|
Quotes of the Day:
“When we are under attack, the temptation is to get emotional, to tell the aggressors to stop, to make threats as to what we’ll do if they keep going. That puts us in a weak position: we’ve revealed both our fears and our plans, and words rarely deter aggressors. Sending them a message through a third party or revealing it indirectly through action is much more effective. That way you signal that you are already maneuvering against them.”
- Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War
"Nothing shows a man's character more than what he laughs at."
- Goethe
"To acquire the habit of reading is to contrsuct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life."
- W. Somerst Maughm
1. North Korea’s Recent Foreign Ministry Statement: Cutting Through the Noise
2. Russian propagandist praises North Korea's nuclear threats against U.S.
3. Journalist tapped as new spokesperson for presidential office
4. [Column] Maintaining the alliance is crucial
5. Korea's defense question and Bandow's piece
6. They eat ice cream and read 'Harry Potter,' but these North Korean YouTubers aren't what they seem
7. Photos show what daily life looks like in restrictive North Korea
8. Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin at a Joint Press Availability
9. S. Korea, US vow action on N. Korea amid push for new ties
10. Pyongyang’s “special anti-epidemic period” limited to diplomatic district
1. North Korea’s Recent Foreign Ministry Statement: Cutting Through the Noise
Ther are some useful insights in this very short piece.
North Korea’s Recent Foreign Ministry Statement: Cutting Through the Noise
https://www.38north.org/2023/02/north-koreas-recent-foreign-ministry-statement-cutting-through-the-noise/?utm_source=pocket_saves
On February 2, the North Korean Foreign Ministry released a statement criticizing recent statements made by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during his visit to Seoul, where he outlined measures to bolster extended deterrence for the Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea). In standard terms, North Korea condemned the visit and the news of US-ROK plans for additional exercises later this year.
There were two key points in the statement. First, it mentioned it would not react to “every ill-boding movement shown by the US” in the name of extended deterrence.
Second, it rejected any interest in “any contact or dialogue with the US as long as” these kinds of measures continue.
Significance
When reading this statement, it is important to note that the level of the statement (a Foreign Ministry spokesman press statement) is relatively low, which suggests it was not meant to break ground but to check the box after Secretary Austin’s visit. When statements are structured in this format—i.e., here is our principled stand: point one, point two—it is because they are aiming to convey the seriousness (and, to some extent, clarity) of the message.
Key messages within the statement suggest that the North Koreans have decided not to replay what they did last fall—the sort of action-for-action in the military sphere. It seems they felt the need to make clear in advance that when/if they don’t respond to every US-ROK exercise, it isn’t because they are scared or cowed or not paying attention. It could also mean they simply don’t want to expend limited defense supplies unnecessarily, especially given how many drills the US and ROK have been conducting.
Second, the North Korean’s conditional language in reference to dialogue: “not interested as long as…” In some instances in the past, the conditional was important because it suggested the negative was not absolute and that they were leaving room for maneuver. However, that is not always the case, and it’s hard to see how, in the middle of the current situation, they are sending a positive signal.
Still, the question has to be asked, who asked them? Why is the Foreign Ministry bringing up dialogue at all in this way, almost out of the blue? Kim Jong Un said something similar in remarks in October, but that was almost four months ago. For the Biden administration, it may be worth probing to see if this is a door or just the painting of a door on a sheer rock face.
2. Russian propagandist praises North Korea's nuclear threats against U.S.
Russia and north Korea providing mutual support?
Russian propagandist praises North Korea's nuclear threats against U.S.
Newsweek · by Andrew Stanton · February 4, 2023
Russian state TV presenter Sergey Mardan praised North Korea for threatening to use nuclear weapons against the United States during a Friday night broadcast amid the Ukraine war.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine last February, state TV pundits have repeatedly taunted the West, which has largely condemned Moscow's military actions, over the potential use of nuclear weapons that would greatly escalate the conflict between the two Eastern European nations.
The latest nuclear remarks came Friday night when Mardan celebrated North Korea for being "independent" in global affairs, as well as for its President Kim Jong-un's nuclear threats. Video of the discussion was posted to Twitter by BBC journalist Francis Scarr on Saturday morning.
"For them, independence is an absolute value for which they are prepared to do anything, including turning the whole world into dust," Mardan said. "That's to say, when King Jong-un said back when Trump was still president that if you move your aircraft carriers toward the coast of North Korea, we'll...whack you with a nuclear bomb."
Last night on Solovyov Live, presenter Sergei Mardan held North Korea up as a beacon of "independence" to which Russia could aspire, and even claimed that this was what most Russians wanted for their country
The "special military operation" must be going well! pic.twitter.com/8TySiF6lPG
— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) February 4, 2023
North Korea has long touted its nuclear weapons capability. Viewed as a pariah state in global diplomacy, its state officials have, at times, used inflammatory rhetoric in regards to its nuclear program. The country has also conducted several nuclear tests off its coast, raising eyebrows from the international community.
Mardan, however, praised that rhetoric, describing it as a success for North Korean independence.
"They all turned back and knew he [Kim Jong-un] wasn't lying—that he really would...whack them with a nuclear bomb. You can't mess around at all," he said.
As Western leaders have condemned Putin's invasion—pointing to an apparent lack of justification as well as alleged human rights abuses—Mardan added that most Russians believe Moscow should use similar nuclear threats to deter Western influence over Russian international affairs.
People are seen watching a North Korean nuclear test in Seoul on January 1, 2020. Inset, Russian President Vladimir Putin. A Russian state TV propagandist on Friday praised North Korea for its nuclear threats against the United States. JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images; Contributor/Getty Images
"And the thing is that this is exactly how most of our country thinks. They agree with this approach, and they're not prepared to make any compromises," he said.
Alicia Sanders-Zakre, policy and research coordinator for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, told Newsweek on Saturday that nuclear threats should never be celebrated.
"The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the only international treaty to explicitly ban all nuclear threats, and in light of Russian threats, states parties issued an unequivocal condemnation of nuclear threats in June 2022. Countries that are serious about condemning nuclear threats should join the TPNW without delay and reinforce the norm against using or threatening to use nuclear weapons," Sanders-Zakre wrote.
What Russian State TV Has Recently Said About Nuclear Weapons
In the months following the invasion, the Kremlin cracked down on free press in Russia, with state TV essentially serving as Putin's propaganda machine. Hosts have offered various, at times threatening, perspectives about nuclear weapons use.
Last month, Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov clashed with a guest over the potential use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The Putin ally said that the "demonstrative" use of a nuclear weapon would turn the war in favor of the Russians in response to France promising to send light tanks to the Ukrainian military. However, Evgeny Buzhinsky, a military expert, said that would lead to a "global catastrophe."
Last month, Solovyov threatened that the West would be "burned to ashes" if Ukraine won the war.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
Newsweek · by Andrew Stanton · February 4, 2023
3. Journalist tapped as new spokesperson for presidential office
Journalist tapped as new spokesperson for presidential office | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김한주 · February 5, 2023
SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol has picked Lee Do-woon, a veteran journalist, as his new spokesperson, filling the post that had been vacant for five months, according to Yoon's office Sunday.
Lee served as an editorial writer for the evening newspaper Munhwa Ilbo until recently, having worked as reporter at the Seoul Shinmun daily starting in 1990.
He has presented "in-depth analysis and balanced views on domestic and international situations, such as politics, diplomacy, and society as well as pending issues," senior presidential secretary for press affairs Kim Eun-hye said in a statement.
Lee is expected to carry out his mission excellently as a "bridge" between the presidential office and the people, she added.
Lee Do-woon, tapped as President Yoon Suk Yeol's new spokesperson, speaks to reporters at the presidential office in Seoul on Feb. 5, 2023. (Yonhap)
Yoon's first spokesperson, Kang In-sun, moved to the position of presidential spokesperson for foreign press in September. Deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung had served as de-facto presidential spokesperson before resigning last month.
Lee, a graduate of Yonsei University, left the Seoul Shinmun in 2017 to serve as a spokesperson for former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when Ban was considering a run for the presidency.
After Ban dropped out, Lee joined the Munhwa Ilbo and appeared often at television talk shows on political affairs as a commentator.
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 김한주 · February 5, 2023
4. [Column] Maintaining the alliance is crucial
Some useful reminders of history.
Excerpts:
It was not easy for the Korea-U.S. alliance to start. The U.S. pushed forward an armistice to end the Korean War early. At that time, Washington was not interested in the mutual defense treaty. But President Syngman Rhee opposed the armistice, insisted on advancing up to the Yalu River for the unification of the two Koreas, and released anti-communist prisoners of war. His conflict with the U.S. reached a serious level.
“If Chinese troops stay in North Korea, it would be same as sentencing the Korean people to death,” said Rhee. Instead, he demanded the U.S. sign a mutual defense treaty and offer defense capabilities to the South Korean military in return for signing the armistice.
The Korea-U.S. alliance experienced many hardships. President Park Chung Hee attempted to develop nuclear programs for fear of the withdrawal of U.S. forces and a security vacuum. Conflicts continued over South Korean military’s autonomy and transfer of the wartime operational control. After a series of summits involving Moon Jae-in, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the Korea-U.S. joint drills came to a halt and the combined military readiness was noticeably weakened.
After President Yoon took office, the alliance was normalized. But North Korean nuclear threats are getting more serious along with the deterioration of the international situation. We will likely face an international security vortex in the next five to 10 years. We must review the seven decades of the alliance and overcome the turbulent waves of the crisis. We must not forget that our military capabilities, values and trust are the most important factors to maintain the cherished alliance.
Sunday
February 5, 2023
dictionary + A - A
[Column] Maintaining the alliance is crucial
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/02/05/opinion/columns/South-Korea-US-alliance/20230205195928315.html
Kim Min-seok
The author is an editorial writer and senior researcher at the Institute for Military and Security Affairs at the JoongAng Ilbo.
“Capitalism is bound to die, socialism is bound to win,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a 2013 speech at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
“Democracy itself is in peril, here at home and around the world,” U.S. President Joe Biden said during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery in 2021.
“The next five years will be crucial for getting our efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start,” Xi said in October 2022.
“It is clear that the next ten years will be the decisive decade. We stand now at the inflection point, where the choices we make and the priorities we pursue today will set us on a course that determines our competitive position long into the future,” according to the National Security Strategy report of the Biden administration in October 2022.
As Biden and Xi suggested, the world is likely to head to a turbulent era in the next decade, quite similar to the chaotic period a century ago when China, Russia and Japan competed over the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905).
As a result of the hegemony war, small countries became colonies of strong ones. Even China suffered an irrevocable decline. The Joseon Dynasty was annexed by imperial Japan in 1910 and the Korean Peninsula was reduced to ashes during the 1950-53 Korean War.
South Korea today has strong economic and military powers. But its destiny is still unclear depending on the outcomes of the new hegemony contest. Xi, who respects Marx as the greatest philosopher, made it clear that he will spread Chinese-style socialism around the world. In the meantime, Biden vows to defend liberal democracy from crisis at any costs.
“This is a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies,” he said during a press conference in March 2021. Unavoidable is a heated — and prolonged — battle between autocracies, with China at the center, and democracies led by the United States, over critical values such as freedom and human rights. A competition of systems based on values is in full swing.
With the goal of realizing the “China Dream” by 2047, China aims to build a powerful socialist state to become a top-class country in economy, technology, military and security. It presented a bold plan to complete the modernization of the Chinese military by 2027 — the centenary of the founding of the Chinese armed forces — and beat the U.S. by 2049, as specified at the fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC in Beijing in October 2020.
China has accelerated defense reform since 2018. It is strengthening military capabilities by increasing the number of nuclear weapons from 350 to 1,000, building additional nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, procuring more Aegis-class warships and introducing fifth-generation stealth fighters and strategic bombers.
President Syngman Rhee watches Foreign Minister Byun Young-tae and U.S. Secretary of State John Dulles sign a provisional Mutual Defense Treaty in Seoul on August 8, 1953. [ILJOGAK]
In terms of the number of ships, the Chinese Navy already overpowers the U.S. Navy. Based on its anti-access and area-denial (A2AD) strategy, China massively deployed ballistic and supersonic missiles inland to keep the U.S. Navy in check or strike it in the East and South China Sea if necessary. China and Russia increasingly conduct their joint maritime exercises in the waters east and west of the Korean Peninsula.
Last summer, China even carried out an intimidating shooting drill to contain Taiwan. Military analysts think that China could attempt to occupy Taiwan by 2027 instead of the early 2030. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China is securing key maritime posts by building military bases connecting the South China Sea, the Straits of Malacca, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, as well as parts in the South Pacific.
North Korea is joining in with its nuclear missiles. With 60 to 100 nuclear bombs, the North is threatening the South after siding with China and Russia. It even created a military doctrine that allows the use of nuclear weapons against South Korea. It also seeks to weaken the South Korea-U.S. alliance by pressuring Washington and Tokyo with nuclear missiles. Despite international sanctions on North Korea, China and Russia are secretly supporting the country.
The Biden administration deals with a threatening China with a containment policy. In the National Security Strategy announced last October, the U.S. government likened its current security threat to the fierce supremacy competition in the 19th century and the U.S.-Soviet strategic competition in the 20th century. The Biden administration wants to use all possible diplomatic, economic and military means to protect democratic values and support a “free, open, secure, and prosperous world.”
Through the Indo-Pacific strategy, the Biden administration plans to activate the QUAD and Aukus. With its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the U.S. wants to check China’s influence in digital trade, the supply chain, fair economy, infrastructure and clean energy. America aims to exclude China from the semiconductor supply chains through the Chip 4 alliance with South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Semiconductors are the core of China’s economy and its advanced military powers.
The Biden administration also announced its military response to authoritarian countries like China in times of emergency. It will mobilize allies and friends to the maximum and devise a comprehensive — and integrated — countermeasures. Developing next-generation B-21 stealth bombers, hypersonic missiles, the Ghost Fleet Overload fleet of unmanned stealth vessels and AI-based drone combat systems is just a fraction of the U.S. military preparation against China.
At the end of last year, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration disclosed its own Indo-Pacific strategy — primarily based on the rule of law, human rights, nonproliferation, counter-terrorism, comprehensive security, economic security network, and advanced science and technology — to secure national interest.
In the first Korea-U.S. summit in Seoul last May, the two presidents redefined the alliance by focusing on strong extended deterrence against the North Korean nuclear threats, economic security and restoration of global supply chains. The military alliance was upgraded to a comprehensive alliance, which includes technology and economy.
Upon arriving in South Korea, Biden visited the Samsung Electronics semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek first instead of the U.S. military base in that city. He met with corporate leaders to attract Korean investment in the U.S., an unequivocal barometer of the current state of the alliance.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance following the Mutual Defense Treaty signed in October 1953. When the Joseon Dynasty signed the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation with the U.S. in 1882 — and when the Korean War broke out — Korea had little to offer to the rest of the world. Its presence was simply too weak. But Korea’s international stature today — the world’s 10th largest economy and the sixth strongest military power, for instance — cannot be compared to the past. No country can subdue Korea with conventional weapons.
It was not easy for the Korea-U.S. alliance to start. The U.S. pushed forward an armistice to end the Korean War early. At that time, Washington was not interested in the mutual defense treaty. But President Syngman Rhee opposed the armistice, insisted on advancing up to the Yalu River for the unification of the two Koreas, and released anti-communist prisoners of war. His conflict with the U.S. reached a serious level.
“If Chinese troops stay in North Korea, it would be same as sentencing the Korean people to death,” said Rhee. Instead, he demanded the U.S. sign a mutual defense treaty and offer defense capabilities to the South Korean military in return for signing the armistice.
The Korea-U.S. alliance experienced many hardships. President Park Chung Hee attempted to develop nuclear programs for fear of the withdrawal of U.S. forces and a security vacuum. Conflicts continued over South Korean military’s autonomy and transfer of the wartime operational control. After a series of summits involving Moon Jae-in, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the Korea-U.S. joint drills came to a halt and the combined military readiness was noticeably weakened.
After President Yoon took office, the alliance was normalized. But North Korean nuclear threats are getting more serious along with the deterioration of the international situation. We will likely face an international security vortex in the next five to 10 years. We must review the seven decades of the alliance and overcome the turbulent waves of the crisis. We must not forget that our military capabilities, values and trust are the most important factors to maintain the cherished alliance.
5. Korea's defense question and Bandow's piece
Interesting OpEd. One thing is for Doug Bandow has been consistent in his positions.
But the author gets OPCON transition wrong. The combined architecture will remain in place and the ROK/US CFC will anser to the Military Committee which is made up of representatives of both naitons' National Command and Military Authority. It will not be led by "the South Korean defense apparatus."
But he makes some interesting and useful observations:
Moreover, the Korean defense ministry has not been standing idly by in creating a better fighting force, one that could potentially take over OPCON and lead both Korean and American forces in battle. The reforming of compulsory conscription (all able-bodied men have to spend time in the military), increasing the salaries of career military officers, and a refining of logistics throughout Korea's armed services are meaningful examples. Most strikingly, in this regard, is Korea's advanced fighter jet system, an indigenous project jointly funded by Korea and Indonesia (wherein, upon completion, Indonesia will share in the technologies and use the same prototype for their own air force).
...
Korea's own KAI KF-21 Boramae (formerly known as KF-X) is its answer to China's J-20 and Japan's F-3. The fighter jet, now in advanced stages of development like Japan's F-3, is meant to modernize the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and bring costs down in the purchasing of jets. (Many advanced democracies embrace the costs of buying jets from Lockheed, for example, because domestically creating military jets, and airplanes more broadly, is time-consuming, technologically and logistically complex, and exceedingly expensive.
The KAI KF-21 is unabashedly a sign that the Korean government is seriously and deliberately considering a defense future where they are in charge and America is a helping partner.
Korea's defense question and Bandow's piece
The Korea Times · February 5, 2023
By Deauwand Myers
Way back in May of 2013, geopolitical analyst Doug Bandow wrote an incendiary, yet not widely read, column for the conservative think tank the Cato Institute about South Korea's defense posture and its dependence on the United States for military preparedness. The title, and you won't believe it: "South Korea: Close Friend of the U.S., and a Defense Welfare Queen." The subtitle: "Even if Seoul is improbably believed to be an essential ally, it does not require U.S. defense subsidies."
So many things to unpack here. Welfare Queen is an old, tired, racist trope created by American conservatives stylizing black women as being sexually pliant, unfit mothers with multiple children, living a lavish lifestyle off of social welfare programs. How that trope, promulgated by President Ronald Reagan, has anything to do with South Korea and its military independence is beyond me. I don't see why the term would ever be used in any context, as it is a lie, and certainly not when writing about something as serious as a key Asian ally (South Korea) buffeted by two nuclear adversaries, China and North Korea.
I digress. There's a whole lot wrong with Bandow's piece, the title notwithstanding. Any novice would tell you an ally so geographically close to nuclear adversaries is in itself an asset for American diplomatic and defense priorities. Korean intelligence and experience in dealing with North Korea is invaluable in the continued monitoring of North Korea (and China). So yes, in Asia, South Korea is an essential ally.
Though deliberately worded to be low-key racist and as about as nuanced as a sledgehammer, part of Bandow's piece is worthy of discussion and consideration.
Should Korea, as wealthy and technologically advanced as its neighbor Japan is, take more proactive steps in defending itself, and would these proactive measures include commanding all forces in Korea if such a time arrived? This is called OPCON, or Operational Command, meaning that if a war broke out on the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean defense apparatus would take the lead in running military operations.
In June of 2022, Clint Work's policy paper, "No More Delays; Why It's Time to Move Forward With Wartime OPCON Transition: The history and evolution of the U.S.-ROK military command architecture reveal the inherent push and pull at the heart of the alliance" makes a forceful argument that it is past time for Korea to execute OPCON.
He writes, "Over time, the transfer of operational control (OPCON) has been complicated by a myriad of conceptual shifts, concerns regarding North Korea … increased tension between the U.S. and China … the alliance must either redouble its effort to move forward and transition wartime OPCON to a ROK-led combined command architecture or develop a more feasible arrangement."
Mr. Work is correct. There's not an easy fix to Korea's defense conundrum. But is a fix necessary? Korea and Japan are covered with what's called a "nuclear umbrella," mostly via American submarines.
Moreover, the Korean defense ministry has not been standing idly by in creating a better fighting force, one that could potentially take over OPCON and lead both Korean and American forces in battle. The reforming of compulsory conscription (all able-bodied men have to spend time in the military), increasing the salaries of career military officers, and a refining of logistics throughout Korea's armed services are meaningful examples. Most strikingly, in this regard, is Korea's advanced fighter jet system, an indigenous project jointly funded by Korea and Indonesia (wherein, upon completion, Indonesia will share in the technologies and use the same prototype for their own air force).
Korea has been taking hints from its Chinese and Japanese neighbors, both of which have homegrown fighter jet systems of their own. China has the Chengdu J-20, colloquially nicknamed the "Mighty Dragon." Japan has The Mitsubishi F-X (unofficially called F-3), a stealth fighter in late-staged development for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). This iteration will be Japan's first domestically-developed stealth fighter jet, replacing the Mitsubishi F-2 by the next decade or so. There are very few countries that can build and operate a domestically-developed fighter jet with proven stealth technologies.
Korea's own KAI KF-21 Boramae (formerly known as KF-X) is its answer to China's J-20 and Japan's F-3. The fighter jet, now in advanced stages of development like Japan's F-3, is meant to modernize the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and bring costs down in the purchasing of jets. (Many advanced democracies embrace the costs of buying jets from Lockheed, for example, because domestically creating military jets, and airplanes more broadly, is time-consuming, technologically and logistically complex, and exceedingly expensive.
The KAI KF-21 is unabashedly a sign that the Korean government is seriously and deliberately considering a defense future where they are in charge and America is a helping partner.
Deauwand Myers (deauwand@hotmail.com) holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory, and is an English professor outside of Seoul.
The Korea Times · February 5, 2023
6. They eat ice cream and read 'Harry Potter,' but these North Korean YouTubers aren't what they seem
Exposure of north Korean propagnda.
Excertps:
A new style of propaganda
North Korean propaganda isn’t new; previous campaigns have featured Soviet-style posters, videos of marching troops and missile tests, and images of Kim Jong Un on a white horse.
But experts say the YouTube videos, and similar North Korean social media accounts on Chinese platforms like Weibo and Bilibili, illustrate a new strategy: Relatability.
“North Korea is striving to emphasize that Pyongyang is an ‘ordinary city,’” Park said, adding that the leadership “is very interested in how the outside world views them.”
Ha, the research professor, said North Korea could be trying to portray itself as a “safe country” to encourage greater tourism for its battered economy – especially after the toll of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While it has not yet reopened its borders to tourists, “the pandemic is going to end at some point, and North Korea has been concentrating on tourism for economic purposes,” Ha said.
They eat ice cream and read 'Harry Potter,' but these North Korean YouTubers aren't what they seem | CNN
CNN · by Jessie Yeung,Gawon Bae · February 5, 2023
North Korean YouTuber YuMi visits the Rungna People's Pleasure Park in Pyongyang, North Korea, in a video uploaded on September 1, 2022.
Olivia Natasha-YuMi Space DPRK daily/YouTube
Seoul, South Korea CNN —
The young woman rifles through a fridge of popsicles, pulling out several to show the camera.
“This is milk flavor – the picture is so cute,” she says in English, pointing to the cartoon packaging with a smile. “And this is peach flavor.”
After finally selecting an ice cream cone, she bites into it, declaring: “The biscuit is very delicious.”
The four-minute video has racked up more than 41,000 views on YouTube, but this is no ordinary vlog. The woman, who calls herself YuMi, lives in North Korea, perhaps the world’s most isolated and secretive nation.
Her YouTube channel, created last June, is one of several social media accounts that have popped up across the internet in the past year or two, in which North Korean residents claim to share their everyday lives.
YuMi eats ice cream in Pyongyang, North Korea, in a YouTube video uploaded on August 1, 2022.
Olivia Natasha-YuMi Space DPRK daily/YouTube
But experts say not all is as it seems in these videos, and that the images contain tell-tale signs that the lives displayed are far from the norm for the impoverished millions under the dictatorship of leader Kim Jong Un.
Instead, they suggest, YuMi and others like are likely related to high-ranking officials and may be part of a propaganda campaign aimed at rebranding the country’s international image as a more relatable – even tourist-friendly – place than its constant talk about nuclear weapons might suggest.
YuMi’s videos “look like a well-prepared play” scripted by the North Korean government, said Park Seong-cheol, a researcher at the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights.
Tell-tale signs
For decades, North Korea has been comparatively closed off from the rest of the world, with tight restrictions on free expression, free movement and access to information.
Its dismal human rights record has been criticized by the United Nations. Internet use is heavily restricted; even the privileged few who are allowed smartphones can only access a government-run, heavily censored intranet. Foreign materials like books and movies are banned, often with severe punishments for those caught with black market contraband.
This is why YuMi – who not only has access to a filming device but YouTube – is no ordinary North Korean, experts say.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during a Politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, June 29, 2021. Kim ripped into senior ruling party and government officials over what he described as a serious lapse in national efforts to fend off COVID-19. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday, June 30, 2021 that Kim made the comments during the meeting, which he called to discuss a "grave incident" in anti-epidemic work that he said created a "huge crisis" for the country and its people. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
Korean Central News Agency/AP
Why North Korea is so afraid of K-pop
“Connecting with the outside world is an impossible thing for a resident,” said Ha Seung-hee, a research professor of North Korea studies at Dongguk University.
YuMi is not the only North Korean YouTuber turning heads: an 11-year-old who calls herself Song A made her YouTube debut in April 2022 and has already gained more than 20,000 subscribers.
“My favorite book is ‘Harry Potter’ written by J. K. Rowling,” Song A claims in one video, holding up the first book of the series – particularly striking given North Korea’s typically strict rules forbidding foreign culture especially from Western nations.
The video shows Song A speaking in a British accent and sitting in what looks like an idyllic child’s bedroom complete with a globe, bookshelf, a stuffed animal, a framed photo and pink curtains.
Song A, purportedly a resident of Pyongyang, North Korea, holds up a Harry Potter book in a YouTube video uploaded April 26, 2022.
Olivia Natasha-YuMi Space DPRK daily/YouTube
Luxuries for ‘a special class’
The rosy depictions of daily life in Pyongyang may also give a clue to the social standing and identities of their creators.
YuMi’s videos show her visiting an amusement park and an interactive cinema show, fishing in a river, exercising in a well-equipped indoor gym, and visiting a limestone cave where young students wave the North Korean flag in the background.
Song A visits a packed water park, tours a science and technology exhibition center, and films her first day back at school.
Park, the expert, says these representations aren’t 100% false – but they are extremely misleading, and do not represent normal life.
There have been reports of North Korea’s wealthy elite, such as senior government officials and their families, having access to luxuries such as air conditioning, scooters and coffee. And the facilities shown in the YouTube videos do exist – but they’re not accessible to most people, and are only granted to “special people in a special class,” Park said.
These facilities are also likely not open or operating regularly as the videos imply, he said. “For example, the power supply in North Korea is not smooth enough to operate an amusement park, so I’ve heard that they would only operate it on the weekends or on a special day like when they film a video,” added Park.
People walk on a snow covered street near the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang on January 12, 2021.
KIM WON JIN/AFP/AFP via Getty Images
North Korea is notorious for frequent blackouts and electricity shortages; only about 26% of the population has access to electricity, according to 2019 estimates from the CIA World Factbook. These blackouts were captured in nighttime satellite images in 2011 and 2014 that showed North Korea cloaked in darkness, almost blending into the dark sea around it – in sharp contrast to the dazzling lights of neighboring China and South Korea.
The YouTubers’ English fluency and access to rare luxuries suggest they are both highly educated and likely related to high-ranking officials, Park said.
Defectors have previously told CNN that some North Koreans learn British English in their English classes. The British Council, a UK-based organization, also ran an English language teacher training program in North Korea, sending teachers there for more than a dozen years before it was halted in 2017.
A new style of propaganda
North Korean propaganda isn’t new; previous campaigns have featured Soviet-style posters, videos of marching troops and missile tests, and images of Kim Jong Un on a white horse.
But experts say the YouTube videos, and similar North Korean social media accounts on Chinese platforms like Weibo and Bilibili, illustrate a new strategy: Relatability.
“North Korea is striving to emphasize that Pyongyang is an ‘ordinary city,’” Park said, adding that the leadership “is very interested in how the outside world views them.”
Ha, the research professor, said North Korea could be trying to portray itself as a “safe country” to encourage greater tourism for its battered economy – especially after the toll of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While it has not yet reopened its borders to tourists, “the pandemic is going to end at some point, and North Korea has been concentrating on tourism for economic purposes,” Ha said.
KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rides a white horse on snowy, symbolic mountain
Before the pandemic, there were limited options for tours in which visitors were shepherded around the country by guides from the Ministry of Tourism. The tours were carefully choreographed, designed to show the country in its best light. Even so, many countries, including the United States, warn their citizens against visiting.
After the pandemic began, “there was talk (in North Korea) about shedding previous forms of propaganda and implementing new forms,” Ha said. “After Kim Jong Un ordered (authorities) to be more creative in their propaganda, vlog videos on YouTube began appearing.”
A 2019 article in North Korea’s state-owned newspaper Rodong Sinmun, citing Kim, declared that the country’s propaganda and news channels must “boldly discard the old framework of writing and editing with established conventions and conventional methods.”
The YouTubers’ use of English may reflect this effort to reach global viewers. Both YuMi and Song A also helpfully include English names for their channels: YuMi also goes by “Olivia Natasha,” and Song A by “Sally Parks.”
Why YouTube?
North Korea has posted other types of propaganda to YouTube in the past decade – though its official videos are often taken down by moderators.
In 2017, YouTube took down the state-run North Korean news channel Uriminzokkiri, and the Tonpomail channel controlled by ethnic Koreans in Japan loyal to Pyongyang, saying they violated the platform’s terms of services and community guidelines.
Another YouTube channel called Echo of Truth, purportedly run by a North Korean resident called Un A who filmed herself enjoying daily activities in Pyongyang, was taken down in late 2020.
Photo Illustration/ Getty, Adobe Stock
Why some North Korean defectors return to one of the world's most repressive regimes
But the closures sparked outcry from some researchers who said the videos provided a valuable insight into North Korea and its leadership, even if they were propaganda.
When CNN requested comment from YouTube on these deleted channels, and those of Song A and YuMi, a spokesperson said the platform “complies with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws – including with respect to content created and uploaded by restricted entities.”
“If we find that an account violates our Terms of Service or Community Guidelines, we disable it,” the statement said.
Experts said the videos by YuMi and Song A might be an attempt by Pyongyang to reach an audience without attracting the attention of moderators.
And however scripted they might be, they too offered a valuable window into the country, experts said.
“People already know that (the videos) were created for propaganda purposes … the public is already aware,” Ha said. But, she added, “I think there should be proper education and discussion on how we should perceive (such) content instead of just closing the doors.”
CNN · by Jessie Yeung,Gawon Bae · February 5, 2023
7. Photos show what daily life looks like in restrictive North Korea
Photos at the link: https://www.insider.com/photos-show-daily-life-looks-like-restrictive-north-korea-2023-1
Photos show what daily life looks like in restrictive North Korea
insider.com · by Katie Balevic
Family is incredibly important to North Koreans.
A boy and his grandmother wearing face masks walk on a street along the Pyongyang Railway Station in Central District of of Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.
Jon Chol Jin/AP
The concepts of family and lineage are important to North Koreans, many of whom have family in South Korea that they can only see on limited occasions, according to NPR. There are heavy restrictions on travel (partially due to the pandemic), according to a 2022 Human Rights Watch report.
Family reunions between the north and south have been on hold for years.
North Korean refugee Jo Kyeong-hyeon, left, and his family members pay respect to their ancestors in North Korea to celebrate the Chuseok, the Korean version of Thanksgiving Day, at Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, near the border with North Korea, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020.
Ahn Young-joon/AP
According to NPR, South Korea in September proposed resuming the reunification meetings for families separated since the Korean War, but North Korea refused. Exchange programs between the two nations halted in 2019 amid broader nuclear discussions and later the coronavirus pandemic, per NPR.
Still, they enjoy traditions with their neighbors, like making kimchi.
A family in Somun-dong, Central District, prepares Kimchi for the coming winter with their neighbors at their home in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Nov., 19, 2020.
Jon Chol Jin/AP
Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish of pickled vegetables, accompanies most meals, according to the Associated Press. Last year, Radio Free Asia reported that poor harvests prevented many families from enjoying kimjang, the process of making kimchi that is celebrated annually.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expanded the education system with a focus on science.
Schoolchildren wearing face mask, go to the Kumsong Secondary School No. 2 in the morning in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
Under Kim, the country expanded its education system to support children for 12 years with a special focus on STEM subjects, according to the Institute for Security and Development Policy, a non-profit policy organization based in Stockholm.
Citizens visit the zoo to see different breeds of animals from other countries.
A woman and her son see the tortoise at the aquarium of the Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Dec. 3, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
In the country's capital of Pyongyang, the Central Zoo has drawn spectators for decades, according to the Associated Press. In 2016, the main draw was the "dog pavilion" that showcased dozens of different dog breeds, the outlet reported.
The pandemic led to an increase in demands for divorces, reports said.
A bride and groom walk after having their wedding photos taken with the background of the Tower of the Juche Idea in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019.
Dita Alangkara/AP
There has been an increase in the demand for divorces due to financial pressures amid the coronavirus pandemic, Radio Free Asia and Daily NK reported last year. Divorce is considered "anti-socialist" and an instigator of "social unrest" in North Korea, where people use bribes to get their divorce hearings scheduled, Radio Free Asia reported.
The 'songbun' caste system divides people into social classes.
Two women sit on a chair with national flags in front of the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang, on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.
Cha Song Ho/AP
The country uses a social caste system known as "songbun," which divides people into classes as "loyal," "wavering," or "hostile," according to the 2022 Human Rights Watch report. Women and other marginalized groups are often the subjects of gender, sexual, and human rights abuses, according to the report.
The country encourages nationalism and veneration of state leaders.
People view paintings at the National New Fine Art Talents Exhibition at the Okryu Exhibition Hall in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
The 25 million citizens residing in North Korea are taught from a young age to worship leaders like Kim Jong Un as powerful gods, according to the BBC. Many of them sing his praises publically, but it is difficult to know how deep the sentiment goes when dissidents are threatened with labor camps or death.
There are celebrations of military might.
Students dance during the celebrations of the 74th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army in the plaza of the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.
Cha Song Ho/AP
North Koreans celebrate the founding of the Korean People's Army every year. This year, the national holiday falls on February 8, and there is speculation that Supreme Leader Kim may test a tactical nuclear warhead to celebrate, according to The Daily Beast.
Propaganda is a prominent force in the country.
A North Korean national flag in North Korea's propaganda village of Gijungdong
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Propaganda plays a key role in upholding the country's nationalistic ideals. Directly across the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea, an idyllic village sits on the north side in an attempt to persuade South Koreans to defect, according to the Los Angeles Times. North Koreans refer to it as "Peace Village," while South Koreans call it "Propaganda Village."
Leader Kim uses propaganda campaigns to secure support amid struggles.
People exit an underpass along a main street of the Central District in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.
Cha Song Ho/AP
Leader Kim Jong Un relies on the Workers' Party Congress to help emphasize his independent and militaristic ideals for the country. In March 2022, Kim called for a fresh propaganda campaign to boost national morale amid economic struggles.
Traveling without permission is a capital offense.
Commuters walk inside Puhung subway station in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019.
Dita Alangkara/AP
It is illegal to travel internationally or within North Korean provinces without expressed approval, according to Human Rights Watch. Some have defected to South Korea at great personal risk as leaving the country without permission is considered a capital offense, according to the HRW report.
insider.com · by Katie Balevic
8. Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin at a Joint Press Availability
Video at the link: https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-republic-of-korea-foreign-minister-park-jin-at-a-joint-press-availability-2/
Excertpts:
We will also embolden Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral security cooperation to address North Korea’s escalating threat. We also discussed maintaining focus on the egregious human rights situation in North Korea. In this vein, I welcome the nomination of Ms. Julie Turner as a new U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights.
...
As you may know, last year Korea announced our own Indo-Pacific strategy. No region is more directly tied to global peace and prosperity than the Indo-Pacific. Our respective Indo-Pacific strategies squarely embrace this fact. We will complement and amplify our engagements in this region in accordance with the core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and rule of law, and in partnership with other countries that share these values.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin at a Joint Press Availability - United States Department of State
state.gov · by Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
MR PRICE: The Secretary and Foreign Minister Park are now signing the protocol to amend and extend the U.S.-Republic of Korea Science and Technology Agreement. The first iteration of the agreement was signed in 1992. A new one was signed in 1999 and has been renewed since then. However, this amended version adds important new components to strengthen our science and technology agreement and extends the agreement for an additional 10 years.
(The agreement was signed.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. (Applause.) Well, good afternoon, everybody. I am delighted to welcome Foreign Minister Park back to Washington.
FOREIGN MINISTER PARK: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: It’s very, very good to be with my colleague and my friend.
FOREIGN MINISTER PARK: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: The Republic of Korea is a vital and longstanding strategic partner, and I’m particularly grateful to have such a close friend in Jin to bring this alliance between our countries even closer. Before I talk about the productive discussions that we had today and the agreement we just signed – Jin, if you’ll allow me – I’d just like to briefly address the presence of the Chinese surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace.
I spoke this morning with Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi to convey that in light of China’s unacceptable action, I am postponing my planned travel this weekend to China. As you know, President Biden and President Xi agreed during their meetings in Bali in November that I would travel to Beijing to follow up on their discussions. We’ve been working across the U.S. Government to prepare for a substantive set of discussions on issues that matter to the American people and to people around the world. And we’ve been engaging for some time with our counterparts in Beijing to prepare for these meetings.
Yesterday, the Department of Defense announced that we had detected and were tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that remains over the continental United States. We continue to track and monitor the balloon closely. We’re confident this is a Chinese surveillance balloon. Once we detected the balloon, the U.S. Government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.
We communicated with the PRC Government directly through multiple channels about this issue. Members of my team consulted with our partners in other agencies and in Congress. We also engaged our close allies and partners to inform them of the presence of the surveillance balloon in our airspace. We concluded that conditions were not conducive for a constructive visit at this time.
In my call today with Director Wang Yi, I made clear that the presence of this surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace is a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law, that it’s an irresponsible act, and that the PRC’s decision to take this action on the eve of my planned visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have. I told Director Wang that the United States remains committed to diplomatic engagement with China and that I plan to visit Beijing when conditions allow.
In the meantime, the United States will continue to maintain open lines of communication with China, including to address this ongoing incident. Indeed, that’s why we need direct and regular communications in the first place, and that’s why it’s critical that such lines remain open at all times to help avoid miscalculation and conflict.
One final but important note. The world expects the United States and China to manage our relationship responsibly. And indeed, addressing many of today’s global challenges – challenges that affect the lives of our people and people around the world – demands that we find a way to work together as well. The United States will continue to act in a way that reflects that responsibility. We look to our PRC counterparts to do the same.
Now, the foreign minister and I just signed an important agreement that will guide our country’s cooperation on science and technology in the years ahead. The agreement builds on one that we signed in 1992, which helped foster three decades of consequential collaboration. Our universities have conducted joint research on cancer and climate change. Our governments have worked together to reduce air pollution, to promote research and development on semiconductors which power modern technologies from cars to smartphones. Our businesses have partnered on life saving vaccines and treatments, like the collaboration between the U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna and South Korean biotechnology company Samsung Biologics to manufacture and – a safe and effective COVID vaccine for the region.
Today’s arrangement – today’s agreement will expand the scope of that cooperation, both in areas that we’ve long worked together on like space but also in emerging fields like biotechnology, quantum, artificial intelligence. Scientific cooperation is just one of many areas where our nations are working together to the benefit of our populations.
Another is our shared security, an area where we have enduring ties, as our troops continue to train and conduct joint exercises side by side. As President Biden has said, our alliance is the linchpin of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. And it’s poised to grow stronger still with the launch of the Republic of Korea’s new Indo-Pacific strategy this past December, which reflects our own shared interests and shared approaches to the region’s most pressing challenges.
But, 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. Earlier this week, Secretary of Defense Austin met with President Yoon as well as Defense Minister Lee in Seoul to boost our deterrence planning, including through even deeper information sharing on North Korean nuclear threats. We remain committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The Foreign Minister and I also discussed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We’re increasing our trilateral security cooperation with Japan, which puts us on stronger footing to address shared security threats, including the DPRK’s unlawful and reckless missile launches. We held a series of joint ballistic missile defense and anti-submarine warfare exercises this past fall. We’re also deepening our trilateral collaboration on other security challenges, as well as on helping Pacific Island countries adapt to the growing impacts of climate change.
We’re working with other countries to advance joint priorities, like boosting inclusive economic prosperity through the Indo-Pacific and beyond, including through the Indo-Pacific Framework for Prosperity and the Minerals Security Partnership.
Of course, our partnership extends well beyond the Indo-Pacific. Since President Putin launched his brutal and unprovoked war on Ukraine, our countries have stood together, along with other allies and partners, to impose unprecedented sanctions and export controls designed to deprive Russia’s war machine of resources, as well as to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their country. Here, too, we’re working in concert with broad coalitions. Earlier this week, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg traveled to the Republic of Korea and Japan as part of his regular engagement with NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners, demonstrating the growing synergy between our Atlantic and Pacific alliances.
We applaud, too, the Republican Korea’s $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, aid that has brought vaccines to children, emergency medical supplies to families, power generators to communities – to replace the ones Russia has deliberately bombed as it tries to deprive Ukrainian civilians of heat, light, and water.
This October we’ll celebrate the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance. At the treaty signing 70 years ago, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Pyon remarked that he was sure – and I quote – “This written bond of solidarity would bring joy and encouragement to all … friends of freedom.” Secretary of State Dulles said that the alliance was – and I quote – “firmly dedicated to peace.” For the past seven decades, our alliance has indeed sustained peace. And with the progress that we’ve made today, I’m confident that we’ve taken another step toward a more secure and prosperous future to the benefit of the people of our countries, of the Indo-Pacific, and of the world.
And with that, Jin, over to you.
FOREIGN MINISTER PARK: Well, thank you, Tony, for your warm remarks and for welcoming me back to Washington. I would also like to thank your superb team for arranging today’s meeting. This year marks, as you said, the historic 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, and I’m delighted to kick off year-long commemorations with my good friend, Secretary Blinken.
The ROK-U.S. alliance is one of the most durable and successful alliances in history. It is special not only due to his longevity, but because it is a vibrant, adaptive partnership that consistently rises to the challenges of our times. And President Yoon and President Biden met in Seoul in May last year and declared that we would develop an upgraded global comprehensive strategic alliance. And we will expand the scope of the alliance to encompass not only political, military, economic partnership, but also technological and cultural dimensions. Alliance for the Future, the 70th anniversary slogan, aptly encapsulates this forward-looking spirit and an alliance in action.
Today, Secretary Blinken and I had a productive and comprehensive discussion on a wide range of topics. First and foremost, we discussed ways to build on the agreements reached by our two leaders last year to lay out a blueprint for the next 70 years. In particular, we agreed to focus on issues that benefit our businesses and reassure and enrich the lives of our citizen 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.
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. North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are a direct and serious threat to not only Korea, but also international peace and security. They undermine the very foundation of the global non-proliferation regime. The ROK and the U.S. will continue our water-tight coordination to achieve genuine peace on the Korean Peninsula. 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.
The Secretary and I also agreed to strengthen efforts to close loopholes and fully implement UN Security Council resolutions as well as to cut off Pyongyang’s unlawful revenue streams. Countering North Korea’s illicit cyber activities must be a priority. We agreed that China has the distinct capability and the responsibility to influence Pyongyang’s behavior. Denuclearization of North Korea has long been an area of cooperation for China as well as ROK and the United States, and it needs to stay that way.
We will also embolden Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral security cooperation to address North Korea’s escalating threat. We also discussed maintaining focus on the egregious human rights situation in North Korea. In this vein, I welcome the nomination of Ms. Julie Turner as a new U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights.
The Secretary and I also discussed ways to scale up cooperation on economic security and cutting-edge technology. Just a few moments ago, I was pleased to sign with Secretary Blinken the Protocol Amending and Extending Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement between the ROK and the U.S. It will strengthen partnership on critical technologies by promoting research and development cooperation as well as exchange of experts and knowledge.
We agreed that space is the next frontier in our expanding partnership. President Yoon has stated that Korea will launch a new aerospace agency within this year. I was delighted to meet with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson yesterday to discuss cooperation on space that will benefit our civil, commercial, and security domains. This year we plan to hold the ROK-U.S. Space Forum through which we hope to further strengthen space cooperation.
The Secretary and I agreed to continue close coordination to address disruptions in the global supply chain. We will explore potential for cooperation under the CHIPS and Science Act. We will also work together to ensure that the Inflation Reduction Act is implemented in ways that address Korea’s – Korean companies’ concerns and benefit both our businesses and industries.
As you may know, last year Korea announced our own Indo-Pacific strategy. No region is more directly tied to global peace and prosperity than the Indo-Pacific. Our respective Indo-Pacific strategies squarely embrace this fact. We will complement and amplify our engagements in this region in accordance with the core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and rule of law, and in partnership with other countries that share these values.
In this regard, 2022 was a breakthrough year for ROK-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation. In June our leaders met for the first time in five years on the occasion of the NATO summit. They met again in Phnom Penh and announced the need to qualitatively expand trilateral cooperation to deter economic coercion, bolster economic security, and tackle 21st century challenges together. Secretary Blinken and I also agreed to continue efforts towards a swift conclusion of the war in Ukraine and the restoration of peace to its incredibly brave and resilient people.
Secretary Blinken and I covered a wide range of issues today. This is a testament to how closely our two countries have been working hand in glove at all levels. This is truly an alliance in action, an alliance for the future that is based on common interests and a common vision. I look forward to deepening my partnership and friendship with Tony in this seminal and historic year for the ROK-U.S. alliance. Thank you.
MR PRICE: Thank you. We’ll now turn to questions. We’ll start with Andrea Mitchell of NBC News.
QUESTION: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary and Mr. Minister.
Mr. Secretary, this is the first time, according to the Pentagon, that China has sent a surveillance balloon over the U.S. for such duration. And as you have just said, it’s the first time on the eve of a planned visit by an American secretary of state to China. Is canceling your trip, or postponing your trip, enough of a consequence? What are the other consequences that China should have to take for these actions?
And secondly, if I may, what are the opportunity costs of not meeting with the Chinese and with the Chinese president at a time of such tensions with Taiwan and continuing U.S. concerns over China’s support for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks, Andrea. Let me start with this: It’s very important to emphasize that the presence of this surveillance balloon over the United States in our skies is a clear violation of our sovereignty, a clear violation of international law, and clearly unacceptable. And we’ve made that clear to China. Any country that has its airspace violated in this way I think would response similarly, and I can only imagine what the reaction would be in China if they were on the other end.
And what this has done is created the conditions that undermine the purpose of the trip, including ongoing efforts to build a floor under the relationship and to address a broad range of issues that are of concern to the American people, I believe to the Chinese people, and certainly as well to people around the world. So we took the step that I announced earlier today in postponing the planned visit for this weekend.
Meanwhile, we are going to remain engaged with the PRC as this ongoing issue is resolved. The first step is getting the surveillance asset out of our airspace, and that’s what we’re focused on. And I thought it was very important for Wang Yi, the senior foreign policy official in Beijing, to hear this directly from me.
It would be premature for me to weigh in on any other specifics as this surveillance balloon remains in our airspace. As I said, job one is getting it out of our airspace. We continue to believe that having open lines of communication is important. Indeed, this incident only underscores the importance. And that’s why we will maintain them, and that’s also why, when conditions permit, I plan to go to China. But the most important thing right now in the moment is to see that this surveillance asset gets out of our airspace, and we’ll take it from there.
QUESTION: But shouldn’t there be – shouldn’t there be other consequences, sir?
MR PRICE: Seungmo Nam of SBS.
QUESTION: Shouldn’t there be another announcement —
MR PRICE: Andrea, Andrea, we need to move on.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Again, I don’t want to get ahead of anything other than to say that the first step is to get the surveillance craft out of our airspace.
MR PRICE: Seungmo Nam of SBS.
QUESTION: Thank you. I have two questions. Firstly, Mr. Secretary, Secretary Blinken, North Korea’s nuclear threats are increasing every day, even openly, especially to South Korea. Now many Koreans don’t feel safe even with the U.S. commitments to the nuclear umbrella. The U.S. says there is no better guarantee than the U.S. Forces Korea. Right, but credibility has declined due to the discussions on withdrawal during the Trump administration. And as you know, it’s not the first time.
This is why there are growing calls for South Korea to have nuclear weapons. My question is: Why is the extended deterrence currently being discussed by the U.S. and South Korea more reliable than existing nuclear umbrella (inaudible)? Please give me some examples that can reassure Koreans in this.
And my next question is to Minister Park. (Via interpreter) For the U.S. Government, U.S. Government is not making other people to make a choice, but while U.S. is trying to establish it’s own supply chains, Korean companies are forced to make a change. So U.S. supply chains – regarding that, what is U.S. asking us and for our companies and our economy? What’s ROK Government’s position to handle this while we can’t really make one choice or the other?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much, and I’m happy to start. Let me be very clear: Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea as well as to Japan is ironclad. And in that light, we’re also committed to strengthening our trilateral cooperation, which enhances both deterrence and the defense of our countries.
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.
We are committed to defending the Republic of Korea using the full range of our capabilities – nuclear, conventional, missile defense capabilities. 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.
FOREIGN MINISTER PARK: (Via interpreter) Regarding your second question, for the international supply chains there is a very rapid change, as you all know, and Korea is trying its best to make it beneficial, make the environmental – this international conditions beneficial for us, and we’re trying very hard for it.
The Korea’s network of economy and trading, we have to use it very well so that we can benefit our national interests, and our Korean Government is doing everything that it can do. The most important thing is to stabilize the supply chains based on the U.S.-ROK alliance. In this regard, so we are participating in IPEF and also we initiated or initially participated in the Fab 4 meetings so that we can benefit or serve our national interests and to create environment conducive for our national interests.
However, this doesn’t mean that pick one thing over the other. We are still maintaining relationship, economic relationship with China, and we are exporting a lot to China in terms of semiconductor business. And Samsung and SK, they have presence in China. So export control policies and its effect on us needs to be considered comprehensively so that we can come up with the most suitable policy for Korean situation.
MR PRICE: Iain Marlow, Bloomberg.
QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, you’ve described the U.S.-China relationship as the most consequential one in the world, and yet the Department of Defense also described this Chinese spy balloon as not really representing a national security threat. What would you say to those who might suggest canceling this very important trip, as you’ve outlined, is in part related to optics and being seen to respond to criticism that the Biden administration might be soft on China, or at least needs to take a tough response?
And separately, you’ve said that you’ll go when conditions allow. I’m wondering if you might elaborate on that. Are we talking a week or a month?
And Foreign Minister Park, could you offer a little bit of an assessment on what you think the U.S., South Korea, and Japan can do to cut off these illicit revenue streams for North Korea, especially including the sale of ammunition to Russia or cryptocurrency theft? And how do you think China can be brought into those discussions? Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, Iain. China’s decision to fly a surveillance balloon over the continental United States is both unacceptable and irresponsible. That’s what this is about. It’s a violation of our sovereignty. It’s a violation of international law. And it was very important that we, of course, take the actions we did to protect any sensitive information, to protect our people, and to make clear to China that, again, this is an unacceptable as well as irresponsible action.
It’s even more irresponsible coming on the eve of a long-planned visit that followed from the meeting between the two presidents in Bali on the margins of the G20. And in our judgment, it created conditions that undermine the very purpose of the trip, including ongoing efforts, as I said, to build a floor under the relationship as well as to address a very broad range of issues that are important to Americans, to Chinese, to the entire world.
So that is why I conveyed to Wang Yi, the senior foreign policy official in China, this morning that I was postponing the travel and that we will look to see about doing the trip when conditions allow. I’m not going to put a date or time on that because what we’re focused right now is on making sure that this ongoing issue is actually resolved. The first step, as I said, is getting the surveillance asset out of our airspace.
FOREIGN MINISTER PARK: With regard to your question about North Korea’s illicit cyber activities, as you may know, after the UN Security Council adopted stronger sanctions starting in 2016, North Korea’s foreign exchange reserve decreased significantly. Since then, North Korea has been stepping up its illegal cyber activities to circumvent the sanctions regime, and reportedly, it has stolen more than 1.2 billion U.S. dollars by hacking since 2017. It is more worrisome that Pyongyang uses such revenue to develop nuclear and missile programs. In this regard, its illicit cyber activities constitute a grave threat not only to the global economy and industries, but also to international peace and security.
So we must consolidate international efforts to block North Korea’s illicit revenue stream. And I think Republic of Korea, the United States, and Japan should cooperate to deal with these challenges, and by doing so we will leave Pyongyang with no option but to return to dialogue and give up its nuclear development.
MR PRICE: We’ll take a final question from Dong Hyun Kim of Yonhap News.
QUESTION: Yes, thank you. Secretary Blinken, today you discussed many ways to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance. Would a April state visit by President Yoon be considered as one of those measures?
And Minister Park, just last week the Chinese military aircraft entered Korean air defense identification zone, and now there’s a Chinese surveillance balloon in the U.S. airspace. Do you consider this kind of behaviors to be a threat to the alliance?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. President Biden very much values his relationship and partnership with President Yoon, but I would refer you to the White House for any information about any visits.
FOREIGN MINISTER PARK: Secretary Blinken gave me very detailed explanations about the Chinese balloon incident, and I sufficiently understand the decision to postpone Secretary’s visit to China and I think that China should make a swift and very sincere explanations about what happened. But at the same time, the U.S.-China relationship is a very important relationship in international relations, so at some point in the future, I hope that President — Blinken can have a chance to visit China and to communicate with Beijing.
MR PRICE: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Mr. Minister. Thank you, everyone. That concludes the press conference.
state.gov · by Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
9. S. Korea, US vow action on N. Korea amid push for new ties
S. Korea, US vow action on N. Korea amid push for new ties
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · February 5, 2023
Published : Feb 5, 2023 - 15:00 Updated : Feb 5, 2023 - 16:45
Foreign Minister Park Jin (left) speaks during a press briefing following talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department on Friday. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
South Korea and the United States, its biggest ally, have reaffirmed their commitment to using their full range of firepower, including US nuclear weapons, to contain North Korea, while also expanding economic and space exchanges in the latest joint push to mark 70 years of relations this year.
At a Friday meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, Foreign Minister Park Jin highlighted “watertight coordination” in dealing with threats from North Korea, which fired off a record number of missiles last year. Park finished his four-day trip Saturday, having met with several security officials and experts.
“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 said at a press briefing following talks with Blinken.
Extended deterrence, which refers to Washington’s support involving its nuclear weapons to deter attacks on its allies, has been fiercely debated for some time in Seoul, as skeptics increasingly view the pledge as “shallow at best, hollow at worst.” Last week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin flew to South Korea to personally deliver assurances over such US support.
Park also cited joint efforts to stabilize global supply chains and expand space capabilities, an emerging area of cooperation for the two allies. The push comes as South Korea seeks a bigger global role with its latest Indo-Pacific Strategy -- the hallmark of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s foreign policy that brings Seoul and Washington ever closer together amid the escalating US-China rivalry.
The wide range of topics floated at the Friday talks will lead to “laying out a blueprint for the next 70 years,” Park said of the ties forged in the aftermath of the 1950-53 Korean War when the two countries signed a mutual defense treaty.
To celebrate the ever-evolving alliance, President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to meet with US President Joe Biden as early as April or within the first half of this year, according to sources familiar with the matter. Park declined to elaborate on details, saying arrangements were still being made. A state visit by a South Korean leader last took place in 2011.
By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · February 5, 2023
10. Pyongyang’s “special anti-epidemic period” limited to diplomatic district
Protect the core (the regime elite).
Pyongyang’s “special anti-epidemic period” limited to diplomatic district
Multiple sources in Pyongyang deny that the capital ever went into a city-wide lockdown
dailynk.com
A photo of the entrance to the Russian embassy in Pyongyang taken in November 2011. (Lazyhawk, Wikimedia Commons)
Pyongyang’s implementation of a “special anti-epidemic period” in late January was limited to areas surrounding the city’s diplomatic district and did not involve a city-wide lockdown, Daily NK has learned.
According to the Associated Press on Jan. 30, the Russian embassy in Pyongyang posted a message on its Facebook saying that the North Korean foreign ministry had informed foreign diplomats that the “intensified anti-epidemic period” imposed in Pyongyang since last Wednesday was lifted on Monday.
According to the Russian embassy, North Korea’s foreign ministry had explained in its original notice that with the rise of people suffering from contagious respiratory illnesses, including influenza, the authorities were imposing special anti-epidemic measures in response. The notice went on to instruct foreign embassies to restrict movement as much as possible during the “special anti-epidemic period” while performing temperature checks on staff four times a day and reporting the results to the Pyongyang Hospital “Friendship” by 3 PM every day.
However, the North Korean foreign ministry’s notice did not include any mention of “COVID-19,” nor did it comment on any restrictions imposed on ordinary citizens in the city during the “special anti-epidemic period.”
FUMIGATION VEHICLES DEPLOYED NEAR DIPLOMATIC DISTRICT
Multiple sources in Pyongyang confirmed to Daily NK that neighborhood watch units, or inminban, along with various agencies and organizations throughout Pyongyang did not receive instructions or orders related to the implementation of the “special anti-epidemic period.”
Even before Jan. 25, North Korean anti-epidemic regulations required people with fevers to report to clinics or hospitals before self-isolating at home, according to the sources. They also reported that during the time in which the “special anti-epidemic period” was imposed, ordinary North Koreans in Pyongyang were neither restricted from leaving their homes, nor were local markets or shops shut down for disease-control purposes.
That being said, North Korean authorities did deploy fumigation vehicles in areas near Pyongyang’s diplomatic district during the “special anti-epidemic period,” including Daedonggang District, Moranbong District, and Jung District. Daily NK sources witnessed these vehicles disinfecting the exteriors of buildings and external facilities several times.
Daily NK’s sources in Pyongyang said there had been a rumor circulating in the city that the vehicles had been deployed to disinfect areas where rallies had been held in January. These rallies had been held to unite local citizens behind decisions made during the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
Another reason why it is unlikely North Korea imposed a city-wide lockdown in Pyongyang is related to revisions made to its Law on Emergency Anti-epidemic Work in November of last year. According to the revisions, when the country is under the “normal epidemic prevention system,” the authorities refrain from locking down entire cities and instead focus on isolating specific areas such as neighborhoods, apartments, and work units with suspected COVID-19 cases.
Daily NK’s sources in Pyongyang stated that the authorities would not take the special measure of locking down an entire city unless the authorities had increased the level of the country’s epidemic prevention system.
NO SIGNS OF LOCKDOWNS OUTSIDE OF PYONGYANG, EITHER
Meanwhile, there have been no signs that North Korean authorities have taken special quarantine measures in areas outside of Pyongyang where people continue to suffer from high fevers, coughing, or breathing problems.
According to a Daily NK source in North Pyongan Province, there has been a recent rise in suspected COVID-19 cases in areas along the border with China, such as Sinuiju, Rongchon County, and Chulsan County.
These suspected cases include people complaining of fevers higher than 38 degrees Celsius, coughing, sore throats, and headaches – all symptoms potentially caused by COVID-19. Hospitals and clinics in the region, however, are simply diagnosing these cases as “the flu,” and are not mentioning COVID-19 in any circumstances.
Recently, there has also been a dramatic rise in suspected COVID-19 cases in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, but North Korean authorities have not announced the implementation of a “special anti-epidemic period” or taken measures such as banning people from leaving their homes.
“Recently, the number of people suffering from COVID-19 symptoms has increased to the extent that people are saying that there’s at least one person per household [who has been infected by the virus],” a Daily NK source in Yanggang Province said. “Clinics and hospitals diagnose these cases as the flu, simply telling people to self-isolate at home to prevent the spread of contagious disease.”
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
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
| 
