Quotes of the Day:
"Who is the brave man — he who feels no fear? If so, then bravery is but a polite term for a mind devoid of rationality and imagination."
- Geraldine Brooks
"Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
- Lao Tzu
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."
- Alice Walker
1. South-U.S.-Japan defense chiefs decide to deal with North together
2. Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Defense Trilateral Call With Japan, Republic of Korea
3. Pentagon chief discusses North Korean threat with Japan, South Korea
4. Moon says no prerequisites for inter-Korean summit, virtual summit possible
5. With his peace initiative at stake, Moon leaves room for his successor amid realistic constraints
6. Imagery shows N.Korea preparing for possible military parade - report
7. New N. Korea nuclear, ICBM testing would trigger instant crisis, S.Korea's Moon says
8. U.N. rapporteur on N.K. human rights to visit S. Korea next week
9. Chinese Embassy shoots down claims that hanbok was attempt to steal culture
10. Ex-US Ambassador to Korea Lippert likely to join Samsung: sources
11. South Korea, US agree on wording of declaration ending Korean War but North Korea refuses to join negotiations: Moon
12. NK issue at pivotal moment: nuclear envoy
13. N. Korea in festive mood ahead of late leader's birthday
14. Large scale joint exercises should be resumed, says U.S. commander
15. Anti-China Sentiment Erupts in South Korea Ahead of Vote
16. North Korea installs solar panels to bolster underpowered cellular network
17. North Korea Knows How Important Its Cyberattacks Are
18. North Korea-based Lazarus Hackers Pretend as Lockheed Martin Offering Employment For Job Seekers
19. North Korea Fires Crypto Bomb At US, Calls It 'King of Theft'
20. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ Fear and Tension among the Police: Authorities Order the Eradication of Bribery and Relentless Punishment. Police in the Field are Perplexed and Resist it.
21. USFK Sends Warnings to N.Korea over Missile Provocations
22. North Korea orders security agencies in border region to “strengthen campaign against unfounded rumors”
23. N. Korean man sentenced to six months in forced labor camp for neglecting Kimjongilia flowers
24. North Korean ideological training materials call for proper understanding of agriculture
1. South-U.S.-Japan defense chiefs decide to deal with North together
I like the headline and hope it is accurate. But actions speak louder than words. We need to demonstrate strength in our trilateral relationship and trilateral military exercises would be a great way to to do that.
Thursday
February 10, 2022
South-U.S.-Japan defense chiefs decide to deal with North together
Defense Minister Suh Wook
The defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan held phone talks on Thursday morning and decided to cooperate closely on dealing with the North Korean missile threat, according to the Defense Ministry.
The three-way talks between South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook and his counterparts, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, come as North Korea has drastically ratcheted up tensions in recent weeks through a series of missile tests, including the launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Jan. 30.
"The three ministers have decided to work closely together against the North Korean missile threat and continue their efforts to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula," the Defense Ministry said in a press release after the talks.
At the meeting, Suh called North Korea's latest missile launches, including the test of the IRBM, “a direct and serious threat” and said it “constitutes an act causing instability in the local situation, as well as a challenge to the United Nations Security Council resolutions.”
Under successive United Nations Security Council resolutions, Pyongyang is barred from conducting tests of ballistic missile technology.
Suh also said during the talks that Seoul will strengthen its own defense capabilities as well as those based in the U.S.-South Korea alliance to counter Pyongyang’s growing nuclear and missile arsenal.
The U.S. defense secretary also reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to Seoul’s defense, according to the Defense Ministry.
The defense chiefs’ phone talks took place ahead of the three countries’ foreign ministers’ meeting in Hawaii on Saturday for talks on how to deal with the North.
Suh, Austin and Kishi originally considered conducting their talks in Hawaii in January but delayed the meeting due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
The three countries’ last face-to-face trilateral defense meeting took place on the sides of security talks involving Asean in Bangkok in November 2019.
Under the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, Washington has stepped up efforts to encourage trilateral defense cooperation among South Korea and Japan, with whom it has formal security alliances.
In recent weeks, Beijing and Moscow have shown signs of drawing closer together as they confront the United States over Taiwan and Ukraine.
The North’s Foreign Ministry has also lately publicized its efforts to revive trade and cooperate with China and Russia on common strategic interests, raising the specter of an anti-U.S. bloc forming.
2. Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Defense Trilateral Call With Japan, Republic of Korea
Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Defense Trilateral Call With Japan, Republic of Korea
Immediate Release
Feb. 9, 2022
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd. J. Austin III spoke with Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Suh Wook and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi today to reaffirm the importance of trilateral security cooperation in addressing global security challenges and threats posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) weapons of mass destruction and missile programs.
The leaders emphasized that the DPRK’s ballistic missile launches are destabilizing to regional security and a clear violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. They committed to conduct an in-person Trilateral Defense Ministerial on a mutually determined future date, to close trilateral coordination in the face of the DPRK’s missile launches, and to continue efforts to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and the ROK is ironclad.
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3. Pentagon chief discusses North Korean threat with Japan, South Korea
Sustained high level (and all level) diplomatic and military engagement with our Asian allies is critically important.
Pentagon chief discusses North Korean threat with Japan, South Korea
WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke on Wednesday with the defense ministers of South Korea and Japan about the threats posed by North Korea after missile launches by Pyongyang, the Pentagon said.
International tension has been rising over a series of North Korean ballistic missile tests, actions long banned by the U.N. Security Council. January was a record month of such tests, with at least seven launches including a new type of "hypersonic missile" able to maneuver at high speed.
"The leaders emphasized that the DPRK's ballistic missile launches are destabilizing to regional security and a clear violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement, using the acronym for North Korea's official name.
South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook said the launches posed a "direct and serious threat", and vowed to bolster response capabilities based on the U.S. alliance.
The three ministers agreed to hold an in-person meeting in the near future, his office said in a statement, without specifying the date.
North Korea boasted on Tuesday that it is one of only a handful of countries in the world to field nuclear weapons and advanced missiles and the only one standing up to the United States by "shaking the world" with missile tests. read more
An excerpt of a confidential United Nations report said that North Korea continued to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs during the past year and cyberattacks on cryptocurrency exchanges were an important revenue source for Pyongyang.
Reporting by Idrees Ali and Eric Beech in Washington and Hyonhee Shin in Seoul; Editing by Stephen Coates
4. Moon says no prerequisites for inter-Korean summit, virtual summit possible
Does Kim do Zoom? I am afraid this is wishful thinking.
President Moon is going to have to be satisfied with his 2018 legacy - Olympics, Panmujom and Pyongyang summits, Comprehensive MIlitary Agreement. Unfortunately there is little to no hope for any "breakthrough" before he leaves office.
Moon says no prerequisites for inter-Korean summit, virtual summit possible | Yonhap News Agency
By Kim Deok-hyun
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in said Thursday he is willing to hold an inter-Korean summit without prerequisites in whatever format North Korea wants amid concern Pyongyang could end its self-imposed moratorium on long-range missiles launches.
Moon made the remark in a joint written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other global news wire services, warning that the Korean Peninsula may return to a "touch-and-go crisis" five years ago if the North goes ahead with its veiled threat to scrap the moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests.
"As long as there is willingness to engage in dialogue, whether the summit will be held face-to-face or virtual does not matter. Whatever method North Korea wants will be acceptable," Moon said in the interview with Yonhap, AFP, AP, EFE, Kyodo, Reuters, Tass, Xinhua.
"Also, it is not desirable to place prerequisites for dialogue. I believe that it would be beneficial to discuss even such prerequisites at a negotiating table," he said.
Moon added, however, that there is not much time left before his term ends in May and that the "the timing of the incoming presidential election and its result may make it inappropriate to hold an inter-Korean summit."
In January alone, North Korea conducted seven missile tests -- including what it claims to be a hypersonic missile and an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). The IRMB launch marked the North's longest-range missile test since the test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November 2017.
That sparked worries that Pyongyang is close to ditching the moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches and nuclear tests that the regime declared in 2018 as part of a charm offensive that led to a series of inter-Korean summits and the first-ever summit between North Korea and the United States.
"If North Korea's series of missile launches goes as far as scrapping a moratorium on long-range missile tests, the Korean Peninsula may instantly fall back into the state of crisis we faced five years ago," Moon said.
"Preventing such a crisis through persistent dialogue and diplomacy will be the task that political leaders in the countries concerned must fulfill together," he said.
North Korea has shunned talks on its nuclear program since the no-deal second summit in Hanoi in 2019 between leader Kim Jong-un and then U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim and Trump held their first summit in Singapore in 2018.
Moon said it was "very regrettable" that the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump ended without a deal.
"It would have been best if a 'big deal' had been reached at the Hanoi Summit. If that was too hard, however, I think a 'small deal' should have been sought to take a phased approach," Moon said.
"It is very regrettable that the summit ended in 'no deal' when the continuation of dialogue should have been ensured at least," Moon said.
With regard to North Korea-U.S. relations, Moon said he believes U.S. President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim will meet eventually to discuss the North's nuclear weapons program.
"Since dialogue is the only way to resolve problems, a meeting between President Biden and Chairman Kim is expected to take place eventually. It is just a matter of time," Moon said.
Moon, whose single five-year term ends in May, has pursued a declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War in an efforts to jumpstart the long-stalled talks with North Korea. Moon said South Korea and the U.S. have agreed on the wording of the declaration, with China also supporting it.
Although Seoul and Washington have made considerable progress in efforts to adopt the declaration, its fate remains uncertain as Pyongyang has been unresponsive to their overtures for dialogue.
"An end-of-war declaration is useful since it signifies a process to promote mutual trust and a move toward denuclearization and the institutionalization of peace on the Korean Peninsula while putting an end to hostile relations," Moon said.
"In addition, the Republic of Korea and the United States have now concurred on the wording of an end-of-war declaration to be presented to North Korea. Even China supports this declaration," Moon said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
(END)
5. With his peace initiative at stake, Moon leaves room for his successor amid realistic constraints
Some reality on the end of war declaration.
Excerpts:
The fate of the peace process will likely depend on the results of the election, with Moon banned from seeking reelection under the Constitution. His government, in the meantime, is likely to focus on keeping military tensions at bay, while bolstering security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo, they said.
...
It would be "too physically demanding to reach" such a declaration before his term ends in May, he said.
"However, I would at least like to make conditions ripe for an end-of-war declaration and pass that on to the next administration," he added.
South Korea and the U.S. have concurred on the wording of the declaration to be presented to North Korea, according to the president.
"It's unlikely for Pyongyang to sign any substantial deal with an outgoing president," Cheong Seong-chang, director of Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, said. "The new administration will have to seriously think about how to readjust the South Korea-U.S. alliance in the face of North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, and expand its role."
(News Focus) With his peace initiative at stake, Moon leaves room for his successor amid realistic constraints | Yonhap News Agency
By Choi Soo-hyang
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- As he is running out of time as South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in's message for his successor, either conservative or liberal, seems to be clear: There should be no prerequisites for an inter-Korean summit.
He is well aware of the realistic problem in pushing for the resumption of his summit-driven Korea peace process during the presidential election season in the ideologically divided South. Nearly five years ago, Moon took office with an ambitious drive to improve inter-Korean relations and play a significant role in advancing talks on North Korea's nuclear program.
His last months in office, however, have been marred by North Korea's series of missile tests amid no breakthrough in efforts to restart the peace process that has come to a halt since the no-deal Hanoi summit between Pyongyang and Washington in early 2019.
In a joint written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other global newswire services, Moon said another inter-Korean summit could be held "in whatever method North Korea wants" but noted his time was running out.
"I don't think there should be prerequisites for a summit. However, my time will run out shortly, and the timing of the incoming presidential election and its result may make it inappropriate to hold an inter-Korean summit," the president said in the interview.
Many experts bet the Korea peace process will be in the doldrums until after the March 9 presidential poll to pick Moon's successor, especially as the Kim Jong-un regime is also busy preparing for its own political events.
The fate of the peace process will likely depend on the results of the election, with Moon banned from seeking reelection under the Constitution. His government, in the meantime, is likely to focus on keeping military tensions at bay, while bolstering security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo, they said.
Moon also acknowledged the lack of time to accomplish the goal of declaring a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War as a confidence-building measure to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table and kick off a full-fledged peace process.
It would be "too physically demanding to reach" such a declaration before his term ends in May, he said.
"However, I would at least like to make conditions ripe for an end-of-war declaration and pass that on to the next administration," he added.
South Korea and the U.S. have concurred on the wording of the declaration to be presented to North Korea, according to the president.
"It's unlikely for Pyongyang to sign any substantial deal with an outgoing president," Cheong Seong-chang, director of Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, said. "The new administration will have to seriously think about how to readjust the South Korea-U.S. alliance in the face of North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, and expand its role."
Moon held three summits with North Korean leader Kim and witnessed the historic first summit between North Korea and the U.S. But the dialogue remain stalemated after the 2019 Hanoi summit between Kim and the U.S. President Donald Trump ended without a deal.
He cited the collapse of the Hanoi summit as one of the most "regrettable" events during his tenure.
"This is truly a lasting regret," he said, adding that a "small deal" should have been sought if reaching a "big deal" was too hard.
Those critical of Moon argue that Moon's North Korea policy has failed and the security conditions on the peninsula has been drawn back to a crisis.
The North has recently been upping the ante with a record seven missile tests from the start of the year, and even hinted at the possibility of breaking its yearslong moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile testing.
South Korean officials earlier said the North appears to be preparing for a military parade, possibly to mark key national holidays -- the 80th birthday of Kim's late father, Kim Jong-il, on Feb. 16 and the 110th birthday of his late grandfather, Kim Il-sung, on April 15.
Moon warned the Korean Peninsula may return to a "touch-and-go crisis" like five years ago if North Korea goes ahead with its veiled threat to scrap the moratorium.
"Preventing such a crisis through persistent dialogue and diplomacy will be the task that political leaders in the countries concerned must fulfill together," he emphasized.
Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of Moon's liberal Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol, flag bearer of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, are notably divided over how to address the North Korea issue.
Lee has called for using a mixture of pressure and diplomacy to get the North to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. If Lee is elected, he is likely to inherit what the Moon administration has done and much of its policies.
Yoon, in contrast, has vowed to strengthen the extended deterrence provided by the U.S. in favor of the deployment of another THAAD advanced missile defense unit in South Korea, heralding an overhaul of Seoul's approach toward Pyongyang.
Looking back on his presidency, Moon said his speech at a Pyongyang stadium was "the most impressive scene so far in inter-Korean relations."
In September 2018, Moon delivered the first address by Seoul's head of state to 150,000 Pyongyang citizens during his visit to the North Korean capital for talks with Kim.
Moon stressed efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula is one of the "national tasks that will determine the future of the country," one that "should be carried on by the next administration regardless of its governing philosophy."
"It is a herculean task," Moon said. "However, we cannot afford to give up this task."
(END)
6. Imagery shows N.Korea preparing for possible military parade - report
I wonder what they intend to show us at this one? Will it be accompanied by some kind of missile or nuclear test?
I am reminded of Murphy's Laws: No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection (a parade). No inspection (parade) ready unit has ever passed combat.
Go ahead Kim Jong-un, expend time and precious human resources on preparing for a parade. (though I do not wish this on the people who have to practice and march in the parade).
Imagery shows N.Korea preparing for possible military parade - report
SEOUL, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Commercial satellite imagery shows possible preparations for a military parade in North Korea, a Washington think-tank said on Thursday, amid expectations that the country could display new military advances or launch more missiles on upcoming holidays.
Several hundred personnel were seen in formation at the Mirim Parade Training Ground in Pyongyang, which is designed to be a replica of the city's Kim Il Sung Square, where parades are usually held, 38 North, which monitors North Korea, said in a report.
More than 240 buses were parked nearby, but there were no signs of major military hardware, such as North Korea's ballistic missiles, the report said.
"That could indicate an upcoming event will consist largely of people or that they are yet to arrive," 38 North said.
The report comes a day after Seoul-based NK News, which covers North Korea, cited informed sources and satellite imagery that indicated possible preparations for a parade, including jet aircraft over Pyongyang and marching formations at the training ground since late January.
North Korea plans to celebrate the 80th birthday anniversary of leader Kim Jong Un's late father, Kim Jong Il, on Feb. 16, and the 110th birthday anniversary of his late grandfather and founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, on April 15.
Both are major holidays in North Korea, which often uses such occasions to display military might at massive parades full of goose-stepping soldiers and rows of weapons, including in some cases its large missiles.
"North Korea does not announce these kinds of events in advance, but over the last several years, training at the Mirim Parade Training Ground has usually begun one to several months ahead of the festivities," the 38 North report said.
North Korea conducted a record seven missile tests in January, and has suggested it could resume tests of its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017 amid stalled denuclearisation talks with the United States.
Analysts say North Korea could use the holidays to test a major new missile or other weapon.
A resumption of North Korea's nuclear weapon or long-range missile tests would "instantly" send the peninsula back into crisis, outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in said this week, calling for measures to prevent that from happening. read more
Reporting by Josh Smith. Editing by Gerry Doyle
7. New N. Korea nuclear, ICBM testing would trigger instant crisis, S.Korea's Moon says
I hope we have done some table top exercises with our allies on how we may respond should an ICBM and/or nuclear test take place. We need to have our options laid out and the decision making process prepped for executing the right action(s).
New N. Korea nuclear, ICBM testing would trigger instant crisis, S.Korea's Moon says
SEOUL, Feb 10 (Reuters) - A resumption of North Korea's nuclear weapon or long-range missile tests would "instantly" send the peninsula back into crisis, outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in said this week, calling for measures to prevent that from happening.
A record month of North Korean missile testing in January highlighted failures of Moon's efforts to engineer a breakthrough as his term ends in May, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has suggested he could order new nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches for the first time since 2017.
"If North Korea's series of missile launches goes as far as scrapping a moratorium on long-range missile tests, the Korean Peninsula may instantly fall back into the state of crisis we faced five years ago," Moon said in a written interview with media in Seoul scheduled for publication on Thursday.
"Preventing such a crisis through persistent dialogue and diplomacy will be the task that political leaders in the countries concerned must fulfil together," he added.
Moon had expressed concern that the series of missile tests was so close to the March 9 presidential election in South Korea, where the candidate from Moon's Democratic Party is in a tight race with a conservative opponent.
Moon admitted he appears to have run out of time, saying it is unlikely a last-minute summit with Kim or the adoption of his proposal for a declaration ending the 1950-1953 Korean War would happen before he leaves office.
Still, he said the United States and South Korea have agreed on the text of the declaration, and that a summit between Kim and U.S. President Joe Biden "is just a matter of time" if all sides wish to avoid a crisis.
"Since dialogue is the only way to resolve problems, a meeting between President Biden and Chairman Kim is expected to take place eventually," he said.
Moon has pushed for a formal end to the Korean War to replace the armistice that stopped the fighting but left it and the U.S.-led U.N. Command still technically at war.
"I would at least like to make conditions ripe for an end-of-war declaration and pass that on to the next administration," he said.
Moon said his most rewarding achievement was helping "shift the direction toward dialogue and diplomacy rather than military confrontation."
The biggest regret of his term, however, is the failure of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi, he said, where Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump walked away with no agreements on reducing North Korea's nuclear weapons or missiles in return for easing international sanctions.
"It is very regrettable that the summit ended in 'no deal' when the continuation of dialogue should have been ensured at least," he said, arguing that a smaller, phased deal should still have been pursued when it became clear that a "big deal" was out of reach.
"Still now, if they learn from that experience and put their heads together to discuss mutually acceptable, realistic measures... I believe there will be ample opportunities to find a solution," he added.
In a phone call with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts on Thursday, South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook said the recent launches posed a "direct and serious threat", and vowed to bolster response capabilities based on the U.S. alliance. read more
Biden's administration has said it is willing to meet the North Koreans any time without preconditions, but Pyongyang says it will not resume negotiations unless Washington and Seoul drop "hostile policies" such as military drills, sanctions, and arms buildups.
Despite the stalled talks and increase in tensions, Moon says "necessary communication" with Kim has continued, and he doesn’t think Biden has returned to the "strategic patience" policies of the Obama administration because he continues to make practical efforts to resume dialogue.
"We cannot afford to give up this task," he said.
Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Sam Holmes and Gerry Doyle
8. U.N. rapporteur on N.K. human rights to visit S. Korea next week
Human rights is not only a moral imperative but also a national security issue. Kim Jong-un must systematically deny the human rights of the people in order to remain in power.
U.N. rapporteur on N.K. human rights to visit S. Korea next week | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- The U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation will travel here next week to hold relevant discussions, a U.N. office said Thursday.
Tomas Ojea Quintana will visit the country on Tuesday for a nine-day trip, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office in Seoul.
He is expected to meet with officials from the South Korean government and civic groups on North Korean human rights, as well as North Korean defectors, in preparation for an annual report on the North to be submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Quintana expressed his willingness last year to visit the inter-Korean border region after voicing concerns about South Korea's new law that bans the spread of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border by activists.
(END)
9. Chinese Embassy shoots down claims that hanbok was attempt to steal culture
Miscalculation or deliberate? Arrogance? An indication of Chinese true colors and desires.
Thursday
February 10, 2022
Chinese Embassy shoots down claims that hanbok was attempt to steal culture
Left, a woman clad in hanbok, or Korean traditional dress, holds up the national flag of China with other representatives of ethnic minorities in China at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Friday. Right, Korea's Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hwang Hee attends the opening ceremony clad in hanbok. [SCREEN CAPTURE, MINISTRY OF CULTURE SPORTS AND TOURISM]
The Chinese Embassy in Korea refuted the allegation that the Chinese government was trying to steal Korean culture by including a woman clad in hanbok, or Korean traditional dress, at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
“As is known, China is a multi-ethnic country with 56 ethnic groups,” the embassy said in a statement Tuesday. “It is the wish and right of the representatives of China's nationalities to wear national costumes and participate in international sporting events such as the Beijing Winter Olympics.”
The embassy added that Chaoxianzu, which means Joseon people and refers to the ethnic Koreans in China, and the Koreans of North and South Korea “share the same ancestry and common traditions,” including costumes.
“This traditional culture belongs to the Korean Peninsula and also belongs to the Chaoxianzu, so the argument on so-called cultural plunder cannot be established at all [in this context],” it said.
Representatives of the ethnic groups in China, all wearing their own traditional dress, carried the national flag of China at the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday. Among them was a woman clad in a light purple hanbok, meant to represent the ethnic Koreans living in China.
Approximately 1.8 million ethnic Koreans (less than 0.2 percent of the total Chinese population) reside in China. They enjoy a degree of autonomy in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Northeast China’s Jilin Province, where the woman who wore the hanbok is reportedly from.
Many Koreans haven taken to online forums to protest China’s inclusion of hanbok as a traditional costume of one of its ethnic groups.
“South Korea is not a vassal state of China,” reads a petition submitted to the Blue House on Monday, signed by more than 15,000 people as of Wednesday. “Yet at the Beijing Olympics, China has introduced hanbok, samulnori [traditional Korean percussion] and other traditions of Korea as that of the Joseonjok [Korean word for the ethnic Koreans in China], who may be descendants of Koreans but are definitely Chinese citizens. If we let such plundering of our culture pass, we will face a day in the future where people around the world may equate Korea with China.”
Screen capture of a petition submitted to the Blue House on Monday to request the president to take action against what they called China's attempts to steal Korean culture. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the Korean government is constantly asking the Chinese government to “respect the indigenous culture” of Korea.
“We are not responding to the matter in a lukewarm matter,” said ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam in a press briefing on Tuesday. “Based on mutual respect for their own cultures, the two countries will continue their efforts to promote diverse cultural exchanges and to enhance understanding between the people of Korea and China.”
A Tweet by the American Charge d'Affaires in Korea Christopher Del Corso on hanbok, posted on Tuesday, also went viral among Korean netizens.
"What comes to mind when you think of Korea? Kimchi, K-Pop, K-dramas... and of course Hanbok," he wrote, posting a photo of him wearing hanbok with the hashtag saying, "original hanbok from Korea."
twitter
Following the disqualifications of Korean athletes at the short track speed skating event on Monday, coupled with the hanbok scandal at the opening ceremony, Korean netizens have been openly expressing their ire with the country and this Olympics.
The Chinese Embassy in Korea issued a statement again on Wednesday, protesting such expressions.
"Some South Korean media and politicians blamed the Chinese government and the Beijing Olympics as a whole, even fueling anti-Chinese sentiment, aggravating the sentiments of the people of both countries," said the embassy in its statement. "We have no choice but to express our grave concerns and our stern position on this."
When Korea's Hwang Dae-heon won the men's 1,500-meter short track final on Wednesday, the embassy issued another statement.
Hwang, the world record holder, had crossed the finish line first in his heat in the 1,000-meter semifinals on Monday, but was disqualified after a video review. China's skaters took both the gold and silver medals.
"The Chinese people also evaluated Hwang Dae-heon's outstanding skills positively, demonstrating the sincere friendship between the people of China and Korea," the embassy said.
10. Ex-US Ambassador to Korea Lippert likely to join Samsung: sources
Ex-US Ambassador to Korea Lippert likely to join Samsung: sources
Mark Lippert / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Mark Lippert, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea currently working as YouTube Asia-Pacific's public policy chief, will likely move to Samsung Electronics as an executive for the tech giant's North American business, industry sources here said Thursday.
Lippert ― who served as the last U.S. ambassador to South Korea under former President Barack Obama ― is reportedly in the final process of switching jobs to work with Samsung, according to the sources.
The 48-year-old is expected to take a position overseeing Samsung's external relations and corporate communications for North America, which was previously held by David Steel.
Lippert became the youngest U.S. ambassador to South Korea in October 2014.
After serving a three-year term, he served as a vice president for Boeing International and senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Lippert speaks Korean and uses the language to maintain his status as a well-known fan of the Korean Baseball Organization rooting for the Doosan Bears.
Industry observers believe Samsung, the world's largest memory chipmaker, is trying to bring in Lippert to better respond to policy changes from the U.S. government amid its effort to enhance the supply chain.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce requested semiconductor business data from Samsung and other companies.
Samsung in November confirmed the city of Taylor in Texas will host its new $17 billion chip fabrication plant. (Yonhap)
11. South Korea, US agree on wording of declaration ending Korean War but North Korea refuses to join negotiations: Moon
Each media outlet is focusing on different aspects of President Moon's joint written interview conducted this week.
South Korea, US agree on wording of declaration ending Korean War but North Korea refuses to join negotiations: Moon
President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap
President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that South Korea and the United States have agreed on the wording of a declaration formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, although North Korea has shown few signs of returning to negotiations.
In a joint written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other global newswires, Moon said, however, it would be "too physically demanding" for the declaration to be reached by the end of his term in May.
"An end-of-war declaration is useful since it signifies a process to promote mutual trust and a move toward denuclearization and the institutionalization of peace on the Korean Peninsula while putting an end to hostile relations," Moon said in the interview with Yonhap, AFP, AP, EFE, Kyodo, Reuters, Tass and Xinhua.
"In addition, the Republic of Korea and the United States have now concurred on the wording of an end-of-war declaration to be presented to North Korea. Even China supports this declaration," Moon said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
However, Moon said it would be difficult to adopt the declaration during his term.
"It would be too physically demanding to reach a declaration to end the Korean War before the end of my term," Moon said. "However, I would at least like to make conditions ripe for an end-of-war declaration and pass that on to the next administration."
During the Korean War, the U.S. fought alongside South Korea to fend off an invasion by North Korea, which was backed by China. The conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the South and the North still technically at war.
Moon's early diplomatic overtures to North Korea led to an unprecedented U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore in June 2018, raising hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program.
The peace process, however, stalled after the second U.S.-North Korea summit ended without a deal in 2019.
Despite the progress that South Korea has made in efforts to get the end-of-war declaration adopted, its fate remains uncertain as Pyongyang has been unresponsive to its overtures for dialogue.
In January alone, North Korea conducted seven missile tests, including two of what it claims to be a hypersonic missile, and an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Asked whether a hotline connecting Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in operation or whether he exchanges personal letters with Kim, Moon replied, "Chairman Kim Jong-un and I met several times and have spoken together at great length, thereby building mutual trust through close communication.
"Even when we have not been able to meet, necessary communication has continued. I hope the extensive efforts that Chairman Kim and I have made together will be brought to a successful conclusion," Moon said.
"I look forward to the endeavors made thus far leading to the greatest possible outcome and efforts for dialogue continuing under the next administration." (Yonhap)
12. NK issue at pivotal moment: nuclear envoy
Pivotal moment yes. Though I do not believe it is a pivot between "a return to the period of cold winter or a season of warm atmosphere as it is here..."
I think the situation and conditions inside north Korea could be pivotal and these conditions may drive the regime's external actions.
NK issue at pivotal moment: nuclear envoy
Published : Feb 10, 2022 - 15:43 Updated : Feb 10, 2022 - 16:34
Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, speaks to reporters after arriving in Honolulu on Wednesday for a three-way meeting with his US and Japanese counterparts. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s top nuclear envoy stressed that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is at a pivotal moment following North Korea’s recent series of missile tests, calling for the need of engagement with the reclusive regime.
“I believe we are at a very pivotal moment that will decide if we will return to the period of cold winter or a season of warm atmosphere as it is here,” South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk told reporters upon arriving at Honolulu, Hawaii on Wednesday (local time). He is in Hawaii for a trilateral session with his American and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, scheduled for Thursday. Noh is also holding separate bilateral sessions with Kim and Funakoshi on the same day.
The Korean envoy stressed that the stable management of the situation is more important than anything else, and that the three sides seek to hold in-depth and concrete talks on ways to effectively engage with North Korea.
“Until now, there have been various consultations between South Korea and the US, along with Japan. I came here with a hope that (this meetings) will serve as an opportunity to come up with the most effective measures to work toward engagement (with the North),” he said.
The three-way talks scheduled for Thursday comes as Pyongyang has been beefing up its arsenal, defying strict sanctions and the UN Security Council resolution which bans the country’s ballistic missile tests.
On Jan. 30, the North fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile, marking its seventh weapons launch this year and what appeared to be the most powerful missile it has tested since 2017. The regime also hinted of ending its self-imposed, four-year moratorium on testing nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles in order to bolster defense against the “hostile policy and military threat by the US.”
“The situation on the Korean Peninsula has become severe due to the North’s various messages and action,” said Noh.
During Thursday’s talk, Seoul’s push to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War is likely be part of the agenda. Noh had called the end-of-war declaration as an “useful tool to start the denuclearization talks” as he left Seoul for Honolulu on Wednesday.
Following their meetings, the three officials will also accompany their foreign ministers, who are set to hold three-way ministerial meetings on Saturday in Hawaii.
Dealing with North Korea’s missile launch and expanding trilateral cooperation in tackling various issues are expected to be on the table at the meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Blinken stressed that the upcoming meeting in Hawaii is another opportunity to drive the trilateral collaboration among the US, South Korea and Japan forward.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time –- Deputy Secretary Sherman and myself –- on trilateral collaboration among the United States, Japan, and Republic of Korea,” Blinken told the press on Wednesday en route to Melbourne as part of his week-long trip to the Asia-Paciic region. “This is another opportunity to drive that forward. There is a very broad common agenda that we have, of course, starting with challenges posed by the DPRK but going well beyond that. This is an important moment to keep driving that forward.”
DPRK stands for the Democratic People‘s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.
On Thursday, South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and his American counterpart, Wendy Sherman had phone discussion. The two sides agreed to hold “in-depth” consultations on ways to cooperate in dealing with North Korea through this week’s back-to-back meetings in Hawaii, according to the Foreign Ministry.
13. N. Korea in festive mood ahead of late leader's birthday
As I recall Ranger Instructor SGT Pugh bellowing from the PT platform before dawn: "False motivation will get you nowhere." Some things just stick in your memory.
N. Korea in festive mood ahead of late leader's birthday | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is revving up a festive mood ahead of late leader Kim Jong-il's 80th birthday next week, opening a series of commemorative events, according to Pyongyang's state media Thursday.
Kim, father of current leader Kim Jong-un, led the reclusive regime from 1994 until his death in 2011. His birthday, which falls on Feb. 16, is marked as a major national holiday in the North.
On Wednesday, the North held a national awards ceremony in Pyongyang in commemoration of him, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
It awarded 8,732 officials, workers and soldiers of merit for carrying out policies of the ruling Workers' Party, including four with the Order of Kim Jong-il, according to the North's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun.
Other events marking the late leader's birthday were held in the capital the same day, including a symposium to discuss his achievements, a cooking contest and an exhibition of visual artworks on the late leader, the KCNA added.
Eyes are on whether Pyongyang will hold a massive public event for the anniversary, as it usually marks every fifth and 10th anniversary with larger celebrations. Keen attention is being paid to whether it will stage another military parade.
(END)
14. Large scale joint exercises should be resumed, says U.S. commander
I concur with the Commandant.
Large scale joint exercises should be resumed, says U.S. commander
Posted February. 10, 2022 07:54,
Updated February. 10, 2022 07:54
Large scale joint exercises should be resumed, says U.S. commander. February. 10, 2022 07:54. abro@donga.com.
A commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps said large-scale ROK-U.S. joint military drills, which have been practically suspended since 2019, should be resumed. The joint military drills have been replaced with computer-simulated command post exercise (CPX) following the 2018 U.S.-North Korea Singapore Summit, conducting small-scale exercises without field training exercises (FTX).
According to the Radio Free Asia (RFA), U.S. Marine Corps commandant David H. Berger said at an online meeting hosted by the National Defense Industry Association (NDIA) on Tuesday (local time), that he supports the resumption of ROK-U.S. large-scale joint military exercises, adding through the exercises, they need to show the enemy that armed forces of South Korea and the U.S. are capable of real combat.
Commandant Berger pointed out that multiple small-scale exercises cannot be effective as large-scale exercises. He said it is worth conducting small-scale exercises as they carry out drills that commanders of lower-level tactical units need to focus on, but higher-level commanders need to repeat large-scale FTX. He added that grouping five small-scale exercises into one does not mean it can replace a large-scale exercise.
As for computer-simulated exercises, Berger sarcastically said PowerPoint is not credible deterrence, stressing that effective deterrence is real exercises that can actually show the enemy what we are capable of.
Concerns have been raised about the weakening of military readiness against North Korea as ROK-U.S. joint military exercises have been scaled back under the Moon Jae-in administration and are being carried out in the form of a war-game model. As the ROK-U.S. joint military drills scheduled for next month has been reportedly postponed to the second week of April, there would likely be a setback in the schedule of a full operation capability (FO) assessment of the future Combined Forces Command, which is a condition for the transfer of wartime operational control.
15. Anti-China Sentiment Erupts in South Korea Ahead of Vote
Chinese soft power missteps and blow back.
Anti-China Sentiment Erupts in South Korea Ahead of Vote
February 10, 2022 4:34 AM
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA —
Animosity toward China, which has long simmered in South Korea, exploded into the open this week following a pair of controversies during the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
It began when a woman dressed in a pink hanbok, a traditional Korean dress, carried a Chinese flag while marching in the Olympics opening ceremony. Many South Koreans were outraged, seeing it as Beijing’s latest attempt to claim beloved aspects of Korean culture.
Once the competition began, things only got worse. On Monday, two South Korean short track speed skaters were disqualified for moves deemed illegal, allowing a pair of Chinese skaters to advance and eventually win gold and silver medals. South Korean media outlets echoed discontent, accusing Beijing 2022 judges of bias in favor of China.
“Just let the host country China take all the medals,” declared an article in the Seoul Sinmun newspaper, which began by repeating that sentence 11 times. SBS, a major South Korean broadcaster, aired a segment titled, Top 10 Worst Moments of Cheating by China, featuring past incidents involving Chinese athletes.
The anti-China uproar comes less than a month before a tightly contested presidential election. Both main presidential candidates have weighed in, saying the South Korean skaters were the rightful winners and that the hanbok display is the latest evidence China is engaging in cultural appropriation.
“Do not covet the culture (of others),” warned ruling party candidate Lethe Jae-myung on Facebook. In his own Facebook post, Yoon Seok-youl, the main conservative candidate, accused Beijing of a broad effort to “subjugate and incorporate Korean history into China.”
Growing animosity
The incident reflects growing animosity toward what many South Koreans feel is China’s distortion of history in order to claim South Korean culture, such as the hanbok. Recent years have also seen eruptions of nationalist-tinged anger over Chinese state media claims that kimchi, a fermented cabbage dish ubiquitous in Korea, originated in China.
Underpinning the tensions are wider concerns about China’s growing economic and military strength, and its more combative stance toward its neighbors, which analysts say is Beijing’s attempt to reassert its position as a dominant regional power.
Things were not always this tense. In 2015, only 37% of South Koreans had a negative view of China, according to data from the Pew Research Center. By 2020, that figure had more than doubled to 75%. Recent opinion polls suggest South Korean perceptions of China are now roughly equal to views about Japan, Korea’s former colonial ruler.
South Korea-China ties especially deteriorated after 2017, when Seoul installed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense U.S. missile defense system, known as THAAD, to counter the threat posed by North Korea. Beijing objected to the deployment and waged a painful campaign of economic retaliation.
Perceptions of China have especially worsened among younger South Koreans, “who were born in a time of China’s rise and felt its overarching influence everywhere,” said Go Min-hee, who teaches political science and international relations at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University.
Complicated roots
For many South Koreans, China’s display of the hanbok dress during the Olympics opening ceremony hit a particularly sensitive nerve — although the controversy may not be immediately apparent to outside observers.
For its part, China said the hanbok display was not meant to be a statement about its cultural origins. The hanbok-clad performer, Chinese officials insisted, was only meant to represent ethnic Koreans — one of dozens of China's ethnic minority groups featured in the parade.
Some South Koreans sympathize with that view, saying the hanbok also should belong to the Korean diaspora, including the around 2 million ethnic Koreans living in China. “What exactly was this Korean Chinese participant supposed to wear?” asked an editorial in the left-leaning Hankyoreh newspaper.
South Koreans, however, became upset in part because of China’s long-standing efforts to claim Korea’s ancient kingdoms as part of its own national history. The territory of the Korean kingdoms, known as Goguryeo and Balhae, overlap with what is now part of modern China.
From Koreans' perspective, claiming these Korean kingdoms as a small part of a bigger and more important historical Chinese entity is extremely offensive, said Darcie Draudt, a postdoctoral fellow at the George Washington Institute of Korean Studies.
“The issue of sovereignty is at the heart of it. Korea has been ‘border insecure’ since Japan colonized it. And then it was divided, with north and south cut off. And then you must consider all the Koreans now in China, Manchuria, Russia, and elsewhere. So, then it becomes tied into national division, in a sense,” she added.
Major political issue
The Olympics controversies have become a major campaign talking point in Seoul, raising the possibility that anti-China sentiment could be exploited for political gains ahead of the March 9 vote.
Yoon, the conservative candidate, had already spoken in blunter terms about China. In December, he declared “most South Korean people, especially younger ones, do not like China.” He has also called for additional THAAD deployments in South Korea.
Lee, the ruling party candidate, says South Korea must maintain a balance in its relationship between the United States and China. But Lee too has taken a more adversarial approach toward Beijing this week, promising to “strongly crack down” on Chinese vessels fishing illegally off South Korea’s coast.
The China issue is not likely to be decisive in the South Korean election, say observers, who note that both campaigns remain focused on domestic issues.
“Over the long run, however, I think that fueling the anti-Chinese sentiment will backfire,” said Go. “The complexity of Korea-China relations will be a significant burden to the incoming administration.”
16. North Korea installs solar panels to bolster underpowered cellular network
The regime is becoming dependent on cell phone communications. It is a double edged word - as the regime depends on it the people have increasing access to it (even as the regime tries to limit information flow). The regime needs the system to maintain security and oppress the people (and surveill the people) but the system will also ctornbute to information "liberation" for the people and the effects could be catastrophic for the regime. This is another indicator that there is developing infrastructure that can be exploited to support information influence activities.
North Korea installs solar panels to bolster underpowered cellular network
Rolling blackouts take towers offline, rendering mobile phones unusable
North Korea is installing solar panels and batteries on cellular towers to stop rolling power outages from crippling the country’s mobile phone network, sources in the country told RFA.
Electricity is not supplied around the clock in North Korea, especially outside the capital Pyongyang.
North Koreans have grown accustomed to rolling blackouts, but the underpowered towers have made cellphone communication between regions difficult and unreliable.
“Yesterday I dialed the number for an acquaintance living in Hyesan. Instead of connecting, I heard a recorded message saying that the service coverage area had changed,” a resident of the northwestern border city of Sinuiju, across the Yalu River from China, told RFA’s Korean Service.
“This is the message that plays when the cellphone towers are out due to a power outage, and it kept repeating for two hours,” said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
Hyesan is a city two provinces to the east of Sinuiju, and the faulty connection can be caused by a malfunctioning tower anywhere in between.
“There are three cellphone towers in Sinuiju, but electricity supply is unstable,” she said. “Mobile communication systems often get paralyzed, and the instances are increasing.
“To combat this problem, authorities have ordered that cellphone towers nationwide must be operated by solar energy stored in batteries. If it works, then power will be constantly supplied the towers, which will normalize mobile communication networks,” she said.
In nearby South Pyongan province’s Songchon county, installation of the solar panels is underway, a postal worker told RFA.
“The relay towers are often paralyzed due to a lack of power supply, so the authorities took measures so that every cell phone tower has solar panels and batteries. They are prioritizing this project because the fees they collect for mobile phone service is down due to a frequently paralyzed mobile network,” said the postal worker, who requested anonymity to speak freely.
He said that many of the towers have been fitted with old solar panels and used batteries that were imported from China years ago. Newer ones are unavailable because trade between the two countries only recently resumed after a two-year suspension due to the coronavirus.
“The solar panel batteries have been used for a long time and they do not charge well, but there are no new batteries to replace them,” he said.
“The authorities are forcing every tower to install large-capacity solar batteries for emergencies … but unless trade is normalized there is no way to import them. Normal phone operations are impossible for now,” the postal worker said.
Using statistics from 2019, the CIA Factbook reported that only 26 percent of North Korea’s population had access to electricity, meaning about 19 million of the country’s 25.6 million had no access at all. Electrification had reached 36 percent of urban areas and only 11 percent of rural areas in 2019.
The Korea Development Bank Future Strategy Research Institute estimated in a 2020 report that 4.5 million North Koreans used cell phones.
Translated by Claire Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
17. North Korea Knows How Important Its Cyberattacks Are
Yes,the all purpose sword is critically important to the survival of the regime. It is one of the most "practical" tools the regime has. Professor Young illustrates another (and modern) aspect of the "guerrilla ethos"in north Korea as applied to employment of the all purpose sword..
“In the course of this struggle against factional opponents, for the first time Kim began to emphasize nationalism as a means of rallying the population to the enormous sacrifices needed for post-war recovery. This was a nationalism that first took shape in the environment of the anti-Japanese guerrilla movement and developed into a creed through the destruction of both the non-Communist nationalist forces and much of the leftist intellectual tradition of the domestic Communists. Kim’s nationalism did not draw inspiration from Korean history, nor did it dwell on past cultural achievements, for the serious study of history and traditional culture soon effectively ceased in the DPRK. Rather, DPRK nationalism drew inspiration from the Spartan outlook of the former Manchurian guerrillas. It was a harsh nationalism that dwelt on past wrongs and promises of retribution for “national traitors” and their foreign backers. DPRK nationalism stressed the “purity” of all things Korean against the “contamination” of foreign ideas, and inculcated in the population a sense of fear and animosity toward the outside world. Above all, DPRK nationalism stressed that the guerrilla ethos was not only the supreme, but also the only legitimate basis on which to reconstitute a reunified Korea.” (p. 27) (Guerrilla Dynasty, by Adrian Buzo)
North Korea Knows How Important Its Cyberattacks Are
An expert's point of view on a current event.
Pyongyang’s tradition of guerrilla warfare keeps its “all-purpose sword” sharp.
By Benjamin R. Young, an assistant professor at the Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs.
Workers monitor computer displays in a control room in Hungnam Fertilizer Complex on February 04, 2019 in Hamhung, North Korea. Carl Court/Getty Images
North Korea’s cyberattacks became famous in 2014, when Pyongyang’s hackers targeted Sony Pictures, seemingly in retaliation for a satirical movie about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But the reclusive regime’s greatly improved cybercapabilities are not a joke. They’re a serious threat to the stability of the global economy and critical infrastructure systems.
In internal regime discourse, Pyongyang proudly refers to its cyberoperations as its “all-purpose sword.” According to testimony from a South Korean intelligence chief, Kim reportedly stated: “Cyberwarfare, along with nuclear weapons and missiles, is an ‘all-purpose sword’ that guarantees our military’s capability to strike relentlessly.” Subversive, criminal operations are a style of asymmetric warfare long embraced by the North. The country’s founding leader, Kim Il Sung, earned his nationalist credentials by fighting Japanese colonialists in the 1930s. His guerrilla band later became the political elite of the North Korean state. During the Cold War era, Kim regularly deployed guerrillas to subvert and instigate the South Korean government. North Koreas hackers are the 21st-century version of guerrilla fighters, moving in the dark and striking at the most vulnerable points.
North Korea’s cyberattacks became famous in 2014, when Pyongyang’s hackers targeted Sony Pictures, seemingly in retaliation for a satirical movie about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But the reclusive regime’s greatly improved cybercapabilities are not a joke. They’re a serious threat to the stability of the global economy and critical infrastructure systems.
In internal regime discourse, Pyongyang proudly refers to its cyberoperations as its “all-purpose sword.” According to testimony from a South Korean intelligence chief, Kim reportedly stated: “Cyberwarfare, along with nuclear weapons and missiles, is an ‘all-purpose sword’ that guarantees our military’s capability to strike relentlessly.” Subversive, criminal operations are a style of asymmetric warfare long embraced by the North. The country’s founding leader, Kim Il Sung, earned his nationalist credentials by fighting Japanese colonialists in the 1930s. His guerrilla band later became the political elite of the North Korean state. During the Cold War era, Kim regularly deployed guerrillas to subvert and instigate the South Korean government. North Koreas hackers are the 21st-century version of guerrilla fighters, moving in the dark and striking at the most vulnerable points.
Historically, guerrillas often depended on banditry and robbery to survive—and one reason for the recent amping up of cyberattacks is financial worries. While Kim Jong Un’s recent missile tests garner international condemnation and head-shaking in Washington and Seoul, Pyongyang’s cyberoperatives work in the shadows. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korean borders have been sealed shut for the past two years. North Korean trade with China has largely stalled, and many foreign diplomats have left the country, making the already reclusive state even more isolated.
Nonetheless, North Korean hackers work diligently in an effort to bolster the depleted coffers of the party elite. Between 2011 and 2020, North Korea cybercriminals stole more than $1 billion worth of cryptocurrency. In 2021, North Korean hackers allegedly stole close to $400 million worth of crypto coins. The blockchain analysis company Chainalysis wrote in a recent report that “North Korean cybercriminals had a banner year in 2021.” The regime’s investment in its cyberoperations is likely providing a vital economic buffer for the isolated and paranoid leadership. According to an unclassified 2021 report from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), North Korea’s cybercrime likely funds “government priorities, such as its nuclear and missile programs.”
North Korea is also engaged in more conventional espionage. A cybersecurity firm recently uncovered that the North Korean hacking group Lazarus used two decoy Microsoft Word documents that resembled Lockheed Martin employment information in order to deliver payloads on unsuspecting users. Using spear-phishing attacks, the Lazarus group has increasingly targeted job-seekers in the U.S. defense and aerospace industries with fake documents that are infected with malware.
Despite relatively good relations between Pyongyang and Moscow, North Korean hackers have even targeted Russia’s foreign ministry with malware. In what seems to be a counterstrike against the analysts who uncover their hacking operations, Pyongyang’s cyberagents are using fake social media profiles to infect the computers of cybersecurity researchers with custom backdoor malware.
So, why have foreign-policy experts and policymakers themselves largely ignored North Korea’s increasingly sophisticated cyberoperations? Well, firstly, cyberattacks are less obvious than missile tests. Kim’s numerous missile tests are a frequent and unignorable reminder of his regime’s nuclear arsenal and military capabilities. Cyberattacks take place in the dark corners of the internet and are not always obvious to even the targets.
Secondly, most policymakers struggle with understanding that North Korea is a technological peer nation in cybersecurity. Despite being a deeply impoverished country with a crumbling health care system and less than 10 percent of its non-highway roads paved, the North Korean leadership has attained significant expertise and development in its cybersector. As part of its militaristic worldview, North Korea prioritizes investment in regime stability and the defense industry over economic improvement for its citizens.
North Korea’s asymmetric capabilities have allowed a nation with a GDP roughly equivalent to that of Mozambique to be able to compete with the world superpowers in cyberspace. The stereotype of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as a buffoonish character on the international stage has impeded U.S. strategic thinking toward North Korea as a very real threat in cyberspace.
And finally, fearing financial loss and public relations fiascos, companies and businesses are hesitant to release information to the public about North Korean cyberattacks. Since many CEOs solely prioritize their company’s bottom line, details of cyberattacks often get swept under the rug. In 2016, the FBI’s Internal Crime Complaint Center estimated that only 15 percent of cybertheft victims in the United States reported their crimes to law enforcement.
So, what can be done to bolster defenses against North Korean hackers? Cyberattacks are part of North Korea’s historical commitment to asymmetric warfare, and it will not change course no matter how much we publicly condemn its actions. Rhetoric won’t work unless it has teeth. Guerrilla warfare, in cyberspace and the physical world, has long been embraced by the regime.
The United States needs to address the role and complicity of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in North Korea’s cyberoperations. From hosting North Korean cyberunits in border cities such as Shenyang to training them at Chinese technology universities and research institutes, the CCP enables North Korea’s maliciousness in cyberspace. In 2016, a South Korean cybersecurity researcher estimated that around 600 to 1,000 North Korean cyberwarfare agents operate in China. In addition, most, if not all, of the internet traffic from North Korea runs through Chinese access providers. Many North Korean hackers get their education in China’s tech universities and then bring back their skills to their homeland.
We need to cut off this supply of North Korean hackers and address the fact that the Chinese government knowingly enables North Korea’s malicious cyberoperations. In October 2020, John Demers, then the U.S. assistant attorney general for national security, mentioned at a think tank event that “there is support through Chinese cyberinfrastructure. There’s likely support in terms of sharing expertise and training from the Chinese side.” Since the U.S. national security apparatus seemingly acknowledges this Sino-North Korean cyberpartnership, the U.S. government should sanction the Chinese entities that enable and assist North Korean cybercrime, such as the Harbin Institute of Technology, which hosts North Korean computer science students. In 2019, China’s education minister signed an agreement with the North Korean government on the continuation of educational exchanges and partnerships from 2020 to 2030. The Chinese government will continue to see North Korean cybercapabilities as a useful proxy force to weaken and frustrate U.S. interests.
Finally, U.S. companies and businesses need to share information about North Korean cyberattacks with the general public so that others can act to prepare themselves. As noted in the ODNI report, North Korea “probably possesses the expertise to cause temporary, limited disruptions of some critical infrastructure networks and disrupt business networks in the United States.” The last thing anyone needs during the pandemic is an already brittle critical infrastructure to be at the mercy of Kim Jong Un.
18. North Korea-based Lazarus Hackers Pretend as Lockheed Martin Offering Employment For Job Seekers
Beware. We saw north Korea conduct a similar operation in Chile to penetrate the Bank of Chile. I am going to borrow Professor Benjamin Young's construct and start talking about north Korea's guerrilla cyber operations.
North Korea-based Lazarus Hackers Pretend as Lockheed Martin Offering Employment For Job Seekers
Once again, Lazarus, a notorious organization of cybercriminals based in North Korea, has been involved in another phishing campaign. The latest report indicated that this advanced persistent threat (APT) group attacked applicants applying to Lockheed Martin.
North Korean Hackers Pretends to be Lockheed Martin
(Photo : Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
A notorious North Korean group of hackers, Lazarus attacked job applicants by impersonating aerospace company Lockheed Martin.
According to a report by ZDNET, the state-backed cybercrime group was spotted in another campaign, wherein it uses Lockheed Martin to victimize job applicants. Akshat Pradhan, the Senior Engineer of Threat Research in Qualys, uncovered the information on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
As background information, Lazarus has been well-known for carrying out attacks with huge impacts. Since it was believed to be a state-sponsored group, spending money for the operations was not a problem.
In the past, the North Korean hackers were said to be the masterminds behind the WannaCry ransomware attack, which stole $80 million from the Bangladesh Central Bank in 2017, according to Tech Times.
Similarly, it also targeted BAE Systems and even Northrop Grumman. This time, it delivers fake documents to job seekers. These documents contain phishing scripts to compromise the system of the victims.
If ever you receive the document, it will be named Lockheed_Martin_JobOpportunities.docx and Salary_Lockheed_Martin_job_opportunities_confidential.doc. Upon sending it to the system, it will automatically make Scheduled tasks and prompt control flow hijacking.
What's Inside the Phishing Emails or Document
In a similar news report, Qualys identified that the system hack affected Living Off the Land Binaries or LOLBins. The error will be returned immediately when a payload appears through the scripts.
The California-based cloud security firm has not yet recognized the final goal of the malware package in the incident.
"We attribute this campaign to Lazarus as there is significant overlap in the macro content, campaign flow, and phishing themes of our identified variants as well as older variants that have been attributed to Lazarus by other vendors," Pradhan said.
Lazarus is not a stranger to attacks related to job offers. Previously, the North Korean hackers were able to send misleading emails, which turned out to be malicious job offers. This campaign hit a crypto-centered organization.
Lazarus Cybercrminals Delivers Malicious Code on Windows
Bleeping Computer wrote that the infamous North Korean cybercriminals had compromised Windows systems by deploying malware in late January. Upon opening the infected attachments, the victim will be directed to a suspicious Windows/System32 folder.
In another report, Russia's FSB seized 14 members of the dangerous cybercrime gang REvil in the same month. According to Tech Times, the authorities had chased the culprits in at least 25 addresses across Moscow. Moreover, the federal security agents retrieved 20 luxury cars, computers, crypto wallets, $600,000, and over $426 million rubbles, or nearly $5.5 million at that time.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
ⓒ 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
19. North Korea Fires Crypto Bomb At US, Calls It 'King of Theft'
More guerrilla cyber actions - in this case, admit nothing, deny everything, and make counteraccusations.
North Korea Fires Crypto Bomb At US, Calls It 'King of Theft' | Bitcoinist.com
North Korea has always hogged the headlines – not only for its “habitual” firing of ballistic missiles (which irks Uncle Sam and his allies) – but also for its passion for (allegedly) stealing other countries’ crypto.
On Thursday, (Feb. 10), North Korea accused the US of stealing funds and committing underhanded cybercrime just days after the United Nations accused Pyongyang of conducting cyberattacks on crypto exchanges around the world.
According to North Korean officials, the US is a “hacking king, a wire-tapping regime and an expert in covert theft.”
Refuting UN Crypto Theft Claims
Although the UN observers did not specifically cite the US, they alleged that the information was obtained from a “member nation” – and also made reference to data gathered by the American firm Chainalysis on alleged North Korean crypto raids.
According to South Korean news outlet EDaily, the North’s foreign ministry debunked UN monitors’ recent assertions that North Korean hackers harvested over $50 million between 2020 and mid-2021.
In a report last year, North Korea has hacked $1.8 billion worth of crypto from multiple exchanges around the globe.
Total crypto market cap at $1.97 trillion in the daily chart | Source: TradingView.com
In 2020, Kommersant reported that a hacking organization known as “Kimsuky” has taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic using so-called spear-phishing methods to steal top-secret information from Russian defense firms.
Kumsuki has also been linked to an attack, according to security firm Ahn Labs, that makes use of malicious Microsoft Word documents.
Citing Edward Snowden’s Revelations
The North Korean ministry alleged that claims of crypto theft constituted an “assault” on the country’s “sovereignty” – citing them as examples of “disgusting behavior” that the ministry would not condone.
It added that Washington is using humanity’s common virtual grounds “to achieve its hegemony objectives.”
Pyongyang also claimed that the confessions of American former computer intelligence consultant Edward Snowden — who revealed that US security agencies spied on their own people — substantiated all of this.
Experts in Seoul and Washington claimed in 2019 that Pyongyang had trained a group of at least 30 “elite cyber warriors” and directed them to infiltrate Western and Western-allied crypto targets with reckless abandon.
Meanwhile, Pyongyang is said to be not content to keep its crypto stash indefinitely, with South Korean experts claiming that the final obstacle confronting North Korean hackers is selling off their stolen cryptoassets.
Image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
20. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ Fear and Tension among the Police: Authorities Order the Eradication of Bribery and Relentless Punishment. Police in the Field are Perplexed and Resist it.
"Resistance" inside the security services. Corruption is necessary for survival.
＜Inside N. Korea＞ Fear and Tension among the Police: Authorities Order the Eradication of Bribery and Relentless Punishment. Police in the Field are Perplexed and Resist it.
(Photo) A man encounters a crackdown by security personnel on his way to take grain purchased in a farming village to the market. Photographed on the outskirts of Pyongyang City in August 2008 by Jang Jong-gil (ASIAPRESS).
◆ Can the Police Survive without Bribes?
The North Korean authorities have decided to strengthen punishments for corruption by social security officers (police officers) and provide thorough ideological education. It is a strict policy not only to hold police officers accountable for corrupt acts such as demanding bribes but also to hold them jointly and severally responsible for the bad behaviour of their family members. The aim is to tighten the grip of the public security organs, but the police have voiced their dissatisfaction and opposition (Kang Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro).
One day in the second half of January, an ASIAPRESS reporting partner living in the northern region heard the following depressing story from a policeman he knew well. It is because, at a morning meeting in the Security Bureau on January 25, he was informed that:
"Accepting bribes and undermining the authority of the governing body will not be tolerated. From now on, any corruption by security personnel will be severely punished, and the execution of duties will be strictly enforced. Furthermore, we will strengthen ideological and educational projects so that our people can trust us."
In North Korea, corruption has been common since the 1980s, with police officers taking bribes, ignoring illegal activities, or deliberately making arrests to extort money and goods from residents.
However, after the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the nature of society changed drastically. Coronavirus quarantine became a top priority in all areas, and the police were placed under the control of a new organization called the "Emergency Quarantine Command."
In addition, the "United Command for Non-Socialist Sweeping Operations" (from now on referred to as the 'Non-Socialist Command Department') was created to crack down on the violation of social order. It was given a more substantial authority than the Party, administrative officials, and police officers.
Regarding the corruption and misconduct of police officers, there is a system for residents to appeal to the Non-Socialist Command Department, but according to our reporting partner, "I have never heard of any case where a police officer was actually punished, and the number of bad police officers has not decreased."
This time, however, the decision is strict.
"It was clearly announced at the meeting that any policeman who is reported to have misbehaved will be punished without mercy, including demotion, dismissal, and deprivation of party membership."
(Photo) A security guard is cracking down on people on the streets. Photographed in the suburbs of Pyongyang City in January 2011 by Kim Dong-chul (ASIAPRESS).
◆ Police officers' hardship
The treatment of police officers by the public has been deteriorating recently. According to research conducted by our reporting partner in various areas, food rations, which used to be 100% until about a year ago, have been reduced since last year. Now only half a month's rations are available for family members, although they are available for themselves.
The Social Security Department has its sub-industrial areas throughout the country, supplied with vegetables and other side foods grown there. The problem is the cash income. The salary paid by the government is only a few thousand won. For your information, 1 USD is currently about 6,500 won.
Domestic toothpaste costs 10,000 won (about 1.53 USD) in the market. That's several months' worth of government salary. Police officers and other government officials have no choice but to commit corruption to earn cash.
A police officer acquaintance of our reporting partner vented his frustration and anxiety as follows.
"The country doesn't even give police officers decent treatment, and yet we get 'homework' from the top, such as filling the organization with gas money or bringing cigarettes. And they tell us not to take bribes. So how are we supposed to live?"
◆ Family members' misbehaviour will not be tolerated either.
It is not only police officers themselves who are subject to disciplinary measures. They will also be held jointly and severally responsible for the misbehaviour of their family members.
For example, watching illegal South Korean dramas. It had become secretly popular among police officers and party leaders' families who were in charge of cracking down.
"It is said that even police officers' family members have been informed that any non-socialist act will not be tolerated. There is a lot of fear and tension among the police officers, as they have to be careful not to be stared at by the 'Coalition Command.'"
※ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.
21. USFK Sends Warnings to N.Korea over Missile Provocations
Ah.. the power of Facebook. I follow the SOCKOR Facebook page and I of course saw these images this week. I have to admit that despite my strong focus on information and influence activities I did not interpret the Facebook stories as an attempt to "warn" north Korea. This is pretty routine training that occurs all year around and similar photos have been posted on various madeia many times in the past. But if someone is interpreting this as a warning well.... Perhaps the Kim family regime fears the SEALs and they are triggered by these photos. They got bin Laden so perhaps the reime thinks we will be sending them after Kim.
USFK Sends Warnings to N.Korea over Missile Provocations
February 10, 2022 13:33
The U.S. Forces Korea has released images of special warfare training in an apparent warning to North Korea over its recent frantic missile provocations.
The images were released on Monday about two months after the secret training was conducted in an unidentified location here. On Feb. 2, the U.S. military also released images of the U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft mid-air over Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi Province, and two days later of USFK Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera visiting the 8th U.S. Fighter Wing in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.
North Korea fired altogether 11 missiles on seven days in January alone and hinted at more provocations by threatening to "hit the U.S. mainland" with missiles.
U.S. commandos train in an undisclosed location in this photo from U.S. Special Operations Command Korea's Facebook page on Monday.
The two photos posted on Facebook by the U.S. Special Operations Command Korea on Monday showed commandos training in what seem to be a riverside or seaside location and the commandos in white-camouflage uniforms in a snow-capped mountain area. It said it "seized opportunities for cold weather, maritime and ground domain readiness training with Naval Special Warfare operators in November and December 2021."
It looks as if the commandos trained in a terrain that is very similar to North Korea's to practice destroying key facilities or removing the regime leadership after infiltration of a rear area.
On Tuesday, the North Korean Foreign Ministry website called the recent launches of missiles, including a Hwasong-12 medium-range ballistic missile, "remarkable achievements" by leader Kim Jong-un.
"In today's world where many countries waste time dealing with the United States with submission and blind obedience, there's only our country on this planet that can shake the world by firing a missile with the U.S. mainland in its range," it said.
22. North Korea orders security agencies in border region to “strengthen campaign against unfounded rumors”
I cannot say this enough. Information is an existential threat to the regime. Rumors are information.
North Korea orders security agencies in border region to “strengthen campaign against unfounded rumors”
Rumors have spread that recently imported goods and food are not meant for locals and are instead “No. 9 goods” earmarked for the central leadership
Amid the resumption of freight train service between Sinuiju to Dandong, North Korean authorities have handed down orders to the Ministry of State Security branches in regions bordering China telling them to “strengthen the campaign against unfounded rumors.”
The orders appear to be part of efforts to quiet “internal unrest” created by the restart of train service between the two countries.
“The government gave orders to the branches on Jan. 25 to intensify the campaign against false rumors in order to preempt a range of issues that could arise among locals amid the restart of train service to China,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Feb. 3.
The government ordered the branches to “completely impede” any actions that could cause “confusion among the public,” such as unfounded rumors or exaggerations among trade officials and residents of the border area regarding North Korea’s “emergency transportation measures,” which are aimed at bringing goods into the country.
“Given that Kim Jong Il’s 80th birthday is approaching, the government said the security branches must treat any spread of unfounded rumor not as a simple issue, but a political one that is harmful to the hearts and minds of the people and that creates public unrest,” the source said.
The source disclosed that, in fact, recent data from party, police, and security agencies on people’s “ideological tendencies” already show there is “wavering” among the population.
North Koreans living in the border region are reportedly focused on whether goods being brought into North Pyongan Province from China will be available to them. There are rumors spreading, however, that the imported goods and food are not meant for locals and are instead “No. 9 goods” earmarked for the central leadership.
Inscription stone marking the border of China and North Korea in Jilin Province (Wikimedia Commons)
Furthermore, residents of the border area are asking why only the border between China and North Pyongan Province is open, but not the borders in other provinces. The source indicated that the government considers these complaints to be “seeds that sow doubt toward the Workers’ Party” as well as “anti-Republic acts.”
North Korea’s leadership further told the security ministry branches to “stabilize public sentiment” by putting a cap on “ideological comments” by the people toward the “emergency import of goods.” In fact, over a period of three days, security officials went to local district inminban (people’s units) to emphasize that unfounded rumors are a “danger to socialism” and that the people should believe in only the party’s policies, no matter what difficulties arise.
Furthermore, the security officials mentioned that in times like this, everyone should keep an eye out for “impure foreign elements” who go against the party, as well as to be wary of acts that cause public unrest.
“This year, given its many political events, the government plans to arrest anybody who spreads misleading gossip, whether consciously or unconsciously,” the source said. “It has also made clear that arrests of those who commit anti-party and anti-revolutionary acts will be done at the sole discretion of the Ministry of State Security. The government emphasized that security officials forcefully drive this point home.
“The government is saying that it will also take this opportunity to crackdown on actions that exacerbate economic disorder, including people with only a handful of foreign currency who manipulate the exchange rate,” she added.
Translated by Jason Mallet
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Jong So Yong is one of Daily NK’s freelance reporters. Questions about her articles can be directed to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
23. N. Korean man sentenced to six months in forced labor camp for neglecting Kimjongilia flowers
You must properly tend the Kimjongilia.
N. Korean man sentenced to six months in forced labor camp for neglecting Kimjongilia flowers
Another man in charge of the greenhouse boilers was given a three month sentence in a forced labor camp
Ahead of Kim Jong-il’s birthday on Feb. 16 (also known as the Day of the Shining Star), which is being promoted as the nation’s largest holiday, punishments are being meted out in some parts of the country for those accused of neglecting the cultivation and management of Kimjongilia – the flower named after the late leader.
A source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Wednesday that a Samsu County man in his 50s (identified as “Han”), who was the manager of a greenhouse that grows Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia, was sentenced to a forced labor camp for six months.
In order for the flowers to be properly cultivated, the temperature and humidity in greenhouses must be carefully controlled. However, Han lacked a steady supply of firewood and ended up neglecting the greenhouse.
The situation suddenly took a strange turn last month when it was decided at a politburo meeting to celebrate both the Day of the Sun (the holiday celebrating Kim Il Sung’s birthday) and the Day of the Shining Star on a “grand scale.” The county party committee ordered Samsu County officials to plan an exhibition of the Kimjongilia flowers.
Han said that it would be difficult for the flowers to bloom on time for the event, but was dismissed from his position by higher level officials who accused him of negligence. He was also sentenced to six months in a forced labor camp.
Kimjongilia flowers (Wikimedia Commons)
“Economic activity greatly decreased due to the strengthening of the country’s emergency disease-control measures, which led many Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia greenhouses to become neglected,” the source said. “But now they’re suddenly saying that the Kimjongilia flowers have to be grown in time for the event, so how is Han supposed to grow them?”
A man in his 40s surnamed Choi, who was in charge of the greenhouse boilers, was also given a three month sentence at a forced labor camp for not “properly setting the temperature.”
“Other employees have been punished. A flower grower surnamed Kim [in her 40s] was called in everyday to the county party committee to report on the state of the flowers and to write self-criticism reports,” the source said.
This all being said, higher level officials do not seem to be taking any responsibility for the state of these greenhouses. Some North Koreans are pointing out that these officials have failed to provide even the most basic things, such as firewood, to maintain the greenhouses. People are now asking why all the blame is being put on lower-level workers.
The Kimjongilia flower was originally created by Japanese botanist Kamo Mototeru, who greatly respected the late North Korean leader and spent twenty years researching and developing the plant. The flower is a hybrid cultivar of tuberous begonia native to South America.
In North Korea, the Kimjongilia is referred to as the “immortal flower” and special greenhouses cultivating the plant can be found throughout the country. However, due to difficulties in growing the flower, some are imported from China. Events showcasing both the Kimjongilia and Kimilsungia are held every year.
Translated by Gabriela Bernal
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
24. North Korean ideological training materials call for proper understanding of agriculture
A major part of the belief or ideological system in north Korea is the belief that ideology is the solution to all problems. And when in doubt or when you do not know what to do or when there is no solution, just revert to a singular focus on ideology. I am sure the regime does not actually believe this. But I think it does believe that ideological training is the key to social control.
North Korean ideological training materials call for proper understanding of agriculture
They also emphasize “bold” changes in agriculture by moving away from corn as much as possible and towards rice, wheat, and barley
Daily NK recently acquired a copy of “study reference materials” North Korean authorities distributed in December for “ideological training” among party members and laborers.
The materials aimed to promote awareness of the existing party platform and bolster party members’ understanding of new strategic goals presented ahead of the Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee (Dec. 27–Dec. 31).
Published by the Workers’ Party of Korea Publishing House, the 16 page document contains the party ideology as described by Kim Jong Un during the Eighth Party Congress, the key tasks and strategies of the newest five year plan, and strategies to “build socialism.”
The materials also encourage idolization of the top leadership and loyalty, including Kim’s revolutionary history and a collection of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s revolutionary anecdotes called, “The Songun Sun: General Kim Jong Il.”
The Central Committee’s Propaganda and Agitation Department wrote the materials, which were distributed mainly by the Organization and Guidance Department.
Considering how the words “party members and workers” appears in parentheses under the title, “Study Reference Materials,” the materials were apparently studied by party cells, elementary party bodies, and extra-governmental institutions, such as the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea, and Socialist Patriotic Youth League.
In the materials, North Korean authorities underscored that the core tasks of the newest five-year plan are intensive investments in the metals and petrochemical industries, the normalization of production in all sectors, the strengthening of the material and technological base of agriculture, and increasing production of consumer goods by ensuring the smooth supply of raw materials and supplies to light industries.
Part of the document Daily NK recently obtained from a source in North Korea. (Daily NK)
Nevertheless, the document also said the basic ideas and themes of the new five-year plan remain “self-reliance and self-sufficiency.”
Despite calling for expanded investment to “normalize” production and ensuring smooth provision of supplies, the materials focus on enterprises and regions supplying themselves rather than on relaxing the border closure or restarting trade.
The materials also call on all officials and party members and workers to have a proper understanding of agriculture.
For example, they say that anyone who eats must understand that proper farming is a vital issue related to the fate of individuals and the survival of the nation, and that North Korea can overcome its food shortages “only if everyone is mobilized for farming in a responsible way.”
Additionally, the materials say that if the entire party, nation, and people “smartly come together and fill up rice jars by farming well, there would be nothing to fear regardless of how protracted the border closures are.”
This suggests the authorities want to encourage and even force through the proactive mobilization of party members and workers for agricultural work.
North Korean authorities also appear to have adopted a strategy of bolstering agricultural yields as a remedy to sooth public discontent and concern with the prolonged border closure.
In particular, the document calls for “bold” changes in agriculture by moving away from corn as much as possible and towards rice, wheat, and barley.
In fact, during the Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee, Kim Jong Un called for a shift in general staples from potatoes and corn to rice and wheat.
The distribution of the document prior to that meeting may have been aimed at underscoring the consistency and continuity between the existing party platform and the new party strategies to be announced during the meeting.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
