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Quotes of the Day:
"There are only two ways to address the collapse of north Korea. To be ill-prepared. Or to be really ill-prepared."
- Dr. Kurt Campbell, 1998
"Angry people want you to see how powerful they are. Loving people want you to see how powerful you are."
- Chief Red Eagle
"People who are aware of, and ashamed of, their prejudices are well on the road to eliminating them."
- Gordon Allport
1. N. Korea fires 2 SRBMs toward East Sea; U.S. aircraft carrier due in S. Korea for joint training
2. North Korea launches at least two unidentified ballistic missile into waters off eastern Korean peninsula
3. Makin Island ARG Docks in Busan, 3 LCS Now Underway in Indo-PACOM
4. US troops test THAAD missile-defense system’s remote control during South Korea drill
5. S. Korea suggests N. Korea may have exaggerated 'underwater nuke attack drone' claim
6. Vice defense minister meets MIKTA diplomats on security cooperation
7. Are Kim Jong-un's Nocturnal Habits a Sign of Ill Health?
8. Korea Had Close Shave with U.S. Semiconductor Sanctions
9. S. Korea co-sponsors UN resolution of N. Korean human rights
10. As trade with China expands, N. Korea’s dollar and yuan exchange rates remain steady
11. [Editorial] A historic reconciliation (Syngman Rhee's legacy)
12. [Column] Toward a new Korea-Japan partnership
13. Yoon's Japan plan: compromise or betrayal?
14. South Korea Will Stay Out of a Taiwan Strait War
15. North Korea’s nuclear threat takes an underwater turn
16. Human Bodies Shattered to Pieces...U.S. Satellite Captures Photo of Public Execution by Kim Jong-un
17. HRNK Quoted 34 Times in the U.S. Department of State's DPRK 2022 Human Rights Report
1. N. Korea fires 2 SRBMs toward East Sea; U.S. aircraft carrier due in S. Korea for joint training
Yes the north will continue provocations, But the ROK/US alliance will sustain readiness in the face of all provocations and will not give in to the north's political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies.
Excerpts:
In a press meeting aboard the carrier carrying some 70 aircraft, Rear Admiral Christopher Sweeney, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, highlighted the allies' readiness to deal with North Korean threats.
"I'm not threatened or worried about North Korea. We have a lot of capabilities that I talked about -- a lot of information sharing with the Republic of Korea and our joint force," he said.
He added, "The U.S. has deployable strategic assets at the ready on every day ... We really want to underpin the International Security and the global commons."
On Tuesday, the carrier will make a port call in Busan, 325 kilometers southeast of the capital, according to Seoul's defense ministry.
In September last year, the U.S. deployed the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to South Korea, with the allies seeking to bolster the "extended deterrence" against the North's growing military threats.
(4th LD) N. Korea fires 2 SRBMs toward East Sea; U.S. aircraft carrier due in S. Korea for joint training | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · March 27, 2023
(ATTN: UPDATES with U.S. admiral's remarks in paras 7-9; MODIFIES dateline)
SEOUL, March 27 (Joint Press Corps-Yonhap) -- North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) toward the East Sea on Monday, hours before a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier staged joint drills in waters south of Jeju Island, according to South Korea's military.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC) said it detected the launches from the Chunghwa County area in North Hwanghae Province between 7:47 a.m. and 8 a.m. The missiles flew some 370 kilometers before splashing into the sea, it added.
A ballistic missile is launched toward the East Sea from the Jangyon area in South Hwanghae Province on March 14, 2023, in this file photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Pyongyang's latest provocation came as South Korea and the United States kicked off the Ssangyong (double dragon) amphibious landing exercise last week. It is scheduled to end next Monday.
The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group also trained together with the South's major warships in waters south of the peninsula Monday, according to the Navy here.
The Sejong the Great destroyer, equipped with the Aegis combat system, the Choe Yeong destroyer and the Hwacheon logistics support ship were mobilized for the practice staged in international waters south of the southern island of Jeju.
"On the basis of the South Korea-U.S. alliance over the past 70 years, the South Korean and U.S. navies have established a robust combined maritime defense posture," South Korean Navy Capt. Jang Hoon was quoted as saying. "This exercise not only demonstrated the alliance's overwhelming capability and (combat) posture but also served as an opportunity to further strengthen the combined defense posture to defend the Republic of Korea."
In a press meeting aboard the carrier carrying some 70 aircraft, Rear Admiral Christopher Sweeney, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, highlighted the allies' readiness to deal with North Korean threats.
"I'm not threatened or worried about North Korea. We have a lot of capabilities that I talked about -- a lot of information sharing with the Republic of Korea and our joint force," he said.
He added, "The U.S. has deployable strategic assets at the ready on every day ... We really want to underpin the International Security and the global commons."
On Tuesday, the carrier will make a port call in Busan, 325 kilometers southeast of the capital, according to Seoul's defense ministry.
In September last year, the U.S. deployed the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to South Korea, with the allies seeking to bolster the "extended deterrence" against the North's growing military threats.
South Korean and U.S. warships -- (from L to R) the South's Sejong the Great destroyer, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, the USS Wayne E. Meyer guided missile destroyer, the South's Choe Yeong destroyer, the USS Decatur destroyer and the South Korean Hwacheon logistics support ship -- stage maritime drills south of the southern island of Jeju on March 27, 2023, in this photo provided by the South's Navy. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, meanwhile, said it is aware of the North's latest ballistic missile launches.
"While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs," it said in a statement, using the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and weapon of mass destruction.
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · March 27, 2023
2. North Korea launches at least two unidentified ballistic missile into waters off eastern Korean peninsula
North Korea launches at least two unidentified ballistic missile into waters off eastern Korean peninsula | CNN
CNN · by Gawon Bae,Emi Jozuka,Brad Lendon · March 26, 2023
Seoul, South Korea CNN —
North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Monday morning, South Korean authorities said, the latest in series of missile firings as South Korean and United States forces engage in their largest military exercises since 2017.
Japanese authorities said the two missiles are suspected of having flown on “an irregular trajectory,” with a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers (31 miles) and at a distance of of 350 kilometers (217 miles).
Irregular trajectories could mean the missiles are maneuverable, in contrast to regular ballistic missiles, which travel in an arc.
The missile launches come as South Korean and US forces engage in large-scale military exercises involving thousands of troops on the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.
Following Monday’s missile launch, the South Korean military said it would continue operating the Warrior Shield field training exercise at high intensity until they end in early April.
Two large US Navy platforms, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island are near the southern coast of South Korea preparing to participate in exercises later this week.
North Korean missile launches tend to spike when Washington and Seoul hold joint military drills.
The latest US-South Korea exercises are among the largest the two allies have put on since they scaled back such military displays in 2017, when then-US President Donald Trump tried to offer an opening for North Korea to negotiate an end to its long-range missile and nuclear weapons programs.
That opening has long since closed, with North Korea last year conducting a record number of missile tests while pledging to develop its nuclear program to arm the missiles.
The North’s missile testing has picked up again in recent weeks, as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to escalate.
CNN · by Gawon Bae,Emi Jozuka,Brad Lendon · March 26, 2023
3. Makin Island ARG Docks in Busan, 3 LCS Now Underway in Indo-PACOM
A wide range of US capabilities have been deployed to the Korean Theater of Operations to ensure readiness and interoperability.
Makin Island ARG Docks in Busan, 3 LCS Now Underway in Indo-PACOM - USNI News
news.usni.org · by Dzirhan Mahadzir · March 24, 2023
USS Makin Island (LHD-8) conducts a photo exercise and replenishment-at-sea with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Chung Hoon (DDG 93), March 15, 2023. US Navy Photo
The Makin Island Amphibious Group (ARG) docked at the port of Busan in the Republic of Korea (ROK) as part of their participation in the U.S.-ROK Exercise Ssangyong this week.
Exercise Ssangyong was on hiatus since 2018 after the previous Moon Jae-in government suspended major U.S.- Republic of Korea military exercises to lower tensions with North Korea. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration resumed military drills. In response, North Korea fired a series of ballistic and cruise missile launches into the Sea of Japan.
Before the Makin Island ARG’s arrival at Busan, North Korea reportedly test-fired four cruise missiles from its eastern coast into the sea.
This year’s iteration will take place around Pohang with ROK Marine Corps units and the 13th MEU conducting amphibious landings and performing naval drills between U.S. and ROK Navy ships. The drills will also include a contingent of U.K. Royal Marines. Similar small detachments of U.K. ground forces have been also been participating in exercises in Japan in the past months.
Prior to docking at Busan, the ARG sailed with nine ships of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) on Tuesday. Among the nine ROKN ships were both of the ROKN’s Dokdo class amphibious assault ships, ROKS Dokdo (LPH-6111) and ROKS Marado (LPH-6112).
Chinese and Russian Ships Spotted Near Japan
CNS Binzhou (515). JSDF Photo
In Japan, the People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate CNS Binzhou (515) was sighted sailing west over the weekend in an area 75 miles southwest of Ishigaki Island. On Sunday, the PLAN frigate sailed north between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan and, subsequently, was sighted sailing north in an area 50 miles west of Uotsuri Island, part of the Senkaku Islands, according to the Joint Staff Office (JSO) of the Ministry of Defense officials.
Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer escort JS Jintsu (DE-230) shadowed the PLAN frigate. Officials said Binzhou sailed northeast through the waters between Amami Oshima and the uninhabited volcanic island of Yokoate-jima and entered the Pacific Ocean on March 16.
On Thursday, Russian Navy intelligence ship Kareliya (535) was sighted sailing west in an area 50 miles southeast of Okinawa before it sailed west through the Miyako Strait to enter the East China Sea. The release added that minesweeper JS Yakushima (MSC-602) shadowed the Russian ship.
On Wednesday, dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48) departed Sasebo for its new homeport of San Diego, Calif., according to a 7th Fleet release. Ashland arrived at Sasebo in 2013 as part of Expeditionary Strike Group 7.
Meanwhile, a third U.S. Littoral Combat Ship, USS Mobile (LCS-26), is now deployed to the Indo-Pacific, joining USS Charleston (LCS-18) and USS Oakland (LCS-24), according to a 3rd Fleet release on Thursday.
The LCSs are taking part in U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard joint patrol in the Western Pacific under the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) to reduce and eliminate illegal, unregulated, unreported fishing, combat transnational crimes and enhance regional security with the patrol being conducted by Mobile with an embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachment from the Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team. Charleston is currently operating around the Indian Ocean while Oakland is around the South China Sea.
Related
news.usni.org · by Dzirhan Mahadzir · March 24, 2023
4. US troops test THAAD missile-defense system’s remote control during South Korea drill
We must continue to advance our missile defense capabilities.
US troops test THAAD missile-defense system’s remote control during South Korea drill
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · March 24, 2023
A U.S. soldier assigned to the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade talks to his headquarters during the Freedom Shield exercise in South Korea, March 19, 2023. (Josephus Tudtud/U.S. Army)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — U.S. troops in South Korea remotely fired their top-shelf missile-defense system for the first time during a large-scale military exercise, according to U.S. Forces Korea.
U.S. troops in “deployment training” employed the remote launcher for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system, the command said in a news release Friday.
“In the face of [North Korea’s] advanced missile threats, the training of our THAAD forces enhanced the units’ combat readiness, combined defense posture within the alliance, demonstrates the ironclad commitment to support and defend [South Korea] and further strengthens the security and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” the release said.
The THAAD remote kit allows the missile interceptor more siting options and increases the area it can defend, according to a Lockheed Martin news release from 2019.
Spc. Najuusah Mulbah of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team patrols the perimeter of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile-defense system in South Korea, March 19, 2023. (Gregory Menke/U.S. Army)
USFK did not respond to repeated requests for comment about whether THAAD interceptors were actually launched during the drill, and the dates and location of the training.
The THAAD drill happened in conjunction with the Freedom Shield exercise by U.S. and South Korean forces, according to the release. The 11-day exercise that ended Thursday focused on simulations and included personnel from U.N. Command and the Combined Forces Command.
U.S. and South Korean troops have been conducting their largest exercises in years across the country this month.
Around 1,200 soldiers from the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and South Korean army on Thursday wrapped up live-fire training in Pocheon, just 16 miles from the Demilitarized Zone. Meanwhile, 5,500 U.S. sailors and Marines from the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group arrived in Busan on Wednesday ahead of a separate naval exercise scheduled later this month.
The $800 million THAAD system produced by Lockheed Martin was deployed to a South Korean base in Seongju, about 130 miles south of Seoul, to focus “solely on North Korean nuclear and missile threats,” the Defense Department said in June 2016.
Since then, the THAAD system has undergone several upgrades for “better performance” and for “improving interoperability” between it and the Patriot missile-defense system, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said in October.
Interoperability is a term used by the military to illustrate the ability of one nation’s military to use another’s training methods and equipment.
North Korea’s state-run website, Uriminzokkiri, in a blog post March 17 described the recent joint drills as a rehearsal for an “occupation of Pyongyang” that would prompt a “preliminary nuclear war.”
The communist regime has fired nine ballistic missiles so far this year, including one that flew toward the East Sea, or Sea of Japan, hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.
David Choi
David Choi
David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · March 24, 2023
5. S. Korea suggests N. Korea may have exaggerated 'underwater nuke attack drone' claim
Not surprising at all. North Korea is masterful at attempting to use denial and deception.
S. Korea suggests N. Korea may have exaggerated 'underwater nuke attack drone' claim | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · March 27, 2023
SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean military raised the possibility Monday that North Korea's claim of a recent "underwater nuclear attack drone" test may have been exaggerated, while noting its development appears to be at an "early" stage.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) gave an assessment on the North's new weapon amid growing concerns over whether the South and the United States are fully ready to counter emerging threats from the North's new weapons systems.
Last week, the North's state media said the country had tested the weapon capable of spawning a "radioactive tsunami" and that it cruised at an underwater depth of 80 to 150 meters in the East Sea for 59 hours and 12 minutes.
"Having pieced together the South Korea-U.S. analysis of the 'underwater nuclear attack drone' as well as expert views on it, our military is putting weight to the possibility that the claim might have been exaggerated or fabricated," the JCS said in a statement.
"There have been movements indicating the North has been working to develop an unmanned undersea vehicle, but our assessment is that it is still at an early (development) stage," it added.
The JCS stressed the South and the U.S. will keep close tabs on "various" threats from the North and maintain a "firm" combined defense posture.
The North claimed the drone was designed to "stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami" to destroy naval striker groups and major ports of its enemies, and it can be deployed "at any coast and port or towed by a surface ship for operation."
The test warhead of an "underwater nuclear attack drone" of North Korea detonates underwater after it was launched off the coast of Riwon County, South Hamgyong Province, on March 21, 2023, in this photo released on March 24 by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The KCNA said the drone reached the target point in waters near Hongwon Bay set as a mock enemy port. North Korea conducted a new underwater nuclear strategic weapon test and cruise missile exercise guided by leader Kim Jong-un from March 21-23. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · March 27, 2023
6. Vice defense minister meets MIKTA diplomats on security cooperation
South Korea is strengthening its position in the international community. It is becoming a full partner in the arsenal of democracy as its defense industry provides quality weapons systems at competitive prices.
Vice defense minister meets MIKTA diplomats on security cooperation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · March 27, 2023
SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul hosted a luncheon meeting with diplomats from Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and Australia on Monday to discuss security cooperation among the middle-power countries, the defense ministry said.
It marked the first defense talks of the MIKTA group, named after the initials of the five countries, since a vice-ministerial MIKTA defense dialogue took place on the margins of an annual security forum in Seoul in 2016.
The participants were Indonesian Ambassador Gandi Sulistiyanto Soeherman, Australian Ambassador Catherine Raper, as well as senior officials from the Mexican and Turkish Embassies, Adrian García and Sezai Tollga Simsir, respectively.
During the talks, Shin expressed expectations that the middle-power countries will develop their arms industry cooperation in a "mutually beneficial" manner, according to the ministry.
He also proposed that MIKTA countries work together to promote joint efforts in a range of areas, such as disaster responses, peacekeeping operations, and humanitarian and cybersecurity cooperation.
This file photo, taken Nov. 4, 2022, shows Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul speaking during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · March 27, 2023
7. Are Kim Jong-un's Nocturnal Habits a Sign of Ill Health?
For those on Kim Jong Un's health watch. This leads me to ask (again): What would we do if we learned today that Kim Jong Un had passed? What immediate actions would we take? Would we attempt to influence a successor? If so, how?
Excerpt:
A recent photo of the 39-year-old leader shows him with more white hair, prompting speculation that he might be suffering from excessive stress or diabetes.
Nam Sung-wook at Korea University said, "The aim may be to depict a leader who burns the midnight oil, but there is a strong possibility that he developed insomnia as a side effect of high blood pressure and heart problems."
Are Kim Jong-un's Nocturnal Habits a Sign of Ill Health?
english.chosun.com
March 27, 2023 12:42
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is often reported in the state media to be burning the midnight oil to stress the portly dictator's sacrifices for his nation, but that may be a sign of ill health.
The official Rodong Sinmun daily in an article last Saturday claimed Kim's "concept of the day is different from ordinary people's," and it seems he rides bleary-eyed officials just as hard.
It quoted a senior Workers Party official as saying, "People consider their business day done in the evening or at midnight, but [Kim] sees today as lasting until at 5 a.m. the following day for business to be carried out."
The daily cited a visit Kim made to a fish processing factory on the east coast after 2 a.m. and hailed him as a "great patriarch who postpones his rest and sacrifices himself." Kim himself is quoted as claiming, "Since I was young, I have become accustomed to working through the night, and now it has become the rule of life."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watches a missile test through binoculars, in this photo from the Rodong Sinmun on March 24.
But the National Intelligence Service here blames his sleeplessness on health problems. It told lawmakers in 2016 that Kim worries about his safety and has problems sleeping.
A recent photo of the 39-year-old leader shows him with more white hair, prompting speculation that he might be suffering from excessive stress or diabetes.
Nam Sung-wook at Korea University said, "The aim may be to depict a leader who burns the midnight oil, but there is a strong possibility that he developed insomnia as a side effect of high blood pressure and heart problems."
Facial Recognition Quashes Kim Jong-un Rumors
Aides 'Begged Kim Jong-un to Lose Weight'
N.Korean Propaganda Harnesses Kim Jong-un's Weight Loss
Kim Jong-un's Weight Loss Prompts Health Speculation
Kim Jong-un 'Overweight But Healthy'
Kim Jong-un Did Not Have Heart Treatment, Say Spies
'Scar' Suggests Kim Jong-un Had Medical Treatment
Trump Claims to Have 'Very Good Idea' of Kim Jong-un's Health
N.Korea Mum over Rumors of Kim Jong-un's Ill Health
Reports of Kim Jong-un's Imminent Demise 'Exaggerated'
Kim Jong-un 'Critical After Surgery'
Kim Jong-un 'Has No Health Problems'
N.Korea Admits Kim Jong-un Is Unwell
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
english.chosun.com
8. Korea Had Close Shave with U.S. Semiconductor Sanctions
Korea Had Close Shave with U.S. Semiconductor Sanctions
english.chosun.com
March 23, 2023 12:54
As a result of a dramatic U-turn by the American government, Samsung and SK Hynix will be able to keep their semiconductor factories in China for the next 10 years and pocket U.S. subsidies at the same time as long as they meet certain conditions. They can even expand them within limits even though the CHIPS and Science Act is clearly designed to strangle China's power in the IT market. But as long as the U.S. remains terrified of China's rapid technological advancement, risks remain for one of Korea's most important industries. The U.S. has many of the most vital semiconductor technologies as well as a competitive edge in terms of semiconductor design and manufacturing. If it remains bent on freezing China out, Korean chipmakers must revise their strategies, and that means an exit plan from China.
The U.S. government is trying to get Samsung and Taiwan's TSMC to build chip factories in America, and it also hopes to establish a state research center for semiconductor development to nurture next-generation technologies. The clear aim is to gain hegemony in chip technology, and it remains to be seen if it will let Korean chipmakers keep manufacturing cutting-edge products in China.
Samsung invested W33 trillion in semiconductor factories in China and SK Hynix W35 trillion (US$1=W1,308). Due to the U.S. ban on exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, China's chip technology could stagnate, prompting it to lean heavily on Korea to secure much-needed computer chips. Korean chipmakers must use this opportunity to refocus on domestic and American facilities in order to participate in the U.S.-led technology ecosystem. If they want a greater say, they have no choice but to increase participation in U.S.-centered technology and initiatives. Now at least they have bought themselves some time to achieve that goal.
Read this article in Korean
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
english.chosun.com
9. S. Korea co-sponsors UN resolution of N. Korean human rights
It is good that South Korea is taking a human rights up front approach.
Excerpt:
“The UN Human Rights Council will adopt a resolution on North Korea’s human rights on April 3 or 4. The government is returning as a co-sponsor after five years. We also actively participated in the discussions for the resolution text.” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lim Soo-seok at a regular briefing on Thursday. “The return reflects our stance of focusing on universal values, such as freedom, democracy, and peace, and our goal to become a global pivotal state.”
S. Korea co-sponsors UN resolution of N. Korean human rights
donga.com
Posted March. 24, 2023 08:01,
Updated March. 24, 2023 08:01
S. Korea co-sponsors UN resolution of N. Korean human rights. March. 24, 2023 08:01. by Na-Ri Shin journari@donga.com.
South Korea will come back as a co-sponsor of the UN Human Rights Council’s resolution on North Korea for the first time in five years. For four straight years from 2019 to last year, under the former Moon Jae-in administration, Korea was off the list of co-sponsors, citing the unique nature of inter-Korean relations.
The resolution also includes the phrase that considers a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea’s military in the Yellow Sea and the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen, which were first stated in the UN General Assembly resolution late last year. In addition to the existing terms on torture, summary executions, arbitrary detention, and abduction of foreign nationals, the resolution also included the phrase, “calls on North Korea to disclose all relevant information, including the lives and whereabouts of (victims) to their families and relevant authorities.” It also states that “North Koreans who are repatriated to North Korea should not be subjected to any human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary execution, torture, or ill-treatment.”
The resolution also stipulates new terms that urge North Korea to review its “Anti-Reactionary Thought and Cultural Exclusion Law.” Enacted in 2020 and revised in August of last year, the law strictly prohibits any content produced outside of North Korea, including in South Korea, that is labeled as reactionary.
The Yoon Suk Yeol administration also took part as a co-sponsor in a North Korean Human Rights resolution submitted to the UN General Assembly last year for the first time in four years. The government will continue to join in the efforts of the international community, including the UN, to improve the dire human rights situation in North Korea.
한국어
donga.com
10. As trade with China expands, N. Korea’s dollar and yuan exchange rates remain steady
Smuggling is reported to be restarting. This is one of the keys to market operation and the resilience of the Korean people. We need to observe how the regime will react to smuggling.
As trade with China expands, N. Korea’s dollar and yuan exchange rates remain steady
Smuggling is restarting again little by little in the border areas of North Pyongan Province and Yanggang Province, which may have boosted demand for yuan to some extent
dailynk.com
In this undated photo, North Koreans can be seen selling goods on the street in the North Korea-China border region. (Kang Dong Wan, Donga University)
North Korea’s exchange rates for the dollar and yuan are holding steady as trade with China expands.
According to Daily NK’s regular survey of market prices in North Korea, the dollar was trading at KPW 8,210 in Pyongyang as of Mar. 19. This was just 0.8% percent lower than the rate two weeks ago, when it was trading at KPW 8,290 on Mar. 5.
Similar trends were at work in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, and Hyesan, Yanggang Province. In Sinuiju, the dollar was trading at KPW 8,240 on Mar. 19, 0.7% lower than it was on Mar. 5, when it was trading at KPW 8,300.
In Pyongyang, Sinuiju and Hyesan, the dollar has been holding steady in the low KPW 8,000s since January.
North Korean exchange rates for the dollar and yuan have shown instability over the three years since North Korean authorities closed the country’s borders in January 2020, fluctuating 15 to 20% depending on trends related to the restart of cross-border trade.
However, with North Korea’s trade volume recently increasing, the gap between international market rates and North Korea’s internal exchange rates have declined as domestic rates have began to reflect international rates.
According to figures released by China Customs, North Korea and China conducted USD 327.4 million in trade in January and February, a 140% increase from the same period last year.
However, in contrast to the dollar, the yuan has been trading moderately higher, with slightly higher fluctuations.
In Pyongyang, the yuan was trading at KPW 1,230 on Mar. 19, 3.3% higher than it was on Mar. 5, when it was trading at KPW 1,190. The yuan was trading at KPW 1,230 in Hyesan, too, 1.6% higher than it was on Mar. 5, when it was trading at KPW 1,210.
This may be explained by the strengthening of the yuan against the dollar internationally, and because demand for yuan has grown more than for the dollar in North Korea.
According to multiple Daily NK reporting partners, signals continue to emerge of the imminent restart of trade in regions where trade was banned during the COVID-19 pandemic, including North Hamgyong Province and Yanggang Province.
Daily NK reported in late 2022 that there were moves to build a quarantine station at Hyesan Customs House in Yanggang Province. There have also been rumors circulating recently that Samjang Customs House in Taehongdan County will reopen.
Additionally, Daily NK understands that smuggling is restarting again little by little in the border areas of North Pyongan Province and Yanggang Province, which may have boosted demand for yuan to some extent.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of reporting partners who live inside North Korea. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
11. [Editorial] A historic reconciliation (Syngman Rhee's legacy)
Monday
March 27, 2023
dictionary + A - A
[Editorial] A historic reconciliation
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/03/27/opinion/editorials/Syngman-Rhee-April-19-revolution/20230327203439826.html
A serene scene unfolded on Sunday — the 148th birthday of Korea’s founding president Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) — in the National Cemetery in southern Seoul, where he and his Austrian-born wife, Francesca Rhee, are buried together. More than 50 people had demanded the resignation of the former president, whom they called a “dictator,” during their massive April 19 Revolution in 1961, when they were college students. They laid a wreath before their grave to pay tribute to the late president, which marked a historic reconciliation in 63 years.
They include Lee In-ho, an emeritus professor at Seoul National University (SNU); Han Hwa-gap, a former head of the Democratic Party (DP); Lee Jae-hoo, executive lawyer of Kim & Chang; and Lee Kyung-jae, a former chair of the Korea Communications Commission — all in their 80s.
Former lawmaker Lee Young-il, who led the demonstration as a junior studying politics at SNU, thanked the founding president for “orchestrating the establishment of a government based on free democracy and market economy despite his critical flaws” and for “setting the foundation for economic development and national security by drawing the Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty after the Korean War.” Sohn Byung-doo, a former board chair of KBS, stressed, “There is no reason for a conflict between Rhee’s dream for a free democracy and the April 19 generation’s call for a fair election system.”
There were many twists and turns until the stunning rapprochement. The former president’s adopted son tried to pay respects to his father in the April 19 Democracy Movement Cemetery in northern Seoul but could not due to vehement resistance from opponents. He attempted to apologize for his father’s merciless clampdown on democracy fighters but had to turn away.
The reconciliation carries more weight after the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) decided to set up the provisionally-named Syngman Rhee Memorial. In the ceremony to mark the birthday of the founding president, MPVA Minister Park Min-shik stressed the need to appreciate the former president for his remarkable achievements regardless of his dictatorship during his 12-year reign. The ministry plans to announce the location for the new presidential memorial in June when the status of the ministry elevates to the ministerial level.
As the founding president of the provisional government in China, Rhee was devoted to the independence of the country from Japan’s colonial rule and led the founding of a free democracy. On the occasion of the 70th year of the Korea-U.S. alliance, we hope the former democracy fighters’ rapprochement with the past will guide the country to a brighter future.
12. [Column] Toward a new Korea-Japan partnership
Excerpts:
U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed and thanked Yoon’s decision. Japan’s major media also wrote editorials to urge Prime Minister Kishida to respond to Yoon’s initiatives. The situation reminds us of Korea’s strategic initiatives in the 1980s, when prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone visited Korea and struck a grand deal for bilateral economic cooperation worth $4 billion, followed by his visit to Washington to establish close relations with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Nakasone.
Korea-Japan relations are caught in the intensifying strategic competition between America and China. Korea and Japan largely share democratic values and norms as well as significant strategic interests. During the Cold War between the U.S. and the USSR, Germany and France managed to accomplish historical reconciliation and turned Western Europe into a continent of peace and prosperity. In the U.S.-China competition of the 21st century, Korea-Japan cooperation can be a great asset to pave the way for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Monday
March 27, 2023
dictionary + A - A
[Column] Toward a new Korea-Japan partnership
Lee Won-duk
The author is a professor of Japanese studies at Kookmin University and an advisor to the JoongAng Ilbo’s Reset Korea Campaign.
President Yoon Suk-yeol’s foreign policy initiatives — starting with his presentation of a solution to the issue of compensation for Japan’s wartime forced labor and his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo — will be backed by his visit to Washington for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and his participation in the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. The diplomatic itinerary represents his determination to resolve the complex diplomatic equation Korea faces.
The wartime forced labor is an issue of “history” between Korea and Japan. Since 2012, Korean governments shunned dealing with the issue for fear of its repercussions. During his term, President Moon Jae-in said it was undesirable to liquidate the Japanese wartime employers’ assets in Korea to compensate the victims after the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of the surviving victims. But he did not present an appropriate solution. National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang attempted to address the issue by raising funds from Korean and Japanese companies as well as public donation, but failed.
President Yoon’s proposal of a “third-party” compensation came after watching the process. The proposal is regrettable because it is not clear if the wartime Japanese companies will participate in the compensation fund. Before presenting the solution, the Yoon administration lacked the process of persuading the people and the victims to seek their understanding. And yet, the proposal is an unavoidable step to effectively compensate the surviving victims while striking a delicate balance between the Supreme Court ruling in 2018 and the war claims settlement agreement between Seoul and Tokyo in 1965.
The forced labor issue is a matter of relief for victims of state violence and a matter of human rights. It is a policy in which the Korean government leads efforts to resolve human rights issues and pressures Japan’s response. As human rights issues are important matters in terms of universal values and international norms, the international community is paying keen attention to Korea’s action and Japan’s reaction.
If Tokyo is trapped in a closed circuit, repeats a regressive historical view and avoids resolving the problem, it will face international criticism. As Korea first presented a solution from a larger perspective and urged Japan to respond to it, the plan is deemed to be at the start line, not at the finish line, to resolve the thorny issue.
The recent summit in Tokyo is seen as a success, as it helped restore Korea-Japan relations from the complex conflicts and normalize their abnormal ties. Over the past decade, leaders of the two countries had no dialogue and communication. The loss of mutual trust caused their relationships to get even worse. Yoon ended this vicious cycle and had a summit with his Japanese counterpart, restoring trust and the shuttle diplomacy.
Through the summit, Yoon opened a path to resolving three major conflicts between Korea and Japan — the forced laborer issue, Japan’s export control, and the General Security of Military Information Agreement (Gsomia) with Japan. By pinpointing the origin of the conflicts, Yoon tried to address a set of conflicts between the two countries.
Through the summit, Korea and Japan agreed to form an economic security consultation body, restore the security dialogue channel, and cooperate on key industrial areas such as semiconductors, battery and electric vehicles. As the foundation for a new partnership declaration for the 21st century by upgrading the 1998 Korea-Japan Joint Declaration between President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi has been set, the government must put all efforts to achieve the goal.
Considering the war in Ukraine, deepening tensions in the Taiwan Strait and mounting nuclear and missile threats from North Korea in particular, strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance, cooperation between Korea and Japan and establishing a ratcheted-up Korea-Japan-U.S. cooperative system are an obvious strategic choice for Korea. Its diplomacy toward Japan is an important leverage to push forward Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy and extend its diplomatic horizon. The recent diplomatic initiatives toward Japan will serve as a stepping stone to maximize Korea’s negotiation power at the upcoming Korea-U.S. summit in April, Korea’s participation at the G7 summit in Hiroshima and a series of summits with Japan and the United States in May.
U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed and thanked Yoon’s decision. Japan’s major media also wrote editorials to urge Prime Minister Kishida to respond to Yoon’s initiatives. The situation reminds us of Korea’s strategic initiatives in the 1980s, when prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone visited Korea and struck a grand deal for bilateral economic cooperation worth $4 billion, followed by his visit to Washington to establish close relations with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Nakasone.
Korea-Japan relations are caught in the intensifying strategic competition between America and China. Korea and Japan largely share democratic values and norms as well as significant strategic interests. During the Cold War between the U.S. and the USSR, Germany and France managed to accomplish historical reconciliation and turned Western Europe into a continent of peace and prosperity. In the U.S.-China competition of the 21st century, Korea-Japan cooperation can be a great asset to pave the way for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold a joint press conference after a summit meeting in Tokyo, Mar.16. [YONHAP]
13. Yoon's Japan plan: compromise or betrayal?
I think this is what we fail to understand. It is not that Koreans just want a genuine apology. They want an admission to the criminal acts of the occupation and an acceptance of responsibility for those criminal acts.
It is natural for Koreans to want more, and it is especially natural to want to see Japanese politicians seem more obviously sorry for the past. But it is impossible to force someone to be truly sorry for something. You can receive an apology, sure ― and Korea has already received several ― but you cannot force sincerity. A genuine apology can only come when one party recognizes the pain it has caused.
This is an excellent conclusion that all politicians should reflect on.
Appealing to nationalism is a tactic that works wonders for a politician in a tight spot. It's an easy and effective tool used the world over. What takes more courage is to defy that appeal and to seek cooperation with a former enemy, especially when so many issues remain unresolved. That is what Yoon has done. And while this compromise is imperfect, it's certainly better than the alternatives.
Yoon's Japan plan: compromise or betrayal?
The Korea Times · March 27, 2023
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, shake hands following a joint news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, March 16. Ap-YonhapBy Scott Shepherd
This week has been a busy one in Korean politics. While everyone was still debating the rights and wrongs of President Yoon's diplomatic trip last week to Japan, main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was indicted Tuesday on charges of corruption and bribery. My attention has yo-yoed between the two stories all week, though there are some clear links between them.
Yoon's trip was an attempt to reset relations between Korea and Japan ― relations which reached their nadir in 2019 with the boycott movement that followed a series of Korean court cases against Japanese companies over WW2 forced labor. Last week Yoon sought to mend relations through a bit of what seemed to be surprisingly deft diplomacy. He devised a compromise whereby Korean companies would voluntarily donate money to a compensation fund for victims.
If the compromise works, it's a win-win: Korean companies will be able to engage in some great PR by showing themselves to be on the side of the people, and at the same time a huge obstacle to Korea-Japan relations will be cleared away.
However, Yoon's plan was immediately met with a hail of criticism at home, the most vociferous of which came from Lee and his DPK party. Last Saturday Lee participated in a protest in central Seoul condemning the compromise. As The Korea Times reported, Lee went as far as accusing Yoon of "choosing to be 'a servant of Japan' while ignoring the tears of the victims." Yoon's government, according to Lee, was pushing for a deal, no matter "how illegal, how unconstitutional, how nonsensical," as long as it can "appease Japan." He even hinted that Yoon may have secretly made other concessions to Japan during the summit.
Throughout this political fight, Lee has been stoking nationalism. He has appealed to Koreans' strong anti-Japan sentiment by suggesting that the summit was "humiliating" the country and even that Yoon "denied the independence of the Republic of Korea." But on Wednesday Lee pulled out his most powerful nationalist trump card by proposing a bill to legally recognize 25 October as Dokdo Day. The message that Lee is seeking to send is obvious: while Yoon has been off betraying our country, I have been defending Korean territory. I stand for the comfort women while he disgraces their memory.
Lee's response to Yoon's actions is clearly influenced by the pressure from the charges he faces, and it would be easy to dismiss this opposition as simply party-political maneuvering. After all, even before this week's indictment, Lee only avoided arrest after a surprisingly close vote in the DPK-held National Assembly last month. His robust criticism of Yoon's diplomacy could be read as an attempt to shift the focus of public ire away from himself and on to Yoon.
But setting aside the party politics and the nationalism, it's easy to understand why so many would oppose Yoon's compromise. The issue of the forced labor, and especially of comfort women, is a sensitive and painful one which takes a central place in Korea's image of its own past. There is sincere, heartfelt opposition to Yoon's plan which derives from a burning sense of injustice. Japan's colonization of Korea and the accompanying atrocities have left deep wounds, and real resentment based on fundamental principles of humanity.
Naturally, money cannot in itself heal those wounds. The reason Koreans seek compensation is not the sake of the money per se but rather for the symbol it sends. When a Japanese company pays compensation, it represents a punishment for and an acknowledgement of the crimes committed during the colonial period, however small it is and late it may come. If the entity coughing up the money is not Japanese, there's no point. And worse, Yoon's solution calls for Korean companies to pay.
On top of this, critics also demand an apology from Japan. Or rather, because Japan has actually issued several apologies in the past, critics demand an apology which is earnest. In 2018, for example, then-president Moon stated that Japan should apologies "with a sincere heart" even as he accepted that it was "undeniable" that a 2015 deal (which included a Japanese apology) over the comfort women issue was valid.
Going all the way back to the opening of relations between Korea and Japan in 1965, several Japanese leaders have indeed apologized (or expressed "remorse") for the country's past actions in Korea, but it does seem hard to believe that all of these were particularly heartfelt. Up to and including the present prime minister, Japanese leaders have acted in ways which seem to contradict the emollient language they use in diplomatic relations with Korea. The most obvious example of this is the tradition of Japanese prime ministers visiting or sending offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine, which contains the remains of 14 Class A war criminals from World War Two.
As many have noted, Japan's post-war actions compare unfavorably to those of Germany, a country which made lasting changes not just to its constitution but also to its society and its teaching of history.
With this all in mind, it's easy to see that Yoon's compromise is imperfect. There's no getting around the fact. There are only a handful of victims of Japanese forced labor left alive. They suffered terribly, and the compensation plan does not do justice. Even if it was paid entirely by the Japanese government, it would not recompense the victims for what they suffered. Nothing could.
Moreover, reports this week have indicated that Korean companies are wary about donating to the voluntary fund. With the political climate as it is right now, this has the potential to become a serious PR problem for donating companies, rather than the great marketing boon that Yoon had hoped for.
And who knows what the next administration will do, especially if Lee survives the current political storm and wins the next election? Many companies are unsurprisingly cautious about being seen to side too obviously with Yoon.
So yes, it's an imperfect deal. But what else can be done? Japan has already issued several apologies, however insincere they may appear, and it paid hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation in 1965.
It is natural for Koreans to want more, and it is especially natural to want to see Japanese politicians seem more obviously sorry for the past. But it is impossible to force someone to be truly sorry for something. You can receive an apology, sure ― and Korea has already received several ― but you cannot force sincerity. A genuine apology can only come when one party recognizes the pain it has caused.
Ironically, if Yoon's plan succeeds and thus leads to closer ties, it is possible that Japan will in the long run provide a more sincere apology, as Japan's people and politicians gain a better understanding of the pain of their neighbors.
But looking at this from another, more practical point of view, it's not really clear that either Korea or Japan can afford to continue this fight. Korea is the tenth-largest economy in the world, while Japan is third, behind only China and the United States. Each country is the other's best and most powerful potential ally in the immediate vicinity. Together the two nations could present a formidable front to counter regional threats; cooperation would also lead to economic growth and cultural exchange for the good of both countries.
It is right for Korea to commemorate its past, including the atrocities committed during the colonial period. At the same time, in this world of global competition and strife, the country should look forward to expanded cooperation with its only democratic neighbor.
Appealing to nationalism is a tactic that works wonders for a politician in a tight spot. It's an easy and effective tool used the world over. What takes more courage is to defy that appeal and to seek cooperation with a former enemy, especially when so many issues remain unresolved. That is what Yoon has done. And while this compromise is imperfect, it's certainly better than the alternatives.
Dr. Scott Shepherd (scottshepherd@chongshin.ac.kr) is a British-American academic. He has taught in universities in the U.K. and Korea, and is currently an assistant professor of English at Chongshin University in Seoul. The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.
The Korea Times · March 27, 2023
14. South Korea Will Stay Out of a Taiwan Strait War
We must keep in mind that if there is Taiwan conflict and Kim Jong Un is till in power in the north, the number one priority for South Korea and the US forces committed to the South is deterrence of a north Korea attack.
South Korea Will Stay Out of a Taiwan Strait War
There is good reason to think South Korea would limit its support to actions near the low end of the spectrum.
thediplomat.com · by Denny Roy · March 21, 2023
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The increasingly discussed possibility that China may attempt to annex Taiwan by military force appears to have strengthened the resolve of the United States and Japan to help defend Taiwan. South Korea, however, is reacting differently. Yes, Seoul is a U.S. ally and a liberal democracy, and the majority of South Koreans strongly dislike China. But South Korea’s approach to China – and Taiwan – is complicated.
In no case would South Korea offer zero support to Taiwan in the event of war. The question is at what point along the spectrum of possible assistance Seoul would position itself. There is good reason to think South Korea would limit its support to actions near the low end of the spectrum – strong diplomatic statements, symbolic economic sanctions, and behind-the-lines re-supply of U.S. forces returning from battle – in the hopes of avoiding a direct confrontation with China.
An attempt by China to invade Taiwan would probably include missile strikes against bases in South Korea, especially the U.S. Air Force base in Osan. Beijing would presumably leave ROK Navy bases alone unless South Korean warships appeared to be moving to attack Chinese forces. Seoul’s desire to limit the damage in its relations with Beijing is strong enough that strikes on South Korean territory that killed only Americans would not necessarily bring South Korea into the war as a combatant against China.
The South Korea-Taiwan relationship illustrates how vital national interests often supersede “shared values” and historical friendships. The Republic of China (ROC) was the second country, after the United States, to recognize South Korea as a state in 1948. The ROC – by then sequestered in Taiwan – also made a contribution to the Korean War, sending Chinese-speaking soldiers to assist with intelligence assessment and processing of captured People’s Republic of China troops. Both Taiwan and South Korea were non-communist portions of divided nations, engendering a sense of kinship.
Despite all this, Seoul threw Taiwan under the bus in 1992. In May, South Korean President Roh Tae-woo told a visiting official from Taiwan that he did not intend to sever Seoul’s diplomatic relations with Taipei. Three months later the South Korean government announced it was switching diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing, and that ROC staff had three days to vacate their embassy.
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The election of Yoon Suk-yeol as president in 2022 heralded a possible change in South Korea’s orientation. A conservative who positioned himself during his presidential campaign as a China hawk, Yoon would seem to be relatively inclined toward supporting Taiwan. Even under Yoon’s leadership, however, South Korea’s policy still broadly seeks to maintain a constructive relationship with Beijing while simultaneously appearing to be a loyal ally of the United States.
Yoon has made several moves that suggest he, much like his predecessor Moon Jae-in, is being careful to not antagonize Beijing. Yoon initially said he would seek formal membership for South Korea in the Quad, which China vilifies, but he now seems content with informal membership and selective participation in non-security issues.
Likewise, Yoon initially rejected Moon’s “three noes” pledge to China regarding the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and said he would deploy additional missile batteries. But his nominee for defense minister later said that Yoon had decided additional deployments were not “realistic.”
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On another issue of high sensitivity to Beijing, Yoon’s government says it has “no intention of participating in the U.S. missile defense system.”
In August 2022, apparently out of deference to Beijing, Yoon avoided meeting with then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she stopped over in Seoul after her controversial visit to Taiwan.
Seoul perceives three compelling reasons to stay out of a Taiwan Strait war. First, South Korean prosperity relies heavily on robust economic relations with China. The China market accounted for 30 percent of South Korea’s total trade in 2022. South Korea’s hi-tech sector is especially heavily China-exposed. Most of South Korea’s supply of rare earth elements comes from China, and China purchased 40 percent of South Korea’s semiconductor exports in 2021.
Second, Seoul believes that a Taiwan war will increase the North Korean threat to South Korea. The argument is that a U.S. decision to defend Taiwan from China’s military action would pull U.S. forces out of South Korea. This would tempt Pyongyang to launch an invasion, possibly as part of coordinated plan with Beijing to divide U.S. forces. Another version of the argument is that a distracted Washington would be more easily intimidated by North Korean missile and nuclear tests and therefore more likely to make unwise concessions in Pyongyang’s favor.
In such a situation, the argument goes, South Korea would need to double-down on its own defense, not expend resources to help Taiwan. Yoon told a CNN interviewer in September 2022 that in the event of a Taiwan Strait war, his “top priority” would not be assisting Taiwan, but rather guarding against an opportunistic North Korean attack.
South Korea is arguably capable of defending itself against North Korea even without U.S. forces. Moreover, the notion that a Taiwan Strait war would cause the United States to leave South Korea undefended is fallacious. Most U.S. military personnel in South Korea are U.S. Army soldiers, who would not play a significant role in a cross-strait war and would therefore be unlikely to leave the Peninsula. No U.S. Navy ships or aircraft are permanently based in South Korea. The U.S. assets now in South Korea that would be most useful in a Taiwan scenario are the aircraft of the 7th Air Force at Osan Air Base. The net impact of a cross-strait war is that U.S. Army presence in South Korea would be unchanged, and while some Korea-based U.S. airpower would be preoccupied, the overall quantity of U.S. aircraft on the Peninsula would likely increase as the United States surged additional forces into the region.
A third reason for staying out of a war against China is the South Korean government’s belief that a friendly Beijing can be a moderating influence on North Korea. Unfortunately, China’s usefulness to South Korea as a restraint on Pyongyang has always been overrated. North Korea continued to develop missiles and to conduct nuclear test explosions even when China seemed willing to apply countervailing pressure. More recently Beijing has relaxed its enforcement of economic sanctions while calling more forcefully for the United States and other countries to drop those sanctions.
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Yet another reminder of how Beijing can be an enabler rather than a restrainer of North Korean misbehavior came with the resumption of a large South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise in mid-March, which was accompanied by another spate of North Korean missile tests. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman’s comment said nothing about the North Korean missile launches, which violated a U.N. Security Council prohibition. Instead, he said China is “gravely concerned” about the military exercises and blamed tensions on the United States for “refus[ing] to respond to the denuclearization measures taken by” North Korea.
Allies of great powers often have two opposite fears. One is being abandoned by the great power and left alone to face a threatening adversary. The other is being dragged by the great power into an unwanted war. The possibility of a Taiwan Strait war raises both of these dangers for Seoul. If Americans perceived that an ally was unreasonably unhelpful in a time of need, the South Korea-U.S. alliance might be in jeopardy. By assisting its ally, however, South Korea would sacrifice its objective of maintaining a constructive relationship with China.
In its own way, South Korea would suffer in a cross-strait war – but not enough to offer Taiwan serious assistance.
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Denny Roy
Denny Roy is a senior fellow at the East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawai’i.
thediplomat.com · by Denny Roy · March 21, 2023
15. North Korea’s nuclear threat takes an underwater turn
Although there are reports that the north Korean report on the radioactive tsunami may be overblown, we should consider why the regime is doing this. It may be to achieve the effect in the excerpt below. As counterintuitive as it may seem, the north may be trying to drive the South to go nuclear or at least talk about going nuclear. The north benefits from the decline in confidence of the South in US extended deterrence. The regime knows the US doesn't want the South to go nuclear. So one desired effect of all these provocations to include this latest fantasy of a radioactive tsunami is simply to support the regime's objective to drive a wedge in the ROK/US alliance to create the conditions for the end of the alliance and the withdrawal of US troops so the regime will have the upper hand to coerce the ROK and if necessary use force to achieve its objectives. This is why it is critical that we understand the nature, objectives and strategy of the Kim family regime and that one of our responses has to be in the information domain. We need to recognize the regime's strategy, understand it, EXPOSE it, and attack it with a superior form of alliance political warfare.
Excerpts:
The move may be driven by South Korean perceptions that the US may not fully have its back in a conflict scenario and would lessen Seoul’s dependence on Washington’s security guarantees.
But Seoul’s doubtful need for force projection beyond the Korean Peninsula, coupled with practical and technical constraints in building nuclear submarines, raise hard questions about its possible quest of nuclear submarines.
At the same time, the potential marginal military value, including slow speed, loud acoustic signature allowing for easy detection and catastrophic implications of having a nuclear-armed underwater drone may ultimately deter North Korea from building it in the first place.
North Korea’s nuclear threat takes an underwater turn
Nuclear-armed underwater drone test threatens radioactive tsunamis and could give new impetus for South Korea to go nuclear
asiatimes.com · by Gabriel Honrada · March 27, 2023
North Korea is flexing its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capabilities again with a new nuclear-armed underwater drone and nuclear-capable subsonic cruise missiles.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over tests of a new nuclear-armed underwater drone. This test demonstrated the weapon infiltrating enemy waters and then detonating to create a radioactive tsunami to destroy enemy ports and ships.
The WSJ report mentions that photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong Un smiling next to a torpedo-shaped object and an explosion over water.
CNN reports that the torpedo-shaped drone, dubbed “Haeil,” cruised in waters off North Korea’s eastern coast from March 21-23, running in figure-eight and oval patterns at 82 to 150 meters for 60 hours before detonating.
The Haeil has been under development since 2012, with 50 tests carried out over the past two years to test the weapon’s reliability, safety and lethality, according to North Korean state media.
However, the CNN report cites analysts that view the Haeil skeptically, as North Korea is well-known to exaggerate its military capabilities for deterrent effect.
North Korea also tested nuclear-capable subsonic cruise missiles around the same time as the Haeil test, with four missiles reportedly hitting targets in the Sea of Japan after flying figure-eight patterns of 1,500 and 1,800 kilometers.
The tests aimed to familiarize strategic cruise missile units to carry out tactical-level nuclear attacks, North Korean state media said.
North Korea’s Haeil is in philosophical line with Russia’s Poseidon nuclear-armed underwater drone, which Asia Times noted in July 2022 is designed as a second-strike weapon against coastal population centers, major cities and industrial centers by triggering devastating radioactive tsunamis.
Moreover, the Haeil may be used against South Korea’s future carrier battlegroups.
North Korean state media says leader Kim Jong Un “personally guided” a test of a simulated underwater nuclear strategic weapon on March 21, according to KCNA. Image: Screengrab / CNN
As with Russia’s Poseidon drone, observers and analysts will likely perceive North Korea’s Haeil in three ways.
First and foremost, observers may dismiss the weapon as pure propaganda given the paucity of accurate and verifiable information on North Korea’s nuclear program. The Haeil may thus be a prop meant to keep US and South Korean defense planners on edge by enhancing the strategic ambiguity surrounding North Korea’s capabilities.
Asia Times noted in December 2022 that North Korea uses weapons tests to attract attention to itself amidst intensifying global conflicts such as the Ukraine war and tensions in the Taiwan Strait. North Korea’s recent missile tests, including the Haeil and cruise missile tests, may thus signal North Korea’s intent to stay relevant in the global arena.
The Haeil’s showcasing may also aim to demonstrate the resilience of Kim Jong Un’s regime under dire economic straits and UN sanctions.
Second, observers might conclude that North Korea does indeed have the technology and wherewithal to build an armed underwater drone. However, they may also conclude it lacks the capability to produce an apocalyptic radioactive tsunami as claimed.
In this case, it is more plausible that North Korea plans to build an underwater drone that has enough explosive firepower to destroy South Korea’s vital naval facilities and warships at a port by infiltrating the latter’s naval bases. Such a drone may be reminiscent of one possible method that was used to blow up the Crimea Bridge in October 2022.
An October 2022 article by private intelligence firm Molfar notes that an explosives-laden underwater drone may have been responsible for that attack. Before the blast, video cameras spotted an underwater white object moving behind the bridge pillars.
Such a weapon is suited for North Korea’s asymmetric strategy against the US and South Korea. The latter may aim to fight a guerilla war at sea involving fast attack craft, mini-submarines, naval mines, shore-based anti-ship missiles and possibly underwater suicide drones.
Third, observers may conclude that North Korea’s Haeil is real, the country has successfully miniaturized nuclear warheads and that the US and South Korea may initiate efforts to counter such a weapon.
If so, it could provide new impetus to South Korea’s drive to have its own nuclear arsenal. This January, Asia Times reported that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that his country might consider building tactical nuclear weapons in response to North Korea’s nuclear program. He also mentioned the possibility of allowing the US to place its tactical nuclear weapons on South Korean soil in response to North Korea’s behavior.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is weighing his nuclear options. Image: CNN / Screengrab
Asia Times reported in July 2022 that South Korea might be planning to develop nuclear-powered submarines after the US and South Korea signed a technology-sharing deal for small modular nuclear reactors, a crucial step in that direction, in the previous month.
The move may be driven by South Korean perceptions that the US may not fully have its back in a conflict scenario and would lessen Seoul’s dependence on Washington’s security guarantees.
But Seoul’s doubtful need for force projection beyond the Korean Peninsula, coupled with practical and technical constraints in building nuclear submarines, raise hard questions about its possible quest of nuclear submarines.
At the same time, the potential marginal military value, including slow speed, loud acoustic signature allowing for easy detection and catastrophic implications of having a nuclear-armed underwater drone may ultimately deter North Korea from building it in the first place.
asiatimes.com · by Gabriel Honrada · March 27, 2023
16. Human Bodies Shattered to Pieces...U.S. Satellite Captures Photo of Public Execution by Kim Jong-un
https://news.biglobe.ne.jp/international/0320/dnj_230320_6842304910.html
[Translation] Human Bodies Shattered to Pieces...U.S. Satellite Captures Photo of Public Execution by Kim Jong-un (Daily NK Japan)
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield accused China last Friday (March 17) of attempting to conceal North Korean atrocities by blocking online global broadcasting of an informal Security Council meeting discussing human rights abuses in North Korea.
Online broadcasting of the informal meeting, co-hosted by the United States and Albania, requires consensus by all 15 Council members. Although China and Russia, permanent members of the Security Council, have long taken a stance against discussion of human rights, the blocking of online transmission still remains a rare move.
In response, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield mentioned that North Korea's ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction programs threaten international peace and security and are “inextricably linked to the regime’s human rights abuses.”
Although Chinese interference towards the meeting’s online broadcasting is a loss for the alleviation of North Korean human rights issues, it could be argued that if North Korea continues to be a battlefront in which the current U.S.-China clash is fought on, this may be a rather welcome development for the North Korean issue.
The presenting of concrete evidence of human rights abuses in North Korea could be a bargaining chip used to pressure Kim Jong-un and China.
For instance, on October 7, 2014, Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), a U.S.-based NGO, and Joseph Bermudez of AllSource Analysis (ASA), a commercial satellite analysis firm, successfully captured a satellite photo of the Kanggon Military Training Area, located outside of Pyongyang.
In this satellite photo, 10 unidentified objects were seen lined up. Six ZPU-4 anti-aircraft machine guns (anti-aircraft guns in North Korean terminology) are lined up facing them, in front of a viewing area.
Moreover, in October of the same year, Japan’s own Asia Press reported the execution of 10 senior Korean Worker’s Party officials at the military academy, based on inside information from North Korea, which correlates chronologically with HRNK's analysis.
It should be noted that 14.5mm caliber bullets [most likely used for the execution] possess the ability to penetrate and destroy lightly armored vehicles, helicopters, and concrete walls and other barriers. If used against the human body, they are said to literally shatter it to pieces.
The Kanggon Military Training Area is frequently used to execute officials, and was reportedly used to execute a former member of the Unhasu Orchestra, which Kim Jong Un’s wife Ri Sol-ju was a member of.
What could happen if the United States presents this kind of information to turn the attention of international public opinion toward the issue of human rights in North Korea? It is unlikely that Kim Jong-un will change his policies. By comparison, however, a change in Chinese policy toward North Korean defectors seems more feasible.
If China stops or becomes reluctant to forcibly repatriate North Korean escapees, this change may gradually affect North Korean society by increasing North Koreans' access to the outside world.
Although an immediate change in the North Korean regime is impossible, the sooner foundations for eventual change are established, the better.
Translated by Yoshino Yamauchi, HRNK Research Intern
17. HRNK Quoted 34 Times in the U.S. Department of State's DPRK 2022 Human Rights Report
Kudos to the team at HRNK. The team is punching well above its weight (an Executive Director, two staff members and a handful of interns who organize and manage the work of a number of contributing authors/researchers/experts).
HRNK makes critical contributions to the US State Department and the United Nations.
(truth in advertising, I am a member of the board of directors of HRNK)
HRNK Quoted 34 Times in the
U.S. Department of State's
DPRK 2022 Human Rights Report
March 23, 2023
Link to Report
Dear Friends of HRNK,
On Monday, March 20, the U.S. Department of State released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2022, including the country report for North Korea.
The country report for North Korea, which can be accessed at this link, quotes HRNK 34 times. The report references ten HRNK publications, two statements by HRNK's Executive Director, and one video interview.
These materials encompass a wide range of issues: North Korea's vast network of detention facilities; vulnerable groups, including women and children; the situation of North Korean workers dispatched overseas; and the Kim regime's "counter-offensive" against the influx of outside information.
The report references the following HRNK publications:
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Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity in North Korean Detention Centers (HRNK and IBA with pro bono counsel Debevoise & Plimpton, 2022)
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North Korea's Long-term Prison-Labor Facility Kyo-hwa-so No. 1, Kaechon (Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda Mortwedt Oh, and Rosa Park, 2020)
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North Korea's Long-term Prison-Labor Facility Kyo-hwa-so No. 12, Jongo-ri - Update 3 (Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda Mortwedt Oh, and Rosa Park, 2020)
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North Korea's Long-term Prison-Labor Facility Kyo-hwa-so No. 8, Sungho-ri (Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda Mortwedt Oh, and Rosa Park, 2021)
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North Korea's Long-term Prison-Labor Facility, Kyo-hwa-so No. 3, T'osong-ni (Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda Mortwedt Oh, and Rosa Park-Tokola, 2021)
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North Korea's Political Prison Camp, Kwan-li-so No. 14 - Update 1 (Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Greg Scarlatoiu, and Amanda Mortwedt Oh, 2021)
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North Korea's Long-term Re-education through Labor Camp (Kyo-hwa-so) at Pokchong-ni (Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Greg Scarlatoiu, Amanda Mortwedt Oh, and Rosa Park, 2019)
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North Korean Workers Officially Dispatched to China & Russia: Human Rights Denial, Chain of Command & Control (Greg Scarlatoiu with Raymond Ha and Hyunseung Lee, 2022)
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Digital Trenches: North Korea's Information Counter-Offensive (Martyn Williams, 2019)
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Lost Generation: The Health and Human Rights of North Korean Children, 1990-2018 (W. Courtland Robinson, 2019)
The report also includes two statements by HRNK's Executive Director:
Furthermore, the report references a 2021 video interview produced by Doohyun Kim, HRNK Social Media Associate, entitled "The Shocking Life of a North Korean Female Soldier: The Reality of North Korea!"
All HRNK publications are available on our website at: https://www.hrnk.org/publications/hrnk-publications.php.
All videos uploaded to our YouTube channel can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/committeehrnk.
As noted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken during his remarks at the launch of this year's Country Reports, "the goal of this report...is to provide a resource for those individuals working around the world to safeguard and uphold human dignity when it's under threat in so many ways." The report "makes a factual, objective, and rigorous accounting of human rights conditions around the world."
HRNK will continue to investigate, document, and report the truth about what is happening in North Korea. We will share our findings and recommendations with key stakeholders, including governments, UN agencies and mandate holders, and civil society actors.
Our work would not be possible without the steadfast and generous support of our friends and donors. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your unwavering support, encouragement, and attention.
With gratitude and warm regards,
Greg Scarlatoiu
Executive Director
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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