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Quotes of the Day:
"As our own species is in the process of proving, one cannot have superior science and inferior morals. The combination is unstable and self-destroying."
– Arthur Clarke
"A free press can of course be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom it will never be anything but bad."
– Albert Camus
"Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
1. USFK commander underscores 'strategic triangle' linking S. Korea, Japan, Philippines in 'east-up' map
2. The East-Up Map: Revealing Hidden Strategic Advantages in the Indo-Pacific
3. S. Korea, U.S. launch joint cybersecurity drills
4. S. Korean Navy to take part in joint anti-submarine drills with U.S. in Guam
5. S. Korea proposes military talks with N. Korea to prevent possible clashes at border
6. Korean Conglomerates Pledge Billions in Domestic Investments
7. South Korea kicks off its largest annual exercise on countering North Korea
8. Russian communists award Kim Jong Un with ‘Lenin Prize’ over Ukraine war support
9. Foreign Ministry says nuclear subs 'not aimed at any specific country' in bid to ease Chinese concerns
10. Ministry of National Defense Proposes MDL Talks Amid Marker Loss
11. Banned Equipment Smuggling Surges at North Korea-China Border
12. North Korean Engineers Perform Flag Ritual Before Kursk Mine-Clearing
13. Bag inspections and struggle sessions fail to stop Pyongyang students from celebrating South Korean custom
14. Korea’s top export sectors could be overtaken by China within 5 years: survey
15. 'Korea must look beyond the US,' economist says
16. Major innovation plan unveiled for Namdaemun Market
1. USFK commander underscores 'strategic triangle' linking S. Korea, Japan, Philippines in 'east-up' map
Summary:
USFK commander Gen. Xavier Brunson promotes an “east-up” map highlighting a strategic triangle linking South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. He argues geography enables tighter trilateral coordination, with Korea as pivot, reinforcing collective defense, strategic flexibility, and deterrence against North Korea, China, and Russia without creating a formal new alliance.
Excerpts:
Unlike the conventional mapping which places North Korea and Russia north of South Korea, the east-up mapping tends to visually highlight areas south of the Korean Peninsula, including countries such as Taiwan and the Philippines.
"Perhaps the most significant insight from east-up mapping is the emergence of a strategic triangle connecting Korea, Japan and the Philippines," Brunson said in an article carried on the USFK web site.
"When these three mutual defense treaty partners are viewed as vertices of a triangle rather than isolated bilateral relationships, their collective potential becomes clear," he said.
Comment: The commander of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command (the bilateral command owned in partnership and co-equally by the ROK and US) has shared this brilliant "East Up" map at this link:
https://www.usfk.mil/Media/Press-Products/Press-Releases/Article/4332674/commanders-article-the-east-up-map-revealing-hidden-strategic-advantages-in-the/
The geography argues for a Northeast Asia Combatant Command (NEACOM).
USFK commander underscores 'strategic triangle' linking S. Korea, Japan, Philippines in 'east-up' map | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · November 17, 2025
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251117004400315
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- The chief of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday three American allies in the Indo-Pacific -- South Korea, Japan and the Philippines -- can be grouped as a "strategic triangle" for regional security cooperation, citing their geographic values in the "east-up" map.
Gen. Xavier Brunson made the remarks, in reference to a map that puts the east at the top rather than standard north-up mapping, amid Washington's renewed calls for its allies to do more for "collective defense" and increasing emphasis on "strategic flexibility" amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.
Unlike the conventional mapping which places North Korea and Russia north of South Korea, the east-up mapping tends to visually highlight areas south of the Korean Peninsula, including countries such as Taiwan and the Philippines.
"Perhaps the most significant insight from east-up mapping is the emergence of a strategic triangle connecting Korea, Japan and the Philippines," Brunson said in an article carried on the USFK web site.
"When these three mutual defense treaty partners are viewed as vertices of a triangle rather than isolated bilateral relationships, their collective potential becomes clear," he said.
When asked about the advantage of such a framework compared with existing bilateral alliance structures, Brunson stressed it is "not about forming a new alliance" but finding practical ways to coordinate based on geographic ties.
"That geometry strengthens the collective ability to preserve stability across the region while reinforcing the enduring mission that begins here on the peninsula; the credible combined deterrence that keeps aggression, particularly from the North, in check," he said in a separate written response.
This Aug. 8, 2025, file photo, provided by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), shows USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson speaking to reporters during a press conference at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
By country, he mentioned how the three countries are each equipped with unique capabilities -- Korea's central depth, Japan's technological advantage and maritime reach, and the Philippines' access to key southern sea lanes.
Extending on such an analysis, the USFK commander reiterated how the strategic positioning of South Korea can help overcome the limitations that come from the geographic distance of the broader Indo-Pacific region.
"This shift in perspective illuminates Korea's role as a natural strategic pivot," he said, noting how the USFK headquarters in Camp Humphreys is located about 160 miles from Pyongyang, 610 miles from Beijing and 1,100 miles from Vladivostok.
"Korea is positioned to address northern threats from Russia while simultaneously providing western reach against Chinese activities in the waters between Korea and China."
"Forces already positioned on the Korean Peninsula are revealed not as distant assets requiring reinforcement, but as troops already positioned inside the bubble perimeter that the U.S. would need to penetrate in the event of crisis or contingency."
The issue of strategic flexibility and whether the role of the 28,500-strong USFK could be adjusted has been an issue surrounding the decadeslong South Korea-U.S. alliance as the allies to seek to "modernize" it in a changing security environment, defined by China's increasing assertiveness and deepening military alignment between North Korea and Russia.
In a press conference following their bilateral security talks earlier this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said "flexibility for regional contingencies is something we would take a look at," when asked about the possibility of the USFK being deployed in the event of a contingency in the Taiwan Strait.
North Korea has condemned the east-up map as a "map for invasion." In a state media report in July, the North said the map "intensively shows the U.S. attempt to invade Asia."
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · November 17, 2025
2. The East-Up Map: Revealing Hidden Strategic Advantages in the Indo-Pacific
Summary:
GEN Brunson argues that rotating Asia-Indo-Pacific maps so east is up reveals hidden advantages. An east-up view shows U.S. forces in Korea already inside the first island chain, close to Pyongyang, Beijing, and Vladivostok, making the peninsula a strategic pivot for imposing costs on Russia and China. It highlights a Korea Japan Philippines “strategic triangle” that combines Korean depth, Japanese technology and chokepoints, and Philippine access to southern sea lanes, enabling integrated, trilateral defense. Brunson urges planners and war colleges to use alternative orientations, challenge assumptions, and recognize that geography can often turn distance from liability into significant advantage.
Comment: Kudos to the CFC/USFK PAOs for having the commander's article published on the official website. As you can see, Yonhap News and other Korean media have picked this up (Korea Times and Korea Herald and I am sure others will pick it up throughout the day). This is very important strategic messaging. All commanders should use their Public Affairs team as confidently as General Brunson is using his. (And without VOA and RFA the Korean media has to look to other sources to explain US policy - not that General Brunson is making policy here).
But as I have already written, this geography and the geostrategic situation cry out for a Northeast Asia Command.
Strategic Concept: Establishing a Combined Northeast Asia Combatant Command (NEACOM) in Seoul
https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/strategic-concept-establishing-a-combined-northeast-asia-combatant-command-neacom-in-seoul/
[Commander's article] The East-Up Map: Revealing Hidden Strategic Advantages in the Indo-Pacific
PA-001-25 | Nov. 16, 2025
https://www.usfk.mil/Media/Press-Products/Press-Releases/Article/4332674/commanders-article-the-east-up-map-revealing-hidden-strategic-advantages-in-the/
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East-Up Map (Photo by N/A)
The East-Up Map: Revealing Hidden Strategic Advantages in the Indo-Pacific
By Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, Commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea
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How a simple change in map perspective can transform strategic understanding, and how we understand the battle space.
The most profound strategic insights sometimes emerge from the simplest shifts in perspective. In the Indo-Pacific theater, where geographic relationships determine operational possibilities and alliance effectiveness, military planners may be overlooking critical advantages simply because of how they view their maps. By rotating our standard north-up orientation to place east at the top, a transformed strategic landscape emerges--one that reveals previously hidden geographic relationships and illuminates why current force positioning may be more advantageous than traditionally understood.
The Blind Spots of North-Up Thinking
Military education trains officers to analyze terrain, but we rarely examine how the orientation of our maps shapes that analysis. The standard north-up projection, with North America centered and prominent, creates an analytical framework that may obscure strategic realities in other theaters. This perspective, while familiar, can generate blind spots that limit strategic effectiveness.
Consider how this traditional view presents the Indo-Pacific: as a vast expanse with scattered islands and distant allies, where American forces must project power across enormous distances to reach potential conflict zones. This perspective emphasizes the challenges of power projection while minimizing existing advantages.
The Strategic Revelation: East-Up Mapping
When the same region is viewed with east orientation toward the top, the strategic picture transforms dramatically. The first island chain, a cornerstone of Indo-Pacific strategy, takes on new meaning. Forces already positioned on the Korean Peninsula are revealed not as distant assets requiring reinforcement, but as troops already positioned inside the bubble perimeter that the U.S. would need to penetrate in the event of crisis or contingency.
This shift in perspective illuminates Korea's role as a natural strategic pivot. Distance analysis reveals the Camp Humphreys' proximity to potential threats: approximately 158 miles from Pyongyang, 612 miles from Beijing and approximately 500 miles from Vladivostok. Korea is positioned to address northern threats from Russia while simultaneously providing western reach against Chinese activities in the waters between Korea and China. More specifically, this perspective highlights the peninsula's capacity to impose cost on Russia not allowing their fleet to come into the waters east of Korea, effectively making that a more defensible maritime area and limiting adversary naval movements. Similarly, in the waters off the west coast of Korea, the East-Up orientation clarifies how forces on the peninsula can impose costs, not only on the CCP’s Northern Theater Army, but also on the Northern Fleet, thus demonstrating the significant strategic potential that exists on the peninsula to influence adversary operations in both adjacent seas.
The strategic value becomes even clearer when viewed from what I call the "Beijing perspective," imagining the strategic landscape as it appears to Chinese planners. From Beijing, American forces at installations like Osan Air Base appear not as distant threats requiring complex power projection, but as immediately proximate capabilities positioned to achieve effects in or around China. This proximity represents a significant strategic advantage that traditional north-up mapping tends to obscure.
These operational insights demonstrate that east-up mapping provides more than theoretical understanding, and it enables practical strategic planning that leverages existing geographic advantages.
The Strategic Triangle: A New Framework for Alliance Cooperation
Perhaps the most significant insight from east-up mapping is the emergence of a strategic triangle connecting Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. When these three mutual defense treaty partners are viewed as vertices of a triangle rather than isolated bilateral relationships, their collective potential becomes clear.
This triangular framework offers complementary capabilities across each vertex. Korea provides strategic depth and central positioning within the regional architecture, with the added advantage of cost-imposition capabilities against both Russian and Chinese forces. Japan contributes advanced technological capabilities and controls critical maritime chokepoints along the Pacific shipping lanes. The Philippines offers southern access points and control over vital sea lanes connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Together, these three allies can create an integrated network enabling situational awareness and coordinated responses across all domains. The geometric clarity of this relationship, visible primarily through east-up mapping, suggests opportunities for enhanced trilateral cooperation that may not be immediately apparent from traditional perspectives.
The Tyranny of Distance Reconsidered
Military planners frequently refer to the "tyranny of distance" as a constraint on Indo-Pacific operations. While distance remains a critical factor, east-up mapping reveals that current positioning may offer advantages that traditional perspectives obscure. The scale of the Pacific creates operational challenges, but it also creates opportunities for those already positioned within the theater.
The command perspective reinforces this point: rather than focusing solely on the challenges of power projection across the vast distances of the Pacific, planners should recognize that strategic positioning already achieved can transform distance from obstacle to advantage. When forces are properly positioned within the theater, they can impose costs on adversaries while maintaining defensive advantages.
Understanding these geographic relationships through multiple perspectives enables more accurate operational planning and resource allocation. Distance remains a constraint, but proper positioning can transform it from an insurmountable obstacle into a manageable challenge.
Operational Implications for Force Planning
These insights carry practical implications for contemporary force planning. First, existing force positioning, particularly on the Korean Peninsula, may offer greater strategic advantages than currently recognized. Rather than viewing these deployments as vulnerable forward positions requiring reinforcement, planners might consider them as advantageously positioned assets already inside the defensive perimeter, capable of immediate cost-imposition against multiple adversaries.
Second, the strategic triangle framework suggests possibilities for enhanced burden-sharing and coordinated capability development among alliance partners. Rather than maintaining separate bilateral relationships, the United States might benefit from fostering trilateral cooperation that leverages each partner's geographic advantages and complementary capabilities.
Third, operational planning should incorporate multiple cartographic perspectives to avoid analytical blind spots. Standard north-up mapping remains useful for certain purposes, but alternative orientations may reveal strategic opportunities that remain hidden in conventional presentations. The "Beijing perspective" approach, in particular, helps planners understand how adversaries view American positioning and identify advantages that might otherwise go unrecognized.
Challenging Strategic Assumptions
This exercise represents a broader imperative: the need to challenge fundamental assumptions in strategic planning. The security environment continues to evolve, and analytical frameworks must evolve accordingly. We cannot assume that traditional approaches to regional analysis remain optimal simply because they are familiar.
Strategic planners should regularly question basic assumptions about positioning, alliance relationships, and operational approaches. What appears disadvantageous from one perspective may reveal significant advantages when viewed differently. In an era of strategic competition, such insights could prove decisive.
Moving Forward: Implementation and Analysis
Military educational institutions should incorporate alternative map perspectives into their curriculum, educating students to analyze the same geographic space through multiple orientational frameworks. War colleges should include exercises that specifically examine how different map orientations affect strategic assessment, including the "Beijing perspective" approach that helps understand adversary viewpoints.
Operational planners should experiment with east-up mapping when conducting Indo-Pacific analysis, particularly when examining alliance coordination opportunities and assessing existing force positioning advantages. The geometric clarity of the Korea-Japan-Philippines triangle becomes most apparent through this alternative perspective, while the cost-imposition capabilities visible from Korean positioning provide concrete operational advantages.
Additionally, strategic communication with allies and partners across the region should incorporate these alternative perspectives to build shared understanding of geographic relationships and mutual advantages. The strategic triangle concept, in particular, may provide a useful framework for trilateral planning discussions that move beyond traditional bilateral alliance structures.
Conclusion
Geography remains the foundation of strategy, but our understanding of geography depends heavily on how we choose to view it. The east-up mapping approach reveals strategic relationships and advantages in the Indo-Pacific that remain obscured by traditional north-up orientations. Most significantly, it illuminates the potential of the Korea-Japan-Philippines strategic triangle as a framework for enhanced alliance cooperation, while demonstrating the immediate cost-imposition capabilities that existing force positioning already provides.
In an era of renewed strategic competition, we cannot afford to let conventional map perspectives limit our strategic imagination. The geographic advantages we seek may already exist, waiting to be recognized through a simple shift in perspective. The question for military planners is not whether geography matters, it is whether we are seeing it clearly enough to recognize the strategic opportunities it provides, and whether we have the courage to view familiar perspectives through fresh eyes.
Sometimes the most profound strategic revelations come from the simplest change in how we look at the world. The east-up map is one such change, transforming distant challenges into proximate advantages and revealing the hidden geometry of alliance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
East-Up Map (Download)
3. S. Korea, U.S. launch joint cybersecurity drills
Comment: This is the modern battlefield across the spectrum of conflict from peace/armistice to crisis to war.
S. Korea, U.S. launch joint cybersecurity drills
en.yna.co.kr
Kim Hyun-soo
All News 10:07 November 17, 2025
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251117002600315
S. Korea, U.S. launch joint cybersecurity drills | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States kicked off a joint cybersecurity exercise Monday to strengthen their combined readiness posture against potential cybersecurity threats from enemies.
The Cyber Alliance drills, slated to run through Friday, will take place at a training facility in Maryland, aimed at better bracing for future cyberwarfare, according to the defense ministry.
The training will involve swiftly sharing intelligence on a potential cybersecurity threat under a simulated cyberattack scenario.
It marks the second such drills since it was conducted in South Korea's Cyber Operation Command last year.
Seoul and Washington will continue to expand cooperation in not only cyber alliance training, but also intelligence sharing for cyberthreats, joint participation in multinational cybersecurity drills and more, the ministry said.
This photo, provided by the National Intelligence Service, shows the logo of South Korea's Cyber Operation Command. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sookim@yna.co.kr
(END)
Keywords
#joint drill #cybersecurity
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en.yna.co.kr
4. S. Korean Navy to take part in joint anti-submarine drills with U.S. in Guam
Summary:
South Korea’s Navy is sending 3,000-ton submarine ROKS Ahn Mu and P-3 aircraft to Guam for Silent Shark anti-submarine drills with U.S. submarines and P-8As.
Comment: The news about a nuclear powered attack submarine should not distract us from the excellent existing ROK submarine capabilities. The ROK Navy has very good submarine and anti-submarine capabilities.
S. Korean Navy to take part in joint anti-submarine drills with U.S. in Guam | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · November 17, 2025
SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Navy said Monday it will participate in a monthlong joint anti-submarine exercise with the United States in Guam from this week, sending its indigenous submarine Ahn Mu for the drills for the first time.
The Silent Shark exercise, scheduled to kick off Tuesday for a monthlong operation, will mobilize South Korea's 3,000-ton ROKS Ahn Mu and two P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, according to the South's Navy. The U.S. will dispatch submarines and P-8A maritime patrol aircraft for the exercise.
It marks the first time that the Ahn Mu, an indigenous submarine built solely through domestic defense technology, will participate in a joint exercise overseas.
The Ahn Mu departed from a naval base in Jinhae, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 4, and arrived in Guam on Monday.
The South Korean and U.S. navies plan to take part in a range of exercises aimed at strengthening the joint maritime defense posture between the navies.
This photo, provided by the Navy, shows the 3,000-ton ROKS Ahn Mu departing from a naval base in the southeastern port city of Jinhae to take part in a joint anti-submarine drill with the U.S. Navy on Nov. 4, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sookim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · November 17, 2025
5. S. Korea proposes military talks with N. Korea to prevent possible clashes at border
Summary:
South Korea proposed inter-Korean military talks to clarify the MDL after repeated, likely unintentional North Korean crossings amid mine-laying and fortification in the DMZ. Seoul also halted loudspeaker broadcasts to build trust. It is Lee Jae Myung’s first dialogue offer; Pyongyang’s response to de-escalation remains uncertain amid ongoing border tension.
Comment: What is the danger on the DMZ or Northwest Islands? How many times has a border clash resulted in escalation in the past 7 decades? Yes there has been death and destruction (especially at sea, though guard posts on the DMZ have been destroyed and soldiers have been killed as well). But when did these clashes ever escalate? Never. Not once. And why is that? Most likely due to the professionalism of the soldiers on both sides of the DMZ and the desire on both sides not to escalate.
Here is the CRS report of all provocations between north and south through 2007.
North Korean Actions, 1950 - 2007: Controversy and Issues
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL30004.html
(As an aside I have asked CRS periodically over the years since 2007 why they have never updated their database. Two reasons: Dick Nanto retired and second there is no demand for such information from Congress. If Congressional members requested it they would update their database.
And CSIS' Beyond Parallel has a database that tracks all provocations to the present day here.
Database: North Korean Provocations
https://beyondparallel.csis.org/database-north-korean-provocations/
The question is what motivation does KJU have to come to talks about this issue? Will this bring Kim or at least his representatives to the negotiating table? I am skeptical. Very skeptical.
(LEAD) S. Korea proposes military talks with N. Korea to prevent possible clashes at border | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · November 17, 2025
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251117008451315?section=national/defense
(ATTN: ADDS details throughout, photo)
By Lee Minji and Kim Hyun-soo
SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Monday proposed holding military talks with North Korea to discuss how to clarify the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in a bid to prevent possible clashes near the inter-Korean border.
The proposal came as North Korean soldiers -- including those who were armed -- have temporarily albeit repeatedly crossed the MDL on several occasions while working near the border, such as clearing land or laying mines in the buffer zone.
It marks Seoul's first official proposal for talks with the North since President Lee Jae Myung took office in June, with a pledge to mend frayed ties with the North and create conditions for dialogue.
"Our military officially suggests holding inter-Korean talks between military authorities to discuss how to establish the Military Demarcation Line, to prevent accidental clashes and ease military tensions," Kim Hong-cheol, deputy minister for national defense policy, said in a statement.
"We anticipate the North's positive and swift response to our proposal, aimed at reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and restoring military trust," Kim said, adding that Seoul is open to discussing details of the talks, including its venue and schedule.
This file photo, provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Dec. 23, 2024, shows North Korean soldiers installing barbed wires near the border. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Since April last year, North Korea has deployed troops near the MDL within the Demilitarized Zone to plant mines, erect anti-tank barriers and reinforce barbed wire fences after the country's leader Kim Jong-un described inter-Korean ties as those between "two states hostile to each other" in late 2023.
North Korean troops are known to have intruded over the border about 10 times this year alone, including in October when two North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the border in an attempt to chase another North Korean soldier defecting to the South.
In response, the South Korean military has broadcast a warning message when North Korean troops moved close to the MDL and subsequently fired warning shots when they violated the boundary.
In the statement, Kim, the ministry official, said the MDL violations appear to have occurred as indicators marking the land border -- that were installed in 1953 a month after the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War -- have been lost.
This file photo, provided by Noonbit Publishing Co. on July 26, 2013, shows a marker erected along the Military Demarcation Line separating the two Koreas, photographed in 1965. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Nearly 1,300 markers, comprising signs on concrete posts that stand roughly 1-meter tall, were installed but only about one-sixth of them are identifiable.
Alongside the proposal for the military talks, the military has removed border loudspeakers and suspended airing propaganda broadcasts as part of efforts to restore inter-Korean trust.
But it remains to be seen whether the North, which has remained unresponsive to Lee's call for dialogue, will respond to the proposal.
In August, North Korea denounced the South for firing warning shots at North Korean soldiers, urging Seoul to stop its "premeditated and deliberate" provocations that are "inciting military conflict."
If held, it will mark the first inter-Korean military talks since the two Koreas held general-level military talks in 2018. They have held two ministerial-level talks and 40 working-level talks since 2000, according to the ministry.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · November 17, 2025
6. Korean Conglomerates Pledge Billions in Domestic Investments
Summary:
Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK announce massive domestic investments in chips, EVs and advanced tech after a U.S. trade deal, boosting Korean tech shares today.
Korean Conglomerates Pledge Billions in Domestic Investments
WSJ
South Korea struck a trade deal with the U.S. last month and committed to investing $350 billion in U.S. industries
By Kimberley Kao and Jihye Lee
Nov. 17, 2025 12:25 am ET
https://www.wsj.com/business/korean-conglomerates-pledge-billions-in-domestic-investments-0ebd9d43
Samsung’s plan includes spending on AI data centers, research and development, as well as a new chip production line. kim hong-ji/Reuters
- South Korean technology stocks rose after conglomerates pledged billions in domestic investments to strengthen manufacturing.
- Samsung Electronics plans to invest 450 trillion Korean won ($310.66 billion) over five years, including a new chip production line.
- Hyundai Motor Group committed 125.2 trillion won for robotics, autonomous driving, and electric-vehicle production facilities.
An artificial-intelligence tool created this summary, which was based on the text of the article and checked by an editor. Read more about how we use artificial intelligence in our journalism.
- South Korean technology stocks rose after conglomerates pledged billions in domestic investments to strengthen manufacturing.
South Korean technology stocks rose after the nation’s largest conglomerates pledged billions of dollars in new domestic investments, in a push to shore up the country’s manufacturing base as Seoul works to ease trade frictions with Washington.
Shares of Samsung 005930 3.50%increase; green up pointing triangle rose more than 3% as of midday on Monday and SK Hynix rose 7%. LG Electronics traded 1.2% higher, HD Hyundai rose 5.6%, while Hyundai Motor 005380 -0.37%decrease; red down pointing triangle edged 0.1% lower. Shares of Hanwha Group rose 2.0%.
The conglomerates’ announcements come after South Korea struck a trade deal with the U.S. last month and committed to investing $350 billion in U.S. industries as part of the agreement.
Samsung Electronics unveiled the biggest investment plan, saying it and its affiliates will invest 450 trillion Korean won, equivalent to $310.66 billion, nationwide over the next five years. The plan includes spending on AI data centers, research and development, as well as a new chip production line in Pyeongtaek, scheduled to begin full-scale operations in 2028.
Hyundai Motor Group committed to investments of 125.2 trillion won over the same period, with funds allocated to robotics, autonomous driving and setting up dedicated electric-vehicle production facilities.
Hyundai Motor Group Chair Chung Euisun, speaking at a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday, said the company is preparing for the impact of U.S. trade measures.
“We’re well aware of the U.S. tariff rate of 15% and how this can lead to a drop in exports as well as weighing on domestic productivity,” Chung said at the meeting.
“We plan to diversify export regions, expand exports from domestic plants, and—via a new EV-dedicated domestic plant—more than double vehicle exports by 2030,” he said.
LG said it plans to invest around 100 trillion won over the next five years, with 60% directed toward technology development and expansion for the materials, components and equipment segments.
SK Group reiterated its earlier pledge to invest about 128 trillion won through 2028, noting a rise in demand for memory chips and rapid process upgrades driving up investment needs.
SK Group Chief Executive Chey Tae-won said SK’s planned fab in Yongin will require roughly 500 trillion won over time, and that the pace of injecting capital will depend on market demand.
“It’s difficult to estimate the exact scope for now…but what we can say is that our range of capability in investment is significantly large, and we plan on allocating closely aligned with demand trends,” Chey said.
Write to Kimberley Kao at kimberley.kao@wsj.com and Jihye Lee at jihye.lee@wsj.com
Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
WSJ
7. South Korea kicks off its largest annual exercise on countering North Korea
Summary:
South Korea launched its Hoguk field exercise, its largest annual drill focused on countering North Korea, integrating ground, naval, air and some U.S. forces to enhance combined readiness. Parallel “Cyber Alliance” drills in Maryland deepen U.S.–ROK cooperation against DPRK cyber threats, practicing joint response, intelligence sharing and cyber defense coordination.
Comment: Some fear that the current POTROK will want to scale back exercises. But so far this appears not to be the case. As long as he ensures the military maintains a high level of readiness to fight and win, deterrence will hold and it will provide him flexibility to engage. The danger will be if he naively believes that cancelling, postponing, or scaling back excertises will entirce Kim to negotiate in good faith. It will not. Therefore, it is essential that the ROK military and the Combined ROK–US military continue to train to sustain a high level of readiness to fight and win.
South Korea kicks off its largest annual exercise on countering North Korea
US forces set to join parts of Hoguk drills, which Seoul emphasizes are ‘defensive in nature’
Joon Ha Park November 17, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/11/south-korea-kicks-off-its-largest-annual-exercise-on-countering-north-korea/
Personnel from the ROK Army’s 2nd Rapid Response Division disembark from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during an air-assault drill, a part of the Hoguk exercise. | Image: ROK Army via Facebook (Oct. 26, 2023)
South Korea kicked off its largest annual field exercise on Monday, with U.S. forces set to join parts of the training traditionally aimed at countering North Korean threats.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the 2025 Hoguk exercise will run through Friday and is designed to “enhance joint operational capabilities and strengthen overall military readiness.”
JCS described the drills as “defensive in nature” and said they would integrate ground, naval, and air forces to improve joint operations and combat realism.
“Some U.S. forces stationed in South Korea will also participate to enhance interoperability for combined operations,” JCS said in a Nov. 13 press release.
The Ministry of National Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how many South Korean troops would be used in the exercise. U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately respond to inquiries on the scale of its participation.
Conducted every fall under JCS leadership, Hoguk is the largest ROK-led field exercise and involves all branches of the armed forces.
Since Nov. 13, multiple army units have notified residents in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces of expected tank and armored vehicle movements along local roads. The drill was originally scheduled for October, but the South Korean military postponed the training, citing scheduling conflicts with major national events and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The military said the exercise will reflect recent changes in warfare and realistic threats, featuring live-unit maneuvers and opposing-force drills with simulated enemies “to enhance the military’s ability to perform missions in both wartime and peacetime and to establish a robust state of readiness.”
Last year’s Hoguk exercise ran for two weeks from Oct. 20, mobilizing troops and equipment from all ROK branches and some U.S. units to sharpen combined combat capabilities. This year’s drills are expected to be held on a similar scale.
North Korea has condemned Hoguk training in the past as “aggressive maneuvers” that escalate tensions, though it tends to reserve its strongest responses for large-scale U.S.-ROK military drills held in the spring and summer.
U.S. cyber warfare specialists engage in training at Warfield Air National Guard Base in Maryland, June 3, 2017 | Image: U.S. Department of Defense/Air Force photo by J.M. Eddins Jr.
JOINT CYBER DRILLS
Also on Monday, U.S. and South Korean cyber personnel will kick off a joint “Cyber Alliance” exercise at the U.S. National Cyber Training Center Friendship Annex (FANX) in Maryland, according to the ROK Cyber Operations Command (COC).
The command noted that the exercise will run through Friday and marks the second such drill since the U.S. Cyber Command visited South Korea’s COC training facility in 2024. It follows an agreement reached at the 54th U.S.-South Korea Security Consultative Meeting in Nov. 2022 to establish bilateral cyber exercises.
According to the press release, cyber personnel from both countries will practice procedures for quickly sharing threat information and responding to simulated cyberattacks.
The command added that the exercise is expected to pave the way for future cooperation between the two cyber commands, including shared cyber threat intelligence, participation in multinational exercises and exchanges of technical expertise and specialized personnel.
In 2024, North Korea condemned the first 12-day iteration of the joint Cyber Alliance drill as a rehearsal for war, accusing the U.S. and its allies of carrying out “war provocation moves” aimed at bringing about the “end of the regime.” Pyongyang also warned that any conflict would trigger “ruthless punishment.”
Cybercrime has become a key component of Pyongyang’s illicit overseas operations, with DPRK-linked groups stealing sensitive information from governments and corporations and looting billions of dollars in cryptocurrency.
Monday’s press release did not mention North Korea specifically, but the country’s growing sophistication in carrying out cyberattacks has been a source of concern for Seoul and Washington.
On Oct. 23, a report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) outlined how North Korea has stolen nearly $2.84 billion in cryptocurrency to fund its nuclear and missile programs since Jan. 2024.
In Aug. 2024, South Korea’s People Power Party reported that DPRK cybercriminals had stolen technical data on two South Korean reconnaissance aircraft, while a separate leak exposed sensitive K2 Black Panther tank technologies.
Edited by Bryan Betts
8. Russian communists award Kim Jong Un with ‘Lenin Prize’ over Ukraine war support
Summary:
Russia’s Communist Party awarded Kim Jong Un its revived Lenin Prize, praising his support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and “socialist construction.” The largely marginal CPRF uses the symbolic award to flatter Kim and signal ideological alignment, especially shared admiration for Stalin and hostility to Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization within North Korea.
Comment: I think we sometimes forget that there are still communists out there. It is not dead. One thing that we have always said is that the three Kim family leaders have always been able to "out-Stalin" Stalin. They are even more brutal dictators than Stalin.
Russian communists award Kim Jong Un with ‘Lenin Prize’ over Ukraine war support
Communist party hails North Korean leader for standing up to ‘imperialist aggression’ by supporting Russia’s invasion
Anton Sokolin November 17, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/11/russian-communists-award-kim-jong-un-with-lenin-prize-over-ukraine-war-support/
The CPRF's Lenin Prize and Kim Jong Un during the opening ceremony of the country's party cadre training school in May 2024 | Images: CPRF, KCNA May 22, 2024)
The Russian communist party has awarded North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the “Lenin Prize” for his outstanding contributions to “socialist construction,” praising him for standing up against “imperialist aggression” by supporting the invasion of Ukraine.
Kim is one of five recipients of the award this year, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) announced last week.
The party explained that the North Korean leader earned the prize for his “significant contribution” to both theory and practice of socialist construction; his “vigorous” resolve to stand for “a just and multipolar world” and confront imperialist aggression, hegemonism and neo-fascism; and his efforts to boost Russia-DPRK friendship.
The other awardees included Sergei Serebryakov, who runs the St. Petersburg-based Kirov machinery factory; China’s Xinhua News Agency; the leader of Moldova’s communist party leader Vladimir Voronin; and Vladislav Chernushenko, a Russian and Soviet artist.
Chris Monday, a Russia expert at Dongseo University, told NK News that the Lenin Prize is a “forgotten token” that once was prestigious “under the Soviets.”
Awarding it to the DPRK leader represents an attempt by the CPRF to stay relevant while appealing to Kim’s ego, according to Monday.
“These days the Communist Party of Russia is a relic of its former self that mainly attracts retired people,” he said. “The majority of the Russian elite prefer to forget Lenin.”
Monday noted that Vladimir Lenin’s reputation in North Korea has fluctuated over the years, with Pyongyang taking down portraits of Lenin and Karl Marx from Kim Il Sung Square back in 2010 and only recently beginning to display them at its new party cadre training school.
Balazs Szalontai, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, similarly said the CPRF’s decision to award the prize to Kim likely stems from the party’s alignment with the DPRK on past issues, including its reverence for Joseph Stalin and hatred of Stalin’s successor and critic Nikita Khrushchev.
The party recently denounced Khrushchev’s secret 1956 speech criticizing Stalin’s crimes and personality cult, while Szalontai explained that the Kim regime has “traditionally disliked Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization program and blamed the 20th CPSU Congress for the emergence of intra-party opposition to Kim Il Sung in Aug. 1956.”
The expert suggested that while North Korea may not attach much importance to the prize, it will still gladly take it as another piece of foreign praise that fits its longstanding admiration of Stalin.
The Lenin Prize was traditionally awarded to Soviet citizens for outstanding achievements in fields like science and arts on April 22, Vladimir Lenin’s birthday, until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
The CPRF revived the award in 2017 and granted it to both Russians and foreign dignitaries, like Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Vietnamese communist party chief Nguyen Phu Trong and Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega.
Russia’s communist party has ramped up exchanges with the DPRK in recent years amid the allies booming military cooperation over the war in Ukraine, including by dispatching a small delegation to festivities for the Workers’ Party of Korea last month.
Edited by Bryan Betts
9. Foreign Ministry says nuclear subs 'not aimed at any specific country' in bid to ease Chinese concerns
Summary:
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry stressed its planned nuclear-powered submarines are not directed at any specific country, implicitly rebutting US Adm. Daryl Caudle’s comment they would naturally help counter China. Seoul aims to calm Beijing amid rising tensions after Trump-Lee backing for the project and Chinese criticism citing nonproliferation and stability.
Comment: Walking back both the Admiral's and POTROK comments. But their comments were not wrong. MOFA is only concerned with the blowback from the PRC. The ROK should not allow itself to be intimidated by the PRC.
Foreign Ministry says nuclear subs 'not aimed at any specific country' in bid to ease Chinese concerns
Published: 17 Nov. 2025, 16:35
Updated: 17 Nov. 2025, 19:24
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-11-17/national/defense/Foreign-Ministry-says-nuclear-subs-not-aimed-at-any-specific-country-in-bid-to-ease-Chinese-concerns/2456108
Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, speaks during a press briefing at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in central Seoul on Nov. 14. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that the country’s planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines is “not aimed at any specific country,” distancing itself from recent remarks by a senior U.S. Navy official that suggested the vessels could be used to counter China.
The ministry's statement appears intended to deflect potential backlash from Beijing and avoid the perception that Seoul is aligning with Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy to contain China.
Related Article
“Our operation of nuclear-powered submarines is being pursued to bolster our national security in response to the rapidly changing security environment on the Korean Peninsula,” the ministry said Monday.
Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said at a press briefing in Seoul on Nov. 14 that “utilization” of the nuclear-propelled submarine to counter China “is a natural expectation.”
Although the Foreign Ministry did not name China directly, the statement is widely seen as a rare rebuttal of a senior U.S. official’s comment.
The ministry added that it was “not appropriate to comment on every remark made by a U.S. official in an interview,” but still chose to issue the clarification — likely due to concerns that the submarine deal could complicate diplomatic relations with China amid intensifying U.S.-China strategic tensions.
Frictions between Seoul and Beijing have been rising since Oct. 29, when President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump reached a consensus on South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine ambitions during their summit.
Adm. Daryl Caudle, U.S. chief of naval operations, speaks in a group interview with reporters in Seoul on Nov. 14, in this photo provided by his office. [YONHAP]
At the summit, President Lee reportedly asked Trump for help in securing fuel for the submarines, citing the limitations of diesel-powered subs in tracking North Korean and Chinese submarines. The presidential office later clarified that Lee’s comments referred broadly to submarines operating near Korean waters, but Beijing reacted sharply.
On Oct. 30, China’s Foreign Ministry responded by saying it was “closely monitoring the situation” and called on South Korea and the United States to “faithfully fulfill their nuclear nonproliferation obligations and contribute to regional peace and stability, rather than the opposite.”
The submarine issue was also discussed during the Korea-U.S. summit.
While the Foreign Ministry cited “the rapidly changing security environment” as the reason for pursuing nuclear-powered submarines, the phrase may implicitly refer not only to North Korea’s advancing nuclear capabilities but also to China’s growing military assertiveness. China has recently attempted to assert more control in the Yellow Sea, including the unauthorized installation of structures in the Korea-China Provisional Measure Zone (PMZ).
“There has to be a strong deterrence mechanism,” said Adm. Caudle in response to such activities by China.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]
10. Ministry of National Defense Proposes MDL Talks Amid Marker Loss
Summary:
South Korea’s defense ministry proposed inter-Korean military talks to clarify the MDL after most 1953 armistice markers vanished, causing boundary disputes and repeated North Korean troop crossings. Seoul seeks to prevent accidental clashes and ease tensions, suggesting Panmunjom as venue. If accepted, it would be the first military talks since 2018.
Comment: Where did the MDL markers go?
Ministry of National Defense Proposes MDL Talks Amid Marker Loss
Proposal seeks to resolve boundary disputes caused by missing 1953 armistice markers
By Yang Ji-ho
Published 2025.11.17. 17:01
Updated 2025.11.17. 18:50https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/11/17/BTVX3FGRFVH47P7ABLZ2M6TSLU/
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back announces the achievements of the 57th South Korea-US Security Consultative Meeting, SCM, on the 14th in the afternoon at the Defense Ministry briefing room in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. /Courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
The Ministry of National Defense proposed military talks with North Korea on the 17th. This comes as confusion has arisen due to the loss of a significant number of yellow markers installed along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) during the 1953 Korean War armistice agreement. The proposal aims to discuss this issue.
Kim Hong-cheol, Director General of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense (retired Air Force brigadier general), stated in a press release the same day, “North Korean troops have repeatedly crossed the MDL into our territory within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in recent months.” He added, “To prevent accidental clashes and ease military tensions, we formally propose holding inter-Korean military authority talks to discuss the establishment of a baseline for the Military Demarcation Line.”
Kim explained, “A significant number of markers installed along the MDL during the 1953 armistice agreement have been lost, leading to differing perceptions between the South and North regarding boundary lines in some areas.” He suggested, “Specific details such as the schedule and location of the talks should be discussed through the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom.”
Since declaring a “hostile two-state relationship” last year, North Korea has been conducting border demarcation work near the MDL. During this process, North Korean troops, sometimes in groups of dozens, have crossed south of the MDL and retreated after warning shots from South Korean forces. This month alone, North Korean troops have reportedly crossed the MDL multiple times.
The Ministry of National Defense conveyed its intention to discuss MDL boundary issues with North Korea through the U.N. Command on several occasions, but North Korea has not responded. The ministry publicly proposed the talks via the press release to address this.
Originally, approximately 1,200 markers were installed at 500-meter intervals along the MDL, but only around 200 are currently identifiable by South Korean forces. A source from the Ministry of National Defense stated, “After installing the markers following the armistice, North Korean forces opened fire during maintenance work in 1973, and no repairs have been made since, resulting in the loss of many markers.”
The last inter-Korean military talks at the working-level were the “inter-Korean general-level military talks” held in July 2018, following the inter-Korean summit that year. If these proposed talks proceed, it would mark the first time inter-Korean military authorities meet in seven years.
11. Banned Equipment Smuggling Surges at North Korea-China Border
Summary:
Satellite imagery and Asia Press reporting show large-scale smuggling of banned Chinese vehicles and heavy equipment into North Korea near Hyesan and Kimjongsuk, using shallow fords, temporary bridges, and improvised parking hubs. Chinese border guards reportedly tip off smugglers, while North Korean exports like rare metals flow back, effectively undermining UN sanctions as Beijing–Pyongyang ties warm.
Comments: I forwarded the Asia Press articles with photos yesterday.
Banned Equipment Smuggling Surges at North Korea-China Border
Satellite images reveal large-scale smuggling of vehicles, machinery with Chinese tolerance
By Kim Min-seo
Published 2025.11.17. 00:48
Updated 2025.11.17. 15:15https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2025/11/17/MYB2GMQDPVGTVOYXBN7A62WKZA/
On the 16th, the Kaesong Industrial Complex Comprehensive Support Center in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, North Korea, as captured from Dora Mountain Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The center, once the tallest building at 15 stories, now has only seven stories remaining due to demolition and dismantling work by North Korean authorities. /Photo by Kang Hyung-won, photojournalist
Reports have emerged that smuggling of medium and heavy equipment and vehicles banned for export to North Korea under United Nations Security Council sanctions is surging in the North Korea-China border region. Following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to China in early September to attend the 80th-anniversary military parade, analyses suggest that Beijing may be tacitly allowing evasion of Security Council sanctions as bilateral relations have officially resumed.
◇Transport Equipment Banned for Export to North Korea Detected
Asia Press, a Japan-based North Korea-focused media outlet, reported on the 13th to the 14th of last month that smuggling between North Korea and China appears to be thriving in Hyesan City, Ryanggang Province, and Kimjungsuk County, both bordering China. While all types of transportation and industrial machinery are prohibited from being exported to North Korea under UN sanctions, Chinese-made vehicles and heavy equipment are reportedly being traded in large quantities. Hyesan City and Kimjungsuk County face Changbai Korean Autonomous County, Jilin Province, across the Yalu River. In this area, evidence of smuggling—such as using shallow fords in the upper Yalu River with high-profile trailers or constructing temporary bridges—has been observed in multiple locations.
Photos of Hyesan City taken from the Chinese side in September and released by Asia Press show several excavators bearing the logo of LOVOL, a major Chinese construction equipment manufacturer, loaded onto freight trains. Other equipment, including bulldozers, was also seen on the trains, suggesting that the heavy machinery, imported in violation of UN sanctions, may have been moved to other regions in North Korea. Asia Press reported that concentrated smuggling of automobiles occurred in August, with dozens of tractors also crossing into North Korea. Among passenger vehicles, used BYD electric cars from China were frequently traded, along with vehicle parts such as tires.
The media outlet noted that the influx of smuggled vehicles from China has caused a rare “parking shortage” in Hyesan City. The yard of the Hyesan Forestry Machinery Factory was densely packed with various vehicles, and due to a lack of parking space, several vehicles were parked in nearby vegetable fields. In addition to passenger cars, large container trucks and pickup trucks were also spotted, though the cargo inside was not identified. Asia Press analyzed that there are seven parking areas for smuggled vehicles within Hyesan City, including the playground of Hyesan Wiyŏn Middle School and vacant lots near residential areas.
◇Chinese Border Guards Turning a Blind Eye to Smuggling?
Asia Press reported that while goods are being smuggled from China to North Korea, North Korean exports such as rare metals, ores, and pine nuts are also moving to China. A source from Hyesan City told the outlet, “It’s not just smuggling vehicles; numerous ‘foreign currency-earning materials’ like rare metals, ores, and pine nuts are being sent to China.” Rare metals refer to industrial metals produced in small quantities in specific locations, a broader category than rare earth elements. A source from Jilin Province claimed that since around August, Chinese border guards have been informing smugglers in advance of patrol times and turning a blind eye to illegal activities.
The outlet also analyzed Google Earth satellite images taken in July and September, reporting that smuggling appears to be occurring at 24 locations along an 80 km section between Hyesan City and Kimjungsuk County. At least five of these sites showed signs of large-scale smuggling using heavy vehicles. The satellite images captured excavators being used to create paths across shallow but fast-flowing fords in the upper Yalu River. The most brazen smuggling “hub” was identified on an island in the Yalu River near Kimjungsuk County, where a temporary bridge was built leading to North Korea, and part of a farm field adjacent to the river’s iron fence had been converted into a parking lot. Over 60 vehicles were parked there at the time of the September satellite capture.
The surge in smuggling between North Korea and China is closely tied to the restoration of bilateral relations. As of September, when Kim Jong-un visited China, China’s exports to North Korea amounted to $228.1 million (approximately 324 billion Korean won), a 30.75% increase from the same month the previous year and a 54.53% rise from the previous month. A source from the South Korean government stated, “Even if China merely tolerates smuggling in the border region, it effectively neutralizes UN sanctions against North Korea. When bilateral relations were frozen, smuggling channels were blocked due to stricter enforcement, but with the restoration of ties, these routes appear to have reopened.”
12. North Korean Engineers Perform Flag Ritual Before Kursk Mine-Clearing
Summary:
Russian media released footage of young North Korean engineers in Kursk performing a flag ritual and singing praises to Kim Jong Un before mine-clearing operations. Trained by Russia, they reportedly neutralize large quantities of Ukrainian and NATO-origin munitions. The Kremlin publicly thanks them, highlighting deepening DPRK-Russia military cooperation.
Comment: I wonder if we will see any casualty reports from this dangerous work.
North Korean Engineers Perform Flag Ritual Before Kursk Mine-Clearing
Kremlin Spokesperson Thanks North Korean Engineers for Mine-Clearing Assistance in Kursk
By Kim Ja-ah
Published 2025.11.16. 11:22
Updated 2025.11.17. 09:55https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2025/11/16/WQLHQ6VMH5EH5PEDMRYBZQ2TNE/
The scene of North Korean troops dispatched to Russia performing a ritual by touching cheeks to the North Korean flag before deployment to mine clearance operations in the Kursk region is revealed. /Screenshot from Komsomolskaya Pravda
North Korean troops deployed to Russia were shown performing a ritual of pressing their cheeks against the North Korean flag before being dispatched to mine-clearing operations in the frontline Kursk region.
Krasnaya Zvezda, the Russian Defense Ministry’s newspaper, revealed on the 14th, local time, that North Korean engineers were working alongside Russian counterparts to remove mines in the Kursk frontline.
According to the report, the North Korean engineers begin their work in the early morning, first conducting a “ritual” to pay respects to North Korea before being deployed to the site.
In the released footage and photos, North Korean engineers with youthful faces were seen singing a song with the lyrics “Kim Jong Un, the Great Leader” inside a vehicle en route to the site. They also knelt with solemn expressions and pressed their cheeks against the North Korean flag.
North Korean troops deployed to mine clearance operations in the Kursk region. /Russian Defense Ministry-Yonhap
Equipped with protective gear and reconnaissance/detection equipment, the North Korean troops skillfully marked mines and explosives with red flags upon discovery in the forest. A Russian engineer commander stated, “All North Korean engineers received training at a Russian military engineering training center before being deployed.”
Notably, the commander added that through the North Korean engineers’ mine-clearing operations, they encountered various munitions and explosives used by Ukrainian forces, including NATO anti-tank and anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.
The Russian commander further evaluated, “So far, North Korean engineers have discovered and neutralized an enormous amount of explosive hazards. They have worked responsibly throughout the process.”
North Korean troops dispatched to Russia sing songs praising Kim Jong-un before deployment to mine clearance operations in the Kursk region. /Screenshot from Komsomolskaya Pravda
Kursk, a border region of Russia occupied by Ukrainian forces in August of last year, was recaptured in April of this year with the help of North Korean troops. Russia claims Ukrainian forces left explosives in the area before retreating.
Russian media reported that, thanks to the North Korean engineers’ efforts, mines have been cleared in multiple locations in Kursk, and there are hopes to begin farming there next spring.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, expressed gratitude during a briefing the same day, stating, “We are deeply thankful for the selfless and heroic assistance of our North Korean friends. We will never forget their help.”
He emphasized, “This dangerous and complex task is ongoing. Our North Korean friends are providing us with significant assistance, and we are extremely grateful for this.”
13. Bag inspections and struggle sessions fail to stop Pyongyang students from celebrating South Korean custom
Summary:
Despite crackdowns, Pyongyang middle- and high-school students quietly celebrate South Korea’s Pepero Day by exchanging stick-shaped snacks. The Socialist Patriotic Youth League ordered bag inspections, struggle sessions, and punishment for students, parents, and guidance officers. Officials admit they are “at a loss,” as the campaign actually spread awareness of the banned capitalist custom.
Comment: You cannot put the genie back in the bottle. Like Douhet's bomber, information will always get through. We need to exploit this. We should not be halting information services (i.e., ROK and US governments). We should be doubling down because information creates effects. WHo would have tight Pepero sticks could be so influential? But look at the effort the regime puts into trying to counter their influence.
Bag inspections and struggle sessions fail to stop Pyongyang students from celebrating South Korean custom
Guidance officers admit they are "at a loss" as students insist they are simply sharing treats with friends, while the crackdown itself has introduced the South Korean custom to previously unaware teens
By Jeong Seo-yeong - November 17, 2025
https://www.dailynk.com/english/bag-inspections-and-struggle-sessions-fail-to-stop-pyongyang-students-from-celebrating-south-korean-custom/
Students at class in North Korea’s Pyongyang Elementary School. (Ryukyung website)
South Korea’s unique custom of couples and friends exchanging pairs of stick-shaped snacks on Nov. 11 has arrived in Pyongyang. Aware of this, the Pyongyang branch of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League issued an order ahead of so-called Pepero Day—as the Nov. 11 “holiday” is called in South Korea—urging young people to be on guard and highlighting the need to prevent “capitalist ideological infiltrations.”
According to a Daily NK source in Pyongyang, the Pyongyang branch of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League issued an order to schools calling for people to be “thoroughly on guard against decadent capitalist ideas like Pepero Day permeating among young people.”
Many students gave each other stick-shaped cookies and sweets on Nov. 11 of last year, and with even more students preparing snacks and other gifts for this year’s Pepero Day, the Socialist Patriotic Youth League immediately stepped in to stop it.
“The Socialist Patriotic Youth League stepped in when they found that children from wealthy Pyongyang families were wrapping imported snacks they purchased at foreign exchange shops or imported foodstuff stores, snapping photos of them with their phones and even joking that now they date like South Koreans, too,” the source said.
‘Ideological stronghold’ threatened by stick-shaped cookies
The order the city branch of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League sent to the league’s school organizations and Korean Children’s Union branches said that the practice “was an ideological problem that harmed socialist ethics and spirit,” warning that “if we let Pyongyang’s future generations become imbued with decadent capitalist customs, it could lead to the collapse of our ideological stronghold.”
“Nov. 11 is not a unit number of the Korean People’s Army, and it has nothing to do with revolutionary history,” the order said. “Deal strictly with the exchanging of cookies and sweets on Nov. 11, treating it as a ‘non-socialist’ act.”
The Socialist Patriotic Youth League ordered its school branches and Korean Children’s Union organizations to form “ideological inspection teams” to inspect student bags. Students who are caught during inspections, their parents and even the Socialist Patriotic Youth League guidance officer at their school will all be held accountable for violations, the league warned.
Schools held emergency struggle sessions after the order was issued, but students instead shared plans to enjoy Pepero Day in secret, counseling one another to “simply secretly exchange gifts between ourselves” or to “avoid bringing gifts to school.”
In this atmosphere, guidance officers from the Socialist Patriotic Youth League and the Korean Children’s Union, as well as homeroom teachers, openly expressed concern.
“Guidance officers of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League and the Korean Children’s Union say that kids nowadays insist they are simply exchanging snacks with friends, not following South Korean culture, and that they are at a loss as to how to stop it,” the source said.
“With the authorities making such a fuss with their order and the schools convening struggle sessions, some students who had not even heard the term ‘Pepero Day’ now know what it is and have taken an interest in it,” the source said.
Read in Korean
14. Korea’s top export sectors could be overtaken by China within 5 years: survey
Summary:
An FKI survey of top Korean firms warns China could overtake all 10 key export sectors within five years. Companies already see China as main rival, with competitiveness surpassing Korea’s by 2030 in semiconductors, batteries, autos and steel. Firms cite quality issues, global risks, aging demographics and tech-talent shortages.
Korea’s top export sectors could be overtaken by China within 5 years: survey - The Korea Times
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
By Ko Dong-hwan
All of Korea’s 10 key export industries could be overtaken by Chinese companies within five years, according to a survey of domestic companies with the highest sales in those sectors released Monday.
The bleak outlook, revealed in the survey by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), reflects how much pressure Korea’s leading businesses now feel from Chinese rivals, with some competitors already surpassing them in global competitiveness.
Among the country’s top 1,000 companies by sales, 200 participated in the survey. When asked which country is currently Korea’s largest competitor in the global market, 62.5 percent of respondents selected China, followed by the U.S. at 22.5 percent and Japan at 9.5 percent. When asked which country will be Korea’s biggest competitor in five years, an even larger portion, 68.5 percent, chose China, while 22 percent selected the U.S. and 5 percent chose Japan.
Wire rods are produced at POSCO’s Pohang plant in North Gyeongsang Province in April. Courtesy of POSCO
The survey also asked respondents to compare the overall market competitiveness of other countries with Korea, which was fixed at a value of 100. Respondents said China currently scores 102.2 and is expected to rise to 112.3 by 2030.
One notable finding is that Chinese firms are expected to be nearly on par with U.S. firms by 2030. Respondents rated the U.S. at 107.2 at present and projected it to grow to 112.9, nearly matching China’s expected level.
The survey also compared Korea’s competitiveness with China across key industries. Respondents said Korean firms in all sectors expect Chinese firms to surpass them by 2030.
At present, Korean companies hold an edge over Chinese firms in semiconductors, electronics and electromechanics, shipbuilding, petrochemicals and oil products, and bio health, with Chinese competitiveness rated at 99.3, 99.0, 96.7, 96.5 and 89.2, respectively.
However, respondents predicted these figures will climb to 107.1, 113.0, 106.7, 106.2 and 100.4 by 2030, surpassing Korea in all five industries.
In the steelmaking, machinery, secondary battery, display and automobile and auto parts industries, respondents said Chinese firms have already overtaken Korean firms in market competitiveness. They added that Chinese firms’ market competitiveness in each of those industries will grow even stronger by 2030.
As for the U.S., the respondents said Korean firms currently dominate American firms in the steelmaking, shipbuilding and secondary battery sectors, rating American firms 98.8, 90.8 and 89.5 in those respective sectors. But the respondents said that by 2030, U.S. firms in steelmaking will overtake Korean firms, rating them 100.8.
The respondents said that overall, China is outpacing Korea in price competitiveness, productivity and government support. They added that the U.S. has greater competitiveness over Korea in brand power, key personnel and core technologies.
Regarding obstacles to further growth, respondents cited worsening product quality at 21.9 percent, rising global risks at 20.4 percent, a shrinking domestic market due to declining population at 19.6 percent and a shortage of skilled workers in key technologies such as artificial intelligence at 18.5 percent as the main reasons.
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
15. 'Korea must look beyond the US,' economist says
Summary:
Economist Danny Quah urges South Korea to reduce reliance on the US and pivot trade and industrial strategy toward Southeast Asia, leveraging ASEAN as a core partner. He advocates “pathfinder multilateralism,” where like-minded countries set rules without Washington, warning that those negotiating hardest with the US, including Korea, often gain least.
'Korea must look beyond the US,' economist says
koreaherald.com · Im Eun-byel · November 17, 2025
https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10617826
Singapore's Danny Quah urges Seoul to deepen ties with Southeast Asia as global trade shifts toward post-US order
Danny Quah, an economics professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, speaks during an interview in Seoul on Monday. (KDI School of Public Policy and Management)
Countries like South Korea should strengthen economic ties with Southeast Asia to prepare for a global trading order that increasingly sidelines the US, according to Danny Quah, professor of economics at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
“Korea has no shortage of countries that want to deal with it on coequal terms,” Quah said in a group interview in Seoul on Monday, during a visit for a joint conference hosted by the KDI School of Public Policy and its Singaporean counterpart.
“Countries like Korea need to develop better economic relations with Southeast Asian nations in order to navigate a world where the US is isolated from world trade.”
Quah pointed to ASEAN as a key platform for Korea to expand economic cooperation, calling it a “concrete and actionable” alternative to relying on the US-centered system.
“We are beginning to build a world where — outside of the US orbit — we engage more with one another. Within ASEAN itself, it is very feasible to strengthen our interactions,” he said.
He also criticized the tendency of countries to act individually rather than collectively, citing ASEAN members’ unilateral responses to US tariffs. As a remedy, he proposed “pathfinder multilateralism” — a model in which a smaller group of willing nations establishes new rules or standards without waiting for universal consensus. The idea, he said, is to create coalitions that are “incentive-compatible,” ensuring cooperation holds because interests align.
Quah added that countries that invested the most effort in negotiating with Washington often fared worse, including Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
“Most of the countries we studied negotiated in good faith. They thought they would gain something, but in the end, they did not,” he said.
As a countermeasure, he suggested that countries divert their trade away from the US, gradually isolating it from the broader system — a scenario he describes as a shift toward a “G-minus” world.
“The world might move more to a ‘G-minus’ world where the US is excluded from the trading world,” he said. “It is a sensible and law-abiding approach.”
He emphasized that Korea’s industrial strategy should reflect this reality.
“If the US makes it more and more costly for Korea to do business with it, where would Korea turn?" he said. "Korea’s industrial policy could be more oriented toward trade with other countries.”
Quah serves on multiple multilateral economic bodies, including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, and previously taught at MIT and the London School of Economics.
silverstar@heraldcorp.com
koreaherald.com · Im Eun-byel · November 17, 2025
16. Major innovation plan unveiled for Namdaemun Market
Summary:
Seoul unveiled a major revitalization plan for Namdaemun Market, blending its 600-year heritage with modern facilities to boost competitiveness and tourism. A new 135-meter “Design Arcade,” entry plaza, Sungnyemun observatory path, and upgraded Namsan Walking Trail will enhance accessibility and cultural appeal, aiming to transform the market into a lasting global landmark.
Comment: This is for those who have spent any time in Korea (more specifically in Seoul - I am not sure those who now live in Camp Humphreys have experienced this). Mostly everyone visits Namdaemun.
Major innovation plan unveiled for Namdaemun Market - The Korea Times
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
By Jung Min-ho
- Published Nov 17, 2025 4:03 pm KST
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20251117/major-innovation-plan-unveiled-for-namdaemun-market
The Seoul metropolitan government unveiled an ambitious plan Monday to rejuvenate Namdaemun Market, the country’s oldest and largest traditional marketplace, aiming to blend modernization with the site’s historic character.
The project aims to blend six centuries of heritage with contemporary urban energy, transforming Namdaemun not just into a commercial hub but also a vibrant cultural and tourist destination for the next century, city officials said.
Home to nearly 20,000 wholesalers and retailers, Namdaemun Market dates back to 1414, when it was founded as a small marketplace during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Over the centuries, it has grown into a central fixture of Seoul’s commercial and cultural life.
“Despite being one of Korea’s most famous markets, Namdaemun Market has recently faced a crisis of declining competitiveness due largely to rapidly changing distribution and consumption trends, as well as a lack of modern facilities and public space — making it clear that innovative solutions are needed,” a city official said. “Many of world-famous traditional markets overseas have evolved beyond simple marketplaces for goods; they now serve as complex cultural spaces that combine food, tourism and experiences, attracting locals and foreign visitors alike.”
At the core of the project is the “Design Arcade,” inspired by traditional hanok eaves, which features a membrane roof structure for improved lighting, ventilation and safety. This new arcade, stretching some 135 meters along the market’s main street, was officially opened to the public the same day, with a ceremony attended by Mayor Oh Se-hoon, local officials and representatives of retailers.
“This achievement is a testament to the collective effort and partnership among merchants, market representatives and public officials,” Oh said. “Rather than remaining simply a place to buy and sell, Namdaemun Market will be reborn as a vibrant cultural landmark in the heart of the city ― a destination for eating, enjoying and staying. The goal is to shape it into a beloved icon of Seoul ― a place that people from all over the world would want to revisit even 100 years later.”
The revitalization project is expected to improve pedestrian accessibility in and around the market, with the addition of a new open entry plaza with convenience facilities, a Sungnyemun Observatory Path and an enhanced Namsan Walking Trail, among other features.
A rendering of a Sungnyemun Observatory Path / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
The initial phase of the transformation focuses on the market's entry points, where the old waste transfer station is being replaced with a welcoming plaza. This gateway project is complemented by the Sungnyemun Observatory Path, which will expand the sidewalk and add a two-story promenade, offering lively, multilevel views of Sungnyemun (Namdaemun Gate), a designated National Treasure.
City officials say the key goal of the project is to maintain the market’s cultural authenticity while integrating contemporary functions. As the Namdaemun Market looks to the future, it needs bold innovation to remain one of the most popular destinations for locals and foreign visitors alike in central Seoul, they said.
Meanwhile, the Namsan Walking Trail is being redesigned with gardens and art installations, providing spaces for leisure and experience. To increase accessibility for those with mobility challenges, elevators and elevated corridors will be installed between Hoehyeon Station and Baekbeom Square.
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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