Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day"

"Armies are necessary, before all things, for the defense of governments from their own oppressed and enslaved subjects.”

– Leo Tolstoy

“Unorthodoxy threatens more than the life of a mere individual; it strikes at Society itself.”

– Aldous Huxley

"There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world even though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind."

– Hannah Szenes

1. U.S. Says North Korean Troops Are in Russia and Might Be Used in Ukraine Wa

2. China May Chafe as North Korea Sends Soldiers to Fight Ukraine

3. North Korean troops are in Russia, would be ‘legitimate targets’ in Ukraine, U.S. says

4. US confirms 3,000 North Korean troops are training in Russia

5. 7th Air Force joins ROKAF to host Freedom Flag 24-1

6. Why North Korea’s Deployment of Troops to Russia Really Matters

7. Key Republican: US should consider ‘direct military action’ if North Korean troops enter Ukraine

8. Is North Korea preparing for war?

9. Defense chief calls N. Korean troops in Russia 'cannon fodder mercenaries'

10. Fire breaks out at USFK storage facility in Busan

11. FM Cho says S. Korea won't stand idly by regarding N. Korea's deployment to Russia

12. Ukraine urges North Korean soldiers to defect amid growing tensions

13. Russia pays North Korean soldiers about $2,000 a month: South’s spy agency

14. Hidden TB case leads to tragedy in N. Korean military unit

15. Some North Koreans Dissatisfied with 'Kim Yo-jong Corps'

16. U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency: “North Korea Possible Small Tactical Nuclear Test”

17. HRNK Announces Appointment of Greg Scarlatoiu as President and CEO (English and Korean)

1. U.S. Says North Korean Troops Are in Russia and Might Be Used in Ukraine War

Some comments about how this will be a game changer for the Russian in Ukraine as well as how it will be a game changer for the nKPA in a war against the ROK/US alliance. I am focusing specifically on SOF because there are reports that the north is sending the best retained troops which of course are north Korea special operations forces.

A "game changer" for Putin's War in Ukraine:

SOF may be the best trained troops in north Korea ( I do not disagree) but if they are employed as conventional forces attacking and defending across trench lines the question is will they be able to be employed in a combined arms manner, e.g., with integrated fires (artillery, airpower, and drones) as well as mechanized and armored forces for maneuver. If they have been conducting combined arms training they may have a positive effect. But while their infiltration tactics and ability to possibly operate behind enemy lines can have some effects, the question is how such tactics will be exploited and by what forces. If they are not combined arms capable they are going to have a difficult time conducting conventional fire and maneuver against the Urkainians. Having the best individual training and the best special operations training does not necessarily prepare them for combined arms warfare fire and maneuver and the integration of all combined arms effects which is what is necessary to be a game changer in Ukraine. And if they are only deploying SOF then they will be dependent on the Russians for combined arms effects (specifically artillery and other indirect fire capabilities) which poses challenges because of language issues as well as prioritization of fires and other combat support arms priorities. WIll the Russians give the nKPA forces priorities to support their special operations turned conventional warfighting efforts. A major principle of special operations is that you do not employ SOF as a conventional forces except as a last resort and then it is with the knowledge that you will no longer be able to employ them as SOF. And of course this is why we should not consider these forces SOF in comparison to SOF in almost every other nation in the world.

It will be interesting to see how they are employed and how well.

Some press inquiries I have received ask if the combat experience they gain will be a "game changer" for a war against the ROK and the ROK/US alliance:

If 12,000 or 50,000 nKPA troops deploy to fight Putin's War it is not going to be a game changer for the nKPA for an attack on the ROK and for war on the peninsula if the north cannot turn that combat experience into realistic and effective and sustained training for the majority of the nKPA or at least a sufficient amount of the nKPA which would need to be perhaps 500,000 combat troops to be an effective game changer.

Here is the issue. I know it is lost on most people but training is more important than combat experience. (this is why training continues to be conducted in wartime by combat troops - when they rotate from the front lines the rest, they refit, and they RETRAIN. Training is the key. Sure 12,000 or 50,000 nKPA may have combat experience from Putin's War. Will that give the north a significant advantage in an attack of the South. It will not unless those troops are well trained. They may have an advantage on day one because they have experienced shots fired in anger. But on day two both sides will have heard shots fired in anger. But it is the South (and the US) who will have superior trained troops. Combat experience is not some magic producer of great forces.

So unless the nKPA can take what combat experience it gains and turn that into effective training for the majority of the nKPA there is not going to be any significant improvement in kPA capabilities or readiness. If they return from Ukraine and the nKPA continues with its normal winter and summer training cycles and does not sustain a high level of training year around then the Ukraine experience will not significantly improve the nKPA. And training (andeven combat experience) is perishable. Expertise cannot be sustained without continuous training.

Also, we will have to see how the nKPA troops will be employed in Ukraine. Will they be employed as nKPA units where they might have some experiences in combined arms fighting? Or will they be integrated into Russia units as replacements. If the latter then they will be nothing more than cannon fodder and if they survive the only lesson they will be able to bring back to the north is that you need luck to survive.

US weighing how to respond? This is an opportunity to support an information campaign. So many themes and messages can be developed from this, targeting north Korea, Russia, and the Dark Quad. We should not show fear about this deployment but we should make the north Korean military and Russians fear their decisions to deploy these troops and the long term negative impact that this can have (especially when the north Korean military gets its ass handed to them by the Urkainians.). We should be preparing for the full range of opportunities. (Note to PSYOP forces and the GEC and all the information and public diplomacy professionals. This is an opportunity).

U.S. Says North Korean Troops Are in Russia and Might Be Used in Ukraine War

U.S. officials are still weighing a response as Moscow becomes more reliant on foreign assistance

https://www.wsj.com/world/u-s-says-north-korean-troops-are-in-russia-and-might-be-used-in-ukraine-war-f0820527?mod=hp_lead_pos11

By Michael R. Gordon

Follow, Lara Seligman

Follow and Alan Cullison

Updated Oct. 23, 2024 8:51 pm ET

A satellite image from a South Korean intelligence agency, which the agency says shows a military facility in the western Russian city of Ussuriysk where North Korean personnel were gathered. Photo: Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—The U.S. said thousands of North Korean troops are being trained in Russia and might be used to reinforce Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine.

At least 3,000 North Korean soldiers arrived by ship earlier this month at the Russian port of Vladivostok and moved to several training sites in eastern Russia, according to a senior Biden administration official Wednesday, confirming earlier assertions by Ukraine and South Korea.

“We don’t yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. “After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military.”

The prospect that North Korean forces could enter the war highlights both Moscow’s military shortfalls and its growing reliance on support from U.S. adversaries. It also illustrates how the conflict could have implications for areas outside Europe, such as Northeast Asia.

The Biden administration has yet to say how it plans to respond to the training of North Korean troops and their potential employment in combat against Ukrainian forces.

The U.S. and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have warned that using North Korean troops in combat would represent a major escalation in the conflict between Moscow and the Washington-led West.

If their intention is to “participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue,” said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in remarks to reporters in Rome.

The U.S. was consulting with allies on how to respond. In coming days the U.S. will announce sanctions “targeting the enablers of Russia’s war in Ukraine located outside of Russia,” Kirby said.

North Korea is one of the most heavily sanctioned nations in the world due to its nuclear weapons and missile programs. But it has been able to evade some of those sanctions through illicit trade, cyber theft and other means.

Ukraine’s top military intelligence official said the North Korean troops are expected to arrive in Russia’s Kursk region as soon as next week to help Moscow fight Ukrainian forces there.

Kirby said that any North Korean troops deployed to fight Ukrainian forces would be “fair game” for Kyiv to attack.

North Korea has already provided ballistic missiles and artillery shells to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. But the use of North Korean personnel would mark a significant increase in Pyongyang’s help for Moscow’s war effort.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already sought to compensate for military shortfalls by turning to Iran and China. Iran has supplied drones and short-range ballistic missiles to Russia. China has provided vital components to Russia’s defense industry.

Russian forces have suffered enormous casualties in the Ukraine conflict—more than 600,000 killed and wounded since the invasion, according to a senior Pentagon official.

“You’ve seen DPRK provide arms and munitions to Russia—and this is a next step,” Austin told reporters in Rome, using the formal acronym for North Korea. “This is an indication that he may be even in more trouble than most people realize,” he said, referring to Putin.

While 3,000 North Korean troops are unlikely to turn the tide of battle in a conflict in which Russia has marshaled hundreds of thousands troops inside Ukraine, their participation would mark the first time that a Russian ally has sent ground forces to fight for Moscow. South Korean intelligence officials have told lawmakers in Seoul that Pyongyang has promised to send 10,000 troops to Russia by December.

North Korea troops could enable the Kremlin to carry on its military campaign against Ukraine without resorting to politically unpopular steps, such as sending conscripts into combat or mobilizing additional forces. They could also ease Russian manpower shortages even if not in a combat role by guarding military bases or other tasks.

The reported number of North Korean troops is too small to have a significant impact in Ukraine, said Thomas Graham, a former White House adviser on Russian affairs in the George W. Bush administration. Pyongyang may have asked for training to learn lessons that Russian troops have acquired in Ukraine, said Graham, a scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations.

“The request might have been to take a few thousand of their troops to the front, see what real battlefield conditions are like,” he said.

Write to Michael R. Gordon at michael.gordon@wsj.com, Lara Seligman at lara.seligman@wsj.com and Alan Cullison at alan.cullison@wsj.com

2. China May Chafe as North Korea Sends Soldiers to Fight Ukraine

Or China may be quietly pleased. Xi likely does not want Putin to fail but he does not want to get his hands dirty by providing lethal aid from China to Russia. But north Korea may provide a convenient "cut out" to provide lethal aid (and now to possibly include combat troops). Xi can keep his hands clean while nKPA troops fight and die for Putin.

China May Chafe as North Korea Sends Soldiers to Fight Ukraine

North Korea’s decision to dispatch troops to help Russia subdue Ukraine may put another Kremlin ally, China, in a tough spot diplomatically.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/23/world/asia/north-korea-ukraine-russia-china.html

Kim Jong-un, left, and President Xi Jinping of China in 2019. China and North Korea have hailed their 75-year-old diplomatic relations as being as close as “lips and teeth.”Credit...Yan Yan/Xinhua, via Associated Press

By David Pierson

David Pierson reported from Kazan, Russia.

Oct. 23, 2024

Leer en español 阅读简体中文版閱讀繁體中文版

Earlier this month, China and North Korea hailed their 75 years of diplomatic relations by reaffirming ties that they once described as being close as “lips and teeth.”

But North Korea’s decision to dispatch thousands of troops to Russia to fight Ukraine, revealed this week by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, will test those bonds like never before.

China has been frustrated by the instability Pyongyang sows in North Asia with its nuclear weapons program and its periodic threats to annihilate South Korea. Now North Korea is inflaming a war in Europe, which could deepen a broader confrontation over the global order that pits the United States and its allies against an axis of anti-Western powers led by China and Russia.

China has tried to cast itself as a force for peace and contrast itself with the United States, which it accuses of trying to wage a new Cold War. The prospect of soldiers from China’s only treaty ally battling Western-backed forces on behalf of one of Beijing’s closest partners undermines that narrative.

Another concern China’s leadership may have, analysts said, is the exchange of military technology from Russia to North Korea in return for sending troops. That could embolden the North to act more aggressively toward South Korea or Japan, and at the same time, diminish Beijing’s ability to influence the reclusive state even as it relies on China for trade and aid.

North Korea’s provocative behavior has already contributed to a trilateral security alliance between the United States, Japan and South Korea signed at Camp David last year. The pact, which China has likened to an Asian NATO, has added to Beijing’s feeling that it is being constrained and encircled by the United States and its allies.

China is now stuck in a middle ground. While the West has tried to isolate Russia, China has deepened trade and diplomatic ties to Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Beijing may not know how to rein in North Korea’s efforts to help the Kremlin, said Victor D. Cha, a professor of government and international affairs at Georgetown University and the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

“China is caught between paralysis and incompetence on this. While they are supporting Russia’s efforts in the war indirectly, they cannot be happy with the D.P.R.K. piece,” Mr. Cha said, referring to North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “There is nothing good for them in this, short or long term.”

Questions will linger over whether Beijing knew beforehand about Pyongyang’s plans, much the way speculation persists about whether it had prior knowledge of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

China has not commented on the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia other than to say that it hopes all parties in the conflict will de-escalate and work toward a political settlement.

At a summit of emerging market countries in Russia on Wednesday, China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, reiterated that stance by calling on countries not to add “oil to the fire.”

The United States says China could help end the fighting by pulling its support for Russia, which includes supplying dual-use technologies — items as varied as microchips, chemicals or drones that can go into either civilian products or weapons — and buying massive quantities of Russian oil.

David Pierson covers Chinese foreign policy and China’s economic and cultural engagement with the world. He has been a journalist for more than two decades. More about David Pierson

3. North Korean troops are in Russia, would be ‘legitimate targets’ in Ukraine, U.S. says

It will be good to see 155mm artillery shells with "Made in Seoul" written on them killing nKPA forces.

North Korean troops are in Russia, would be ‘legitimate targets’ in Ukraine, U.S. says

Citing newly declassified intelligence, the Biden administration said that at least 3,000 personnel are undergoing combat training in Russia, though it is unclear if they’ll join the war.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/23/austin-north-korea-troops-russia/

North Korean military personnel during a rally in Pyongyang in 2018. (Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

By Dan Lamothe, Missy Ryan and Michelle Ye Hee Lee

Updated October 23, 2024 at 5:56 p.m. EDT|Published October 23, 2024 at 6:20 a.m. EDT

The U.S. government has evidence that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia receiving training, senior Biden administration officials said Wednesday, a development they said could have global implications and make those troops “legitimate military targets” in Ukraine should they enter the ongoing war there.

The disclosure, which officials said is based on newly declassified U.S. intelligence, coincides with similar pronouncements in recent days from the governments of Ukraine and South Korea. NATO and the United States had not previously confirmed the North Korean troop movements, and the administration said Washington was doing so now to convey the seriousness with which it views the matter.

“We recognize the potential danger here,” John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters at the White House. “And we’re going to be talking to allies and partners, including Ukrainians, about what the proper next steps are going to be.”

He emphasized repeatedly that the U.S. government does not yet know for certain that any North Korean soldiers will join the fighting in Ukraine, but he warned there would be consequences if they do.

“If these North Korean troops are employed against Ukraine,” Kirby said, “they will become legitimate military targets.”

Kirby addresses reports Russia has North Korean troops

2:19

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby spoke at the White House briefing on Oct. 23 about evidence North Korea sent military forces to Russia. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Al Drago for The Washington Post/The Washington Post)

For the United States and its partners, the assessment raises troubling questions about the extent to which Russia and North Korea — nuclear-armed nations and long-standing U.S. adversaries — might collaborate there and elsewhere. Speaking to reporters earlier Wednesday in Rome, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin suggested the implications could be far-reaching.

“If they’re co-belligerents — if their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf — that is a very, very serious issue,” Austin said. “It will have impacts, not only in Europe. It will also impact things in the Indo-Pacific as well.”

Austin said it was not yet clear how North Korea might benefit from this deployment of its personnel but that it suggested significant weaknesses in Russia’s military capability more than two years into President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian leader has previously sought drones, missiles and other munitions from allies Iran and North Korea to help offset critical shortages.

“This is an indication that he may be even in more trouble than most people realize,” Austin said of Putin.

The conflict has left hundreds of thousands dead and wounded on both sides.

Austin: U.S. has evidence North Korean troops are in Russia

0:52

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed, during a press gaggle on Oct. 23, that the U.S. has evidence that North Korea has sent military forces to Russia. (Video: The Washington Post)

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said last week that at least 1,500 North Korean special operations troops were training in Russia. They had been given Russian uniforms, weapons and IDs, and were being assigned to units composed of Siberian soldiers in a bid to conceal their nationalities, the intelligence agency reported. In a briefing to South Korean lawmakers Wednesday, the spy agency estimated that an additional 1,500 troops had moved into Russia.

Ukraine has said some North Korean advisers already are on the front lines.

At the White House, Kirby told reporters that Washington assesses that “at least 3,000” have traveled by ship to Vladivostok, a major Russian port city on the Pacific Ocean. U.S. officials did not release any satellite imagery verifying the claim, but Kirby said the North Koreans dispersed “to multiple Russian military training sites” in the country’s east. The North Koreans appear to be receiving a “basic kind of combat training and familiarization” at three sites, in what he called a “first tranche” of soldiers.

The Biden administration will continue to provide weapons and materiel support to Ukraine if North Korean forces enter the fighting there, Kirby said. He left open the possibility of other forms of escalation as well, though he did not identify what that could entail. President Joe Biden has said since the war’s start that he would not send any American troops to fight in Ukraine despite Washington’s robust military support for the government in Kyiv.

“I’m not at liberty today to go through any specific options,” Kirby said, “but we’re going to have those conversations. And we have.”

On Monday, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Robert Wood, said that if true, the dispatch of North Korean troops was “a dangerous and highly concerning development.” A day later, the NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, said it would be “a significant escalation” — if that was the case.

Moscow and Pyongyang have repeatedly denied that there has been a deployment. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Wednesday called it a “colossal work of the media propaganda.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greet one another at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport outside Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19. (Gavriil Grigorov/AP)

From the beginning of Russia’s February 2022 invasion, North Korea has expressed strong support for Putin’s war in Ukraine, and the two countries signed a mutual defense pact over the summer, promising to expand military cooperation. South Korean officials have reported previously that Pyongyang has provided some 13,000 containers of weapons to Russia in as many as 70 shipments since August 2023, including missiles, antitank rockets, and up to 8 million desperately needed 122mm and 152mm artillery shells.

On Monday, South Korea insisted that Russia take “immediate” action to withdraw the North Korean troops. A day later, the government in Seoul warned that it could consider supplying weapons to Ukraine in response — a move that appeared aimed at pressuring Russia, given the domestic difficulties South Korea would face if it were to send weapons to Kyiv.

Seoul is weighing diplomatic, economic and military options and could consider sending both defensive and offensive weapons to Ukraine, said a senior South Korean official, speaking during a briefing with reporters on the condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.

Since the 1950-1953 Korean War halted in a cease-fire, the two Koreas have maintained robust artillery and weapons stockpiles in case conflict resumes. As the war in Ukraine drags on, those stockpiles on the Korean Peninsula have come under focus. Russia has apparently been turning to North Korea for its old Soviet-era shells and weapons.

South Korea has a robust defense industry and has been backfilling the U.S. artillery supply and delivering arms, in particular K2 battle tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers, to Poland since 2022, allowing Warsaw to send its own equipment to Ukraine.

South Korean law bans the export of arms except for a peaceful purpose and has stopped short of supplying weapons directly to Ukraine. But officials are raising alarms about the potential for Russia to provide coveted weapons technology to North Korea in return for sending troops, saying it could intensify the North’s threats against the South.

Ryan reported from Rome and Lee from Taipei, Taiwan. Mary Ilyushina in Berlin and Paul Schemm in London contributed to this report.

4. US confirms 3,000 North Korean troops are training in Russia

It will be interesting to see the type of training being conducted. This will give us an indication of how the north Korean forces may be employed. How effective will this training be?

US confirms 3,000 North Korean troops are training in Russia

Defense News · by Noah Robertson · October 23, 2024

U.S. officials confirmed that North Korea has sent a bevy of soldiers to Russia, the first step toward what the Pentagon has said would mark a “dangerous” escalation in the war with Ukraine.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin shared the assessment Wednesday morning while traveling in Rome, becoming the first member of the Biden administration to do so.

The White House later offered more details, saying that around 3,000 North Korean troops sailed to the Russian port of Vladivostok earlier in October and are now training across three military sites in the east.

“What exactly they’re doing will have to be seen,” Austin told a group of traveling press.

South Korean defense and intelligence officials have reported for weeks that Pyongyang intended to send troops to Russia, the latest step in a burgeoning partnership that began after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration avoided commenting on the assessment until Wednesday as the government separately confirmed the intelligence.

As Austin’s comment showed, the most immediate theme from American officials was uncertainty. Neither the Pentagon nor the White House said it knew why the soldiers were in Russia, what North Korea was getting in return or whether they would fight in Ukraine.

If that last concern proves true, White House spokesperson John Kirby said, they would be “fair game” for the Ukrainian military.

Russia has suffered huge casualties in recent months while making steady gains in Ukraine’s east, losing more than 1,000 troops a day and surpassing 600,000 total casualties since 2022, American officials have said.

“This is certainly a highly concerning probability: After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military,” Kirby said, noting that the U.S. has briefed the Ukrainian government on its intelligence.

Austin traveled unannounced to Kyiv earlier this week in his fourth and likely last trip to Ukraine as secretary. While there, he spoke with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and unveiled another $400 million package of military aid, the second such tranche within a week.

North Korea and Russia have had a distant relationship dating back to the end of the Cold War, but have moved closer in the last two years. The two countries’ leaders have met together, including in a rare trip by Kim Jong Un outside his country to visit Vladimir Putin.

U.S. officials cast the news as a sign of “desperation” from Russia, particularly if North Korean troops joined the fight. The description has become familiar for the Biden administration, which didn’t anticipate how the war in Ukraine would realign American adversaries such as Iran, which alongside North Korea has also sent weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine.

North Korea has shipped over 16,500 containers of munitions and related material to Russia since last fall, U.S. and European officials have said.

“This is an indication that [Putin] may be even in more trouble than most people realize. But, again, he went tin cupping early on to get additional weapons and materials from the DPRK and then from Iran. And now he’s making a move to get more people,” Austin said, using the initialism for North Korea’s government.

About Noah Robertson

Noah Robertson is the Pentagon reporter at Defense News. He previously covered national security for the Christian Science Monitor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and government from the College of William & Mary in his hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia.

5. 7th Air Force joins ROKAF to host Freedom Flag 24-1

Combined air power is critical to the defense of Korea and the defeat of the north Korean People's Army should Kim Jong Un miscalculate and order an attack on the South.

7th Air Force joins ROKAF to host Freedom Flag 24-1

7af.pacaf.af.mil · October 24, 2024

Published
By Maj. Rachel Buitrago
Seventh Air Force Public Affairs

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --

The Seventh Air Force and Republic of Korea Air Force Operations Command are hosting a combined large force exercise, Freedom Flag 24-1, with U.S., Republic of Korea, and Royal Australian Air Force participants Oct. 21 – Nov. 1, 2024.

The event is part of an annual training schedule designed to enhance the combined readiness and interoperability of combined air component forces, with large scale, integrated training on advanced, high-end tactics, techniques and procedures against an advanced adversary.

“Freedom Flag demonstrates the strength of the ROK-U.S. Alliance and the shared commitment of the ROK and U.S. air forces to the defense of the Korean peninsula and the United States,” said Lt. Gen. David Iverson, Seventh Air Force commander. “It enables us to work together to build the readiness we need, to deter our adversaries, and if that deterrence fails, to be ready to prevail quickly in any type of conflict.”

As Seventh Air Force adapts and adjusts its training focus to ensure continued preparedness, it is shifting its fall and spring major flying training events to be flag-level air exercises, modeled after the U.S. Red Flag exercises, to provide complex, scalable training opportunities to air and joint commanders in the Indo-Pacific region.

The name Freedom Flag was chosen to demonstrate the shared U.S. and ROK commitment to freedom and peace on the Korean peninsula.

“Freedom Flag represents the past, present, and future of the U.S.-ROK alliance,” said ROK Lt. Gen Kim Hyoung Soo, AFOC commander. “The ROK Air Force has been protecting the airspace of the Republic of Korea and safeguarding the freedom and peace of the Korean peninsula based on a strong U.S.-ROK combined defense posture.”

This year’s exercise seeks to improve multinational airpower in two phases, focusing on high-quality, face-to-face planning sessions Oct. 21 to 25, and then executing complex flying scenarios Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, featuring offensive and defensive counter-air, air interdiction, close air support, combat search and rescue, air drops, and aerial medical evacuation missions.

Military personnel from the ROK Air Force, USAF, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and Royal Australian Air Force, assigned to units from across the Indo-Pacific region including the U.S. Special Operations Command Korea and ROK Special Warfare Command, plan to participate in the training. RAAF support will not only include aircraft and aircrew – RAAF air battle managers will also join U.S. and ROKAF air controllers in the Korean Air Operations Center for the first time.

“Many nations value freedom for their people, and the international, rules-based order,” said Iverson. “Freedom Flag provides a valuable opportunity to train together and raise our readiness to defend those ideals.”

U.S. aircraft scheduled to participate include the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-35B Lightning II, A-10 Thunderbolt II, E-3 Sentry, U-2 Dragon Lady, MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-1C Grey Eagle, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-130J Super Hercules, MC-130J Command II, and AH-64 Apache, coming from locations both on and off the Korean peninsula. The RAAF will be providing aerial refueling support with a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport, while ROKAF aircraft will participate with their F-35A Lighting II, F-15K Slam Eagle, KF-16 Fighting Falcon, FA-50 Fighting Eagle, F-5 Freedom Fighter, KA-1 light attack aircraft, C-130H Hercules, CASA CN-235 and KC-330. Various U.S. and ROK intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft will also join the training.

“This exercise will play an important role in enhancing the readiness of the ROK and U.S. air forces to deter enemy threats through high-level training,” Iverson said. “Although we focus on deterrence, every single day we are ready to defend both the Republic of Korea and the United States together with thousands of Airmen and hundreds of combat aircraft.”

Combined flying training events like Freedom Flag 24-1 are focused on readiness, not related to any current real-world situations, and are not intended to be threatening or provocative toward any other country.

7af.pacaf.af.mil · October 24, 2024

6. Why North Korea’s Deployment of Troops to Russia Really Matters

10,000 troops could make a difference if they are well trained in combined arms operations and have the necessary supporting direct and indirect fires and combat support necessary for effective combined arms fire and maneuver.

Excerpts:

But they will have Russian weapons, Russian logistics, and Russian support, and they will be fighting alongside Russians. How could this injection shore up a war that half a million Russians haven’t been able to?

Location, location, location. Indications are that the Russians could use North Korean reinforcements to finish off the Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory around Kursk, with possible front-line deployment as early as November.

Their potential use in Kursk is important in two respects. First, politically, it fits neatly inside the terms of the June mutual defense agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang, in which either side can help the other repel armed aggression on their territory. Second, in a historical rhyme, this year of the war has seen Kursk take on outsized importance. To the extent Russia can tip the balance around Kursk with fresh, relatively high-quality troops, it can redeploy its own forces to reinforce success further south, where it is close to cracking Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk, potentially opening the door to big gains onward toward Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro.

With the balance of forces around Kursk already tilting slowly against Ukraine, “10,000 or so troops who are willing to fight could make a difference,” said Rob Lee, a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia program. Any Ukrainian response would mean weakening that southern front, essentially turning the small North Korean deployment into a force multiplier for Moscow’s own beleaguered forces.

Why North Korea’s Deployment of Troops to Russia Really Matters

Questions abound about the combat quality of Pyongyang’s troops, but they could bail out Moscow and end up alarming Seoul.

By Keith Johnson

Foreign Policy · by Keith Johnson

Geopolitics
Russia
North Korea

October 23, 2024, 3:08 PM

Russia’s War in Ukraine

Understanding the conflict two years on.

Key Republican: US should consider ‘direct military action’ if North Korean troops enter Ukraine

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4949714-north-korean-troops-ukraine-war/?utm

by Ellen Mitchell - 10/23/24 3:52 PM ET

very serious issue

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House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday said the U.S. should consider taking “direct military action” if North Korean troops enter the war in Ukraine, following the revelation that thousands of soldiers from the isolated country are in Russia.

The White House said earlier Wednesday that Washington had assessed at least 3,000 North Korean troops are undergoing training at military bases in eastern Russia, with fears they will eventually be sent to Ukraine to fight alongside Kremlin forces.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday the U.S. has seen evidence that North Korean troops were in the former Soviet state.

“The Biden-Harris Administration must make clear that North Korean troops entering this conflict are a red line for the United States,” Turner said in a statement.

“If North Korean troops were to invade Ukraine’s sovereign territory, the United States needs to seriously consider taking direct military action against the North Korean troops,” he added.

Between early to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia via ships from the Wonsan region in North Korea to the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

The soldiers then traveled onward to three military sites in eastern Russia where they are undergoing basic combat training, Kirby said.

“We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability,” he said.

He added that after completing training, the soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military, a development that would “demonstrate Russia’s growing desperation in its war against Ukraine.”

The U.S. has briefed the Ukrainian government on the situation, to include the implications of such a move and how the U.S. might respond, according to Kirby.

He also gave a stark warning that should the North Korean troops be employed against Ukraine, “they will become legitimate military targets.”

“If they do deploy to fight against Ukraine, they’re fair game, they’re fair targets, and the Ukrainian military will defend themselves against North Korean soldiers the same way they’re defending themselves against Russian soldiers,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week warned that North Korea was sending close to 10,000 troops to Ukraine to fight for Russian forces. Speaking in Brussels, Belgium, Zelensky said Pyongyang had already sent tactical personnel and officers to his country.

Reports of the North Korean troops on the brink of possibly entering the fight have ignited calls for the U.S. to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons given to Ukraine, with Zelensky repeatedly calling on Washington to do so.

“I have long challenged the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwise position on restricting Ukraine’s use of U.S. weapons against targets within Russian territory,” Turner said in his statement. “If North Korean troops attack Ukraine from Russian territory, Ukraine should be permitted to use American weapons to respond.”

Asked why the U.S. would not greenlight long-range missiles for Ukraine, Kirby replied that it is still up in the air whether the North Korean soldiers would be deployed into combat, and it was too early to tell the kind of impact they would have on the battlefield.

“We don’t know what they’re going to do, we don’t know if they’re going to deploy into combat or not, we don’t know if they do at what strength,” he said, adding that the U.S. will monitor the situation closely and continue to surge security assistance to Kyiv.

North Korean troops fighting for Russia in Ukraine would mark a monumental step up in relations between the two countries, after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a partnership and pledged to provide mutual aid and protection against foes in June.

Pyongyang also has been providing Moscow artillery shells and ballistic missiles in exchange for access to aid and technology for nuclear and space programs.

8. Is North Korea preparing for war?

The regime has been preparing for a return to war since 1953.

Is now the time? Well maybe, but more likely, not yet.

There is a paradox. Before going to war Kim needs to shore up internal domestic stability and the coherence and support of the military.. And he is using the guns of war to do so by creating the external threat perception to justify the suffering and sacrifice of the Korean people in the north. At the same time it is the potential domestic instability that Kim cannot suppress that could lead him to make a decision to go to war because he may assess he has no other alternative than to execute the campaign plan to unify the peninsula by force as the only path to regime survival.

Surely the regime wants us to fear the sound of its guns of war. We must not play into its political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies.

Is North Korea preparing for war?

Newsweek · by Ellie Cook · October 24, 2024

If South Korea infringes on North Korean waters, airspace or territory one more time, a senior official in the secretive nation recently warned, an "immediate retaliatory attack will be launched."

On Saturday, a North Korean Defense Ministry official said authorities had discovered a South Korean drone in one of Pyongyang's districts that "crashed" up to a week earlier. It was designed for long-range reconnaissance, Pyongyang said, and may have been meant to spread anti-regime messaging, according to North Korea's KCNA state news agency.

Should it happen again, the official said, North Korea would be forced to respond.

This type of bellicose messaging isn't new from Pyongyang.

"North Korea's one-sided claims are not worth verifying, nor do they merit a response," the South Korean Defense Ministry said after the alleged drone attack. But "if the safety of our citizens is threatened in any way," South Korea has since said, "our military will respond with stern and thorough retaliation."

A Newsweek illustration. Months of souring relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have prompted questions, and fears, about whether North Korea could be readying itself for a war against its southern neighbor. A Newsweek illustration. Months of souring relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have prompted questions, and fears, about whether North Korea could be readying itself for a war against its southern neighbor. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty

Tensions on the divided peninsula are the worst in years. Earlier this month, North Korea blew up parts of roads and railway lines heading for the border after its army said it would "completely separate" the two Koreas under the cloud of the "imminent danger of war."

The two nations are still technically at war and have been since an armistice marked the end of the Korean War in 1953.

With Pyongyang now thought to have sent troops to Russia, possibly for deployment in Ukraine, North Korea's somewhat surprising moves beg the question: Could the hermit nation now be seriously preparing for war with its southern neighbor?

Flashpoints of Tension

North Korea's path in recent years, under the hand of supreme leader Kim Jong-un, has veered in a new direction, with the language around the reported drone incursions and the severing of transport across the peninsula a key part of this, said Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies.

Pyongyang has formally renounced the goal of reunification with the south, a decades-held objective that has cast Seoul as the "principal enemy." Flashpoints of tension such as rubbish-filled balloons gliding over the de-facto border and speakers blasting across the demilitarized zone have dotted the past few months of spiky relations.

Inter-Korea summits in previous years are now firmly a thing of the past, Kim pulling the country far closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin while Seoul's anxieties deepen over the hand-up Moscow is believed to be providing to Pyongyang with its weapons—including nuclear—development programs.

It is North Korea's domestic and foreign policy that have taken a real turn in the past few years, Yeo told Newsweek.

"They're signaling, of course, to South Korea and the rest of the world, that they no longer seek reunification," Yeo said. "But it's definitely, I think, in part, to reinforce this idea for their own people in preparation for, perhaps, something bigger."

"I think they're using all this to try to illustrate to their people that South Korea really is a hostile state, that they want to absorb North Korea."

North Korea and Russia

But any kind of concerted attack on the south is not a short-term goal, Yeo said.

"North Korea is not ready to attack," he said. "We would see much more mobilization towards the inter-Korea border if that were the case, but this is laying the groundwork to set up for a more hostile policy with South Korea."

Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a professor of international relations at King's College London, agreed, saying: "There is no sign of unusual movements from the North Korean military that indicate war preparations, in the way that there were signs when Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine.

"If the Kim regime was preparing for a conflict, it would want to keep all its troops ready inside the North itself," he told Newsweek.

The U.S. confirmed on Wednesday that it had "evidence" of North Korean troops in Russia, after South Korea and Ukrainian officials said upwards of 10,000 of Pyongyang's fighters were being sent to Russia.

South Korea's spy agency said on Wednesday that an estimated 3,000 personnel had arrived at Russian bases, with the remaining 7,000 to be deployed by the end of the year, according to South Korean media. This is double the initial figure of special forces personnel in Russia given by the agency last week.

Ukrainian military intelligence has suggested that about one-quarter of the roughly 10,000 troops would initially head for the southern Russian Kursk region, where clashes are ongoing with Ukrainian troops.

So far, no formal military forces from a country outside the Russia-Ukraine war has committed troops to the front lines, a move that would be a significant shift.

Pyongyang, which signed a mutual defense pact with Moscow earlier this year, has provided significant munitions and missiles for Russia's war effort.

Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) previously said North Korean soldiers, sent to a number of bases in Russia's far east, had been equipped with Russian military uniforms, Russian-made weapons and fake documents claiming the fighters were residents of regions in Siberia.

"It appears that they disguised themselves as Russian soldiers to hide the fact that they were deployed to the battlefield," the NIS said. The soldiers are "expected to be deployed to the front lines as soon as they complete their adaptation training," the agency added.

Footage published online by Russian and Ukrainian sources in recent days appears to show North Korean soldiers at a Russian training ground in the far-eastern Primorsky region, which borders North Korean territory.

For North Korea, though, there could be major benefits of having its troops see action up against Ukrainian forces—something South Korea is likely aware of.

"These are opportunities for North Korea to really strengthen their military," Yeo said. "I think that North Korea wants its troops to gain first-hand knowledge of Russia's experience on the battlefield," Pacheco Pardo added.

Approximately 10,000 troops is a fraction of its 1.2 million-strong army, which has not seen combat since the 1950s.

"In particular, North Korea can get valuable insights on the way its weapons work, or don't work, in a real war scenario, given that Russia is using missiles and artillery shells provided by the Kim regime."

The Guardian reported earlier this month that "dozens" of North Korean military engineers had been deployed to help out Russia with launching Pyongyang's KN-23 missiles, citing an anonymous Ukrainian source.

In February, Kyiv's SBU security service said Russia had fired more than 20 Hwasong-11 missiles, also known as KN-23 and KN-24 missiles, into Ukraine since late December, killing at least two dozen civilians in that time.

The Hwasong-11 is thought to be similar to Russia's Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile, prompting speculation about Moscow's role in the development of the weapon.

But there are questions over how accurate or effective the North Korean missiles are. Testing the missiles—and making its troops battle-ready—could help Pyongyang tweak and upgrade its technology in preparation for domestic use.

It does, however, also give Western governments and their allies, like South Korea, a chance to analyze the north's current arsenal.

"I'm not saying that North Korea wants a conflict right now, but it's like turning a large ship around, it takes some time," Yeo said.

"It's more of a longer-term shift to improve their capabilities, to improve their posture, and improve their readiness, as opposed to getting ready to attack South Korea right now."

Newsweek · by Ellie Cook · October 24, 2024

9. Defense chief calls N. Korean troops in Russia 'cannon fodder mercenaries'

If they cannot be employed in an effective combined arms manner they will be cannon fodder.

The ROK is now working on its information campaign. It is starting to get its messages out.

Defense chief calls N. Korean troops in Russia 'cannon fodder mercenaries' | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · October 24, 2024

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Thursday called North Korean troops being sent to Russia in an apparent support of its war in Ukraine as "cannon fodder mercenaries," accusing the North's leader Kim Jong-un of selling his army "for an illegal war of aggression."

Kim made the remarks during a parliamentary audit session, a day after the National Intelligence Service told lawmakers around 3,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been sent to Russia to support its ongoing war with Ukraine.

"When troops are dispatched overseas, they usually maintain their country's chain of command and proudly conduct activities with their military uniform, insignia and flag," Kim said. "North Korea is being disguised with a Russian uniform and acting under Russian military command without any operational authority."

"They are assessed to be mere cannon fodder mercenaries," he said. "Kim Jong-un has sold his people's army for an illegal war of aggression."

Last week, a Ukrainian government-affiliated organization released video footage of Asian soldiers speaking with a North Korean accent receiving gear at what it described as a training ground in Russia's Far East.

A White House official confirmed Wednesday that North Korea sent at least 3,000 troops to eastern Russia earlier this month, noting they are undergoing training.

This Oct. 18, 2024, footage posted on X, formerly Twitter, by the Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security of Ukraine shows what appears to be North Korean soldiers receiving apparent Russian gear. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · October 24, 2024

10. Fire breaks out at USFK storage facility in Busan

Coincidence? Accident, arson, or sabotage?

Fire breaks out at USFK storage facility in Busan | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 24, 2024

SEOUL/BUSAN, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out at a U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) storage facility in the southeastern port city of Busan on Thursday, officials said, with no casualties reported so far.

The blaze occurred at 6:31 p.m. at the USFK's Busan Storage Center in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to officials.

More than 160 personnel and 51 pieces of fire equipment have been mobilized to put out the fire, which is believed to have started during plumbing work.

As of 7:55 p.m., Busan fire authorities had raised their response by one notch to Level 2, which mobilizes personnel and equipment from eight to 11 nearby fire stations.

This photo, provided by a reader, shows a fire breaking out at a U.S. Forces Korea storage facility in the southeastern city of Busan on Oct. 24, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 24, 2024

11. FM Cho says S. Korea won't stand idly by regarding N. Korea's deployment to Russia

The ROK is stepping up. There are lots of ways to exploit north Korean actions if there is the political will to do so.

(LEAD) FM Cho says S. Korea won't stand idly by regarding N. Korea's deployment to Russia | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 24, 2024

(ATTN: ADDS details, foreign minister's remarks in paras 3, 12-14)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea cannot "stand idly by" in response to North Korea's deployment of its troops to Russia, and what actions the government will take will depend on the progress of their cooperation, its top diplomat said Thursday.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made the remarks as South Korea and the United States confirmed that the North has sent its soldiers to Russia and is preparing to send more to possibly fight alongside Moscow in the war against Ukraine.

Japan's Kyodo News also reported that some 2,000 North Korean soldiers are moving to western Russia near its border with Ukraine, citing a Ukrainian military source.

"I don't think that we are in a position where we can just stand idly by when, in the end, it will become a threat to our security," Cho said in a parliamentary audit.

"All options are on the table ... what we will do depends on how Russia responds, what North Korea receives (from Russia in return) and to what extent North Korea would support Russia," Cho said, when asked by a lawmaker if the government is considering supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Cho refuted an opposition lawmaker's comment that there is no direct interest for South Korea in relation to the war in Ukraine.

"How can you say that it has no relevance to us when North Korea is helping Russia?" Cho said, adding, "The deployment would not have come without something promised in return."

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 24, 2024. (Yonhap)

Cho stressed that the government signaling a shift in its policy for the support in Ukraine is necessary to clearly warn the North of consequences.

"It is a necessary step not only to strongly respond (to the North's) deployment, but also to urge the withdrawal (of the troops) and prevent additional deployment," he said.

Cho also suggested that China might have been sidelined in North Korea's decision to deploy troops.

"I believe there is a significant difference between what China publicly expresses and its internal considerations," he said.

When asked about the North's motive for the deployment, Cho said the North appears to have factored in the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November.

"(Its aim) likely includes earning foreign currency or securing advanced technology, but ultimately the North appears to have opted for a gamble in regard to the result of the U.S. presidential election," he said.

Cho said he believes China holds an important role, saying North Korea could have relied on Russia as China is not helping the North "100 percent."

Regarding the new defense cost-sharing deal with the U.S., Cho emphasized the importance of having the agreement ratified by the parliament to solidify its legal foundation.

"Even if President Trump is reelected and demands renegotiations, it would be better than doing so without any leverage on our part. We are preparing for that," he said.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · October 24, 2024

12. Ukraine urges North Korean soldiers to defect amid growing tensions

Excellent (and important) initiative. I hope they can make use of Hyun Seung Lee's message (pasted below).

Ukraine urges North Korean soldiers to defect amid growing tensions

https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2024/10/24/4XEDWXCXONAFDNCRCJWLNH5CSE/

By Jung Chul-hwan,

Lee Jung-soo

Published 2024.10.24. 16:39

Updated 2024.10.24. 16:40

A scene from a video posted by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Intelligence on its psychological warfare channel "I Want to Live," which targets Russian soldiers. /Telegram

The Ukrainian military urged North Korean troops to avoid unnecessary sacrifices in a foreign war and encouraged them to surrender or defect to ensure their safety.

On Oct. 23, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, through its Telegram channel “I Want to Live” (Хочу жить), which encourages Russian troops to surrender, addressed North Korean soldiers sent to fight for Russia’s Putin regime. The message urged North Korean soldiers not to die in vain on foreign soil and to avoid repeating the fate of the hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers who never made it home.

The channel also conveyed that Ukrainian prisoner-of-war camps are prepared to accept soldiers regardless of their nationality, religion, or ideology, offering shelter, food, and warmth to those who surrender. It was noted that thousands of Russian soldiers who had already surrendered were receiving three hot meals a day and medical services as they awaited the end of the war.

A warfare video produced by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Intelligence targeting North Korean soldiers, urging them to defect and surrender to Ukrainian forces. /"I Want to Live" Telegram Channel

The intelligence agency also released a video showcasing the prison facilities, stating that prisoners of war are housed in large, warm, and well-lit rooms, each equipped with a separate sleeping area. They further mentioned that meals are provided three times a day, consisting of meat, fresh vegetables, and bread. At the end of the video, contact details, including a messenger link, phone numbers, and a QR code, were provided for those interested in surrendering.

However, the Korean subtitles in the video appeared somewhat awkward, likely a result of direct translation from Ukrainian via translation software.

On the previous day, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, told U.S. military media outlet The War Zone (TWZ) that the first unit of North Korean troops was expected to arrive near Kursk on Oct. 23. Kursk is an area where Ukrainian forces have been advancing, having captured around 20 small towns and villages since August.

Contact information displayed at the end of the video urging North Korean soldiers to surrender. /Telegram

Ukrainian media have been reporting on the possibility of North Korean troop deployments since early this month, citing military and government officials. Ukrainian intelligence has consistently released additional information, urging the West to formulate a response. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service also officially announced on Oct. 18 that North Korea had decided to send around 12,000 troops to Russia, including four brigades, one of which is the elite “Storm Corps.”

The U.S., which had previously stated it was still investigating reports of North Korea’s troop deployment, officially acknowledged the situation for the first time. On Oct. 23, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking in Rome stated that there is evidence supporting the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. NATO also revealed on the same day that alliance members had verified North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia.

Hyun Seung Lee, an escapee from north Korea, urges President Zelensky to transmit this message to nKPA soldiers in Ukraine.

From my good friend Hyun Seung Lee. I have spent many hours listening to Hyun Seung describe his military experiences in the north Korean People's Army.

A short message in Korea for the soldiers of the north Korean People's Army in Russia and Ukraine. The English text is below.

At least Hyun Seung Lee is willing to conduct information and influence activities against the nKPA target audience. What are the PSYOP, public diplomacy, and other information professionals doing about the north Korea military deployment to Russia and Ukraine? I wonder how long this message would take to pass through the approval process?

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7254655921467924481/

Hyun Seung Lee, an escapee from north Korea, urges President Zelensky to transmit this message to nKPA soldiers in Ukraine.

I urge President Zelensky to deliver my message to fellow North Korean soldiers on the battlefield in Ukraine, so we can save these innocent lives. As a former North Korean soldier, I can’t bear to see them sacrificed in an unjust war driven by dictators.

Fellow soldiers of the Korean People’s Army, my name is Hyun Seung Lee. I once served in the 4th Corps Artillery Reconnaissance Battalion and the General Staff Department's 15th Combat Technique Research Institute. In 2004, I trained alongside comrades from various divisions of the Storm Corps for six months at the 15th Research Institute. I am sending this message to you with a heartfelt plea.

The war in Ukraine, initiated by Russia, is a crime against humanity. There is no reason for you to sacrifice your lives on a foreign battlefield. Kim Jong-un is merely using your lives as a bargaining chip to pocket millions of dollars in secret funds, solely to secure his safety and maintain his power. The war you are fighting is not one of justice, nor is it for the defense of your homeland. It is not for yourselves, your parents, or your siblings. It is a cruel crime, driven solely by Kim Jong-un’s greed and his desire to maintain power.

Comrades, if you seek freedom and take a broader look at the world, you will realize with deep clarity how we have been deceived by the Kim family's three-generation regime throughout our lives. There are other choices for you, and there is a new path ahead. If you have the courage to choose freedom, a world where you no longer need to risk your lives without cause will be waiting for you. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

13. Russia pays North Korean soldiers about $2,000 a month: South’s spy agency

Or perhaps more correctly, Russia pays Kim Jong Un $2000 per soldier he provides.

Russia pays North Korean soldiers about $2,000 a month: South’s spy agency

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-troop-kursk-10232024000312.html

The agency also detected signs of large-scale recruitment of Korean interpreters within the Russian army.

By Taejun Kang for RFA

2024.10.23

Taipei, Taiwan

Ukrainian service members ride an Armored Personnel Carrier near the Sumy region, Ukraine, bordering Russia’s Kursk province, Aug. 12, 2024.

Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

Updated on Oct. 23, 2024 2:10 p.m. E.T.

Russia will pay North Korean troops about US$2,000 per month each, South Korea’s spy agency said on Wednesday, as the United States announced there was evidence that the troops were in Russia.

The salary paid by Moscow would represent an enormous increase. Last month, RFA Korean reported that the average salary for military personnel had increased 10-fold from between 100 and 300 won (.6 cents to 1.8 cents) to between 1,000 and 3,000 won (6 cents to 18 cents).

The Ukrainian government-run news platform United24 reported that it was likely that most of the money would "remain with the state."

North Korea typically keeps most of the salaries paid to the workers it dispatches overseas, but it was not immediately clear how much of the $2,000 each soldier would actually receive.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, or NIS, said that more than 3,000 North Korean troops had been sent to Russia, with the total expected to reach 10,000 by December.

But the agency added it believed that the North Koreans in Russia had not been deployed to combat zones but had been dispersed across a number of training facilities, according to South Korean lawmakers, including Park Sun-won, who were briefed by the security agency.

The North Korean soldiers were receiving “specialized training” in the use of military equipment and piloting unmanned aerial vehicles, the lawmakers cited the NIS as saying.

The agency said Russian instructors were impressed by the North Koreans’ good physical shape and morale but added they lacked an understanding of modern warfare, including the use of attack drones, and were expected to suffer heavy casualties when they reached the front lines.

The NIS said that it also detected signs of large-scale recruitment of Korean interpreters by the Russian military.

There were also reports that North Korean authorities were screening the deployed soldiers’ families back in the North to ensure “effective information control and management,” said the spy agency.

Separately, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday he believed North Korean troops were already in Russia, and it remained to be seen what their duties would be.

“There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia,” Austin told reporters in Rome, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out,” Austin added.

Ukraine and South Korea have accused North Korea of deploying troops to help Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort, which both North Korea and Russia deny.

‘Escalate the conflict”

The NIS briefing came after Ukrainian media reported that the first North Korean troops were expected to arrive in Russia’s Kursk region on Wednesday to help Russian forces battling Ukrainian soldiers there.

“We are waiting for the first units tomorrow in the Kursk direction,” Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate, told The War Zone website on Tuesday.

“It is unclear at the moment how many or how they will be equipped. We will see after a couple of days,” he added.

Russia’s southwestern Kursk region has been engulfed in battles with Ukraine’s troops for over two months. Ukraine says it has captured more than two dozen Kursk settlements since launching its surprise incursion on Aug. 6.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin agreed on a partnership at a summit in Pyongyang on June 19 that included a mutual defense clause in case of “aggression” against either country.

Even before the pact there were signs of growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

Over the past year, there has been widespread suspicion that North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine – now approaching its third year – in exchange for military and economic support.

Additionally, reports suggest North Korean fighter pilots may have been deployed to Russia to operate combat aircraft, potentially addressing Russia’s pilot shortages. North Korean munitions factories are also believed to be running at full capacity, producing weapons both for export and internal use, according to South Korean officials.

Hidden TB case leads to tragedy in N. Korean military unit - Daily NK English

Officials determined a soldier had concealed tuberculosis for six years while continuing his duties so that he could access medicine

By Jeong Seo-yeong - October 24, 2024

dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · October 24, 2024

Two North Korean soldiers at a checkpoint in Sinuiju. North Pyongan province. (Daily NK)

A North Korean soldier took his own life after receiving a medical discharge order for tuberculosis (TB) he had hidden from his military unit in Pyongsong. The soldier died in the fields during harvest duties late last month after learning he would be sent home.

According to a source in South Pyongan province recently, the soldier’s border patrol unit discovered his long-running tuberculosis infection after a spike in respiratory illnesses prompted medical exams of the entire company.

Officials determined the soldier, in his 20s, had concealed the disease for six years while continuing his duties, choosing to remain in service where he could access medicine rather than face hardship at home.

“Most of the soldiers in his unit were hospitalized with TB, with one returning home for treatment due to severe symptoms,” the source said. “The military unit took the matter very seriously.”

He added: “The soldier had been mobilized to work in a corn field as part of a support team after receiving the discharge order. He took his own life after falling into despair, wondering how he could cure his disease if he returned home to live with his destitute parents and how he could earn a living.”

The border patrol command is now considering establishing a formal health management system for service members, the source added.

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 Seo-yeong · October 24, 2024

15. Some North Koreans Dissatisfied with 'Kim Yo-jong Corps'

Disaaticstfaction among the elite families. Let's pay attention to the indicators of instability and potential resistance.

Some North Koreans Dissatisfied with 'Kim Yo-jong Corps'

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/nk_nuclear_talks/art-propaganda-corps-10242024091911.html

Seoul-Moon Seong-hui xallsl@rfa.org

2024.10.24

North Korean art troupes perform to encourage recovery efforts in flood-stricken areas.

/Yonhap News

00:00 /05:22

Anchor : The so- called ' Kim Yo-jong Corps ' , North Korea's art and propaganda corps , is only open to children of powerful families, but they enjoy all sorts of social privileges , which is increasing public discontent . Reporter Moon Sung-hui reports from inside North Korea .

“ The People’s Army only sets out at night and is not noticeable, but Kim Yo-jong’s corps sets out in broad daylight and plays around fiercely . ” This is a criticism of the Art Propaganda and Agitation Corps made by some North Korean residents .

In relation to this, a senior official source in Yanggang Province ( requesting anonymity due to personal safety ) reported on the 20th , “ The number of people in each provincial art troupe , city and county mobile art propaganda units and art agitation units , and concentrated economic agitation units , referred to as the Kim Yo-jong Corps , has exceeded 100,000, ” adding , “ This far exceeds the scale of the 1980s during the Kim Il- sung era . ”

“In the 1980s , each province had an art troupe, and each city and county had a mobile art propaganda corps and a student and youth art propaganda corps, but their size was around 50,000 people ,” the source explained . “ After the ‘ Arduous March ,’ the city and county mobile art propaganda corps and the student and youth art propaganda corps were disbanded, and only the art troupes were barely hanging on . ”

The source added, “ The Mobile Art Propaganda Brigade and the Student and Youth Art Propaganda Brigade were revived after the first Party Ideological Propaganda Workers Training held in late March 2022 , ” and “ Since the COVID-19 quarantine was lifted in June of last year , the Concentrated Economic Agitation Brigade and the Concentrated Lecture Agitation Brigade have been newly organized, doubling the size of the Art Propaganda and Agitation Brigade . ”

Regarding the size of the art propaganda and agitation unit, the source said, “ There are about 200 cities and counties and 4,000 villages and districts ( wards ) in our country ( North Korea ) ,” and “ There is a mobile art propaganda unit in each province , city , county , village , and district, and there are art propaganda and agitation units in each working group organization , enterprises with over a thousand employees , each local party committee and people’s committee , cultural centers , middle and high schools and universities , vocational schools , and even military units at the brigade level or higher and judicial institutions . ”

The source explained why these art propaganda and agitation units are called the so-called ' Kim Yo-jong Corps ' .

“ The Mobile Art Propaganda Unit, the Art Agitation Unit , the Concentrated Economic Agitation Unit, and the Propaganda and Agitators of Enterprises and State Agitation Centers have, above all, a system similar to that of the military, ” the source emphasized . “ Because they are directly commanded by Kim Yo-jong, First Vice Department Director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, they are called the ‘ Kim Yo-jong Corps ’ among the residents . ”

Another source said, “ This summer , the deputy director of the Civil Defense Department of the Yanggang Provincial Party, who was dispatched to the rural guidance team in Yeongha-ri, Unhung County, stepped onto the stage of ideological struggle for the reason that he ordered the art and agitation corps from the Unhung County Cultural Center, which had been out on a propaganda mission, to weed out seaweed, ” and expressed concern that “ the art and propaganda corps with Kim Yo-jong on its back is gradually becoming more powerful and a private organization . ”

North Korea's art propaganda troupe performance. /Yonhap News

[ To North Korean Workers' Party officials ] Strengthening propaganda and agitation work cannot be the solution to economic difficulties.

[ Now in North Korea ] Will Kim Il-sung be erased and ' Kim Jong-un's sun ' rise?

Meanwhile, a college student source in Yanggang Province ( requesting anonymity for safety reasons ) also reported on the 22nd , “ The Art Propaganda and Agitation Squad led by Kim Yo-jong is expanding its size at will by putting up the slogan, ‘ Unifying the entire Party and society with Kim Jong-un ideology, ’ ” and “ They praise Kim Jong-un in public, but they act out of touch with the flow of society and enjoy all sorts of special privileges that ordinary people cannot hope for, which is drawing the ire of the residents . ”

The source explained, “ Although wages have increased since the beginning of the year, not only ordinary workers but also doctors and teachers are not receiving their salaries properly .” He continued , “ Ordinary citizens can only buy ten days’ worth of food a month through grain stores, but the Art Propaganda and Agitation Corps not only receive their salaries on time every month, but they are also given special food supplies . ”

In particular, the source added, “ These art propaganda and agitation groups are even being issued special quarterly travel certificates, which are issued only to reporters and writers, under the pretext of frequent movement . ” He added , “ Even when others are working hard to recover from the flood damage, they are going around wearing heavy makeup under the pretense of preparing for a performance, which is causing residents to frown . ”

The source emphasized, “ In the past, during Kim Il-sung’s era, these Art Propaganda and Agitation Corps were called ‘ a group of idiots ’ and looked down on as people who did not want to work , ” and “ However, these days, the Art Propaganda and Agitation Corps is considered one of the best workplaces that even the children of powerful families can barely get into . ”

The source continued, " They are excluded from all social mobilization under the pretext of promoting the party's ideology, and even civil servants are excluded from the shock brigades that they are required to go to at least two or three times ." He added , " Some are even raising the question of whether they are not conducting extensive surveillance on society beyond simple propaganda activities, as they are so entrenched in the military and judiciary . "

The source added, “ How can those who shake their bodies and sing in front of people who are working hard, sweating, and clutching their hungry bellies look good ?” and “ The general opinion among residents is that if a senior official other than Kim Jong-un’s sister had created such an organization, she would have already been executed as a traitor . ”

This is Moon Sung-hui of RFA's Free Asia Broadcasting in Seoul .

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

16. U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency: “North Korea Possible Small Tactical Nuclear Test”

The DIA report can be accessed here: https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/nk_nuclear_talks/small-tactical-nuclear-10232024151745.html

U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency: “North Korea Possible Small Tactical Nuclear Test”

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/nk_nuclear_talks/small-tactical-nuclear-10232024151745.html

WASHINGTON-Cho Jin-woo choj@rfa.org

2024.10.23

North Korea is conducting training to operate its 600mm super-large rocket artillery units within the Nuclear Trigger System, the country's comprehensive nuclear weapons management system, in April.

/Yonhap News

00:0002:18

Anchor : A U.S. government report has been released stating that North Korea is accelerating its development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, which poses a growing threat to the U.S. mainland and neighboring countries . Reporter Cho Jin-woo reports .

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense , released a report on the latest trends in the nuclear weapons programs of North Korea, China , Iran , and Russia on the 23rd , and revealed that under the leadership of Chairman Kim Jong-un, North Korea has regularized long-range missile test launches and is developing various missile systems capable of carrying nuclear weapons .

Meanwhile , North Korea has test-launched multiple long-range missiles, including the Hwasong -17 and Hwasong - 18 intercontinental ballistic missiles ( ICBMs ) capable of striking the U.S. mainland , and is said to possess a number of short-range and medium-range ballistic missile systems aimed at South Korea and Japan .

North Korea has accelerated its development of nuclear weapons and missile technology, conducting dozens of missile tests in 2022 alone , and has recently tested the possibility of using nuclear weapons during military exercises, the report said .

“ Over the past five years, North Korea has diversified its ballistic missile systems to include missiles that use solid fuel, ” the DIA said . “ Solid-fuel missiles have operational advantages because they can save fuel refueling time before launch . ”

The report said North Korea has the ability to produce plutonium and highly enriched uranium and has conducted multiple nuclear tests .

In particular, referring to Chairman Kim Jong-un’s claim in January 2021 that he had developed a “ miniaturized and lightweight tactical nuclear weapon ,” the report said, “DIA interprets this to mean that North Korea has created a small-diameter single-stage nuclear fission device and completed the design of a thermonuclear weapon . ”

He added that “additional nuclear tests may be needed to verify performance . ”

A nuclear report released on the 23rd by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the U.S. Department of Defense.

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The DIA also warned of the possibility that North Korea could transfer nuclear weapons technology to outside sources .

The report said , “ North Korea has a history of providing nuclear materials and technology to Libya and Syria , and continues to act in violation of international sanctions and UN resolutions . ”

The report analyzed that “ North Korea is continuing to develop nuclear weapons and missiles , increasing tensions in the international community , ” and “ North Korea’s actions are aggravating the direct threat to the United States and regional allies , and North Korea’s future military buildup will have a significant impact on the security of countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula . ”

This is the second time since 2018 that the DIA has released a nuclear-related report , and it contains information on the nuclear weapons programs of China, Russia , and Iran in addition to North Korea .

Editor Park Jeong-woo, Web Editor Kim Sang-il

17. HRNK Announces Appointment of Greg Scarlatoiu as President and CEO (English and Korean)

I would like to highlight this very good and very important news. All those who have an interest in the human rights issues in north Korea should recognize the great honor bestowed on our very good friend and a friend of the Korean people, particularly those in the north, Greg Scarlatoiu. In recognition of his 13 years of selfless service the HRNK board of directors unanimously appointed him as President and CEO of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.

English and Korean versions of the Press Release and the Fact Sheet are below.

Greg has navigated the human rights field deftly and successfully to include overcoming opposition from authoritarian regimes who oppose HRNK's human rights work at the UN. At the Fact Sheet below you can read the list of some of the major HRNK accomplishments which are all a result of Greg's magnificent leadership.

His personal life growing up under the yoke of communism and totalitarian rule and his experience in the Romanian revolution are particularly inspirational and relevant to his work on human rights and crimes against humanity perpetrated by a dictatorial regime.

He has also worked tirelessly to overcome financial challenges for this non-profit organization that functions entirely on donations and grants. Sadly, the US government has failed to continue providing grants to HRNK after many years of support from the US State Department. From the Obama administration HRNK received approximately $800,000 in State/DRL support. From the Trump administration HRNK received approximately $1.2 million in State/DRL support. From October 2014 till March 2023, DRL provided the majority of funding support for HRNK's satellite imagery project monitoring north Korea's detention facilities as well as providing support for HRNK research and publications on North Korea's criminal accountability, information environment, and overseas workers. Despite the lack of continued funding support from the US Government, the State Department continues to cite HRNK research in its human rights reports.

HRNK Announces Appointment of Greg Scarlatoiu as President and CEO

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024

Help HRNK spread the word!

HRNK, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, relies on donations to support our programs and to provide website content and services free of charge without commercial advertising. Your support enables HRNK to continue our important work promoting human rights in North Korea.

Thank you!

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https://mailchi.mp/hrnk.org/hrnk-announces-appointment-of-greg-scarlatoiu-as-president-and-ceo?e=46d109134bCOMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA — PRESS RELEASE

October 23, 2024

HRNK Announces Appointment of Greg Scarlatoiu as President and CEO

WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 23, 2024 – The board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) today announced the appointment of Greg Scarlatoiu as the first President and CEO of the organization. The move was made possible by a revision in the organization’s bylaws, which was unanimously approved by the board.

Scarlatoiu has been executive director of HRNK since 2011. He holds degrees from Seoul National University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and is a graduate of MIT’s Seminar XXI for National Security Professionals. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Scarlatoiu was born and raised in Romania, where he participated in the anti-communist revolution of December 1989. He is a fluent Korean speaker.

“Greg Scarlatoiu has brilliantly led our organization to become the acknowledged leader in researching and documenting the horrifying and complex nature of the Kim regime in North Korea,” says Katrina Lantos Swett, co-chair of HRNK and president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice. “His innovative and dynamic leadership has helped shine the light of truth on one of the darkest corners of human rights abuse in the world.”

Jack David, co-chair of HRNK and a senior fellow and trustee of the Hudson Institute adds: “Under Greg’s leadership, HRNK has become the world’s leading advocate for the oppressed people of North Korea. He has extended HRNK’s reach to the United Nations, the European Parliament, and other international organizations. To cite just one measure of HRNK’s influence, note that in its 2023 report on human rights in North Korea, the U.S. State Department cited HRNK 34 times.”

HRNK director Winson Lord, a former U.S. ambassador to China, comments on Scarlatoiu’s appointment: “For many decades, I have chaired, boosted, and observed countless non-governmental organizations in the foreign policy field. No leader has produced more with such modest resources than Greg Scarlatoiu of HRNK. At a time when North Korea’s barbarous regime is increasing its malign influence in global crises, it is fitting to elevate Greg’s title and urgent to elevate the resources he deploys with consummate skill and energy.”

Scarlatoiu’s work at HRNK has not gone unnoticed in North Korea. In 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published an article about HRNK on its website under the headline, “The Disgraceful Behavior of a Fake Human Rights Organization.” The American nonprofit, it said, “slanders the dignity of our country and seeks to overthrow our institutions.” To which, HRNK’s directors respond: “Well done, Greg.”

For a list of HRNK’s accomplishments under Scarlatoiu’s leadership, please see the attached document.

Greg Scarlatoiu’s new email address is: president@hrnk.org

* * *

HRNK was founded in 2001 as a nonprofit research organization dedicated to documenting human rights conditions in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), as North Korea is formally known. Visit www.hrnk.org to learn more.북한인권위원회(HRNK) — 보도자료

2024년 10월 24일

HRNK, 그레그 스칼라튜를 회장 겸 CEO로 임명 발표

워싱턴 D.C. – 2024년 10월 24일 – 북한인권위원회(HRNK) 이사회는 오늘 그레그 스칼라튜를 북한인권위원회의 초대 회장 겸 CEO로 임명했다고 발표했습니다. 이 결정은 이사회가 만장일치로 승인한 정관 개정을 통해 이루어 졌습니다.

스칼라튜는 2011년부터 HRNK의 사무총장을 역임해왔습니다. 그는 서울대학교와 터프츠 대학교의 플레처 법외교대학원에서 학위를 취득했으며, MIT의 국가안보 전문가 프로그램인 세미나 XXI를 수료했습니다. 미국 시민으로 귀화한 스칼라튜는 루마니아에서 태어나 자랐으며, 1989년 12월 반공산주의 혁명에 참여했습니다. 그는 한국어에 능통합니다.

“그레그 스칼라튜는 북한인권위원회를 북한 김정은 정권의 끔찍하고 복잡한 실태를 연구하고 기록하는 데 있어 인정받는 선두주자로 이끌었습니다.”라고 HRNK 공동 의장이자 란토스 인권 및 정의 재단 회장인 카트리나 란토스 스웻은 말했습니다. “그의 혁신적이고 역동적인 리더십은 세계에서 가장 어두운 인권 침해의 한 구석에 진실의 빛을 비추는 데 큰 기여를 하였습니다.”

HRNK 공동 의장이자 허드슨 연구소의 선임연구원이자 이사인 잭 데이비드는 다음과 같이 덧붙였습니다. “그레그의 리더십 아래 HRNK는 북한의 억압받는 사람들을 위한 세계 최고의 인권옹호자가 되었습니다. 그는 HRNK의 영향력을 유엔, 유럽의회 및 기타 국제 기구로 확장시켰습니다. HRNK의 영향력을 보여주는 한 가지 예로, 2023년 북한 인권에 관한 미 국무부 연례 보고서에서 HRNK가 34회 인용되었습니다.”

HRNK 이사이자 전 주중 미국 대사인 윈스턴 로드는 스칼라튜의 임명에 대해 다음과 같이 언급했습니다. “수십 년 동안 저는 외교 정책 분야에서 수많은 비정부 조직을 이끌고 지원하며 지켜봤습니다. 그레그 스칼라튜처럼 적은 자원으로 많은 성과를 낸 리더는 없었습니다. 북한의 야만적인 정권이 글로벌 위기에서 악의적인 영향을 확대하고 있는 지금, 그레그의 직함을 격상시키는 것은 적절하며, 그가 뛰어난 기술과 열정으로 활용하는 자원을 증대시키는 것은 시급합니다.”

스칼라튜의 HRNK에서의 활동은 북한에서도 주목받고 있습니다. 2022년 북한 외무성은 자국 웹사이트에 “사이비 인권단체의 추태”라는 제목으로 HRNK에 대한 비난 성명을 게재하고, 미국북조선인권위원회(HRNK)는 “우리 국가의 존엄을 비방하고 우리 체제를 전복하려 한다”고 비난했습니다. 이에 HRNK 이사들은 “아주 훌륭합니다, 그레그”라고 격려하고 응답 하였습니다.

스칼라튜의 리더십 아래 HRNK가 성취한 성과 목록은 첨부된 문서를 참조하시기 바랍니다.

그레그 스칼라튜의 새 에메일 주소는 president@hrnk.org입니다.

HRNK는 2001년에 조선민주주의인민공화국(DPRK), 즉 북한의 인권 상황을 문서화하기 위한 비영리 연구 기관으로 설립되었습니다. 자세한 내용은 www.hrnk.org를 방문하십시오.Fact Sheet

HRNK Board of Directors Appoints New President and CEO

Washington, DC, October 24, 2024

The elevation in title reflects the natural evolution of HRNK since its inception in 2001, and especially under Scarlatoiu’s leadership. When he joined HRNK, Scarlatoiu took over an organization that was already an intellectual leader in the field of North Korean human rights, but he has played a crucial part in taking it to the next level – training hundreds of young scholars , overseeing the publication of dozens of reports, and exponentially expanding outreach to and influence among the media, the United Nations, and decision-makers from the U.S. and EU.

Prior to HRNK, Scarlatoiu was Director of Public Affairs and Business Issues for Korea Economic Institute (KEI) in Washington, DC. Before that, he worked in international development consulting, under USAID, World Bank, and other agency contracts, managing projects and executing field work in countries including Zambia and Tanzania. For over 21 years, Scarlatoiu has authored a weekly Radio Free Asia (RFA) Korean language column broadcast into North Korea.

During Mr. Scarlatoiu’s 13 years as Executive Director, HRNK accomplished the following:

Published 59 reports, monographs, and books highlighting: North Korean regime dynamics and the regime’s policy of human rights denial; vulnerable groups, in particular women and children; North Korea’s vast system of unlawful imprisonment; North Korea’s information environment; and North Korea’s exportation of workers as a commodity to earn hard currency for the regime. The impact and value of HRNK’s reports is evidenced by the extent to which the State Department relies upon them for its annual human rights reports, as well as the wide range of media outlets that turn to HRNK for insight and commentary about the situation in North Korea. The 2023 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report on North Korea quoted HRNK 34 times.
Earned mentions in 2,322 English language and 3,653 Korean language media reports.
Trained more than 400 interns, relying on youthful energy and enthusiasm rather than large budgets.
Developed a unique methodology, in collaboration with Senior Adviser Joseph Bermudez, combining satellite imagery analysis with escapee testimony and open-source research.
Helped bring about the creation of a UN Commission of Inquiry in February 2013, prompted in large part by HRNK’s research and advocacy. HRNK supported the work of the UN COI during and after the publication of the UN COI report in February 2014, through both research and outreach activities.
Successfully worked to ensure the North Korean human rights issue was included in the agenda of the UN Security Council on multiple occasions since 2014.
Created a transatlantic coalition addressing North Korean human rights, by creating friends and allies among members of the European Parliament, and subsequently encouraging the inclusion of North Korean human rights in action taken by the European Parliament.
Acquired UN ECOSOC consultative status in April 2018, despite obstacles and obstruction posed by countries with a history of human rights abuses trying hard to aid and abet the Kim family regime while protecting it from UN and international community opprobrium.
Selected and recruited disabled North Korean escapee activist Ji Seong-ho to participate in the State of the Union address in February 2018. Scarlatoiu also selected seven other former North Koreans who met with former president Trump in the Oval Office.
Submitted advisory opinions to the UN Universal Periodic Review in 2019 and 2024, in addition to submitting advisory opinions to UN Women and the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea Sanctions – now defunct, due to a Russian UN Security Council veto.
Steadfastly advocated for the oppressed people of North Korea through involvement in congressional and other hearings, which has been instrumental in bringing the plight of North Koreans to the forefront of the global stage. Through these hearings, HRNK has presented compelling evidence of the brutal human rights abuses perpetrated by the North Korean regime, including forced labor camps, mass starvation, and the suppression of basic freedoms.

보도 자료

북한인권위원회(HRNK) 이사회, 신임 회장 겸 CEO 임명

워싱턴 D.C., 2024년 10월 24일

이번 직함의 격상은 2001년 창립 이래 북한인권위원회(HRNK)의 자연스러운 발전, 특히 스칼라튜 회장의 리더십 아래에서의 변화를 반영합니다. 스칼라튜 회장이 북한인권위원회에 합류했을 때, 그는 북한 인권 분야에서 이미 지적 리더였던 조직을 맡아 다음 단계로 크게 발전시키는 데 중요한 역할을 했습니다. 수백 명의 젊은 학자들을 훈련 시키고, 수십 건의 보고서 출판을 감독하며, 언론, 유엔, 미국과 유럽연합의 의사 결정자들 사이에서의 영향력을 기하급수적으로 확대했습니다.

북한인권위원회에 합류하기 전, 스칼라튜 회장은 워싱턴 D.C.에 있는 한미경제연구소(KEI)에서 대외홍보 및 국제 사업 담당 이사로 근무했습니다. 그 이전에는 국제개발처(USAID), 세계은행 및 기타 기관과 계약을 맺고 잠비아, 탄자니아 등의 국가에서 프로젝트를 관리하고 현장 업무를 수행하는 국제개발 컨설팅 분야에서 활동했습니다. 스칼라튜 회장은 21년 이상 북한으로 방송되는 자유아시아방송(RFA)의 한국어 주간 칼럼을 집필해 왔습니다.

스칼라튜 회장이 사무총장으로 재직한 13년 동안 북한인권위원회는 다음과 같은 성과를 이루었습니다:

59건의 보고서, 단행본, 책을 출판하여 강조: 북한 정권의 역학과 정권의 인권 부정 정책; 취약 계층, 특히 여성과 어린이; 북한의 방대한 불법 구금 시설; 북한의 정보 환경; 북한이 정권을 위한 외화벌이를 위해 노동자를 상품처럼 수출하는 것. 북한인권위원회 보고서의 영향력과 가치는 미국 국무부가 연례 인권 보고서를 작성할 때, 북한인권위원회의 보고서에 의존하는 정도와 다양한 미디어 매체가 북한 상황에 대한 통찰력과 논평을 위해 북한인권위원회의 보고서에 의존하는 것에서 입증됩니다. 2023년 미국 국무부 북한 인권 보고서는 북한인권위원회(HRNK)를 34회 인용했습니다. 영어 언론 매체에서 2,322회, 한국어 언론 매체에서 3,653회 이상 언급되었습니다.
큰 예산보다는 젊은 에너지와 열정을 바탕으로 400명 이상의 인턴을 교육했습니다.
수석 고문 조셉 버뮤데즈와 협력하여 위성 이미지 분석과 탈북자 증언, 오픈 소스 연구를 결합한 독창적인 방법론을 개발했습니다.
북한인권위원회의 연구와 옹호 활동에 크게 힘입어 2013년 2월 유엔 북한 인권 조사위원회(UN COI) 설립에 이바지했습니다. 북한인권위원회는 2014년 2월 유엔 조사위원회(UN COI) 보고서의 발간 전후로 연구 및 홍보 활동을 통해 조사위원회의 작업을 지원했습니다.
2014년 이후 여러 차례에 걸쳐 유엔 안전보장이사회 의제에 북한 인권 문제가 포함되도록 성공적으로 노력했습니다.
유럽의회 의원들과의 우호 관계를 구축하여 대서양을 가로지르는 북한 인권 연대를 형성하고, 이후 유럽의회의 행동에 북한 인권 문제가 포함되도록 장려했습니다.
2018년 4월 유엔 경제사회이사회(ECOSOC) 협의 지위를 획득했습니다. 이는 인권 침해의 역사를 가진 일부 국가들이 김씨 일가 정권을 유엔과 국제 사회의 비난으로부터 보호하기 위해 방해를 놓았음에도 불구하고 이루어 낸 성과입니다.
2018년 2월 국정연설에 장애가 있는 탈북자 활동가 지성호 씨를 선정하고 초청했습니다. 스칼라튜 회장은 또한 트럼프 전 대통령이 백악관 집무실에서 만났던 7명의 탈북자를 선정했습니다.
2019년과 2024년 유엔인권이사회의 보편적 정례 검토(UPR)에 자문 의견을 제출했으며, 유엔 여성 기구와 현재는 러시아의 유엔 안보리 거부권으로 인해 활동이 중단된 유엔 북한 제재 전문가 패널에도 자문 의견을 제출했습니다.
의회 및 기타 청문회에 참가하여 북한의 억압받는 국민을 꾸준히 대변해 왔으며, 이를 통해 북한 주민들의 고통을 세계 무대의 전면에 부각하는 데 중요한 역할을 했습니다. 이러한 청문회를 통해 강제 노동 수용소, 대량 기아, 기본 자유의 억압 등 북한 정권이 저지른 잔인한 인권 침해에 대한 설득력 있는 증거를 제시했습니다.

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

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

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

Access NSS HERE

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