Quotes of the Day:

"Nationalism appeals to our tribal instincts, to passion and to prejudice, and to our nostalgic desire to be relieved from the strain of individual responsibility which it attempts to replace by a collective or group responsibility."– Karl Popper, "The Open Society and its Enemies"

“If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny”

– Timothy Snyder

"Words are one of our chief means of adjusting to all the situations of life. The better control we have of our words, the more successful our adjustment will be." 

– Bergan Evans

1. The two Koreas: Could a North-South summit be in the works?

2. Contrasting Memories: South Korean, U.S. Diplomats on North Korea Policy

3. Why xenophobia won't solve South Korea's China problem

4. People Power Party Lawmakers Apologize for Martial Law, Pledge Break With Yoon

5. What we’ve learned about the alleged plan to provoke North Korea for martial law

6. Unification ministry says revised law will likely end anti-N. Korea leaflet launches

7. Lee vows to designate Dec. 3 as day for people's sovereignty to mark overcoming of martial law crisis

8. S. Korea calls for ASEAN to support its efforts for dialogue with N. Korea

9. Defense chief urges military to defend constitutional values 1 year after martial law bid

10. Senior U.S. official says to see to ensure full fact sheet implementation: foreign ministry

11. Lee says he wishes he could apologize to North Korea for Yoon’s drone incursion

12.  Lee touts securing U.S. consent for nuclear-powered subs as major achievement in summit talks with Trump

13. On martial law anniversary, Lee says S. Korean citizens deserve Nobel Prize

14. Lee says Trump proposed 5:5 partnership for uranium enrichment project

1. The two Koreas: Could a North-South summit be in the works?

Summary:

South Korea’s new president, Lee Jae-myung, has restored democratic stability, shored up the high-tech economy, and managed POTUS adroitly, securing tariff relief and major Korean investment in US industry. Kim Jong Un, buoyed by Russian and Chinese backing and illicit revenue streams, has strengthened his elite “court economy” while most North Koreans remain poor and controlled. North–South dynamics are unchanged at their core: a hereditary northern regime facing a rotating southern presidency. Lee is alliance-focused and pragmatic, rejecting absorption unification yet hinting at reduced exercises under a peace regime. Conditions exist for a lower-key, realist summit, unless Washington’s signaling derails it.

Comment: I am skeptical. What will entice KJU to participate in a summit? What are we willing to give him (hopefully nothing). I think KJU will only negotiate if he thinks he has the advantage and will get something significant in return. But it is speculation such as these articles that gives him hope that his political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies are working.

Reduced exercises have never resulted in any substantive change in behavior and only weakened readiness and thus deterrence. Exercises must not be used as bargaining chips.

The two Koreas: Could a North-South summit be in the works? | Lowy Institute

Jane Hardy

Kim’s renewed military confidence and Lee’s pragmatic

diplomacy create the ideal conditions for a meeting.

lowyinstitute.org · Jane Hardy

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/two-koreas-could-north-south-summit-be-works

The leaders of the two Koreas – South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung and North Korea’s Chairman-Comrade-Secretary-General (take your pick from his many titles) Kim Jong-un – have each chalked up impressive gains in 2025.

Elected in a landslide after the debacle of his predecessor’s ill-fated move to impose martial law and a downturn in the economy, Lee moved quickly to shore up democratic structures and the high tech industry and trade that underpin South Korea’s powerhouse economy.

Lee managed early interaction with US President Donald Trump with aplomb, with rewards for both sides including Korean investment in US shipbuilding and other sectors worth some US$350 billion, and significant reduction of US tariffs on Korean imports.

The images emanating from Kim’s North Korea now stand in contrast to the North Korea I visited during the hopeful five or six years after 2000.

After hosting 21 regional leaders for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum – and, notably, a vaunted Trump-Xi Jinping side meeting – Lee highlighted AI and other strategic-economic drivers in an impressive APEC Declaration and bagged another ringing endorsement from the Trump White House.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un has had a splendid year. Not only did he, the leader of a tiny impoverished country, strut a stage in Beijing with the world’s foremost dictators and their acolyte countries, but he earned billions from his renewed pact with Russia and the imprimatur of China’s President Xi.

The North Korean economy is notoriously hard to measure, though the World Bank ranks it at 135th globally with a meagre per capita income of US$1,200 and high inequality. But Kim has managed to build new theme parks and luxury villas for his loyal elites, on the back of funds from cybercrime, arms sales and remittances from North Koreans working in slavish conditions abroad – and from new Russian-North Korean joint cybercrime ventures recently observed.

The images emanating from Kim’s North Korea now stand in contrast to the North Korea that I visited during the hopeful five or six years after 2000. At that time, Kim’s father Kim Jong-il and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung were attempting to build a new era in North-South relations. In those years, we saw stunted North Korean children, rice terraces built by hand, and shabby buildings lit by candles.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (R) managed early interaction with US President Donald Trump with aplomb, with rewards for both sides (Daniel Torok/White House/Flickr)

South Korean experts described the Kim regime as a hereditary courtly system, some 200 families of the so-called “Mount Paektu Bloodline” living in Pyongyang – which looked surprisingly like Canberra, a planned beautiful city; but unlike Canberra, one surrounded by soldiers and barbed wire.

The first “economy” of North Korea was the Kim economy of the elite families. The second was the Korean People’s Army economy. The KPA to this day is estimated to be the world’s fourth-largest standing army. KPA soldiers – much like their diplomatic compatriots serving in North Korean embassies overseas – are self-sufficient, growing their own food and engaging in questionable forms of commerce. The third economy was the traditional command-and-control system much like that of Soviet times, which was then showing signs of dysfunction and by now may be defunct.

And the fourth economy – just beginning in 2000 – was the “grey” and “black” economy of small locally-run markets selling smuggled goods from China, Japanese television sets and used cars, and surplus food grown by North Korean farmers outside of the rigid planned state agricultural production regime. This fourth economy appears to have expanded, but judging its impact is difficult. Outside visitors cannot roam, instead only seeing its memorials, infrastructure and society from a distance.

While the Kim regime stays constant, South Korean presidents must change every five years.

The nature of North-South relations remains as it has been for 70 years – countries of identical common ethnicity and 5,000 years of written history, technically at war, with security guarantees and economic assistance provided respectively by the two great powers, divided at the 38th parallel.

While the Kim regime stays constant, South Korean presidents must change every five years. Policy towards the North vacillates according to the ideological flavour of the sitting president’s party.

South Korea’s Lee was a leftist firebrand – but his early steps as president indicate that he is forging a path that is different to those of his progressive predecessors. His first overseas visit was to Tokyo, followed by Washington, displaying the instincts of alliance-building more common in conservative leaders.

Now that Lee has secured international support and made bold moves to stabilise the South Korean economy, will he revert to type and make overtures to the North?

He has recently suggested that if and when a “peace regime” is established on the Korean Peninsula, reducing the pace and size of South Korea-US military exercises could be “beneficial”. But Lee and his unification minister Chung Dong-young speak more cautiously about approaching the North than progressives did historically.

Lee is realistic about the degree to which he might affect real change, with an aggressive, nuclear-armed Kim backed by China and Russia sustaining a feudal, isolated society. Unlike the two Kims of the early 2000s, Lee no longer imagines the Korean Peninsula as one country some day: “We have no intention of pursuing absorption unification” with the North, he stated in November.

Kim’s renewed military confidence and Lee’s pragmatic diplomacy may create the conditions for another North-South summit. But it will be one less hyped and more realistic in tone than those of the past – that is if Trump does not get in the way of the delicate strategic messaging.

lowyinstitute.org · Jane Hardy

2. Contrasting Memories: South Korean, U.S. Diplomats on North Korea Policy

Summary:

Former South Korean and U.S. diplomats recall North Korea policy through very different lenses. For many South Koreans, memories center on the Sunshine Policy era, summit diplomacy, and missed chances for gradual opening and tension reduction. U.S. officials tend to remember serial provocations, stalled negotiations, and a pattern of North Korean deception that hardened Washington’s skepticism. The piece contrasts Seoul’s focus on managing risk and inter-Korean reconciliation with Washington’s emphasis on denuclearization, sanctions, and alliance credibility. Taken together, the diplomats’ reminiscences highlight how diverging strategic priorities and political narratives still complicate efforts to coordinate a coherent North Korea strategy.

Comment: Where you stand depends on where you sit. I am confused as to why we continue to think China can have a positive influence on the Korean situation. We need a radical new approach (A two plus three approach). A point of history: It was the Sunshine policy of 1997 that saved the Kim family from regime collapse and it was the Korean people in the north establishing their own markets that saved the people).

Contrasting Memories: South Korean, U.S. Diplomats on North Korea Policy

chosun.com · Park Kook-hee

[Correspondent Report] Pompeo stresses Chinese role in denuclearization; Kang prioritizes dialogue despite unproven outcomes

By Park Kook-hee

Published 2025.12.01. 23:37

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/12/01/JLIDIXZ6FFERJG4TVMMZJF2YNA/

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and South Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha. /Chosunilbo DB

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Kang Kyung-wha held press briefings in Washington on the 17th and 18th of last month, respectively. Coincidentally, both had been involved in coordinating the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un from 2018 to 2019. However, their recollections starkly contrasted.

Kang, who served as the first foreign minister under the Moon Jae-in administration, stated at the Washington briefing on the 18th, “We will continue to closely communicate with the U.S. to secure support for our North Korea policy” and added, “Together with the U.S., we will strive to act as a ‘peace maker’ and ‘pace maker’ to mature conditions for inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea dialogue.” This echoed the 2019 June meeting at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, where Trump, Kim, and Moon convened. As the first ambassador to the U.S. under the Lee Jae-myung administration, her remarks aligned with the government’s agenda.

In contrast, Pompeo’s assessment during his briefing the day prior stood in direct opposition to Kang’s. He remarked, “There are no more ‘carrots’ to persuade Kim Jong-un to abandon nuclear weapons, and most ‘sticks’ have already been tried,” and added, “Looking back at the history of negotiations with North Korea—such as the Geneva Agreement and the Six-Party Talks—there is little left to attempt anew.” He emphasized, “If denuclearization is the goal, it will never happen without Chinese President Xi Jinping’s approval,” and stated, “While dialogue with Kim Jong-un is intriguing, it holds no real value.” His argument was that resolving North Korea’s nuclear issue requires negotiations with Xi, not Kim.

Pompeo, who as CIA director in 2018 secretly visited Pyongyang to discuss the U.S.-North Korea summit, was the highest-ranking Western official to meet Kim. While his analysis is not infallible, he at least confronted the limitations of past negotiations and the harsh realities of international dynamics. Kang’s remarks, however, resembled repetitive rhetoric tailored to the administration’s stance. Her claim that South Korea would “mature conditions for dialogue” was frequently used from 2018 to 2019, yet the fundamental question of how such dialogue would bring tangible change remained unanswered.

Nothing is more futile than making an event itself the goal of diplomacy. The Panmunjom meeting of the three leaders was politically symbolic, but it neither slowed North Korea’s nuclear development, improved the lives of its people, nor substantively altered South Korea’s security environment. If the South Korean government continues to prioritize staging dialogue over substance, it will remain a mere bystander in U.S.-led negotiations on North Korea’s denuclearization.

What is needed is not the mere achievement of dialogue but a sober reflection on its purpose. If South Korea ignores the realistic constraints Pompeo highlighted and fixates on event-driven diplomacy, it will likely repeat the failures of the Moon Jae-in administration.

chosun.com · Park Kook-hee

3. Why xenophobia won't solve South Korea's China problem

Summary:

Anti China sentiment is surging in South Korea, with protests, street “citizens’ checks,” and open discrimination against Chinese visitors and residents. The article argues this xenophobia does nothing to blunt Beijing’s growing military and political threat and instead hurts South Korea, damaging tourism, scaring off needed foreign workers, and staining its global image. Real answers lie in policy, not prejudice: tighter vetting of Chinese students and workers in sensitive sectors, reducing trade dependence on China, strengthening alliances with the United States and regional partners, considering an independent nuclear deterrent, and engaging North Korea to cut Beijing’s leverage over the peninsula.

Comment: While xenophobia is not helpful, a sufficient and realistic understanding of the PRC's unrestricted warfare and three warfares and how China seeks to create dilemmas for the ROK and the ROK/US alliance is very necessary. The Korean people need to recognize and understand the Chinese strategy and the ROKG must expose the strategy and attack the strategy with a superior political warfare strategy.  

Why xenophobia won't solve South Korea's China problem | Lowy Institute

Dylan Motin

A rise in anti-Chinese sentiment damages Seoul’s image

and fails to address the real issues of defence and security.

lowyinstitute.org · Dylan Motin

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/why-xenophobia-won-t-solve-south-korea-s-china-problem

In recent months, anti-China protests have flooded South Korea’s public spaces. Far-right marches denouncing supposed Chinese Communist Party infiltration and Chinese immigration are regular fixtures in districts known to attract Chinese migrants. During elections, activists have conducted improvised Korean language tests and ID checks on voters in front of polling stations to unmask Chinese infiltrators. Banners warning of Chinese tourists taking over the country have sprung up at road intersections. And in Seoul, a café has announced a “no Chinese customers” policy.

Burgeoning military power fuels Beijing’s ambitions to expand its territory and influence in ways unfavourable to Seoul.

A survey conducted earlier this year shows most South Koreans harbour a negative view of China, and that this dislike is growing. Indeed, there is abundant evidence that the country’s giant neighbour is a considerable political and military threat. In the past three decades, Beijing has conducted one of the greatest military buildups in history. With the aim of asserting its power in the region and “reunifying” with Taiwan, it is ceaselessly constructing new warships and expanding its nuclear arsenal. China now has a clear military lead over any of its neighbours, prompting growing fears that it could defeat the United States in an East Asian contingency.

This burgeoning military power fuels Beijing’s ambitions to expand its territory and influence in ways unfavourable to Seoul. China and South Korea contest the delimitation of the West Sea’s continental shelf, with Beijing claiming the Gageo Reef and Ieodo Islet for itself. China has installed floating structures in the Provisional Measures Zone that violate pre-existing bilateral agreements. The occasional suggestion that Beijing is entitled to historical special rights over the Korean Peninsula, as well as media and popular attempts within China to rebrand South Korean cultural elements as Chinese and belittle Korea’s achievements, do not help to create sympathy.

South Koreans take part in an anti-China protest, ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting during the APEC Leaders' Week, in Gyeongju, South Korea, on 29 October 2025 (Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)

But xenophobia against everyday Chinese citizens living in South Korea leads to nothing good and helps little to curb Beijing’s power and hegemonic ambitions. Worse, it could harm South Korea in several ways. First, it could disincentivise those of Chinese descent from visiting the country, thereby damaging the tourism industry. Second, in an era of accelerated demographic collapse, Seoul cannot afford to scare away foreign workers. Third, it may damage South Korea’s global image as a welcoming nation safe for travel and investment, leading to lost opportunities at a time when its economic prospects are already gloomy.

Instead, the better route for South Koreans to channel their legitimate concerns would be through the array of policy options available to combat the Chinese threat. For example, tighter screening of incoming Chinese students and strategic-sector workers could reduce the number of individuals linked to the Chinese military and intelligence services seeking to spy on South Korea’s defences and gain access to South Korean research centres and tech companies.

On its own, South Korea has little capacity to deter Chinese aggression.

Economic resilience could also be bolstered. Around a quarter of South Korea’s exports go to China, creating a dangerous economic vulnerability that Beijing could use to harm the country. Reducing this trade weakness, alongside the dependency on Chinese rare earths, is thus urgent.

On its own, South Korea has little capacity to deter Chinese aggression. Reinforcing and modernising the US alliance is key, but not sufficient. Seoul should continue to increase defence and economic cooperation and policy coordination with like-minded states such as Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and India to collectively deter and contain Chinese power.

The recent agreement with the United States that secured Seoul’s rights to nuclear-propelled submarines is a first step to denting China’s military dominance. Still, it is far from enough, and South Korea has no hope of counterbalancing Chinese power with conventional means alone. Against that background, pursuing an independent nuclear deterrent could be the best option to blunt Beijing’s quest for territorial aggrandisement and regional hegemony and to guarantee South Korea’s long-term foreign policy freedom.

Finally, relations with North Korea are part of the larger regional picture. The poorer the inter-Korean relations, the more leverage China has over the two halves of the Peninsula. Hence, engaging with North Korea is essential to decreasing Pyongyang’s diplomatic and economic reliance on Beijing, thereby reducing its sway over the two countries.

Numerous viable policies exist to push back against Beijing and secure Seoul’s interests. Discriminating against Chinese individuals in South Korea is not one of them.

lowyinstitute.org · Dylan Motin

4. People Power Party Lawmakers Apologize for Martial Law, Pledge Break With Yoon

Summary:

On the first anniversary of the December 3 emergency martial law, twenty-five People Power Party lawmakers publicly apologized for failing to stop it and pledged a decisive political break with former POTUS Yoon Suk-yeol and the forces behind the decree. They accepted the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the martial law was unconstitutional and stressed that even opposition “tyranny” and serial impeachments could never justify using the military and police. Framing this as “re-founding” the party, they promised sweeping reform, potentially including a name change, to become a policy-driven, livelihoods-focused ruling party that can again offer “hope” to the public.

Comment: Will this be a positive step toward national reconciliation? Or is it too small and limited?

People Power Party Lawmakers Apologize for Martial Law, Pledge Break With Yoon

25 lawmakers, including Ahn Cheol-soo, apologize for December 3rd martial law, vow political severance from former President Yoon and party overhaul

https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/12/03/YQC4KVXI2BETRESTYBTHL2MGCM/

Twenty-five People Power Party lawmakers apologize for failing to prevent emergency martial law, pledge political break with former President Yoon at National Assembly in Yeouido on Dec. 3, marking one year since the Dec. 3 martial law.

By Lee Hae-in

Published 2025.12.03. 12:05

Updated 2025.12.03. 16:44https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/12/03/YQC4KVXI2BETRESTYBTHL2MGCM/

People Power Party lawmakers Lee Sung-kwon, Kim Yong-tae, and others hold a press conference to announce their stance on the December 3 emergency martial law and bow deeply to apologize at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 3rd. /Yonhap

Twenty-five People Power Party lawmakers apologized for the December 3rd emergency martial law on the 3rd, marking one year since its imposition, and pledged a political break with former President Yoon Suk-yeol. On the same day, as People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok stated, “The December 3rd emergency martial law was martial law to counter parliamentary tyranny,” they separately issued an apology statement.

They held a press conference that afternoon at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, “As lawmakers of the ruling party, we deeply regret our failure to prevent the emergency martial law in advance and sincerely apologize to the public.”

The joint apology statement they released included △ an apology for the December 3rd emergency martial law, △ a political break with former President Yoon, and △ party innovation at the level of re-establishment.

First- and second-term lawmakers of the People Power Party, including Rep. Kim Yong-tae, hold a press conference titled 'One Year of Emergency Martial Law, Reflection and Apology' at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 3rd. /Newsis

They emphasized that even if the Democratic Party’s serial impeachment attempts were ongoing at the time of last year’s emergency martial law, the method of martial law could not be justified. They stated, “We understand that normal state affairs were difficult due to the legislative excesses and serial impeachment attempts by the large opposition party at the time, and that there was a need to address the reality of the liberal democratic system being threatened.” However, they drew a line, adding, “This was ultimately an issue that should have been resolved through politics within the framework of the Constitution and laws, and never should have been addressed through the extreme measure of emergency martial law mobilizing the military and police.”

As part of their innovation measures, they also promised to sever ties with former President Yoon. They stated, “We respect the Constitutional Court’s decision ruling the December 3rd emergency martial law as unconstitutional and illegal,” adding, “We clearly declare that we will politically sever ties with former President Yoon and the forces that led the emergency martial law.”

People Power Party lawmakers Lee Sung-kwon, Kim Yong-tae, and others hold a press conference to announce their stance on the December 3 emergency martial law and bow deeply to apologize at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 3rd. /Yonhap

They also mentioned party innovation at the level of re-establishment. They stated, “We will transform our party into a people’s livelihood party, a policy-oriented party, and a ruling party that drives sustainable development for South Korea and cares for the people’s lives,” adding, “We will achieve party innovation at the level of re-establishment.” Specific methods proposed include changing the party’s name.

Rep. Lee Seong-gwon, secretary of the study group “Alternatives and Responsibility” centered around second-term lawmakers who prepared this apology statement, said, “Based on reflection and self-examination of the past and a courageous break, we will move toward a new future,” adding, “Through painful change and innovation, we will be reborn as a party that can once again offer ‘hope’ to the public.”

The apology statement was signed by 25 lawmakers, including Ko Dong-jin, Kwon Young-jin, Kim Geon, Kim Sung-won, Kim So-hee, Kim Yong-tae, Kim Jae-sub, Kim Hyung-dong, Park Jeong-ha, Park Jeong-hoon, Bae Joon-young, Seo Beom-su, Song Seok-jun, Shin Seong-beom, Ahn Sang-hoon, Ahn Cheol-soo, Eom Tae-young, Woo Jae-jun, Yu Yong-weon, Lee Sang-hwi, Lee Seong-gwon, Jung Yeon-wook, Jo Eun-hee, Jin Jong-oh, and Choi Hyung-du. While centered around first- and second-term lawmakers, it also included fourth-term Ahn Cheol-soo and third-term Kim Sung-won, Song Seok-jun, and Shin Seong-beom.

Meanwhile, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok wrote on his Facebook that morning, “The December 3rd emergency martial law was martial law to counter parliamentary tyranny,” adding, “The impeachment that followed the martial law led to a series of tragedies in Korean politics and caused disappointment and confusion among the public and party members.” He continued, “The People Power Party, which failed to unite and fight properly, is not free from responsibility,” and stated, “As the People Power Party leader, I deeply feel responsible.”

5. What we’ve learned about the alleged plan to provoke North Korea for martial law

Summary:

On the first anniversary of Yoon Suk-yeol’s brief martial law, investigators allege it was premeditated and tied to a scheme to provoke the DPRK. A special counsel indicted Yoon, ex–defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, citing Yeo’s notes detailing leaflet-dropping drone missions against key North Korean sites and planning for escalatory “Noah’s Flood” scenarios to justify emergency rule. Drones reportedly crashed near Pyongyang, exposing ROK secrets. North Korea, focused on aiding Russia, showed unusual restraint, avoiding military retaliation. Analysts argue that public backlash and DPRK caution blocked a dangerous bid to use manufactured instability to entrench martial law.

Comment: I remain skeptical. I would like to learn the real story (if there is one). I find it incredible that even President Yoon would do something like this. This is not the traditional "northern wind " to influence elections.  One of the questions I still have is the alleged incursion even detected by the north. If so, why was there no response other than to show the downed drone that was allegedly recovered near Pyongyang. Are north Korean defenses that incompetent? Something good to know. Is the regime concerned with escalation? Something good to know. Can cross border operations be conducted with a low probability of retaliation and escalation? Also something good to know.

And what kind of response did Yoon supposedly hope to provoke? I wish we could see the alleged plan and the analysis with expected responses. I still have many questions about this.

But this also feeds the narrative that the US presence is partly to restrain the South from provoking the north. Of course if that is so we certainly failed in this case (again, assuming the reports are true).

What we’ve learned about the alleged plan to provoke North Korea for martial law

One year on, evidence continues to emerge suggesting Yoon sent drones to incite response, highlighting DPRK’s restraint

Joon Ha Park | Shreyas Reddy December 3, 2025

https://www.nknews.org/2025/12/what-weve-learned-about-the-alleged-plan-to-provoke-north-korea-for-martial-law/

A collage of former ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, martial law troops attempting to storm the National Assembly (top), North Korea’s claims of a South Korean military drone incursion and leaflet droppings (left), leaflets retrieved by Pyongyang in October (right) | Images: ROK Presidential Office Archives, Lee Jae Myung via X (Dec. 4, 2024), KCNA (Oct. 11, 2024), KCNA (Oct. 11, 2024), edited by NK News

Exactly one year ago, South Korea was rocked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s late-night martial law declaration, which cited the need to protect the country from “pro-North Korea” forces.

But while Yoon’s short-lived order seemed to come from nowhere, a slow drip of new evidence over the last year has suggested that imposing martial law was anything but off-the-cuff, with prosecutors alleging months of efforts to stoke tensions and possibly even incite conflict with the DPRK ahead of the controversial move.

The most damning of these allegations relate to the apparent deployment of military drones to Pyongyang to scatter anti-regime leaflets. The saga began when North Korea claimed on Oct. 11, 2024 that South Korean unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) had entered its airspace multiple times that month, subsequently releasing photos and claimed flight logs tying the ROK to the intrusion after Seoul refused to comment on its claims.

New revelations from ROK investigators last month suggested that the Yoon administration and military officials even prepared for potential North Korean retaliation against drone intrusions and took steps to conceal the operation’s relation to martial law plans. 

While the claims remain unconfirmed as court cases against Yoon and his alleged conspirators continue, the accusations have cast a new light on Pyongyang’s uncharacteristic moderation in responding to the drone, with experts warning that Yoon’s alleged actions risked igniting a deadly conflict on the peninsula.

Former-ROK Counterintelligence Command Chief Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, notes from his personal phone regarding potential DPRK targets and South Korea’s reconnaissance drones during a 2023 military parade in Seoul | Image: National Assembly via YouTube (Oct. 8, 2024), Special Counsel for investigating Dec. 3 martial law (Nov. 9, 2025), KCNA (Oct. 19, 2024), edited by NK News

NEW REVELATIONS

On Nov. 9, the special counsel investigating last year’s martial law declaration (내란특검) indicted Yoon, ex-defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and former ROK Counterintelligence Commander Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung for “aiding the enemy” and related charges.

Prosecutors argued that the incursion was not merely a tactical military operation, but part of a broader plan to provoke the North and create a pretext for martial law, revealing recovered digital notes from Lt. Gen. Yeo’s personal phone.

The notes outlined precise targets for drone operations at sites of significance to the regime, including Pyongyang’s central party offices, nuclear facilities, Samjiyon, Wonsan’s foreign tourist areas and Kim Jong Un’s private retreats. 

In the notes, Yeo typed, “Final state: normalization of low-intensity drone conflicts (reconnaissance and leaflet operations, but physical interception if airspace violated).”

The notes also detailed contingency planning. Yeo wrote on Oct. 23 that operations should anticipate both “minimum” scenarios, such as localized security crises, and “maximum” outcomes described as a “Noah’s Flood,” including drones, balloons, cyberattacks, shelling and maritime incidents. 

The memos outlined using diplomatic or military talks before or after incidents to manage perceptions and mask the operation’s true purpose. Prosecutors later connected these directives directly to the October drone flights.

The special counsel said the investigation showed that the president and defense minister attempted to exploit a North-South military standoff to create conditions for martial law, labeling this “an unacceptable threat to the safety of the nation.”

It also determined that the drones’ crash near Pyongyang exposed operational and military secrets, supporting the charges of “aiding the enemy.” 

The Seoul Central District Court on Monday launched the initial pretrial proceedings in the Pyongyang drone case, with hearings set to be scheduled in the new year for Yoon, Kim Yong-hyun and Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung.

An alleged South Korean drone that North Korea claimed to have recovered in Pyongyang | Image: KCNA (Oct. 19, 2024)

HOW PYONGYANG RESPONDED

The revelations over the last year about Yoon’s alleged efforts to stoke inter-Korean tensions have thrown North Korea’s response to the drone flights into a new light, suggesting that Pyongyang exhibited unusual restraint.

The incursions posed a military threat to Pyongyang and highlighted its vulnerability to UAV attacks, but the bigger danger to the Kim dynasty came from what they revealed about how easily Seoul could carry out information warfare targeting the North Korean people.

Anti-regime leaflets dropped by the drones showcased the luxurious clothes and accessories worn by Kim Jong Un and his daughter, stressing that these are worth thousands of dollars that could otherwise go toward addressing food shortages.

However, instead of taking the bait, North Korea stuck largely to pointing fingers at Seoul and warning that “all sources of our anger and origins of provocation will be permanently eliminated through our merciless and offensive actions.”

Unusually, DPRK newspapers even splashed partially blurred photos of the anti-regime leaflets all over their front pages, a rare move for a state that typically blocks its citizens from any exposure to content critical of the Kim dynasty.

Despite its bellicose rhetoric, North Korea steered clear of stepping up military confrontation, an unusual display of restraint that may have stemmed from Kim Jong Un’s decision to walk away from all engagement with South Korea a year earlier.

However, another factor in Pyongyang’s avoidance of military escalation may have been its commitments to Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to Yang Moo-jin, a distinguished professor at Seoul-based University of North Korean Studies.

Yang told NK News that sending a drone to Pyongyang would violate the inter-Korean Armistice Agreement and be viewed as “an act of war,” but he suggested the DPRK ultimately opted to keep a “low profile” as fighting on two fronts would be “burdensome.”

“In order to remain focused on the Russia-Ukraine war, North Korea limited itself to denunciations of the South’s ‘dirty act,’ kept quiet and instead concentrated on expanding Pyongyang’s air defenses with increased support from Russia,” he said.

Former-South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol applauds military personnel during a parade marking ROK Armed Forces Day in downtown Seoul. | Image: ROK Presidential Office Archives (Oct. 1, 2024)

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

A year after martial law, it may be a relief to some that North Korea did not retaliate to the drone incursions by initiating an all-out conflict with the South, potentially offering a pretext for Yoon’s declaration.

Despite Yoon’s denials, investigators’ reports make it clear he and former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun ordered the drone incursions to stoke “instability” on the Korean Peninsula, according to Benjamin Engel, assistant professor of Korean Studies at Dankook University.

The expert said Yoon evidently sought “a more aggressive North Korean response, such as North Korean drones over Seoul or a violent provocation,” potentially allowing him to take advantage of the resultant chaos to target opposition politicians.

“In theory, the instability created by the drone incursions would serve as a more valid reason for martial law,” Engel explained, noting that Yoon’s impeachment ruling found no “compelling reason” for the emergency declaration.

“A state of real instability caused by the drone incursions may have altered that outcome and more importantly the perception of martial law when it was declared,” he added.

In such a situation, the former president would have then used the attacks to present both the DPRK and purported “pro-North Korean factions” in the opposition Democratic Party as “a clear and present danger to the constitutional order,” the Dankook University assistant professor explained.

Had Pyongyang taken the bait, Engel said the implications for inter-Korean relations would have been “incredibly serious.”

“Expecting a second Korean War would probably be hyperbolic, but an intense period of tensions akin to the months just before the Korean War began and the 1967-68 period would have been likely,” he added.

Yang concurred that inter-Korean relations would have dropped to “far worse” levels than the Cold War, but warned that prolonged martial law would have also had severe consequences for South Korea.

“Had Yoon succeeded, South Korean democracy would have fallen back 50 years,” he said. “Inter-Korean relations would have been exploited not for national security but for regime security.” 

But the expert emphasized that martial law failed not just due to North Korea’s caution, but due to public opposition.

“What is the reason his plan ultimately failed? It failed because of the citizens,” Yang said. 

“Ironically, that failure became an opportunity for democracy to advance one step further.”

Edited by Bryan Betts

6. Unification ministry says revised law will likely end anti-N. Korea leaflet launches

Comment: Sad, disappointing, and dangerous. This is another victory for KJU's political warfare and blackmail diplomacy. KJU is foring he ROK to compromise its values and unalienable rights (e.g. free speech) to appease him. This means KJU will double down on political warfare because it works.

Unification ministry says revised law will likely end anti-N. Korea leaflet launches | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr

URL is copied.

Park Boram

All News 14:57 December 03, 2025

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251203007200315

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- A recent revision to the Aviation Safety Act will help end activists' launches of propaganda leaflets across the border into North Korea, in line with the government's efforts to ease military tensions with the North, the unification ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry's response came a day after the National Assembly, led by the ruling Democratic Party, passed a revision to the Aviation Safety Act that prohibits the flight of any self-floating objects in restricted areas.

The revision effectively makes it illegal for activists to send large helium-filled balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the inter-Korean border into North Korea. Previously, self-floating objects carrying materials weighing less than 2 kilograms were exempt from such restrictions.

"With the revision of the Aviation Safety Act, the distribution of anti-North leaflets that has hindered inter-Korean relations and threatened safety and peace in border regions is likely to be stopped," the ministry said in a release.

President Lee Jae Myung's administration has taken preemptive measures, including suspending anti-Pyongyang leaflet and broadcasting campaigns, to ease military tensions and restore trust with North Korea, the ministry said, adding that the revision will support such efforts.

The main opposition People Power Party vehemently opposed Tuesday's passage of the revision, accusing the ruling party of reinstating a ban on leaflet campaigns toward North Korea in violation of the right to free expression.

This undated file photo, provided by the police, shows leaflets and other materials confiscated from activists who attempted to send them to North Korea inside large balloons across the inter-Korean border. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

7. Lee vows to designate Dec. 3 as day for people's sovereignty to mark overcoming of martial law crisis

Comment: This adds to the famous dates in Korean history.

(LEAD) Lee vows to designate Dec. 3 as day for people's sovereignty to mark overcoming of martial law crisis | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · December 3, 2025

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251203002751315?section=national/politics

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with remarks, details; ADDS photo)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he will designate Dec. 3 as a day for people's sovereignty to mark overcoming the failed martial law bid that put the nation into turmoil a year ago, highlighting that it demonstrated South Korea's democratic resilience to the world.

In a special national address marking the one-year anniversary of the short-lived martial law imposition, Lee also said that by "defeating an unjust power" through peaceful means, the South Korean people have made themselves fully deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.

"It was the first time since the beginning of the 21st century that a coup occurred in a democracy like South Korea. Equally unprecedented in world history, the coup was peacefully and beautifully prevented by the hands of unarmed citizens," Lee said, describing it as the "revolution of light."

"Ironically, the Dec. 3 coup became an opportunity to showcase to the world the high level of civic consciousness of our people and the remarkable resilience of South Korea's democracy," he said.

President Lee Jae Myung addresses the nation in a special speech, marking the one-year anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial law crisis, at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Dec. 3, 2025. (Yonhap)

"The government, born from the 'revolution of light,' will designate Dec. 3 as National Sovereignty Day to honor the great courage and actions of the South Korean people," he added.

In a press conference that followed, Lee said that the government plans to designate the day as a public holiday.

On Dec. 3 last year, then President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, invoking emergency powers for military rule and citing what he described as government dysfunction caused by the opposition, as well as the need to root out pro-North Korea forces and defend the constitutional order.

The decree was overturned by the National Assembly in less than three hours, and Yoon formally lifted it later the same day.

Although it was short-lived, the botched imposition of martial law had repercussions for months, creating a leadership vacuum and bringing state affairs to a standstill.

President Lee Jae Myung (R) delivers a special national address on the one-year anniversary of the botched martial law imposition at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Dec. 3, 2025. (Yonhap)

Lee said that having tided over the unprecedented martial law debacle makes the South Korean people fully deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.

"I am convinced that the South Korean people, who overcame a democracy crisis in an unprecedented and peaceful manner, are fully deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize," he said. "It would also serve as a turning point for all nations shaken by conflict and division."

Lee made it clear that those responsible for the martial law imposition must be held accountable to establish a unity grounded in justice.

"Strict punishment for those involved in the coup is just the beginning," Lee said. "To build a nation where no one can ever again even dream of a coup and where no one can threaten the light of people's sovereignty, a 'just unity' is essential.

"Together with the great people of South Korea, who have lit the torch of democracy, we will make sure that the revolution of light is fully accomplished."

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · December 3, 2025

8. S. Korea calls for ASEAN to support its efforts for dialogue with N. Korea

Comment: It is doubtful any international organization will influence KJU to negotiate. But it is always worth trying and the ROK must continue to seek international support.

S. Korea calls for ASEAN to support its efforts for dialogue with N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · December 3, 2025

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251203007500315

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hae on Wednesday called for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to support its efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, the foreign ministry said.

Chung made the call during a luncheon meeting with ambassadors from 11 ASEAN member states stationed in Seoul, including Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, according to the ministry.

During the meeting, Chung expressed appreciation for ASEAN leaders to support President Lee Jae Myung's "END" initiative to end hostility and promote peace with the North during the ASEAN-related summit in October.

Lee unveiled the END initiative -- "exchange," "normalization" and "denuclearization" -- as his key policy direction toward North Korea during his address at the U.N. General Assembly in September.

Chung also stressed that South Korea is working to further strengthen its comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN, including by expanding people-to-people exchanges and enhancing cooperation in trade and security, according to the ministry.

This photo, provided by the foreign ministry, shows Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Eui-hae (C) during a meeting with ambassadors of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations based in Seoul on Dec. 3, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

sookim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · December 3, 2025

9. Defense chief urges military to defend constitutional values 1 year after martial law bid

Comment: Keep in mind that the majority of the military did defend constitutional values. Recall that after the General Assembly ruled against Martial law the military did not try to oppose the ruling. The current military leaders, civilian and uniformed, should be emphasizing that.

(2nd LD) Defense chief urges military to defend constitutional values 1 year after martial law bid | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · December 3, 2025

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251203001652315

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS details, photos)

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Wednesday presided over a meeting of key commanders and urged the military to strive to defend constitutional values, a year after the failed martial law bid that involved the former defense minister and a slew of military top brass.

The meeting comes a day after Ahn issued an apology over the military's involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law bid on Dec. 3 last year, when troops were deployed to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting down the decree.

"The attitude of general-level officers who took part in the insurrection, who could not discern an unconstitutional order and simply said they followed the orders, made the people view the military coldly. Our military should take this heavily to heart," Ahn said during the meeting attended by some 150 key military officials.

Top generals appointed by Yoon, including former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, who served as the martial law commander and former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, are currently under trial for playing a key role in the insurrection.

Following his appointment as the country's first civilian defense chief in 64 years, Ahn, a five-term lawmaker, pledged to rebuild the military into one for the people and break from the past in which the military was "wasted as a tool for emergency martial law."

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back speaks during a meeting of key military commanders on Dec. 3, 2025, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

In his opening remarks, Ahn said the military faces what he called a test of survival amid North Korea's continued nuclear and missile developments and hostile policy against South Korea, as well as an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region.

The defense chief also stressed the need to restructure the military by 2040 to better adapt to changing trends in warfare and the country's dwindling troop resources.

Participants discussed utilizing artificial intelligence-based technologies and unmanned assets for surveillance operations and expanding the civilian workforce as part of such efforts.

Alongside internal issues, Ahn reaffirmed South Korea's push to regain wartime operational control from the United States within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term that ends in 2030.

"The transition of wartime operational control will go beyond the realm of a self-reliant defense and become a driving force and a powerful cornerstone supporting the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region," Ahn said. "I firmly believe we are already prepared."

In the allies' annual security meeting held last month, Ahn and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the view that there was meaningful progress made during their bilateral evaluation on readiness posture and capabilities, and agreed to develop a road map to acquire the capabilities to expedite the conditions needed for the transition.

During Wednesday's meeting, participants noted that next year will be a "watershed" for the transition push and exchanged opinions on the road map, in conjunction with combined drills conducted by the allies, according to the ministry.

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. have agreed to pursue the certification of full operational capability of the Future-Combined Forces Command headquarters in 2026 during the defense talks in November.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (C) presides over a meeting of key military commanders on Dec. 3, 2025, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · December 3, 2025

10. Senior U.S. official says to see to ensure full fact sheet implementation: foreign ministry

Comment: A roadmap for the future? But some of the items in the fact sheet will take many years to complete 9and a lot of hard work on both sides).

I do nnot think many of us can appreciate the very hard work to get this fact sheet complete and approved by both countries. These normally are hashed out over weeks if not months before a summit but there were some last minute unforeseen changes from our leaders that created quite a "churn" for all the action officers. 

Senior U.S. official says to see to ensure full fact sheet implementation: foreign ministry | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · December 3, 2025

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251203007300315

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- A senior U.S. State Department official has conveyed that she will work to ensure that follow-up measures from a joint summit document with South Korea are fully implemented, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Allison Hooker, U.S. under secretary of state of political affairs, made the remark during her meeting with First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo in Washington, as Park asked her to help produce a "concrete and tangible" outcome through the envisioned fact sheet working groups, the ministry said in a release.

"Vice Minister Park asked the under secretary to leverage her longstanding expertise in South Korea-U.S. relations to help generate concrete and tangible results through the operation of sectoral working-level consultative bodies," it said.

"In response, Under Secretary Hooker pledged to see to ensure the faithful implementation of follow-up measures," the ministry said.

At an earlier meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Park and his counterpart agreed to swiftly launch working groups for follow-up negotiations on the two recent leaders' summits, which included Seoul's push for nuclear-powered submarines and the pursuit of civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing rights.

Park also noted the U.S. announcement on the tariff reduction for South Korea, as confirmed by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and requested subsequent actions be taken by relevant U.S. agencies, such as the publication of the tariff change in the Federal Register.

The two sides also exchanged views on the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to maintain close coordination on North Korea policy, including the region's denuclearization and efforts to bring the North back to dialogue.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo (R) shakes hands with his U.S. counterpart, Allison Hooker, at the foreign ministry in Seoul in this file photo taken Oct. 10, 2025, as they meet to discuss the bilateral alliance and coordination over North Korea's nuclear issues, ahead of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · December 3, 2025

11. Lee says he wishes he could apologize to North Korea for Yoon’s drone incursion

Summary:

At a press conference marking one year since Yoon’s failed martial law, President Lee Jae Myung said he has privately considered apologizing to North Korea for Yoon’s alleged drone leaflet incursions toward Pyongyang, but judged a formal apology politically dangerous because it could trigger red-baiting attacks at home. He framed the ROK and DPRK as direct parties on peninsula issues, yet stressed that only the United States can guarantee regime survival for Pyongyang under the armistice structure. Lee backed wartime OPCON transfer, hinted POTUS could use exercises as bargaining leverage, and firmly rejected any South Korean pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Comment: (assuming the drone incursion actually took place). On the one hand I want to condemn this idea to appease Kim Jong Un and recommend that there should be an apology only after the regime apologies for all its deadly provocations to include the sinking of the Cheonan and the death of 46 ROK sailors. I want to say that appeasing and kowtowing to KJU will only embolden him so that he will double down on his political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies..

But on the other hand, a free and democratic and responsible nation does take the moral high ground and admits its mistakes.

But I certainly hope our President will not use ROK/US combined exercises as bargaining chips. I hope US diplomats, policy makers, and military personnel can convince him of the error and danger of that course of action.

Lee says he wishes he could apologize to North Korea for Yoon’s drone incursion

But South Korean president says it’s politically difficult to issue apology at press event one year after martial law

Jeongmin Kim December 3, 2025

https://www.nknews.org/2025/12/lee-says-he-wishes-he-could-apologize-to-north-korea-for-yoons-drone-incursion/

Lee Jae Myung at a press conference | Image: ROK Presidential Office (Nov. 14, 2025)

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that he wishes he could apologize to North Korea for his impeached predecessor’s alleged drone operations against Pyongyang, while calling it politically difficult to do so.

He made the remark during a press conference to mark one year since ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law, responding to question about whether he has considered issuing a “state-level apology” for ROK drone intrusions.

“How you managed to see right through my heart and ask that question, I do not know,” Lee said.

“I’ve actually thought that maybe we should apologize. But I haven’t been able to say it, because if it goes down wrong, it could become fuel for what people call red-baiting (종북몰이) — ideological smears and political attacks. That concern has kept me from saying it,” he added.

“But since you’ve brought it up, I feel oddly relieved, and also like my true feelings have been exposed. Well, I should leave it at that.”

North Korea accused Seoul of sending drones to distribute propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang in Oct. 2024, and South Korean prosecutors have alleged that the Yoon administration ordered the incursions to provoke the DPRK and justify a declaration of martial law.

Photos released by North Korean state media of an alleged ROK drone scattering anti-regime leaflets and South Korean S-BAT military reconnaissance drones at a parade in 2023 | Image: KCNA, edited by NK News

During Wednesday’s wide-ranging press conference with foreign media, Lee also discussed what he thinks the U.S. President Donald Trump can do as a “peacemaker” on North Korea issues.

“The direct parties to the Korean Peninsula situation are the ROK and the North,” he said, while stating that the “unfortunate” reality is that “the U.S. has much more it can do.” 

North Korea formally declared South Korea a hostile, separate state in Dec. 2023, denouncing the shared goal of reunification.

“Because of us — because of the South’s position — communication, cooperation or negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea should not be restricted,” Lee went on.

He explained that the peninsula is still under the armistice that ended fighting during the Korean War and that “the U.S. is the legal party to that armistice.” 

The ROK government, he said, “was unable to participate in the Armistice Agreement, most likely because operational control of its forces had been transferred to the U.S. military at the time.” (South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, refused to participate in armistice talks and even attempted to sabotage negotiations, seeking unification under Seoul’s rule.)

“And the situation is still similar today,” he said, pledging to achieve the transfer of wartime operational control back to ROK by the end of his term. 

“So for North Korea, whose regime survival is the most important and is an ultimate task, they seem to believe that the only party that can guarantee that survival is the U.S. — not the ROK.”

Meanwhile, Lee suggested that the Trump administration could offer to discuss U.S.-ROK joint military drills if it needs “strategic leverage” to improve conditions for dialogue with North Korea.

He also clarified his request to Trump in November regarding nuclear-powered submarines, denying that Seoul sought U.S. nuclear submarine technology or asked the U.S. to build submarines for Seoul.

“It was just that, we will build them on our own, just let us fuel [the submarines] that are prohibited right now. It was absolutely not ‘give us the technology.’”

ROK President Lee Jae-myung presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa and a replica of the Cheonmachong (천마총) gold crown | Image: APEC 2025 KOREA & Yonhap News (Oct. 29, 2025)

NUCLEAR ARMAMENT

Asked if South Korea harbors nuclear ambitions, Lee firmly rejected the notion, reiterating that nuclear-powered submarines are not themselves nuclear weapons.

He insisted that Seoul both cannot and does not need nuclear weapons because South Korea would “end up like North Korea” as a sanctioned global pariah.

“We fully agree with nonproliferation. North Korea is developing, possessing and continuously enhancing nuclear weapons, and we oppose that while pursuing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. If we pursue nuclear armament, then we cannot tell them, ‘Don’t arm yourselves, dismantle your nuclear weapons, stop producing them.’”

He also warned of a potential “nuclear domino” effect in Asia if South Korea were to change its stance, pointing to Japan and Taiwan as examples, while stating that the U.S. would object to nuclear armament.

Lee implied that Pyongyang does not intend to attack the South, citing its relatively muted response to the Yoon administration’s “military provocations” like drone incursions and loudspeaker broadcasts.

“In this situation, to bear international and economic sanctions just to go nuclear would be an irrational act,” he said.

Joon Ha Park contributed reporting to this article. Edited by Bryan Betts

12.  Lee touts securing U.S. consent for nuclear-powered subs as major achievement in summit talks with Trump

Comment: We can judge success in a decade or more.

(LEAD) Lee touts securing U.S. consent for nuclear-powered subs as major achievement in summit talks with Trump | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · December 3, 2025

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251203006251315

(ATTN: ADDS Lee's remarks)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that having secured U.S. approval for nuclear-powered submarines was the major achievement of his two recent summit talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Lee made the remarks during a press conference with foreign media, expressing hopes that building a nuclear-powered submarine could take place in South Korea rather than in the U.S., considering various economic and security factors.

"It was a highly beneficial outcome for us, from the viewpoint of strategic flexibility and autonomy," he said.

"I know President Trump has suggested building them at the Philadelphia shipyard, but from our perspective, it is realistically very difficult," he said.

Following his summit with Lee in South Korea's Gyeongju during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Trump said he had given approval to Seoul to build nuclear-powered submarines and that they will be built in the Philly shipyard run by South Korea's Hanwha Ocean.

"It is desirable that they are produced domestically, in terms of military security and from an economic perspective," Lee said.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference with foreign media at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Dec. 3, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Lee firmly dismissed concerns that Seoul's push for nuclear-powered submarines would undermine the international nonproliferation regime -- to which it is a party -- stressing that South Korea completely stands by its nonproliferation obligations.

"It is not as if a nuclear submarine has detonators or nuclear bombs in it," he said, adding that reprocessing spent fuel is not directly related to nuclear proliferation.

"Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a grand principle on which both Koreas have agreed. (A nuclear buildup) is a senseless move. The U.S. would never approve it, and we would end up with massive economic sanctions and become like North Korea. Do you think we could put up with that?" he said.

On Seoul's push for dialogue with North Korea, Lee said that the stalled inter-Korean ties should not block efforts to resume talks between Washington and Pyongyang, saying the U.S. "can do a lot" to make it happen.

"North Korea has outrightly rejected our calls for talks, but there are many things that the U.S. can do," he said. "North Korea sees the U.S., not South Korea, as the party that can provide security guarantees for its regime."

Lee said he is ready to help create conditions or provide "strategic leverages" to restart talks, including scaling down joint military drills with the U.S.

"We will do our best to create objective conditions so that communication and cooperation can occur at any time. (Scaling down) the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises are also part of that," he said.

Lee, a liberal president, has vowed to act as a "pacemaker" to help facilitate dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang and called for Trump to be a "peacemaker" through resuming talks with the North's leader Kim Jong-un.

Reporters raise their hands to ask questions to President Lee Jae Myung during a press conference with foreign media at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Dec. 3, 2025. (Yonhap)

Asked if he has considered apologizing to North Korea for the alleged sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's government, Lee said he has thought about it but has refrained from doing so, out of concern that it could trigger an ideological clash at home.

"I have thought that perhaps I should apologize, but I haven't dared to say it because my concern is that it might be used as a tool for so-called pro-North labeling or trigger an ideological confrontation," he said.

"I don't know how you could see into my mind and ask such a question. You must have read my thoughts," Lee said, declining to elaborate further.

In a recent social media posting, Lee claimed that "a war nearly broke out" because the Yoon government tried to use martial law as a pretext to start a war with the North and the South's military sent anti-Pyongyang leaflets first before the North sent theirs into the South.

Wednesday's press event was held as part of commemorations for the one-year anniversary of the failed Dec. 3 martial law imposition by Yoon.

On rising tensions between China and Japan, Lee said South Korea could play a mediating role, where possible, to help ease the row, emphasizing that South Korea has no intention to take sides with either of the two.

"Taking sides would only escalate the conflict. This applies to both personal relationships and international relations. Rather than taking sides, it's better to seek ways to coexist," Lee said.

"Where possible, it is desirable to minimize the conflict and play a role in mediating and coordinating," he said.

President Lee Jae Myung holds a press conference with foreign media correspondents at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Dec. 3, 2025. (Yonhap)

Regarding China, Lee said the two countries share a relationship that "cannot be separated," in terms of geography, the economy, history and socio-cultural aspects, voicing hope to visit Beijing soon.

"Stable management (of bilateral ties with China) is crucial," he said. "I hope to visit China at an early date and hold summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping for broad discussions," he said.

"I believe we should also discuss cooperation for security in Northeast Asia," Lee added.

Although bilateral relations with Japan have improved in recent years, history issues stemming from the time of Japan's colonial rule of Korea remain an "emotional" issue affecting the peoples of both countries, Lee said.

"But we should not need to give up on other areas because of this issue. We can still pursue exchanges and cooperation in the economy, security, culture and between our peoples," he said.

Asked whether Russia could help persuade North Korea to return to dialogue, Lee said its role would be very limited due to its war of aggression against Ukraine.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Seung-yeon · December 3, 2025

13. On martial law anniversary, Lee says S. Korean citizens deserve Nobel Prize

Comment: An interesting statement. The Korean people in the South did save their democracy.

World News Dec. 3, 2025 / 4:59 AM

On martial law anniversary, Lee says S. Korean citizens deserve Nobel Prize

By Thomas Maresca

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/12/03/korea-Lee-Jae-Myung-martial-law-anniversary-coup-revolution-light/3841764753005/

1 of 6 | In an anniversary address Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung praised citizens for peacefully resisting last year's martial law attempt, saying they deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. Photo by Yonhap

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday praised citizens for peacefully resisting last year's martial law declaration, saying the Korean people deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for demonstrating to the world the resilience of the country's democracy.

Speaking on the first anniversary of what he called the "revolution of light," Lee commemorated the dramatic events of Dec. 3, 2024, when then-President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an attempt that was swiftly thwarted by lawmakers and citizens.

"It was the first time in the 21st century that a self-coup occurred in a democracy like South Korea," Lee said in a national address delivered from the presidential office. "But it was also the first time in world history that the coup was prevented peacefully and beautifully by unarmed people."

The crisis began on the night of Dec. 3, 2024, when Yoon declared emergency martial law, citing threats from what he called "shameless pro-North Korea anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people."

Some 190 lawmakers reached the National Assembly in the early morning hours and voted to overturn the decree, which was then formally lifted by Yoon during a Cabinet meeting.

The entire episode lasted only around six hours, but the shockwaves were felt for months as the country struggled through a leadership vacuum and heightened political polarization during protracted impeachment hearings. Yoon was finally removed from office on Apr. 4 after a unanimous Supreme Court decision upheld his impeachment.

Lee recalled how citizens rushed to the National Assembly building when martial law was declared, blocking armored vehicles and helping lawmakers scale walls to enter the legislative chamber. He praised those who kept vigil through the night to prevent a potential second martial law declaration.

"I am convinced that the Korean people, who peacefully overcame an unprecedented crisis in world history, are truly worthy of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize," Lee said.

He described the crisis as an opportunity for South Korea to show the remarkable resilience of its democracy to the international community.

"The people transformed the worst moment triggered by an illegal coup into the best moment not with violence but with dance and song," he said.

Lee announced plans to designate Dec. 3 as "National Sovereignty Day" to commemorate the defense of constitutional order and democracy. In a press conference after his address, he said the government aims to make the day a national holiday.

Former President Yoon is currently on trial for insurrection and other charges that could carry life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted.

Several other criminal proceedings related to the martial law attempt are underway. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo faces charges in a trial expected to reach a verdict in January that will be closely watched as the first determination of whether the events legally constitute insurrection.

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min are among those also facing insurrection-related charges in ongoing trials.

Addressing the legal proceedings, Lee said those responsible for the martial law imposition must be held accountable for the county to move forward.

"Strict punishment of those who participated in the coup is just the beginning," Lee said. "To create a nation where no one can even dream of a coup again and a nation where no one can threaten the light of popular sovereignty, a just unity is essential."

Lee noted the international attention South Korea has received since the crisis, saying world leaders he has met have expressed high interest and great expectations for the country.

"In an era of uncertainty where democracy is threatened and the world order is rapidly changing, the world is paying attention to the great courage and determination shown by our people," Lee said. "South Korea is currently writing world history."

14. Lee says Trump proposed 5:5 partnership for uranium enrichment project

​Comment: I will have to leave this to nuclear experts to assess.

(2nd LD) Lee says Trump proposed 5:5 partnership for uranium enrichment project | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Haye-ah · December 3, 2025

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20251203006252315?section=national/politics

(ATTN: UPDATES with Lee's remarks on Trump's partnership proposal; CHANGES headline; CORRECTS venue in captions)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump proposed the two countries form a 5:5 partnership to achieve South Korea's aim of enriching uranium and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel on its soil.

Lee disclosed what he said was Trump's proposal at a recent summit meeting during a press conference with the foreign press that marked one year since former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed imposition of martial law.

"In the end, we agreed to partner," Lee said, adding that Trump instructed U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to work out the details.

Under an agreement reached at the Lee-Trump summit in Gyeongju in October, the allies have been negotiating ways to expand Seoul's rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel for peaceful use.

Currently, South Korea is largely banned from enriching its own uranium under a bilateral nuclear accord, leaving the country to import all of its low-enriched uranium.

Lee recounted that during their meeting, Trump asked where South Korea was importing its enriched uranium from and that he responded 30 percent of its imports was coming from Russia.

Trump then noted South Korea would make a lot of profit if it produced its own enriched uranium and proposed the partnership, Lee said.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference with foreign media at the former presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Dec. 3, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Earlier during the press conference, Lee said that having secured U.S. approval for nuclear-powered submarines was the major achievement of his two recent summit talks with Trump.

"It was a highly beneficial outcome for us, from the viewpoint of strategic flexibility and autonomy," he said, expressing hopes that building a nuclear-powered submarine could take place in South Korea rather than in the U.S., considering various economic and security factors.

"I know President Trump has suggested building them at the Philadelphia shipyard, but from our perspective, it is realistically very difficult," he said.

Following his summit with Lee in South Korea's Gyeongju during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Trump said he had given approval to Seoul to build nuclear-powered submarines and that they will be built in the Philly shipyard run by South Korea's Hanwha Ocean.

"It is desirable that they are produced domestically, in terms of military security and from an economic perspective," Lee said.

He firmly dismissed concerns that Seoul's push for nuclear-powered submarines would undermine the international nonproliferation regime -- to which it is a party -- stressing that South Korea completely stands by its nonproliferation obligations.

"It is not as if a nuclear submarine has detonators or nuclear bombs in it," he said, adding that reprocessing spent fuel is not directly related to nuclear proliferation.

"Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a grand principle on which both Koreas have agreed. (A nuclear buildup) is a senseless move. The U.S. would never approve it, and we would end up with massive economic sanctions and become like North Korea. Do you think we could put up with that?" he said.

On Seoul's push for dialogue with North Korea, Lee said that the stalled inter-Korean ties should not block efforts to resume talks between Washington and Pyongyang, saying the U.S. "can do a lot" to make it happen.

"North Korea has outrightly rejected our calls for talks, but there are many things that the U.S. can do," he said. "North Korea sees the U.S., not South Korea, as the party that can provide security guarantees for its regime."

Lee said he is ready to help create conditions or provide "strategic leverages" to restart talks, including scaling down joint military drills with the U.S.

"We will do our best to create objective conditions so that communication and cooperation can occur at any time. (Scaling down) the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises are also part of that," he said.

Lee, a liberal president, has vowed to act as a "pacemaker" to help facilitate dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang and called for Trump to be a "peacemaker" through resuming talks with the North's leader Kim Jong-un.

Reporters raise their hands to ask questions to President Lee Jae Myung during a press conference with foreign media at the former presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Dec. 3, 2025. (Yonhap)

Asked if he has considered apologizing to North Korea for the alleged sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's government, Lee said he has thought about it but has refrained from doing so, out of concern that it could trigger an ideological clash at home.

"I have thought that perhaps I should apologize, but I haven't dared to say it because my concern is that it might be used as a tool for so-called pro-North labeling or trigger an ideological confrontation," he said.

"I don't know how you could see into my mind and ask such a question. You must have read my thoughts," Lee said, declining to elaborate further.

In a recent social media posting, Lee claimed that "a war nearly broke out" because the Yoon government tried to use martial law as a pretext to start a war with the North and the South's military sent anti-Pyongyang leaflets first before the North sent theirs into the South.

Wednesday's press event was held as part of commemorations for the one-year anniversary of the failed Dec. 3 martial law imposition by Yoon.

On rising tensions between China and Japan, Lee said South Korea could play a mediating role, where possible, to help ease the row, emphasizing that South Korea has no intention to take sides with either of the two.

"Taking sides would only escalate the conflict. This applies to both personal relationships and international relations. Rather than taking sides, it's better to seek ways to coexist," Lee said.

"Where possible, it is desirable to minimize the conflict and play a role in mediating and coordinating," he said.

President Lee Jae Myung (at podium) holds a press conference with foreign media correspondents at the former presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Dec. 3, 2025. (Yonhap)

Regarding China, Lee said the two countries share a relationship that "cannot be separated," in terms of geography, the economy, history and socio-cultural aspects, voicing hope to visit Beijing soon.

"Stable management (of bilateral ties with China) is crucial," he said. "I hope to visit China at an early date and hold summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping for broad discussions," he said.

"I believe we should also discuss cooperation for security in Northeast Asia," Lee added.

Although bilateral relations with Japan have improved in recent years, history issues stemming from the time of Japan's colonial rule of Korea remain an "emotional" issue affecting the peoples of both countries, Lee said.

"But we should not need to give up on other areas because of this issue. We can still pursue exchanges and cooperation in the economy, security, culture and between our peoples," he said.

Asked whether Russia could help persuade North Korea to return to dialogue, Lee said its role would be very limited due to its war of aggression against Ukraine.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Haye-ah · December 3, 2025

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com