​Quotes of the Day:

"Stupidity is the same as evil if you judge by the results."

– Margaret Atwood.

"Stupidity is far more dangerous than evil for evil takes a break from time to time stupidity does not"

– Anatole France

"Perhaps a revolution can overthrow autocratic despotism and profiteering or power grabbing oppression, but it can never truly reform a manner of thinking; instead, new prejudices, just like the old ones they replaced, will serve as a leash for the great unthinking mas.s"

– Immanuel Kant

1. Captured prisoners in Ukraine reveal surprising fragility of Kim’s North Korea

2. ‘Not what I expected’: Russian soldiers sent to North Korea for medical care

3. North Korean soldiers adjust tactics after reentering combat in Kursk

4. DPRK arms shipments to Russia slow in early 2025 but Feb. sees renewed activity

5. N. Korean defense chief reaffirms friendship with Russia during banquet for Russian holiday

6. JCS chief, USFK commander inspect readiness posture at truce village

7. Brutal reality of N. Korean military revealed by captured soldier

8. Hungry N. Korean border guards face violent backlash over home break-ins

9. Hostage Taking, Tactics of Terrorist Groups and Rogue States

10. Editorial: The Democratic Party's troubling silence on North Korean prisoners of war

11. Editorial: DPK's evidence in Yoon's impeachment case requires rigorous examination

12. Former U.S. envoy warns Trump could sideline South Korea like Ukraine in potential talks with North

13. DP considers peaceful use of nuclear power to appeal to center-right wingers

14. South Korea's diplomacy put to test in North Korean POW talks with Ukraine

15. Gov't urged to force Chinese firms to operate servers in Korea

16. White House National Security Adviser: “Only President Trump Can Stand Up to Kim Jong-un”

17. Former US European Commander: “North Korean Military Lacks Battlefield Adaptability… When Conducting US-ROK Joint Training”

18. S. Korea to lead new N. Korea sanctions watchdog, replacing UN panel

1. Captured prisoners in Ukraine reveal surprising fragility of Kim’s North Korea

​This provides some important insights. When we first wrote the plans for the potential for north Korean instability and regime collapse in the 1990s, the great Bob Collins described the conditions for collapse as the loss of central governance and military coherency. This is the loss of the Party's ability to control all the territory in the north from Pyongyang combined with the loss of military cohencey, i.e., the breakdown of the three chains of control and thus the loss of support for the Kim family regime.

That said, the interviews with the two soldiers were conducted by a journalist (I sent the link out yesterday). It would be useful to have a human intelligence professional interview them (as he did with Hwang Jang Yop and hundreds of defectors) and elicit detailed, accurate information. I wish Bob Collins could sit down with them for a few hours and hopefully he will be able to when they arrive in South Korea. His forthcoming book on the Reconnaissance General Bureau at the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea will be another seminal contribution (following his last one - Slaves to the Bomb about the human rights abuses of all the nuclear scientists, technicians, and their families, and many other reports over the past 2 decades including on Songbun – the social classification system of north Korea). His work is most important because it is based on first person sources and he is able to communicate with the north Korean diaspora because he can speak in the north Korean dialect. Read Bob's work and the work of others such as George Hutchinson and Josh Stanton among other expert Korea watchers at this link:  https://www.hrnk.org/documentation/

Captured prisoners in Ukraine reveal surprising fragility of Kim’s North Korea

POWs candid in new interviews, offer glimpse of shadowy Pyongyang force

washingtontimes.com · by Andrew Salmon

By - The Washington Times - Thursday, February 20, 2025

SEOUL, Korea — The ideological fragility of the North Korean regime has been exposed as two of its soldiers, captured by Ukrainian forces in January, have spoken with surprising frankness in their first public interview.

The two — the only North Koreans known to have been captured alive after having been sent to the Kursk region by the Kim Jong-un regime in support of Russia’s war — have previously been photographed and filmed, but have said little.

South Korea’s leading daily, the conservative Chosun Ilbo, has now published two separate interviews with the POWs over the past two days.

Analysts have speculated that the North Korean soldiers come from Pyongyang’s elite 11th Storm Corps, but the two captured soldiers say they were assigned to North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau. Their comments offer an up-to-date, inside view of the shadowy RGB, Pyongyang’s cross-services sabotage and intelligence directorate.

According to Ukraine’s military, the North Korean soldiers in Kursk have fought to the death or died by suicide to avoid capture. That the two soldiers have spoken so freely suggests a lack of POW and anti-interrogation training by their military superiors.

There is no sign the two men have been treated harshly and the newspaper’s photos indicate both captives received quality medical care and rations. The stories do not reveal either man’s full name, as both have family in North Korea. “Ri” was a 26-year-old scout sniper with the RGB, Baek a 21-year-old RGB rifleman.

Much of what the pair said matches Ukrainian accounts of the North Koreans’ fitness, marksmanship and motivation — assessed as higher than Russian units — and of their heavy losses. Ri referred to the RGB’s arduous mountain marches, endurance drills, shooting practice and ideological indoctrination.

Despite its elite status, the RGB, like other units, also performs labor for the state. One sign of its men’s toughness was their work on the prestigious Samjiyon tourism town showpiece project — in midwinter.

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“It was so cold that urine would freeze the moment it hit the ground,” Ri said, dismissing the Russian winter cold as “nothing.”

Both said they were told they were deploying to Russia for training, not combat. They were well supplied, but Ri said they had to use smartphone apps to communicate with Russians. The Chosun reporter said he was surprised, when shaking hands, by both men’s hard, calloused palms.

Meshing with Russian forces proved difficult at times: Ineffective Russian artillery cover fire left North Korean ground assaults exposed, Ri said.

Baek appeared unfazed while noting that about half of his 10-person unit had been killed: “It’s war — casualties are inevitable,” he said.

He was also low-key about the omnipresence of drones on the battlefield.

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“Russian troops often talked about drone threats, advising us to hide or flee,” he said. “But our army’s marksmanship is strong. We just shot them down. … They are easy to hit.”

But Ri, who said political officers told the RGB men that South Koreans were operating the drones, offered a grimmer assessment.

“Our training emphasized speed — running, hiding, or shooting drones from the ground,” he said. “We never learned how to take them down effectively.”

His six-person infiltration team was ambushed. Five were killed and Ri, wounded, was given first aid by comrades. But after dark, he was wounded again by a “demonic” drone.

Disoriented and weaponless, he was captured alive. “If I had a grenade, maybe I would have tried to take my own life,” he said, adding he had witnessed comrades do that. “In our army, being captured is seen as betrayal.”

Baek, who was first photographed with bandages on both arms, revealed that his hands had not been injured: The bindings were precautions placed by his captors to prevent suicide. He declined to answer if he had been trained to handle captivity.

Ri’s parents live in Pyongyang. “If the North Korean government learns of my capture, I fear my parents will be forced to leave Pyongyang,” he said — only ultra-loyal citizens can live in the capital.

Baek’s father had passed away, but his mother is still alive. Both men said they had not seen their families for the entirety of their military careers.

Baek expressed a desire to return home, but admitted he was considering defecting to South Korea. Ri said he had made up his mind to defect.

The openness of the two POWs is not unprecedented: In South Korea and Myanmar, captured North Korean commandos and spies opened up about their bitter experiences. Some spoke to reporters, and even wrote books.

South Koreans have been touched by the naivete of the young captives in Kyiv. Neither had any experience abroad or of dealing with foreigners before deploying to Russia.

Baek, when first questioned over whether he wanted to live in Ukraine, asked, on camera, “Are all Ukrainians kind?”

“It’s so sad,” remarked Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean general, after reading the Chosun reports. “They are human, just like us.”

North Korean soldiers face a Catch-22, the ex-general added.

“The guidelines are very simple — ’Don’t surrender!’ — so why do they need anti-interrogation training?” he said. “It would be counter to what they teach them, when you are drilling them to kill themselves.”

Their talkativeness points to the fragility of a regime that seeks to build impregnable firewalls blocking its citizens from the outside world.

“It only takes a kind word to destroy two decades of brainwashing,” said Gen. Chun, who formerly commanded Seoul’s Special Warfare Command. “All it took was a smile, a hot tea and these guys, who were ready to kill themselves, gave in. North Korea is really, really brittle.”

Despite the rare glimpse of North Korean humanity the captives represent, one veteran North Korea-watcher warned that the bulk of Mr. Kim’s men are, like the Japanese soldiers of World War II, a tough, fight-to-the-death force.

“Everybody is different: When people go through ideological training, they have different reactions,” said Bob Collins, a retired U.S. Army interrogator and the author of an upcoming book on the RGB. “But the majority of them, when they were going to be captured, pulled out grenades and blew their heads off.”

“North Korean training,” he added, “is successful for the majority.”

• Andrew Salmon can be reached at asalmon@washingtontimes.com.

Copyright © 2025 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

washingtontimes.com · by Andrew Salmon

2. ‘Not what I expected’: Russian soldiers sent to North Korea for medical care

​ I suppose this is another money making venture for Kim Jong Un. I'm sure he is charging a high fee for this "service" to Russian soldiers.

Are these like prisoners getting their last meal before execution? Are they having a final "vacation" before they are sent back to the meat grinder to die?

‘Not what I expected’: Russian soldiers sent to North Korea for medical care

Wonsan resorts offer troops time off to recover, but some wonder if move is a pretence for military training

The Guardian · by Pjotr Sauer · February 20, 2025

After two years fighting for Russia on the frontlines in Ukraine, Aleksei returned to his home town of Vladivostok last summer to recover from a shrapnel wound to his leg.

Looking to speed up his recovery and take a break from the city, he asked his military unit in Russia’s far east to see if he could secure a state-sponsored stay at a sanatorium – a health resort offering a mix of medical treatment and rest.

A few weeks later, Aleksei was instructed to pack his bags and board a two-hour flight to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, before continuing his journey to a health centre in Wonsan, a city on the country’s east coast.

“It wasn’t what I expected, but I thought I should try it out,” said Aleksei, who asked for his name to be changed so he could speak freely about his experience.

Aleksei said his superiors informed him that the more popular sanatorium destinations on the Black Sea and in the Altai mountains were already fully booked by the time he sent in his request. “So they offered a trip to North Korea,” he said.

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and his daughter Kim Ju-ae walk along the beach in Wonsan. Photograph: KCNA/Reuters

Aleksei appears to be one of the hundreds of Russian soldiers covertly sent to North Korea for medical rehabilitation and rest, as the country takes on a new role of caring for Russian troops wounded in the war against Ukraine.

The previously unreported trip is the latest sign of the growing military and political alignment between Russia and North Korea since the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

This cooperation has culminated in Pyongyang deploying more than 10,000 troops to support Russian forces in the south-western Kursk region, according to western estimates.

During his week-long trip to North Korea, Aleksei said he shared a facility in Wonsan with about two dozen other Russian soldiers, enjoying access to a pool and a sauna. He spent his days playing table tennis and cards with fellow servicemen.

“The facilities were clean and good overall, and the sun was shining,” he said. Still, he complained that he did not receive the medical treatment typically expected at a sanatorium, while the meals were “tasteless and lacked meat”.

He and the other soldiers were forbidden from wandering outside in the evenings or making contact with locals. Alcohol was also hard to come by, he added.

‘When has Russia ever kept its promises?’: Ukrainians furious over Trump’s plan to end war

Read more

Since the start of the war, hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers have returned home, many participating in government-funded programmes for rehabilitation.

Russian government organisations for veterans, which oversee trips to the hundreds of sanatoriums across the country, have not publicly promoted the trips to North Korea, nor has any footage of the visits been released.

But in an interview published this month, Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang said that “hundreds of Russian soldiers” who fought in Ukraine were “undergoing rehabilitation in North Korean sanatorium and medical facilities”.

“The treatment, the care, the food – everything related to staying in North Korea was absolutely free,” the ambassador, Aleksandr Matsegora, told the government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

The statements were noteworthy as one of the first public acknowledgments from either side of North Korea’s tangible support for its ally’s war effort.

“When we offered to compensate our [North Korean] friends for at least part of their expenses, they were genuinely offended and asked us never to do it again,” Matsegora said.

The extent and impact of North Korea’s role in providing medical and rehabilitation services to Russian soldiers remain unknown.

Pyongyang’s healthcare system has been strained under international sanctions, while language and cultural barriers could further hinder treatment – especially given the wide range of physical and psychological conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, that many soldiers endure.

It is unclear whether severely wounded Russian soldiers have received treatment in North Korean hospitals or if any health centres beyond Wonsan have accommodated servicemen.

Russia’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

So far, North Korean medical outreach appears to be relatively small-scale and restricted to servicemen from Russia’s far east, which has a short land border with North Korea.

A representative of a Russian tour agency, which facilitated soldiers’ trips last summer, told the Guardian that the tours were exclusively for servicemen from Russia’s far east and accommodated only a few hundred participants.

But the representative said North Korea had the capacity to “welcome many, many more Russian soldiers”.

North Korea plans to open a long-promised “luxury beachfront” resort on the Kalma Peninsula near Wonsan this year. North Korean state media claim the complex includes about 150 hotels and can accommodate tens of thousands of visitors. Russian media have promoted it as a potential tourist destination.

Some observers suggested that Russia could be sending its military to North Korea under the cover of medical help.

“The arrival of combat-experienced Russian soldiers, particularly if they include officers or noncommissioned 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 Washington-based Institute for the Study of War wrote in its report last week.

Why are North Korean soldiers entering Russia's war against Ukraine? – video explainer

Not far from where the soldiers were staying in Wonsan, North Korea also organised a summer camp for the children of Russian servicemen who died in the war in Ukraine.

During a trip to Pyongyang in June last year, Putin first mentioned the summer camp, thanking “comrade Kim Jong-un for organising the holiday of the children of killed participants of the special military operation in the Korean camp Songdowon”.

Russia has a longstanding connection with the Songdowon summer camp, which Russian children visited even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In contrast to the medical trips, Russian media have openly covered the visits to North Korean summer camps, publishing pictures of children posing in front of statues of the country’s leaders.

“Undoubtedly, one of the advantages of the trip was the lack of connectivity. It turned into a complete two-week digital detox from all outside information,” one young female participant of the summer camp in 2024 told a regional outlet in Yekaterinburg, a Russian city in the Urals.

Describing North Korean children, the girl noted that it was “very unusual to see how they marched in unison, played musical instruments as instructed and did everything together”.

Aleksei, the soldier, said he was not sure he would return to North Korea for another trip if given the chance. “I’d rather recover closer to home, somewhere more familiar,” he said.

The Guardian · by Pjotr Sauer · February 20, 2025

3. North Korean soldiers adjust tactics after reentering combat in Kursk

​Learning and adapting? I really wish we had advisors on the ground with Ukrainian troops to not only advise and assist but also to determine ground truth on how Russian and north Korean units are really conducting operations. We need our own eyes on the ground to make accurate assessments of our enemies' capabilities.

North Korean soldiers adjust tactics after reentering combat in Kursk

Ukrainian platoon commander says troops are exercising more caution and have reduced size of their assault groups

Anton Sokolin February 21, 2025

https://www.nknews.org/2025/02/north-korean-soldiers-adjust-tactics-after-reentering-combat-in-kursk/

A North Korean officer at the demilitarized zone | Image: Eric Lafforgue (Sept. 2012)

North Korean troops have adjusted their tactics in Russia’s Kursk region, reducing the size of their assault groups and exercising greater caution in combat, according to a Ukrainian officer fighting in the area.

The change comes as North Korean servicemen have suffered heavy losses and amid Kyiv’s success in hitting a DPRK-made 170mm Koksan self-propelled gun in Donbas.

Stanislav Krasnov, a Ukrainian platoon commander of the 1st Air Assault Battalion of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, told Kyiv’s Army TV on Thursday that North Korean troops have reentered combat in Kursk, resuming assaults on the western flank.

Stanislav Krasnov, a platoon commander of the 1st Air Assault Battalion of the 95th Air Assault Brigade during an interview with Army TV on Feb. 20, 2025 | Image: Screengrab from Ukraine’s Army TV (Feb. 20, 2025)

“Their tactics have changed, they’ve also reduced the number of troops in their assault groups,” the officer said, explaining that DPRK soldiers now operate in groups of 10-15 unlike during the initial stage of their deployment when “groups of up to 50 men would advance across the fields.”

Despite the scale-back, North Korean assault groups are still much larger than Russian units, Krasnov added.

“[But] they move more cautiously now, as seen in aerial reconnaissance, unlike before when they boldly marched across fields as if they owned the place,” he added.

Speaking of Russian soldiers in Kursk he said that they are mostly from the 810 Marine Brigade that has been heavily involved in the region, with other units undergoing frequent rotations that he suggested are related to heavy losses.

“That is, they press, press at any cost, throwing everything they have into battle to somehow turn the situation around.”

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that soldiers from the 810 Marine Brigade had crossed the border in Kursk overnight entering the territory of Ukraine. Kyiv dismissed his statement as false.

Krasnov’s comments came as the Army TV hosts discussed how the Ukrainian military successfully destroyed a Koksan self-propelled gun in the Luhansk region of Donbas, marking the first confirmed evidence of the artillery system being used in the frontlines of the Ukraine war.

Video purporting to show a Ukrainian strike on a DPRK-made 170mm Koksan in the Luhansk region of Donbas | Image: Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine via Telegram

The operation was carried out by the 412th Nemesis Separate Battalion which shared the original footage of the attack on Wednesday. The press arm of the Ukrainian military confirmed the strike, releasing another video showing the destruction of the Koksan.

In a previous program on Wednesday, Army TV showed a segment about how North Korean troops went to storm Nikolsky Hamlet in Kursk but were driven out by Ukrainian forces after the Russian 155th Marine Brigade allegedly failed to provide support.

“Under pressure from a Ukrainian counterattack, the North Koreans had no choice but to retreat,” the program hosts said, while commenting on drone footage purporting to show the “chaotic” escape of small groups of DPRK soldiers “across open fields.”

Footage purporting to show the retreat of North Korean soldiers from Nikolsky Hamlet in the Kursk region in Feb. 2025 | Image: Screengrab from Ukraine’s Army TV (Feb. 19, 2025)

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The assessment came shortly after Ukraine’s top military spy Kyrylo Budanov placed DPRK casualties in Kursk at 4,000 out of some 12,000 in a recent interview, while the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that Kyiv had “completely destroyed” the DPRK contingent in the area.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military is occupying nearly 417 square kilometers of land in the Kursk region, according to the Ukrainian Deep State project tracking the situation on the frontlines, indicating that Kyiv has lost at least 11 square kilometers since the start of the month.

Map showing the territory controlled by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region on Aug. 31, 2024 | Image: Deep State map project

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For instance, by the end of August, Ukrainian forces controlled a territory of over 812 square kilometers in the Kursk region since the start of the incursion earlier that month.

Edited by Alannah Hill 

4. DPRK arms shipments to Russia slow in early 2025 but Feb. sees renewed activity

​If I knew how to create a meme image it would have Kim Jong Un with dollar signs in his eyes. This is a money maker for Kim.

There is satellite imagery at the link.

DPRK arms shipments to Russia slow in early 2025 but Feb. sees renewed activity

Transfers via Rason saw downturn compared to same period year prior as uptick this month comes amid warning from Kyiv

Anton Sokolin February 21, 2025

https://www.nknews.org/pro/dprk-arms-shipments-to-russia-slow-in-early-2025-but-feb-sees-renewed-activity/

The Maria freighter, one of four Russian vessels implicated in a clandestine arms smuggling operation, spotted at Rason on Jan. 10, 2025 | Image: Planet

Suspected arms transfers between North Korea and Russia via the port of Rason appear to have slowed this year, compared to the same period in 2024. However, an uptick in activity this month suggests a potential resurgence in shipments as Kyiv has warned that Pyongyang is gearing up for a new transfer of multiple ballistic missiles for Moscow.

NK Pro analysis of available Planet Labs satellite imagery shows that Russian ships — the Angara and Maria — have made four visits to Rason from the start of the year through Feb. 20.

This number is significantly lower than the same period in the previous year, when the two vessels, along with the Maia-1 and Lady R, collectively made at least ten pickups at the North Korean port known as a key hub for exporting DPRK-made arms and munitions to Russia.

The slowdown comes as a sanctioned vessel previously implicated in the arms smuggling scheme has traveled across the world, passed the Suez Canal and is headed toward Europe.

While the overall number of trips has slowed compared to the same period a year earlier, three of this year’s visits to Rason were made in February (Feb. 1, Feb. 9 and most recently Feb. 20), suggesting that the operation may be returning to its regular schedule.

A vessel with hull parameters similar to that of the Russian freighter Maria at Rason on Feb. 20, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

Ukraine’s top military spy Kyrylo Budanov warned last month that North Korea is planning to supply Russia with 150 more ballistic missiles on top of 148 already received, as well as ship 120 Koksans and 120 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) to the region.

In October, South Korean military intelligence assessed that North Korea had sent over 20,000 containers from Rason to Russia, likely carrying millions of ammunition rounds.

NK Pro previously reported that suspected arms deliveries slowed to two or three visits per month last year, with activity nearly ceasing in August, marked by only one trip.

The operation underwent adjustments around the end of 2024, possibly diversifying delivery channels by using rail to supply artillery and other weapons systems, including 170mm Koksan self-propelled guns and presumed MLRS previously spotted moving across Russia.

The Ukrainian military reported on Wednesday that it successfully hit one such Koksan gun in the Luhansk region of Donbas, releasing a video purporting to show the first use of such artillery systems in combat.

North Korea’s Tumanggang Station linked to Russia by the only railway bridge between the two countries continues to show signs of train activity, with multiple tarp-covered objects piling at the facility, indicating inbound or outbound deliveries, potentially including military-related cargo. 

Tarp-covered objects observed at the Tumangang Station, possibly prepared for export or import, along with train movements at the facility on Jan. 31, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

Tarp-covered objects observed at the Tumangang Station, possibly prepared for export or import, along with train movements at the facility on Feb. 3, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

Tarp-covered objects observed at the Tumangang Station, possibly prepared for export or import, along with train movements at the facility on Feb. 8, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

Tarp-covered objects observed at the Tumangang Station, possibly prepared for export or import, along with train movements at the facility on Feb. 14, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

Tarp-covered objects observed at the Tumangang Station, possibly prepared for export or import, along with train movements at the facility on Feb. 18, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

Tarp-covered objects observed at the Tumangang Station, possibly prepared for export or import, along with train movements at the facility on Feb. 19, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

DETAILED SHIPMENTS

All four ships involved in shuttling arms and their respective owners have been designated by the U.S. and EU, including for supplying weapons aiding Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The Angara and Maria have been the main carriers of military cargo from Rason in past months, with Maria likely making the most recent visit to Rason on Feb. 20, according to low-resolution imagery.

In the meantime, the Lady R made its first trip to Rason since May on Dec. 24, replacing the Angara, which likely underwent maintenance at the Dalzavod Ship-Repair Center in Vladivostok from Dec. 13 until Jan. 11, according to imagery.

The Russian Ro-Ro vessel Lady R at Rason on Dec. 24, 2024 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

The Russian Ro-Ro vessel Lady R at Vostochny Port on Dec. 28, 2024 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

Breaking its months-long radio silence, the Angara briefly broadcast its location at Dalzavod’s pier on Dec. 20. The ship left the harbor on Jan. 11, satellite imagery shows, with a vessel of similar size and hull appearing at Rason on Feb. 9 and then at Port Vostochny on Feb. 14.

The U.S. sanctioned Dalzavod harbor in Jan. 2023 as Russia’s key facility aiding its military presence in the Asia Pacific region.

[Gallery: Angara broadcasts from Dalzavod, Images: Dec. 13, Jan.11, Rason Feb. 9 and Vost. Feb. 14]

The Russian vessel Angara briefly broadcasting its signal from Vladivostok when it was berthed next to the U.S.-sanctioned Dalzavod repair center likely undergoing maintenance on Dec. 20, 2024 | Image: MarineTraffic, edited by NK Pro

The Angara appeared as berthed near the Dalzavod repair center on Dec. 13, 2024 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

The Angara leaving Dalzavod’s pier on Jan. 11, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

A vessel matching the hull parameters of the Angara appearing at Rason on Feb. 9, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

The Angara berthed at Vostochny Port on Fev. 14, 2025 | Image: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

The Lady R was berthed at the same harbor in Vladivostok on Dec. 10 before sailing to loiter at sea until Dec. 15 and showing up at Vostochny Port on Dec. 17-18, likely picking up empty containers to rejoin the shipping operation. 

The Lady R stopped transmitting its location in Jan. 2024, according to Marine Traffic, however, NK Pro last spotted the vessel berthed in Vladivostok in August.

The Lady R spotted as berthed in front of the Dalzavod repair center in Vladivostok on Aug. 31, 2024 after moving from the southern part of the city | Image: Planet Labs

The Lady R berthed to a pier next to the Russky Bridge in Vladivostok on Aug. 29, 2024 | Image: Planet Labs

The Lady R berthed to a pier next to the Russky Bridge in Vladivostok on Aug. 28, 2024 | Image: Planet Labs

The Lady R is not the only irregular participant in the shipping operation. The 138-meter-long Maia-1 cargo vessel made its ninth and last recorded delivery to Rason more than a year ago on Feb. 12, 2024.

The ship passed through the Suez Canal on Feb. 20, possibly heading to the Russian port of Ust-Luga, a home for a new liquefied gas facility, according to a report by the Open Source Centre (OSC).

The Maia-1 has been relatively consistent in broadcasting its channel since April, 2024, after it stopped frequenting Rason. It visited between ports like Nakhodka and the northern port of Vanino, where it was photographed picking up or offloading an unidentified cylindrical-shaped device last July.

The route of the U.S.- and EU-sanctioned Russian Maia-1 vessel between June 2024 when it sailed to Vanino and Feb. 19, 2025 when the boat entered the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal | Image: MarineTraffic

The Maia-1 loading or offloading cargo at Vanino, with one of its cranes moving an unidentified cylindrical object, on July 26, 2024 | Image: Andy Ru. via MarineTraffic

The vessel cruised outside Vladivostok in November-December and set sail toward China’s Daxin port in Zhangjiagang and then to the Vietnamese port of Vung Tau in January, according to Marine Traffic, before eventually entering the Suez Canal and reaching the Mediterranean Sea this week.

Despite being heavily sanctioned, the vessel wasn’t stopped by Egyptian authorities as ships are free to sail through the canal under the Constantinople Convention treaty.

Neil Watts, a former member of the U.N. Panel of Experts, explained that it is not obligatory to seize the vessel since it’s not on U.N. sanctions lists.

“Egypt seized the North Korean vessel Jie Shun in 2016 before it entered the canal, so it has done so in the past,” Watts told NK Pro, suggesting that Cairo might have been under pressure to act against the Maia-1 if it had received a request from Washington.

However, the OSC stressed that the Suez Canal had the right to block the Maia-1’s transit due to its lack of suitable insurance, citing the fact the vessel is not covered by members of the International Group of insurers.

Edited by Alannah Hill

5. N. Korean defense chief reaffirms friendship with Russia during banquet for Russian holiday

​Vodka or soju or both? I am sure this was a "drinkfest" of epic proportions.

N. Korean defense chief reaffirms friendship with Russia during banquet for Russian holiday | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · February 21, 2025

SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's defense minister has reaffirmed "invincible" friendship with Russia during a banquet celebrating Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day, hosted by the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, state media reported Friday.

The banquet, hosted Thursday by Russian Ambassador Alexandr Matsegora and a defense attache, was attended by Defense Minister No Kwang-chol, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu and other military and diplomatic officials, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day, observed on Feb. 23, honors the country's military history, veterans and servicemen.

In his speech at the event, the North Korean defense chief referred to a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang in June last year, stressing the two countries' alignment.

"(Bilateral relations) have transcended and evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership and invincible friendship, strongly wielding their vitality and power today," No noted.

The minister also expressed his "confidence" that the Russian military and people would achieve another "great victory" this year as descendants of a generation of victory in war.

Russian Defense Attache Alexei Bartusov, in his speech, called the mutual defense treaty signed between Kim and Putin last year as a decisive moment, stressing the longstanding solidarity between Russians and North Koreans, the KCNA said.

He also thanked the North Korean leadership and people for their support of Russia despite the actions of the United States and its followers.

North Korea and Russia have been strengthening their ties since the signing of the mutual treaty last year, with the North deploying special forces to support Russia's war against Ukraine and deepening exchanges with Russia in military, economic, sports and other fields.

This image of Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexandr Matsegora is captured from the Facebook account of the Russian Embassy in North Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · February 21, 2025

6. JCS chief, USFK commander inspect readiness posture at truce village

​Excellent. The permanent members of the military committee need to spend a lot of time together.

JCS chief, USFK commander inspect readiness posture at truce village | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · February 21, 2025

SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top military officer and the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) visited the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom on Friday and checked the readiness posture against potential threats, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson paid the visit to the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the heavily-fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, the JCS said.

Brunson also serves as the commander of the U.N. Command and the Combined Forces Command.

During the visit, they reviewed key operational facilities within the JSA, including areas near the Military Demarcation Line inside the DMZ, and assessed the readiness.

Kim called for strengthening the combined operational capabilities to ensure "immediate and powerful" responses in case of provocations by North Korea, highlighting the allies' "unwavering" combined defense posture, the JCS said.

Brunson, in turn, said the United States is fully committed to deterring any hostile actions and defending South Korea, according to the JCS.

Friday's visit marked the first on-site inspection by the top South Korean and U.S. military officers since Brunson took office in December last year.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo (3rd from R) and U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson (4th from L) visit the Joint Security Area inside the Demilitarized Zone on Feb. 21, 2025, in this photo provided by the JCS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · February 21, 2025

7. Brutal reality of N. Korean military revealed by captured soldier

​Human rights are not only a moral imperative, they are a national security issue. Kim denies human rights to remain in power. But Koreans in the north do not have an understanding of their universal human rights. Educating them on these rights will pressure the regime but more importantly knowledge of human rights can be a catalyst to create the conditions for change in the north. This is why we need a human rights upfront approach.

Brutal reality of N. Korean military revealed by captured soldier

POW testimony sheds light on teen conscription, forced labor, harsh conditions faced by North Korean troops​

https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2025/02/20/BKXAP3UE6FFIBB2LZGIAR2C5EI/

By Kim Hwee-won,

Kim Min-seo,

Kim Seo-young

Published 2025.02.20. 10:43

North Korean soldiers set up a stove to cook, in this photo released by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 2024.

North Korean soldiers march at a construction site for a local industrial plant. /Rodong Sinmun-News1

The brutal and inhumane reality faced by North Korean soldiers has come to light following an interview with Ri, a 26-year-old North Korean sniper captured by Ukrainian forces after being deployed to Russia’s Kursk region. Ri’s testimony confirmed that most North Korean troops enlist in their mid to late teens, similar to South Korean middle and high school students, and serve for years in isolation from their families while enduring extreme conditions and forced labor.

In an exclusive interview with The Chosun Ilbo, Ri revealed that he served in the North Korean military for 10 years before he was deployed to Russia, just before his scheduled discharge. Having enlisted at 16, he spent his entire early twenties in the military to fulfill the mandatory 10-year service. “I only spoke to my parents over the phone and never met them in person,” Ri said. Although his unit in Sinchon, South Hwanghae Province, was just 100 kilometers from his home in Pyongyang, he was never granted leave or visitation rights.

The North Korean military grants leave only in rare cases, such as the death of a parent. One North Korean defector who served in the military explained, “Only those with wealth or influence can visit their children during service. Most soldiers are limited to exchanging occasional letters or phone calls with their families.”

Ri’s interview also exposed how North Korean soldiers are forcibly mobilized for state projects, working in near-slave conditions. He said his unit, the Korean People’s Army Special Operations Force, known for its combat capabilities, was frequently deployed for both military and construction missions, including Kim Jong-un’s large-scale Samjiyon project. This “propaganda city” near Mount Paektu, built between 2018 and 2021, is located in the frigid Ryanggang Province, where winter temperatures drop to -30°C. Ri confirmed that soldiers were sent en masse for the project, recalling, “The cold in Samjiyon was much worse compared to Kursk,” and that their hands froze as they spent entire days chipping away at frozen ground with pickaxes.

Proper meals were likely scarce at construction sites. The North Korean military defector who fled a few years ago recalled, “Conditions were so dire that armed soldiers often turned to robbery and even murder just to secure food. The authorities even issued warnings of execution for such crimes.”

Since October last year, casualties among North Korean troops deployed to Russia have continued to rise. Ri said that soldiers were deceived into believing they were being sent abroad for “training” but were instead thrown into combat without fully grasping their situation. Of the estimated 12,000 troops sent, around 4,000 are reported dead or seriously wounded, with speculation of further deployments. However, ongoing ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Russia in Saudi Arabia may complicate North Korea’s plans.

Regarding this, U.S. President Donald Trump said at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Feb. 18, “Russia wants to do something,” and added that he will “probably” meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month. He also highlighted the heavy casualties among Russian and Ukrainian forces, saying, “A lot of [North] Korean soldiers have also been killed. They came over to fight, and a large portion have been wiped out.”

North Korean soldier

POW

Ukraine

Russia

8. Hungry N. Korean border guards face violent backlash over home break-ins

​How is the party's central governing effectiveness working out? Can it effectively control all territory (and people) in the north?

Hungry N. Korean border guards face violent backlash over home break-ins - Daily NK English

Standard procedure requires local police to document cases before military security takes over. Yet soldier-thieves rarely face real punishment

By Eun Seol - February 21, 2025

dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · February 21, 2025

An aerial view of downtown Sinuiju taken from the Chinese side of the border. (Wikimedia Commons)

Soldiers from North Korea’s 27th Brigade border guard unit are increasingly breaking into civilian homes to steal food along the Chinese frontier in North Hamgyong province, fueling tensions with local residents.

Three soldiers were caught robbing a home in Hoeryong’s Yuson Workers’ District recently, a Daily NK source reported earlier this week. After hearing suspicious noises, neighbors rushed to the scene and found the soldiers ransacking the house and storage shed. The soldiers were severely beaten by the crowd and later hospitalized.

“Home break-ins by soldiers are getting worse,” the source said. “Even with nails on fence tops and multiple locks on sheds, we can’t stop them.”

The spike in thefts stems from severe food shortages in the military units. Border guards “work around the clock – standing watch, gathering firewood, and tending support farms – but get just a pinky-sized portion of corn noodles because their units short-change their rations,” the source explained.

While some soldiers steal on their own out of desperation, others act on direct orders from officers who organize theft teams.

“Survival instinct is one thing, but there’s also pressure from above,” the source added.

Common belief holds that border guard duty ensures full stomachs, but reality proves otherwise.

Local sympathy once extended to these hungry soldiers serving far from home. But as the thefts have escalated and become more indiscriminate, that understanding has evaporated.

“People used to pity them, but now there’s only anger – probably because they’ve caused too much damage,” the source said. “Many say just seeing a soldier now makes their blood boil.”

Standard procedure requires local police to document cases before military security takes over. Yet soldier-thieves rarely face real punishment.

This lack of accountability has pushed residents to dispense their own justice through beatings.

“It’s a release valve for people’s anger at soldiers who’ve made theft their habit,” the source said. “Seeing these thieves get beaten gives folks some satisfaction.”

But this vigilante response carries risks. “Even if soldiers see the beatings as justified self-defense by civilians, people could face assault charges if soldiers can’t perform their duties due to injuries,” the source warned. The recent hospitalization of three soldiers with minor injuries has led locals to suspect the military of deliberately inflating the incident.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · February 21, 2025

9. Hostage Taking, Tactics of Terrorist Groups and Rogue States

​From the weekly RFA column of Greg Scarlatoiu, President and CEO of the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.

This is a Google translation of the RFA column (Greg writes this column in the Korean language for Koreans in the north as he has been doing for the past two decades every week.).

[Scalatu] Hostage Taking, Tactics of Terrorist Groups and Rogue States

https://www.rfa.org/korean/commentary/greg/donald-trump-hostage-release-terrorism-political-tactics-02172025104010.html

Greg Scarlatoiu, Chairman, Committee for Human Rights in North Korea

, 2025.02.18

Missionary Kim Kuk-gi's appearance revealed in North Korean media in 2015.

/ Yonhap News

00:00 /06:51

Greg Scarlatoiu, Chairman, Committee for Human Rights in North Korea

During his first term in office, US President Donald Trump helped free 58 hostages held by rogue states and terrorist groups. Trump’s second term begins on January 20, 2025. According to the White House, Trump has released 11 hostages in his first month in office. 

The most famous of these hostages is Marc Fogel, an American history teacher who taught at an international school in Russia. Fogel has been held in Russia since 2021. Two Americans held in Belarus have also been released since President Trump took office. Six Americans held in Venezuela have also been released. Keith Siegel, an Israeli-American who was held hostage after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a brutal massacre on Israel on October 7, 2023, has also been released. American hostages held by the Taliban, the terrorist group that controls the country in Afghanistan, have also been released. There are still American citizens held hostage by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip in the Middle East, and the Trump administration is working to free them as it seeks a peaceful solution to the conflict that Iran has provoked through the terrorist group Hamas.

Adam Boehler, the U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs, said President Trump has made it his “top priority to bring Americans home, and the American people are responding.” In a Jan. 15 press op-ed, Trump signaled to the world that his administration will pursue peace and negotiate to ensure the safety of all Americans and our allies.

In modern history, terrorist groups, rogue regimes, and state sponsors of terrorism have often resorted to hostage-taking to achieve political ends. Hostage-taking has been a scourge, inflicting harm on innocent people on nearly every continent. Perhaps the most notorious of these was the one that occurred on June 27, 1976, when terrorists consisting of members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - External Operations (PFLP-EO) and West Germans from the German Revolutionary Cells hijacked Air France Flight 139.

The flight took off from Tel Aviv, the capital of Israel, and was en route to Paris, France, via Athens, Greece. There were 246 passengers on board, most of them Israelis or Jews of other nationalities. The terrorists, protected by Idi Amin, the dictator of Uganda, a landlocked country in central Africa and a friend and ally of Kim Il Sung since April 1972, forced the plane to land at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. Israeli special forces carried out one of the most amazing rescue operations in history, in which only three hostages were killed and the rest were released. The only Israeli casualty was the commander of the unit, Lieutenant Colonel Sgan Aluf, then 30 years old , and brother of the current Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

North Korea is no stranger to hostage-taking. Over the past several decades, North Korea has taken hostage South Koreans and other nationals, including 20 Americans. In May 2018, during his first term, President Trump rescued three Korean-Americans held in North Korea: Kim Dong-chul, Kim Hak-song, and Kim Sang-duk. President Trump personally greeted them upon their arrival in the United States.

On June 13, 2017, Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American college student who had been detained in North Korea for 17 months, was released and returned to the country. North Korea's representative media outlet, Korean Central News Agency, reported on June 15, 2017, "In accordance with the ruling of the Central Court of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the 13th, Otto Warmbier, an American citizen who had been undergoing reeducation through labor, was returned on the 13th on humanitarian grounds." However, he fell into a coma in North Korea for over a year, starting in March 2016, immediately after the trial. Warmbier was transferred to the United States in a coma and died a few days later on June 19, 2017. All Americans were outraged by the death of a young American by the North Korean regime.

Under the Trump administration, American diplomats are working hard to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Eventually, the administration will succeed. And sooner or later, North Korea will have a chance to achieve peace, prosperity, and development in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons. For a better future, North Korea must create an atmosphere conducive to dialogue with the United States. Such an atmosphere cannot be created while North Korea is still holding South Koreans hostage.

The North Korean regime must immediately and unconditionally release missionaries Kim Jung-wook, Kim Kuk-ki, and Choi Chun-gil who are currently being held in North Korea. North Korea will not be able to join the civilized world of the 21st century while it continues to grossly abuse human rights, operates political prison camps and other illegal detention facilities, and still detains three South Korean pastors.

Editor Park Jeong-woo, Web Editor Lee Gyeong-ha

10. Editorial: The Democratic Party's troubling silence on North Korean prisoners of war

​Is it because they have no concern for human rights in north Korea?

Is it because they do not want to risk offending Kim Jong un?

Is it because they want to appease Kim Jong Un?

Editorial: The Democratic Party's troubling silence on North Korean prisoners of war

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/02/21/RGKXVDGGMVCEJEPGJM6H4Y6L3Y/

By The Chosunilbo

Published 2025.02.21. 08:10

Two North Korean soldiers were captured in Jan. 2025, after being deployed to the Russian frontlines in Kursk to assist Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ri (26, left), who served for 10 years, and Baek (21), who served for 5 years, revealed that they were part of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, the intelligence agency that manages North Korea’s clandestine operations. / Jung Chul-hwan (Kyiv, Ukraine)

A North Korean prisoner of war captured by Ukrainian forces revealed the grim reality of North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia and the dire conditions in his home country in an exclusive interview with the Chosunilbo. He said that in his ten years of military service, he never once saw his parents, and his family was unaware that he had been sent to Russia.

He described a life of hardship, where he was subject to physical and mental abuse in the military and was forced into labor at construction sites for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in subzero temperatures reaching minus 30 degrees Celsius.

He and his fellow soldiers were sent to Russia under the false pretense of “overseas training” and “studying abroad.” Brainwashed from a young age into believing that “prisoners of war are traitors,” he even considered using a grenade to commit suicide after he was severely injured. Reports show that bodies of decapitated North Korean soldiers have been found on battlefields. Nearly half of the deployed North Korean troops are already dead or maimed. North Korean soldiers in Russia are living a nightmare.

All 10,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Ukraine are subject to this modern-day slavery. “I want to go to South Korea,” one captured soldier said. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea warned that repatriating these prisoners of war to North Korea “poses a severe risk of human rights violations.” A former U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights emphasized that South Korea should accommodate these prisoners, as they are, by the Constitution, South Korean citizens.

The South Korean government and the international community have raised alarm over North Korea’s involvement in the war by sending troops to Russia. Yet, South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party has remained unnaturally silent on this issue.

When the National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed that North Korea sent troops to aid Russia, the Democratic Party dismissed the report, stating, “North Korea denies such claims.” The party warned the NIS to refrain from “fanning the flames” by “making provocative statements based on unverified information.” The party even demanded concrete evidence, but when the U.S. acknowledged the deployment, they retorted, “Why should we interfere in a war taking place far from home, that has nothing to do with us?”

When the NIS proposed dispatching a team to interrogate captured North Korean soldiers, party leader Lee Jae-myung made a quip about whether the agency was seeking to “pass on torture techniques.”

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un continues to send young North Koreans to die as cannon fodder in Russia’s war, using them to secure funds for his regime and weapons programs. On the battlefield, North Korean troops are fed false propaganda. North Korean security agents monitoring the troops in Kursk falsely claimed that “Ukrainian military drone operators are South Korean soldiers,” a tactic used to incite hatred and hostility. Those who dismiss this as a distant conflict irrelevant to South Korea should have no place in political decision-making, particularly in matters of national security.

The Democratic Party has a track record of accommodating North Korean demands. When Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong demanded legislation that bans civic and human rights organizations from sending anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets over the border, the party swiftly enacted the anti-leaflet law. The controversial law was later ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court.

The Democratic Party still hasn’t nominated a director for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation, 9 years after the North Korean Human Rights Act was enacted in 2016. Party leader Lee Jae-myung is on trial for allegedly attempting to bribe North Korea in exchange for a visit. The Democratic Party remains deeply entrenched in a pro-North Korea, pro-Kim Jong-un stance from which it seems unable to extricate itself.

Ignoring the suffering of young North Koreans who barely made it out alive from the battlefield after being thrown into war, and disregarding the horrors of the Kim dynasty raises serious questions about the Democratic Party’s political motives. The Democratic Party’s actions have proven that Lee’s assertion that the party is a “centrist-leaning-conservative party” that embraces “reasonable and sound conservatism” is empty rhetoric.

11. Editorial: DPK's evidence in Yoon's impeachment case requires rigorous examination

On the one hand this is likely the tactics of the DPK. But if true, I am saddened that a ROK military leader and Special Forces officer would be influenced in this way.

Editorial: DPK's evidence in Yoon's impeachment case requires rigorous examination

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/02/18/TSGOBESG7ZBVVIZESXK3SM3TVA/

By The Chosunilbo

Published 2025.02.18. 09:11

Col. Kim Hyun-tae, head of the 707th Special Mission Group, speaks at the National Defense Committee’s plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 17. /Nam Kang-ho

Col. Kim Hyun-tae, head of the 707th Special Mission Group, who was deployed to the National Assembly during President Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law declaration, testified before the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee on Feb. 17, alleging that Democratic Party lawmakers sought to influence former Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, in the aftermath of the crisis. Kim stated he was present on Dec. 10 when Kwak met with Democratic Party lawmakers Park Beom-kye and Boo Seung-chan. During the meeting, a Democratic Party policy advisor reportedly assured Kwak, “The tide has turned. The Democratic Party will protect you.” Kim also recalled Park pressuring Kwak to repeat a specific statement, instructing him, “Try saying it once more,” and urging him to adhere to a phrasing Park had written down, adding, “That’s not what you said earlier.” Kim suggested this amounted to coaching Kwak’s testimony to align with the party’s stance.

That same day, Kwak testified before the National Assembly, claiming President Yoon had ordered the military to “break down the doors of the National Assembly and drag out lawmakers.” His statement became a key piece of evidence in Yoon’s impeachment case, which accused the president of attempting to suppress legislative functions. However, during the impeachment trial, Kwak walked back his claim, stating, “President Yoon never mentioned ‘lawmakers.’ I recall him saying ‘personnel’ instead.” These latest allegations of witness coaching add another layer to the controversy.

Kim also testified that on Dec. 6, Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Byeong-ju and Park Sun-won visited the Special Warfare Command under the pretense of lodging a protest and provided Kwak with a list of anticipated questions and suggested responses. According to Kim, Kwak, visibly distressed, repeatedly affirmed their instructions with “Yes, yes” before becoming emotional. Kim likened the scene to a defeated general being interrogated by an occupying force.

Kim further recalled that a Democratic Party lawmaker assured Kwak, “We will introduce you to a lawyer.” He questioned whether having Kwak read from a prepared statement and offering him legal assistance amounted to an attempt to manipulate his testimony. Additionally, a Democratic Party lawmaker disclosed the so-called “arrest list memo” authored by Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). However, doubts have since emerged regarding when and where the memo was drafted. With an impeachment ruling that could potentially remove the president from office, the integrity of evidence must be rigorously scrutinized.

12. Former U.S. envoy warns Trump could sideline South Korea like Ukraine in potential talks with North

But the ROK should not take this personally. We all should understand how POTUS conducts business and it is not in accordance with traditional diplomatic protocol. Therefore we cannot judge and assess his actions against the standards of traditional diplomatic protocol. He is more likely to reach out to adversaries before allies in the spirit of getting something done. We have to assess his actions in terms of results not in terms of diplomatic niceties.

Also, the alliance cannot get tripped up in thinking these actions are a weakening of the alliance.  This is exactly what Kim wants - to drive a wedge in the alliance. But POTUS' actions are not meant to drive a wedge in the alliance so lot's not give Kim what he wants by making more out of POTUS methods than we should.

Former U.S. envoy warns Trump could sideline South Korea like Ukraine in potential talks with North

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-02-20/national/diplomacy/Former-US-envoy-warns-Trump-could-sideline-South-Korea-like-Ukraine-in-potential-talks-with-North/2246662

Published: 20 Feb. 2025, 18:47

Updated: 20 Feb. 2025, 19:57

• 
  
• SEO JI-EUN
• seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr

U.S. President Donald Trump, right, gestures as he meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un at the start of their historic U.S.-North Korea summit, at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore on June 12, 2018. [AFP/YONHAP]

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens warned Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy may prioritize the Pacific region over trans-Atlantic relations and that he may potentially sideline Seoul if he attempts direct negotiations with Pyongyang.  

Speaking on a podcast, Stephens, who served as the top U.S. envoy to Korea from 2008 to 2011, highlighted growing concerns in South Korea over “Korea passing" — the possibility that the United States could engage North Korea in negotiations without consulting Seoul — similar to Ukraine’s absence from the recent U.S.-Russia cease-fire talks in Riyadh.

"I know there is a stream of thought, both here in the United States and maybe in Asia as well, that Trump may deemphasize the trans-Atlantic link because he’s going to focus on the Pacific,” Stephens said on Washington-based think-tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) podcast. “I’m sure the anxiety will be quite high about whether or not there’s ‘Seoul passing.’”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly opposed his country’s exclusion from the U.S.-Russia peace negotiations, saying he "won't recognize" any agreement about Ukraine made without itself.

Despite such concerns, Trump escalated his rhetoric against Zelensky, referring to him as a "dictator without elections" on social media.

U.S. President Donald Trump, right, then-Republican presidential nominee former, meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Sept. 27, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

This "Ukraine passing" scenario may serve as a cautionary example for South Korea, raising fears that the U.S. might engage North Korea directly, bypassing Seoul. Trump continuously indicated a willingness to engage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, referring to him as a "smart guy" during a Fox News interview on Jan. 23.

During his first term, Trump conducted denuclearization talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, holding three meetings between 2018 and 2019, which fizzled after the Hanoi summit in February 2019. After the first summit in Singapore, Trump announced the suspension of joint military exercises with South Korea, describing them as "very provocative" and "very expensive" — which raised concerns that this time he might pursue a "small deal" with Pyongyang, focusing on a nuclear freeze rather than complete denuclearization.

Stephens emphasized that South Korea’s influence in U.S. diplomatic strategies will depend on two factors: the officials overseeing Asia policy in the administration and the personal relationship Trump develops with South Korea’s yet-to-be-elected president. 

She also noted that while Trump’s approach to diplomacy is often unconventional, bipartisan support for strong alliances in Washington remains firm. 

“There’s been broad and deepening bipartisan support for the alliance and for the tenets of the alliance that we’ve seen over the past couple of decades,” she said. “And I hope that sort of institutional framework will help us withstand what are sure to be some unconventional stresses and strains that we’re going to see.”

A second Trump administration could pose economic challenges for South Korea, Stephens warned. One of the most immediate concerns is Trump’s trade policies, particularly his stance on tariffs.

"Right now, the steel tariffs — which are supposed to take effect in March — will be 25 percent,” Stephens said. “South Korea is the fourth-largest steel exporter to the United States. There’s so much investment of Korean companies in the United States … [and these tariffs] will impact … the number of exports … and the inputs and the business calculations.”

Beyond tariffs, she pointed to South Korea’s extensive investments in the United States under policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Chips Act, both key initiatives of the Joe Biden administration.

“We are still at the beginning of a push-and-pull between governors and members of Congress who see important Korean investments going into their states," continued Stephens. "Where the Trump administration will go in terms of following through on some of the initiatives in the IRA and the CHIPS Act [remains to be seen].

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]

13. DP considers peaceful use of nuclear power to appeal to center-right wingers

​The DPPK has shrewd political operatives. I hope the Korean people are not duped by this.

DP considers peaceful use of nuclear power to appeal to center-right wingers

donga.com

Posted February. 21, 2025 07:44,

Updated February. 21, 2025 07:44

DP considers peaceful use of nuclear power to appeal to center-right wingers. February. 21, 2025 07:44. by Oh-Hyuk Kwon hyuk@donga.com.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DP) is reportedly considering including an initiative to expand peaceful nuclear power use, such as reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, in its security pledges for a potential early presidential election. The plan aims to amend the U.S.-Korea nuclear agreement to allow uranium enrichment for fuel and commercial plutonium extraction, similar to Japan's levels. As this move could be interpreted as securing "nuclear latency," the ability to develop nuclear weapons if necessary, it is expected to face opposition within the party. Analysts suggest that the DP, which has long emphasized denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, is now leaning towards the center-right even in security matters.

A key DP figure involved in formulating defense pledges stated, "We consider equipping the country with nuclear capabilities on par with Japan, under the principle of securing the right to use nuclear power peacefully." Another party insider revealed that it is collaborating with nuclear experts to set its agenda while preparing for an early election. It may hold discussion sessions to gather insights if needed.

The DP is considering an amendment to the 2015 U.S.-R.O.K. nuclear agreement, which currently allows South Korea to enrich uranium below 20% concentration only with U.S. consent and prohibits nuclear fuel reprocessing. The proposed changes would align South Korea's capabilities with Japan's, which can enrich uranium below 20% and extract commercial plutonium through fuel reprocessing without U.S. consent.

This shift in the DP's stance is attributed to growing public concern over the gap in nuclear capabilities between the two Koreas, as the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has become effectively obsolete due to North Korea's nuclear advancements.

Some DP members are even openly advocating for independent nuclear armament. Park Seon-won, a DP lawmaker and former unification, foreign affairs, and security strategy secretary under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, stated on Monday, "The party should break free from its self-made taboo against nuclear armament."

한국어

donga.com

14. South Korea's diplomacy put to test in North Korean POW talks with Ukraine

South Korea's diplomacy put to test in North Korean POW talks with Ukraine

The Korea Times · February 21, 2025

A North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces is seen in this photo posted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's X account, Jan. 11. Yonhap

Seoul-Kyiv talks on NK captive stall amid US-Russia peace push: experts

By Lee Hyo-jin

South Korea's diplomatic abilities will be put to the test as it navigates negotiations with Ukraine over a North Korean soldier currently being held in Kyiv who has reportedly sought asylum in the South.

The negotiations come at a delicate time as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for peace talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the three-year Russia-Ukraine war. As Ukraine finds itself increasingly alienated from the negotiations, North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) may emerge as valuable bargaining chips for Kyiv.

"We have conveyed our position to Ukraine that South Korea will accept all North Korean POWs in Ukraine who wish to defect in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws, and plan to engage in necessary discussions," a South Korean foreign ministry official said Friday.

The official declined to comment on whether the government has confirmed the soldier’s intent to defect or how negotiations might proceed, citing the sensitivity of the matter.

The negotiations are said to be in the early stages, with detailed discussions yet to occur.

The talks follow reports that a North Korean soldier, identified only by his surname Ri, expressed his intent to defect to the South in a recent interview with a South Korean media outlet published on Wednesday. Ri, who was captured by Ukrainian forces alongside another soldier in January, is among thousands of North Korean soldiers deployed to the battlefield to support Russia.

This marks the first known case of a North Korean POW from a foreign war zone publicly seeking asylum in Seoul. While several North Korean soldiers have defected before, they have done so from North Korean territory.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong speaks during a briefing at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Lim Eul-chul, a researcher at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, thinks it unlikely that the negotiations will yield visible results in the near future. Kyiv is expected to be extra cautious in making decisions regarding the POWs, as its fate hangs in the balance amid the Trump-Putin peace talks.

“This will be a long process and I don't expect to see meaningful developments soon. While our government is stressing that the issue should be handled from a humanitarian perspective, prisoner exchanges are deeply political matters. There's a near-zero possibility for Kyiv to hand over the POWs without conditions. For Ukraine, these captives serve as valuable bargaining chips in peace negotiations,” Lim said.

"So the question is, what can Seoul offer Kyiv?" he added.

Ukraine has long sought lethal arms supplies from South Korea — a request Seoul has rejected so far. While arms support or intelligence cooperation remains a potential bargaining chip for South Korea, the nation currently lacks effective leadership to make swift decisions on these sensitive issues.

President Yoon Suk Yeol is currently facing an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court over his botched martial law declaration late last year. A ruling is expected as early as mid-March, and if upheld, South Korea would have to elect a new president within 60 days.

Ukrainian service members of the 68th Jaeger Brigade attend military exercises at a training ground amid Russia's attack on Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, Thursday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap

“Our diplomats and intelligence officials will be limited from making bold moves under these circumstances,” Lim said. “The issue of North Korean defectors is highly sensitive, and decisions are often made politically. If a new administration takes power in the coming months and disagrees with a decision made now, the officials involved may have to bear the consequences.”

Doo Jin-ho, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said Pyongyang is likely to use its own diplomatic channels to block the defection.

“The situation is very fluid and complicated,” Doo said. “The North Korean regime, which is highly sensitive about its human rights issues being exposed to the outside world, will try to prevent the soldier’s defection by pressuring Ukraine through Russia.”

“Our government should request the U.S. to address the North Korean POW issue in the ongoing peace talks from a human rights perspective while also actively raising awareness about this issue in the international community,” he added.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul was not immediately available for comment in response to The Korea Times' inquiry about negotiations with South Korea regarding the POW issue.

The Korea Times · February 21, 2025

15. Gov't urged to force Chinese firms to operate servers in Korea

​Even if they are forced to operate in South Korea, does that provide adequate cyber security for the ROK?

Excerpts:

“Authorities in the United States and Europe take the issue much more seriously than their Korean counterparts,” an industry official said.

“Korea should also take similar steps to prevent local customers from not being exposed to any risks of data leaks or hacking threats.”

Gov't urged to force Chinese firms to operate servers in Korea

The Korea Times · February 21, 2025

Attendees examine a display of Saros Z70 robot vacuums with OmniGrip mechanical arm technology that can move objects out of the way, at the Roborock booth during this year's CES in Las Vegas, Jan. 8. Reuters-Yonhap

Temu, Roborock and BYD face growing data leak concerns

By Lee Min-hyung

The government should introduce tougher regulatory measures on Chinese firms operating in Korea by requiring them to host their server here or use data centers within Korean territory amid unceasing concerns over personal data leaks, experts and industry officials said Friday.

The rapid expansion of major Chinese companies — such as Roborock, Temu and BYD — has raised concerns. Security experts advise the Korean government to come up with strong countermeasures to prevent local customers from falling victim to potential data outflows to China or other countries.

“Korean authorities are advised to compel Chinese firms to set up their servers in Korea by strengthening relevant regulations,” said Kim Ki-hyung, a professor of information and computer engineering at Ajou University.

He underscored the importance of introducing such rules, as an increasing number of Chinese firms expand their presence in Korea.

“Korea’s regulatory levels are not as strict as those in Europe,” Kim said. “The government should particularly strengthen monitoring on possible data leakage from the public sector and financial institutions.”

The latest pressing issue has been triggered by Temu, a Chinese e-commerce platform which has decided to allow 27 third-party companies in six countries — Korea, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Australia and Indonesia — to process its Korean customers' personal information including addresses, phone numbers and customs codes under its new policy.

However, users who refuse to accept the policy will be unable to access the service. Previously, Temu required users to agree to providing data only for overseas payments.

The company explained the decision was aimed at “offering efficient services,” but concerns over possible data leaks are showing no signs of abating here.

The policy of Roborock, the leader in the Korean robot cleaner market, is also raising concerns over personal data leaks. Under the firm’s data policy, the Chinese intelligent robot vacuum cleaner maker is capable of sharing Korean customers’ personal information to Tuya, a Chinese smart home platform operator.

In response to escalating concerns, Roborock Asia-Pacific General Manager Dan Cham acknowledged during Thursday's press conference in Seoul that there may be different interpretations of the wording in the policy. He added that the company is reviewing possible revisions to improve various terms and expressions.

People use their phones in front of the BYD Seagull that is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, April 19, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap

BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker, also caused similar woes with its recent announcement of its plan to integrate DeepSeek software into its vehicles. BYD Korea said the vehicles with the software will only be available for sale in China for the time being.

However, as government authorities and companies in Korea have blocked access to DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service, the partnership between BYD and DeepSeek, in itself, raises security concerns here.

Other security experts also urged the government to take institutional steps promptly.

“Chinese firms will be reluctant to establish servers in Korea, so one realistic regulation is to mandate them to use data centers in Korea, such as those operated by Amazon Web Services,” said Lee Ha-cheol, a professor of information technology at Yuhan University.

Local authorities are investigating a group of Chinese e-commerce players — such as AliExpress and Temu — to look into whether they have violated any rules on personal data collection here. According to the Personal Information Protection Committee, it will soon release results on its investigation into Temu.

Officials from the local IT industry urged the government to step up regulatory measures against Chinese firms on an equal footing with their Korean counterparts.

“Authorities in the United States and Europe take the issue much more seriously than their Korean counterparts,” an industry official said.

“Korea should also take similar steps to prevent local customers from not being exposed to any risks of data leaks or hacking threats.”

The Korea Times · February 21, 2025

​16. White House National Security Adviser: “Only President Trump Can Stand Up to Kim Jong-un”

​Standing up to Kim is one thing. Making a deal is another. And conducting successful political warfare to solve the "Korea question" is another (and it is this last that will win POTUS the Nobel Peace Prize).

This is a Google translation of a VOA report.

White House National Security Adviser: “Only President Trump Can Stand Up to Kim Jong-un”

https://www.voakorea.com/a/7982382.html

2025.2.21

Jo Sang-jin

White House National Security Adviser Michael Waltz speaks during the regular White House briefing on February 20, 2025.

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White House National Security Advisor Michael Waltz emphasized President Donald Trump's diplomatic capabilities on the 20th, saying he is the only person who can stand up to dictators including North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un.

At the regular White House briefing that day, when asked about the Trump administration's capabilities in responding to Russia, National Security Advisor Waltz said, "The only person in the world who can stand up to Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un is President Trump," adding, "He is the best negotiator."

[Aide Waltz] “If there’s anybody in this world that can go toe to toe with Putin, that could go toe to toe with XI that could go toe to toe with Kim Jong UN and you could keep going down the list it’s Donald J.Trump. He is the dealmaker in chief.

There is no question that he is the commander in chief and I for one and I think all Americans and around the world should have no doubt about his ability to not only handle Putin but to handle the complexity of driving this war to an end.”

He went on to say that there is no doubt that President Trump is the commander in chief, and that he has the ability to deal with President Putin as well as the capacity to lead the complex process of ending the war in Ukraine.

President Trump has mentioned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un several times since taking office in January.

In an interview with Fox News aired on the 10th, President Trump emphasized his personal friendship with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, saying, "I know North Korea's Kim Jong-un better than anyone else."

Also, at a press conference held after the summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the 7th, he hinted at the possibility of pursuing summit diplomacy with North Korea, saying that he would build a relationship with Chairman Kim and that “getting along well with him is a great asset to all of us.”

This is Cho Sang-jin from VOA News.

17. Former US European Commander: “North Korean Military Lacks Battlefield Adaptability… When Conducting US-ROK Joint Training”

​This is a Google translation of a VOA report.

Former US European Commander: “North Korean Military Lacks Battlefield Adaptability… When Conducting US-ROK Joint Training”

https://www.voakorea.com/a/7982448.html

2025.2.21

Jo Eun-jung

A Russian soldier fires a cannon at Ukrainian positions in Kursk in a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on October 17, 2024.

​

The former commander of the US military in Europe has assessed that the North Korean troops deployed in Russia are weak in combat power and are being overwhelmed by the Ukrainian military. A Ukrainian lawmaker who directly participated in the war pointed out that the North Korean military is using outdated tactics. Reporter Cho Eun-jung reports.

Former US military commander in Europe Ben Hodges said on the 20th that North Korean troops deployed in Russia are “helpless against the Ukrainian military.”

Former Commander Hodges, who served as the commander of U.S. forces in Europe during Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, made this analysis during a discussion on the latest tactics in the Ukraine war held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the U.S., saying that the North Korean military has not shown signs of learning, applying, and adapting lessons from the battlefield.

“Used only as a ‘bullet shield’”

“It doesn’t appear that Russia initially intended to use the North Koreans as anything more than additional ‘bullet cannon,’” Hodges said.

He said that now is a good time for the United States and South Korea to conduct large-scale joint exercises on the Korean Peninsula.

[Recording: Former Commander Hodges] “I do see opportunity for us, though, what a great time to launch a big snap exercise in South Korea with the US and ROK army troops and others to remind Kim Jong about the southern half of the peninsula. And so the more ammunition he sends away, the more troops he sends away to Russia, increases his vulnerability. Not that we’re ever going to attack, but he should be worried that we might.”

“This is a good time to remind Kim Jong Un of our presence in the southern part of the peninsula,” said Hodges, adding that “the more ammunition and troops he sends to Russia, the more vulnerable he becomes.”

He added, “We won’t attack North Korea, but Kim Jong-un should be worried that we might.”

Former Commander Hodges also said, “I don’t think Kim Jong-un will shed many tears over dead soldiers as long as money, technology and energy continue to flow in from Russia.”

“Not prepared for modern warfare”

Roman Kostenko, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's defense and intelligence committee who attended the debate, said, "The North Korean military is a very good army, very well trained, but they are using tactics from the 1960s and 1970s and are not well prepared for modern warfare."

[Recording: Rep. Kostenko] “They are very good soldiers. They are very well trained, but the way they are trained reflects the methods of warfare from the 1960s and 70s. They are not as well equipped for modern warfare. What we observe is that the North Koreans typically act on the battlefield by lining up in large formations. They tend to advance in a way that reminds us of the tactics used during the Soviet times, where soldiers were trained to line up and move forward. This makes them very easy targets for modern drones, which can easily spot and destroy them. “The Russians are aware of this.”

Specifically, he said, “North Korean troops generally operate in large formations on the battlefield” and “advance in a manner reminiscent of tactics used during the Soviet era.”

“This makes them an easy target for modern drone attacks,” he said, adding that “drone systems can easily detect and destroy them.”

“Russia knows this too,” Kostenko said. “But for some reason they don’t train the North Korean military to avoid forming these formations, or at least not to advance in a predictable manner to avoid the drones.”

Congressman Kostenko volunteered for military service after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and last year he fought in the Kursk region where North Korean troops were deployed.

“It is difficult to transfer ‘practical experience’”

Benjamin Jensen, director of the Center for Strategic Studies' Center for the Future, dismisses claims that North Korean soldiers will gain combat experience in Russia and then return home to teach modern warfare doctrine to the troops remaining at home.

“I doubt they’ll come back and share anything,” Jensen said. “They’ll go around lying about how many Ukrainians and Americans they killed.”

[Recording: Director Jensen] “I’m actually not so confident. They are going to go back and be able to share anything. They're probably going to be paraded around telling lies about how many Ukrainians and Americans they killed. Who knows what crazy stuff is going to happen. It'll be a propaganda circus. So I think sometimes we lose sight in democracies versus authoritarians.”

“We sometimes forget the difference between democracy and authoritarianism,” he continued. “Authoritarianism has fatal flaws, and because there is no trust among citizens, it is difficult for them to learn from each other or exchange information.”

Gen. Jensen also said that the North Korean deployment to Russia is a reminder that a joint war is difficult.

If the Allies fail to build interoperability in technology, procedures and forces, they will have a very poor operating system.

He then said, “We can see that securing 10,000 North Korean soldiers and a large number of missiles does not automatically increase our combat power.”

North Korea dispatched about 11,000 troops to Russia in October last year.

They were deployed on the Kursk Front in western Russia, occupied by Ukrainian forces, but are said to have suffered significant casualties and recently withdrawn to the rear.

Ukrainian and U.S. officials estimate that about a third of the North Korean troops deployed were killed or wounded, while South Korea's National Intelligence Service reports that North Korean casualties have exceeded 3,000.

Russia and North Korea have not mentioned military cooperation, including North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia, at public meetings, including the UN Security Council.

However, North Korea’s UN Ambassador Kim Song asserted at a UN Security Council meeting in December last year that “North Korea-Russia relations are based on the comprehensive strategic partnership that recently came into effect,” and that “the normal development of cooperative relations between sovereign states in full accordance with the UN Charter and international law is not a matter that anyone can interfere with.”

This is Eun-Jeong Jo from VOA News.

​18. S. Korea to lead new N. Korea sanctions watchdog, replacing UN panel

S. Korea to lead new N. Korea sanctions watchdog, replacing UN panel

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · February 21, 2025

Seoul sees 1st MSMT meeting in Washington under Trump as pivotal after launch under Biden

A photo showing North Korea's missiles is displayed at the Unification Observation Post in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 18. (AP)

South Korea will take the lead this year in operating a new multilateral sanctions monitoring body and publishing its reports, filling the gaps in sanctions enforcement and monitoring on North Korea left by the dissolution of the UN Panel of Experts following Russia's veto.

The outcome came after the inaugural meeting of the steering committee of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team or MSMT in Washington on Wednesday, local time, in the presence of 11 member countries, inclduing South Korea, the United States and Japan. The other countries that attended the working-level meeting were Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The meeting wrapped up with issuing a joint statement on Friday, reaffirming the MSMT’s goals and the participating countries' commitment to enforcing UN Security Council resolutions.

“The MSMT’s purpose is to assist the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) by publishing reports and information based on rigorous inquiry into relevant sanctions violations and evasion attempts as well as successful enforcement efforts,” the joint statement read, referring to North Korea by its official name.

“The MSMT Steering Committee underscores our shared determination to fully implement relevant UNSCRs regarding the DPRK,” the statement added.

South Korea initially proposed as well as spearheaded the MSMT's launch in October last year, with its launch ceremony taking place in Seoul.

South Korea will take the lead in the MSMT's operations this year and in a report on North Korea's sanctions violations and implementation monitoring, the first of which will be published by spring, The Korea Herald learned from diplomatic sources familiar with the matter.

The report will be jointly prepared by 11 member countries, however.

The report will zoom in on North Korea's breach of UN sanctions, which have particular security implications and timeless. These include Russian-North Korean military cooperation and illicit cyber activities to funnel funds into its nuclear and missile programs, The Korea Herald also learned from the sources.

FILE - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone on June 30, 2019. (AP)

Why first meeting matters

The South Korean government deemed the first meeting in Washington to be of paramount significance, The Korea Herald learned from dialogue with officials.

Seoul considered the meeting a manifestation of the second Trump administration and the international community's determination to continue enforcing and enhancing sanctions, as well as an opportunity to reaffirm the validity of the MSMT as a sanctions monitoring mechanism, despite the change in US leadership, following its launch last October under the Biden administration.

When asked about its functions, a Foreign Ministry official, who wished to remain anonymous, explained on Thursday that "matters such as which country will take the lead in writing the report, how and when information will be collected, when the report will be published and what topics it will cover are all discussed and decided by the steering committee."

The official declined to divulge further information on agenda topics for the first meeting. Most decisions are kept confidential among the member states due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.

When asked how frequently the reports are published, the unidentified official pointed to the publication cycle of the UN Panel of Experts or PoE report first, which was issued biannually—in the first and second half — as a reference point.

"Nevertheless, rather than being bound rigidly to that schedule, we believe we have more discretion because we are not constrained by the dynamics of the of the UN Security Council. Seizing on this advantage, we look forward to having greater flexibility in determining the frequency of issuing the reports," the official said.

Fewer than ten other countries have expressed their intent to join the MSMT as members, The Korea Herald learned from dialogue with one of the diplomatic sources.

In the joint statement, 11 countries unanimously urged nations that have not fully enforced sanctions to do so on North Korea, without explicitly naming them.

“We reaffirm that the path to dialogue remains open, and call on all states to join global efforts to maintain international peace and security in the face of ongoing threats from the DPRK and those that facilitate its UNSCR violations," the statement read.

The MSMT was established around seven months after Russia, using its veto as a permanent member of the UN Security Council in late March last year, blocked the renewal of the 1718 Committee Panel of Experts' mandate. Since 2009, the PoE has been tasked with overseeing the enforcement of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea and issuing biannual reports on sanctions violations.

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · February 21, 2025

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com