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Quotes of the Day:
Prime Minister Winston Churchill said: “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something sometime in your life.”
Gen. Donovan said he had greater enemies in Washington than Hitler had in Europe.
Be Like Donovan.
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought, which they seldom use."
– Soren Kierkegaard
“After you died I could not hold a funeral,
And so my life became a funeral.”
After you died I couldn’t hold a funeral,
So these eyes that once beheld you became a shrine.
These ears that once heard your voice became a shrine.
These lungs that once inhaled your breath became a shrine.
― Han Kang, Human Acts. 2024 Nobel Peace Prize 2024
1. [Exclusive] UN Command finds cross-border broadcasts trigger trash balloons: JCS memo
2. Yoon, NATO chief share concerns over N.K.'s troop dispatch to Russia in phone talks
3. South Korea calls for immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops allegedly in Russia
4. Russia defends N. Korea ties, denies clarifying use of N. Korean soldiers in Ukraine
5. Yoon, British FM agree to cooperate against N.K.-Russia military cooperation
6. Russia Found to Use North Korea Missiles With Western Parts
7. DMZ residents suffer from North Korean loudspeakers, blame defector groups
8. South Korea tells North Korea that its troops are in Russia on loudspeaker broadcast
9. North Korean troop dispatch is South's chance to end national division: Ukrainian commander
10. Korea's Marine Corps participates in multilateral exercise led by U.S., Philippines
11. A crusade for North Korean human rights
12. N. Korea keeps mum on its troop deployment to Russia
13. Seoul thinks about providing extra 155mm shells to Ukraine
14. Xi sends reply to Kim, omitting the phrase ‘friendly neighboring country’
15. N. Korean security agency caught hiding secret leaks
16. North Korea gains combat experience, South Korea battles manpower shortages
17. N. Korean military report exposes foreign media problem, sparks harsh punishments
18. Ukraine's Zelenskyy seeks strong reaction to North Korean involvement in war
1. [Exclusive] UN Command finds cross-border broadcasts trigger trash balloons: JCS memo
Whoa. What kind of bullshit is this? Do they not understand the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime?
We are shooting ourselves in the foot here and undermining the legitimacy of the UNC. Is the UNC now taking advice from the Quincy Institute?
The purpose of loudspeaker broadcasts is not to deter north Korea but to transmit information to the frontline forces.
This action is in full support of Kim Jong Un's political warfare strategy.
I have no more words.
[Exclusive] UN Command finds cross-border broadcasts trigger trash balloons: JCS memo
koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · October 21, 2024
By Kim Arin
Published : Oct. 21, 2024 - 15:12
Trash balloons released by North Korea burst over Seoul on Oct. 4, with their contents falling from the skies. North Korea has sent over 6,000 trash-carrying balloons at South Korea since May. (Yonhap)
The US-led United Nations Command said South Korea broadcasting anti-Kim Jong-un propaganda through loudspeakers along the border with North Korea have encouraged, rather than deterred, North Korea’s launches of balloons carrying trash toward the South, according to a Seoul Joint Chiefs of Staff memo obtained by The Korea Herald.
The anti-Pyongyang broadcasts by South Korea “failed to deter the North Korean trash balloons” and “gave North Korea an excuse for additional launches,” the UN Command found after a special investigation, the memo dated Oct. 11 read.
The UN Command, tasked with enforcing the armistice ending the Korean War, also said South Korea entering the Demilitarized Zone, installing the loudspeakers there and playing the propaganda broadcasts each amounted to a violation of the armistice. The South Korean military did not have the UN Commander’s approval.
The Military Armistice Commission of the UN Command on Oct. 10 relayed the conclusion of its special investigation to the Defense Ministry’s North Korea Strategy Division and Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Joint Operations Branch.
According to the memo, South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun said the findings by the UN Command were “unacceptable.” The minister asked that a request be made for the UN Command to reassess the conclusion reached in the special investigation and for ongoing negotiations on other issues to be put on hold for the time being.
At the South Korean minister’s instructions, the director of the JCS Directorate of Operations held a call with the UN Command director of operations at 11:45 on Oct. 11. The chief of the Defense Ministry Policy Planning Bureau and the UN Command chief of staff also spoke over the phone at 13:00 the same day.
In the call, the UN Command side reconfirmed that the South Korean military had committed the violations. The South Korean defense minister then ordered that a letter of protest be sent to the UN Command.
The memo contained the Seoul Defense Ministry’s rationale for playing the broadcasts at Pyongyang, which it viewed as a matter of “right to self-defense” and a “response to North Korea’s illegal acts,” namely the trash balloon launches.
The memo showed that the ministry was attempting to counter the UN Command’s conclusion with the logic that the anti-Pyongyang broadcasts were “necessary, nonphysical measures of self-defense to deter North Korea’s acts of hostility” and that the North Korean trash balloons were earlier deemed a breach of the armistice as well.
The broadcasts also fit the “principle of reciprocity,” as the number of balloons North Korea sent over on 27 occasions totaled 6,283 to date. North Korea had carried out other “nonmilitary” provocations such as GPS jamming attacks at least 108 times to date.
“The broadcasts at North Korea should continue until North Korean military’s hostile acts stop,” the ministry said in the memo.
The memo revealed that the UN Command had turned down the South Korean military’s June 9 request to enter the demilitarized zone to install the loudspeakers for the anti-Pyongyang broadcasts, on account of its potential to escalate the crisis. But the ministry said in the memo “measures of self-defense” would not require the UN Commander’s approval.
In a phone call with The Korea Herald, a senior official of the Defense Ministry said he was not aware of anything beyond the UN Command special investigation having taken place. Another senior official who is said to have briefed the minister regarding the UN Command conclusion, according to the memo, denied having any knowledge of the correspondence.
The UN Command said it was unable to confirm The Korea Herald’s inquiries on the recent communication with the Defense Ministry in Seoul about its special investigation.
South Korea on June 9 announced that it would resume the border broadcasts, halted since a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, as a response to North Korea repeatedly launching balloons carrying trash into the South. Beginning May 28, North Korea has continued to send to the South waste-carrying balloons over multiple occasions. Following the South Korean broadcasts, North Korea then began airing pro-Kim Jong-un broadcasts in border areas in retaliation.
koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · October 21, 2024
2. Yoon, NATO chief share concerns over N.K.'s troop dispatch to Russia in phone talks
I do not understand why we are painting this in such a way that we are surprised and scared? We should be using this as an opportunity to put forward the narrative of weakness and desperation for both Russia and nK. And we should be showing strength and resolve and that we are not afraid of these developments.
(LEAD) Yoon, NATO chief share concerns over N.K.'s troop dispatch to Russia in phone talks | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · October 21, 2024
(ATTN: CHANGES headline, dateline; UPDATES throughout with latest details; ADDS photo)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL/BRUSSELS, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and the chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) shared concerns over North Korea's preparations to send troops to Russia for its war in Ukraine during their phone talks Monday, Yoon's office said.
Yoon held the phone talks at the request of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to share the latest developments in military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, and discuss joint responses, the office said.
The conversation took place after the National Intelligence Service said Friday the North has decided to send around 12,000 troops to support Russia in the war in Ukraine, with roughly 1,500 soldiers already sent to Russia's Far East.
"Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the reckless military alignment between Russia and North Korea once again confirm that the security of the Indo-Pacific region and the Atlantic region are inextricably linked," Yoon was quoted as saying by his office.
"This undermines the rules-based international order, threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and globally, and the government will never stand by and let this happen," he added.
President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech marking the 79th Police Day at the Korean National Police Agency headquarters in Seoul on Oct. 21, 2024. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
Yoon said South Korea will actively take "phased measures" in response to the level of military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, expressing hope to seek "practical countermeasures" in cooperation with NATO and its member states.
In June, South Korea indicated the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact pledging mutual defense. However, it has so far maintained its stance of providing Ukraine with non-lethal humanitarian aid.
During the talks, Rutte expressed "serious concerns" over North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia, which he described as blatantly violating international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions, the presidential office said.
South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho (R), along with other IP4 defense ministers, poses with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte (C) while attending the NATO defense ministerial talks in Brussels, on Oct. 17, 2024, in this photo provided by NATO. IP4 refers to NATO's four Indo-Pacific partners -- South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
He emphasized that NATO is prepared to actively cooperate with South Korea to respond to the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and requested that the South Korean government send a delegation to NATO for more detailed information sharing, the office said.
He also expressed hope for strengthening defense industry cooperation and security dialogue among South Korea, Ukraine and NATO in order to address North Korea's troop deployment to Russia, it noted.
In response, Yoon vowed to promptly dispatch a delegation to facilitate information sharing and take measures that would strengthen security cooperation, according to the office.
Both sides agreed to closely monitor the developments of illegal cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including the potential transfer of sensitive technology, and to explore joint responses.
After the phone talks, Rutte wrote on social media platform X that he and Yoon discussed NATO's "close partnership with Seoul," and said North Korea sending troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine would mark "a significant escalation."
The deployment of such a large contingent of North Korean troops, including its most elite military units, signals a major development in its military ties with Russia, which was previously limited to supplying artillery shells and short-range ballistic missiles.
Security experts in Seoul have also raised concerns that Pyongyang in return could receive key missile technology from Russia that the North has not secured yet, including that involving intercontinental ballistic missile reentry.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · October 21, 2024
3. South Korea calls for immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops allegedly in Russia
Falls on deaf ears in both Russia and north Korea.
South Korea calls for immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops allegedly in Russia
AP · by HYUNG-JIN KIM · October 21, 2024
1 of 2 |In this photo provided by South Korea Foreign Ministry, South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun, right, meets with Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinoviev at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (South Korea Foreign Ministry via AP)
AP · by HYUNG-JIN KIM · October 21, 2024
4. Russia defends N. Korea ties, denies clarifying use of N. Korean soldiers in Ukraine
Admit nothing, deny everything, make counter accusations.
Russia defends N. Korea ties, denies clarifying use of N. Korean soldiers in Ukraine | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Woo Jae-yeon · October 21, 2024
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- Russia said on Monday it will continue its cooperation with North Korea but declined to comment on allegations that it plans to use North Korean soldiers in military operations against Ukraine.
"There is a lot of contradictory information," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters when questioned about the alleged dispatch of North Korean troops and a possible plan to use them, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
He added such questions should be directed to the defense ministry.
On Friday, South Korea's National Intelligence Service said the North had decided to send around 12,000 troops to support Russia in the war in Ukraine, with roughly 1,500 soldiers already sent to the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok aboard Russian naval vessels.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters the following day that he cannot confirm the troop deployment, but if true, it would be concerning.
As for Russia's relations with North Korea, Peskov said Pyongyang is a close neighbor and partner, and the Kremlin will continue to develop relations with North Korea in all areas, as it is their sovereign right.
He emphasized that the partnership is not directed against any third country and should therefore not be a cause for concern.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov is shown in this TASS photo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Woo Jae-yeon · October 21, 2024
5. Yoon, British FM agree to cooperate against N.K.-Russia military cooperation
Yoon, British FM agree to cooperate against N.K.-Russia military cooperation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · October 21, 2024
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol met with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday to discuss strengthening security and defense industry cooperation amid deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia, Yoon's office said.
During the meeting, Yoon shared the latest information on North Korea's preparations for sending troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, and pledged to cooperate closely with Britain and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to counter the threats, his office said.
He also expressed a desire to enhance defense industry collaboration with Britain, particularly in naval and air force capabilities, to which Lammy agreed, it noted.
President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) poses with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on Oct. 21, 2024, in this photo provided by Yoon's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Lammy condemned Russia's illegal actions, including providing forged passports to draw North Korea into troop deployment, as seriously threatening the security of both Europe and South Korea, and committed to actively cooperate with South Korea, the office said.
He also said Britain wants to enhance collaboration in advanced defense technologies in the context of the Pillar 2 projects of the AUKUS security partnership, which includes Britain, the United States and Australia, it noted
Launched in September 2021, AUKUS consists of two key pillars. Pillar 1 is to support Australia in acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, while Pillar 2 is for cooperation in high-tech areas, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence and hypersonics.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · October 21, 2024
6. Russia Found to Use North Korea Missiles With Western Parts
Russia Found to Use North Korea Missiles With Western Parts
By Daryna Krasnolutska
October 18, 2024 at 7:09 AM EDT
Updated on October 18, 2024 at 8:45 AM EDT
Microcontrollers, semiconductors and other elements produced by at least nine manufacturers were found in a North Korean KN-23/24 missile, the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission or NAKO said in its report released Thursday. The missile was shot down on Sept. 7 over Ukraine’s central Poltava Region, said the non-governmental organization.
Western components include integrated circuits crucial to missiles’ navigation and communication systems, Viktoria Vyshnivska, NAKO’s senior researcher, told a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday. All analyzed parts fall under export controls, she said.
Russia is still obtaining vital Western components to build missiles it uses to attack Ukraine’s people and energy and trade infrastructure, despite ever-growing sanctions intended to prevent such technology transfers, Bloomberg reported earlier in October.
While most components in the missile analyzed by NAKO were manufactured by US companies, including Analog Devices Inc. and Broadcom Inc., some were made by the Swiss TRACO Electronic AG, the British XP Power Ltd and the Dutch NXP Semiconductors N.V. last year, the investigators said.
Analog Devices, Broadcom and NXP said they did not sell any components to North Korea and that they were working with authorities on ways to improve compliance to prevent the illegal diversion of their products. Broadcom also said that such components are frequently counterfeited. XP Power and Traco Power did not promptly reply to requests for comment.
Read more: Ukraine, South Korea Warn of Pyongyang Troops Aiding Russia
The presence of western microelectronics was “bad news” given how long North Korea has been under sanctions, said Vladyslav Vlasyuk, the Ukrainian President’s Commissioner for Sanctions Policy on Thursday. “Scientific and industrial cooperation between North Korea, Russia, Iran and maybe some other terrorist regimes intensifies,” Vlasyuk said at the event. “They are exchanging engineers and technologies.”
Russia added North Korean missiles to its arsenal late last year, whose use caused civilian casualties and destroyed critical infrastructure in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned of Pyongyang’s increasing support for Moscow’s war.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened an emergency security meeting on Friday to discuss the deployment of North Korean combat troops to help Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
— With assistance from Hugo Miller, Jake Rudnitsky, Yuan Gao, and Ian King
(Updates with context in fourth paragraph)
7. DMZ residents suffer from North Korean loudspeakers, blame defector groups
From those of us who served on the DMZ in the 1980s: We feel their pain.
But they are wrong to blame escapees. The root of all problems in Korea is the existence of the most evil mafia- like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime that has the objective of dominating the Korean Peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.
DMZ residents suffer from North Korean loudspeakers, blame defector groups
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-10-21/national/northKorea/Residents-near-DMZ-decry-defector-groups-as-North-Korean-loudspeakers-disrupt-daily-life/2159516
Published: 21 Oct. 2024, 14:02
Updated: 21 Oct. 2024, 15:19
Residents from villages in and around the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Paju, Gyeonggi, share their grievances with Mayor Kim Kyung-il about the damage caused by North Korea's loudspeaker broadcasts at a civil defense shelter in Imjingak tourist attraction in Gyeonggi. [PAJU CITY GOVERNMENT]
Residents of villages located within the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and Civilian Control Line areas of Paju, Gyeonggi, are suffering due to North Korea’s loudspeaker broadcasts targeting the South.
Around 30 residents expressed their grievances during a town hall held on Friday at a civil defense shelter in the Imjingak tourist attraction area in Paju, near the inter-Korean border.
Related Article
"The noise from North Korea's broadcasts has made everyday life impossible,” said a 76-year-old person surnamed Jung, a resident of Daeseong-dong, a village located in the northernmost part of the DMZ.
“The constant noise is so disruptive that we can’t even talk to one another, and it's impossible to sleep at night," Jung said. "Taking sleeping pills and sedatives doesn't help, and when I tried using earplugs, my ears became infected and inflamed."
Tensions have escalated significantly in the border area of Paju recently due to activities such as balloon launches by North Korean defector groups from the South, the spreading of waste-filled balloons from North Korea and mutual loudspeaker broadcasts by both South Korean and North Korean military forces.
Residents from the villages in Paju, Gyeonggi's demilitarized zone (DMZ) and Civilian Control Line share their grievances with Mayor Kim Kyung-il about the damage caused by North Korea's loudspeaker broadcasts at the civil defense shelter in Imjingak, Paju, Gyeonggi. [PAJU CITY GOVERNMENT]
The North Korean loudspeaker broadcasts, ongoing since Sept. 28, have been described by residents as "the loudest ever." The sounds include eerie noises such as howling from foxes, wild dogs and crows, the scraping of metal and the grinding of machinery, leading many residents to suffer from insomnia and neurosis.
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South Korean military officials told reporters in September that they are investigating the possibility that the noise pollution from the North is a form of retaliation against loudspeaker broadcasts from the South, which resumed in July.
However, they also did not rule out the possibility that the North may also be using the screeching sounds to prevent its own people from hearing South Korean broadcasts.
"Let anyone come here and spend just one night,” one resident tearfully pleaded. “It’s unbearable. Please help us."
"I’ve lived here for over 50 years since moving into Daeseong-dong village to marry, and there has never been a single peaceful day,” another resident said. “But this year has been the hardest. The worst part is that there seems to be no sign of improvement, and that’s what makes it even more painful."
The residents emphasized that preventing balloon launches by defector groups is their top priority.
"They say the balloon launches are for the freedom of expression of North Korean defectors and to promote the human rights of North Korean residents,” said Lee Wan-bae, the village leader of Tongil-chon, another village in the northernmost part of the DMZ.
“But do the residents in the Civilian Control Line not have human rights?" The Civilian Control Line was drawn in 1954 just below the demilitarized zone to protect military facilities and operations. Civilians who wish to enter the region have to go through a security clearance.
"The anxiety and suffering of the residents are intensifying, and this is a serious situation where their safety and lives are at risk,” Paju Mayor Kim Kyung-il said. “We will fully utilize the local government’s authority to actively monitor and crack down on the balloon launches" by defector groups, he said.
BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]
8. South Korea tells North Korea that its troops are in Russia on loudspeaker broadcast
Good. The ROK needs to exploit the deployment of the KPA and describe the troops as Russian cannon fodder to fight Putin's War.
South Korea tells North Korea that its troops are in Russia on loudspeaker broadcast
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-10-21/national/northKorea/South-Korea-tells-North-Korea-that-its-troops-are-in-Russia-on-loudspeaker-broadcast/2159803
Published: 21 Oct. 2024, 18:22
Updated: 21 Oct. 2024, 19:01
- SEO JI-EUN
- seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr
Korea JoongAng Daily
South Korea tells North Korea that its troops are in Russia on loudspeaker broadcast
3 min
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
Dozens of North Korean soldiers are deployed to the front lines on June 18 in this photo provided by the Joint Press Corps. [NEWS1]
South Korea’s military used loudspeaker broadcasts to inform North Korean citizens and soldiers of the covert deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, despite Pyongyang having concealed the deployment from its own citizens, Seoul's military sources said Monday.
Military sources in Seoul told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, that South Korea's “Voice of Freedom” radio broadcasts, directed at North Korea, had confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine's war against Russia, citing Ukrainian media reports and a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday morning.
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The broadcast further revealed that six North Korean soldiers had been killed in an airstrike on the Russian front line of the occupied Donetsk region earlier this month and that Russia is forming a special battalion consisting of 3,000 North Korean troops. Additionally, there were reports of 18 North Korean soldiers deserting.
It also cited a BBC report indicating that a number of North Korean soldiers had arrived at a Russian military base near Ussuriysk, which is north of Vladivostok. South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that North Korea has been providing ongoing military support to Russia since a June summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Intelligence reports indicate frequent movement of personnel and supplies between North Korea and Russia via rail. The agencies are currently investigating whether a large contingent of North Korean combat troops is part of these movements.
The South Korean military's psychological warfare tactics aim to undermine the morale of North Korean soldiers stationed near the military demarcation line (MDL).
Analysts suggest that the primary target audience for these broadcasts is North Korean soldiers, particularly those who might be deployed to Ukraine's war against Russia. Many of these soldiers are currently stationed along its front lines, carrying out fortification work on Kim’s orders.
A photo of a North Korean soldier participating in Ukraine's war against Russia captured by the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The NIS stated that after applying its AI facial recognition technology, it had identified person in the photo as a North Korean missile technician who had accompanied leader Kim Jong-un on a visit to a tactical missile factory in August 2023. [NIS]
The unit that North Korea reportedly deployed to Russia is the so-called 11th Corps, or the “Storm Corps.”
Advertisement: 0:09
The 11th Corps appeared in North Korea’s previous war scenario, where it was depicted as a key force infiltrating enemy territory in the early stages of a conflict. In these scenarios, the unit’s main objective was to take large numbers of Americans residing in South Korea hostage.
North Korean propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri published a three-day attack scenario on March 22, 2013, which detailed the 11th Corps' mission. On the first day, North Korean forces would launch a massive barrage, named “fire-thrashing,” and deploy light infantry units to attack key military facilities and infrastructure in South Korea. The 11th Corps would then infiltrate and capture as many of the “150,000 Americans” living in South Korea. Around 28,000 Americans had been residing in South Korea for more than three months as of 2013, according to Statistics Korea.
The role of the Storm Corps to carry out tactics similar to those used by Hamas during its attacks on Israel in October last October, during which militants quickly infiltrated enemy territory to take high-value hostages for use in future negotiations.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO, YOO JEE-HYE [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
9. North Korean troop dispatch is South's chance to end national division: Ukrainian commander
This Ukrainian commander is executing his own influence campaign.
North Korean troop dispatch is South's chance to end national division: Ukrainian commander
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-10-21/national/northKorea/North-Korean-troop-dispatch-is-Souths-chance-to-end-national-division-Ukrainian-commander/2159888
Published: 21 Oct. 2024, 18:43
Updated: 21 Oct. 2024, 18:44
Bohdan Krotevch, acting commander of the Natual Guard of Ukraine's Azov Brigade [SCREEN CAPTURE]
A Ukrainian military official called for South Korea's support in light of North Korea's reported deployment of 12,000 troops to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine, saying in Korean that this represents “a chance for South Korea to end the division of the Korean Peninsula.”
“North Korea has sent its most combat-effective troops to the Ukraine war,” Bohdan Krotevch, acting commander of the National Guard of Ukraine's Azov Brigade, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in Korean on Sunday. “This is South Korea’s chance to end the division artificially created by the Soviet communist regime since 1945 once and for all.”
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“It is also a chance for the whole of East Asia to safeguard itself from a neighbor with a nuclear button,” he added.
The Azov Brigade, led by Krotevch, is an elite unit battling Russia's large-scale offensives in eastern Ukraine.
While Ukrainian netizens voiced support with comments like “Stand with Ukraine!” in Korean, South Korean X users criticized Krotevch’s remarks. One comment read, “The 'chance' mentioned in the post represents more of a 'tragedy.'”
Post written by Bohdan Krotevch, acting commander of the Natual Guard of Ukraine Azov Brigade, on X on Sunday [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Other comments included, “How can you bring up a ‘chance’ when only 10,000 out of 1.1 million troops are out of the country?” and “Are you trying to make our country turn into a war zone?”
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed Friday that North Korea has decided to deploy 12,000 soldiers to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told NATO the North was preparing to send soldiers to fight against his country.
Zelensky on Tuesday thanked leaders and representatives of the countries who “are not turning blind eyes and speaking openly about cooperation [between North Korea and Russia], aimed at increasing the scale of the war," through a video address.
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He then urged a “normal, honest and strong reaction from partners,” calling North Korea’s deployment “another state joining the war against Ukraine.”
Neither North Korea nor Russia has issued statements regarding the reported troop deployment as of the Friday reports.
BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]
10. Korea's Marine Corps participates in multilateral exercise led by U.S., Philippines
The silk web of our alliance relationships.
Korea's Marine Corps participates in multilateral exercise led by U.S., Philippines
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-10-20/national/defense/Koreas-Marine-Corps-participates-in-multilateral-exercise-led-by-US-Philippines/2158949
Published: 20 Oct. 2024, 15:31
Updated: 20 Oct. 2024, 15:58
Korean Marines take part in a jungle survival training session of the 2024 Kamandag exercise held in the Philippines in a photo provided by the Marine Corps on Sunday. [YONHAP]
Korea's Marine Corps said Sunday it has participated in the annual Kamandag exercise led by the United States and the Philippines for the third consecutive year.
The multilateral exercise has been under way across the Philippines since Oct. 14 for a 12-day run. The exercise involves approximately 2,300 personnel from five other countries, including Korea, Japan, Britain, Australia and France.
Related Article
South Korean troops took part in various training sessions, including engineers skilled in repairing the Korea Assault Amphibious Vehicles, which were exported to the Philippines, according to the Marine Corps.
The exercise is designed to enhance combined operational proficiency in key areas, such as combat medicine, coastal defense, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and engineering.
Yonhap
11. A crusade for North Korean human rights
A human rights upfront approach.
A crusade for North Korean human rights
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-10-21/opinion/columns/A-crusade-for-North-Korean-human-rights/2159945
Published: 21 Oct. 2024, 19:39
Updated: 21 Oct. 2024, 19:41
Chang Se-jeong
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.
The Berlin Wall, a symbol of the division between East and West Germany, came down on Nov. 9, 1989. In March 1990, the first and last free election took place in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). On Aug. 31 of that year, the Unification Treaty was signed between the German Democratic Republic and Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), and Germany was officially reunited on Oct. 3. It was a historic event that took place 34 years ago.
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin symbolized the oppression and control of the communist regime during the period of German division. About one kilometer (0.62 mile) south of the gate is the North Korean Embassy in Germany. A spontaneous gathering of Berliners calling for human rights improvement in North Korea has been held in front of the embassy every week since Sept. 11, 2009. It started with just two people, but now there are as few as five and as many as 10 protesters at the hour-long rally every Thursday from 2 p.m. onward.
Most of them are men and women aged between their 50s and 80s, and they have various vocations, including former and current social workers, doctors, teachers, economists, singers, architects and pastors. The rallies later led to protests demanding Pyongyang to release three South Korean pastors following their abductions starting with Kim Jung-wook in October 2013 and Kim Kook-kie and Choi Chun-gil in 2014, who had been accused of espionage.
The rally begins with a joint reading of the Bible’s Proverbs 31:8 — “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Then the participants chant slogans.
A group of Germans stage a rally in front of the North Korean Embassy in Berlin to urge the Kim Jong-un regime to protect the human rights of its people, Nov. 8, 2023. The Berliners have been holding the rally for 15 years since 2009.
“Freedom for North Korean Christians! Rice for North Koreans instead of nukes! Plenty of food for all the people in the North! Dismantle all concentration camps! Freedom of speech for North Koreans! Freedom to travel for North Koreans! Human rights for North Koreans! Freedom for Kim Jung-wook! Freedom for Kim Kook-kie! Freedom for Choi Chun-gil! Kim Il Sung is not a god! Kim Jong-un must stop developing nuclear bombs and missiles!” The participants carry pickets and megaphones and shout slogans in German and English repeatedly. Each time, they conclude the rally after singing a hymn.
I was able to contact Gerda Ehrlich, an 85-year-old woman who has been organizing the rally for 16 years. A native of East Germany who lived about 400 meters away from the Berlin Wall, she said she decided to take action after hearing a lecture exposing North Korea’s religious repression. Remembering the horrific concentration camps of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, she became interested in human rights in North Korea after hearing testimonies from North Korean defectors about concentration camps in the country.
North Korean embassy members threatened her that her actions are meaningless, took photos of the rallies and complained to the German Foreign Ministry, but she never wavered in her commitment to continue rallies in accordance with the law. “We are just doing what we can do with our Christian charity and sense of justice,” she said humbly.
Lee Myeong-suk, a 75-year-old former nurse who had been dispatched to Germany in 1972, is the only Korean to join the rally. She has been living in Berlin for 14 years and said she was moved by the German people’s faithfulness to promote human rights in the North with the belief that it was a God-given mission for other people. According to Lee, Ehrlich was diagnosed with cancer last year and underwent surgery, but she has since recovered well and is still leading the rally.
Kim Jung-sam, 63, the elder brother of the abducted missionary Kim Jung-wook, expressed his gratitude. “I am greatly comforted by the love and grace of the people of Berlin who are still working to confirm my brother’s life and repatriate him even though 11 years have passed since his abduction,” he said.
It is deeply moving to see the courageous actions of Berliners for the kidnapped Korean missionaries and the North Koreans under oppression. It is also shameful to see the National Assembly, which enacted the North Korea Human Rights Act in 2016 but has yet to launch the North Korean Human Rights Foundation.
In his letter to Erlich November last year, Unification Minister Kim Young-ho wrote, “I express my deepest respect and gratitude to all of you for demonstrating the spirit of German Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who said, ‘Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.’” Kim sent each of the 13 protesters scarves personalized with their names as Christmas gifts last year.
After hearing the news that a dark cloud was cast over Korean reunification because the North declared that the two Koreas are “two hostile nations at war,” Erlich responded as following.
“If you look back at the reunification of Germany, Erich Honecker, then-head of state of East Germany, said on Jan. 19, 1989 that the Berlin Wall would stand for another 100 years. But contrary to his expectation, the Berlin Wall came down in less than 10 months and Germany was reunified. The unpredictable happened according to God’s words. We are praying for Korean unification under the democratic government [of the South]. Please don’t give up your efforts for reunification using non-violent struggles and all other possible methods. And if you believe in God, pray.”
Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
12. N. Korea keeps mum on its troop deployment to Russia
So the Propaganda and Agitation Department was not prepared with a narrative or is their plan just to remain mum?
N. Korea keeps mum on its troop deployment to Russia
The Korea Times · October 21, 2024
This handout from South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) shows a satellite image taken of a military facility in Khabarovsk, Russia, Oct. 18. The NIS estimates that around 240 North Korean personnel were gathered in the area. Yonhap
North Korea has remained silent on its deployment of troops to Russia to aid its prolonged war against Ukraine, in the latest sign of growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
On Friday, South Korea's spy agency announced that North Korea had decided to send around 12,000 special forces to support Russia, with approximately 1,500 of them already deployed to Russia's Far East.
This marks the first time North Korea has deployed ground troops on such a large scale, although it has previously dispatched small numbers of soldiers abroad to earn foreign currency.
North Korea has not released any official statement on its troop deployment to Russia.
The last time North Korea reported on the Ukraine war was Oct. 12, when the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, published an article quoting a Russian military commander who claimed that Ukraine had used chemical weapons.
Russia has also not issued any formal reaction since South Korea's National Intelligence Service made public North Korea's troop deployment.
Observers say it would be difficult for North Korea to deny the dispatch due to evidence and may also be hesitant to publicize the deployment as sending soldiers into an active war zone would likely cause anxiety among its citizens.
"It is unlikely that North Korea will confirm this before Russia does," said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
Hong said since neither the United States nor the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has confirmed the deployment, it remains to be seen whether North Korean forces will actually engage in combat in the Ukraine war.
Regarding the situation, the South Korean government said it is closely monitoring developments.
"We are keeping all possibilities open and are carefully observing the situation," said Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for the unification ministry, during a press briefing.
The defense ministry denounced North Korea over the latest development and vowed to take necessary measures to guard the safety of South Koreans.
"North Korea taking part in Russia's war of invasion is an illegal act that violates the U.N. Security Council resolutions and one that should be criticized by the international community," Jeon Ha-kyou, the spokesperson for the ministry, told a regular press briefing.
"We sternly denounce North Korea's behavior and strongly warn (the North) to immediately halt it," Jeon said, vowing to seek "necessary measures."
When asked if such measures could include South Korea's possible provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine, the official said the ministry will review measures with an open attitude.
Later Monday, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun expressed "serious concern" over deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including the North's dispatch of troops to Russia, during his talks with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg.
South Korea's military, meanwhile, included foreign media reports on North Korea's troop deployment as it aired daily anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers along the border.
Monday's broadcast also included a Ukrainian media report on six North Korean soldiers who were killed during a recent missile attack.
The South's military has been conducting the broadcasts, believed to be audible to North Korean soldiers and residents in the border region, since July in response to the North's trash balloon campaign. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · October 21, 2024
13. Seoul thinks about providing extra 155mm shells to Ukraine
Let's do more than think. Let's just do it..
Seoul thinks about providing extra 155mm shells to Ukraine
donga.com
Posted October. 21, 2024 08:19,
Updated October. 21, 2024 08:19
Seoul thinks about providing extra 155mm shells to Ukraine. October. 21, 2024 08:19. by Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com.
As North Korea has recently sent 1,500 special forces to Russian front lines against Ukraine, it has been reported that South Korea may consider providing additional 155mm shells to Ukraine via the United States. Given that a total of 12,000 North Korean troops are said to be sent via additional dispatch plans, Seoul intends to find ways to deter it from sending any more troops.
“If Pyongyang continues to dispatch more forces, Seoul will have to take action as a responsible player in the international community,” said a South Korean government official on Sunday, implying that it considers what necessary action to take will be like. Once it is confirmed that the additional forces departed from Cheonjin Port to reach Russian territory, Seoul is likely to harshly criticize it and release possible measures. “We agreed with the international community to use every tool at our disposal to respond to the situation,” the presidential office said while confirming the dispatch of North Korean troops on Friday.
Although the presidential office condemned the signing of the North Korea-Russia treaty and mentioned the possibility of revisiting the ban on providing lethal weapons in June, it only had a legal review of issues that can arise from supplying weapons to conflict areas but did not send such weapons to Ukraine. South Korea has supplied Ukraine mostly with non-lethal weapons such as trucks and protective suits, and two Rhino mine-clearing tanks sent this summer.
As Pyongyang has sent the largest number of troops overseas in history, its relations with Moscow have grown from a mere partnership to a blood alliance. A government source said that Seoul would focus on issuing warning messages on diplomatic levels for some time, but there are growing voices from inside the government calling for stronger measures, including arms aid. “The point is to block Pyongyang from sending more troops by tightening sanctions in partnership with the international community,” another government South Korean source said. “We will consider supplying arms in cooperation with Washington if the regime sends up to 10,000 troops additionally.”
한국어
donga.com
14. Xi sends reply to Kim, omitting the phrase ‘friendly neighboring country’
A snub? Or do they want us to think this is a snub?
Xi sends reply to Kim, omitting the phrase ‘friendly neighboring country’
donga.com
Posted October. 21, 2024 08:20,
Updated October. 21, 2024 08:20
Xi sends reply to Kim, omitting the phrase ‘friendly neighboring country’. October. 21, 2024 08:20. by Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a reply 15 days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un congratulated him on the 75th anniversary of China's National Day (Founding Day). In the letter, Xi said that China is willing to make greater contributions to safeguarding peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region and the world. While expressions such as "brotherly Korea" remain similar to last year's message, phrases like "friendly neighboring country" were omitted. This omission has been interpreted as a reflection of China's discomfort with the increasingly close relationship between North Korea and Russia, which has reached a level of military cooperation, including the possibility of North Korean troop deployments to Russia.
According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday, Xi said in his reply to Kim on Wednesday that he would work together with Kim to ensure the continuous and stable development of the traditional North Korea-China friendship and cooperation. Xi emphasized that "the two countries are connected by mountains and rivers, and the traditional friendship between them grows stronger over time." He also expressed his sincere wishes for the "brotherly Korean people, under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea led by Comrade General Secretary Kim Jong Un, to achieve new successes in the socialist construction endeavor."
This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between North Korea and China, but the level of exchanges and friendship between the two countries has been unusually subdued. Tensions between the two nations continue, particularly over the issue of the return of North Korean workers sent to China.
한국어
donga.com
15. N. Korean security agency caught hiding secret leaks
Keeping up with the Joneses. nk Has its own security problems. (note sarcasm).'
What is the buried lede? Intelligence services from the South(?), or other countries, are having some success penetrating the hermit kingdom?
N. Korean security agency caught hiding secret leaks - Daily NK English
The agency's quiet handling of about 30 secret leak incidents suggests that such behavior has become chronic
By Jeong Tae Joo - October 21, 2024
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · October 21, 2024
North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Sept. 30 that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had visited the site of reconstruction in flood-stricken parts of North Pyongan province. “Comrade Kim Jong Un emphasized that quickly easing the pain of the flood victims and returning the damaged areas to normal is the greatest priority facing the party and the government at the current time,” the newspaper said. (Rodong Sinmun, News 1)
North Korea’s Ministry of State Security concealed and internally handled secret information leaks from its central units, sparking controversy when uncovered by a surprise inspection from the Central Committee’s Organization and Guidance Department.
A source told Daily NK on Oct. 18 that the five-day inspection from Oct. 8 revealed the agency had not directly reported to the party about secret leaks detected in its radio supervision and communications departments from early September to early October, instead resolving them internally.
The inspection was prompted by the agency’s quarterly reports this year only addressing minor issues in local security organs while omitting major incidents in central departments.
The source said the Organization and Guidance Department views the agency’s quiet handling of about 30 secret leak incidents as a sign that such crimes have become chronic and that internal issues are being approached passively.
Specifically, the source said, “The radio detection department was caught illegally copying and leaking communication code books and confidential documents. In the communications department, some officials were caught deleting personal case records or leaking secrets like password changes for financial gain.”
The most significant issue raised in the inspection was the agency’s approach of handling these incidents internally without reporting them. The party department urged the agency’s leadership to change their perspective on this matter.
The source added that despite these lapses, responsible officials were spared severe consequences because they transparently disclosed all requested materials when the inspection began.
The Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · October 21, 2024
16. North Korea gains combat experience, South Korea battles manpower shortages
I think we should consider how much this can help north Korea.
First it appears that the nKPA troops are going to be integrated into Russian units as they are being issued Russian uniforms. If so, the survivors will have gained some personal combat experience. The question is how much of that combat experience by this relatively small force (and a smaller number of survivors will be put to use training nKPA forces back in the north? Can the nKPA provide the training resources to translate this relatively limited combat experience into training of the nKPA? What is more important? Combat experience of a relative few or effective training of the entire force? If the nKPA cannot use this experience to train the remainder of the nKPA and improve its effectiveness then this combat experience is not going to translate into significantly improved abilities of the nKPA.
North Korea gains combat experience, South Korea battles manpower shortages
https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2024/10/21/ACLNPLZX7ZADPJELZ3PA4HC2EU/
By Joo Hyung-sik,
Ko Yoo-chan,
Jang Yoon,
Park Su-hyeon
Published 2024.10.21. 10:42
North Korea has reportedly deployed a significant number of troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, sparking concerns that the isolated nation may gain valuable combat experience in exchange for Russian military equipment and technology to advance its modernization efforts.
According to South Korean analysts and officials cited by The New York Times, the conflict in Ukraine is providing North Korea’s military with “opportunities to test its new weapons and its officers’ preparedness for modern warfare.” The report highlights fears that North Korea, which has not engaged in large-scale conflict since the Korean War more than 70 years ago, is gaining experience in modern hybrid warfare, including the use of short-range ballistic missiles like the KN-23, drones, and social media strategies.
Ukraine's Strategic Communications and Information Security Center (SPRAVDI) released a video on Oct. 18, 2024, showing dozens of North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia receiving supplies, including military uniforms, from Russian military officials. The video also captures voices in a North Korean accent heard saying, 'Don’t cross over' and 'Come out, hey.'/SPRAVDI
While North Korean forces may be gaining crucial combat experience, the South Korean military has not seen action since the Vietnam War, raising concerns about its preparedness. Military sources report that even frontline units in the Forward Edge of Battle Area (FEBA) are struggling to maintain proper training.
FEBA units are a critical part of South Korea’s layered defense strategy, positioned 5 to 10 kilometers from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). These units, typically consisting of reconnaissance, artillery, and intelligence battalions, are responsible for engaging North Korean forces in the event of a full-scale conflict. As Guard Post and General Outpost units buy time for South Korean forces to mobilize, FEBA units would mount a counteroffensive. The lack of proper training in these units is seen as undermining South Korea’s overall military strength.
Compounding the issue are significant manpower shortages within South Korea’s frontline units. A FEBA unit in Gangwon Province, equipped with K-21 infantry fighting vehicles, frequently has to borrow personnel from neighboring units during training exercises. In some cases, a shortage of infantry has led to the cancellation of combat drills. A former master sergeant from a mechanized infantry division in Gangwon Province said that at times, several armored vehicles were left idle during training due to personnel shortages.
“There’s a joke that if a war breaks out, some of the armored vehicles will just have to be abandoned,” he said.
Cadets from the Korea Military Academy march during a ceremony marking the 76th Armed Forces Day at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of Oct. 1, 2024./Yonhap News
South Korea’s declining population is exacerbating these challenges. According to a 2022 estimate by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, military personnel is expected to drop from around 500,000 today to 300,000 by the 2040s. The country’s active-duty force, which stood at 690,000 in 2002, is projected to shrink to 390,000 by 2039 and to 330,000 by 2043.
The exodus of junior officers is further straining military resources. The number of resignations within the first five years of service jumped from 48 in 2023 to 122 in 2024. Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) are also leaving at an alarming rate, with more than twice as many NCOs leaving the service in 2024 (3,170) compared to new recruits (1,280). In 2023, the army faced a shortfall of 550 officers and 4,790 NCOs, raising concerns that South Korea may have advanced weaponry but insufficient personnel to operate it.
A K9A1 self-propelled howitzer is fired by the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division of the VII Maneuver Corps during a live-fire exercise at Munhye-ri Training Grounds in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, on Oct. 21, 2024./Yonhap News
The shortage of NCOs has particularly impacted the operation of K9 self-propelled howitzers, of which South Korea has around 1,100. At current staffing levels, up to 300 of these howitzers could be left inoperable due to a lack of trained operators. The K9, essential for countering North Korea’s long-range artillery, has a range of 40 kilometers and can fire up to nine rounds per minute, traveling at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.
“We often have to borrow personnel from other units due to a shortage of crew members for the howitzers,” an artillery officer in Gyeonggi Province said.
The army plans to reduce the K9′s crew size from five to three, but this has sparked concerns that losing even one crew member could render the artillery inoperable. Military experts are calling for accelerated research and deployment of advanced systems, such as drones, and a shift away from the current border-focused defense strategy. Some have also suggested reducing the number of high-ranking officers and transforming the South Korean military into a more combat-oriented force.
17.N. Korean military report exposes foreign media problem, sparks harsh punishments
Like the bomber, information is getting through and having an effect.
N. Korean military report exposes foreign media problem, sparks harsh punishments - Daily NK English
Seven soldiers received lengthy prison sentences for distributing illegal videos, while two others were swiftly executed for smuggling foreign electronic devices into their military unit
By Jeong Tae Joo - October 21, 2024
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · October 21, 2024
A North Korean border guard in North Pyongan province in February 2019. (Daily NK)
The Military Security Command, the North Korean military’s counterintelligence agency, has circulated a report detailing cases of illegal handling of foreign media within the organization over the past year. Additionally, a public trial was held in a military front-line unit to set an example.
The report, covering incidents from August 2023 to September 2024, was distributed to state security bureaus at the corps and command levels throughout the military on Oct. 2. A military source told Daily NK recently that the report’s main objectives are to monitor and punish ideological disloyalty among young soldiers and prevent information leaks to the outside world.
The day after distribution of the report, a public trial was held in a military front-line unit of the II Corps stationed in Kaepung county. Nine male soldiers in their 20s, investigated between June and early October for handling foreign media, stood trial. The location was chosen due to the high number of such cases in the area and to increase vigilance among soldiers close to the South Korean border.
During the trial, seven soldiers were convicted of distributing illegal videos and sentenced to dishonorable discharge and prison terms of up to ten years and six months. Two others, identified as ringleaders in circulating unauthorized foreign-made electronic devices, received death sentences. The seven incarcerated soldiers were immediately sent to prison, while the two sentenced to death were executed at the unit’s firing range the following day.
Following the trial, state security bureau representatives met with the II Corps’ state security department, urging them to reinforce ideological controls, surveillance of young soldiers, and training to prevent similar incidents.
The state security bureau has ordered departments in each unit to use surveillance and education to combat young soldiers’ curiosity about foreign media and to punish such behavior. In response, the II Corps’ state security department plans to tighten internal policing and restrict outside information, confining soldiers under surveillance to base from Oct. 1 to Nov. 3, coinciding with preparations for winter exercises.
The Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · October 21, 2024
18. Ukraine's Zelenskyy seeks strong reaction to North Korean involvement in war
Ukraine's Zelenskyy seeks strong reaction to North Korean involvement in war
channelnewsasia.com
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a press conference, at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct 17, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
21 Oct 2024 10:28AM (Updated: 21 Oct 2024 10:30AM)
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday (Oct 20) he was seeking a strong reaction from countries who have acknowledged that North Korea is becoming more involved in Russia's more than 2-1/2-year-old war against Ukraine.
Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said there was ample satellite and video evidence that North Korea was sending not only equipment to Russia, but also soldiers to be prepared for deployment.
"I am grateful to those leaders and representatives of states who do not close their eyes and speak frankly about this cooperation for the sake of a larger war," he said. "We expect a normal, honest, strong reaction from our partners on this."
Zelenskyy said greater North Korean involvement could only be harmful to everyone.
"Unfortunately, instability and threats can significantly increase after North Korea becomes trained for modern warfare," he said.
"If the world remains silent now and we have to engage soldiers from North Korea on the front line in the same way we have to defend ourselves from (Iranian) Shahed drones, this will certainly benefit no one in the world and only prolong the war."
North Korea's actions, he said, meant "in effect yet another country entering the war against Ukraine".
Zelenskyy last week accused North Korea of deploying officers alongside Russia and preparing to send thousands of troops to help Moscow's war effort. South Korea's spy agency said on Friday North Korea had dispatched 1,500 special forces troops to Russia's Far East for training.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday he could not confirm reports that North Korea has sent troops to Russia ahead of a possible deployment, but said such a move would be concerning, if true. NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Thursday there was no evidence of Pyongyang's presence at this stage.
The involvement of North Korean regular troops to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine would be a serious escalation of the war, France and Ukraine's foreign ministers said at a joint press conference in Kyiv on Saturday.
Source: Reuters/ec
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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