Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations.”

- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

“At least once every human should have to run for his life, to teach him that milk does not come from supermarkets, that safety does not come from policemen, that "news "is not something that happens to other people. He might learn how his ancestors lived and that he himself is no different – in the crunch his life depends on his agility, alertness, and personal resourcefulness."

- Robert a Heinlein

“Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.”

- Lao Tzu

1. US secretaries of state, defense to visit S. Korea amid N. Korean satellite launch preparations

2. N. Korea claims it achieved world's strongest nuclear force

3. Rodong Sinmun Condemns Military Collusion among U.S., Japan and South Korean Puppet Forces

4. Int'l Affairs Commentator on Present Crisis of U.S. Administration

5. N. Korea designates 'missile industry day' for test-launch of ICBM

6. Yoon's approval rating up for 2 consecutive weeks

7. S. Korea suspends stock short selling until start of July 2024

8. N. Korea warns of nuclear capabilities as S. Korea, US, Japan up military cooperation

9. Direct and indirect human rights abuses in forced repatriation

10. The lives of North Korea's 'strongest soldiers'

11. Uniting with Europe for the Sino-U.S. war

12. S. Korean family fleeing Gaza departs for Seoul via Egypt

13. Hamas Leader: 'Alliance' With North Korea a Way to Strike US

14. Don’t be concerned over one million artillery shells North Korea sent Russia, only 4% are in working condition – Dykyi

15. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ A recent report on conditions at farms (5) Telescopic lens captures conditions in farming communities – 2 The highly-fortified border is akin to a disputed zone…why?

16. The Biden Doctrine: Show Strength, Whisper Restraint

1. US secretaries of state, defense to visit S. Korea amid N. Korean satellite launch preparations

I missed that the SECDEF was visiting as well.

No one should question our commitment even as some in Korea fear Israel and Ukraine are taking priority. One thing to keep in mind: of Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, only the ROK is a US treaty ally and only in the ROK do we have 28,000 US troops permanently stationed. I fear too many people take the 28,000 troops for granted since they are permanently stationed.and accepted almost as part of the landscape. The SECDEF and SECSTATE will be able to remind the Korean people of our commitment.

US secretaries of state, defense to visit S. Korea amid N. Korean satellite launch preparations

The Korea Times · November 6, 2023

North Korea's Chollima-1 rocket, carrying the regime's inaugural military reconnaissance satellite, takes off from a site in Dongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province, on May 31, in this photo released the following day by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

By Kim Hyun-bin

The U.S. secretaries of state and defense are scheduled to visit South Korea this week amid growing concerns about North Korea's preparations to launch a reconnaissance satellite with support from Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit South Korea for two days from Wednesday following his participation in a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Tokyo that is slated from Tuesday to Thursday.

Simultaneously, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is expected to visit South Korea later this week, ahead of the 55th South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) slated for Nov. 13 and other events.

The visits by the high-ranking U.S. officials come at a crucial time, with Washington aiming to reinforce its commitment to the enduring development of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. In addition, the U.S. is expected to emphasize its commitment to strengthening "extended deterrence" against North Korea's missile launch provocations and threats of nuclear attacks.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a keynote address while attending the Korea-U.S. Strategic Forum held by the Korea Foundation (KF) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 25 (local time). Yonhap

Both South Korea and the U.S. have taken significant steps in this direction, as reflected in the Washington Declaration signed between President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden during their summit in April.

The declaration outlined measures to enhance extended deterrence, including the establishment and operation of the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) and the regular deployments of U.S. strategic assets, such as submarine ballistic nuclear (SSBN) missile designated vessels on the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, the three countries, including Japan, are in the process of setting up a real-time ballistic missile warning information-sharing system.

During the visits by Blinken and Austin, discussions are expected to focus on evaluating the progress of this cooperation and coordinating the future direction of military collaboration between South Korea and the U.S., as well as between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.

South Korean military authorities are closely monitoring the possibility of North Korea's third attempt to launch a reconnaissance satellite, which could take place as early as this month.

North Korea made two attempts to launch reconnaissance satellites earlier this year, in May and August, but both attempts failed to place the satellites into orbit. Pyongyang immediately vowed to try for a third launch by the end of October, but has yet to initiate the launch.

International observations suggest that weapons trade between North Korea and Russia is growing amid persistent speculation that the two nations may have reached an arms deal during a rare summit between their respective leaders in September.

The Korea Times · November 6, 2023

2. N. Korea claims it achieved world's strongest nuclear force

Do the Korean elite in the north and regime members really believe what they say?

N. Korea claims it achieved world's strongest nuclear force | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · November 6, 2023

SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has successfully built the world's strongest nuclear force under the guidance of its leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported Monday, as the secretive regime has been bolstering the development of its nuclear and missile programs.

The claim came amid speculation that the North is in the final stage of its preparations to make a third attempt to launch a military spy satellite following two failed attempts in May and August, respectively.

"With the power of the revolutionary industry of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, the country's nuclear force has sharply increased and firmly reached the world's strongest level," Tong Thae-gwan, an editorial writer of the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said in an editorial piece.

In a bid to tout Kim's achievements for this year, he cited the North's major provocations and events, such as the test-firing of Hwasong-type intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and the summit between the North's leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September in Russia's Far East.

North Korea said Sunday the nation has designated Nov. 18 as a "missile industry day" to celebrate last year's successful launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM.

Tong is known as an editorial writer playing a propaganda role for the North Korean regime. He was awarded a new riverside apartment in Pyongyang from the North's leader in April last year, together with Ri Chun-hee, North Korea's most famous female anchor.

This file photo, provided by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency on April 14, 2022, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from L) posing for a photo with Tong Thae-gwan (L), an editorial writer of the Rodong Sinmun, and his family members in a new riverside apartment in Pyongyang. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · November 6, 2023

3. Rodong Sinmun Condemns Military Collusion among U.S., Japan and South Korean Puppet Forces

Another indication of the regime's failed strategy. They know that the power of the trilateral military cooperation will dominate the north if Kim Jong Un misclaculatesand attacks the South. Kim has been unsuccessful in weakening US alliances and instead the alliances and trilateral corporation gets stronger every day, with every exercise

Rodong Sinmun Condemns Military Collusion among U.S., Japan and South Korean Puppet Forces

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1699176901-842296330/rodong-sinmun-condemns-military-collusion-among-u-s-japan-and-south-korean-puppet-forces/

Date: 05/11/2023 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source

Pyongyang, November 5 (KCNA) -- In October the U.S. staged naval joint military exercises with Japan and south Korean puppet forces under the signboard of a "sea interception and anti-piracy drill". The U.S. airborne division, including carrier Ronald Reagan, and warships of the Japan Maritime "Self-Defense Force" and the south Korean puppet navy took part in the exercises and fanned up the war fever. The exercises were staged according to an agreement to stage three-party joint military exercises every year in order to "cope with the nuclear and missile threats from the north" which was reached at talks among chief executives of the U.S., Japan and south Korean puppet forces held in the U.S. in August.

The military drills of the U.S. and its servants in the Korean peninsula and its vicinity have been confined to the bilateral sphere between the U.S. and Japan and between the U.S. and the south Korean puppet forces, but they have now been formally expanded to the three-party ones, Rodong Sinmun Sunday in an article says, and goes on:

The U.S., Japan and south Korean puppet forces are going to operate the system of sharing information on DPRK missiles in real time within this year and to set up various kinds of organizations for doing harm to and pressurizing the DPRK and run them regularly.

The triangular military alliance, NATO of Asian version, which has long been the target of international community's vigilance and concern, has finally revealed its true colors and entered the actual phase of operation.

The U.S. has long worked hard to create the triangular military alliance with a sinister intention to use Japan and the south Korean puppet forces near its major rivals in the region as a shock brigade for carrying out its strategy for world domination.

When Yoon Suk Yeol group, obsessed with pro-U.S. and pro-Japanese acts, took office in the region of the south Korean puppet forces, the U.S. instigated the puppet forces to join hands with the Kishida regime of Japan at an early date. Against this background, the annual joint military drills were agreed.

The enemies are trying to justify their acts, claiming that the formation of the triangular military alliance is aimed to "jointly counter the nuclear and missile threats" from the DPRK.

As for the "threats" and "provocations" touted by the U.S. and its servants, it is like putting the cart before the horse.

The Korean peninsula is the world's most dangerous hotspot, where the danger of outbreak of a nuclear war fills. The nuclear powers in the East and the West are standing in sharp military confrontation with one another along the boundary between the north and the south of the Korean peninsula.

Under such reality, the situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region will get extremely acute if the triangular military alliance of the U.S., Japan and the puppet forces is operated in full swing. Who can vouch that the reckless moves of the U.S. and its vassal forces for the triangular military alliance will not lead to the outbreak of a nuclear war and the third war?

The military nexus between the U.S., Japan and the puppet forces which have entered an extremely dangerous phase is bringing the raging waves of confrontation and war to the Korean peninsula and the region.

This criminal act of disturbing global peace and stability will put them in an inescapable corner. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche112.11.5.)

4. Int'l Affairs Commentator on Present Crisis of U.S. Administration

Everyone gets to criticize the US. Here is the Kim family regime's take on US challenges.

KCNA KCNA.kp (En)

Int'l Affairs Commentator on Present Crisis of U.S. Administration

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1699049107-473109298/intl-affairs-commentator-on-present-crisis-of-u-s-administration/

Date: 04/11/2023 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source

Pyongyang, November 4 (KCNA) -- Kim Myong Chol, a commentator on international affairs of the DPRK, issued the following article titled "The present external crisis facing the U.S. reflects the failed domestic and foreign policies of its administration":

Shortly ago, Jake Sullivan, national security advisor of the White House, made public a contribution of the policy "achievements" of the Biden administration.

The contribution noted that the U.S. political situation which had been disturbed after the present U.S. administration took office was put right and the U.S. influence in the international arena began to recover. It is clear to everyone that this contribution is aimed to emphasize that its domestic and foreign policies are "successful".

No one will sympathize with this assertion if he knows the situation and result of the U.S. domestic and foreign policies to a certain degree except officials of the present U.S. administration.

It is three years since the present U.S. administration took office, but the political and economic confusion in the U.S. has reached an extreme and the negative influence caused by the reactionary foreign policies of the U.S. is so serious that it can hardly judge the scale.

First of all, the economic situation in the U.S. which Sullivan reckoned as the biggest achievement of Biden is getting darker with each passing day.

This year alone, large banks such as Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank went bankrupt one after another and shortly ago, the U.S. automobile trade union launched a strike against three large auto industrial complexes, including General Motors.

Against this backdrop, on August 1, the White House and the secretary of Treasury staged a tragic farce which had to turn out in placating public opinion as the international credit assessment institution Fitch Ratings estimated the U.S. credit rating to its lowest level for the first time in 12 years as regards state debt and even suggested the possibility of domestic economic stagnation.

More than 50 percent of respondents in the recent U.S. opinion polls are severely criticizing the economic policy of the Biden administration, saying that its economy has become more difficult. Increased inflation rate, rising prices and lack of state response are becoming an endemic disease of the U.S. economy.

Next, the vulnerability of industrial foundations to support the U.S. military muscle is fully revealed.

Due to the persistent deterioration of the U.S. economy, the Congress has reduced or postponed the defense budget required by the Ministry of Defense and the development of arms and equipment of the U.S. military and the plan for producing munitions faced not a few difficulties.

Military experts of the U.S. hardly concealed their concern over the reduction of the munitions production capacity of the U.S., saying that the defense budget is not keeping pace with increasing inflation rate.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Defense, the life of ammunition-producing infrastructures in the U.S. is usually over 80 years, and most of ammunitions are produced at buildings and facilities used in the Second World War.

After the U.S provided more than 1 400 Stinger portable anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, missile production has stopped due to the shortage of spare parts and, as a result, delivery to Taiwan and other countries has been delayed. This is just a short story showing the poor military industry of the U.S.

It is by no means fortuitous that a member of the U.S. House of Representatives compared the present situation to the period of 1957 when the former Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1, saying that the limitations of the existing U.S. weapons production capacity was revealed due to the Ukrainian situation and that it has been fully proved that how fragile and unstable the supply chain is.

All these are a natural result of the reckless arms support moves of the U.S. administration to its allies with the purpose to maintain its hegemonic position while advocating the advantage of strength.

What is more weighty is that the reactionary alliance policy which the present U.S. administration praises becomes a main factor driving the U.S. into a strategic dilemma.

The Ukrainian situation which has been making the U.S. spend up its state coffer is an inevitable product of the reckless schemes of the present U.S. administration for tightening relations with allies.

The U.S. which rendered distinguished service to the outbreak of the Ukrainian situation with NATO's reckless policy of advance to the East is spending an astronomical amount of money under the pretext of aiding the ally but it was a foolish option like pouring water into a bottomless jar.

The U.S. has offered military support worth about 46.6 billion US dollars, but the Ukrainian army's counterattack ended in an advertisement and the U.S. has become unable to pull itself out of the mire that it fell in crying out for tightening its alliance.

Against this backdrop, the Middle East policy of the U.S. to establish an alliance in the region against anti-U.S. independent countries including Iran while pursuing the one-sided policy for Israel under the pretext of "peace in the Middle East" has driven its situation floundering in Ukrainian situation into a greater dilemma by sparking an armed conflict.

The move for tightening the U.S.-Japan-puppet south Korea triangular military alliance which Sullivan lauded as the present U.S. administration's distinguished achievement this time, is a potential factor which can put the situation on the Korean peninsula into an uncontrollable phase.

It is reasonable that the international community is predicting that the U.S. may bear a strategic burden hard to remove if the situation on the Korean peninsula gets worse following the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The relations between the U.S. and its allies are also heading for the point of explosion with irreconcilable contradiction.

The sudden withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the establishment of AUKUS which drove a knife on the back of France, the increase of uneasiness of Europe and puppet south Korea due to the adoption of the "Inflation Reduction Act" and other instances that the Biden administration has damaged the interests of its allies are countless.

As the reality shows, the U.S. status is eroding, not recovering, and its national power is declining, not growing strong.

This is the present address of the U.S.

As Sullivan eagerly disregarded such situation, he praised himself in his contribution that the Middle East region has become more stable thanks to the efforts of the Biden administration but he was under a pelting rain of kicks and blows of media and became a butt for ridicule of the international community after a large-scale armed conflict broke out in only five days.

The status of the U.S. is not defined by an individual's opinion but judged by the world public.

The international community is vividly seeing the empire of evils going to ruin inside and outside and became further convinced of it through the contribution of Sullivan.

The more the U.S. talks about "leadership", the more horrible "destructive force" it will be, and it will plunge the world into a greater mess. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche112.11.4.)

5. N. Korea designates 'missile industry day' for test-launch of ICBM

Excerpt:

Nov. 18 was designated as the "missile industry day" because it displayed "the might of a world-class nuclear power and the strongest ICBM possessor was demonstrated to the whole world," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

(LEAD) N. Korea designates 'missile industry day' for test-launch of ICBM | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Deok-Hyun Kim · November 5, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with KCNA's English-language dispatch in first 4 paras; CHANGES headline, lead para)

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has designated a "missile industry day" to mark a test-firing of its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in 2022, the North's state media reported Sunday.

North Korea test-fired the ICBM on Nov. 18, 2022, with leader Kim Jong-un declaring that the missile reaffirmed his regime's acquisition of a powerful and reliable capability to counter any nuclear threats.

Nov. 18 was designated as the "missile industry day" because it displayed "the might of a world-class nuclear power and the strongest ICBM possessor was demonstrated to the whole world," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The designation was made at a session of the Permanent Commission of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, it said.

At that time, North Korea's state media said the missile flew 999.2 kilometers for 4,135 seconds at an apogee of 6,040.9 km and landed in the international waters of the East Sea.

Last week, South Korea's spy agency said North Korea is believed to be in the final stage of preparations to carry out what would be its third satellite launch after two failed attempts earlier this year.

After its second attempt failed in August, North Korea had said it would try again in October. But no such launch has happened, and the North has given no word as to why the launch has been postponed and when it will take place.

North Korea fires an intercontinental ballistic missile in this photo released by its state media on Nov. 19, 2022. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

kdh@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Deok-Hyun Kim · November 5, 2023

6. Yoon's approval rating up for 2 consecutive weeks

Some good news but it is still not a very high approval rating, all things considered.

Yoon's approval rating up for 2 consecutive weeks | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · November 6, 2023

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating rose for the second consecutive week to 36.8 percent, a poll showed Monday.

The survey, conducted by the polling agency Realmeter, showed the positive assessment of Yoon's performance increased by 1.1 percentage points from the previous week, while 60.2 percent of respondents disapproved of his performance, down 1.7 percentage points.

Yoon's approval rating had rebounded to 35.7 percent last week, following a two-week decline.

The pollster did not provide a reason for the rise, but major issues during the survey period include delivering a budget speech at the National Assembly centered largely on economic and domestic issues.

The poll was conducted on 2,521 adults from last Monday to Friday and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

A separate poll, meanwhile, showed the approval rating of the ruling People Power Party went up by 1.9 percentage points from the previous week to 37.7 percent.

The approval rating of the main opposition Democratic Party, meanwhile, decreased by 3.2 percentage points to 44.8 percent, the poll showed.

The poll on the approval ratings of the political parties was conducted on 1,002 adults Thursday and Friday and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers the 2024 budget speech at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 31, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · November 6, 2023

7. S. Korea suspends stock short selling until start of July 2024

A friend who is an investment expert, particularly in the Korean and Asian markets made these comments to me.

Man cannot control that markets always go up. Another politician and regulator flight of Icarus. Here is what I have learned in a lifetime of fully embracing our great capitalism: one loses money in up markets. Real riches and dreams are achieved in down markets.

Somewhat surprising from President Yoon’s Administration

(LEAD) S. Korea suspends stock short selling until start of July 2024 | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · November 5, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks from FSC chief; CHANGES photo)

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's financial regulator said Sunday that it will temporarily ban stock short selling until the second half of next year, amid efforts to crack down on illegal short selling by global investment banks (IBs).

The move will be effective as of Monday and until the start of July 2024, according to the Financial Services Commission (FSC).

"(The FSC) has decided to fully suspend stock short selling until (the end of) the first half of next year since there exist concerns that the expansion of market volatility and illegal short selling practices may undermine market stability and fair price formation," FSC chief Kim Joo-hyeon told a joint press briefing with the head of the Financial Supervisory Service, Lee Bok-hyun.

Kim Joo-hyeon (at podium), head of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), and Lee Bok-hyun, chief of the Financial Supervisory Service, hold a joint press briefing in Seoul on Nov. 5, 2023, in this photo provided by the FSC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The financial regulators highlighted "growing external uncertainties" fueled by a global slowdown and the war between Israel and Hamas that they said are causing concerns in the domestic market.

"Under such conditions, concerns over the fair pricing of stocks in the local stock market remain very high as illegal naked short selling by foreigners and institutional investors continues to get exposed repeatedly despite our continued efforts so far to improve the system," the FSC said in a press release.

The FSS announced last week a plan to form a special task force to inspect all global IBs for illegal short selling. The move came after the financial watchdog exposed two Hong Kong-based IBs suspected of short selling 56 billion won (US$42.7 million) worth of stocks while being aware that they would not be able to borrow the shares sold.

The FSC said the government will work to reform the system by the end of June 2024 so that short selling will no longer create what many here, including ruling party lawmakers, have claimed to be an "unlevel playing field."

"It will review alternative ways to establish a system that will prevent illegal naked short selling in real time," it said.

An illustrated image of stock short selling (Yonhap)

bdk@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · November 5, 2023

8. N. Korea warns of nuclear capabilities as S. Korea, US, Japan up military cooperation

It won't work Mr. Kim. Your rhetoric, threats, and provocations (as well as meeting with Putin) only make US alliances and trilateral cooperation stronger.

N. Korea warns of nuclear capabilities as S. Korea, US, Japan up military cooperation

The Korea Times · November 5, 2023

Naval vessels from South Korea, the United States and Japan conduct joint training in the waters southeast of Jeju Island on Oct. 10. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy

By Kim Hyun-bin

North Korea criticized the ongoing military cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan on Sunday, issuing a warning that the situation could potentially lead to a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula.

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said that the trilateral military cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan has entered a "very dangerous stage" and that no one can ensure this military campaign is not leading to "a nuclear war and the third world war."

"Who can provide assurance that the zealous push by the United States and its allies to advance their trilateral military alliance won't lead to the initiation of a nuclear war and the expansion of the third world war?" the newspaper said.

The publication criticized the South Korea-U.S.-Japan military partnership, saying it is heavily influenced by the U.S. and portrays the U.S. and Japan as the main causes of tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The the three allies concurred on the resumption and regular conduct of joint military exercises during the Shangri-La Dialogue, a prominent Asian defense forum held in Singapore in June.

Furthermore, during the trilateral summit in August, which involved the United States, South Korea and Japan, there was a shared commitment to enhance security cooperation in response to North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

Last month, a joint maritime blockade exercise between the three allies was conducted for the first time in seven years in the southeastern waters off Jeju Island.

The North Korean newspaper reinforced its stance, saying, "We have established a formidable national defense capability centered around nuclear power to safeguard our nation's sovereignty and the well-being of our people against the instigation of invasion wars by the United States and its allies. Our nation's defensive military activities stand as the most dependable guarantee for deterring hostile provocations and upholding peace and security in the region."

Ahead of the Rodong Sinmun's report, Pyongyang’s state-controlled Korean Central News Agency published an article, Saturday, expressing concerns that the trilateral military partnership could be a latent factor with the potential to plunge the situation on the Korean Peninsula into uncontrollable chaos.

The Korea Times · November 5, 2023

9. Direct and indirect human rights abuses in forced repatriation

Kenji-San and I will be joining some renowned human rights advocates at the PRC mission at the UN in New York tomorrow to protest Chinese forced repatriation of refugees from north Korea and to call out Chinese complicity in north Korean human rights abuses.

Direct and indirect human rights abuses in forced repatriation

The Korea Times · November 5, 2023

By Kim Eun-ju

The issue garnering the greatest attention in the news these days seems to be the war between Israel and Hamas. While it is important, I hope more people will pay attention to the 600 North Korean defectors who were just forcibly repatriated from China to North Korea. There are still around 1,000 other North Korean defectors who need help to avoid being repatriated.

I can understand what they are going through. I was also forcibly repatriated to North Korea.

Forced repatriation causes direct and indirect human rights abuses to those who have escaped North Korea. Human rights violations caused by forced repatriation are widespread.

The first violation is a violation of the right to life. Most North Koreans escape solely to survive. That was the case for me. After my father died of starvation in 1997, my mom and sister left home to find food. At that time, I was only 11 years old.

I left home alone and I went without food for six days. My situation was so desperate that I didn’t think I would see the sun rise again. I even wrote a will. Luckily, my mother returned before I could die, but her first words to me were "Let us all die together." But death does not come so easily.

In February 1999, I escaped from North Korea. My mother said, "If we're going to starve to death here, it’s better to be shot to death trying to cross the Tumen River.”

The second violation is the right to renounce citizenship. North Korean refugees, like all human beings, should have the right to renounce their nationality. However, we never get a chance to renounce. Chinese authorities don’t ask what we are trying to escape from, and even if they did ask, it might not be safe to answer.

The third is a violation of freedom of religion. Those who have been involved with churches in China are subjected to harsh interrogation. I never saw anyone who faced those interrogations released from detention. Merely meeting a Christian in China makes one a political criminal.

The fourth is a violation of personal liberty. North Koreans who are repatriated often face torture during interrogations. Everyone is strip-searched and has their money confiscated. Any expression of shame is met with insults and beatings. As North Koreans, we are denied our humanity.

Pregnant women, who most need protection, are subjected to unspeakable abuse, beatings and in some cases forced abortions.

When my family and I were apprehended by Chinese police, my mom was breastfeeding my younger brother who was born in China. Because of that, when we were in jail, she almost died of breast inflammation. But, she could not say anything. If she spoke up, it would only make things worse.

"You are nothing more than human garbage" is a common phrase used by regime officials.

Forced repatriation is also accompanied by human rights violations in China. In the Chinese border security centers, we were forced to defecate in plastic buckets in cells with surveillance cameras operating 24 hours a day and sometimes had to listen to the sounds of screams as people were beaten and shocked with electric batons. The human rights violations that occur during and after forced repatriation are ruthless and dehumanizing.

The mere possibility of forced repatriation violates the human rights of North Korean defectors in China. My family suffered the unforgettable trauma suffered by my sister. When she was only 14 years old, she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by someone in a passing car on the roadside on our first night in China.

We were unable to report it or punish the perpetrator. If we tried to report it, it was obvious that the Chinese police would hastily send us back to North Korea rather than try to catch the criminal.

The constant threat of forced repatriation takes away the voice of North Korean refugees who have not been paid for their labor and who have been abused physically and emotionally.

Silencing North Korean defectors is silencing victims at risk of forced repatriation. It creates a vicious cycle that enables continued crimes against them in China.

Therefore, stopping forced repatriation is a key element in breaking the cycle of human trafficking, sexual violence, labor exploitation and other crimes against North Koreans in China, in addition to the direct human rights abuses caused by forced repatriation itself.

Forced repatriation can only be stopped by the Chinese government. So solidarity between international North Korean human rights groups, including the United Nations, and countries that sympathize with the plight of North Korean escapees is very important.

North Korean refugees are a minority among the minorities seen in South Korean society and international society. Our voices alone can only bring about so much change in China. We need the international community to rescue North Koreans.

I hope my message becomes like a snowball, gathering more voices and more activism as it rolls. When you build up the courage to join, together we can become a powerful voice to bring about change in the Chinese government.

Kim Eun-ju is a member of the Freedom Speakers International (FSI) External Cooperation Team and co-author of her autobiography “A Thousand Miles to Freedom.” This article is based on her speech on October 25, 2023, at an FSI forum hosted at the Amnesty International UK headquarters in London. Her essay was edited for publication by Casey Lartigue Jr., editor of the Korea Times blog, “Workable Words.”

The Korea Times · November 5, 2023

10. The lives of North Korea's 'strongest soldiers'

Excerpts:

Human rights are not complicated. Just simply, when you are hungry, you have the right to eat. When you get sick, you have the right to seek medical care. When you get in an accident, you have the right to learn what happened and resolve the situation fairly. But those things were not relevant to North Korean people and soldiers. The North Korean human rights situation is much more vulnerable than you can imagine.

The North Korean regime focuses on nuclear weapons and missiles. They are only interested in how to keep the Kim family from collapsing instead of protecting the people and soldiers of North Korea. Even for a simple negative comment about the Kim regime, a person can get sent to a political prison camp. There are many political prison camps in North Korea and hundreds of thousands of political prisoners in them who never have an opportunity to receive legal judgment and never get a chance to come out alive. This savage behavior is unforgivable, even if dictator Kim Jong-un was ever punished by the International Criminal Court.

The main reason I want to share my story is to increase awareness of the real situations North Korean soldiers face instead of how they are shown in the media like robotic soldiers marching in emotionless unison.

Finally, when you see photos in the media showing fancy buildings or bridges in Pyongyang, please think about how many of those “strongest soldiers” died as they built them.

The lives of North Korea's 'strongest soldiers'

The Korea Times · November 5, 2023

By Eom Yeong-nam

“We have the greatest general and the strongest army! That’s why we will defeat the enemy!” This is what I heard every day when I was a soldier in the North Korean military. I saw and experienced hunger, tragic accidents and corrupt officers everywhere.

In 2001, I entered the North Korean army after graduating from college. At that time, I thought I would be a hero due to the regime’s propaganda. However, my company's soldiers seemed like they homeless people. Their clothing was old and tattered. The company barracks were like an ancient hut from a history documentary.

According to the regime’s propaganda, we were the “strongest soldiers,” but we always went hungry. The regime says it is “military-first,” but the “strongest soldiers” looked more like beggars.

After a few years, I was malnourished. In 2004, I was about 5 foot 9 inches tall, but only weighed about 40 kilograms. We were sent food, but my company commander kept it and sold it to make money for himself. He even bought a fancy new motorcycle, which back then was like buying a Lamborghini.

Not surprisingly, around 60 percent of my company’s soldiers were malnourished and seriously starving. Around 30 percent went missing. That’s why stealing food and money from civilians was common.

The North Korean Army’s official name is the Korean People’s Army, but people call them the “Korean People’s enemy.” Soldiers would steal nearly everything from civilians. For example, in the autumn, my company's soldiers and I would take corn and rice from cooperative and private farms. We also stole livestock like pigs and goats that belonged to civilians and even took their clothing to exchange for food.

One of the North Korean Worker Party’s slogans is, “The cooperative farm is my farm." That means you should take care of crops as diligently and seriously as your own. But North Korean soldiers twist it to “the cooperative farm is our farm.” Which means "we can take it over anytime." This is the reality of the North Korean Army’s so-called “strongest soldiers.”

Another thing that happened to “the strongest soldiers” was the frequency of tragic accidents. In 2008, my fellow soldiers and I received orders to dismantle three huge concrete bridges to collect iron rebar due to the building material shortage. We dismantled them using sledgehammers. Then, a tragic accident happened, trapping approximately 20 soldiers under a huge concrete beam. The crane was malfunctioning, so those pitiful soldiers were trapped under a heavy beam for over an hour. There were no ambulances or 911 to call so we blocked the highway to stop every vehicle so we could take the injured soldiers to the hospital.

Several weeks later, I heard that three of them had died, some of them had lost legs, and others had serious injuries. There was no compensation from the regime, of course. They are only interested in protecting the Kim family, not supporting the people and soldiers of North Korea.

The regime states that “we have the greatest supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, and powerful nuclear weapons” but they don’t talk about the many soldiers that die because of malnutrition, tragic accidents, or who are killed by fellow soldiers who may have suffered from mental illness.

Human rights are not complicated. Just simply, when you are hungry, you have the right to eat. When you get sick, you have the right to seek medical care. When you get in an accident, you have the right to learn what happened and resolve the situation fairly. But those things were not relevant to North Korean people and soldiers. The North Korean human rights situation is much more vulnerable than you can imagine.

The North Korean regime focuses on nuclear weapons and missiles. They are only interested in how to keep the Kim family from collapsing instead of protecting the people and soldiers of North Korea. Even for a simple negative comment about the Kim regime, a person can get sent to a political prison camp. There are many political prison camps in North Korea and hundreds of thousands of political prisoners in them who never have an opportunity to receive legal judgment and never get a chance to come out alive. This savage behavior is unforgivable, even if dictator Kim Jong-un was ever punished by the International Criminal Court.

The main reason I want to share my story is to increase awareness of the real situations North Korean soldiers face instead of how they are shown in the media like robotic soldiers marching in emotionless unison.

Finally, when you see photos in the media showing fancy buildings or bridges in Pyongyang, please think about how many of those “strongest soldiers” died as they built them.

Eom Yeong-nam, a North Korean Refugee Keynote Speaker with Freedom Speakers International (FSI), is the author of the forthcoming book “The Strongest Soldier of North Korea.” This article is based on his testimony at the 2023 European Forum on North Korean Human Rights hosted by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea on Oct. 24. His essay was edited for publication by Casey Lartigue Jr., editor of the Korea Times blog “Workable Words.”

The Korea Times · November 5, 2023

11. Uniting with Europe for the Sino-U.S. war

An interesting Oped.

Excerpts:

Where is Korea placed between the two?

The answer came easier than expected. To them, Korea was a member of the “West.” In terms of economic size or diplomatic policy, Korea’s world view is not so detached from that of the United States, Europe and Japan. No one in the meeting raised doubts about Korea being a member of the West.

At first glance, Korea’s unripe politics — as exemplified by a number of immature politicians and never-ending incidents — may justify self-doubt. But in the eyes of foreign countries, Korea has already become a member of the West, and they demand it play its due role.

...

China wants to divide Europe by weaponizing its still-attractive market and investment, while Europe continues to devise countermeasures, separately or together. The war between China and Europe is ongoing. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a hardliner on China, provoked a rage from China’s Foreign Ministry after she called Xi a “dictator” on par with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

...

If values and alliance converge, negotiating power grows. Based on bilateral relations, no country can deal with China effectively. A West sharing the same values is not united as solidly as before. The United States alone cannot lead the West, and Europe can’t, either.

They need partners. The United States and Japan — and Europe and Korea — need each other. The West is certainly not an entity based on substance, and Korea must not cheer itself for being a proud member of the West. Rather, Korea may have to fight apparent resistance against a new alliance based on values like democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, possibly at the cost of economic losses.

...

Korea’s China strategy must start with making clear what values and principles the country must keep. Practical tactics in detail can derive from it. A nation’s integrity and its partnership depends on whether it has such values and principles. Expedient pragmatism cannot last long. Instead, expanded solidarity based on firm value diplomacy can reinforce Korea’s positioning in dealing with China based on the rule of law. Europe and Korea certainly can share their worries to find an answer.

Sunday

November 5, 2023

dictionary + A - A

Published: 05 Nov. 2023, 20:19

Updated: 05 Nov. 2023, 21:59

Uniting with Europe for the Sino-U.S. war

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-11-05/opinion/columns/Uniting-with-Europe-for-the-SinoUS-war/1906321

Lee Jae-seung

The author is a professor of international studies at Korea University and head of the Ilmin International Relations Institute.

In mid-September, prominent figures from Europe, the United States, Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and other countries flocked to Villa La Collina — the summer residence of the first West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967) — at Lake Como, northern Italy. In a Global Strategic Advisory Group meeting hosted by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, distinguished guests, including scholars, held a heated debate over the regrouping of allies and rivals from European perspectives amid the fast reshaping of the world order.

European and American members of the advisory group emphasized even stronger cooperation among countries sharing same values such as democracy and the rule of law. But representatives of the non-Western world championed pragmatism, upholding their own interests over the values the West “compels them to accept.” Placing a priority on so-called “value diplomacy” appeared to be the standard for dividing the world into the West and the non-Western countries dubbed the “Global South.” Where is Korea placed between the two?

The answer came easier than expected. To them, Korea was a member of the “West.” In terms of economic size or diplomatic policy, Korea’s world view is not so detached from that of the United States, Europe and Japan. No one in the meeting raised doubts about Korea being a member of the West.

At first glance, Korea’s unripe politics — as exemplified by a number of immature politicians and never-ending incidents — may justify self-doubt. But in the eyes of foreign countries, Korea has already become a member of the West, and they demand it play its due role.

In that sense, international issues Europe faces today are basically no different from Korea’s. At the center of their woes is China. Both Europe and Korea are struggling to find a way to survive the endless Sino-U.S. hegemony war and strike a balance between value-based diplomacy and practical diplomacy in the face of their own political and economic dilemmas.

Nearly all countries pursue practical diplomacy with China, given its massive economic power and market size. If a country severs economic relations with China, they must endure immense risks on the international stage. The United States is on a crusade to rebuild global supply chains and strengthen its economic security, and Europe is being pressured to join the U.S-led global order. Everyone, including Korea, is closely observing one another to determine the appropriate level of their economic relations with China.

Europe’s economic ties with China have changed over the past few years. After pointing to Europe as the western end of its Belt and Road Initiative in the 2010s, China promised colossal investment in the continent. China even launched the “16+1” framework targeting Central and Eastern Europe and Balkan states — and forced their leaders to flank Chinese President Xi Jinping for a photo op. Western Europe and the European Union (EU) were stirred. After unveiling the Connectivity Strategy 2.0 in 2018, the EU started to contain China and move eastward at the same time.

But in 2023, Europe’s China dream took a sudden turn in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war and the deepening Sino-U.S. conflict. After Chinese investments did not come in, countries in Central and Eastern Europe quickly moved to distance themselves from China. Those countries with bitter memories of the old Soviet days reinforced their relations with the United States and NATO rather than with China after Beijing supported Moscow in the war in Ukraine.

In the meantime, Germany and France, whose trade share with China is relatively high, are desperately looking for the room for strategic maneuver. Out of the 147.2 billion euros ($157.9 billion) the EU invested in China from 2020 to 2022, 62 percent came from Germany followed by France and the Netherlands. The EU’s China risk has migrated from Central Europe to Western Europe.

Nevertheless, Europe could not surrender to China on the issue of values such as human rights and the rule of law. After the EU imposed sanctions on Chinese officials and related organizations for the human rights repression in Xinjiang Uyghur in March 2021, China put members of the European Parliament and the Political and Security Committee of the European Council on its list of retaliatory sanctions. Europe showed a cold reaction to the unfathomable countermeasure from China.

China’s subsequent “wolf warrior diplomacy” only helped Europe’s favorability toward China hit rock bottom in various polls, fueled by a growing wariness of Europeans about closer China-Russia relations after the Ukraine war. An unbridgeable gap has emerged between China and Europe in terms of value systems, freezing investment agreements and other types of relations.

For Germany, the engine of the European economy, a big question is how to separate the economy from politics in its strategy toward China. Germany has long focused on protecting corporate interests in the carmaking, mechanical, electronic and chemical sectors based on the Wandel durch Handel, or Change through trade. China has been Germany’s biggest trade partner over the past seven years with both trade volume and investment on the rise.

But Germany’s stance toward China is changing, as succinctly hinted at by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who recently said, ”China has changed. As a result of this and China’s political decisions, we need to change our approach to China.” After Xi’s third-term in office was confirmed last November, the German chancellor did lead a large-scale economic delegation to Beijing, but he soon accentuated the need for “smart diversification.”

In its first strategy report on dealing with China, Germany in July defined China as a “systemic rival” who prioritizes the interests of a one-party system over the rule-based order. After alarms sounded over sensitive issues — such as China’s human rights repression, a methodical crackdown on spies and disinformation — on the level of national security strategy, Germany put top priority on economic relations with the United States and NATO to tackle such challenges. Germany vowed to stand with other EU members under China’s economic pressure.

To be sure, Germany has no intention to kill the cow that still provides milk, as it cannot simply brush off the gargantuan Chinese market. But once practicality outweighs values, it starts to get out of control. If order-cherishing Germany collapses, Europe crumbles. As Germany alone cannot deal with China, it desperately needs reliable countries within the boundaries of Europe and beyond. As a result, the importance of Korea and Japan as partners to Germany and other members of the EU for technology and the rule of law grows.

China wants to divide Europe by weaponizing its still-attractive market and investment, while Europe continues to devise countermeasures, separately or together. The war between China and Europe is ongoing. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a hardliner on China, provoked a rage from China’s Foreign Ministry after she called Xi a “dictator” on par with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier, the EU forewarned a trade dispute with China by announcing its plan to impose tariffs on Beijing’s subsidy for Chinese electric vehicles. China and Europe are attacking one another before the imminent danger of economic recession.

If values and alliance converge, negotiating power grows. Based on bilateral relations, no country can deal with China effectively. A West sharing the same values is not united as solidly as before. The United States alone cannot lead the West, and Europe can’t, either.

They need partners. The United States and Japan — and Europe and Korea — need each other. The West is certainly not an entity based on substance, and Korea must not cheer itself for being a proud member of the West. Rather, Korea may have to fight apparent resistance against a new alliance based on values like democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, possibly at the cost of economic losses.

Korea also needs economic relations with the non-Western countries, including the BRICS. But for some countries, values themselves become national interests. While there are countries who desperately need a security alliance to safeguard their freedom and democracy, there are others whose trade systems or rule of law help ensure economic interests. For some countries who earned freedom and human rights after shedding blood over a long time, the values themselves become principles they must keep at any cost.

Korea’s China strategy must start with making clear what values and principles the country must keep. Practical tactics in detail can derive from it. A nation’s integrity and its partnership depends on whether it has such values and principles. Expedient pragmatism cannot last long. Instead, expanded solidarity based on firm value diplomacy can reinforce Korea’s positioning in dealing with China based on the rule of law. Europe and Korea certainly can share their worries to find an answer.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

12. S. Korean family fleeing Gaza departs for Seoul via Egypt

S. Korean family fleeing Gaza departs for Seoul via Egypt

koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · November 6, 2023

By Yonhap

Published : Nov. 6, 2023 - 09:41

A South Korean family of five members rides in a vehicle to head to a lodging facility in Cairo on Thursday, after crossing into Egypt through the Rafah border from Gaza, amid the armed conflict between Israel and the Islamic militant Hamas group. (Yonhap)

A South Korean family, who fled the besieged Gaza Strip to Egypt, left for Seoul earlier this week.

The family of five, who had been living in Gaza for more than seven years, safely crossed into Egypt on Thursday via the Rafah border in an evacuation from the war-torn region. They are known to be a South Korean woman, her naturalized husband of Palestinian descent and their three children.

Following a three-day stay in Egypt, the family departed Cairo International Airport late Sunday and is set to arrive in South Korea after a stopover in another country. The family declined an interview request at the airport. (Yonhap)

koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · November 6, 2023

13. Hamas Leader: 'Alliance' With North Korea a Way to Strike US

Excerpts:

"The day may come, when North Korea intervenes, because it is, after all, part of [our] alliance," Barakeh reportedly boasted Thursday, pointing to North Korea's reported claims of having a nuclear-loaded intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

North Korean support for Palestinian terror groups is not new and weapons used by Hamas have been tied to Kim Jong Un's regime, according to the report.

"North Korea has long supported Palestinian groups, and North Korean arms have previously been documented amongst interdicted supplies," weapons expert N.R. Jenzen-Jones told The Associated Press.

Hamas Leader: 'Alliance' With North Korea a Way to Strike US

Ad 1 of 1

00:13

By Eric Mack | Sunday, 05 November 2023 01:45 PM EST

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/hamas-north-korea-nuclear/2023/11/05/id/1141069/

A Hamas terrorist leader is claiming the "alliance" with North Korea will advance the anti-U.S. axis in the East, giving it a way to strike the U.S. mainland in ways Hamas or Iran cannot.

The Biden administration has U.S. military assets in the Middle East that can be targeted by Iran, Hamas' Beirut-based leader Ali Barakeh noted in an interview this week, but North Korea's entering the war could help the terrorists strike the U.S., The Times of Israel reported Sunday.

"The day may come, when North Korea intervenes, because it is, after all, part of [our] alliance," Barakeh reportedly boasted Thursday, pointing to North Korea's reported claims of having a nuclear-loaded intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

North Korean support for Palestinian terror groups is not new and weapons used by Hamas have been tied to Kim Jong Un's regime, according to the report.

"North Korea has long supported Palestinian groups, and North Korean arms have previously been documented amongst interdicted supplies," weapons expert N.R. Jenzen-Jones told The Associated Press.

Hamas leadership is deepening ties to all U.S. rivals worldwide, including Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China, according to Barakeh.

"Today, all of America's enemies – or all those shown enmity by the U.S. – are growing closer," he said this week, according to the Times. "Today, Russia contacts us on a daily basis. The Chinese sent envoys to Doha, and China and Russia met with the leaders of Hamas. A Hamas delegation traveled to Moscow, and soon, a delegation will travel to Beijing."

South Korean and U.S. troops have been conducting live-fire exercises in late October to hone their ability to respond to potential "Hamas-style surprise artillery attacks" by North Korea, according to South Korea's military.

The two forces regularly conduct live-fire and other training, but the late-October drills come after Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on Israel raised security jitters in South Korea, which shares the world's most heavily fortified border with rival North Korea.

In a simulated response to "the enemy's [possible] Hamas-style surprise artillery attacks," the exercises practiced strikes designed to "remove the origins of the enemy's long-range artillery provocations at an early date," South Korea’s Ground Operations Command said in a statement.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Don’t be concerned over one million artillery shells North Korea sent Russia, only 4% are in working condition – Dykyi

news.yahoo.com · by The New Voice of UkraineNovember 5, 2023 at 7:24 AM·2 min read408Link Copied

The one million artillery shells that North Korea sent to Russia should not cause undue concern, former Aidar Battalion company commander Yevhen Dykyi told Radio NV on Nov. 3.

Russia produces about 1.1 million shells a year, and North Korea has sent almost the same number to Russia, "but… one million European or American shells and one million North Korean shells, as they say in my beloved Odesa, are two very big differences [in quality]."

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un "decided to flex his muscles" and ordered 2,400 shells to be fired at a deserted island in 2020.

"Of those 2,400 shells, only 400 reached the island. And of those 400, about 80 exploded. So now we take the quality of Korean production [into consideration], 4% of the shells fired actually exploded where they were supposed to. Now, we multiply one million by 4%, and we get what kind of real help comrade Un was able to give comrade Putin," Dykyi explained, suggesting that North Korea only provided Russia with about 40,000 working shells.

Dykyi suggested that the Pyongyang instructors may have come along with the shells because "Russian artillerymen may simply be afraid to use these ‘masterpieces of the neighboring defense industr’y because it is not known how many of them exploded right in the guns.”

North Korea sent more than one million artillery shells to Russia, which are expected to supply Russia for about two months, reported Bloomberg on Nov. 1.

Over the past two months, Russian ships have repeatedly picked up cargo from North Korea and delivered it to a Russian military port, new satellite images published on Oct. 16 by the Washington Post show.

Pyongyang has reportedly supplied Moscow with artillery shells and Katyusha-type rockets.

North Korea may have supplied Russia with short-range ballistic missiles and portable anti-aircraft missiles in addition to artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Nov 2, citing a senior South Korean military official. Pyongyang may have also have supplied other weapons to Russia, including T-series tank ammunition, anti-tank guided missiles, rocket launchers, rifles and machine guns, and possibly short-range ballistic missiles.

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine

news.yahoo.com · by The New Voice of UkraineNovember 5, 2023 at 7:24 AM·2 min read408Link Copied

15. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ A recent report on conditions at farms (5) Telescopic lens captures conditions in farming communities – 2 The highly-fortified border is akin to a disputed zone…why?

＜Inside N. Korea＞ A recent report on conditions at farms (5) Telescopic lens captures conditions in farming communities – 2 The highly-fortified border is akin to a disputed zone…why? (10 photos)

asiapress.org

＜Inside N. Korea＞ A recent report on conditions at farms (1) The harvest is better than last year, but lack of materials remains a serious problem (4 recent photos)

North Korea’s fortifications along the China-North Korea border are so heavy that one could confuse the area with one in dispute between the two countries. Across the river from North Korea, however, is China, the country’s biggest ally. The Kim Jong-un regime intensified security along the Yalu and Tumen rivers starting in 2020, ostensibly as part of efforts to block the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The regime’s real aim, however, has been to prevent its people from fleeing or crossing over into China. In late September, ASIAPRESS commissioned a Chinese reporting partner to approach a farming area in Sakju County, North Pyongan Province, to take photographs that show conditions inside North Korea. (KANG Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro)

◆ A multi-layered security network aimed at keeping North Koreans inside their country

ASIAPRESS obtained testimony from a security guard in regards to the security situation along the border as shown in the photographs taken in late September. “A,” a noncommissioned officer in the border patrol, is tasked with guarding the upstream area of the Yalu River. A reporting partner in Yanggang Province met with him in August. Starting in July, North Korean authorities loosened restrictions on movement put in place due to the pandemic, which allowed soldiers to leave their bases. “A” is a veteran border guard in his late 20s.

The testimony provided by “A” about the conditions in his area may be different from how security is managed in the places photographed in late September. Below, brackets have been used to delineate testimony given by “A.”

The captions show the different structures and equipment near a border patrol guard post. The Yalu River flows below.

◆ Are surveillance cameras and electrified barbed-wire fences really operating?

Photo 1 shows a facility near a border patrol post. The Yalu River flows right below the sentry post, and the photo shows that people can’t approach the river very easily due to multiple layers of barriers. Surveillance cameras appear to be used to conduct surveillance over a wide area.

According to “A,” [surveillance cameras are operating 24-hours a day. Specialists are monitoring the cameras at places where many people cross, and videos are recorded so they can be sent up the line to superiors].

The photographs clearly show that high-voltage wires have been installed alongside barbed-wire fencing. Are the wires really electrified, particularly given that North Korea has a poor electricity situation?

“A” told the ASIAPRESS reporting partner that [the electricity situation is very bad, but electricity does flow through the barbed wires at arbitrary times, so even guards fear the wires. On rainy days, guards avoid going toward the barbed wire fencing because they’re afraid of getting electrocuted.]

The reporting partner in Yanggang Province said that “the authorities sometimes tell local people to stop children from going near the barbed wires to avoid electrocution.”

A surveillance post is seen in the middle of a field. The post appears to be guarding against crop thieves and people crossing the border given that it is facing the Yalu River.

A closeup of Photo 2. The structure is made of tree branches and leaves, suggesting that it is manned by a member of the paramilitary “Worker and Farmer Red Brigade,” not the border patrol. This paramilitary force also surveils soldiers for problematic activities.

◆ Civilian paramilitary units watch over border patrol

Photos 2 and 3 show a sentry post built in the middle of a field. The sentry post appears to be guarding against thieves and people crossing the border given that it is facing the Yalu River. The structure is poorly made with tree branches and leaves, suggesting that it is manned by a member of the paramilitary “Worker-Peasant Red Guards,” not the border patrol.

Thus, the person manning the sentry post is a farmer. In the past, there were many cases where border guards took bribes from local people to turn a blind eye to border crossings and smuggling, so one of the farmer’s tasks is to surveil the activities of border guards.

What appears to be a “No. 10 Checkpoint,” which is run by the Ministry of State Security. The guard post mainly checks people’s IDs, movement passes, and cell phones.

A closeup of Photo 4. The passengers are probably office workers, but a defector who saw the photos remarked that the passengers could be “cadres from Pyongyang or Sinuiju or trade company workers.”

◆ Camera lens captures an inspection

Photos 4 and 5 show a soldier inspecting a vehicle. The sentry post is a “No. 10 guard post,” which is run by the Ministry of State Security. Passengers from the taxi stopped at the sentry post have left the vehicle to be inspected one-by-one by a guard. The passengers appear to be office workers, but a defector who saw the photos remarked that the passengers could be “cadres from Pyongyang or Sinuiju or trade company workers.” No. 10 guard posts inspect people’s IDs, travel passes, and cell phones.

Photo 6 shows a taxi going over a bridge after passing through inspection. Thick barbed-wire fencing can be seen even on the guardrails of the bridge.

A van taxi driving over a bridge. A thick network of barbed-wire fencing can be seen on the bridge’s guardrails.

A multi-layered network of barbed-wire fencing. The field behind the fencing looks like a buffer zone. In 2020, even farmers who want to enter buffer zones must get permission first. The structure in the background appears to be an apartment.

◆ North Koreans are “birds trapped in a birdcage”

Photo 7 shows a multi-layered network of barbed-wire fencing. The field behind the fencing looks like a buffer zone. Even people who are farming nearby must get permission to enter buffer zones. In August 2020, North Korea’s national police agency announced that anyone who entered the buffer zones without permission would be fired upon. The structure in the background appears to be an apartment.

A van taxi driving over a bridge. A thick network of barbed-wire fencing can be seen on the bridge’s guardrails.

Two women riding bicycles on a path next to barbed-wire fencing.

Photos 8 and 9 show women walking or riding bikes around barbed-wire fencing. High voltage fencing and a structure for monitoring the fields for thieves can also be seen. Photo 10 shows a border guard with his back turned toward the camera.

All the photos were taken on the Chinese side of the border across from Sakju County in late September 2023. (ASIAPRESS)

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.

A border patrol guard with his back turned to the camera.

Map of North Korea ( ASIAPRESS)

asiapress.org

16. The Biden Doctrine: Show Strength, Whisper Restraint

Excerpts:

In that way Biden has rediscovered that the US is the one nation in the world that can’t afford to pivot, from Europe or anywhere else, because it’s needed everywhere. As former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once said, and as Biden recently repeated, the US is “the indispensable nation.” Without its leadership, the world would descend into anarchy.

That realization raises a dilemma. The motivation for pivoting — that is, prioritizing and conserving energies through selective retrenchment — was a perception of overstretch. For a long time, America’s strategic plans assumed that the US must be able to win two wars at once. The rise of China as a veritable peer makes that two-war planning iffier — it now has the world’s largest navy and intends to equal the US in nuclear weapons in about a decade.

Worse, the plausible emergence of a de facto axis between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea renders that posture all but untenable, because it turns a two-front scenario into a multiple-front one. The nuclear weapons wielded by three of the potential axial powers — and, soon, perhaps the fourth — make that situation even scarier.

That prospect is what worries a bipartisan congressional commission that’s just released its report on the “strategic posture” America needs in this complicated new world. It calls on the US to invest huge sums in its conventional military, to be able to deter or defeat Russia, China, North Korea and Iran all at once, and in all domains from sea to space. The alternative would be to expand America’s nuclear arsenal so vastly that it could, in theory, match Russia and China escalating in concert. But that would mean starting a new arms race.

A dire outlook, to be sure. Better, therefore, to buy time and keep regional wars from getting out of control or becoming entangled with one another.

This logic explains why Biden no longer seeks to retrench from any region, but is trying instead to keep America’s foes and friends alike from escalating. That’s true from the South China Sea to Crimea and now Gaza. If there’s an emerging Biden doctrine, it might be a twist on Teddy Roosevelt’s famous phrase: Carry a big stick, and whisper restraint to your allies.

The Biden Doctrine: Show Strength, Whisper Restraint

The US will support its allies, from Israel and Ukraine to the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea. It just doesn’t want to become their hostage.

November 2, 2023 at 5:00 AM EDT

By Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-11-02/the-biden-doctrine-show-strength-whisper-restraint?sref=hhjZtX76

Ever since Hamas went on its sadistic rampage last month, US President Joe Biden has skillfully played a role he never asked for: restrainer. Publicly, he’s expressed America’s steely determination to support Israel and deter Iran and others from widening the war. Privately, he’s been telling the Israeli allies that they must be proportionate in their response, lest a disastrous situation turn apocalyptic.

As the body count in Gaza increases, that balancing act is becoming harder to maintain. In that way, the situation in the Middle East — where Biden also needs the Saudis and various other difficult protagonists to show restraint — is beginning to resemble US foreign policy globally.

BloombergOpinion

Pacific Islands Want a Climate Solution. The US Isn’t Listening

Tata and Vedanta Offer India Lessons in Industrial Policy

How Japan Became the Land That the Energy Transition Forgot

Jeff Bezos Isn’t Your Average Florida Retiree, But He’s Close

Look at Eastern Europe. If the US hadn’t taken the lead in supporting Kyiv against the genocidal and neo-imperialist aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Europeans and other Western allies would have dropped off by now. Ukraine might well be under Putin’s boot, with Moldova and other former Soviet Republics — perhaps even the Baltic NATO members — in the Kremlin’s sights.

Throughout his stalwart stand with Kyiv, however, Biden has also been murmuring into the ear of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he must restrain his war strategy, to keep the Russo-Ukrainian conflict from becoming a Moscow-NATO clash or even World War III. That approach has dictated which weapons the US has supplied at which time, and therefore also the armaments provided by European allies such as Germany, which take their cues from Washington.1

Biden’s public message to Kyiv has been: We’ll never dictate your strategy or foist compromises or peace negotiations on you. The private message has been: Defend Ukrainian soil, but don’t massively threaten Russia itself, or Putin personally.

Something subtler but similar is happening in East Asia. There the US has been counseling its South Korean allies to incorporate plans for a relatively limited counter strike against North Korea in the event of an attack by Kim Jong Un, the dictator of Pyongyang. The American fear — as in the clash with Putin — is that Kim might react to the superiority of the US and its allies in conventional firepower with a tactical nuclear strike, which would make subsequent escalation imponderable.

The pattern holds from Taiwan to the Philippines. In both places, Biden publicly warns China not to kindle, while privately telling Taipei and Manila not to provoke.

All over the world, the former superpower is increasingly turning into a super restrainer. The reason for this evolution is that reality keeps forcing the US, and Biden, to adjust the country’s grand strategy.

The big idea during the Obama administration, in which Biden was vice president, was a “pivot” in US foreign policy. The plan was gradually to expend less diplomatic, military and strategic energy in Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world, and more in Asia, where the US faced its biggest challenger, China. But Putin, the Iranian mullahs and other rogues and villains kept disrupting their respective neighborhoods, causing geopolitical problems only the US can contain.

In that way Biden has rediscovered that the US is the one nation in the world that can’t afford to pivot, from Europe or anywhere else, because it’s needed everywhere. As former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once said, and as Biden recently repeated, the US is “the indispensable nation.” Without its leadership, the world would descend into anarchy.

That realization raises a dilemma. The motivation for pivoting — that is, prioritizing and conserving energies through selective retrenchment — was a perception of overstretch. For a long time, America’s strategic plans assumed that the US must be able to win two wars at once. The rise of China as a veritable peer makes that two-war planning iffier — it now has the world’s largest navy and intends to equal the US in nuclear weapons in about a decade.

Worse, the plausible emergence of a de facto axis between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea renders that posture all but untenable, because it turns a two-front scenario into a multiple-front one. The nuclear weapons wielded by three of the potential axial powers — and, soon, perhaps the fourth — make that situation even scarier.

That prospect is what worries a bipartisan congressional commission that’s just released its report on the “strategic posture” America needs in this complicated new world. It calls on the US to invest huge sums in its conventional military, to be able to deter or defeat Russia, China, North Korea and Iran all at once, and in all domains from sea to space. The alternative would be to expand America’s nuclear arsenal so vastly that it could, in theory, match Russia and China escalating in concert. But that would mean starting a new arms race.

A dire outlook, to be sure. Better, therefore, to buy time and keep regional wars from getting out of control or becoming entangled with one another.

This logic explains why Biden no longer seeks to retrench from any region, but is trying instead to keep America’s foes and friends alike from escalating. That’s true from the South China Sea to Crimea and now Gaza. If there’s an emerging Biden doctrine, it might be a twist on Teddy Roosevelt’s famous phrase: Carry a big stick, and whisper restraint to your allies.