Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

“In politics, being deceived is no excuse."

– Leszek Kołakowski”

“Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”

– Timothy Snyder

"The next war... may well bury Western civilization forever."

– Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

1. North Korea’s New Missile Test Signals Little Appetite for Détente With Trump

2. N. Korea launches suspected hypersonic missile weeks before Trump's inauguration

3. North Korea fires intermediate-range missile in first launch in two months: ROK

4. Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan discuss N.K. missile launch over phone

5. Top military officer discusses cooperation with NATO counterpart

6. Why South Korean protesters are using U.S. flags and a pro-Trump slogan

7. Blinken raises alarm about North Korea-Russia space ties on final trip to Seoul

8. After skirts, tteokbokki, North Korea's Kim bans hotdogs, says cooking them 'will be act of treason'

9. Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at a Press Availability

10. North Korea airs dramatic new Korean War film in push to lionize Russia ties

11. Pakistan hopes to revive North Korea talks in return to Security Council

12. South Korean turmoil undermines U.S. alliance-building in Asia

13. Prosecutors indict military intelligence commander in martial law probe

14. Assembly speaker discusses S. Korea-U.S. ties with Blinken

15. North Korea Forces Families to Conceal Soldier Deaths in Ukraine

16. Blinken: Russia may provide advanced satellite technology to N. Korea

17. Long Before Jeju Air Crash, South Korea Rose to Be a Model of Safety

18. How ‘Stop the Steal’ Became a Protest Slogan in South Korea

19. In South Korea, Blinken Affirms Alliance Amid Challenges Facing Democracies

1. North Korea’s New Missile Test Signals Little Appetite for Détente With Trump

Blackmail diplomacy: the use of tensions, increased threats, and provocations to gain political and economic concessions.

Another way to interpret this is that Kim does want to talk and is setting the conditions for negotiations. The condition of course is the lifting of sanctions. Kim may think that he will give President Trump a "win" by agreeing to end provocations in return for lifting sanctions as the price of entry for restarting negotiations. However, I think he is miscalculating and I doubt very much that President Trump will make such concessions as lifting sanctions.

Of course the Occam's razor assessment is simply that this is a test simply necessary to advance its missile program and that it is not a message at all.

I do think the only way that Kim is going to talk in any way is if he receives significant political and economic concessions first. And he thinks his political warfare and blackmail diplomacy will get him there. It won't or it should not.

North Korea’s New Missile Test Signals Little Appetite for Détente With Trump

In first weapons launch since the U.S. election, Kim Jong Un regime opts to show defiance rather than restraint

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/north-koreas-new-missile-test-signals-little-appetite-for-detente-with-trump-02120be1?st=r4YsQJ&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

By Timothy W. Martin

Follow and Dasl Yoon

Jan. 6, 2025 4:42 am ET

People in Seoul watched a news report about the missile test on Monday. Photo: Kim hong-ji/Reuters

SEOUL—North Korea carried out its first missile test since Donald Trump’s election victory, a sign that Pyongyang appears to be in no rush to curtail its illicit activities and pivot back to diplomacy despite a turnover in U.S. administration.

The Monday launch of an intermediate-range missile ended a nearly two-month absence of North Korean weapons tests—the most-recent activity having come just hours before Americans took to the polls on Nov. 5.

With the president-elect’s inauguration two weeks away, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declined opportunities to show Trump and the U.S. he has peace talks on his mind. Rather, he’s opted for contempt, if not aggression.

Kim, in a November speech weeks after the U.S. election, belittled prior diplomacy with Washington, which he claimed harbored an “unchanging aggressive and hostile policy” toward Pyongyang. North Korea’s top governing body decided to enact the “toughest” counteraction against the U.S. at year-end meetings. Then, Kim skipped a New Year’s address that had previously served as his foreign-policy bully pulpit, where he outlines the regime’s thinking and priorities.

After three face-to-face meetings with Trump in 2018 and 2019, Kim was forced to lock down North Korea over Covid-19 fears, then spent four years giving the Biden administration the cold shoulder.

South Korean National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Seoul on Monday. Photo: lee jin-man/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Trump’s incoming national-security team is staffed by several former senior North Korean negotiators. At July’s Republican National Convention, Trump suggested he could better control the Kim regime’s missile threat if he returned to the White House. “It’s nice to get along when somebody has a lot of nuclear weapons or otherwise,” said Trump, who added he felt that Kim “misses me.”

A return of Trump—the first and only sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader—offers Kim an opportunity for dealmaking that he cannot let slip away, although it is now a question of when and how, said Sungmin Cho, a political-science professor at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. In the buildup to potential talks, Kim’s hand looks stronger to the U.S. and Trump, by demonstrating how North Korea’s weapons tests can occur with relative impunity.

“For Kim, the missile test is really a reminder that we are here, we may do something,” Cho said. “So don’t forget about us until the right moment comes.”

A significant reason for Kim’s bravado is a tighter bond with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders in June signed a mutual defense pact at a summit in Pyongyang. North Korea has provided munitions, missiles and soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine. Meanwhile, Moscow has given diplomatic cover at the U.N., upticks in cross-border trade and other military support.

The two countries’ military ties could deepen even more, with Russia showing a willingness to provide North Korea with advanced space and satellite technology in return for the Kim regime’s war assistance, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a Monday press conference in Seoul. He didn’t offer a specific timeline for such a technology transfer.

“This is a two-way street,” said Blinken, who is on a multi-stop trip that includes Japan and France. His remarks came hours after Pyongyang’s latest missile test, which he condemned and called yet another violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The Monday missile launch occurred around noon local time, flying around 680 miles before splashing into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, said Seoul and Tokyo officials. The Kim regime has conducted weapons tests in January for each of the past four years.

Write to Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com and Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

2. N. Korea launches suspected hypersonic missile weeks before Trump's inauguration

Kim Jong Un is singing "Don't you forget about me." (which appropriately was sung by the band Simple Minds.)

(3rd LD) N. Korea launches suspected hypersonic missile weeks before Trump's inauguration | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · January 6, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; ADDS more details throughout)

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired a suspected hypersonic missile into the East Sea on Monday, the South Korean military said, marking its first provocation this year ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch of a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) at about 12 p.m. from the Pyongyang area and it flew some 1,100 kilometers before splashing into the sea.

While the missile's flight distance fell shorter than the conventional IRBM range of 3,000 to 5,500 km, it is believed to be similar to North Korea's IRBMs tipped with hypersonic warheads that were launched in January and April last year, a JCS official said.

Hypersonic missiles are considered more difficult to intercept than conventional ballistic missiles due to their ability to change direction mid-flight.

If confirmed to be a hypersonic missile, it would be the farthest distance covered by a North Korean missile of its kind.

The missile is also believed to be theoretically capable of striking U.S. military bases in Guam -- about 3,400 km from Pyongyang -- if fired at full range.

This file photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central Agency on April 3, 2024, shows an intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead being fired the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The latest launch took place as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul for talks on efforts to deter North Korean threats amid political turmoil in South Korea stemming from President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid.

South Korean officials have warned the North could take advantage of the political crisis by engaging in military activity and ratchet up cross-border tensions.

The launch raised speculation that it could be aimed at testing the South Korean military's readiness in the aftermath of Yoon's short-lived declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 and his subsequent impeachment.

"Under a firm South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, our military will closely monitor various North Korean activities so that it does not misjudge the current security situation," the JCS said, while denouncing the launch as a "clear provocation."

North Korea's latest saber-rattling also came just two weeks before Trump takes office on Jan. 20 and after a two-month hiatus in missile launches.

Last month, the JCS said the North could stage a surprise hypersonic missile launch, citing various internal and external political events, including Trump's inauguration, and recent signs of missile-related activity.

The North last fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Nov. 5, just ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

In a year-end party meeting, North Korea declared it would carry out the "toughest" counteraction strategy toward the United States, claiming military cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan has expanded into a "military bloc for aggression."

Hypersonic missiles are on the list of sophisticated weapons North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to develop during a key party congress in 2021, along with nuclear-powered submarines, spy satellites and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.

This file photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central Agency on Jan. 15, 2024, shows a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile being fired. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · January 6, 2025

3. North Korea fires intermediate-range missile in first launch in two months: ROK

North Korea fires intermediate-range missile in first launch in two months: ROK

Apparent test is first since Yoon martial law crisis and Trump election and comes as top US diplomat visits Seoul

Colin Zwirko January 6, 2025

https://www.nknews.org/2025/01/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-for-first-time-in-two-months-seoul/

Hwasong-16B IRBM test launch | Image: KCTV (April 3, 2024)

North Korea test fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) around noon on Monday, according to the South Korean military, the DPRK’s first since early November.

The launch coincided with a visit to Seoul by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a series of high-level meetings. It is also the first North Korean missile launch since the election of Donald Trump in November and the political crisis in South Korea over President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law.

JCS said the launch occurred around 12 p.m. KST on Monday, while Japan said the missile was launched at 12:01 p.m. and splashed down in the Sea of Japan by 12:11 p.m.

In an update, JCS identified the projectile as a single “presumed medium-range ballistic missile” launched from “somewhere in Pyongyang.”

JCS and Japan later added that the missile flew around 684 miles (1,100 km), while Japan stated it reached a maximum altitude of around 62 miles (100 km).

South Korean military authorities called the launch a “severe threat and obvious provocation” against the ROK. The accusation comes amid allegations that JCS participated in a plan to provoke North Korea into a military conflict with a drone operation over Pyongyang in October, possibly to provide President Yoon a justification for declaring martial law.

The missile test ends the longest period without such a launch or public military-related activity by Kim since late 2023. It’s unclear if the pause was related to uncertainty over Yoon’s fate as he awaits his impeachment trial, but the return to missile testing signals that Pyongyang feels it will not provoke an undesired response from the South.

It’s possible that the latest missile was a hypersonic IRBM similar to the last one North Korea fired in April 2024, the new Hwasong-16B solid-fuel IRBM equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV).

That missile flew for around 12 minutes, while JCS and Japanese data released so far on Monday suggests a similar flight time.

But the flight distance of Monday’s test is more similar to a solid-fuel IRBM test in Jan. 2024 involving a maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV), with a conical warhead section as opposed to the Hwasong-16B’s wedge-shaped HGV.

North Korea also utilized the first stage of an IRBM to conduct a multiple warhead reentry vehicle test last June, another key technological development Pyongyang is expected to prioritize this year.

Monday’s test likely stems from decisions made at the late-December party plenum, where Kim Jong Un called for “bolstering” weapons development.

2025 is the final year of the five-year military development plan introduced at the Jan. 2021 party congress, and Kim is likely to focus on plans to fully deploy new solid-fuel IRBMs, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) launched from both sea and land, multiple-warhead technology and even the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine.

Edited by Bryan Betts

Last updated on Jan. 6 at 2:28 p.m. KST with additional context and details from JCS and Japan

4. Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan discuss N.K. missile launch over phone

Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan discuss N.K. missile launch over phone | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · January 6, 2025

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- The nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan condemned North Korea's latest missile launch in their phone talks Monday, vowing close coordination against any future provocations by the recalcitrant regime.

Lee Jun-il, director general for Korean Peninsula policy, discussed the North's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Seth Bailey and Akihiro Okochi, respectively, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The South's military said the North fired a suspected hypersonic missile into the East Sea, marking its first provocation this year ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

The launch also coincided with bilateral talks between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in Seoul.

"The envoys condemned that North Korea conducted the ballistic missile launch while the South Korea-U.S. foreign ministerial meeting was taking place in Seoul," the ministry said in a release.

"It constitutes a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and poses a serious threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the international community," the ministry said.

The three sides agreed to continue coordination to firmly respond to provocations by Pyongyang, based on the solid South Korea-U.S. alliance and the trilateral security cooperation involving Japan.

This file photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Jan. 15, 2024, shows a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile being fired. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · January 6, 2025

5. Top military officer discusses cooperation with NATO counterpart

Top military officer discusses cooperation with NATO counterpart | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · January 6, 2025

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top military officer held phone talks with his counterpart at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday and discussed ways to expand military cooperation, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

In their phone conversation, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and Adm. Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, reaffirmed their principle of opposing attempts to change the status quo by force and concurred on the need to expand cooperation to sustain a rules-based international order, the JCS said.

Kim stressed that North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as its military alignment with Russia, are becoming a grave challenge to global peace, underscoring the need for a joint response by the international community.

Bauer explained to Kim key agenda items for an upcoming NATO defense meeting scheduled for Jan. 15-16 and requested Seoul's support for the gathering as well as cooperation with NATO, according to the JCS.

Bauer is set to step down from his post after the two-day meeting. He will be succeeded by Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, who formerly served as Italy's chief of defense.

This undated file photo, provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), shows JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · January 6, 2025

6. Why South Korean protesters are using U.S. flags and a pro-Trump slogan

Shared values.

Many comments on social media from Koreans in the South are along the lines of asking the US to save Korean democracy.

Why South Korean protesters are using U.S. flags and a pro-Trump slogan

Both supporters and critics of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol are using American symbolism, from the “Stop the Steal” slogan to the Virginia state flag.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/01/05/south-korea-protests-virginia-flag-gwangju/

January 5, 2025 at 2:02 a.m. ESTYesterday at 2:02 a.m. EST

6 min

A woman sits behind a “Stop the Steal” sign at a protest against the impeachment and the arrest warrant for South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Sunday. (Jintak Han/The Washington Post)

By Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Kelsey Ables

SEOUL — U.S. flags, “Stop the Steal” and the Virginia state motto are finding a home in a political battle halfway around the world from Washington, as supporters and critics of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol invoke familiar American political symbols of freedom and defiance.

Get concise answers to your questions. Try Ask The Post AI.

As investigators closed in on Yoon on Friday, attempting to detain him in relation to insurrection charges, his supporters waved American flags, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and held signs reading “Stop the Steal,” a slogan borrowed from supporters of President-elect Donald Trump who deny the results of the 2020 election, which Trump lost.

Likewise, the Virginia state flag — bearing the state motto of “sic semper tyrannis,” or “thus always to tyrants” — took on new meaning more than 7,000 miles from its home, when the mayor of the southwestern Korean city of Gwangju displayed it outside City Hall to criticize Yoon on the day of his potential arrest.

Together, the opposing sides created an unexpected constellation of American symbolism, appropriated for vastly different ends.

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South Korean conservatives, who fervently support the country’s security alliance with Washington, have long displayed U.S. flags at rallies. But their recent adoption of “Stop the Steal” highlighted the increasing similarities between Yoon’s political rhetoric and Trump’s, as the South Korean president defends his short-lived martial law decree that plunged the nation into its worst political crisis in decades.

Yoon is now under criminal investigation for his decision and faces charges of insurrection and abuse of power. But the operation to detain him on Friday was abandoned after investigators had an hours-long standoff with the presidential guard.

Yoon has claimed he declared martial law to warn “anti-state” opposition party lawmakers. He has also cited allegations of systemic voter fraud going back as many as four years, and sent in martial law troops to the National Election Commission to check election machines. Independent investigators have debunked those claims, which his supporters continue to amplify.

His rhetoric has echoed that of Trump, who has labeled his political opponents as “enemies from within” and has made baseless allegations of widespread election fraud in 2020.

Yoon’s legal team has even invoked the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling granting Trump immunity from official acts taken while in office. However, under South Korean law, sitting presidents are immune from arrest except on charges of insurrection or treason.

A man wears a Make America Great Again hat at a protest in Seoul. (Jintak Han/The Washington Post)

Some of Yoon’s supporters said they hoped Trump would find sympathy and recognize their shared plight.

“I am certain there was election fraud,” said Na Yoon-seop, 58, who was holding a homemade “Stop the Steal” sign, two South Korean flags and an American flag outside Yoon’s residence. Na was among the loyal Yoon supporters protesting his arrest in the snow on Sunday morning.

“In America, Trump was criticized a lot for his concerns about election fraud. … This is to appeal to that,” he said. “The moment Trump was elected, I thought things will finally get better again, so I cheered wholeheartedly.”

Yoon, a political novice who squeaked into office in 2022, has maintained loyalty from a fringe base of ultraconservative voters, even as his approval ratings dropped to historical lows. Belief in election denialism has increasingly intensified among them, especially after his martial law attempt, polls show.

Many of Yoon’s supporters are elderly and members of an evangelical Protestant base comprised of Christians who fled communist persecution in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula before the 1950-53 Korean War, which broke out after Soviet Union-supported northern troops invaded the pro-American South.

The U.S.-South Korean security alliance is core to their identity because they view Washington’s intervention in the Korean War as critical to containing communism and to South Korea’s economic rise, experts say. And Yoon, who has prioritized improving relations with Washington during his tenure, has found sympathy among these supporters.

“Yoon Suk Yeol is using the USA and Donald Trump as an example,” said Uichol Kim, a political culture expert at Inha University in Incheon, South Korea, citing Trump’s instigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, his claim of immunity from prosecution and his right-wing values. Kim added that Yoon “is using the same tactic in asking his supporters to reject impeachment and protect him from the arrest.”

The Virginia state flag, right, is flown alongside the South Korean flag in Gwangju, in the country's southwest, on Friday. (Gwangju Metropolitan City)

Meanwhile, a different kind of American symbol took root in Gwangju, a city with a history of oppression and violence under military dictators, and whose residents and leaders have been especially critical of Yoon’s martial law decision — the nation’s first martial law in more than four decades.

On Friday, the day that investigators tried and failed to detain Yoon, the Virginia state flag was displayed in a sign of resistance to the impeached president.

During the U.S. Revolutionary War, the “sic semper tyrannis” motto now on the flag was directed at the British. In Gwangju, a city known for laying the foundation for Korean democracy after a 1980 uprising in the city, it’s aimed at Yoon.

“It is an eternal truth that those who abuse power will inevitably end up in ruin,” Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung wrote in a Facebook post alongside a photo of the flag on Friday.

“It’s the morning of arresting a tyrant, Yoon Suk Yeol,” Kang said.

Initially adopted in 1861, the Virginia state flag depicts the Roman figure of virtue, Virtus, standing on top of a conquered king. It was taken up by Virginia just days after the state seceded from the Union ahead of the Civil War, giving its “anti-tyrant” sentiment a darker undertone.

The Latin phrase “sic semper tyrannis” has a long history and debated origins. It was adopted by Virginia as the state motto in 1776, the year the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, and is said to have been shouted out by John Wilkes Booth when he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

In Gwangju, the flag “symbolizes that Yoon Suk Yeol will eventually meet the fate of a tyrant, rather than an admiration for the United States or the state of Virginia,” said Jaechun Kim, a political scientist at Sogang University in Seoul.

How the Virginia flag came to fly in Gwangju may be little more than coincidence, though. According to a press release from the Gwangju government, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) sent Gwangju the flag, which, it said, once flew at the state Capitol in Richmond, as a thank-you gift for welcoming a delegation from Virginia to the city to discuss agriculture collaboration in November. Youngkin’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In his Facebook post, Kang said the flag arrived “just in time.”

Jintak Han contributed to this report.

Comments

By Michelle Ye Hee Lee

Michelle Ye Hee Lee is The Washington Post's Tokyo bureau chief, covering Japan and the Korean peninsula. follow on X@myhlee

By Kelsey Ables

Kelsey Ables is a reporter at The Washington Post's Seoul hub, where she covers breaking news in the United States and across the world. She was previously on the Features desk, where she wrote about art, architecture and pop culture. follow on X@ables_kelsey

7. Blinken raises alarm about North Korea-Russia space ties on final trip to Seoul

Blinken raises alarm about North Korea-Russia space ties on final trip to Seoul

Top US diplomat also signals ‘serious’ concern about Yoon martial law, while praising efforts to reinforce alliance

https://www.nknews.org/2025/01/blinken-raises-alarm-about-north-korea-russia-space-ties-on-final-trip-to-seoul/

Shreyas Reddy January 6, 2025

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken | Image: U.S. Department of State via Flickr (April 22, 2021)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Monday that Russia intends to share advanced space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for troops and weapons, making his final visit to South Korea as the Biden administration heads for the exit.

Washington’s top diplomat also signaled that the U.S. had “serious concerns” about ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law last month, even as he reaffirmed support for many of the alliance-building measures that the now-suspended leader pursued.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting with ROK foreign minister Cho Tae-yul in Seoul, Blinken said the heightened cooperation between the “revisionist” authoritarian regimes over the war in Ukraine could lead to Russian support for North Korea’s nuclear development.

“Putin may be close to reversing a decades-long policy by accepting DPRK’s nuclear weapons program,” he said, echoing similar concerns raised by Washington’s ambassador to the U.N. last month.

Blinken also emphasized that the two countries’ ongoing military cooperation is a “two-way street” as North Korea sends troops to fight in Kursk.

“Russia’s already providing equipment to the DPRK, providing training,” he said. “We believe it has the intent to provide satellite and space technology.”

Washington’s top diplomat expressed concern about the reported deaths of over 1,000 North Korean soldiers in Kursk, adding that deepening DPRK-Russia cooperation shows threats to the Atlantic and Pacific can no longer be separated.

Blinken reiterated the importance of the U.S.-ROK alliance as a “linchpin of peace, prosperity and security” in Northeast Asia and the wider world.

In particular, he hailed bilateral cooperative efforts such as the U.S.-ROK Nuclear Consultative Group in jointly deterring North Korean threats and the strengthening of the trilateral partnership with Japan through military exercises, real-time data sharing and enhancing interoperability.

“Today, the alliance between the United States and South Korea is more essential than ever,” he said, adding that Washington remains committed to defending its allies with the full extent of its capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

Blinken’s trip marked his fourth and final visit as secretary of state to South Korea, the first leg of a three-country tour that will also take him to Japan and France.

North Korea notably fired an apparent intermediate-range ballistic missile not long after he arrived, its first missile launch in two months.

South Korean foreign minister Cho said the two sides condemned North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch and agreed to respond resolutely to North Korean threats through “a watertight combined defense posture and extended deterrence.”

Addressing the upcoming change of administration in the U.S., Cho emphasized that there will be no “vacuum” in the alliance even after President-elect Donald Trump takes charge.

“Even when the Trump administration comes to power, we will move forward while closely cooperating on all policy actions based on solidarity as countries sharing basic values,” he said.

Trump’s return has raised concerns about the future of the alliance’s joint deterrence strategy against DPRK threats, particularly given the incoming leader’s reluctance to retain American troops in South Korea and his affinity for leader-to-leader engagement with Kim Jong Un.

The president-elect may not prioritize North Korea as much as more pressing issues like conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, and even his list of nominees suggests Pyongyang may end up on the backburner.

Trump nominated another official with DPRK experience, William “Beau” Harrison, as his assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for operations over the weekend. He lauded Harrison’s role in arranging U.S.-DPRK summits during Trump’s first term, but it is unclear what his role will involve this time.

However, there are also doubts about Seoul’s side of the alliance at the moment, following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment over his short-lived martial law declaration last month.

“We had serious concerns about some of the actions that President Yoon took,” Blinken said during Monday’s press conference. However, he added that the U.S. remains confident in “the resiliency of South Korean democracy.”

Earlier in the day, Blinken met Acting President Choi Sang-mok and similarly reaffirmed Washington’s confidence in the strength of the alliance, according to a State Department press release.

“He underscored the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of the ROK,” the press release said, adding that Blinken and Choi discussed ways to further advance bilateral and trilateral cooperation with Japan going forward.

Edited by Bryan Betts

8. After skirts, tteokbokki, North Korea's Kim bans hotdogs, says cooking them 'will be act of treason'

Hot dogs are treasonous. Hard to take Kim Jong Un seriously. But on a serious note this is Kim's attempt to remove all outside influence on the Korean people in the north. But it is a fool's errand. The Korean people in the north will not be denied information.

After skirts, tteokbokki, North Korea's Kim bans hotdogs, says cooking them 'will be act of treason'

https://www.firstpost.com/world/after-skirts-tteokbokki-north-koreas-kim-bans-hotdogs-says-cooking-them-will-be-act-of-treason-13850237.html

FP Staff • January 6, 2025, 13:20:25 IST

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Over the years, hotdogs have gained significant popularity in South Korea. Hence, Kim made it clear that serving sausages in the North would be considered an ‘act of treason.’

North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un bans hotdog. AP / Unsplash

North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un introduced yet another peculiar bad in the country, barring the citizens from consuming a popular food item. According to NHK, the bonafide North Korean dictator banned his nationals from eating hotdogs as part of a crackdown on Western culture and everything that comes with it.

Over the years, hotdogs have gained significant popularity in South Korea. Hence, Kim made it clear that serving sausages in the North would be considered an “act of treason.” The reports suggested that people were caught cooking or selling hotdogs across the country and multiple arrests have been made in this regard.

The culprits were sentenced to hard labour in the hermit nation’s infamous labour camps. Hotdogs are not the only food items banned in North Korea. Kim’s regime has also prohibited the sale of budae-jjigae, a South Korean-American fusion dish made from an umami-rich broth, Korean hot pepper paste, flakes, kimchi, and American Spam, beans, and sausage.

The dish which is known as an “army base stew” crossed the border into North Korea around 2017, more than 50 years after its creation in the South. Budae-jjigae was created in the 1950s when US soldiers in the region discarded meat and South Koreans used it to create stews.

Things that are banned in North Korea

A Radio Free Asia (RFA) report suggested that North Korea has also banned steamed rice cakes tteokbokki which is a popular street in the South. When it comes to clothing, North Koreans are not allowed to wear short skirts, clothes with logos, high heels, flashy clothes, jeans, etc.

Fashion in the country is controlled by the state a North Korean citizen is not even allowed to have a different hairstyle from the ones authorised by the state. Apart from this, if a couple undergoes a divorce, they will have to face hard labour. Divorce is considered an anti-socialist act and anyone who wishes to divorce needs the Government to sign off on any requests.

The hermit nation also does not allow the consumption of foreign TV shows, books and movies and they are also barred from possessing satellite dishes. People in North Korea are also barred from celebrating birthdays on July 8th and December 17th since these dates mark the death anniversary of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, respectively. Hence, it is safe to say that people in North Korea live under scrutiny of the country’s draconian regime.

9. Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at a Press Availability

Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at a Press Availability

https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-republic-of-korea-foreign-minister-cho-tae-yul-at-a-press-availability/

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Seoul, Republic of Korea

January 6, 2025

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Good afternoon. Let us now begin the joint press availability of the ROK-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting, beginning with opening statements. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will speak first, to be followed by Secretary Blinken. After their opening statements, we will have a Q&A session. Now, let me invite Minister Cho first.

FOREIGN MINISTER CHO: (Via interpreter) Good afternoon. I am Cho Tae-yul, foreign minister of Korea. Let me first extend my sincere condolences to the victims and bereaved families of the tragedy in New Orleans. Korea will always stand with the people of the United States. I also express my deepest condolences on the passing of former President Carter, who was a respected elder statesman who devoted his life to democracy, human rights, and international peace – a true paragon to the entire world.

I once again welcome Secretary Blinken back to Korea. Under the current Government of Korea, this marks his third visit, and between us – including our official meetings and phone calls – our 14th engagement. If our brief encounters on multilateral occasions are included, the number would be even higher. Secretary Blinken’s visit this time and the ROK-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting carries special significance more so than ever.

Firstly, full trust in the ROK-U.S. alliance was restored and a values-based Alliance revived. Today, we reaffirmed that there’s no daylight between us in the ROK-U.S. alliance. Under the acting presidency of Choi Sang-mok, stable state governance and the solid ROK-U.S. alliance will ensure our foreign policy directions remain unchanged. I made this clear. Secretary Blinken expressed a strong support for Korea’s democracy and the alliance, as well as confidence in the acting government, reaffirming his commitment to closely cooperating with the ROK Government to continue strengthening the alliance.

Secondly, the United States steadfast defense commitment to the ROK and the strategic importance of Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation were reiterated. Secretary Blinken’s choice of Korea and Japan as his first and final destinations as Secretary of State demonstrates the U.S.’s firm commitment to the ROK-U.S.-Japan partnership. Korea and the U.S., together with Japan, have ushered in a new era of trilateral cooperation. We looked back on the outcomes of the Camp David Summit, and based on its spirit and principles, high-level consultations were regularized, and in areas such as security, economic security, advanced technology, and development cooperation, sector-specific consultation bodies were launched, and we reviewed their progress.

Moreover, the trilateral secretariat established late last year will be central to the endeavors we agreed to make towards even stronger trilateral collaboration. On the DPRK, its nuclear issue, and illegal military cooperation with Russia – we had an in-depth exchange of views. Efforts implementing UNSC sanctions against North Korea and disclose its sanctions-evading activities as a way of inducing its denuclearization are more crucial than ever. Concurring on this, we pledged to continue our collaboration in this regard. We condemned the DPRK’s launch of ballistic missiles today, and through a serious combined defense posture and strengthened extended deterrence, we pledged to prepare thoroughly for any potential North Korean provocations.

Thirdly, we reviewed the achievements of the ROK-U.S. cooperation and reaffirmed our commitment to follow-up measures. Korea and the U.S., through the Washington Declaration and the establishment of the NCG, have dramatically reinforced extended deterrence cooperation; reconvened the ROK-U.S. 2+2 foreign and defense ministers’ meeting and agreed on its regularization, and declared our agreement to extend the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty to space – and outer space – outer space.

Our two nations have spearheaded efforts leading to the recent establishment of a new mechanism for monitoring the implementation of UNSC sanctions on North Korea, the MSMT, which is also driving the international community’s enforcement of these sanctions. We also assessed the achievements of the next-generation CET Dialogue, as well as our AI and advanced technology cooperation, also exchanging views on the implementation of the IRA and CHIPS Act and fostering of a favorable investment environment for Korean companies in the U.S.

Our two nations have worked together to attain these milestones, which represent key elements of the global comprehensive strategic alliance and stand as a testament to the ROK-U.S. alliance elevated to its highest level. We agreed on the need to preserve these achievements in building them for even greater outcomes going forward, committing to achieve cooperation to this end.

The ROK-U.S. alliance is stronger when our two nations stand together as they do now. A strong alliance will offer future generations greater opportunities and prosperity, and contribute to the Korean Peninsula and Indo-Pacific region’s peace, stability, and progress. As it has for the past 71 years, our companionship will endure. Thank you.

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you. Now let me invite Secretary Blinken for opening statement.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much. And let me begin by thanking Foreign Minister Cho, acting President Choi, for welcoming me back to Seoul, and for their partnership and leadership during a challenging time for Korea. I also greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with Speaker Wu and members of the National Assembly later this afternoon.

And let me start by saying how much I appreciate the friendship and the partnership that I’ve had with the foreign minister, with Tae-yul, a man of tremendous democratic integrity and someone I admire greatly. And on behalf of the American people, let me say how deeply saddened we are by the plane crash in Muan. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of all of the victims, the survivors, all of those touched by this tragedy. We have a team from the National Transportation Safety Board, from the Federal Aviation Administration, from Boeing – all here in Korea on the ground to support the investigation into this disaster. And I just want to reaffirm that the United States is here to help in any way that we can.

As the foreign minister noted, this is now my fourth visit in total to Korea, my 21st vision – visit to the region, to the Indo-Pacific, as Secretary of State. In many ways, this visit brings my tenure as Secretary full circle. Secretary Austin and I traveled here to Seoul and then to Tokyo on the very first overseas trip by any member of President Biden’s Cabinet. We chose to come to Korea because for seven decades, the U.S.-ROK alliance has been the linchpin of peace, security, prosperity in Northeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific, but also increasingly around the world.

On day one, President Biden told me that my number one assignment was to revitalize and to reimagine our alliances and our partnerships so that we could more effectively meet the tests of our time and more effectively deliver for our people. Over the past four years, that is exactly what we’ve done. Today, the alliance between the United States and Korea remains more essential than ever in shaping our shared future, and I believe it’s also stronger than ever in taking on that task.

We’ve enhanced, as you heard the minister say, our extended deterrence – the United States commitment to defend our allies with the full range of our conventional and nuclear capabilities – as well as our ability to coordinate and respond to DPRK aggression, including through the Nuclear Consultative Group. We condemn the DPRK’s missile launch just today, yet another violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. Together with Japan and the ROK, we have forged a new era of trilateral cooperation, helping to advance a shared vision of an Indo-Pacific that’s free, that’s open, that’s prosperous, that’s secure, that’s resilient, increasingly connected.

I’ve had the privilege to help grow these relationships since my time as deputy secretary under President Obama and now as Secretary with President Biden’s leadership. Following the historic summit that President Biden convened at Camp David, the U.S., the Republic of Korea, and Japan, we’re now implementing more than three dozen different initiatives in the areas of security, economic relations and innovation, and people-to-people ties. Just by way of example, we’re conducting a regular joint military exercise program. We’re exchanging real-time data about North Korean ballistic missile launches. We’re enhancing the interoperability of our armed forces. We’re working to share early warning information on supply chain disruptions to make our economies even more secure and even more resilient. American, Korean, Japanese universities are collaborating increasingly with industry to train thousands of students in quantum computing, and that’s going to give us a competitive edge in innovations that will shape the future.

We’ve established a program to help our next generation of young trilateral leaders address all of these shared challenges. This expanded trilateral cooperation has been a force multiplier for the good. A more unified partnership for peace and stability from the Korean Peninsula to the Taiwan Strait; an engine of economic and technological progress; a way to bring our people, especially our young people, together, closer together than ever before. I believe it’s in the strategic interest of each of our countries not just to sustain this trilateral cooperation, but to grow it in the years ahead, particularly in an era when security in the Indo-Pacific and Europe is increasingly intertwined.

In the last week of December, more than 1,000 North Korean forces were killed and were wounded in Kursk, casualties of Russia’s effort to redraw the border of a sovereign country –Ukraine – to do it by force, and a sign of the growing threat posed by heightened cooperation between revisionist authoritarians in Moscow and in Pyongyang. Now, this is a two-way street. The DPRK is already receiving Russian military equipment and training. Now. we have reason to believe that Moscow intends to share advanced space and satellite technology with Pyongyang, and that Putin may be close to reversing a decades-long policy by Russia and accepting DPRK’s nuclear weapons program.

The Republic of Korea stepped up to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression, providing essential humanitarian assistance to so many people who’ve been displaced by the conflict. And the United States looks forward to Korea – along with Japan, Australia, New Zealand – continuing to increase cooperation with NATO so that Atlantic and Pacific nations can stand together to defend international rules and principles, because that’s fundamentally what’s at stake in Ukraine.

This has been an aggression, yes, against the Ukrainian people and against Ukraine itself, but also an aggression against the very principles that lie at the heart of the international system and that were agreed to by countries around the world as the best way of preserving peace, preserving stability, preserving security. These are the principles at the heart of the UN Charter – territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence. These are the principles that Russia attacked; these are the principles that we are united in defending.

Together, we’ve also promoted a shared economic approach, whether that’s the ROK hosting APEC this year, chairing the Mineral Security Partnership to enhance supply chain resilience, or investing in development initiatives from the Mekong to the Pacific Islands. The United States is now Korea’s second largest investor and largest good exports market. Thanks primarily to the landmark Inflation Reduction Act as well as the CHIPS and Science Act, the Republic of Korea has become a leading investor in the United States, committing more than $140 billion since 2021, all the way from semiconductor plants in Michigan to solar facilities in Georgia. Our nations are working together, collaborating, to develop cutting-edge technologies in clean energy, in biotechnology, in space exploration.

Now, we meet as both of our countries are experiencing periods of transition, and what we know is this. Our relationship is bigger than any one leader, any one government, any one party. The security challenges that we face, the economic opportunities we share – all of these shared challenges and opportunities, they will continue to bring us closer together. And this relationship is grounded not just in economic or security interests, but in our shared democratic values.

Over these past four decades, Korea has written one of the most powerful, one of the most inspiring democratic stories in the world. Korea’s democracy has been tested in recent weeks, just as Americans’ democracy has faced challenges throughout our history. But you are responding by demonstrating your democratic resilience. The United States has full confidence in South Korea’s institutions, and we reaffirm our unwavering support for the Korean people as they work tirelessly to uphold those institutions. We trust that the Republic of Korea, as a leading global democracy, will proceed in full accordance with its constitution and the rule of law.

More than 70 years after our alliance was forged in blood, there’s a reason that there’s strong and broad support for the alliance that continues to endure in both of our countries. It makes our people more secure; it makes them more prosperous; it makes them more innovative. It advances the values that we share together. Ultimately, this alliance doesn’t only deliver for our people – it’s rooted in our people.

Earlier this week, we had members of our new Congress sworn in. They included a Republican congresswoman born in Incheon, a Democratic congresswoman – the daughter of a Korean mother and a black American service member – who, when she was first elected, took the oath of office wearing a traditional Korean hanbok – and the first Korean American elected to the United States Senate. These Korean American leaders demonstrate the commitment that our people share to making real the promise of our democracies. They’re a manifestation of the bonds that join our countries together.

And fundamentally, it’s because of people like these in both our countries that I remain fully, strongly optimistic that the United States and South Korea will continue to go together into a future of our own making. Katchi kapshida. Thank you.

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you. Next, we will open up the floor for questions. In the interest of time, we will take questions from two journalists each from the two sides. First, we will take the question from the Korean media. From Korea Daily, Moon Jae-yeon. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good afternoon. My name is Moon Jae-yeon. I’m from Hankook, a daily newspaper. I would like to thank both of you for making dedicated efforts to ensure the democracy of Korea. My questions will go to each of you. Mr. Minister Cho first – of course you are saying that the trust in the Korean democracy has been restored. However, there are still disruptions going on due to the imposition of martial law, so what are your plans to restore the confidence, the full trust? And what do you believe is the cause of this?

(In English) Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for having us today. I have two questions for you. First, is the U.S. Government still in grave concern with the political situation in South Korea? Secondly, President Biden has portrayed the world as the battle between democracy and autocracy, yet with all due respect, the United States biggest allies, including us, South Korea, have underlined these very values. Why do you think the Biden administration’s leadership was not strong enough to convince its ally countries to promote democracy in practice?

FOREIGN MINISTER CHO: (Via interpreter) Let me address the questions. First, martial law was declared, and we have been making efforts to handle the situation, but I believe it revealed both the democratic resilience of the country and also our vulnerabilities as well. So it had a dual side. If you focus just on the vulnerabilities with a magnifying glass, maybe you would feel that you are uncertain about the future of Korea, but I believe that the international community is focusing on the resilience, and I believe that that’s the right way to assess the future of the country.

Therefore, the strong democratic resilience in our society, as well as our people’s mature civic mindset, are valuable assets that I can leverage to swiftly stabilize our foreign relations and restore the international community’s confidence. Liberal democracy and a market economy are the fundamental values of our constitution and invaluable assets that we have built over the past 70 years. As such, I believe that there should be no wavering in pursuing those goals and vision, and doing so, I believe, is the goal of our diplomacy, and we will work together with our ally – value-based ally – the United States to be able to do so.

And these efforts, as was mentioned by Secretary Blinken, will be maintained irrespective of the new government in either the U.S. or Korea. We will continue to work with the Trump administration based on the values-based alliance for all of the policies and actions that we will take going forward, and we will closely coordinate.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: So we – we had serious concerns about some of the actions that President Yoon took. We communicated those directly to the government. At the same time, we have tremendous confidence in the resilience of South Korea’s democracy, in the strength of its institutions, and in the efforts that it’s making to work through those institutions, pursuant to the constitution and the rule of law, to resolve differences and to do so peacefully.

And that actually gets right to the heart of the second part of your question. What sets democracies apart from other systems is precisely how we respond to challenges, including internal challenges. And what sets democracies apart – democracies like the United States and the Republic of Korea – is the fact that when we have differences, when we have challenges to our systems, we don’t pretend they don’t exist. We don’t ignore them; we don’t sweep them under the rug. We confront them; we deal with them openly, transparently. And sometimes that’s painful, sometimes that’s not pleasant to look at, but it is – it goes to the very strength of our systems.

And as our countries respond in different ways to different challenges, when we do so according to a constitution, according to the rule of law, and resolve differences peacefully, that is actually the strength of our systems and a strength that the Republic of Korea is reasserting today.

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you. Next, we are ready to take a question from the U.S. media outlet. From New York Times, Edward Wong. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Thank you, both of you. Mr. Secretary, it’s appropriate you just spoke about the importance of democracy on the fourth anniversary of the violence of January 6th in the U.S. I’m wondering – you and Mr. Biden both hailed President Yoon as a champion of democracy, and you allowed him to hold the third Summit for Democracy here in Korea. Why were you and President Biden both blindsided by his anti-democratic power-grab? And do you regret placing your earlier faith in Mr. Yoon?

And a related question – yesterday I watched as Mr. Yoon’s supporters amassed in the streets near our hotel, and they held up “stop the steal” signs in English and waved American flags and also chanted “stop the steal,” clearly an appeal to President-elect Trump for help, given Trump’s own attempt before and during January 6th to stay in power. I’d like your honest assessment of how the rapid erosion of democratic norms in America has impacted South Korea and other countries.

And for Mr. Cho, when Mr. Yoon, your president, declared martial law based on accusations of subversive forces in your own country, he appeared to be adopting strategies similar to the ones that autocrats in North Korea, Russia, and China use to stay in power. Why has your head of government gone in the same political direction as your national enemies and rivals, and how are you dealing with the tensions this has created with the United States? Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: So Ed, I don’t want to repeat the answer I just gave, but it’s fundamentally the same. All of our countries face challenges, and again, the hallmark of any democracy is in our response to those challenges. And what I said earlier and what I would reassert is that the response here in Korea to this most recent challenge, a response that’s going forward, again, pursuant to the constitution, following the rule of law, and peacefully is what we’ve seen and what we fully expect.

Korea has been an extraordinary partner for the United States over many decades, but in particular these last four years, and we’ve seen that in the work that we’re doing together not only bilaterally between our countries, not only in dealing with regional challenges, but increasingly globally. And it’s not just security – it’s economic, it’s innovative, it’s people-to-people. And we’ve seen the assertion of Korea as a global actor, and I think that’s one of the most positive developments that we’ve seen in recent years. Korea’s brand is remarkably strong – the story of its democratic trajectory and success, the strength of its economy, the innovative power of its people.

And when a country, whether it’s ours or Korea, faces a challenge, the measure is how we respond. And again, as I said, the response that we’re seeing and that we expect to continue to see is one that is peaceful and fully consistent and in accordance with the constitution and the rule of law. And again, at the risk of repeating myself, I think what we’ve seen in our own country, as well as in other democracies that have faced challenges, has been a response that’s open, that’s transparent, that doesn’t pretend we don’t have problems or challenges, that confronts them, confronts them directly. And time and again, what we’ve seen is our countries emerge stronger from those challenges.

Now, it’s vitally important – essential – that as we respond to challenges, we do so in accordance with the rule of law, with the constitution, with our democratic principles. And if and as we do that, I believe that will only reinforce the strength of our democracies.

FOREIGN MINISTER CHO: (Via interpreter) Was there a question posed to me as well?

QUESTION: Yes, I can repeat it. I was saying earlier that your president, Mr. Yoon, when he declared martial law based on accusations of subversive forces in South Korea, he was adopting the same strategies that autocrats in North Korea, Russia, and China use to stay in power. Why has your head of government gone in this political direction, and how do you deal with the tensions this has created with the United States?

FOREIGN MINISTER CHO: (Via interpreter) I thought the question was directed to Secretary Blinken. In Korea, there was an incident that took place one month ago, and for you to be able to understand the situation, rather than trying to understand the general context you have to understand the specific culture and political culture and the history and the ups and downs along the history. You would have to understand the full picture of the – Korea as a nation, rather than trying to understand it from the perspective of democratic theory. If you do that, you wouldn’t be able to find the correct answer to the whole situation.

Korea was able to achieve democracy and economic growth over a very short span of time, but as I mentioned previously, along that process, during that process, there were some vulnerabilities that we were unable to detect ourselves. And we are here where we are without understanding those vulnerabilities. So those hidden vulnerabilities and weaknesses were revealed due to a certain incident, explosive (inaudible), and that is the reason that we are having a situation that we never imagined that we would have currently.

This is something that we cannot overcome in any short time. This is something that our politicians, the political circles, will have to make concerted efforts to overcome. We need to overcome division so that we can heal ourselves and bring ourselves together for national harmony. To be able to do that, we would have to mobilize the intellectuals of the country so that we can overcome such deep divisions.

To the ROK-U.S. relations, I do not understand how much of damage it has caused to that, but during the past month, I have been trying to talk with Secretary Blinken and many members of the U.S. administration and political circles. And I was able to confirm that there is full trust and confidence in Korea as a nation on the part of the U.S. That was something that I was able to affirm myself, and based on such strong confidence and alliance, our bilateral relations will continue to move forward. That is something that I can be sure about. I do not have any insecurities on that.

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much. Now we are back to taking questions from the Korean media. From The Korea Herald, Ji Dagyum. Please, go ahead with your question.

QUESTION: Thank you. Secretary Blinken, I’d like to take this opportunity during your final trip to Seoul to ask you two questions regarding North Korea policy and trilateral cooperation. North Korea launched a ballistic missile earlier today in what appears to be a symbolic gesture, overlapping with your final visit to Seoul and Tokyo. And some critics argue that there has been a lack of proactive engagement and limited visible progress in curbing North Korea provocation and advancing dialogue with North Korea. And how would you assess the Biden administration’s overarching policy approach toward North Korea, and what do you view as the administration’s key achievement and shortcomings in addressing North Korean issues.

And finally, what lessons learned would you recommend the Trump administration’s (inaudible) more effectively to address North Korean issues and foster stability in the region?

And secondly, the Camp David Summit has been landmark achievement in strengthening trilateral cooperation among the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. However, with the Trump administration set to take office next January and political uncertainties (inaudible) in South Korea, concerns have emerged about the durability and sustainability of this trilateral framework. Given this development, what specific steps or institutional measures would you recommend to the Trump administration’s – prioritized to ensure this trilateral partnership remains robust and resilient?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much. So with regard to the DPRK, first, as I said earlier, we condemn yet another violation of multiple Security Council resolutions with the reported missile launch. What we’ve worked to do over these last four years is two things. First, we have sought to engage the DPRK – and multiple efforts to sit down, to talk without any preconditions. We communicated that on many occasions. We’ve done it privately; we’ve done it publicly. And the only response effectively we’ve gotten has been more and more provocative actions, including missile launches.

So it is not for want of seeking engagement and trying to find a way forward through diplomacy, but at the same time we haven’t stood still. On the contrary, we have, in historic ways, strengthened our common defense and common deterrence. We’ve done that bilaterally, including through the work of the Nuclear Consultative Group, and that I expect to meet in the coming days again. We’ve done it in reinforcing, in very practical ways, the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and we’ve done it trilaterally with Japan.

And the spirit of Camp David is now manifesting itself, as I mentioned, in more than three dozen practical initiatives, notably in the security realm but also economics, people-to-people. That is bringing our countries closer together, demonstrating practical results for the people, and enhancing our defense and our deterrence when it comes to the DPRK. And precisely for those reasons, I fully expect it to continue. It’s manifestly in the interests of the people in all three of our countries.

We have seen, among other things, just recently, the establishment of a permanent secretariat to manage the work of the trilateral process. I’ve heard positive statements across the political spectrum here in the Republic of Korea in support of that work. I’ll be going to Tokyo from here, and I fully expect as well that I’ll hear a reaffirmation of a commitment to the trilateral process. And in fact, again, today’s launch is just a reminder to all of us of how important our collaborative work is, including on real-time information sharing, including on the exercises we’re engaged in on a trilateral basis. All of that and more is a strong and effective response to the provocations from North Korea.

So I have confidence that, because it’s so in the interest of all of us, it will continue and future administrations – whether it’s here, whether it’s in the United States, whether it’s Japan – will continue to build on the work that we’ve done together.

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Last but not least, I will give a chance to a U.S. journalist. From the AFP, Shaun Tandon. Please, go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi. Mr. Secretary, Mr. Foreign Minister, thanks for doing this. Could I follow my Korean colleague’s questions about North Korea? Sorry – there. I’ll try again with the microphone. If I could follow up some – my Korean colleague’s questions on North Korea, Mr. Secretary, you just said that you’re seeing signs that Russia is expanding satellite and space cooperation. Could you elaborate on that? What time frame do you see? What type of risk (inaudible) you have?

And for both of you, South Korea, what role could it play increasingly in Ukraine? Is there still consideration of weapons to help Kyiv? And do you have any more information right now about North Korea, what they might be doing in Ukraine? On Ukraine, it’s been reported that the Ukrainians have launched a counteroffensive, an expanded counteroffensive, today in Kursk. Do you have any information on that and where you think that’s going?

Mr. Secretary, if you allow me, could I ask one question from somewhere else in the world – the Middle East. There have been reports that Hamas has formalized a list of initial hostages to be released. Brett McGurk is in the region. Do you think now we are closer to a ceasefire deal? Thank you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Great. Thanks, Shaun, and appreciate the very impressive effort to bring multiple questions and multiple theaters together in one. Thank you.

QUESTION: Trying to put the themes together.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Appreciate that. With regard to this two-way street that I described in the relationship between Russia and the DPRK, what we’re seeing is not only the provision of artillery, ammunition, and troops by North Korea to Russia – forced aggression against Ukraine – but we are seeing collaboration, support coming in the other direction. Russia is already providing military equipment to the DPRK. It’s providing training. We believe that it has the intent to share space and satellite technology with the DPRK, and that concern is very much a focus that not only the United States but also the Republic of Korea and Japan are bringing to bear – and very much part of our conversations.

I think it underscores, as I mentioned as well, increasingly what we’re seeing around the world, which is the indivisibility of security, the indivisibility of security between the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. It’s manifested by the fact that right now, the biggest ongoing drivers that are allowing Russia to continue its aggression against Ukraine are coming in part from the DPRK – with artillery, with ammunition, with troops – and China in terms of its support or the support of its companies for Russia’s defense industrial base. And I think that’s been a big eye-opener to allies and partners in Europe, and also explains their intense focus on the Indo-Pacific, just as it motivates many of our partners in this region.

In Ukraine itself and in Kursk, what we’ve been doing every single day is to try to make sure that Ukraine has in hand what it needs to effectively defend itself against the ongoing Russian aggression, and as well to make sure that – if in the coming year, there is a negotiation, there are discussions of a ceasefire – Ukraine has the strongest possible hand to play. And of course, the Ukrainians themselves are trying to make sure that they have that strong hand. Their position in Kursk is an important one, because certainly it’s something that would factor into any negotiation that may come about in the coming year.

I think it’s going to be very, very important that if this gets to a point where there is a negotiation and where there is eventually a ceasefire, it be done on the best possible terms and consistent with something that is both just and durable. And part of that is going to be the imperative of making sure that there are adequate security assurances of one kind or another for Ukraine to prevent further Russian aggression, because what we know is this: If there is going to be at some point a ceasefire, it’s not going to be, in Putin’s mind, game over. His imperial ambitions remain, and what he will seek to do is to rest, to refit, and eventually reattack.

And the critical difference that needs to be established is making sure that there’s an adequate deterrent in place so that he doesn’t do that, that he thinks twice, three times before engaging in any re-aggression. But meanwhile, our purpose is to make sure that the Ukrainians are as strengthened as possible and that they have a strong hand to play.

Finally, with regard to the Middle East and in particular the ceasefire negotiations, as you know and as we’ve talked about many times, we’ve been working intensely to bring this agreement, to bring this plan that President Biden put forward back in May – and that the entire world got behind – country after country standing up, supporting the proposal that President Biden put forward – the UN Security Council voting 14 to nothing in favor of it – we’re working very hard to bring that over the finish line.

And what we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks is a re-intensified engagement, including by Hamas, but we have yet to see agreement on the final points. So what I can tell you is this: We very much want to bring this over the finish line in the next two weeks, the time that we have remaining, and we will work every minute of every day of those two weeks to try to get that to happen. If we don’t get it across the finish line in the next two weeks, I’m confident that it will get to completion at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later. And when it does, it will be on the basis of the plan that President Biden put forward and that virtually the entire world supports.

We need Hamas to make the final necessary decisions to complete the agreement and to fundamentally change the circumstance for the hostages – getting them out – for people in Gaza – bringing them relief – and for the region as a whole – creating an opportunity to actually move forward to something better, more secure for everyone involved.

MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Thank you. This concludes the joint press availability for the ROK-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting. Thank you.

10. North Korea airs dramatic new Korean War film in push to lionize Russia ties

Ideological rewriting of history is a strength of the Kim family regime strength.

North Korea airs dramatic new Korean War film in push to lionize Russia ties

‘72 Hours’ falsely blames South for starting war and stresses close relations with Moscow as they cooperate over Ukraine

https://www.nknews.org/2025/01/north-korea-airs-dramatic-new-korean-war-film-in-push-to-lionize-russia-ties/

Seung-Yeon Chung January 6, 2025

A North Korean soldier in the film "72 Hours" | Image: KCTV (Jan. 3, 2025)

North Korean state television aired a new film about the early days of the Korean War to ring in 2025, presenting a distorted historical account of close ties with Moscow that appears aimed at promoting the DPRK’s current military partnership with Russia.

The film titled “72 Hours” ran in two parts on Korean Central Television (KCTV) on Thursday and Friday, following its premiere in local theaters in Feb. 2024. It marks the first new movie broadcast in the country in nearly a year, after “One Day and One Night” aired on state TV on New Year’s Day 2024.

The more than five-hour production tells the story of the first three days of the Korean War, repeating the false propaganda narrative that South Korea initiated the conflict and that North Korea responded with an overwhelming counterattack.

The overwhelming consensus among historians is that DPRK founding leader Kim Il Sung started the Korean War when he launched an invasion of the South on June 25, 1950.

Yee Ji-sun, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, noted that KCTV’s airing of the film follows North Korea’s recent plenum where Kim Jong Un ignored Seoul and called for the “most hardline” policy toward the U.S.

The film seeks to “evoke” hostile feelings toward Washington and Seoul by reminding young generations of the DPRK’s official historical narrative through entertaining mass media, the expert said.

“72 Hours” also emphasizes Pyongyang’s close ties with Moscow, featuring a scene where Kim Il Sung orders his foreign minister to contact the Soviet ambassador.

Yee said the film suggests that the two nations can support each other during difficult times, reinforcing the idea that “Russia is a benefactor that has helped North Korea during crises in the past.”

It also shows a meeting room where portraits of Joseph Stalin and Kim Il Sung hang on the wall, though one expert said this does not reflect actual history.

“They used to have Stalin’s portraits back in the day, but [the film] does not look authentic because in most cases, they had not just a portrait of Stalin, but also a portrait of Mao,” Fyodor Tertitskiy, a researcher at Seoul’s Kookmin University, told NK News. “Usually, it was three of them.”

Portraits of Joseph Stalin and Kim Il Sung on a wall in one scene | Image: KCTV (Jan. 2, 2025)

The broadcast of “72 Hours” comes as North Korea and Russia have ramped up military ties over the war in Ukraine, with the DPRK sending both weapons and troops to Moscow in return for alleged technological assistance.

The Russian Embassy in DPRK previously stated that Ambassador Alexander Matsegora and embassy staff watched the film, expressing gratitude for Pyongyang’s foreign ministry to help them know about “heroic history.”

Prior to the film’s screening last week, KCTV informed viewers that Kim Jong Un personally wrote the script and provided on-site guidance during production, a rare statement about his direct involvement in filmmaking.

The current leader is not strongly associated with film production, unlike his cinephile father Kim Jong Il, famous for his deep interest in the arts. The claim that Kim Jong Un wrote the screenplay may thus be part of ongoing attempts to elevate his leadership cult at the expense of his predecessors.

“72 Hours” focuses on the “irresponsibility” of some officials and commanders who questioned Kim Il Sung’s military tactics, stating that army units stayed in Seoul too long and lost “precious time” that could have changed the war’s outcome.

During the actual conflict, North Korea pushed South Korean troops all the way to Busan before U.N. forces landed at Incheon, recaptured Seoul and invaded the North. The fighting eventually ended in an armistice, though DPRK propaganda continues to claim it won the war.

Meanwhile, the film also characterizes North Korea as pushing for peaceful reunification before the war, stating that South Korea and the U.S. rejected these gestures. The emphasis is noteworthy as Kim Jong Un renounced the goal of reunification in Dec. 2023, demanding the elimination of unification language and symbols from the country.

Ifang Bremer contributed reporting to this article. Edited by Bryan Betts

11. Pakistan hopes to revive North Korea talks in return to Security Council

Good luck Pakistan.

Pakistan hopes to revive North Korea talks in return to Security Council

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/01/b1592d16c36c-pakistan-hopes-to-revive-n-korea-talks-in-return-to-security-council.html

KYODO NEWS - Jan 4, 2025 - 18:55 | All, World

Pakistan's envoy to the United Nations expressed hope that the Security Council will strengthen its dialogue on issues related to North Korea as Islamabad begins its two-year term as a nonpermanent member of the panel.

During a recent interview with Kyodo News, Munir Akram said Pakistan is "concerned" about the lack of sufficient talk in the United Nations on the "normalization of the situation on the Korean Peninsula."

"We hope that in the Security Council, we will find ways of reviving the dialogue and to decrease the tensions in the whole region," he said.

Munir Akram, Pakistan's envoy to the United Nations, speaks during an interview in New York on Dec. 16, 2024. (Kyodo)

Akram spoke to Kyodo News ahead of the annual change in the panel's composition, as five of the 10 nonpermanent members rotated out on Jan. 1. Pakistan assumed the Asia-Pacific seat previously held by Japan, while Denmark, Greece, Panama and Somalia joined the council from other regions for terms lasting through 2026.

Pakistan has previously served on the Security Council seven times, most recently for the term spanning 2012 and 2013.

The envoy said his country, as a nuclear weapons possessor that has diplomatic relations with North Korea, supports the goals of nonproliferation and calls for "a complete ban on nuclear testing."

"So those are principles which will guide our decision," Akram said when asked about Pakistan's response to a possible seventh nuclear test by North Korea.

The council, charged with maintaining international peace and security, has been faulted for its paralysis in the face of global crises due to the unilateral veto power held by each of the five permanent members, with the criticism mounting especially since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Amid divisions between the council's permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- Akram said the nonpermanent members need to work toward bridging their differences.

Pakistan seeks the creation of a nuclear weapon-free zone in South Asia but cannot back the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as long as its neighboring country India holds a nuclear arsenal, Akram said.

"While we need our nuclear capability to prevent aggression, we cannot support the ban treaty," he said.

The treaty took effect in 2021, but many U.N. members have declined to join it, including the United States and other nuclear powers, as well as Japan.

Related coverage:

U.N. panel urges North Korea to improve human rights situation

12. South Korean turmoil undermines U.S. alliance-building in Asia

South Korean turmoil undermines U.S. alliance-building in Asia

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/01/06/blinken-south-korea-yoon-democracy/

As Blinken visits South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to declare martial law calls into question Biden’s trust in a leader who undermined the democracy of his nation.

January 6, 2025 at 4:45 a.m. ESTToday at 4:45 a.m. EST

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul at a news conference in Seoul on Monday. (Chung Sung-Jun/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

By Michael Birnbaum and Michelle Ye Hee Lee

SEOUL — For four years, President Joe Biden made South Korea a key partner in his effort to contain China’s growing global influence. But following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s thwarted attempt to declare martial law last month, political chaos in Seoul is calling into question whether the outgoing U.S. president was right to place so much trust in a leader who undermined the democratic stability of his nation, officials and analysts say.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicked off his final tour Monday as the top U.S. diplomat in a South Korean capital riven by protests and division. It was an extraordinary visit to a close U.S. ally given the hour-by-hour events unfolding in the capital and questions over the fate of Yoon, who was holed up in the presidential compound resisting attempts to arrest him, as Blinken visited senior leaders elsewhere in the city.

Chants from Yoon’s supporters, who have blocked investigators’ access to their leader, could be heard in the guest rooms of Blinken’s hotel.

By virtue of history, geography and politics, South Korea has been a key U.S. partner in the region for generations. But the country is experiencing its worst political crisis in decades, which began with Yoon’s stunning decision on Dec. 3 to impose the nation’s first martial law declaration in more than 40 years, only to reverse it hours later.

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Biden bet heavily on Yoon, hosting him in Washington for a chummy state dinner in 2023 and anointing him host of his third Summit for Democracy, which was held in Seoul in March — only for the Korean leader to deal the most serious challenge to his country’s democracy in more than a generation.

“What sets democracies apart from other systems is precisely how we respond to challenges, including internal challenges,” Blinken told reporters after meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, adding that he had “serious concerns” about what Yoon had done.

“When we have challenges to our systems, we don’t pretend they don’t exist. We don’t ignore them. We don’t sweep them under the rug. We confront them,” Blinken said. “Sometimes that’s painful, sometimes that’s not pleasant to look at, but it goes to the very strength of our systems.”

Yoon was a conservative leader whose unusual openness to partnership with South Korea’s historical rival Japan offered Washington a chance to build a three-way effort against China and North Korea. But that effort is now in disarray. Yoon gave no warning to the Biden administration before he declared martial law last month, and his subsequent resistance to arrest has further destabilized the nation as it braces for a new approach from President-elect Donald Trump.

“The alliance has been resilient — incredibly resilient — but it’s definitely different right now,” said Jenny Town, director of the Korea program at the Washington-based Stimson Center. “This is a unique case that we haven’t seen before, and I think there are a lot of questions of how this ends.”

With a recent poll showing that Yoon’s popularity has increased since his efforts to resist arrest, Town said, the looming question of Yoon’s fate and the potential changes in South Korean leadership mean Washington is facing an unpredictable partner in Seoul.

Blinken faced unusually sharp questioning on Monday from South Korean reporters, one of whom demanded to know why the Biden administration “was not strong enough” to convince allies to respect democratic principles after framing global affairs as a confrontation between autocracies and democracies.

U.S. officials say that they were always aware Yoon could lose power to a less Japan-friendly rival, but that they did not expect his short-lived effort to declare martial law — a move that evoked South Korea’s military dictatorship, which ended in 1988.

Yoon was impeached on Dec. 14 because of his martial law declaration. The Constitutional Court, whose role is similar to the U.S. Senate in an American presidential impeachment proceeding, will now decide whether to uphold the impeachment and remove him from office.

Yoon is also under criminal investigation and could be arrested — the first South Korean president to face such a scenario — over his martial law actions. Last week, Yoon’s presidential guards faced off with investigators for more than five hours, eventually forcing them to suspend their efforts to detain him.

Security guards near buses parked to protect South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol from a arrest at his official residence in Seoul on Monday. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

Cho, the foreign minister, speaking alongside Blinken, brushed off concerns about Seoul’s standing in the world.

“If you focus just on the vulnerabilities without a magnifying glass, maybe you would feel that you are uncertain about the future of Korea, but I believe that the international community is focusing on the resilience,” he said.

The paralysis that has settled on Seoul impedes Washington’s efforts not only to mount an effective defense against China and North Korea, but also its ability to support Ukraine. Yoon had been willing to dig into his nation’s stockpiles of artillery shells to indirectly support Kyiv’s need for the munitions, which have been in short supply.

Pyongyang, meanwhile, has sent tens of thousands of troops to Russia to support the other side in the fight.

Despite the urgent challenges on the world stage, Seoul’s deepening leadership crisis is expected to continue for many months.

The acting president, Choi Sang-mok, whom Blinken also met with on Monday, is the second interim leader to take the helm after Yoon’s impeachment. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who initially took over from Yoon, was himself impeached Dec. 27 amid criticism from the opposition that he was stalling judicial appointments at the Constitutional Court that are needed to continue Yoon’s impeachment process.

Choi is juggling four top leadership positions — including acting president, deputy prime minister and finance minister — while the won, South Korea’s currency, has plunged to its lowest level in nearly 16 years and the government responds to one of the world’s deadliest airline crashes in years.

Ahead of his meeting with Blinken on Monday, Choi convened a meeting with top officials to assess whether South Korea is prepared for the transition to the Trump administration and a Washington led by a president who is skeptical of defense pacts, including with Seoul.

Choi acknowledged that the instability in his country is hampering its readiness to cooperate with the Trump administration, according to Yonhap News, South Korea’s semiofficial news agency.

Meanwhile, North Korea launched a ballistic missile Monday off its east coast, the South Korean military said. It was Pyongyang’s first ballistic missile test of the year and its first in two months — and served as a reminder of the precarious security environment on the Korean Peninsula during the prolonged leadership vacuum in Seoul.

Yoon’s supporters are looking ahead to Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, seeking to align his efforts to cling to power with Trump’s strategy four years ago to deny the results of an election he lost. At pro-Yoon gatherings, protesters have waved English-language “Stop the Steal” signs and said they are hopeful Trump will rally to their side.

Some of Yoon’s critics, meanwhile, expressed frustration that Washington has done little to criticize the president’s actions.

“We just really haven’t gotten much pushback from the Biden administration for the fact that the ally who they courted and who courted them has gone totally off the reservation,” said Mason Richey, an international relations professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.

“And that undermines … the foundation of what they say has been so critical for the alliance ever since Biden took over, which is to say that it’s supposed to be based on a set of liberal values,” Richey said.

Comments

By Michael Birnbaum

Michael Birnbaum is a national security reporter for The Washington Post, covering the State Department and diplomacy. He previously served more than a decade in Europe as The Post’s bureau chief in Brussels, Moscow and Berlin, reporting from more than 60 countries, and he covered climate and security from Washington. He joined The Post in 2008.follow on X@michaelbirnbaum

By Michelle Ye Hee Lee

Michelle Ye Hee Lee is The Washington Post's Tokyo bureau chief, covering Japan and the Korean peninsula. follow on X@myhlee

13. Prosecutors indict military intelligence commander in martial law probe

Prosecutors indict military intelligence commander in martial law probe | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · January 6, 2025

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors on Monday indicted the top military intelligence commander over his alleged involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law imposition last month.

The prosecution's special investigation team indicted Defense Intelligence Commander Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho on charges of playing an "integral" role in an insurrection and abuse of power.

Moon is suspected of sending troops to the National Election Commission's office in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, on the night of the short-lived martial law imposition on Dec. 3.

He is also suspected of discussing martial law operations with Noh Sang-won, a former defense intelligence commander, alongside two other subordinates, at a burger franchise in Gyeonggi Province two days ahead of the martial law imposition.

This Oct. 30, 2024, file photo shows Defense Intelligence Commander Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · January 6, 2025

14. Assembly speaker discusses S. Korea-U.S. ties with Blinken

Assembly speaker discusses S. Korea-U.S. ties with Blinken | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · January 6, 2025

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Seoul on Monday and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and the United States, officials said.

The meeting at the National Assembly came as the top U.S. diplomat visited Seoul amid efforts to ensure its alliance with the U.S. remains strong despite political uncertainties coming from last month's botched martial law imposition.

In the meeting, Woo requested continued support from the U.S., adding that a special parliamentary delegation is set to travel to the U.S. soon to explain South Korea's situation and seek cooperation for their alliance.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands during their meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on Jan. 6, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

"On top of a national crisis over the martial law imposition, the Republic of Korea is in great grief due to the passenger aircraft tragedy," Woo was quoted as saying.

"But as we have survived numerous national crises, such as colonial rule, (territory) division and dictatorship, I am certain we will overcome this crisis," he said.

An official at the National Assembly said Blinken is the first U.S. state secretary to visit the parliament to meet with a South Korean National Assembly speaker.

Earlier in the day, Blinken paid a courtesy call on acting President Choi Sang-mok, and discussed North Korea's nuclear development and military alignment with Russia with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.

Blinken was on a three-nation tour this week, with planned stops in Japan and France. The trip is widely expected to be his final overseas visit as the top U.S. diplomat under the Biden administration.

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · January 6, 2025

15. North Korea Forces Families to Conceal Soldier Deaths in Ukraine

The information will get out. We need to have VOA and RFA reporting on nKPA casualties in Russia/Ukraine. (which they are)

North Korea Forces Families to Conceal Soldier Deaths in Ukraine

mil.in.ua · by Urich

5 January, 2025 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk oblast. December 2024. Footage from the video of the 95th Air Assault Brigade

Asia North Korea (DPRK) Ukraine War with Russia

Families of North Korean soldiers killed during hostilities against Ukraine are required to sign non-disclosure documents.

This was reported by the international intelligence community InformNapalm, which translated information and important testimonies published by the Radio Free Asia (RFA).

The families of the dead North Korean soldiers are receiving certificates of death of their relatives, along with which the DPRK government requires them to sign a non-disclosure document.

An anonymous source from North Korea informed the RFA about receiving such a certificate.

Neutralized North Korean and Russian soldiers in the Kursk region. 15.12.2024. Photo credits: Birds of Magyar

“On December 18, my mother and I received a message that the Gyeongju City Party Committee was summoning us to participate in a provincial party event. When we arrived in Pyeongsong, we received a death certificate of my younger brother, who served in the special operations forces,” the source said.

According to the source, they’ve been told at the event that the soldiers were killed during “sacred military exercises on which the honor of the Motherland depended.”

The source added that more than 10 families attended the event, and most of the soldiers killed in action belonged to the Storm (폭풍군단) unit.

“Most citizens know that the soldiers from the Storm unit were sent to the Russian-Ukrainian war. That’s why the families of the victims also guessed that their beloved ones died after being sent to Russia. But the authorities pressured us to put our fingerprints under a document that prohibited us from telling anyone about anything related to this. We did so and went home in tears,” the source said.

Another source reported a similar event held on December 27 in Tokchon.

Neutralized North Korean soldiers. Photo credits: @marshalvdv

Such measures are unusual for the DPRK for several reasons: usually, when military personnel die in North Korea during military exercises or as a result of accidents, the unit to which they belong informs their families of the cause and place of death.

This time, however, it was not the army that called the families and handed over the death certificates, but the party. There was no mention of the place or cause of death.

It is known that the families of fallen soldiers receive benefits from the state for goods and in the implementation of personnel policy.

At the same time, North Korean government officials do not officially inform the citizens about the losses of their contingent.

At the same time, there is growing resentment among citizens that young soldiers are being used as cannon fodder to earn foreign currency.

Militarnyi has repeatedly reported losses among the North Korean military from drones, artillery, and small arms fire.

16. Blinken: Russia may provide advanced satellite technology to N. Korea

(3rd LD) Blinken: Russia may provide advanced satellite technology to N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · January 6, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES from 6th para with more remarks from press conference; ADDS background, photos)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Russia is willing to provide North Korea with its advanced space and satellite technology in exchange for the North's provision of weapons and other equipment to Moscow in support of its war against Ukraine.

Blinken made the remark after talks with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in Seoul, calling it a concern for the United States and its key allies, like South Korea and Japan.

"We have reasons to believe that Moscow intends to share advanced space and satellite technology to Pyongyang," Blinken said in a joint press conference.

"Putin may be close to reversing a decadeslong policy by accepting DPRK's nuclear weapons program," he said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"That concern is very much a focus, not only for the United States, but also Korea and Japan," he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) speaks during a press conference, joined by his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, following their bilateral talks at the foreign ministry in Seoul on Jan. 6, 2025. (Yonhap)

The allies have confirmed that some 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to the war front lines in Russia's western Kursk border region to fight alongside the Russian forces, with many of them believed to have been killed or wounded in combat.

Blinken said that the North's close alignment with Russia underscores the need for greater security cooperation among the U.S., South Korea and Japan, as well as with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as security in the Indo-Pacific and Europe becomes increasingly interconnected.

"The United States looks forward to Korea, along with Japan, Australia, New Zealand, continuing to increase cooperation with NATO to stand together to defend international rules and principles," he said.

Regarding President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law imposition and his subsequent impeachment, Blinken said that Washington delivered its "serious concerns" about the steps Yoon has taken to Seoul.

"We communicated those directly to the (South Korean) government," he said.

At the same time, Blinken reiterated the U.S.' confidence in South Korea's democratic resilience, saying that responding to challenges is the "the hallmark of any democracy."

"That is the strength that the Republic of Korea is reasserting today," he said. "We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Korean people. We trust that Korea, as a leading global democracy, will proceed in full accordance with its Constitution and rule of law."

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (R) poses with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of their talks at the foreign ministry in Seoul on Jan. 6, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Monday's talks came as South Korea seeks to ensure its alliance with the United States remains strong despite political uncertainties following Yoon's impeachment over his failed martial law attempt.

Yoon's surprise martial law imposition sparked concerns it could undermine the alliance with Washington and policy coordination on North Korean issues, especially ahead of the launch of the second Donald Trump administration.

Cho stressed that there will be no gaps in the bilateral alliance despite the political turmoil in Seoul.

"We will continue to move forward by closely coordinating all policy actions in solidarity, even after the Trump administration takes office," he said.

The two sides also condemned the North's latest launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which coincided with their talks on Monday.

"We agreed to thoroughly prepare for, and firmly respond to, any possible provocations by North Korea through a seamless combined defense posture and strengthened extended deterrence," Cho said.

Blinken's visit marked the first trip by a top U.S. official since Yoon's impeachment. He arrived in South Korea late Sunday.

Ahead of the talks with Cho, Blinken paid a courtesy call on acting President Choi Sang-mok, the deputy prime minister who has taken over following the parliament's impeachment of former acting President Han Duck-soo.

Blinken also met with members of the South's National Assembly before departing Seoul.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens as his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, speaks during their bilateral talks at the foreign ministry in Seoul on Jan. 6, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · January 6, 2025

17. Long Before Jeju Air Crash, South Korea Rose to Be a Model of Safety

Long Before Jeju Air Crash, South Korea Rose to Be a Model of Safety

After overcoming pariah status at the end of the last century, South Korea must learn what caused the catastrophe on Dec. 29 and what lessons to draw from it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/business/jejuair-crash-south-korea-safety.html

Mechanics working on a Korean Air plane at Incheon International Airport in South Korea.Credit...SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

By River Akira Davis

Reporting from Tokyo

Jan. 6, 2025, 12:00 a.m. ET

A Jeju Air crash in South Korea last week, the deadliest plane accident in years, has stunned the global aviation industry. The country is regarded as a model for how to turn poor air safety practices into some of the world’s best.

Three decades ago, South Korea had a dismal record of air safety. Its flagship airline, Korean Air, experienced several deadly crashes in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2001, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration downgraded South Korea’s air safety rating for failing to meet international standards.

Around the turn of the century, South Korea began an immense project to overhaul its aviation safety practices, drawing on the experiences of other countries including the United States. By 2008, South Korea had earned one of the world’s highest scores in a safety audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization. At the time of the crash, it was considered one of the safest countries for flying.

Air safety experts cautioned that it was premature to speculate about what caused the crash on Dec. 29 of Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, in which 179 of the 181 people on board died. It was Jeju Air’s first fatal crash in its two-decade history, and the worst ever on South Korean soil. Jeju Air has said it is “fully cooperating” with investigations into the cause.

With an extensive multinational investigation underway, the experts noted South Korea’s experience in successfully upgrading its safety practices, and said the authorities might ultimately be able to draw similar lessons from the Jeju Air disaster.

“Over the past few decades, Korea and its airlines and government authorities have done very well in terms of implementing safety management systems,” said Hassan Shahidi, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit that provides safety guidance to the aviation industry.

Image

One key subject of the investigation into the Jeju Air plane crash is a concrete wall at the end of the runway that the airliner slammed into before exploding in a fireball.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

In trying to determine what caused the Dec. 29 crash, officials have said they would look into multiple factors, including damage to the plane from a possible bird strike. The plane had descended without its wing flaps and landing gear activated and skidded down the runway at a faster-than-normal speed.

But another key subject of scrutiny is a concrete structure at the end of the runway that the airliner slammed into before exploding in a fireball. Aviation safety experts said the collision with the barrier could have contributed to the high number of fatalities.

“The one area that we will see moving forward, after this investigation concludes, is really: What about the airports?” Dr. Shahidi said. “This comes into question given the issue with respect to the concrete wall at the end of the runway,” he said.

Aviation safety experts said the concrete barrier, built to house the so-called localizer antenna, which is used to help pilots maintain the correct airport approach, probably made the crash at Muan International Airport more deadly.

The space around a runway, known as the runway safety area, is intended to provide unobstructed space for aircraft that may overshoot, undershoot or veer off a runway during landing.

In the United States, the F.A.A. specifies that runway safety areas at most large airports should extend 1,000 feet beyond the runway’s end and 500 feet on the sides. The International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency that sets global safety standards, recommends a standard buffer zone of about 180 to 300 meters (591 to 984 feet) from the end of the runway and ones on the sides at least twice the width of the runway.

Any structures within these zones should be “frangible,” meaning they must be able to break or give way to minimize damage in the event of a crash. At Muan Airport, the hard, concrete structure, surrounded by a mound of dirt, sits approximately 250 meters, or 820 feet, from the runway’s end, according to local officials.

Image

Incheon International Airport, South Korea’s main airport.Credit...SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

The cause of the crash will probably be found to have been “very complicated and unique,” Dr. Shahidi said. “But runway overruns do happen,” he said. “That’s exactly why the end-of-runway safety area is so critical.”

Immediately after the crash, officials in South Korea said the barrier near the runway met safety regulations. But in the days following, they added that they would examine whether the placement and structure of the concrete-enforced mound should be altered.

A series of deadly Korean Air crashes more than two decades ago helped spur South Korea to reassess its aviation safety protocols and rebuild with much higher standards.

One of the worst accidents was in 1997, when a Korean Air flight crashed on the Pacific island of Guam, killing more than 200 passengers and crew members. The crash was later determined to have been caused by pilot error among other factors.

In response, Korean Air began new efforts to improve its safety record. It brought in specialists from Delta Air Lines and Boeing to help revamp training and other practices. Korean Air also invited the Flight Safety Foundation, based in Virginia, to take a look at its operations.

Korean Air said in a statement that “it is dedicated to upholding the highest safety standards.”

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After a Korean Air plane crashed in Guam in 1997, the airline began new efforts to improve its safety record.Credit...Kazuhiro Nogi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Around the time the F.A.A. downgraded South Korea’s safety rating in 2001, the country joined the member council of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

South Korea worked to move its domestic operations closer in line with some 10,000 of the international group’s standards and recommended practices, said Sangdo Kim, a former South Korean ambassador to the agency and deputy minister for civil aviation.

By 2008, South Korea received one of the highest scores of any country in an aviation organization safety audit, and through today, Mr. Kim said, the country’s regulators and airlines “continue to handle daily aviation operations very safely.”

Still, Mr. Kim said he sees room for improvement. The authorities aim to apply a balanced level of government oversight across all of South Korea’s more than a dozen airports, regardless of size, but in practice it is often tough to do at smaller airports like Muan, he added.

The role of the concrete barrier near the runway in last week’s catastrophe remains unclear, Mr. Kim said, but “if we find out that this was a significant factor in the disaster, we must improve the relevant regulations.”

Mr. Kim said he hoped that the crash would again prompt aviation overseers inside and outside South Korea to advance improvements in air safety. At all airports, he said, “it is a constant battle to eliminate any, even seemingly minor, safety risks.”

River Akira Davis covers Japan, including its economy and businesses, and is based in Tokyo. More about River Akira Davis

18. How ‘Stop the Steal’ Became a Protest Slogan in South Korea

How ‘Stop the Steal’ Became a Protest Slogan in South Korea

Right-wing YouTubers helped President Yoon Suk Yeol get elected. Now that he’s been impeached, they’re rallying his supporters with conspiracy theories.

Supporters of South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, outside the presidential residence in Seoul on Friday.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

By Choe Sang-Hun

Reporting from Seoul

Published Jan. 4, 2025

Updated Jan. 5, 2025

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Every day for the past week, Kim Kwon-seop, 72, has joined thousands of others gathered near the home of South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol. They were determined to shield Mr. Yoon from prosecutors who wanted to detain him on insurrection charges stemming from his short-lived declaration of martial law last month.

To them, it was the opposition who had committed insurrection, abusing its majority power at the Assembly to repeatedly block Mr. Yoon’s political initiatives. To them, the opposition’s parliamentary majority was invalid because the election last April was rigged. And to them, protecting Mr. Yoon was synonymous with protecting South Korea from “North Korea followers” who have taken root in every corner of their society, from the judiciary to schools to the news media.

South Koreans commonly dismiss such conspiracy theories as little more than online demagoguery spread by right-wing YouTubers with the help of social media algorithms. But amid the country’s entrenched political polarization, they have fueled the turmoil over Mr. Yoon’s situation, driving zealous believers like Mr. Kim to take to the streets in large numbers, calling for the president’s return to office.

“When I leave home for this rally every day, I tell my wife that this may be the last time she sees me alive, because I am ready to die for my cause,” Mr. Kim said. “This is not just about protecting President Yoon. It’s about saving my country for my descendants.”

If President-elect Donald J. Trump has a “Make America Great Again” movement behind him, Mr. Yoon has the “taegeukgi budae” (literally, “national-flag brigade”). It consists of mostly older, churchgoing South Koreans who enliven their rallies with patriotic songs, a wave of South Korean and American flags in support of their country’s alliance with Washington, and vitriolic attacks on the nation’s left-wing politicians, who they fear would hand their country over to China and North Korea.

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Supporters of Mr. Yoon have camped out for days on the pavement near his home in central Seoul, vowing to block anyone from trying to detain or arrest him.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

“We won!” flag-waving supporters of Mr. Yoon shouted on Friday when investigators retreated from the presidential residence after failing to serve a court warrant to detain him for questioning.

“Yoon Suk Yeol is depending on the South Korean version of MAGA to hold onto power,” said Ahn Byong-jin, a professor of political science at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.

Mr. Yoon invoked the right-wing fear and indignation when he declared martial law on Dec. 3 to “eliminate the despicable pro-North Korean and anti-state forces at one stroke.” But his attempt to place his country under military rule for the first time in 45 years lasted only hours. The opposition-dominant National Assembly voted to rescind it and later impeached him.

Suspended from office, Mr. Yoon now faces a trial at the Constitutional Court, which will decide whether to formally remove him. He is also subject to separate investigations from prosecutors, who have accused him of committing insurrection when he ordered troops to seize the Assembly and to detain his political enemies during his martial law.

With public surveys showing a majority of South Koreans wanting him ousted, Mr. Yoon’s strongest defenders are his flag-waving supporters and the right-wing YouTubers, who glorify him as a champion of promoting the alliance with Washington. These YouTubers, some with around a million subscribers, demand Mr. Yoon’s reinstatement and livestream pro-Yoon rallies, where speakers call the efforts to remove him a “coup d’état” at North Korea’s behest. They also reinforce political polarization by channeling conspiracy theories against Mr. Yoon’s progressive enemies.

Right-wing YouTubers have long boasted of their friendship with Mr. Yoon, after dozens of them were invited to his inauguration in 2022. In the wake of his botched martial law, Mr. Yoon left little doubt that he was a big fan.

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President Yoon Suk Yeol during the inauguration ceremony in Seoul in 2022.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

“I am watching your struggle in real time through YouTube livestreaming,” Mr. Yoon said in a message to his supporters gathered outside his home on New Year’s Day. “Our country is in danger because of anti-state forces running amok, as well as forces in and outside who violate our sovereignty.”

During a rally on Wednesday, Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer who serves as Mr. Yoon’s spokesman, thanked right-wing YouTubers there and called the investigators trying to detain Mr. Yoon “a front” for the opposition.

“This is war,” he said. “And you are warriors.”

Like other democracies, South Korea has grappled with the role of social media in shaping politics. About 53 percent of South Koreans say they consume news on YouTube, higher than an average of 30 percent in 46 countries surveyed, according to a 2023 report by Korea Press Foundation.

Analysts worry that algorithm-fueled information bubbles, with people continually served more of the type of content they have expressed interest in by watching, are helping divide the nation. The language and conspiracy theories Mr. Yoon and his supporters adopted mirror those purveyed by right-wing YouTubers, said Hong Sung-guk, a former lawmaker and columnist.

“Yoon’s is likely the world’s first insurrection instigated by algorithm addictions,” Mr. Hong said.

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Military vehicles arrived to the National Assembly in Seoul in December, after President Yoon declared martial law. Mr. Yoon is the subject to separate investigations from prosecutors, who have accused him of committing insurrection when he ordered troops to seize the Assembly.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

A dozen participants in a recent pro-Yoon rally interviewed for this article were all firm believers in the conspiracy theories, saying that right-wing YouTubers were their primary or only source of news.

“They speak the truth,” said Kim Jae-seung, 72. “I no longer read newspapers or turn on TV. They are full of bias.”

Kim Yong-son, 70, pulled out his battered smartphone to show a video clip that depicted the progressive leaders as hellbent on undermining South Korea’s alliance with the United States and colluding with North Korea and China — viral content created by a popular right-wing pastor, the Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon.

In 1980, Chun Doo-hwan, the leader of the military junta that ruled the country at the time, justified imposing martial law by citing threats from “North Korean puppets” and “dangerous elements” at home.

As his own political troubles deepened in the wake of scandals and disaster, Mr. Yoon aligned himself more openly with the radicalized political right. He accused unfriendly journalists of spreading “fake news” and called his political enemies subscribers to “Communist totalitarianism.” He even appointed a right-wing YouTuber as head of the center for training government officials.

Long before Mr. Yoon’s declaration of martial law, some of the right-wing YouTubers had urged him to take such an action to deal with his domestic enemies. They also spread sinophobia, hinting that China was a secret manipulator of domestic politics in South Korea, including its elections. Rallies of his supporters often ring with calls for “expelling Chinese.” Mr. Yoon raised fears of Chinese spies while defending his martial law.

Mr. Yoon and right-wing YouTubers also argue that election results in South Korea are no longer trustworthy. Pro-Yoon supporters often carry signs saying “Stop the Steal,” borrowing a term made popular by people in the United States who falsely claimed that the ballot count for the 2020 presidential election was manipulated against Mr. Trump. One of them, Shin Eun-ju, 52, said she believed the vote fraud theory, citing “YouTube” as her source.

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Barricades separated the police from pro-Yoon supporters on Friday.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

The police and prosecutors, as well as the election authorities, have long dismissed the allegation as groundless. But when Mr. Yoon declared martial law, he also sent troops to the National Election Commission to investigate allegations of vote fraud. Military officers involved in his martial law decree had instructions, prosecutors said, to confiscate the commission’s computer servers and detain senior election monitors, tying, blindfolding and taking them to an underground military bunker for questioning about election fraud. (Martial law ended before any computers were seized or people taken away.)

Mr. Yoon and his lawyers have not commented on specific allegations, and they have broadly denied allegations of insurrection, calling his acts the legitimate exercise of presidential power.

“It’s clear that the president lost his mind to outlandish vote-fraud conspiracy theories while watching low-quality YouTube channels,” said Cho Gab-je, a prominent conservative journalist.

Mr. Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, said the allegations of rigged elections were strong and divisive enough to merit an investigation.

Google Korea said it manages YouTube contents according to its community guidelines.

Ironically, it was also YouTube that helped news of Mr. Yoon’s declaration of martial law go viral on the night of Dec. 3, prompting citizens to rush to the National Assembly to delay the advance of troops and buy time for opposition lawmakers to vote down the martial law.

“It was a clash between the different roles of algorithms,” Mr. Hong said. “Algorithms help information go viral, but also help make you a slave to it.”

Choe Sang-Hun is the lead reporter for The Times in Seoul, covering South and North Korea. More about Choe Sang-Hun

A version of this article appears in print on Jan. 5, 2025, Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: In South Korea, Fear, YouTube and Conspiracy Theories Kindle a Crisis. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

19. In South Korea, Blinken Affirms Alliance Amid Challenges Facing Democracies

In South Korea, Blinken Affirms Alliance Amid Challenges Facing Democracies

The U.S. secretary of state aimed to show that his country stood by South Korea as it grapples with a political crisis, and as Donald J. Trump returns to power.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/world/asia/south-korea-blinken-democracy-alliance.html

South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a meeting in Seoul on Monday.Credit...Pool photo by Lee Jin-Man

By Edward Wong and Choe Sang-Hun

The journalists reported from Seoul. Edward Wong is traveling with Antony J. Blinken on his final diplomatic trip, while Choe Sang-Hun has been covering the South Korean political crisis.

Jan. 6, 2025

Updated 6:02 a.m. ET

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and the foreign minister of South Korea, Cho Tae-yul, both acknowledged the challenges to democracy in their nations on Monday while asserting that the alliance between the countries remained strong despite ongoing political turmoil.

“Our relationship is bigger than any one leader, any one government, any one party,” Mr. Blinken said at a news conference with Mr. Cho, alluding to the change in leadership in both nations. The one in South Korea — in which the president was impeached after declaring martial law — took the world by surprise and is still playing out.

“I think what we’ve seen in our own country, as well as in other democracies that have faced challenges, there has been a response that has been openly transparent, that doesn’t pretend we don’t have problems or challenges, that confronts them, that confronts them directly,” Mr. Blinken added.

While Mr. Blinken met with South Korean officials, North Korea drew attention again to its growing nuclear missile threat by launching what the South Korean military called an intermediate-range ballistic missile off its east coast. North Korea last launched such a missile in April, followed by the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile in October.

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People watching the news at a station in Seoul, on Monday. North Korea launched a Ballistic Missile into the East Sea on Monday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. Credit...Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA, via Shutterstock

Mr. Blinken said Russia intends to aid North Korea by sharing space and satellite technology with Pyongyang — and possibly accepting the nuclear weapons program, which would be a reversal of decades of policy. Mr. Blinken first spoke publicly last year of the potential technology sharing by Moscow.

The deepening political crisis in South Korea, ignited last month by Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative politician who was elected president in 2022, has put Mr. Blinken and President Biden in a difficult position in the final days before President-elect Donald J. Trump assumes office for a second term. Mr. Yoon, impeached by the legislature on Dec. 14 after his surprise but short-lived declaration of martial law, is holed up in a hillside compound with presidential guards, resisting police who are trying to serve him with a detention warrant.

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Yoon Suk Yeol’s official residence in Seoul, on Friday.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Mr. Blinken said the United States had “serious concerns” about the actions last month of Mr. Yoon and had said so to the South Korean government.

Mr. Cho said the democratic guardrails in his country are holding, and that “the international community is focusing on the resilience, and that’s the right way to assess our society.”

Mr. Blinken noted that he was making his fourth visit to South Korea as secretary of state and his 21st to the Indo-Pacific region, and that this final diplomatic mission in his current post was bringing him full circle. He and Lloyd J. Austin III, the U.S. defense secretary, went to South Korea and Japan for joint meetings in 2021 on their first overseas trips as cabinet secretaries.

Mr. Blinken is on a marathon trip around the globe: He plans to have meetings in Japan on Tuesday, in France on Wednesday and in Italy on Thursday, before intersecting with Mr. Biden in Rome to visit Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday. Mr. Blinken met with the pope in November.

Mr. Biden, his top aides and U.S. intelligence agencies were blindsided by Mr. Yoon’s anti-democratic power grab. It has been an embarrassment for Mr. Biden — the American president had hailed Mr. Yoon as a champion of democracy and had chosen South Korea to host one of his pet projects, the Summit for Democracy, an initiative aimed at promoting global democratic strength. In March, Mr. Yoon presided over the third iteration in Seoul.

Mr. Biden feted Mr. Yoon at a state dinner in April 2023 in Washington, where the tuxedo-clad Mr. Yoon sang “American Pie” to an adoring audience. Along with Japan, South Korea is a decades-long American ally in East Asia, and bolstering those military alliances has been a crucial part of Mr. Biden’s strategy to constrain China. In August 2023, Mr. Biden hosted Mr. Yoon and then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan at Camp David to announce a new trilateral security arrangement among the three nations.

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President Joe Biden presenting Mr. Yoon with a guitar in honor of one of his favorite songs, Don McLean’s “American Pie,” during a State Dinner at the White House in 2023. The guitar was signed Mr. McLean. Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

The United States-South Korea alliance is also intended to deter North Korea, and Mr. Biden has relied on South Korea to help supply artillery shells for the Ukrainian military in its defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion. The shells go to Ukraine via the U.S. military.

When Mr. Yoon declared martial law on Dec. 3, the Biden administration expressed concern but refrained from denouncing Mr. Yoon, despite the fact that his move echoed Mr. Trump’s efforts to hold onto power after Mr. Biden’s election victory in 2020.

In fact, Mr. Yoon’s supporters, who gather in the streets daily by his compound, are drawing directly from Mr. Trump’s playbook — they carry signs that read “Stop the Steal” in English, a clear appeal to Mr. Trump for help, and chant the slogan at rallies. On Sunday, as Mr. Blinken was flying to Seoul, pro-democracy protesters seeking to remove Mr. Yoon from office amassed in fresh snow near the compound while Mr. Yoon’s supporters held counter-protests. Hundreds of police officers in neon-yellow jackets watched warily.

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Supporters of Mr. Yoon protesting on a street that leads to his official residence on Friday.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

On Monday morning, Mr. Blinken left his hotel, just blocks from the protests, and went to the presidential offices to meet with the acting president, Choi Sang-mok, who is also the deputy prime minister and finance minister. Then he had lunch with Mr. Cho, the foreign minister. Both Korean officials are career bureaucrats who were appointed to their posts by Mr. Yoon.

After the news conference with Mr. Cho, Mr. Blinken heard from the other side of the political divide. He went to the National Assembly building, where he met with Woo Won-shik, the assembly speaker and a member of the opposition party. Mr. Woo was on a list of political enemies that Mr. Yoon wanted soldiers to detain after imposing martial law, according to prosecutors.

Mr. Yoon’s suspension from office has left South Korea with no elected leader of its government, adding uncertainty to its diplomacy at a time when it faces much external uncertainty, including Mr. Trump’s skepticism of U.S. alliances and the growing nuclear hostility from North Korea.

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Mr. Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul attending a joint news conference in Seoul on Monday.Credit...Pool photo by Chung Sung-Jun

Both the acting president and the progressive opposition have committed themselves to the alliance with Washington as the domestic political turmoil continues. But Mr. Blinken has had to tread carefully on both sides of the political struggle here.

Mr. Yoon had been more enthusiastic about the U.S. alliance than any other South Korean leader in recent decades. That pleased both Mr. Biden and Mr. Yoon’s right-wing support base.

But he has long suffered dismal approval ratings. His efforts to improve ties with Japan, praised by Washington as a bold initiative that has made the trilateral partnership possible, did not go down well among most South Koreans.

His government sent police and prosecutors into the homes and offices of unfriendly journalists he accused of spreading “fake news.” He has used his presidential power to veto a series of opposition-led bills to investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of power involving him, his office and his wife. The opposition, meanwhile, used its majority power at the National Assembly to disrupt his budget plans and impeach officials and prosecutors deemed to be allies of Mr. Yoon.

If the Constitutional Court endorses Mr. Yoon’s impeachment in the coming months, he will be formally removed from office. He also faces separate criminal investigations. Prosecutors say he committed insurrection when he sent troops into the assembly to try to block it from voting down his martial law and to detain his political enemies.

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Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials walking toward Mr. Yoon’s official residence in Seoul, bypassing a bus that blocked the road on Friday.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Around the presidential residence, Mr. Yoon’s bodyguards built barricades with buses and concertina wire coils over the weekend to deter criminal investigators and police officers from entering the compound to serve a court-issued warrant to detain him for questioning. Investigators failed in their first attempt on Friday, and would not have tried again while Mr. Blinken was in Seoul. The secretary of state flew out early Monday evening, and residents of Seoul braced for another possible police raid.

Edward Wong reports on global affairs, U.S. foreign policy and the State Department. More about Edward Wong

Choe Sang-Hun is the lead reporter for The Times in Seoul, covering South and North Korea. More about Choe Sang-Hun

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

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."

Access NSS HERE

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