Best wishes to my ROK military colleagues on Armed Forces Day in South Korea.
Quotes of the Day:
"Irregular Warfare is conducted in support of predetermined United States policy and military objectives conducted by, with, and through regular forces, irregular forces, groups, and individuals participating in competition between state and non-state actors short of traditional armed conflict.”
-2017 National Defense Authorization Act
"Political warfare is the use of political means to compel an opponent to do one's will, based on hostile intent. The term political describes the calculated interaction between a government and a target audience to include another state's government, military, and/or general population. Governments use a variety of techniques to coerce certain actions, thereby gaining relative advantage over an opponent."
- Paul A. Smith, On Political War,1989
“The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”
- Garry Kasparov
1. N. Korea test-fires new anti-aircraft missile: state media
2. Blinken says N. Korea increasing instability, insecurity
3. N. Korea remains unresponsive to Seoul's calls after Kim's offer to restore hotlines
4. FM Chung dismisses Pyongyang's call for withdrawal of hostile policy as 'unilateral'
5. Kim Yo Jong expected to lead negotiations with S. Korea and US
6. A foolish and sad war (Korea)
7. What does Kim Yo-jong's SAC appointment mean?
8. What Would an End-of-War Declaration Mean for the United Nations Command?
9. N.Korea Dismisses U.S. Calls for Talks - North Korea
10. Navy SEAL takes command of US naval forces in South Korea
11. South Korea to Biden administration: North Korea is ‘strengthening’ its missile program
12. As North Korea Escalates, Biden Plays It Cool
13. N.K. leader vows support for China's fight against 'hostile forces'
14. Unification minister calls for Europe's role in peace process, humanitarian assistance to N.K.
15. North Korea’s missile tests fuel nuclear weapons talk among Seoul, Tokyo conservatives
16. N. Korea makes steady development on hypersonic missiles since establishing research institute and college earlier this year
17. Joint Message for ROK Armed Forces Day
1. N. Korea test-fires new anti-aircraft missile: state media
This is one of the very few tests of defensive weapons assuming the report is accurate.
(3rd LD) N. Korea test-fires new anti-aircraft missile: state media | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS experts' analysis, more info in paras 7-14)
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Friday it test-fired a new type of anti-aircraft missile a day earlier capable of downing air targets at longer distances with enhanced accuracy.
The North's Academy of Defence Science carried out the test aimed at "confirming the practicality of operation of the launcher, radar and comprehensive battle command vehicle as well as the comprehensive combat performance of the missile," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
The academy verified the "remarkable" combat performance of the new missile that features rapid response and guided accuracy with a missile control system as it introduced new technologies that included "twin-rudder control technology" and a "double-impulse flight engine," according to the KCNA.
The North has also been successful in substantially increasing the effective range of the missile, it added.
The twin-rudder control technology appears to be aimed at increasing mobility by attaching variable wings to the warhead and at the middle of the missile.
Pak Jong-chon, a member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the ruling Workers' Party, guided the launch. Leader Kim Jong-un did not attend the firing.
The new weapon seems to be an upgraded surface-to-air missile that was first showcased at a military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the North's ruling party foundation in October last year.
Experts say the North appears to be in the process of modernizing its aging air defense system to better counter threats from advanced weapons, such as F-35A stealth fighters.
"With a booster attached at the bottom, the new missile will be able to fly faster and longer than the existing KN-06 surface-to-air missile," Shin Jong-woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense Security Forum in Seoul, said.
Thursday's firing marked the North's fourth known major weapons test in less than a month and the seventh this year.
During a speech at the country's rubber-stamp parliament Wednesday, Kim said his country is "developing a powerful new weapon system capable of thoroughly containing the military moves of the hostile forces," and that its "ultra-modern weapons" are "being developed at an extremely fast speed."
"An analysis is under way on North Korea's report of the anti-aircraft missile test-launch," an official at South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
It was not immediately clear if the military knew in advance about the North's moves to test-fire the new missile.
Asked if there were any signs of preparations for additional missile launches from the North on Thursday, JCS spokesman Col. Kim Jun-rak said there were no activities to comment on as of then, adding the military was "monitoring related moves under close coordination with South Korea-U.S. intelligence authorities."
South Korea's unification ministry said it will continue efforts to restart inter-Korean talks while keeping a close watch on the North's next move.
"The unification ministry will keep a close eye on North Korea, as well as our military's further analysis, and continue our efforts to stably manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula by restoring the inter-Korean liaison communication lines and resuming dialogue," Cha Deok-cheol, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, told a regular press briefing.
North Korea has recently ratcheted up tensions by conducting its first test-launch of a hypersonic missile earlier this week, just two weeks after test-firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
The latest missile launch also comes as the North has signaled a willingness to improve ties with the South in recent weeks on the condition that Seoul drops its "double standards" of denouncing the North's "defensive" weapons tests while justifying its own arms build-up.
In the speech at the Supreme People's Assembly, leader Kim said that cross-border communication lines with South Korea will be restored in early October as part of efforts to improve chilled relations.
Kim also said the North has "neither aim nor reason" to provoke South Korea and urged Seoul to "get rid of the delusion" that it has to deter the North's provocations.
Inter-Korean relations have remained in a deadlock since the no-deal summit between the U.S. and North Korea in early 2019.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
scaaet@yna.co.kr
(END)
2. Blinken says N. Korea increasing instability, insecurity
My first thought when reading the headline was that we are now going to finally talk about internal instability and threats to the regime from within. But alas, that was not the focus of the SECSTATE's remarks on instability. Not that I am at all hoping for internal instability and regime collapse. I believe we need to be prepared for it because the effects will be catastrophic for the peninsula and the region.
(2nd LD) Blinken says N. Korea increasing instability, insecurity | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead to change attribution; UPDATES with additional details, minor changes in paras 3, 8-10)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday expressed concerns over North Korea's recent missile launches, saying the country is increasing insecurity and instability in the region.
It marks the first time the top U.S. diplomat commented directly on North Korea's recent missile launches.
"We're concerned about these repeated violations of Security Council resolutions that create, I think, greater prospects for instability and insecurity," Blinken told reporters after attending U.S.-EU trade talks in Pittsburgh, according to the State Department.
North Korea test fired what it claims to be a "hypersonic" glide vehicle on Tuesday, about two weeks after it test launched a short-range ballistic missile.
The U.S. has condemned both missile launches as violations of "multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions."
The North is prohibited from developing or testing any ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons.
Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, said earlier Thursday that the U.S. was still assessing the latest missile launch to confirm the type of missile launched but that the U.S. homeland would remain safe from a North Korean hypersonic missile even if turned out to be one.
Seoul earlier said the new North Korean missile appeared to be still in the development stage and thus can be intercepted by U.S. and South Korean missile defense assets.
Blinken emphasized the latest missile launch violated U.N. Security Council resolutions.
"On North Korea, we're evaluating and assessing the launches that you've referred to to understand exactly what they did, what technology they used," he said. "But regardless, we've seen repeated violations now of UN Security Council resolutions that the international community needs to take very seriously."
His remark comes one day before the U.N. Security Council is set to hold a meeting to discuss the North's recent missile launches.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
3. N. Korea remains unresponsive to Seoul's calls after Kim's offer to restore hotlines
Pick up the phone. Answer the damn phone.
(LEAD) N. Korea remains unresponsive to Seoul's calls after Kim's offer to restore hotlines | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with info on afternoon calls in lead, 3rd para)
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea remained unresponsive to South Korea's regular calls via military and liaison hotlines Friday after leader Kim Jong-un offered to restore severed cross-border communication lines in early October.
"North Korea did not answer the opening call through the inter-Korean liaison office at 9 a.m.," a unification ministry official said. The calls through military hotlines also went unanswered, another official said.
North Korea did not pick up afternoon calls at 5 p.m. either, they said.
Leader Kim told a session of the rubber-stamp parliament Wednesday that he will restore cross-border communication lines with South Korea in early October as part of efforts to improve chilled relations, Pyongyang's state media earlier reported Thursday.
North Korea blew up the liaison office in its border town of Kaesong created in 2018 to promote cross-border exchanges and unilaterally cut off all communication lines with South Korea in June last year in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent from the South.
The hotlines were back in operation in late July, but the North began refusing Seoul's regular calls again two weeks later as it bristled at joint military drills by South Korea and the U.S. that the North has long denounced as a rehearsal for invasion.
Seoul's unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs earlier said the reactivation of the hotlines will help address a host of pending issues between the two Koreas and expressed hope that the lines if restored will remain in operation in a stable manner going forward.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)
4. FM Chung dismisses Pyongyang's call for withdrawal of hostile policy as 'unilateral'
Seems like mixed messages from the Foreign Minister. There is a small attack on the regime's strategy, Unfortunately the words of the alliance and statements that we do not have a hostile policy mean nothing to the regime. The regime demands action to prove that we have no hostile policy. And unfortunately in the regime's view the hostile policy is exemplified by the alliance and presence of US troops.
Asl it is unfortunate that the Foriegn Minister has said it is time for sanctions relief. He just provided an indicator to Kim Jong-un that his blackmail diplomacy is working. We can not expect Kim to not back down or come to the table without the precondition that he demands, e.g., sanctions relief. Lifting sanctions will not achieve the desired or intended effect. It will not bring Kim to the negotiating table. He will double down on his political warfare strategy and continue blackmail diplomacy because he assesses they work.
I am really disappointed to read this statement. No one will read the two following sentences, they will only focus on the first. These are dangerous words.
"I think that now, time is ripe for the consideration of sanctions relief," he said.
But Chung stressed denuclearization as a major premise for the resumption of dialogue with the North.
"When it comes to the resumption of dialogue between the North and the U.S., the North's willingness to denuclearize and its enforcement of substantive steps toward denuclearization is a great premise," the minister said.
FM Chung dismisses Pyongyang's call for withdrawal of hostile policy as 'unilateral' | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Friday dismissed North Korea's demand for South Korea and the United States to withdraw "hostile policy" as "unilateral," reiterating the allies do not have such a policy toward the regime.
During a parliamentary audit session, Chung responded to a question of whether Seoul and Washington can accept Pyongyang's calls to remove what it terms the hostile policy and "double standards" -- a reference to the allies characterizing its missile launches as "provocations" while justifying their own missile activities as "deterrence."
Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, made the call in a statement last week, a move analysts said appeared to be intended to pressure the South to help the North secure sanctions relief and other benefits.
"I assess that Kim Yo-jong's statement calling for stopping the application of double standards is a unilateral claim by the North, which is not desirable," Chung said. "We and the U.S. have repeatedly stressed we do not have any hostile policy toward the North."
When asked if there is a need to ease anti-Pyongyang sanctions, the minister said, "Yes."
"I think that now, time is ripe for the consideration of sanctions relief," he said.
But Chung stressed denuclearization as a major premise for the resumption of dialogue with the North.
"When it comes to the resumption of dialogue between the North and the U.S., the North's willingness to denuclearize and its enforcement of substantive steps toward denuclearization is a great premise," the minister said.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
5. Kim Yo Jong expected to lead negotiations with S. Korea and US
Interesting speculation.
This paragraph provides some interesting insight. We can see the regime is focusing on splitting the ROK/US alliance. Competent and knowledgeable negotiators are not valued. And it appears the regime is working hard to elevate Kim Yo-jong's stature.
As Kim has been promoted to the SAC, North Korea may appoint new figures to be in charge of foreign affairs and strongly pursue the strategy of being close to the South while rejecting the U.S. “Instead of Choe Son Hui who is well-informed about the U.S., Kim Yo Jong who has been deeply involved in North Korea’s policies toward South Korea was promoted to the SAC,” said Jeong Seong-jang, the head of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute. “Kim will be able to deal with South Korea’s Minister of Unification or the U.S.’s Secretary of State as a member of the SAC, which is comparable to a minister.”
Kim Yo Jong expected to lead negotiations with S. Korea and US
Posted October. 01, 2021 07:30,
Updated October. 01, 2021 07:30
Kim Yo Jong expected to lead negotiations with S. Korea and US. October. 01, 2021 07:30. by Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com.
Kim Yo Jong, younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the Deputy Department Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, has joined the State Affairs Commission (SAC) of North Korea, the nation's top decision-making body. As Kim has secured her place as second-in-command, she is expected to lead negotiations with South Korea and the U.S. in the future.
According to Rodong Sinmun on Thursday, Kim Yo Jong has been promoted as a member of the SAC at the fifth meeting of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly held on Wednesday at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang. The SAC is North Korea’s top policy organization, overseeing overall state matters, including national projects, the appointment and dismissal of key officials, and the ratification and discarding of major treaties with foreign countries. It consists of about 15 core elite figures, including Kim Jong Un.
Experts believe that her external roles will be further strengthened as Kim Yo Jong has secured her position as second-in-command with the promotion. Earlier in January this year, Kim was removed as a candidate for the Political Bureau of the Central Committee at the eighth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. She was also demoted from first vice department director to vice department director. However, the South Korean intelligence authorities said that her status as a person overseeing matters related to South Korea and the U.S. has not changed and that she is practically second-in-command.
As Kim has been promoted to the SAC, North Korea may appoint new figures to be in charge of foreign affairs and strongly pursue the strategy of being close to the South while rejecting the U.S. “Instead of Choe Son Hui who is well-informed about the U.S., Kim Yo Jong who has been deeply involved in North Korea’s policies toward South Korea was promoted to the SAC,” said Jeong Seong-jang, the head of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute. “Kim will be able to deal with South Korea’s Minister of Unification or the U.S.’s Secretary of State as a member of the SAC, which is comparable to a minister.”
Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Cho Yong Won, who is close to Kim Jong Un, and top military commander Pak Jong Chon have also promoted to the SAC at the Supreme People's Assembly.
6. A foolish and sad war (Korea)
An interesting OpEd on the cause of the Korean War.
Excerpts:
While Stalin had a big picture in mind for a global chess game, Kim Il Sung and Mao Zedong each played a small game of their own. Even Henry Kissinger had been awed to discover the shrewd strategy of Stalin after the end of the Cold War.
The common lesson from numerous military revolutions and wars over the last century is that they resulted from foolishness of big powers. We must first look inwards. A Chinese film titled "The Sacrifice" about China's “heroic” engagement in the 1953 Battle of Kumsong — the last major battle of the Korean War — was approved for release in South Korea. Although the rating authorization was eventually cancelled, it is sad and foolish of someone to think of importing and approving the movie that portrayed a battle that killed 1,701 South Korean soldiers.
A foolish and sad war
Ra Jong-il
The author, a former ambassador to Japan, is a chair professor at Gachon University.
In his address marking the 70th anniversary last year of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, President Moon Jae-in referred to it as “the saddest war in the world history.” In my opinion, it had been a “foolish” — rather than “sad” — war. Can anything be honorable in a foolish war? The background of the Korean War became to be known after the dissolution of the Cold War. Before then, even reputable intellectuals regarded “undeniable facts” as “fake” due to ideological faith. Although in a negative light, the Korean War put South Korea at the top of the global agenda for the first time.
The origin of the war can be traced back to the early modern times of the West. In my book “The World and the Korean War” published in 2019, I borrowed a fable to explain how the conflicts between “freedom” and “equality” and the history of immigration had panned out at the 38th parallel of the Korean Peninsula. More simply put, the war was a result of a contest of geopolitical expansion by superpowers arising from World War II. Russia sought expansion to the east for over a century, while the United States reached out to the west. The two behemoths met on the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia. To them, the location itself was not important. They just did not want to lose it to the other side.
Most people think that Soviet leader Josef Stalin permitted the invasion after repeated urging by North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. But it is a misunderstanding. Stalin played the main role in the war. He disagreed with Kim’s plan for invasion until the late 1949. Stalin did not want to confront the United States over the peninsula, which did not matter much at the time. But his thought changed after the rise of China from the Communist Revolution.
A poster of a Chinese film about the 1953 Battle of Kumsong. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
As Stalin hoped China would be preoccupied by a civil war, he ambiguously supported both of the rivalling parties in China.
Once the Communist Party of China triumphed beyond expectations, Stalin wanted to protect Soviet interest across the northeast region of China he was able to gain from the Nationalist Party. He also had to stop the rise of a united China which could threaten the Soviet-led communist bloc. But the new Chinese leadership was not an easy contender, the result of which was the outbreak of the Korean War.
North Korea’s founding father Kim Il Sung desperately wanted to command over the peninsula by unifying South and North Korea. Stalin had more to gain than lose from a war. If Kim succeeded with his war, Stalin’s influence could prevail over the Korean Peninsula and shake the strategies of Japan and the United States. The U.S. without any thought of a ground war could struggle if it was lured into the engagement. And if the U.S. joined in the war, China would have to interfere. China would be too engrossed with the war to pursue its goal to unify Taiwan. In the meantime, Stalin could go on with his scheme in strategically important Europe.
While Stalin had a big picture in mind for a global chess game, Kim Il Sung and Mao Zedong each played a small game of their own. Even Henry Kissinger had been awed to discover the shrewd strategy of Stalin after the end of the Cold War.
The common lesson from numerous military revolutions and wars over the last century is that they resulted from foolishness of big powers. We must first look inwards. A Chinese film titled "The Sacrifice" about China's “heroic” engagement in the 1953 Battle of Kumsong — the last major battle of the Korean War — was approved for release in South Korea. Although the rating authorization was eventually cancelled, it is sad and foolish of someone to think of importing and approving the movie that portrayed a battle that killed 1,701 South Korean soldiers.
Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
7. What does Kim Yo-jong's SAC appointment mean?
Some various interpretations. Who knows the meaning of Kim Yo Jong's promotion? Only Kim knows. :-)
What does Kim Yo-jong's SAC appointment mean?
By Jung Da-min
North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, had been appointed as a member of the State Affairs Commission, along with seven other new members, in part of a shake-up of the country's top government organization.
Yonhap
The appointment of Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, to the country's top government organization, has yielded many interpretations regarding her growing presence in the country's politics.
Some North Korea watchers believe she is solidifying her political standing by earning an official title as a member of the State Affairs Commission (SAC).
Kim's appointment to the SAC was reported by the country's state-run Korean Central News Agency, Thursday, along with the adding of seven other new members, in part of a shake-up of the SAC. Nine members were retired or demoted, including 82-year-old Park Pong-ju, a veteran economic official.
Kim Yo-jong has been considered the country's de facto second-in-command, with responsibility for relations with South Korea and the United States, regardless of her official title in the country's ruling Workers' Party of Korea or any government bodies. But as the SAC, headed by her brother, is the country's top government organization that oversees the policies of large sectors, including security and diplomacy as well as economy and social issues, some North Korea watchers say that her promotion could indicate her growing role in running state affairs overall.
Some experts have also said that Kim Yo-jong's solidifying political status could indicate that North Korea wants to engage in diplomacy with South Korea more actively than before, instead of talking directly to the U.S., considering the fact that Kim Yo-jong's role has been focused on relations with South Korea in particular.
Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, said: "With her official title as a SAC member, Kim Yo-Jong will be able to hold meetings with the South Korean unification minister or U.S. secretary of state."
However, other North Korea watchers have said that the recent SAC reshuffling was not particularly centered on Kim Yo-jong.
Fyodor Tertitskiy, a leading researcher at Kookmin University's Institute for Korean Studies, said: "I would not say it is a particularly meaningful event. The SAC as an organization is pretty powerless, as is any organization chaired by the Supreme Leader, as no one can overrule him, so I think it is more of a pat on the back than an actual promotion. She is even listed last on the rather long list of officials. This shakeup is probably not mainly about her."
8. What Would an End-of-War Declaration Mean for the United Nations Command?
Interesting analysis. The UN Command is one of the most misunderstood organizations.
But here is the buried lede. We absolutely must not agree to an end of war declaration without conditions in place that enhance the security of the ROK. An end of war declaration with the 4th largest army in the world that is offensively postured that does not include conventional force reductions along the DMZ will put the ROK at greater risk.
Although it is impossible to determine exactly the deterrent effect of the UNC, the historical provision of forces by 16 U.N. member states and their future commitment (albeit non-binding and nearly 70 years old) demonstrate multinational opposition to North Korean hostilities. The United States and South Korea will likely require conditions that North Korea must first meet before agreeing to an end-of-war declaration, but it will be much easier for North Korea to renege on those conditions than to reestablish a multinational coalition after disestablishing the UNC. The latter will undoubtedly be nearly impossible absent unforeseen and catastrophic circumstances.
What Would an End-of-War Declaration Mean for the United Nations Command?
If the armistice agreement is no longer valid, what would be the UNC’s role, if any, on the Korean Peninsula?
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For over 70 years, United Nations Command (UNC) has served as a multinational deterrent in preventing the simmering tension on the Korean Peninsula from boiling over into another wider conflict. With recent statements on a potential end-of-war declaration by the United States, South Korea, North Korea, and China, it is high time to consider the implications of such a declaration on the UNC.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in explained that “the end-of-war declaration would be a political statement that would announce that the longstanding hostile relations between Pyongyang and Washington has ended,” which would presumably pave the way for negotiations for a peace treaty. While there are concerns that an end-of-war declaration would raise doubts about the “rationale for the U.S. defense posture in South Korea,” the two are distinct topics that require negotiations or consultations among different parties. What is less clear is the future of the UNC if the South Korea-U.S. alliance and North Korea are not at war with each other.
Two days after the onset of the Korean War, on June 27, 1950, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 83, which recommended “that the Members of the United Nations furnish such assistance to the Republic of Korea as may be necessary to repel the armed attack and to restore international peace and security in the area.” Ten days later, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 84, recommending “that all Members providing military forces and other assistance pursuant to the aforesaid Security Council resolutions [82 and 83] make such forces and assistance available to a unified commander under the United States of America,” which would “designate the commander of such forces.” Furthermore, the unified command was authorized “at its discretion to use the United Nations flag in the course of operations against North Korean forces.” Thus the UNC was born.
A week later, on July 15, the then South Korean President Rhee Syngman “assign[ed] to [General MacArthur] command authority over all land, sea, and air forces of the Republic of Korea during the period of the continuation of the present state of hostilities.”
Upon the cessation of hostilities of the Korean War, representatives from the UNC, (North) Korean People’s Army, and Chinese People’s Volunteer Army signed the armistice agreement. As a signatory to the agreement, the UNC is responsible for its provisions, such as the enforcement of “a complete cessation of all hostilities in Korea by all armed forces under their control” and administration and oversight of the demilitarized zone south of the military demarcation line.
As the South Korean military developed its capabilities in the following decades, the South Korea-U.S. alliance agreed that South Korea should increase its role in the defense planning structure and established in 1978 the binational Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command (CFC). The CFC assumed warfighting responsibility from the UNC, which means that if hostilities were to resume on the Korean Peninsula, the commander of the CFC would command American and South Korean forces. The UNC’s role thus “shifted to maintaining and enforcing the Armistice Agreement” and “coordinating…and integrating multinational military forces in support of the combined forces of South Korea and the United Nations Command.”
An end-of-war declaration would presumably supersede the armistice agreement, which only assures the cessation of hostilities (which has previously been broken on multiple occasions) in an ongoing war. If the armistice agreement is no longer valid, what would be the UNC’s role, if any, with an end-of-war declaration? There may also be calls to rescind U.N. Security Council Resolutions 83 and 84 in the absence of war on the Korean Peninsula. As these resolutions legitimized the establishment of the UNC, can it continue to exist if they are no longer in effect?
Although it is impossible to determine exactly the deterrent effect of the UNC, the historical provision of forces by 16 U.N. member states and their future commitment (albeit non-binding and nearly 70 years old) demonstrate multinational opposition to North Korean hostilities. The United States and South Korea will likely require conditions that North Korea must first meet before agreeing to an end-of-war declaration, but it will be much easier for North Korea to renege on those conditions than to reestablish a multinational coalition after disestablishing the UNC. The latter will undoubtedly be nearly impossible absent unforeseen and catastrophic circumstances.
As the South Korea-U.S. alliance continues to develop and the two countries’ relations with other regional and international actors also enter new stages, they must be open to new means “to strengthen the fabric of peace in the Pacific area.” Sometimes that will require significant shifts in ways of thinking and organizational structures. Leaders, however, must consider all potential implications and weigh their benefits and drawbacks. Otherwise, they may risk achieving a nominal political victory while sacrificing a longtime security guarantor.
9. N.Korea Dismisses U.S. Calls for Talks - North Korea
I have only one question:
In support of his strategy do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the objective to split the ROK/US Alliance and get US forces off the peninsula? Has KJU given up his divide to conquer strategy - divide the alliance to conquer the ROK?
N.Korea Dismisses U.S. Calls for Talks - North Korea
October 01, 2021 08:08
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has dismissed the United States’ offer to resume a dialogue but says he is open to improving ties with South Korea.
In a speech published Thursday in North Korean state media, Kim said the willingness of the U.S. to hold talks was only a “show” to cover up what he called Washington’s “hostile policy.”
“There is no change in the U.S. military threat to and hostile policy toward us at all, and instead, their expressions and methods get more cunning,” Kim said, according to the [North] Korean Central News Agency.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly called for North Korea to resume negotiations, stalled since 2019, on the country’s nuclear program.
Responding to Kim’s speech, the State Department stressed in an e-mail to the VOA Korean Service that the U.S. “harbors no hostile intent” toward North Korea. “Our policy calls for a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy with [North Korea] to make tangible progress that increases the security of the United States, our allies, and our deployed forces. We are prepared to meet with [the North] without preconditions. We hope [North Korea] will respond positively to our outreach,” the U.S. statement read.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a speech in Pyongyang, in this undated photo released by the official [North] Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 30, 2021.
Kim delivered his speech Wednesday, the same day North Korea announced the details of its latest weapons test, which involved a new hypersonic missile apparently designed to evade U.S. missile defenses. North Korea has conducted three missile tests this month, even as it signals it is open to dialogue with its neighbor South Korea.
In his speech, Kim said he would consider reestablishing communications hotlines with South Korea starting in early October. Pyongyang opened the hotlines in late July for the first time in about a year, but it severed them two weeks later, after the U.S. and South Korea decided to move ahead with annual joint military drills that North Korea sees as a provocation.
Earlier this week, Kim Yo-jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of Kim Jong-un, said Pyongyang would also consider an inter-Korean summit as well as a formal declaration ending the Korean War of 1950-53.
The moves create a tricky situation for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a left-leaning politician who wants to resume talks with North Korea before his single presidential term expires in May.
The North’s strategy is unsurprising to many analysts, who say Pyongyang wants to both build up its nuclear deterrent and put pressure on the U.S.-South Korea alliance. “There’s nothing new here,” said Jenny Town, a North Korea specialist with the Washington-based Stimson Center. Though it’s not clear if the coming months will see the reestablishment of inter-Korean talks, Pyongyang has hinted it will not stop its weapons tests anytime soon.
In a speech Monday at the United Nations General Assembly, North Korean diplomat Kim Song defended his country’s nuclear missile advancement, calling it a response to the “hostile policy” of the United States and South Korea.
“Nobody can deny the righteous right to self-defense for (North Korea) to develop, test, manufacture and possess the weapons systems equivalent to the ones which are possessed or being developed by” the United States and South Korea, Kim said.
The North Korean ambassador also condemned the presence of U.S. troops in South Korea, recent U.S.-South Korea military exercises and South Korea’s military buildup.
10. Navy SEAL takes command of US naval forces in South Korea
An interesting development. I cannot recall a SEAL taking command of a significant non-SOF naval organization. I wonder if this was a request from General LaCamera based on their past service together at JSOC (but probably not as this assignment was likely in the works before he took command in July).
Navy SEAL takes command of US naval forces in South Korea
Rear Adm. Mark Schafer, center, salutes the head of U.S. Forces Korea, Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, after taking command of Naval Forces Korea in Busan, South Korea, Sept. 29, 2021. The outgoing commander, Rear Adm. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly, stands at left. (Michael Chen/U.S. Navy)
A Navy special warfare officer and former operations director for the Joint Special Operations Command has taken charge of U.S. naval assets in the Korean Peninsula.
Rear Adm. Mark Schafer, a Navy SEAL, became the latest commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea on Wednesday, relieving Rear Adm. Buzz Donnelly, a former aircraft carrier commander who served in the position for two years.
“I am excited and honored to be carrying on the legacy of this command and its rich history that dates back to its establishment in July 1957,” Schafer said during the ceremony at the headquarters of South Korea’s navy, according to a press release. “The superiority of the combined team is a testament to Rear Adm. Donnelly’s leadership.”
In departing remarks, Donnelly said he “could not have asked for a more professionally or personally rewarding experience here in Korea,” according to the release. He was awarded the Legion of Merit during the change-of-command ceremony by U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Paul LaCamera.
“I am confident in the team that Rear Adm. Schafer is inheriting and am excited for what the future holds for the Forces and Region teams under his leadership,” Donnelly said.
Schafer represents all Navy assets on the Korean Peninsula and acts as a liaison between the two allies’ navies. The New York native graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994 and has served with SEAL Team 2, SEAL Team 4 and the Naval Special Warfare Development Group.
Roughly 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea. The U.S. Navy has one installation on the peninsula, Chinhae Naval Base, near Busan on the southern coast. About 300 personnel are assigned there.
David Choi
11. South Korea to Biden administration: North Korea is ‘strengthening’ its missile program
I would ask the ROK and US to consider the north Korea strategy and not fall into its trap that is designed to drive a wedge in the alliance. The call by the FM for "incentives" likely has Kim smiling because he thinks it will either result in concessions for him and if it does not it will generate significant friction in the alliance as the US resists the ROK push for sanctions relief.
South Korea to Biden administration: North Korea is ‘strengthening’ its missile program
NEW YORK — South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is calling on the U.S. government to detail more specific incentives it might offer North Korea in face-to-face negotiations, warning the Biden administration that Pyongyang is using the long-stalled talks to improve its missile and nuclear capabilities.
“If we let the status quo continue, it will lead to the strengthening of North Korean missile capabilities,” Chung said during an interview at the South Korean mission to the United Nations in New York. “We are very concerned about it.”
Chung’s remarks came on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last week, where North Korea’s top diplomat accused the Biden administration of hostility and demanded that it end military exercises with South Korea.
Negotiations aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear program have been frozen since February 2019. The Biden administration has said it will meet with North Korean officials anytime, anywhere, without preconditions, to discuss denuclearization. Pyongyang insists on the lifting of U.S. sanctions while claiming the right to develop its nuclear weapons program, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un considers a deterrent to U.S. aggression.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has tied his legacy to improving relations with North Korea. But with only one year left in his tenure and little progress to show on a denuclearization deal, his desire to resume talks between Washington and Pyongyang has become more acute.
Chung said the two main impediments to talks was “distrust” between the two sides and North Korea’s self-imposed isolation as it tries to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“Distrust cannot be overcome with a single stroke,” he said. He recommended that the Biden administration spell out the “concrete things” it can offer North Korea at the negotiating table, such as a declaration that would formally bring an end to the 1950-1953 Korean War, which concluded with a cease-fire rather than a peace deal.
A senior U.S. official rejected the idea that the Biden administration has not offered specifics to the North Koreans, blaming the stalemate on Pyongyang’s lack of response to U.S. overtures.
“We are seeking serious and sustained diplomacy with the DPRK and are prepared to meet without preconditions,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic efforts. “In our outreach we have made specific proposals for discussion with the DPRK but have not received a response.”
Analysts worry that North Korea may be attempting to substitute direct talks for a high-level summit, which did not produce results during President Donald Trump’s three meetings with Kim.
“It will be very problematic if North Korean negotiators are not allowed to discuss the nuclear issue with President Biden’s envoy, Sung Kim, as was the case during the Trump years,” said Duyeon Kim, a Korea expert at the Center for a New American Security.
“Pyongyang needs to empower its negotiators and allow negotiations to function properly, rather than trying to force a summit from the get-go.”
In an effort to improve the atmosphere for talks, Moon pushed for an end-of-war declaration during his speech last week at the U.N. General Assembly. But the offer was rebuffed by Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader’s powerful sister, who said the proposal was an “interesting and an admirable idea” but premature.
Critics of Moon have said his pursuit of better relations with North Korea is naive. They say the North only pursues dialogue in the hopes of sanctions relief and has never been serious about denuclearization.
“Moon Jae-in’s government should not try to rush for an outcome that they can use for the upcoming election,” Lee Jun-seok, the chairman of South Korea’s opposition People Power Party, said in an interview. “We now know that even with the two inter-Korean summits [between Moon and Kim], nothing really changed during the Moon Jae-in administration, so we believe that another inter-Korean summit or an end-of-war declaration is unlikely to bring any change in inter-Korean relations.”
Kim announced on Thursday that a cross-border communication line with South Korea would be restored in early October. In a speech before the country’s rubber-stamp parliament, Kim said the restoration of ties, which had been largely dormant for more than a year, would contribute to the Korean people’s wish for peace and security.
When asked about Kim’s hotline remarks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Thursday that “if there are any measures that can appropriately reduce the risk that exists, that probably makes sense.” He added that the agency remains “very concerned” about North Korea’s missile launches, which amount to “repeated violations” of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Chung said North Korea’s concerns about the spread of the coronavirus have fueled its opposition to engagement. “It’s one of the main reasons,” Chung said. “They are afraid of outside contact.”
This has resulted in problems for countries trying to send supplies and diplomatic personnel to their embassies in Pyongyang, he said. China, for instance, appointed a new ambassador to North Korea this year, but he has been unable to travel to the country.
Kim has also turned down foreign vaccine donations offered by a U.N.-backed immunization program, worrying world health officials. Chung said Seoul has communicated that it is willing to help North Korea with a coronavirus response. One reason Pyongyang may have rejected the vaccine, he said, is that it doesn’t have the medical infrastructure to disseminate the shots “and they know it.”
Meanwhile, questions remain about what North Korea claims was its first-ever hypersonic missile launch. One person close to the South Korean government said Seoul is still analyzing the trajectory of the missile but thinks it is an extension of existing missiles such as Hwasung 7 and Hwasung 9, which use liquid fuel.
U.S. defense officials have also yet to reach any conclusions about Tuesday’s launch.
“We are assessing the specific nature of the recent launch event,” said a U.S. defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters. “We take any new capability seriously, and as we’ve said, we condemn any illicit missile launches, which are destabilizing to the region and to the international community.”
Despite the tactical differences, Chung praised the Biden administration’s thorough consultations and said frequent meetings with Blinken has meant the two allies remain in sync.
“We have been very frank with each other and we are completely on the same page,” Chung said.
Michelle Ye Hee Lee in Tokyo contributed to this report.
12. As North Korea Escalates, Biden Plays It Cool
Don't overreact and attack the enemy's strategy. We need more emphasis on the latter.
As North Korea Escalates, Biden Plays It Cool
By Shaun Tandon Barron's3 min
During their only meeting, Barack Obama warned Donald Trump that North Korea would be the most pressing problem, setting the new president on a whiplash policy course that went from threatening war to wooing young leader Kim Jong Un.
Four years later, President Joe Biden is showing no such urgency -- and much more predictability -- even as the authoritarian state steps up both rocket launches and rhetoric.
The Biden administration has repeatedly said it is willing to resume talks without preconditions but it also shows little interest in enticing North Korea, which wants an end to sweeping sanctions.
North Korea for Biden is "still a priority issue but also a no-win kind of scenario," said Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center.
More proactive diplomacy would open Biden to accusations either that he is rewarding "bad behavior" or that he went too far or not far enough.
"If you're looking at how much political capital is the administration willing to spend on this issue, especially after Afghanistan, it's probably not very high," she said.
North Korea said recent tests included a new hypersonic missile, whose speed would be a potential game-changer, and Kim called the US offer of talks a "petty trick."
Trump had sought a wide-ranging agreement with North Korea, with which the United States remains technically still at war, but his three meetings failed to produce more than promises by Kim to hold off on nuclear and long-range missile testing.
"The last thing Kim Jong Un is going to want is another high-profile diplomatic failure at a time when they're having economic hardships and Covid-related hardship," Town said.
In an April policy review, the Biden administration said it was willing to engage North Korea and be flexible.
The policy appeared to be different both from Trump's pageantry and, at least on paper, from Obama's concept of "strategic patience," or waiting indefinitely until North Korea budges.
Few North Korea watchers believe that Kim will accept US demands to give up the nuclear arsenal, seen as an ultimate guarantor of security.
But Jacob Stokes, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said the Biden administration could still negotiate an end to provocative behavior such as tests.
The challenge "is can you shelve the long-term question long enough to make interim progress," Stokes said.
If North Korea wants to keep up "aggressive provocations until the United States and South Korea provide a bunch of unilateral upfront concessions as the price of even getting to the negotiating table, that's very unlikely to work," he said.
North Korea has nonetheless taken small steps to ease tensions with South Korea, including restoring a military hotline.
The Biden administration has put a priority on allies South Korea and Japan and backed efforts by the South's dovish president, Moon Jae-In.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday he supported any South Korean efforts that can "reduce the risks," even as the United States prepared to take North Korea before the UN Security Council.
Ken Gause, who directs the adversary analytics program at the CNA research organization, said North Korea appeared to be following a two-track approach of raising the stakes with the United States while hoping South Korea can push diplomacy forward.
"North Korea has a game plan -- to push the US off strategic patience and to get them to put sanctions relief on the table. That's why they reject unconditional talks," Gause said.
He said that the previous administration -- "completely for reasons that had to do with Trump's mindset" -- found a more productive way to engage North Korea, but ultimately failed by focusing on pressure rather than incentives.
He feared that the Biden administration, filled with veteran policymakers, will not "think out of the box."
"For the last 40-50 years, we have framed this problem as a bilateral, black-and-white zero-sum game on the Korean peninsula -- you win, we lose, we win, you lose. That's where we are now."
sct/bfm
13. N.K. leader vows support for China's fight against 'hostile forces'
Note: Support to the party (not support to China)
Perhaps Kim thinks this will ensure support from Xi. We should also consider how north Korea can be a spoiler in great power competition.
N.K. leader vows support for China's fight against 'hostile forces' | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged support for China's fight against "hostile forces' frantic anti-China confrontational moves" in a message he sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping to celebrate the 72nd founding anniversary of the ally, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday.
"The message expressed belief that the Chinese nation's dream of rejuvenation will surely come true as there are the socialist idea with the Chinese characteristics for the new times," the Korean Central News Agency said.
"The DPRK government and people will firmly support the Chinese party, government and people in their just struggle to defeat the hostile forces' frantic anti-China confrontational moves and defend the sovereignty, right to development and territorial integrity of the country," Kim was also quoted as saying.
The DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Kim did not specify what the hostile forces are but he apparently referred to the United States amid a deepening rivalry between the two most powerful countries in the world.
His support for China comes two days after Kim slammed the U.S. for its hostile policy against Pyongyang and causing international relations to be "reduced to the structure of neo-Cold War" during a session of his rubber-stamp parliamentary meeting held Wednesday.
In the message to Xi, Kim also expressed the belief that the traditionally friendly and cooperation ties between the two countries will "steadily develop in conformity" with their "common desire."
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)
14. Unification minister calls for Europe's role in peace process, humanitarian assistance to N.K.
How about the unification process? Why doesn't the mInister stay in his lane?
Unification minister calls for Europe's role in peace process, humanitarian assistance to N.K. | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Lee In-young on Friday asked Europe to support South Korea's efforts in advancing the peace process on the peninsula, his office said Friday.
Lee met with Jutta Urpilainen and Janez Lenarcic of the European Commission in Belgium on Thursday and requested Europe play a "more active role" in providing humanitarian assistance to the North and in building trust among the two Koreas and the United States.
The two sides discussed "creative ways" to cooperate and shared the view that humanitarian aid should be delivered to the North amid the COVID-19 pandemic regardless of the current security situation, the ministry said.
Lee also stressed the need for the international community to stay open to easing sanctions in the humanitarian field during his meeting with Witold Waszczykowski, vice-chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, and with the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula.
Lee is scheduled to visit Sweden on Friday to meet with Foreign Minister Ann Linde and government officials in charge of the Korean Peninsula to seek Sweden's support in inter-Korean relations.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
15. North Korea’s missile tests fuel nuclear weapons talk among Seoul, Tokyo conservatives
I do not think this makes Kim shake in his boots. He looks at the ROK and Japan talking about going nuclear as another way to attack alliances. He sees opportunity in this, not deterrence. What better to ensure there is no trilateral cooperation than for either the ROK or Japan or both to seek nuclear weapons. And then there is the effect within each country's domestic politics.
I fear we cannot see the effects of the regime's political warfare strategy and actions.
North Korea’s missile tests fuel nuclear weapons talk among Seoul, Tokyo conservatives
- Worries over Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal have been buoyed by uncertainties over Washington’s security commitments to the region and China’s rise
- A report by ex-presidential adviser Moon Chung-in says Tokyo and Seoul should improve relations as part of avoiding a ‘nuclear domino’ effect in the region
+ FOLLOW
Published: 11:11am, 1 Oct, 2021
North Korea’s expansion of nuclear and missile capabilities have encouraged conservatives in the South and Japan to support nuclear rearmament, a Seoul-based former presidential adviser has said.
Moon Chung-in, head of the Sejong Institute, said that such talk has been buoyed by uncertainties over Washington’s security commitment to the region and China’s rise.
He pointed to estimates that found Pyongyang could increase its nuclear arsenal by six to twelve warheads a year as part of its second strike capability against the US mainland and to deter action against it by South Korean and American forces in the region.
Further assertive moves by the hermit kingdom could “bring back pronuclear sentiment in South Korea’s public opinion”, Moon said, though he acknowledged that a “nuclear domino” effect was unlikely.
“Japan and South Korea possess fissile materials and technological capabilities,” said Moon Chung-in, who has provided counsel to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
But “both Japanese and South Korean governments are fully committed to their non-nuclear stance and have resisted being drawn into loose talk of nuclear weapons proliferation,” he added in a report published on Friday by the advocacy group, Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (APLN).
North Korea, which conducted its first nuclear test in 2006, has fissile materials of both plutonium highly enriched uranium and a stockpile of about 30 to 60 warheads.
The East Asian nation’s delivery capabilities have remarkably improved over the years. It has produced missiles of various ranges including intercontinental ballistic missiles ICBMs (Hwasong-15) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. North Korea has also miniaturised its warheads, making them smaller and lighter.
North Korea’s test launch of railway-borne missile sparks international alarm
In addition to test-launching numerous missiles, Pyongyang has conducted six rounds of nuclear testing, culminating in the successful testing of what it claimed a hydrogen bomb in 2017. The country claimed it launched a hypersonic missile this week though experts were doubtful that the firing was a success.
North Korea also test-fired a newly developed anti-aircraft missile on Thursday.
While President Moon has made clear that pursuing a nuclear path will give rise to issues, including its efforts to denuclearise the North, Seoul is set to have a presidential election next May where the opposition People Power Party (PPP) has a different view on nuclear armament.
The PPP has consistently argued in favour of Seoul being equipped to counter the nuclear-armed North with weapons of its own, even though the US has extended nuclear deterrence guarantees to South Korea and Japan, its security allies, under the “nuclear umbrella”.
Hong Joon-pyo, a top PPP candidate expected to run for president, said that if the US refused to share its “nuclear button” or the authorisation to carry out a nuclear strike with South Korea, then Seoul would have to consider going nuclear. As for public opinion in the South, it fluctuates in accordance with changes in inter-Korean relations.
In Japan, where the scars of the World War II atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima are deeply etched in people’s minds, citizens are opposed to nuclear armament and the government has stuck to its non-proliferation stance.
However, conservative politicians have become more vocal about the need for a public debate on Japan’s independent possession of nuclear weapons to protect the country’s interests.
Harry J. Kazianis, senior director at the Washington-based Center for the National Interest, said it was “very natural, albeit clearly terrifying” that with North Korea developing a sizeable nuclear weapons arsenal, Japan and South Korea would have scholar and politicians calling for their governments to match those capabilities.
“Sadly, due to America’s botched withdrawal in Afghanistan, it seems both nations are more concerned than ever before, leading them both to look for ways to enhance their security – and some think nuclear weapons could be the answer,” he added.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said while South Korea and Japan had the technology to develop nuclear weapons, domestic support for doing so was only “hypothetical”.
“[This] would evaporate once the exorbitantly high economic and political costs became clear,” he said.
There are now an estimated nine states that possess nuclear weapons, and while the US and Russia signed a Cold War-era arms control agreement, growing strategic competition has led Washington to push for China to be part of the treaty.
Easley said he believed that eventually “international pressure will build for Beijing to join new arms control arrangements”.
Moon Chung-in – the ex-presidential adviser – pointed to the factors that had deterred Japan and South Korea from moving towards nuclear armament, including “fear of international sanctions and negative impacts on their economy and the civilian atomic industry, a potential rupture in their ties with the US, and a dangerous nuclear arms race on the Korean peninsula”.
But it was still essential for parties to prevent a “nuclear domino effect” in Northeast Asia by easing tensions in the security environment and resolving the issue of denuclearisation of Pyongyang peacefully.
Tokyo and Seoul should improve their ties – which have been roiled by disputes over history and territory – as “protracted antagonistic confrontation between the two countries becomes a breeding ground for a nuclear arms race”, Moon said.
The US should also assure both allies of adequate extended deterrence and slow down the strategic arms race in the region, he added.
16. N. Korea makes steady development on hypersonic missiles since establishing research institute and college earlier this year
Excerpts:
This basically means North Korea has been making steady development progress since Daily NK reported that the country was accelerating missile development by establishing a weapons development lab and creating a new college on hypersonic missile technology at Kim Jong Un National Defense University earlier this year.
“In the first test-launch, national defence scientists confirmed the navigational control and stability of the missile in the active section and also its technical specifications including the guiding maneuverability and the gliding flight characteristics of the detached hypersonic gliding warhead,” explained the KCNA. “The test results proved that all the technical specifications met the design requirements.”
N. Korea makes steady development on hypersonic missiles since establishing research institute and college earlier this year - Daily NK
For the first time, North Korea has tested a newly developed hypersonic missile.
“The Academy of Defence Science of the DPRK test-fired a hypersonic missile Hwasong-8 newly developed by it in Toyang-ri, Ryongrim County of Chagang Province on Tuesday morning,” the KCNA reported Wednesday.
Flying at over Mach 5 (6,120 km/h, or five times faster than the speed of sound), hypersonic missiles are considered next-generation weapons that defeat existing missile defense networks.
This basically means North Korea has been making steady development progress since Daily NK reported that the country was accelerating missile development by establishing a weapons development lab and creating a new college on hypersonic missile technology at Kim Jong Un National Defense University earlier this year.
“In the first test-launch, national defence scientists confirmed the navigational control and stability of the missile in the active section and also its technical specifications including the guiding maneuverability and the gliding flight characteristics of the detached hypersonic gliding warhead,” explained the KCNA. “The test results proved that all the technical specifications met the design requirements.”
It added, “The development of this weapon system which has been regarded as a top priority work under the special care of the Party’s Central Committee is of great strategic significance in markedly boosting the independent power of ultra-modern defence science and technology of the country and in increasing the nation’s capabilities for self-defence in every way.”
Reporting on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s report to the Eighth Party Congress in January, North Korea revealed that “the tasks were brought up to develop and introduce hypersonic gliding flight warheads in a short period.” What North Korea pledged early this year, it has put into practice.
The KCNA also noted that the hypersonic missile test saw North Korea’s first adoption of missile fuel ampoules.
Fuel ampoules are small, airtight glass capsules. They are generally used to protect pharmaceuticals or chemical compounds from contamination. It appears North Korea has developed technology to store liquid rocket fuel in ampoules, which they affix to the missiles. This method could drastically reduce the time it would take to fuel a missile for launch.
Meanwhile, North Korea stressed that its missile development resulted from its own planning targets.
The KCNA reported, “The development of the hypersonic missile, one of 5 top-priority tasks of the five-year plan facing the field of strategic weapon for the development of defence science and weapon system set forth at the 8th Congress of the Party, has been pushed forward according to a sequential, scientific and reliable development process.”
This appears intended to make clear the launch was not a provocation, but a weapons development program pursued for self-defense.
This is in line with recent comments by Vice Department Director of the Central Committee Kim Yo Jong.
In a statement Saturday, Kim said, “The US and south Korean-style double standards towards the DPRK by which the DPRK’s actions of self-defensive dimension to cope with the military circumstances and possible military threats existing on the Korean peninsula are dismissed as threatening ‘provocations’ and their arms buildup are described as the ‘securing of a deterrent to north Korea’ are illogical and childish, and are a blunt disregard of and challenge to the sovereignty of the DPRK.”
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
17. Joint Message for ROK Armed Forces Day
For those who are not familiar with the Korea Defense Veterans Association (https://kdva.vet/) it is an organization that is punching well above its weight in support of the ROK/US alliance.
Joint Message for ROK Armed Forces Day
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V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
