​Quotes of the Day:

“When you are through changing, you are through.” 

– Bruce Barton

“There is no sin punished more implacably by nature and the sin of resistance to change.”

– Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, enjoy the dance.

– Alan W. Watts

​It is likely to be a slow news week in Korea with both the heavy snow and the New Year holiday ( Seollal, or Korean Lunar New Year​ 27-30 January​)

1​. Kim Jong Un Is Doing Everything He Can to Keep North Korea’s Youth in Line

2. North Korea and Russia: A Reckless Alliance Shifting Ukraine’s Battlefield

3. How strong is the insurrection case against South Korea’s President Yoon? Observers weigh in

4. Korean-Americans rally in D.C. against President Yoon's impeachment

5. A North Korean Colonel Raced Into Battle With Two Automatic Weapons: One For Close Combat, Another For Shooting Down Drones

6. Preliminary report of Jeju Air crash shows black box stopped recording 2 km before runway

7. Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Estonia discuss defense, arms cooperation

8. Political turmoil is hit to Korea's image but temporary, say foreign residents

9. North Korea Test-Fires Strategic Cruise Missiles… Experts: “Trump’s Show of Will to Talk is a Struggle”

10. Some North Koreans Produce 'Gold' Using Cheonghwa Refining Technology

11. US VP makes remarks on potential change to US forces overseas

12. President Trump’s business-driven mindset (impact on South Korea)

13. DP chief Lee would face close battle with PPP candidates Oh or Hong in early presidential election: Poll

14. A fragmented system, legal chaos and President Yoon

15. Concerns grow over 'boneless' apartments with insufficient rebar

1. Kim Jong Un Is Doing Everything He Can to Keep North Korea’s Youth in Line

​Thank you to Dasl Yoon and the Wall Street Journal (and her editors for allowing this to be published). She seems to be the only one in the mainstream media calling attention to the potential for internal threats to Kim Jong Un.

We need to understand the potential for instability and the implications for security on the Korean peninsula, in the region, and for the US.

First and foremost we need to understand what defines regime collapse. It is simply the loss of the Regime's (Party) ability to govern all of the territory in the north from Pyongyang combined with the loss of coherence and support of the military and security services. In short the loss of central governing effectiveness combined with the loss of coherency of the military will cause regime collapse.

Second, we need to understand that when faced with the conditions of collapse Kim Jong Un may make the only decision that is rational in his mind: to execute his campaign plan to forcibly reunify the peninsula under his rule in order to survive.  If we are observing only for the indicators of war and not for instability and regime collapse we are likely to have a shortened warning period. We need to focus on the indicators and warnings of instability and collapse as much as we focus on attack indicators in order to give us more warning time for a potential return to war.

Third, we can assess that a major contributing factor for the regime's hostile actions toward the South and the US as a result of internal threats to the regime. Kim Jong Un must create the perception of external threats to justify the suffering and sacrifice of the Korean people in the north as he prioritizes the development of nuclear weapons and missiles and advanced military capabilities over the welfare of the people. In addition creating these external threats also support Kim Jong Un's blackmail diplomacy and political warfare strategy. 

Fourth, the work of Bob Collins on understanding instability and regime collapse must be required study for those who develop nK strategy and campaign and contingency plans.

Pattern of Collapse in North Korea by Robert Collins

https://smallwarsjournal.com/2024/04/11/pattern-collapse-north-korea/

​Finally, I am reminded of the words of Kim Gumhyuk of the North Korean Young Leaders Assembly. We should heed these words and ensure we are prepared:

Kim Gumhyuk, 29 July 2024:

Change is coming

Make human rights a priority

Do not be disappointed or frustrated that change has not yet come

Change is coming

Kim Jong Un Is Doing Everything He Can to Keep North Korea’s Youth in Line

Leader touts the flood reconstruction feats of a young ‘shock brigade’ numbering 300,000

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/kim-jong-un-is-doing-everything-he-can-to-keep-north-koreas-youth-in-line-0866a1de?mod=latest_headlines

By Dasl Yoon

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Updated Jan. 27, 2025 1:05 am ET

Kim Jong Un, in a photo released by state media, watches from a red carpet during a send-off for young workers drafted into flood reconstruction. Photo: KCNA/AFP/Getty Images

SEOUL—Kim Jong Un enjoys absolute power across North Korea and is regarded as godlike by his own people. But one threat appears to loom large for the 41-year-old dictator: disloyalty from his country’s youth.

He is particularly worried about the foreign media trickling into his information-repressed country, affording North Koreans a rare glimpse into the outside world via Hollywood films or K-pop albums. Possessing or distributing such content—which Kim refers to as “dangerous poisons”—carries ever-stiffer penalties, even death. 

At risk is Kim’s ability to maintain the illusion of North Korea as a socialist paradise, which is key to his ability to maintain power. And no group is more vulnerable to ideological slippage than North Korea’s youngest citizens.

That is why Kim has handed a central propaganda role of late to the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade. Named for the country’s sacred mountain, the group of teenagers and 20-somethings has been recently hailed as national heroes for helping to rebuild a western border region leveled by summer floods. Over four months, they erected 15,000 houses, schools and hospitals, the country’s state media claimed.

The youth shock brigade’s 300,000 members—about the population of Pittsburgh—had reportedly mobilized at a moment’s notice and volunteered to go, state media said. 

In a speech last month, Kim, who calls himself the group’s “benevolent father,” showered the fresh-faced members with praise, having earlier challenged them to express their regime loyalty by carrying out the manual-labor project. 

Young North Koreans dance during a New Year celebration in Pyongyang. Photo: Cha Song Ho/AP

The construction work, Kim was quoted as saying in state media, had represented a “good opportunity for training our young people to be staunch defenders and reliable builders of socialism.” 

North Korea’s highest legislative body, the Supreme People’s Assembly, offered tributes to the nation’s “grand construction campaign” that demonstrated the “spirit of our state,” according to a Friday state media report.

“Kim Jong Un wants to get young people occupied with labor to stop them from getting together to watch South Korean television and develop heretical ideas about the state,” said Peter Ward, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, a think tank in Seoul. 

Kim has a long list of challenges. He must avoid backlash, internally and externally, over his deployment of 12,000 troops to Russia. He is propping up a crumbled economy through sanctions-violating behavior. And he must decide how to approach four more years with President Trump, who in a Thursday interview with Fox News vowed to reach out again to the North Korean leader.

But keeping North Korea’s youngest generation as true believers represents a long-term challenge that he must address now. Indoctrinating the country’s youth ensures his regime’s survival for decades; losing the propaganda campaign may create domestic instability or invite scrutiny over his decisions, security experts say.

North Koreans, photographed from across the Chinese border, work on construction in the flood-damaged city of Sinuiju. Photo: Kyodonews/Zuma Press

The Sinuiju project under way in October was among the Paektusan shock brigade’s deployments following summer floods. Photo: Kyodonews/Zuma Press

Kim’s decision a year ago to abandon hopes of peaceful reunification with South Korea and declare Seoul as North Korea’s new No. 1 enemy indicated how seriously he considers foreign influence as a threat. In recent years, Kim moved to also ban the use of South Korean fashion such as miniskirts or expressions like nam-chin, a shortened way to say boyfriend in South Korea. The country instituted shoot-on-sight orders at the border and erected barriers to block North Koreans from leaving—and outside information from coming in. 

Young men have military conscriptions of at least a decade, where they are subjected to daily indoctrination lessons. Loyalty appears high among those soldiers fighting in Russia, based on interrogations of captured troops and writings found on slain combatants. But that still leaves women, school-age youths and men ineligible for conscription due to illness, short height or physical impairment. 

The Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade is one of the dozens of paramilitary organizations composed of North Koreans plucked from their everyday jobs to accelerate major construction projects under harsh conditions. Shock brigades were workforces organized in socialist states such as the Soviet Union to overcome the lack of advanced machinery. 

While some voluntarily join shock brigades, many others are recruited forcibly and face widespread malnutrition, according to a South Korean government report from 2023, which interviewed North Korean escapees.

The work conditions can be dangerous. About two years ago, North Korean state media praised an 18-year-old “virgin girl soldier” who it said died from working despite emergency surgery, building a massive greenhouse at record speed. She had reportedly written in her diary an apology to Kim for failing to fulfill her daily tasks.

Cho Chung-hui, who escaped North Korea in 2011, was drafted more than four decades ago into a youth shock brigade. He was 17 years old at the time, coming from a lower social rank in North Korea’s songbun system. Joining the brigade was one of the few ways to gain Workers’ Party membership that could offer him a higher place in society. 

North Korean defector Cho Chung-hui, pictured in 2021, has firsthand experience of life in a youth shock brigade. Photo: Ahn Young-joon/AP

Construction began before sunrise and often lasted until midnight, Cho said. Once during tunnel excavation, the walls collapsed on Cho, leaving him with an injured back. Some of his fellow workers died while others suffered broken legs or wrists, he recalled. When he was dispatched to a railroad construction site, workers slept in makeshift tents in the cold. 

“I had maybe 10 days off a year,” Cho, now 61, said. “I only learned about the five-day workweek when I came to South Korea.”

North Korean media exhaustively covered the work of the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade after they were deployed to help the flood-hit North Pyongan province, which borders China in the country’s northwest. There were monthly updates on the young workers’ activities, praising them as patriotic and motivated. 

The membership of youth shock brigades changes depending on who is available to be drafted, but whatever the exact makeup of these groups, the Kim regime has found them to be effective in indoctrinating North Koreans to blindly follow orders, said Kim Young-soo, head of the North Korea Research Institute in Seoul. 

“The youth members may change,” he said, “but the purpose of a shock brigade never changes: to prove loyalty to the Kim regime.”

Soobin Kim contributed to this article.

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

2. North Korea and Russia: A Reckless Alliance Shifting Ukraine’s Battlefield

​Again we should ask why they are colluding.

Fear, weakness, desperation, and envy.

They fear the strength and power of the silk web of friends, partners and alliances the US and like minded countries have cultivated.

They are inherently weak due to the internal contradictions of their political systems and they face internal challenges from their populations.

They are desperate for support, credibility, and influence.

They envy the silk web of alliances of the US even though because of the nature of their regimes they will never be able to realize such relationships because they cannot build relationships on trust and shared values. 

North Korea and Russia: A Reckless Alliance Shifting Ukraine’s Battlefield

19fortyfive.com · by Timo Kivimaki · January 25, 2025

Key Points and Summary: Russia’s strategic agreement with North Korea could elevate its nuclear deterrence, addressing what analysts call the “Seltenian Disadvantage.” This disadvantage, named after theorist Reinhard Selten, highlights Russia’s difficulty in making credible nuclear escalation threats against NATO-supported Ukraine due to ambiguity in its doctrine.

-North Korea’s unpredictable reputation might amplify the perceived risk of escalation, deterring NATO’s support for Ukraine. While North Korea’s missile capabilities aren’t directly relevant to Ukraine, their inclusion in Russia’s orbit could pressure the West into negotiating peace.

-This risky alliance introduces an asymmetric dynamic, reshaping global nuclear strategy and the Ukraine conflict’s trajectory.

Could North Korea’s Alliance Strengthen Russia’s Nuclear Deterrence?

While South Korea’s former president’s adviser, Moon Chung-in, is undoubtedly correct about the marginal tangible effects of the Russia-North Korea Strategic Agreement on Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, this cooperation may have an indirect effect that warrants deeper analysis of an aspect of our understanding of the new strategic dynamics arising from the war in Ukraine.

My perhaps unconventional claim is that cooperation with North Korea may release Russia from what I call the Seltenian Disadvantage, named after one of the most significant theorists of rationality and deterrence, Reinhard Selten. This disadvantage afflicts actors whose otherwise rational strategy necessitates a particular move that can appear irrational (even if the overall strategy remains rational and credible). For Russia, the Seltenian Disadvantage undermines the credibility of its threat to escalate to nuclear warfare if NATO supports Ukraine in a manner Russia perceives as direct NATO warfare against it. While Russia’s potential move to nuclear warfare may not seem credible, the reckless reputation of North Korea as an ally in this war might enhance the credibility of Russia’s nuclear deterrence.

Russia Under the Seltenian Disadvantage

Here is how this could work. Deterrence is grounded in a logic of threat whereby an act of aggression—clearly defined in advance—will trigger a response that is also pre-defined. Even some irrationally risky moves may become credible if the failure to execute such retaliatory moves would undermine the entire, well-defined, and effective deterrence strategy.

In such cases, the costs of destroying a coherent deterrence strategy may outweigh the risks of the individual escalatory action. By contrast, ad hoc retaliations are less credible because failing to undertake such responses does not damage the overall credibility of the deterrence strategy: after all, the retaliation was not pre-determined within the nuclear doctrine and, thus, would appear as a reactionary improvisation.

Russia’s strategic deterrence is well-defined at the highest levels of escalation: a full-scale nuclear attack or a conventional assault that threatens the “existence of the state” or aims to disarm a substantial portion of Russia’s retaliatory capacity will provoke an all-out nuclear response against the aggressor. This response is not limited to military targets but also includes civilian ones. On this level, Russia does not suffer from the Seltenian Disadvantage.

However, the threshold for using nuclear weapons in a limited manner is lower and less precisely defined. President Putin has threatened that the use of nuclear weapons (though not necessarily against civilians) could occur “upon receiving reliable information about the massive launch of aerospace attack vehicles and their crossing of our state border, meaning strategic or tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic and other aircraft.” Such use would not be confined to the actual aggressor but could also target a “rival nuclear power supporting a conventional strike on Russia.” This escalation threshold remains ambiguous: the extent of collaboration by a “rival nuclear state” and what qualifies as a “massive launch” of an attack are not clearly delineated. As a result, at this level of escalation, Russia faces the Seltenian Disadvantage, namely, a lack of credible escalatory moves defined in advance as absolute red lines.

Weapons of Mass Escalation

For instance, whether Ukraine’s use of U.S. Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against targets deep inside Russia constitutes a “massive” conventional strike, and whether NATO’s navigational and intelligence assistance to such strikes qualifies as support by “rival nuclear powers” sufficient to trigger a Russian nuclear response, has remained unclear. According to Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns, in 2022, NATO allies considered such actions potentially provocative enough to spark an escalation. In contrast, former President Joe Biden later assessed that these actions did not constitute a massive attack warranting a nuclear response.

For Russia, deterring the use of ATACMS was difficult because such a move was seen as irrationally risky. Moreover, not escalating did not compromise the credibility of Russia’s overall nuclear deterrence strategy, as the definitions of aggression and response were unclear. The indirect nature of NATO’s support for Ukraine created a scenario for which Russian doctrine was unprepared, and the subsequent improvisation and redefinition of doctrine details after undesired actions had already occurred further weakened the credibility of Russia’s escalation threats.

Russia has sought to make its response to ATACMS more credible by using less costly escalatory moves grounded in a logic of symmetry. If NATO supplies Ukraine with tactical missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory, Russia reciprocates by supplying similar capabilities to the adversaries of Western allies.

ATACMS firing back in 2006. Image Credit: U.S. Army.

However, this response neither prevents nor deters Western support for Ukraine’s missile capabilities. It also does not resolve Russia’s Seltenian Disadvantage because a retaliatory response developed after the undesired development represents revenge rather than deterrence. Within a symmetrical and rational framework, Russia cannot escape the reality that its threat to escalate to nuclear strikes has failed. What an alliance with North Korea may offer, if the conflict persists and escalates further, relates to the asymmetry of rationality or recklessness.

Russia’s conceptualization of the ladder of escalation likely differs from that of the United States. Russia is unlikely to escalate by engaging in nuclear warfighting against NATO, a scenario it would undoubtedly lose. Instead, if forced to confront NATO, it might attempt to shift the Seltenian Disadvantage onto NATO by striking one NATO country with nuclear missiles and declaring the attack a limited response to NATO’s actions against Russia.

Russia could then state that further escalation would not occur if NATO ceased the actions that provoked the strike. The decision would then rest with NATO. Such a maneuver could risk an all-out nuclear exchange, which would be suicidal for both sides. Consequently, Russia’s threat of such a move may lack credibility as it could be deemed irrational. However, escalation under the Seltenian Disadvantage is not credible for rational actors. In that case, it might still carry credibility if the actor required to make the irrational move is North Korea, a state often perceived as recklessly unpredictable.

The distance between North Korea and Ukraine is less than 4,500 miles (approximately 7,000 kilometers). At the same time, the range of the North Korean Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is estimated by Japanese military experts to exceed twice that distance.

Additionally, North Korea has recently developed and tested solid-fuel ICBMs, such as the Hwasong-18, which enhance mobility and deployment speed. While such capabilities do not deter actions on the current level of warfare, North Korea’s unpredictability could amplify the perceived risks and costs of war. This unpredictability could provide an additional rationale for the West to encourage Ukraine to return to the negotiation table.

About the Author:

Timo Kivimäki is Professor of International Relations at the University of Bath (UK) and Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Sejong Institute (Seoul, Republic of Korea). In addition to purely academic work Professor Kivimäki has been a frequent consultant to the Finnish, Danish, Dutch, Russian, Malaysian, Indonesian and Swedish governments, as well as to several UN and EU organizations on conflict and terrorism. Finland’s former President, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari has publicly praised that Professor Kivimäki’s advises in Aceh Peace Talks were “vital for the success of the process” and that his help in peace processes in Indonesia and Myanmar were “worth gold.”

19fortyfive.com · by Timo Kivimaki · January 25, 2025

3. How strong is the insurrection case against South Korea’s President Yoon? Observers weigh in

​It was not an insurrection. At most it could be called an "auto-coup" or "self-coup." But I am slightly optimistic that by using insurrection incorrectly that the charges will found to be wrong.

How strong is the insurrection case against South Korea’s President Yoon? Observers weigh in

Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted by prosecutors for being the “ringleader of an insurrection” over his short-lived attempt to declare martial law.

Louisa Tang

27 Jan 2025 06:04PM

channelnewsasia.com

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol – already impeached and arrested over his short-lived martial law declaration last month – was on Sunday (Jan 26) indicted by prosecutors on insurrection charges.

He will face a criminal trial over allegations by the prosecution that he was the “ringleader of an insurrection”, with investigators earlier saying his imposition of martial law on Dec 3 amounted to rebellion.

Observers told CNA the case appears to be straightforward, despite Yoon’s continued refusal to talk to investigators.

“I think that the prosecutor's office was trying to indict Yoon on the strongest charge before them. And there was also a timing matter at play here as well,” said Jeremy Chan, senior analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group’s China and Northeast Asia team.

He noted that without the indictment, Yoon – a former top prosecutor himself – would have been released from detention as early as Tuesday after the courts refused to extend his arrest warrant.

Prosecutors would have feared further difficulty in bringing him in for questioning, Chan added.

“But more fundamentally, the prosecutor's office is trying to accelerate the removal of Yoon formally from office,” he told CNA’s Asia First, though he said this is more likely to happen through impeachment proceedings rather than the criminal case.

The country’s constitutional court is currently deciding whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment by parliament.

If it does, he will be forced out of office. Elections to choose his successor must then be held within two months.

“VERY HARD JOB” FOR LAWYERS: PROFESSOR

Youngmi Kim, head of Korean Studies at the University of Edinburgh, told CNA’s Asia Tonight that she thinks it is “obvious” that Yoon’s declaration of martial law was illegal.

“I think there is a lot of proof that what he has done – and also what the (former) minister of defence and supporters of the martial law have done – are obvious,” she said.

“So in the end, I don’t think we need to worry too much. The constitutional law will operate.”

Former South Korean defence minister Kim Yong-hyun was also earlier charged with insurrection over the failed martial law attempt. He previously claimed full responsibility for it and tried to take his own life in a detention centre.

Law professor Baik Tae-Ung concurred that Yoon’s lawyers would have a “very hard job” defending him, given “ample data and evidence” shown to the public through television and other forms of media.

Baik, who teaches at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s William S Richardson School of Law, said the case “seems to be not too difficult to prove” for the prosecution.

“The only difficulty at this time for the prosecution is to have some extended detention time to prepare and also cross-check the evidence that they have already collected with the testimony of President Yoon,” Baik told CNA’s Asia Now.

WHAT COULD YOON’S DEFENCE ARGUE?

Yoon’s defence team has argued that declaring martial law was a simple exercise of a legal authority granted to the president under the Constitution, and that he never intended to disrupt state organs or democratic processes.

Under South Korean law, insurrection is defined as an attempt to overthrow the government organs established by the Constitution, or to render the exercise of their functions impossible by force.

The offence is punishable by life imprisonment or death.

Chan said Yoon’s lawyers have also signalled that they will not cooperate with criminal investigations, viewing this as illegitimate and that he is immune from the charges.

He added: “More fundamentally, you saw (in) the constitutional court last week, a legal strategy whereby the sort of inner circle that enabled and helped Yoon to carry out martial law, particularly the former defence minister – there's a sort of circling-the-wagons effect that's happening now.”

Kim testified before the constitutional court last week that he wanted a broader military deployment but was overruled by Yoon.

Chan described this as Kim “essentially trying to fall on his sword and take blame for both the planning and the execution of martial law, while trying to excuse Yoon’s behaviour in that”.

4. Korean-Americans rally in D.C. against President Yoon's impeachment

​This article helps to identify some of the issues that are overlooked in the media.

World News Jan. 26, 2025 / 2:16 PM

Korean-Americans rally in D.C. against President Yoon's impeachment

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/01/26/korea-Yoon-impeachment/7401737912313/

By Michael Marshall

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a "Stop the Steal" sign at a rally near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday. A group of Korean-Americans rallied on Sunday in Washington, D.C. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo

Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Braving the winter cold Sunday, a group of Korean-Americans rallied in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol to protest the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.

They represent a growing push back against the effort to impeach Yoon in the wake of his short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3.

Yoon's approval rating plunged to 11% in the wake of the declaration but has now rebounded to 46.6%, according to a poll by the Penn & Mike polling agency in Korea, published on Jan. 14.

In a statement, the rally organizers said the "Republic of Korea is facing a grave political crisis" that they described as "an ideological civil war." Their goal was to make Americans aware of the "threat to democracy" in an important U.S. ally.

Related

• South Korean President Yoon indicted over insurrection charges in martial law bid
• North Korea test-fires strategic cruise missiles to perfect deterence, Kim says
• North Korea preparing to send more troops to Russia after heavy casualties: S. Korean military

Yoon was impeached at the second attempt by a vote of the National Assembly, South Korea's legislature. The Assembly is controlled by the opposition Democratic Party of Korea. The impeachment charges are now being heard by the Constitutional Court.

James Daniel Shin, a speaker at the rally, said that they wanted Americans to understand the nature of the crisis. "South Korea has no functioning government," he said. "The opposition party brought impeachment charges against over 20 government officials prior to the martial law declaration."

Speakers also expressed support for a strong U.S.-Korea alliance, which they saw as threatened by the DPK and its coalition allies. The first impeachment charges against Yoon, filed on Dec. 4, included endangering national security through pro-Japanese "diplomacy antagonizing North Korea, China, and Russia." This language was removed from the impeachment charge of December 14 that was passed by the National Assembly.

The rally in D.C. was organized by a coalition of eight Korean-American nonprofits and civil society groups including: America Korea United Society, Alliance for Korea United Washington, Korean Freedom Alliance, One Korea Foundation, as well as Korean Veterans of the Vietnam War. An estimated 200 people attended the event.

It followed similar rallies held over the past month in Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

5. A North Korean Colonel Raced Into Battle With Two Automatic Weapons: One For Close Combat, Another For Shooting Down Drones

​Photo at the link.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2025/01/26/a-north-korean-colonel-raced-into-battle-with-two-automatic-weapons-one-for-close-combat-another-for-shooting-down-drones/?utm

A North Korean Colonel Raced Into Battle With Two Automatic Weapons: One For Close Combat, Another For Shooting Down Drones

Forbes · by David Axe · January 26, 2025

David Axe

Forbes Staff

David Axe writes about ships, planes, tanks, drones and missiles.

Following

Jan 26, 2025,04:45pm EST

Updated Jan 26, 2025, 11:28pm EST

The North Korean colonel's Vepr-12 shotgun.

Yuriy Butusov capture

Repulsing wave after wave of North Korean commandos attacking Ukrainian positions around the village of Malaya Loknya in western Russia’s Kursk Oblast recently, the Ukrainian army’s 22nd Mechanized Brigade bagged a valuable prize: a dead North Korean company commander—and all of his equipment.

Ukrainian war correspondent Yuriy Butusov got his hands on the kit. “We see quite high-quality equipment he has,” Butusov wrote. Most notably, the North Korean carried a Vepr-12 semi-automatic shotgun, clearly intending to use it against Ukrainian first-person-view drones.

The North Korean colonel was leading from the front when his company barreled into the 22nd Mechanized Brigade in a sector of Kursk that has seen some of the closest and most brutal fighting in recent weeks. Since November, a combined force of 60,000 Russians and North Koreans has been trying—and mostly failing—to eject 20,000 Ukrainians from a 250-square-mile salient they carved out of Kursk in August.

“He really ran up with his own fighters,” Butusov mused. The Ukrainian troops were able to drag the colonel’s body back to the relative safety of their own rear area, where Ukrainian intelligence—and Butusov—could scrutinize the colonel’s Russian documents, his diary written entirely in Korean and his weapons and gear, including a Chinese-made radio, grenades, an AK-12 assault rifle and the 12-gauge Vepr-12.

“He had two automatic weapons with him at once,” Butusov noted. The colonel’s heavy combat load was made possible by what Butusov described as the North Koreans’ “very high” standards for physical fitness.

The shotgun is obviously meant to “counter FPVs,” according to one open-source intelligence analyst. As millions of explosive FPV drones cloud the sky over the 800-mile front line in Ukraine and western Russia, both sides are arming their infantry with shotguns whose wide cone of fire is ideal for taking down flimsy drones in the instant before they strike. The Ukrainians have even armed some of their drones with dual shotguns, transforming them into aerial drone-hunters.

Some impoverished Russian troops have taken to social media to beg for supporters back home to send them shotguns. “Any shit will do,” one desperate Russian pleaded. By contrast, the North Korean colonel’s own shotgun may be military-issued.

More than a few Ukrainian observers have noted the North Koreans’ superior preparation for the current era of drone warfare. “The Koreans have impeccable marksmanship training,” explained Volodymyr Demchenko, a Ukrainian soldier and filmmaker. “The statistics on the small drones they have destroyed attest to this fact.”

According to Demchenko, the North Koreans have developed harrowing but effective tactics for ensnaring Ukrainian drones. “One man acts as bait while two comrades ambush and destroy the drone. This should tell you something about their moral resilience in the face of what I believe is the most terrifying anti-personnel weapon available today.”

Fitness, a modern shotgun and clever counter-drone tactics didn’t save that North Korean colonel as he engaged the battle-hardened 22nd Mechanized Brigade. But the colonel’s outstanding kit is surely an ominous sight for the Ukrainians in Kursk as they continue to battle a Russian-North Korean force that outnumbers them three to one.

There are a lot of Russian troops in Kursk, but many of them are poorly equipped and in bad health—if not already wounded. The same can’t be said of the thousands of North Koreans in the oblast.

Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website or some of my other work here. Send me a secure tip.

David Axe

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• Forbes · by David Axe · January 26, 2025

6. Preliminary report of Jeju Air crash shows black box stopped recording 2 km before runway

Preliminary report of Jeju Air crash shows black box stopped recording 2 km before runway | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · January 27, 2025

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean authorities investigating the tragic Jeju Air crash last month released a preliminary accident report Monday, revealing that the aircraft's black box stopped recording approximately 2 kilometers before the plane approached the runway.

It is the first report as part of the ongoing investigation into the deadly crash at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, which claimed the lives of 179 of the 181 people aboard the Boeing 737-800. Only two people survived.

The preliminary findings will be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as aviation authorities in the United States, France and Thailand, according to the transportation ministry.

The ICAO, a United Nations agency, mandates that investigators produce a preliminary report within 30 days of an aviation accident. It also encourages the release of a final report within 12 months.

The investigation committee under the transport ministry disclosed the approximate location where the black box, comprising the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), stopped functioning.

According to the report, the black box stopped recording at 8:58:50 a.m. on Dec. 29, four minutes and seven seconds before the aircraft struck a localizer near the runway.

The ministry noted it would take several months to analyze the FDR and the CVR for further verification.

The report further stated that the exact timing of the bird strike, the number of birds involved and whether other bird species were present have yet to be determined.

The ministry briefed bereaved families on the preliminary findings during a meeting Saturday.

This file photo, taken Jan. 15, 2025, shows the wreckage of the fatal Jeju Air plane that crashed and killed 179 people on board in the southwestern city of Muan, South Korea, on Dec. 29, 2024. (Yonhap)

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · January 27, 2025

7. Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Estonia discuss defense, arms cooperation

​Middle powers working together.

Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Estonia discuss defense, arms cooperation | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · January 27, 2025

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho and Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur on Monday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the defense sector and the arms industry, the defense ministry said.

In the talks held in Seoul, Kim noted that the two countries' cooperation in the cybersecurity sector has been advancing and suggested expanding such ties to other areas, according to the defense ministry.

Kim also briefed Pevkur on the South Korean weapons system, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer that Estonia has acquired.

Both sides agreed to push for mutually beneficial cooperation, such as personnel exchanges and training, while closely communicating on ways to expand their defense and arms cooperation.

They also expressed concerns over North Korea and Russia's deepening military alignment and the negative impact it has had on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe, urging for the immediate halt of their illegal cooperation.

Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho (L) and Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur shake hands during their meeting in Seoul on Jan. 27, 2025, in this photo provided by Kim's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · January 27, 2025

8. Political turmoil is hit to Korea's image but temporary, say foreign residents

Political turmoil is hit to Korea's image but temporary, say foreign residents

koreaherald.com · by Sanjay Kumar · January 27, 2025

College students protest in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido with signs reading, “University students, let's protect democracy!" on Dec. 7. (Yonhap)

The arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol and ongoing political turmoil over the fallout from his botched Dec. 3 martial law declaration have sparked mixed reactions from the foreign resident community. Though some view the crisis as a temporary setback unlikely to impact the country’s long-term stability, others describe it as a significant hit to Korea's international reputation and trust in its democratic institutions.

“I think it doesn't matter much to the foreign community,” said Gregoire Jaquet, a Swiss national in his late 40s, who is a business development manager for a moving company, told The Korea Herald.

“But it is sad to see two presidents imprisoned in just eight years. This is unthinkable in Europe, especially in Switzerland. It tarnishes Korea’s image, making it appear underdeveloped, where politicians are consumed by pride and rivalry. This thirst for power seems rooted in evil,” continued Jaquet, who has lived in Korea for 20 years.

British author and journalist Michael Breen, 62, who has lived in Korea more than 40 years, describes the turmoil as a major blow to Yoon's presidency.

"The martial law was rather shocking. But nobody was killed, it was late at night, quickly withdrawn, there was no internet cutoff, no roadblocks. The main damage it did was to Yoon's presidency," he said.

"He seemed to be frustrated at the Assembly, where the Democratic Party has a majority. That's understandable, but doesn't justify suspending normal law," he continued.

Breen expressed surprise at seeing multiple agencies launching their own investigations instead of waiting for the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

"It points to the weakness that I see in Korean democracy, which is that the legal system is subordinate to political pressure. That pressure can come from the presidency, but it more likely comes from 'public sentiment,'" according to him.

But when asked about Korea’s democratic institutions, Breen was optimistic.

“I think this is an opportunity for Korea to upgrade its democracy. I don't see any long-term negative effects,” he said.

Another foreign resident, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed admiration for the peaceful nature of the demonstrations. However, this resident noted that due to Yoon's martial law declaration, "the trust in Korea’s institutions in fact has been damaged in a pretty serious way.”

The foreign business community echoed similar sentiments, stressing their long-term outlook despite the political turmoil.

“For most foreign companies, operations continue unaffected. High-level meetings with government officials have reassured businesses of Korea’s commitment to supporting foreign investment,” said a foreign national resident from the business community, also requesting anonymity.

"Anyhow, for companies doing business in and with Korea, there is almost no change in their business operation, as their business approach is not short- but long-term," they said.

They also noted that high-level meetings with officials like South Korean Trade, Industry, and Energy Minister Ahn Dukgeun and acting President Choi Sang-mok reassured businesses of the government’s commitment to supporting foreign investment.

According to Jose Pinto, 49, a freelance marketing consultant from Portugal who has lived in Korea two years, the fact that high-ranking officials in business and politics have been investigated, tried and convicted by the justice system in Korea, shows that institutions work properly.

“This situation highlights that no one is above the law," noted Pinto, and that "The public is keenly committed to democracy."

But according to him, Korean politics seem to have gotten polarized, without much room for tolerance or compromise.

“The political speech feels overly extreme and uncompromising, much like the countless churches that hoard their faithful with extreme zeal — us against them,” he continued.

Anton Scholz from Germany, general manager of local consulting firm Korea-Consult, and living in Korea for over 25 years, said the social order seems to have been shaken, pointing to the Jan. 19 mob attack on a Seoul court the day a formal warrant was issued to arrest Yoon.

“The recent events are disturbing. The social order seems shaken, and there’s a power vacuum at a critical time when Korea needs strong leadership,” he said, calling the mob attack a sign of eroding trust in the law.

“Korea’s international reputation has taken a significant hit. It took decades to build a positive global image and only weeks to damage it. The coming months will be crucial for restoring trust and stability,” he told The Korea Herald.

koreaherald.com · by Sanjay Kumar · January 27, 2025

9. North Korea Test-Fires Strategic Cruise Missiles… Experts: “Trump’s Show of Will to Talk is a Struggle”

​This is a Google translation of a VOA report.

We should keep in mind that ROK/US military exercises are not an effective bargaining chip for negotiations. We have stopped exercises many times over the years including giving up Team Spirit (the largest military exercise in the free world in 1993) and again in 2018 and this resulted in no reciprocity from the north. Kim does not want exercises halted because he perceives them as a threat to the regime (despite his rhetoric). He wants them halted to weaken the alliance and its military capabilities with the ultimate objective of driving US forces off the Korean peninsula. It is imperative that US policy makers understand this

Furthermore, cancelling military exercises hurts readiness and this deterrence. US forces cannot remain in Korea if they do not train and if the ROK/US Combined Force Command cannot train it cannot accomplish its mission of deterring attack and it cannot defend South Korea if deterrence fails. So it is also imperative for US policymakers who casually toss out the idea of cancelling military exercise to get nothing in return from north Korea to understand that damage they are doing to the alliance and the support they are giving to Kim Jong Un's blackmail diplomacy and political warfare strategy and ultimately to Kim's ability to use force to achieve his objectives.

Excerpts:

There is an interpretation that North Korea is drawing a line on President Trump's willingness to engage in dialogue through its speech, while also suggesting the preconditions for dialogue that they believe are necessary.

They are testing how much President Trump wants to talk to North Korea, and if he does, they are pressuring him to stop joint US-South Korea military exercises.

North Korea Test-Fires Strategic Cruise Missiles… Experts: “Trump’s Show of Will to Talk is a Struggle”

https://www.voakorea.com/a/7951480.html

2025.1.27

Kim Hwan-yong

North Korea test-fired a strategic cruise missile into the West Sea, with Chairman Kim Jong-un watching. There is analysis that this is a power struggle and a war of nerves with US President Donald Trump, who is showing a willingness to talk to North Korea. We will connect with reporter Kim Hwan-yong in Seoul to find out more.

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North Korea Test-Fires Strategic Cruise Missiles… Experts: “Trump’s Show of Will to Talk is a Struggle”

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Host) First, please summarize the situation surrounding North Korea's recent strategic cruise missile test launch.

Reporter) Yes. North Korea's 'Korean Central News Agency' reported on the 26th that a test launch of a sea or underwater to land strategic cruise guided weapon was conducted with Chairman Kim Jong Un observing. According to 'Korean Central News Agency', the launched strategic cruise missiles flew along an elliptical and figure-8 trajectory over a flight distance of 1,500 km for 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 7 seconds to 2 hours, 51 minutes, and 11 seconds, hitting the target.

The Korean Central News Agency said, “This weapons system test is part of the national defense force building plan to enhance the effectiveness of strategic deterrence against potential enemies in line with the changing regional security environment,” and “It did not have any negative impact on the security of neighboring countries.”

Chairman Kim Jong-un asserted that “the war deterrence means of the armed forces of the Republic are being further thoroughly perfected,” and that “we will responsibly strive to fulfill the important mission and duty of safeguarding permanent peace and stability based on more powerfully evolved military power.”

Regarding North Korea's announcement of a strategic cruise missile test launch, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that they had been tracking and monitoring signs of the launch in advance and that the US and South Korean intelligence authorities were analyzing the detailed specifications.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired several cruise missiles from inland toward the West Sea at around 4 p.m. on the 25th.

Host) What analysis is there on the missile that was launched this time?

A missile is launched during a test launch of a sea-to-surface (underwater) strategic cruise guided weapon conducted by the North Korean Missile General Bureau at an undisclosed location on January 25, 2025. (Photo source: Korean Central News Agency)

Reporter) The weapon launched this time is assessed to be an improved version of the 'Bulhwasal-3-31' submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) that North Korea launched twice in January of last year.

Judging from the test launch photos released by North Korean media, the missile is believed to have been launched vertically using the 'cold launch' method.

Cold launch uses compressed gas to bounce the missile up and then ignite it, and is mainly used for missiles launched from submarines.

Experts believe that North Korea is developing the missile in a way that it can be launched from either ship or submarine platforms, as the North described its purpose as "sea-to-surface or underwater-to-ground."

It is a missile that is launched from above or under water toward a ground target.

A missile is flying during a test launch of a sea-to-surface (underwater) strategic cruise guided weapon conducted by the North Korean Missile General Bureau at an undisclosed location on January 25, 2025. (Photo source: Korean Central News Agency)

Professor Emeritus Kwon Yong-soo of the Korea National Defense University estimated that North Korea is developing a modified version of its strategic cruise missiles capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons so that they can be launched from new ships and submarines equipped with vertical launch tubes, such as the tactical nuclear attack submarine “Kim Gun-ok Hero” or the 4,000-ton frigate currently under construction.

[Recording: Professor Emeritus Kwon Yong-soo] “The Kim Gun-ok Hero was launched in September 2023. Given the timing, it seems like the submarine is close to being operational. I think they will test (the missile) two more times before loading it onto an actual tactical nuclear attack submarine and conducting another test launch.”

However, since the launch site is understood to be inland, there are also observations that the test is still in the early stages.

This is North Korea's third missile test launch this year. On the 6th, North Korea launched a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) using a solid-fuel propulsion system, and on the 14th, it fired several projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) into the East Sea.

A missile is flying during a test launch of a sea-to-surface (underwater) strategic cruise guided weapon conducted by the North Korean Missile General Bureau at an undisclosed location on January 25, 2025. (Photo source: Korean Central News Agency)

Dr. Yang Wook of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a private research institute, said that although North Korea continues to test-fire a variety of small nuclear warhead delivery devices, it has not yet been confirmed whether North Korea has completed the miniaturization of nuclear warheads, and that North Korea could conduct a seventh nuclear test to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party.

[Recording: Dr. Yang Wook] “In the context of conducting a nuclear test on Hwasan-31, it seems that North Korea’s intention is to continue to show various means of launching Hwasan-31, and ultimately to reveal it within this year.”

Host) Does North Korea's missile provocation have a message for recently inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump?

Reporter) This cruise missile test launch is the first show of force since US President Trump took office.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order and pardon in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., on January 20, 2025.

Immediately after taking office, President Trump called North Korea a nuclear state and expressed his willingness to talk to Chairman Kim Jong-un, but Chairman Kim responded coldly by once again emphasizing the need to strengthen national defense capabilities and launching missile provocations.

However, given that strategic cruise missiles are not weapons that directly threaten the U.S. mainland and that Chairman Kim did not directly mention President Trump, there is analysis that this is a kind of power struggle and war of nerves that is intended to control the level while also sending a message not to shake the status of North Korea as a nuclear power.

This is Dr. Hong Min from the Institute for Unification Studies, a government-funded research institute under the South Korean government.

Hong Min, Senior Researcher, Korea Institute for National Unification

[Recording: Dr. Hong Min] “I want to give Trump a message. That message is that my advanced nuclear weapons are no longer a target for denuclearization. Recognize that. We need to show him something to confirm that once again. But launching an ICBM that would directly provoke or make Trump uncomfortable would be too risky as a show of force.”

Professor Emeritus Kwon Yong-soo said that although the range of this missile was about 1,500 km, if it is developed into an SLCM capable of covert maneuver, it could even threaten the US military base in Guam.

Anchor) Reporter Kim, on the day that North Korea launched its missiles, it also released a statement criticizing the US-ROK joint exercises?

Reporter) Yes.

On the 26th, North Korea released a statement in the name of the director of the external press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' press office, mentioning the recent US-ROK Air Force training exercises, such as the Ssangmae exercise and the combined firepower exercise.

The speech criticized the United States for “pursuing the ceaseless expansion of the military alliance system and the superiority of power through various joint military exercises.”

Full text of the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press office published by North Korea's state-run media outlet, Korean Central News Agency, on January 26, 2025. (Image source: Korean Central News Agency)

While doing so, he stated that “since the United States rejects the sovereignty and security interests of the Republic, we must respond with an extremely strong stance against the United States, and this is the best option in dealing with the United States,” and that “going forward, we will not tolerate the imbalance of power forced by the military collusion between the United States and South Korea, and we will respond with an extremely strong stance,” once again revealing the keynote speech of a hard-line stance toward the United States.

Host) This speech criticizing the US is also the first speech since President Trump took office. What message does it contain?

Reporter) North Korea has reacted sensitively in the past, saying that the US-ROK joint military exercises are the cause of instability on the Korean Peninsula, but this announcement is noteworthy because it came at a time when US President Trump has been sending conciliatory messages toward North Korea since taking office.

There is an interpretation that North Korea is drawing a line on President Trump's willingness to engage in dialogue through its speech, while also suggesting the preconditions for dialogue that they believe are necessary.

They are testing how much President Trump wants to talk to North Korea, and if he does, they are pressuring him to stop joint US-South Korea military exercises.

This is Moon Seong-mook, director of the Unification Strategy Center at the Korea Institute for National Strategy, a private research institute.

[Recording: Center Director Moon Seong-mook] “Didn’t we clearly state that the ROK-US joint exercise is the factor that most intensifies the situation? So, I think it is possible that this is a warning that if ROK-US conducts another joint exercise like this, there will be a stronger response.”

However, there is speculation that the conversation was conducted with a relatively low-level subject, the Director of the Foreign Affairs Press Office, and that the level of criticism was not high, such as not directly mentioning the Trump administration, leaving open the possibility of dialogue with the United States, and thus controlling the level of criticism.

This is Hwan-yong Kim of VOA News in Seoul.

10. Some North Koreans Produce 'Gold' Using Cheonghwa Refining Technology

​Is there gold in "them thar hills?" (apologies for the attempt at humor.)

This is a Google translation of an RFA report.

Some North Koreans Produce 'Gold' Using Cheonghwa Refining Technology

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/food_international_org/north-korea-produce-gold-smelting-technology-foreign-currency-01272025091804.html

Seoul-Son Hye-min xallsl@rfa.org

2025.01.27

At a gold refinery, gold pieces are being melted in a furnace.

 / AP

00:00 /03:07

Anchor :  It has been reported that an individual has emerged who has learned the technology of smelting gold in the gold mines of North and South Pyongan Provinces and is now producing gold.  Reporter Son Hye-min reports from  inside North Korea .

There are gold mines in Unsan, North Pyongan Province, Hoechang, South Pyongan Province, and Holdong, North Hwanghae Province .  The gold mined here is refined into gold bars at state-run refineries and counted as slush funds for the party .  Recently, ordinary citizens have also begun to refine gold, drawing attention .

A source in North Pyongan Province ( requesting anonymity for safety reasons ) told Radio Free Asia on the  27th , “These days, the number of people trying to buy gold and stones in the Unsan mine area is increasing ,  and there are both locals and people from other regions . ”

The source explained, “The reason why individuals are suddenly starting to produce gold in the mining area is because they judged that the news that the overland trade (between North Korea and China ) , which had been blocked due to COVID-19 , would soon expand led to increased individual smuggling, and thus gold smuggling, which had been blocked, would also open up . ”

He continued, “It is the rule that gold ore mined from the Unsan mine must be transported to the Jeongju refinery,  but the mine also has to provide its own fuel and equipment to mine gold, so  it sells the gold to a foreign currency earning base under the military stationed in the mine area for money .  After that, the gold ore purchased by the foreign currency earning  base  is then bought back by individuals . ”

Buying and selling gold is illegal, but just as state-run mines sell gold to military bases to raise operating funds , military bases also   sell gold to individuals to provide food for base members, and the authorities are known to turn a blind eye to this .

When reselling, it is common to sell it for two to three times the cost price, so it is known that the direct mine transaction price of gold and silver is around $ 100 per 10 tons, and when resold, it is traded for around $ 200 to $300 .

“Individuals who buy gold ore form teams with their family or close friends to produce gold, and  by introducing the blue-and-white smelting technology, they save time and produce high-purity gold,” the source said .

In North Korea, gold is usually smuggled to China by smugglers in the border area. Gold produced by individuals in mining areas is usually purchased by professional gold dealers in the area, transported to the border, and then taken to Sinuiju, the border.

 It is known that the gold is then handed over to gold merchants specializing in gold purchases in the Sinuiju area, and ultimately  smuggled into China . 

Because of this,  the price of gold rises and falls depending on whether the border is open or closed .  Currently, the price of  one gram of gold in the Unsan-gun mine area is known to be  $ 30 , then bought by a broker and sold to a Sinuiju merchant for $ 50 , and then sold by the Sinuiju merchant to a Chinese smuggler for $ 70-80 . 

Cyanide refining is the process of extracting high-purity gold by melting gold ore with sodium cyanide or potassium cyanide and then reacting it with zinc.

The photo is of the Chollima Steel Complex in Nampo. /Rodong Sinmun

[ North Korean  Prices ]  Gold Digging at the Death  ,  North Korea's 'Mole Hole'

 Large-scale gold smuggling incident in Hyesan, North Korea  … 6 criminals arrested   

In relation to this, a source in South Pyongan Province ( requesting anonymity for personal safety reasons ) also reported on the 27th, “People from other regions have been flocking to the Hoechang Mine area since food rations were halted in the 1990s  . ”

The source said, “The money lenders would buy gold ore directly from the mines by truck, produce gold, and smuggle it to China to earn foreign currency, but  ordinary people would live in abandoned mines, digging for gold for more than ten days, producing one to two grams of gold and selling them to smugglers to make a living . ”

According to sources,  the way gold was extracted by money lenders or individuals was to purchase gold ore from mines, crush it with a grinder , and then add mercury to the fine ore powder to extract pure gold .

He continued, “However, since last year, the number of individuals who have started producing gold has increased as the smelting technology for gold has been sold on the black market,” adding, “This is because smelting for gold extracts gold from the dross left over from extracting gold with mercury.”

“The technology for refining blue- green algae is sold for $ 200 by technicians at the National Academy of Sciences ,” he said, adding, “It’s hard for technicians to make a living, so they sell the technology . ”

According to sources,  the way the smelting technology is traded is that individuals who want to produce gold invite scientists or technicians to a gold production site near a mine or a private home garden, transport gold ore by truck to the site where they want to produce gold, and have them extract gold using the smelting technology themselves for 2-3 days, after which they are paid immediately on the spot .

Meanwhile, according to data released by the Korea Resources Corporation and the Ministry of Unification, North Korea, which is rich in mineral resources, is known to have gold reserves of approximately 2,000 tons .

This is Son Hye-min of RFA's Free Asia Broadcasting in Seoul  .

Editor Yang Seong-won,  Web Editor Kim Sang-il

11. US VP makes remarks on potential change to US forces overseas

​Please lets not read too much into these remarks. Consider the context.

A Global Posture Review is wise and necessary. Let's wait for the results.

Excertp:

At a confirmation hearing previously held in the U.S. Senate, Secretary Hegseth said that it would conduct a Global Posture Review to assess the military strength and missions of U.S. troops sent overseas. 

US VP makes remarks on potential change to US forces overseas

donga.com

Posted January. 27, 2025 07:13,

Updated January. 27, 2025 07:13

US VP makes remarks on potential change to US forces overseas. January. 27, 2025 07:13. by Woo-Sun Lim imsun@donga.com.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday (local time) that President Donald Trump views that the government should spare U.S. troops, one of the most precious resources for the country, adding that they are not sent everywhere in the world. This is the first official remarks made under Trump's second presidency on possible adjustments to the way U.S. forces are deployed overseas, raising questions about potential changes to the scale or role of U.S. forces in South Korea.

Vice President Vance said on Saturday at a commencement ceremony of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that unlike his predecessors, President Trump seeks to sparingly deploy U.S. troops, the country’s most precious resources. He argued that it is not the right thing to do to send men and women in military uniform who are determined to risk their lives for the sake of the country everywhere in the world, adding that when deploying forces, the government should equip them with the means to achieve a swift victory and come back home.

At a confirmation hearing previously held in the U.S. Senate, Secretary Hegseth said that it would conduct a Global Posture Review to assess the military strength and missions of U.S. troops sent overseas. He also commented that Washington is supposed to take a stronger military posture across the Indo-Pacific area, given a sense of urgency arising from China’s growing military presence and the growing need to build deterrence.

Secretary Hegseth also said in a message to the military after his commencement that President Trump gives the military a clear mission to achieve peace through power. He added that in cooperation with U.S. allies and partners, the country would deter any aggressive action from the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific Region, end wars with a sense of responsibility, and react to key threats. As a result, speculations are growing that the core function of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea might change from deterring North Korean threats to keeping China in check.

한국어

donga.com

12. President Trump’s business-driven mindset (impact on South Korea)

​Excerpts:

What kind of deal would Trump demand from Korea? President Trump ordered the administration to “investigate the causes of the U.S. trade deficit and review existing trade agreements by April 1” on the day he took office. With Korea seeing a surplus in trade with the U.S., it is highly likely that the U.S. will issue a bill to Korea by spring.

Despite devastated Korean politics, we hope to mobilize our capabilities to the fullest in diplomacy and trade to secure prior information and take preemptive responses. We have 60 days. In dealing with President Trump, who carries out the world's most powerful business diplomacy with only a 'give and take' mindset, Korea should also be equipped with a thorough business mindset and conduct detailed negotiations based on what we have 'given' and what we will 'give.'

President Trump’s business-driven mindset

donga.com

Posted January. 27, 2025 07:12,

Updated January. 27, 2025 07:12

President Trump’s business-driven mindset. January. 27, 2025 07:12. .

Only official events of the U.S. presidential inaugural ceremony are funded by the government, while side events such as the inaugural ball are prepared with donations secured by the inauguration committee managed by the president-elect. President Trump raised 170 million U.S. dollars, the highest amount ever, by offering various perks to donors giving more than 1 million dollars, such as attending dinner with the President. The amount raised was more than the inauguration donations of President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama combined.

His desire for money did not end there. President Trump recently issued virtual currencies named after himself and his wife, the so-called ‘Trump Coin’ and ‘Melania Coin.’ This has escalated into a controversial topic in the industry, and it was reported that he created a market worth tens of billions of dollars overnight and earned 58 million dollars in transaction fees on the first day alone.

He also attempted to strike a ‘deal’ with TikTok, a Chinese platform on the verge of closing its business in the United States due to the ‘TikTok ban law.’ He announced that he would approve TikTok continuing business in the U.S. if handing over half of the shares. Perhaps this is why they say ‘transactional’ is a word that accurately describes President Trump.

President Trump’s business-minded view is also reflected in foreign and trade policies. Even before taking office, he demanded that the U.S. should take back the Panama Canal if it continued to take money away from U.S. ships. He also said that he would waive tariffs for Canada if it became the 51st state of the U.S. and offered money to buy Greenland. For someone prioritizing ‘money’ in all of his decisions, dignity, shame, courtesy, and respect may not be of any value to him at all.

What kind of deal would Trump demand from Korea? President Trump ordered the administration to “investigate the causes of the U.S. trade deficit and review existing trade agreements by April 1” on the day he took office. With Korea seeing a surplus in trade with the U.S., it is highly likely that the U.S. will issue a bill to Korea by spring.

Despite devastated Korean politics, we hope to mobilize our capabilities to the fullest in diplomacy and trade to secure prior information and take preemptive responses. We have 60 days. In dealing with President Trump, who carries out the world's most powerful business diplomacy with only a 'give and take' mindset, Korea should also be equipped with a thorough business mindset and conduct detailed negotiations based on what we have 'given' and what we will 'give.'

한국어

donga.com

13. DP chief Lee would face close battle with PPP candidates Oh or Hong in early presidential election: Poll

​The political landscape is changing due to the Minjoo/DPK party's actions against President Yoon.

Monday

January 27, 2025

 dictionary + A - A 

DP chief Lee would face close battle with PPP candidates Oh or Hong in early presidential election: Poll

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-01-27/national/politics/DP-chief-Lee-would-face-close-battle-with-PPP-candidates-Oh-or-Hong-in-early-presidential-election-Poll/2230936

Published: 27 Jan. 2025, 17:41

• 
  
• SARAH CHEA
• chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr

Korea JoongAng Daily

DP chief Lee would face close battle with PPP candidates Oh or Hong in early presidential election: Poll

4 min

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

From left, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo [JOONGANG ILBO]

Democratic Party (DP) chief Lee Jae-myung would face a tight race against potential People Power Party (PPP) candidates Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon or Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo in an early presidential election, according to a recent poll released by Gallup Korea.

In the survey of 1,031 adults on possible scenarios involving Lee against seven potential conservative candidates, Lee outdistanced all seven but only narrowly so with Oh and Hong. 

Related Article

Explainer: DP chief Lee Jae-myung polarizes public as potential early election looms

Dramatic reversal in poll results sparks debate on 'conservative oversampling'

In a match against Oh, Lee's approval rating stood at 46 percent, barely surpassing the Seoul mayor's 43 percent. Against Hong, Lee's approval stood at 45 percent against the Daegu mayor's 42 percent. 

By regions, Oh and Hong outpaced Lee in Seoul, Gangwon, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan and Ulsan, while Lee was superior in Incheon, Gyeonggi, Gwangju, the Jeolla provinces and Jeju. 

This seemingly aligns with Korea's historically divided electoral landscape, with western regions largely leaning toward liberals and eastern regions favoring conservatives. 

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung visits Express Bus Terminal in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 24, ahead of the six-day Lunar New Year holiday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Breaking down the results by age, respondents in their 40s and 50s preferred Lee as the next president, while those in their 60s and 70s favored Oh and Hong. 

However, for voters in their 30s and younger, a swing demographic, the numbers were more complicated.

Among voters in their 30s, Oh and Hong both defeated Lee. Among respondents between 18 and 29, Lee bested Oh 43 percent to 38 percent, while with Hong, Lee lost with 35 percent against the Daegu mayor's 47 percent. 

A majority of 51 percent of respondents expressed a desire to "change the current government," while 42 percent supported "maintaining the current government."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a press conference at City Hall in central Seoul on Jan. 22. [NEWS1]

While the public strongly agrees with President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, with 60 percent in favor and 35 percent opposed, and leans toward changing the current government, the approving rate of Lee — the one and only strong DP candidate — remains lower than 50 percent. 

"Public hostility toward the DP's Lee certainly exists, and there's a lack of connection between public support for impeachment leading to any kind of judgment on the administration," said Park Dong-won, CEO of election consulting agency Policom.

The polls also suggested that most voters are bonded to parties and aware that the current political situation will eventually lead to an early presidential election. 

Around 41 percent of respondents supported the PPP, while 40 percent voted for DP. Only 12 percent were floating voters. 

"The approving ratings for both the DP and PPP are unprecedentedly high," said Heo Jin-jae, a research director at Gallup Korea. "People who support no party account for little more than 10 percent when it used to reach 25 percent, meaning that voters are tied tightly to parties." 

"The bond is even tighter compared to March 2022, when the 20th presidential election was held," Heo added. 

Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, one of the rising candidates, has been losing supporters, the polls suggested. 

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo speaks during a new year's event at Exco in Buk District on Jan. 10. [DAEGU METROPOLITAN CITY]

DP's Lee bested Kim Moon-soo, 47 percent to 38 percent, and PPP Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, 44 percent to 37 percent. Against former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, Lee won 46 percent to Han's 34.

Lee also trounced Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok, 47 percent to 26 percent. The Reform Party chief and former PPP chair gained only 46 percent of PPP supporters. 

When respondents were asked about all candidates rather than specific two-way races, Lee still took first place with 36 percent, followed by Labor Minister Kim with 16 percent and Hong with 10 percent. 

Experts, however, say the situation could reverse itself.  

"It's too early to analyze the presidential election accurately," said Yoo Sung-jin, a politics professor at Ewha Womans University. "Voters will start considering in earnest after the impeachment, when the election becomes a reality." 

Gallup Korea's Heo said the DP chief's ongoing corruption trials are significant variables. 

BY HEO JIN, KIM JEONG-JAE [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]

​14. A fragmented system, legal chaos and President Yoon

​Excerpts:

Whether the Dec. 3 martial law constitutes an insurrection aimed at disrupting constitutional order will ultimately be determined by the courts. Prosecutors must now dedicate themselves entirely to preparing for trial and maintaining the charges in court. President Yoon, who has refused to cooperate with the investigation, must fulfill his promise to participate fully in the legal process and be held accountable under the law.

Separately, there is a pressing need to reexamine the current fragmented investigative system, which is divided among the police, prosecution and the CIO, and consider alternatives that better align with the principle of separating investigation and prosecution. Public confidence in the rule of law depends on resolving these systemic flaws.

Monday

January 27, 2025

 dictionary + A - A 

A fragmented system, legal chaos and President Yoon

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-01-27/opinion/editorials/A-fragmented-system-legal-chaos-and-President-Yoon/2230642

Published: 27 Jan. 2025, 00:01

Prosecutors are expected to indict President Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of leading an insurrection without conducting additional investigations. After receiving the case from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), prosecutors applied on Jan. 24 for an extension of President Yoon's arrest warrant at the Seoul Central District Court. However, the court rejected the request, stating that under the principle of separation between investigation and prosecution, there was insufficient justification for further investigation into a case already handled by the CIO. The court cited a lack of clear legal grounds in the CIO Act. A second application for an extension filed the following day was similarly denied.

The entire process of arresting, detaining and indicting President Yoon has sparked significant controversy, deepening public confusion. Of particular concern is President Yoon's uncooperative stance toward the investigation, which appears to obfuscate the retrogressive nature of the martial law declared on Dec. 3. On Jan. 23, during the fourth impeachment hearing at the Constitutional Court, Yoon's defense team astonishingly claimed that "the public perceives martial law as an enlightening directive." Furthermore, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun testified that "it was meant to remove operatives [soldiers, not lawmakers]," in a statement that defies common sense.

The shortcomings of reforms enacted during the Moon Jae-in administration, including the establishment of the CIO and the stripping of prosecutorial investigative authority, have exacerbated the turmoil. Critics warned at the time that the changes would impede investigations into serious crimes, a prediction that has now come true. Following the Dec. 3 martial law incident, the CIO, the prosecution and the National Office of Investigation (NOI) all engaged in competitive investigations until the CIO exercised its authority to take over the case. At that point, the CIO and the prosecution agreed to split the 20-day detention period evenly, with the prosecution handling the latter half. However, this arrangement lacked any legal basis, as underscored by the court's rulings.

Additionally, the CIO has been criticized for its narrow focus on President Yoon's initial arrest, which reportedly left it unprepared to secure the evidence needed for the prosecution’s indictment. The absence of clear legal provisions outlining whether supplemental investigations can be conducted during the transfer of cases between the CIO and the prosecution has further highlighted gaps in the system.

As direct investigations into President Yoon faltered, prosecutors convened a meeting of chief prosecutors nationwide to discuss next steps and ultimately decided to move forward with the indictment. Prosecutors believe that evidence secured during the detention of the former defense minister and other key military officials involved in implementing martial law will suffice to substantiate President Yoon’s charges of insurrection.

Whether the Dec. 3 martial law constitutes an insurrection aimed at disrupting constitutional order will ultimately be determined by the courts. Prosecutors must now dedicate themselves entirely to preparing for trial and maintaining the charges in court. President Yoon, who has refused to cooperate with the investigation, must fulfill his promise to participate fully in the legal process and be held accountable under the law.

Separately, there is a pressing need to reexamine the current fragmented investigative system, which is divided among the police, prosecution and the CIO, and consider alternatives that better align with the principle of separating investigation and prosecution. Public confidence in the rule of law depends on resolving these systemic flaws.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. 

​15. Concerns grow over 'boneless' apartments with insufficient rebar

​Wasn't this the reason for the Sampoong Department Store collapse in the 1990s?

Concerns grow over 'boneless' apartments with insufficient rebar

donga.com

Posted January. 24, 2025 08:15,

Updated January. 24, 2025 08:15

Concerns grow over 'boneless' apartments with insufficient rebar. January. 24, 2025 08:15. .

After the collapse of an underground parking lot in Incheon's Geomdan New City apartment complex two years ago in April, the government conducted a major investigation and found many columns with less rebar in apartments that had been declared "free of poor construction." In some cases, the columns were designed to contain eight longitudinal bars to support the ceiling, but only four, half the number, were actually inside. In one case, a resident of an apartment complex in Gyeonggi Province, who did not trust the government's investigation, took it upon himself to look at the building plans and find missing rebar in the parking garage ceiling.

When they inquired at the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the staff in charge dismissed it as a "simple mistake." In another case, an official at the level of the director in charge of approving the completion of an apartment building in a local government gave a ridiculous response, "It didn't collapse like the Geomdan apartment.”

The Dong-A Ilbo Hero Content Team examined the construction status of 288 completed apartments of the same structure as those the government investigated after the 'Boneless Apartment Parking Lot' accident. They had obtained design plans for these apartments. Using the same equipment the government's investigation team used, the team found that in the 850 columns in parking lots in 21 complexes, rebar was missing from 25 columns in nine complexes. In many cases, one side of a square post was missing one or two bars when it should have had four or five.

A ministry report obtained by the team also listed cases of missing rebar and concrete strength below legal safety standards. However, the government announced in late October that "there were no defects such as missing rebar." The government decided that construction was not considered poorly done if there were no major defects in the rebar that connected the columns and the ceiling and floor, which caused the Geomdan accident. The government shortened the investigation period to two months, which would have taken four months, and excluded missing longitudinal rebar from the investigation, creating a decisive loophole in the safety inspection.

Experts warn that poorly constructed underground parking lots can collapse if a water-filled fire truck passes over them. According to a simulation conducted by the team with the assistance of a structural design firm, a 30-story apartment building constructed with the proper amount of rebar could withstand the 2017 Pohang earthquake for more than 60 seconds. However, an apartment building with only half the required rebar collapsed in just seven seconds.

Ultimately, government haste and bureaucratic moderation resulted in a superficial investigation. In recent years, soaring labor and cement costs have pressured builders to cut corners, likely leading to an increase in shoddy construction. The government's lack of rigorous scrutiny, driven more by a desire to minimize the impact of accidents than to improve overall apartment safety, is a growing concern for the public.

한국어

donga.com

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