] Trump hinting at US troop removal in South Korea ‘election-time talk’
koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · May 21, 2024
By Kim Arin
Published : May 21, 2024 - 18:06
In this series, The Korea Herald sits down with members of the National Assembly to discuss top political events and issues affecting Seoul and beyond from South Korea’s heart of power in Yeouido. -- Ed.
Rep. Han Ki-ho speaks to The Korea Herald during an interview held at the office of the National Assembly national defense committee chair in Yeouido, central Seoul, on May 14. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)
The former US President Donald Trump hinting at possibly pulling troops from South Korea was “election rhetoric that does not align with the mainstream thinking in Washington,” according to Rep. Han Ki-ho, the chair of the National Assembly’s national defense committee.
The former three-star Army general, who won a fourth term in the Assembly in the April general election, told The Korea Herald that the statements from Trump were an “election-time talk for a domestic audience meant to get votes” that has “little likelihood of actually being implemented.”
“Trump has consistently questioned keeping US military in South Korea, and once again suggested in a recent interview that he might withdraw troops from here if we don’t pay more,” the lawmaker with the ruling People Power Party said.
In an April 30 interview with Time magazine, Trump said that the US troops in South Korea were “in a somewhat precarious position,” adding, “Why would we defend somebody … and we’re talking about a very wealthy country.”
Han, who served on the Assembly defense committee all throughout his three terms, said that he doesn’t believe the US Congress would go along with the former president’s proposal.
“If Trump indeed tries to pull US troops out of South Korea, could it pass the Congress? I doubt that,” he said.
He pointed out that the minimum number of US service members in South Korea was something that is “bound by law,” as specified in the National Defense Authorization Act, the federal laws on military budget and expenditures.
“I think Trump is aware troop withdrawal would be met by resistance in the Congress,” he said. “So we shouldn’t assume so quickly that Trump winning a second time would mean the US troops being reduced much less removed.”
Besides, the presence of the US military in South Korea also serves Washington’s national security interests of maintaining a strategic balance in Northeast Asia, more specifically as a check on Beijing, he said.
“Drawing down US troops in South Korea does not align with the existing ways and policies of Washington on China,” he said. “By cutting military presence in the region, the front lines of US influence and extended deterrence would retreat as far back as Japan.”
Han said that the US removing troops would hurt justification for barring South Korea from going nuclear. A growing trope of politicians in Seoul, many of them his ruling party colleagues, were advocating for the country to get nuclear weapons against the backdrop of uncertainties posed by a Trump White House.
He said that while he was against breaking the commitments to non-proliferation, such threats from Washington would foster security anxiety in Seoul, which is already seeing a rise in North Korean provocations so far in the year.
He said President Yoon Suk Yeol together with President Joe Biden “were able to reach what I believe is the best possible solution” with the deepened alliance as outlined in the Washington Declaration in April last year.
For one thing, the Declaration has made the US strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula “more visible than ever, creating an impact of nuclear deterrence by nuclear weapons without South Korea actually owning any.”
That being said, Han said that South Korea ought to “prepare for the worst scenario.”
“On the diplomatic front, the South Korean government as well as the Assembly ought to strengthen our relationship with the US Congress to ensure that troop withdrawal won’t go through, regardless of who is elected president in November.”
koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · May 21, 2024
15. Why are N. Korea's agricultural areas seeing a rising mortality rate?
If an area or business or organization does not directly support the survival of the Kim family regime it is deprioritized. This is a deliberate policy of Kim Jong Un.
Why are N. Korea's agricultural areas seeing a rising mortality rate? - Daily NK English
Currently, most of North Korea's public health and medical resources go to Pyongyang, provincial capitals, and other major cities, creating a health gap with the countryside
By Jo Hyon, PhD, Kyungnam University - May 21, 2024
dailynk.com · by Jo Hyon, PhD, Kyungnam University · May 21, 2024
Farmland in Chongsan-ri, between Nampo and Pyongyang. (Flickr, Creative Commons)
The mortality rate in North Korea’s agricultural areas is more than three times than that in urban areas, according to a source inside the country.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in South Pyongan Province reported that the first-quarter death statistics released on May 11 by the public health bureau of the provincial people’s committeeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More showed that the death rate of rural residents was more than three times that of urban residents.
Disease was by far the biggest killer, with tuberculosis, cancer, heart disease, influenza, cerebrovascular disease, liver disease, septic shock and hypertension topping the list.
In particular, the death rates for tuberculosis, liver disease and septic shock have increased. According to local health experts, these are “common diseases in rural communities where people have weakened immune systems due to malnutrition from lack of food and poor sanitation.
But while all of North Korea suffers from an antiquated medical system, conditions in rural communities are even worse. “Given the large elderly population in rural communities, poor nutrition, and primitive sanitation, it’s natural that rural villages have a much higher mortality rate than cities,” the source said. “Rural women look older and die faster.”
Even though most of the diseases that are the biggest killers in rural North Korea are preventable or treatable, they cause the death rate to rise because the authorities fail to manage them properly.
Currently, most of North Korea’s public health and medical resources go to Pyongyang, provincial capitals, and other major cities, creating a health gap with the countryside, where local residents do not receive adequate health services. The ruling party now promotes a policy of actively sending medical school graduates to the countryside to increase the number of rural doctors, but even rural medical school graduates would rather die than be sent to the countryside.
North Korea’s ruling party only pays lip service to “developing rural communities” while taking no action to close the wide gap between policy and reality. So what is the solution?
First, the authorities must elevate the role of provincial medical facilities, especially clinics and village hospitals. Above all, they must send usable medical facilities and medicines, as well as capable doctors. They must provide sufficient conditions for doctors to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the health of farmers. They must provide medicine and facilities for doctors in rural clinics and village hospitals, instead of simply telling them to do their duty and demanding their loyalty.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jo Hyon, PhD, Kyungnam University · May 21, 2024
16. Hwasong District holds training sessions for new apartment tenants
There can be no capitalist-like activity. But I bet some homeowner's and tenant associations in the US would like to adopt some of the regime's strict policies. Some of the leaders of these associations seem to have a little bit of Kim Jong un within them.
Hwasong District holds training sessions for new apartment tenants - Daily NK English
New tenants were warned that selling their allotted home to others, or paying a premium to move to another floor, could result in severe legal repercussions, and even expulsion from the capital city
By Jong So Yong - May 21, 2024
dailynk.com · by Jong So Yong · May 21, 2024
A computer graphic model of the Hwasong area. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
The people’s committee of Pyongyang’s Hwasong District is administering home maintenance training sessions for tenants of new homes in the district, Daily NK has learned.
“The urban management department of the Hwasong District People’s CommitteeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More is stressing the importance of proper house maintenance in training sessions for people who have been assigned new houses, while urging them to be proud of living in the best houses prepared by the loving care of the Workers’ Party and the Marshal [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un],” a source in Pyongyang told Daily NK on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
According to the source, the home maintenance sessions, which are led by the district people’s committee, began at the beginning of May and last for about five days for each newly registered family.
The training sessions are held with the primary goal of instilling loyalty in Kim, emphasizing that it is his hard work that has made it possible to build these quality apartments so quickly, and that it is the duty of the citizens to always remember that it is Kim’s affection and consideration that makes it possible to live in such beautiful homes.
This is followed by a session explaining the laws and regulations governing housing maintenance. New residents are given a brief explanation of the rules for housing allocation, housing use, maintenance and repair, as well as a detailed explanation of the country’s housing policy. The committee also emphasizes the need for housing maintenance to be fully under government control.
The district people’s committeeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More also informs the new residents that they must fully comply with the duties and rules of home maintenance, and that it is especially important to prevent damage to the house and not to make unauthorized structural changes.
On the latter point, the committee has warned all tenants that making unauthorized structural changes or causing damage to their homes through poor maintenance could lead to fines or forced relocation.
Families are also being warned that giving or selling their allotted home to others, or paying a premium to move to another floor, could result in severe legal repercussions and even the family’s expulsion from the capital city.
The committee is emphasizing that the training sessions should promote the effective use of the new houses and help preserve their value through proper maintenance, as the houses are important assets of the state.
The committee also said that the trainings are important because they enable residents to thoroughly understand and comply with housing maintenance regulations, thus serving both their individual interests and those of the community, and ensuring that people enjoy a safe and comfortable living environment.
“At the end of the training sessions, the lecturers express their hope that all residents will create a better living environment by properly maintaining their homes in accordance with laws and regulations, and hand out a manual needed for home maintenance as a housewarming gift,” the source said.
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jong So Yong · May 21, 2024
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
| 
