|
Quotes of the Day:
"The most important scientific revolutions all include, as their only common feature, the dethronement of human arrogance from one pedestal after another of previous convictions about our centrality in the cosmos."
- Stephen Jay Gould
“Clark wrote to friends, “Had you seen Rosa Parks (the Montgomery sparkplug) when she [first] came to Highlander, you would understand just how much guts she got while being here.” Parks took page upon page of notes during the sessions. She was struck by the idea that the goal of protest was not to influence attitudes, but to force change. “Desegregation prove[ s] itself by being put in action,” she wrote in her notes. “Not changing attitudes, attitudes will change.” In other words, don’t try to begin by changing the way people think. Rather, change the way they actually live, and their thinking will follow.”
- Waging a Good War: A Military History of the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1968 by Thomas E. Ricks
“In a national insurrection the center of gravity to be destroyed lies in the person of the chief leader and in public opinion; against these points the blow must be directed.”
- Clausewitz, 1832.
1. Kwon Young-se held a briefing on North Korea policy for ambassadors of major countries and international organizations in Korea (New "brand" for unification - "UniOn")
2. (Yonhap Interview) U.S. general stresses commitment to keep 'peak'-level readiness through 'realistic' training
3. Troops trade Christmas toys for a chance to earn a rare pistol badge in South Korea
4. S. Korea's lunar orbiter Danuri starts process to enter moon orbit
5. North Korea develops solid-fueled rocket engine
6. Full-scale inspection begins over S. Korea’s Hyunmoo missile malfunction
7. Amid food shortage, North Koreans forced to donate ‘patriotic rice’
8. No drinking, singing and fun allowed during 7 days of forced mourning for Kim Jong Il
9. North Koreans struggle to prepare for the frigid winter weather
10. Chinese yuan trades higher than ever since closure of China-North Korea border
1. Kwon Young-se held a briefing on North Korea policy for ambassadors of major countries and international organizations in Korea (New "brand" for unification - "UniOn")
Below is a google translation of a Korean article that I have not seen reported in the Korean English language media.
This is the new "brand" for Korean Unification from the Ministry of Unification:
' UniOn ', is an abbreviation of 'Unification On' and means 'to turn on unification'
This seems to be an indication that the MOU is going to make unification the main effort. (the pursuit of a free and unified Korea).
Here is some follow-up information further explaining this. Chung Dong Ho was my escort officer from MOU this week and he was responsible for organizing the MOU event for ambassadors to Korea.
From DC" Dong Ho Chung
Foreign Affairs Specialist, International Cooperation Division
Yesterday was the official debut day of a new brand that I created to call any international dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Unification.
The brand name is "UniOn", or "Unification On"; it means our efforts to turn “On” the lights of the international community to spark discussions over the unification of the Korean Peninsula, at anywhere around the globe.
In line with the effort, yesterday the Unification Minister Kwon Youngse held the first “UniOn Talks” - the policy roundtable on unification- with Ambassadors, other diplomats and heads of international organizations in South Korea.
We are expecting to see many more UniOn Talks, UniOn Forum, and so on.
Kwon Young-se held a briefing on North Korea policy for ambassadors of major countries and international organizations in Korea
Input 2022.12.16. 11:52 a.m. Edit 2022.12.16. 11:53 am original article
Reporter Lee Seol
About 30 attendees , including the British Ambassador to Korea … Explanatory plan, such as 'Bold Initiative'
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se. 2022.12.14 /News1 ⓒ News1 Reporter Kim Jin-hwan
(Seoul = News 1) Reporter Seol Lee = On the 16th , Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se will hold a briefing session on unification and North Korea policy, 'UniOn Talks' , for ambassadors of major countries in Korea and heads of Korean offices of international organizations .
This afternoon, held at the Mondrian Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, this event is the first to be held since the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, and was prepared to help the international community understand the new government's unification and North Korea policy, such as the "Bold Initiative," the Ministry of Unification said. About 30
representatives from Korea offices of international organizations and ambassadors from major countries in Korea, including British Ambassador Colin Crookes, will attend the event. The Ministry of Unification explained that the name of this event, ' UniOn ', is an abbreviation of 'Unification On' and means 'to turn on unification'. The Ministry of Unification said, “ UniOn is an expression of our will to make constant efforts to ensure that unification dialogue can take place all over the world . scheduled," he said.
"The Ministry of Unification has regularly invited officials from major countries' embassies and international organizations to hold policy briefings, and will continue to work for international cooperation on the unification and North Korea policy of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration," he said.
Reporter Seol Lee (sseol@news1.kr)
2. (Yonhap Interview) U.S. general stresses commitment to keep 'peak'-level readiness through 'realistic' training
For those familiar with special operations in Korea, I can tell you that SOCKOR has come a long way in Korea (and not just physically from its humble location in a converted Japanese Army latrine/shower room next to the old 8th Army HQ on Yongsan to the former Japanese Army morgue and biological testing facility on Camp Kim to the modern HQ location it now occupies on Camp Humphreys). It is doing things we only dreamed of in the 1980s, 1990's, and early 2000's.
Excerpts:
"SOCKOR's role is to think first, to think of the strategic environment, look at what the direction that elected officials and senior military leaders are telling us, and think through," he said. "We would be typically known as some force that would do something either unconventional or irregular."
Martin also pointed out SOCKOR is represented by every branch of the armed service and works in all domains, including the maritime and air spaces, as seen in SOCKOR members staging airborne jumps and other missions.
All these SOCKOR features are geared toward maximizing readiness.
"The ultimate purpose is the highest level of mission readiness," he said. "Should crisis or conflict come, we have some solutions that we can present."
(Yonhap Interview) U.S. general stresses commitment to keep 'peak'-level readiness through 'realistic' training | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · December 14, 2022
By Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, Dec. 14 (Yonhap) -- The chief of the U.S. special operations unit in South Korea highlighted its "100 percent" commitment Wednesday to keeping military readiness at the "peak" level through "realistic" training amid growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael E. Martin, the commander of the Special Operations Command-Korea (SOCKOR), made the remarks, pointing to his unit's challenging training programs, like the Exercise Teak Knife designed to maximize troop readiness for various commando missions.
Through social media, his unit has recently disclosed a series of photos showing troops engaging in commando field drills, in what was viewed as a move to underscore its combat preparedness and send a warning against evolving North Korean threats.
"We think it's important that they understand that we give 100 percent every day to the alliance to train and ensure our skills and readiness are at the peak level," the commander said in a phone interview with Yonhap News Agency joined by Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann.
"When we talk about strengthening alliances, we genuinely mean it by realistic multidomain-type training that tests us every day to ensure no matter what conflict or crisis confronts us, the alliance is absolutely ready to handle any kind of situation or scenario," he added.
The Exercise Teak Knife has drawn keen media attention here, as it was initially construed by some as a wartime program to target and "decapitate" the North Korean leadership.
Martin rejected that notion, describing the exercise as one designed to "integrate air and ground special operations to represent a realistic scenario in the defense of South Korea."
"I think people have taken the liberty, and maybe, there might be some miscommunication ... it's not specifically directed like to the decapitation," he said. "It is all about training and readiness, but I always consider that maybe it's people wanting to sensationalize."
Stressing his unit's unique special operations capabilities, Martin described his unit as "not a conventional force" that follows standards and norms, but one of elite forces armed with battle experience and insights. Martin himself has extensive experience through his previous deployments in Afghanistan, Germany and other countries.
"SOCKOR's role is to think first, to think of the strategic environment, look at what the direction that elected officials and senior military leaders are telling us, and think through," he said. "We would be typically known as some force that would do something either unconventional or irregular."
Martin also pointed out SOCKOR is represented by every branch of the armed service and works in all domains, including the maritime and air spaces, as seen in SOCKOR members staging airborne jumps and other missions.
All these SOCKOR features are geared toward maximizing readiness.
"The ultimate purpose is the highest level of mission readiness," he said. "Should crisis or conflict come, we have some solutions that we can present."
Asked to give some words to those wary of complex North Korean challenges, the commander said, "We are keenly aware of what's going on not just on the peninsula but in the region as well, then you would expect us to understand things like extended deterrence."
Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to providing a full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its allies.
Command Sgt. Maj. Naumann also stressed that troops under her leadership will strive to maintain high-level readiness "at all times" to be ready "for any scenario."
"The operations that we would be called upon to perform really demand precision, and so our training is always challenging and realistic, and it is always ongoing," she said.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · December 14, 2022
3. Troops trade Christmas toys for a chance to earn a rare pistol badge in South Korea
I commend SOCKOR and the UN Command for combining these different elements from a charity event to training to international cooperation (including Norway and Denmark) to do good for people and build camaraderie and esprit de corps.
Troops trade Christmas toys for a chance to earn a rare pistol badge in South Korea
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · December 12, 2022
Army Chief Warrant Officer James Wood, a UH-60M Black Hawk pilot with 2-2 Assault Helicopter Battalion at the K-16 air base near Seoul, earned a bronze Danish Marksmanship Badge at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
Buy Photo
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Military pistoleers combined a Christmas toy drive with a chance to earn a rare Danish Marksmanship Badge on a cold Monday morning at the rifle pistol range on this U.S. Army base.
About 40 troops from U.S. and South Korean units paid the entry fee — a toy for the Jacob’s House orphanage in Pyeongtaek or for service members’ children at Camp Humphreys — to display their proficiency with a Sig Sauer M18, the official U.S. Army sidearm.
U.S. Special Operations Command-Korea hosted the event for the first time in South Korea as part of Operation Toy Drop-Korea, a four-day charity event. Operation Toy Drop was first established in 1998 at Fort Bragg, N.C., to collect donated gifts for families in need and permit service members an opportunity to earn foreign military badges, according to a news release from the command.
Danish Army Maj. Soeren Madsen, left, scores a target belonging to a U.S. soldier, right, who is competing for a Danish Marksmanship Badge at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
Buy Photo
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Wood, a UH-60M Black Hawk pilot with the 2-2 Assault Helicopter Battalion at K-16 air base near Seoul, earned a bronze Danish Marksmanship Badge at the shooting range on Monday.
“I think it’s a really great opportunity to see some of the other side of our allies and our counterparts,” Wood said. “It’s my first time seeing all this stuff, so it’s pretty good to see that I’ve made it.”
Danish Army Maj. Soeren Madsen of the U.N. Command oversaw the event and awarded badges to those who qualified. The chance to earn a Danish Marksmanship Badge is rare outside of Denmark and comes only once a year, Madsen said.
Danish marksmanship tests are designed so that about half of the participants earn a badge; roughly 16% of all participants will earn a silver badge and 5% will earn a gold badge, according to Madsen.
The turnout was “much more than I expected” and the statistics of the competition so far are “holding up,” he said.
Roughly 100 service members are scheduled to participate in Operation Toy Drop-Korea’s Norwegian foot march at Humphreys on Wednesday. Troops who complete the 18.6-mile march with a 25-pound ruck sack in under 4 hours and 30 minutes will earn a Norwegian Foot March Badge. No toy donation is required to participate.
“We have service members across the peninsula, not just in special operations, who volunteered their time to train and to work alongside [South Korean] and U.N. Command teammates for this weeklong event,” Army Lt. Col. Joshua Bauer of U.S. Special Operations Command-Korea said in a news release Monday. “We are looking forward to seeing what everyone accomplishes this week …”
David Choi
David Choi
David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · December 12, 2022
4. S. Korea's lunar orbiter Danuri starts process to enter moon orbit
And to think that north Korea's space program consisted of a satellite playing north Korean music until the batteries ran out of power.
S. Korea's lunar orbiter Danuri starts process to enter moon orbit | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 채윤환 · December 17, 2022
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first lunar orbiter Danuri started entering the orbit of the moon Saturday, 135 days after its launch, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said.
The unmanned space vehicle carried out its first lunar orbit insertion (LOI) maneuver at 2:45 a.m., KARI said, as part of five rounds of such maneuvers in the coming days for Danuri to be captured in the lunar orbit on Dec. 29.
In the first maneuver, KARI researchers used Danuri's thrusters for about 13 minutes to slow its speed down from about 8,000 kilometers per hour to 7,500 kph. The result will be announced Monday after analysis.
The second maneuver is planned for Wednesday.
Danuri, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, was launched on Aug. 5 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for South Korea's first lunar mission. It has traveled a cumulative 5.94 million km so far.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 채윤환 · December 17, 2022
5. North Korea develops solid-fueled rocket engine
Just in case we missed this report. If they can develop the capability it will obviously be a game change for mobile missiles.
North Korea develops solid-fueled rocket engine
donga.com
Posted December. 17, 2022 07:19,
Updated December. 17, 2022 07:19
North Korea develops solid-fueled rocket engine. December. 17, 2022 07:19. by Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com.
North Korea said it has successfully tested a solid-fueled rocket motor that can be mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). With the regime’s success in test-firing Hwasong-17 last month, a “monster ICBM” that would have the range to reach all of the U.S. mainland, the announcement comes as a real missile threat. It would be a huge threat to Korea and the U.S. as the engine, if as powerful as the North claims, appears to have a larger thrust than the U.S.-based Minuteman-III ICBM, which is one of the top three nuclear weapons in the U.S.
The North's Academy of Defence Science succeeded in the "static firing test of high-thrust solid-fuel motor" with a thrust of 140 ton-force at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground on Thursday morning, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Friday. Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test.” It provided a firm scientific and technological guarantee over the development of another new-type strategic weapon system,” the state news media added.
Solid-fueled rockets have a low risk of being exposed to U.S. reconnaissance satellites as they can be launched right after being loaded in missiles. The liquid-fueled ones take at least 30 minutes to several hours to fuel.
If solid fuels are used, ICBMs can be on a transporter erector launcher in advance, which gives an advantage for sudden attacks. “It would take more time to verify the North’s claim,” a South Korean high-ranking official said. “If the claim turns out to be true, Seoul and Washington will need a totally different approach to respond to this situation as Pyongyang gained the heart for ICBMs, which can even hit the United States.”
Some say the North could carry out its seventh nuclear test after test-firing solid-fueled Hwasong-17. “Expectation that another new-type strategic weapon would be made in the shortest span of time,” the North Korean leader said after overseeing the test.
한국어
donga.com
6. Full-scale inspection begins over S. Korea’s Hyunmoo missile malfunction
Full-scale inspection begins over S. Korea’s Hyunmoo missile malfunction
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · December 16, 2022
After a two-month long initial inter-agency investigation, the South Korean military announced during a closed-door briefing Thursday the outcome regarding the malfunction of a Hyunmoo 2-C ballistic missile. Further full-scale inspections to determine the precise cause of the accident will occur December to March next year.
The military will focus on examining missile navigation, control and guidance systems during the inspections.
The Hyunmoo 2-C ballistic missile crashed into a golf course located within a South Korean Air Force base in the city of Gangneung, Gangwon Province, less than one minute after it was launched at the base on October 4. The missile was aimed toward the East Sea, but the malfunctioned missile abnormally flew westward.
The military concluded the “presumed” cause for the malfunctioned launch lie in an indigenously-developed gyroscope, which is part of the missile’s inertial navigation system, South Korea’s senior defense officials said on condition of anonymity. A gyroscope measures orientation and angular speed and provides position information to guide a missile to its intended target.
Generally speaking, a failed missile launch caused by an error in a gyroscope is “extremely rare.”
One official said the complex structure of a gyroscope and the absence of data on the abortive missile launch such as flight altitude and speed were key factors in failure to find the precise cause of the malfunction despite simulating the accident in more than 30,000 experiments.
The military faced blistering criticism in October due to its slow response to the accident, baffling residents in the coastal city of Gangneung. The fire and loud noise from the crash triggered panic among residents late in the evening, but it was not until next morning the military addressed the cause.
Furthermore, a safety issue was raised after the military admitted the nearest residential house was located 700 meters away from the missile crash site.
The South Korean military pledged to develop a “missile flight safety system” to forcibly and safely terminate the flight of a missile should it deviate from the predetermined flight path, according to officials.
The South Korean military also promised to reinforce its process to inform local residents of live-fire drills in advance.
The October incident marked the first time a launch of a Hyunmoo-2C surface-to-surface missile with a range of 1,000 kilometers has failed since first deployed in 2017. It is also the second failed launch of a Hyunmoo-type missile, which is a key component of South Korea’s three-axis defense system, during live-fire drills. A Hyunmoo-2A missile previously crashed into the sea September 2017.
By Ji Da-gyum (dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · December 16, 2022
7. Amid food shortage, North Koreans forced to donate ‘patriotic rice’
How much more suffering can the Kim family regime impose upon the Korean people in the north?
Amid food shortage, North Koreans forced to donate ‘patriotic rice’
‘I don’t even have rice to eat today. What can I possibly offer as patriotic rice?’
By Jieun Kim for RFA Korean
2022.12.16
rfa.org
Despite widespread food shortages in North Korea, the government is forcing its citizens to donate several kilograms of “patriotic rice” for use by the military, party officials, scientists and people in need, sources in the country told Radio Free Asia.
Those who fail to donate their assigned quantity by year-end could be publicly criticized and sent to political reeducation, or worse, sent to labor camps, the sources said.
Privately, many people are grumbling about being coerced into donating at a time when many families are having trouble feeding themselves.
“They say, ‘I don’t even have rice to eat today. What can I possibly offer as patriotic rice?’” a resident of the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFA’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
“They told residents to sacrifice from their conscience and patriotism,” the source said. “If I have true patriotism, will rice rain down from the sky?”
The order came from the Central Committee, which reminded the people that North Korea’s recent missile launches are an example of the party’s well-being and the increasing dignity of the country – but barely acknowledged the country’s food shortage.
“It praised North Korea’s national power and status, saying it had risen to epic highs, and it said to the people that our food problems must be solved through patriotism,” said the source. “The directive also highlighted cases where farmers and ordinary citizens donated more than their quota of patriotic rice.”
The country’s rice harvest declined this year due to colder temperatures and heavy cloud cover that reduced sunlight in July, which is prime rice growing season, South Korea’s Rural Development Administration said in its annual estimate of North Korea’s agricultural production.
The agency estimated that North Korea’s overall crop production declined by 180,000 tons to 4.51 million tons.
Secret vendors
Rice is not available in the local market and private sales of grains are prohibited, seemingly creating a problem for those who don’t have extra to spare, but the source said that every neighborhood has secret vendors that sell it in small amounts.
Orders from the central government dictate how much each citizen must donate depending on their station in life. Most citizens will have to donate 5 kilograms (11 lbs), whereas farmers must donate between 10 and 15 kilograms. Students and the elderly must donate between 2 and 7 kilos.
The authorities are telling the people that donating even 1 gram of rice over the prescribed amount of is patriotic, according to the source.
“The authorities threatened the farmers saying [they] could be subject to systematic ideological criticism and punishment at disciplinary labor centers… for at least six months, but no more than a year,” said the source.
Farm workers have until Dec. 30 to complete their donations, the source said.
"Patriotism has been enforced in the past. But this year, farming has not been good compared to the previous years,” the source said. “So, residents are nervous about food."
The central government circulated official documents to discuss the directive with the title, “Let us imitate the loyalty of the soldiers of the People’s Army and fulfill our civic duty by fulfilling our dedication of patriotic rice,” a resident of the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.
The directive commanded farmers to give 1 kilogram more than the “recommended” donation.
Many farmers complained, saying “The rice storage container at home is empty, so how can we take responsibility for the rest of the country?” the second source said.
The explanatory document also praised soldiers who tightened their belts and donated from their own rations, but the citizens saw that message as obvious propaganda, according to the second source.
“In response, the people were critical of the authorities for launching so many missiles recently, even at a time when food shortages are so bad they cannot properly feed the army,” the second source said.
Secretly, residents are even critical of their leader Kim Jong Un, who shortly after succeeding his late father 11 years ago promised that they would be able to eat well, and has repeatedly promised this during his tenure, the second source said.
“They say that the promise made by the Highest Dignity has gone nowhere,” the second source said, using an honorific term to refer to Kim. “The food crisis has worsened because of the wrong policies of the authorities.”
Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
rfa.org
8. No drinking, singing and fun allowed during 7 days of forced mourning for Kim Jong Il
And I thought how could the regime make things worse for the Korean people in the north.
"UniOn" - "Unification On" and ""turn on unification" cannot come soon enough for the Korean people living (and suffering) in the north.
No drinking, singing and fun allowed during 7 days of forced mourning for Kim Jong Il
Spies on the lookout for those who don’t maintain solemn decorum or say anything critical
By Chang Gyu Ahn and Hyemin Son for RFA Korean
2022.12.16
rfa.org
North Korea is in the midst of a seven-day period of forced mourning to mark the 11th anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong Il, and no singing, drinking or celebrating will be allowed, sources in the country tell Radio Free Asia.
The government has ordered its citizens to maintain an attitude of solemn reflection on the life of the late “Dear Leader,” the father of current leader Kim Jong Un, who died on Dec. 17, 2011. The mourning period began on Wednesday and will end on Dec. 20.
“You must never drink alcohol or engage in entertainment such as singing or drinking during the period of commemoration,” a resident of the northern province of Ryanggang told RFA’s Korean Service on Wednesday on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Additionally, people are supposed to tone down or avoid key life events, such as coming of age ceremonies, weddings, funerals, and even jesa, the ceremony to remember the dead.
“The atmosphere of fear that controls and pressures the residents will be strong during the commemoration period,” the source said. “If you do not watch yourself and are not careful during this time, you may get into serious trouble.”
Agents on the lookout
Authorities have also told people to avoid making political statements or offer any criticism against the government during the period, and threatened that secret agents were on the lookout.
Movement between different parts of the country would also be more restricted than normal, and bribing officials for travel passes would be nearly impossible during the mourning period, the source said.
Residents in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong were told to “be careful about what [they] say and do” during the mourning period, a resident there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.
The second source said that in addition to the directives about acting respectfully and refraining from criticizing or complaining about the authorities, the central government ordered the neighborhood watch units to enforce a tighter surveillance of the people.
“Documentaries about Kim Jong Il’s achievements and his love for the people are being aired on television every day,” the second source said. “Various memorial-related events such as museum visits, intensive lectures, and commemorative lectures are continuously being held, but they always end with a theme of endless loyalty to Kim Jong Un.”
December is also the birth month of Kim Jong Il’s mother, Kim Jong Sook, and she also has commemorative events, so the people find the focus on the Kim Dynasty this time of year to be exhausting, the second source said.
North Koreans bow toward portraits of their late leader Kim Jong Il to mark the third anniversary of his death, Pyongyang, North Korea. Credit: AP
Sub-zero ceremonies
Some of the events during Kim Jong Il’s mourning period are being held outdoors in the cold.
In South Pyongan province, North of the capital Pyongyang, residents were made to attend memorial services all day starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Temperatures ranged from minus 12 degrees Celsius (10.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to minus 2 (28.4 F), a source there told RFA.
The authorities mandated that all women in attendance wear Korean traditional clothing, according to the South Pyongan source. There are both winter and summer versions of the traditional garb, but most women own only one set that they wear only for formal events, most of which are indoors. These would have offered little protection against the cold.
“The authorities are ignoring the shivering women even if they show symptoms of frostbite, such as hypothermia and itchy skin, so people here are about to burst with resentment,” the South Pyongan source said.
In North Hamgyong’s Musan county, authorities on Friday gathered coal miners in front of a government building for a two-hour memorial service when the weather was minus 20 C ( minus 4 F), a source there told RFA.
“The grumbling workers said things like, ‘[Kim Jong Il] still starves the people and makes them suffer in the cold weather even long after his death.’
Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee, Leejin J. Chung, and Eugene Whong. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
rfa.org
9. North Koreans struggle to prepare for the frigid winter weather
We must not become numb to the suffering of the Korean people in the north. This Is going to be a very bad winter for them.
But we must not forget that their suffering is the result of Kim Jong Un's deliberate decision making that prioritizes the development of nuclear weapons and missiles over the welfare of the Korean people.
North Koreans struggle to prepare for the frigid winter weather
In North Korea's rural counties and villages, people wear winter clothes that are four or five years old, a source told Daily NK
dailynk.com
FILE PHOTO: Lines of coal briquettes in North Korea. (Daily NK)
North Korea is in the grips of a cold snap, but people in the country are struggling to prepare for the winter, Daily NK has learned.
A source told Daily NK that many North Koreans face threats to their survival as they are unable to buy warm clothing or heating supplies due to economic difficulties.
The source, who is based in Yanggang Province, said Wednesday that while the weather in the two Hwanghae provinces and other inner regions has remained relatively mild, in northern mountain regions like Yanggang Province and North Hamgyong Province, much snow has fallen and the weather has turned frightfully cold.
“You have to bundle up, but many people feel they can’t buy [new] warm clothing,” he said.
The source said one can find many people in urban areas wearing thick, expensive winter clothing, but in more rural counties and villages, more people wear winter clothes that are four or five years old.
“You can see students at rural schools going to class in ragged, torn winter clothing, and most of them are laborers’ or farmers’ children from struggling households,” he said.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s Open MET Data Portal, temperatures in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, dropped as low as -25.8 degrees between Dec. 5 and 12, while the average temperature was -13 degrees.
That means despite the terrible cold weather, many North Koreans are unable to buy proper winter clothing, with poorer provincial residents facing an especially tough time.
LACK OF COAL SPELLS TROUBLE FOR MANY
Moreover, North Koreans are experiencing difficulty obtaining supplies of fuel for heating.
“Well-off families bought two or three tons of coal between September and November to complete their winter preparations, but families that are struggling are making due with barely 100 to 200 kilograms of coal,” he said.
North Koreans usually buy coal to fashion into perforated briquettes to use as heating fuel. Perforated briquettes are the most common fuel for winter heating in the country.
According to the source, relatively comfortable families have secured enough coal, but low-income families are unable to secure a tenth of what they need.
The source said the price of coal has fallen with most coal mines redirecting the coal they have been unable to export during the COVID-19 pandemic to the domestic market, but people in seriously dire economic straits cannot purchase it even if they want to.
“Because of this, in rural districts of South Pyongan Province and North Hwanghae Province, coal just sits there, piling up unsold for several months,” he said. “That’s how little money people have.”
Relatedly, according to Daily NK’s survey data on the price of coal in North Korea from 2020, domestic coal prices are generally falling.
The price of a briquette according to a survey last December was KPW 750 in Pyongyang and KPW 600 in Sinuiju, but this year, the price was KPW 600 in Pyongyang and KPW 500 in Sinuiju, about 20% cheaper.
FOREST PROTECTION EFFORTS MAKE KINDLING LESS AVAILABLE
The source said that many households have had trouble obtaining sufficient kindling as well.
People unable to purchase heating fuel such as coal head to the mountains to collect firewood, but the source said amendments made last year to North Korea’s forestry law have make even this option difficult.
With North Korean leader Kim Jong Un demonstrating great enthusiasm for forestation, crackdowns on and punishments of unauthorized logging are reportedly severe.
The source said that because of this, people can no longer cut down wood from the mountains for kindling like they did in the past.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
10. Chinese yuan trades higher than ever since closure of China-North Korea border
Chinese yuan trades higher than ever since closure of China-North Korea border
The yuan’s steep climb against the North Korean won follows moves in provincial areas to restart trading
dailynk.com
FILE PHOTO: A view of Yanggang Province from the Chinese side of the China-North Korea border. (Daily NK)
The Chinese yuan is trading higher than it has since North Korea closed its border with China in January of 2020, Daily NK has learned.
In particular, with Yanggang Province and North Hamgyong Province receiving orders regarding the restart of trade, the yuan has strengthened faster than the dollar.
According to Daily NK’s regular survey of market prices in North Korea, the yuan was trading at KPW 1,120 in Pyongyang and Hyesan as of Monday.
Compared to Nov. 27, when the yuan was trading between KPW 800 and 900 in both cities, the yuan has climbed more than 30%.
This is the first time the yuan rate has climbed so steeply since the North Korean authorities closed the border.
YUAN’S RISE MAY BE CONNECTED TO GROWING SIGNS TRADE WILL RESTART
The yuan’s steep climb against the North Korean won follows moves in provincial areas to restart trading.
According to Daily NK sources, North Korean authorities have started modernizing the Wonjeong-ri Customs House in Undok County, North Hamgyong Province, along the border with China.
Additionally, Hyesan Customs House in Yanggang Province — which had been closed for three years — received an order in late November regarding the construction of a quarantine station, with work currently underway.
Anticipation that trade will restart in North Hamgyong Province and Yanggang Province from early next year has likely had an impact on the rising yuan rate, too.
The yuan, which had been holding steady between KPW 1,200 and 1,300 in early 2020, began falling as trade and smuggling stopped in frontier regions due to the closure of the border.
By June of 2021, it had fallen to the KPW 500 to 600 range.
Prior to the closure of the border, the yuan was in fairly common use in areas along the border, with the currency not only used in trade, but also in circulation in marketplaces along with the North Korean won.
However, with the trade restricted, local demand for the yuan plummeted, and even in markets, fewer people were reportedly paying in yuan.
In particular, with the North Korean authorities restricting individual trade while focusing on state-centered maritime trade through the ports of Nampo and Songnim, the dollar became the preferred currency for payments between North Korea and China.
Because of this, the dollar dropped far less precipitously than the yuan during the border closure period. In fact, the dollar fell 50% against the won compared to the rate at the end of January of 2020, while the yuan fell 66%.
DOLLAR RECOVERS TO RATE PRIOR TO BORDER CLOSURE
Meanwhile, the dollar was trading at KPW 8,300 in Hyesan as of Monday. Compared to Nov. 27, when it was trading at KPW 8,200, the rate had risen slightly.
It appears the dollar rate has recovered to where it was just prior to the closure of the border.
The dollar has steadily strengthened since July, likely a result of growing state-led trade between North Korea and China.
In fact, trade between North Korea and China continues to grow.
According to a monthly report on trade statistics between North Korea and China published by the IBK Economic Institute on Nov. 20, trade between the two countries in October climbed 47.6% over September, which itself had been a post-COVID 19 high, and had recovered to 55.1% of what it was in December of 2019, prior to COVID-19.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
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
| 
