Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

– Albert Einstein

"You should not honor men more than the truth."

– Plato

"It takes a great deal of courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it."

– OScar Wilde

1. S. Korea's position should be reflected in process before any Trump-Kim talks: Seoul official

2. Kim Jong Un ratifies mutual defense treaty with Russia, two days after Putin

3. The New Trump Presidency: Enhancing ROK-U.S. Alliance

4. ROK police refer activist to prosecutors for launching balloons into North Korea

5. N. Korea's Kim finalizes defense pact with Russia

6. Trump likely to appoint U.S. Senator Marco Rubio as top U.S. diplomat: reports

7. Global forum explores ways for int'l support for S. Korea's unification doctrine

8. Awareness of human rights growing inside N. Korea thanks to int'l attention: ex-N.K. diplomat

9. North Korea building 3-mile wall across ruins of lost medieval city in DMZ

10. China Should Be Worried About North Korea

11. An Alliance of America’s Greatest Foes Is Getting Tighter

12. China halts North Korean trade applications as Pyongyang pivots to Russia

13. North Korean lectures paint Russia as friend, US as warmonger

14. Ukraine ‘holds back’ 50,000-strong force including North Koreans: Zelenskyy

15. North Korean province cuts market hours for land management work

16. US Army veteran enters burning home to save elderly woman in South Korea

17. Kim Jong-un sees UN criticism of Pyongyang's human rights situation as threat to regime

18. Foreign minister brushes off concerns about Trump 2.0 undermining alliance

19. Russian and DPRK Military Cooperation in Ukraine – A Win-Win?

20. On Jeju Island, a new generation of South Korean 'mermaids' emerges

1. S. Korea's position should be reflected in process before any Trump-Kim talks: Seoul official

I think the Trump Administration will first want to establish its Korea policy before jumping to trying to restart Trump-Kim talks. And of course consultation among allies should be a key action. I frankly do not think either Trump or Kim are ready to pursue talks. And now is the time for the US to adopt a radical new strategy toward north Korea.

S. Korea's position should be reflected in process before any Trump-Kim talks: Seoul official | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · November 12, 2024

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will make sure that its position is reflected in any process leading to potential dialogue between President-elect Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during Trump's second term in office, a senior Seoul official said Tuesday.

The official made the remark as the prospects of another Trump-Kim meeting are gaining traction with Trump's election win last week, which could potentially impact Seoul's diplomacy with Washington and its policy toward the North, amid Pyongyang's growing ties with Russia and its troop support for Moscow's war in Ukraine.

"During the first Trump administration, the United States had initially applied 'maximum pressure' on North Korea, so if he seeks to engage North Korea again, he's likely to follow that same approach," a senior foreign ministry official told reporters on background.

"However, since it's uncertain whether dialogue will resume at all, and everything is still up in the air, we will consider all possibilities," the official said.

Before shifting to dialogue, Trump and Kim had raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with Trump warning of "fire and fury," and both of them boasting of having "nuclear buttons" on their desks.

This composite image shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. (Yonhap)

But as the flurry of nuclear diplomacy with North Korea later unfolded, Trump and Kim met three times during Trump's first term, although the nuclear talks ended without a deal in early 2019.

"What's important is that any dialogue with North Korea should be led by us, and that we ensure that our position is reflected in the process," the official said.

Since then, Kim has completely abandoned his engagement policy with the U.S. and vowed to sever ties with the South, while bolstering its nuclear and missile development through its closer alignment with Russia.

On the expectations for China to play a role in the North's deployment of its soldiers to Russia, the official said the government intends to continue efforts to get Beijing to engage Pyongyang over the issue.

"We believe that China doesn't want to be seen being in the same group as North Korea and Russia ... so we think that these efforts are worthwhile."

The recent ratifications of the new defense partnership treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow appear to be related to the North's troop deployment to Russia, the official noted.

"It's highly likely that there is a significant connection," he said. "Given that Russia continues its war aggression on Ukraine and North Korea is involved in the war on Russia's side, it is difficult to expect any improvement in our relations with Moscow at this stage," the official added.

elly@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · November 12, 2024

2. Kim Jong Un ratifies mutual defense treaty with Russia, two days after Putin

When you are all powerful in your own country you can rule by "decree" and skip all that wasteful government process stuff. (note sarcasm, though truthful sarcasm).

Kim Jong Un ratifies mutual defense treaty with Russia, two days after Putin

North Korean leader’s decree could lead to more open troop deployments to fight in Ukraine war, expert says

https://www.nknews.org/2024/11/kim-jong-un-ratifies-mutual-defense-treaty-with-russia-two-days-after-putin/

Shreyas Reddy November 12, 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signs a copy of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia. | Image: KCNA (June 20, 2024)

Kim Jong Un formally ratified North Korea’s mutual defense pact with Russia on Monday, days after Moscow did the same, in a move that could pave the way for the DPRK to more openly deploy troops for the Ukraine war.

The North Korean “head of state” signed a decree ratifying the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Tuesday, stating that the deal will take effect once the two sides exchange ratification documents.

Kim’s ratification follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s signing of the document into law two days earlier, after both houses of Russia’s parliament previously voted to ratify the treaty.

Under the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that the two leaders signed in June, Pyongyang and Moscow agreed to “immediately provide military and other assistance” if the other country comes under attack and to foster cooperation in various domains.

The two sides could use the vaguely worded agreement to justify using North Korean troops to support Moscow’s war efforts to repel Ukraine’s incursion into the border region of Kursk, even though Russia initiated the war by invading Ukraine.

Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told NK News the two countries’ ratification of the treaty provides a legal basis for more open North Korean troop deployments to Russia.

“While deployed troops currently wear Russian uniforms in a disguised format, it’s likely that after the exchange of instruments, deployments could take on a more open format,” he said.

The expert added that the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president may have accelerated the ratification process to mitigate the impact of potential changes in Washington’s policies toward Ukraine after his inauguration in January.

“For Russia, completing the ratification before entering negotiation phases after Trump’s inauguration is crucial to secure stability in Kursk and North Korean deployment support,” he explained, adding that the two sides will likely exchange ratification documents soon.

KIM EXERTS HIS AUTHORITY

In a rare move, North Korean media referred to Kim Jong Un using the phrase “head of state” (“국가수반”), a title mostly used to describe the country’s founder Kim Il Sung and foreign leaders.

Kim has effectively been North Korea’s head of state since a constitutional revision in 2019, but the constitution officially describes him as “the supreme leader … who represents the State.”

While the phrase has previously adorned banners domestically and the U.N. lists Kim as the DPRK head of state, the use of the term in Tuesday’s KCNA articles and a handful of reports last month highlights the leader’s rising status.

Fyodor Tertitskiy, a researcher at Seoul’s Kookmin University, said North Korea typically reserves the “head of state” title for Kim Il Sung but suggested its application to the current leader does not imply any “practical” changes.

“The Constitution does not formally call Kim Jong Un that, but in practice he is,” he told NK News.

Tertitskiy added that on this occasion the use of the term was probably an attempt to “mirror” Putin, who signed the treaty as Russia’s head of state.

Unlike Moscow’s emphasis on formal procedures involving both houses of parliament and the president’s signature, the DPRK seemingly skipped right to the final step through Kim’s ratification by “decree.”

Hong said the KCNA description of the process is inconsistent with North Korea’s Constitution, which authorizes the leader to “ratify or rescind major treaties concluded with other countries” by virtue of his position as head of the State Affairs Commission.

However, the expert noted that Kim can issue “orders” rather than “decrees” under the current constitution’s stated description of his responsibilities.

He suggested KCNA’s wording could be down to ambiguous phrasing of Kim’s “order,” or that it may reflect unannounced changes during a parliamentary session last month to further elevate the leader’s duties and powers.

Edited by Bryan Betts

3. The New Trump Presidency: Enhancing ROK-U.S. Alliance

The ROK must frame this as a win for the Trump administration.

Excerpt:

In conclusion, naval MRO cooperation presents a practical and strategic opportunity for South Korea to reinforce the ROK-U.S. alliance under Trump’s leadership. By leveraging South Korea’s shipbuilding expertise and contributing to a shared naval operational readiness, the alliance can maintain its strength in the face of shifting U.S. policies. This partnership not only enhances military readiness and economic interdependence but also reflects South Korea’s role as a reliable and proactive ally, supporting broader stability in the Indo-Pacific. Through this strengthened cooperation, the ROK-U.S. alliance can adapt to the evolving geopolitical landscape while ensuring both nations are prepared to address regional security challenges together.

The New Trump Presidency: Enhancing ROK-U.S. Alliance

By Jihoon Yu

November 12, 2024

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/11/12/the_new_trump_presidency_enhancing_rok-us_alliance_1071580.html?mc_cid=17d8201e8e

The New Trump Presidency:

Enhancing ROK-U.S. Alliance Through Naval Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Cooperation

The recent election of Donald Trump signals potential shifts in the U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) alliance, especially in light of Trump’s renewed emphasis on alliance cost-sharing and economic contributions. Trump’s recent remarks on deepening cooperation in South Korea’s shipbuilding sector underscore this focus, as he highlighted the strategic and economic benefits of closer collaboration in naval industries. This emphasis on naval Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) cooperation has significant implications for alliance cohesion. Naval MRO cooperation could not only strengthen military readiness but also enhance economic interdependence, thereby contributing to a more resilient and adaptable ROK-U.S. alliance under Trump’s leadership.

Naval MRO cooperation is vital to the operational readiness of both U.S. and ROK naval forces. By combining resources and expertise, the two countries can ensure that naval vessels, including destroyers, submarines, and support ships, are maintained at optimal levels of readiness, particularly as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific region. Joint MRO efforts would allow for a quicker response to regional threats, particularly from North Korea and the growing maritime influence of China. An integrated MRO structure would enhance the efficiency of these fleets, providing cost-effective maintenance solutions that appeal to Trump’s transactional approach to alliance management. Moreover, it aligns with his priority of ensuring allies are more self-reliant and financially invested in their defense, which could mitigate potential demands for increased financial contributions to the alliance.

Trump’s emphasis on shipbuilding cooperation is a nod to South Korea’s global standing in the industry. South Korea is a leader in advanced shipbuilding technologies, and its capabilities provide a unique value to the U.S. This expertise can be leveraged to support the maintenance and repair needs of U.S. naval assets in the region. Trump’s call for closer collaboration in the shipbuilding sector aligns with his “America First” focus, as it offers the U.S. cost-effective access to South Korea’s shipbuilding infrastructure while fostering job growth in both countries. Through collaborative MRO projects, the ROK can bolster its shipbuilding sector, reinforcing its reputation as a reliable partner with expertise that enhances the alliance’s operational strength.

Economically, naval MRO collaboration contributes to alliance cohesion by creating mutual economic benefits and increasing South Korea’s role in regional security. Trump’s focus on economic contributions from allies offers South Korea a chance to demonstrate its commitment beyond direct financial payments by supporting operational expenses through MRO work. This approach not only reduces the financial burden on both countries but also aligns with Trump’s policy goals, showing that South Korea is committed to supporting its defense and the alliance through tangible, economically sustainable contributions. Joint investment in shipbuilding infrastructure could also foster U.S.-ROK industrial partnerships, which support both nations’ strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, while showcasing South Korea’s economic contributions to alliance stability.

Naval MRO cooperation provides an additional layer of stability to the ROK-U.S. alliance in an uncertain geopolitical landscape. Trump’s administration is known for its transactional approach, with past rhetoric suggesting that security guarantees may be linked to financial contributions. Naval MRO offers a practical avenue for South Korea to visibly support the alliance without focusing solely on budgetary allocations. By enhancing its MRO and shipbuilding capacity, South Korea builds a robust partnership framework that demonstrates its commitment to shared security goals. This interdependence creates a deeper institutional bond, allowing the alliance to weather potential policy shifts and political changes by maintaining a solid operational foundation.

Naval MRO collaboration also allows South Korea to contribute to broader U.S. strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific. Through MRO cooperation, the ROK can support freedom of navigation, contribute to maritime security, and help deter regional threats, all of which align with U.S. security goals. By taking an active role in these areas, South Korea enhances its strategic value in U.S.-led initiatives, reinforcing its position as a dedicated ally. These contributions are particularly significant under Trump, who prioritizes allies that take a proactive role in mutual security. Moreover, this cooperation showcases South Korea’s commitment to upholding stability in the Indo-Pacific while balancing relations with other regional actors like China.

Challenges remain, particularly as South Korea seeks to maintain a balance between its economic ties with China and its security commitments to the U.S. South Korea’s reliance on Chinese trade necessitates careful navigation of its growing military role within the alliance. Additionally, any significant increase in defense-related spending or expansion of MRO activities could face scrutiny from domestic stakeholders concerned about alliance costs. However, public diplomacy efforts that highlight the economic and security benefits of naval MRO cooperation could foster public support, underscoring the strategic importance of these initiatives in a period of heightened uncertainty.

In conclusion, naval MRO cooperation presents a practical and strategic opportunity for South Korea to reinforce the ROK-U.S. alliance under Trump’s leadership. By leveraging South Korea’s shipbuilding expertise and contributing to a shared naval operational readiness, the alliance can maintain its strength in the face of shifting U.S. policies. This partnership not only enhances military readiness and economic interdependence but also reflects South Korea’s role as a reliable and proactive ally, supporting broader stability in the Indo-Pacific. Through this strengthened cooperation, the ROK-U.S. alliance can adapt to the evolving geopolitical landscape while ensuring both nations are prepared to address regional security challenges together.

Jihoon Yu is a research fellow and the director of external cooperation at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. Jihoon was the member of Task Force for South Korea’s light aircraft carrier project and Jangbogo-III submarine project. He is the main author of the ROK Navy’s Navy Vision 2045. His area of expertise includes the ROK-U.S. alliance, the ROK-Europe security cooperation, national security, maritime security, hybrid-threats, and strategic weapons systems. He earned his MA in National Security Affairs from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and Ph.D. in Political Science from Syracuse University.

4. ROK police refer activist to prosecutors for launching balloons into North Korea

Oh no. This is not good. The ROK with the support of the US need to have aggressive information campaigns and need to support the work of the north Korean diaspora. They are the key communicators with Korean people in the north.

News

ROK police refer activist to prosecutors for launching balloons into North Korea

Local authorities allege Park Sang-hak violated aviation safety law by releasing balloons carrying anti-regime leaflets

https://www.nknews.org/2024/11/rok-police-refer-activist-to-prosecutors-for-launching-balloons-into-north-korea/

Joon Ha Park November 12, 2024

Park Sang-hak launches anti-DPRK poster and leaflets via balloons in early June 2024 | Image: Fighters for a Free North Korea

Local South Korean authorities escalated their crackdown on anti-regime leafleting into North Korea on Tuesday, referring a prominent defector-activist to prosecutors for allegedly violating the country’s Aviation Safety Act.

The Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency told NK News that it referred Park Sang-hak, head of Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK), without detention for launching balloons carrying anti-DPRK leaflets northward earlier this year.

Police allege that Park launched 9-10 large balloons from the border city of Paju on June 20. The balloons carried approximately 300,000 leaflets, USB drives and U.S. dollar bills, according to authorities, and each balloon reportedly weighed over 3 kilograms, classifying them as “unmanned free-flying devices” under South Korean law.

In July, Seoul’s land ministry issued a new enforcement threshold to the Paju Police Station, stating that balloons carrying leaflets could violate the Aviation Safety Act if they weigh more than 2 kilograms.

“Since we have forwarded the case, we will notify the relevant parties of the results. The prosecution will examine the records and then decide whether or not to proceed with an indictment,” the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency’s chief for the 2nd Investigation Division told NK News.

Park said that he had not received any notice from police about their decision to refer charges against him to prosecutors.

“It’s the first I’m hearing of it,” he told NK News on Tuesday evening.

The latest development comes after Gyeonggi Province requested a police investigation in June into FFNK and another activist group, National Campaign for Upliftment (국민계몽운동본부).

Authorities also referred Lee Dong-jin, head of the National Campaign for Upliftment, to prosecutors on Nov. 7, after his group allegedly launched 59 large balloons weighing more than 2 kilograms each near a cemetery in the border city of Gimpo in June.

The two cases draw new battlelines in a long-running debate over the government’s response to political leafleting, as local authorities look to clamp down on activity that they say endangers border residents by exacerbating inter-Korean tensions.

Under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, South Korea passed a so-called anti-leaflet law that prohibited balloon launches and stipulated punishments for offenders, including hefty fines and prison time.

But South Korea’s Constitutional Court declared the law unconstitutional last year, ruling that its disproportionate punishments violated the right to freedom of speech.

So far, the Yoon administration has maintained that it will not intervene to stop such leafleting by activists to guarantee freedom of expression.

As a result, local governments near the inter-Korean border have pursued alternative legal mechanisms to restrict the practice, focusing on aviation safety regulations.

Gyeonggi Province has designated 11 areas across three municipalities as “danger zones,” where balloon launches are prohibited, citing risks of North Korean artillery retaliation. The province has also deployed special judicial police to enforce the ban.

Controversy over the launches comes as the DPRK has continued to denounce leafleting, after claiming without evidence that activists’ balloons spread COVID-19 into the country during the pandemic.

Since May, North Korea has retaliated to activist leafleting by sending trash balloons toward the South some 30 times, causing an estimated $140,000 in property damage around Seoul and igniting several fires.

Edited by Bryan Betts

Updated at 6:25 p.m. KST on Nov. 12 with comments from Park Sang-hak

5. N. Korea's Kim finalizes defense pact with Russia

China and north Korea are closer than lips and teeth. Perhaps Russia and north Korea are closer than infected gums and dentures.

(3rd LD) N. Korea's Kim finalizes defense pact with Russia | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · November 12, 2024

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 5, 9-11)

By Park Boram

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has signed off a defense pact with Russia, the North's state media reported Tuesday, as Pyongyang sent its troops to Russia in support of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The treaty on "comprehensive strategic partnership" between North Korea and Russia was ratified the previous day as a decree from the North Korean leader, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported.

The report noted that the treaty will take effect from the day both sides exchanged ratification instruments.

Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty in Pyongyang in June, which includes a provision committing both nations to mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either side.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin after signing a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, in this photo published by the Korean Central News Agency on June 20, 2024. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Russia's news agency TASS has reported that Putin signed the pact on Saturday (local time). North Korea's Rodong Sinmun daily covered Putin's treaty ratification on Tuesday, in what appears to be a demonstration of the growing closeness between the two countries.

Since the treaty was forged in June, North Korea and Russia have elevated their military partnership to new heights.

The United States has confirmed that as many as 10,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia's western front-line Kursk region with the possibility of engaging in combat against Ukrainian forces.

The recent finalization of the mutual defense treaty by both North Korea and Russia raises speculation that North Korean troops might soon begin combat engagement in earnest.

Concerning the KCNA report, an official at South Korea's unification ministry said that North Korea and Russia have completed all ratification procedures for their treaty, pending the formal exchange of ratification instruments.

"Exchanging ratification instruments can be done through embassies, or high-level officials may visit for an exchange ceremony," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The official also noted that Pyongyang and Moscow might have timed their treaty ratification based on various factors, including the United States presidential election, raising the possibility that the countries could link the new treaty to the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia.

In a recent TASS report, Putin mentioned the possibility of the two countries holding joint military exercises, suggesting a further deepening of their military cooperation.

This undated image captured from the Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security of Ukraine shows soldiers suspected to be North Koreans receiving apparent Russian military gear. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · November 12, 2024

6. Trump likely to appoint U.S. Senator Marco Rubio as top U.S. diplomat: reports

Hopefully he will favor a human rights upfront approach, with a strong information campaign and support the Korean people's pursuit of a free and unified Korea.

Trump likely to appoint U.S. Senator Marco Rubio as top U.S. diplomat: reports | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · November 12, 2024

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to appoint U.S. Senator Marco Rubio as his first secretary of state under his second term, news reports have said.

Trump has picked the Florida-based Republican to take on the job as the top American diplomat, according to news reports by Reuters and the New York Times, citing unidentified sources.

Known for his hawkish stance on countries like China, Iran and Cuba, Rubio, if formally appointed, is largely expected to reinforce his hard-line position on North Korea as well.

In a 2017 interview with CBS, the senator said the United States should do "whatever it takes" to stop the North from acquiring capabilities to strike the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile.

"We must do almost whatever it takes, just about anything, to prevent Kim Jong-un from acquiring the nuclear capability he can deliver against the mainland of the United States of America," Rubio said.

Rubio is also known to have stressed the need for close coordination with South Korea on North Korean and Korean Peninsula issues. In 2009, Rubio visited the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas during his trip to Seoul.

Rubio sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee.

This AFP file photo shows Florida Senator Marco Rubio speaking during a Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16, 2024. (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · November 12, 2024

7. Global forum explores ways for int'l support for S. Korea's unification doctrine

The ROK, the ROK/US alliance and the region are at a major inflection point. Although counterintuitive to the pundits, now is the time to aggressively pursue a free and unified Korea.

Excerpts:

Kim Kwan-yong, the PUAC's executive vice-chairperson, said "Unification remains inside a long, dark tunnel in the era of a global geopolitical upheaval."

"Cooperation with the international community is more urgently needed than ever under the current condition in which North Korea remains locked up from inside," Kim said.

In a welcome speech, Yonhap News Agency President and CEO Hwang Dae-il stressed the importance of drawing up a new road map for unification amid shifting public conception, pledging "unremitting efforts as a core news agency for the country's freedom, peace and prosperity."

In a keynote speech, National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik said South Korea is no longer a "one-sided beneficiary" of the bilateral alliance with the United States, vowing to work with the incoming U.S. administration for the denuclearization of North Korea.

The forum, consisting of three discussion sessions, dealt with issues, including the challenges of achieving unification amid a shifting international security situation as well as the unification vision declared by President Yoon.

(LEAD) Global forum explores ways for int'l support for S. Korea's unification doctrine | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · November 12, 2024

(ATTN: REWRITES headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- A global forum, co-hosted by a presidential advisory body and Yonhap News Agency, explored ways Tuesday to muster international solidarity for South Korea's vision of achieving unification based on liberal democracy.

The Global Dialogue on Korean Peninsula Unification, co-hosted by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) and Yonhap, delved into unification issues in the context of shifting global environments on the final day of its two-day event at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul.

Key topics of this year's event included assessing the global environment for Korean unification in the context of former U.S. President Donald Trump's election to his second term as well as the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Also under discussion were ways to garner international solidarity for South Korea's "unification doctrine" amid global challenges, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the prolonged Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Global Dialogue on Korean Peninsula Unification, co-hosted by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council and Yonhap News Agency, is in progress in Seoul on Nov. 12, 2024. (Yonhap)

In August, President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the unification doctrine, which focuses on expanding North Koreans' access to external information and proposes establishing an official dialogue channel between the two Koreas to discuss various issues.

The council advises the president on unification issues for policymaking purposes.

Kim Kwan-yong, the PUAC's executive vice-chairperson, said "Unification remains inside a long, dark tunnel in the era of a global geopolitical upheaval."

"Cooperation with the international community is more urgently needed than ever under the current condition in which North Korea remains locked up from inside," Kim said.

In a welcome speech, Yonhap News Agency President and CEO Hwang Dae-il stressed the importance of drawing up a new road map for unification amid shifting public conception, pledging "unremitting efforts as a core news agency for the country's freedom, peace and prosperity."

In a keynote speech, National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik said South Korea is no longer a "one-sided beneficiary" of the bilateral alliance with the United States, vowing to work with the incoming U.S. administration for the denuclearization of North Korea.

The forum, consisting of three discussion sessions, dealt with issues, including the challenges of achieving unification amid a shifting international security situation as well as the unification vision declared by President Yoon.

Presentations and discussions on the East Asia security environment following the U.S. presidential election and shifts in Korean Peninsula policies took place behind closed doors on the first day of the forum.

All sessions on the second day were livestreamed on the council's website.

Yonhap News Agency President and CEO Hwang Dae-il delivers a welcome address during the 2024 Global Dialogue on Korean Peninsula Unification in Seoul on Nov. 12, 2024. (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · November 12, 2024

8. Awareness of human rights growing inside N. Korea thanks to int'l attention: ex-N.K. diplomat

Some positive views about human rights in north Korea.

Awareness of human rights growing inside N. Korea thanks to int'l attention: ex-N.K. diplomat | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · November 12, 2024

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- International attention to North Korea's human rights abuses has had a perceptible effect in raising awareness of human rights among the country's general public, a former North Korean diplomat said Tuesday, calling for sustained global efforts on the issue.

Ri Il-gyu, a former counselor for political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba who defected to South Korea last year, made the point during a discussion at the 2024 Global Dialogue on Korean Peninsula Unification, co-hosted by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council and Yonhap News Agency.

"Since the 1990s, the human rights situation in North Korea has significantly changed," Ri said, citing the impact from international efforts to press North Korea to improve its human rights condition, as well as the inflow of outside information.

"Before that time, the term 'human rights' was unknown to North Koreans, but now they are familiar with the concept to the extent that some even blurt out 'Isn't this a human rights violation?'" he told the session.

Since 1995, the North Korean regime has somewhat changed its attitude to human rights issues due to international pressure, but the fundamental human rights situation in the North has still not improved, Ri noted.

"(Such an attitude change) is merely a strategy to deflect criticism and pressure from the international community regarding human rights violations," he said, stressing the need to continue sending propaganda leaflets into North Korea and to win over North Koreans dispatched overseas.

This image, captured from livestream footage on a YouTube account by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) on Nov. 12, 2024, shows Ri Il-gyu, a former counselor for political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, speaking at a forum on unification co-hosted by the PUAC and Yonhap News Agency. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · November 12, 2024

9. North Korea building 3-mile wall across ruins of lost medieval city in DMZ

Create the perception of the threat from the South to justify the suffering and sacrifice of the Korean people in the north as Kim prioritizes his own survival over their welfare.

Satellite imagery at the link: https://www.nknews.org/pro/north-korea-building-3-mile-wall-across-ruins-of-lost-medieval-city-in-dmz/

North Korea building 3-mile wall across ruins of lost medieval city in DMZ

Hundreds of soldiers have carried out construction since March in line with Kim Jong Un’s call to sever ties with South

Colin Zwirko November 12, 2024

Soldiers deployed for DMZ land clearing and other work, mostly holding tools | Images: ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (Released June 18, 2024, undated photo)

North Korea is building a wall over the unexcavated ruins of a lost medieval city inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ), according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, as part of leader Kim Jong Un’s goal to more “permanently” cut all links to South Korea.

The project to build the 3.5-mile (5.5 km) wall started in March and is nearing completion, with hundreds of soldiers living in a temporary camp on site while carrying out the work.

It comes amid the DPRK’s large-scale efforts to carve out new defense lines in the forests of the DMZ across the inter-Korean border, after Kim ended his country’s long-standing pro-unification policy at the start of this year.

The new wall cuts through the site of the walled capital of the Taebong kingdom (태봉국 철원성), thought to have been built in the 10th century in what is now called Cholwon County on both sides of the border (spelled Cheorwon in South Korea).

Before and after comparison of the Cholwon/Cheorwon area on the DMZ where North Korea is building a new border wall | Image: Planet Labs (Oct. 16, 2024), edited by NK Pro

Before and after comparison of the Cholwon/Cheorwon area on the DMZ where North Korea is building a new border wall | Image: Google Earth (Sept. 9, 2022), edited by NK Pro

This wide overhead view of the Cholwon/Cheorwon area split by the DMZ shows the location of the Thaebong capital city and the MDL and new North Korean border wall cutting across it | Image: Google Earth, edited by NK Pro

This horizon view looking to the northeast from the South Korean side shows the unique flatness of the Cholwon/Cheorwon region surrounded by mountains | Image: Google Earth, edited by NK Pro

The square outline of the formerly walled 2,400-acre (970 ha) city remains visible in satellite imagery, but almost nothing else remains and little is known about it. The division of the Koreas and its location straddling the border in the DMZ has prevented proper studies.

This large flat region is unique in the DMZ as the rest of the inter-Korean border is mostly mountainous. Given its favorable geography, it’s possible a large city would exist in this location today if not for its division between the two Koreas.

The soldier camp appeared at the west end of the new wall in the first days of March, and Planet Labs satellite imagery shows work started the following month on clearing a 260-foot (80-meter) wide line across the flat but tree-covered expanse of Cholwon.

A closer look at the west end of the new wall construction site, with the soldier camp further to the west | Image: Planet Labs (Oct. 16, 2024)

Structures have been built along the length of the new wall (middle of western section shown here), either for temporary use during construction or some other unknown purpose | Image: Planet Labs (Oct. 16, 2024)

A closer look at the east end of the new wall construction, turning the corner at the spot of a defunct north-south rail line | Image: Planet Labs (Oct. 16, 2024)

Timelapse of the new wall construction | Images: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

Construction on the wall itself started in two locations along the cleared area in May. As of Nov. 11, completed wall sections measured around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) at the west end and 0.8 miles (1.3 km) on the east end, with about a mile (1.7 km) in the middle that is still being built.

The wall is sandwiched between two other wide and heavily guarded defense lines to the north and south, raising questions about its purpose and security utility or why the wall wasn’t built along one of these existing lines.

There are also multiple additional layers of trench lines running east to west to the north of the new wall, likely due to the flat and open nature of the location and related vulnerabilities in wartime.

While North Korea has built new defense lines throughout the DMZ since this spring — in at least one case slightly crossing over the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) into the South — wall construction has not been a feature in most places.

Shorter sections of new border walls are also under construction near the new inter-Korean road and rail blockades in Kaesong on the west coast and Kosong on the east coast. Plans for a wall along the entire border appear unlikely but can’t yet be ruled out.

The new border wall should appear around or under the area indicated by the yellow dotted line in this photo taken looking north from the Cheorwon Peace Observatory in Aug. 2022 | Image: NK Pro

The new border wall should appear around or under the area indicated by the yellow dotted line in this zoomed-in photo taken looking north from the Cheorwon Peace Observatory in Aug. 2022 | Image: NK Pro

A scale model of what the Taebong kingdom capital in present-day Cholwon may have looked like, on display at the Cheorwon Peace Observatory | Image: NK Pro (Sept. 2023)

North Korea’s military built the road and rail blockades after setting off explosives in the two locations right up against the MDL on Oct. 15.

Experts previously told NK News that new border walls will serve as little more than “speedbumps” to South Korean forces in wartime, while assessing that they could help prevent North Koreans from escaping and serve as symbols of Kim Jong Un’s hostility toward the South.

The two Koreas agreed during the most recent period of detente in 2018 to work toward making a “joint survey and excavation of historical remains within the DMZ.”

Efforts started on removing mines from the Taebong capital site in late 2018, but relations broke down the following year and DPRK state media brushed off the joint excavation idea as unimportant.

With the new wall construction, it is unlikely that the two Koreas will cooperate on researching the Taebong capital in the near future.

Edited by Bryan Betts

10. China Should Be Worried About North Korea

More than ever we must try to understand what are the national interests of our friends, competitors, and enemies and what they are willing to do to protect these interests. And we must understand our interests and what we are willing to do to sustain, protect, and advance them and communicate that to the American people.

Excerpts:

GO SMALLER

Chinese strategists are understandably wary of attempts by Western countries to exploit tensions between China and North Korea. In July 2024, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the South Korean press of spreading “groundless rumors” about rifts in the Chinese–North Korean relationship and reaffirmed the bond between the two countries. In reaction to North Korea’s growing ties with Russia, the United States and its allies in East Asia might strengthen their military cooperation—something China perceives as a threat to its own security. In this scenario, any effort by the United States to exploit tensions between China and North Korea backfire. The more Beijing believes that the United States is trying to weaken Chinese influence by driving a wedge between China and North Korea, the more valuable North Korea becomes to China—which may be exactly Pyongyang’s calculus.

To avoid such an outcome, the United States and its allies should focus on identifying interests they share with China: namely, preventing the outbreak of a war on the Korean Peninsula. Expecting Beijing to take extreme measures, such as suspending oil supplies or humanitarian aid to North Korea, is unrealistic. Instead of driving China and North Korea apart, Washington should try to capitalize on Beijing’s power over Pyongyang by urging China to clearly communicate two redlines to its partner. First, North Korea must refrain from directly assaulting South Korean lives and property, as it did in the 2010 Cheonan torpedo attack and Yeonpyeong Island shelling. Since these incidents, South Korea’s military doctrine has become far more offensive. Any North Korean attack, even on a limited scale, would trigger South Korean retaliation, and could spiral into all-out war. Second, North Korea must avoid conducting its seventh nuclear test. A seventh test would likely be geared toward developing a nuclear weapon with a small yield that would be easier to deploy. Such a test would be a sign of China’s weakening influence over Pyongyang and could spur Seoul to try to acquire nuclear weapons of its own—a position that both South Korea and the United States officially oppose but is gaining traction in Western policy circles.

U.S. efforts to drive a wedge between China and North Korea could backfire, potentially strengthening their autocratic alliance. To secure meaningful cooperation from China, it would be more effective for Washington to keep its requests specific, realistic, and geared toward achieving shared interests. A more focused approach is likely to yield better results.

China Should Be Worried About North Korea

How to Make Beijing a Partner in Restraining Pyongyang

By Lee Hee-ok and Sungmin Cho

November 12, 2024

Foreign Affairs · by Lee Hee-ok and Sungmin Cho · November 12, 2024

Last month, the White House confirmed that North Korea—a country with few allies and little money—had sent thousands of soldiers to join Russia in its war against Ukraine. Pyongyang was already supplying Moscow with weapons: according to The Times of London, half of Russia’s shells used in the war have come from North Korea. But sending personnel marks a new level of coordination. There are other signs of warming ties, too. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first trip to North Korea in over two decades.

That proximity has irked China, North Korea’s main backer. Chinese officials fear that Russia’s influence over the insular dictatorship is growing at China’s expense. They also worry that the United States and its allies in Europe and Asia will strengthen military cooperation in response to Russia and North Korea’s newfound closeness. Over the past year, Beijing has chosen to react to Pyongyang’s collaboration with Moscow by publicly courting North Korea’s adversaries. For instance, in May, China held a trilateral summit with South Korea and Japan after a five-year hiatus. On the same day in June that Putin visited Pyongyang, Chinese and South Korean officials held a security dialogue in Seoul—the first such meeting in nine years.

This seeming friction between China and North Korea has tantalized many Western security analysts, who have argued that the United States and its allies should try to drive a wedge between China and North Korea. Such an effort, however, would be futile. Despite signs of tension between the two countries, North Korea is overwhelmingly reliant on China. Nearly all of its trade, for instance, is with China. The countries have not always seen eye to eye over the past 75 years, but their relationship has never come close to splintering. Instead of focusing on what could divide North Korea from China, the United States should collaborate with the Chinese government to rein in North Korea’s volatile behavior. Both the United States and China are ultimately invested in maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula. Working together to restrain the North Korean regime is the best way to achieve it.

LONGTIME FRENEMIES

Although North Korea is often imagined these days as a mere satrap of China, it is not, in fact, a Chinese vassal, and it has long sought to achieve a great degree of autonomy in its foreign policy. The two countries have endured many moments of friction in their relationship. In August 1956, Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s ruler and the grandfather of the current leader, fumed at Chinese and Soviet involvement in an attempted coup against him and bristled at subsequent Chinese and Soviet efforts to dissuade him from purging those officials who he believed were involved in the plot. During China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, Chinese Red Guards labeled Kim a “counterrevolutionary dictator.” The fact that China tolerated open criticism of North Korea’s leadership put further strain on the relationship between the two governments. Back then, Pyongyang also played Beijing and Moscow against each other. During the rapprochement between China and the United States in the 1970s (which followed the split between China and the Soviet Union), North Korea hosted Soviet naval ships in its ports and allowed Soviet fighter jets to enter North Korean airspace. Throughout the 1980s, in response to North Korea’s tilt toward Russia, China increased its diplomatic contacts with South Korea.

Relations between China and North Korea hit another low point in 1992, when China formally established diplomatic relations with South Korea against Kim’s wishes. China further irked North Korea by joining international sanctions against Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear weapons programs in 2006. Pyongyang, for its part, often acted without consulting Beijing on matters that could seriously affect China’s security. In 2006, following North Korea’s first nuclear test, Beijing accused Pyongyang of “brazen” action, a term rarely used in official Chinese statements. North Korea’s nuclear tests violated a treaty between the two countries that requires them to “consult with each other on all important international questions of common interest.” In 2017, in a moment of great tension between North Korea and the first Trump administration, Beijing openly criticized Pyongyang. An editorial in the Global Times, a Chinese state-run newspaper, argued that “North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons . . . seriously harms China’s national security” and therefore violates their treaty.

Over the past year, there have been signs that China and North Korea have entered another rough patch. Beyond lending troops to Russia, North Korea has signaled its frustration with China over what it perceives to be a lack of diplomatic and economic support. In 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, for example, gave notably more attention to Russia’s defense minister than to China’s envoy at the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice. In July 2024, North Korea stopped disseminating its state television broadcasts from a Chinese satellite and started using a Russian one. And last month, when Kim and Chinese leader Xi Jinping exchanged messages marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between their two countries, Kim omitted traditional niceties, including “dear” and “respectful leader,” and terms that show bonds between the two countries, such as “blood-forged socialism,” in his letters to Beijing. These subtle symbolic and rhetorical shifts suggest that North Korea is dissatisfied with China.

In 2023, China accounted for 98 percent of North Korea’s official trade volume.

Meanwhile, China has used economic policies to express its frustration with North Korea for its current alignment with Russia and its refusal to consult with China over military provocations, such as weapon tests. Over the past year, Beijing has cracked down on North Korean smuggling, restricted the sale of North Korean seafood in China, and made it harder for Chinese boats to illegally fish in North Korean waters. (Chinese fishermen used to pay Pyongyang for the privilege, with Beijing turning a blind eye.) According to The Korea Times, in July 2024 Beijing demanded that Pyongyang recall North Korean workers in China—numbered in the tens of thousands—so that China could comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2937, which called for the repatriation of North Korean laborers. The move would further cut off North Korea from foreign currency that it desperately needs.

These punishments are especially painful since North Korea’s economy has been severely strained by international sanctions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic mismanagement. Between 2016 and 2022, the country’s exports fell by 94 percent and its imports decreased by 61 percent. North Korea needs all the help it can get, but China has been doing the opposite: intensifying sanctions. Unsure of China’s intentions, North Korea has turned to Russia for economic, diplomatic, and military cooperation.

Through these punitive measures, China is not just trying to chastise Pyongyang for cozying up to Russia; it’s also seeking to curry favor with the United States and Europe. Since the summit between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden in November 2023, Beijing has appeared determined to stabilize U.S.-Chinese relations so that it can still attract foreign investment from Western countries and maintain strong trading ties with them. In this context, North Korea’s belligerence toward South Korea and Japan and its military support of Russia has become a liability for China’s engagement with the West, because the United States and Europe see China as North Korea’s patron, and therefore as partly responsible for Pyongyang’s behavior.

A NEEDY NEIGHBOR

Some Western scholars have argued that tensions between China and North Korea present the United States and its allies with a chance to push the two countries apart. Such thinking, however, is wishful. Despite moments of discord, ties between North Korea and China are resilient. North Korea has been economically dependent on China for its survival since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and it grew even more reliant on Beijing after the UN ramped up sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear program in 2017. China has effectively become a lifeline for North Korea, supplying essential goods such as food, clothing, fertilizer, machinery, and construction materials—nearly everything that sustains the daily lives of North Koreans and the country’s industries. Between 1994 and 2023, North Korea accumulated a trade deficit with China of more than $20 billion. North Korea’s 2024 treaty with Russia expands trade between the two countries, but it doesn’t reduce Beijing’s leverage over Pyongyang in a meaningful way. In 2023, China accounted for 98 percent of North Korea’s official trade volume.

When tensions ratchet up, the two countries quickly mend fences. Xi, for example, didn’t meet with Kim once between 2012 and 2017 but met with him five times from 2018 to 2019, after a summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump was announced (without Beijing’s approval). Even though China maintains enormous leverage over its neighbor, it refrains from playing hardball so as not to push North Korea into the arms of Russia or even the United States. When China joined UN sanctions on North Korea in 2006—in response to North Korea’s first nuclear test—Pyongyang reacted by holding bilateral talks with Washington without Beijing’s approval. China has since made an effort to avoid being bypassed by maintaining close channels of communication with Pyongyang. China also fears that applying pressure to North Korea, which is already strained by an economic crisis, could push the Kim regime to the brink of regime collapse. It is highly uncertain—even to China’s leadership—how Pyongyang would act if backed into a corner. In the worst-case scenario, Pyongyang may resort to attacking South Korea to deliberately create an external crisis, forcing China to intervene on North Korea’s behalf. Therefore, Beijing has to carefully assess the risks when considering how much it can push North Korea.

In the current era of U.S.-Chinese strategic competition, North Korea’s value to China extends beyond its role as a buffer zone between Chinese and U.S. forces. From Beijing’s perspective, during a conflict with the United States over Taiwan, maintaining close ties with North Korea is advantageous because Pyongyang can help tie down U.S. troops in the region by keeping open the possibility of another war. However, it remains uncertain whether Beijing would pre-coordinate with North Korea before taking military action against Taiwan, or if they would even want to coordinate such involvement if it could lead to conflict spreading from the Taiwan Strait to the Korean Peninsula.

GO SMALLER

Chinese strategists are understandably wary of attempts by Western countries to exploit tensions between China and North Korea. In July 2024, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the South Korean press of spreading “groundless rumors” about rifts in the Chinese–North Korean relationship and reaffirmed the bond between the two countries. In reaction to North Korea’s growing ties with Russia, the United States and its allies in East Asia might strengthen their military cooperation—something China perceives as a threat to its own security. In this scenario, any effort by the United States to exploit tensions between China and North Korea backfire. The more Beijing believes that the United States is trying to weaken Chinese influence by driving a wedge between China and North Korea, the more valuable North Korea becomes to China—which may be exactly Pyongyang’s calculus.

To avoid such an outcome, the United States and its allies should focus on identifying interests they share with China: namely, preventing the outbreak of a war on the Korean Peninsula. Expecting Beijing to take extreme measures, such as suspending oil supplies or humanitarian aid to North Korea, is unrealistic. Instead of driving China and North Korea apart, Washington should try to capitalize on Beijing’s power over Pyongyang by urging China to clearly communicate two redlines to its partner. First, North Korea must refrain from directly assaulting South Korean lives and property, as it did in the 2010 Cheonan torpedo attack and Yeonpyeong Island shelling. Since these incidents, South Korea’s military doctrine has become far more offensive. Any North Korean attack, even on a limited scale, would trigger South Korean retaliation, and could spiral into all-out war. Second, North Korea must avoid conducting its seventh nuclear test. A seventh test would likely be geared toward developing a nuclear weapon with a small yield that would be easier to deploy. Such a test would be a sign of China’s weakening influence over Pyongyang and could spur Seoul to try to acquire nuclear weapons of its own—a position that both South Korea and the United States officially oppose but is gaining traction in Western policy circles.

U.S. efforts to drive a wedge between China and North Korea could backfire, potentially strengthening their autocratic alliance. To secure meaningful cooperation from China, it would be more effective for Washington to keep its requests specific, realistic, and geared toward achieving shared interests. A more focused approach is likely to yield better results.

LEE HEE-OK is the Director of the Sungkyun Institute of China Studies and a Professor of Political Science at Sungkyunkwan University.
SUNGMIN CHO is the Vice Director of the Sungkyun Institute of China Studies and a Nonresident Fellow of Center for China Analysis at the Asia Society.

Foreign Affairs · by Lee Hee-ok and Sungmin Cho · November 12, 2024

11. An Alliance of America’s Greatest Foes Is Getting Tighter

The "fusion of foes and the fluid future of warfare." Words I heard from a Combatant Commander last week.

Excerpts:

Some perspective is necessary: Patterns of autocratic defense cooperation are still far less impressive than those that America and its closest allies enjoy. To this point, the best revenge for North Korea’s intervention in Ukraine would be if Washington can induce South Korea, which possesses huge quantities of 155mm artillery ammunition, to give more of it to Kyiv.

But military integration among the Eurasian autocracies is making the world’s most disruptive states better armed and better informed about the realities of modern war. Given that this integration has repeatedly surged ahead far faster than Western analysts predicted, expect these relationships to keep developing in surprising, destabilizing ways.

The emergence of this arsenal of autocracy is one of many reasons to cheer the devastating strikes Israel carried out against Iran last month. In destroying Iran’s advanced, Russian-made air defense systems, Israel revealed the limits of the kit Moscow can give its friends. In badly damaging Tehran’s missile production facilities, Israel probably helped Ukraine in addition to helping itself. Yet the same phenomenon reminds us how high the stakes in Ukraine really are —and how ominous the trajectory of that conflict is.

If Putin imposes a conqueror’s peace on Kyiv, it won’t simply be a tragedy for Ukraine. It will be a victory for the larger cohort of autocracies and a testament to what their cooperation can achieve in a test of strength against the West. The autocracies are pulling together, not least militarily, in what looks increasingly like a prewar era. The democracies will have to do so, as well.

An Alliance of America’s Greatest Foes Is Getting Tighter

By Hal Brands

Bloomberg Opinion

November 08, 2024

AEI · by Hal Brands

The deployment of North Korean troops to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine was one October surprise among many. November, December and the months thereafter will reveal how much Kim Jong Un’s forces can do to abet Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Yet the larger significance of the North Korean move may be what it reveals about the arsenal of autocracy taking shape.

The phrase “arsenal of democracy” was coined by Franklin Roosevelt during World War II. The thrust was that the US, not yet in the war, would arm and empower the friendly countries that were. Since February 2022, President Joe Biden has revived the concept in explaining America’s support for Ukraine. Yet the most striking, potentially historical advances toward deeper defense cooperation are coming from the autocratic side.

That integration is part of a broader phenomenon preoccupying the US government — the linking of arms by countries assaulting the international order. A “no limits” strategic partnership unites China and Russia, the two Eurasian giants. Iran and Russia have built what American officials call a “full-scale defense partnership.” Moscow and Pyongyang signed their treaty of alliance, which complements North Korea’s longstanding — if ambivalent — defense pact with China. Russia is helping a longtime Iranian client, Yemen’s Houthis, attack international shipping in the Red Sea.

Call it whatever you want — “axis of autocracies,” “axis of upheaval” or even “axis of losers” — but the reality is that the US faces a thickening web of alliance-like ties among its greatest foes. At the center of those relationships is collaboration in making and wielding the tools of war.

North Korea has provided millions of rounds of artillery to Putin’s forces, more than the US and its allies have given Kyiv. Iranian-made missiles and drones facilitate barrages against Ukrainian cities. Chinese factories have, reportedly, produced drones for Putin’s armies. Russia, in turn, has apparently agreed to provide its partners with more sophisticated aircraft and air defenses – among other capabilities – as part of a flourishing, autocratic arms trade that is changing the military balance in multiple regions.

Yet the revisionists aren’t simply trading in finished weapons; there is a deeper industrial integration underway. Tehran has built built factories that produce Iranian drones on Russian soil. China has undertaken a gigantic effort to rebuild Putin’s defense industrial base by selling him microchips, machine tools and other components. North Korean workers may already be toiling on Russian production lines.

More troubling, technology transfer is reaching new levels. Russia is reportedly aiding North Korea’s missile, satellite, and advanced weapons programs. Moscow and Beijing are engaging in joint development and co-production initiatives that grow more numerous, and more secretive, all the time.

Western governments are struggling to understand what, exactly, is happening in these partnerships, which raises the odds they will be surprised by the capability leaps that result. Perhaps North Korea’s next intercontinental missile, or China’s next attack submarine, will be more threatening thanks to the technology and know-how Putin is now trading away.

Finally, the autocracies are learning from one another. Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel in April mimicked strikes that Moscow had carried out in Ukraine. Some of the value Kim gets from sending his soldiers into the Ukraine war will be the experience his army gains. And given that drones, missiles and missile defenses could shape the outcome of a US-China war in the Western Pacific, you can bet Beijing is studying the lessons of the Ukraine war.

Some perspective is necessary: Patterns of autocratic defense cooperation are still far less impressive than those that America and its closest allies enjoy. To this point, the best revenge for North Korea’s intervention in Ukraine would be if Washington can induce South Korea, which possesses huge quantities of 155mm artillery ammunition, to give more of it to Kyiv.

But military integration among the Eurasian autocracies is making the world’s most disruptive states better armed and better informed about the realities of modern war. Given that this integration has repeatedly surged ahead far faster than Western analysts predicted, expect these relationships to keep developing in surprising, destabilizing ways.

The emergence of this arsenal of autocracy is one of many reasons to cheer the devastating strikes Israel carried out against Iran last month. In destroying Iran’s advanced, Russian-made air defense systems, Israel revealed the limits of the kit Moscow can give its friends. In badly damaging Tehran’s missile production facilities, Israel probably helped Ukraine in addition to helping itself. Yet the same phenomenon reminds us how high the stakes in Ukraine really are —and how ominous the trajectory of that conflict is.

If Putin imposes a conqueror’s peace on Kyiv, it won’t simply be a tragedy for Ukraine. It will be a victory for the larger cohort of autocracies and a testament to what their cooperation can achieve in a test of strength against the West. The autocracies are pulling together, not least militarily, in what looks increasingly like a prewar era. The democracies will have to do so, as well.

AEI · by Hal Brands

12. China halts North Korean trade applications as Pyongyang pivots to Russia

Blowback for Kim? Perhaps China is not going to succumb to Kim Jong Un's games.

China halts North Korean trade applications as Pyongyang pivots to Russia - Daily NK English

For more than a week now, Chinese customs authorities have not been issuing permits for goods reported as personal items

By Seon Hwa - November 12, 2024

dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · November 12, 2024

A cargo truck is crossing over the Yalu River from Sinuiju, in North Korea’s North Pyongan Province, to Dandong, in China’s Liaoning Province, on a steel bridge known as the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge. (©Daily NK)

Chinese customs officials in Dandong have stopped processing North Korean trade applications since late last month. The disruption may stem from the cooling of China-North Korea relations as Pyongyang strengthens ties with Russia.

When North Korean traders in China wanted to ship goods to North Korea, they would declare the items to Chinese customs as personal items for a move to a new home and easily obtain a shipping permit.

Because Chinese customs authorities do not open or inspect boxes labeled as personal belongings for a move, these North Korean traders had little trouble shipping electronic goods and luxury items that are prohibited under sanctions against North Korea.

In this way, North Korean merchants have been able to ship various household appliances – including refrigerators, flat-screen televisions, water purifiers, car batteries, and electric stoves – to the North while declaring them to customs authorities as personal effects for a move and making a handsome profit on the side.

But for more than a week now, since the end of last month, Chinese customs authorities have stopped issuing permits for items declared as personal effects for a move.

“For a while, we were able to send sanctioned items such as electronic equipment and auto parts to North Korea by declaring them as personal belongings for a move. But now customs officials will not accept trade applications for anything labeled as such,” a source in China told Daily NK recently.

But it is not only North Korean traders who are being inconvenienced by the change. North Korean officials on assignment in China who are about to return home are also not allowed to ship their personal belongings back to the North.

“An official from the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports who was working in Tianjin could not get a shipping permit for personal items he wanted to take back to North Korea,” the source said.

The items the official wanted to take home included a flat-screen TV, an electric blanket and a mini-refrigerator.

Labeling a shipment of goods as personal items for a move has been a reliable way to clear Chinese customs, which is why the current predicament comes as such a shock to North Korean traders and officials.

This has led some North Korean traders in China to speculate that China’s changing attitude toward trade is an expression of its displeasure with North Korea’s increasingly cozy relationship with Russia.

“China has been gradually tightening controls on trade as its relations with North Korea have grown more tense, and now it’s restricting individual shipments of personal items for a move,” the source said. “For now, North Korean traders are trying to figure out how to send goods to the North, but they’re also worried that China will continue to put the brakes on shipments of goods.”

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 Seon Hwa · November 12, 2024

13. North Korean lectures paint Russia as friend, US as warmonger

There is nothing more important to the im family regime than propaganda and indoctrination of the people. It is one of the keys to regime survival.

North Korean lectures paint Russia as friend, US as warmonger - Daily NK English

The lectures may be aimed at preventing negative opinions about Russia in case recent troop deployments become known to the public

By Seulkee Jang - November 12, 2024

dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · November 12, 2024

North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Oct. 29 that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui departed Pyongyang for an official visit to Russia the day before and that she was seen off from Pyongyang International Airport by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu and Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora. (Rodong Sinmun, News1)

North Korean officials conducted public ideological lectures to bolster support for Russia while stoking anti-U.S. sentiment, using external tensions to promote internal unity. The lectures, held in Sinuiju in early October, emphasized North Korea’s friendship with Russia while warning of heightened military tensions due to alleged “hostile actions” by the United States and its allies.

According to a source in North Pyongan Province, the lectures mentioned the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The source said one lecturer claimed that Israel “attacked Palestine and ordinary people and small children in the Gaza Strip died,” adding that “Israel was able to carry out such a vicious attack because the United States controlled it from behind.”

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, the lecturer focused on criticizing the United States, saying that the war has lasted for three years “because the United States is fomenting the war by providing Ukraine with lethal weapons.”

The lecturer said, “We will stand with the Russian people until Russia’s victory.” In other words, North Korea would support Russia’s victory in the war and support the Russian people because U.S. schemes caused the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The lecturer did not explain in detail how North Korea would support the Russian people. Nor did he mention sending North Korean troops to Russia.

The lectures may be aimed at preventing negative opinions about Russia in case recent troop deployments become known to the public.

Following the lecture witnessed by the source, positive opinions about Russia spread among the attendees.

People made pro-Russian statements such as, “It seems we can benefit more from being with Russia than China,” and “Things like oil and flour all come from Russia.

The close ties between North Korea and Russia have become more apparent since North Korea’s troop deployment.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, who was on an official visit to Russia from Oct. 28 to Wednesday, had a surprise, unscheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, demonstrating the close ties between their countries.

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported Choe’s meeting with Putin on its front page on Wednesday, saying that the two “had a good talk on many undertakings for the steady development of the relations between the two countries and reaffirmed the will to further consolidate the DPRK-Russia friendship on the path of new comprehensive development.

Choe earlier held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Nov. 1. According to AFP, Sputnik News and others, Choe said that Russia would win under Putin’s wise leadership and that North Korea would always stand by Russia until the day of victory.

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 Seulkee Jang · November 12, 2024

14. Ukraine ‘holds back’ 50,000-strong force including North Koreans: Zelenskyy

I wonder if this is a result of a Russian assessment of Ukrainian capabilities and Putin does not think he will be successful in Kursk.

Or all warfare is based on deception.

Ukraine ‘holds back’ 50,000-strong force including North Koreans: Zelenskyy

Both Russia and North Korea have formally ratified their June pact that includes a mutual defense clause.

https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2024/11/12/north-korea-kim-russia-pact/

By Taejun Kang for RFA

2024.11.11

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks at a press conference during the European Political Community Summit in Budapest, Hungary, Nov. 7, 2024. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Ukrainian forces are holding off nearly 50,000 troops, including 11,000 North Koreans, in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, confirming U.S. media reports that Russia had amassed a large force including the North Koreans to push Ukrainian invaders off Russian soil.

The deployment of the North Koreans to help Russia fight its war against Ukraine has raised fears in the West and in South Korea of a dangerous escalation of Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.

Ukrainian troops “continue to hold back” the “nearly 50,000-strong enemy group” in Kursk, Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram on Monday after receiving a briefing from General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Russia’s southwestern Kursk region on Aug. 6 and have captured more than two dozen settlements there, Ukraine says.

While Russia has managed to reclaim some settlements, the front line has seen little change in recent months.

The New York Times, citing U.S. and Ukrainian officials, reported on Sunday that the Russian military had assembled about 50,000 soldiers, including North Koreans, to launch an assault to reclaim territory in Kursk.

Similarly, CNN quoted an unidentified U.S. official as saying Russia has gathered a “large force of tens of thousands” of troops and North Korean soldiers to participate in an imminent assault.

The Ukraine president previously said that North Korean troops fighting against Ukrainian forces were taking casualties in Kursk.

“Currently, 11,000 North Korean soldiers are present on Russian territory near the Ukrainian border, specifically in Kursk Oblast,” he said at a press conference at the European Political Community summit in Budapest last Thursday.

“Some of these troops have already taken part in combat operations against Ukrainian forces, and there are already casualties,” he added, without providing further information on the number of casualties.

The Kremlin has not commented on the presence of North Korean troops on its territory. At a meeting of the U.N. Security Council last week, Russia declined to answer questions from the United States about its deployment of North Korean troops.

North Korean province cuts market hours for land management work - Daily NK English

Many object to reduced market hours and mandatory land management work when they urgently need to prepare for winter, a source told Daily NK

By Jeong Seo-yeong - November 12, 2024

dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · November 12, 2024

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper recently underlined the need to implement the party’s land management projects, which include planting trees, repairing roads, clearing rivers and streams, and preventing erosion. “We must all join forces to carry out land management programs in the fall,” the paper said. (Rodong Sinmun, News 1)

North Hamgyong province has ordered reduced market hours through November to mobilize merchants and residents for land management projects. A source in the province told Daily NK that the party committee’s Nov. 2 directive requires merchants and neighborhood watch unit members in Chongjin and surrounding areas to participate in the work.

Each spring and fall, North Korea mobilizes citizens nationwide to plant trees, repair roads, clear waterways and prevent erosion to protect the ecosystem and prevent natural disasters.

The provincial party committee has assigned specific areas to marketplaces and neighborhood units. Market merchants selling similar products have been grouped together and given assignments.

The committee emphasized the need to supervise workers closely to ensure construction meets engineering and scientific standards.

Officials were instructed to stop inflating reports and accurately record achievements, with work reviews to be strictly fact-based.

The committee stressed environmental protection, saying workers must not damage nature while conducting land management work. Officials noted that allowing environmental damage would undermine the projects’ goals.

Calling land management an ongoing priority, the committee urged officials to take responsibility by working at project sites rather than leaving workers unsupervised.

The committee also emphasized creating a strong management system while addressing problems in the projects.

However, merchants and members of neighborhood watch units and women’s union chapters have expressed frustration with the directive.

“Women’s union members and merchants, most of whom are women, object to reduced market hours and mandatory land management work when they urgently need to prepare for winter,” the source said.

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 · November 12, 2024

16. US Army veteran enters burning home to save elderly woman in South Korea

Still serving.

US Army veteran enters burning home to save elderly woman in South Korea

Stars and Stripes · by Luis Garcia and Yoo Kyong Chang · November 8, 2024

U.S. Army veteran Arthur Chavarria saved an elderly woman from a house fire in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Nov. 1, 2024. (Pyeongtaek Fire Station)

PYEONGTAEK, South Korea — A quiet evening at home took a chaotic turn for U.S. Army veteran Arthur Chavarria when his wife, Kim Dong Young, opened the door on Nov. 1 and shouted, “There’s a fire!”

Chavarria was headed for bed that night, but instead slipped on a pair of flip-flops and ran toward smoke rising from an old house in Seokgeun village near Camp Humphreys.

“I heard a woman screaming — a really loud, desperate scream,” he told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday. “The moment I heard that, I just ran toward the residence.”

What happened next earned the couple a commendation from the Pyeongtaek Fire Department and praise from Fire Chief Kang Bong-ju.

“We would like to express our gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Chavarria for quickly reporting the fire and rescuing a precious life,” Kang said at Wednesday’s commendation ceremony.

When he rushed outside that night, Chavarria saw a neighboring homeowner, an elderly woman, heading back into the burning structure.

“I thought, ‘There’s probably somebody in there if she’s going back inside,’ ” he said.

Chavarria followed her in and quickly realized she was alone, attempting to fight the flames with a garden hose.

“She was handing me the hose, wanting me to help her put out the fire,” he said. But the smoke was heavy, and he could not let her stay. “She could’ve passed out or worse,” he added.

Chavarria urged her to leave, but she hesitated, worried about valuables left behind. “I understand — she was about to lose everything, her entire home,” he said.

Finally, he guided her to a side door that he forced open and the two escaped safely, he said.

Meanwhile, Kim had called Pyeongtaek firefighters, who arrived quickly and contained the blaze by early morning, although the house was a total loss, Park Byung-jun, the prevention measures team leader, told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.

The woman wasn’t injured but inhaled smoke and declined a hospital visit, Park said.

Officials suspect the blaze started in an overheated wood boiler in the traditional Korean-style house, where the tile roof and wood frame contributed to the quick spread of flames, Park said.

Kim was stunned by the sight of her husband entering the burning home, she said by text message Wednesday.

“I was so shocked I couldn’t even think of doing anything,” she said. “I just called my husband’s name.”

Seeing him emerge with the woman brought her relief and pride.

“If my husband had come out a little later, he would have died with the grandmother in that house,” Kim said. “Life and death depend on what an individual does in a moment.”

Chavarria, who said he is an Army veteran but declined to discuss the details of his service, said he doesn’t see himself as a hero.

“This is a pretty normal thing to do,” he said. “It’s normal to help your neighbors. I’d do it again.”

He said he hopes people will check in on elderly family members, especially in older homes.

“A lot of these houses are really old,” he said. “I hope people take this as a reminder to check on their parents and grandparents, and make sure their fire safety is up to date.”

Stars and Stripes · by Luis Garcia and Yoo Kyong Chang · November 8, 2024

17. Kim Jong-un sees UN criticism of Pyongyang's human rights situation as threat to regime

As he should. But he could end the self-created "threat "by giving the people their rights, closing the political prison camps (and releasing all the prisoners without harm), ending the rule of three generations, and more).

Kim Jong-un sees UN criticism of Pyongyang's human rights situation as threat to regime

The Korea Times · November 12, 2024

A poster of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un behind bars is displayed outside the North Korean Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Wednesday, ahead of the fourth Universal Periodic Review of North Korea scheduled for the following day. Courtesy of Jeski Social Campaign

Documents give rare insight into NK’s attempts to subvert obligation on human rights

By Kwak Yeon-soo

According to documents obtained by the Ministry of Unification, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was broadly involved in directing the country's response to international criticism of its human rights situation, viewing it as a threat to his regime.

The documents released Tuesday, dating from 2016 to 2023, were provided by Ri Il-gyu, a former counselor of political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba who defected to South Korea in November last year.

They showed diplomatic cables exchanged between the North Korean Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions to the United Nations in New York and the U.N. office in Geneva.

"There were about 12 diplomatic cables on human rights issues. If you look at the full text, you can see how sensitive Kim Jong-un is to the international criticism of his regime’s human rights record," a senior ministry official said on condition of anonymity. "There were occasions when he ordered specific measures to deflect attention from North Korea’s human rights violations and subvert international obligation on human rights."

According to the documents, Kim ordered then-North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong to boycott any high-level panel discussions on North Korean human rights issues at the 31st regular session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in March 2016 in protest of the panel singling out Pyongyang’s human rights issues.

In November 2016, Kim ordered a then-North Korean representative to leave the room after making a statement rejecting the adoption of a North Korean human rights resolution at the Third Committee of the 71st session of the U.N. General Assembly.

“North Korea claims there wasn’t a consensus on North Korean human rights because the U.N. Human Rights Council adopted the resolution without a vote. But the fact that there was no need to vote reflects that members of the international community agree on the issues regarding North Korean human rights,” the official added.

Jo Chol-su, North Korean ambassador to the U.N. office in Geneva, speaks as the representative of the North Korean government delegation during the fourth Universal Periodic Review of North Korea in Geneva, Thursday. Yonhap

Since 2017, North Korea has become more resolute in preventing discussions on human rights issues, calling it a “vicious plot” that causes damage to the “supreme dignity,” according to the ministry.

Kim issued an order to carry out campaigns to expose the "falsity" of North Korean defectors' testimonies and threatened to ruin their reputations so they lose social credibility.

“I believe North Korea has become more sensitive to defectors’ testimonies after Tae Yong-ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador to Britain, fled to the South in 2016,” the official said.

At the International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights in Geneva last month, Ri talked about Kim’s efforts to block the international community’s human rights offensive.

During the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of North Korea’s human rights practices, South Korea pressured North Korea to address the issue of enforced disappearance, condemned the implementation of the so-called "three evil laws," which include the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought and Culture (2020), the Youth Education Guarantee Law (2021) and the Law on Protecting the Pyongyang Cultural Language (2023), all aimed at suppressing residents, and urged the repressive country to protect women and girls from sexual violence and human trafficking.

At the UPR session, for the first time, North Korea admitted to carrying out public executions, a form of punishment widely criticized by the international community as a human rights violation, and acknowledged its use of re-education centers for those who commit anti-state crimes.

The Korea Times · November 12, 2024

18. Foreign minister brushes off concerns about Trump 2.0 undermining alliance

As he should. As noted in other articles the world has changed since 2020. While the past can be prologue. Hopefully the President-elect and his advisors will deal with the world as it really is and not as they wish it was or as they remember it. And in today's world we need our silk web of alliances more than ever.

Foreign minister brushes off concerns about Trump 2.0 undermining alliance

The Korea Times · November 12, 2024

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during a press conference at the Government Complex Seoul in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

S. Korea-US alliance expected to remain robust

By Lee Hyo-jin

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed optimism on Tuesday that the South Korea-U.S. alliance will remain solid under the incoming Donald Trump administration, dismissing concerns that the president-elect's "America First" policies could weaken the decades-long partnership.

"I am confident that the South Korea-U.S. alliance will remain robust and continue to strengthen under the second Trump administration," Cho said during a press conference.

He emphasized that Trump's focus on expanding the roles and security contributions of allies aligns with South Korea’s vision of becoming a pivotal global state by fulfilling responsibilities commensurate with its national power.

"Additionally, during Trump’s first term, the U.S. formally advanced its Indo-Pacific Strategy. The free and open Indo-Pacific order stressed in this strategy closely aligns with the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s diplomatic principles," the foreign minister noted.

Cho pledged that his ministry will work to deepen cooperation with the upcoming U.S. administration based on these shared policy goals.

His remarks came amid heightened concerns in South Korea regarding Trump’s return to the White House. During his first term, bilateral relations were strained due to the U.S. leader's transactional approach to alliances.

One key concern is that Trump may attempt to reverse the 12th Special Measures Agreement (SMA), which outlines South Korea’s financial contributions for hosting 28,500 U.S. troops starting in 2026. Although the deal was finalized in October, there are concerns that Trump may seek to nullify the agreement, demanding Seoul to pay more.

"To my knowledge, President-elect Trump has not directly commented on the outcome of the 12th SMA negotiations. His recent media remarks — though some may be exaggerated — reflect his position concerning the 11th SMA negotiations," a foreign ministry official said during a closed-door briefing.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage following early results from the presidential election in Palm Beach County Convention Center, in West Palm Beach, Fla., Nov. 6 (local time). Reuters-Yonhap

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that there is little reason to be overly concerned about Trump pushing for a renegotiation of the deal.

However, he noted that once the 12th SMA is ratified by the National Assembly, it would gain legal stability, making it harder to revise under the new U.S. administration.

Beyond the bilateral alliance, Trump’s return is expected to have significant implications for the security landscape in Northeast Asia.

Officials in Seoul and Washington are closely monitoring Pyongyang's military cooperation with Moscow, including the recent deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During the presidential campaign, Trump said he could "end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours." His approach could complicate the South Korean government's deliberation on whether to provide weapons to Kyiv, depending on the scale of North Korea’s involvement in the conflict.

"It is true that President-elect Trump expressed a strong commitment to ending the war within 24 hours during his campaign. However, a war doesn’t end with a unilateral decision. There are other parties involved, and the interests of the related countries must be considered," the foreign ministry official said.

"At this point, I don’t see any urgent need for our government to make drastic policy changes (regarding the war in Ukraine)."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects rebuilding works at a flood-hit area in North Phyongan Province, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Nov. 5. Yonhap

Earlier in the day, North Korea announced that its leader Kim Jong-un has formally ratified a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia signed in June, just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin did the same. The treaty, which has now officially taken effect, includes a clause on mutual defense in the event of an attack on one of the parties.

Regarding this, South Korea's foreign ministry viewed that the ratification of the treaty could be connected with North Korean troop activities in Ukraine.

"The North Korea-Russia treaty and its potential link to the deployment of North Korean troops is something we will need to monitor closely. Personally, I believe there is a significant likelihood of such a connection," the official said.

"We will respond accordingly, based on our principle that Russia should cease its military cooperation with North Korea and North Korean troops should immediately withdraw from Russia."

The Korea Times · November 12, 2024

19. Russian and DPRK Military Cooperation in Ukraine – A Win-Win?

We need to figure out how to make this a "win" for us. I believe that as bad as this cooperation is there are opportunities for us to exploit.

Access the 8 page report here: https://www.isdp.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Brief-DPRK-Nov-7-2024-003.pdf

Russian and DPRK Military Cooperation in Ukraine – A Win-Win?

Mats Engman, Johanna Miskolczi Persson and Irene Spennacchio

Issue & Policy Briefs November, 2024

Read full text

In early August 2024, Ukraine launched a significant offensive in the Kursk region in Western Russia which may have prompted the activation of the DPRK-Russia Strategic Partnership Agreement and triggered the DPRK’s deployment of troops to Russia. The involvement of foreign military personnel represents a significant escalation and shift in the conflict, further complicating the geopolitical balance internationally as more actors become directly involved. This issue brief discusses how the deepening military collaboration between Russia and North Korea poses several risks and benefits to both countries and new challenges to the Western alliance against Russia’s war in Ukraine.

20. On Jeju Island, a new generation of South Korean 'mermaids' emerges

And now to end on something completely different. I think our Navy SEALs and Special Forces Combat Divers should train with these mermaids and learn their techniques.

I recall watching them work in 1987 on our honeymoon in Jejudo.

Extensive photos at the link.

On Jeju Island, a new generation of South Korean 'mermaids' emerges

These are the stories of South Korea’s 'mermaids', who for centuries have braved the harsh conditions to harvest shellfish.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/jeju-island-south-korean-mermaids

Story and photographs byMark Parren Taylor

November 5, 2024

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

Born from volcanic fury, Jeju Island in the far south has been compared to Hawaii for its azure waters and popularity with local honeymooners. But for ordinary islanders, it can be hard to make ends meet on this outpost 50 miles from the mainland. The resourceful capitalise on its natural larder, and for centuries the haenyeo ‘sea women’ have braved riptides harvesting urchins and other shellfish to put food on the table. When new, less arduous career opportunities arose in the 1980s and 1990s, their numbers dwindled, and the remaining haenyeo are now mostly into their seventies. But lately, there has been a resurgence of interest in this daunting job.

Siren song

Go Sun-ae grew up on Biyangdo, a small island just off Jeju’s northwest shore — “a place where everyone fishes or dives,” she says. She initially carved out a life on land, as her haenyeo mother was not keen on her following in her footsteps. Aged 20, she married and moved to Hallim on Jeju.

Photograph by Mark Parren Taylor (Left) and Photograph by Mark Parren Taylor (Right)

The port town overlooks Biyangdo, and with her native island always in view, becoming a haenyeo was on her mind. For safety, the haenyeo work as part of a team, of which there are dozens across Jeju, and a decade later she convinced her mother’s teammates to endorse her. She set out alongside them in 1998.