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Quotes of the Day:
"As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy."
– Abraham Lincoln
"I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to earth."
– Pearl Buck
"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
– John Quincy Adams
1. “Behind the Comrades Stand Pyongyang and Moscow”
2. Lee orders protection of S. Korean nat'ls in Venezuela, evacuation plans prepared: Cheong Wa Dae
3. South Korean parties condemn U.S. Venezuela attack
4. Kim Ju-ae's Palace Visit Fuels Succession Speculation
5. N.K. leader inspects greenhouse farm construction site in 1st 'field guidance' of 2026
6. Editorial: Attempt to Muzzle Media Sparks U.S. Trade Conflict
7. China's diplomatic divide: red carpet for South Korea, cold shoulder for Japanese firms
8. Lee to meet Xi in China on Monday, seek progress on culture ban
9. South Korea says it respects One China principle ahead of Lee trip
10. Survey shows improved Chinese sentiment toward Korea
11. North Korea downplays Xi New Year greeting while touting Putin ties
12. Why South Korea is Taiwan's Economic Cautionary Tale
1. “Behind the Comrades Stand Pyongyang and Moscow”
Comment: Important commentary and analysis from my good friend and CAPS colleague from north Korea: Ms. Jihyun Park.
Notice who she interprets Kim Jong Un's New Year's Speech. This is important on so many levels. First, it is important for Koreans in the South to hear an expert interpretation and analysis of Kim Jong Un's words. Second, it is extraordinarily useful for all Koreans and non-Koreans who are concerned with Korean security and north Korean malign activities on the peninsula and around the world because KJU is revealing insights into his strategy on multiple levels.
This may be the most important essay I send out in 2026. I will be keeping this close at hand to refer to it often as I try to understand what Kim Jong Un is doing for the rest of the year. (I have already read this three times today).
This is Kim Jong Un at work conducting his form of cognitive warfare.
[블챌] 일상 포토덤프
“Behind the Comrades Stand Pyongyang and Moscow”
freedom88-
9분 전
이웃추가본문 기타 기능
https://m.blog.naver.com/freedom88-/224133332639
Divided Language and the Disappearance of the People in North Korea’s 2026 New Year Message
On 1st January, 2026, at May Day Stadium, Kim Jong Un delivered a rare public address. After years of abolishing the New Year’s speech and replacing it with reports to party congresses, he chose once again to stand before the masses—like a student returning to an oral exam he had long avoided.
Yet what he presented was not a single language.
It was a divided one: a multilayered, emotionally calibrated set of messages, segmented by audience, spoken in a tone closer to command than persuasion.
From 2013 to 2019, Kim Jong Un delivered annual New Year’s addresses. From 2020 to 2025, these were replaced by party congress reports in the form of New Year messages.
This year, however, he changed course again—choosing neither the old New Year’s speech nor the party report, but something else entirely.
A New Year celebration address, and a separate letter to overseas operational forces. These two texts speak to different audiences, in different languages.
And outside those languages, there are people who are no longer visible.
The New Year Celebration Speech: “The People” Exist, but the Residents Do Not
Kim Jong Un’s speech opens with a series of carefully chosen salutations:
“Dear citizens of Pyongyang,”l
“Innovative workers and meritorious comrades,”
“Young students and artists.”
He goes on to extend New Year greetings to “the working class, agricultural laborers, and intellectuals.”
But these invocations are rigorously selective.
There are “workers,” but no “residents.”
There are “meritorious contributors,” but no factory laborers exhausted by production quotas, no unemployed, no displaced.
There are “citizens of Pyongyang,” but no residents of other provinces, no people living along the borders, no families in mining towns, no apartment blocks and villages where food rations have long been cut off.
This speech appears to speak to “everyone,” but in reality, it speaks only to those who are allowed to be spoken of.
All others are excluded—erased into the abstract noun “the people,” reduced to mechanical, mobilized non-persons.
In Kim Jong Un’s New Year address, what appears is not the resident,
but the object of mobilization;
not the living citizen,
but a decorative element of the regime.
This is the regime’s most explicit declaration yet that it no longer sees residents as subjects to be persuaded. Control and mobilization alone, it believes, are sufficient to sustain power.
Kim Jong Il once made a similar calculation. During the years of mass starvation and systemic killing, he effectively concluded that Pyongyang’s citizens and two million soldiers were enough—driving the rest of the population toward mass death.
North Korea is now returning to that era.
This silence is most evident in the treatment of the word war. While 2025 is described as “a peak year of great events and transformations,” what those events actually were is consistently omitted. This form of thought control has defined North Korea for the past eighty years.
Phrases such as “a noble victory achieved through the sacrifice of lives” and “a heroic era to be revered for generations” clearly allude to war—yet never specify where it took place, against whom, or for what reason.
The Letter to Overseas Operational Forces: A War That Begins as a Letter
On the same day, January 1, another message was released—a letter from Kim Jong Un to soldiers deployed in overseas operational units. This letter uses an entirely different language.
“My beloved comrades,”
“Immortal honor defended with blood and life,”
“Behind you stand Pyongyang and Moscow.”
This letter mobilizes emotion, honor, sacrifice, and loyalty to justify war. The phrase “overseas operations” presupposes that North Korean forces are active beyond national borders, and implicitly confirms the operational reality of North Korea–Russia military cooperation.
This letter tells us that the war has already begun.
Yet that war is never mentioned in the official public speech.
War begins in a letter.
War deepens by remaining unspoken.
North Korea’s 2026 New Year message is not a single language. It is a language divided by audience. To Pyongyang’s citizens, it speaks of “pride” and “harmony.” To soldiers abroad, it speaks of “honor” and “blood.” What unites them is a declaration of control—ordering all to move like puppets, mechanized by the command of the state.
“Behind you stand Pyongyang and Moscow.”
This sentence is not merely a word of comfort to soldiers. It is the emotional legitimation of war—a coded signal of a wartime system advancing under silence.
Yet beneath that sentence are residents whom no one protects.
They stand neither “behind” nor “above.”
They exist outside language itself.
North Korea is a country where cultural mass killing takes place. With language alone, people are erased—or elevated into heroes.
In a place where such erasure occurs, the act of calling again those who are no longer called, of recording their names, of leaving questions where they have disappeared—
That may be the most political New Year’s greeting we can offer.
As the new year begins, we call once more the names of those who have vanished.
A language without them can never be a complete language.
2. Lee orders protection of S. Korean nat'ls in Venezuela, evacuation plans prepared: Cheong Wa Dae
Summary:
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung directed officials to protect South Korean nationals in Venezuela and to prepare executable evacuation plans as the security situation evolves after a U.S. strike and the reported capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Cheong Wa Dae said plans must be ready for rapid implementation if conditions worsen. About 70 South Koreans are in Venezuela, roughly 50 in Caracas, and no South Korean casualties have been reported. Seoul’s foreign ministry held an emergency meeting led by Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina, ordered contingency planning for evacuation or withdrawal, and established a task force to coordinate with South Korea’s diplomatic mission in Venezuela. The report notes Venezuela declared a national emergency and mobilized troops following the attacks.
Comment: The Maduro capture operation is headline news across the Korean media.
No one has yet connected the operation to asking the question of how can we exploit the operation against a national leader in our information campaign against the Kim family regime. Of course there are those who say that is far fetched, nothing like it could ever happen in Pyongyang. Surely it will feed KJU's existing paranoia (which would be good or bad depending on what we do with it). But it should be noted that the US can capture/kill any high value target around the world at the time and place of POTUS' choosing.
(2nd LD) Lee orders protection of S. Korean nat'ls in Venezuela, evacuation plans prepared: Cheong Wa Dae | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · January 3, 2026
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260103002552315
(ATTN: UPDATES article with details from foreign ministry's meeting)
SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials Saturday to ensure the protection of South Korean nationals in Venezuela and to prepare evacuation plans if necessary, his office said.
Lee's instruction came on the heels of a U.S. military strike against the South American country, confirmed by U.S. President Donald Trump, amid his administration's pressure campaign on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
"President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to ensure the thorough protection of South Korean nationals in Venezuela and to meticulously prepare evacuation plans so they can be swiftly carried out in case the situation further worsens," a Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson said in a message to media.
Around 70 South Korean nationals are staying in Venezuela, including about 50 in the capital of Caracas, where U.S. strikes were reported. No casualties involving South Koreans have been reported so far.
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Dec. 30, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
The foreign ministry in Seoul convened an emergency meeting late Saturday to assess the situation and discuss preparedness to ensure the safety of South Korean nationals in Venezuela.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina, who led the meeting, called for officials to prepare contingency plans for possible evacuation or withdrawal and ensure that such plans can be implemented swiftly when necessary, the ministry said in a release.
The ministry set up a task force for protecting overseas nationals following the attacks and is working with its diplomatic mission in Venezuela to ensure their safety.
Trump announced the U.S. has carried out a large-scale military strike against Venezuela and captured Maduro and his wife. Maduro has been charged in the U.S. with narco-terrorism.
The Trump administration has accused Maduro of allowing drug trafficking into the U.S. and of rigging last year's election to maintain his grip on power.
Venezuela has declared a national emergency following the U.S. attacks and mobilized its troops, claiming the U.S. intervention is aimed at ousting Maduro and seizing control of the country's vast oil reserves.
This AFP photo shows a fire at a military complex in Venezuela after a series of explosions in Caracas following a U.S. strike against the Venezuelan capital on Jan. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · January 3, 2026
3. South Korean parties condemn U.S. Venezuela attack
Summary:
South Korea’s Rebuilding Korea Party, Progressive Party, and Justice Party condemned the U.S. raid in Caracas and the arrest and overseas transfer of Nicolás Maduro and his spouse. They call it aggression, an illegal violation of sovereignty, and a breach of international law, arguing that even if Maduro governed undemocratically, accountability rests with Venezuelans, not U.S. special forces. The parties warn forced regime change will worsen instability and urge the South Korean government to state its opposition. The Justice Party frames the action as “state kidnapping” and vows solidarity with Venezuelans resisting what it labels an illegal invasion. The report says POTUS announced the operation and that Delta Force was used, with no U.S. casualties reported.
Comment: Where you stand depends on where you sit. Political perspectives consistent with the political ideologies?
South Korean parties condemn U.S. Venezuela attack
Rebuilding Korea, Progressive, Justice Parties denounce raid as aggression, sovereignty violation
By Kim Myeong-il
Published 2026.01.03. 22:13
Updated 2026.01.03. 22:59https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/01/03/6YLG5TNIORAHVAOUAIKSZBVCMM/
On the 3rd, local time, citizens flee as they hear explosion sounds and low-flying aircraft noises in Caracas, Venezuela. /AP Newsis
The Rebuilding Korea Party condemned the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, calling it “an explicit act of aggression and a violation of international law.”
The Rebuilding Korea Party issued a statement on the 3rd under the name of Policy Committee Chairman Kim Joon-hyeong, stating, “The Trump administration launched an airstrike on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in the middle of the night and arrested President Maduro and his spouse, forcibly transporting them abroad,” adding, “The leader of a sovereign state was forcibly ousted by U.S. special forces within their own territory.”
Chairman Kim criticized, “Trump has continuously undermined the norms of the liberal international order for the sake of national interest under the name of ‘America First,’ and the U.S. has now become a lawless gangster state that even carries out military attacks.”
Chairman Kim noted, “Although Maduro has ruled for 12 years, engaging in undemocratic behavior and ruining the country’s economy, there is no direct evidence that he is the leader of drugs or terrorism,” adding, “Even if that were true, the U.S. does not have the right to invade and arrest a head of state.”
Chairman Kim warned, “The U.S.’s forced regime change will not resolve the issue but exacerbate it,” urging, “The U.S. must immediately halt its act of aggression.”
The Progressive Party, a party with 4 seats in the assembly, released a written briefing through Spokesperson Shin Mi-yeon on the same day, stating, “No matter how problematic the Maduro regime was, judgment over it is solely the exclusive right of the Venezuelan people,” and condemning the U.S. airstrike and regime kidnapping as “a criminal act that directly destroys the principle of sovereign inviolability.”
Spokesperson Shin strongly denounced the Trump administration’s act of aggression, stating, “Trump’s ‘America First’ is moving toward international criminal acts. The South Korean government must clarify its position against Trump’s destruction of sovereignty and the international order.”
The Justice Party also released a statement on the same day, condemning, “The U.S. military committed an unprecedented act of state kidnapping by illegally arresting President Maduro and forcibly transporting him to the U.S.,” and added, “The Justice Party strongly condemns the Trump regime and the tyranny of U.S. imperialism, which engage in the usurpation of sovereignty and war-mongering.”
The Justice Party declared, “We will firmly stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan people who have begun resistance against the illegal invasion and kidnapping of their president,” and vowed, “We will fight until the end against the Trump regime, a merchant of war and massacre that destroys peace.”
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the same day that the U.S. conducted a sudden military operation in Venezuela, arresting President Maduro and his spouse.
The U.S. reportedly deployed its elite special forces unit, the Delta Force, to arrest Maduro and his spouse, with no U.S. casualties reported during the operation.
4. Kim Ju-ae's Palace Visit Fuels Succession Speculation
Summary:
Chosun reports Kim Ju-ae’s first public visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, placed prominently in images between Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol-ju, is fueling renewed succession speculation. The palace is treated as a key “Baekdu bloodline” legitimacy site, and analysts argue the timing may foreshadow formalization at a 9th Party Congress possibly as early as next month, through a new title, a presidium appearance, or creation of a role such as “first secretary.” Other experts caution the imagery may be more familial than political, noting Ri’s presence and the need to watch for Ju-ae appearing alone at state events. State media also highlighted their public affection at New Year celebrations.
Comment: I think KJU wants the international speculation. While we focus on that, some analysts think the internal message is simply to portray KJU as a benevolent father figure. As noted, it will be interesting to see her role, if any, at the 9th Party Congress. As an aside, in the photo at the link I can hardly tell the difference between mother and daughter. But I think the daughter has had a healthy diet her entire life which may be why she already appears taller than her mother as a young teenager.
Kim Ju-ae's Palace Visit Fuels Succession Speculation
Analysts say 9th Party Congress may formalize her successor status
By Kim Min-seo
Published 2026.01.03. 00:56
https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2026/01/03/YUQHIEILTRDQFNPVHQUM3CJT2M/
On the 1st, Kim Jong-un's daughter Kim Ju-ae stands between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju as she pays respects at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. Located in Pyongyang, the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun is where the remains of Chairman Kim Il-sung and National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il are enshrined. This marks the first time Kim Ju-ae pays respects there. /Korean Central News Agency-Yonhap
Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, made her first public visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the remains of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are enshrined. Attention is focused on whether her status as a successor will be formalized during the 9th Party Congress, expected to be held as early as next month.
The Rodong Sinmun featured a photo on its front page on the 2nd showing Kim Ju-ae standing between Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol-ju during the visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. Though she stood about half a step behind Kim Jong-un in the photo, she appeared in the center of the front row in the frontal shot. Kim Ju-ae wore a wine-colored two-piece suit matching her father’s necktie.
The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun is a symbolic site for the "Baekdu Bloodline" succession. Kim Jong-un visited the palace nearly every New Year’s Day since taking power in 2012 but did not attend in 2018, 2024, or 2025. His visit marked the first in two years since 2023, and this was Kim Ju-ae’s first official visit to the site since her first appearance in North Korean media in 2022.
Cheong Seong-chang, deputy director of the Sejong Institute, said, “Kim Ju-ae is currently in the process of being designated as a successor and undergoing successor training. The 9th Party Congress is likely to serve as an opportunity to formalize her status domestically and internationally.” He suggested that the newly created position of "Workers’ Party First Secretary" during the 8th Party Congress in 2021 was intended with Kim Ju-ae in mind. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, stated, “She may receive an official position during the 9th Party Congress. If her title changes from ‘family member’ to ‘comrade’ or she appears in the congress’s presidium, it would strongly indicate an official role.”
However, Yang Mu-jin, a distinguished professor at the University of North Korean Studies, argued, “Placing Kim Ju-ae at the center of the photo seems more like a family portrait than a sign of succession. We should observe whether future official events feature her alone without Kim Jong-un.” Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, added, “Since Ri Sol-ju also accompanied Kim Ju-ae, the imagery appears stronger as a family rather than a political statement.”
On the 1st, Korean Central Television broadcast footage of Kim Jong-un and his daughter sharing a tender moment at a large-scale New Year’s celebration held at the May 1st Stadium in Pyongyang the previous day. Kim Ju-ae, wearing a black leather long coat identical to her father’s, kissed Kim Jong-un’s cheek as the New Year’s countdown ended. The broadcast repeatedly showed Kim Jong-un holding her hand tightly while watching a performance, emphasizing their close relationship.
5. N.K. leader inspects greenhouse farm construction site in 1st 'field guidance' of 2026
Summary:
Yonhap reports Kim Jong-un began 2026 “field guidance” with an inspection of the Sinuiju Combined Greenhouse Farm construction site, traveling by private train on January 2. KCNA says the project on Wihwa Island, heavily damaged by 2024 floods, is nearing completion, with major construction and greenhouse equipment installation finished and landscaping in its final stage. Kim praised builders for transforming the disaster-hit area into a symbolic “greenhouse town” in roughly 500 days and framed the project as part of broader efforts to improve livelihoods and accelerate regional development. The report links the visit to Pyongyang’s push to meet goals from the 2021 Party Congress ahead of an anticipated ninth Party Congress, where a new five-year plan may be unveiled.
Comment: An indicator? - farm first rather than military ?
N.K. leader inspects greenhouse farm construction site in 1st 'field guidance' of 2026 | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · January 3, 2026
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260103001000315
SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected the construction site of a greenhouse farm in the northwestern city of Sinuiju for his first "field guidance" of the year, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday.
Kim traveled by his private train to the Sinuiju Combined Greenhouse Farm the previous day, whose construction is nearing completion, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the construction site of a greenhouse farm in the northwestern city of Sinuiju on Jan. 2, 2026, as the construction nears completion, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
North Korea has been building a large greenhouse farm in vast areas of Wihwa Island, an islet in Sinuiju where the North suffered a great amount of flood damage during the summer of 2024.
Since attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the farm in February 2024, Kim has visited the construction site five times, with the most recent visit made in late November.
In a speech, Kim praised the builders for working hard "to transform the island area, once severely hit by natural disaster, into an ideal greenhouse town symbolic of the new era in more than 500 days," according to the KCNA.
"The huge construction project and assembly of greenhouse equipment have been completed perfectly and landscaping of the area is now progressing vigorously at the final stage," he added.
Kim also expressed his "firm will to more ambitiously plan the undertakings for the promotion of the wellbeing of the people across the country and radical transformation of the regions and strenuously implement them," according to the report.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (3rd from L) visits the construction site of a greenhouse farm in the northwestern city of Sinuiju on Jan. 2, 2026, as the construction nears completion, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Kim's choice of the site as the first field inspection of the year comes as Pyongyang steps up efforts to fulfill national goals set out at the 2021 party congress ahead of the upcoming ninth party congress.
At the next congress, which South Korea's intelligence authorities expect to be held in February, Pyongyang is expected to present another five-year plan outlining its major policy stances, similar to the previous five-year economic development plan adopted at the 2021 session.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · January 3, 2026
6. Editorial: Attempt to Muzzle Media Sparks U.S. Trade Conflict
Summary:
The Chosun Ilbo editorial argues South Korea’s revised Information and Communications Network Act, framed as an anti–“fake news” measure, is escalating from a domestic free-speech controversy into a U.S.–ROK trade dispute. It cites National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac acknowledging exchanges with Washington were likely “insufficient,” then notes the U.S. State Department’s “grave concern” and an abrupt cancellation of a planned KORUS FTA Joint Committee meeting. The editorial contends the law pressures platforms to monitor and rapidly delete “false and manipulated information,” effectively outsourcing censorship and creating a non-tariff barrier for U.S. firms. It warns key definitions are vague, enforcement risks chilling journalism, and urges the government to overhaul “toxic” provisions while using existing laws to address defamation and disinformation.
Comment: Significant alliance implications?
Editorial: Attempt to Muzzle Media Sparks U.S. Trade Conflict
South Korea's 'fake news' law faces U.S. backlash over content moderation demands
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2026.01.03. 00:01
Updated 2026.01.03. 00:16https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2026/01/03/FJGW6D2HIFH5TAQ726YY5D4XZ4/
On the 24th, during the December provisional National Assembly plenary session held at the National Assembly, the amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act to eradicate false information is processed under the leadership of the Democratic Party. /Yonhap
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac stated on the 2nd regarding the revised Information and Communications Network Act, the Act on the Eradication of False and Manipulated Information, “While there have been exchanges of opinions with the U.S. side, it could be seen as insufficient from the U.S. perspective.” This indicates that concerns from the U.S. side existed even before the law’s passage, and they have not been adequately addressed. The legislation, pushed forward under the pretext of eradicating “fake news,” has escalated beyond controversies over infringing on press freedom to becoming a trade dispute between South Korea and the U.S.
U.S. protests have intensified immediately after the National Assembly’s passage. Following the U.S. State Department’s statement on the 31st expressing “grave concern over the South Korean government’s approval of the amendment that weakens freedom of expression,” the closed-door meeting of the KORUS FTA Joint Committee, scheduled for the 1st, was abruptly canceled.
While the U.S. is emphasizing “freedom of expression,” there is also an aspect of backlash against domestic big tech companies like Google and Meta facing regulations under this law. This revised bill significantly strengthened the responsibility of platform operators to monitor and immediately delete “false and manipulated information.” Since direct government censorship would impose significant legal burdens, the government has encouraged platform companies like Google and YouTube to proactively remove content with potential for controversy. From the perspective of U.S. companies, this amounts to being forced to operate algorithms that suit the South Korean government’s preferences, leading them to protest it as a non-tariff barrier. Considering the strong opposition the U.S. showed during the introduction of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), this situation was entirely foreseeable. Despite this, there are criticisms that “the government has risked trade friction with an ally to muzzle critical media by pushing this through recklessly.”
The definition of “false and manipulated information,” the core of this revised bill, is ambiguous. Enforcing the compulsory deletion and punishment of information based on the entirely subjective standard of “malicious intent” could undermine the very foundations of press freedom. Journalists’ associations, media organizations, and groups like People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy have condemned the law, stating, “This legislation establishes a state-led censorship system.” A significant portion of the “fake news” cited by the ruling party originates from pro-government internet media outlets like Kim Ou-joon’s, yet the ruling party has not raised any issues regarding them.
This legislation faces domestic criticism for infringing on press freedom and has become entangled in a trade conflict with the U.S. internationally. The government and ruling party must now face reality and completely revise the bill’s toxic provisions. Responding to fake news is necessary. However, there are already civil and criminal laws in place to punish the creation of fake news. Despite this, another law targeting critical media—not the pro-government outlets that have proliferated fake news—is being created. The intent behind this is clear.
7. China's diplomatic divide: red carpet for South Korea, cold shoulder for Japanese firms
Summary:
The South China Morning Post reports Beijing is courting South Korean business while relations with Japan sour. Japan’s three major business groups postponed a planned 200-person trip to China, citing poor prospects for meaningful outcomes and difficulty securing high-level meetings. The delay follows a political chill after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan could respond militarily if Taiwan were attacked, prompting sharp Chinese criticism. Analysts say the pause signals deeper Japanese “de-risking” rather than an immediate exit, with greater exposure for machinery, electronics, and chemicals firms. In contrast, more than 200 South Korean executives will accompany President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit.
Comment: Does Xi think he can more easily coerce or co-opt South korea? Is the Japanese PM too hardline? As an aside, I noticed when I passed through Korean immigration this past week, there were prominent signs with select countries for immigration processing and Taiwan (written in English) was one of them.
China's diplomatic divide: red carpet for South Korea, cold shoulder for Japanese firms
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By SCMP
- Published Jan 3, 2026 3:39 pm KST
- Updated Jan 3, 2026 4:21 pm KST
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/20260103/chinas-diplomatic-divide-red-carpet-for-south-korea-cold-shoulder-for-japanese-firms
President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of their summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Nov. 1. Yonhap
As a diplomatic row sees Japanese company executives put visits to China on hold, Beijing is preparing to roll out the red carpet for South Korean business leaders accompanying President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit starting Sunday.
The contrasting receptions highlight how geopolitics is reshaping corporate ties in East Asia. Analysts expect continued friction between Beijing and Tokyo in 2026 to accelerate Japanese efforts to de-risk from the Chinese market. Conversely, Beijing's warming relations with Seoul are seen as poised to spur more business engagement.
The Japan-China Economic Association (JCEA), Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on Wednesday the postponement of a 200-person China visit that was expected to take place in the coming weeks, with no new trip scheduled, an association representative said.
"The current state of Japan-China relations presents challenges," the JCEA's deputy director of business promotion, Naoya Sawazu, told the Post, Friday.
"We have made strenuous efforts to realise the dispatch of this mission up until now," he said. "However, after considering our interactions with Chinese counterparts and other prevailing circumstances, we have concluded that meaningful outcomes would not be achieved. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the dispatch of this delegation to China.
"It is deeply regrettable that this mission to China, for which preparations have been under way for six months, cannot be dispatched as scheduled."
During their visit, the three organisations planned to assess Japan's overall economic relationship with China, where more than 30,000 Japanese businesses operate, he said, adding that the trip may also have created a forum for exchanging views on improving the business environment.
There were also reports that the JCEA had cited difficulties in securing meetings with top leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of their summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 31. Newsis
Postponement of the business delegation's trip comes amid Beijing's intensified efforts to rally a united front against Japan in East Asia and beyond. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi angered Beijing by suggesting November 7 that an attack on Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response. Beijing has accused Tokyo of reviving militarism.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
Liu Jiangyong, a Japan specialist and professor of international affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, noted that, since 1975, visits to China by Japan's top business leaders and the three major economic organisations have taken place almost annually, interrupted only by the pandemic and a 2012 dispute over the Diaoyu Islands, which Japan calls the Senkaku Islands.
These business delegations - which are usually received by China's premier or vice-premier - have historically played a key role in stabilising and advancing economic ties, he said.
"The crisis has only just begun, and Takaichi has already caused grave damage," Liu said, adding that her remarks were "not slips of the tongue," and that "they reveal a hardened stance that will not be retracted."
"Generally speaking, if political relations deteriorate only briefly, economic ties can continue," Liu said. "But if the chill lasts more than a year, contracts and orders are affected.
"The ball is in Japan's court. Policy adjustments seem unlikely and may even worsen. No fundamental change in Japan's political landscape is visible."
The indication is that the Korean visitor number is increasing very rapidly, and the Japanese number is declining, for obvious reasons.
Victor Gao, Centre for China and Globalisation
Syetarn Hansakul, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, warned that private businesses in both China and Japan face rising costs and potential profit declines.
"While the shelving of the annual trips to China by Japanese business leaders does not equate to an immediate halt in operations or divestment, it signals the intensification of their move to de-risk from China, reducing their dependence on China's market," Hansakul said.
She added that the process has been ongoing for a few years, as part of Japanese firms' adjustment to post-pandemic conditions and heightened geopolitical pressures from Washington.
Japanese companies that are more dependent on China's markets will see a bigger impact on their overall performance, Hansakul said, pointing to sectors involving machinery, electronics and chemicals.
In stark contrast, a group of more than 200 South Korean entrepreneurs, including the chairmen of Samsung and SK Group, will join President Lee during his trip, which is scheduled to run from Sunday to Wednesday and looks to include his second meeting with President Xi in just two months.
"The indication is that the Korean visitor number is increasing very rapidly, and the Japanese number is declining, for obvious reasons," said Victor Gao, vice-president of the Centre for China and Globalisation think tank in Beijing.
Gary Ng, a senior economist for the Asia-Pacific region at French investment bank Natixis, agreed that "politics is part of the equation".
"It is likely to see some rebound in business travellers from Korea, and a moderate decline from Japan, especially with the state-led cancellation of events," Ng said.
Read the article at SCMP.
8. Lee to meet Xi in China on Monday, seek progress on culture ban
Summary:
President Lee Jae Myung will visit China Sunday through Wednesday and meet Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, according to the presidential office. The summit is framed around Korean Peninsula peace and denuclearization, plus economic cooperation, with nearly 10 MOUs expected and a state banquet planned. Seoul will also press for progress on what it calls China’s restrictions on Korean cultural content, even as Beijing maintains no formal ban exists. Lee’s team will raise concerns about Chinese structures in the West Sea (Yellow Sea), a matter previously discussed in November with follow-on working-level talks. Lee will join a business forum, meet Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, and visit Shanghai sites linked to Korea’s independence movement.
Comment: I wonder if Xi gets upset that South Korea and K-Pop/K-Culture wins the culture competition around the world in a head to head contest with China.
World News Jan. 2, 2026 / 8:23 PM / Updated Jan. 2, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Lee to meet Xi in China on Monday, seek progress on culture ban
By Asia Today and translated by UPI
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/01/02/president-lee-will-meet-xi/2791767402976/
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) during the second session of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM), as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, 01 November 2025. File. Photo by YONHAP/ EPA
Jan. 2 (Asia Today) -- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday during a four-day visit to China aimed at advancing talks on Korean Peninsula peace, economic cooperation and issues including restrictions on Korean cultural content in China, the presidential office said Friday.
National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac told a briefing at the Blue House that Lee will travel to China from Sunday through Wednesday at Xi's invitation, visiting Beijing and Shanghai.
Wi said the summit on Monday will include talks, a signing ceremony for nearly 10 memorandums of understanding and a state banquet. He said the main agenda will center on peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.
"People's livelihoods and peace cannot be separated," Wi said, adding that both countries share an interest in peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. He said Seoul plans to strengthen strategic communication with Beijing and urge China to play a constructive role in helping address Korean Peninsula issues.
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Wi said the two sides will also seek progress on what South Korea calls China's restrictions on Korean cultural content. He said China's official position is that no such ban exists but that South Korea sees it differently and will pursue broader consensus on cultural exchanges.
Wi said Lee's team will also raise concerns about Chinese structures in the West Sea, also known as the Yellow Sea. He said the issue was discussed during a South Korea-China summit in Gyeongju in November and working-level consultations have continued.
A K-pop concert that had been discussed in connection with the trip is unlikely to take place this time, Wi said.
Lee will attend a South Korea-China business forum on Monday, the presidential office said. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to have lunch with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and meet Zhao Leji, the chairman of China's national legislature.
On Wednesday, Lee plans to visit the former Shanghai headquarters of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Wi said the visit will mark the 150th anniversary of independence activist Kim Gu's birth and the 100th anniversary of the Shanghai provisional government building, and is intended to honor the independence movement and the countries' shared historical experience.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
9. South Korea says it respects One China principle ahead of Lee trip
Comment: Again - agreement with the principle or acknowledgement of China's position without accepting the principle? I interpret "respecting the principle" as the latter and; therefore, not accepting it.
South Korea says it respects One China principle ahead of Lee trip
By Asia Today and translated by UPI
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/01/02/presidential-office-one-china-principle/3801767402269/
South Korean National security adviser Wi Sung-lac speaks at a press briefing at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. Wi Sung-lac told reporters at the Blue House that the government respects the One China principle and is responding in line with that stance on Jan 2, 2026. File. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Jan. 2 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's presidential office said Friday it "respects the One China principle" after China urged Seoul to reaffirm its position on Taiwan ahead of President Lee Jae-myung's planned visit to China.
National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac told reporters at the Blue House that the government respects the One China principle and is responding in line with that stance.
China's Foreign Ministry said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised the issue during a phone call Wednesday with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Wang also criticized what he described as efforts by some political forces in Japan to revise history and downplay past aggression and colonialism, the ministry said.
The remarks were widely seen as pressure on Seoul to publicly restate its position before Lee's trip.
China's Foreign Ministry said Cho told Wang that Lee places importance on cooperation with China and is committed to developing the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership. Cho also said South Korea's position of respecting the One China principle has not changed, the ministry said.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
10. Survey shows improved Chinese sentiment toward Korea
Summary:
A Tsinghua University CISS survey of 2,000 mainland Chinese adults, fielded in July and November 2025, reports improved Chinese sentiment toward South Korea. Favorability rose to 2.61 out of 5, up from 2.10 in 2024 and roughly back to the 2023 level. Russia still ranked highest (3.48) though it declined from prior years. Britain, the EU, and ASEAN scored above the United States (2.38). Japan ranked last at 1.90 amid political friction over Taiwan remarks. Views of U.S.-China ties improved, yet most respondents still saw Washington’s strategy as containment.
Comment: Perhaps this is "unrequited love" as I don't think the Korean people in the South have the same feelings for China.
Survey shows improved Chinese sentiment toward Korea
Published: 03 Jan. 2026, 15:53
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-01-03/national/diplomacy/Survey-shows-improved-Chinese-sentiment-toward-Korea/2492158
Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their bilateral summit at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Nov. 1, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
A survey has found that Chinese public sentiment toward South Korea improved in 2025 from the year prior.
The Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University released the report titled “2025 Public Opinion Survey Report: Chinese Outlook on International Security” on Wednesday, based on two rounds of surveys conducted in July and November last year among 2,000 Chinese mainland residents aged 18 and older.
Related Article
The survey indicated that favorability toward South Korea scored 2.61 out of 5, up 0.51 points from 2.10 in the previous year’s survey.
Chinese favorability toward South Korea stood at 2.60 when the survey was first conducted in 2023, fell to 2.10 in 2024, and then rose again last year.
Among major countries surveyed, Russia recorded the highest favorability rating at 3.48, although this marked a decline from 3.67 in 2023 and 3.66 in 2024. Russia was followed by Britain with 2.92, the European Union with 2.86, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, with 2.74 and the United States with 2.38.
Japan, which has been embroiled in tensions following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting possible intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency, recorded the lowest favorability rating at 1.90.
Japan has ranked as the least favored country among Chinese respondents for three consecutive years in the CISS survey.
Chinese favorability toward the United States fell from 2.19 in 2023 to 1.85 in 2024 before rising to 2.38 last year. The proportion of respondents who believed that U.S.-China relations had improved over the past year also rose sharply, from 8.1 percent in 2024 to 20.3 percent last year. However, 78.8 percent of respondents said they believed the core of Washington’s China strategy was to contain China’s development and rise.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, on the sidelines of the APEC summit on Oct. 30. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
In addition, 85.1 percent of respondents said they supported China’s retaliatory trade measures against the United States, with 94.8 percent of those supporters saying they “fully support” such actions.
Meanwhile, in a newly added survey on favorability toward neighboring countries, Pakistan received relatively high ratings at 3.34, along with Singapore at 3.27, Malaysia at 3.08 and North Korea at 3.08, while Myanmar ranked lower at 2.13, as well as India at 2.18 and the Philippines at 2.35.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]
11. North Korea downplays Xi New Year greeting while touting Putin ties
Summary:
north Korea minimized Xi Jinping’s New Year greeting, mentioning it only briefly in KCNA and Rodong Sinmun and withholding the message’s text, according to diplomatic sources in Beijing. The treatment contrasted sharply with Pyongyang’s handling of its exchange with Vladimir Putin, which received prominent placement and fuller detail, reinforcing the narrative of deepening north Korea Russia alignment. The article argues the asymmetry is deliberate signaling: Beijing is acknowledged, but not elevated. This comes despite reported signs of a thaw after a Beijing summit on Sept. 3 tied to China’s Victory Day events, suggesting residual frictions remain unresolved.
World News Jan. 2, 2026 / 8:04 PM / Updated Jan. 2, 2026 at 8:04 PM
North Korea downplays Xi New Year greeting while touting Putin ties
By Asia Today and translated by UPI
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/01/02/downplay-xi-new-year-greeting/2821767401851/
A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C-L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (C-R) toasting during a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, 19 June 2018. Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is visiting the People's Republic of China from 19 to 20 June. Photo by KCNA/EPA
Jan. 1 (Asia Today) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife sent New Year's greetings to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but North Korean state media gave the exchange scant attention and did not publish Xi's message, according to diplomatic sources in Beijing.
The Korean Central News Agency mentioned Xi's greeting in a roundup of messages from multiple foreign leaders, including Vietnam's president and Myanmar's interim president, the sources said. Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party, also carried the item in a brief reference placed low in its coverage.
Neither outlet disclosed the contents of Xi's greeting, the sources said, in contrast with extensive coverage of Kim's exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
North Korea reported that Kim sent Putin a New Year's message Saturday and published it on Rodong Sinmun's front page, the sources said. North Korea also said Putin sent Kim a New Year's message Thursday.
Related
The sources said North Korea published the full text of New Year's letters exchanged by Kim and Putin a year ago, underscoring what it portrayed as close ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.
The muted handling of Xi's greeting comes despite signs of a thaw in North Korea-China relations after a summit in Beijing on Sept. 3 during China's Victory Day anniversary events, the sources said. Even so, they said this year's coverage suggested lingering frictions have not been fully resolved.
The sources said Kim also exchanged New Year's greetings with Hur Jong-man, chairman of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. They added that the General Association of Koreans in China sent Kim a lengthy congratulatory message.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
12. Why South Korea is Taiwan's Economic Cautionary Tale
Summary:
Taiwan treats the exchange rate as an industrial policy tool. When export dollars surge, authorities buy dollars, build reserves, and encourage overseas investment to keep the Taiwan dollar undervalued and exporters competitive. The article contrasts this with South Korea’s won volatility and domestic politics that punish price spikes, making sustained currency discipline harder. Taiwan’s bargain is harsh: a weak currency raises import costs, depresses purchasing power, and holds wages down, producing a wealthy economy with strained households. Yet Taipei persists, seeing Seoul’s policy swings and “income-led growth” episode as a cautionary tale and betting on exports even at public sacrifice.
Why South Korea is Taiwan's Economic Cautionary Tale
[Correspondent Report] Taiwan avoids South Korea's currency volatility and populist policies, prioritizing export competitiveness despite public sacrifice
By Ryoo Jae-min
Published 2026.01.02. 23:46
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2026/01/02/6GFSYBPL75AXNNQVO4QTEFENOQ/
Cityscape of Taipei, Taiwan /AFP-Yonhap
South Korea and Taiwan both received "record-breaking export performances" last year. However, the resulting landscapes of their currency markets were completely different. While South Korea panicked over the sharp decline in the won’s value, Taiwan poured national resources into preventing the rapid appreciation of its currency caused by an influx of dollars. Both started with the same "export boom," but why did they end up with such opposite outcomes?
Taiwan’s economic goal is clear: to keep its currency at a "stable undervaluation" to maximize advantages for export companies. When a trade surplus brings in dollars, it’s natural for the local currency to strengthen. However, Taiwan’s government intervenes in the market to artificially create demand for dollars, suppressing the rise of its currency to maintain export competitiveness. Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves, which account for 72.4% of its GDP—far exceeding South Korea’s 22.2%—serve purposes beyond crisis preparedness. Even the tax exemption limit on overseas investment income is so high that ordinary retail investors can earn up to approximately 300 million Korean won in annual gains without paying taxes. To stabilize the exchange rate, the state actively encourages citizens to send dollars abroad—a stark contrast to South Korea, which imposes a 22% tax on "overseas investment ants" while blaming them for currency volatility during crises.
Of course, there is a cost. The bill for prioritizing corporate survival returns as sacrifices from the public. Artificially maintaining a high exchange rate (weak local currency) leads to rising import prices, reduced purchasing power, and strained livelihoods. Wage growth is also suppressed, with starting salaries for college graduates stagnating around 1.5 million Korean won per month. By effectively abandoning domestic consumption and "betting everything" on exports, Taiwan has become a prime example of a wealthy nation with impoverished citizens.
Why does this system, which demands significant public sacrifice, persist in Taiwan for decades despite repeated changes in administration? Ironically, Taiwan finds the answer in South Korea as a "cautionary tale." A key failure they cite is South Korea’s "income-led growth" experiment, which triggered soaring prices. Taiwan also views South Korea’s loss of control over exchange rates—due to overopening markets in pursuit of advanced economy status—as a lesson. South Korea’s populist tendency to swiftly punish governments via public backlash over price and exchange rate fluctuations is another scenario Taiwan avoids.
In South Korea, there are voices warning against Taiwan as a "failure case" where export successes do not translate into improved livelihoods. But can Taiwan’s cold, pragmatic choices—based on reality—be dismissed as merely "bad decisions"? Can South Korea, which failed to protect its last line of economic defense—exchange rates and manufacturing competitiveness—while chasing the "advanced economy" title and moral slogans like "strengthening the weak and weakening the strong," confidently claim it chose a better path? One thing is clear: Taiwan can always choose South Korea’s path, but it’s nearly impossible for South Korea to revert to Taiwan’s austerity-driven model.
· This article has been translated by Upstage Solar AI.
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
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