Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

– Abraham Lincoln

"After all is said and done, more is said than done."

– Aesop

"One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say."

– Will Durant

1. 68 pct of S. Koreans say unification is necessary: survey

2. With Trump’s Asia Trip, Speculation Mounts of a Meeting With Kim Jong-un

3. North Korean interpreter defects via South Korea embassy in Mongolia

4. Under Trump, Voice of America Is Down but Not Out

5. Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. to hold annual security talks early next month |

6. Security adviser says no info yet on Trump-Kim talks, but S. Korea will prepare such possibility

7. Lee departs for Malaysia to attend ASEAN summit

8. Presidential office says S. Korea, U.S. coordinating for denuclearization after Trump's 'nuclear power' remarks

9. S. Korea's biggest defense show concludes after 8-day run

10. N. Korean FM Choe to visit Russia, Belarus: state media

11. S. Korea, U.S. have security deal on paper, still working on trade deal: nat'l security adviser

12. Editorial: Trump's 'Nuclear Power' Remarks on North Korea Spark Concern

13. [Contribution] Why we need US-Korea alliance 2.0 in Trump 2.0 era

14. How to Fight Putin on the Information Battlefield

1. 68 pct of S. Koreans say unification is necessary: survey

Surveys in Korea are all over the map. But these are better numbers,

Note that PUAC works for President Lee (KINU works for the Prime Minister).

At least 68% of Koreans in the South get this:

Only acceptable end state: free and unified Korea, regardless of polls

https://www.upi.com/Voices/2025/10/24/perspective-poll-reunification/1771761155073/

68 pct of S. Koreans say unification is necessary: survey | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · October 26, 2025

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- Nearly 70 percent of South Koreans believe unification with North Korea remains necessary, while about half of people here doubt North Korea will resume talks with the United States, a survey showed Sunday.

The survey, commissioned by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a presidential advisory body on unification issues, showed that 68.6 percent of respondents said unification is either "very necessary" or "quite necessary."

Of the 1,000 respondents surveyed, aged 19 or over, 30.4 percent said they do not see the need for unification, with about 1 percent giving no answer.

Thirty-one percent of those surveyed said they support unification to alleviate the threat of war, with 29.4 percent citing economic development, 14.4 percent the need to restore ethnic homogeneity, and 12.3 percent saying unification is necessary to realize the freedom and human rights of North Koreans.

This graphic illustration shows a map of the Korean Peninsula (C), with the North marked by the North Korean flag and the South by the South Korean flag. (Yonhap)

On the possibility of North Korea reengaging the U.S. for talks, 49.1 percent saw the chances as slim, compared with 46.8 percent who said it was quite likely to happen.

More than 60 percent of respondents chose the U.S. as the country having the biggest influence over unification, followed by China at 28.3 percent, Russia at 3.7 percent and Japan at 2.4 percent, the survey showed.

The survey found that 47.3 percent of respondents view North Korea as a country South Korea should cooperate with and support, compared with 40.8 percent who see Pyongyang as a state that should be approached with caution and treated with hostility when necessary.

When asked about South Korea's security situation, 49.7 percent described it as "stable," while 49.3 percent said it was "unstable."

Nearly 36 percent of respondents said easing military tensions should be the top priority for the two Koreas to move toward reconciliation and improve the hostile atmosphere.

The survey was conducted from Sept. 12-14 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · October 26, 2025

2. With Trump’s Asia Trip, Speculation Mounts of a Meeting With Kim Jong-un

Again, do we want a meeting more than Kim and what kind of position does that put us in?

With Trump’s Asia Trip, Speculation Mounts of a Meeting With Kim Jong-un

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/world/asia/asia-trump-kim-jong-un.html

NY Times · Choe Sang-Hun ·

President Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to see the North Korean leader again. Mr. Kim has indicated that he is open to the idea — but only under a strict condition.

Listen to this article · 4:01 min Learn more

President Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in South Korea, in 2019.Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Reporting from Seoul

Oct. 25, 2025

The last time President Trump met with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, it took only about 36 hours to arrange a hurried but made-for-TV encounter between the two men on the border between North and South Korea.

More than six years after those talks, Mr. Trump is headed back to South Korea this week, and speculation has flared over whether he and Mr. Kim will meet again. Mr. Trump is scheduled to arrive in the South on Wednesday for bilateral summits with its president, Lee Jae Myung, and the Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific economic summit in the city of Gyeongju.

Mr. Trump, who met Mr. Kim three times in 2018 and 2019, has repeatedly said that he would like to see Mr. Kim again, boasting of their “great relationship.” As he boarded Air Force One on Friday, he said again that he would like to meet Mr. Kim.

“I would,” he told reporters. “If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it.”

In 2019, Mr. Trump was visiting Japan when he tweeted: “If Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!” The two met the next day in Panmunjom, a truce village that lies inside the DMZ, or Demilitarized Zone, that separates the two Koreas.

A senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said there were no current plans for the two leaders to meet.

Want to stay updated on what’s happening in South Korea? , and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.

North Korea has not responded to Mr. Trump’s latest overture. But on Sunday, it said that its foreign minister, Choe Son-hui, was embarking on a trip to Russia and Belarus.

Last month, Mr. Kim said he had “a good memory” of Mr. Trump. But he said North Korea would re-enter negotiations with Washington only if it stopped insisting on his country’s denuclearization.

“Well, I think they are sort of a nuclear power,” Mr. Trump said on Friday.

Mr. Trump is eager to portray himself as a global peacemaker, but it is unclear whether Washington and Pyongyang have an open line of communication. On Friday, Mr. Trump hinted at the difficulty in reaching the North Koreans.

“They have a lot of nuclear weapons but not a lot of telephone service,” he said.

During Mr. Trump’s first term, South Korea had served as an eager mediator, helping arrange the first summit meeting between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump, in Singapore in 2018. When he last met Mr. Kim in Panmunjom in June 2019, Mr. Trump briefly crossed the inter-Korean border line, becoming the first American leader to set foot on North Korean soil. But that meeting also failed to produce a deal on rolling back North Korea’s nuclear program or lifting sanctions imposed on the country.

Relations between the two Koreas have since deteriorated so badly that a top official in the South has said there is little it can do to help facilitate dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. When Mr. Lee met with Mr. Trump in Washington in August, he called Mr. Trump “the only person that can make progress on this issue.”

Speculation about a possible Trump-Kim meeting gained more currency after a South Korean minister said on Friday that North Korean troops were cleaning their side of Panmunjom. The American-led United Nations Command, which controls the southern half of the village, has decided not to accept any tourists there in the coming days. It said it would not comment on “any hypothetical scenarios.”

South Korean officials said they had not seen logistical moves for a meeting there. But they also would not rule out the possibility, given the peculiar dynamics between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim.

In recent years, Mr. Kim has expanded North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and deepened ties with Russia and China. He now has more leverage than he did in 2019.

“Time is on our side,” Mr. Kim said last month.

Katie Rogers contributed reporting.

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

See more on: Kim Jong-un , Donald Trump

NY Times · Choe Sang-Hun ·

3. North Korean interpreter defects via South Korea embassy in Mongolia

North Korean interpreter defects via South Korea embassy in Mongolia

Interpreter seeks asylum at South Korea’s Ulaanbaatar embassy after North Korean delegation visit

https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-international/2025/10/25/5A6PT6WXT5BNJGZI6SOTUTS2OE/

Kim Bo-yeon

Published 2025.10.25. 14:46

Updated 2025.10.25. 14:47

Kim Jong‑un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

It was belatedly learned that a North Korean interpreter sought asylum through the South Korean Embassy in Mongolia.

Japan’s Kyodo News reported on the 25th, citing diplomatic sources, that when a North Korean delegation led by Tae Hyeong-chol, president of the North Korean Academy of Social Sciences, visited Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, at the end of August, a North Korean interpreter sought asylum through the South Korean Embassy.

The affiliation and position of the interpreter who defected are not known, but the outlet said that because North Korean authorities strictly restrict residents’ overseas travel, the person appears to have a certain level of social status. The outlet said, “North Korea has ordered the replacement of its ambassador to Mongolia,” adding, “It is unclear whether this is directly related to the matter, but it is possible someone was held responsible.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responding to a related inquiry, said it was “in no position to answer,” the outlet added.

North Korean media are said not to be reporting on Tae’s visit to Mongolia itself.

Earlier, in 2016, former lawmaker Tae Yong-ho, who had been minister at the North Korean Embassy in the United Kingdom, and in 2023, Ri Il-gyu, who had been minister-counselor for political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, each sought asylum in South Korea.

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.

4. Under Trump, Voice of America Is Down but Not Out

One of the biggest strategic mistakes the US has made.

We need VOA, RFA, et al, to return to full service to support the national security strategy of America FIrst.

Let's get this out of the courts and simply do the right thing because it is the right thing to do - restore VOA to full service.

Excerpts:

And some Republican lawmakers, reflecting a rare bit of bipartisan resistance to the Trump administration, have warned that ceasing their news broadcasting is ceding ground to Russian and Chinese propaganda networks that have moved aggressively to fill the vacuum.

“Without a robust replacement,” eliminating federally funded news groups is “reckless and shortsighted,” Representative Young Kim, Republican of California, said during a House committee meeting in September. “They provide credible local language reporting that builds trust with audiences.”

Representative Young Kim, Republican of California, has long supported Voice of America and Radio Free Asia’s service targeting North Korea.Credit...Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

V.O.A. previously ran broadcasts in 49 languages for 360 million people across the globe every week, while the three other news groups collectively reached around 150 million people weekly.

Until the government shut down earlier this month, V.O.A. maintained only four language services that each broadcast around an hour per day to signal the administration’s compliance with judicial orders. While appeals courts have generally upheld the rulings that have sided with orders to keep V.O.A. alive, litigation has also stalled, in part because government lawyers have not filed any briefs since the shutdown began.

Freedom: Information, human rights and the future of a unified Korea

https://www.upi.com/Voices/2025/10/21/perspective-north-Korea-human-rights/2851761076216/

A free and unified Korea: advancing U.S. national security interests

https://www.upi.com/Voices/2025/05/02/korea-us-national-interests/1231746198198/

Under Trump, Voice of America Is Down but Not Out

Buttressed by courts and support from some Republican lawmakers, federally funded newsrooms that President Trump has tried to eliminate have yet to be rendered obsolete.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/us/politics/under-trump-voice-of-america-is-down-but-not-out.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wU8.SpRh.ONVxVFvDVHPe&smid=url-share

NY Times · Minho Kim ·

Buttressed by courts and support from some Republican lawmakers, federally funded newsrooms that President Trump has tried to eliminate have yet to be rendered obsolete.

Voice of America’s shuttered offices earlier this month in Washington.Credit...Jason Andrew for The New York Times

Buttressed by courts and support from some Republican lawmakers, federally funded newsrooms that President Trump has tried to eliminate have yet to be rendered obsolete.

Voice of America’s shuttered offices earlier this month in Washington.Credit...Jason Andrew for The New York Times

Listen to this article · 13:20 min Learn more

Since March, Minho Kim has covered the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down federally funded news organizations, including Voice of America.

Oct. 26, 2025

For nearly two years, Voice of America, a federal news agency dedicated to projecting American values around the world, provided intensive Persian-language coverage of Israel’s war with Hamas. The service regularly reached viewers inside Iran, Hamas’s state sponsor, with the kind of reporting and expert analysis that Tehran typically suppresses.

But Iranians who tuned to V.O.A. in June to learn about Israel’s attack on their country got something different: a two-hour live broadcast of the U.S. military procession in Washington that the Trump administration held to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American army.

“U.S. President Donald Trump has invited Americans to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime celebration that is free to the public,” an anchor declared in Persian.

It was a striking moment for the storied news agency, which was founded in 1942 to fight Nazi propaganda and has won dozens of journalism awards for reporting around the world — but has been targeted for destruction by President Trump.

Voice of America was created in 1942 to combat Nazi propaganda.Credit...Jose Lopez/The New York Times

Mr. Trump, who has called V.O.A. “a total left-wing disaster,” signed an executive order in March effectively dismantling its parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, putting nearly all of V.O.A.’s 1,400 journalists and support staff on paid leave. Now, amid the government shutdown, all V.O.A. programming is off the air.

But while the Trump administration has largely succeeded in its efforts to permanently shrink parts of the federal bureaucracy it doesn’t like, the battle over V.O.A. and other federally funded global news outlets is far from over.

Courts have ordered the administration to resume news broadcasting at V.O.A. and disburse federal dollars to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, private nonprofit news groups that are fully dependent on government funding and share V.O.A.’s mission of using journalism to advance U.S. interests abroad.

And some Republican lawmakers, reflecting a rare bit of bipartisan resistance to the Trump administration, have warned that ceasing their news broadcasting is ceding ground to Russian and Chinese propaganda networks that have moved aggressively to fill the vacuum.

“Without a robust replacement,” eliminating federally funded news groups is “reckless and shortsighted,” Representative Young Kim, Republican of California, said during a House committee meeting in September. “They provide credible local language reporting that builds trust with audiences.”

Representative Young Kim, Republican of California, has long supported Voice of America and Radio Free Asia’s service targeting North Korea.Credit...Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

V.O.A. previously ran broadcasts in 49 languages for 360 million people across the globe every week, while the three other news groups collectively reached around 150 million people weekly.

Until the government shut down earlier this month, V.O.A. maintained only four language services that each broadcast around an hour per day to signal the administration’s compliance with judicial orders. While appeals courts have generally upheld the rulings that have sided with orders to keep V.O.A. alive, litigation has also stalled, in part because government lawyers have not filed any briefs since the shutdown began.

The impasse has tapped into a broader debate over the role of government-funded newsrooms: Should they promote American values through independent journalism, or should they be tools to promote administration policy?

V.O.A. and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, born after the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe, were widely credited with helping the United States win global support during the Cold War. But the Trump administration has attacked independent journalism at home and has signaled that, if V.O.A. survives, it could adopt a more MAGA-friendly approach.

Kari Lake, the former Arizona television anchor and two-time statewide political candidate appointed by Mr. Trump to oversee the government newsrooms, said in sworn court testimony that the administration had reached an agreement with One America News Network, a right-wing news channel, to share content and was “engaged in ongoing discussions” with Newsmax, another conservative network, for a similar arrangement.

A spokesman for Newsmax, Bill Daddi, disputed Ms. Lake’s testimony, saying the network was “flattered” that she would consider using its content, but that “there has been no conversation or discussion” about it. A representative for OAN did not respond to a request for comment.

Testifying before the House in June, Ms. Lake called V.O.A. “a rotten piece of fish.”

“What is going out on V.O.A. airwaves — it’s outrageous, and it has to stop,” said Ms. Lake, who would not agree to be interviewed for this story and did not respond to specific emailed questions.

Kari Lake has led efforts to dismantle the news agencies, calling Voice of America “a rotten piece of fish.”Credit...Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement that V.O.A. spreads “left-wing propaganda” and that Americans are “better off not being forced to waste money on that garbage.”

Some Republicans have pointed to editorial guidance sent a few days after Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel as evidence of V.O.A.’s left-leaning bias. The email guidance advised reporters to “avoid calling Hamas and its members terrorists” except in quotes, though V.O.A. later updated the guidance to require journalists to note which groups have been designated as terrorist organizations by the State Department.

The news group also faced criticism in 2020 after its Urdu service aired a two-minute video that featured footage from an advocacy group in which Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a Democratic presidential candidate, urged Muslims to vote for him. V.O.A. determined the video did not meet its standards and took it down.

But for some Republicans, such controversies are outweighed by the national security benefits of news groups like V.O.A. To these lawmakers, the Persian-language broadcast of the June 14 military parade on Mr. Trump’s birthday — rather than covering what was then the day after Israel’s initial assault on Iran — marked a symbolic low point.

Camera crews filming the U.S. military procession in Washington in June.Credit...Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

A New York Times review of the broadcast found the anchor occasionally mentioning the bombing but focusing on the history of the U.S. Army and weapons presented at the parade. One Iranian activist sent a text message to a V.O.A. journalist asking why “is Voice of America not covering the news since yesterday?” according to a copy of the message reviewed by The Times.

“We need America’s voice in Iran right now,” Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas and a former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during a hearing on the state of government-funded newsrooms held three days after the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities.

A ‘Weapon’ Against U.S. Adversaries

President Trump signed an executive order effectively dismantling the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Voice of America’s parent organization, jeopardizing the funding and news operations of its three nonprofits and putting nearly all of V.O.A.’s 1,400 journalists and support staff on leave.Credit...Jason Andrew for The New York Times

A core source of tension around the future of U.S.-funded international journalism comes from its history.

V.O.A. and the other government-funded news groups were created by Congress with two potentially contradictory mandates — to enjoy editorial independence, while also advancing American foreign policy as a “weapon” against U.S. adversaries.

“How do you both be a government broadcaster and operate by the required rules of journalism?” said Nicholas J. Cull, a historian at the University of Southern California who has studied government-funded news groups.

In the 1970s, Congress and political appointees from the White House complained about V.O.A.’s candid reporting on the Watergate scandal and sought to cut its funding.

After Watergate, in 1976, Congress codified V.O.A.’s charter to require objective coverage. Nonetheless, President Ronald Reagan’s appointee to run the agency pushed for overtly anti-communist programming and reined in reporting that could shed negative light on the United States.

Mr. Trump’s first administration tried to upend the global news agency. His appointee to run the agency rescinded a provision that prohibited government officials from meddling in the editorial decisions of federally funded newsrooms. A federal judge later ruled that the move violated the First Amendment rights of the outlet’s journalists.

Ms. Lake initially appeared supportive of V.O.A. and rebuffed calls from Elon Musk to abolish it. In February, after the president picked her to lead the news group, she said that it could “spread the values of freedom all over the world.”

But she soon shifted her stance, as Mr. Musk’s team swept across the government, gutting agencies and orchestrating mass layoffs.

By late February, instead of leading V.O.A.’s news operations, Ms. Lake learned that she would become the senior adviser to its oversight agency. She then received a mandate from the president to “eliminate” the news agencies. A day after his March executive order, she put the staff on leave.

Some national security experts expressed alarm that Russian and Chinese state broadcasters would attract the millions of listeners that V.O.A. once had.

The two U.S. adversaries each spend billions of dollars a year to disseminate content favorable to their governments, including disinformation, according to a recent State Department assessment, compared with around $850 million that the U.S.-funded newsrooms received in 2024.

China’s state radio has added more than 80 new frequencies to expand its coverage and to jam some of the radio waves that had been used by Radio Free Asia, said Rohit Mahajan, a spokesman for Radio Free Asia.

“Why would the Trump administration want to unilaterally disarm ourselves in the battle over the information space?” said Lisa Curtis, the board chairwoman of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and a former C.I.A. analyst who served as an adviser to Mr. Trump at the National Security Council during his first term.

A Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty regional broadcast map at their office in April in Vilnius, Lithuania.Credit...Andrej Vasilenko for The New York Times

The federally funded news networks have garnered widespread recognition, including awards for reporting on China’s human rights abuses of Uyghurs, the Russian military’s death toll from its invasion of Ukraine and anti-government protests in Iran that began after a young woman was detained for not wearing a hijab and died in police custody.

Russian and Chinese state media networks have celebrated V.O.A.’s near demise.

The Global Times, a Chinese state media outlet, said V.O.A. was “discarded by its own government like a dirty rag.” Margarita Simonyan, the editor of Russia Today, celebrated V.O.A.’s closure as “a holiday for me and my colleagues.”

The one federally funded news group that has maintained full programming, even during the shutdown, is the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which is aimed at Cuba’s communist government. The office’s broadcasting went off air in March, but resumed after concerns mounted and a federal judge enjoined further cuts.

Patsy Widakuswara, who led Voice of America’s White House coverage until March and has joined other employees in suing the administration, said funding quality journalism was the most effective way to argue for free speech, regardless of an administration’s short-term policy interests.

“It is worth spending our taxpayer dollars to speak up on the global stage to hundreds of millions of people,” said Ms. Widakuswara, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was raised under Indonesia’s formerly authoritarian government.

The Pushback

Patsy Widakuswara, who led Voice of America’s White House coverage until March, at her home in Washington in July.Credit...Jared Soares for The New York Times

Mr. Trump’s axing of federally funded newsrooms met with swift resistance.

Within days of his executive order, five separate lawsuits were filed, brought by Voice of America’s director, Mike Abramowitz, its reporters and three other newsrooms that rely on federal funding.

By late March, a court halted further staffing cuts at V.O.A. and its parent agency. And in April, Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered Trump officials to resume operations at V.O.A. so that it would “fulfill its statutory mandate” that it serve “as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news.”

Still, Ms. Lake kept most of V.O.A.’s news operations closed, fired nearly all of its employees and tried to remove Mr. Abramowitz as the network’s head, irking Judge Lamberth. She and other Trump officials could face jail time or fines for defying his orders.

Judge Royce C. Lamberth has threatened to hold Ms. Lake in contempt for “stonewalling” him by failing to demonstrate that her agency was complying with his orders.Credit...Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

House Republicans, meanwhile, have indicated they are not on the same page as the White House. In June, they advanced spending legislation that would provide more than four times as much funding than Mr. Trump had requested for international broadcasting activities.

Ms. Kim, the California Republican who had long supported V.O.A. and Radio Free Asia’s service targeting North Korea, demanded that Ms. Lake lay out her exact plans to continue U.S.-funded journalism in countries with repressive governments.

“Did you and your team have any concerns about how these terminations would severely limit the U.S. government’s ability to support the flow of accurate information abroad?” Ms. Kim asked during a June hearing.

Ms. Lake, referring back to her time working in a newsroom, said that reporters would respond when breaking news occured. “We can do it with a smaller staff,” she said.

A memorial wall commemorating journalists who were killed while reporting for Voice of America and their affiliates at the Voice of America building in 2018.Credit...Jason Andrew for The New York Times

Parin Behrooz, Nozlee Samadzadeh and Yassi Shafaie contributed to this report.

Minho Kim covers breaking news and climate change for The Times. He is based in Washington.

NY Times · Minho Kim ·

5. Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. to hold annual security talks early next month |

Expedite OPCON transition AND the establishment of a Northeast Asia Combatant Command (NEACOM) in Seoul by reorganizing the current commands in Korea (e.g., USFK and EUSA - it does not have to be additive)

Strategic Concept: Establishing a Combined Northeast Asia Combatant Command (NEACOM) in Seoul

https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/strategic-concept-establishing-a-combined-northeast-asia-combatant-command-neacom-in-seoul/

Excerpts;

This year's meeting comes as the decadeslong South Korea-U.S. alliance faces a changing security environment amid speculations over a possible readjustment in the role and scope of the U.S. Forces Korea in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

It also comes as South Korea has vowed to regain wartime operational command from Washington within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term.

On the Korean Peninsula, the meeting comes as North Korea continues to deepen its military alignment with Russia while advancing its nuclear and missile weapons, disclosing the new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile during a major military parade earlier this month.

(LEAD) Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. to hold annual security talks early next month | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 27, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS byline, dateline; ADDS Pentagon's release in paras 5-7)

By Lee Minji and Song Sang-ho

SEOUL/WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States will hold their annual security talks in Seoul early next month to discuss a range of alliance issues, such as their policy coordination on North Korea and combined defense posture, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will meet for the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul on Nov. 4, in what would mark their first in-person talks, according to the ministry.

The ministry outlined policy coordination on North Korea, combined defense posture, extended deterrence as well as naval maintenance, repair and overhaul as some key agendas set to be discussed in the bilateral defense talks.

"Both sides plan to discuss overall pending issues to advance the alliance in a future-oriented and mutually beneficial direction to respond to the changing security environment and threats," the ministry said in a release.

This composite photo shows a file photo of Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (L) and an AP photo of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Yonhap)

In a separate release, the U.S. Department of War also announced that Hegseth will co-chair the upcoming SCM and "applaud Seoul's willingness to step up on defense spending and assume greater responsibility for the alliance's deterrence and defense."

Korea is the last leg of his Asia swing that will also take him to Hawaii, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam -- a trip that the Pentagon said is aimed at strengthening defense relations and reaffirming America's commitment to "peace through strength and a balance of power in the region."

"Key themes (of the Asia trip) will include America's focus on the Indo-Pacific, the department's priority theater; the importance of allies stepping up their defense spending and contributions to our collective defense; and the Department's commitment to working closely with those that do," the department said.

This year's meeting comes as the decadeslong South Korea-U.S. alliance faces a changing security environment amid speculations over a possible readjustment in the role and scope of the U.S. Forces Korea in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

It also comes as South Korea has vowed to regain wartime operational command from Washington within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term.

On the Korean Peninsula, the meeting comes as North Korea continues to deepen its military alignment with Russia while advancing its nuclear and missile weapons, disclosing the new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile during a major military parade earlier this month.

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 27, 2025

6. Security adviser says no info yet on Trump-Kim talks, but S. Korea will prepare such possibility

Get ready.

APEC in Korea could be the most consequential event in Asia in the modern era.

(LEAD) Security adviser says no info yet on Trump-Kim talks, but S. Korea will prepare such possibility | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · October 26, 2025

(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks, details from 5th para; ADDS photo)

By Kim Eun-jung

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has no information yet on a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, but will be prepared should the possibility arise.

Wi, accompanying President Lee Jae Myung on his trip to Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, made the remarks Sunday after Trump said he is open to meeting Kim during his visit to South Korea this week if the North Korean leader wishes to do so.

"The information we have is no different from what you already know. We've only seen the news reports as well," Wi told reporters in Kuala Lumpur. "But we are prepared for any scenario."

Trump is scheduled to make a state visit to South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday on the occasion of the APEC summit to be held in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac briefs on President Lee Jae Myung's attendance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit during a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 26, 2025. (Yonhap)

Trump last met Kim at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. It was the third in-person meeting between the leaders following their first in Singapore in June 2018 and the second in Hanoi in February 2019.

Wi said Lee is not scheduled to meet Trump in Kuala Lumpur, as their summit is planned in South Korea on Wednesday, but left open the possibility of a brief encounter on the margins of Monday's ASEAN summit.

During this year's ASEAN summit, Lee will outline Seoul's peace initiatives for the Korean Peninsula to draw support from the 10-member regional bloc.

"We are discussing our overall North Korea policy with ASEAN and working to draw support for it," he said, adding that a joint declaration on Korean Peninsula issues is not being ruled out.

Since taking office in June, Lee has extended an olive branch to North Korea, but Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected his offers for dialogue.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac (at podium) briefs on President Lee Jae Myung's attendance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit during a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 26, 2025. (Yonhap)

At this year's gathering, South Korea will also present its vision to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) established last year -- the highest level of ties ASEAN offers a dialogue partner.

Lee will unveil what Seoul calls the "CSP vision," aimed at positioning ASEAN as a partner in creating dreams and hope, a springboard for growth and innovation, and a partner for peace and stability.

"The upcoming summit is expected to serve as the debut stage showcasing the Lee administration's emphasis on relations with ASEAN," Wi said.

On Monday, Lee will also attend the ASEAN Plus Three summit, setting the stage for his first in-person meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

The meetings are expected to be brief, Wi noted, as Lee plans to hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit, while consultations are under way for a formal meeting with Takaichi there.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · October 26, 2025

7. Lee departs for Malaysia to attend ASEAN summit

(LEAD) Lee departs for Malaysia to attend ASEAN summit | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · October 26, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES article with Lee's departure; CHANGES photos)

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung departed for Malaysia on Sunday to attend this year's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit meetings, aiming to forge deeper ties with the regional bloc and strengthen cooperation against online scams and other transnational crimes.

Lee and first lady Kim Hea Kyung boarded the presidential plane at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, heading to Kuala Lumpur for a two-day trip in his first visit to Southeast Asia since taking office in June.

On Monday, he will take part in the ASEAN summit, where he plans to discuss ways to advance South Korea's comprehensive strategic partnership with the 10-member bloc.

President Lee Jae Myung (R) waves, alongside first lady Kim Hye-kyung, before boarding the presidential plane at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Oct. 26, 2025, to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Yonhap)

Lee also intends to outline his vision for strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence, discuss joint responses to online scam crimes and seek ASEAN's support for his peace vision on the Korean Peninsula, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday.

Lee will then join the ASEAN Plus Three summit involving South Korea, Japan and China to promote broader regional cooperation, where he is expected to hold his first in-person meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

On the sidelines, he will meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to discuss bilateral ties and ongoing efforts to combat rising cases of online scams targeting South Koreans, following the recent torture and death of a college student lured to Cambodia.

Lee is also scheduled to hold talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to discuss ways to deepen economic cooperation before returning home late Monday.

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung bow to officials seeing them off before boarding the presidential plane at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Oct. 26, 2025, for their trip to Malaysia to attend the ASEAN summit. (Yonhap)

His trip marks the first in a flurry of diplomatic events this week as South Korea is set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and economic-related events in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.

This year's gathering is drawing major attention as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to hold a high-stakes summit amid intensifying trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.

On the sidelines, Lee is scheduled to meet Trump for a second in-person summit Wednesday and hold his first summit with Xi on Saturday, with both leaders making state visits to South Korea, according to the presidential office.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · October 26, 2025

8. Presidential office says S. Korea, U.S. coordinating for denuclearization after Trump's 'nuclear power' remarks

Just agree to fourteen words:

"Unification first, then desacralization; the path to unification is through information and human rights."

And then support the Korean people in the north in creating the conditions for change in north Korea.

Presidential office says S. Korea, U.S. coordinating for denuclearization after Trump's 'nuclear power' remarks | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · October 26, 2025

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are closely coordinating for their joint goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a presidential official said Sunday, following U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks calling North Korea "sort of a nuclear power."

During a press meeting aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump called North Korea "sort of a nuclear power," as he responded to a question about Pyongyang's position that to have talks with Washington, it has to be recognized as a nuclear power.

"South Korea and the U.S. are closely cooperating in accordance with their joint goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the official said, assessing that Trump's remarks appear to have been made in reference to the North's advancing nuclear capabilities.

During the media availability, Trump also said: "I know how many weapons they have, and I know everything about them. But I've got a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un."

"When you say they have to be recognized as a nuclear power, well, they got a lot of nuclear weapons. I'll say that," he said.

Addressing the U.S. president's remarks that his country's trade deal with South Korea is "pretty close to being finalized," the presidential official said while discussions are under way, the exact timing of an agreement has yet to be decided.

The official said Trump appears to have spoken "in principle" in hope for a swift agreement on the trade deal, vowing that the government will do its best to reap a mutually beneficial result that can maximize national interest rather than setting a specific deadline.

Trump is set to visit South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit for planned talks with President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday and with Chinese President Xi Jinping the following day.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Asia on Oct. 24, 2025, in this photo released by AP. (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · October 26, 2025

9. S. Korea's biggest defense show concludes after 8-day run

A partner in the arsenal of democracies.

S. Korea's biggest defense show concludes after 8-day run | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · October 26, 2025

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's largest aerospace and defense trade show ended after an eight-day run earlier this week, with high-ranking foreign military officials showing keen interest in South Korean-made weapons systems, its organizers said Sunday.

The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) ran from Oct. 17-24 at Seoul Air Base and KINTEX, both just outside of Seoul, with a record 600 defense firms from 35 countries participating in the biennial exhibition, according to the organizers.

Consultations over potential business deals, valued at US$44.9 billion, took place during the exhibition, up 52.7 percent from the previous show in 2023.

"Consultations increased on the back of growing trust in the South Korean defense industry amid global security uncertainties," an ADEX official said.

Organizers said foreign military officials especially expressed interest in South Korea's homegrown KF-21 fighter jet, as well as K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers.

The number of overall visitors also increased 19.5 percent from two years ago to 263,283 this year, organizers said.

South Korea has seen a sharp increase in overseas demand for its weapons systems following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, inking landmark deals on the exports of self-propelled howitzers, tanks and multiple rocket launchers.

South Korea's homegrown Nuri space rocket is on display at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition held in KINTEX in Goyang, just northwest, of Seoul, on Oct. 20, 2025. (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · October 26, 2025

10. N. Korean FM Choe to visit Russia, Belarus: state media

To ensure the continued flow of support from north Korea to Russia and advance weapons and technology from Russia to north Korea.

(2nd LD) N. Korean FM Choe to visit Russia, Belarus: state media

en.yna.co.kr

(2nd LD) N. Korean FM Choe to visit Russia, Belarus: state media | Yonhap News Agency

Kim Seung-yeon

All News 16:13 October 26, 2025

ABCDEFG
ABCDEFG
ABCDEFG
ABCDEFG
ABCDEFG

(ATTN: ADDS Russia's announcement on plan for Choe's visit in 3rd para)

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui will visit Russia and Belarus at the invitation of the two countries' governments, the North's state media reported Sunday.

The state media did not immediately disclose other details, including the exact dates for Choe's trip.

Russia's foreign ministry announced later that Choe will make a three-day working visit to Moscow from Sunday through Tuesday, according to Sputnik.

Her trip to Russia will mark her first in about a year. She last visited Moscow in November last year and paid a courtesy call on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Her trip to Russia comes amid growing speculation over whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for another meeting between the two when Trump visits South Korea later this week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

The announcement of Choe's visit to Russia, however, suggests that such a potential meeting may have become more unlikely.

Ahead of his Asia swing that includes trips to Malaysia and Japan, Trump reiterated his willingness to meet Kim "if he'd like to meet," saying that he's still "open" to meeting him again.

Observers see chances of the two leaders meeting as slim as the North has closely aligned with Russia in military ties with its troop deployment to Russia in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine. Pyongyang has also been working to restore its relationship with China.

Kim, too, has expressed his openness to engaging with the U.S. but only if Washington drops its demand for the North's denuclearization.

Speaking to the press aboard Air Force One en route to Malaysia, Trump called the North "sort of a nuclear power," when asked about Pyongyang's position that it has to be recognized as a nuclear power to have talks with the U.S.

A senior U.S. official said earlier that a meeting between Trump and Kim is not on the current schedule for Trump's Asia trip but added that "things can change."

This file photo, released by the Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 28, 2025, shows North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui (C). (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

Keywords

#N Korea #Russia

HOME All News

en.yna.co.kr

11. S. Korea, U.S. have security deal on paper, still working on trade deal: nat'l security adviser

Still more hard work to be done. How many times were they close to a deal only to have representatives from the White House step in and veto them and make more demands of the South?

S. Korea, U.S. have security deal on paper, still working on trade deal: nat'l security adviser | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · October 26, 2025

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States have an agreement on paper on security and alliance issues, while negotiations to finalize a trade deal are still ongoing, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Sunday.

Wi made the remarks in a TV interview as Seoul and Washington are in the final stage of their negotiations on the implementation of South Korea's US$350 billion U.S. investment package as agreed in a July deal, in return for the U.S. lowering tariffs on South Korea to 15 percent from 25 percent.

Alongside the trade deal, the two sides are expected to unveil a separate agreement on their security commitments, outlining South Korea's plan to increase its defense spending and how the two countries may address readjusting the role of U.S. troops in Korea as part of what they call efforts to "modernize the alliance."

"We have most of the paperwork ready for the security components. We are not sure if we can finalize the tariff part yet, but we are working on it," Wi said in an interview with public broadcaster KBS.

When asked whether the final deal will be reached during this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, Wi said, "We will have to see."

Seoul has suggested that some sticking points remain in the negotiations, including the proportion of direct investment, the timeline for delivering the investment and the method for distributing returns.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac speaks during a press briefing on Oct. 24, 2025. (Yonhap)

Wi indicated that Seoul proposed increasing its defense spending -- a key demand from U.S. President Donald Trump for U.S. allies -- and that was used as leverage to persuade Washington to agree to a revision of a bilateral nuclear energy pact, known as the "123 Agreement."

"We have consistently made our point that the current restrictions are unfair for us, given our capabilities, and we have received a positive response (from the U.S.)," Wi said.

The agreement, last revised in 2015, bans South Korea from spent fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment as it strictly requires U.S. consent.

Seoul has sought to include in the security deal a revision of the pact that would give it greater flexibility in the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and enrichment of uranium for civilian energy use.

Regarding the upcoming talks between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping, set for Saturday, Wi pointed out that building a "personal relationship" between the two leaders would be a priority.

"Secondly, we need to encourage China to cooperate for denuclearization and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as we seek to create room for practical cooperation in such areas as the economy," he said.

In that vein, Wi urged conservative activists in Korea to refrain from staging anti-China rallies, saying they are "rude" and "against the spirit" of inviting a foreign leader on a state visit.

Wi said Lee is most likely to have his first summit talks with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Gyeongju on Thursday.

"From what I have heard, she is considered a conservative, but many do not view her as a right-wing figure," Wi said when asked about concerns that have arisen in Korea over Takaichi's hawkish stance on history issues related to Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.

"I heard that she has a particular interest in, and recognizes the importance of, the South Korea-Japan relations."

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · October 26, 2025

12. Editorial: Trump's 'Nuclear Power' Remarks on North Korea Spark Concern

Yes, but...

President Lee's comments about respecting north Korea's political system also spark concern.

President Trump must not be persuaded by President Lee's views on 'respect' for the North Korean political system

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/08/18/korea-perspective-Trump-Lee-meeting/7141755520168/

Editorial: Trump's 'Nuclear Power' Remarks on North Korea Spark Concern

Trump's potential recognition of North Korea as nuclear state risks abandoning denuclearization, threatening South Korea

By The Chosunilbo

Published 2025.10.27. 00:00

U.S. President Donald Trump. /Yonhap

President Donald Trump stated, “I think North Korea is a kind of ‘nuclear power.’” This was his response to a question at a press briefing ahead of his visit to South Korea: “North Korea claims it must be recognized as a nuclear state to engage in dialogue with the U.S. Are you open to that?” He added, “If North Korea says it should be recognized as a nuclear state, then I would say they have many nuclear weapons.” Trump had also referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power” on his first day in office in January. At the time, the White House explained, “This was merely an objective reference to North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.” However, this time, he effectively agreed when asked if he would recognize North Korea as a nuclear state, taking a step further.

When asked if he plans to meet with Kim Jong-un, Trump said, “If he reaches out, I would.” He added, “You can spread the word that I am 100% open to a meeting with Kim Jong-un.” Recently, Kim Jong-un emphasized having “good memories with Trump” and stated that recognition as a nuclear state is a precondition for U.S.-North Korea talks. By hinting at the possibility of recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state, Trump has openly expressed his desire to meet Kim Jong-un. In June 2019, a U.S.-North Korea summit took place at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom just 32 hours after Trump sent a social media message proposing a meeting while in Japan. This suggests he may be aiming for another surprise event.

If Trump recognizes North Korea as a nuclear state, denuclearization will become impossible. Under the “America First” approach, eliminating only intercontinental ballistic missiles while leaving medium- and short-range missiles intact would leave South Korea exposed to nuclear threats. Even if some nuclear weapons are reduced under the guise of disarmament, enough would remain to devastate the Republic of Korea. Lifting sanctions and halting South Korea-U.S. military exercises while allowing North Korea to retain nuclear weapons is the long-standing goal of the Kim regime. During Trump’s first term in 2018, he unilaterally suspended joint exercises, citing their high cost. At least then, the principle of denuclearization was not abandoned. Now, openly discussing recognition as a nuclear state marks a dangerous shift.

Kim Jong-un, who knows Trump’s penchant for “political shows” better than anyone, may seek to exploit Trump’s recent remarks about nuclear status amid smooth relations with China and Russia. There are also significant domestic forces that would cheer any meeting between the two leaders. The Unification Minister has chimed in, calling it a “golden opportunity.” This worrying development cannot be overlooked.

13. [Contribution] Why we need US-Korea alliance 2.0 in Trump 2.0 era

Excerpts;

It is now imperative for the Korean government to treat the shipbuilding, semiconductor, defense and automotive industries as strategic national assets and to approach trade and tariff negotiations with a firm, consistent stance. What is crucial here is the consistency of industrial policy and long-term investment in technological innovation.

The shipbuilding and nuclear power industries should be regarded not as short-term economic stimulus tools, but as key drivers of the nation's future growth. Systematic and sustained policies are needed to support workforce development, R&D and overseas project participation.

...

The real roadblocks, however, lie not only in Washington. South Korea's shipbuilding industry, the very foundation of this new alliance, is under pressure from domestic legislation like the "Yellow Envelope" law, which puts prime contractors in direct legal confrontation with hundreds of subcontractors.

...

The future of the US-Korea alliance will not only be decided in Washington alone. It depends on Korea's capacity to strengthen global competitiveness, willingness to rebuild trust with our allies and commitment to defend liberal democracy in the midst of intensifying rivalry in the changing world order.

[Contribution] Why we need US-Korea alliance 2.0 in Trump 2.0 era

koreaherald.com · Cho Chung-un · October 26, 2025

Rep. Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party

By Rep. Kim Eun-hye

For over 70 years, the US-Korea alliance has served as the cornerstone of South Korea's security and a central pillar of the liberal democratic order. However, the second Donald Trump administration presents both a new test and a unique opportunity for both nations.

Unless the alliance evolves beyond military cooperation into a robust economic and technological partnership, South Korea's future competitiveness could be at serious risk. As the saying goes, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." This will be the key to this future partnership.

During a recent visit to the United States, I met with former Trump administration officials and experts in diplomacy and trade. One theme that stood out was the need for a "creative relationship" between the US and South Korea. This refers not to a one-sided alliance of the past, but to a new model of cooperation, "US-Korea Alliance 2.0," built on mutual interests and shared gains. Strengthening partnerships in strategic sectors such as shipbuilding, nuclear energy and semiconductors is how we can tangibly strengthen the alliance between free democracies.

Shipbuilding and nuclear energy, in particular, can form the twin pillars of this new alliance.

In a time of growing maritime competition, the US needs South Korea's world-class shipbuilding capabilities. At the same time, the US is prioritizing energy security through small modular reactors, a goal that depends heavily on Korean expertise in advanced manufacturing and construction. The "Shipbuilding Alliance" proposed by the Trump administration could become a powerful symbol of US-Korea economic and security cooperation.

South Korea has already proven itself as one of America's most trusted economic partners. With annual investment in the US nearing $30 billion, Korean companies are creating win-win models for both countries across production, employment and technology transfer.

It is now imperative for the Korean government to treat the shipbuilding, semiconductor, defense and automotive industries as strategic national assets and to approach trade and tariff negotiations with a firm, consistent stance. What is crucial here is the consistency of industrial policy and long-term investment in technological innovation.

The shipbuilding and nuclear power industries should be regarded not as short-term economic stimulus tools, but as key drivers of the nation's future growth. Systematic and sustained policies are needed to support workforce development, R&D and overseas project participation.

In particular, by expanding strategic R&D investments in next-generation nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors and sodium-cooled fast reactors, as well as in emerging growth areas like eco-friendly ships and marine energy, Korea can position itself as a key partner alongside the United States in leading the future energy transition and marine industry innovation.

The real roadblocks, however, lie not only in Washington. South Korea's shipbuilding industry, the very foundation of this new alliance, is under pressure from domestic legislation like the "Yellow Envelope" law, which puts prime contractors in direct legal confrontation with hundreds of subcontractors.

Meanwhile, the nuclear energy policy is once again under political attack. Despite small modular reactors being at the cutting edge of global energy technology, 90 percent of the R&D budget for sodium-cooled fast reactors, a technology that Bill Gates is actively preparing for commercialization, has been slashed by the Korean government. Funding for global high-tech cooperation has also been significantly reduced. While Korean policymakers speak of "pragmatism" and "strengthening the alliance," the real engines of growth remain blocked by politics.

The future of the US-Korea alliance will not only be decided in Washington alone. It depends on Korea's capacity to strengthen global competitiveness, willingness to rebuild trust with our allies and commitment to defend liberal democracy in the midst of intensifying rivalry in the changing world order.

- - -

Rep. Kim Eun-hye, a former TV anchor, is a second-term lawmaker with the main opposition People Power Party, serving as a member of the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee and chief deputy floor leader for policy at the party. Views expressed in this article are her own. — Ed.

christory@heraldcorp.com

koreaherald.com · Cho Chung-un · October 26, 2025

14. How to Fight Putin on the Information Battlefield

We do not need to adopt Russia's (or China's, or iran's, or north Korea's) methods but, yes, we absolutely must study them. We must recognize Russian (and Chinese, etc.) strategy, understand it, EXPOSE it, and attack it with our own superior political warfare and information warfare (IWar) strategies.

We need effective national level and service, corps, division, and task force level Information Warfare (IWar) capabilities.

"Cognitive deterrence."

There are Cold War (and WWII) lessons that we should be examining and turning to, especially at the national level.

All this applies or our oeprations in the informaiton enfironment in Korea.

Excerpts:

In World War II, the British Political Warfare Executive created subversive radio stations to broadcast into Germany. At first, the agency disguised them as renegade German stations, but when this was exposed, the British adapted, making it clear that they were behind the broadcasts while keeping them safe to listen to by not branding them officially.

The content—granular details of soldiers’ lives, gossip about officials, and even pornography—proved more powerful because it showed a deep understanding of conditions on the front. British surveys of prisoners of war indicated that more than half of German soldiers listened to these stations, even knowing the source.

Likewise, during the Cold War, when U.S. “freedom radios” that broadcast into the Soviet Union were revealed to be funded by the CIA, it only enhanced their popularity. People in the Soviet bloc wanted to know what the Americans knew about their system. By the end of the Cold War, half of audiences in captured countries tuned in.

Today, we need to try to match that ambition. Sadly, Washington is in the process of destroying these legacy international media outlets that it created in the Cold War, and the independent Russian media generally only engage, at most, 14 percent or so of Russian audiences that follow liberal media sources. We will need a flotilla of new communication initiatives to fulfill this mission.

How to Fight Putin on the Information Battlefield

The West can’t fully adopt Russia’s methods—but it should study them.

By Peter Pomerantsev, the author of How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler, and Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi, the CEO of OpenMinds.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/23/information-warfare-putin-russia-propaganda/

Foreign Policy · Peter Pomerantsev, Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi

October 23, 2025, 7:00 AM

Russia’s War in Ukraine

Understanding the conflict three years on.