Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

The Unbreakable Alliance Of Cuba And North Korea: How The Two Nations Were Linked By Communism And Resistance To US Imperialism

Quotes of the Day:

"Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value."

- Albert Einstein

"The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity."

- Geroge Bernard Shaw

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools." - Ernest Hemingway

1. U.S. has failed to halt North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons

2. U.S. remains committed to using full range of capabilities to defend S. Korea: Blinken

3. Nuclear Envoys of US, South Korea Downplay Seoul’s Nuclear Intent

4. Peace on Korean Peninsula without denuclearization is not real peace: S. Korean FM

5. U.S. reverse-hacks cryptocurrencies stolen by N. Korea

6. N. Korea’s nuclear tests are a grave blow to world peace, says UN chief

7. US reaffirms nuclear security assurances to South Korea

8. Korean American Rep. Young Kim named chair of House Indo-Pacific subcommittee

9. Korea orders trading companies in Russia to select personnel to send to Ukraine

10. N. Korea orders prosecutors to watch and discuss the show “Memoirs of a Prosecutor”

11. How a New U.S.-South Korea Deal Can Deter the North Korean Nuclear Threat

12. The Unbreakable Alliance Of Cuba And North Korea: How The Two Nations Were Linked By Communism And Resistance To US Imperialism

13. The Korean War: The War that Ended in a Stalemate

1. U.S. has failed to halt North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons

Excerpts;

On January 23, 2023, the National Institute for Public Policy (nipp.org) published a strategy paper authored by Ambassador Robert Joseph and six colleagues that presented a new National Security for Countering North Korea, with a focus on human rights and the imperative of providing all people – to include the 25 million people in North Korea — with truthful reporting on global issues and Korean Peninsula developments.

If negotiations with North Korea are resumed, human rights should also be discussed, with expectations that North Korea must make progress on human rights, in addition to committing to a halt in nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches in return for sanctions relief, on a path to eventual complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. has failed to halt North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons

washingtontimes.com · by The Washington Times https://www.washingtontimes.com

OPINION:

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush ordered the withdrawal of all U.S.-based tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea. In 1992, South Korea and North Korea agreed not to test, manufacture, produce, secure, possess, store, deploy or use nuclear weapons and not to possess facilities for nuclear reprocessing and uranium enrichment.

Currently, North Korea reportedly has between 40 and 60 plutonium or enriched uranium-based nuclear weapons, with the capability to mate these nuclear weapons to an array of short, medium and long-range ballistic missiles. In 2022, North Korea reportedly launched over 100 ballistic missiles, to include the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of targeting the whole of the U.S.

Kim Jong-un recently declared that North Korea will exponentially increase its nuclear weapons arsenal, to include tactical nuclear weapons, and enshrined a new law permitting the pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons automatically if its leadership or command and control centers are threatened.

The United Nations Security Council has passed nine resolutions sanctioning North Korea since the North’s first nuclear test in 2006. Currently, however, China and Russia have vetoed efforts to sanction North Korea for its recent flagrant launching of ballistic missiles, all in violation of UNSC resolutions.

South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Biden have agreed that U.S. extended nuclear deterrence – nuclear umbrella – commitments need to be enhanced, with the active participation of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultative Group.

It should be clear that over the past 32 years, efforts by the U.S., with active support of South Korea and Japan, have failed to halt North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The withdrawal of U.S.-based tactical weapons from South Korea in 1991 and the North–South Nuclear Agreement of 1992 had no impact on North Korea’s determination to build nuclear weapons. Moreover, the 1994 Agreed Framework, which committed the U.S. to provide North Korea with two light water nuclear reactors for peaceful energy in exchange for dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear facility, was violated by the North when the intelligence community discovered in 2002 that North Korea had a clandestine highly-enriched uranium program for nuclear weapons.

And indeed, North Korea’s assistance to Syria for the construction of a secret nuclear reactor in Al Kibar that Israel bombed in 2007 was a major act of nuclear proliferation by North Korea.

The U.S. has been unable to get North Korea to return to negotiations since the failed 2019 Hanoi presidential talks. China apparently has been unwilling – or unable – to get Kim Jong-un to agree to permit his representatives to meet with U.S. counterparts. Rather, Mr. Kim apparently decided to double down on his nuclear arsenal and build more nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them.

What’s needed is a new strategy for dealing with North Korea — a strategy that not only focuses on enhancing extended nuclear deterrence but also enhancing missile defense capabilities in South Korea, Japan and the U.S.

A second THADD – Terminal High Altitude Area Defense – should be discussed with Seoul. The Patriot and other missile defense systems should also be discussed with Japan, which understandably is enhancing its own military capabilities. Japan has committed to spend 2% of its GDP on military defense purposes.

Also necessary is a discussion with South Korea on the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons there amid North Korea’s threatening behavior. This would complement the enhanced joint military exercises, with strategic naval and air assets participating in these exercises.

The U.S. should also change its focus in dealing with North Korea. While complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should remain a goal, a more core focus must be on the dismal human rights situation in North Korea.

A recent United Nations report stated that over 40% of the people in North Korea are malnourished, indicating significant food insecurity in the North, with some reports – and comments from Kim Jong-un — comparing the current situation to the Arduous March in the 1990s when famine claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. In addition to food insecurity, the medical situation in the North is equally dismal.

Compounding this is North Korea’s strict surveillance system and arbitrary judicial system. Indeed, the songbun system of classifying citizens, based on their direct ancestors and relatives into certain castes and sending thousands of citizens to labor camps, some for life, as political prisoners or for minor offenses, is heartbreaking.

On January 23, 2023, the National Institute for Public Policy (nipp.org) published a strategy paper authored by Ambassador Robert Joseph and six colleagues that presented a new National Security for Countering North Korea, with a focus on human rights and the imperative of providing all people – to include the 25 million people in North Korea — with truthful reporting on global issues and Korean Peninsula developments.

If negotiations with North Korea are resumed, human rights should also be discussed, with expectations that North Korea must make progress on human rights, in addition to committing to a halt in nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches in return for sanctions relief, on a path to eventual complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

• Joseph R. DeTrani was the Special Envoy for Negotiations with North Korea and the Director of the National Counterproliferation Center. The views are the author’s and not any government agency or department.

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washingtontimes.com · by The Washington Times https://www.washingtontimes.com

2. U.S. remains committed to using full range of capabilities to defend S. Korea: Blinken

We (the ROK and US) are "victims" of deterrence success. For 70 years we have successfully deterred a resumption of hostilities by north Korea and that has created complacency and a simple acceptance of the status quo. The presence of 28,500 US troops on the peninsula no longer is viewed as a blood commitment to the defense of the ROK and is instead viewed as the (old and long standing ) "normal." On the one hand It is very important for SECSTATE to make these statements yet on the other hand our ironclad commitment should not have to be re-emphasized and certainly should not be questioned (but of course it is natural and normal to do so)

Excerpts:

"We are committed to defending the Republic of Korea using the full range of our capabilities -- nuclear, conventional missile defense capabilities," Blinken told a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin following their bilateral talks here.

"So there should be no doubt in anyone's mind, starting with Pyongyang, of our commitment to defend our allies, our partners, our friends, and to extended deterrence," he added.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to use all its military capabilities to defend South Korea when necessary.

Some in South Korea have begun to question the possibility, as well as the willingness, of the U.S. providing such capabilities in a timely manner amid evolving North Korean nuclear capabilities.

Pyongyang conducted more than 90 missile tests in 2022 alone, while firing 69 ballistic missiles that marked a new record for ballistic missiles launched in a single year. Its previous annual record was 25.

(2nd LD) U.S. remains committed to using full range of capabilities to defend S. Korea: Blinken | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · February 4, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks from Foreign Minister Park, additional information in last 5 paras)

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- The United States remains committed to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend South Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday, as people in South Korea are beginning to question the need for their country to consider its own nuclear armament.

The top U.S. diplomat reiterated that there should be no doubt about such U.S. commitment.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are seen holding a joint press conference after bilateral talks at the Department of State in Washington on Feb. 3, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)

"We are committed to defending the Republic of Korea using the full range of our capabilities -- nuclear, conventional missile defense capabilities," Blinken told a joint press conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin following their bilateral talks here.

"So there should be no doubt in anyone's mind, starting with Pyongyang, of our commitment to defend our allies, our partners, our friends, and to extended deterrence," he added.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to use all its military capabilities to defend South Korea when necessary.

Some in South Korea have begun to question the possibility, as well as the willingness, of the U.S. providing such capabilities in a timely manner amid evolving North Korean nuclear capabilities.

Pyongyang conducted more than 90 missile tests in 2022 alone, while firing 69 ballistic missiles that marked a new record for ballistic missiles launched in a single year. Its previous annual record was 25.

"Today, we reaffirmed our commitment to improving our allied defense against common threats, as well as our commitment to defending the Republic of Korea, using the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear, conventional and missile defense capabilities," said Blinken, referring to South Korea by its official name.

The top U.S. diplomat added the alliance "is the linchpin of peace, stability and prosperity in the region, and is poised to grow stronger still."

Park stressed the importance of efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

"Secretary Blinken and I also reaffirmed our unwavering determination to denuclearize North Korea," Park said of his talks with his U.S. counterpart. "This is at the forefront and center of our joint efforts to establish sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula. Peace without denuclearization is fake peace."

Seoul and Washington have said the North may conduct what will be its seventh nuclear test "at any time."

North Korea conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.

Park said the allies will work to "close loopholes" in U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea and cut off Pyongyang's unlawful revenue streams by countering its illicit cyber activities.

"North Korea's nuclear and missile programs are a direct and serious threat to not only Korea but also international peace and security," Park told the joint press conference.

The White House earlier said the North secures up to 30 percent of its funds for its illicit weapons development programs through illegal cyber activities that include cryptocurrency heists and money laundering.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are seen shaking hands after signing an agreement on bilateral cooperation in science and technology after talks at the state department in Washington on Feb. 3, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)

Marking the 70th anniversary of signing the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1953, Seoul and Washington will also work to further expand their "Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance," according to park.

"We will expand the scope of the alliance to encompass not only political, military, economic partnerships, but also technological and cultural dimensions," he said.

Following their bilateral talks at the state department, Park and Blinken signed an agreement on science and technology cooperation, which, according to state department spokesperson Ned Price, included new components that will further strengthen the countries' bilateral cooperation and extend the agreement, originally signed in 1999, by 10 years.

Park said they are also discussing a possible summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden.

"We are continuing to hold consultations with the U.S. on President Yoon's visit to the U.S. but nothing has been fixed yet," he said while meeting with reporters later.

The sides are said to be pushing to hold a summit next month at the earliest, and at least in the first half of the year.

If held, the Biden-Yoon summit will be the second such summit between the two leaders after their first meeting in Seoul in May 2022.

The South Korean foreign minister arrived in Washington on Wednesday, following a brief visit to New York. He is set to head home Saturday.

bdk@yna.co.kr

(END)

3. Nuclear Envoys of US, South Korea Downplay Seoul’s Nuclear Intent

View Voice of Amercia's Washington Talk with Eun Jung Cho hosting Ambassador Sung Kim and Ambassador Kim Gunn at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPJTeN9OZjY

A key discussion point not in the article below but in the video is the discussion of unification as the ultimate goal for both nations. Both Ambassadors stated that

Both Ambassadors emphasize the importance human rights.

Excerpts:

“In his recent interview, my president made it very clear that we have confidence in the U.S. extended deterrence,” he said. “We are having a very close coordination [with the U.S.] on how to strengthen the effectiveness of our extended deterrence.”

On January 11, Yoon received widespread attention with a suggestion that Seoul could respond to the North Korean nuclear threat by building its own nuclear weapons or having U.S. strategic assets redeployed to South Korea.

His remarks came amid growing concern among the South Koreans over the U.S. commitment to defend their nation against growing North Korean threats. But Kim Gunn said on Washington Talk that the alliance’s focus on bolstering the extended deterrence should allay the public concern.

Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea, who appeared on the show with Kim Gunn, also seemed to play down speculation that South Korea is contemplating the development of its own nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction.

“President Yoon has made clear that the ROK is not interested in pursuing a WMD program but is instead working very closely with us in all levels to make sure that our defense and deterrence are as strong as it needs to be,” he said.

Nuclear Envoys of US, South Korea Downplay Seoul’s Nuclear Intent

February 04, 2023 8:28 AM

voanews.com

South Korea’s top nuclear envoy said an agreement with the United States to jointly bolster “extended deterrence” against North Korea gives the Yoon administration needed confidence that the alliance will be able to effectively defend against aggression from Pyongyang.

The U.S. commitment, laid out in a joint statement by the two countries in mid-September, includes an affirmation that a North Korean nuclear test “would be met with an overwhelming and decisive response.”

It adds that the two countries will “continue and strengthen close Alliance consultation regarding U.S. nuclear and missile defense policy.”

Kim Gunn, South Korea’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, reiterated a recent statement by South Korean President Yoon Suk on the matter during a Friday interview with Washington Talk, a weekly on-air discussion on North Korea by the VOA Korean Service.

“In his recent interview, my president made it very clear that we have confidence in the U.S. extended deterrence,” he said. “We are having a very close coordination [with the U.S.] on how to strengthen the effectiveness of our extended deterrence.”

On January 11, Yoon received widespread attention with a suggestion that Seoul could respond to the North Korean nuclear threat by building its own nuclear weapons or having U.S. strategic assets redeployed to South Korea.

His remarks came amid growing concern among the South Koreans over the U.S. commitment to defend their nation against growing North Korean threats. But Kim Gunn said on Washington Talk that the alliance’s focus on bolstering the extended deterrence should allay the public concern.

Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea, who appeared on the show with Kim Gunn, also seemed to play down speculation that South Korea is contemplating the development of its own nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction.

“President Yoon has made clear that the ROK is not interested in pursuing a WMD program but is instead working very closely with us in all levels to make sure that our defense and deterrence are as strong as it needs to be,” he said.

The ROK stands for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

The U.S. envoy continued, “That includes engaging in a very serious dialogue about how we strengthen extended deterrence, including things like looking at the frequency and intensity of U.S. strategic deployments on the peninsula.”

Bolstering extended deterrence

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup agreed at their meeting on January 31 in Seoul to boost deterrence measures including ways to expand information sharing and to respond to North Korea’s use of nuclear weapons through tabletop exercises scheduled for later this month.

The U.S. conducted joint military drills with South Korea on February 1 involving U.S. B-1B long-range strategic bombers and stealth fighters as a show of force to provide “credible extended deterrence against North Korea,” according to South Korea’s Defense Ministry.

In response, North Korea released a statement Thursday saying the combined drills have “reached an extreme red-line.” It vowed to “take the toughest reaction to any military attempt of the U.S. on the principle of ‘nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation.’”

At the same time, Pyongyang rejected any prospects for dialogue.

North Korea launched more then 90 ballistic and cruise missiles last year, including several intercontinental ballistic missiles. In September, it codified into its law the right to use nuclear weapons preemptively against threats it perceives as imminent.

Diplomatic outreach

Both envoys said North Korea largely dismissed calls by their nations for talks despite efforts made to engage Pyongyang.

Sung Kim said, “I can assure you that we have sent multiple messages to Pyongyang through various channels, including the New York channel.” The New York channel is the Permanent Mission of North Korea to the United Nations.

He continued, “Unfortunately, North Koreans have shown no interest in diplomatic engagement with us, but we will continue to remind them that our position has not changed, that we are, in fact, willing to engage in dialogue with them without preconditions.”

Kim Gunn said, “I think it’s obvious North Korea does not heed our call for dialogue.”

Despite Pyongyang’s lack of interest in engaging in talks, both envoys said the policy of Washington and Seoul to seek North Korea’s denuclearization has not changed.

When asked if he believes denuclearization is possible without changing the regime headed by Kim Jong Un, Sung Kim said yes. “We believe so.”

He continued, “That’s why our aim remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

China and Russia

Sung Kim, who also serves as the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, said China and Russia have said they share the goal of denuclearization, but he emphasized that neither has made commitments toward that goal.

“They have a responsibility to faithfully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions,” he said. “And we have seen a lot of information suggesting that both Russia and China are helping the DPRK evade sanctions.”

North Korea’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

China and Russia blocked on May 26 a U.N. Security Council resolution drafted by the U.S. calling for strengthened sanctions on North Korea in response to its renewed ballistic missile tests, including an ICBM launched the previous day.

Again, on November 4, China and Russia blocked a U.N. action on North Korea by providing Pyongyang with “blanket protection,” according to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield. The remarks came a day after North Korea launched an ICBM, which apparently failed.

Kim Gunn stressed the importance of China's role in persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal.

Despite China’s increasingly assertive role in the region, a South Korean Indo-Pacific Strategy released in December described China as “a key partner.” Asked during the Washington Talk show about his country’s reasoning, the South Korean envoy said, “China must be our partner to persuade North Korea to give up [its] nuclear weapons.”

Human rights

Also on the show, Sung Kim lauded President Joe Biden’s January 23 nomination of Julie Turner, a longtime State Department official, as the special envoy for human rights in North Korea. The position has been unfilled for the past six years.

“The signal it sends is to demonstrate [Biden’s] strong commitment to improving the lives of North Korean people, because we know that the human rights situation in North Korea remains very troubling,” said Sung Kim.

The Biden administration has maintained that human rights concerns are at the core of its foreign policy since it took office in January 2021.

voanews.com

4. Peace on Korean Peninsula without denuclearization is not real peace: S. Korean FM

I would adapt his statement to say this: "Peace on the Korean Peninsula without UNIFICATION is not real peace." (we need to pursue a free and unified Korea to bring peace, prosperity, and stability to the peninsula and region).

Peace on Korean Peninsula without denuclearization is not real peace: S. Korean FM | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · February 4, 2023

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- Peace without complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is not real peace, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin insisted Friday, with his U.S. counterpart, Antony Blinken, underscoring U.S. commitment to fully denuclearize the peninsula.

The top diplomats also underlined their joint efforts to further strengthen their countries' bilateral alliance in a meeting held in Washington.

"Peace without denuclearization is fake peace," Park declared in a joint press conference with Blinken after their talks at the state department.

"Any provocation by North Korea will be met with a firm and united response," added the South Korean minister.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are seen holding a joint press after bilateral talks at the Department of State in Washington on Feb. 3, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)

Blinken reaffirmed U.S commitment to the defense of South Korea, while also highlighting the importance of the U.S.-South Korea alliance.

"Today, we reaffirmed our commitment to improving our allied defense against common threats, as well as our commitment to defending the Republic of Korea, using the full range of us capabilities, including nuclear, conventional and missile defense capabilities," he added, referring to South Korea by its official name.

He added the alliance "is the linchpin of peace, stability and prosperity in the region, and is poised to grow stronger still."

bdk@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · February 4, 2023

5. U.S. reverse-hacks cryptocurrencies stolen by N. Korea

Good work by the USG.

U.S. reverse-hacks cryptocurrencies stolen by N. Korea

donga.com

Posted February. 04, 2023 08:01,

Updated February. 04, 2023 08:01

U.S. reverse-hacks cryptocurrencies stolen by N. Korea. February. 04, 2023 08:01. niceshin@donga.com,yea@donga.com.

It has been reported that the U.S. recovered over half of the cryptocurrency, estimated to be worth over 1 trillion won, stolen by North Korea through hacking last year. This was achieved through rigorous tracking and investigation of hacker organizations linked to North Korea. The Biden administration is believed to have identified "Lazarus" as the central group among these organizations and has placed more than 10 organizations under close monitoring and sanctions.

According to multiple government sources on Friday, the U.S. has recovered significantly by freezing funds in cryptocurrency exchange wallets (accounts) associated with North Korean hackers. The U.S. has a practice of creating a "blacklist" by tracing the wallets involved whenever there is a large-scale attack by a North Korean hacking organization.

The Biden administration has taken strong action against "mixer companies" specializing in money laundering by freezing assets in the U.S. and prohibiting transactions. The U.S. government used the "white hacking" method to retrieve the stolen cryptocurrency, which involved reversing the hack on the cryptocurrency exchange wallet of a North Korean-linked hacker who had successfully carried out an attack. “The white hacking method against North Korean hackers is unusual,” said a source. “It means that the U.S. recognized North Korea's cryptocurrency theft as a threat and took a higher level of response.”

Another source said, “The Biden administration, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the State Department, has taken a government-wide approach to responding to North Korean cybercrime. More than 10 organizations, including Lazarus, are believed to have been on the main watchlist.” Lazarus, which is believed to be linked to North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau, is subject to U.S. and UN sanctions.

Chainalysis, a New York-based blockchain analysis firm, announced that North Korean-linked hacker groups, including Lazarus, stole 1.65 billion dollars in cryptocurrency last year. The report says this accounts for 43% of the total 3.8 billion dollars in cryptocurrencies stolen worldwide in the same year.

한국어

donga.com

6. N. Korea’s nuclear tests are a grave blow to world peace, says UN chief

They will continue as long as the Kim family regime remains in power.

N. Korea’s nuclear tests are a grave blow to world peace, says UN chief

donga.com

Posted February. 03, 2023 07:55,

Updated February. 03, 2023 07:55

N. Korea’s nuclear tests are a grave blow to world peace, says UN chief. February. 03, 2023 07:55. by Hyoun-Soo Kim kimhs@donga.com.

Foreign Minister Park Jin, who is visiting the U.S., met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday (local time) to discuss cooperation at the UN level to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

After the meeting, Minister Park met with reporters at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York and said, “Mr. Guterres said North Korea's nuclear test would deal a "decisive blow" to regional and global peace and expressed serious concern about further provocations. He said he was conveying these concerns to North Korea as well.” He added that he gave full support to the Korean government's efforts to achieve sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.

On the same day, Minister Park had a luncheon with ambassadors from 15 member countries of the UN Security Council (Security Council) and exchanged opinions on the role of the Security Council in responding to the North Korean nuclear issue. Russian and Chinese figures who supported North Korea were also in attendance. Minister Park said, “The Security Council urged countries to unite as soon as possible and take decisive countermeasures against North Korea’s provocations. China and Russia also expressed concern about North Korea's nuclear test." Although there is a slight difference in viewpoint between China and Russia, he said that the two countries also valued resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue and diplomacy, helping to form a consensus.

However, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at a press conference held at the State Department in Washington that day, "The Security Council pushed hard to condemn North Korea's actions, but China and Russia, which are permanent members, are abusing their veto power" to highlight the need for a change in the stance of the two countries and reform of the Security Council.

Minister Park is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Friday. It is believed that the two will discuss preparations for the ROK-U.S. summit at this meeting. Minister Park said, "Nothing has been decided on holding the summit," but added, "I expect that there will be meaningful events to mark the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance."

한국어

donga.com

7. US reaffirms nuclear security assurances to South Korea

I would change the subtitle below to "Peace without UNIFICATION is fake peace."

US reaffirms nuclear security assurances to South Korea

The Korea Times · by 2023-02-02 17:27 | Foreign Affairs · February 4, 2023

Foreign Minister Park Jin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold a joint press conference after their meeting at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Friday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap

Peace without denuclearization is fake peace: Seoul's foreign minister

By Kang Seung-woo

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured South Korea of Washington's full security commitment against North Korea's evolving nuclear threats amid growing doubts here about the credibility of Washington's extended deterrence for its ally.

Blinken's remark was made after his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin in Washington, D.C.

"We take extended deterrence very seriously. And just in the last year, we've renewed our working group on extended deterrence. We've engaged in multiple exercises. And we have colleagues who at this very moment, are working to strengthen and deepen even further our collaboration on extended deterrence," Blinken said during a joint press conference.

"We are committed to defending the Republic of Korea using the full range of our capabilities ― nuclear, conventional missile defense. So there should be no doubt in anyone's mind, starting with Pyongyang, of our commitment to defend our allies, our partners, our friends, and to extended deterrence."

Extended deterrence refers to the commitment to use a full range of capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to deter attacks on allies. The U.S. has provided extended deterrence, also known as the nuclear umbrella, to South Korea since 1991. That is the year when the U.S. removed all of its nuclear assets from the Korean Peninsula.

However, the modernization of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs has prompted many in South Koreans to question this commitment to Seoul. Such mounting skepticism has also raised calls for Seoul to develop its own nuclear weapons.

North Korea ended last year with a record number of offensive ballistic missile launches ― 38 in total.

Park also reaffirmed the U.S. decision to firmly guarantee its commitment to the defense of South Korea.

"The ROK and the U.S. will continue our watertight coordination to achieve genuine peace on the Korean Peninsula," he said. The ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.

"We are committed to strengthening extended deterrence while maintaining a robust combined defense posture. Any provocations by North Korea will be met with a firm and united response," Park added.

This was the second time in less than a week that top U.S. government officials have stressed Washington's nuclear security assurances.

[INTERVIEW] 'Extended deterrence is best option to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula'

On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said after his meeting with Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup in Seoul that the U.S. stands firm in its extended deterrence commitment, adding that the allies continue to look for ways to strengthen it.

Foreign Minister Park Jin shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken after signing a memorandum of understanding during an event at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Friday (local time). AFP-Yonhap

North Korea is believed to have fully prepared for a seventh nuclear test, raising speculation that denuclearizing the North is an unfeasible scenario.

However, Park said peace without complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is not real peace.

"Secretary Blinken and I also reaffirmed our unwavering determination to denuclearize North Korea. This is at the forefront and center of our joint efforts to establish sustainable peace on the Korean peninsula. Peace without denuclearization is fake peace," he said.

"North Korea's nuclear and missile programs are a direct and serious a threat to not only (South) Korea but also international peace and security. They undermine the very foundation of the global non-proliferation regime."

In his regard, the foreign minister urged China to play a role in resolving the North Korean issue.

"We agreed that China has the distinct capability and the responsibility to influence Pyongyang's behavior," Park said.

"The denuclearization of North Korea has long been an area of cooperation for China, as well as the ROK and the United States, and it needs to stay that way."

Last year, despite North Korea's repeated violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, the international community failed to hold the reclusive country accountable for its destabilizing acts due to opposition from China and Russia.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, and the two plan to work to further expand their "global comprehensive strategic alliance," the foreign minister said.

"We will expand the scope of the alliance to become not only a political-military economic partnership, but also to encompass technological and cultural dimensions," he added.

Also, Park said he and Blinken agreed to focus on issues that benefit South Korean businesses, and reassure and enrich the lives of citizens here in tangible ways.

"From extended deterrence to supply chain stability, to cutting edge technologies and space cooperation. Our two governments will continue to enhance strategic communication at all levels across these critical areas," Park added.

Following their bilateral talks at the State Department, Park and Blinken signed an agreement on science and technology cooperation, which, according to state department spokesperson Ned Price, included new components that will further strengthen the countries' bilateral cooperation and extend the agreement, originally signed in 1999, by 10 years.

The Korea Times · by 2023-02-02 17:27 | Foreign Affairs · February 4, 2023

8. Korean American Rep. Young Kim named chair of House Indo-Pacific subcommittee

And I am sure she will be a champion for a human rights upfront approach to north Korea (and China as well).

Excerpts:

"U.S. foreign policy decisions in the Indo-Pacific region will be pivotal in determining America's future and standing on the world stage," Kim said.

"I am humbled to serve as chair of this important subcommittee and will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to promote global human rights, support fellow freedom-loving countries, strengthen free trade with our allies and hold our adversaries accountable," she added.

Korean American Rep. Young Kim named chair of House Indo-Pacific subcommittee | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 황장진 · February 4, 2023

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Korean American U.S. Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) was selected to head the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, her office said Friday.

Kim became the first Korean American chair of the subcommittee, which deals with crucial foreign policy issues in the region, including the two Koreas, China, Taiwan and Japan.

This undated file photo shows Young Kim, new chair of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific. (Yonhap)

"U.S. foreign policy decisions in the Indo-Pacific region will be pivotal in determining America's future and standing on the world stage," Kim said.

"I am humbled to serve as chair of this important subcommittee and will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to promote global human rights, support fellow freedom-loving countries, strengthen free trade with our allies and hold our adversaries accountable," she added.

Kim is among the first Korean American women in U.S. Congress, along with Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) and Michelle Park Steel (R-CA).

She was born in South Korea and grew up in the U.S. territory of Guam. Kim moved to Hawaii and then to California, where she attended the University of Southern California and later ran several businesses.

She served as a California state lawmaker from 2014 to 2016 and was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020.

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 황장진 · February 4, 2023

9. N. Korea orders trading companies in Russia to select personnel to send to Ukraine

An indication of the struggle to man Russian units in Ukraine?

N. Korea orders trading companies in Russia to select personnel to send to Ukraine

North Korea appears intent to send soldiers or police personnel - not civilians - to eastern Ukraine

By Seulkee Jang - 2023.02.02 5:00pm

dailynk.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, on April 25, 2019. (Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via Reuters)

North Korea’s government recently ordered North Korean trading companies in Russia to select personnel to send to Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine so they can take part in reconstruction efforts, Daily NK has learned.

According to a Daily NK source in Russia recently, North Korea issued the order on Jan. 20 to several trading companies, including the defense ministry-affiliated Cholhyon Construction and Kumrung Construction, which is affiliated with General Bureau 7 of the Ministry of Social Security.

Given that all the trading companies that received the order are affiliated with military or public security agencies, North Korea appears intent to send soldiers or police personnel – not civilians – to eastern Ukraine.

The government may have decided to do this because soldiers and public security personnel are easier to control and keep safe than civilians.

The personnel selected for the deployment to Ukraine are young men between the ages of 19 and 27; most are married, but left their families behind in North Korea.

Generally speaking, North Korean authorities prevent defections among workers posted abroad by sending married men who are forced to leaving their wives and children in North Korea.

PERSONNEL MAY ARRIVE IN UKRAINE IN MID-FEBRUARY OR MARCH

According to Daily NK’s source in Russia, North Korea told the companies to complete their personnel selections by the end of January.

Given that the companies were given about 10 days to complete their selections, North Korea will likely send the personnel to Ukraine in mid-February or March, based on the source’s account.

Because North Korean military and police-related entities across Russia were instructed to select personnel, just how many personnel North Korea will send to eastern Ukraine remains unknown.

However, when taking into account all the orders issued to major trading companies, the first batch will likely be about 300 to 500 men, the source said.

The orders did not specify what tasks the personnel will be given when they arrive in eastern Ukraine, but they are unlikely to serve as mercenaries in the war.

The basic agreement between North Korea and Russia reportedly includes clauses not to involve North Koreans in the actual war, as the participation of the selected personnel in the conflict could make it appear like Pyongyang has sent mercenaries to Russia.

Given this, the selected personnel will likely take part in reconstruction efforts, repairing buildings and roads destroyed in the war.

Earlier this week, Daily NK reported that North Korea had quietly selected two batches of workers to send to Russia-occupied eastern Ukraine, but has held off on sending them for the time being due to the war’s current situation.

A NEW WAY TO EARN FOREIGN CURRENCY?

North Korea’s move to recruit personnel to send to Ukraine from its citizens already in Russia appears aimed at not only cutting costs in terms of time and money in moving large numbers of people, but may also be a way of avoiding detection and criticism from the international community.

If North Korea does in fact dispatch personnel to Ukraine, it would provide the country with a new way to earn foreign currency.

What exactly North Korea is getting in return for sending people to Ukraine remains unknown, but some claim that the workers are to receive triple the wages North Korean laborers in Russia have traditionally received.

Moreover, given that soldiers and police officers receive fixed wages from the state even while they are deployed overseas, any extra income they receive goes into the nation’s coffers.

Daily NK’s source in Russia said that the authorities issued a sudden order to recruit personnel to be deployed in Ukraine on a temporary basis, but that after a successful first deployment, the government will expand the number of personnel being deployed into the country.

“There’s money to be made, so there’s no reason not to send them,” he said.

Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com

10. N. Korea orders prosecutors to watch and discuss the show “Memoirs of a Prosecutor”

Too busy to watch TV? Does that indicate the prosecutors have their hands full in trying to root out traitors to the Kim family regime? I wonder when NETFLIX will be able to stream it (note sarcasm).

Excerpts:

“Memoirs of a Prosecutor,” which focuses on the life of a North Korean prosecutor and his battle against hidden anti-party elements and traitors, is a four-part series — episode 1 ran on Jan. 1, episode 2 on Jan. 15, episode 3 on Jan. 22 and the finale on Jan. 29, according to the KCTV schedule posted on the South Korean Ministry of Unification’s North Korean Informational Portal.

The Central Public Prosecutors Office ordered prosecutorial agencies nationwide to hold discussion sessions after each episode of the show, which ended in late January.

N. Korea orders prosecutors to watch and discuss the show “Memoirs of a Prosecutor”

“Prosecutors are always busy with no time to watch the show, so they are asking their wives to watch it and tell them what happens," a source told Daily NK

By Jong So Yong - 2023.02.02 10:00am

dailynk.com

A screen capture from the KCTV series, "Memoirs of a Prosecutor." (KCTV)

North Korea’s Central Public Prosecutors Office ordered the country’s prosecutors to organize gatherings to discuss episodes of the series “Memoirs of a Prosecutor,” which recently aired on Korean Central Television (KCTV).

A source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Tuesday that the government’s goal in ordering the gatherings was to ensure they take “an oath that all prosecutors will live and struggle like the protagonist of the series, learning from his clear conviction and spirit.”

“Memoirs of a Prosecutor,” which focuses on the life of a North Korean prosecutor and his battle against hidden anti-party elements and traitors, is a four-part series — episode 1 ran on Jan. 1, episode 2 on Jan. 15, episode 3 on Jan. 22 and the finale on Jan. 29, according to the KCTV schedule posted on the South Korean Ministry of Unification’s North Korean Informational Portal.

The Central Public Prosecutors Office ordered prosecutorial agencies nationwide to hold discussion sessions after each episode of the show, which ended in late January.

The source said the order called on prosecutors not only to watch the show each week, but also for prosecutor offices to prepare sessions for prosecutors to publicly declare their feelings. During these sessions, prosecutors were instructed to “etch deep on their hearts the attitude, beliefs and undaunted spirit of the protagonist, who protects and reveres the Supreme Leader and Workers’ Party, along with the dialogues and major scenes [of the series].”

In particular, the Central Public Prosecutors Office called on all prosecutors to use the sessions as opportunities to analyze whether they are politically and ideologically ready to follow the Supreme Leader and Workers’ Party “10 million miles,” and to hold fierce discussions on whether they are working with a clear ideology and spirit like the protagonist in the show.

Moreover, the Central Public Prosecutors Office called on prosecutors to harshly consider whether they have ever given a pass to somebody who criticizes the state or follows a different path, or whether they have submitted or followed a superior who behaves in a way contrary to party ideology.

The central prosecutors office also called on prosecutors who have taken bribes in return for closing their eyes to criminal activity to use the sessions to confess, beg forgiveness and start anew.

However, the source told Daily NK that “prosecutors are always busy with no time to watch the show, so they are asking their wives to watch it and tell them what happens.”

“Meanwhile, internal discipline in prosecutors’ offices has been growing stricter recently, so prosecutors are telling their family members to be very careful about what they say or do outside [their homes],” he said.

Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com

11. How a New U.S.-South Korea Deal Can Deter the North Korean Nuclear Threat

I think we should keep in mind that South Korea is a (peaceful) nuclear power. It has some 24 nuclear power plants and exports nuclear power plants around the world.

Excerpts:

A recent Center for Strategic and International Studies report on extended deterrence recommended opening bilateral discussions on redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons despite these obstacles. But to some South Koreans, this prospect may feel like an inadequate half-measure, leaving North Korean strategists with a lever through which they can continue to foment dissension between the United States and South Korea.

...

The U.S.-South Korea nuclear cooperation agreement, reached in 1974 and revised in 2015, provides a foundation for the countries to increase both peaceful civilian nuclear energy proliferation and nuclear weapons nonproliferation as a means of underscoring the benefits of alliance cooperation in the eyes of the South Korean public.

...

This approach would strengthen the foundations of peaceful U.S.-South Korean nuclear cooperation, underscoring the price South Korea would pay if it pursued weapons development instead. At the same time, Washington and Seoul should strengthen coordination on responses to deter or neutralize possible North Korean nuclear weapons use, regardless of whether the target is San Francisco or Seoul. Revising the Barack Obama–era joint Tailored Deterrence Strategy, which outlined steps to discourage North Korean nuclear weapons use, and regularly holding what are known as “table-top exercises” on how to respond to North Korean tactical nuclear use will be important steps. At their November 2022 Security Consultative Meeting, Washington and Seoul agreed to hold such exercises, which typically involve testing their joint ability to plan for and respond to a simulated attack.

This combination of expanded nuclear energy ties and ramped up coordination on how to respond to North Korean nuclear threats offers South Korea and the United States an effective counter to North Korea’s provocations. It can demonstrate that the Washington-Seoul alliance is not vulnerable to such nuclear brinkmanship.

How a New U.S.-South Korea Deal Can Deter the North Korean Nuclear Threat

The United States and South Korea should pursue an expanded nuclear agreement that supports the production of civilian nuclear power and enhances extended deterrence against the North Korean threat.

cfr.org · by Scott A. Snyder

In recent months, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has threatened to preemptively use nuclear weapons against South Korea and pledged to “exponentially” increase his country’s nuclear arsenal, possibilities that have spooked the South Korean public. President Yoon Suk-yeol mentioned in January that South Korea could develop its own nuclear arsenal or request the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea. A more effective way of blunting Pyongyang’s efforts to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul would be for the Yoon and Joe Biden administrations to commit to expanding on the original bargain that underpins U.S.-South Korean nuclear cooperation.

A TV screen shows a footage of a North Korean missile launch during a news program at the Yongsan Railway Station in Seoul. Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

A Test for the U.S.-South Korea Alliance

Yoon’s comments have roiled the waters around the possibility of South Korea independently developing nuclear weapons capability. Some American and South Korean experts have called on the U.S. government to help South Korea pursue nuclear arms parity with the North, but that has generated strong pushback from American nonproliferation specialists. While the United States and South Korea so far remain officially aligned on nuclear policy, North Korea clearly sees the potential frictions and costs South Korea would generate by pursuing such a path; Pyongyang’s long-standing objective is to break the alliance and peel South Korea away from its reliance on U.S. protection.

North Korea is keenly aware of the potential economic costs South Korea could incur by violating the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and obtaining nuclear weapons; doing so would distance South Korea from the international community and risk severely damaging its export-dependent economy. North Korean authorities would most likely conclude that South Korea’s economic advantages over the North would be reduced if South Korea were to suffer the kind of debilitating international sanctions the North is experiencing.

The Return of Tactical Nuclear Weapons?

The U.S.-South Korean debate over reintroducing tactical nuclear weapons to the peninsula is equally fraught. The United States stationed tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea from the late 1950s to the end of the Cold War. Now, neither the weapons nor the storage facilities are available for redeployment. American nonproliferation specialists also note that stationing tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea would present North Korea with an additional high-value target and that the United States would maintain full control over its nuclear weapons, rather than “share” them with South Korea, no matter where they were stored or deployed.

timeline

North Korean Nuclear Negotiations

1985–2022

View timeline

KCNA via Reuters

A recent Center for Strategic and International Studies report on extended deterrence recommended opening bilateral discussions on redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons despite these obstacles. But to some South Koreans, this prospect may feel like an inadequate half-measure, leaving North Korean strategists with a lever through which they can continue to foment dissension between the United States and South Korea.

Expanding the Nuclear Bargain

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The U.S.-South Korea nuclear cooperation agreement, reached in 1974 and revised in 2015, provides a foundation for the countries to increase both peaceful civilian nuclear energy proliferation and nuclear weapons nonproliferation as a means of underscoring the benefits of alliance cooperation in the eyes of the South Korean public.

South Korea relies on nuclear energy for almost 12 percent of its energy consumption needs. Having nearly completed $20 billion in nuclear construction contracts in the United Arab Emirates, the Yoon administration envisions constructing new domestic reactors so nuclear power can fill 30 percent of South Korean energy needs by 2030. It is also bidding for overseas contracts to construct nuclear plants in the Czech Republic, Egypt, Poland, and Turkey.

Both South Korean and U.S. nuclear energy firms stand to reap substantial gains from an expanded bargain, and they could team up to build civilian nuclear reactors in other regions, which would help those areas diversify energy sources and reduce carbon emissions. Strengthening U.S.-South Korean civilian nuclear cooperation would heighten South Korean awareness of both the tangible commercial benefits of working with the United States and the economic costs of defection from the global nonproliferation regime.

This approach would strengthen the foundations of peaceful U.S.-South Korean nuclear cooperation, underscoring the price South Korea would pay if it pursued weapons development instead. At the same time, Washington and Seoul should strengthen coordination on responses to deter or neutralize possible North Korean nuclear weapons use, regardless of whether the target is San Francisco or Seoul. Revising the Barack Obama–era joint Tailored Deterrence Strategy, which outlined steps to discourage North Korean nuclear weapons use, and regularly holding what are known as “table-top exercises” on how to respond to North Korean tactical nuclear use will be important steps. At their November 2022 Security Consultative Meeting, Washington and Seoul agreed to hold such exercises, which typically involve testing their joint ability to plan for and respond to a simulated attack.

This combination of expanded nuclear energy ties and ramped up coordination on how to respond to North Korean nuclear threats offers South Korea and the United States an effective counter to North Korea’s provocations. It can demonstrate that the Washington-Seoul alliance is not vulnerable to such nuclear brinkmanship.

cfr.org · by Scott A. Snyder

12. The Unbreakable Alliance Of Cuba And North Korea: How The Two Nations Were Linked By Communism And Resistance To US Imperialism

Conclusion:

If free multi-party elections were held in Cuba and North Korea, the communist parties would lose those elections and they know it very well. That is why they and the remaining communist regimes resist multi-party changes. All communist parties in Eastern Europe in the period 1989-1991 lost the elections, except in Serbia, whose party rejected the ideals of Marxism a long time ago and became an advocate of Greater Serbian imperialism. The fear of the Cuban and North Korean spring among comrades is undoubtedly great (one only has to remember how Nicolae Ceausescu ended) and that is why they are trying to devise new ways to maintain power and authority. And so far they are doing very well.

The Unbreakable Alliance Of Cuba And North Korea: How The Two Nations Were Linked By Communism And Resistance To US Imperialism – OpEd

eurasiareview.com · by Matija Šerić · February 3, 2023

Even a cursory look at any map (and especially a globe) of planet Earth is enough for the observer to understand that Pyongyang and Havana are not close. On the contrary, the air distance between the two capitals is a whopping 12,500 kilometers. Cuba is an island country, the largest island in the Greater Antilles group, surrounded by the warm Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. At the other end of the globe, North Korea is located, in East Asia on the Korean Peninsula, between the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. It doesn’t take much thinking to realize that the Korean and Cuban people come from different cultural and civilization circles and have quite different traditions, customs, and beliefs.

Despite the differences in the second half of the 20th century, the two countries became “like a finger and a nail” in international relations. More than anything else, Cuba and North Korea were linked by communist ideology, belief in socialism and belonging to world communism. Very quickly, communism was followed by resistance to aggressive American imperialism. Although the Cold War ended and the world communist movement collapsed, the socialist order survived in Cuba and North Korea, and the resistance against the biggest antagonist – the USA.

Even today in 2023, North Korea and Cuba are rare countries that still follow the ideology of Marxism-Leninism, they are certainly the two countries whose policies are closest to the theoretical principles of communism. However, it must be admitted that Kim Jong-un’s regime is much more radical and leftist than the Cuban regime headed by President Miguel Diaz Canel. Despite the unexpected entanglements that characterize international relations in the 21st century, the two socialist countries cherish special relations and have no intention of giving them up. Moreover, new expressions of mutual friendship appear from year to year.

Historical context

Havana and Pyongyang developed their friendship in detail during the Cold War. Diplomatic relations were established immediately after the victory of the Cuban revolution in August 1960, and embassies were opened in the two capitals. That year, the then Cuban minister, the legendary Ernesto Che Guevara, visited Pyongyang and declared that Cuba should follow the North Korean model. Che was impressed by the post-war reconstruction and rapid industrial development. He told an American journalist that the DPRK “was a small country raised from the ashes of American bombing and invasion.” The two countries were linked more than anything else by US foreign policy. In both cases, US policy was aggressive. In the Korean War (1950-1953), it was American intervention under the auspices of the UN that prevented North Korea under the leadership of Kim Il-sung from triumphing in the war, or uniting the peninsula under the auspices of the hammer and sickle. Ultimately, Chinese intervention prevented the communist North from defeat. The outcome of the war was a truce between North and South Korea, and the border mostly remained along the 38th parallel as before the war. Quite understandably, from then on North Korea became an ardent opponent of the US, and South Korea a loyal American partner.

When the Korean War is viewed from today’s perspective, if Kim Il-sung had won the war, he would have united Korea, and after the end of the Cold War, such a communist Korea would have been America’s partner in its geopolitical match against China. This is exactly what happened in the case of Vietnam – there in 1975 the communist North defeated the democratic South and the American army so that in the 21st century, although still communist, Vietnam became an American ally. Nevertheless, fate wanted Korea to remain permanently divided, and the Korean peninsula to be a continuous crisis hotbed and a terrain where different interests of great powers such as the USA, China and Russia have been in conflict for decades.

In the case of Cuba, American policy has shown predominance since the 19th century and the proclamation of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, which opposed the interference of European powers in the affairs of states on the American continents. In essence, according to the Monroe Doctrine, North and South America are “America’s backyard”. With regard to Cuba, the Monroe Doctrine was implemented during the Spanish-American War of 1898. Although the result of that war was the abolition of Spanish colonial rule and Cuban independence, Cuba became a de facto American protectorate. In the following decades, Washington behaved just like that, loftily and exploitatively towards Cuba, and the final outcome led to integration in the USA.

However, the plans of the American plans were disrupted by the Cuban Revolution, which in 1959 overthrew the hated regime of the dictator Fulgencio Batista. The revolution and the new revolutionary government under the leadership of Fidel Castro represented the indigenous expression of the Cuban people to create an independent and sovereign state. The Cuban revolution was primarily anti-colonial and was not originally communist. However, soon the aggressively hostile American attitude towards the new government will push Castro into the fold of communism. In 1961, the Bay of Pigs invasion took place when Cuban emigrants with the support of the CIA launched an unsuccessful attack. The following year, in October, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. Eventually the Soviet missiles were removed from Cuba, but Cuba remained a staunch communist bastion prominent in the world communist movement. Moreover, Cuba began to export communism throughout Latin America and Africa.

“Identical in every way”

In such circumstances of the Cold War, the conflict between the capitalist and communist blocs, and for both Cuba and North Korea, the alliance with the other was of great importance. Both countries became respectable, elite members of world communism, they defeated American invasions, and it was logical that they wanted to create special bilateral relations. A strong anti-American partnership was forged. The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and the events that followed showed the North Koreans that they did not want to depend on protecting the USSR like the Cubans. The Soviets protected Cuba from potential American intervention by supplying weapons, military material, and sending military advisers. Kim Il-sung did not want to depend on military aid from the USSR or the People’s Republic of China in the event of another Korean War, and that is precisely why he implemented the “military first” policy. Such a decision had a negative effect on the country’s economic development, so soon South Korea became more developed than its northern neighbor.

In 1968, Raul Castro declared that the views of Cuba and North Korea were “identical in every way”, which was certainly true because the leaders of both countries were intoxicated with Marxism, a belief in socialism and world communist revolution. Both countries helped national liberation (communist) movements in the Third World. In 1986, Fidel Castro visited his Korean comrades and was impressed by Kim’s cult of personality that was not woven into the tenets of Marxism-Leninism. In 1988, Cuba was one of the few countries to boycott the Seoul Olympics as an act of solidarity with North Korea. Fidel Castro later wrote that during the 1980s, Kim Il-sung, a “veteran and impeccable fighter,” sent Cuba 100,000 AK-47 rifles and matching ammunition without charging a cent.

An alliance that survived the Cold War and the Cuban thaw

Although communism collapsed in Eastern Europe in 1991, this did not mean the end of communism on the Caribbean island and the Korean peninsula. Primarily thanks to the strength of the repressive apparatus and the successful isolation of its population from external influences, communist regimes survived without transformation. The Republic of Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as one of the few remaining one-party and one-ideology communist states, know that they must stick together to maintain power and authority. Indeed, all five surviving communist states (there are also China, Vietnam and Laos) have good mutual relations despite their ideological and practical differences. Comrades do not betray comrades.

The partnership has continued to this day, and has been intensifying in recent years. In 2013, the North Korean ship Chong Chon Gang was intercepted while traveling through the Panama Canal. It was transporting Cuban weapons that were to be sent to North Korea for repair. The ship was later returned to the government in Pyongyang and the incident highlighted the trade between the two allies. Although the process of “Cuban thaw” began in December 2014 – the beginning of the normalization of relations between Havana and Washington – this did not sway Cuba from abandoning its alliance with its overseas comrades. In March 2015, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez announced that Cuba remained with the Kim regime despite international economic sanctions against Pyongyang. Rodriguez justified his position with the view that Cuban foreign policy is guided by the principles of justice and resists Western interference in the internal affairs of sovereign and independent states. In 2015 and 2016, the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Communist Party of Cuba held joint meetings to strengthen ties. Cuban Vice President and future President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited Kim Jong-un during the meeting.

In January 2016, Havana and Pyongyang established a barter trading system that officially includes the exchange of sugar and railway equipment. Trump is also using Cubans and Koreans to avoid international sanctions and they don’t have to use money. Sugar from Cuba will come in handy for the Juche regime, while it is questionable how much railway equipment can help Cuba. But as Kim Jong-un plans to modernize the railways, the new technology could be desirable to Cubans. It is obvious that most of the trade includes weapons, although trade in consumer goods is also on the rise. The Swedish military think tank SIPRI found that most North Korean arms dealers are fluent in Spanish, indicating that Cuba is an important destination for North Korean military exports. Cuban arms dealers can buy weapons from the DPRK with impunity, which is a huge advantage for both sides. For example arms trade with Pyongyang is a punishable offense in many countries due to sanctions. North Koreans can buy medicine and medical equipment from Cuba, since healthcare in Cuba is much more developed. Additionally, although Cuba has a population of 11 million and the DPRK 26 million, the Cubans have a more vibrant economy and can resell many products to the North Koreans through legal and less legal means.

After the death of Fidel Castro in late 2016, the government in Pyongyang declared three days of mourning and sent an official government delegation to the funeral. Kim visited the Cuban embassy to pay his respects to an old friend and friend of his grandfather and father. In early May 2017, amid high tensions between Washington and Pyongyang, Raul Castro expressed “his full support for the Korean Workers’ Party and the Korean people in their just struggle, and they will always be linked together in a united anti-American front.” In November of that year, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho paid an official visit to Havana, and was received by then Cuban President Raul Castro and Cuban Minister Bruno Rodriguez. Reports of the visit spoke of a “fraternal meeting” and “historical friendship”. In addition to meetings between colleagues from the government, there were also meetings between party officials. In August 2018, Choe Ryong-hae, a member of the Politburo Presidium of the Workers’ Party of Korea, was in Cuba as “Comrade Kim Jong-un’s special envoy”. New Cuban President Diaz-Canel visited North Korea in November 2018, emphasizing socialist solidarity and opposition to sanctions. For the Cuban president’s birthday in 2021, Kim sent a basket full of flowers through his ambassador.

Alliance for a multipolar world

Havana and Pyongyang have remained allies for decades because ideology and aggressive American policy have strongly linked them. In the past, the comrades were looking for their place together in the world communist movement, and today they are looking for their place in the multipolar world political order. Both are committed to excellent relations with Russia, China, and Iran in order to undermine American global hegemony. It should be taken into account that the anti-Americanism of the two nations has a strong basis since under US law both Cuba and North Korea are “state sponsors of terrorism” due to their alleged continued support for acts of international terrorism. This American label still applies only to Iran and Syria. A very clear indication of the close relations between Pyongyang and Havana is the very vocal Cuban defense of N. Korea in the United Nations in the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.

Cuba is a very important and elite ally for North Korea, which does not have many allies since it has the status of an exile state in international relations. Although the North Koreans cannot profit much materially from the communist island in the Caribbean Sea, they can diplomatically and symbolically (morally). Any ally to the “hermit kingdom” (as some analysts call the Kim regime) is desirable and can show that the communist monarchy is not so alone. Throughout the Third World, the DPRK still has its allies such as Zimbabwe, Benin, Madagascar.

Although the Cold War between Cuba and the United States came to an end in 2014, this did not mark the end of Havana’s excellent relations with Pyongyang. We should not forget that the US trade embargo against Cuba is still active. Anti-imperialism is still an important item on the political agenda of the Cuban communists, and North Korea is a long-standing partner with whom the Cubans survived the American blockade. The special ties show the loyalty of the two regimes to their history and serve as an obstacle to the sudden liberalization of both systems. The Cuban regime shows that the thawing of relations with the USA does not mean giving up the achievements of the Cuban Revolution, communist ideology and socialism. Relations with Pyongyang are exactly the historical-ideological legitimation that the authorities in Havana need. American investments and trade with South Korea can bring economic benefits to Cuba, but also threaten the power of the Communist Party. It is well known that all communist parties were and remain obsessed with maintaining power at any cost.

To preserve socialism at all costs

In the summer of 2021, fears of internal rebellion bind Havana and Pyongyang more than anything else. On July 11 of that year, mass demonstrations broke out in Havana and other cities across Cuba, with thousands of Cubans demanding that President Diaz-Canel step down. It took the government several days to restore order as street protests continued. It was the largest anti-government demonstration in Cuba in more than 25 years. The protests were fueled by food and medicine shortages and other economic problems resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, energy shortages have been a regular occurrence since Venezuela cut off the supply of subsidized oil. The pandemic has decimated Cuba’s tourism industry, the mainstay of the island’s economy. A show of force by the police allowed authorities to restore order in Havana for the regime to hold a mass rally where retired Raul Castro addressed the crowd in support of uncharismatic President Diaz-Canel. In his speech, the president himself acknowledged the failures, but blamed the protests on “counter-revolutionaries” supported by the US. US economic sanctions were blamed for the difficulties in the economy.

On July 16, 2021, the North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement on anti-government demonstrations in Cuba, blaming “behind-the-scenes manipulation by outsiders and persistent blockade moves against Cuba to wipe out socialism and revolution.” The spokesman expressed “the DPRK’s full support and solidarity with all the efforts and measures of the Cuban government and people to defend the dignity and sovereignty of the country and preserve the country, the revolution and socialist achievements.” A few days later, Deputy Foreign Minister Pak Myong Guk explicitly named the culprit behind the Cuban protests: “I want to make it clear that the main culprit and behind-the-scenes manipulator of the Cuban situation is none other than the United States. This is evidenced by the fact that high-ranking US officials engaged in inciting and agitating anti-government protests shortly after the outbreak of unrest.”

The week-long protests in 2021 showed why the Cuban-North Korean alliance is so vital. Although differences in governance exist, both the Cuban and North Korean regimes are essentially the same: one-party communist regimes. It is in the interest of communist comrades to cooperate so that they can find solutions together to maintain power over their own peoples (censorship, repressive measures…). Today, in the age of technological miracles, it is difficult to maintain dictatorships, as the Arab Spring demonstrated excellently. One-party systems are gradually disappearing into history. The nations show that they do not want to suffer the dictatorship of parties or individuals.

If free multi-party elections were held in Cuba and North Korea, the communist parties would lose those elections and they know it very well. That is why they and the remaining communist regimes resist multi-party changes. All communist parties in Eastern Europe in the period 1989-1991 lost the elections, except in Serbia, whose party rejected the ideals of Marxism a long time ago and became an advocate of Greater Serbian imperialism. The fear of the Cuban and North Korean spring among comrades is undoubtedly great (one only has to remember how Nicolae Ceausescu ended) and that is why they are trying to devise new ways to maintain power and authority. And so far they are doing very well.

eurasiareview.com · by Matija Šerić · February 3, 2023

13. The Korean War: The War that Ended in a Stalemate

Photos and graphics at the link to this short history. https://www.thecollector.com/the-korean-war-ended-stalemate/

The Korean War: The War that Ended in a Stalemate

Just a few years after World War II, the Cold War was heating up between communism and capitalism. Communist North Korea shocked the world by invading South Korea, sparking the Korean War.

Feb 3, 2023 • By Owen Rust, MA Economics in progress w/ MPA

thecollector.com · by Owen Rust · February 3, 2023

Composed photograph of soldiers with the United States and United Nations flags during the Korean War, via the Council on Foreign Relations

Unfortunately, the end of World War II did not bring about lasting peace. In many territories formerly controlled by Japan, liberating forces under the United States and the Soviet Union supported opposing political groups. The Soviets supported communist revolutionaries who wanted to rebuild their respective nations under socialist principles. At the same time, the Americans supported pro-Western capitalists who wanted to rebuild their respective nations with free-market reforms. Tensions quickly rose as each group wanted to reunite nations under one system or the other. In 1950, shortly after the communists won the Chinese Civil War, communist North Korea suddenly invaded South Korea in an attempt to reunify the Korean Peninsula under communist rule.

Setting the Stage: Japanese Korea (1910-1945)

A photograph of Japanese language instruction in Korea during the period of colonization, via ki-ok.org

Like European powers, Japan sought colonization for the purpose of both accessing natural resources and having captive markets to which domestic goods could be sold. As population growth and the increase in large landholders made overcrowding, especially of the poor, common in Japan, colonies provided a location to send disaffected young men who might cause trouble. For the first decade of colonization (1910-20), the Japanese military directly governed Korea, resulting in harsh treatment of Koreans who expressed any dislike of colonial rule.

Japanese treatment of Korea is often described as mixed, with harsh treatment of dissent contrasting with reforms and industrialization that rapidly modernized the colony’s economy. After widespread demonstrations against Japanese rule erupted in 1919, some self-government was enjoyed temporarily. In the early 1930s, however, Japan cracked down again and sought to erase a separate Korean identity by forcing Koreans to adopt Japanese surnames and follow Japanese religious practices. Most Koreans complied, avoiding bloodshed.

Japanese Korea During World War II

A photograph of four Korean comfort women rescued by Allied forces in China during World War II, via the Association for Asian Studies

World War II in Asia began in 1937 with the Second Sino-Japanese War. At this point, thousands of Korean men were drafted into the Japanese military and pressed into wartime service. The war also allowed Japan to force thousands more Koreans into unpaid wartime labor. Many women, 80 percent of whom were from Korea, were forced to become comfort women who were sexually abused by Japanese troops, in a system that actually began as early as 1932 in Japanese-controlled northern China. As the war spread rapidly in 1941 and 1942 to the Pacific islands and Southeast Asia, the comfort women program was expanded to all areas of Japanese control.

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Over 100,000 Korean men were drafted to serve in the Japanese army by 1945, and up to 1.2 million Koreans were forced into some manner of wartime labor. Thousands died in industrial accidents, often worsened by negligent and harsh treatment by the Japanese. Korea’s use as a labor pool for Japan ended up with some Koreans fighting on both the Axis and Allied sides of World War II, with Koreans drafted into the Japanese military being captured by the Soviet Union and later drafted into the Red Army, likely in both militaries as supply and logistical support.

End of World War II in Korea

A photograph of US troops arriving in southern Korea in September 1945 to accept the surrender of the Japanese there, via the National Museum of the US Navy, Washington DC

Throughout World War II, Japan controlled the entirety of the Korean Peninsula. However, in early August 1945, the Soviet Union fulfilled its obligation under the Tehran Conference and declared war on Japan within three months of Germany’s surrender. A massive surprise attack began on August 8, sending some 1.6 million Red Army troops into Japanese-occupied northern China. In concert with the two atomic bombs dropped by the United States, the Soviet declaration of war on Japan quickly convinced the emperor to surrender. On August 15, Japan announced its surrender, which was formalized on September 2.

Soviet troops entered Korea from the north on August 9 while hostilities were still occurring. After the formal surrender, American troops sailed into Korea from the south on September 8. Supporters of each governmental system largely migrated toward them: pro-communist Koreans supported the Soviet plans for reunification, while nationalist Koreans supported the American plans. Both the Soviet Union and the United States set up competing governments. With no deal on reunification forthcoming, the peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel, creating North Korea and South Korea.

1945-1949: Cold War Tensions Surge

A map of the Chinese Civil War (1945-49), via the IGB International School

After the end of World War II, tensions quickly surged between the United States and the Soviet Union. The USSR reneged on its wartime agreement to remove its troops from eastern Europe and promptly set up communist satellite states between East Germany (Germany being divided among the victorious Allies). At the same time, the US and Canada discovered Soviet spy rings, including the theft of atomic bomb secrets from the Manhattan Project. In 1949, the Soviets detonated their first atomic bomb, removing the United States military trump card.

In Asia, the Cold War erupted with the resurgence of the Chinese Civil War. Prior to the Second Sino-Japanese War, armed tensions had already begun between communists and pro-capitalist nationalists. After the Japanese were expelled, both sides abandoned their temporary alliance to continue fighting for control of China. On October 1, 1949, only weeks after the first Soviet nuclear explosion, the Chinese communists, led by Mao Zedong, declared victory and control of the country. The defeated Nationalists, led by generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, fled to the offshore island of Formosa and created the new nation of Taiwan.

Summer 1950: Beginning of the Korean War

A photograph of UN trucks evacuating south past the 38th parallel on the Korean Peninsula in August 1950, via National Defense University Press

On June 25, 1950, the North Korean People’s Army stormed across the 38th parallel and into South Korea in a planned invasion. Two days later, the United States declared its intention to defend South Korea, with US president Harry S. Truman taking a firm stand against the spread of communism. However, aided by both the Soviet Union and Communist China, North Korea was far more militarily developed than the South and quickly seized lots of territory. Within months, North Korea had taken Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.

The United Nations quickly formed a multinational force to defend South Korea and oppose the hostile invasion, with sixteen members committing troops. The United States led the coalition and committed the vast majority of UN soldiers, though Britain also sent a sizable contingent, along with Canada and Turkey. In the early months of the war, the South Korean and UN forces struggled to develop positive momentum. By the end of the summer, the South Korean and UN forces had been pushed to the southeastern port city of Pusan. Communist successes in the war furthered the ongoing Second Red Scare in the United States, with many Americans fearing that communist expansion was virtually unstoppable.

September 1950: US Turns the Tide at Inchon

US military commanders at Inchon, Korea in September 1950, with General Douglas MacArthur wearing sunglasses at center, via the Naval History and Heritage Command

Although North Korea had almost pushed South Korean and UN forces into the sea at Pusan, the US put its World War II amphibious invasion experience to good use with the surprise Inchon invasion on September 13, 1950. After two days of naval and aerial bombardment of the port city of Inchon, US Marines landed ashore. The invasion was a tremendous success, furthering the heroic image of General Douglas MacArthur, who had led the US Pacific Theater operations during World War II. The US and its UN allies swiftly pushed the North Koreans back across the 38th parallel.

However, pushing North Korean forces back across the pre-war border prompted controversy. How far would the US push its opponent? Allied with China, North Korea could withdraw its forces into China for rest and resupply, making it difficult for the US to secure a decisive victory. MacArthur continued to push North Korean forces closer to the Yalu River, which formed the border between North Korea and China. Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, had fallen on October 19. Warnings began to flow from Washington, urging MacArthur to stop his northward drive so as not to provoke China to attack.

Winter 1950: China Strikes Back

A photograph of fighting during the Korean War in late 1950 near the Yalu River, via the Korean War Legacy Foundation (KWLF)

On October 25, 1950, the Chinese attacked US forces near the Yalu River for the first time. Days later, the Chinese began pushing further in the Battle of Unsan. In late November, following another US offensive, China sent almost a million soldiers across the Yalu River, entering the war en masse. This drastically changed the nature of the war, with the US military now facing a much larger opponent. There were also fears that the Soviet Union would also intervene on the side of North Korea, as the USSR was allied with both North Korea and China.

The massive Chinese army pushed the US forces south. In response, General MacArthur advocated for a more aggressive military response, including the use of nuclear weapons. This contrasted with the goal of many in Washington, including President Truman, who wanted to end the war with minimal bloodshed. Some wanted a simple return to the pre-war border of the 38th parallel. In April 1951, after MacArthur continued to push the use of nuclear weapons, he was relieved of his command by President Truman. This move was highly controversial since many Americans viewed MacArthur as a war hero.

Soviet Air War Leads to First Fighter Jet Dogfights

An F-80C Shooting Star, the same type of fighter jet that won the first jet-vs-jet dogfight in November 1950, via the United States Air Force

Similar to World War II before it, the Korean War was a conventional war that saw both sides use large formations of infantry, armor, and air power. One new innovation that was used by both sides for the first time was the jet fighter. Although the jet fighter had been introduced during World War II, the Korean War was the first conflict where both sides used such planes against each other at the same time. On November 8, 1950, the world saw the first fighter jet dogfight, with a US Air Force F-80C “Shooting Star” downing a Soviet-made MiG-15. Although the Soviet Union often tried to hide its direct involvement, it quickly became clear that Soviet pilots were flying many of the MiGs that swept south through “MiG Alley” from China.

As a result of the Korean War coming so quickly after World War II, both the US and the Soviet Union had a large supply of experienced fighter pilots. Many World War II aces (pilots with five or more confirmed kills) also flew during the Korean War. Seven American aces from World War II also achieved such a status during the Korean War. The first jet ace – five kills achieved in a jet fighter – of the war was crowned on May 20, 1951. Unfortunately, the Soviets had plenty of their own jet aces, with the Soviets allegedly flying a full three-quarters of air missions undertaken by North Korean forces.

1953: Stalemate Leads to Demilitarized Zone

US soldiers working with land mines in South Korea, via the United States Army

After the Chinese pushed the US forces back to around the 38th parallel in 1951, the two sides seesawed back and forth for a little while before settling into a heavily-armed stalemate by December 1952. Both sides “dug in” and created armored and reinforced positions, similar to trench warfare on the Western Front during World War I. By this point, the war had become very costly in terms of manpower, especially since fixed positions meant the expectation that fresh troops would be rotated in on a regular basis. There was also a decline in World War II veterans on the front lines, with their replacements being less experienced in combat. By early 1953, many Americans wanted an end to the war.

New US president Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had been the Allied commander in Europe during World War II, had the political capital and public trust to end the Korean War with honor. On July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed, ending fighting between the UN and South Korean forces and North Korean forces. A heavily armed demilitarized zone (DMZ) was built between North and South Korea, which remains the national border today. Technically, the two Koreas are still at war, with no official peace treaty being signed.

Effects of the Korean War: Continued Tensions

A map showing the wartime advances and present-day borders of North and South Korea, via PBS & GBH Educational Foundation

The stalemate at the end of the Korean War resulted in continued tensions. During the Cold War, North Korea was heavily supported by the Soviet Union, as well as China. South Korea was supported by the United States, including an active military presence of thousands of US troops. Periodically, North Korea would engage in Cold War provocations, such as the seizure of the USS Pueblo in 1968. Along with the Soviet Union, North Korea supported North Vietnam during the US involvement in the Vietnam War (1964-73).

North Korea’s continued provocations since 1953 have forced high US military spending in the region to help ensure the safety of both South Korea and Japan. After the end of the Cold War in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, North Korea remains the last true centrally-planned command economy in the world. The lack of Soviet economic aid has made North Korea’s behavior less predictable, with some concerned that impending economic collapse of North Korea itself may provoke dictator Kim Jong-Un to launch a horrific invasion of South Korea in a risky attempt to solve the crisis in a “blaze of glory.”

thecollector.com · by Owen Rust · February 3, 2023

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

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Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

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Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

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email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

V/R

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Foundation for Defense of Democracies

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If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."

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