"The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability."
- Henry Ford
"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."
- Abraham Lincoln
"Security is no replacement for liberty." -
Martin Firrell
1. (Yonhap Interview) Amb. Harris says Seoul elevated history issue into security realm with GSOMIA decision
2. Moon vows to maintain security cooperation with Japan despite looming GSOMIA expiry
3. US demands 5-fold increase in Japan's defense cost share, report says
4. Seoul says N. Korea adding pressure on U.S. ahead of resumption of talks
5. N.K. says dialogue with U.S. 'impossible' unless Washington drops 'hostile policy'
6. America and South Korea Must Negotiate a Fair Extension of the SMA by Thomas Byrne and Walter L. Sharp
7. South Korea agrees to open market to US rice worth $110M per year
8. US moves to seal nuclear deal with North Korea before year-end deadline
9. Why North Korea isn't accepting new US concessions
10. North Korea's Gat-Geun Tactic Aims to Destroy South Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Relations
1. (Yonhap Interview) Amb. Harris says Seoul elevated history issue into security realm with GSOMIA decision
Ambassador Harris makes some critically important points that I hope the Blue House heeds on both the SMA/burden sharing and GSOMIA. This is the first reporting from a US official clarifying the reports on paying for deployment of strategic assets. Also the key issue is the ROK position on not making a counter offer. IN my discussions with ROK officials in Seoul a few weeks ago they did not want to make a counteroffer because they did not want to legitimize the US demand for new funding categories. I am sure this is why the talks ended abruptly today after only about an hour or hour and a half.
Regarding the GSMOIA I wholeheartedly agree with the Ambassador that the Blue House must prioritize national security and national prosperity over the historical issues (as important as they are to Korea).
Excerpts.
Harris urged Seoul to put forward a "meaningful counter-offer" to make progress, stressing that "the ball is in Korea's court."
...
Harris pointed out that there has been "misreporting and misperceptions" in news reports.
"We are not seeking, we are not asking for Korea to defray the cost of the strategic assets to the peninsula, for example, or to pay for things that are ongoing outside the Korean theater of operations and that has been reported in some parts of the press," he said. "That is simply not true."
...
The top U.S. envoy in South Korea said Tuesday that
Seoul has elevated its long-simmering historical conflict with Tokyo into the security realm, redoubling calls for it to reverse the decision to end its military information-sharing accord with Japan.
"Korea elevated it into the security realm and that security realm affects us. So, now it affects the U.S. and our ability to defend Korea, and puts our troops at risk ... so that is why we reacted quickly and strongly in expressing disappointment at Seoul's decision," he said in an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency
(LEAD) (Yonhap Interview) Amb. Harris says Seoul elevated history issue into security realm with GSOMIA decision | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS more remarks, details throughout)
By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. envoy in South Korea said Tuesday that Seoul has elevated its long-simmering historical conflict with Tokyo into the security realm, redoubling calls for it to reverse the decision to end its military information-sharing accord with Japan.
Amb. Harry Harris made the remarks, warning that the termination of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) would affect America's ability to defend South Korea, which is "our treaty obligation to your country."
The military pact, which the U.S. sees as a symbolic yet crucial tool to promote trilateral security cooperation with its two Asian allies, is set to expire on Saturday unless Seoul reverses its decision to terminate it.
"Korea elevated it into the security realm and that security realm affects us. So, now it affects the U.S. and our ability to defend Korea, and puts our troops at risk ... so that is why we reacted quickly and strongly in expressing disappointment at Seoul's decision," he said in an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency.
Asked if the GSOMIA termination would affect the South Korea-U.S. alliance, the ambassador recalled the State Department's earlier statement that it would make defending the peninsula "more complex."
"We fully support, the United States fully supports, the ROK-Japan GSOMIA and we certainly hope strongly that both countries can overcome their disagreements," he said. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, Republic of Korea.
In August, Seoul announced the decision in response to Tokyo's export restrictions, which it sees as political retaliation for last year's Korean Supreme Court rulings that ordered Japanese firms to compensate victims of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.
Seoul insists that it can reconsider its decision on GSOMIA only if Tokyo cancels the export control measures. Japan imposed the restrictions citing security concerns and an erosion of trust with South Korea.
Commenting on Seoul's rationale for the decision to end GSOMIA, Harris expressed his disagreement with it.
"Just because I understand cognitively the rationale behind Korea's decision, that does not mean I agree with it. I don't agree with it," he said.
Though there are no signs of progress in the efforts by Seoul and Tokyo to settle their dispute, Harris said that he believes there is a chance that South Korea could reverse its decision on the military pact.
"I do believe there is a chance ... There is always a chance and we have a few days left and we will have to see where it goes," he said.
The ambassador also underscored a "clear military value" to GSOMIA despite claims that the military pact only carries "symbolic importance."
"As it exists, Japan and Korea can coordinate directly with each other to share military information. They don't have to go through a middleman, the U.S.," he said.
"In time of war at the speed of combat in the 21st century, you can't have a middle man, you can't have a go-between. You must be able to coordinate directly," he added.
Touching on the hitherto unfruitful defense cost-sharing negotiations between Seoul and Washington, Harris urged Seoul to put forward a "meaningful counter-offer" to make progress, stressing that "the ball is in Korea's court."
He added that the two sides could conclude their negotiations over the sharing of the cost for stationing the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea before the end of the year.
"Of course it is possible and it is not a theoretical possibility. It is a very real possibility. But Korea has to come back to the negotiating table in good faith," he said.
Earlier in the day, the allies cut short their latest round of negotiations on the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), a defense cost-sharing accord, amid Washington's demand for a hefty rise in Seoul's payments.
Reports said the U.S. has demanded South Korea pay nearly US$5 billion next year to cover expenditures related to the allies' combined military exercises and support for the USFK troops' families.
Harris pointed out that there has been "misreporting and misperceptions" in news reports.
"We are not seeking, we are not asking for Korea to defray the cost of the strategic assets to the peninsula, for example, or to pay for things that are ongoing outside the Korean theater of operations and that has been reported in some parts of the press," he said. "That is simply not true."
2. Moon vows to maintain security cooperation with Japan despite looming GSOMIA expiry
This appears to be Moon searching for a way out of this mess.
Although the agreement, known as GSOMIA, is scheduled to come to an end this weekend, South Korea will maintain partnerships with Japan on regional security, he added.
Perhaps he is signaling that they he will be ready to renew he GSOMIA when the political heat from his base can be dealt with. It is a positive sign that he said Korea will maintain partnerships.
(LEAD) Moon vows to maintain security cooperation with Japan despite looming GSOMIA expiry | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: RECASTS lead paras; UPDATES with remarks on other issues, details from 13th paras; ADDS photo, byline)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday his government will try "till the last moment" to avoid the termination of an accord with Japan on exchanging military information but he made clear that depends on Tokyo's stance on its export restriction against Seoul.
Although the agreement, known as GSOMIA, is scheduled to come to an end this weekend, South Korea will maintain partnerships with Japan on regional security, he added.
U.S. officials have voiced worries about potential negative impact on teamwork in Northeast Asia security, primarily against Pyongyang and Beijing.
Moon pointed out that Japan's export controls against South Korea are behind Seoul's decision to ditch GSOMIA.
South Korea is providing Japan with a big help in its national security, serving as a "breakwater," thus enabling Tokyo to save defense spending, the president noted.
However, Japan toughened export restrictions, citing concern about strategic materials being transferred to North Korea or other third countries.
"Isn't it contradictory to seek the sharing of military information while saying South Korea is not trustworthy in terms of security?" Moon said. "We took measures that we naturally had to take."
If Japan changes tack and seeks to resolve the issue of export control and GSOMIA, he added, South Korea is willing to work together with it.
On the Korea peace process, Moon said his initiative to improve inter-Korean ties is going relatively slow since it's tied with progress in Washington-Pyongyang dialogue on denuclearization.
"We can pick up far more speed if we think of South-North relations alone. I think we can run. But a development in South-North relations should be abreast of the international community," especially with Pyongyang and Washington engaged in nuclear talks, he said.
As they stated, the two sides are trying to arrange a third summit via working-level talks within this year, he said.
"If a third North Korea-U.S. summit is realized, I think there would be an accomplishment, certainly," Moon added. "If so, there will be far more room for inter-Korean ties (to improve)."
Meanwhile, Moon again apologized to the people for having caused huge social conflicts and rifts with the appointment of his political ally Cho Kuk as justice minister. Cho stepped down in disgrace last month after weeks of street protests for and against his appointment. His family has been under investigation by the prosecution over allegations of document forgery and financial problems.
Moon emphasized the importance of prosecution reform in spite of Cho's resignation.
In particular, he said it's crucial to establish a non-prosecution unit specialized in looking into corruption by high-ranking public servants.
Regarding a proposal to introduce a voluntary military system to replace the existing compulsory one, the president said it's realistically premature to do so and it's an issue to be considered over the mid-to-long term.
Asked about soaring housing prices, especially in Seoul, he reaffirmed that his administration won't use the real estate market to stimulate the economy and artificially raise growth rates.
"We will bring housing prices under control by mobilizing various stronger measures if the current ones don't work," he said.
On gay marriage, he said more discussions are necessary to reach a social consensus for related legislation.
Moon had the national conversation with the people as he has entered the latter half of his single five-year presidency. A total of 300 people were invited to the 117-minute event moderated by Bae Chul-soo, a popular radio host.
Posted on : Nov.18,2019 16:29 KST Modified on : Nov.18,2019 16:29 KST
Washington insiders worry Trump's efforts "squeeze cash from allies" will degrade alliances
A protester denounces the US' demands for increasing South Korea's financial contribution to stationing US troops in Korea upon the arrival of James DeHart, the chief US negotiator in defense cost-sharing talks with South Korea, at Incheon International Airport on Nov. 17. (Yonhap News)
The US, which is pressuring South Korea to pay a larger share of defense costs, also demanded that Japan increase its defense cost share by four to five times its current level, a report alleged. Within the US, the Donald Trump administration is facing increasing criticism for its "excessive" attempts to squeeze cash from allies.The demand was communicated to Japan last July during a visit by then White House National Security Advisor and National Security Council Senior Director for East Asia Matthew Pottinger, the foreign affairs journal Foreign Policy said in a Nov. 15 report citing accounts from current and former officials. Around 54,000 US troops are currently stationed in Japan, which is paying a share of around US$2 billion this year according to a US-Japan defense cost sharing agreement that ends in March of next year. According to former defense officials, Washington demanded an amount of US$8 billion, representing a 300% increase.Some reports have suggested the increase demanded by the US is even larger. Japan's Kyodo News quoted government officials the same day as saying the US demanded a defense cost share of five times its current level -- which, if finalized, would have Japan paying 980 billion yen (around US$9.02 billion) per year. The Trump administration has also demanded an increased defense cost share from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which together with Canada will have paid over US$100 billion more between 2016 and the end of next year, Foreign Policy reported.Already, Washington has been mobilizing senior officials to openly push for a larger share of defense costs amid the current discussions with Seoul on the 11th Special Measures Agreement (SMA). The US is reportedly demanding that South Korea pay a share five times larger than its 2019 level.
Expert says excessive demands "could trigger anti-Americanism"Some are warning that the excessive demands for larger shares could harm the US' ties with its allies. Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow with the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, told Foreign Policy that "this kind of demand, not only the exorbitant number, but the way it is being done, could trigger anti-Americanism.""If you weaken alliances, and potentially decrease deterrence and US troop presence, that benefits North Korea, China, and Russia," he warned.At a Nov. 15 seminar in Washington organized by the Asia Society, David Maxwell, a senior research fellow at the US think tank Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, noted that the defense cost-sharing issue "affects the foundation of the entire US alliance structure.""Will US alliances be based on shared interests, values, and strategy, or are they evolving to become purely transactional relationships resting solely on the amount of funding for US forces?" he asked.Democratic Rep. Grace Meng called for reconsideration in a letter the same day to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper."To request a 500% increase within one year from Seoul shows no regard for the mutual benefit of this critical alliance, and puts US national security and economic interests in the region in jeopardy," she wrote.Meanwhile, a third meeting for the conclusion of the 11th SMA to take effect next year is taking place in Seoul on Nov. 18-19. The major differences in perspective between the South Korean and US sides suggest the tense tug-of-war will continue.By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent, Cho Ki-weon, Tokyo correspondent, and Noh Ji-won, staff reporterPlease direct comments or questions to [[email protected]]
4. Seoul says N. Korea adding pressure on U.S. ahead of resumption of talks
So the Kim family regime is executing a "maximum pressure" campaign against the US?
Seoul says N. Korea adding pressure on U.S. ahead of resumption of talks | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to be increasing pressure on the United States by releasing a series of statements stressing their stance ahead of the resumption of their nuclear talks, a unification ministry official said Tuesday.
On Monday, a former chief nuclear envoy of the North, Kim Kye-gwan, issued a statement, saying the North is no longer interested in holding another summit with Washington, arguing that Pyongyang gained "nothing" from the meetings.
The statement was followed by a separate release by another former nuclear negotiator, Kim Yong-chol, just hours later, which said the U.S. "should not even dream of" having negotiations with the North before dropping its "hostile policy" against Pyongyang.
Describing such series of statements as an "unusual move," the ministry official said they appear to be aimed at asserting the North's call for a new proposal ahead of a possible resumption of working-level nuclear negotiations.
"North Korea appears to be increasing its call for a new calculation method ahead of the North Korea-U.S. talks," the ministry official said.
After the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un collapsed without a deal in February, the North has warned that it will seek a "new way" unless Washington comes up with a new proposal by the year-end.
The two countries held their last working-level talks in Stockholm in early October, but the meeting ended without much progress with Pyongyang accusing Washington of failing to come up with a new proposal.
Last week, the North's current chief nuclear envoy, Kim Myong-gil, unveiled that his U.S. counterpart Stephen Biegun has recently proposed holding a meeting next month via a third country.
South Korea and the U.S. announced Sunday the postponement of their joint air exercises that had been set for later this month to back the diplomatic efforts, but Pyongyang also scoffed at the move, saying it wants such drills stopped completely.
5. N.K. says dialogue with U.S. 'impossible' unless Washington drops 'hostile policy'
We should never lose sight of the fact that to the north the US hostile policy is the ROK.US alliance, US troops on the peninsula, extended deterrence and the nuclear umbrella over the ROK and Japan. There is no end of the US hostile policy until all four of those conditions are removed. Security guarantees, liaison offices, suspension or cancellation of exercises are not sufficient to remove the hostile policy in the north's calculus.
(LEAD) N.K. says dialogue with U.S. 'impossible' unless Washington drops 'hostile policy' | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS more quotes, background, photo)
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator said Tuesday that dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington is "impossible" unless the United States makes a "bold decision to drop the hostile policy" against the communist nation.
Kim Myong-gil made the remarks in an interview with the Korean Central News Agency, unveiling that the U.S. recently offered through Sweden to hold a new round of talks in December after October's working-level negotiations in Stockholm.
"As we have already reiterated several times, the DPRK-U.S. dialogue is impossible unless the U.S. makes a bold decision to drop the hostile policy towards the DPRK," Kim was quoted as saying. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Kim also said that Sweden "no longer needs to work for" the U.S.-North Korea dialogue, adding it is "not for lack of communication channel or mediator" that the next negotiations have not been held yet.
The negotiator said that the U.S. appears to have made the dialogue offer through Sweden in order "not to give impression that it fawns on" the North.
Kim's interview marked the North's third announcement pressuring the U.S. in less than 24 hours.
On Monday, a former chief nuclear envoy of the North, Kim Kye-gwan, issued a statement saying the North is no longer interested in holding another summit with Washington, arguing that Pyongyang gained "nothing" from the previous meetings.
The statement was followed by a separate release by another former nuclear negotiator, Kim Yong-chol, just hours later, which said the U.S. "should not even dream of" having negotiations with the North before dropping its "hostile policy" against Pyongyang.
A unification ministry official earlier said North Korea appears to be increasing pressure on the U.S. by releasing a series of statements stressing their stance ahead of the resumption of their nuclear talks.
After the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un collapsed without a deal in February, the North has warned that it will seek a "new way" unless Washington comes up with a new proposal by year's end.
The U.S. and North Korea held their last working-level talks in Stockholm in early October, but the meeting ended without much progress, with Pyongyang accusing Washington of failing to come up with a new proposal.
After the breakdown of the talks, Sweden said it plans to send new invitations to the two countries, adding that it will remain "proactive" to encourage them to meet again.
South Korea and the U.S. announced Sunday the postponement of their joint air exercises that had been set for later this month to back the diplomatic efforts, but Pyongyang also scoffed at the move, saying it wants such drills stopped completely.
6. America and South Korea Must Negotiate a Fair Extension of the SMA by Thomas Byrne and Walter L. Sharp
I really think what must happen in the short term is an agreement to continue support at current levels while the ROK and US sit down and conduct a "do-over" and re-negotiate a fair and equitable agreement based on what is best for the ROK/US alliance and to allow the combined ROK/US military to accomplish its mission. We have to put the mission first.
Excerpts:
There is too much at stake for the U.S. to ask for too much, and thus risk alienating a responsible and reliable ally, and for South Korea to not pay its fair share given the wealth that Korea has achieved thanks to the security ensured by the U.S. military presence. Creative negotiations could strengthen, not weaken, the alliance.
At a congressional hearing in July, members of Congress expressed concern that the failure of the SMA talks could lead to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Korea, a result China and Russia would welcome. That would probably be the death knell of the alliance.
America and South Korea Must Negotiate a Fair Extension of the SMA
Contentious talks to renew the U.S.-South Korea military cost-sharing agreement threatens to strain an over six-decade alliance, one that advances key American interests and serves as the cornerstone of peace and security in one of the world's most important regions.
This comes at a critical time with North Korea
ramping up its conventional weapons threats to South Korea and Japan. Talks this week in Seoul ended prematurely when the U.S. cut short negotiations arguing that the South Koreas "were not responsive to our request for fair and equitable burden-sharing," while the South cited "quite a big difference in principle."
Since 1991 the U.S. and South Korea have negotiated multiyear Special Measures Agreements (SMA) that govern how costs are shared for the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in Korea. When the previous agreement expired at the end of 2018,
talks proved so difficult that a makeshift one-year agreement was all that could be managed. Nonetheless, South Korea agreed to raise its contribution 8.2% to KRW 1.04 trillion (almost $900 million), which covers about 50% of local basing costs, a bottom-line target for the U.S. last year.
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris
has stated that "Korea, like other allies, can and should do more." In one regard Ambassador Harris is right: the cost of deterring North Korea's relentless weapons build-up continually increases the cost of common defense.
But the Korean press has reported that the U.S. "ask" is for South Korea to increase its annual contribution five-fold (to nearly $5 billion), while the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seeking a "reasonable and equitable" increase. Closing such a large gap would be extremely challenging politically for the South. And it is worth noting that some in Congress, such as U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, have praised South Korea's contribution.
Are the U.S. demands fair or are they mercenary? And is South Korea a "free rider," a country that scrimps on its own defense spending and overly depends on allies? Let's look at how South Korea measures up.
First, South Korea's numbers show that it is not shirking its defense burden. It spent 2.6 % of GDP in 2018 on its defense budget, and plans to spend 2.9% by 2022. That far outpaces the NATO benchmark of 2% and eclipses the levels spent by Germany, 1.2%, and Japan, 0.9% (the U.S was 3.2%).
Second, South Korea is the third-largest purchaser of military goods from the U.S. - $6.7 billion from 2008 to 2017 - and it does not seek subsidies from U.S. taxpayers for its purchases, unlike Israel and Egypt. South Korea is ramping up its defense spending to localize its defense capability and raise its military posture.
Third, South Korea shouldered around 90% of the $11 billion capital expenditure for the consolidation of U.S. bases south of the Han River to Camp Humphreys, forming America's "largest power projection platform in the Pacific," according to the Defense Department. And South Korea does not charge rent.
Moreover, South Korea has demonstrated that it is a dependable ally supporting U.S. military actions in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq in the past and most recently agreeing to a U.S. request to send a naval destroyer to guard merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Even though the evidence shows that South Korea is not a "free rider," does that alone justify maintaining the alliance?
Yes. Much is at stake in maintaining global order. The 66-year U.S.-South Korea alliance has kept the peace and maintained geopolitical conditions for mutual prosperity. South Korea is America's sixth-largest trade partner and its major corporations are increasingly investing in the U.S, creating high-paying jobs for American workers. A prosperous South Korea is good for America.
It is in the interest of the U.S. and South Korea to negotiate a fair extension of the SMA that does not raise accusations among the Korean population that the U.S. is a mercenary force in their country while also addressing concerns of the U.S. that its allies shoulder as much of their own defense burden as possible. Polling shows that Korea's highly favorable perception of the U.S. has taken a big hit. And the Korean government is hyper-sensitive to public opinion.
There is too much at stake for the U.S. to ask for too much, and thus risk alienating a responsible and reliable ally, and for South Korea to not pay its fair share given the wealth that Korea has achieved thanks to the security ensured by the U.S. military presence. Creative negotiations could strengthen, not weaken, the alliance.
At a congressional hearing in July, members of Congress expressed concern that the failure of the SMA talks could lead to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Korea, a result China and Russia would welcome. That would probably be the death knell of the alliance.
Thomas Byrne is President and CEO of The Korea Society, and former Asia Pacific/Middle East Regional Manager at Moody's Sovereign Risk Group.
General (Ret) Walter L. Sharp is former UNC/CFC/USFK Commander, a Director of The Korea Society and the current Chairman of the Korea Defense Veterans Association.
Image: Reuters.
7. South Korea agrees to open market to US rice worth $110M per year
Will the ROK get any credit for this from POTUS?
South Korea agrees to open market to US rice worth $110M per year
Former Commerce Department deputy director Chris Garcia gives his insights on the ongoing U.S.-China trade talks.
South Korea agreed to give the U.S. market access for approximately $110 million worth of rice a year, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Tuesday.
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"Thanks to President Trump's leadership, this agreement gives our farmers the largest volume of guaranteed market access for rice in Korea that the United States has ever enjoyed," Lighthizer said in a
statement. "It will prove enormously beneficial for American producers and their customers in Korea, who will enjoy access to high quality and cost competitive U.S. rice."
The agreement providing access for 143,304 tons of rice annually will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
"This announcement continues the Trump administration's aggressive promotion of U.S. exports," Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., told FOX Business in a statement. "Since Arkansas leads the country in rice production, I hope to see even more international markets open up to allow our industry to thrive. I thank Trade Representative Lighthizer and Agriculture Secretary Perdue for their commitment to American agriculture."
Tuesday's agreement comes as the U.S. global trade landscape is in an uncertain place. The
Trump administration is trying to make progress in negotiations with
China and convince
Congress to pass the
U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
The uncertainty combined with tariffs hasn't been good for farmers' bottom lines.
President Trump said Friday a new round of payments would go out to farmers caught up in the China
trade war.
"Our great Farmers will recieve [sic] another major round of 'cash,' compliments of China Tariffs, prior to Thanksgiving," Trump wrote on
Twitter. "The smaller farms and farmers will be big beneficiaries."
"In the meantime, and as you may have noticed, China is starting to buy big again," he continued. "Japan deal DONE. Enjoy!"
8. US moves to seal nuclear deal with North Korea before year-end deadline
This is the problem. Kim thinks Trump wants a deal more than anything. This type of reporting reinforces that belief and he thinks he has the advantage;
US moves to seal nuclear deal with North Korea before year-end deadline
"I am the only one who can get you where you have to be," US President Donald Trump told North Korean leader Kim Jong-un via a tweet Sunday. "You should act quickly, get the deal done. See you soon!"
Trump and Kim have met three times since June last year to discuss ways to disarm North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, but they have not made substantial progress. Working-level talks in Sweden last month broke down.
On Sunday, South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced that they would put off their combined military air exercise in an effort to bolster dialogue. The Vigilant Ace drills were scheduled for later this month.
Esper urged Pyongyang to "return to the negotiating table without precondition or hesitation," during a joint press conference in Bangkok on the sidelines of a regional defense ministers' meeting led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Experts here said that the postponement of the exercise will boost momentum for dialogue, as it may be viewed as the easing of hostile policies against Pyongyang.
"The move would have fulfilled North Korea's demand for the US to take actions first," said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University.
As the North Korean ruler has set a year-end deadline for the US to come up with flexible approaches, both sides will have to confirm in working-level talks whether they have sufficiently changed course and are able to sign an agreement before another summit is held, he said.
Pyongyang is willing to give up nuclear weapons in a phased manner, with reciprocal measures like sanctions relief and security guarantees in each step. Washington wants the regime to take concrete steps for complete and verifiable denuclearization first.
"The problem is neither of them have so far showed indications of approach alteration. They still seem to run parallel to one another with no picture of the final state of denuclearization from North Korea and Washington's unwillingness for sanctions relief," said Kim Jin-a, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.
___
9. Why North Korea isn't accepting new US concessions
Cancelling or postponing exercises is not a "concession" that Kim wants. He is of course pleased with a reduction in ROK/US combined military readiness. But these types of "concessions" will not get us anywhere with north Korea and Kim.
Normally I would say while Kim might escalate tensions he would not attack in the strength of the ROK/US alliance. But with the current alliance friction he may think he has an opportunity to really put pressure on the regime na contribute ot further splitting of the ROK/US alliance to establish the conditions to support his strategy.
Why North Korea isn't accepting new US concessions
The Trump administration thinks it can calm North Korea by suspending military exercises and offering continued pledges for diplomacy. It is wrong.
Because North Korea wants something that President Trump, to his credit, is unwilling to give: namely, sanctions relief without commensurate North Korean concessions on
its nuclear and missile programs. A recent
editorial in the
Pyongyang Times emphasized this case by quoting Kim Yong Chol, a top
regime hard-liner and senior negotiator.
Kim observed that "The U.S. always calls for negotiation for denuclearization, but there is no room to say about the negotiation before the complete and irrevocable withdrawal of its hostile policy toward the DPRK, the root cause of the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula." Kim added, "From now on, the DPRK will get due compensation for every administrative achievement the U.S. president has talked too much about for over a year."
Here we see a return to the old North Korean rhetoric of blaming America for a "hostile policy." This is standard-fare North Korean stuff, a cover of righteous fury designed to conceal Pyongyang's reluctance to make new concessions. But it had been reduced in ferocity and regularity as Trump and Kim Jong Un sought to build a personal relationship. No longer.
Note the editorial's veiled insult of Trump, who Kim Yong Chol says "has talked too much" about diplomacy of late.
North Korea is setting the ground for escalation, likely in the form of a new long-range ballistic missile test. The ingredients for this escalation have become increasingly clear over the past few months with various
symbolic gestures,
submarine tests, and diplomatic acts of repudiation rebuking the idea of a near term nuclear deal. The Trump administration has rightly not budged in response to those actions. But neither has North Korea become disabused with the idea of escalation as a means of improving its position. Pyongyang, which faces an upcoming famine, evidently feels it cannot wait to push the United States into a new, more concessionary understanding.
In short, escalation is coming.
10. North Korea's Gat-Geun Tactic Aims to Destroy South Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Relations
Very interesting analysis from Dr. Tara O. We should have no doubt that Kim continues to execute his father and grandfather's strategy of subversion, coercion/extortion, and use of force to unify the peninsula under the domination of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State. Dr O has provided us with one aspect of north Korean subversion.
Subversion: "The undermining of the power and authority of an established system or institution. As in: "the ruthless subversion of democracy"
Excerpt:
Gat is a hat Korean men used to wear during the Chosun Dynasty. It has a large brim with two strings that go around the sides of the face to tie in the middle to secure the hat in its place. According to Kim Il-sung's "Gat-Geun Tactic" (41:05), one string represents South Korea's alliance with the U.S. and the other string represents South Korea's relations with Japan. By cutting off one string, the hat blows off. Thus, by destroying South Korea's relations with Japan, South Korea itself crumbles-and that is how Kim Il-sung describes the Gat-Geun Tactic, which is part of the Kim family regime's anti-South Korea strategy.
North Korea's Gat-Geun Tactic Aims to Destroy South Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Relations - East Asia Research Center
The U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) alliance has defended South Korea against external threats, especially threats emanating from North Korea, for almost 70 years. The U.S. and Japan are also allies, and this alliance is important for regional security. While South Korea and Japan do not have a formal mutual defense treaty, so technically not allies, the relations between the two countries are nevertheless important. Japan plays a crucial role in South Korea's national defense. In case of contingency or war on the Korean Peninsula, Japan provides seven UN bases, where the UN Sending States' forces and materials can gather before moving onward to Korea. Beyond the UN bases, the three countries-South Korea, Japan, and the U.S.- working together produce synergy. It also makes a statement that these countries stand together to protect freedom in the region.
North Korea understands the importance of this trilateral relationship, and wants to break it.
North Korea's goal was and continues to be to unify the entire Korean peninsula under its rule. North Korea's methods, as often highlighted by Colonel David Maxwell, are subversion, coercion, blackmail, and force. It cannot sustain its legitimacy as long as a competing system across the border does so much better in the way people live-food availability, medical care, wealth, technology, and freedom. This means the very existence of South Korea is a threat to the Kim family regime's legitimacy.
The North Korean regime wants to take over South Korea and rule the entire Korean Peninsula. However, it sees an obstacle: the U.S. military presence in South Korea and South Korea's alliance with the U.S. in general. For North Korea, the answer is to remove U.S. troops from Korea and destroy the alliance. North Korea has made efforts to do that directly and indirectly.
There have been calls to remove the U.S. troops in South Korea by various South Korean groups that often praise North Korea. The majority of the South Korean public, however, support South Korea's alliance with the U.S.
What else can North Korea do? Focus on Japan. It can try to weaken South Korea-Japan relations by using anti-Japan feelings among South Koreans, maintained by emphasizing historical animosity.
Kim Il Sung's Gat-Geun Tactic (갓끈전술)
Gat: Ancient Korean Hat. It has 2 strings.
Gat is a hat Korean men used to wear during the Chosun Dynasty. It has a large brim with two strings that go around the sides of the face to tie in the middle to secure the hat in its place. According to Kim Il-sung's "
Gat-Geun Tactic" (41:05), one string represents South Korea's alliance with the U.S. and the other string represents South Korea's relations with Japan. By cutting off one string, the hat blows off. Thus, by destroying South Korea's relations with Japan, South Korea itself crumbles-and that is how Kim Il-sung describes the
Gat-Geun Tactic, which is part of the Kim family regime's anti-South Korea strategy.
Kim Il-sung first
used the term Gat-Geun Tactic in 1969, when he gave a speech at Kim Jong-il Political Military University, which trains espionage agents and operatives. Kim Il-sung
emphasized the tactic again in 1972 in his speech during the graduation ceremony at Kim Il-sung University.
Hwang Jang-yop, the most senior North Korean figure to defect to South Korea, also
said the North Korean regime is making full use of the Gat-Geun Tactic of weakening the South Korea-U.S. alliance and South Korea-Japan relations as part of its united front tactics.
Given that this is North Korea's tactic, why did the Moon Jae-in administration announce that it will not renew the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan, especially when he
went to Thailand just last month (October 2019) to sign a GSOMIA with Thailand? It just doesn't make sense that he would sign a GSOMIA with Thailand, but end the existing one with Japan.
The Blue House claimed that the U.S. understands South Korea's decision to end GSOMIA with Japan, but the U.S. said there was
no seeking of U.S. understanding. National Assemblyman Lee Hae-chan, Deobureo Minjoo Party (Democratic Party of Korea),
said "Even with no GSOMIA, ROK-U.S. alliance relations remain firm, and in fact, are even more important." However, Secretary of State Pompeo
expressed his "disappointment," and the Pentagon expressed "strong concern."
Within South Korea, there are voices of opposition to the Moon Jae-in administration's decision to withdraw from GSOMIA. A retired generals group (Korea Retired Generals and Admirals Defending the Nation or
KORGAD)
condemned the "bungled GSOMIA decision and the undiplomatic behavior...deliberately perpetrated by the ill-motivated Moon administration, thus not reflecting the will of most South Korean people. The majority of South Koreans do not support the traitorous decisions initiated by the Moon administration and its cohort."
Former senior foreign service officers also made a
public statement, referring to GSOMIA as an "indispensable fulcrum of the security cooperation between Korea, U.S. and Japan." They further
added, "As for our relations with Japan, our two states are now on the verge of belligerency after the Moon government violated or terminated the 1965 Claims Settlement Agreement, the 2015 Korea-Japan 'Comfort Women' Agreement, and most recently, the 2016 GSOMIA. The termination of GSOMIA and the violation of the Treaty on Basic Relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan will undoubtedly undermine the cooperative relations among Korea, the U.S. and Japan, and cripple the Korea-U.S. alliance." They both called for the Moon administration to renew GSOMIA.
Weakening South Korea's relations with Japan pleases North Korea and China. It helps with North Korea's Gat-Geun Tactic and supports China's "
Three No's," which include no trilateral security relations among the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. This does not benefit South Korea's national security or its national interest. There is still time, but not much. South Korea should not fall prey to North Korea's Gat-Geun Tactic by weakening or severing ties with Japan. South Korea and Japan should repair and strengthen their relations, and the three countries-South Korea, Japan, and the U.S.-should continue to work together to be the bedrock of regional security.
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:
"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."
