Quotes of the Day:

"The surest way to corrupt youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently." 

- Friedrich Nietzsche

"Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world.."  

- Bill Bullard

"Wise men make more opportunities than they find." 

- Francis Bacon

1. North Korea’s “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” goes ballistic

2. Kim Jong Un's daughter may be part of "distraction" plan

3. CRS Report: U.S.-North Korea Relations

4.  Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold talks on N. Korea in Jakarta

5. Unification minister vows efforts to resume inter-Korean contact next year

6.  PM says N. Korea is ready to conduct nuclear test

7. U.S. will not hesitate to sanction anyone supporting N. Korea's weapons programs: State Dept.

8. S. Korea to hold int'l forum on N. Korea's human rights this week |

9. U.S. goal of denuclearizing Korean Peninsula will not change: State Dept.

10. Yellow dust advisories issued nationwide except in South Gyeongsang

11. [WHY] Korea's growing role as a weapons supplier to Europe

12. Nuclear envoys vow to tackle North’s threats together

13. U.S. Ambassador to Japan unofficially visits Korea

14. US, South Korea, Japan Seek to Curb North Korea’s Illicit Cyber Activities

1. North Korea’s “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” goes ballistic

Soo Kim is one of the very best of the new generation of Korea Watchers. We need more like her.

I would caution those who are calling for arms control negotiations that to do so would mean Kim will assess his political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies are successful.

The alternative solution is pursuit of a free and unified Korea built on a foundation of deterrence and defense with a human rights upfront approach and a sophisticated influence campaign.

As I have written before many times: The only way we are going to see an end to the nuclear program and military threats as well as the human rights abuses and crimes against humanity being committed against the Korean people living in the north by the mafia-like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime is through achievement of unification and the establishment of a free and unified Korea that is secure and stable, non-nuclear, economically vibrant, and unified under a liberal constitutional form of government based on individual liberty, rule of law, and human rights as determined by the Korean people. A free and unified Korea or in short, a United Republic of Korea (UROK).

The only way we are going to see an end to the nuclear program and military threats as well as the human rights abuses and crimes against humanity being committed against the Korean people living in the north by the mafia-like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime is through achievement of unification and the establishment of a free and unified Korea that is secure and stable, non-nuclear, economically vibrant, and unified under a liberal constitutional form of government based on individual liberty, rule of law, and human rights as determined by the Korean people. A free and unified Korea or in short, a United Republic of Korea (UROK).

Excerpts:

The hard truth in dealing with a nuclear-armed Kim regime has prompted some senior officials to consider alternative solutions to North Korea’s denuclearisation.

...

With the spotlight having long been fixed on the nuclear issue, Ju-ae’s public debut seems as though it could be an impeccably timed distraction to keep the international community from focusing on seeking an enduring solution to Pyongyang’s rapidly advancing weapons systems – for Pyongyang’s ICBM test was overshadowed by the ten-year-old’s public debut. State media described Kim’s second child – the eldest is a male who has not yet been revealed to the public – as his “most beloved”, which may have caused some to speculate that Kim has chosen Ju-ae as successor. Her emergence, however, does not necessarily indicate succession; “most beloved” status may not be synonymous with “most fit to be dictator”. What’s more, there has not been an official announcement on succession by the regime, yet.

Still, Kim must have derived utility from his daughter’s scene-stealing debut. The following week, Ju-ae appeared again alongside her father at a photo session with officials involved in the recent ICBM test – this time, she was dressed and coiffed to bear an uncanny resemblance to her mother, Ri Sol-ju. If anything, these public appearances create greater opacity around the Kim regime’s succession plans, all while leaving the enduring challenge of North Korea’s nuclear weapons largely unaddressed.

North Korea’s “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” goes ballistic | Lowy Institute

Does the appearance of Kim Jong-un’s “beloved” middle

child signal more than just succession planning?

lowyinstitute.org · by Soo Kim

On 18 November, Kim Jong-un introduced his daughter, Ju-ae – most likely the very child that basketball player Dennis Rodman mentioned having met during his 2013 trip to North Korea – to domestic and international audiences. Kim, in proper DPRK fashion, chose his daughter’s public debut to coincide with a test-firing of his country’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

North Korea’s surprise fourth-generation leadership reveal coinciding with the country’s anticipated ICBM test was, of course, intentional – a public performance of Kim Jong-un’s design. While Kim’s motivation is uncertain, he is fully aware that family matters – and, in particular, his own health, as well as the regime’s succession plans – are of keen interest to the most ardent Korea watchers. When Kim disappeared from the public scene in April 2020, rumours about his health and a possible cardiovascular operation circulated. Similarly, Kim’s protracted submergence in the northern hemisphere summer of 2021, and again in November 2021, stirred further speculation about regime stability.

The hard truth in dealing with a nuclear-armed Kim regime has prompted some senior officials to consider alternative solutions to North Korea’s denuclearisation.

Kim is also acutely aware that his country’s advancing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities are unnerving Washington and Seoul, but that the two countries seem to have reached an impasse over how to deal with a recalcitrant and nuclear-armed North Korea. To many Korea specialists and policymakers, Pyongyang has already crossed the nuclear Rubicon. Having conditioned the international community to Kim’s missile provocations, the regime has consequently forced the globe to accept that North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is here to stay. North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests so far, and appears poised to conduct its seventh. In September, the DPRK laid out its nuclear law, declaring the irreversibility of its position as a nuclear nation as well as its unshakeable will to remain a nuclear state “as long as imperialism exists on Earth”.

Attempts at diplomacy have led to neither a significant reduction in the DPRK’s nuclear threat, nor a curbing of Kim’s appetite for nuclear blackmail. Kim simply pockets the political and economic benefits of engagement, all while continuing to build his nuclear empire. North Korea possesses ICBMs that are not only capable of reaching the US homeland but, according to former Secretary of Defence James Mattis in 2017, they now have the ability to hit “everywhere in the world”. Pyongyang’s 18 November ICBM test, which is considered to be its biggest missile yet, simply reiterated this point – a reminder that Kim will not be backing down anytime soon.

Footage of a North Korean missile launch shown during a news program broadcast in Seoul, South Korea (Kim Jae-Hwan via Getty Images)

The hard truth in dealing with a nuclear-armed Kim regime has prompted some senior officials to consider alternative solutions to North Korea’s denuclearisation. In late October, a senior-ranking State Department official suggested that the United States may be willing to consider arms control talks with North Korea. This position, however, was later backtracked, and the United States stated that its policy towards North Korea had not, in fact, altered from its goal of the “complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula”.

Meanwhile, in Seoul, calls for strengthening the US’ extended deterrence, and even South Korea’s independent nuclearisation, have grown. Recent polls indicate that 70 per cent of South Koreans support their country developing nuclear weapons, a significant shift. In the past year, roundtable discussions among policy specialists on the practical applications of extended deterrence and the region’s security challenges have become more frequent.

State media described Kim’s second child as his “most beloved”, which may have caused some to speculate that Kim has chosen Ju-ae as successor.

With the spotlight having long been fixed on the nuclear issue, Ju-ae’s public debut seems as though it could be an impeccably timed distraction to keep the international community from focusing on seeking an enduring solution to Pyongyang’s rapidly advancing weapons systems – for Pyongyang’s ICBM test was overshadowed by the ten-year-old’s public debut. State media described Kim’s second child – the eldest is a male who has not yet been revealed to the public – as his “most beloved”, which may have caused some to speculate that Kim has chosen Ju-ae as successor. Her emergence, however, does not necessarily indicate succession; “most beloved” status may not be synonymous with “most fit to be dictator”. What’s more, there has not been an official announcement on succession by the regime, yet.

Still, Kim must have derived utility from his daughter’s scene-stealing debut. The following week, Ju-ae appeared again alongside her father at a photo session with officials involved in the recent ICBM test – this time, she was dressed and coiffed to bear an uncanny resemblance to her mother, Ri Sol-ju. If anything, these public appearances create greater opacity around the Kim regime’s succession plans, all while leaving the enduring challenge of North Korea’s nuclear weapons largely unaddressed.

There may be more frequent appearances by Ju-ae in the coming days. While attention should be paid to the regime’s portrayal of the young Kim for clearer indications of her place in the regime, she is also potentially being deployed as a canny distraction from the other, perhaps more pressing matter: the tough reality of bargaining with any member of the Kim clan, and its long game of nuclear confrontation.

lowyinstitute.org · by Soo Kim

2. Kim Jong Un's daughter may be part of "distraction" plan

Soo Kim's article in the Interpreter is the basis for this one.

Kim Jong Un's daughter may be part of "distraction" plan

Newsweek · by Nick Mordowanec · December 12, 2022

The official introduction of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's daughter into the public spotlight may be timed purposely as the country continues its ballistic missile testing, according to one theory.

The theory was posited on Monday by Soo Kim, a contributor for the Lowy Institute, an Australian-based think tank with a focus on Asia-Pacific policies. The state-run media outlet Korean Central News Agency released pictures last month of the North Korean leader hand-in-hand with a younger female, later determined to be his daughter, Ju-ae.

In the past two months, North Korea has launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) described as simulated strikes against American and South Korean air bases, aircraft and major cities. The Pentagon later said the simulation was North Korea's response to Vigilant Storm, joint exercises conducted between the United States and South Korea to boost their own alliance.

"With the spotlight having long been fixed on the nuclear issue, Ju-ae's public debut seems as though it could be an impeccably timed distraction to keep the international community from focusing on seeking an enduring solution to Pyongyang's rapidly advancing weapons systems—for Pyongyang's ICBM test was overshadowed by the ten-year-old's public debut," Soo Kim wrote.

A TV screen at the Yongsan Railway Station displays a picture of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his second child, Kim Ju-ae during a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) news program. Questions exist whether the first public appearance of Ju-ae is a distraction amid continued missile testing. Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty

She added: "If anything, these public appearances create greater opacity around the Kim regime's succession plans, all while leaving the enduring challenge of North Korea's nuclear weapons largely unaddressed."

Ju-ae is believed to have first been publicly mentioned by NBA Hall of Famer (HOF) Dennis Rodman, who befriended the dictator during a basketball exhibition trip in February 2013. Rodman said following an additional trip in September of that year, he met not just Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, but also their infant daughter.

"I held their baby Ju-ae and spoke with Ri as well," Rodman told The Guardian after the fact. "He's a good dad and has a beautiful family."

Ju-ae made her first known public appearance on November 18, in the midst of another ICBM launch. Her age remains unknown, however, some have estimated her to be anywhere from 9 years old to early teens. Meanwhile, the couple is believed to have two other children, including a son born in 2010.

Soo Kim called the unveiling "intentional" due to the supreme leader's affinity for grandiose presentations. She also said that it's a sign to citizens that Ju-ae plays a role in the dictator's succession plans, notably considering the leader's now-public health scares.

Aside from being diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year, he previously suffered from side effects due to rapid weight loss. Other assumptions were made regarding his health due to a head bandage he was seen wearing during a public appearance last year.

North Korea's continued testing and ignoring of concerns on behalf of countries like the U.S. have spurred South Korean citizens to want to build their own nuclear arsenal in self-defense. A poll from The Asian Institute for Policy Studies in June found that about 70 percent of South Koreans approved of such a strategy.

Vann Van Diepen, a Korea expert who spent over three decades inside the U.S. government prior to now working as a consultant for 38 North, told Newsweek on Monday that Soo Kim's contention strikes him "as fatuous and silly."

"The parts of the international community and U.S. government that worry about North Korean ICBMs don't care too much in the immediate term about who might be KJU's [Kim Jong Un's] successor 20 years from now," Van Diepen said. "The idea that showing off the kid somehow distracts from the NK ICBM threat just doesn't compute."

He added: "In fact, a lot of the security-expert commentary was just the opposite. According to them, showing the successor along with the ICBM was arguably intended to underscore the ICBM program, and underscore that North Korea won't bargain it away."

There was no argument in Soo Kim's piece about how the global community should react to North Korea's missile program, Van Diepen said, questioning if that involves a U.S. attack on North Korea or otherwise.

Newsweek · by Nick Mordowanec · December 12, 2022

3. CRS Report: U.S.-North Korea Relations

The routine roll-up on north Korea-US relations from the Congressional Research Service.

Download the 3 page paper at this link: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10246

U.S.-North Korea Relations 

North Korea’s advances in nuclear weapons and missile capabilities since 2016 under its leader Kim Jong-un have catapulted Pyongyang from a threat to U.S. interests in East Asia to a potential direct threat to the U.S. homeland. U.S. policy on North Korea (officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK) has focused primarily on the DPRK’s nuclear weapon and missile programs. Other U.S. concerns include illicit DPRK activities, such as cyberattacks and cyber-crime, as well as the potential resumption of small-scale conventional attacks against U.S. ally South Korea (officially known as the Republic of Korea, or ROK). Congress has expressed particular concern about the state of human rights in North Korea, passing laws directing the State Department to prioritize pressuring the Pyongyang regime to improve human rights conditions. 

Continued at the link above

4.  Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold talks on N. Korea in Jakarta

Sustained trilateral cooperation

(LEAD) Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold talks on N. Korea in Jakarta | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · December 13, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with opening remarks from 3rd para)

SEOUL/JAKARTA Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan had a trilateral meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday amid speculation that North Korea may carry out another nuclear test in line with its continued provocative acts highlighted by the firing of more than 60 ballistic missiles this year.

Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, met with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. He is also scheduled to have a separate bilateral meeting with Funakoshi later in the day. They had such a trilateral session in Tokyo in September.

"Over the last 30 years, the international community stood firm on our common goal of North Korea's denuclearization. There will not be a single scenario under which we revisit this goal. Not in a million years," Kim said in front of reporters at the start of the meeting.

Kim also stressed China has the capability to influence North Korea.

"Encouraging China to make its best efforts will be another important topic on the table," he added.

The U.S. official said the North's behavior this year has proven again that the country "presents one of the most serious security challenges in the region and beyond."

Funakoshi said the three countries "will respond resolutely should a seventh nuclear test happen."

The European Union, meanwhile, announced new sanctions on eight North Korean individuals and four institutions involved in the secretive Kim Jong-un regime's nuclear and missile development programs.

odissy@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · December 13, 2022

5. Unification minister vows efforts to resume inter-Korean contact next year

I am at the Ministry of Unification today and tomorrow. I am sure I will learn more about this.

Unification minister vows efforts to resume inter-Korean contact next year | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · December 13, 2022

By Kim Soo-yeon and Yi Wonju

GANGHWA, South Korea, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will continue to persuade North Korea to stop its military provocations, while making efforts to resume inter-Korean contact next year, Seoul's top point man on unification said Tuesday.

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se made the remarks during his year-end press conference on Ganghwa Island in Incheon, around 30 kilometers west of Seoul, as North Korea has ramped up its weapon tests this year, refusing to have dialogue with the South and the United States.

"The government will seek measures to build trust with North Korea, no matter how trivial and minor it may be, and create conditions so that the North chooses dialogue and communication with the South," he said.

"We will set the tone for inter-Korean cooperation by allowing civil organizations to resume exchanges on social, cultural and humanitarian areas early next year."

The minister said the South is willing to provide food aid or other humanitarian assistance to the North "without flaunting" if the North asks for such aid.

Kwon stressed that the North will "only face deterrence and sanctions that are irrevocable," should it decide to conduct another nuclear test.

julesyi@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · December 13, 2022

6. PM says N. Korea is ready to conduct nuclear test

But will they? Is it the right time? And will it be a test to advance another thermonuclear weapon or a miniaturized warhead? What will be the messaging intent, if any?

PM says N. Korea is ready to conduct nuclear test | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 김덕현 · December 13, 2022

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has said North Korea is ready to conduct a nuclear bomb test, but South Korea and its allies have always been prepared for the North's major provocation.

"We gather that they are ready," Han told Britain's Sky News in an interview, "although we do not know exactly when" a nuclear test would happen.

North Korea has launched a flurry of short- to long-range missile tests so far this year and has widely been expected to carry out what would be its seventh nuclear test.

Han said South Korea and its allies have been on alert over the possibility of North Korea's nuclear test.

"We always have preparations for that kind of very undesirable action," Han was quoted as saying in the interview. "We cannot say at this moment what kind of response will be made."

Asked whether a hard-line policy by the conservative government of President Yoon Suk-yeol might have affected North Korea's provocations, Han replied, "You may call our strengthening our deterrence capabilities the 'harder line,' but that's a natural course for any country increasing the level of self-reliance in terms of security."

"We will secure our peace on our terms, not on terms dictated by North Korea," Han said.

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared alongside his young daughter after overseeing the test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"The launching of an intercontinental missile will be, without any doubt, a big thing for North Korea," Han said. "Possibly the appearance of his daughter, for him, he would like to deliver some message."

kdh@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 김덕현 · December 13, 2022

7. U.S. will not hesitate to sanction anyone supporting N. Korea's weapons programs: State Dept.

​I hope that will include Chinese and Russian financial institutions who are complicit in Korean sanctions evasion.

U.S. will not hesitate to sanction anyone supporting N. Korea's weapons programs: State Dept. | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · December 13, 2022

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- The United States will not hesitate to impose sanctions on any individuals who support North Korea's illegal weapons development programs, a state department spokesperson said Monday.

Ned Price also said the U.S. is always looking for individuals who may be held accountable for North Korea's illegal weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs.

"We are always looking for individuals who would be appropriate to sanction under our various authorities, including those authorities that are targeted at the DPRK's ballistic missile program, its nuclear weapons program, its WMD program," the department press secretary said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Price made the remark when asked why the U.S. was not sanctioning more Chinese and Russian individuals who support North Korea's weapons development programs.

"If there are individuals who are appropriate for the use of sanctions, we won't hesitate to do that," he said.

Washington has designated a number of Chinese nationals and entities, as well as those from Russia, for violating U.S. and United Nations sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's illegal weapons development programs.

Pyongyang, however, continues to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, according to U.S. officials who have noted the country has fired a record 63 ballistic missiles this year alone. The previous annual record of ballistic missiles launched by the impoverished North was at 25.

"We have made very clear that we will continue to hold the DPRK to account for its threat to stability and security in Northeast Asia and potentially well beyond," said Price.

The U.S. sought to impose fresh U.N. sanctions on North Korea for its continued missile provocations, but all 10 U.N. Security Council meetings held this year on North Korea ended without any tangible outcome due to opposition from China and Russia, both veto power-wielding permanent members of the Security Council that are friendly to North Korea.

#shorts

bdk@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · December 13, 2022​

8. S. Korea to hold int'l forum on N. Korea's human rights this week |

I think the ROK is getting serious about a human rights upfront approach.

Not mentioned but I expect Greg Scarlatoiu, the Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) to participate. He should be nominated as the next US Ambassador/Special Envoy for north Korean human rights.

S. Korea to hold int'l forum on N. Korea's human rights this week | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · December 12, 2022

SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry said Monday it will hold an annual international forum on North Korea's human rights situation this week in an effort to raise public awareness about the North's human rights issue.

The seminar with two sub-sessions will open Wednesday under the theme of major pending issues and future tasks in regard to North Korea's human rights records, the ministry's spokesperson Cho Joong-hoon told a regular press briefing.

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se will deliver an opening address at the forum, to be sponsored by the U.N. human rights agency's office in Seoul, and former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will give his congratulatory message.

South Korea's new envoy for the North's human rights, Lee Shin-hwa, plans to serve as a moderator for the seminar. The forum, which has been held every year since 2017, will bring together experts at home and abroad, including Robert King, a former U.S. special envoy for North Korea's human rights.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · December 12, 2022

9. U.S. goal of denuclearizing Korean Peninsula will not change: State Dept.

It should not change. We just need to reconsider the order in which it will occur. We need unification first then denuclearization not vice versa which is the conventional wisdom..

U.S. goal of denuclearizing Korean Peninsula will not change: State Dept. | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · December 14, 2022

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- The United States remains fully committed to completely denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and that goal will not change, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday.

The department spokesperson, Ned Price, also stressed the importance of holding North Korea accountable for its recent missile provocations.

"We have conveyed our policy position by noting that we undertook a comprehensive review of our policy towards the DPRK in the early part of this administration," Price said in a telephonic press briefing, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"In the aftermath of that policy review, we identified the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as our overarching objective, and as you heard from our South Korean counterpart, and perhaps slightly different language, I don't foresee that changing," he added.

The department spokesperson was echoing the remarks of South Korea's special envoy for North Korea Kim Gunn, who said Seoul's goal of denuclearizing the North will not be reconsidered in a million years.

Kim made the remark in a meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim, and Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, in Jakarta where the U.S. special envoy for North Korea is concurrently serving as U.S. ambassador.

Price insisted the Jakarta meeting underscored the close cooperation between the three countries to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, as well as U.S. commitment to the security of its two Asian allies.

Monday's meeting of the nuclear envoys also came after the three countries simultaneously announced their own independent sanctions on a number of individuals and entities supporting North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs.

"They also reviewed the synchronized trilateral release of sanctions targeting the DPRK in early December, and emphasized the need to use all available tools to further limit the growth of the DPRK's destabilizing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs," Price said of the meeting.

North Korea has fired 63 ballistic missiles this year, setting a new annual record that far exceeds the previous record of 25.

The state department spokesperson also hailed the announcement of additional sanctions against North Kora by the European Union on Monday.

"The fact that our allies in Europe have taken additional concrete steps to hold the DPRK accountable is something we applaud," said Price, adding, "We are working with allies and partners around the world to see to it that the DPRK is held to account."

bdk@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · December 14, 2022

10. Yellow dust advisories issued nationwide except in South Gyeongsang

I think I will just remain in the hotel this week since all my meetings are held here. Then I will leave on Friday to return to the States.

(3rd LD) Yellow dust advisories issued nationwide except in South Gyeongsang | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 최경애 · December 13, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with details in 9th para)

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- Yellow dust advisories were issued across South Korea except for South Gyeongsang Province on Tuesday, with the fine dust level in Seoul hitting the highest point so far this year, authorities said.

The yellow dust advisories were upgraded from "attention" to "caution," the second highest in the environmental ministry's four-notch warning system, in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi Province surrounding the capital and Gangwon Province as of early Tuesday afternoon, the environment authorities said.

All other remaining regions, except for South Gyeongsang, were under Level 1 yellow dust advisories.

A Level 2 advisory is issued when a fine dust alert, a warning when the hourly concentration of PM10 is higher than 300 micrograms per cubic meter for over two hours, is already in place due to yellow sand and there's a possibility of a big-scale yellow dust-related disaster.

Dust with a diameter of 10 micrometers or smaller, equal to PM10, can enter the lungs and lead to adverse health effects.

As of 1 p.m., the fine dust level remained "very bad" for the greater Seoul area and Gangwon, South Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces, while the rest of the nation had "bad" fine dust levels.

In Seoul, the hourly average concentration of PM10 once reached 351 micrograms per cubic meter on Tuesday, the highest point for this year.

As of 6 p.m., the Korea Environment Corp. (KECO) had lifted the yellow dust advisory issued in Seoul, 20 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province, and two wards in the western part of Incheon, as the hourly average concentration of PM10 fell to 85 micrograms per cubic meter.

The advisories were also lifted in some parts of South and North Chungcheong Provinces, the western part of North Gyeongsang Province and the central part of North Jeolla Province on Tuesday evening.

The advisory is usually lifted when the hourly average concentration of PM10 falls below 100 micrograms per cubic meter.

The daily average concentration of PM10 stands at 260 micrograms per cubic meter for this year.

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 최경애 · December 13, 2022

11. [WHY] Korea's growing role as a weapons supplier to Europe

Tuesday

December 13, 2022

 dictionary + A - A 

[WHY] Korea's growing role as a weapons supplier to Europe

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/12/13/why/Korea-defense-industry-defense/20221213171631603.html

K-2 battle tanks manufactured by Hyundai Rotem in a South Korean Army drill [NEWS1]

In July, Poland’s Defense Ministry surprised the global weapons industry with an announcement that it had signed contracts worth $5.78 billion for K-2 battle tanks, K-9 self-propelled howitzers and FA-50 light attack aircraft from Korea.

The sales boosted what had already been expected to be a bonanza year for Korean defense exports, which were expected to exceed $10 billion this year — following an upward trend in which the total value of the country’s arms deals rose from $3.54 billion in 2015 to $7 billion last year.

The collective value of Korean defense companies’ contracts with Poland, which could be worth as much as $15 billion if Warsaw exercises all of its options under the deals, dwarf the $3.5 billion price tag of the United Arab Emirates’ purchase of the Cheongung-II missile defense system in January, which is Korea’s single largest defense system export to date.

While Warsaw’s most recent defense buying spree is not the first time Korea has clinched a deal to supply a European country with weapons, it does solidify the country’s status as the only Asian country selling arms to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

But how did Korea get there, and can it keep up the pace to fulfill the demands of European defense?

How did Korea become a weapons supplier to Europe?

According to a report by Kevin Martin, a researcher at the Paris-based Institute for Strategic Studies, Korean weapons sales in Europe came “as part of an opportunistic strategy,” and was “not designed with exports in mind,” considering pre-2022 sales of the K-9 Thunder by its main contractor Hanwha did not result in major industrial agreements or the establishment of production facilities in European countries that purchased it.

“The K-9 system was specifically created in response to [Korea’s] national needs to be able to conduct high-intensity operations against a designated adversary on a disputed border,” Martin wrote, referring to the standoff between North and South Korea along the demilitarized zone.

Korea’s entry into the European defense market can be traced back to the 1990s, when Seoul began to shift in earnest away from its longtime reliance on U.S. weapons systems by indigenizing its defense production.

It was during this period that the K-9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer manufactured by Hanwha Defense, which in recent years has become Korea’s best-selling defense export, was developed and produced with support from the Korean government.

Although the first purchase of K-9 howitzers by a NATO member state took place in 2001, where it formed the crux of an export and technology transfer agreement with Turkey, exports of Korean weapons such as the K-9 only truly took off in earnest following Russia's annexation of Crimea, according to Bang Jong Goan, a research fellow at the Korean Institute for Defense Analysis.

“The changing security environment in Europe, particularly over Crimea, really pushed countries in eastern and northern Europe to reassess the threat from Moscow and upgrade their capability needs,” Bang said.

“Before the Crimean crisis, I can’t think of a major Korean weapons system exported to Europe. But in 2014, the year the Russian takeover occurred, Korea negotiated a K-9 licensing agreement with Poland, then Norway and Finland in 2017 and Estonia in 2018,” he added.

According to Bang, the civilian arm of the K-2 manufacturer Hyundai Rotem had already won contracts for tram systems in Poland, adding to Korean companies’ overall reputation for reliability and cost-effectiveness.

The speed and nature of the recent Polish contracts with Korean defense companies also highlight the urgency with which Poland needed to secure weapons.

“Since the end of the Cold War, the party with bargaining power in most weapons sales was the buyer,” Bang noted. “Most weapons contracts since have required the weapons seller to buy some kind of product, usually civilian in nature, from the purchasing nation, but the Polish contracts unusually don’t have such conditions attached.”

What are the advantages of buying Korean weapons?

Even as Seoul sought to advance its ability to fulfill its own defense needs, its defense industry continued to build weapons and equipment so that they would remain compatible with U.S. gear, since the two countries would be expected to fight side-by-side in any conflict with North Korea or China.

According to a defense industry expert who spoke on condition of anonymity, the compatibility of Korean defense products with U.S. weapons systems was not only a deliberate choice, but also a consequence of technology transfers that built the country’s military industrial complex.

“The rise of our defense industry, which can be traced back to the Park Chung Hee administration’s push to indigenize basic weapons manufacturing in the 1970s, relied heavily on technological know-how imparted by the United States and other advanced countries,” the expert said.

“This in turn led to natural interoperability between Korean and U.S. systems, which was reinforced when Korea also leaned on U.S. technological transfers to produce more advanced defense products domestically, such as the KF-16 fighter and the T-50 training aircraft.”

That compatibility, coupled with the relatively lower costs and quicker turnaround times of Korean defense production, have made Korean arms attractive to European countries looking to re-arm cheaply and swiftly.

For example, Poland, which initially looked to purchase 500 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States, decided to instead sign a contract with Hanwha Defense for 288 K-39 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems, the first batch of which are scheduled for delivery next year, after learning HIMARS deliveries could take several years.

At an Oct. 19 signing ceremony with his South Korean counterpart, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that the decision to buy the Chunmoo was “unfortunately due to limited [U.S.] industrial capabilities,” which he said made it impossible for the desired number of HIMARS systems to be delivered within the country’s desired timeframe.

“We therefore started talks with South Korea — our proven partner,” the Polish defense minister said, adding that Warsaw aims to possess “both HIMARS and the Chunmoo.”

Poland’s decision to buy the Korean-made Chunmoo system while waiting for HIMARS highlights the cost-effectiveness of Korean defense systems vis-à-vis high-end U.S. or other Western counterparts.

“While our defense industry is not on the forefront of cutting-edge products, such as unmanned aerial systems and missiles, Korean defense products designed for conventional terrestrial warfare do not differ significantly in their capabilities compared to U.S., British, French or German products, even as they are quite a bit cheaper,” said a Korean defense researcher who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Another advantage of buying Korean for European defense customers is that Korean companies typically partner with defense companies in purchasing countries to set up manufacturing facilities, which can reduce their dependence on Korea’s own production capabilities for future deliveries.

For example, under the terms of the contracts between Hyundai Rotem and the Polish Defense Ministry, the first 180 K2 tanks were delivered to Poland in early December, but the remaining 800 tanks will be at least partially manufactured in Poland.

The arrangement mirrors the deal between Korea and Australia for the localized production of the K-9 howitzer in Geelong, Victoria, which was signed between Canberra and Hanwha Defense in December last year.

“For a country that wants to build up its defense production base, Korea is a very appropriate partner,” Bang said, referring to the mutually beneficial nature of the recent contracts between Warsaw and Korean defense companies.

“These deals help countries that want to build up their industrial capacity with an eye to meet their future defense needs,” Bang said.

Future Korean defense export deals with Europe, if paired with the creation and expansion of local industrial bases, could also relieve the burden on the U.S. defense industry to supply NATO member states as countries on both sides of the Atlantic seek to replenish their weapons stocks while supplying Ukraine’s war effort.

Take the example of the Javelin, the shoulder-fired, precision-guided anti-tank missile produced by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin that has proven crucial in destroying Russian tanks.

While the Javelin has been employed to great effect by the Ukrainian military to destroy Russian battle tanks, U.S. production has hovered at only around 800 units per year. According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, the United States has sent 8,500 Javelins to Ukraine so far — more than a decade’s worth of production.

Korea’s defense industry is already speculated to be playing a role in indirectly restocking weapons supplies of countries that are actively arming Ukraine, with the Pentagon saying in early November it was seeking to buy 100,000 rounds of 155 millimeter howitzer ammunition from Korean weapons manufacturers to provide to Ukraine.

Although Seoul’s Defense Ministry was quick to issue a statement saying it believed the “end user” of the ammunition to be the United States, the arrangement highlights the growing importance of Korea as a global weapons supplier.

Can Korea keep up with additional European defense orders?

The scale of Korean companies’ deals with Poland and their promises of quick deliveries has raised the profile of the Korean defense industry, according to one insider who requested to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of ongoing talks.

“It’s inevitable that interest has piqued [in Europe], because many countries in eastern and northern Europe are in the same position as Poland” where Russia is concerned, he said.

But the Korean defense analyst expressed doubt that Korean companies could ramp up production at home or abroad to meet the demands of multiple new deals with Europe.

“My understanding of the Polish contracts is that the K-2 battle tanks that are scheduled for delivery to Poland next year were originally earmarked for the Korean Army, but the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) allowed Hyundai Rotem to export these tanks after assessing that the sales would not be detrimental to the Korean Army’s defense posture,” he said.

“While localized production would likely be part of any new European deals, it still takes years to ramp up production. The quick turnaround in the Polish contracts is more of an exception than the norm, even for Korean companies,” he added.

The defense researcher also cautioned that the current drivers of demand for Korean defense products may not last.

“The current situation — the war in Ukraine — is an extraordinary one that has boosted demand for weapons around the world,” he said. “It’s very hard for defense companies and state arms procurement agencies to not only predict future demand in such a situation, but also plan investments for production expansion, which necessarily requires large investments, which in turn rely on contracts.”

Bang, on the other hand, was optimistic that future weapons sales could be scaled up relatively quickly once deals are inked, but added the caveat that another major incident impacting the stability of the global supply chain could throw a wrench into the speed of deliveries.

“Our defense production is not completely indigenized — some weapons still rely on receiving components from other countries, and another destabilizing event, such as a mainland Chinese invasion of Taiwan, could alter the pace of domestic defense production,” he said.

What does the future hold for Korean defense production? 

While industry insiders were tight-lipped on the possibility of more weapons deals in Europe, it is clear that the Korean defense industry has set its sights on regions farther afield than those impacted by the war in Ukraine.

Hanwha Defense’s Redback infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is currently one of two tenders hoping to be selected by the Australian Department of Defense’s Land 400 Phase 3 project, worth $18-21 billion and aimed at acquiring 400 next-generation IFVs to replace the country’s M113 armored personnel carriers.

Hanwha’s Redback bid follows in the heels of its successful bid to supply 30 K-9 howitzers and 15 K-10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles to Australia — a contract worth 930 billion won ($733 million).

Hanwha Defense is also part of a consortium with Oshkosh Defense to design a U.S. Army optionally manned fighting vehicle (OMFV) to replace around 3,500 M2 Bradley vehicles in a project worth approximately $47 billion, with the Oshkosh-Hanwha design for an OMFV expected to be based on the chassis of the Redback.

But Korea is unlikely to be the only rising defense supplier in the global weapons market.

According to Bang, both Japan and Turkey are focused on bolstering their domestic weapons industries in response to the changing global security environment.

“In some ways, we already see these two countries gearing up to become serious weapons producers, with Turkey currently supplying drones to Ukraine, while Japan launched its Acquisition, Technology and Logistic Agency to further its military technological innovation and to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter,” he noted.

For Korea to continue growing as a major player in the global weapons market, the country would have to shift its budget allocation from systems development to technological research, he added.

“The current proportion of Korea’s defense budget dedicated to research and development is around 7 percent, but we need to increase that to at least 10 percent so we can develop or indigenize key technologies,” Bang said, noting that 15 percent of the U.S. defense budget is dedicated to R&D.

Bang also said that Korea’s defense industry would need to diversify to reduce its reliance on a few big industry players.

“If you look at the example of Israel, they have a robust defense industry that is made up of strong, medium-sized companies,” he said, adding that Korea’s defense industry would be better served if it, too, had smaller players that strongly specialized in components that would strengthen military supply chains.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]

12. Nuclear envoys vow to tackle North’s threats together

I would like to see the three nations commit to a policy of a human rights upfront approach, a sophisticated influence campaign, and a free and unified Korea.

Nuclear envoys vow to tackle North’s threats together

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From left, Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs; Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea; and Takehiro Funakoshi, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, shake hands during a meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Special envoysfrom South Korea, Japan and the United States vowed to crack down on North Korea’s illicit cyber activities.   “We will redouble our efforts to prevent North Korea from financing its nuclear weapon and missile program via cyber activities,” said the Foreign Ministry in Seoul following a meeting of the three envoys Tuesday.  “There is nothing that North Korea can earn through its provocations, and Korea, the United States and Japan will show that through its cooperation.” Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, met with Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea, and Takehiro Funakoshi, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, in Jakarta on Tuesday. The trio met in Tokyo in September and have since spoken multiple times over the phone. The North has fired over 60 ballistic missiles this year, 32 since late September. It launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Nov. 18, its largest ICBM test so far. “The barrage of provocations by Pyongyang has only strengthened our trilateral coordination,” Kim Gunn said during the meeting, according to the Foreign Ministry. “We will coordinate sanctions and close gaps in the international sanctions regime.” Seoul, Tokyo and Washington levied unilateral sanctions earlier this month on individuals and entities linked to the financing of North Korea’s weapons programs. The European Union added new unilateral sanctions on Monday. China was also mentioned at the meeting. “The three envoys especially emphasized the importance of encouraging China to play a constructive role in having North Korea cease its provocations and return to denuclearization dialogue,” said the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.  Having met with the American envoy separately on Monday, Kim was scheduled to meet with Takehiro later on Tuesday afternoon.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, left, meets with Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Young-sam at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Tuesday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

In Seoul on Tuesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink discussed security on the Korean Peninsula in a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Young-sam. “The two shared the view that the international community’s will to denuclearize North Korea is stronger than North Korea’s will to develop nuclear weapons and missiles,” said the Foreign Ministry in Seoul in a statement.  “The two agreed to maintain a strong ROK-U.S. combined defense posture, and agreed to unwaveringly pursue diplomatic efforts to have North Korea cease its provocations and return to dialogue,” it said, referring to South Korea by the acronym of its full name, the Republic of Korea. The two were also expected to have discussed Washington’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Korea is concerned about the IRA’s effects on the electronic vehicles (EVs) it produces, as the law prohibits subsidies for purchases of EVs made outside the United States or with batteries made with Chinese minerals or components. Hyundai Motor and Kia both make EVs in local plants in Korea.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon, left, meets with Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth Jose Fernandez in Washington on Monday. [YONHAP]

Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon is in Washington through Wednesday to meet with Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth Jose Fernandez and members of the U.S. Congress to raise Korea’s concerns about the IRA. Lee and Fernandez hosted the Senior Economic Dialogue in Washington on Monday, a regular meeting between U.S. and Korean officials to discuss business and trade relations, including cooperation on semiconductors, batteries and minerals. Lee conveyed the Korean government’s position on the IRA to Fernandez, asking that it be taken into account when the U.S. Treasury Department drafts implementation measures for the IRA, said the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.  Fernandez said in response that he was taking Korea’s concerns “very seriously from the beginning” and was looking at them from all angles, said the ministry. 

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]

13. U.S. Ambassador to Japan unofficially visits Korea

In the old days we used to joke that the visits to Korea increased significantly betweenThanksgiving and Christmas but after the New Year they dropped off significantly. 

But on a serious note I support all efforts to improve trilateral cooperation.

Excerpt:

According to a diplomatic source, Mr. Emanuel arrived in Korea on the weekends and went downtown Seoul including Gwangjang Market, before visiting the Panmunjom truce village. On Monday, the U.S. diplomat had an unofficial meeting with Minister Park. The source said that the meeting wasn’t about discussing details of specific issues.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan unofficially visits Korea

donga.com

Posted December. 13, 2022 07:45,

Updated December. 13, 2022 07:45

U.S. Ambassador to Japan unofficially visits Korea. December. 13, 2022 07:45. by Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel visited Korea and met with Foreign Affairs Minister Park Jin. Ambassador Emanuel is a key member of the Democratic Party of the U.S. and is one of the close confidants of President Joe Biden. He also served as the White House Chief of Staff in the Obama administration. As Korea and Japan are actively working together to resolve the issue of wartime forced labor, the ambassador is expected to play an active mediator to improve ties between the two countries.

According to a diplomatic source, Mr. Emanuel arrived in Korea on the weekends and went downtown Seoul including Gwangjang Market, before visiting the Panmunjom truce village. On Monday, the U.S. diplomat had an unofficial meeting with Minister Park. The source said that the meeting wasn’t about discussing details of specific issues.

Considering the influence of Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, an important figure in U.S. politics, this visit to Korea carries a huge significance for both Korea and Japan. As the two countries are eager to resolve one of their biggest issues, it is possible that he expressed Washington’s active support or intent to work as a mediator for this wartime forced labor issue to Minister Park. Ambassador Emanuel spoke strongly about the need to improve Korea-Japan relations at his confirmation hearing when he was nominated as the ambassador last year. With regard to the conflict over historical issues between Korea and Japan, he said, "No one wants the opportunity of the 21st century to be blown away due to the issues of the 20th century." Earlier in April, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Ambassador Emanuel boarded the U.S. aircraft carrier Lincoln and said, "We are looking forward to a new beginning of the Korea-U.S.-Japan relations based on our renewed friendship."

In the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries and the 2008 presidential election, Ambassador Emmanuel led the victory of then-first-term Senator Obama and served as the first chief of staff. There was an interesting story of Mr. Emanuel claiming he was too busy to talk, so he handed the phone to Mr. Obama when a U.S. House of Representatives member called.

한국어

donga.com

14. US, South Korea, Japan Seek to Curb North Korea’s Illicit Cyber Activities

A very important initiative. The regime's all purpose sword is a critical capability on so many levels.

US, South Korea, Japan Seek to Curb North Korea’s Illicit Cyber Activities

After a trilateral meeting, the governments vowed to “double down” on efforts to block Pyongyang’s attempts to evade sanctions, including through cybercrime.

thediplomat.com · by Niniek Karmini and Hyung-jin Kim · December 14, 2022

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Senior diplomats from the United States, South Korea, and Japan agreed Tuesday to boost efforts to curb North Korea’s illicit cyber activities and other methods to finance its nuclear program and evade international sanctions.

Meeting in Indonesia’s capital, the three envoys in charge of North Korea’s nuclear program also agreed to strengthen their trilateral security cooperation in the face of North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile arsenals.

In his opening remarks, Sung Kim, the U.S. envoy who also serves as Washington’s ambassador in Jakarta, said that North Korea’s provocative run of missile tests this year has proven yet again that the North “presents one of the most serious security challenges in the region and beyond.”

Calling North Korean threats “a global issue,” Sung Kim said the challenges posed by North Korea can only be addressed when the international community stands together and speaks with one voice.

After the meeting, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the three envoys decided to “double down their efforts to block North Korea’s financing of nuclear and missile programs via cyber activities and other means and its attempt to evade sanctions on the North.”

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North Korea has been under 11 rounds of United Nations sanctions imposed over its repeated nuclear and missile tests since 2006. South Korean officials said recently that North Korea has been turning to cybercrime and covert ship-to-ship transfers of unauthorized goods as a way to violate those U.N. sanctions.

In recent months, North Korea test-fired dozens of missiles, including powerful ballistic weapons that flew over Japan and demonstrated a potential to reach the American mainland. But the U.N. Security Council has failed to adopt fresh sanctions on North Korea because of opposition from China and Russia, two veto-wielding members that are locked in confrontations with the United States.

Kim Gunn, the South Korean envoy, said North Korea’s nuclear ambitions would only undermine its own security, prolong its diplomatic isolation and worsen its economic hardships. He expressed hopes that North Korea would return to denuclearization talks while repeating a demand for China, the North’s last major ally and economic pipeline, to play a constructive role to help resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

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Funakoshi Takehiro , the Japanese envoy, said that North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test prompted Tokyo to increase its defense budget.

“We will examine all options, including counterstrike capabilities,” Funakoshi said. He said that Japan will be more vigilant against malicious cyber activities by North Korea though it remains committed to seeking dialogue with the North.

thediplomat.com · by Niniek Karmini and Hyung-jin Kim · December 14, 2022

15.  

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com