Quotes of the Day:
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
– George Orwell, 1984
"Long as men are not trained to withhold judgment in the absence of evidence, they will be led astray by cocksure profits, and so it is likely that their leaders will be either ignorant fanatics or dishonest charlatans."
– Bertrand Russell, 1950
"Any man may easily do harm but not every man can do good to another."
– Plato
1. S. Korea, U.S. share 'full consensus' on complete denuclearization of N. Korea
2. Top security officials of S. Korea, Japan reaffirm trilateral cooperation with U.S.
3. Gov't to hold 'export strategy meeting' next week on new Trump tariffs
4. N. Korea denounces Trump's proposal to take over Gaza
5. Meta in talks to acquire South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI
6. Editorial: DPK's exclusionary stance on younger voters threatens democracy
7. N. Korea informed ICAO of plan to cut air traffic control communication with S. Korea
8. Seoul's nuclear envoy requests China's constructive role in Korean denuclearization
9. Seoul’s Crisis: A Test of U.S. Resolve in the Indo-Pacific
10. American Woman Admits Participation in 'North Korea's $17 Million Illegal Profit' Job Fraud
11. Medical aid or military strategy? Why Russian troops are being sent to DPRK
12. President Trump: “I know Kim Jong-un better than anyone else”∙∙∙Suggesting to pursue summit diplomacy
13. How Trump’s Gaza plan deepens DPRK distrust and fuels its fears of diplomacy
14. North Korean officials make money through 'human resources brokering'
15. [Room 39, Lee Jeong-ho's Eyes] "Orascom, properly hit in the back of the head by North Korea"
16. A Man Who Created the Jucheism’s Last Advice to Democratic Countries: The Current North Korean Policy Could be Adjusted
1. S. Korea, U.S. share 'full consensus' on complete denuclearization of N. Korea
S. Korea, U.S. share 'full consensus' on complete denuclearization of N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · February 12, 2025
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Wednesday that South Korea and the United States have shared "full consensus" on achieving the complete denuclearization of North Korea, while soothing concern that U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear-armed state.
Cho made the remarks during a parliamentary interpellation session after Trump recently referred to North Korea as a "nuclear power" -- a term U.S. officials have mostly refrained from using as it could be regarded as U.S. recognition of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons.
When asked by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling People Power Party about whether he believes there is a distinction between calling North Korea a nuclear power and actually recognizing it as a nuclear-armed state, Cho replied, "Yes."
On concerns that the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile capabilities might eventually leave Washington no choice but to recognize the North's nuclear status, Cho said it was an issue "difficult to predict."
Cho then stressed that South Korea and the U.S. share "full consensus" on achieving the complete denuclearization of the North.
The minister also said the U.S. is likely to consider it a "red line" if North Korea were to develop intercontinental ballistic missile reentry technology and achieve the capability to strike the U.S. mainland.
On the possibility of a new defense cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement, Cho said the government is exploring "various options."
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (L) answers a lawmaker's questions during an interpellation at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · February 12, 2025
2. Top security officials of S. Korea, Japan reaffirm trilateral cooperation with U.S.
It takes three to tango in this relationship. I know the US will step up with the ROK and Japan to make trilateral cooperation work because it is in the US national security interests to do so
Top security officials of S. Korea, Japan reaffirm trilateral cooperation with U.S. | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · February 12, 2025
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- The top security officials of South Korea and Japan held talks on Wednesday and reaffirmed their commitment to trilateral cooperation with the United States, officials said.
National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik held his first talks with his Japanese counterpart, Masataka Okano, who took office last month, according to Seoul's presidential office.
"Both sides reaffirmed the need for continued cooperation between South Korea and Japan, as well as trilateral cooperation with the U.S., to address the grave situation posed by North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats, and its illegal military cooperation with Russia," the presidential office said in a statement.
They also agreed to make efforts to expand cooperation in various fields as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties, it added.
National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik speaks during the seventh hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on Feb. 11, 2025, in this photo provided by the court. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · February 12, 2025
3. Gov't to hold 'export strategy meeting' next week on new Trump tariffs
(LEAD) Gov't to hold 'export strategy meeting' next week on new Trump tariffs | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · February 12, 2025
(ATTN: ADDS photo, more info in last 2 paras)
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul government will hold an export strategy meeting next week to discuss measures aimed at minimizing the impact of the latest U.S. tariff escalation, acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday.
On Monday (U.S. time), U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports. He further stated that his administration would unveil "reciprocal tariffs" this week while also considering new tariffs on vehicles, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
"Uncertainty in the global trade environment is increasing," Choi said during a meeting with ministers on economic issues.
Choi emphasized that the government will thoroughly assess the potential impact of the U.S. tariffs on various industries and take preemptive and comprehensive countermeasures if necessary.
As part of efforts, Choi said the government will hold the strategy meeting to discuss support measures for businesses and explore ways to diversify export markets.
Additionally, the government plans to strengthen support for the biopharmaceutical sector, one of the country's key growth industries.
"Proactive measures will be taken to mitigate risks by connecting pharmaceutical and cosmetics development firms with South Korean-affiliated companies that have production facilities in the U.S.," Choi added.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok speaks during a meeting with ministers on economic issues at the government complex building in Seoul on Feb. 12, 2025. (Yonhap)
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khj@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · February 12, 2025
4. N. Korea denounces Trump's proposal to take over Gaza
Kim Jong Un pays attention to everything America says and does and seeks ways to exploit any words and actions.
N. Korea denounces Trump's proposal to take over Gaza | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · February 12, 2025
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Wednesday denounced U.S. President Donald Trump's recent proposal to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle its Palestinian residents, saying that national sovereignty cannot be subject to negotiations with Washington.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary on its website, "The world is now boiling like a porridge pot over the U.S.' bombshell announcement," without directly mentioning Trump by name.
Earlier this month, Trump made a surprise proposal during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting the U.S. "take over" the Gaza Strip and permanently resettle its Palestinian residents.
North Korea said the U.S.' nature to survive through "slaughter and robbery" and its "hegemonic, invasive" ambition for world dominance are being clearly demonstrated by the Gaza plan.
"It's not an issue limited to the Gaza Strip only," the KCNA said.
North Korea also accused the U.S. administration of disregarding international law and principles, citing Trump's proposal to acquire Greenland, his demand to take back the Panama Canal and the recent renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The unipolar era, in which the U.S. stood as the sole superpower, has already passed, the KCNA said, urging Washington to "wake up from its anachronistic delusion and immediately stop violating other countries' dignity and sovereignty."
This image shows the national flag of Palestine in the foreground and the United States flag raised during a press conference in front of the U.S. Embassy in central Seoul on Feb. 5, 2025, in which protesters denounced President Donald Trump's Gaza Strip plan. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · February 12, 2025
5. Meta in talks to acquire South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI
Meta in talks to acquire South Korean AI chip startup FuriosaAI
https://www.chosun.com/english/industry-en/2025/02/12/UKJEO7H27BAXXNBENYM5FDBXB4/
By Oh Rora (Silicon Valley),
Park Su-hyeon
Published 2025.02.12. 14:43
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is in discussions to acquire South Korean artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor startup FuriosaAI, Forbes reported on Feb. 11. The deal could be finalized as early as this month, as Meta ramps up efforts to develop custom AI chips amid growing demand for alternatives to Nvidia’s AI processors.
June Paik, CEO of FuriosaAI, poses with the company’s product at the Chosun Ilbo studio in central Seoul on July 6, 2023./O Jong-chan
Founded in 2017 by June Paik, a former Samsung Electronics and AMD engineer with a master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, FuriosaAI is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in AI inference chips. Its flagship product, the RNGD processor, is designed for data center servers.
In August 2024, FuriosaAI unveiled RNGD in Silicon Valley, claiming the chip delivers three times the performance per watt compared to Nvidia’s high-end AI processor, the H100. The company has positioned RNGD as an ideal choice for deploying large-scale generative AI models, including Meta’s Llama 2 and Llama 3. Mass production of RNGD is set to begin this year at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC).
Meta has announced plans to invest up to $65 billion this year in AI development and new data centers, with the FuriosaAI acquisition expected to be part of that strategy. To date, FuriosaAI has raised approximately $115 million in funding and recently secured a 2 billion won ($1.5 million) investment from venture capital firm CRIT Ventures on Feb. 4. However, details on the company’s valuation and the potential acquisition price have not been disclosed.
Meta’s move comes as major tech companies increasingly focus on in-house AI chip development. OpenAI is working on its own AI chip design, aiming for mass production as early as next year. Amazon has developed its own AI processors, Trainium and Inferentia, to diversify its AI chip supply, while Microsoft recently introduced its custom central processing unit (CPU), the Cobalt 100.
6. Editorial: DPK's exclusionary stance on younger voters threatens democracy
Perhaps the Minjoo party (DPK) is shooting itself in the foot.
Excerpt:
Democracy is built on the coexistence of differing perspectives. Branding young voters as a group to be “isolated” and selectively denying rally permits contradicts the principles of democratic governance and the rule of law. Whether these actions reflect the broader stance of the DPK remains an open question.
Editorial: DPK's exclusionary stance on younger voters threatens democracy
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/02/12/WFAQWXHZBVGOZOCNERL4TOQLOA/
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2025.02.12. 09:20
Park Gu-yong, a professor at Chonnam National University and head of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)’s education institute
Park Gu-yong, a professor at Chonnam National University and head of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)’s education institute, recently stated that when it comes to voters in their 20s and 30s, “The question is not how to bring them to our side, but how to turn them into a minority.” He added, “We need to let them wither away on their own and isolate them.”
He further claimed that young voters “do not engage in reasoning but only think in calculations,” implying they prioritize personal interests over deeper reflection. In December, Park previously sparked controversy by urging young men in their 20s and 30s to turn out in equal numbers to women at pro-impeachment rallies against President Yoon Suk-yeol. He later apologized for the remark.
Until recently, rallies demanding Yoon’s impeachment were largely attended by middle-aged and older participants. However, younger voters have begun making their presence felt, and opposition to the impeachment has emerged even on university campuses—once considered strongholds of pro-impeachment sentiment. This shift challenges the traditional belief that younger generations lean progressive and align with the DPK.
Political analysts suggest young voters are increasingly scrutinizing the opposition party’s actions, including its push for repeated impeachment attempts and political maneuvers aimed at shielding its leadership from legal scrutiny. Some see the growing resistance as a response to what they perceive as the party’s unchecked authority in the aftermath of the impeachment motion. There is also reported frustration with the so-called “Generation 586”—those in their 50s who attended university in the 1980s and were born in the 1960s—who remain unwavering DPK supporters.
The DPK has a history of disparaging voter groups that do not back the party. Former lawmaker Ryu Si-min once claimed, “People over 60 have decayed minds.” More recently, he said of young men who voted for Yoon, “I want to tell them, ‘You guys are trash.’” Ahead of the general election, the party also released a controversial campaign banner targeting younger voters with the phrase, “I [Younger voters] don’t know about politics; I just want to live well.”
Meanwhile, Kang Gi-jung, the DPK-affiliated mayor of Gwangju, recently denied a request from a protest group opposing Yoon’s impeachment to hold a rally at May 18 Democracy Square on Feb. 15, while granting permission for a separate demonstration calling for the president’s resignation at the same venue.
Democracy is built on the coexistence of differing perspectives. Branding young voters as a group to be “isolated” and selectively denying rally permits contradicts the principles of democratic governance and the rule of law. Whether these actions reflect the broader stance of the DPK remains an open question.
7. N. Korea informed ICAO of plan to cut air traffic control communication with S. Korea
Not surprising but this has ominous implications for the future and is another sign that the regime is serious about maintaining the ROK as the main enemy.
N. Korea informed ICAO of plan to cut air traffic control communication with S. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · February 12, 2025
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has informed the U.N. aviation agency of a plan to sever its air traffic control communication channel with South Korea, according to Seoul's unification ministry Wednesday.
Pyongyang last year notified the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that it would stop operating the channel starting in 2025, but South Korea repeatedly expressed the need to maintain the direct line, according to the ministry.
"By cooperating with the ICAO, the government has continued to convey the stance that the direct line needs to be maintained and it is currently operating normally," the ministry said.
Under a 1997 agreement, South and North Korea established the direct line between air traffic control centers in the South's Daegu and the North's Pyongyang to facilitate air traffic between the Koreas.
The communication channel has not been used due to the absence of inter-Korean air traffic, but regular calls take place at 7 a.m. every day to check line connectivity, according to a ministry official.
It remains unclear if Pyongyang still seeks to shut down the communication line.
The move comes as North Korea has remained unresponsive to daily routine calls with South Korea through inter-Korean liaison and military channels since April 2023 amid increasingly strained cross-border relations.
This undated file photo, provided by Hanseo University, shows air traffic controllers. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · February 12, 2025
8. Seoul's nuclear envoy requests China's constructive role in Korean denuclearization
He should try sign language because I am sure this request is falling on deaf ears.
Seoul's nuclear envoy requests China's constructive role in Korean denuclearization | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · February 12, 2025
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's top nuclear envoy on Wednesday requested for China to play a constructive role in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during a meeting with Beijing's ambassador to Seoul, the foreign ministry said.
Cho Koo-rae, vice foreign minister for strategy and intelligence, made the request as he met Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing for discussions on bilateral relations and Korean Peninsula issues in Seoul.
According to the ministry, Cho expressed concerns over North Korea's provocations and illegal military cooperation with Russia, urging Beijing to play a constructive role in halting these actions, and for peace, stability and denuclearization on the peninsula.
Dai said there were no changes to China's policy on the Korean Peninsula, noting his country would continue to play a constructive role in resolving issues.
The two sides also acknowledged the positive momentum in bilateral relations and agreed to continue strategic communication to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Cho Koo-rae (L), vice foreign minister for strategy and intelligence, shakes hands with Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Dai Bing during a meeting in Seoul, in this photo released by the foreign ministry on Feb. 12, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · February 12, 2025
9. Seoul’s Crisis: A Test of U.S. Resolve in the Indo-Pacific
Seoul is a centerpiece (on the GO/wei chi/Baduk or Chess board) of strategic competition between the US and China as China is using political warfare to undermine the democratic soul of the South.
Seoul’s Crisis: A Test of U.S. Resolve in the Indo-Pacific
By Charlton Allen
February 12, 2025
South Korea’s political upheaval, marked by the arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol, has plunged a critical United States ally into turmoil at a pivotal moment for the Indo-Pacific. With the Biden administration leaving office, the incoming Trump administration will face a rapidly shifting regional dynamic. The stakes are clear: South Korea’s instability could pave the way for a progressive government more inclined to thaw relations with China and North Korea, undercutting U.S. efforts to counter Beijing’s ambitions.
For decades, South Korea (ROK) has been a cornerstone of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, anchoring efforts to contain China and deter North Korean aggression. But now, as Seoul teeters toward political realignment, the U.S. must rethink its approach. A more progressive South Korean government could weaken the U.S.-ROK alliance, embolden adversaries, and fracture the regional coalition needed to secure peace and prosperity.
A Dangerous Drift
The arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol is a troubling reflection of South Korea’s tendency to turn political disagreements into legal battles. Yoon’s conservative administration prioritized closer ties with the United States, reinforced the alliance’s military posture, and took a hard line against China’s growing influence. His removal opens the door for a progressive successor, one more likely to prioritize economic cooperation with Beijing and appeasement toward North Korea.
South Korea’s role in the Indo-Pacific is far from marginal; it is a “global pivotal state” whose strategic decisions carry weight well beyond the Korean Peninsula. Its geographic proximity to both China and Taiwan, coupled with its robust economy and advanced technological sectors, positions South Korea as a key player in maintaining regional stability and countering Beijing’s hegemonic ambitions. Yet, recent statements by figures like Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, questioning the relevance of China’s aggression toward Taiwan to South Korea’s security, highlight a dangerous drift in strategic priorities.
In July 2024, South Korean opposition parties introduced legislative measures aimed at prohibiting military involvement in a Taiwan Strait conflict—moves that directly undermine U.S. efforts to rally allies in defense of Taipei. Such decisions reflect a myopic focus on short-term economic ties with China, risking the region’s long-term security.
Domestically, South Korea’s volatile political climate, fueled by sharp ideological divisions, complicates its ability to maintain consistent foreign and security policies. If progressives gain power, their approach is likely to revive Moon Jae-in’s policies, which prioritized conciliatory measures like the Sunshine Policy. These moves, while framed as peace efforts, often embolden adversaries and send mixed signals to allies.
Recalibrating U.S.-ROK Relations: Strategic and Economic Realities
South Korea’s strategic position in the Indo-Pacific cannot be understated, but the U.S.-ROK alliance must evolve to reflect modern realities. President Trump’s first-term exploration of recalibrating U.S. commitments to South Korea stemmed from two undeniable truths: the imbalance in defense costs and the economic potential for a more mutually beneficial partnership. These realities remain as relevant today as they were then.
While South Korea’s economy is one of the most advanced in the world, its financial contributions to the U.S. military presence have lagged behind its capacity. Although the 2024 cost-sharing agreement increases South Korea’s financial contributions, a vast portion of these funds is reinvested into South Korea’s own economy. This includes employing local labor, constructing military installations, and providing amenities for U.S. forces stationed on the peninsula.
Economically, the alliance offers untapped potential. While the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) has facilitated trade, there is room for further cooperation, particularly in sectors where South Korea has demonstrated global leadership, such as technology and emerging energy innovations. Recent efforts by South Korea to import more U.S. agricultural products signal a positive step toward addressing trade imbalances, but more can be done to deepen economic ties. Furthermore, the alliance must prioritize safeguards to ensure that U.S. military technology and infrastructure do not fall into the wrong hands.
Strengthening America’s Regional Strategy
To reinforce its Indo-Pacific strategy, the United States must not only recalibrate its commitments to South Korea but also bolster alliances with other regional partners. The Quad, which includes the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, remains a vital pillar of regional security. India’s participation in the current Quad dialogue, despite its initial withdrawal from the first iteration, underscores its strategic importance. India’s disputes with China, its central position in the Indo-Pacific, and its shared democratic values make it an indispensable partner in countering Beijing’s ambitions.
Beyond the Quad, the U.S. should encourage NATO members —including the UK and Canada—to expand their roles in the Indo-Pacific. NATO’s recognition of China as a systemic challenge presents an opportunity for these allies to contribute more significantly to regional stability. Initiatives such as joint military drills, advanced technology-sharing agreements, and enhanced economic cooperation could bolster collective resilience against Beijing’s coercive strategies.
Such an approach aligns America’s strategic interests in the region with modern security realities, ensuring a balanced and adaptable strategy that reduces overreliance on any single ally while strengthening the collective effort to counter China’s growing influence.
A Test of Leadership: A Pragmatic Action Plan for the Trump Administration
South Korea’s current political crisis offers the incoming Trump administration a critical opportunity to reassert U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific. By recalibrating alliances, prioritizing American interests, and holding allies accountable, Washington can ensure the region’s future is defined by freedom—not authoritarianism.
To strategically respond to this moment and safeguard U.S. strategic interests, the administration should implement the following action steps:
- Recalibrate the U.S.-ROK Alliance
- Make it clear that favorable trade agreements and security guarantees depend on South Korea’s alignment with U.S. strategic goals, particularly regarding China and North Korea.
- Introduce strict safeguards to protect sensitive U.S. military technology and infrastructure, reducing risks associated with South Korea’s deepening economic ties to Beijing.
- Strengthen Economic Ties Without Overreliance on Incentives
- Expand South Korea’s imports of U.S. agricultural products while fostering cooperation in advanced technology and emerging energy sectors.
- Avoid offering excessive financial incentives; instead, focus on partnerships that deliver measurable benefits for both nations and protect American industrial and strategic interests.
- Enhance Regional Alliances
- Bolster partnerships with Quad nations (Japan, Australia, and India) by increasing joint military exercises and interoperability.
- Engage NATO allies, including Canada and the UK, to take more active roles in the Indo-Pacific, aligning their capabilities with U.S. priorities.
- Redefine U.S. Military Commitments
- Move beyond outdated tripwire strategies, instead aligning troop deployments with U.S. strategic priorities across the Indo-Pacific.
- Signal that any South Korean drift toward Beijing or Pyongyang could lead to a realignment of U.S. force posture, ensuring accountability within the alliance.
- Encourage Broader Multilateral Cooperation
- Reengage India to ensure its continued participation in the Quad, mitigating its involvement in BRICS and reinforcing its role as a critical regional partner.
- Promote multilateral initiatives that address both economic and security challenges posed by Beijing’s growing influence.
The choices made today in Seoul and Washington will not merely shape the future of the Western Pacific but determine whether freedom or tyranny defines the 21st century and beyond. By implementing a principled and pragmatic approach, the Trump administration can secure a stronger, more resilient Indo-Pacific and protect American interests in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.
Charlton Allen is an attorney and former chief executive officer and chief judicial officer of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He is the founder and editor of The American Salient and the host of the Modern Federalist podcast where he frequently explores national security and foreign policy.
10. American Woman Admits Participation in 'North Korea's $17 Million Illegal Profit' Job Fraud
I have not seen any reports of this in the mainstream media.
This isi Google translation of a VOA report.
American Woman Admits Participation in 'North Korea's $17 Million Illegal Profit' Job Fraud
2025.2.12
Lee Jo-eun
https://www.voakorea.com/a/7971450.html
An American woman has pleaded guilty to helping North Korean IT workers get fake jobs, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The woman and North Korea made more than $17 million in illegal profits through the job scam. Reporter Lee Jo-eun reports.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release on the 11th that Christina Marie Chapman, a 48-year-old woman living in Arizona, had pleaded guilty to helping overseas information technology (IT) workers secure undercover employment.
Chapman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Washington, D.C., to three counts of electronic fraud, identity theft and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, between October 2020 and October 2023, Chapman conspired with overseas IT workers to impersonate U.S. citizens, apply for remote IT jobs using the identities, and then submit false documentation to the Department of Homeland Security.
Chapman and North Korea generated more than $17 million in illicit profits through this scheme, the Justice Department said, adding that much of the money was reported to the IRS under the names of real Americans whose identities were stolen.
However, the Ministry of Justice did not clearly state that these ‘overseas IT workers’ were North Korean workers.
Specifically, these overseas IT workers found jobs at hundreds of companies, including major U.S. corporations, and were primarily hired through temporary staffing agencies or contract firms.
More than 300 US companies affected
Chapman ran a “laptop farm” from his home, processing computers received from U.S. companies, making it appear as if the overseas workers were actually in the U.S., giving them access to the internal systems of U.S. companies.
More than 300 U.S. companies have been affected, and more than 70 Americans have had their identities stolen.
Chapman's final sentencing is scheduled for June 16, and under the plea deal, both sides have recommended the court impose a sentence of 94 to 111 months, the Justice Department said.
In recent years, the U.S. government has been taking several measures targeting North Korea's overseas IT workers and their illegal activities.
Earlier, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on the 23rd of last month that two North Koreans who received work from an American IT company by falsely revealing their nationality and identity, as well as a Mexican and two Americans who assisted them, had been indicted.
These North Koreans were found to have earned approximately $860,000 from 64 different American companies through undercover employment.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Police Agency, and the National Intelligence Service issued a joint advisory in the form of a "Joint Public Service Statement (PSA)" in 2023, disclosing the employment methods of North Korean IT workers and urging caution from U.S. companies.
This is Lee Jo-eun from VOA News.
11. Medical aid or military strategy? Why Russian troops are being sent to DPRK
I am skeptical of this report.
If accurate medical care in Russia must be really bad if they think they will find better care in north Korea.
Medical aid or military strategy? Why Russian troops are being sent to DPRK
Russian envoy revealed wounded troops are being treated in North Korea raising questions about what is being gained
https://www.nknews.org/2025/02/medical-aid-or-military-strategy-why-russian-troops-are-being-sent-to-dprk/
Anton Sokolin | Shreyas Reddy February 12, 2025
An X-ray unit in a hospital in Pyongyang | Image: Eric Lafforgue (Sept. 8, 2008)
As the Ukraine war rages on, North Korea has emerged as a key ally to Russia through its provision of troops and weapons, showcasing the growing closeness between the two countries. And now, Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang has now revealed another example of the close bond with the revelation that Russian soldiers have been receiving medical care in the DPRK.
Lauding Pyongyang’s “brotherly attitude,” Alexander Matsegora said in an interview this week that “hundreds” of Russian soldiers wounded in the Ukraine war have undergone rehabilitation in North Korean sanatoriums and medical facilities.
He also highlighted the DPRK’s act of hosting Russian children at the Songdowon children’s summer camp whose relatives died in battle, adding that North Korea insisted on providing treatment, care and food free of charge.
Matsegora’s revelation that Russia sent its wounded soldiers to North Korea has since sparked an international furor, with some questioning the legitimacy of his claims.
While it is difficult to verify reports of the soldiers’ rehabilitation, the unusual arrangement underscores the deepening Russia-DPRK ties, while raising questions about what the two sides may actually be gaining.
REPORTS OF TREATMENT
Matsegora’s statement followed Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s remarks in June, thanking DPRK leader Kim Jong Un for organizing tours to the Songdowon camp for the kids of Russian soldiers killed in the Ukraine war.
Several hundred Russian children visited the camp last summer, with at least 50 joining the trip for free through a contest organized by the patriotic pro-Putin Movement of the First.
While the schoolchildren’s tour was widely publicized, the alleged arrival of “hundreds” of wounded Russian soldiers to North Korea went under the radar.
According to the outlet Echo, which claims to have spoken to a family friend of a Russian serviceman who spent about two weeks recovering in North Korea, secrecy surrounding the trip was made top priority.
The group of Russian soldiers crossed into the country in a train car with tightly sealed windows, the outlet claimed, noting that the location of the medical facility in North Korea was also kept secret.
Russia and North Korea share a single rail crossing over the Tumen River, linking North Korea’s Tumangang and Russia’s Khasan stations. Previous accounts from Russian authorities suggest that the sanatorium is likely located on the country’s east coast or not far from the border.
The servicemen had no access to the outside world during their stay after DPRK authorities confiscated their phones at the border, Echo reported, citing the interlocutor, who added that the soldiers were constantly followed by a North Korean minder.
The soldiers were taken outside the facility once to visit a local market where they could buy souvenirs, according to the outlet.
Echo’s interlocutor said that the quality of treatment and medical service was “mediocre,” leaving much to be desired — not even on par with Soviet-era standards.
Additionally, the roughly two-week period the soldier spent in North Korea wasn’t enough for him to fully recover from his shrapnel wound to the back, the report added, citing the serviceman.
The soldier’s friend also reportedly noted that the severity of troops’ injuries likely played a major part in who was selected to be sent to the DPRK: “They took those who looked okay, who weren’t too roughed up by their wounds.”
“Before departure, they were given new clothes so that they all looked presentable,” the interlocutor said as cited by Echo.
Russian soldiers in action against Ukrainian forces | Image: Russian Ministry of Defense (July 24, 2023)
However, the war blogger General SVR (SVR stands for Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service), who often posts alleged insights about the Kremlin, expressed doubts about the number of Russian soldiers sent to North Korea for rehabilitation.
“No more than a dozen actual Russian soldiers have been sent to North Korea for treatment so far, and even those, so to speak, were for appearances’ sake,” the blogger wrote on Telegram, claiming that it is actually North Korean soldiers, masked as Russian ethnic minorities, who are recovering in the DPRK.
While NK News is unable to verify the veracity of the information published by Echo and General SVR, these accounts underscore potential challenges to organizing the rehabilitation of Russian soldiers wounded on the battlefield.
Despite the challenges of transporting wounded soldiers from western Russia and Ukraine to North Korea, the two countries’ extensive rail and ship connections make medical treatment in North Korea plausible, according to Hyun-seung Lee, a North Korean defector who previously served in the DPRK military’s Combat Technique Research Institute.
However he questioned whether North Korea would risk treating these soldiers in hospitals accessible to the public, as news of their presence could spread within the country.
WHAT NORTH KOREA HAS TO OFFER
Matsegora’s comments offered little detail about the kind of treatment Russian soldiers have received at North Korean facilities.
North Korea’s Soviet-style sanatoriums are sometimes used for preventative and curative care, including for infectious diseases like tuberculosis, but many operate as a cross between spas and medical institutions.
The Russian envoy’s phrasing, combined with Echo’s account of the soldiers’ selection, suggests Moscow may have focused on restorative treatment for the wounded soldiers sent to the DPRK, rather than intensive medical procedures.
“It’s just about time for recovery,” Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University and director of Korea Risk Group, told NK News. “Somebody recovering, having been treated, needs a few weeks’ time — maybe longer, depending on the situation — to recover.”
He added that North Korea has many such facilities offering a “resort-style life,” which would offer the recuperating soldiers basic physical exercise, physiotherapy, simple drugs to boost recovery, and above all “a quiet, tranquil place.”
Despite the war blogger General SVR’s doubts about Russia sending “hundreds” of soldiers for treatment, Lankov stated that the DPRK has “enough facilities for thousands,” while the Russian military has no shortage of patients.
“There are people who will need such treatment and the North Koreans have the opportunity to provide such treatment,” he said.
While Russia appears open to making use of North Korea’s rehabilitation facilities, Lankov stated that it would be less willing to send its wounded soldiers to its “underdeveloped, poorly equipped” hospitals for more serious cases.
“North Koreans have some problems with medical treatment,” he explained. “They have a shortage of drugs, the equipment is quite old and outdated, and it’s not a good idea.”
The defector Lee agreed that many hospitals in North Korea are outdated and poorly equipped, but noted that some general hospitals and top-level military hospitals — specifically Pyongyang’s Eoen Military Hospital and the Korean People’s Army Hospital No. 11 — are better suited to treating injured soldiers.
However, he added that the Russian soldiers sent for rehabilitation are unlikely to require “high-end medical technology or top-tier treatment,” and suggested that Kim Jong Un may instead seek to accommodate and treat Russian soldiers at the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone scheduled to open this summer.
The long-delayed resort’s distance from Pyongyang and designation as a tourist area could ensure concerns aren’t raised about the presence of hundreds of Russian soldiers, Lee told NK News, allowing the DPRK regime to attract Russian tourists in the future by promoting its treatment of Russian soldiers.
North Korean war veterans undergoing rehabilitation at the Pyongyang Municipal Sanatorium for War Veterans | Image: Pyongyang Times (Aug. 10, 2024)
BUILDING LASTING GOODWILL
Matsegora’s claim that North Korea refused to accept payment for the medical care and food provided to Russia’s wounded troops and the children of deceased soldiers has raised questions about Pyongyang’s objectives, but Lankov said this is not surprising as rehabilitative treatment would cost little money.
“They are probably not expecting to be engaged in some expensive, complicated medical treatment, and if they were, I’m pretty sure that the Russians would pay for these additional expenses,” he said.
Matsegora did not mention when the soldiers received treatment, but Lee suggested the provision of medical services may be aimed at compensating for North Korean troops’ “disastrous combat performance and repeated defeats” since they joined Russia’s war effort in Ukraine in October last year.
“Kim Jong Un has been humiliated in front of President Vladimir Putin,” he said. “To save face, he may have proposed providing medical treatment and rehabilitation for Russian soldiers in North Korea.”
Kyiv has claimed on several occasions that DPRK troops have suffered heavy casualties and appear unsuited to the rigors of modern warfare, although in recent weeks some Ukrainian sources have shifted to praising the North Koreans’ bravery and skill.
However, North Korea’s reported refusal to accept payment for the soldiers’ care and Russia’s decision to ship hundreds of soldiers abroad for treatment could mask a hidden agenda, according to The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S. think tank.
“The arrival of combat experienced Russian soldiers, particularly if they include officers or non-commissioned officers, to North Korea may allow the Russian military to work with North Korean forces and disseminate lessons from the war in Ukraine while ostensibly recuperating,” the nonprofit stated on Monday.
ISW’s hypothesis has since been shared widely by Ukrainian media, following previous warnings from Kyiv that Russia is likely providing advanced military technologies and training to Pyongyang in exchange for its provision of troops and weapons.
However, the rehabilitation services are ultimately more about long-term “symbolism” and friendship rather than simply facilitating short-term cooperation, according to Lankov.
The expert suggested Pyongyang would have likely offered such services to Moscow in a bid to boost its soft power by exposing soldiers to the good sides of North Korean life.
“Soldiers who spend some time in North Korea … are going to have some sympathy and the memory of this will remain for a long time,” he said.
“It creates a lasting goodwill, which, with some luck and some efforts aimed at maintaining it, will last decades.”
Edited by Alannah Hill
12. President Trump: “I know Kim Jong-un better than anyone else”∙∙∙Suggesting to pursue summit diplomacy
VOA is broadcasting President Trump's message to Kim Jong Un and the Korean people in the north.
What other news organization is transmitting the President's messages and policies to the north (and in the Korean language)?
This is a Google translation of a VOA report.
President Trump: “I know Kim Jong-un better than anyone else”∙∙∙Suggesting to pursue summit diplomacy
https://www.voakorea.com/a/7971024.html
2025.2.12
US President Donald Trump has again indicated that he will pursue a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In an interview with Fox News aired on the 10th, President Trump said, “I know North Korea’s Kim Jong-un better than anyone,” adding, “Most people will never even have a chance to talk to him.”
President Trump's remarks that day came as he flaunted his personal friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“We’ve always had a very good personal relationship,” Trump said of Xi. “I know him very well. I probably know him better than anybody in much of the world.”
And soon after, he showed off his friendship with Chairman Kim.
President Trump has recently been repeatedly emphasizing his friendship with Chairman Kim.
At a press conference held after a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who visited Washington on the 7th, he said, “We are still committed to efforts to ensure safety and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” and said that he would establish a relationship with Chairman Kim.
He added that his good relationship with Chairman Kim prevented war, adding, “The fact that I get along well with him is a great asset to all of us.”
President Trump's recent repeated emphasis on his close relationship with Chairman Kim is interpreted as indicating his intention to pursue future US-North Korea summit diplomacy.
However, Korean Peninsula experts in the United States predict that the possibility of a North Korea-US summit being held in the near future is slim.
Terence Lorig Professor of East Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin
Terence Rohrig, a professor of East Asian studies at the University of Wisconsin, told VOA earlier in a phone call that “it is certainly possible that the Trump administration will try to restart the summit,” but “it is not certain that Kim Jong Un will respond.”
The Trump administration's second term has also stated that the complete denuclearization of North Korea is its goal, so it is unlikely that Chairman Kim will agree to a summit. Even if he does agree, he will demand a considerable price in return, but the United States has no intention of meeting such a demand, so the possibility of summit diplomacy is low.
This is Ahn Jun-ho from VOA News.
13. How Trump’s Gaza plan deepens DPRK distrust and fuels its fears of diplomacy
Second and third order effects. But we have no imperial ambitions in Korea. We just want to see the resolution of the "Korea question" by the Korean people that results in a free and unified Korean peninsula.
How Trump’s Gaza plan deepens DPRK distrust and fuels its fears of diplomacy
North Korea slammed Trump’s plans to relocate Palestinians, seeing them as proof of US imperial ambitions
https://www.nknews.org/2025/02/how-trumps-gaza-plan-deepens-dprk-distrust-and-fuels-its-fears-of-diplomacy/
Gabriela Bernal February 12, 2025
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un meet in Vietnam in Feb. 2019 | Image: The White House
U.S. President Donald Trump has once again shocked the world by declaring his intention to fully take over Gaza. Trump doubled down on this plan over the weekend, stating he is “committed to buying and owning Gaza,” adding that Palestinians would not be able to return and would instead be forcibly resettled elsewhere.
On Wednesday, North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) strongly condemned the new U.S. administration’s plans for Gaza, stating that “A nation’s sovereignty, self-determination, and territorial integrity cannot be America’s bargaining chips or objects of ridicule.” The article called for America to “wake up from these anachronistic delusions and immediately stop violating other nations’ dignity and sovereignty.”
Trump’s remarks about Gaza are likely to hurt chances of diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang resuming anytime soon, as it will now be harder to sway Kim Jong Un to return to dialogue given the U.S. president’s actions.
These red flags paired with a continuation of the same “hostile policy” from Washington — such as the demand for North Korea’s denuclearization — do not bode well for the possibility of resuming Washington-Pyongyang dialogue. While the door to the latter remains open, the new administration in Washington will have to take significant trust-building steps to entice Kim back to the negotiating table.
Trump and Netanyahu meet at the White House | Photo: Israeli PM via X (Feb. 5, 2025)
DISREGARD FOR SOVEREIGNTY
North Korea has long been a friend and partner of Palestine, with the states cooperating in various areas including militarily. Pyongyang has been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause ever since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out in 2023, with state media regularly condemning Israel and the U.S. for the destruction of Gaza.
Trump’s remarks will likely strengthen this view. Talk of “buying” what North Korea sees as a sovereign state has likely served to reaffirm Pyongyang’s view of America’s “predatory intentions,” as stated in Wednesday’s KCNA article.
The piece also strongly condemned the U.S.’ interest in acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal — each an example that sends a message to Kim Jong Un to be wary of jumping into talks with Trump too soon.
North Korea already experienced complete destruction by the U.S. during the Korean War and remains hypersensitive to any kinds of threat to its sovereignty and security. This kind of talk by Trump could make Kim consider the possibility of the U.S. president taking a similar approach regarding the DPRK. Just like Trump said Palestinians can be relocated to third countries, he could support sending North Koreans to the South in case of a conflict.
Moreover, Trump has already expressed his interest in real estate projects in North Korea, saying the country “could have the best hotels in the world.” While this sounded promising in 2018, Pyongyang may interpret those remarks differently in the wake of Trump’s recent proposal of making Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
While Kim Jong Un needs foreign currency to keep his country afloat, he will never place this interest above the survival of his regime. Over a decade of sanctions have proven this, as did the failed 2019 Hanoi summit. Any similar economic proposals will thus have less of an impact this time around, especially due to Trump’s Gaza plans.
North Korean news bulletin reporting that Israel killed 65 people and wounded dozens of civilians by attacking a residential building in Gaza. | Image: KCTV (Nov. 2, 2024)
UNTRUSTWORTHY NEGOTIATING PARTNER
North Korea may also find it difficult to trust the U.S. president as a diplomatic partner following his remarks about Gaza. Kim already got a taste of this in 2019 when Trump refused to make any concessions despite all the summitry and seemingly close friendship with the North Korean leader.
Most concerning of all, the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas does not even involve the U.S. Trump’s remarks, which could jeopardize a ceasefire deal that he was not even part of, may compel Pyongyang to have second thoughts about any potential U.S.-DPRK diplomatic deal.
With diplomacy between the two sides practically non-existent since Hanoi, the first priority should be to reestablish trust. Without this, the resumption of dialogue will be impossible. Trump inserting himself in a completely foreign conflict without seemingly having engaged in any discussions with the Palestinian leadership sends a very dangerous message to Kim Jong Un.
Just as Trump has locked hands with Israel, the DPRK has no guarantee he won’t do the same with South Korea if the latter claims an attack or serious provocation by Pyongyang. The latter remains a real possibility given the recent discovery of an alleged South Korean plot to provoke North Korean attacks at the Northern Limit Line (NLL). Kim Jong Un has no reason to think Trump would believe his word over that of Seoul, which gives him ample reason for concern.
In theory, Trump could support a South Korean offensive against the North and allow a South Korean-led “unification by absorption” plan to go ahead, if it results in a solution to the nuclear issue, North Korean human rights violations, and the potential for him to have a hand at transforming one of the most isolated states in the world.
Ultimately, Trump will go after what makes him look best. Not what is in North Korea’s best interest, let alone Kim Jong Un’s.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Kim Jong Un during the first day of the Hanoi Summit on Feb. 27, 2019 | Image: Rodong Sinmun (March 1, 2019)
NO CHANGE IN ‘HOSTILE’ POLICY
Besides Trump’s Gaza remarks, Pyongyang will also be closely watching the U.S. president’s comments directly related to the DPRK. In particular, Trump agreed to continue pursuing the complete denuclearization of North Korea during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba last week.
According to the joint statement, the two leaders also stressed the “need to deter and counter the DPRK’s malicious cyber activities and the DPRK’s increasing military cooperation with Russia.”
Such comments are in stark contrast to Trump’s previous expressions of interest in resuming talks with Kim. To Pyongyang, Trump’s actions and remarks will seem like a continuation of Washington’s same “hostile policy.”
Given the lack of substantive action on Trump’s part so far to resume diplomacy with the DPRK, North Korea has maintained its hardline stance against the U.S. On Tuesday, North Korea’s defense ministry accused the U.S. of harboring an “invariable hysteria for confrontation” with the country, accusing Washington of “openly ignoring the security concerns of the DPRK.”
Tuesday’s statement concluded with a direct threat, warning that North Korea’s armed forces would “exercise their legitimate right without hesitation to punish provokers” and “deter the factors threatening the regional security environment.”
As such, it doesn’t seem North Korea is considering resuming diplomatic engagement with Washington. Continued U.S.-ROK military exercises in the region combined with Trump’s rhetoric toward Gaza will only serve to reaffirm Kim’s current military and diplomatic strategy focused on deepening cooperation with Russia and continued confrontation with South Korea.
Although the possibility to resume U.S.-DPRK talks exists, the Trump administration will have to establish some level of trust with North Korea — a foundation which remains non-existent. Like with Gaza, however, Pyongyang will maintain a close eye on Trump’s diplomatic activities elsewhere.
Edited by Alannah Hill
14. North Korean officials make money through 'human resources brokering'
This is a Google translation of an RFA report.
North Korean officials make money through 'human resources brokering'
https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/food_international_org/north-korea-manpower-brokerage-market-power-02122025084155.html
Seoul-Son Hye-min xallsl@rfa.org
2025.02.12
A North Korean soldier stands guard as people unload cargo from a ship on the Yalu River, which separates Sinuiju, North Korea, and Dandong, China, in December 2013.
/AFP
00:00 /03:27
Anchor : As state-run company executives jump into the 'human resources brokerage' market that exists in every region of North Korea, voices of discontent are growing louder . Reporter Son Hye-min reports from inside North Korea .
In North Korea, where labor is allocated through a centralized labor policy, there is no official labor market. However, after the planned economy collapsed due to economic difficulties, the July 1 Measures (2002) were announced, and the independent accounting system and corporate autonomy were strengthened, creating labor markets throughout North Korea and creating labor brokerage markets .
A source in North Pyongan Province ( requesting anonymity for personal safety reasons ) told Radio Free Asia on the 11th , “Most people ( labor ) introduction businesses used to be done by individuals , but these days, factory executives are getting involved . ”
“Usually, the people who introduce people to individuals who are looking for manpower and receive an introduction fee are active individuals who are connected to various business owners via mobile phone, but it seems that the manpower brokerage business is under control,” he said.
The source added, “Mid-level managers at state-run factories, such as supervisors, work team leaders, and even factory managers, are involved in the human resources brokerage business and are receiving high referral fees ( commissions ) . ”
“A few days ago , I carried a 20-kilogram sack on my back from Yongcheon to a trading company warehouse at the mouth of the Amnok River ( about 2 km ), ” he said. “All 10 men in their 30s and 40s who went with me were workers at the agricultural machinery business , and the agricultural machinery business foreman was the manpower broker . ”
He continued, “ The men who carried the heavy sacks for nearly three hours were paid 10,000 won ( US $ 0.50 ) , but the foreman who brokered the work took a 30 percent brokerage fee , so each person was paid 7,000 won ( US $ 0.35 ) . ”
According to Sosi ( 식 ) Tong , the labor brokerage fee in the North Korean labor market varies depending on the intensity of the work and the number of people , but is usually known to be 5-10% .
A source said, “If the labor broker is an individual and takes a lot of commission, the day laborers will protest, but if a state-run agency official brokers the labor, they will put forward the idea of resolving the factory funding issue to revive the national economy, so there is no room for protest, which leads to dissatisfaction . ”
A female worker inspects a machine at the Pyongyang Socks Factory. /AP
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In relation to this , a source in South Pyongan Province ( requested anonymity due to personal safety ) also explained on the 12th, “The transaction of selling and buying labor at market prices arose when food rations were suspended,” and “This is because individuals ( money lenders ) need manpower for building apartments or farming small plots of land . ”
Residents complain that 'they are taking away their means of earning a living'
The source said , “If people stand near the market, brokers connected to private real estate construction companies or land owners will randomly come and send them to workers in need , and they will receive daily wages after deducting the brokerage fee . ”
He continued, “However, since the end of last year, control over the hired workers standing in the market area has begun, and labor brokers are having a hard time recruiting people. Factory executives are directly sending workers to the factory through the labor market, which is causing a lot of dissatisfaction among labor brokers . ”
“It is not just labor brokers but also day laborers who openly complain that the government is taking away their means of making a living,” the source said.
The source added, “Since last week, 20 workers from the Eunsan County machinery factory have been hired to build a private restaurant under the name of the local government . They are dissatisfied because the manager of the machinery factory takes all of the 3,000 won (USD 0.15 ) per person per day ( under the name of brokerage fee ) ( how much is the daily wage and what percentage of the daily wage is the service fee ?) until the construction is finished . ”
This is Son Hye-min of RFA's Free Asia Broadcasting in Seoul .
Editor Yang Seong-won, Web Editor Kim Sang-il
15. [Room 39, Lee Jeong-ho's Eyes] "Orascom, properly hit in the back of the head by North Korea"
This is why it would be hard to get investors for business in north Korea even if relations were normalized (because north Korea is not a normal country).
This is a Google translation of an RFA column.
[Room 39, Lee Jeong-ho's Eyes] "Orascom, properly hit in the back of the head by North Korea"
https://www.rfa.org/korean/news_indepth/orascom-telecom-investment-north-korea-risk-02112025141158.html
WASHINGTON-Noh Jeong-min nohj@rfa.org
2025.02.11
December 2008, the launch ceremony of the '3rd generation mobile communication' service held in Pyongyang, attended by Naguib Sawiris, chairman of Egyptian telecommunications company Orascom Telecom.
/ AP, Yonhap News
00:00 /14:36
“Hello . I am Ri Jeong-ho, a former high-ranking official from the Daeheung General Bureau of Room 39 of the North Korean Workers’ Party.”
[ Based on the experience of a former high-ranking North Korean official, we dig into the secrets of the Kim Jong-un regime and its core power circles , examine the truth and lies of North Korea's policies today, and analyze politics , economy , and society through 'Room 39 , Lee Jeong-ho's Eyes' , with Lee Jeong-ho, head of the Korea Prosperity Development Center (KPDC) .]
“ Orascom’s withdrawal is a powerful signal that North Korea is not honoring its investment contracts , and is a prime example of a warning to investors around the world about the risks .”
Orascom , an Egyptian telecommunications company that invested hundreds of millions of dollars in North Korea in 2008 to launch a mobile telecommunications service, suffered huge losses and withdrew empty-handed after just four years .
“ The foreign exchange earnings that Orascom had generated evaporated due to North Korea’s accounting manipulation , and in 2012 it received only $1 million in return , which was a few hundredths of the profits that Orascom had expected .”
There are many companies like Orascom that invested in North Korea and then lost everything and withdrew. This shows that North Korea has been using foreign investors in the same way for decades .
Ambassador Lee Su-yong tells Kim Jong-il , ' Using Cell Phones is a Need of the Times '
[ Reporter ] Hello , Mr. Lee Jeong-ho . Today, we will talk about the Egyptian telecommunications company Orascom and North Korea's mobile telecommunications business . I have been covering Orascom since 2008 when it began its mobile telecommunications business in North Korea . First , can you explain when North Korea first introduced mobile telecommunications services and why it was later discontinued ?
[ Lee Jeong-ho ] It was in November 2002 when North Korea first began its mobile communication service . At the time, Thailand's ' Loxley Pacific ' and North Korea's ' Chosun Post and Telecommunications Company ' jointly established and operated the ' Northeast Asia Telephone Communications Company . ' This company received a license from the North Korean authorities to operate for 30 years and launched the second- generation (2G) mobile communication service . I also purchased and used a cell phone at that time . At that time, anyone could subscribe as long as they had foreign currency ( dollars ), so everyone from traders to market vendors and even people in power rushed to buy cell phones . It quickly expanded to tens of thousands of subscribers in just two years .
Then, after the Ryongchon Station explosion on April 22 , 2004 , mobile communication services in North Korea were completely suspended . On that day, a large - scale explosion occurred at Ryongchon Station in North Pyongan Province , adjacent to Dandong City, China, right after Kim Jong-il's train passed by on his way back from a visit to China . At the time , North Korea's State Security Department viewed this as " an assassination attempt by enemies targeting the top leadership " and reported directly to Kim Jong-il that there was a possibility of an explosion attack using the remote control function of a mobile phone .
And in accordance with Kim Jong-il's policy, an immediate ban on mobile phone use was issued nationwide, and all existing subscribers' terminals were recalled . In the end , for the sake of Kim Jong-il's personal safety, all mobile communication services in North Korea were completely halted .
[ Reporter ] Then in 2008 , North Korea joined hands with Orascom to resume its mobile communications business after 4 years and 8 months . Considering that Kim Jong-il had banned all mobile communications after the Ryongchon Station explosion in 2004 , this change was groundbreaking . I am curious about the background to North Korea restarting its mobile communications business .
[ Ri Jeong-ho ] At that time , there was not a single person in North Korea who could have suggested resuming the mobile communications business , which would have affected Kim Jong-il's safety . However, Ri Su-yong, deputy director of Kim Jong-il's secretariat and North Korea's ambassador to Switzerland, raised the issue of resuming mobile communications to Kim Jong - il in 2007. He had been working in Switzerland and Europe since 1980 and had been an aide to Kim Jong-il, so he had strong reformist tendencies . Kim Jong-il also trusted him , and from around 1995, he sent his son Kim Jong-un to study in Switzerland and had Ri Su-yong look after him . As a result, he has a very close relationship with Kim Jong-un .
At that time, Ambassador Ri Su-yong persuaded Kim Jong-il by saying, “ General , the world is now rapidly changing due to the use of mobile phones . If our country does not resume mobile communications, I am concerned that we will be left behind in modern civilization . General , the use of mobile phones is a demand of the times .” This is something he told me personally . Also, during a meeting with the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union ( ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland, he encountered statistical data that stated , “ Mobile communications networks can be of great help in preventing terrorism and controlling society, ” and he used this as evidence to persuade Kim Jong-il . In the end , Kim Jong-il also accepted Ambassador Ri Su-yong’s logic . ( The portion quoting Ambassador Ri Su-yong’s remarks has not been independently confirmed .)
And Ri Su-yong succeeded in bringing Naguib Sawiris, the chairman of Egypt's Orascom Group, who was one of the world's 50 richest men, to North Korea . At that time, Kim Jong-il gave Orascom the mobile communications business license in exchange for a condition that it attract more investment . Accordingly, Orascom received the North Korean mobile communications business license for 25 years in exchange for investing 400 million dollars in North Korea , and established ' Koryolink ' with Orascom owning 75% of the total shares and North Korea owning the remaining 25% . Finally , thanks to Ambassador Ri Su-yong's dedicated and persistent efforts, North Korea finally resumed its mobile communications service in December 2008 , 4 years and 8 months after the complete suspension of mobile communications in 2004 .
A woman wearing a mask talks on her mobile phone on a bus in Pyongyang. / AFP
Request for wiretapping equipment , secret phones, etc. from Orascom
[ Reporter ] However, resuming mobile communication services in North Korea is a huge political burden . It must have been particularly sensitive in terms of information distribution . Were there any conflicts or unexpected incidents during the contract process ?
[ Lee Jeong-ho ] Why not? At the time, Ambassador Ri Su-yong told me a very impressive story . On the day of the signing of the contract for the mobile communications business , a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, the North Korean contractor, was suddenly hospitalized . It was not due to health issues ; he was trying to avoid any danger to himself and his family after signing the contract . After the Ryongchon Station explosion in 2004 , there was widespread fear in North Korea that mobile phones could be used as terrorist tools , and in a North Korean system where policies can be overturned at any time, there was also fear that if Kim Jong-il suddenly criticized the resumption of the mobile communications business, the contracting party would not be able to avoid punishment .
When Ri Su-yong heard about this situation, he immediately reported it to Kim Jong-il, who then personally called the 1st Vice Director of the State Security Department and ordered him to push through with the contract . In this way, the State Security Department reassured the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications official that they would “ not hold him responsible for the contract ” and then finalized the contract . Listening to this story , I once again realized the reality created by the extreme politics of fear in the North Korean regime .
The State Security Department also put strong pressure on Ambassador Ri Su-yong, saying that they would only approve Orascom’s mobile communications business if they first brought in about 10 million dollars’ worth of wiretapping equipment . This was under the pretext of protecting the leader’s safety and the country’s security . At the time, Ambassador Ri Su-yong said that he felt as if he was indebted to them . In addition, some central party officials strongly opposed the use of mobile communications within the Workers’ Party building, saying that the leader’s secrets could be leaked , but Ambassador Ri pushed ahead anyway . He requested Orascom to bring in the wiretapping equipment first , and gave priority to the provision of secret phones with wiretapping prevention functions to central party officials, officials at the State Security Department director-general level or higher , and high-ranking military leaders .
In this way, the central party officials were able to take out their phones from their pockets and make calls at any time, and they all cheered. This was the beginning of a huge communications revolution in North Korea . If it weren’t for Ambassador Ri Su-yong , the introduction of mobile communications services in North Korea would have been impossible , and the people might still be living in the old days . I think he deserves to be evaluated as the person who led the change and development of North Korea . However, there is no one by Kim Jong-un’s side who is courageous enough to insist on the introduction of the Internet like Ri Su-yong . The more this happens, North Korea is becoming more and more distant from modern civilization and falling deeper into the swamp of isolation .
16. A Man Who Created the Jucheism’s Last Advice to Democratic Countries: The Current North Korean Policy Could be Adjusted
I remember vividly when Hwang Jang Yop defected in 1997.
A Man Who Created the Jucheism’s Last Advice to Democratic Countries: The Current North Korean Policy Could be Adjusted
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/man-who-created-jucheism-%EC%A3%BC%EC%B2%B4%EC%82%AC%EC%83%81s-last-advice-democratic-dong-yon-kim-z7ytc/?trackingId=JHpdQwFJNV7R1dLzr9JJKw%3D%3D
US Embassy Seoul | Air Force Veteran
February 10, 2025
By Dong Yon Kim
Herein after is not representing a certain country or certain group but solely on a subjective assessment of the North Korean system based on the passed away North Korean high official, Hwang Jang Yop. Therefore, this interpretation of Hwang could be different from the original. This assessment alone cannot cover the 300 pages long memo of Hwang and many understand the North Korean system as the socialism or communism of a certain country but it is a very unique on its own that the copy-and-paste solution from the Soviets, and China will not directly work out.
On this day, February 12, 1997, was a day when two Koreas’ history changed upside down. North Korea’s highest official voluntarily escaped to the South Korean Embassy in Beijing, China. A man who has been covered in a veil, a man who served the entire Kim family, a man who has created the entire social system of North Korea, a man of statecraft, a philosopher, and a mastermind.
The longest-serving dictatorship in the World, North Korea
Foreigners who joined the Korean Watch arena in recent years nearly never heard about the North Korean man who created the hermit kingdom’s backbone ideology Jucheism (주체사상) and many foreigners rarely thought about who invented the North Korean social system. Also, many still think that North Korean ideology was created by the Kim family or do not even question such origin.
One must notice North Korea is the only country where a hardline dictatorship lasted over 70 years without any internal coup de ’tat while others have fallen to the grave and the recent fall of the Syrian dictatorship Bashar al-Assad is another example of such failure. After this Syrian crash, North Korea is indeed the only country with a strictly closed state with an authoritarian dictatorship.
Yes, North Korea too can fail soon or later and the world anticipates that happy ending but it is still projecting its power too long to tease all democratic countries in the region and across the Pacific, Washington over multiple Presidencies.
Then it is natural curiosity to ask why and how North Korea can last this long. It is not about glorifying North Korea or its Kim family but why is it so special about North Korean ideology which still made some South Korean people become the compromised voluntary spies for the Hermit Kingdom?
There was a North Korean high official who defected to South Korea in the late 1990s. His name was Hwang Jang Yop (February 17, 1923 ~ October 10, 2010). He made the backbone of the North Korean regime which made its people credo quia absurdum and no one dared to challenge the Kim family.
This is because Hwang Jang Yop was the brightest intelligentsia in the North who studied abroad in Russia and China in the field of philosophy, especially Marxism and the form of political governments in those socialism and communism countries. This ended up creating North Korea which can be in the form of socialism but remedied how to be unbreakable compared to other failed countries like Soviet Russia and Eastern Bloc and more.
Simply put, Hwang is a person comparable to a well-known philosopher of today, Dr. Francis Fukuyama. It is indeed some of Hwang’s ideology is comparable to Fukuyama’s philosophy on democracy. It is unfortunate that Hwang had no chance to discuss his ideology about a form of government including democracy with such great scholars of the era in the international domain before his death in 2010.
Tailor-made Marxism: The North Korean backbone is Feudalism, not Socialism.
First of all, what is Jucheism? Jucheism is sometimes called “North Korean-ism” for Westerners because it is the original form of ideology that only flourished from North Korea in which heavily emphasized its own form of government; therefore, its system has no direct comparison to other pro forma socialism or communism but a tailor-made dictatorship for North Koreans and this particular tailor for Pyongyang is the Hwang Jang Yop.
We the countries of Democracies often interpret North Korea as a form of socialism but it is in fact feudalism according to Hwang Jang Yop. It is more of feudalism, the unripened form of society where the use of violence against its people could be rationalized easily while outsiders have yet to understand much about the link of using violence as a form of control.
This is why many North Korean escapees to South Korea even including those high officials and intelligentsia have never heard about the terminology like “Human rights.” When societal living is close to “hand to mouth,” civilian rights are nothing to think about from the North Koreans’ perspective but we the Democratic nations outcrying for North Korean human rights for ages. This only has proved our blindfolded mirror-imaging bias and has not so much so directly impacted the North Koreans to awake internally.
In this sense, there is a difference between internal awakening and external awakening. Yes, human rights do carry power against the Kim leadership, the exterior layers but it is the subject that does not strike the chords of North Korean people isolated from the world, the internal layers. At the same time, here we can see how much the world has yet to understand North Korea.
Also, while North Korea emphasizes and glorifies the working-level workers just as Marxism, in fact, their system is not closely Marxism but a feudalism-like classification that only highlights the power of dictators and the small group of ruling elites. This is because North Korea is based on more like feudalism which embodied its only dictator, a King, or a God-like figure.
This is why some North Korean experts have interpreted the North Korean Jucheism is more like a religion rather than a political system. In such a concept also somewhat witnessed among extreme jihadism terror groups when the political causes are synchronized with the religious belief, it is nearly impossible to undermine their casus belli, so any attempt of deterrence against them only hardens their reason to fight and they see them as the outsiders’ direct challenge to their religion.
The Oxymoron of Intelligentsia in North Korea and the Outside of North Korea
According to Hwang, North Korea figured out about the difficulty of Marxism when it comes to praising workers class and putting them in high positions ended up require more education and training for those workers because they are non-intelligentsia from the start. Working-class in government is not a proper group to lead the country.
Simply the society where uneducated groups control over educated groups. In this reason, North Korean intelligentsia often became the exhausted and wasted class where they are busy educating the mass public in order to obey them for the country.
In the end, intelligentsia themselves are isolated and suppressed by those uneducated or those same working-level people who have educated by the intelligentsia. This made the society to use of force and violence easier as a part of bureaucratic system. Systemic force is the only way to control those intelligentsia people. While North Korea emphasize the working class, its system is design to suppress those working class and brainwash their self-thinking ability through those intelligentsia groups teaching.
North Korea do aware that these intelligentsia group is the only possible group to realize its own authoritarian oxymoronic fallacy in the society which they can potentially initiate the attempt to topple the government through the coup, so its statecraft design made such groups stay far away from the higher positions and have no access to forces.
The cold fact of such fallacy among intelligentsia in the North, educated intelligentsia from the outside world has another irony where many North Korean collaborators and voluntary spies for Pyongyang are mostly from intelligentsia groups. Many North Korean-worshippers are well-educated and often are white-collar class in democratic countries including South Korea and overseas. Many of these blinded intelligentsias outside of North Korea often lead other non-educated groups in the wrong direction.
How North Korea Recruits Foreign Intelligentsia
According to Hwang, this is because of the vulnerability of Democracy and capitalism where its free market encourages hardline competition among people which can be monopolized by those rich winners and leave the poor losers behind.
This made those capitalism-losers to carry suspicion against democracy and let them doubt the equality of the society under Democracy. North Korea too aware of this vulnerability well enough that they want to attack this loophole of the Democracy, “economic inequality” and allure those Intelligentsia to join the North Korean cause. From those fallen democratic citizens’ eyes North Korea’s Jacheism’s emphasis on the working class sounds rational and easily shares sympathetic commonalities with North Korean people.
Though, once joined the Intelligentsia group in North Korea, such personnel only will realize that he or she has been betrayed by the Kim family, and by then, it would be too late to regret.
North Korean intelligentsia in nature, according to its statecraft designer Hwang, it will suffer from a bureaucratic system and there will be no chance to be recognized by the party and one’s creative thinking will only be suppressed by force and violence. This will only realize the cold fact far from Utopia.
When mankind once realizes the fallacy of the system, it is much tougher to endure the difficulty and cannot psychologically obey and accept the skewed society for a long period, compared to those who have not yet realized the systemic error. Hwang’s explanation about intelligentsia in the North also matched with the testimonies of those North Korean escapees to Seoul.
Hwang’s Prediction in the late 90s about the World War III with Washington
Hwang sees the United States is a form of successful democracy that remedied its vulnerability of such inequality of wealth by re-investing those finance to those in deficiency of education and culture. Share of good education and cultural richness enlightened the American people. For this reason, America can sustain its national leeway in the right direction because of people’s consented common sense.
He emphasized the need for enlightening of people and such should be equally grow with the economic wealth. If societal education cannot keep up with the speed of economic growth will bear problems. If society were only grown in economy would never bear the common sense and rule of law and could be easily swayed by the wrong leadership, especially under socialism where people learned to act in unity more than those in capitalism. One great example of such could be China.
Democratic capitalism by its nature has boasted people’s individualism far more than socialism often lacks the unity of the people and does not follow the national cause as a harmonized socialist system. Based on this, education and training of its people on how to unite together under the same national cause and interest is a must.
In Hwang’s writings in 1997, Hwang even forecasted the possible scenarios of the World War III and Washington’s possible involvement but he predicted that Washington would never be the starter of the World War III.
It is because such war inevitably would utilize the nuclear form of weapon and such use of nuclear is evidently suicidal for the US. Americans in general are educationally and culturally enlightened enough to know the devastating outcome of the World War III so Americans will never be the starter of the war, unless American common-sense is broken in the society.
In this logic, those countries where economically grown but its people are far from enlightened could be the potential starter of the World War III. Again, education and cultural advancement along with the economic growth is a must for healthy society.
North Korea Can Conquer South Korea in A Few Months
Hwang also clearly highlighted that any country that started the new war first would end as the loser of the war based on historical lessons like Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union but those authoritarian dictatorships often forget about the past, leading to their war ambition and their people are yet to see their leaders’ wrong direction toward the War.
His idea of the next war is about the global seeking of a more open market and more mature political system to remedy the current democracies’ vulnerability to economic inequality. Therefore, he sees the circular concept of political evolution as a natural rotation from democracy to socialism and socialism to democracy and balancing between two sides to remedy each system’s vulnerabilities, and proposes the Keynesian model as a more mature system than capitalism. At the same time, international success without conflicts would be the money flow from wealthy countries to poor countries just as natural as water flow from a large basin to a small basin. This kind of investment will return to those countries of investment. He provided an example of Japan of such investment which provided technology and financial investment to South Korea after the Korean War and later returned to Japan’s own wealth. If no such foreign investment is made, it will only accelerate the higher unemployment rate and the social bankruptcy of one’s nation.
Additionally, Hwang also predicted the possible war scenario between the two Koreas. If such happens, South Korea will be conquered by North Korea in a few months easily, if no foreign forces help South Korea. It is because of how much North Koreans' mental commitment to the war against the South. North Korea systematically harmonized their soldiers’ commitment to war which is invincible compared to South Korea’ individualism-oriented society.
This description of Hwang is now witnessed by the North Korean soldiers in the Ukraine Warzone, where many North Korean soldiers committed suicide rather than were captured as POWs. It shows their strong commitment to war in unity and sacrifice for their bigger cause.
Understanding North Korea, and the Need of a New Policy
In the end, Hwang Jang Yop despite his high position in the North, the Western hemisphere not so much recognize his axiom about North Korea. When he defected to South Korea in 1997, the Western hemisphere’s intelligence and academic arena were too small to check him enough; by then Korea was not so much known, and often Korean specialists were limited after the Middle Eastern, Japanese, or Chinese studies.
Hwang’s words in this analysis are from his written memos before and after his escape to South Korea and retrieved by the major South Korean newsmaker, Chosun in Seoul and published to the Korean public. It was only published in the Korean language and doubt how many foreign eyes read about it. This is no longer available from the Korean bookstores either.
Hwang’s many words in his memos were strictly philosophical assessments about countries’ political systems in accordance with various types of Marxism, Socialism, Capitalism, and more; his specific words about a more realistic world are very limited and some of those philosophical claims could be interpreted into many ways.
Furthermore, his words cannot be all correct because he himself was also a man who only lived in the North Korean system too long to check other Western countries enough, and only studied in Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang. Therefore, his understanding in Western Democratic countries could be limited. Not all can agree with Hwang’s idea and obviously, Hwang also bears his own weaknesses in his ideologies and understanding of world politics.
Not just South Korea but also its ally, and like-minded friends in the region are busy building the new policy toward Pyongyang. His memos are worth checking for those strategists who want to formulate the new North Korea policy or the long-term roadmap for the Korean Peninsula.
This analysis does not promote the appeasement policy toward the North but Hwang's memo can be useful enough to understand the North Korean system inside out.
Hwang’s last breath stopped on October 10, 2010. This date alone coincidently sent a message to the world because it was the day of the North Korean Workers’ Party (WPK) foundation which often North Korea celebrate with the military parade.
North Korea did their military parade on the day of Hwang’s death and exhibited their Hwasong-10 missiles (Musudan). Hwang’s obituary news brought the spotlight on his own death than Pyongyang’s parade.
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Dong Yon Kim
US Embassy Seoul | Air Force Veteran
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
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