Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be."

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequences what we do."

– John Ruskin

"All cruelty springs from weakness."

– Seneca

1. Ministry of Unification: “North Korea to prioritize Russia-China relations in the first half of the year… hostile wait-and-see approach toward South Korea and the US”

2. North Korean officials in China seen pretending to be South Korean

3. Seoul envoy calls on N. Korea to stop sacrificing its people to sustain regime in return for Russia's support

4. N. Korea releases photos of what appears to be airborne control aircraft for 1st time

5. N. Korea presumed to send at least 3,000 more troops to Russia: JCS

6. Preparations under way for N. Korean leader Kim's visit to Russia this year: reports

7. S. Korea's potential participation in Alaska LNG project to look 'favorably' in tariff talks with U.S.: Dunleavy

8. Hyundai Motor opens 3rd U.S. production plant in Georgia

9. South Korea’s International Adoption Program Violated Rights of Children, Commission Finds

10. Even a $14,000 Government Handout Can’t Get South Korea’s Singles to Marry

11. Pyongyang confiscates most of salaries from its troops in Russia

12. Starting young: N. Korean textbook reveals indoctrination of kindergarteners

13. N. Korea launches crackdown on unlocked TVs in border regions

14. Hegseth seeks to reassure jittery allies, partners during inaugural Pacific trip

15. N. Korean junior officials lose sleep as superiors delegate ideological study work

16. N. Korea prepares workers for Russian reconstruction projects in occupied Ukraine

17. Philippines wants India, South Korea to join ‘Squad’ amid China tensions

1. Ministry of Unification: “North Korea to prioritize Russia-China relations in the first half of the year… hostile wait-and-see approach toward South Korea and the US”

This is a Google translation of an RFA report.

I think this assessment is likely accurate.

Ministry of Unification: “North Korea to prioritize Russia-China relations in the first half of the year… hostile wait-and-see approach toward South Korea and the US”

Seoul-Mokyongjae moky@rfa.org

2025.03.27

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in-focus/2025/03/27/north-korea-russia-china-nis/

North Korean Workers' Party General Secretary Kim Jong-un spends time with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the garden area of the Kumsusan State Guest House in June last year. (Yonhap)

Anchor: South Korea's Unification Ministry has assessed that North Korea is prioritizing relations with Russia and China in the first half of this year while maintaining a hostile wait-and-see approach toward the United States and South Korea. Reporter Mok Yong-jae reports from Seoul.

On the 27th, the Ministry of Unification of South Korea held a briefing session on recent trends in North Korea.

The Ministry of Unification assessed that North Korea's foreign policy in the first half of this year is prioritizing strengthening close ties with Russia and seeking to improve relations with China. It diagnosed that it is maintaining a hostile wait-and-see approach toward South Korea and the United States.

The Ministry of Unification analyzed North Korea's moves toward Russia as "a focus of North Korea's diplomacy toward Russia, and it is pursuing all-out exchanges to maximize the cost of sending troops," while saying that the two countries are expanding their trade infrastructure.

The Ministry of Unification also emphasized that North Korea has upgraded its address of Russian President Vladimir Putin from “Your Excellency” to “Comrade.” The explanation is that North Korea has been addressing President Putin as “Comrade” since August 2023, indicating a ceremonially elevated meaning.

The Ministry of Unification emphasized that “some of the North Korean authorities’ policy implementation capabilities have improved due to the economic effects of military support and troop dispatch,” but “the poor living conditions of the people are continuing because this is focused on Kim Jong-un’s achievements rather than the economy and people’s livelihoods.”

South Korea's Ministry of Unification announced in a press briefing on March 27 that North Korea is expanding its trade infrastructure with Russia. The photo is a satellite image of the North Korea-China-Russia border taken on March 9, 2025.

The Ministry of Unification of South Korea announced in a press briefing on March 27 that North Korea is expanding its trade infrastructure with Russia. The photo is a satellite image of the North Korea-China-Russia border taken on March 9, 2025. (Ministry of Unification)

“Improving North Korea-China Relations Will Take Time”

The Unification Ministry also noted that North Korea is taking steps to improve relations with China.

North Korea is making efforts to improve relations with China, as it has been promoting Chinese group tourism to the region since the beginning of this year and resumed construction of the North Korean section of the New Yalu River Bridge in February.

Satellite images also captured the construction of a sizable customs facility north of the new Yalu River Bridge.

According to the Ministry of Unification, the North Korean customs facility captured in the satellite image is 172,500 square meters, which is larger than the 150,000 square meters of the Chinese customs facility. It is also 3.7 times the size of the Tumen River cargo terminal between North Korea and Russia.

However, as Chinese group tours have not previously resumed, a Unification Ministry official predicted that it would take time for North Korea-China relations to improve.

Regarding North Korea’s policy toward the United States, it was assessed that criticism of the United States has increased, but it is maintaining a wait-and-see approach toward the Trump administration. According to the Ministry of Unification, as of March 26 of this year, North Korea’s criticism of the United States has increased by 15 cases compared to the same period last year, reaching 29 cases.

The Ministry of Unification also mentioned that the Rodong Sinmun of North Korea deleted the concept of “North Korea” when publishing articles related to the party’s chronology on March 7 and 23. This means that the names “Central Organization Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea” and “Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea,” which North Korea had previously promoted as the starting point of the party and regime, have disappeared.

In the case of Pyongyang General Hospital, which North Korea is pushing to open in October, it is evaluated that it is similar in size to Severance Hospital and Samsung Hospital, which are upper-level general hospitals in South Korea. When Pyongyang General Hospital opens, it is expected to treat the general public.

The Ministry of Unification analyzed that the reason North Korea is preparing to open the Pyongyang General Hospital, which was a long-term floating project, and is pushing forward with construction projects such as local industrial plants and Onpo Workers' Rest Centers across the country at a rapid pace is due to the influence of the "Russian special."

North Gyeongsang Province factory in completion, no heat detected...not in operation?

Korea: “Shoigu’s visit to North Korea is unusual…Possibility of major North Korea-Russia talks”

The Ministry of Unification said that it has identified signs of operation in many of the factories built as part of North Korea’s local development 20x10 policy. However, it predicted that it would take some time for production to return to normal.

The Ministry of Unification diagnosed that “whether the 20 factories are fully operational and the sustainability of the 20x10 policy require observation.”

The Ministry of Unification also assessed that North Korea is showing a trend of strengthening the mobilization of the military and women to implement the 20x10 policy. In fact, it was reported that the 124th Regiment, a separate construction unit for implementing the policy, was established in February, and 'street women' were also reassigned to enterprises and rural workers.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry: "North Korea Must Return to Denuclearization Talks"

Meanwhile, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it is closely monitoring trends related to the possibility of North Korea's seventh nuclear test mentioned by U.S. intelligence authorities.

Earlier, on the 25th (local time), Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard assessed before the Senate Intelligence Committee that “North Korea is ready to conduct additional nuclear tests at any time.”

South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong emphasized at a press conference on the 27th that the international community will not tolerate North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons.

[Lee Jae-woong, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea] (North Korea) should immediately cease actions that threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and within the country and return to denuclearization talks. If North Korea pushes ahead with a nuclear test despite repeated warnings from the international community, the South Korean government will respond resolutely in cooperation with the international community, including the United States.

Meanwhile, South Korea's National Intelligence Service warned in the booklet '2024 Terrorism Situation and 2025 Outlook' published on the 27th that North Korea may attempt hacking during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in South Korea in October or early November this year.

The National Intelligence Service stated, “North Korea may conduct cognitive warfare or hacking in order to disrupt events,” and “There are concerns that they may employ a strategy of cleverly combining localized provocations and cognitive warfare in order to solidify the theory of a two-nation hostile system and secure initiative against the South.”

This is Mok Yong-jae from RFA's Free Asia Broadcasting in Seoul.

2. North Korean officials in China seen pretending to be South Korean

This is a Google translation of an RFA report.

The security services must be weakened if these officials think they can get away with this kind of action. Or the party is allowing this to happen.

North Korean officials in China seen pretending to be South Korean

The men take off lapel pins showing the portraits of past leaders and ask not to be identified as North Korean.

By Kim Jieun for RFA Korean

2025.03.26

https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2025/03/26/north-korea-china-badges/

A pin shows North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung, left, and former leader Kim Jong Il. (Pring Samrang/Reuters)

Recently, when entering restaurants or leaving official events, North Korean trading officials dispatched to China have been seen taking off lapel pins featuring the smiling faces of national founder Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il and pretending to be South Korean, two sources in China told Radio Free Asia.

All North Korean officials overseas are required to wear the “Kim Bu-ja” -- or “father-son” -- pins to show their allegiance to the men known respectively as “Great Leader” and “Dear Leader.”

The Kim dynasty is now in its third generation. Kim Il Sung, who ruled from 1948 until his death in 1994, was succeeded by Kim Jong-il, who ruled until 2011, after which his son Kim Jong Un took over as supreme ruler.

“Last week, I visited a famous restaurant in Shenyang with an executive from a North Korean trading company I knew through business,” a source from the Chinese city told RFA Korean, requesting anonymity for personal safety.

“When he arrived at the restaurant, he took off his Kim Bu-ja badge, put it in his pocket, and asked me not to say that he was North Korean,” he said.

“Furthermore, he not only hid Kim Bu-ja’s badge, but also asked me to introduce him as a South Korean,” he continued.

Easy to tell

Another source in Yanji city, in China’s Jilin province, said he had witnessed the same behavior.

“Recently, it’s hard to see North Korean officials wearing portrait badges,” he said. “North Korean officials take off their Kim Bu-ja badges and pretend to be South Koreans when they leave official events.”

It wasn’t clear why the North Korean officials wanted to hide their identity, the first source said. He speculated that it was because South Koreans in China are treated as wealthy.

“We don’t know the exact reason why these officials are taking off their Kim Bu-ja badges, but they might be embarrassed to be officials from North Korea, one of the poorest countries in the world,” he said.

Seoul envoy calls on N. Korea to stop sacrificing its people to sustain regime in return for Russia's support | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · March 27, 2025

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top envoy to the U.N. urged North Korea Wednesday to stop sacrificing its people to maintain its regime in return for Russia's support, underscoring that the war in Ukraine has caused "serious" suffering on its troops and their families.

Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook made the remarks, renewing Seoul's calls for Moscow and Pyongyang to end their miliary cooperation that has deepened following their "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty, which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed in June last year.

"This war has inflicted serious suffering not only on the Ukrainian people, and Russian soldiers and their families, but also on those of North Korea," he said during a U.N. Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

He noted that interviews with North Korean troops, captured in Russia's front-line Kursk region, have revealed they were deceived by the North Korean leadership to believe that they were sent to Russia for training, not to fight in a war.

"Reportedly, their families remain unaware that their sons have been sent abroad to engage in another country's deadly conflict until the authorities issue a certificate of death. Pyongyang even compelled the bereaved families to sign non-disclosure agreements regarding the loss of lives," he said,

Hwang went on to say, "Pyongyang must stop sacrificing its own people to sustain the regime in exchange for military, political and economic support from Moscow."

South Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Hwang Joon-kook speaks during a U.N. Security Council session, in this undated photo captured from U.N. Web TV. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The ambassador called attention to a recent meeting between Kim and Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, and their reaffirmation of the shared intention to fully implement the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty.

"This implies that this illegal military cooperation will continue in violation of the Security Council resolutions," he said. "We urge Russia and North Korea to immediately halt their illegal military cooperation."

Hwang also voiced Seoul's support for ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.

"The Republic of Korea sincerely hopes that the ongoing diplomatic efforts will pave the way for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace -- one that fully respects the principles and the spirit of the U.N. Charter," he said.

"In addition to the war's conclusion and the restoration of peace in Ukraine, we also take deep interest in the process and conditions of ending the war, as they will have far-reaching implications not only for the future of European security, but also for the global security landscape."

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · March 27, 2025

4. N. Korea releases photos of what appears to be airborne control aircraft for 1st time

Can they exploit AI effectively? What kind of game changer could that be?

(3rd LD) N. Korea releases photos of what appears to be airborne control aircraft for 1st time | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · March 27, 2025

(ATTN: UPDATES with S. Korean military assessment in paras 13-16)

By Park Boram

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Thursday disclosed what appears to be an airborne early warning and control aircraft for the first time and said leader Kim Jong-un supervised tests of "suicide attack drones" equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published photos of the airplane while reporting Kim supervised performance tests of drones with AI technology and a reconnaissance drone Tuesday and Wednesday.

Kim oversaw the tests while guiding defense science research projects of the Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Complex and the detective electronic warfare research group.

This image of a North Korean airplane similar to the South Korean Air Force's airborne early warning and control aircraft is published by the Korean Central News Agency on March 27, 2025. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

This image, published by the Korean Central News Agency on March 27, 2025, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaking to officials aboard an airplane similar to the South Korean Air Force's airborne early warning and control aircraft (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Photos showed Kim instructing military officials inside what appears to be an airborne early warning and control aircraft, similar to the Peace Eye, which is operated by the South Korean Air Force and produced by Boeing.

An airborne early warning system detects aircraft and vessels using radar, acting as "eyes in the sky."

The KCNA also released photos of the suicide drone test, showing the AI-powered drones successfully hitting ground targets, including a tank.

During the inspection, Kim "made an important evaluation of the military effectiveness and strategic value of the strategic reconnaissance drone with improved performance and the suicide attack drones with the introduction of new artificial intelligence," the KCNA said.

Kim stressed the unmanned equipment and AI fields should be "top-prioritized," emphasizing, "It is important to correctly shape the state long-term plan for promoting the rapid long-term development of them in keeping with the trend of modern warfare."

The report also said the tests "fully demonstrated ... the striking capability of suicide drones" for use in various tactical attack missions.

The surveillance aircraft unveiled Thursday appears to be Russia's Ilyushin Il-76 airlifter, topped with a radome -- a weatherproof enclosure that protects radar antennas and conceals the electronic equipment.

Radars mounted on airborne early warning and control aircraft are bigger than those on other military jets and more efficient in detecting enemy activities across a wider range.

North Korea's state media only published the aircraft photos, without making any reference to it in its written reports, presumably because it was not developed through indigenous technology but apparently with overseas assistance.

This image, published by the Korean Central News Agency on March 27, 2025, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) alongside officials while guiding defense science research projects of the Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Complex and the detective electronic warfare research group during the two previous days. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

South Korea's military said further analysis is needed on the aircraft's utility.

"New assessment is required on the normal operations and utility of the modified early warning aircraft unveiled today," Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a briefing. "As you can see, it is very bulky and assessed to be vulnerable to interception."

When asked about possible Russian technological assistance for the aircraft, Lee said the military believes the plane's internal components and equipment are likely linked to Russia.

"The aircraft itself is a modification of (a plane) North Korea already possessed," he said.

North Korea has been scrambling to bolster its reconnaissance capabilities by developing and upgrading reconnaissance satellites and drones, an area where it lags far behind South Korea and its ally, the United States.

Kim had also overseen tests of suicide attack drones in August and November last year, emphasizing drone technology, a move apparently related to the Russia-Ukraine war, where drones are playing a major role.

North Korean troops are believed to be gaining real combat experience from the war, having deployed thousands of troops in support of the Russian side.

The KCNA also reported Kim expressed satisfaction with the "new electronic jamming and attack weapon systems" under production, quoting him as saying that the stages of the party's line of modernizing the army are being "qualitatively attained."

Kim presented "the scientific and practical orientation and ways" to accelerate the "qualitative and quantitative" transformation in the development and production of unmanned weapons and equipment, although the KCNA did not elaborate.

This image, published by the Korean Central News Agency on March 27, 2025 shows a tank ablaze after being hit with an attack drone during a suicide drone test overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · March 27, 2025

5. N. Korea presumed to send at least 3,000 more troops to Russia: JCS

Kim Jong Un is renting his army.

(LEAD) N. Korea presumed to send at least 3,000 more troops to Russia: JCS | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · March 27, 2025

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 7-13, photos, byline; RECASTS quote in para 3)

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have additionally dispatched at least 3,000 soldiers to Russia in January and February in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine, South Korea's military said Thursday.

The assessment came amid concerns that North Korea and Russia's deepening military alignment could lead to Moscow transferring advanced arms technologies to Pyongyang in return for the troop deployment.

"Of the some 11,000 North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia, 4,000 casualties have occurred, and it appears that some 3,000 or more have been additionally dispatched in January and February," the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

In addition to the troop deployment, the JCS said the North continues to supply missiles, ammunition and artillery equipment to Russia, including "a considerable amount of short-range ballistic missiles and around 220 pieces of 170 millimeter self-propelled howitzers and 240 mm rocket launchers."

A wounded soldier, suspected to be North Korean and captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region, is seen in this file photo posted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's X account on Jan. 11, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The South's military said the North appears to be making technological upgrades to launch another military spy satellite, although there are no imminent signs of such a launch.

The JCS said it is closely monitoring North Korea's possible provocations, including launches of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, a hypersonic missile and a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

North Korea, which has been carrying out construction activities in the border area since last year, was found to have installed a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera on a transmission tower north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).

"While it is not a direct threat for surveillance operations, (the South Korean military) is maintaining surveillance operations and readiness posture while factoring in the development, as such activities could be exposed to the North Korean military," the JCS said, adding the CCTV camera was installed in early February.

Since last year, the North has been removing power lines and transmission towers built along the Gyeongui road in what was seen as a move to sever inter-Korean ties. It has so far taken down 11 transmission towers.

A closed-circuit television camera is installed on a transmission tower north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in this photo provided by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on March 27, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The North, which has mobilized troops to reinforce barbed wire on its side of the border, continued to carry out the task and recently suffered multiple casualties due to landmine explosions in the area, the JCS said.

Internally, the North appears to be carrying out a smaller number of wintertime military training compared with last year, the South's military said, attributing the fall to troop mobilization for various construction works, preparation for additional deployment to Russia and chronic energy shortage.

On its policies against the United States, the JCS assessed that the North appears to be focusing on increasing its bargaining power by boasting its nuclear capabilities and releasing a barrage of statements denouncing joint drills between South Korea and the U.S. and deployment of key U.S. military assets to the Korean Peninsula.

The North, which has condemned joint drills as a rehearsal for war, did not carry out major provocations this year as the allies conducted their annual springtime Freedom Shield exercise earlier this month.

North Korean soldiers hold stretchers that appear to be carrying soldiers wounded or killed due to landmine explosions, while conducting construction activities in the North's eastern front, in this photo provided by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on March 27, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · March 27, 2025

6. Preparations under way for N. Korean leader Kim's visit to Russia this year: reports

Will he or won't he go to Moscow or somewhere in Russia? How can Kim exploit such a visit for maximum benefit for himself?

(LEAD) Preparations under way for N. Korean leader Kim's visit to Russia this year: reports | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · March 27, 2025

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout; REWRITES photo caption)

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- Preparations are under way for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia this year, Russian news reports said Thursday, citing Russia's deputy foreign minister.

Speaking to journalists in Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Russia is preparing for Kim's visit to the country, Russian news agencies TASS and Ria Novosti reported, though they did not specify the exact timing of the visit.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also planning to visit Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, to continue strategic dialogue with North Korea, according to the reports.

This file photo, published by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 16, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) speaking with Russia's then Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu (front, R) during a visit to Vladivostok, Russia, the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The news came amid growing speculation about Kim's potential visit to Russia on the occasion of Russia's 80th Victory Day anniversary on May 9, potentially as a reciprocation for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June last year.

At that time, Putin invited Kim to Moscow for summit talks.

Earlier this month, Rudenko traveled to Pyongyang, where he met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong-gyu and discussed arranging "political contacts at the high and top levels," TASS previously reported.

Last week, Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu also traveled to Pyongyang and met with Kim, delivering a message from Putin.

North Korea and Russia have aligned closely since Kim and Putin signed a mutual defense treaty during the Russian president's visit to Pyongyang last year, elevating bilateral military cooperation and resulting in the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.

If realized, Kim's visit to Russia this year would mark his third such trip following his visit to Russia's eastern border city of Vladivostok in 2019 and the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center in the Amur region in 2023.

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · March 27, 2025

7. S. Korea's potential participation in Alaska LNG project to look 'favorably' in tariff talks with U.S.: Dunleavy

(Yonhap Interview) S. Korea's potential participation in Alaska LNG project to look 'favorably' in tariff talks with U.S.: Dunleavy | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · March 27, 2025

By Kim Na-young

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's possible participation in the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project will likely be viewed "favorably" in tariff negotiations with the Donald Trump administration, Alaska's governor has said.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy made the remarks in a roundtable interview with Yonhap News Agency and other news outlets on Wednesday, during his visit to Seoul to discuss the LNG project with government officials and major companies here.

"I don't represent the United States of America diplomatically. However, I would say that anytime our friends purchase products in the U.S., purchase gas from the U.S., invest in the U.S., that is always going to be looked favorably upon," he said.

"This project is a win-win-win for Korea, Alaska and the United States."

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (C) speaks at a joint media interview session held at Conrad Hotel in Seoul on March 26, 2025, in this photo provided by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

James Kim, chairperson of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), said the LNG project is "really important" as it could reduce the trade deficit the U.S. has with Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

"Under Trump 1.0, the trade deficit (with South Korea) was around US$20 billion, but under Trump 2.0, it's up to $65 billion," Kim said.

"President Trump and governor (Dunleavy), they have a very, very good relationship, and as you can see when President Trump spoke about Alaska, he really, really supports Alaska's energy project."

Dunleavy said South Korea's purchase of Alaskan LNG will "set all the other things into motion," including tariff discussions and partnerships with Korean companies.

"If Korea needs the gas, which it looks like they do ... then all of these other considerations, such as trade imbalances, tariffs, and are Korean companies going to be involved, will all have a positive outcome," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump announces tariffs on auto imports in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on March 26, 2025, in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)

The estimated US$44 billion project has recently drawn attention as a prominent bargaining chip for Asian countries, including South Korea, in their tariff negotiations with the U.S. administration. Washington imposed 25 percent duties on all steel and aluminum imports on March 12 and plans to further introduce reciprocal tariffs on a country-by-country basis next month.

In an address to the U.S. Congress earlier this month, Trump picked out South Korea and Japan as potential partners for the project, stating that they were interested in investing trillions of dollars each.

Under the project, the U.S. government plans to build a 1,287-kilometer pipeline from the North Slope, a massive, proven reserve of natural gas of over 3.4 trillion cubic meters, to southern Alaska.

The project aims to produce 20 million tons of LNG annually and start exporting them, primarily to Asia, as soon as 2030.

Earlier this week, Taiwan's state-run energy company CPC Corp. signed a letter of intent with the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC) to buy 6 million tons of Alaskan LNG, becoming the first foreign entity to officially join the project.

Now the pressure is on Japan and South Korea, who are the second- and third-largest LNG importers in the world, respectively.

During his two-day trip to Seoul, Gov. Dunleavy met with senior government officials, including acting President Han Duck-soo and Industry Ministry Ahn Duk-geun, as well as executives from key South Korean conglomerates, including SK, POSCO and Hanwha, to discuss the project.

Acting President Han Duck-soo (R) meets with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy at the government complex in Seoul on March 25, 2025, in this photo provided by Han's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Highlighting the benefits of importing Alaskan LNG, the governor of Alaska said it only takes a relatively short period of about nine days to ship clean gas from Alaska to South Korea as Alaska is the closest U.S. state to Seoul, and the transportation would take place right across the "uncontested waters" in the Pacific Ocean.

Typically, it takes about two to three weeks to transport LNG from Texas to South Korea, and more than a month if there are disruptions in the flow through the Panama Canal.

"Because of this closeness to Korea, there's tremendous interest in buying (Alaskan) LNG because it should be the direct shot, the lowest cost available in the market without any interference during any form of geopolitical event," said Brendan Duval, chief executive officer and founder of Glenfarne Group, a private joint developer in the project.

Duval said South Korean companies can also become active partners in the project, with steelmakers possibly supplying steel slabs and pipes for the gas pipeline construction in the northernmost U.S. state.

"And as you know, Korea is the world leader in producing LNG carriers," he added, explaining that two ships are needed for every million tons of LNG, amounting to 40 LNG carriers for the project.

This undated file photo provided by Europe's news photo agency EPA shows an oilfield in Alaska. (Yonhap)

On concerns over the economic feasibility of the decades-old project, Dunleavy said the woes are outdated.

Alaska has been pushing for the project since the early 2010s, with oil and gas giants like ExxonMobil initially joining the project but later pulling out in 2016 after a feasibility study showed it was one of the least competitive LNG projects in the world at the time.

"The economics are different because of the advancements in technology, the advancements in construction and because the demand for gas is very different today," Dunleavy said.

The importance of gas has sharply increased over the past few years with the development of artificial intelligence (AI), supercomputing and the global community's push for carbon-free economy, which have "changed the economics of the project for the better," he added.

In terms of cost, the Glenfarne CEO explained the Alaska LNG project can deliver gas from the gas field to the intake of the LNG facility "easily" on a levelized cost of $3, which is "equal to or less than" the Henry Hub pricing, a benchmark price for natural gas in the U.S.

"So at the end of the day, you are just calculating what is the cost of constructing the LNG facility," he said.

Asked about potential incentives for South Korea if it decides to join the project, Dunleavy said he is not aware of any promised incentives as the project is attractive on its own.

Graphic

This graphic depicts the Alaska liquefied natural gas project. (Yonhap)

nyway@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · March 27, 2025

8. Hyundai Motor opens 3rd U.S. production plant in Georgia

Hyundai Motor opens 3rd U.S. production plant in Georgia | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Boram · March 27, 2025

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Group on Wednesday (U.S. time) celebrated the opening of its new electric vehicle (EV) factory in Georgia, reinforcing its commitment to expanding production localization in the United States.

Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) will serve as a strategic production base to drive the company's global growth and play a key role in realizing the future of mobility, Hyundai Motor Group said.

It will also act as a hub to strengthen economic cooperation between Korea and the United States, it added.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Euisun Chung speaks during an opening ceremony of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Ellabell, Georgia, on March 26, 2025. (Yonhap)

In the opening ceremony of HMGMA, key company officials, including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Euisun Chung and Hyundai Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jose Munoz, participated. Local government heavyweights, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Rep. Buddy Carter, also attended.

"Standing here today, I can say I have never been more confident about building the future of mobility with America, in America," said Chung, adding that Hyundai has come to Georgia "to stay, to invest and to grow."

HMGMA, located on an 11.83 million-square-meter site in Ellabell, Georgia, has an annual capacity of 300,000 cars, with plans to increase production to 500,000 units per year.

It is Hyundai Motor Group's third production facility in the U.S., following Hyundai Motor's Alabama plant and Kia Corp.'s Georgia factory.

With the completion of HMGMA, Hyundai Motor Group now has a total production capacity of 1 million cars in the U.S. per year.

Last year, Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 1.7 million vehicles in the U.S.

Before the official opening, the plant had been in partial operation since late last year, producing two EV models -- the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9. Some Kia models will be produced at HMGMA next year.

HMGMA is designed as a software-driven factory (SDF) that utilizes data from the entire production process, incorporating the latest automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

AI analyzes production big data to detect abnormalities in advance, while advanced robots handle high-weight, high-risk processes and inspections.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Euisun Chung (L) and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp pose for a photo during an opening ceremony of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Ellabell, Georgia, on March 26, 2025. (Yonhap)

The opening of HMGMA came a few days after Chung announced a US$21 billion investment plan in the United States over the next three years at the White House with President Donald Trump.

The plan also includes a $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana to produce auto parts for Hyundai Motor Group's assembly plants in Georgia and Alabama.

Meanwhile, Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported cars starting next Wednesday. The U.S. government is also set to impose country-by-country reciprocal tariffs on the same day.

Chung called for concerted efforts by the South Korean government and carmakers to seek favorable deals in upcoming tariff negotiations with Washington.

"After the announcement, the government will lead tariff negotiations, and companies also have to be engaged. That's the beginning," he told reporters. "I know our investment plan can hardly affect Washington's tariff policies. We are just a company. It's a country-to-country issue."

brk@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Boram · March 27, 2025

9. South Korea’s International Adoption Program Violated Rights of Children, Commission Finds

So tragic.

It is almost as if the current Korean demographic decline is punishment for these past actions.

South Korea’s International Adoption Program Violated Rights of Children, Commission Finds

Official apology urged for adoption process that was often fraudulent and sent thousands of children overseas

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/south-korea-international-adoption-program-violated-rights-of-children-commission-finds-04c518cb?mod=Searchresults_pos5&page=1

By Tali Arbel

Updated March 26, 2025 11:33 am ET

Commission Chairperson Sun-young Park, right, comforts an adoptee during a Wednesday news conference. Photo: Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press

Key Points

What's This?

South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission urges the government to apologize for violating the rights of children adopted overseas, citing identity falsification and lack of oversight.
More than 140,000 children were adopted overseas as a cost-effective alternative to strengthening domestic child welfare policies.
The commission recommends remedies for victims whose identities were falsified and a survey on adoptees' citizenship status, acknowledging the mass exportation of children abroad to meet foreign demand.

A South Korea commission said the government should issue an official state apology for violating the rights of children adopted overseas, acknowledging that the country over decades allowed fraudulent practices and abuses in what it called a “mass exportation” of children.

The government-established Truth and Reconciliation Commission said the government failed to properly oversee the private agencies that facilitated the adoptions overseas, which began in the devastating economic aftermath of the Korean War. The government used the adoptions of more than 140,000 children as a “cost-effective alternative to strengthening domestic child welfare policies.”

Many children’s identities were faked, the commission said. Not enough efforts were made to find the legal guardians of children who were abandoned before they were put up for adoption. The commission said there were cases of agencies giving children another identity when its biological family was attempting to reclaim them to expedite the adoption process. There wasn’t enough screening of adoptive parents.

The commission’s conclusions come from a more than two-year investigation. Over 300 adoptees to 11 countries over more than three decades filed a petition saying their identities were changed or documents related to their adoptions were forged.

Peter Møller, left, Boonyoung Han, co-founders of the Danish Korea Rights Group, and adoptee Yooree Kim, right, on Wednesday. Photo: Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press

Children were sent abroad starting in the aftermath of the Korean War as the poor country rebuilt, the commission said. The adoptions continued through the 2000s, even as Korea became a rich country.

“This is a shameful part of our history,” said the commission’s chairperson, Sun-young Park, during a press conference attended by adoptees from Europe, the U.S. and Australia.

The commission said there was “mass exportation” of children abroad by Korean adoption agencies to meet demand from foreign agencies. The commission also said that the Korean agencies made “substantial profits” from requiring adoptive parents and foreign agencies to pay fees, which the commission called “mandatory donations,” that exceeded the costs of adoptions.

Among the measures recommended by the commission were remedies for victims whose identities were falsified and a survey on adoptees’ citizenship status.

Korea’s international adoptions began with mostly mixed-race children following the war, and grew to include the children of unwed mothers, abandoned babies and others. Domestic adoption is uncommon in the country, and raising a child out of wedlock was taboo in a socially conservative culture.

In one 1970s case documented by the commission, a child who was found abandoned in Seoul was approved for an overseas adoption. When the child’s adoption was in its final stages, its identity was given to another child. This child, born to an unwed couple and given to an adoption agency by his uncle, was sent to Denmark under the false identity just one day after being given up for adoption. The initial child was presumed to have died, the commission said.

Write to Tali Arbel at tali.arbel@wsj.com

Appeared in the March 27, 2025, print edition as 'South Korean Panel Finds Adoption Plan Allowed Fraud, Abuses'.

10. Even a $14,000 Government Handout Can’t Get South Korea’s Singles to Marry

"Money can't buy me love" or so said Lennon and McCartney.

But this is quite the counterpoint to the adoption tragedy from a few decades ago.

Even a $14,000 Government Handout Can’t Get South Korea’s Singles to Marry

State-sponsored dating has become a phenomenon in a country with rock-bottom fertility rates; ‘I don’t want my parents to find out’

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/relationships/singles-dating-marriage-fertility-birthrate-south-korea-bdb40c7b?mod=Searchresults_pos3&page=1

Kim Min-ki met his wife Shin Seona through a government-run matchmaking program. Photo: Kim Min-ki

By Soobin Kim and Dasl YoonFollow

March 26, 2025 11:00 pm ET

SEOUL—Lee Eun-jin has a secret fear. The 31-year-old barista worries her parents will find out about all the cash handouts and dating services local governments are offering to reverse South Korea’s shrinking birthrate.

“They will make me apply,” she says, with a big sigh.

State-sponsored dating has become a phenomenon here. It has spread out across the country as its fertility rate slumps, falling to an average of 0.75 children per woman, about a third of the figure needed to keep the population level stable.

City governments launched matchmaking services and other incentives to boost the world’s lowest birthrate. The national government has expanded parental leave and increased cash payouts to newlyweds. In South Korea, a socially conservative country, marriage is by and large the only route to having children. Fewer than 5% of births come outside of wedlock.

Saha-gu, a district in South Korea’s second largest city of Busan, offers singles who match at its events around $340 to spend on dates. Those who get married receive roughly $14,000 upfront and are feted with housing subsidies and more cash to cover pregnancy-related expenses and international travel. No participant has claimed the prize for marriage.

Construction firm Booyoung Group pays its employees roughly $75,000 each time they have a baby. Photo: Yonhap News/Zuma Press

Churches and companies are lending a hand. Booyoung Group, a construction firm in Seoul, pays its employees roughly $75,000 each time they have a baby. Yoido Full Gospel Church, one of the world’s largest congregations in the world, gives its members $1,380 for each childbirth.

But marriage is a tough sell for many South Korean singles.

A recent survey shows roughly three-fifths of working South Koreans think it’s OK not to marry. Many say they don’t feel the need, and rising living costs are big disincentives, as are the punishingly long work hours in South Korea’s office culture. Women face additional barriers in re-entering the workforce after childbirth.

Typically, men are more eager to participate in government dating programs. Smaller counties have had to cancel their matchmaking events when not enough women applied.

In South Korea, around 42 districts launched matchmaking events between 2022 and last August, and among the roughly 4,000 singles who participated just 24 couples got married, according to lawmaker Lee Yeon-hee’s office.

At a parliamentary hearing, the lawmaker called the local districts’ initiatives “self-promotional” and embarrassing.

Lee, the barista, is used to her parents nagging her at the dinner table to date and get married before it’s too late. She hasn’t dated for nearly two years but would prefer to fall in love organically. Thousands of dollars in incentives won’t change her mind.

“I don’t want my parents to find out about these government programs,” she said, noting it would only add to the pressure.

Shin Dong-woo put off marriage for years while he trained to be a lawyer. Now, the 37-year-old runs his own practice in Seoul, giving him the kind of stable employment many South Koreans see as a prerequisite to marriage. Still, when a friend encouraged him to apply for a government-organized Valentine’s Day matchmaking event, he hesitated, thinking about all the paperwork he would need to prepare to prove his identity, residence and employment.

Shin Dong-woo was reluctant to apply for a government-organized Valentine’s Day matchmaking event. Photo: Shin Dong-woo

“It’s more troublesome than you’d think,” says Shin, who overcame his reservations and applied.

In a large room lined with painted canvases, each attendee had to lock eyes with everyone of the opposite sex for 10 seconds to test for chemistry. Then came five-minute chats with 15 people, and dinner over bingo, before having to submit their top three choices.

Seoul tries to speed up the get-to-know-each-other phase by offering a bundle of tickets and restaurant vouchers to its matches. Shin matched with a woman. But within about two weeks, they had lost touch. The free tickets to a Van Gogh exhibit have gone unused.

“It’s meaningful only if we go together,” he says.

Government matchmakers aren’t losing hope.

Every other month, Kim Seon-mi heads out from her job at the district government office in Daegu, South Korea’s fourth largest city, to scout romantic locations and deck them out with flowers and banners. She then invites 10 handpicked men and women from a pool of applicants and recruits a dating coach to help them fall in love.

Her team’s matchmaking programs have produced 179 marriages in nine years. Partnering banks, hospitals and event planning agencies provide prospective newlyweds with subsidies and discounts to make sure their marriages lead to more births.

Kim Seon-mi said her team’s matchmaking programs have produced 179 marriages in nine years. Photo: Kim Seon-mi

“We approach it in terms of demographic policy from the very beginning,” Kim said.

Lee Seyun, who works in marketing, mingled with potential suitors at a matchmaking event in Seoul last November. After ice-breaking games, bottomless drinks and a boat ride along the Han River, she didn’t find a match.

At an afterparty Lee spotted a man she didn’t get a chance to talk to at the event. They’re now in a relationship. She doesn’t get any of the freebies since they didn’t technically meet through the government program, but she doesn’t mind.

“My only goal was to meet someone nice,” said the 30-year-old Lee.

Kim Min-ki is proof that government setups can stick. He met his wife over six years ago through “Rollercoaster of Love,” a matchmaking program in Daegu. The now 38-year-old teacher recalled arriving 30 minutes early to the event to find someone already there: a tall woman in an elegant green dress named Shin Seona, also a 38-year-old teacher. They exchanged pleasantries and chatted, as 28 other participants trickled in.

By the end of a daylong itinerary consisting of a relationship guru’s lecture, speed dating and a group outing to a theme park, Kim and Shin were discussing how many children they wanted.

“For the first time in my life, I was thinking this could lead to marriage,” said Shin.

They were married within six months and now have a son. The city offered a lakeside public park for the wedding ceremony free of charge, but the couple booked a different wedding hall.

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

11. Pyongyang confiscates most of salaries from its troops in Russia

Just as they do for all overseas Korean workers from the north.

Pyongyang confiscates most of salaries from its troops in Russia

donga.com

Posted March. 27, 2025 07:48,

Updated March. 27, 2025 07:48

Pyongyang confiscates most of salaries from its troops in Russia. March. 27, 2025 07:48. by Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com.

It has been reported that the North Korean regime intercepts over three-quarters of the paychecks North Korean troops in the Russo-Ukrainian War receive from Russian authorities. In other words, the regime takes advantage of most of the money that is supposed to go to the individual soldiers deployed to the Kursk war fronts, one of the most violent areas, to finance its nuclear development program.

“We have discovered that North Korean soldiers receive around 2,000 U.S. dollars a month in exchange for their military service in Russia, but only 400 to 500 dollars are paid to each soldier,” said a North Korean source on Wednesday. Another source reported that quite a large number of North Korean soldiers had not received any money at all. This suggests that those salaries paid by Russian authorities are, in effect, being used to financially support North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s nuclear ambitions and his regime. Last October, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) told the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee that Russia reportedly paid North Korean troops a monthly amount of around 2,000 dollars per soldier.

In addition to around 11,000 special troops from the Storm Corps and the Reconnaissance General Bureau deployed to Russia last October and sent to the frontlines the following month, Pyongyang reportedly dispatched another 1,000 troops earlier this year. As of now, the number of casualties has reached more than 4,000, including hundreds of lives lost.

South Korean intelligence officials believe that the news spreads within North Korea, causing public unrest. Even though North Korean troops have been deployed to the battlefield for over four months, neither North Korea nor Russia has officially acknowledged the deployment. “A growing number of North Korean residents have come across the news on the deployment of troops in Russia despite the regime’s attempt to keep it from spreading,” the NIS said.

한국어

donga.com

12. Starting young: N. Korean textbook reveals indoctrination of kindergarteners

But even the children must know you cannot eat ideology.

This illustrates elements of the nature of the Kim family regime.

Starting young: N. Korean textbook reveals indoctrination of kindergarteners - Daily NK English

Current leader Kim Jong Un appears in an anecdote describing how he personally arranged for educational toys to be sent to a children's store

By Seon Hwa -March 27, 2025

dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · March 27, 2025

Daily NK has obtained a 2022 kindergarten textbook published by North Korea’s Education Newspaper that reveals how the regime shapes young minds through political indoctrination. The textbook, titled “Flower Petals,” is designed for 6- and 7-year-old children and focuses on glorifying the country’s leadership while criticizing capitalist societies.

A source inside North Korea provided the textbook, offering rare insight into the educational materials used to influence children from their earliest school years.

The lessons feature numerous stories about the childhoods of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. These narratives portray Kim Il Sung teaching neighborhood children about expelling Japanese forces and reclaiming Korea for its people, while Kim Jong Il is depicted as having cherished the “people’s army” from a young age—both stories crafted to emphasize the leaders’ supposed greatness.

Current leader Kim Jong Un appears in an anecdote describing how he personally arranged for educational toys to be sent to a children’s store. This story aims to demonstrate Kim’s purported love and concern for North Korean children.

The textbook also contains historical narratives about ordinary North Koreans being exploited by landlords, capitalists, and Japanese imperialists before liberation. “We mustn’t forget those times of bitter enmity,” the text emphasizes, clearly designed to instill class consciousness in young students.

Anti-capitalist messaging features prominently throughout the material. One particularly striking story appears under the title “Is it a joke, or is it murder?” It describes: “In one capitalist country, there was a terrible incident in which a five-year-old boy fatally shot his own brother with a handgun. The capitalist country in which that boy lives is a country where people only care about themselves, a country where people casually kill other people for their own benefit.”

This harsh portrayal of capitalist society attempts to shape negative views in kindergarteners who lack the context to understand complex economic systems. The underlying message positions North Korea’s socialist system as uniquely safe and beneficial by comparison.

Even within North Korea, some citizens appear troubled by this early indoctrination of children.

“Every day, children bow and sing to portraits and statues (of the Kim family) and talk about how the Marshal (Kim Jong Un) loves them. People can’t help but sigh when they see children naïvely believe they’re the happiest people on earth,” the source told Daily NK.

The source added, “Some people who come across these textbooks criticize the dishonesty of promoting children’s stores to kids who have likely never even visited one. It’s disturbing to watch these innocent children earnestly repeating messages about the Marshal’s love.”

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · March 27, 2025

13. N. Korea launches crackdown on unlocked TVs in border regions

information is an existential threat to the regime. WHo does Kim fear more" The combined ROK and US militaries? Or the Korean people in the north? It is the Korean people in the north armed with information that Kim fears more than anything else. That should tell us something and point to the efforts we should be investing in.

N. Korea launches crackdown on unlocked TVs in border regions - Daily NK English

The country prohibits unregistered electronic devices to prevent outside information from entering its borders

By Eun Seol - March 27, 2025

dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · March 27, 2025

FILE PHOTO: CCTV camera in Jilin Province on the China-North Korea border. (Daily NK)

The North Korean regime has launched extensive inspections of household TVs to ensure channels remain locked. This campaign appears driven by the government’s fears about foreign cultural influence.

Sources in North Korea revealed to Daily NK recently that state security departments in Ungjin county (South Hwanghae province) and Hyesan (Ryanggang province) are conducting home visits to check television settings. These departments are following Ministry of State Security directives to perform random household inspections over a three-month period to verify that televisions maintain their channel locks.

The emergency measures were implemented after authorities discovered growing numbers of North Koreans secretly watching South Korean and Chinese broadcasts. Inspections target areas in South Hwanghae and Ryanggang provinces—regions bordering South Korea and China where foreign signals can be received.

North Korea prohibits unregistered electronic devices to prevent outside information from entering the country. Citizens caught using unauthorized devices face severe consequences.

The country’s Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law addresses these restrictions in Article 17, stating: “Agencies, enterprises, organizations and citizens must not consume impure propaganda on televisions or radios without a channel lock and must not distribute such propaganda to other people.”

Article 33 of the same law mandates that anyone who “violates the order for using electronic devices or transmission equipment” including televisions, radios and computers “shall be sentenced to disciplinary labor or, in severe cases, up to five years of hard labor.”

When North Koreans purchase televisions, they must immediately notify state security. Agents then physically lock the channels and apply a sticker from the No. 27 Bureau, ensuring residents can only access approved channels like Korean Central Television.

In Ungjin and Hyesan, security agents are conducting surprise raids on random households to verify television locks and No. 27 Bureau stickers. These raids specifically target residents who might be watching foreign broadcasts on unlocked or unregistered devices in border areas where South Korean and Chinese television signals can be received.

Residents in the affected regions are reportedly anxious about these inspections. “People are afraid that if they’re caught, they may be sent to a labor camp or, even worse, be forced to relocate. Relocation presents the nerve-wracking prospect of struggling to survive in an unfamiliar environment,” a South Hwanghae province source told Daily NK.

Local citizens have expressed frustration that families of officials in state organizations—including party members, security personnel, and police—appear exempt from these raids. According to a source in Ryanggang province, “A party official at a county in Ryanggang province spoiled the mood at a private gathering by complaining that it was pointless to watch Chinese channels because of all the commercials. His remark implied that government officials can switch to Chinese channels with impunity. Locals complain that the current raids have no impact on the families of state officials.”

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · March 27, 2025

14. Hegseth seeks to reassure jittery allies, partners during inaugural Pacific trip

Strategic reassurance. Strategic resolve. Do we have one that provides the other?

And since South Korea was omitted from this trip, jitters will remain there.

Hegseth seeks to reassure jittery allies, partners during inaugural Pacific trip

Stars and Stripes · by Wyatt Olson · March 26, 2025

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a gathering at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, March 25, 2025. (Asia-Pacific Center for Security)

America’s allies and partners in the Pacific are important to the Trump administration as it pursues “peace through strength,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday in Honolulu during the first leg of his inaugural trip to the region.

“President Donald Trump has made it clear that we will achieve peace through strength, through an America First approach,” said Hegseth, whose remarks at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies were livestreamed to military and civilian leaders in the Indo-Pacific region.

“But America First does not mean America only or America alone, ignoring allies and partners,” he said. “It means that our military-to-military relationships must make sense for the United States and for our friends.”

Hegseth arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday and met with Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. He next travels to Guam, then to the Philippines and Japan, to meet with senior U.S. and foreign military and civilian leaders.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth presents the Navy and Marine Corps Medal award to Chief Petty Officer Pierce Decker at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickman, Hawaii, March 25, 2025. (Joseph Rolfe/U.S. Navy)

He arrived in Hawaii amid controversy swirling around his role in the reportedly accidental leak of plans for a March 15 attack on the Houthis in Yemen to Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic magazine, via a chat group on the Signal app.

Brian Hughes, the spokesman for the National Security Council, confirmed “the veracity of the Signal group,” according to Goldberg.

Questioned by reporters in Hawaii, Hegseth criticized Goldberg as “deceitful” and “discredited.” On Tuesday, administration officials appeared before a Senate committee to deny that any classified information was shared on the group chat.

“Nobody was texting war plans and that’s all I have to say about that,” Hegseth said in Hawaii on Monday, The Associated Press reported.

While Hegseth sought to reassure allies and partners of their importance during Tuesday’s speech, he hinted that changes to those relationships may lie ahead.

“Where there are imbalances, we will fix them,” he said. “We will find them, and we’re going to fix those imbalances. We will right-size the obligations and responsibilities needed for modern deterrence and defense – a large part of the conversation the admiral and my team had yesterday.”

Trump has long suggested that America’s allies, particularly those in Europe, rely too much on U.S. arms and troops. During his first administration, Trump pushed South Korea and Japan to pay more to support the U.S. military presence there.

Hegseth told the audience the administration would “achieve peace through strength” through the triad of “restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military and reestablishing deterrence.”

Hegseth’s emphasis on these three priorities, however, are more a continuation than a departure of the previous Joe Biden administration.

“The cornerstone of America’s defense is still deterrence, ensuring that our adversaries understand the folly of outright conflict,” former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a change-of-command ceremony in April 2021 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.

“[W]e’ll use existing capabilities, and build new ones, and use all of them in networked ways — hand in hand with our allies and partners,” he said.

Hegseth told the audience he would look for opportunities to collaborate with defense industries and “press hard to expand capacity and accelerate deliveries.”

He touted the White House announcement last week that Boeing would build the Air Force’s next-generation fighter jet, the F-47, to eventually replace the F-22 and F-35 jets.

The sixth-generation fighter would be “the most capable, most lethal, longest-range, most stealth fighter jet the world has ever seen,” Hegseth told the audience.

It is unclear, however, what appetite many of America’s allies have in continuing to acquire advanced fighter jets from the United States.

Some NATO countries, including Denmark, Portugal and Canada, are reconsidering relying on F-35 jets over concerns about American reliability as Trump at times seemingly regards allies more as foes than friends.

Hegseth dismissed such misgivings as unwarranted.

“We will work with our allies and our partners to deter the Communist Chinese and their aggression in the Indo-Pacific, full stop.

“To paraphrase the president, I say to all of you who are here with me today and listening from around the region, we have been friends, partners and allies for a long time, and we will remain friends, partners and allies for a long time to come.

“But I need — we need — each and every one of our friends and partners and our allies to do their part as well, to be force multipliers alongside the United States of America. That has to be a two-way street.”

Stars and Stripes · by Wyatt Olson · March 26, 2025

15. N. Korean junior officials lose sleep as superiors delegate ideological study work

Ideology first, Ideology always. It is the foundation for regime control.

N. Korean junior officials lose sleep as superiors delegate ideological study work - Daily NK English

"The rot begins at the top," a source said. "It has long been an unofficial duty for junior officers to arrange their bosses' study notes"

By Eun Seol - March 27, 2025

dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · March 27, 2025

Statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il inside the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. (Rodong Sinmun)

Lower-level officials are losing sleep as they struggle to organize their superiors’ study notes before the first-quarter political and ideological reviews. Despite Kim Jong Un’s repeated emphasis on “revolutionizing” officials, the reality is that higher-ranking officials routinely dump even basic tasks like arranging study notes onto their subordinates.

According to a Daily NK source in Pyongyang, March—when first-quarter political and ideological study reviews take place—has become particularly stressful for young party officials. This is because study notes are inspected during reviews, and senior officials consistently make their subordinates prepare their notes ahead of inspections.

One young official working for a district party committee in Pyongyang cannot rest in the evenings after work because he must organize study notes delegated to him by his superiors. With no time during working hours, he’s forced to pull all-nighters to arrange the notes, leaving him sleep-deprived.

North Korean officials must participate in various regular and irregular political and ideological study sessions, documenting what they learn in notes that are subject to periodic review. In this system, senior officials routinely task subordinates with organizing all their incomplete notes.

“Officials in high positions don’t worry about inspections of their study notes,” the source said. “If you’re the department chief of a district party committee, you simply make your department’s general guidance officers arrange your notes, and those officers then order young officials below them to do the actual work.”

As a result, it has become standard practice for officials to participate in study sessions perfunctorily while identifying subordinates who can prepare their study notes for inspections, the source explained.

“The rot begins at the top,” he said. “It has long been an unofficial duty for junior officers to arrange their bosses’ study notes.”

During the 30th Enlarged Meeting of the Secretariat of the Eighth Central Committee in late January, Kim Jong Un referred to drinking incidents in Onchon county, Nampo and property violations in Usi county, Jagang province, stating that the “core, central task in the new course of party building is the transformation of cadres along revolutionary lines.” He also declared that this year “should be set as a year for establishing a revolutionary Party climate and strengthening the whole Party.”

While the state calls for revolutionary transformation of officials and demands innovation in their attitudes, officials complacently bypass inspections by using their position and power to delegate work to subordinates.

People aware of the situation are increasingly frustrated. Some complain that the “nation will never function properly if this is what officials are like” and that officials “must be straightened out from the top.”

“People say they might share study notes among peers to arrange them together, but would never force someone else to do it for them,” the source said. “Yet officials constantly talk about revolutionary ideals while unhesitatingly engaging in unprincipled behavior. They say revolutionary transformation should begin with officials rather than forcing ordinary people to attend study sessions.”

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · March 27, 2025

16. N. Korea prepares workers for Russian reconstruction projects in occupied Ukraine

Kim Jong Un is preparing to make money from a Russian "Marshall Plan" to rebuild occupied Ukrainian territory. I wonder how many Kim family regime statues they will be able to erect there.

N. Korea prepares workers for Russian reconstruction projects in occupied Ukraine - Daily NK English

North Korea has been sending substantial numbers of workers overseas despite U.N. Security Council Resolution 2375, which prohibits this practice

By Lee Sang Yong - March 27, 2025

dailynk.com · by Lee Sang Yong · March 26, 2025

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia on Sept. 13 last year, according to the Rodong Sinmun on Sept. 14, 2023. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)

North Korea began selecting workers and technicians in early March for reconstruction projects in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, including the Donbas region. These labor assignments, already agreed upon with Russia, appear designed to earn foreign currency while strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

A source in North Korea told Daily NK recently that the country is reviewing plans to send groups of 1,000–2,000 workers for Ukrainian reconstruction projects. Skilled construction workers and technicians would be deployed first, followed by additional workers as needed.

The preparations are being coordinated by overseas construction departments at the Ministry of Labor (representing the cabinet) and the Ministry of National Defense (representing the army), along with state security bodies including the Ministry of State Security. These organizations are reviewing candidate lists with plans to send more construction workers with overseas experience (70%) than soldiers (30%).

In addition to overseeing ideological training for workers bound overseas, the Ministry of State Security is engaged in technical discussions with Russia about managing North Korean workers on assignment. The two countries are coordinating operations to prevent disruptive behavior, including potential defections.

“We’ve already held deliberations on several issues with the Russians. The number of workers to be deployed, their working conditions, and the method of compensation have already been addressed in negotiations. We’ve been informed that the Russians view these ideas positively,” the source said.

Since approximately 150 North Korean workers dispatched in January 2024 are already engaged in reconstruction work in the Donbas area—rebuilding roads and buildings, including homes, schools, and businesses—North Korea sees few obstacles to sending more workers overseas.

While Russia and Ukraine have yet to agree to a ceasefire or peace treaty, and Ukraine could raise objections over territorial rights, North Korea reportedly views this not as an obstacle but as an opportunity. By sending workers preemptively, Pyongyang hopes to secure a claim on reconstruction projects in Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia.

“Given international optics, North Korea will not officially send workers until a ceasefire has been reached. But unofficially, authorities are already proceeding quickly with health checks, intending to dispatch workers as soon as possible,” the source said.

North Korea Expects Food, Oil, and Materials from Russia

North Korea appears to believe that participation in reconstruction work will help address its economic challenges. Reports suggest that Russia, despite its own economic difficulties, has already promised material compensation in the form of food, oil, and industrial supplies in exchange for North Korean labor. Additional food would allow North Korea to issue more rations, while oil and industrial supplies would support North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s signature “20×10 regional development policy,” providing an opportunity to promote his “love of the people.”

Another motivation behind North Korea’s enthusiasm for Russian reconstruction projects is the need for foreign currency, which it can obtain by collecting “loyalty payments” from dispatched workers.

“Pyongyang will profit overall from the state share each worker is required to deduct from their earnings,” the source explained.

The “state share” refers to the foreign currency quota the North Korean government imposes on citizens working overseas. North Korea has recently doubled the required amount, forcing workers to spend long hours trying to meet their quotas.

North Korea has been sending substantial numbers of workers overseas despite U.N. Security Council Resolution 2375, which prohibits this practice. In February, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that North Korea sent thousands of workers to various parts of Russia last year.

Strengthening Relations with Russia

North Korea believes that participating in reconstruction work will reinforce its efforts to build a reputation as a “credible partner” in diplomatic relations. The ultimate goal appears to be using a stronger relationship with Russia to ease the pressure of international sanctions.

“Pyongyang views participation in the reconstruction efforts as a foreign policy initiative that strengthens a strategic diplomatic relationship and assists a fraternal country. Since Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia, our position is that we are the obvious choice to carry out reconstruction,” the source explained.

North Korea is also working closely with Russia regarding the possibility of South Korea or other countries participating in reconstruction efforts.

“The Party is already emphasizing to the Russians that we have large numbers of trustworthy, diligent, and technically skilled workers. But in case South Korea becomes involved, the Party also plans to work with Russia to ensure that North and South Korean workers don’t cross paths,” the source said.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Lee Sang Yong · March 26, 2025

17. South Korean eggs arrive in US to combat rising prices

Thank you South Korea. Not only a blood ally and a partner in the Arsenal of Democracy....

South Korean eggs arrive in US to combat rising prices

The US is importing hundreds of millions of eggs from countries around the world – not just Korea – after avian flu forced a mass bird cull

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3303560/south-korean-eggs-arrive-us-combat-rising-prices?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article

Reading Time:

2 minutes

Agence France-Presse

Published: 8:42am, 24 Mar 2025Updated: 8:44am, 24 Mar 2025

The United States is importing South Korean eggs to ease an avian flu-fuelled supply crunch that has pushed up prices across the country.

US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters in Washington that imports from South Korea – and Turkey – had already begun and that the White House was also in talks with other countries about temporarily importing their eggs.

“We are talking in the hundreds of millions of eggs for the short term,” she added on Friday.

The cost of eggs has skyrocketed due to multiple bird flu outbreaks in the US, forcing farmers to cull at least 30 million birds and sharply constraining supply.

Egg prices became a rallying point for US President Donald Trump in last year’s presidential election campaign as he sought to capitalise on voters’ frustrations with the rising cost of essential items during his predecessor Joe Biden’s presidency.

Carton of eggs are seen during a free give-away event in New York City on Friday. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

After returning to office in January, Trump tasked Rollins with the job of boosting the supply of eggs, and bringing down prices.

In the weeks since, producers in several countries have reported American interest in their produce, with the Polish and Lithuanian poultry associations saying that they had been approached by US diplomatic staff on the hunt for fresh eggs.

“There is a shortage of eggs in many countries,” Katarzyna Gawronska, director of Poland’s National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers, said recently.

“The key question would be what financial conditions would be offered by the Americans.”

Chinese study finds new evidence that the world could be on the brink of another pandemic

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently noted that wholesale egg prices have fallen by almost 50 per cent since late February, which suggests that consumer prices could soon start to fall.

“The downward trend underscores the effectiveness of USDA’s approach,” the agency said in a statement.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Rollins said that the imports of eggs would stop once US poultry farmers were able to ramp up supply.

“When our chicken populations are repopulated and we’ve got a full egg laying industry going again – hopefully in a couple of months – we then shift back to our internal egg layers and moving those eggs out onto the shelf,” she said.

17. Philippines wants India, South Korea to join ‘Squad’ amid China tensions

A new Squad. A modern Squad. The Mod Squad. (apologies, an attempted joke for old people, IYKYK)

Seriously though, perhaps this would fit nicely into the silk web of friends, partners, and alliances and strengthen the interconnectedness of bilateral alliances and multi-lateral and mini-lateral organizations.

Philippines wants India, South Korea to join ‘Squad’ amid China tensions

philstar.com · by Cristina Chi

Headlines

Cristina Chi - Philstar.com

March 24, 2025 | 3:23pm

AFP Chief Gen. Romeo S Brawner Jr. exchanges insights on regional security challenges during the high-level discussions at Raisina Dialogue 2025, March 2025.

Armed Forces of the Philippines / Released

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is pushing to expand the informal "Squad" security alliance by adding India and South Korea to the four-nation bloc formed as a counterweight to China's growing assertiveness in the region.

Speaking before an international audience of defense officials and security experts, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. proposed the addition of India and South Korea to the US-led alliance to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific.

"During the [Raisina Dialogue,] General Brawner engaged in crucial discussions focused on regional security and defense cooperation. Notably, he proposed the expansion of the 'Squad' security grouping to include India and South Korea, aiming to bolster collective security efforts in the Indo-Pacific region," the AFP said in a statement on Monday, March 24.

Brawner had specifically made the proposal during a panel discussion that included his counterpart from Japan, the chief of the Indian Navy, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific command and Australia's chief of Joint Operations, according to a Reuters report last week.

The Squad is an informal security grouping or alliance that currently consists of the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines. It was formed in 2023 when defense chiefs from these four nations first met on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The group had its second meeting in May 2024 in Hawaii, hosted by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The alliance is characterized as a "minilateral" partnership – an ad-hoc, issue-specific cooperation framework addressing a specific range of security threats, particularly in the maritime domain of the Indo-Pacific. It is specifically focused on upholding peace and stability in the region and checking China's growing assertiveness.

During his participation in the India-led Raisina Dialogue, Brawner also highlighted the growing defense ties between the Philippines and India. This includes the two nations' training exchanges, the acquisition of advanced defense systems like the BrahMos anti-ship missile system from India, and joint maritime exercises.

"We find commonality with India because we have a common enemy. And I'm not afraid to say that China is our common enemy. So, it's important that we collaborate together, maybe exchange intelligence," Brawner later said in an interview, as reported by Reuters.

The proposal to include India in the Squad group comes amid growing bilateral security ties between Manila and New Delhi. In December 2024, the two countries held their first-ever government-level maritime dialogue, where they agreed to explore naval and coast guard cooperation while emphasizing their "shared interest in a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region."

During those talks, both nations also explicitly called for "full and faithful compliance" with the 2016 Arbitration Award that invalidated China's expansive nine-dash line claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines received India's first delivery of its BrahMos missiles in April last year, which Manila acquired as part of the multi-billion AFP modernization program.

In February, Brawner announced plans to purchase additional missiles from India.

philstar.com · by Cristina Chi

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

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

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

Access NSS HERE

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