​Quotes of the Day:

"An illusion can never be destroyed directly, and only by indirect means can it be radically removed... A direct attack only strengthens a person in his illusions, and at the same time embitters him.:

– Soren Kierkegaard

“Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education).​ It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.”

–​ Albert Einstein, 1949

"In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind." 

–​ Louis Pasteur

​1. Musk: "shut [VOA, RFE/RL] down... Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy)"

2. North Korea's Kim slams US-South Korea-Japan partnership and vows to boost his nuclear program

3. Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores Maximum Pressure on Iran

4. Acting President Choi urges comprehensive security posture against N. Korean threats

5. ​The Vibe Shift Comes to the Super Bowl. Plus. . .

6. S. Korea seeking 1st phone call between acting president Choi and Trump

7. FM Cho to attend Munich security conference this week: foreign ministry

8. N. Korea requests U.N. investigation into alleged S. Korean drone intrusion

9. Rights watchdog adopts recommendation to guarantee Yoon's defense right during impeachment trial

10. S. Korea holds emergency meeting on U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum imports

11. Hanwha Aerospace logs record annual sales of 11.2 tln won in 2024

12. North Korea's Kim Jong-un: "America is behind world conflict"... Expert: "Fighting with President Trump who emphasized North Korea's denuclearization"

13. Ex-president reflects on how his trust in Yoon Suk Yeol backfired

14. N. Korea intensifies ideological control as nuclear program strains economy

15. Editorial: Time for South Korea to navigate the shifting global order with precision

16. North Korea likely to produce drones with Russian support this year: report

17. Trump: Getting along with Kim is a great asset to everyone

18. South Korea In Crisis: How Political Turmoil Threatens Its Global Standing

19. 

1. Musk: "shut [VOA, RFE/RL] down... Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy)"

​I am going to fall on my sword over this at least with my work with my beloved Korean service of VOA and RFA. This will be one of the most foolish and backward strategic decisions we make but it will make China, Russia, Iran, and north Korea very happy. They want the end of these news services because they are a threat to their regimes because they inform the people in these countries and information is a threat to the despots.

The problem is that the DOGE wiz kinds cannot use their algorithms to measure effects like they can do with TokTok and social media in free countries so they can use their althrothims to determine the efficacy of eh rork of VOA, etc.

It is really frustrating to see Mr. Musk want to do something so ignorant. But it pains me because he is so brilliant and has developed such great and important capabilities. I am thinking most importantly of Starlink.  As noted in the Super Bowl commercial yesterday, T-Mobile and Startlink are partnering to connect our cell phones directly to satellite access. This could be a game changer in authoritarian countries. I wish the USG would contract with Starlink to put stagelliete over north Korea and develop software to connect the 8 million smartphones in north Korea to the Starlink network.

Musk: "shut [VOA, RFE/RL] down... Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy)"

Sensible talk when your friends are Russia, China, and other autocracies

https://mountainrunner.substack.com/p/musk-shut-voa-rferl-down-europe-is

Matt Armstrong

Feb 09, 2025

Two days ago, I wrote about a possible and logical future rearrangement of the US Agency for Global Media. The short of it was I could see the administration 1) moving the Voice of America (VOA) back into the State Department and under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and 2) consolidating the “grantee” networks – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) – under RFE/RL.1 The consolidation was scoped out in detail in 2011. It could and should have been done then or subsequently when I was on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (2013-2017), the agency that subsequently had the board removed and renamed the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM).2

My comments were predicated on what appeared to be the administration’s intent to keep some semblance of the agency. The Project 2025 handbook dedicated ten pages (albeit at times sophomoric3) to the US Agency for Global Media. Project 2025 recommended keeping the agency. Also, the administration nominated Brent Bozell III to be the USAGM CEO. The administration also stated it would appoint Kari Lake as the Director of the Voice of America, but this appointment has little to no weight as it seems more like a temporary parking spot.

By the way, Project 2025 recommended possibly placing VOA in the State Department under the Bureau of Global Public Affairs (GPA). That’s naïve and worse than attaching it to the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs as effectively a sister bureau to GPA. Then again, I’ll be the first to admit that empowering this under secretary is wishful thinking, considering that administrations going back to 1999 when the office was established only confirmed a person to the position only 55% of the time. Would Lake still want to be the VOA Director reporting to the Assistant Secretary for GPA?

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However, this administration demonstrably lacks any semblance of logic, practicality, planning, coordination, or any other word remotely related to coherent consideration of ways, means, and objectives. We know this to be true. Today, the Eye of Musk gazed upon USAGM.

“Yes, shut them down,” he tweeted, referring to RFE/RL and VOA, maybe because he knows only what’s tweeted at him. In this case, the “host of the largest show on X” attributed Ric Grennell as saying “Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are media outlets paid for by the American taxpayers. It is state-owned media.4 These outlets are filled with far left activists. I’ve worked with these reporters for decades. It’s a relic of the past. We don’t need government paid media outlets.”

Musk, the head of “DOGE” wrote, “Europe is free now (not counting the stifling bureaucracy)… Nobody listens to them anymore… It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money.”

The past that created these so-called relics – by the way, Senator Fulbright called these “Cold War relics” when he tried to shutter them in 1972 because, in part, he felt they antagonized an otherwise peaceful Russia – is still with us, that past-which-is-present is why they are still with us. The purpose of USAGM’s networks, including VOA and RFE/RL, is to provide accurate and trustworthy news and information to audiences suffering under censorship, audiences inundated by massive amounts of disinformation, and audiences lacking access to professional journalism. The networks report the news truthfully from the perspective of the target audience, not a US perspective shipped abroad, about what’s happening locally, regionally, globally, and, sometimes, the news refers to the United States (note: not everything is about the US) as it matters to the audience. In short, the networks support US national security by attacking the disinformation, misinformation, and gaps of information that do and might undermine our security now and in the near future. They do this through professional journalism and stories focused on the principles of democracy.5

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To describe the geographic places, I’ve long used the shorthand that USAGM’s markets are those places Special Operations Command is, could be, or recently was operating in.

I’d write that “Europe is free now” is an ignorant statement to make, but doing so grants the benefit of the doubt, and that is not earned for someone that reason would demand is or can be thoroughly informed. Russia intensely dislikes both RFE/RL and VOA and has worked aggressively against both. It was not merely my role as Governor on the former Broadcasting Board of Governors, now the US Agency for Global Media since the board was removed, that led Russia to sanction me (was it their first or second sanctions list?), but my engagement in that position with the countries on the frontline of Russia’s attacks that probably led to them sanctioning me. (I am not aware of any other BBG Governor getting sanctioned by Moscow. Surely there are others.)

In short, autocratic regimes and wannabe autocrats do not like USAGM’s operations.

That said, there are many problems, which I’ve discussed briefly in many posts here, including the one two days ago positing a restructuring (rather than termination) of US international broadcasting.

I’ve also long pointed out that the fundamental objective of USAGM going back to the original legislative authority for VOA passed in January 1948 was to become unnecessary when private media was deemed adequate. This is why VOA and the other USAGM networks provide their content for free to local media and audiences and why VOA conducts media training for local press: to develop local journalism because that’s a key pillar to whatever form of democracy will spring up in that land. This latest attack on USAGM embodies why information freedom has dropped this century.

If you want some serious details on why VOA was kept after World War II, see Part I: Why We Have the Voice of America. I intended that post to be part one of three, but now I’m unsure if it matters.

Part I: Why we have the Voice of America

Matt Armstrong

·

December 23, 2024

Today’s US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) has a simple and essential purpose: to deliver news and information to undermine the effects of disinformation, misinformation, and the lack of information, including outright censorship, in…

Read full story

Taking a step back, yesterday, a person close to USAGM I’ve known for a dozen years emailed about my prediction the grantees would be consolidated. This person said the grantees tried to get language in the National Defense Authorization Act last year to protect their independent status. That was not a surprise. In discussions, I often refer to the grantees’ politicking to preserve their fiefdoms, and I did so in the earlier post about USAGM.

I searched the language my correspondent emailed and discovered two things. First, it sure looks like the fiefdom protection language is law, though not through the NDAA (see page 10 of this or find Sec. 7401 here ), which Biden signed into law. Here is the critical line: “…a grantee may not be debarred or suspended without consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and a three-fourths majority vote of the Advisory Board in support of such action.” (Something doesn’t seem right here. I don’t know what, but something seems off with this.)

Remember, this administration fired the Advisory Board, so the three-fourths majority vote is impossible. The money spigot can always be turned off or nearly so.

The second thing I discovered is the Senate wants USAGM to look into establishing a new organization. The African Broadcasting Networks is “…to promote democratic values and institutions in Africa by providing objective, accurate, and relevant news and information to the people of Africa and counter disinformation from malign actors, especially in countries in which a free press is banned by the government or not fully established, about the region, the world, and the United States through uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate.”

Why the Senate wants to create a new grantee, especially when, generally speaking, VOA is quite good across Africa, is beyond me. I can only guess it’s because people behind grantees have better relations with Congress than VOA does.

Note the language for the ABN above. That’s identical to the spirit and principle behind VOA, RFE/RL, and the other networks.

No doubt that the attacks on USAGM will increase. Today, Grenell tweeted or retweeted (X’d? re-x’d?) about this several times, including once where he suggests a VOA reporter is “treasonous” for posting a quote from someone else about USAID.

A couple of closing thoughts. First, any meaningful discussion may be moot because Musk’s attention on USAGM may be functionally fatal. Such an agency will be hard, if not impossible, to rebuild. Which, it’s reasonable to surmise, is the point. Second, this potentially tees up a confrontation between Republicans aggressively against Chinese influence operations where USAGM’s networks VOA and RFA are engaged. While the effectiveness of RFA is questionable, it’ll be interesting if House Republicans who have held hearings on Chinese political warfare, I testified at one a while ago, will be happy with dissolving or bankrupting RFA’s, RFE/RL’s, and VOA’s programs combating the People’s Republic of China’s malign influence operations across Asia, Latin America, and Africa (yes, RFE/RL territories are included here, they don’t just operate in Europe). Third, I think it’s increasingly likely USAGM as a whole will vanish into the night, much to the great pleasure and astonishment of Russia, China, Iran, smaller countries, and many terrorist and insurgent groups.

Last, the “far-left” claim is absurd. This claim is anchored in dislike or discomfort for the truth. It is sloganeering in place of raising legitimate concerns about the need to manage the organization and its subcomponents better. That latter part is a leadership issue, and I can go on and on discussing problems that have and have not been addressed. When you see someone throw that charge out there, realize they don’t want a real conversation or to make the hard decisions involving actual leadership, management, and strategy.

These networks provide real value to US national security, but I’ll be the first to assert aggressively, based on my firsthand experience, that they need leadership.

Leadership doesn’t come from pithy tweets.

It’s fine to claim USAGM and its networks are “relics,” but back it up. “Europe is free” is a non-starter, a strawman that reveals ignorance and a failure to engage with the subject, at the very least. More likely, it’s a gift to adversaries.

I still think we’ll likely see some restructuring with the grantees and probably a shift with VOA. If so, it’ll look more like the attempt to create the Freedom News Network (see my discussion of that attempt here), which, for some, will have a better ring than Radio Free something.

I should note there were discussions during the Obama administration about restructuring. I mentioned in a previous post the OMB’s interest in subsidizing up to half of the then-BBG’s budget through advertising. And then there was the guy with the Secretary of State’s ear who had the bright idea it would be wonderful to reduce BBG to just 5, 6, or 7 languages and surge into others as necessary. I have no idea what was discussed during the Biden administration, but I do know – and stated to those who asked – that the wrong people were picked for key leadership positions, and they harmed the agency’s reputation and potential.

At this point, since any effective governance, strategizing, resourcing, planning, legal maneuvering, or any sort of needs-based assessment is nowhere to be seen or even hinted at, we can only guess what will happen tomorrow.

Thanks for reading. I'm now back to what I should have been doing: finishing editing and rewriting my PhD dissertation.

1

The Voice of America was at the State Department from September 1945 through August 1953. From September 1945, VOA was under the authority of the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. From January 1952 until August 1953, it was under the authority of the Administrator of the International Information Administration, a semi-autonomous organization created by Secretary of State Dean Acheson to protect from and elevate relative to the State Department’s bureaucracy that was hindering the broad international information efforts at every chance. In August 1953, the State Department eagerly ejected most of its global engagement operations to the newly created US Information Agency.

These networks are called grantees because they are independent non-profit organizations funded by individual grants from the US Agency for Global Media.

2

The removal of the oversight board, which was a functional firewall against political interference in operations, was an inside job that included deception and lies to the Senate and the State Department, willful violation of directions from the majority of the board, and willful withholding and attempted obfuscation of progress of the bill to eliminate the board. No serious analysis was done, let alone expert review or comment. One major proponent and possibly the key enabler told me after I called out the issue, though by then, it was too late as I then learned of the deceptions, not to worry. Though the CEO would now be a political appointee nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate rather than serving at the pleasure of the bipartisan board, he asserted ahistorically it would be just like the USIA Director, which was not a political position.

3

I was surprised to read the bio of the author of these ten pages. If they had submitted that as a paper in the graduate course on public diplomacy I taught years ago at the Annenberg School of Journalism and Communication, I’d have given it a B-. Of the many issues with the text, one described an arrangement as “historically” a certain way. I don’t think it’s historically accurate to portray something I caused to be created in 2016 (or perhaps it was 2015), for the reasons the author calls out. Perhaps that example if petty of me.

4

I can’t say that I know Ric Grennell, but we traded an email to two in the prior decade. He contacted me in 2010, or possibly 2011, to discuss a negative article he was writing about RFE/RL (I am pretty sure it was RFE/RL, though it could have been the BBG or VOA). I distinctly remember a) sitting at my kitchen table while talking to him on the phone and b) refusing to agree with his argument. I pushed back, saying his arguments were unfounded and inaccurate as I countered with operational and statutory facts.

5

I strongly prefer “democratic principles” or some variation rather than simply “democracy.” After all, are we talking about US, UK, German, French, Japanese, or someone else’s version of democracy? None, the basic principles of the rule of law, accountability, transparency, etc.

2. North Korea's Kim slams US-South Korea-Japan partnership and vows to boost his nuclear program

​north Korea (and China) are deathly afraid of trilateral cooperation. The combined power of all these countries is far superior to that of north Korea and China.

On the other hand this is also part of the regime's blackmail diplomacy when you combine this with the announcement of improvising its nuclear forces and that Kim will not use nuclear forces as a negotiating tool.

What Kim may be doing is increasing tensions and threats in order to coerce concessions. Based on the remarks of many American pundits as well as Trump's, Kim likely believes that the US really wants to negotiate and that he can effectively use his political warfare against us and the ROK/US alliance. We must understand the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime.

North Korea's Kim slams US-South Korea-Japan partnership and vows to boost his nuclear program

By  HYUNG-JIN KIM

Updated 8:18 PM EST, February 9, 2025

AP · February 9, 2025

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said an elevated U.S. security partnership with South Korea and Japan poses a grave threat to his country and vowed to further bolster his nuclear weapons program, state media reported Sunday.

Kim has previously made similar warnings, but his latest statement implies again that the North Korean leader won’t likely embrace President Donald Trump’s overture to meet him and revive diplomacy anytime soon.

In a speech marking the 77th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army on Saturday, Kim said the U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral security partnership established under a U.S. plot to form a NATO-like regional military bloc is inviting military imbalance on the Korean Peninsula and “raising a grave challenge to the security environment of our state,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

“Referring to a series of new plans for rapidly bolstering all deterrence including nuclear forces, he clarified once again the unshakable policy of more highly developing the nuclear forces,” KCNA said.

Amid stalled diplomacy with the U.S. and South Korea in recent years, Kim has focused on enlarging and modernizing his arsenal of nuclear weapons. In response, the United States and South Korea have expanded their bilateral military exercises and trilateral training involving Japan. North Korea has lashed out at those drills, calling them rehearsals to invade the country.

Since his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump has said he would reach out to Kim again as he boasted of his high-stakes summit with him during his first term.

During a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday, Trump said that “We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong Un. I got along with him very well, as you know. I think I stopped the war.”

During a Fox News interview broadcast on Jan. 23, Trump called Kim “a smart guy” and “not a religious zealot.” Asked whether he will reach out to Kim again, Trump replied, “I will, yeah.”

Trump met Kim three times in 2018-19 to discuss how to end North Korea’s nuclear program in what was the first-ever summitry between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea. The high-stakes diplomacy eventually collapsed because Trump rejected Kim’s offer to dismantle his main nuclear complex, a partial denuclearization step, in return for broad sanctions relief.

North Korea hasn’t directly responded to Trump’s recent overture, as it continues weapons testing activities and hostile rhetoric against the U.S. Many experts say Kim is now preoccupied with his dispatch of troops to Russia to support its war efforts against Ukraine. They say Kim would still eventually consider returning to diplomacy with Trump if he determines he would fail to maintain the current solid cooperation with Russia after the war ends.

In his Saturday speech, Kim reaffirmed that North Korea “will invariably support and encourage the just cause of the Russian army and people to defend their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.” Kim accused the U.S. of being behind “the war machine which is stirring up the tragic situation of Ukraine.”

In South Korea, some worry that Trump might abandon the international community’s long-running goal of achieving a complete denuclearization of North Korea to produce a diplomatic achievement.

But a joint statement issued by Trump and Ishiba after their summit stated the two leaders reaffirmed “their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK,” the acronym of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The statement said the U.S. and Japan also affirmed the importance of the Japan-U.S.-South Korean trilateral partnership in responding to North Korea.

AP · February 9, 2025

3. Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores Maximum Pressure on Iran

​It is good to see this. I have proposed a similar National Security Presidential Memorandum based on President Reagan's National Security Decision Directive 32. See below. (I also have a draft NSC campaign plan as well).

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores Maximum Pressure on Iran

February 4, 2025

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restores-maximum-pressure-on-iran/?utm

RESTORING MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON IRAN: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) restoring maximum pressure on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon, and countering Iran’s malign influence abroad.

• The NSPM establishes that:
• Iran should be denied a nuclear weapon and intercontinental ballistic missiles;
• Iran’s terrorist network should be neutralized; and
• Iran’s aggressive development of missiles, as well as other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities, should be countered.
• The NSPM directs the Secretary of the Treasury to impose maximum economic pressure on the Government of Iran, including by sanctioning or imposing enforcement mechanisms on those acting in violation of existing sanctions.
• The Treasury Secretary will also issue guidance for all relevant business sectors – including shipping, insurance, and port operators – about the risks to any person that knowingly violates U.S. sanctions with respect to Iran or an Iranian terror proxy.
• The Secretary of State will also modify or rescind existing sanctions waivers and cooperate with the Secretary of Treasury to implement a campaign aimed at driving Iran’s oil exports to zero.
• The United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations will work with key allies to complete the snapback of international sanctions and restrictions on Iran.

PROTECTING THE HOMELAND FROM IRAN: The previous Administration’s tolerance of Iran’s threats to American citizens and companies ends now.

• The Attorney General will pursue all available legal steps to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute financial and logistical networks, operatives, or front groups inside the United States that are sponsored by Iran or an Iranian terror proxy.
• The Attorney General will prosecute leaders and members of Iranian-funded terrorist groups that have captured, harmed, or killed American citizens and seek their arrest and extradition to the United States.

TAKING IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM OFF THE TABLE: President Trump will not tolerate Iran possessing a nuclear weapons capability, nor will he stand for their sustained sponsorship of terrorism, especially against U.S. interests.

• In 2020, President Trump declared that “as long as [he is] President of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.”
• Today’s NSPM fulfills the President’s 2020 vow to contend with Iran’s pernicious influence across the globe:
• “For far too long — all the way back to 1979, to be exact — nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East and beyond. Those days are over. Iran has been the leading sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilized world. We will never let that happen.”

Draft National Security ​P​resdidential Memorandum

Strategy for U.S. Support to the Republic of Korea's 8.15 Unification Doctrine

Overview: This strategic plan is modeled after Ronald Reagan's National Security Decision Directive 32, National Security Strategy (NSDD-32), emphasizing a human-rights-centered approach, the role of information and public diplomacy, and the overall objective of supporting the Republic of Korea's (ROK) 8.15 Unification Doctrine. The U.S. will assist in shaping the environment for a unified Korean Peninsula through trilateral cooperation, leveraging U.S.-ROK-Japan relations, and fostering conditions that advance the doctrine's goals.

I. Purpose

This plan outlines U.S. strategy in support of the Republic of Korea's (ROK) 8.15 Unification Doctrine, with the objective of promoting the peaceful and democratic unification of the Korean Peninsula. The plan aligns with U.S. national security interests, the advancement of human rights, and regional stability. It reflects key principles from Ronald Reagan’s NSDD-32 and incorporates a comprehensive approach based on analysis of 8.15 Unification Doctrine and the need for a robust information and human rights strategy.

II. Policy Objectives

1. Peaceful Unification: Support the ROK’s 8.15 Unification Doctrine by encouraging a peaceful process of unification that avoids conflict and builds on shared national identity.
2. Human Rights First: Prioritize the protection and promotion of human rights in North Korea as a fundamental pillar of unification. This approach ensures that the welfare of North Korean citizens is front and center during and after the unification process.
3. Deterrence and Defense: Maintain U.S. deterrence capabilities and defense commitments to ensure stability on the peninsula and counter any aggressive actions from North Korea during the unification process.
4. Public Diplomacy and Information Campaign: Utilize a comprehensive information campaign to provide North Korean citizens with uncensored access to facts about their own regime, the outside world, and the benefits of unification with the ROK.
5. International Collaboration: Leverage alliances with regional partners, including Japan, and multilateral institutions like the United Nations to create a supportive international environment for peaceful unification.

III. Strategic Guidance

1. Diplomatic Engagement:

• ROK-U.S. Coordination: Deepen diplomatic collaboration with the ROK on unification strategies and policies, ensuring synchronized messaging and goals between Washington and Seoul.
• Multilateral Forums: Support the ROK’s efforts in international forums such as the United Nations to garner global support for unification, particularly on human rights concerns in North Korea.

1. Human Rights as a Core Pillar:

• Upfront Approach: Champion the cause of North Korean human rights by pressuring the regime through international sanctions tied to human rights abuses. The human rights issue should not be subordinated to security concerns but be placed at the forefront of negotiations and strategy.
• Legal and Humanitarian Assistance: Prepare to provide legal and humanitarian assistance to North Koreans post-unification, particularly to victims of regime abuses, ensuring accountability for crimes committed by the North Korean government.

1. Security and Military Measures:

• Enhanced Deterrence: Maintain and modernize the U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula to deter North Korean military adventurism during the unification process.
• Interoperability and Joint Exercises: Conduct regular joint exercises with the ROK military to prepare for any contingencies, including instability in North Korea or attempts by other actors to exploit the unification process.
• Reinforce Regional Alliances: Strengthen security ties with Japan and other regional allies to ensure a coordinated response to any North Korean threats.

1. Information Campaign:

• Expand Broadcasting Efforts: Intensify U.S.-supported broadcasting efforts, such as Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, to reach North Korean audiences with information about their regime’s human rights violations and the benefits of unification under the ROK.
• Leverage Technology: Use advanced communication technology and defectors' networks to disseminate factual information within North Korea, countering regime propaganda.
• Psychological Operations: The U.S. military, in conjunction with the ROK military, launch psychological operations designed to encourage defection among North Korean elites and military officers, disobey order to attack the South and disobey order to suppress resistance among the Korean people in the north, assuring them of fair treatment post-unification.

1. Economic Integration and Development:

• Humanitarian Relief: Prepare to support humanitarian relief efforts aimed at addressing severe poverty and food insecurity in North Korea immediately following unification.
• Long-Term Economic Support: In partnership with the ROK, design long-term economic aid programs to help integrate North Korean infrastructure and economy into the broader South Korean system, reducing the economic shock of unification.
•  

1. Contingency Planning:

• Scenario Planning: Collaborate with the ROK to prepare for various unification scenarios, from a peaceful transition to a more chaotic collapse of the North Korean regime.
• Post-Unification Governance: Assist in planning for post-unification governance, including securing nuclear weapons and providing stability in North Korea’s military, government, and security sectors.

IV. Supporting the 8.15 Unification Doctrine's Three Strategies

1. Vision of a Unified Korea Based on Liberal Democracy

• U.S. Role: Advocate for the principles of liberal democracy as the foundation of a unified Korea, supporting ROK’s constitutional commitment to peaceful unification.

• Key Actions:
• Amplify South Korea’s messaging through diplomatic channels that emphasize the moral superiority of a democratic, free Korea.
• Partner with the ROK in public diplomacy efforts to promote unification as the path to peace, prosperity, and human rights for all Koreans.

1. Internal Transformation in North Korea

• U.S. Role: Support ROK-led efforts to create conditions for internal transformation in North Korea through public diplomacy, information dissemination, and human rights campaigns.

• Key Actions:
• Foster a network of defectors to spread truthful information about the outside world, weaken regime control, and inspire internal dissent.
• Establish a combined information organization that directly engage in information operations targeting North Korean military and civilian sectors to undermine the regime’s legitimacy.

1. Trilateral Cooperation for Peace and Stability

• U.S. Role: Work closely with Japan and South Korea to operationalize trilateral security frameworks, incorporating human rights and unification goals into joint policy planning.

• Key Actions:
• Enhance trilateral diplomatic engagements with a focus on supporting the 8.15 Unification Doctrine.
• Leverage economic and cultural cooperation between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea to demonstrate the tangible benefits of a unified, peaceful Korea to North Korean citizens.

V. Seven Action Plans for Unification

The U.S. will collaborate with South Korea in the implementation of the seven action plans outlined in the 8.15 Unification Doctrine:

1. Human Rights as a Security Priority

• Integrate human rights advocacy into every aspect of U.S. policy toward North Korea, aligning it with security and diplomatic efforts.

1. Information Empowerment

• Build an information infrastructure capable of penetrating North Korean society with uncensored, truthful content that educates citizens on their rights and global realities.

1. Support for Escapees

• Establish a Defector Communication Hub to coordinate and amplify the voices of North Korean defectors in public diplomacy efforts.

1. Technological Innovations

• Invest in new technologies to bypass North Korean censorship and bolster underground communication networks within the DPRK.

1. Economic Sanctions with a Human Rights Focus

• Align future sanctions with human rights violations, focusing on holding the regime accountable for both nuclear ambitions and human rights abuses.

1. Strengthened Military Deterrence

• Maintain robust military capabilities to deter North Korean aggression while ensuring these efforts support the broader goal of peaceful unification.

1. Global Coalition Building

• Create an international coalition to support Korean unification efforts, incorporating human rights and denuclearization into a unified international agenda.

Tasking: The National Security Council shall develop a campaign plan using the methodology outlined in Presidential Decision Directive PDD 56 – The Management of Complex Contingency Operations and develop an interagency campaign plan that focuses on a human rights upfront approach, a robust public diplomacy and information campaign, and U.S support to a free and unified Korea based on the 8.15 Unification Doctrine.

V. Conclusion

The U.S. strategy to support the 8.15 Unification Doctrine rests on a multidimensional approach that incorporates diplomacy, human rights, defense, and information warfare. A peaceful and democratic Korean unification underpinned by human rights is in the interest of both the Korean people and the global community. With a focus on strategic deterrence, robust information campaigns, and regional partnerships, this plan aligns U.S. efforts with the long-term goal of a unified, free, and prosperous Korean Peninsula – A United Republic of Korea (UROK).

4. Acting President Choi urges comprehensive security posture against N. Korean threats

The ROK/US alliance and specifically the ROK/US Combined Forces Command must be laser focused on deterrence and defense in these chaotic times.

Acting President Choi urges comprehensive security posture against N. Korean threats | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · February 10, 2025

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday called for coordinated efforts from all government agencies, including the military and police, to ensure security against North Korean threats.

Choi also called for joint efforts by the public and private sectors in an annual central integrated defense council meeting, highlighting the need for unity in response to North Korean provocations.

The meeting was attended by approximately 150 officials, including the defense minister, acting police chief, fire chief and civilian experts.

"In these grave security conditions, we must stand together as one team to establish a comprehensive security posture that protects the daily lives and safety of our people from North Korea's various provocations," Choi said.

He cited recent threats, including short-range ballistic missile and cruise missile launches, balloons carrying trash, along with Pyongyang's dispatch of soldiers to support Russia's war in Ukraine.

Choi, who assumed interim leadership while serving as finance minister, stressed that national security is directly tied to the economy.

"Strong security is the foundation for economic growth and the public livelihood," he said.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok (C) speaks during the annual central integrated defense council meeting at the government complex building in Seoul on Feb. 10, 2025. (Yonhap)

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · February 10, 2025

5. ​The Vibe Shift Comes to the Super Bowl. Plus. . .

I​t was an interesting "vibe" as they say. I thought the commercials were mostly quite patriotic. I guess it was disinformation about Elon Musk buying commercial air time to expose fraud, waste, and abuse at USAID. I kept asking myself where would be a good place to insert that without looking petty and upsetting the patriotic vibe that most of the commercials had (the commercials were either patriotic or attempted to be humorous). If they had aired such commercials they would have been very out of place and would likely have backfired because they would have upset the positive vibe of the game and its commercials (unless you were a Chiefs fan). 

But perhaps the disinformation people were confused because there was a Starlink and T-Mobile commercial with what looks like a very powerful new capability (and one I wish we could establish over north Korea and every authoritarian country - you knew I could go there.)

​The Vibe Shift Comes to the Super Bowl. Plus. . .

C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jalyx Hunt of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrate after beating the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 to win Super Bowl LIX. (Gregory Shamus via Getty Images)

The educators conning kids. Tyler Cowen on Trump. Ruy Teixeira on the Dems. And much more.

By River Page

02.10.25 — The Front Page

It’s Monday, February 10. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Coming up: Why USAID is the wrong hill for Dems to die on; why Trump is flooding the zone; how American educators are conning kids; and much more.

But first: The Super Bowl.

Boring game, huh? The Eagles beat the Chiefs in a 40–22 blowout that will have pleased my colleague Joe Nocera, but will not be remembered as a classic.

The Super Bowl isn’t just a game, it’s a cultural barometer—and sometimes, a crystal ball. In 2016, Beyoncé danced on the Super Bowl stage to her new song “Formation,” flanked by backup dancers dressed like Black Panthers. Controversy ensued, foreshadowing the great war over woke that would dominate for years to come.

This year, another vibe shift. The NFL changed the message stenciled into the end zone from “End Racism” to “Choose Love.” Trump showed up—the first sitting president to do so—and his favorite patriotic walk-on song, “God Bless the USA,” was heard playing in the stadium. Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance featured a nagging Uncle Sam character (played by Samuel L. Jackson) who told the rapper not to be “too ghetto,” but when backup dancers dressed in red, white, and blue formed the American flag, it felt more patriotic than political, even though his song “Alright” is perhaps best known as BLM’s unofficial anthem. And in another patriotic move, Kendrick performed “Not Like Us,” his Grammy Award–winning diss track against one of America’s new trade war enemies—Canadian rapper Drake.

Speaking of Canada, even the ads couldn’t escape the vibe shift. In the wake of Trump’s proposed, but currently delayed, 25 percent tariffs against Canadian goods, the province of Ontario ran an ad reminding Americans that Canucks are important trade partners and good neighbors, eh bud?

Speaking of “bud,” Bud Light launched a new ad to convince America they aren’t woke anymore. Still reeling from its disastrous 2023 campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which spurred an effective conservative boycott, the beer’s new commercial featured Peyton Manning, Post Malone, and Shane Gillis—a comic who was infamously fired from Saturday Night Live in 2019 for affecting a Chinese accent on a podcast. (Read Anson Frericks’ great essay on the Bud Light saga.)

Bud Light wasn’t the only company with a subtle rebrand. After a backlash last year over their support for trans women participating in female sports, Nike launched a new ad putting female athletes front and center. The tagline: You can’t win, so win. Well, maybe they can’t win because they’re competing against biological males, Nike. Still, the ad is about female sports and features only female athletes, which is radical conservatism by Nike’s standards.

And the least subtle rebrand of all? Hardee’s—or, for some reason, Carl’s Jr., if you’re west of the Mississippi—brought back its sexy bikini ads after ditching them eight years ago. The real MAHA? Make America Horny Again.

Defending USAID Is Political Suicide for Democrats

On Friday, a judge temporarily blocked Musk and Trump’s plans to put 2,200 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staffers on paid leave, in response to a lawsuit brought by two unions. The judge also reinstated 500 employees who had already been placed on leave. The order will remain in effect until midnight on Valentine’s Day, and the judge will also consider a request for a longer-term pause at a hearing on Wednesday. The unions argued that the government was violating the Constitution and harming workers by taking them out of their jobs.

Unions and judges aren’t the only ones trying to stand in the way of Musk and Trump’s plans for USAID. Congressional Democrats have suddenly become USAID’s greatest defenders, leading a rally in Washington to protect the agency.

The D.C. crowd may have cheered them on but the rest of the country won’t, says Free Press columnist Ruy Teixeira. He points out that most Americans agree that the U.S. spends too much money on foreign aid, and the working class is particularly skeptical of foreign handouts. In their rush to shoot down Musk, have Democrats aimed the gun at their own feet?

Read Ruy’s new column, “Defending USAID Is Political Suicide for Democrats.”

6. S. Korea seeking 1st phone call between acting president Choi and Trump

​I hope he and POTUS can talk. With the political turmoil in the South and the threats for the north the alliance relationship needs strong leadership.

S. Korea seeking 1st phone call between acting president Choi and Trump | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · February 10, 2025

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government is working to arrange the first phone conversation between acting President Choi Sang-mok and U.S. President Donald Trump, Choi's office said Monday.

"An official request has been made through the foreign ministry," Kang Young-kyu, a spokesperson for the finance ministry, said during a press briefing, adding that a response is expected based on the U.S. administration's availability.

Choi, who assumed interim leadership in December, has yet to establish direct communication with Trump, who took office last month for a second term.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok speaks during a meeting with ministers and other senior officials at the government complex building in Seoul on Feb. 10, 2025. (Yonhap)

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · February 10, 2025

7. FM Cho to attend Munich security conference this week: foreign ministry

​South Korea must remain a global pivotal state that chooses to be a peaceful nuclear power, that is a partner in the arsenal of democracy and that supports the rules based international order.

FM Cho to attend Munich security conference this week: foreign ministry | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · February 10, 2025

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will travel to Germany later this week to attend a multilateral security conference, officials said Monday, amid attention to whether he would have talks with new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Cho will participate in the 61st Munich Security Conference, set for Friday through Sunday, during which he is "expected to discuss the Russia-North Korea military cooperation and the security links between the Indo-Pacific and Europe, including the ongoing war in Ukraine," a foreign ministry official said.

It will mark Cho's first overseas trip since the political turmoil in South Korea triggered by now impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law attempt in December last year.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul attends a tourism strategy conference at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, in this Dec. 26, 2024, file photo. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Cho has been seeking to use the occasion in Munich to hold what will be his first meeting with Rubio, if the U.S. top diplomat joins the sessions, and also meet with his counterparts from Japan and China on the sidelines.

Cho had planned to visit Washington for talks with Rubio before heading to Germany, but the plan reportedly changed due to Rubio's other diplomatic commitments, according to diplomatic sources.

Japanese news media have reported that the top diplomats of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are in talks to arrange a trilateral meeting on the margins of the conference.

Following the trip to Germany, Cho is widely expected to fly to Johannesburg to attend the foreign ministers' meeting of the Group of 20 nations, slated for Feb. 20-21.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · February 10, 2025

8. N. Korea requests U.N. investigation into alleged S. Korean drone intrusion

​north Korean lawfare.

I suspect the dorne incursion never really took place. But it is possible they have now fabricated sufficient evidence to use during an investigation (that they probably will never allow to take place - they will probably only turn over their evidence at Panmunjom).

But bringing this back into the new sycle may be the regime's effort to influence the impeachment of president Yoon by giving the opposition "ammunition" that tries to make President Yoon to be a threat to stability.

N. Korea requests U.N. investigation into alleged S. Korean drone intrusion | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · February 10, 2025

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has requested a U.N. investigation into its claim that South Korean drones infiltrated Pyongyang's airspace in October, a government source said Monday.

The source said North Korea recently submitted a request to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for a probe into Seoul's alleged drone infiltration last year.

The South Korean government is reported to have recently discussed ways to respond to the issue.

In mid-October, North Korea claimed to have discovered unmanned aerial vehicles sent to Pyongyang by South Korea, warning of retaliation if such actions were repeated. South Korea has neither confirmed nor denied the claim.

South and North Korea are both member states of the ICAO.

A performance test of suicide attack drones, produced by an affiliated institute of the Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex and businesses, takes place under the inspection of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Nov. 14, 2024, in this file photo provided by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

julesyi@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · February 10, 2025

9. Rights watchdog adopts recommendation to guarantee Yoon's defense right during impeachment trial

​A positive sign that someone is concerned with President Yoon's rights?

(LEAD) Rights watchdog adopts recommendation to guarantee Yoon's defense right during impeachment trial | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · February 10, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS lead, headline; UPDATES with more info in paras 1-4; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- The state human rights watchdog adopted Monday a controversial recommendation to guarantee President Yoon Suk Yeol's right to defense during his ongoing impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea's (NHRCK) decision was reached during its plenary meeting amid growing demand among Yoon's supporters that the impeached president should be guaranteed a fair trial at the Constitutional Court.

The proposal was passed with six votes in favor and four against out of 11 commissioners.

The opposition denounced the decision, calling it "the day the NHRCK died."

"The Human Rights Commission is the last safeguard for human rights, and so it should only make recommendations related to human rights and not politically charged issues," said Kim Yong-jik, a standing commissioner at the NHRCK.

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a rally at the lobby of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea building in central Seoul on Feb. 10, 2025. (Yonhap)

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol gather at the lobby of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea building in central Seoul before the watchdog holds a plenary meeting on Feb. 10, 2025. (Yonhap)

Monday's meeting came after an NHRCK standing commissioner proposed the recommendation as part of an agenda to address the national crisis triggered by Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3 last year. But the commission failed to hold discussions on Jan. 13 and 20 amid strong protests from supporters of liberal opposition parties.

Earlier Monday, pro-Yoon demonstrators attempted to enter the NHRCK building in central Seoul in a bid to block protesters opposing the proposed recommendation but were scattered later after police intervened.

Yoon's supporters have demanded the commission adopt the recommendation in his favor, whereas opposition parties and their supporters have come out against the move.

Ahead of the meeting, ruling and opposition party lawmakers visited the commission to express their opinions on the agenda.

ycm@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · February 10, 2025

10. S. Korea holds emergency meeting on U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum imports

S. Korea holds emergency meeting on U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum imports | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · February 10, 2025

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's industry ministry held an emergency meeting Monday to assess the possible impact on local businesses from the United States' plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the meeting with officials from major local steel companies, including POSCO Holdings Inc. and Hyundai Steel Co., to discuss responses to the proposed U.S. tariffs, according to ministry officials.

Earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump said he will announce on Monday (U.S. time) the imposition of a new 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S.

This illustrated image depicts U.S. President Donald Trump and his move to impose tariffs on various goods from other countries. (Yonhap)

The announcement stoked concerns South Korean companies could be directly influenced by the anticipated U.S. tariffs unlike the Trump administration's previous move to impose tariffs on Canadian, Mexican and Chinese goods.

South Korea accounts for some 13 percent of U.S. steel imports, according to data from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).

Trump had imposed a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports to the U.S. in 2018, citing national security concerns.

At the time, the U.S. waived the tariffs on South Korean steel products in return for a yearly import quota of 2.63 million tons, which accounted for about 70 percent of Seoul's average export volume between 2015-2017.

In the emergency meeting, Deputy Trade Minister Park Jong-won said the government will "proactively" respond to the shift in U.S. trade policy by using "all available networks" and closely collaborating with related industries.

nyway@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · February 10, 2025

11. Hanwha Aerospace logs record annual sales of 11.2 tln won in 2024

​One of Korea's main contributors to its partnership in the arsenal of democracy.

(LEAD) Hanwha Aerospace logs record annual sales of 11.2 tln won in 2024 | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · February 10, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS info throughout)

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- Hanwha Aerospace Co., a major South Korean defense equipment manufacturer, said Monday its 2024 sales reached a record high of 11.24 trillion won (US$7.7 billion), becoming the first local defense company to surpass the 10 trillion-won sales mark.

Operating profit for the year skyrocketed 190.2 percent on-year to 1.72 trillion won on a consolidated basis last year, while annual sales marked a 42.5 percent increase from the previous year, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Net profit came to 2.54 trillion won, up 160.5 percent from the previous year.

The achievements make Hanwha Aerospace the first Korean defense firm to exceed 10 trillion won in sales and 1 trillion won in operating profit.

Last year, the firm's annual exports surpassed domestic sales for the first time, signaling the company's growth into a full-fledged global company, it said.

Last year's strong bottom line was attributed to a high demand for its K9 howitzer and Chunmoo rocket launchers, particularly through export contracts with Poland.

This virtual image of the K9 howitzer is provided by Hanwha Aerospace Co. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · February 10, 2025

12. North Korea's Kim Jong-un: "America is behind world conflict"... Expert: "Fighting with President Trump who emphasized North Korea's denuclearization"

​This is a Google translation of a VOA report.

Excerpts:

Host) Chairman Kim's speech appears to have reaffirmed North Korea's policy of advancing its nuclear arsenal. What analysis is there on this speech?

Reporter) A significant portion of this speech was devoted to criticizing the United States, without any criticism of South Korea.

Moon Sung-mook, director of the Unification Strategy Center at the Korea Institute for National Strategy, a private research institute, interpreted Chairman Kim's mention of a new nuclear strengthening plan as an attempt to pressure U.S. President Donald Trump.

[Recording: Center Director Moon Seong-mook] “By solidifying their existing position that they will never give up their nuclear weapons or denuclearize, they have reaffirmed their position that even if dialogue between the US and North Korea takes place in the future, they will not respond to the complete denuclearization or denuclearization agenda that the US wants. There is also the possibility that this is part of a negotiation strategy to raise the stakes.”

In this speech, Chairman Kim also defined this year as “the year of training” and emphasized the need for war preparations that meet the demands of modern warfare.

Director Moon analyzed that Chairman Kim seemed to have hinted at missile provocations, and that this was also a remark made out of the need to increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula in order to pressure the United States and South Korea and crack down on residents.

North Korea's Kim Jong-un: "America is behind world conflict"... Expert: "Fighting with President Trump who emphasized North Korea's denuclearization"

2025.2.10

• Kim Hwan-yong
• https://www.voakorea.com/a/7969196.html

On February 8, 2025, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un delivered a speech at the Ministry of National Defense to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his policy of strengthening nuclear weapons, claiming that the United States is behind conflicts around the world. There is speculation that he is engaging in a tug-of-war with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has recently emphasized his goal of complete denuclearization of North Korea. We will connect with reporter Kim Hwan-yong in Seoul to learn more.

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North Korea's Kim Jong-un: "America is behind world conflict"... Expert: "Fighting with President Trump who emphasized North Korea's denuclearization"

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Anchor) North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un gave a speech commemorating the founding of the Armed Forces Day.

Reporter) Yes.

According to North Korea's official foreign affairs agency, the Korean Central News Agency, and the Workers' Party's organ, the Rodong Sinmun, Chairman Kim Jong-un visited the Ministry of National Defense on the 8th to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army and gave a speech.

In his speech, Chairman Kim reaffirmed his firm policy of further upgrading nuclear weapons, mentioning a series of new plans to accelerate the strengthening of all deterrence capabilities, including nuclear capabilities.

North Korean media did not specify what the “new plan to strengthen nuclear capabilities” is, but there are observations that it could include the modernization of conventional weapons or joint North Korea-Russia military exercises.

On February 8, 2025, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un salutes during a military parade marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army at the Ministry of National Defense.

Chairman Kim criticized, “The U.S.’s nuclear strategic means, the U.S.-led bilateral and multilateral nuclear war simulation exercises that are being carried out at the level of actual combat, the U.S.-Japan-South Korea tripartite military alliance system built according to the U.S. regional military bloc script, and the formation of an Asian version of NATO centered around it are fundamental factors that are causing military imbalances on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and creating a new confrontational structure.”

He continued, “We do not wish for unnecessary escalation of tensions in the regional situation, but we will continue to take countermeasures to ensure military balance in the region in order to prevent the outbreak of a new war and ensure peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.”

Chairman Kim also claimed, “The dark shadow of the United States, which inevitably looms behind large and small conflicts around the world, proves that the party and government’s line of building limitless defense capabilities is the most justified.”

Host) Chairman Kim's speech appears to have reaffirmed North Korea's policy of advancing its nuclear arsenal. What analysis is there on this speech?

Reporter) A significant portion of this speech was devoted to criticizing the United States, without any criticism of South Korea.

Moon Sung-mook, director of the Unification Strategy Center at the Korea Institute for National Strategy, a private research institute, interpreted Chairman Kim's mention of a new nuclear strengthening plan as an attempt to pressure U.S. President Donald Trump.

[Recording: Center Director Moon Seong-mook] “By solidifying their existing position that they will never give up their nuclear weapons or denuclearize, they have reaffirmed their position that even if dialogue between the US and North Korea takes place in the future, they will not respond to the complete denuclearization or denuclearization agenda that the US wants. There is also the possibility that this is part of a negotiation strategy to raise the stakes.”

In this speech, Chairman Kim also defined this year as “the year of training” and emphasized the need for war preparations that meet the demands of modern warfare.

A missile is launched during a test launch of a sea-to-surface (underwater) strategic cruise guided weapon conducted by the North Korean Missile General Bureau at an undisclosed location on January 25, 2025. (Photo source: Korean Central News Agency)

Director Moon analyzed that Chairman Kim seemed to have hinted at missile provocations, and that this was also a remark made out of the need to increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula in order to pressure the United States and South Korea and crack down on residents.

Dr. Park Hyung-joong of the Korea Institute for National Unification, a government-affiliated think tank, interpreted the unusual “year of training” designation as Chairman Kim’s response to the vulnerability of the North Korean military revealed during its participation in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

[Recording: Dr. Park Hyung-joong] “From Kim Jong-un’s perspective, modern warfare means reviving the bitter experience of North Korea’s defeat in Russia and changing North Korea’s combat readiness to a modern warfare style, and that may have emerged as the most important national defense task this year.”

Anchor) Reporter Kim, Chairman Kim's speech this time has drawn more attention because it came after President Trump first formalized the principle of North Korea's denuclearization since taking office. From that perspective, what does Chairman Kim's speech mean?

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) meet at the White House

Reporter) At the US-Japan summit held in Washington on the 7th, President Trump announced the principle of complete denuclearization of North Korea and the policy of maintaining trilateral cooperation between the US, South Korea, and Japan.

This is the first time since the inauguration of the second Trump administration on the 20th of last month that “complete denuclearization of North Korea” has been included in an official diplomatic document involving the United States.

President Trump, however, once again confirmed his intention to have summit diplomacy with Chairman Kim, saying, “I will have a relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.”

Dr. Hong Min of the Korea Institute for Unification Studies said that rather than President Trump's remarks putting North Korea's denuclearization at the forefront of negotiations, they seemed to reveal his intention to use the promise of North Korea's denuclearization agreed upon with Chairman Kim during his first term in office as the starting point for negotiations in his second term, and diagnosed that actual negotiations are likely to take a step-by-step and realistic approach.

Dr. Hong explained that Chairman Kim is subtly revealing the negotiation agenda he is aiming for by responding to President Trump's remarks with the basic principle of advancing nuclear weapons.

Hong Min, Senior Researcher, Korea Institute for National Unification

[Recording: Dr. Hong Min] “Constant deployment of strategic assets, bilateral and multilateral joint training. This is talking about ROK-US joint training or ROK-US-Japan joint training. ROK-US-Japan security cooperation body, and then an Asian version of NATO. So, whether it’s related to future nuclear arms control or reducing threats from North Korea and the US, North Korea’s position is that these matters should be adjusted or considered.”

Host) So, should we view this exchange of messages between President Trump and Chairman Kim as being conducted with both sides still keeping the possibility of negotiations in mind?

Reporter) There are many such analyses.

Although Chairman Kim's speech this time also criticized the United States, some say that he is still controlling the level, as the content is close to a theoretical level and does not directly target the Trump administration.

They are refraining from making a hasty response at a time when the Trump administration's North Korea policy, Korean Peninsula policy, and solution to the Ukraine war have not yet been concretized.

Dr. Yang Wook of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a private think tank, said Chairman Kim is managing his message by leaving open the possibility of negotiations with the U.S. even if they don't happen right away.

Dr. Yang explained that Chairman Kim, who has been uniting the country internally by advocating unlimited expansion of nuclear weapons and self-reliance, will need to instill in the people the perception that he is willing to negotiate with the United States if the conditions are met.

[Recording: Dr. Yang Wook] “You’ve been saying that you’re not paying attention to the US and are going to be self-reliant, right? But if you talk to the US later, that narrative will have to come out again. The fact that you’re mentioning the US in such a general way can be seen as hinting at negotiations with the US and a transition to this situation, even if it’s not right now.”

Anchor) Reporter Kim, Chairman Kim also mentioned the war in Ukraine in this speech?

Reporter) Yes.

Kim laid the blame for the war in Ukraine on the United States and the West, saying, “Our army and people unwaveringly support Russia’s efforts to defend its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity in accordance with the spirit of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between North Korea and Russia.”

On January 11, 2025, the Office of the President of Ukraine released a video showing Ukrainian forces capturing two North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia in the Kursk region.

Dr. Hong Min interpreted that this statement was likely intended to expand support for Russia and send additional troops in the future in preparation for the possibility that the war in Ukraine could be prolonged.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesperson Koo Byung-sam said in a briefing on the 10th that it was inappropriate to speculate on whether Chairman Kim’s remarks implied an intention to deploy additional troops, but added that “we are closely monitoring illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and trends in deploying troops to Russia.”

Spokesperson Koo also said in relation to North Korea’s continued trend of sending large numbers of workers to Russia, “There is always a demand for young workers in the Russian Far East,” and “North Korea’s sending of workers to third countries is a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions, and all UN member states have an obligation to comply with Security Council resolutions.”

This is Hwan-yong Kim from VOA News in Seoul.

13.​ Ex-president reflects on how his trust in Yoon Suk Yeol backfired

​Korean politics can be complex and strange to us as outsiders.

Ex-president reflects on how his trust in Yoon Suk Yeol backfired

The Korea Times · February 10, 2025

Former President Moon Jae-in and then-prosecutor general Yoon Suk Yeol walk down the hall at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, July 25, 2019. Korea Times file

Moon Jae-in says he regrets appointing Yoon as prosecutor general back in 2019

By Lee Hyo-jin

Former President Moon Jae-in expressed regret over his decision to appoint President Yoon Suk Yeol as prosecutor general in 2019, a move that ultimately paved the way for Yoon's rise to political stardom.

In a rare interview published on Monday, Moon, who has been critical of his successor's governance, admitted that the appointment played a role in the formation of the Yoon administration.

“There are many things I regret throughout the (appointment) process, but ultimately, the fact that our administration led to the creation of the Yoon Suk Yeol government is something we cannot distance ourselves from. Of course, I bear the greatest responsibility for that. I sincerely regret any distress this has caused to the public,” Moon said in an interview with The Hankyoreh, a center-left daily newspaper in Korea.

"Even before the declaration of martial law, the Yoon government was performing poorly. I felt a deep sense of self-reproach for having handed over power to such individuals. And now, with the impeachment motion and the martial law crisis, the extent of this feeling is indescribable," he said.

This interview marked the former liberal president's first official media appearance since he handed power to Yoon in May 2022.

During his term, Moon appointed Yoon as prosecutor general as part of his efforts to reform the nation's prosecution, which had often been criticized for wielding excessive investigative power.

At the time, Yoon, who was the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, had gained public attention for his role in high-profile cases, including his investigation into former President Park Geun-hye’s bribery scandal, which ultimately led to her impeachment.

In the interview, Moon explained that among the four candidates shortlisted for the top prosecutor position, Yoon was the only one who had expressed support for prosecutorial reform.

Although opinions about Yoon were divided among Moon's aides — some pointed to his quick temper and tendency to surround himself with loyalists — the former president highlighted the candidate's firm commitment to reform as the main reason for his appointment.

However, this turned out to be one of Moon’s biggest political miscalculations.

Yoon’s relationship with Moon quickly soured after he was appointed as the top prosecutor. In particular, the prosecution's extensive investigation into Cho Kuk, who was the justice minister at the time and a close ally of Moon, significantly strained their ties. Yoon eventually resigned in March 2021.

The prosecutor general’s public clashes with the liberal administration propelled him into a rising star within the conservative bloc. Shortly after his resignation, the political newcomer secured the presidential nomination from the then-opposition People Power Party in July 2021 and went on to win the presidency in March 2022 by a razor-thin margin.

Military vehicles and police officers are seen near the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 4 following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

The conservative president, who has faced challenges in gaining broader popularity throughout his term, now faces a major political crisis following his decision to declare martial law late last year. He is currently undergoing an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court and is under criminal investigation on treason charges.

“I was truly dumbfounded, absolutely shocked,” Moon said when asked about Yoon’s martial law declaration.

“Although martial law may still exist in constitutional law, in reality, it’s nothing more than a relic of the past, something that belongs in a museum. The idea of bringing it out in the 21st century and using it against the people — can anyone seriously consider that?" he said, referring to the periods of military rule in Korea, most notably under the authoritarian regimes of former leaders Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan during the 1960s to 1980s.

Moon also expressed a sense of disgrace and sadness as he watches the ongoing impeachment trial, where Yoon remains steadfast in his belief that declaring emergency military rule was a legitimate decision within his presidential authority.

"If there is any sense of responsibility, shouldn’t the president acknowledge it and cooperate to quickly stabilize the country? His attitude of simply trying to survive is both disgraceful and sad," Moon said.

The Korea Times · February 10, 2025

14. N. Korea intensifies ideological control as nuclear program strains economy

​This explains everything perfectly. The Korean people in the north are suffering because of Kim's deliberate policy decision to prioritize nuclear weapons and missiles over the welfare of the people.

Therefore Kim must resort to intense ideological training to shift the people's minds from their suffering and sacrifice.

ONe of the ways to do that is by externalizing the "threats" from the South and the US.

Kim is afraid. Very afraid. Not so much from South and the ROK/US alliance but of the Korean people in the north.

We need to be observing for indications and warnings of instability.

N. Korea intensifies ideological control as nuclear program strains economy - Daily NK English​

The lectures emphasized state security agents' crucial role in monitoring the population, stressing the need for constant vigilance regarding public sentiment

By Eun Seol - February 10, 2025

dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · February 10, 2025

“Comrade Kim Jong Un conducted on-the-spot guidance of a fissile material production site and nuclear weapon research institute,” the Rodong Sinmun reported on Jan. 29, noting that Kim had been accompanied by Hong Sung Mu, senior vice director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea. (Rodong Sinmun, News 1)

North Korea is conducting lectures for state security agents to reinforce the country’s nuclear status and sharpen surveillance for signs of ideological dissent among a public increasingly strained by economic hardship.

According to a source in South Hamgyong province, the provincial state security bureau held a lecture on Feb. 1 during its regular Saturday study session. The presentation highlighted North Korea’s independent acquisition of nuclear weapons and how nuclear development initiatives begun under Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il have supposedly strengthened national defense and economic growth.

The lecture emphasized state security agents’ crucial role in monitoring the population, stressing the need for constant vigilance regarding public sentiment. This aligns with the regime’s long-standing strategy of justifying nuclear weapons as essential for national survival while promoting unity and suppressing ideological dissent. The approach includes restricting access to outside information and actively promoting the party’s nuclear policy as part of a decades-old system of social control.

“The lecture served two purposes: reinforcing the legitimacy of nuclear weapons to state security agents while motivating them to identify and eliminate any signs of ideological discontent that could threaten regime stability,” the source explained. However, they added, “State security agents alone can’t prevent public dissatisfaction. As living conditions worsen, many people question the value of maintaining nuclear weapons.”

This messaging campaign comes amid recent high-profile nuclear activities. On Jan. 29, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported Kim Jong Un’s inspection of a fissile material production facility and nuclear weapons research institute. During his visit, Kim praised the country’s advancing nuclear capabilities as “a matchless source of pride” and called for exceeding planned production of weapons-grade material.

Addressing current tensions, Kim emphasized that “absolute strength to overpower opponents and actively control the situation” requires “the accumulation and exponential growth of physical force available for actual use,” rather than mere declarations or slogans.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · February 10, 2025

15. Editorial: Time for South Korea to navigate the shifting global order with precision

​Yes. it must do so.

Again it is a middle power that is a global pivotal state, that chooses to be a peaceful nuclear power, and is a partner in the arsenal of democracy that supports the rules based international order. It can thread the global needle of international relations.

Editorial: Time for South Korea to navigate the shifting global order with precision

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/02/10/3OHPGQOHRBBN7AJ2SWNR4ICG7A/

By The Chosunilbo

Published 2025.02.10. 08:51

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a joint statement on Feb. 7, opposing “any attempts by China to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea.” On Taiwan, they emphasized the importance of “peace and stability.” The statement also reaffirmed support for U.S.-led coalitions such as the Quad — comprising the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India — as well as other regional partnerships, including those involving the Philippines, underscoring a united front against China’s influence.

Since his first term, Trump has pursued a containment strategy against China. This time, he has floated the possibility of imposing tariffs as high as 60%. The implications are concerning for South Korea, whose largest trading partner is China, followed by the U.S. A tit-for-tat trade war involving tariffs and export controls between Washington and Beijing would inevitably harm South Korea’s export-dependent economy.

Semiconductors, which account for 20% of South Korea’s exports, are particularly vulnerable. If the U.S. imposes stricter restrictions on semiconductor exports to China, including those with lower technological specifications, South Korean exports could take a significant hit. The Bank of Korea projects that if Trump enforces a 60% tariff on Chinese imports, South Korea’s exports to China could decline by more than 6%.

Despite the risks, Trump’s efforts to reorganize the global supply chain could present opportunities for South Korea. Washington’s recent focus on nuclear energy cooperation with Seoul exemplifies this trend. Expanding cooperation to include fields such as AI and quantum computing could further bolster South Korea’s technological edge. Although China has caught up in most industries outside semiconductors, it remains in a catch-up phase in that crucial sector. Trump’s containment strategy may provide South Korea with a window to maintain its competitive advantage.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Feb. 7, 2025./AP Yonhap News

Trump also indicated to the Japanese prime minister his intention to reestablish ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. On the same day, Kim publicly vowed to strengthen North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and condemned military cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. With South Korea’s leadership in disarray, the prospect of a renewed “nuclear deal” between Trump and Kim raises concerns.

Trump has previously expressed openness to South Korea and Japan developing their own nuclear arsenals. A newly appointed U.S. deputy defense secretary also suggested that South Korea consider nuclear armament as a counterbalance to China, given its strategic importance in the region.

Relations between North Korea and China are currently at their worst in decades. Beijing has even removed the commemorative “footprint plaque” marking Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un’s 2018 stroll in Dalian. While North Korea has historically had a complex relationship with China, direct tensions between top leaders are rare and significant, given the authoritarian nature of both regimes.

China has cut off the inflow of North Korean labor, a vital source of revenue for Pyongyang, while North Korea has switched its international satellite broadcaster from a Chinese service to a Russian one. With North Korea sending troops to Russia, ties between Pyongyang and Moscow are strengthening as its relationship with Beijing frays. A total breakdown in relations would leave Kim in a precarious position, given that over 95% of ​North Korea’s trade depends on China.

As Trump’s policies reshape South Korea’s economic and security landscape, both challenges and opportunities loom large. Navigating this dynamic environment and seizing emerging opportunities will test South Korea’s strategic capabilities.

16. North Korea likely to produce drones with Russian support this year: report

​Another result of Russia-nK cooperation.

North Korea likely to produce drones with Russian support this year: report

But reports indicate Russia is hesitant to support North Korea’s nuclear weapons development.

https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2025/02/10/north-korea-russia-drone-support/

By Taejun Kang for RFA

2025.02.10

A view of a drone displayed during a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea, July 27, 2023. (KCNA via Reuters)

TAIPEI, Taiwan – North Korea is set to produce multiple types of drones this year in collaboration with Russia, media reported, as Moscow agreed to provide technical support to Pyongyang in exchange for its military assistance in fighting Ukraine.

The two countries have reached an agreement under which Russia will provide technical assistance to North Korea for the development and mass production of various types of drones, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported, citing multiple unidentified sources.

The agreement was in return for North Korea’s deployment of soldiers to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, the broadcaster added.

As many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia to fight Ukrainian forces who occupied parts of Russia’s Kursk region in August, according to Ukraine and the United States, although neither North Korea nor Russia has acknowledged their presence.

In November, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wanted his country to begin mass production of “suicide” drones.

Kim “underscored the need to build a serial production system as early as possible and go into full-scale mass production,” state media reported at that time.

‘Testbed for military capabilities’

Russia may be providing drone and missile technology to North Korea in exchange for North Korean troops fighting in Kursk, said the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, or ISW, think tank, adding that the North was using the war in Ukraine as a testing ground for its own military capabilities.

Citing a Reuters report that North Korean ballistic missiles fired by Russian forces since December 2024 demonstrated significantly improved accuracy, the ISW said such an enhancement was gained through the North Korea-Russia alliance.

The ISW’s assessment was echoed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who said on Saturday that Russia was deliberately transferring “modern technology” to North Korea, including drone technology.

But Japan’s NHK cited its sources as saying that Russia was reluctant to provide support for North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons.

The sources said Russia was worried that factors such as a North Korean nuclear test would complicate Russia’s relations with the United States as well as neighboring countries, including China.

North Korea has been suspected of sending weapons to Russia to support its invasion of Ukraine. South Korea said in October that the North had sent about 7,000 containers of weapons to Russia over the previous two months, bringing the total number of containers to 20,000.

‘Return to the front line’

Zelenskyy said North Korean forces had returned to the front line in Kursk, after reports they were withdrawn last month due to heavy casualties.

In a video address on Friday, Zelenskyy said the Russian army had “brought back in North Korean soldiers” who were carrying out “new assaults” in the region partially occupied by Ukraine.

“Hundreds of Russian and North Korean military” personnel had been “destroyed,” according to him.

RELATED STORIES

North Korea to punish people for spreading ‘rumors’ of soldiers dying in Russia

North Korean casualty rate in Kursk may be as high as 50%: US expert

North Korea ready to send 25,000 more troops to Russia: Zelenskyy

Citing Ukrainian intelligence, the Ukrainian leader added that Russian forces are establishing new military units, expanding facilities in the military industrial base, planning to increase troop numbers by more than 100,000 soldiers and strengthening military ties with North Korea.

“We now know – as our intelligence reports – that the Russians are creating new divisions and developing new military production facilities. It is clear that their cooperation with North Korea will be expanding,” he said.

Image made from a video published by Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura”. The brigade said the video shows Russian and North Korean forces in Kursk. (Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade)

Separately, Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura” reported that Russian and North Korean forces “changed” their tactics, now relying primarily on infantry assaults rather than the previous use of armored vehicles.

“Many infantry groups launched attacks from multiple directions at once. The assault began at midnight and lasted over 16 hours,” it said.

“They fought across fields and open areas. The enemy attackers were also brought in on ATVs [all-terrain vehicles] and unloaded into narrow landings where the enemy hid under the trees,” the brigade said.

Edited by Mike Firn.

17.  Trump: Getting along with Kim is a great asset to everyone

​Yes it is as long as it is part of our superior political warfare strategy.

Trump: Getting along with Kim is a great asset to everyone

donga.com

Posted February. 10, 2025 07:24,

Updated February. 10, 2025 07:24

Trump: Getting along with Kim is a great asset to everyone. February. 10, 2025 07:24. by 고도예, 윤상호 yea@donga.com.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would "establish a relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un,” saying that “getting along well with him is a big asset to everybody.” President Trump, who has expressed his intention to promote U.S.-North Korea dialogue by referring to North Korea as a “nuclear power” since taking office, has expressed interest again in North Korea.

President Trump's remarks were expressed at a press conference after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on Friday (local time). The joint statement by the leaders of the United States and Japan released on the same day included wording such as “reaffirming our strong commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea,” and “confirm‎ing trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan is key to dealing with North Korea and protecting regional peace and prosperity.” It is the first time the new Trump administration specifies ‘complete denuclearization of North Korea’ in an official diplomatic document since its launch on Jan. 20.

‘Complete denuclearization of North Korea’ is the same expression‎ contained in existing U.S.-Japan joint statements, such as the meeting between former U.S. President Joe Biden and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April last year. Some view that the Trump administration's inclusion of this expression‎ in the joint statement reflects the U.S.’ position not to rush the U.S.-North Korea dialogue at the cost of abandoning North Korea's denuclearization. Prior to the summit, a senior Trump administration official remarked that “it takes two to tango,” emphasizing the need for North Korea’s response in U.S.-North Korea dialogue.

On the other hand, there is still the possibility of President Trump proposing a ‘small deal,’ such as a nuclear freeze or nuclear disarmament, by freezing or reducing the number of nuclear weapons to bring North Korea to the negotiation table. “The U.S. government specifying North Korea’s denuclearization in the joint statement is in response to Japan’s increase in the defense budget and measures to expand imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S.,” said Ban Gil-joo, assistant professor at the National Diplomatic Academy. “While aiming for denuclearization as the ultimate goal, President Trump may present various conditions for dialogue to North Korea, such as ‘reducing joint ROK-US exercises.”

한국어

donga.com

18. South Korea In Crisis: How Political Turmoil Threatens Its Global Standing

South Korea In Crisis: How Political Turmoil Threatens Its Global Standing – OpEd

eurasiareview.com · February 9, 2025

In December 2024 South Korea was faced with a major political crisis after the removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol. His impeachment charges of abuse power of and violation of the constitutional provisions on the separation of powers threw the country into political turmoil and impacted the country’s domestic and foreign affairs.

As one of the United States’ key Asian allies, South Korea’s political instability raises questions about the future of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, regional security, and policy effectiveness. Since North Korea’s nuclear threat and the rise of China are major issues in East Asia any turbulence in Seoul is not without consequences. This essay discusses the impact of political turmoil on the diplomatic relations of South Korea, the difficulties in the South Korea – United States relationship, and the general impact on the region.

President Yoon’s impeachment has left South Korea with a lapse of leadership that impacts the country’s capacity to deal with the US properly. With a government temporarily in power while the Constitutional Court considers Yoon’s future there is no strong leadership to bolster Seoul’s diplomatic position. Previous studies indicate that stability in governance is a necessary condition for effective foreign policy. Nonetheless given the circumstances in South Korea Washington may not be willing to commit long long-term strategic partnerships because of the possibility of changes political in Seoul.

The relations between South Korea and the United States is also affected by the fact that Yoon has been impeached. Investment sentiment turned negative and the markets tapered off as a result of political uncertainties. The Bank of Korea at its meeting in January 2025 discussed possible rate cuts given the heightened economic risks following political uncertainties. This financial instability may influence South Korea’s position in trade negotiations and economic relations with the U.S.

Furthermore, the level of political uncertainty in South Korea raises questions about the country’s capability to honor its military treaties and support security partnerships. Nevertheless, Seoul which is split between the two major political parties may not be in a position to make clear-cut foreign policy decisions a situation that may hinder the United States from increasing its security commitments. As the Indo-Pacific region remains a priority for American policy, Washington sees South Korea as a key partner in countering the North Korean threat and preserving regional stability.

One of the biggest issues in the preservation of the Korea South – United States alliance is the loss of trust. President Yoon’s administration has recently strengthened military relations with the United States, notably through the 2023 Washington Declaration, which reaffirmed their joint commitment to deterring North Korea. But his impeachment has everyone left guessing as to who will continue with these policies or if there will be a review of the relations with Washington.

Another issue is the political friction within South Korea. The far-right nationalist groups have come out to support Yoon while the opposition has called for a of change tact in foreign policy especially regarding China and North Korea. The drama it makes difficult to work out what is happening diplomatically as the different parts of South Korea want completely different foreign policy strategies. This instability may deter Washington from investing in long-term strategic partnerships because of the possibility of sudden policy changes.

Furthermore, the impeachment crisis has paved the way for North Korea to take advantage of the political weakness of South Korea. This early 2025 intelligence report indicated that there was an increase in the number of North Korean missile launches and had Seoul think that Pyongyang would take advantage of the political confusion to increase the provocation. The U.S. has expressed worries over the South Korean government, saying that it is not capable of tackling the security risks due to political instability. If Seoul is preoccupied with internal political disputes, its deterrence against North Korea may be diminished, prompting the United States to reconsider its defense commitments in the region. The effects of political risk in South Korea are not only limited to its relationship with the United States. The lack of clarity on government measures has led to FDI downbeat by multinational corporations which are not willing to commit to long-term projects. The Korea Trade Investment and Promotion Agency (KOTRA) data shows foreign investment inflows decreased by 7% in the last quarter of 2024 due to political risks in South Korea.

In the security sector, the relationship between South Korea, Japan, and the United States may also be influenced. The historic Camp David Summit in 2023 provided a platform for the enhancement of security cooperation among the three countries. However, with Seoul’s leadership uncertain, the progress achieved through these agreements may be jeopardized. Japan is wary of the political risks in South Korea and may choose to focus on its relationship with the United States, potentially at the expense of ties with Seoul.

Furthermore, following the domestic issues may limit South Korea’s response to regional conflicts that are not connected to the Korean Peninsula. The South China Sea is another disputed region with China claiming sovereignty over the waters. South Korea has always adopted a position of freedom supporting navigation operations led by the US Navy. However, with a politically frail administration, Seoul may adopt a more cautious position on the issue which may affect its relations with the United States and encourage Chinese expansionism in the region.

In conclusion, President Yoon Yeol Suk’s impeachment has created political instability in South Korea, affecting the stability of domestic policies as well as foreign and security relations. The lack of strong leadership undermines its diplomatic position with the United States, while uncertain economic conditions and diminished investor confidence complicate trade, military, and other agreements. This crisis also provides opportunities for North Korea and China to exploit South Korea’s weakened potentially state-shifting regional dynamics. To preserve alliances and strategic partnerships South Korea must restore political stability and demonstrate a consistent foreign policy to safeguard its national interests and regional security.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own.

References

Kim, J. (2023). Geopolitics of the Korean Peninsula: Security, Economy, and Diplomacy in a Changing World. Routledge.

Lee, H. (2023). The U.S.–South Korea Alliance in the Indo-Pacific Era: Security, Trade, and Political Uncertainty. Palgrave Macmillan.

Park, S. (2023). North Korea’s Strategy and East Asian Security: Implications for South Korea and Its Allies. Springer.

eurasiareview.com · February 9, 2025

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com