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Quotes of the Day:
"To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture."
– Thomas Paine
"We are endeavoring, too, to reduce the government to the practice of a rigorous economy, to avoid burdening the people, and arming the magistrate with a patronage of money, which might be used to corrupt and undermine the principles of our government."
– Thomas Jefferson
"To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am."
– Bernard Baruch
1. North Korea's deployment of female workers abroad: 16-hour forced labor
2. South Korea weighs strategy as U.S.-China rivalry deepens
3. South Korean Leader Who Declared Martial Law Gets Life Sentence
4. Ex-President Yoon sentenced to life imprisonment over martial law bid
5. Defense ministry to push for reinstating no-fly zone near border with N. Korea without affecting military readiness
6. Unification minister asks for EU's support for Seoul's peace efforts on Korean Peninsula
7. Some 41,000 liters of jet fuel leaked during recent fuel leak at U.S. air base in Gunsan
8. N.K. leader's sister hails Seoul's pledge to prevent drone incursions, vows stronger border vigilance: KCNA
9. N. Korea university holds anti-South lecture
10. Shipbuilding seen as starting point for Korea's US investment projects
11. Kim Jong Un formally deploys 50 new tactical nuke launchers at ceremony
12. What international system does Korea want?
13. Domestic policy, global impact: Why Korea’s platform bill draws US pushback
1. North Korea's deployment of female workers abroad: 16-hour forced labor
Comment: We must never forget the evil nature of the Kim family regime and that Xi and the CCP are complicit in Kim Jong Un's crimes against humanity.
Voices Feb. 18, 2026 / 10:23 AM
North Korea's deployment of female workers abroad: 16-hour forced labor
By Ri Jong-ho
https://www.upi.com/Voices/2026/02/18/perspective-china-north-korea-women-garment-workers/7761771427029/
Garment manufacturing is a major enterprise in China. File Photo by Kim Ludbrook/EPA
Feb. 18 (UPI) -- According to information obtained from the Chinese border city of Dandong by Radio Free Asia journalist Kim Ji-eun, hundreds of North Korean female workers -- predominantly in their late teens and early 20s -- are being deployed in single batches to garment manufacturing factories in and around Dandong and Jilin Province.
Local sources indicate that these workers are "replacement labor" brought in to fill positions vacated by those who served over a decade and have since returned to North Korea. This pattern reveals that the North Korean regime, with Beijing's tacit approval, is systematically circumventing international sanctions.
This constitutes a flagrant violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397, which mandated the repatriation of all North Korean workers abroad by December 2019. As a permanent member of the Security Council, China bears a primary responsibility for enforcing the sanctions it helped authorize.
Instead, Beijing has turned a blind eye to the demand for cheap labor among its domestic garment manufacturers. This is not merely a labor issue; it is an act that undermines the credibility of the entire international sanctions architecture.
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The working conditions these women endure are appalling. They rise at 5:30 a.m. and are put to work from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Even then, additional tasks such as removing loose threads and dust from finished garments are forced upon them until 11 p.m., pushing their daily labor beyond 16 hours.
Their meals consist of nothing more than rice and kimchi, with only a single piece of bread provided during the night shift.
What makes their plight even more egregious is the systematic economic exploitation they endure. While their contracts with Chinese employers stipulate monthly wages of approximately 4,000 yuan (roughly $580), the Kim Jong Un regime confiscates about 90% under the pretext of "revolutionary funds."
The workers receive a mere 300 to 500 yuan in Chinese currency, rendering their situation tantamount to unpaid forced labor. Bound by contracts spanning a full decade, these women are completely severed from the outside world.
Confined to a tightly controlled existence shuttling between factory floors and dormitories, they are permitted neither to venture outside nor to have contact with anyone beyond their immediate work environment. This constitutes, in effect, forced labor under conditions of detention.
The garments produced through this forced labor are routed through distribution hubs in southern China, repackaged as "Made in China" products and channeled into global markets. Because the origin and conditions of production are deliberately obscured in this process, the possibility that these goods enter the supply chains of major retailers such as Walmart and Costco, as well as global fast-fashion platforms like SHEIN, cannot be ruled out.
The foreign currency generated through this forced labor is ultimately diverted to fund the Kim Jong Un regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as weapons procurement supporting the war in Ukraine. In this way, an inexpensive garment purchased without a second thought by an ordinary consumer may be directly financing human rights abuses and threats to international security.
The international community can no longer afford to look the other way. To protect the human rights of North Korean female workers and to sever the financial lifelines sustaining a dictatorial regime, rigorous origin-tracking systems must be established to prevent products tainted by North Korean forced labor from reaching American and European markets.
Consideration also should be given to extending the scope of legislative instruments, such as the United States' Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to encompass North Korean forced labor. Chinese companies and platforms that illegally employ North Korean workers or distribute products manufactured through their labor should face robust economic penalties.
The United States, the U.N. Human Rights Council and relevant international bodies must press the Chinese government to comply with Security Council resolutions and, if necessary, dispatch international inspection teams to verify conditions on the ground and document the reality of forced labor firsthand.
Restoring a minimum measure of human dignity to these young women -- sent to a foreign country as teenagers, cut off from the world for a decade and compelled to labor sixteen hours a day -- is a moral obligation the international community must shoulder. It is also the path to upholding the universal values that bind us all.
Ri Jong-ho is a former senior North Korean economic official who served under all three leaders of the Kim family regime. His most recent role was based in Dalian, China, where he headed the Korea Daehung Trading Corp., overseen by the clandestine Office 39 under the direct control of the ruling Kim family. Before his assignment in Dalian, Jong-ho held pivotal positions, including president of the Daehung Shipping Co. and executive director of the Daehung General Bureau of the North Korean Workers' Party, a role equivalent to vice-minister rank in the North Korean party-state. Subsequently, he was appointed chairman of the Korea Kumgang Economic Development Group under the North Korean Defense Committee by Kim Jong Il. Jong-ho is a recipient of the Hero of Labor Award, the highest civilian honor in North Korea. Following a series of brutal purges by Kim Jong Un, he defected with his family to South Korea in late 2014. Jong-ho resides in the greater Washington, D.C., area.
2. South Korea weighs strategy as U.S.-China rivalry deepens
Summary:
The report says South Korea faces rising pressure as US China rivalry deepens across the Asia-Indo-Pacific, forcing Seoul to balance its US security alliance with economic dependence on China. Analysts argue US military strength persists, but long-term strategic integration is inconsistent, creating uncertainty for allies. China is expanding influence through South China Sea militarization, Taiwan pressure, and economic frameworks like RCEP and Belt and Road. South Korea’s exposed sectors include semiconductors, batteries, and AI. Experts warn a Taiwan crisis could disrupt sea lanes, with significant daily economic losses. Recommendations stress tighter alliance planning across maritime, missile defense, space and cyber, plus supply chain strategy, stronger maritime forces, and greater ISR and missile defense autonomy.
Comment: Uncertainty is the weapon. If allies doubt US continuity, they hedge, and China wins influence without firing. Sea lanes are South Korea’s soft underbelly. A Taiwan shock becomes an economic strike on Seoul’s will. north Korea is the opportunist in the room. Regional distraction is the opening it needs to raise risk and extract concessions.
World News Feb. 18, 2026 / 8:07 PM / Updated at 8:07 PM
South Korea weighs strategy as U.S.-China rivalry deepens
By Asia Today and translated by UPI
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/02/18/security-alliance-strategic-pressure-us-china-indo-pacific/3081771452314/
Fireworks erupt during the launch ceremony of the new 8,200-ton Aegis destroyer Dasan Jeong Yak-yong at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in the southeastern city of Ulsan, South Korea, 17 September 2025. The 170-meter-long, 21-meter-wide destroyer is equipped with advanced stealth features and enhanced detection and interception capabilities against ballistic missiles. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Feb. 18 (Asia Today) -- South Korea faces mounting strategic pressure as rivalry between the United States and China intensifies across the Indo-Pacific, raising questions about how Seoul should balance its security alliance with Washington and its economic ties with Beijing.
Analysts say the regional balance of power is entering a new phase. U.S. carrier strike groups continue to patrol the Western Pacific and longstanding alliances remain intact. Yet some experts argue Washington's long-term strategy integrating economic, diplomatic and industrial policy lacks consistency.
In the March-April issue of Foreign Affairs, U.S. Indo-Pacific strategist Jack Cooper wrote that while American military power remains strong, its broader strategic integration has weakened. In an article titled "Asia After America," he argued that policy shifts between administrations and the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership have left gaps in regional economic leadership.
Cooper said the issue is not U.S. withdrawal but uncertainty over long-term strategic continuity. For allies, he wrote, the question is who shapes the regional order beyond crisis intervention.
Meanwhile, China has continued expanding its footprint through militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea and sustained military activity near Taiwan. Beijing is also deepening regional economic integration through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the Belt and Road Initiative, often referred to as the New Silk Road.
South Korea sits at the center of these tensions. Its security rests on its alliance with the United States, while China remains its largest trading partner. Key sectors such as semiconductors, batteries and artificial intelligence are directly exposed to U.S.-China competition.
Jung Seong-jang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, said in an interview that a Taiwan contingency could directly affect South Korea by disrupting critical sea lanes of communication.
A 2023 report by the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy found that 33.27% of South Korea's maritime trade passes through or near the Taiwan Strait. The institute estimated that disruption of major shipping routes in the area could cause economic losses of about 445.2 billion won ($334 million) per day, based on current exchange rates.
Jung cautioned that direct South Korean military involvement in protecting sea lanes could heighten tensions with China, while North Korea might exploit regional instability to escalate provocations.
Joo Eun-sik, head of the Korea Institute for Strategic Studies, outlined several policy recommendations.
First, he called for deeper integration of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, including coordinated planning in maritime security, missile defense, space and cyber domains to strengthen deterrence against so-called gray-zone threats.
Second, he urged a combined economic and security strategy, strengthening supply chain cooperation and expanding investment in strategic technologies. He said South Korea's defense industry should function not only as an export sector but as part of a broader strategic network.
Third, he emphasized maritime capabilities, describing sea routes from the Strait of Malacca through the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait as vital to South Korea's economy. Expanding blue-water naval operations, submarine forces, maritime patrol and unmanned systems, he said, is essential.
Finally, he highlighted the need to build strategic autonomy within the alliance framework by investing in independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, space monitoring systems and layered missile defense.
Analysts say the Indo-Pacific order remains unsettled. Whether South Korea becomes a passive bystander or an active architect of its own strategy may depend on how effectively it integrates security, industry and technology into a coherent national plan.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
3. South Korean Leader Who Declared Martial Law Gets Life Sentence
Summary:
A Seoul court sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for leading an insurrection tied to his short-lived December 2024 martial law bid. The court ruled the effort was a criminal attempt to subvert the constitution, not a protected presidential act, and it rejected prosecutors’ push for the death penalty as unsupported by sufficient evidence. Yoon’s lawyers signaled a possible appeal, so the legal fight continues even as the ruling lands hard on South Korea’s politics and civil-military norms.
Comment: This verdict will chill future “emergency powers” talk by raising personal legal risk; civil-military trust will take years to repair; polarization may sharpen as factions treat courts as political referees.
What guardrails should South Korea add so crisis tools cannot be repurposed for power grabs? What did senior officers learn about lawful refusal and command accountability? How does this ruling change deterrence messaging toward north Korea during periods of domestic strain?
South Korean Leader Who Declared Martial Law Gets Life Sentence
WSJ
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol convicted on charges of insurrection and conspiring to mobilize armed forces
By Dasl Yoon
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Updated Feb. 19, 2026 3:07 am ET
https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/south-korean-leader-who-declared-martial-law-gets-life-sentence-291c40e6?mod=hp_lead_pos5
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Jeon Heon-Kyun/Pool/Reuters
SEOUL—A Seoul court sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for leading an insurrection during a short-lived attempt to impose martial law.
The court convicted the 65-year-old on Thursday on charges of insurrection and conspiring with military officials to mobilize troops in December 2024.
Yoon’s lawyer said there was no evidence of insurrection and that he would discuss with the former president whether to appeal.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Yoon, arguing that he had planned to declare martial law as much as a year in advance. The court found there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support that argument.
The head of South Korea’s ruling party called the court ruling “very insufficient” compared with what the public was expecting.
In reading the decision on Thursday, Judge Ji Gwi-yeon said Yoon had undermined democratic values and harmed the country’s credibility. Despite the “immense social costs,” Yoon has been unapologetic, the judge said.
Yoon is already serving a five-year sentence for separate charges, including abuse of power, obstructing justice and falsifying documents in relation to his failed martial law bid. Yoon has denied wrongdoing.
South Korea’s justice system moved with clinical speed after Yoon invoked emergency powers, arguing the country had fallen vulnerable to North Korean “Communist forces.” Yoon was impeached within weeks, then removed from office last spring. He has been imprisoned since July.
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The court found that Yoon’s actions, including orders to arrest parliamentary leaders and take control of the media, weren’t presidential acts but a criminal attempt to subvert the constitution. His legal proceedings are far from over, as the appeals process could take months, if not years.
Under South Korean law, prosecutors had three punishment options to recommend to the court: the death penalty or life behind bars with or without prison labor. Yoon’s sentence included labor.
The death penalty is largely symbolic in South Korea, where executions haven’t been carried out since 1997.
Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Dasl Yoon is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Seoul. She writes about North Korea's weapons program and its leadership. She also covers politics, diplomacy and social issues on the Korean Peninsula.
WSJ
4. Ex-President Yoon sentenced to life imprisonment over martial law bid
Summary:
A Seoul court sentenced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for leading an insurrection tied to his December 3, 2024 martial law bid, which lasted six hours before the National Assembly voted to lift it. The court said declaring martial law alone is not automatically insurrection, but ruled Yoon’s case met the standard because he deployed troops to seal off the Assembly and sought to paralyze a constitutional body and arrest key politicians. Judges cited major social costs and lack of remorse, but noted limited force, weak planning, age, and no prior convictions. Seven co-defendants also received sentences.
(4th LD) Ex-President Yoon sentenced to life imprisonment over martial law bid | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Lee Haye-ah · February 19, 2026
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260219001854315?section=national/national
(ATTN: UPDATES with reactions of Yoon's lawyers, special counsel team)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- A court on Thursday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison for his failed bid to impose martial law in 2024, casting the attempt as an insurrection marked by the deployment of troops to the National Assembly.
In the first ruling on the case, the Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon of leading an insurrection through the martial law bid but handed down a sentence lighter than the death penalty recommended by special prosecutors.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol (Yonhap)
The ruling came 14 months after the former president made the surprise declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, with the stated aim of eradicating anti-state forces, though the order was lifted six hours later following a vote by the National Assembly.
"It is difficult to deny that former President Yoon inwardly aimed to make the National Assembly unable to function properly for a considerable period by blocking and paralyzing the National Assembly's activities by means of sending troops to the National Assembly to seal it off and arrest key politicians," Jee Kui-youn, the presiding judge, said during the hearing attended by Yoon and broadcast live on national television.
"It is also recognized that he staged a riot by sending the military."
Under the Constitution, an insurrection is defined as an act aimed at removing state authority from part or all of the country or the staging of a riot with the purpose of subverting the Constitution.
The court said the declaration of martial law in itself cannot constitute an insurrection, but that in Yoon's case, the charge held because he aimed to paralyze the functions of a constitutional body.
It also stressed that at the core of the case was Yoon's deployment of troops to the National Assembly.
A TV screen at Seoul Station in the capital on Feb. 19, 2026, shows a broadcast of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection trial. (Yonhap)
"Former President Yoon planned the crime personally and in a leading role, and involved many people in the crime," the judge said in explaining the reason for the sentence. "The emergency martial law incurred an enormous social cost, and the defendant hardly expressed an apology for that."
The court noted, however, that the plan did not appear thorough, the use of physical force was limited, and that the former president had no prior criminal convictions, served as a public servant for decades and was currently at a relatively advanced age of 65 years.
Yoon has maintained that his declaration of martial law was meant as a warning to the opposition-controlled parliament amid its successive impeachments of senior government officials and attempts to cut the state budget.
Immediately after the ruling, his lawyers issued a statement decrying the judgment as "a formality intended for a set conclusion." A decision will be made on whether to appeal after consulting with Yoon, they said.
Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team, which led the investigation and indictment of Yoon, said it was a "meaningful ruling" but not without disappointments, and indicated they would appeal.
Seven other defendants received their first verdicts alongside Yoon, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former National Police Agency chief Cho Ji-ho and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief Kim Bong-sik.
The former defense minister was sentenced to 30 years in prison, while Cho was given 12 years and the former Seoul police chief 10 years for their roles in the martial law bid.
Yoon has already been sentenced to five years in prison in a separate trial on charges that include his alleged obstruction of investigators' attempt to detain him last year.
The courtroom where Thursday's proceedings were held was the same place where former President Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death in 1996 for his roles in a 1979 coup that installed him in power and the military's violent suppression of the Gwangju democratization movement in 1980.
Supporters of former President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally near the Seoul Central District Court in the capital on Feb. 19, 2026, to proclaim his innocence as Yoon is set to receive the first verdict at the court the same day on whether his 2024 imposition of martial law constituted an insurrection following special prosecutors' recommendation of the death penalty. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Lee Haye-ah · February 19, 2026
5. Defense ministry to push for reinstating no-fly zone near border with N. Korea without affecting military readiness
Summary:
South Korea’s defense ministry says it will push to reinstate a no-fly zone near the DMZ under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact, while insisting it can do so without weakening readiness. The ministry is consulting relevant ministries and the United States, after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Seoul will “preemptively” restore parts of the pact to prevent renewed drone incursions into north Korea. Critics warn the zone, which limits aircraft and drones within 10 to 15 km of the DMZ, could degrade close-in surveillance. The JCS offered no detail on substitutes like Global Hawk or satellites.
Comment: I will be blunt. Reducing options and imposing restrictions invaluable leads to a decrease in readiness no matter how we spin this. Are the potential political and diplomatic gains worth it? What are those political and diplomatic gains? And most importantly can we describe how South Korean security will be enhanced by taking these actions? This is not a confidence building measure. It is a victory for Kim Jong Un's political warfare and blackmail diplomacy. South Korea is doing exactly what he wants.
(LEAD) Defense ministry to push for reinstating no-fly zone near border with N. Korea without affecting military readiness | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · February 19, 2026
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260219005451315?section=national/defense
(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 6-9)
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry said Thursday it will push for reinstating a no-fly zone under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact in a way that does not affect a military readiness posture.
The ministry also said it is in consultations with the United States over Seoul's push to partially restore the military pact, a day after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young disclosed the plan as part of efforts to prevent a recurrence of drone incursions into North Korea.
Chung said Wednesday the government will "preemptively" seek to reinstate the inter-Korean military pact signed in September 2018 under former liberal President Moon Jae-in as part of efforts to prevent unintended military clashes along the tensely fortified border.
"The defense ministry is in discussions with relevant ministries and the U.S. to review partially restoring the (military) pact, including designating a no-fly zone," ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said during a regular briefing.
"Our military plans to come up with supplementary measures to ensure the military's readiness posture is not affected," she said when asked about concerns over weakened surveillance against the North if the no-fly zone is reinstated on the South's side only.
Defense ministry spokesperson Chung Binna speaks during a regular press briefing, in this file photo from Dec. 16, 2025. (Yonhap)
The reinstatement of the no-fly zone, which prohibits the operation of planes and drones within 15 kilometers of the Demilitarized Zone in eastern areas and 10 km in western parts, could greatly hinder Seoul's surveillance operations against the North, critics say.
Asked whether the RQ-4 Global Hawks or a satellite could replace the surveillance capabilities of the South Korean military's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) did not elaborate.
"Our military was currently reviewing relevant information," JCS spokesperson Capt. Jang Do-young told a press briefing.
South Korea's division and corps-level units resumed surveillance operations against the North using drones after the 2018 military pact was halted in June 2024 during the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
The conservative government of former President Yoon halted the pact in its entirety in 2024, citing North Korea's trash-carrying balloon campaigns. North Korea scrapped the agreement in 2023 in a tit-for-tat move against South Korea's partial suspension of the deal over the North's launch of a military spy satellite in November of that year.
Since taking office in June last year, President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to restore the inter-Korean military pact in an effort to mend ties with Pyongyang.
Unification Minister Chung's remarks came after he expressed regret earlier this month over drones sent into North Korea by South Korean civilians, which the North denounced as a violation of its sovereignty.
North Korea has repeatedly demanded South Korea come up with steps to prevent a recurrence of drone incursions, accusing Seoul of sending drones equipped with surveillance equipment in September and on Jan. 4, prompting the South Korean government to launch an official investigation.
In a statement issued Thursday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said she "highly appreciates" South Korea's pledge to prevent a recurrence of drone incursions into the North while vowing to step up the country's vigilance along the border with the South.
sookim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · February 19, 2026
6. Unification minister asks for EU's support for Seoul's peace efforts on Korean Peninsula
Summary:
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young met EU diplomat Olof Skoog, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service, and asked the EU to back Seoul’s push for peace and “peaceful coexistence” on the Korean Peninsula. They exchanged views on the security situation in Korea and Europe, while Skoog voiced active support and pledged close communication. The meeting followed the ninth Korea–EU High-Level Political Dialogue, which also covered Ukraine and the Middle East, and highlighted expanding cooperation into security and digital domains. The context includes Chung’s plan to restore a DMZ-area no-fly zone under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact.
Comment: But did he ask for support for unification? Did he ask for support for Koreans in solving the Korea question? Unification first, then denuclearization and stable peace.
Unification minister asks for EU's support for Seoul's peace efforts on Korean Peninsula | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · February 19, 2026
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260219009700315
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young met with a senior European Union (EU) official Thursday and asked for the EU's support for Seoul's efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, Chung's office said.
Chung met with Olof Skoog, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service, the EU's diplomatic arm, to exchange views on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe.
"Chung explained the government's efforts toward peaceful coexistence to help create a stable environment on the Korean Peninsula and asked for the EU's active attention and cooperation in the initiative," the ministry said.
Skoog expressed "active support" for Seoul's peace initiatives and said he would remain in close communication with the South Korean side, it added.
On Wednesday, Chung said South Korea will seek to reinstate a no-fly zone over the border with North Korea under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact aimed at easing tensions as part of efforts to prevent accidental clashes and build trust between the two militaries.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young (R) shakes hands with Olof Skoog, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service, during their meeting at the Ministry of Unification in Seoul on Feb. 19, 2026, in this photo provided by Chung's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Ahead of the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hye and Skoog held the ninth Korea-EU High-Level Political Dialogue to discuss security issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, Ukraine and the Middle East, the ministry said.
The deputy minister said South Korea and the EU are expanding the scope of cooperation into the security and digital sectors and expressed hope for tangible outcomes through high-level exchanges and practical cooperation. Skoog, in turn, expressed hope that both sides would continue cooperation on major issues and in bilateral relations, according to the foreign ministry.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · February 19, 2026
7. Some 41,000 liters of jet fuel leaked during recent fuel leak at U.S. air base in Gunsan
Summary:
The U.S. Air Force says up to 11,000 gallons, about 41,000 liters, of jet fuel leaked from a fuel tank at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan after airmen detected the spill on January 26. The 8th Fighter Wing says trained experts are monitoring the site while restoration continues and an investigation seeks the cause, stressing the process will be thorough. The wing previously said there was no threat to drinking water and no expected immediate health risk to on-base or nearby communities. Yonhap also notes a separate February 5 fuel leak at Osan Air Base, where 230 gallons were recovered and the source isolated.
Some 41,000 liters of jet fuel leaked during recent fuel leak at U.S. air base in Gunsan | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · February 19, 2026
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260219005900315?section=national/defense
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Air Force said Thursday an estimated 11,000 gallons or some 41,000 liters of jet fuel were leaked from a fuel tank in the recent fuel leak at a U.S. air base in the southwestern city of Gunsan last month.
Airmen from the 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 8th Civil Engineer Squadron detected the spill at Kunsan Air Base on Jan. 26, prompting an investigation to determine its exact cause, according to the U.S. 8th Fighter Wing.
"It is estimated up to 11,000 gallons of jet fuel leaked from a fuel tank," the 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement, noting trained experts continue to monitor the site as restoration efforts continue.
"These investigations are complex and thorough, and we are committed to taking the necessary time to ensure a comprehensive and accurate conclusion," it added.
The Air Force unit said last month there was no threat to drinking water, nor did it anticipate any "immediate risk" to the health or safety of on base or surrounding off-base communities.
Meanwhile, a similar fuel leak was reported at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on Feb. 5, prompting the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron to take immediate action, according to the 51st Fighter Wing.
A U.S. Air Force official said it has retrieved 230 gallons or 870 liters of fuel leaked from the incident, without specifying the total amount of fuel leaked.
"There is no immediate threat to drinking water because drinking water is sourced from off base," it said in a release uploaded to its website, adding the source of the release has been confirmed and isolated.
This file photo, taken May 9, 2025, shows U.S. Air Force's F-16 fighter jet passing by the Black Eagles aircraft lined up during a media event at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
sookim@yna.co.kr
(END)
Related Articles
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Hyun-soo · February 19, 2026
8. N.K. leader's sister hails Seoul's pledge to prevent drone incursions, vows stronger border vigilance: KCNA
Summary:
Kim Yo-jong says she “highly appreciates” Seoul’s pledge to stop drone incursions into north Korea, after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young acknowledged that South Korean individuals sent drones north four times since last September. She frames the incursions as a sovereignty violation and warns of “terrible consequences” if they recur, “no matter” who orchestrates them. Kim also says north Korea will heighten vigilance across the southern border. Chung’s package includes reviewing and seeking partial reinstatement of the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact, including a no-fly zone, to reduce the risk of repeat incidents. Kim ties the issue to the DPRK’s “two hostile states” line.
Comment: Kim Yo Jong is happy that Seoul is doing what the regime wants it to do. We should not misread her comments. This does not reduce tension or build confidence. In her mind this only indicates the success of the regime's political warfare.
Kim’s praise is tactical, meant to lock Seoul into a public commitment, then punish any future breach as bad faith. Her “not a threat but a warning” language signals a pre-delegated response option for border escalation below major war.
Does a reinstated no-fly zone reduce risk, or does it create ISR blind spots that invite north Korean opportunism?
What if Kim’s “vigilance” becomes coercive probing along the DMZ? (or rather when?)
(LEAD) N.K. leader's sister hails Seoul's pledge to prevent drone incursions, vows stronger border vigilance: KCNA | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · February 19, 2026
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260219000651315?section=nk/nk
(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks, background throughout)
SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Thursday she "highly appreciates" South Korea's pledge to prevent a recurrence of drone incursions into the North, vowing to step up the country's vigilance along the border with the South.
Kim Yo-jong, a party vice department director, issued the statement via the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) a day after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young expressed "regret" over drone incursions into the North and announced a series of measures aimed at preventing a recurrence.
"I highly appreciate Chung Dong-young, minister of unification of the ROK, officially acknowledged the ROK-born drone's provocative intrusion into the airspace of our country, expressing regret once again and willingness to
prevent a recurrence," Kim said in the statement.
This undated file image captured from the website of the Korean Central News Agency shows Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
At a press conference the previous day, Chung acknowledged that, based on the results of an investigation, drones were sent to the North by South Korean individuals four times between last September and February, including two occasions confirmed by the North.
Chung said Seoul will review and seek to reinstate the suspended 2018 military pact with North Korea, aimed at halting hostilities along the inter-Korean border and between their militaries, including a no-fly zone, as part of measures to prevent a repeat of drone incursions into the North.
In January, Pyongyang accused Seoul of sending drones equipped with surveillance equipment in September and on Jan. 4, prompting the South Korean government to launch an official investigation.
Kim warned South Korea will face "terrible consequences" if such a "violation of the sovereignty" reoccurs, "no matter whom the mastermind is and by what means it is carried out. This is not a threat but a strong warning."
She claimed that guaranteeing the prevention of repeated violation of North Korea's sovereignty is "entirely for the ROK's existence."
She also warned the border with the "enemy should be firmly guarded," adding, "Our military leadership will take a step for heightening vigilance in all sectors along the southern border with the ROK."
At a year-end party meeting in December 2023, the North's leader Kim Jong-un declared inter-Korean relations as those between "two states hostile to each other" and has since pursued hostile policies toward Seoul.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · February 19, 2026
9. N. Korea university holds anti-South lecture
Summary:
Daily NK reports that Wonsan Medical University held a mandatory ideological lecture on Feb. 1 ordering faculty and students to treat South Korea as an enemy state ahead of the Ninth Party Congress. The party secretary mocked U.S. Under Secretary Elbridge Colby’s late-January Seoul visit and claimed the regime’s nuclear arsenal has forced Washington to “raise the white flag.” The lecture also directed the replacement of peninsula maps and the removal of unification language, including the line “There will be no unification, only conquest.” Students reportedly reacted with quiet confusion and fear.
Comment: Please, I beg of you. Heed these words: "no unification – only conquest." This remains the true strategic objective of the Kim family regime. We must never lose sight of that. That is why I harp on understanding the nature objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime. Kim Jong Un seeks domination of the entire Korean peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag state as the only path to long term regime survival.
Note the reactions of confusion among the students. It is the kind of propaganda that telegraphs Kim's true intention that provides an opening for alliance information and influence campaigns. There is opportunity here if only we are willing to seize it.
N. Korea university holds anti-South lecture
dailynk.com · February 19, 2026
A party secretary told students there will be "no unification — only conquest"
By Jeong Seo-yeong - February 19, 2026
https://www.dailynk.com/english/n-korean-university-holds-anti-south-korea-lecture-ahead-of-party-congress/
North Korean students listening to a lecture at a university in early 2024. (Rodong Sinmun, News1)
A North Korean university in Wonsan, Kangwon province, held a mandatory ideological lecture on Feb. 1 instructing faculty and students to view South Korea as an enemy state, ahead of the upcoming Ninth Party Congress.
The Kangwon provincial party committee ordered the lectures at the end of January, directing institutions to prioritize sessions on “hostile relations with South Korea” and the supposed triumph of Pyongyang’s strategy against Washington and Seoul. A source in the province, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told Daily NK recently that Wonsan Medical University held the session for faculty and students in its auditorium.
During the lecture, the university’s party secretary raised the recent visit to South Korea by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby. Regarded as the architect of the Trump administration’s security policy, Colby was in Seoul on Jan. 25–27 to present the updated U.S. National Defense Strategy and seek Seoul’s cooperation with American plans.
The party secretary offered the following commentary on the visit: “The other day, the head of the U.S. Department of Defense flew into South Korea with a cocky attitude and made asinine comments about changes to the 2026 defense strategy. At a time when anyone who challenges our Republic ends up humiliated and led around by the nose, the American imperialists have been like moths to a flame since the beginning of the year. They are basically raising the white flag now that our Republic’s nuclear arsenal is complete.”
The secretary then turned to South Korea directly. “South Korea is no longer part of our nation — it’s our number-one enemy, a state that we must pacify through force of arms. Despite the brief pause in its war with us, South Korea remains a belligerent state,” the party secretary said.
Maps replaced, unification references scrubbed
The secretary also announced that all Korean Peninsula maps displayed at the university had been replaced with ones labeling the southern half as “South Korea,” and that all references to a commonplace description of the peninsula as “three thousand leagues embroidered with mountains and rivers” had been removed because the phrase implies a longing for unification.
The party secretary instructed the university’s branch of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League to “never forget, not even for a moment, that each and every young person must be ideologically inculcated in the fact that Korea is a hostile state and a belligerent state.”
The secretary also stressed that students should abandon any hope of peaceful reunification. “There will be no unification — only conquest,” the secretary said, with students in the auditorium lowering their heads and writing down the slogan while avoiding eye contact with one another.
The source said the lectures “appear designed to lay the political groundwork for removing language about ‘one Korean nation’ and unification from the party’s bylaws during the upcoming Ninth Party Congress.”
After the session ended, students gathered in small groups for hushed conversations. Some admitted they “couldn’t make heads or tails of the sudden condemnation of talk about unification as being reactionary when they’d been taught since their childhood that ‘our dream is unification,'” the source said.
The party secretary concluded by urging students to keep statues, portraits of leaders, and study rooms clean ahead of a Feb. 16 ceremony marking the completion of 10,000 homes in the fourth stage of the Hwasong development project in Pyongyang — an event Kim Jong Un is expected to attend in person.
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dailynk.com · February 19, 2026
10. Shipbuilding seen as starting point for Korea's US investment projects
Summary:
The article argues South Korea should move faster on U.S. investment projects after Japan unveiled an initial $36B tranche under its larger commitment. It warns that delay could revive tariff pressure, since POTUS has threatened raising tariffs on Korean goods back to 25 percent if Seoul’s legislation stalls. Seoul’s National Assembly created a fast-track committee and the government sent negotiators to accelerate feasibility work. Analysts cite shipbuilding as the best early win because Washington wants allied help to rebuild U.S. ship capacity, and a “Bridge Strategy” could place near-term orders in Korean yards. Grid modernization and energy projects are also flagged.
Comment: Korea’s fastest path to political credit in Washington is a shipbuilding deliverable that can be announced, contracted, and shown on a timeline. Japan’s early move is not just economics; it is queue position, and late entrants risk being steered toward lower-margin projects. If Seoul cannot pass enabling legislation quickly, the tariff threat becomes leverage to force decisions on U.S.-preferred sectors and schedules.
Shipbuilding seen as starting point for Korea's US investment projects
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By Nam Hyun-woo
- Published Feb 19, 2026 3:28 pm KST
- Updated Feb 19, 2026 3:38 pm KST
Japan's investment plan sparks calls for faster action in Korea
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/companies/20260219/shipbuilding-seen-as-starting-point-for-koreas-us-investment-projects
Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia / Yonhap
After the United States revealed Japan’s first set of investment plans under its $550 billion commitment, calls are growing for Korea to take faster action on its U.S. investment plans to allay tariff pressures and secure its position in profitable sectors.
Experts say shipbuilding can be a good start, as the U.S. has been actively seeking Korea's participation in reviving its shipbuilding industry. Its Maritime Action Plan, announced last week, seemed to reaffirm that commitment.
These calls came after Japan announced Wednesday that it will invest in three projects worth $36 billion: constructing an artificial diamond manufacturing facility in Georgia, a natural gas power plant in Ohio and a deepwater crude oil export facility off the Texas coast.
“The scale of these projects is so large, and could not be done without one very special word, TARIFFS,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his social media account.
The progress made between Washington and Tokyo is creating pressure for Korea. Trump threatened on Jan. 26 to raise tariffs on Korean goods to 25 percent, the level prior to settling on 15 percent in a bilateral agreement reached last November, citing delays in relevant legislation at Seoul’s National Assembly.
In response, the Assembly set up a special committee to expedite the processing of bills that provide legal grounds for Korea’s investment in the U.S., while the government also sent a negotiation team to the U.S. on Wednesday to accelerate feasibility studies for various projects.
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Rep. Han Byung-do, right, poses with main opposition People Power Party floor leader Rep. Song Eon-seog after the two parties agreed on the establishment of a special committee to expedite bills providing legal grounds for Korea's investment into the U.S. at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Feb. 4. Yonhap
“With Japan having already presented tangible plans, we may need to move at a similar pace and consider stepping up our current efforts in terms of preventing further tariff impacts,” said Jang Sang-sik, head of trade trend analysis at the Korea International Trade Association.
“Given that there will be only a limited number of commercially viable projects (in U.S. investment), if Japan actively secures the more attractive ones first, Korea may be left with less profitable opportunities.”
Among the three projects revealed by Washington and Tokyo, the natural gas power plant and the offshore crude oil facility are areas where Korean companies have also demonstrated strengths.
Jang said that shipbuilding is one area where Korea can accelerate its efforts to advance U.S. investment plans, noting that the sector played a critical role in the two countries reaching a tariff agreement in November.
The Seoul-Washington tariff agreement consists of a $150 billion commitment to the American shipbuilding industry and a $200 billion commitment in advanced industries.
According to America’s Maritime Action Plan, revealed on the White House website, the U.S. notes that Trump has secured “at least $150 billion of dedicated investment for America’s shipbuilding industry,” apparently counting Seoul’s $150 billion commitment as one of the key resources for revitalizing its shipbuilding industry.
Also, the report notes a “Bridge Strategy,” under which initial vessels may be constructed in allied shipyards, including those in Korea, while its domestic shipyard capacity is expanded through targeted capital investments.
For Korean shipbuilders, the report is meaningful because it is interpreted as reaffirming Washington’s commitment to its shipbuilding industry. Although the initial phase may involve only limited production, it is seen as a positive signal given the likelihood of orders being placed with Korean shipyards.
“I believe the shipbuilding sector could be a good start,” Jang said. “As this is also tied to political considerations, there is a need to move forward with greater speed to help Trump take credit for progress. With the U.S. midterm elections approaching, he is likely to push for quicker results. It would be less burdensome for Korea to begin with areas where it has clear strengths.”
Along with shipbuilding, modernizing the U.S. power grid is also cited as an area where the two countries can cooperate, as electricity demand is surging there due to the expansion of artificial intelligence data centers. Korea is seen as competitive in areas such as high-voltage transmission technology.
Projects involving natural gas power plants, solar energy, energy storage systems and small modular reactors are also being viewed as potential areas for collaboration.
11. Kim Jong Un formally deploys 50 new tactical nuke launchers at ceremony
Summary:
north Korea says Kim Jong Un formally deployed 50 new wheeled TELs for its 600mm multiple launch rocket system at a Pyongyang ceremony ahead of the Ninth Party Congress. State media claims the system blends tactical ballistic missile precision with rapid salvo fire and can deliver “strategic,” meaning nuclear, warheads. Kim also said the 600mm system “incorporates AI” and a compound guidance package, and framed it as a deterrent meant to collapse an adversary’s command and infrastructure quickly, with South Korea as the primary target set. Outside analysts doubt “AI” is literal, and suggest it refers to routine computing or manufacturing.
Comment: Kim Jong Un is "keeping up with the Jones'" (er...I mean Kim's) He is using all the right words on AIand advanced technology. But are they true? Perhaps our experts on north Korean military capabilities will weigh in.
The ceremony is signal theater: capability, quantity, and readiness messaging timed for the congress and for Seoul. “AI” is branding and intimidation, meant to imply smart, survivable, hard-to-defeat systems even if the term is inflated. The visible presence of generals tied to Russia operations hints that wartime lessons, prestige, and resourcing are feeding procurement.
Kim Jong Un formally deploys 50 new tactical nuke launchers at ceremony
North Korean leader says 600mm MLRS now ‘incorporates AI’ and advanced guidance system
Colin Zwirko February 19, 2026
https://www.nknews.org/2026/02/kim-jong-un-formally-deploys-50-new-tactical-nuke-launchers-at-ceremony/
50 TELs for the 600mm MLRS were lined up in front of the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Feb. 19, 2026)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un officially deployed 50 new launch vehicles for the country’s 600mm rocket system at a ceremony on Wednesday, according to state media, a type of missile primarily targeting South Korea that allegedly “incorporates artificial intelligence (AI)” and can be equipped with nuclear warheads.
The 50 wheeled transporter erector launch vehicles (TELs) were lined up for the ceremony in front of the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang, where the anticipated Ninth Party Congress is set to begin in the coming days, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) photos published on Thursday show.
In a speech at the event, Kim said the 600mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) “perfectly combines the precision and destructive power of tactical ballistic missiles with the rapid-fire capability of multiple rocket launchers.”
“It incorporates AI technology and a compound guidance system” and is intended for “strategic,” meaning nuclear, strikes, the North Korean leader told a crowd of munitions industry workers and military officials.
50 TELs for the 600mm MLRS were lined up in front of the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang. Red banners and signs for the Ninth Party Congress appear on the building as the event is scheduled to begin in the coming days. | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Feb. 19, 2026)
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Cabinet Premier Pak Thae Song opens the door to one of the new 600mm MLRS TELs in front of top munitions officials like Jang Chang Ha and Ko Pyong Hyon as well as KPA commanders | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Feb. 19, 2026)
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“This large-calibre super-precision multiple launch rocket system, the one and only weapon in the world, has completely changed the role and conception of artillery accepted by modern warfare,” he added.
Other countries have produced short-range nuclear missiles with advanced guidance systems and TELs with rapid launch capabilities for decades. Kim’s claim of unique capabilities largely refers to the fact that no other nation has produced this particular 600mm form factor, first introduced in mid-2019.
Sam Lair, an analyst at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) Open-Source Team, told NK News that an updated guidance system in the 600mm MLRS wouldn’t feasibly incorporate AI, and that Kim’s mention of AI was more likely in reference to old-fashioned computer assistance.
Ankit Panda, Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Kim could have also been referring to the use of AI in manufacturing processes.
The DPRK leader stated the deployment will serve as a “deterrent” against unnamed enemies, and that “it is certain that if this weapon is used, the military infrastructure and command systems of the opposing belligerent state will collapse in an instant.”
Its short range capability means the weapon is primarily aimed at South Korea and the U.S. presence in the country.
He said the North’s “geopolitical opponents will be greatly afraid of” the nuclear missiles, and appeared to mock religious people in South Korea, saying “when this weapon is actually used, no force should expect any so-called ‘protection from God.’”
Signifying the formal deployment of the 50 TELs, Kim “presented the written donation of 600mm-calibre multiple rocket launchers to the chief of the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army (KPA),” KCNA reported.
Along with top munitions officials, key military generals who led North Korean troops in the Russia-DPRK war against Ukraine also stood prominently behind Kim, including Kim Yong Bok, Ri Chang Ho, Cha Yong Bom and Jon Yong Chan.
A connection between the army’s acquisition of the new weapons and the ongoing war cannot be ruled out, though the generals may also be simply receiving special treatment as part of congress-related events.
He also previewed plans for the Party Congress this month, saying Pyongyang will “make clear the next-stage plan and goal for strengthening the self-reliant defence capabilities” at the event.
The TELs that featured at Wednesday’s ceremony were a newer design with a five-tube configuration. It was used during a test launch of the weapon late last month.
The vehicles are manufactured by the March 16 Factory in Phyongsong north of the capital, whose manager appeared to present the units to Kim at the ceremony. The 600mm rockets are produced at the Kanggye General Tractor Plant.
The manager of the March 16 Factory presents the TELs to Kim Jong Un | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Feb. 19, 2026)
Kim Jong Un appeared to test drive one of the vehicles at the ceremony | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Feb. 19, 2026)
The event marked the second deployment ceremony for the 600mm MLRS system, after Kim showed off 30 tracked (instead of wheeled) TELs on the final day of 2022. The U.S. refers to the weapon internally as the KN-25.
Kim also previously oversaw a deployment ceremony for 250 Hwasong-11D short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) TELs in Aug. 2024.
The three ceremonies add up to 330 TELs capable of carrying 1,430 nuclear missiles primarily targeting South Korea, though most are likely to carry missiles equipped with conventional warheads.
Outside experts have recently estimated North Korea has only produced enough fissile material for under 100 nuclear warheads. However, Kim Jong Un has claimed to dramatically increase uranium enrichment capabilities in the last couple years, while possibly building an entirely new facility to boost production.
North Korea has not conducted public deployment ceremonies for longer-range nuclear missiles.
Edited by Kristen Talman
Updated Feb. 19, 2026 at 8:43 a.m. KST with additional details from state media and background information, at 10:01 a.m. with expert comments and at 4:08 p.m. with details about Ukraine war generals attending the event
12. What international system does Korea want?
Summary:
Troy Stangarone argues Korea faces a hard choice as the international system frays. He cites Mark Carney’s Davos warning that the world is in rupture, then points to POTUS pressure tactics toward Europe, including the Greenland episode, as a sign the United States is weakening norms from within. He warns that if great powers feel less bound by law and restraint, Korea suffers most because it depends on rules, open trade, and predictable security guarantees. He links this to tariff coercion and “compartmentalize” demands, and warns it also sets precedents China can exploit, as it did over THAAD.
What international system does Korea want?
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By Troy Stangarone
- Published Feb 19, 2026 4:40 pm KST
Troy Stangarone
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/opinion/columns/columnists/troystangarone/20260219/what-international-system-does-korea-want
At the Davos Forum last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the international system is “in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.” While his remarks never directly mentioned the United States, they reflect changes to geopolitics that are being accelerated by the Donald Trump administration. They also frame the challenges countries like Korea face in an evolving international environment.
To understand what is happening in U.S. policy, Washington’s relationship with Europe is informative, especially the recent drama over Greenland.
Nominally, President Donald Trump framed taking over Greenland in terms of strengthening Arctic and U.S. national security, while preventing Russia or China from gaining a foothold on the strategic island. But the United States has always had options short of territorial concessions to achieve its national security goals. Under a 1951 agreement on the defense of Greenland with Denmark, the United States can already deploy troops and weapons to the island. Greenland also falls under NATO’s Article V, meaning any attack would draw a response from NATO allies as well.
Trump’s initial decision to threaten force and additional tariffs to gain sovereignty over Greenland risked fracturing NATO and sending the world speeding down a path where the rules-based order that has deeply benefited countries like Korea becomes undone.
While the rules-based order has always had exceptions for the United States, it was built on an understanding that Washington would refrain from exploiting weaker states to maximize its interests. The United States accepted this restraint. Two world wars had taught Washington that competition for territory and resources resulted in bloodshed on a global scale. Rather than continuing down that path, it sought to build a stable order.
The U.S. would provide public goods such as collective security to maintain peace, while ensuring open sea lanes and reducing barriers to trade to create opportunities for wider economic prosperity. Seizing Greenland from a NATO ally would have ended the idea that the United States would constrain itself or work to maintain the public good that supports the current international system.
A world of great powers untethered from rule of law is a more dangerous world for Korea. It is also a world where there is little to inhibit the continuing ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, further weakening security on the Korean Peninsula.
The degradation of the international system also permeates to the bilateral level. When the EU suspended ratification of the new U.S.-EU trade agreement in response to U.S. actions towards Greenland, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer suggested that the EU needed to “compartmentalize” the two issues.
The actions against Europe help to explain Trump’s new tariff threats against Korea. While they may be tied to Seoul’s speed in implementing the new U.S.-Korea trade agreement, they are designed to advance U.S. objectives and impose costs. In future disputes, Korea will be expected to “compartmentalize,” as U.S. interests shift and new tariffs are applied.
Even if Trump can be managed bilaterally with flattery and concessions, his actions loosen the norms against the use of force and economic coercion. This makes it increasingly acceptable for Trump to engage in future coercion. Trump is also creating precedents for China. Beijing previously used economic coercion over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system. Trump’s use of tariffs to pressure Korea to move more quickly on trade and against European allies over Greenland will create expanding space for China to use economic coercion in its interest.
The dispute over Greenland’s future is a symptom of an international order that is breaking down. Not because the United States and its allies are unable to maintain the order, strained though it is, but because the United States is deconstructing the order from the inside. Trump himself has said that as commander in chief he is only bound by his “own morality” and does not “need international law.”
This puts Korea in a difficult position. Should Seoul continue down the road of flattery, bide its time, make continued concessions and depend on Trump’s well-documented policy reversals to avoid the worst? Or, should Seoul look for a different path? Carney’s speech in Davos on the path forward is worth heeding. To preserve some of the rules-based order that has benefited middle powers like Korea and Canada, middle powers will need to work more closely.
One does not need to accept that the international system has ruptured to realize the U.S. actions are undermining the rules and norms that have allowed countries like Korea to prosper. Adapting to this new world will be difficult. Korean officials will understandably want to be cautious, concerned that upsetting Trump could lead to backlash. But Korea also needs to consider what type of international system it wants to operate in and what steps it should take to shape that future.
Troy Stangarone is the director of the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy and the deputy director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
Troy Stangarone
Troy Stangarone is the senior director of congressional affairs and trade at the Korea Economic Institute.
13. Domestic policy, global impact: Why Korea’s platform bill draws US pushback
Summary:
Korea Herald argues Washington is pushing back early on Seoul’s still-unfinished online platform bill because the drafting stage is when rules, definitions, and enforcement levers are most malleable. Even if Korea writes “equal treatment” into law, the U.S. will judge outcomes, especially if enforcement falls mainly on U.S. firms. Korea’s digital market is unusually dense and lucrative, with heavy per-capita usage and rare head-to-head competition between Naver and Google, plus deep penetration for YouTube, Netflix, and Instagram. The article also flags a gap between modest locally booked revenue and much larger estimated Korea-derived global earnings, raising the stakes and framing the bill as a trade issue and potential nontariff barrier.
Domestic policy, global impact: Why Korea’s platform bill draws US pushback
koreaherald.com · Jie Ye-eun · February 19, 2026
Dense digital market, global revenue stakes heighten US scrutiny
https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10678407
US President Donald Trump (AP-Yonhap)
South Korea’s proposed online platform law has yet to be finalized, but Washington has already begun raising concerns through diplomatic and trade channels.
The bill is still under review by the government and the National Assembly. Discussions center on market dominance, self-preferencing and data governance, and no final framework has been agreed upon. Fair Trade Commission Chair Ju Biung-ghi has stressed that any rules would apply equally to domestic and foreign firms.
Yet US engagement has started before the text is complete. That timing itself explains much of the tension.
Why Washington is speaking up early
Trade experts say it is common for governments to intervene during the drafting stage of legislation, when definitions and enforcement structures are still flexible.
Kim Tae-hwang, a professor of international trade at Myongji University, said this is the most effective window for influence.
“Because the platform law is still in its early legislative stage, this is when influence can be most effectively exercised,” he said. “After it passes the National Assembly, revisions become far more difficult.”
In past Korean policy debates — including network usage fees, app store commissions and restrictions on map data transfers — Washington relied on US Trade Representative reports, formal consultations and industry submissions to express concerns while legislative direction remained open.
Kim emphasized that such engagement does not automatically signal confrontation.
“Platform legislation is domestic industrial policy, but it is also a trade issue at the same time,” he said. “When a policy has cross-border commercial implications, it is natural for diplomatic and trade channels to operate alongside the legislative process.”
The US concern, he added, is less about formal wording and more about real-world impact.
“Even if regulations apply equally on paper, if their practical effect concentrates on US platform companies, Washington may interpret that as discriminatory,” Kim said.
Unusually dense digital market
Washington’s sensitivity also reflects Korea’s distinctive digital market.
With a population of just over 50 million, Korea is not a large economy in terms of absolute size. But it is one of the world’s most digitally concentrated markets in terms of platform usage and per-capita revenue.
In search, Korea is one of the few advanced economies where Google does not dominate overwhelmingly. As of January 2026, Naver held 48.76 percent of the domestic search market, while Google followed closely with 42.75 percent, according to StatCounter. Globally, Google’s share typically exceeds 90 percent.
That makes Korea strategically important. Regulatory shifts could affect competitive balance in one of the rare markets where a strong domestic platform competes head-to-head with a US firm.
In online video, YouTube reached about 48 million monthly users in Korea in 2025, covering more than 90 percent of the population, according to Wiseapp and Retail. Monthly viewing time approached 114 billion minutes, placing Korea among the highest markets worldwide on a per-capita basis.
Streaming penetration shows similar density. Netflix counts roughly 13.93 million monthly users in Korea — a penetration rate near 27 percent, above levels seen in Japan and Germany. Instagram’s Korean user base stands at about 27.58 million, or more than half the population.
“Korea is a midsize country by population, but it is a very high-density market in terms of platform usage and revenue contribution,” Kim said. “When regulatory conditions change in this type of market, the effects are not confined domestically.”
Revenue stakes understated
Official filings suggest modest local revenue. Google Korea reported about 380 billion won ($263 million) in sales, Netflix Services Korea about 90 billion won and Meta Platforms Korea roughly 7 billion won.
However, industry and academic estimates indicate that Korea-generated revenue processed overseas may be significantly larger. Google’s annual earnings from Korean users have been projected at around 12 trillion won, Netflix near 2 trillion won and Meta roughly 1 trillion won.
For Washington, that gap matters. Even if revenue is not booked locally, the Korean market contributes meaningfully to global earnings for US platform companies.
In that context, regulatory adjustments in Seoul could influence not just domestic competition but broader regional and global revenue strategies.
More than market rules
Legal scholars argue the debate extends beyond antitrust mechanics.
“Platforms are no longer just business channels. They are deeply connected to data, content and technological influence,” said Choi Won-mog, professor of law at Ewha Womans University. “Which country’s platforms dominate a market has long-term implications.”
Choi pointed to the long-running dispute over Google Maps, where restrictions on exporting geographic data have limited full functionality in Korea and repeatedly surfaced in US trade reports.
Against that backdrop, platform regulation may not be viewed in isolation.
“Even if regulations do not explicitly target a particular country, the US may conclude that its firms are bearing more of the burden,” Choi said. “At that point, Washington could begin to see the issue as a nontariff barrier affecting market access.”
Symbolic flashpoints
Recent scrutiny surrounding Coupang, the US-listed e-commerce firm investigated in Korea over a data breach, has added another layer. Members of the US House Judiciary Committee publicly raised concerns, and the matter entered bilateral conversations.
Choi said individual cases can become symbolic.
“If a US service company appears to experience disadvantage in market access, that can become a representative example,” he said. “From Washington’s perspective, stronger engagement may then seem necessary.”
Once an issue is framed as emblematic rather than isolated, it can shift quickly from regulatory debate to trade friction.
What comes next
Ultimately, much will depend on how Korea structures and enforces the final law.
If implementation is seen as balanced and effects are broadly distributed, tensions may remain manageable. But if enforcement outcomes appear concentrated on US firms, the issue could escalate into a wider trade dispute.
In short, Washington’s pushback is less about a bill that does not yet exist — and more about the commercial weight, strategic value and signaling power of Korea’s digital market.
yeeun@heraldcorp.com
koreaherald.com · Jie Ye-eun · February 19, 2026
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
https://apstrategy.org/
Executive Director, Korea Regional Review
https://www.upi.com/Korea-Regional-Review/
Editor-at-large, Small Wars Journal
https://smallwarsjournal.com/
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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