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Quotes of the Day:
"Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free."
– Jim Morrison
"Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear."
– Albert Camus
"I tell people, make a list of 10 things you hate and tear them down in a short story or poem. Make a list of 10 things you love and celebrate them. When I wrote Fahrenheit 451 I hated book burners and I loved libraries. So there you are."
– Ray Bradbury
1. N. Korea fires suspected short-range ballistic missile toward East Sea: JCS
2. Russia defends N. Korea's missile launch as 'legitimate right'
3. Lee's approval rating rises to 63 pct on diplomacy, APEC summit: poll
4. S. Korea calls for efforts to strengthen positive cycle of bilateral progress with Japan
5. Korea-US joint fact sheet delayed amid final wording adjustments on security issues
6. Pyongyang Papers, mystery site monitoring North Korea sanctions, goes offline
7. Google says North Korean cybercriminals have stepped up ‘misuse’ of its AI tools
8. North Korean hackers spread malware from a defector’s messaging app, police say
9. Activists launch panel to repatriate North Korean POWs held in Ukraine
10. Seoul, Washington alter wording on U.S. forces in Korea
11. US unit tasked with intercepting North Korean missiles returns from Middle East
12. Nuclear sub being built in Korea has been discussed: official
13. North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile, Seoul says
14. 75 years with Eighth US Army
1. N. Korea fires suspected short-range ballistic missile toward East Sea: JCS
Summary:
North Korea fired a suspected short-range ballistic missile from Taegwan County toward the East Sea on Nov. 7, flying about 700 km. The launch is its sixth this year and followed new U.S. sanctions targeting North Korean cybercrimes. Seoul and Washington detected the test in advance amid Pyongyang’s warnings of “proper measures” against U.S. “hostility.”
Comment: What signal is KJU trying to send? Political warfare and blackmail diplomacy? Displeasure over new sanctions? Does he think this will drive the US to talks? Or is this simply a test to advance their missile program and not a message at all? Or is the ROK, US, and the international community simply shrugging shoulders and saying this is only the sixth test of the year (remember when they conducted nearly 70 tests a few years ago?)
(3rd LD) N. Korea fires suspected short-range ballistic missile toward East Sea: JCS | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · November 7, 2025
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251027003253315?section=nk/nk
(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; ADDS more details throughout)
By Lee Minji and Kim Hyun-soo
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- North Korea launched one suspected short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Friday, South Korea's military said, a day after the North warned of proper measures against the latest U.S. sanctions on Pyongyang.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from near Taegwan County in North Phyongan Province at 12:35 p.m., without providing further details.
The missile flew about 700 kilometers before splashing into the sea, the JCS said, adding further analysis is under way with the U.S. side to determine its specifications.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities detected signs of the North's missile launch preparations in advance and had been closely monitoring the situation, it added, noting relevant information has been shared with the U.S. and Japan.
North Korea fires a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile on Jan. 6, 2025, in this file photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
The North last fired short-range ballistic missiles northeastward on Oct. 22 ahead of South Korea's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the country.
Friday's launch also marked the sixth ballistic missile launch by the North this year and second since the administration of President Lee Jae Myung took office in June.
The move came a day after North Korea denounced the latest U.S. sanctions on eight North Korean individuals and two entities over cybercrime-related money laundering.
North Korea slammed the U.S. sanctions as reaffirming Washington's hostile policy toward Pyongyang, vowing to take proper measures with patience.
Washington's fresh sanctions came even as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his wish to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to resume stalled diplomacy with Pyongyang.
Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department also said it is seeking U.N. sanctions on seven ships accused of illegally exporting North Korean coal and iron ore to China in violation of U.N. Security Council sanctions over the North's nuclear and missile programs.
mlee@yna.co.kr
sookim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · November 7, 2025
2. Russia defends N. Korea's missile launch as 'legitimate right'
Comment: The "Dark Quad" or CRInK defends its members.
Russia defends N. Korea's missile launch as 'legitimate right' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · November 7, 2025
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251107011700315
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- Russia on Friday defended North Korea's latest launch of a ballistic missile as its "legitimate right," a media report said Friday, in yet another sign of deepening alignment between the two countries.
"We respect the legitimate right of our friends in North Korea to ensure their own security and take the necessary measures to do so," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to Russia's RIA Novosti.
Peskov was also quoted as saying that Russia only welcomes peacekeeping measures on the Korean Peninsula that aligns with North Korea's interests.
The remarks by the Kremlin official came just hours after South Korea's military said North Korea had launched a suspected short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea earlier in the day. It marked the North's sixth ballistic missile launch this year.
On Thursday, North Korea slammed the latest U.S. sanctions on eight North Korean individuals and two entities over cybercrime-related money laundering and vowed to take "proper measures" against the move.
This Oct. 23, 2025, Reuters file photo shows the Kremlin (L) in Moscow. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · November 7, 2025
3. Lee's approval rating rises to 63 pct on diplomacy, APEC summit: poll
Comment: This is the "APEC bump." How long will it remain at this level? The Korean electorate is fickle and they seem to always soon turn against their Presidents.
Lee's approval rating rises to 63 pct on diplomacy, APEC summit: poll | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Yi Wonju · November 7, 2025
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251107005100315?section=national/politics
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rose this week to 63 percent, a poll showed Friday, driven by positive assessments of diplomacy and the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering.
In a Gallup Korea survey of 1,002 adults conducted Tuesday through Thursday, positive evaluation of Lee's performance gained 6 percentage points from the previous week.
It marked the first time in about six weeks that Lee's approval rating has topped the 60 percent mark.
The negative assessment of Lee fell 4 percentage points to 29 percent.
Among the respondents who gave a positive evaluation, 30 percent cited diplomacy, followed by 13 percent the economy and 7 percent the APEC gathering held in Gyeongju last week.
On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Lee held a series of bilateral meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, among others.
During his talks with Trump, the two leaders reached a breakthrough deal finalizing details of Seoul's US$350 billion investment pledge in exchange for lower U.S. tariffs.
The ruling Democratic Party's approval rating stood at 40 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous week while support for the main opposition People Power Party remained unchanged at 26 percent.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
President Lee Jae Myung leaves the National Assembly after delivering the 2026 budget speech in Seoul on Nov. 4, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Yi Wonju · November 7, 2025
4. S. Korea calls for efforts to strengthen positive cycle of bilateral progress with Japan
Comment: we need strong bilateral cooperation to support trilateral cooperation.
S. Korea calls for efforts to strengthen positive cycle of bilateral progress with Japan | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · November 7, 2025
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251107011500315
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- A senior South Korean diplomat on Friday called on Japan to work together to strengthen the positive cycle of bilateral relations between the two countries, as they held their first strategic talks in more than a year.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo made the remark during the 16th strategic dialogue with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, stressing the need for the cooperation in a way that would benefit the peoples of the two countries.
Park said the two governments should "continue close communication to seek solutions to pending bilateral issues, while expanding cooperation in areas that bring tangible benefits to both peoples, thereby reinforcing a virtuous cycle in the development of relations," Seoul's foreign ministry said in a press release.
"They reaffirmed their commitment to advancing bilateral ties and continuing the positive momentum," it said.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo (R) poses with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi during their strategic dialogue at the foreign ministry in Seoul, on Nov. 7, 2025, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
They also shared the view that cooperation between the two sides has become vital in the midst of the complex international landscape where security and the economy are increasingly interconnected.
Funakoshi, in turn, expressed hope to work closely with Seoul to build on the outcome of the recent summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
At their first one-on-one talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Gyeongju last week, Lee and Takaichi shared the need to enhance cooperation in a future-oriented manner.
The two vice ministers also exchanged assessments on recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to maintain close coordination in efforts for peace and stability, based on the shared principle of denuclearization through dialogue and diplomacy.
They also agreed to continue their trilateral partnership with the United States, their mutual ally, and explore new potential areas for further collaboration, the ministry said.
Friday's talks marked the first strategic dialogue held since the leadership changes in both countries.
The talks came as Seoul and Tokyo seek to maintain the positive momentum in the bilateral ties that have dramatically improved over the past two years.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · November 7, 2025
5. Korea-US joint fact sheet delayed amid final wording adjustments on security issues
Summary:
Finalization of the Korea-U.S. joint fact sheet has been delayed due to wording adjustments in the security section and additional U.S. interagency reviews. The document covers tariffs and defense cooperation, including nuclear-powered submarine development. Seoul insists submarines will be built domestically, using U.S. fuel but Korean reactors with lower uranium enrichment.
Comment: I believe the issue is the submarine announcement by POTUS caught the interagency by purpose and now some quick staff work had to be done. As I understand it, nuclear powered submarines were not on any of the agendas, but POTROK took the opportunity to ask POTUS for help in developing them and he said yes. Now the staffs have to catch up. It is more than a DOD/DOW issue. It requires DOE and DOS as well. (at least). The question is whether the bureaucracy is trying to figure out how to walk back the apparent commitment.
Korea-US joint fact sheet delayed amid final wording adjustments on security issues - The Korea Times
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
By Anna J. Park
Published Nov 7, 2025 4:24 pm KST
Updated Nov 7, 2025 5:23 pm KST
Korea to make hull, reactor of nuclear-powered sub, US to supply nuclear fuel: presidential aide
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/20251107/korea-us-joint-fact-sheet-delayed-amid-final-wording-adjustments-on-security-issues
Final adjustments to the joint fact sheet summarizing recent Korea-U.S. summit talks and related negotiations on tariffs and security are taking longer than expected, mainly due to ongoing “language coordination” in the security section, Seoul officials said Friday.
A senior presidential office official told reporters that the release of the document, which had been expected this week, has been delayed amid continued fine-tuning of the text.
According to the official, the document comprises two major parts regarding security and tariffs, with a near-complete draft being prepared. However, “recently, on the U.S. side, there has been an additional interagency review process required by their system, during which some departments requested further input, and that review process has caused some delays," the official said.
“In particular, we needed to incorporate new security-related discussions raised during the Gyeongju summit,” the official added, referring to the bilateral talks between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in late October on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.
He noted that, given the evolving situation, it remains difficult to predict when the joint fact sheet will be finalized.
“The situation continues to change, so we cannot say for certain when it will be completed,” the official said. “Nonetheless, we intend to maintain a consistent stance and continue consultations with patience to ensure that our position is fully reflected.”
Addressing speculation that the upcoming Korea-U.S. fact sheet could be invalidated or subject to renegotiation if the U.S. Supreme Court rules the Trump administration’s tariff policies unconstitutional, the official downplayed such concerns.
“I don’t think it will go that far,” the official said. “It’s unlikely the administration would be rendered powerless by such a ruling, and even if that happens, it wouldn’t automatically nullify the agreement.”
The official also addressed the topic of Korea developing a nuclear-powered submarine. After the summit, Trump approved the development and said the submarine would be built at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, which is owned by Korea's Hanwha Ocean. Under the current bilateral nuclear agreement, Korea is prohibited from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent fuel for military purposes without Washington's consent.
According to the official, throughout the two presidents’ summit talks, it was assumed that Korea would build the submarine hulls and install domestically developed reactors, while the U.S. would supply the nuclear fuel — a difference stance from Trump's statement that the submarines would be constructed in Philadelphia.
“From the beginning to the end of the discussions, the premise was that the submarines would be built in Korea,” the official said. “President Lee also made it clear that we would construct them here. The idea of building them in the U.S. emerged later, which caused some confusion, but during the leaders’ talks, we discussed building them in Korea.”
The official added that Korea aims to develop submarines tailored to its own security needs and maritime environment, rather than adopting the U.S. Virginia-class design.
“We must build a model that offers the best balance between cost and effectiveness, considering Korea’s defense requirements and the geography of our waters,” the official said. “In the case of nuclear-powered submarines, the reactor type determines the level of uranium enrichment. Some use lower-enriched fuel, while the Virginia-class submarines use 90 percent enriched uranium for attack missions. Such capabilities are unnecessary for us and extremely expensive — roughly twice the cost of what we envision.”
The official further clarified that highly enriched uranium would not be required for Korea’s reactors, adding that the country plans to receive nuclear fuel of an appropriate enrichment level from the U.S.
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
6. Pyongyang Papers, mystery site monitoring North Korea sanctions, goes offline
Summary:
The anonymous website Pyongyang Papers, known for exposing North Korea’s sanctions-evasion networks, went offline between August and October 2025. Active since 2018, it published detailed, often accurate investigations mirroring U.N. findings. Its sudden disappearance, with all social media deleted, fueled speculation it was linked to intelligence-driven “information laundering” operations.
Comment: A victim of the regime's all purpose sword?
Pyongyang Papers, mystery site monitoring North Korea sanctions, goes offline
Anonymous project published highly specific reporting on DPRK operations, inviting scrutiny of who was behind it
Chad O'Carroll November 6, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/11/pyongyang-papers-mystery-site-monitoring-north-korea-sanctions-goes-offline/
The last article published by Pyongyang Papers in March 2025 | Image: Screenshot of Pyongyang Papers via Internet Archive
A website that for years anonymously published detailed investigations into North Korea’s global sanctions-evasion networks has quietly disappeared, raising questions about its origins, purpose and funding.
PyongyangPapers.com, which regularly posted the identities of companies, vessels and individuals allegedly involved in illicit trade with the DPRK, went offline between August and October 2025, according to monitoring by NK News. Its accounts on X and Facebook were deleted during the same period.
The site’s final article published in March alleged that DPRK Kangguk Trading General Corporation planned to procure up to 200,000 tons of Russian diesel through Evromarket LLC, a Russian firm.
The shutdown brings an abrupt end to a resource that provided material closely aligned with sanctions-evasion investigations carried out by the U.N. Panel of Experts, national intelligence agencies, corporate compliance teams and maritime risk investigators.
No public announcement accompanied the disappearance, and an email to administrators through previously active email addresses went unanswered as of Wednesday.
A screenshot of an offline notice for the website on Nov 5, 2025 | Image: NK News
A LONG-RUNNING MYSTERY
Pyongyang Papers first appeared in Feb. 2018, according to WHOIS records, with registration details obscured by privacy protection services. The site described itself as a small, informal collective run with the “help of friends and family,” aimed at exposing illicit DPRK financial activity.
The website published content without a byline and invited readers to submit information through anonymous channels.
In previous correspondence with NK News, individuals responding as Pyongyang Papers declined an on-record podcast interview unless they could use a “computerized voice” to conceal their identities. Emails were signed at times by someone calling themselves “Roberto,” who said the group could provide only first names because “some have family within North Korea and China.”
The group also told NK News on multiple occasions that it operated “from South America” and that volunteers ran the site during their “limited free time,” funded by “small donations.” However, a Bitcoin donation QR code displayed on the site for years did not resolve to any functioning wallet, blockchain analysis showed.
Image: Screenshot of Pyongyang Papers, edited by NK News
While much of Pyongyang Papers’ reporting drew on corporate registries, maritime tracking databases and U.N. reports, many entries included specific names, quantities, business registration details and intermediary entities that were not available at the time of publication.
In several instances, similar information later appeared in Panel of Experts reports or was taken up by sanctions analysts due to being exclusive and often accurate.
“Pyongyang Papers has been a useful source to me since my days in the U.N. Panel,” Katsu Furukawa, a former Japanese member of the Panel, told NK News in 2023.
He said he didn’t know who was running the site but called it a “good starting point” for research.
Other analysts confirmed they occasionally observed information on the site that did not appear to originate from the public domain.
George Lopez, a former Panel member, told NK News in 2023 that his team once identified “an individual linked to one such vessel on our radar through a Pyongyang Papers post when the information had not yet appeared in commercial shipping intelligence systems.”
A sanctions researcher at a specialist nonprofit, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject, said around the same time that a Pyongyang Papers report contained information that “only those really, really in-the-know would have access to,” raising questions about how sourcing could have been so accurate.
“Somebody is paying for (the site’s existence),” Lopez said. “Somebody really is interested in digging up dirt and thinks they’re making a contribution.”
The website’s articles were written in concise language using compliance and investigative terminology, and despite claiming to be based in South America, activity on its X account followed a posting rhythm consistent with U.K. business hours, including midday breaks and limited weekend engagement.
The consistency raised questions about the operators’ stated location and led to speculation that Pyongyang Papers served as a channel to “launder” sensitive information sourced from government or intelligence investigations.
Daniel Salisbury, a research fellow at King’s College London focusing on DPRK procurement networks, told NK News in 2023 that the site fit a broader pattern in which nation states sometimes place sensitive information into the public domain through unattributed channels.
“One of the things with open source is that you have an opportunity to indulge in information laundering,” he said. “Governments are able to slip material out, and open-source researchers can become useful vectors that get targeted toward this end.”
An NK News investigation into Pyongyang Papers did not reach a definitive conclusion on who was behind the website.
North Koreans using computers at Pyongyang’s Sci-Tech Complex | Image: NK News (Oct. 2016)
WITHOUT A TRACE
The website appears to have been deliberately dismantled rather than simply abandoned: URLs that previously resolved now display “web server down,” notices and social media handles linked to Pyongyang Papers were deleted rather than left inactive.
The timing also coincides with renewed diplomatic interest by several governments in reopening missions in Pyongyang, though there is no publicly available evidence linking the shutdown to foreign government pressure or strategy.
Experts told NK News they lamented the disappearance of the website.
“Having worked on North Korea’s illicit networks for over a decade, Pyongyang Papers always appeared to have oddly accurate information, for something that was ultimately unsourced, and often on cases we had been working on,” said James Byrne, CEO of Open Source Centre. “Despite the shortcomings, whoever was behind it, helped put useful information into the public sphere on important issues.”
Maiko Takeuchi, a former Japanese member of the Panel of Experts, said the site had been “an important resource for ensuring effective sanctions implementation,” noting “it is unfortunate that it is currently unavailable.”
Edited by Bryan Betts
7. Google says North Korean cybercriminals have stepped up ‘misuse’ of its AI tools
Summary:
Google reported that North Korean cybercriminals are increasingly misusing its AI tool, Gemini, to enhance cryptocurrency theft and malware operations. Groups UNC1069 and UNC4899 used Gemini for research, phishing lures, coding, and multilingual deception. These AI-assisted tactics, including deepfakes, expand Pyongyang’s cyber capabilities to fund its sanctioned weapons programs.
Comment: Will the all purpose sword be used even more aggressively (if that is possible) because of AI?
Google says North Korean cybercriminals have stepped up ‘misuse’ of its AI tools
DPRK threat groups reportedly using Gemini to research targets, craft lures and more, supercharging illicit operations
Shreyas Reddy November 7, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/11/google-says-north-korean-cybercriminals-have-stepped-up-misuse-of-its-ai-tools/
North Koreans using computers | Image: KCTV (May 10, 2024)
North Korean cybercriminals have stepped up their use of Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) assistant Gemini to supercharge their cryptocurrency theft operations and malware attacks, the U.S. search giant reported Thursday.
In its new “AI Threat Tracker” report, the Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said North Korean state-sponsored threat actors have continued their “misuse” of generative AI tools to enhance all stages of their operations.
One such group, classified by Google as UNC1069 (also known as MASAN and CryptoCore), used Gemini to research cryptocurrency concepts and locate data related to targets’ virtual currency wallet applications.
This financially motivated cybercrime group has been active since at least 2018, according to the Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant, and some of its activities have previously been tracked as operations carried out by the Pyongyang-backed Lazarus Group.
In Thursday’s report, GTIG highlighted UNC1069’s extensive use of social engineering tactics to steal cryptocurrency, notably through the harvesting of users’ credentials and the use of computer maintenance-related language in phishing lures.
The threat group used Gemini to create lure material and other messages related to cryptocurrency, as well as to overcome language barriers by generating Spanish-language work excuses and requests to reschedule meetings.
In the later stages of the campaign, the group also attempted to use Gemini to develop code to steal virtual currency and “craft fraudulent instructions” mimicking a software update to extract user credentials, GTIG said.
The cryptocurrency focus is a hallmark of various North Korean cybercrime groups, which have increasingly targeted virtual currency services to circumvent international sanctions and raise funds for the regime’s nuclear and missile programs.s
UNC1069 also employed deepfake images and video lures impersonating individuals in the cryptocurrency industry to deceive potential targets into installing BIGMACHO, a backdoor granting the attackers access to victims’ systems, according to GTIG.
After luring in their targets, the group prompted them to download and install a malicious software package purporting to be the video conferencing tool Zoom.
North Korean actors have previously been observed using deepfake image and video generators to mask their identities, with some overseas IT workers even using real-time deepfake technology during interviews to fool recruiters.
Google also observed another North Korean threat group, UNC4899 (aka PUKCHONG), using Gemini to develop code, improve their tools and research exploits to take advantage of vulnerabilities.
The group has a history of supply chain attacks targeting services linked to cryptocurrency firms’ development cycles, and GTIG said the threat group appears to be targeting web browsers, as well as “edge devices” that provide entry points into victims’ core networks.
Google said it has disabled both threat groups’ accounts and reinforced defenses.
Over the past two years, Google and other firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic — the parent companies of AI assistants ChatGPT and Claude, respectively — have banned DPRK-linked accounts on multiple occasions.
In the previous cases, North Korean actors used AI tools largely for research and reconnaissance on targets and strategic sectors such as nuclear energy, improving phishing lures, malicious code and communication and securing jobs under false identities.
Notably, recent reports suggest the use of generative AI tools has not only allowed skilled cybercriminals to enhance their operations, but enabled less adept operatives to overcome technical and linguistic barriers, greatly expanding the scale of Pyongyang’s cyber operations.
Edited by Bryan Betts
8. North Korean hackers spread malware from a defector’s messaging app, police say
Summary:
South Korean police say North Korean hackers from the Kimsuky group hijacked defector Kim Eun-ju’s KakaoTalk account to spread malware to over 30 contacts, mainly human-rights activists. The attack followed her UN speech condemning Pyongyang. Hackers accessed her data, erased traces, and targeted defectors via multiple messaging platforms.
Comment: Everyone is vulnerable of course to north Korea cyber attacks,,but I fear our escapee friends are especially targeted for obvious reasons. We should remember that no system is secure.
North Korean hackers spread malware from a defector’s messaging app, police say
‘They took everything,’ South Korea-based activist tells NK News after suspected Kimsuky cyberattack
Jooheon Kim November 6, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/11/north-korean-hackers-spread-malware-from-a-defectors-messaging-app-police-say/
North Korean workers at their computers | Image: KCNA (May 15, 2022)
The notorious North Korean cyber syndicate Kimsuky is suspected of taking control of a North Korean defector’s messenger account earlier this year to send malicious files to her contacts, South Korean police said Thursday.
According to a national security cyber investigation official from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, the cybercriminals sent the messages in September from Kim Eun-ju’s KakaoTalk account to more than 30 of her contacts.
Each message included a file and a note reading, “This file contains stress-relief methods, please open it.”
Kim, who escaped from North Korea and now works for the Canada-based nonprofit HanVoice, gave a speech at the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) in May testifying about Pyongyang’s systematic human rights abuses.
During the investigation, police determined that the malware’s design and structure matched those typically used by North Korean cybercriminals. Kim found out about the incident after one of her acquaintances who received the suspicious message contacted her.
“We suspect the attack was carried out by Kimsuky,” the official said, noting that there have been other cases of cyberattacks targeting North Korean defectors.
“The messages were sent from a computer to more than 30 people and Kim’s phone was reset to its factory settings around that time,” the official said. “As far as I know, this was the first time they had hacked someone’s smartphone to render it unusable and then spread malware via the PC version of KakaoTalk.”
Kim believes the cybercriminals also went through data in her Google Drive and KakaoTalk.
“They were so meticulous that they even erased traces of the reset and emptied the trash after going through it,” she told NK News on Thursday.
North Korean defector Kim Eun-ju testifies about human rights violations in the DPRK at the U.N. General Assembly on May 20, 2025. | Images: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea
Most of the recipients of the file were leaders of North Korean human rights organizations and fellow defectors, according to Kim. The police said none of them ultimately downloaded the file.
“I feel anxious because I believe I have to live with an invisible danger that I may have to carry for the rest of my life,” she said. “They took everything — my home address, photos of my children, even my resident registration number.”
The investigation into the case is still ongoing, but Kim said she didn’t put much stock in authorities’ promise to increase protection for defectors.
“Nothing has really changed — they will just call me a bit more often,” she said.
Kim speculated that the DPRK targeted her because of her UNGA speech. At the time, she condemned North Korea for deploying troops to assist Russia’s war in Ukraine and spoke about her own experience with human trafficking in China during her defection.
Ju Su-yun, another North Korean defector, told NK News that her husband was also a target in a Kimsuky attack, with an acquaintance offering to send photos from when he was younger and asking him to open a photo file on WeChat.
In a separate case in Feb. 2024, “someone claiming to be a reporter contacted my husband via Telegram, saying they wanted his feedback on North Korean human rights issues and sent him a file to open,” she said. “The police later confirmed that it was sent by Kimsuky.”
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.
Various countries have stepped up efforts to curb these activities, targeting North Korea’s crypto thefts, malware campaigns and attempts to generate revenue through remote IT work for foreign firms.
However, cracking down on these operations remains difficult. North Korea is believed to depend on a worldwide network of DPRK nationals and “foreign-based facilitators” to conduct cyber operations in China, Russia, Argentina, Cambodia, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.
Edited by David Choi
9. Activists launch panel to repatriate North Korean POWs held in Ukraine
Summary:
North Korean defectors and human rights activists launched the Emergency Committee for the Free Repatriation of North Korean Soldiers to help two DPRK POWs in Ukraine defect to South Korea. Led by ex-diplomat Tae Yong-ho, the group urges Seoul and international organizations to secure their safe transfer under constitutional and humanitarian grounds.
Comment: Human rights are a moral imperative and a national security issue. Just like in the 1953 Armistice, POWs should have a choice about repatriation. And it is morally reprehensible to force a POW to return to a totalitarian regime when we know he will face certain punishment, torture, and possibly death. Recall that during the nearly 2 years of Armistice negotiations the biggest obstacle was agreement on repatriation of POWs.
Activists launch panel to repatriate North Korean POWs held in Ukraine
Organizers say they will lean on local networks and governments to help DPRK soldiers captured fighting for Russia
Jooheon Kim November 7, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/11/activists-launch-panel-to-repatriate-north-korean-pows-held-in-ukraine/
High-profile North Korean defector Tae Yong-ho (third from left) announces the launch of the committee together with defectors and human rights activists. | Image: Emergency Committee for the Free Repatriation of North Korean Soldiers (Nov. 7, 2025)
North Korean defectors and human rights activists have launched a committee to facilitate the defection of the two DPRK prisoners of war held in Ukraine, after both soldiers reportedly expressed their wish to resettle in South Korea.
The Emergency Committee for the Free Repatriation of North Korean Soldiers will rely on local networks and work with governments and international organizations to track the prisoners’ safety and ensure their safe defection to South Korea, the committee’s Secretary-General Jang Se-yul told NK News after a press briefing on Friday.
The two DPRK soldiers were among the thousands of troops deployed to help oust Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk region last year. They have been in Ukrainian custody since at least January.
Both soldiers told a South Korean documentary producer they wanted to resettle in the South last month, Jang previously told NK News. He said the two POWs are considered psychologically unstable so they are sharing a room, adding that the soldiers were “very lonely.”
“Because the government is not actively helping to bring them to South Korea, we are stepping in,” Jang said, adding that the two soldiers would likely be severely punished by North Korean authorities for the dishonor in being captured alive.
The committee is led by high-profile North Korean defector Tae Yong-ho, a former DPRK diplomat who served as an ROK lawmaker until last year.
“The Lee Jae-myung administration should officially recognize these two individuals as South Korean citizens and negotiate with the Ukrainian side to ensure their free transfer to South Korea,” he said during the press briefing.
Tae stressed that under South Korea’s Constitution, North Korean POWs are also ROK citizens and that protecting their human rights and bringing them to the South is a “constitutional mandate.”
He also called for the involvement of international organizations, such as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and said that protecting their lives is the “shared responsibility of the international community.”
Defector-turned-lawyer Lee Young-hyeon will handle legal procedures involving organizations like the U.N. and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The new committee operates under the NGO Council for North Korean Human Rights, a global network of over 70 NGOs from countries that include the U.S., France, Germany and Ukraine.
The fate of the two North Korean POWs has attracted global attention. President Volodymyr Zelensky initially suggested that Kyiv might consider exchanging the captives for Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia.
Following reports that one of the POWs wished to resettle in South Korea rather than be repatriated, Seoul expressed its willingness to accept him, though experts cautioned that legal hurdles could complicate the process.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul previously told NK News that Kyiv strictly follows its international obligations and carefully evaluates official requests from Seoul concerning the captured North Korean soldiers, noting that the case is currently under review.
DPRK sent thousands of troops to Russia starting Oct. 2024 to support operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk under a mutual defense agreement. Pyongyang has subsequently deployed additional military personnel to assist with reconstruction efforts and has also supplied substantial quantities of weapons and ammunition to support Moscow’s military campaign.
Edited by Bryan Betts
10. Seoul, Washington alter wording on U.S. forces in Korea
Summary:
Seoul and Washington replaced “maintaining the current level” of U.S. Forces Korea with “maintaining the defense posture” in their joint statement, signaling possible troop flexibility while preserving alliance stability.
Excerpt:
A military source said, “Until the final stage of the SCM discussions, South Korea strongly requested that the statement include language about maintaining the current level of U.S. Forces Korea.” However, the U.S. reportedly objected, prompting both countries to seek a compromise to avoid renewed controversy over possible alliance discord. The phrase “maintaining the defense posture” appears to reflect a middle ground between the two sides.
Comment: It is not the numbers, it is the capabilities. We have to stop counting troop numbers especially when people discussing such numbers have no idea what are the capabilities are. And the military must do a good job of explaining why capabilities are more important than numbers (and political leaders as well). But the bottom line is that any change to numbers should not be automatically interpreted as a reduction in commitment.
Seoul, Washington alter wording on U.S. forces in Korea
Posted November. 07, 2025 07:15,
Updated November. 07, 2025 07:15
https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20251107/5947066/1
The joint statement issued after the annual Security Consultative Meeting, the highest-level defense dialogue between South Korea and the United States, reportedly includes language affirming that U.S. Forces Korea will be continuously maintained to uphold the Republic of Korea’s defense posture. The wording replaces last year’s pledge to maintain the current force level of U.S. troops in Korea, prompting speculation that the new language leaves room for possible troop reductions or greater strategic flexibility.
According to multiple military sources on Nov. 6, Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth included the new wording in the joint statement following their Nov. 4 meeting at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul. From 2008 through 2019, the SCM statement consistently stated that “U.S. Forces Korea will be maintained at the current level.” However, the phrase was omitted in 2020, the final year of former President Donald Trump’s first term. The Biden administration later reinstated the language, emphasizing the “continued maintenance of the current force level.” In the first SCM under Trump’s second term, the latest statement replaced “maintaining the current level” with “maintaining the defense posture.”
A military source said, “Until the final stage of the SCM discussions, South Korea strongly requested that the statement include language about maintaining the current level of U.S. Forces Korea.” However, the U.S. reportedly objected, prompting both countries to seek a compromise to avoid renewed controversy over possible alliance discord. The phrase “maintaining the defense posture” appears to reflect a middle ground between the two sides.
Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com
11. US unit tasked with intercepting North Korean missiles returns from Middle East
Summary.
A U.S. Patriot missile unit, the 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, returned to South Korea after a six-month CENTCOM deployment. Their mission against Middle Eastern threats raised questions about U.S. troop roles on the peninsula. Officials stress flexibility while deterring Pyongyang; the unit gained valuable real-world combat experience.
Comment: Proof of concept? We have deployed forces from Korea many times over the years. (though they don't always return (BCT to Iraq in 2004). But the US must be able to employ its forces where and when necessary while still sustaining its commitments. The press, public, and pundits cannot interpret every action as somehow a reduction of commitment.
US unit tasked with intercepting North Korean missiles returns from Middle East
Redeployment of Patriot battery raised questions about whether US was redefining the role of troops on peninsula
David Choi November 7, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/11/us-unit-tasked-with-intercepting-north-korean-missiles-returns-from-middle-east/
Patriot missile launchers during a training exercise in South Korea | Image: US Army (March 18, 2023)
American soldiers tasked with defending against North Korean missiles with Patriot interceptors recently returned to the peninsula after a six-month combat deployment around the Middle East, U.S. Forces Korea announced Wednesday.
Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment of Eighth Army arrived at Osan Air Base in South Korea on Oct. 30 after being deployed to an unspecified area overseen by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), according to a USFK news release.
CENTCOM is the U.S. combatant command overseeing 21 countries between northeast Africa and the Middle East, and local media previously reported that the unit was sent to the Middle East.
The unit’s deployment earlier this year prompted questions about whether the U.S. was redefining the role of its 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to deter the North.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a joint press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul on Tuesday said Washington will retain its “flexibility” using its troops to tackle regional threats while simultaneously deterring Pyongyang.
The battalion is primarily tasked with defending U.S. assets in South Korea from aerial threats, such as ballistic missiles, using the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile defense system. Depending on the system’s variant, Patriot interceptors can destroy incoming missiles by nearby detonation or direct contact.
The Patriot system is one of three elements in South Korea’s strategy during an armed conflict with North: preemptive strikes against military targets, defending the homeland using multi-layered defense assets and retaliatory strikes against the regime’s leadership.
USFK’s news release did not specify whether Patriot batteries also arrived in South Korea. The command did not immediately respond to a request for additional details Friday.
The unit “faced an array of threat sets” during the deployment that will enhance their combat capabilities back in South Korea, battalion commander Lt. Col. Ashley Hahn said in the release.
While Hahn did not disclose what type of threats the unit faced, she noted there were unspecified events in June that “tested our soldiers and leaders.”
That month, two U.S. Patriot batteries defending the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar countered an Iranian missile strike in a battle that Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Dan Caine described as “the largest single Patriot engagement in U.S. military history.”
“Between attacking missiles being hit by Patriots, boosters from attacking missiles being hit by Patriots, the Patriots themselves flying around and the debris from those Patriots hitting the ground, there was a lot of metal flying around,” Caine said during a news conference in Washington on June 26. “Our U.S. air defenders had only seconds to make complex decisions with strategic impact.
Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said the experience gained from combat, particularly among air defense artillery troops, was invaluable.
“It means that they know the sequence of attacks and have experience in the dynamics of the battlefield,” he told NK News on Friday.
Edited by Bryan Betts
12. Nuclear sub being built in Korea has been discussed: official
Summary:
A South Korean presidential official confirmed Seoul and Washington agreed nuclear-powered submarines will be built in Korea, with the U.S. supplying enriched uranium. The submarines will use domestically developed reactors and conventional weapons, not the U.S. Virginia-class design. The clarification followed confusion after President Trump’s post mentioning construction in Philadelphia.
Comment: In Philly or in South Korea?
Nuclear sub being built in Korea has been discussed: official
koreaherald.com · Hwang Joo-young · November 7, 2025
https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10611583
US President Donald Trump (center left) and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung talk as they walk toward the summit venue in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 29. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s presidential office said Friday that it discussed with Washington plans for nuclear-powered submarines to be built domestically — including the hull and the reactor — while enriched uranium would be procured from the US.
This follows reports suggesting the vessels could be constructed in US shipyards. An Oct. 29 social media post by US President Donald Trump said he had given South Korea approval to build a nuclear-powered submarine at a Philadelphia shipyard run by South Korea's Hanwha Ocean, following his talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
Lee and Trump had held summit talks on the sidelines of last week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
Friday’s briefing was held amid growing attention over a delay in the release of a bilateral “fact sheet” — a joint summary of agreements reached between the two leaders.
The official said the delay was due to ongoing consultations among relevant US departments and final adjustments to certain security-related language.
“Our country is capable of building nuclear-powered submarines, but since the use of nuclear fuel requires US approval, we received that approval,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “The discussion from start to finish was based on building them here in Korea.”
The presidential official said the issue of location was discussed during the bilateral talks, noting that the records from the Gyeongju summit show that during the closed-door meeting, the South Korean president said the submarines would be built here.
The official added that the government plans to build the conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea, and the enriched uranium to be used in it to be supplied by the US.
He went on to say, “As far as I know, the reactor to be installed on the submarine will also be developed domestically,” emphasizing that “we will receive enriched uranium from the US at a concentration suitable for the reactor developed in Korea.”
He further noted that South Korea will pursue a reactor model tailored to its own security needs, rather than adopting US submarine designs.
“US Virginia-class submarines use 90 percent enriched uranium and are too expensive. There’s no need to build something overly costly for our purposes,” he said.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
koreaherald.com · Hwang Joo-young · November 7, 2025
13. North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile, Seoul says
Summary:
North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile from Taegwan toward the East Sea on Nov. 7, flying about 435 miles. The test followed new U.S. sanctions targeting Pyongyang’s cybercrime networks. Seoul and Washington tracked the launch in advance, as tensions rose despite Trump’s openness to renewed talks with Kim Jong Un.
Comment: Again, what is KJU signalling (if anything)?
World News Nov. 7, 2025 / 4:49 AM
North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile, Seoul says
By Thomas Maresca
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/11/07/North-Korea-fires-short-range-ballistic-missile-East-Sea-Seoul-JCS/7281762507725/
North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Friday, Seoul's military said. This image, released by North Korean state media, shows the test-fire of an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile on January 6. Photo by KCNA/UPI | License Photo
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- North Korea fired a suspected short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Friday, Seoul's military said, one day after Pyongyang warned of a response to Washington's latest sanctions.
"Our military detected a projectile presumed to be a short-range ballistic missile launched from the Taegwan area of North Pyongan Province into the East Sea at approximately 12:35 p.m. today," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to reporters.
The missile flew roughly 435 miles before splashing into the sea, the JCS said, adding that South Korean and U.S. intelligence "had been monitoring launch preparations in advance and immediately detected and tracked the launch."
Japan's Defense Ministry also reported the missile launch and said the projectile fell outside the country's exclusive economic zone with no damage to planes or ships.
Related
The launch comes one day after North Korea reacted angrily to sanctions levied by the U.S. Treasury Department against eight individuals and two entities connected with Pyongyang's cybercrime and money laundering schemes.
"Now that the present U.S. administration has clarified its stand to be hostile towards the DPRK to the last, we will also take proper measures to counter it," Pyongyang warned in a statement.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.
Earlier this week, South Korea's military said that the North fired about 10 artillery rockets toward waters off the northern Yellow Sea, coinciding with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to the DMZ truce village of Panmunjom.
North Korea's last ballistic missile test came on Oct. 22, just ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju.
Speculation had swirled that Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would resume their one-on-one diplomacy during the trip after the U.S. president said he "would love" a meeting.
No summit took place, but Trump said he would be willing to return to the region to meet Kim.
"We'll have other visits, and we'll work very hard with Kim Jong Un and with everybody on getting things straightened out because that makes sense," he said in Gyeongju.
14. 75 years with Eighth US Army
Comment: A nice tribute to EUSA.
75 years with Eighth US Army - The Korea Times
The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint
By Lee Sun-ho
- Published Nov 4, 2025 1:10 pm KST
- Updated Nov 4, 2025 5:52 pm KST
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/opinion/voiceofreaders/thoughtsofthetimes/20251104/75-years-with-eighth-us-army
On Oct. 23, I attended the assumption of command ceremony in honor of Lt. Gen. Joseph E. Hilbert, 37th Commander of the Eighth U.S. Army (8A), hosted by Gen. Ronald P. Clark, Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific at 8A Memorial of the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys (USAG) in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony was performed with the participation of Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces and his spouse as special participants.
Among the sequence of events, my interest was focused on the explanation of the 75-year history of the U.S. Eighth Army in Korea. The average Korean is aware of the exceptionally long-standing presence of the Eighth Army. However, they do not have detailed comprehension of the unique connection and its dedication to Korea’s national defense and security, especially younger people born after the Korean War (1950-53).
I used to have a special interest in the symbolism of Eighth Army insignia, approved on May 10, 1944. Red and white are used to distinguish the flags of armies. A white cross pattern divides an octagon into eight areas, representing the numerical designation of the army.
As I watched the ceremonial protocol proceedings and listened to speeches delivered by Generals Hilbert and Clark plus other records, I could trace their activation, which officially began in the continental U.S. on June 10, 1944. They were ordered to the Pacific, where they earned the sobriquet of “Amphibious Eighth,” making more than 60 “island-hopping” assaults during World War II. During the campaign to liberate the Philippines from Japan, they launched the five “Victor” operations that resulted in the capture of the southern portion of the occupied Philippine archipelago.
Facing an unexpected all-out challenge when North Korean troops invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, Gen. Douglas MacArthur of the United Nations Command (UNC) in Tokyo turned to the Eighth Army to stop the communist advance. The Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953. The Eighth Army continued to be an international unit, closely aligned with the South Korean army and other national forces, remaining as a ground force to carry out UNC responsibilities.
On Nov. 20, 1954, their headquarters were combined with U.S. Army Forces Far East as the major army command in Northeast Asia. The combined headquarters was moved from Camp Zama, Japan to Yongsan in Seoul on July 26, 1955. On July 11, 2017, the Eighth Army established its new headquarters at USAG Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, one of the world’s largest military bases.
I am sure that until a true, lasting peace can be achieved on the Korean Peninsula, the Eighth Army, led by Commander Hilbert, will keep serving the same mission: to deter a renewal of hostilities; and, if deterrence fails, to defeat by force of arms any external aggression directed against South Korea.
The writer (wkexim@naver.com) is a freelance columnist living in Seoul.
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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