|
Quotes of the Day:
"Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is. And you must bend to its power or love a lie."
- Miyamoto Musashi
“In retrospect, all revolutions seem inevitable.
Beforehand, all revolutions seem impossible.”
—Ambassador Michael McFaul
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see."
- Arthur Schopenhauer
1. The Root of All Evil: Money, Rice, Crime & Law in North Korea (HRNK Report by Joshua Stanton)
2. Top envoy to US tapped as new national security advisor
3. Opinion | I Know How Nuclear War Is Waged, So I’m Calling for Peace With North Korea
4. 'One of the great absurdities in global geopolitics': Ex-Air Force general calls for formally ending the Korean War
5. Resignations by Yoon's diplomatic aides weigh on US summit
6. S. Korea releases report on N. Korea's human rights violations
7. Korea, Japan begin talks on corporate exchanges, trade in earnest after summit
8. Yoon's 'audacious initiative' for NK denuclearization hangs in balance
9. What’s behind the popularity of N. Korea’s version of Netflix?
10. US air base in South Korea halts flight ops for summer of repairs
11. US ambassador highlights extended deterrence in countering NK nuclear threats
12. 'Korean Dream' toward a unified Korea
13. Yoon-Biden summit - onward toward unification
14. South Korea to host third Summit for Democracy
1. The Root of All Evil: Money, Rice, Crime & Law in North Korea (HRNK Report by Joshua Stanton)
This event took place on Wednesday. I was traveling and missed it but I will send the link when the video is posted. By all accounts that I have received it was a brilliant performance by Josh and the entire team.
But what is most important is this seminal report on the evil of the Kim family regime.
The 151 page report can be downloadd\ed at this link: https://www.hrnk.org/uploads/pdfs/RoAE_Web_0329.pdf
This work will be used by Congress, the UN and cited in US StAte department reports.
The Root of All Evil: Money, Rice, Crime & Law in North Korea
Description:
HRNK will be featuring its latest report, The Root of All Evil: Money, Rice, Crime & Law in North Korea by Joshua Stanton.
The Root of All Evil examines the record of UN and U.S. sanctions implementation against North Korea, and it "proposes a long-term, multilateral legal strategy...to find, freeze, forfeit, and deposit the proceeds of the North Korean kleptocracy into international escrow."
"By forfeiting misspent funds and disbursing them for humanitarian purposes," Stanton argues, "a coalition [of like-minded nations] can compel Kim Jong-un to make better decisions with the wealth that rightfully belongs to the North Korean people."
The report launch will be conducted virtually, via Zoom, at 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (ET) on Wednesday, March 29.
Access information will be shared with confirmed participants the day prior to the event.
The event will be open to the press and on-the-record.
Please click on this link to RSVP.
Presenter: Joshua Stanton
Author, The Root of All Evil: Money, Rice, Crime & Law in North Korea
Discussants:
Soo Kim
Practice Area Lead, LMI
William Newcomb
Former Member, UN Panel of Experts on DPRK Sanctions
Moderated by: Greg Scarlatoiu
Executive Director, HRNK
2. Top envoy to US tapped as new national security advisor
It is a shame we will lose Ambassador Cho in DC but he will do great things for Korea as the NSA.
Top envoy to US tapped as new national security advisor
The Korea Times · by 2023-03-29 19:12 | Foreign Affairs · March 29, 2023
South Korea's Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Tae-yong speaks at an annual meeting of South Korean chiefs of overseas diplomatic missions at Lotte Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. Cho was named the new director of national security, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han /Yonhap
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday named South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Tae-yong as his new national security director, following the controversial resignation of his predecessor Kim Sung-han.
"President Yoon decided after contemplation to accept National Security Director Kim's offer to resign," senior presidential secretary for public relations Kim Eun-hye said in a press briefing. "And the president tapped Ambassador Cho as the new national security director."
The presidential secretary added that Cho's successor will be nominated soon.
The announcement came just a month before Yoon is to make a state visit to the U.S. and have a summit with President Joe Biden on April 26.
Cho is one of the diplomatic experts who helped map out the foreign policy platform for Yoon's presidential election campaign last year, along with the outgoing director and Kim Tae-hyo, the first deputy director of national security.
Cho is a career diplomat with more than 30 years of experience and has a reputation as an expert versed in South Korea's relations with the United States and Seoul's strategy in countering North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
Resignations by Yoon's diplomatic aides weigh on US summit
Under the previous Park Geun-hye administration, Cho served as the first vice foreign minister and first deputy director of national security. Before that, Cho was Seoul's chief envoy to six-party talks aimed to end North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
During the Park administration, Cho mostly engaged in talks with key officials of the Barack Obama administration, including current Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Since many of these officials are now part of the Biden administration, pundits say that Cho is well-connected with the U.S.
His solid connections with U.S. officials were showcased when he accompanied Yoon for a meeting with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim last April when Yoon was president-elect.
After becoming the U.S. ambassador, Cho earned a reputation for his frequent meetings with U.S. officials and South Korean stakeholders in the U.S. On March 20, Cho had a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and discussed pending economic issues between the two countries, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and chips act subsidy program.
Then president-elect Yoon Suk Yeol poses with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim, third from left, during their closed-door meeting at the home of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Rep. Chung Jin-suk, left, in Seoul, April 19, 2022. On the right is Cho Tae-yong, who was a lawmaker at the time.
Courtesy of presidential transition committee
In regard to North Korea, Cho has been advocating for the U.S. extended deterrence as a tool to contain Pyongyang's threats. During the National Assembly's government audit last October, Cho said the most important thing in countering the North's threats is "strengthening the extended deterrence."
Cho is now in Seoul to attend an annual meeting of South Korean chiefs of overseas diplomatic missions, and the presidential office said he will start moving into his new position immediately.
Cho's nomination came minutes after Kim announced his intention to resign in a text message sent to reporters, saying he hopes "the country's diplomacy and state affairs will not be affected by controversies stemming from me."
Recently, news reports and speculations have been alleging that Yoon may consider replacing Kim over confusion in handling the president's diplomatic activities, following the surprise resignations of protocol and foreign affairs secretaries earlier this month.
Before Kim announced his resignation, the presidential office had been insisting that he would continue to serve his role. Kim's resignation triggered concerns that the abrupt personnel changes will disrupt planning for Yoon's U.S. state visit next month.
"Initially, the office did not consider replacing the national security director, but Kim expressed his intention several times to prevent affecting state affairs negatively," a senior official at the presidential office said. "As far as I know, Yoon also tried to dissuade him from resigning."
The Korea Times · by 2023-03-29 19:12 | Foreign Affairs · March 29, 2023
3. Opinion | I Know How Nuclear War Is Waged, So I’m Calling for Peace With North Korea
I served with then-COL Leaf when he was the Deputy J3 for US Forces Korea. I am surprised to read this from him.
I too want the war to end and for there to be a sustainable peace on the Korean peninsula. The problem I have is that this cannot happen as long as Kim Jong Un remains in power. I strongly believe that a peace agreement or an end of war declaration will not bring peace and security to the peninsula. A peace agreement or end of war declaration is not something that Kim wants though he wmay support them if he believes he can exploit them to get S forces off the peninsula which is a critical objective that will allow Kim to coerce the South and provide him with the correlation of forces (by his calculation) to use force to achieve his objectives.
Although counterintuitive (and I will stand by for incoming fire), I believe that a peace agreement and an end of war declaration will increase the likelihood of conflict especially if things play out on Kim's terms that include the removal of US forces.
That said, I could support long peace negotiations if they were part of an alliance political warfare to set conditions to lead to change within north Korea.
This excerpted paragraph is perfectly logical from our perspective but it does not align with the nature of the Kim family regime. Kim will never be satisfied with an agreement. And Kim is not interested in humanitarian assistance for the 25 million Korean people. Kiom is not going to improve the human rights of the korean people in the north based on a peace agreement. He fears the Korean people more than the US military and he must deny the human rights of the Korean people in order to remain in power.
Excerpt:
A permanent peace agreement would undermine Mr. Kim’s portrayal of the United States as an existential threat and his justification for building up his conventional and nuclear arsenal. It could also short-circuit the siege mentality underlying his repressive regime. Sanctions relief and economic development could follow, leading to long-hoped-for improvements in the quality of life and human rights for North Korea’s 25 million people.
Opinion | I Know How Nuclear War Is Waged, So I’m Calling for Peace With North Korea
The New York Times · by Dan Leaf · March 29, 2023
Guest Essay
I Know How Nuclear War Is Waged, So I’m Calling for Peace With North Korea
March 29, 2023
A rally for unification of the Korean Peninsula in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, last year.Credit...Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
- Send any friend a story
- As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
By
Mr. Leaf is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general and a former deputy commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
Not many people know how to wage nuclear war. I’m one of them.
As a young U.S. Air Force fighter pilot in the late 1970s, I was trained to carry out nuclear strikes in a rigorous process designed to ensure that no contingencies — mechanical or ethical — deter your mission. Certain things remain burned into my memory: maps and photos of my target and the realization of the Armageddon I would leave in my wake. Training culminated with a sworn pledge to vaporize that target without hesitation.
Much of my 33-year career was spent as a nuclear warrior — I later oversaw the U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile fleet and served as deputy commander of American military forces in the Pacific — experience that informs my deep alarm over the growing risk of nuclear conflict with North Korea.
The United States has tried for decades to prevent the country from becoming a nuclear threat, veering from diplomacy to pressure to patience. None of these approaches have worked.
Here’s something that might: End the Korean War.
On July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed that halted combat, but the United States and South Korea technically remain at war with the North. This is no longer acceptable.
North Korea has nuclear weapons. It has conducted missile tests at a record pace since last year, including powerful ICBMs believed to be capable of delivering a warhead anywhere in the continental United States. In January, Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, ordered an “exponential” expansion of the country’s nuclear arsenal, and last year his government passed a law authorizing a pre-emptive nuclear strike. In response, President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea has said his country may consider developing nuclear weapons.
In this hair-trigger environment, one bad decision or misunderstanding could kill millions.
I spent four years in South Korea, including in high-level positions at the headquarters of combined U.S., South Korean and U.N. forces, overseeing the vast destructive forces amassed for a war that was no longer being fought. In my time in the region, I went from scratching my head to pulling my hair out. The standoff is one of the great absurdities in global geopolitics.
You must be aggressive to win wars but assertive to make peace. No matter how challenging the negotiations and politics of securing peace on the Korean Peninsula may prove, they are nothing compared with nuclear war.
A permanent peace agreement would undermine Mr. Kim’s portrayal of the United States as an existential threat and his justification for building up his conventional and nuclear arsenal. It could also short-circuit the siege mentality underlying his repressive regime. Sanctions relief and economic development could follow, leading to long-hoped-for improvements in the quality of life and human rights for North Korea’s 25 million people.
The United States, North Korea and South Korea have all pledged in recent years to pursue a lasting peace agreement. Separate meetings that President Donald Trump and then-President Moon Jae-in of South Korea held with Mr. Kim in 2018 committed to that goal. It brought an immediate easing of tensions. Land mines were removed from portions of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Korean families held reunions, Mr. Kim declared a moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests, the North returned remains of U.S. servicemen and released three detained Americans. Even after Mr. Trump’s outreach to Mr. Kim collapsed in 2019, Mr. Kim indicated he was still open to diplomacy.
There is currently a bill in the House of Representatives calling for a peace deal. The Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act would require the secretary of state to submit a “clear road map for achieving a permanent peace agreement”; pursue “serious, urgent” diplomacy in pursuit of a binding agreement; and begin to address America’s lack of diplomatic relations with North Korea by establishing liaison offices on each other’s soil.
The bill is imperfect. Much of it focuses on creating the conditions for Korean Americans to visit relatives in the North. (U.S. law currently bars travel by Americans to North Korea unless it serves an ill-defined “national interest.”) It also lacks other steps necessary to entrench peace, such as a process for U.S.-North Korean reconciliation, normalization of disputed maritime boundaries and a framework for talks between the opposing military forces.
There is an urgent need for progress. After the diplomatic overtures of recent years fell apart, Mr. Kim has only become more belligerent and the risk of conflict is more acute. Passage of a strengthened Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act is essential to securing a lasting solution, yet the current bill has not advanced since it was introduced in 2021.
Critics argue that a peace agreement may actually increase the risk of war by undermining safeguards put in place by the armistice nearly 70 years ago. These include specific demarcation lines and protocols for communications, movement and other actions within the DMZ. But there is nothing foolproof about the armistice. President Bill Clinton considered bombing North Korea in 1994, and Mr. Trump reportedly discussed using nuclear weapons in 2017. North Korea occasionally carries out provocations, and the North and South have exchanged artillery fire on several occasions.
There are other risks: Pyongyang may use a peace agreement as a pretext to demand the removal of U.S. troops from South Korea, which is a matter between Seoul and Washington.
But the hardest part of ending the war might be building the political will for it in Washington. Accommodating North Korea would inevitably lead to accusations that we are rewarding bad behavior and legitimizing a totalitarian regime. But the Kim family has ruled for 75 years; it’s time to accept that this is unlikely to change anytime soon.
At this moment, the next generation of men and women north and south of the DMZ are preparing for nuclear war. May they never have to put their training to use.
Lt. Gen. Dan Leaf (@figleaf31) is a retired three-star general, a former Air Force fighter pilot, a former deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Command and a former director of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. He is the managing director of Phase Minus 1, a security and conflict resolution consultancy.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.
Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.
The New York Times · by Dan Leaf · March 29, 2023
4. 'One of the great absurdities in global geopolitics': Ex-Air Force general calls for formally ending the Korean War
Lt General Leaf's column is going to be exploited by all north Korean sympathizer groups to include especially Women Cross DMZ.
'One of the great absurdities in global geopolitics': Ex-Air Force general calls for formally ending the Korean War
Brandon GageMarch 29, 2023
alternet.org · March 29, 2023
On July 27th, 1953, delegations from the United Nations, China, and North Korea met in Panmunjom and finalized the Korean Armistice Agreement, establishing a cessation of slaughter in the Korean War and demarcating the Demilitarized Zone along the 38th Parallel.
As the United States National Archives points out:
The Korean Armistice Agreement is somewhat exceptional in that it is purely a military document—no nation is a signatory to the agreement. Specifically the Armistice Agreement:
- suspended open hostilities;
- withdrew all military forces and equipment from a 4,000-meter-wide zone, establishing the Demilitarized Zone as a buffer between the forces;
- prevented both sides from entering the air, ground, or sea areas under control of the other;
- arranged release and repatriation of prisoners of war and displaced persons; and
- established the Military Armistice Commission (MAC) and other agencies to discuss any violations and to ensure adherence to the truce terms.
The armistice, while it stopped hostilities, was not a permanent peace treaty between nations.
Although the bullets stopped flying, the lack of a formal declaration of peace and the splitting of the Korean Peninsula into two separate nations has been the source of smoldering tensions in the ensuing decades, which are undoubtedly at their apex today due to North Korea's growing arsenal of nuclear weapons and its dictator Kim Jong Un's repeated threats to use them against the US and South Korea. Kim insists that drills conducted by the US and South Korea are a danger to his country. The democratic allies, meanwhile, maintain that they are rehearsing for the unlikely event that Kim launches an attack.
On Wednesday, retired US Air Force Lieutenant General and deputy commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Dan Leaf opined in a The New York Times editorial that the time has arrived to formally end the Korean War in order to avoid an atomic confrontation.
"Much of my 33-year career was spent as a nuclear warrior — I later oversaw the US intercontinental ballistic missile fleet and served as deputy commander of American military forces in the Pacific — experience that informs my deep alarm over the growing risk of nuclear conflict with North Korea," he wrote.
Leaf's argument is simple: every attempt to contain Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions has failed, "the United States and South Korea technically remain at war with the North," and brokering peace is the only remaining option to avoid a nuclear catastrophe.
"In this hair-trigger environment, one bad decision or misunderstanding could kill millions," Leaf stressed, recalling that "in my time in the region, I went from scratching my head to pulling my hair out. The standoff is one of the great absurdities in global geopolitics."
The priority, Leaf continued, must be to strip the wind out of Kim's proverbial sails.
"A permanent peace agreement would undermine Mr. Kim's portrayal of the United States as an existential threat and his justification for building up his conventional and nuclear arsenal. It could also short-circuit the siege mentality underlying his repressive regime. Sanctions relief and economic development could follow, leading to long-hoped-for improvements in the quality of life and human rights for North Korea's 25 million people," he explained.
While there has been some cooperative progress toward peace in recent years, those efforts have stagnated or reversed, and Leaf believes that there is a narrowing window of opportunity to achieve what is long overdue.
"After the diplomatic overtures of recent years fell apart, Mr. Kim has only become more belligerent and the risk of conflict is more acute. Passage of a strengthened Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act is essential to securing a lasting solution, yet the current bill has not advanced since it was introduced in 2021," he noted, adding that there is a possibility that "Pyongyang may use a peace agreement as a pretext to demand the removal of U.S. troops from South Korea, which is a matter between Seoul and Washington."
But that should not deter the overall goal, according to Leaf, although he conceded that "the hardest part of ending the war might be building the political will for it in Washington. Accommodating North Korea would inevitably lead to accusations that we are rewarding bad behavior and legitimizing a totalitarian regime. But the Kim family has ruled for 75 years; it's time to accept that this is unlikely to change anytime soon."
Leaf, therefore, emphasized that the stakes are too high for the major players to continue down their current path.
"At this moment, the next generation of men and women north and south of the DMZ are preparing for nuclear war," he concluded. "May they never have to put their training to use."
Leaf's full column is available here (subscription required).
alternet.org · March 29, 2023
5. Resignations by Yoon's diplomatic aides weigh on US summit
A lot of speculation about the recent shakeup of the national security team. As reported below there are supposedly scheduling issues that have something to do with the K-pop group BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga. Some friends (Koreans and Korean American Korea watchers) have said the BLACKPINK/Lady Gaga excuse is a smokescreen and there is something deep going on. But no one has shared with me what that might be.
Resignations by Yoon's diplomatic aides weigh on US summit
The Korea Times · by 2023-03-29 21:48 | Foreign Affairs · March 29, 2023
President Yoon Suk Yeol salutes the national flag during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. On the right in back is former National Security Director Kim Sung-han. Joint Press Corps
National security director resigns amid controversy
By Nam Hyun-woo
Concerns are growing over President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the United States next month, as a number of his senior secretaries involved in foreign affairs, including the national security director, have resigned just one month before his summit with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Experts say the resignations will not affect the overall theme of next month's state visit, which is to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the two countries and deepen their ties as reliable partners. However, this may slow the process of setting the summit agenda and erode the trust and respect that U.S. diplomatic officials have for their South Korean counterparts.
In a text message sent to reporters, Wednesday, National Security Director Kim Sung-han announced his resignation.
"When I was first offered this job from President Yoon, I told him that I would return to school after laying the ground for restoring the South Korea-U.S. alliance, improving South Korea-Japan ties and strengthening security cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo," Kim wrote.
"I believe the circumstances are ready, and the preparations for Yoon's scheduled state visit to the U.S. are on the right track, allowing my successor to serve the role without major setbacks."
Within less than an hour, the presidential office announced that Cho Tae-yong, Seoul's ambassador to the U.S., will replace Kim.
Prior to Kim's resignation, resignations were announced by protocol secretary Kim Il-bum on March 10 and foreign affairs secretary Lee Moon-hee on March 26.
The presidential office said the two secretaries left their posts due to "personal reasons," but their resignations stirred suspicions because the protocol secretary left the position just a week ahead of Yoon's summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and the foreign affairs secretary was replaced a month ahead of Yoon's state visit to Washington on April 26.
K-pop group BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentMultiple sources within and outside the presidential office suggested the resignations are the result of the mounting confusion between the office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while preparing for Yoon's recent diplomatic events.
According to sources, the U.S. proposed a joint performance of K-pop group BLACKPINK and American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga during Yoon's state visit, but this was not included in Seoul's reports to Yoon, which reportedly triggered the president to lose his temper with his diplomatic aides.
"This could not have been the sole reason for Yoon to decide to replace those secretaries," a ruling bloc official said. "There have been several rumors about confusion existing between the ministry and the presidential office, thus the president may opt to launch a shakeup of his diplomatic aides in the near future ahead of next year's general election, which may involve Foreign Minister Park Jin's departure from his post to run for the election."
Though the former national security adviser said he hopes the country's diplomacy and state affairs will not be affected by "controversies stemming from me," experts are saying this may give the U.S. a negative impression of South Korea's diplomatic capability.
"In terms of summit diplomacy, it is important to see whether the presidential office or the foreign ministry is leading the preparations, and it seems that the presidential office is spearheading that work in the Yoon administration," said Kim Joon-hyung, a professor at Handong Global University and former chancellor of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy.
"With a month left before the state visit, their replacement obviously will have an adverse impact on the summit."
According to Kim Joon-hyung, officials of the two countries are supposed to spend their busiest days preparing the agenda for the summit, including economic issues such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the chips act subsidy programs. The overall direction of the talks between Yoon and Biden will not be affected due to the replacement of some the diplomatic officials, but this can lead to complications as the U.S. officials will have to deal with new South Korean counterparts
"I don't think there will be any strategic problems, with the U.S. inviting Yoon for a state visit and Seoul giving a big present to Washington by mending ties with Japan," the professor said. "With key officials being replaced just ahead of the summit, however, this may make the U.S. officials lose respect for their counterparts in terms of expertise and trustworthiness."
The Korea Times · by 2023-03-29 21:48 | Foreign Affairs · March 29, 2023
6. S. Korea releases report on N. Korea's human rights violations
A human rights upfront approach. I am a broken record but this is important. Human rights are not only a memorial imperative, they are a national security issue as well. Kim. Jong Un must deny the human rights of the Korean people living in the north in order to remain in power.
S. Korea releases report on N. Korea's human rights violations | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · March 30, 2023
By Kim Soo-yeon and Yi Wonju
SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry made public details of its report on North Korea's human rights violations for the first time Thursday, highlighting widespread rights abuses by the North, such as public executions and torture.
The 450-page report to be officially published Friday was written based on around 1,600 human rights violation cases testified by 508 North Korean defectors between 2017 and 2022, according to the ministry.
It is the first time that the government has opened to the public its annual report on the North's dismal human rights record since it began drafting it in 2018 under the North Korean Human Rights Act passed in 2016.
"The publication of the report reflects the government's commitment to improving the North's human rights situation in a practical manner," the ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said.
This undated image provided by Yonhap News TV shows human rights violations facing North Korean women who have escaped their home country. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The report said North Korean people's right to life appears to be "seriously" threatened due to North Korean authorities' "arbitrary" use of power for human rights violations.
The North Korean regime has executed people in a widespread manner and even applied the death penalty for activities that include watching and spreading videos produced in South Korea, as well as religious and superstition-related activities, it said.
In 2020, the North enacted a law that calls for sentencing of up to 10 years hard labor for people who bring and spread outside culture and information in a bid to tighten state control of people's ideology. Punishment is known to be tougher in cases of those watching and spreading South Korean dramas, movies and music.
Public and summary executions have been frequently carried out in the North, with executions of people under age 18 and pregnant women being reported as well.
The report said a pregnant woman was publicly executed due to the spread of footage in 2017 where she was dancing while pointing her finger at a portrait of the country's late founder Kim Il-sung. In 2015, six adolescents aged 16-17 were executed by firing squad in Wonsan as they watched South Korean videos and used opium.
It also listed various other types of human rights abuses, such as torture, sexual violence and other inhumane treatment. The North has even conducted medical experiments on the bodies of people with mental problems without their consent.
The North is believed to have a total of 11 political prisoner camps across the nation so far, with five currently under operation, the report said.
The ministry said it will publish the English version of the report later in a bid to raise international awareness of the North's appalling situation.
"The government will unwaveringly move to improve the North's human rights record by cooperating with the international community until North Koreans will live a humane life," Unification Minister Kwon Young-se said.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · March 30, 2023
7. Korea, Japan begin talks on corporate exchanges, trade in earnest after summit
After last week's one step forward two steps back this looks like another one step forward.
Korea, Japan begin talks on corporate exchanges, trade in earnest after summit
The Korea Times · March 30, 2023
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaking during the Korea-Japan Business Roundtable at the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, in Tokyo, March 17. Yonhap
Some 100 government and corporate officials from Korea and Japan held a meeting Thursday on trade and new industry cooperation, the first major meeting after the two sides vowed to improve diplomatic and economic ties earlier this month, Seoul's industry ministry said.
They discussed ways to boost cooperation in new industry sectors and economic exchanges in the trade meeting in Seoul, co-hosted by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and the Korea-Japan Economic Association, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The meeting came two weeks after Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to improve the countries' strained relationship stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.
"It is necessary for companies of the two nations to strengthen cooperation on supply chains of advanced industries, net-zero goals and making inroads into new markets," Deputy Trade Minister Jeong Dae-jin said during the meeting.
Separately, Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang held talks with the chiefs of nine Japanese companies, including chemical firm Toray Industries, and asked for their greater investment in Korea.
The ministry said five additional meetings, meant to reinvigorate bilateral economic and industrial exchanges, and involving around 400 companies from the two nations, will be held in the first half of this year.
According to a recent survey by KITA, 63.6 percent of the 187 Korean trade firms said the recent Seoul-Tokyo summit is expected to have positive impacts on business.
Japan accounted for 6 percent of Korea's total trade last year, far lower than that with other neighboring countries. The comparable figure with China came to 21.9 percent.
Last week, Japan lifted export curbs on key industry materials to Korea, which had been in place since July 2019 in apparent retaliation against the Korean Supreme Court rulings in 2018 that ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation to victims of Japan's wartime forced labor.
Korea withdrew a complaint it filed with the World Trade Organization on the issue, and the two nations agreed to put each other back onto their respective "whitelists" of trusted trading partners. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · March 30, 2023
8. Yoon's 'audacious initiative' for NK denuclearization hangs in balance
It is time to move beyond denculearizaiton to a free and unified Korea as I wrote here: A Three Part Plan To Enhance President Yoon’s North Korea Strategy: Toward A Free And Unified Korea https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/09/a-three-part-plan-to-enhance-president-yoons-north-korea-strategy-toward-a-free-and-unified-korea/
Ambassador Robert Joseph led a working group that developed a new strategy to counter north Korea here: National Strategy for Countering North Korea https://nipp.org/information_series/robert-joseph-robert-collins-joseph-detrani-nicholas-eberstadt-olivia-enos-david-maxwell-and-greg-scarlatoiu-national-strategy-for-countering-north-korea-no-545-january-23-2023/
Yoon's 'audacious initiative' for NK denuclearization hangs in balance
The Korea Times · March 29, 2023
gettyimagesbank
By Lee Hyo-jin
Escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, triggered by North Korea's pursuit of an "exponential" increase in its nuclear arsenal, are making President Yoon Suk Yeol's "audacious initiative" for Pyongyang's denuclearization look like an increasingly far-fetched idea, according to analysts, Wednesday.
The initiative, proposed by Yoon last year, promises the North Korean government an unprecedented level of economic support in exchange for the country ultimately giving up its nuclear weapons. Yoon suggested a list of economic incentives such as large-scale food aid, providing assistance for power generation and building infrastructure in the country.
However, the initiative is facing an uncertain future at this point, with Yoon sticking to a hardline stance on North Korea amid its rising belligerence in recent months.
Last week, the president said his administration will make North Korea pay the price for its nuclear threats. On Tuesday, Yoon said he will "not give a single penny to North Korea if it continues to develop nuclear weapons." He also ordered the Ministry of Unification to disclose the reality of the human rights situation in North Korea, a sensitive topic for the totalitarian state.
Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, believes that Yoon's audacious plan is losing momentum.
"In order for the plan to kick off, North Korea should first show significant steps toward denuclearization. But realistically speaking, Pyongyang will not give up its advanced nuclear prowess," he told The Korea Times.
On the previous day, North Korea released photos of its Hwasan-31, which appeared to be a miniaturized nuclear warhead. The state media reported that its leader Kim Jong-un had called for boosting the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials to exponentially expand the country's nuclear arsenal.
"To this day, there hasn't been any country which relinquished nuclear weapons that it developed on its own," Hong said, stressing that North Korea will not be the first country to do so.
Nonetheless, the researcher anticipated that the South Korean government will not officially abandon the denuclearization roadmap.
"Although chances of materializing the initiative seem slim, the plan itself sends a strong political message to the international community. It is important to consistently ask for support from other countries on achieving North Korea's denuclearization," he said.
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se visited Tokyo last week to upgrade bilateral cooperation with Japan on North Korea issues including Yoon's proposed initiative. North Korean state media slammed Kwon's move, Monday, saying that "he begged for support for the 'audacious plan of some kind' that has been already trashed."
Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University said the initiative is hanging in the balance due to North Korea's reluctance to come to the negotiating table.
"South Korea and the United States have repeatedly said they are open to talks. But North Korea has no intention to negotiate, which would mean that it has to surrender its nuclear weapons to some extent," he said.
Nevertheless, the professor was quite optimistic that Pyongyang will ultimately turn to negotiations, which will enable Yoon to make progress with his plan. Park cautiously predicted that the North Korean leader may restart talks after conducting a seventh nuclear test this year, and use it as leverage in negotiations.
The Korea Times · March 29, 2023
9. What’s behind the popularity of N. Korea’s version of Netflix?
The Propaganda and Agitation Department is trying to compete with external information. It will never "win."
What’s behind the popularity of N. Korea’s version of Netflix?
“The most common thing people do is download the content to their mobile phones for viewing later,” a reporting partner told Daily NK
dailynk.com
An introduction to "My Companion" posted on the North Korean website "DPRK Today." The advertisement says that users can view newly released movies and dramas through the service.
North Korea’s “My Companion” website is popular among consumers because it is being frequently updated and its content can be viewed across various devices, Daily NK has learned.
“Various kinds of people use My Companion, including travelers, housewives, children and students,” a reporting partner in North Korea told Daily NK on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. “Two out of 10 households in agricultural villages or mountain towns use it, as do four out of 10 households in major cities.
“In the old days, it had only very old movies, but starting in the early months of this year, the website now has a section introducing movies of interest to various age groups. That has made it easier to find films,” he said. “One or two new short skits [sitcoms] come out a month, and right now, the film ‘Memoirs of a Prosecutor’ and foreign film ‘Tom and Jerry’ are most popular.”
In the past, the website would get a makeover every one or two years, but recently, it has been getting a remodel — including new background images — every six months, according to the reporting partner.
North Korea unveiled “My Companion” in 2019, promoting it as a place to easily find and watch movies. The website appears to have expanded its user base as developers later improved the website, along with developing a mobile app. In fact, the Rodong Sinmun reported the release of “My Companion 2.0” on Feb. 18, noting that users can now watch films in HD.
Based on the reporting partner’s account, North Koreans general prefer to download content rather than stream it.
“The most common thing people do is download the content to their mobile phones for viewing later,” he said. “It’s no big deal to download movies, but it costs a lot of mobile money to stream them through the website.”
Netflix recommends speeds of 3 Mbps and 5 Mbps to watch HD (720p) and full HD (1080p) content. North Korea has a 3G mobile environment, which means that data transfer speeds are estimated at just 1 Mbps. This suggests that North Korean consumers would need to spend a significant amount of money to stream if they do not have an unlimited data plan or flat-rate plan.
Even setting aside the costs involved, North Korea’s mobile telecommunications network presents difficulties for users to steam content, so people prefer to watch films after downloading them first.
A screen capture from the KCTV series, “Memoirs of a Prosecutor.” (KCTV)
“The most common method is to download them at home through the intranet, and then watch them on a desktop or notebook computer, tablet or mobile phone,” said the reporting partner. “This way, you don’t pay anything beyond your intranet bill of KPW 20,000 a month.”
If not, users can download films one-by-one through their smartphones, which would require them to pay for each film separately. This means that users would need to pay USD 2 to download a single 15-minute sitcom, and USD 5 for one episode in a drama series, the reporting partner said.
In the case of dramas, people can download the entire series at one time. They can pay the entire fee at once, or download it at a discounted price of USD 4.50 an episode.
“To pay, you need to use electronic verification,” the reporting partner said. “You must enter your name, date of birth, sex and address, and you can pay with a card or with mobile money.”
In short, if North Koreans download a movie from the website through a wired network, they do not have to pay extra costs, but downloading a film through a mobile phone incurs additional costs.
“Homes with access to the state’s intranet only have to pay the intranet fee, meaning there’s not much in the way of costs,” the reporting partner said. “Intranet installation fees have doubled or tripled now compared to the past, so people who installed it early made a windfall.”
According to the reporting partner, the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers’ Party supervises the selection of content to release on the site.
“They review it on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis to create a nationwide distribution network for arts and culture and movies. Technical matters are handled by the Digital Activities Research Center in Pyongyang in cooperation with regional branches, while the Telecommunications Bureau in Pyongyang and regional post offices handle wired and wireless mobile communications, intranet installation services and other matters. All these agencies work together.”
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
10. US air base in South Korea halts flight ops for summer of repairs
US air base in South Korea halts flight ops for summer of repairs
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · March 30, 2023
U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falconsof the 35th Fighter Squadron wait for an inspection at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, Sept. 21, 2021. (Mya Crosby/U.S. Air Force)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The last U.S. Air Force fighter jets from Kunsan Air Base moved this week to Osan Air Base, about 75 miles north, ahead of a scheduled runway overhaul expected to last through the summer.
Around 30 F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 8th Fighter Wing will continue flight operations over South Korea from Osan while their 9,000-foot-long home runway receives a makeover, wing spokeswoman Capt. Kaylin P. Hankerson told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.
Kunsan is on the country’s west coast about 115 miles south of Seoul and is home to around 4,200 U.S. troops.
Military and commercial flights from Kunsan are suspended starting Saturday through late August when the repairs are expected to be complete, Hankerson said. Roughly 1,500 concrete slabs on the runway are designated for repair or replacement.
The U.S. military routinely makes runway repairs due to wear and tear from aircraft use and exposure to weather. The process involves excavating the existing slabs, pouring new concrete and letting it cure, according to Hankerson.
In 2019, the 8th Fighter Wing suspended flights at Kunsan for one day to repair a 4-foot-deep sinkhole caused by water erosion.
“Ultimately, the construction will ensure the safety of both the military pilots and assets that utilize the runway to project combat air power, as well as the safety of all aboard the Gunsan Airport commercial flights the runway facilitates,” Hankerson said by email.
Gunsan Airport shares a runway with Kunsan and provides flights to Jeju, a small island south of the peninsula.
Despite the runway’s closure, the 8th Fighter Wing’s readiness “will remain unaffected,” Hankerson said.
“As one of the [Air Force’s] most strategic positions in the Pacific, Kunsan will continue to contribute toward the protection of a free and open Indo-Pacific region during the closure,” she said. “Wolf Pack F-16s will continue to fly over the Korean Peninsula and [we] will continue to execute … missions here at home station.”
choi.david@stripes.com
Twitter: @choibbo
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.
Subscribe to Stars and Stripes
Just 99c a week! Subscribe
stars and stripes videos
around the web
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · March 30, 2023
11. US ambassador highlights extended deterrence in countering NK nuclear threats
We should keep in mind that one line of effort of the regime;s strategy is to drive a wedge in the ROK/US alliance and undermining confidence in extended deterrence is one way to do that. We should be exposing this aspect of north Korean strategy to make the Korean people in the South as well as Americans understand what the regime is doing and the effects it seeks to achieve. Exposing north Korean strategy can help to inoculate the people against it.
Excerpts:
"We are in discussions with the South Korean government about how to further reassure the Korean people and the government about our ironclad commitments, which includes an extended deterrence, our nuclear capability," Goldberg said in response to a question about his view on whether South Korea should develop its own nuclear capability in the face of the North's intensifying missile threats.
Extended deterrence refers to the commitment to use a full range of capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to deter attacks on allies. The U.S. has provided extended deterrence ― also known as the nuclear umbrella ― to South Korea since 1991, when it removed all of its nuclear assets from the Korean Peninsula.
However, the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile prowess has prompted doubts from many South Koreans about the U.S.' commitment to extended deterrence. Such skepticism has led to calls for Seoul to build its own nuclear weapons out of necessity or for the redeployment of American tactical nuclear weapons here.
US ambassador highlights extended deterrence in countering NK nuclear threats
The Korea Times · March 30, 2023
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg speaks at the 12th ROK-U.S. Alliance Forum, hosted by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUSAF) and the Korea Defense Veterans Association at a hotel in Seoul, Thursday.
Newsis
Goldberg praises Yoon's efforts for reconciliation with Japan
By Lee Hyo-jin
The United States will continue to build extended deterrence and show its ironclad commitment to South Korea's security amid North Korea's growing provocations, according to U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Philip Goldberg, Thursday.
He made the remarks during the 12th ROK-U.S. Alliance Forum, hosted by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUSAF) and the Korea Defense Veterans Association, themed on the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
"We are in discussions with the South Korean government about how to further reassure the Korean people and the government about our ironclad commitments, which includes an extended deterrence, our nuclear capability," Goldberg said in response to a question about his view on whether South Korea should develop its own nuclear capability in the face of the North's intensifying missile threats.
Extended deterrence refers to the commitment to use a full range of capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to deter attacks on allies. The U.S. has provided extended deterrence ― also known as the nuclear umbrella ― to South Korea since 1991, when it removed all of its nuclear assets from the Korean Peninsula.
However, the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile prowess has prompted doubts from many South Koreans about the U.S.' commitment to extended deterrence. Such skepticism has led to calls for Seoul to build its own nuclear weapons out of necessity or for the redeployment of American tactical nuclear weapons here.
The idea seems to be gaining stronger support, especially after North Korea on Tuesday revealed photos of its Hwasan-31, which appeared to be a miniaturized nuclear warhead.
Goldberg, who said that such opinions from the Korean public are "understandable given the threats and provocations from North Korea," did not directly comment on the issue.
However, in a press conference held last October, the top envoy made it clear that the U.S. opposes the redeployment of tactical nuclear arms in South Korea.
At Thursday's event, Goldberg highlighted that during the last 70 years, bilateral relationships between the two countries have expanded well beyond their traditional security relationship, to encompass business and industry, civil society, the arts, culture and academia.
"In 2023, it is also true to say that the character of our alliance has fundamentally changed. It is an exciting time in our bilateral relationship, as we redefine shared security with a comprehensive global partnership that addresses the full spectrum of emerging threats, while creating new opportunities to promote prosperity and democratic values," he said.
Regarding intensifying U.S.-China rivalry, Goldberg said, "We all want a better situation and a better conversation with China. But we also have to be realistic about what China is doing in the region."
He went on to say that Washington will not remain silent about issues such as Beijing's increasing threats against Democratic Taiwan and repression of ethnic minorities.
Meanwhile, he commented that the Korean president's efforts for reconciliation with Japan "deserves great credit," as it has created an atmosphere for trilateral relations between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.
"We understand that some of the issues between South Korea and Japan deal with a very painful period in Korean history. At the same time, we want to look to the future where two modern democratic countries can work together with the U.S. and with other democratic countries to further our mutual security."
The Korea Times · March 30, 2023
12. 'Korean Dream' toward a unified Korea
It is very much worth reading and studying the Korean Declaration of Independence.
https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-losangeles-en/brd/m_4394/view.do?seq=761378
'Korean Dream' toward a unified Korea
The Korea Times · March 30, 2023
The Korea Times is featuring a special monthly series of commentaries that examine the opportunities and prospects for building a free and unified Korea inspired by the 'Korean Dream.' -ED.
By Hyunjin Preston Moon
We recently celebrated the 104th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement of 1919. Most Koreans acknowledge the significance of this day that launched efforts toward independence from Japanese colonial rule. More than two million Koreans in 1,500 towns and communities across the peninsula united their disparate voices in support of Korea's declaration for independence. Also referred to as the "Mansei" demonstrations, these peaceful protest marches were held throughout March and April of 1919 until brutally suppressed by Japan.
As peace negotiations began at the end of World War I, many colonized peoples were inspired by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points" which included a provision for national self-determination. They believed that Wilson's idealized vision for a new global order would open the door to independence from imperial oppression. Many, including Korea, sought representation at the Paris peace talks but to no avail.
As Japan was one of the five great powers that dominated the talks, the Korean representative was shut out from the discussions as the victors reconfigured the globe in their own interests, ignoring the principle Wilson proposed when it did not suit them. Given this context, it was amazing that the Korean people launched their movement for independence before the completion of the talks with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.
The Korean Declaration of Independence was signed by 33 representatives of widely diverse social, religious and cultural groups. It laid the moral vision for a grassroots movement that inspired more than a tenth of the total population of the peninsula to participate despite the clear dire consequences. One must recognize that this was organized in a primarily agrarian society under a hostile foreign regime with no international support, and long before the age of social media.
It drew upon the founding ideals of the Korean people rooted in "Hongikingan" which includes the mandate by heaven "to live for the greater benefit of humanity."
Thus, the movement for independence was not just about national sovereignty but a higher moral ideal with broader implications for Asia and the world: "We claim independence in the interest of the eternal and free development of our people and in accordance with the great movement for world reform based upon the awakening conscience of mankind. This is the clear command of heaven, the course of our times, and a legitimate manifestation of the right of all nations to coexist and live in harmony."
Unlike other declarations for independence that listed grievances at their oppressors' wrongdoing, it did "not intend to accuse Japan of infidelity for its violations … despite their disregard for the ancient origins of our society and the brilliant spirit of our people, we shall not blame Japan; we must first blame ourselves before finding fault in others." It continues by stating, "we must chart a new course for ourselves in accord with the solemn dictates of conscience, not malign and reject others for reasons of past enmity or momentary passions."
Deeply embedded in the providential mandate of Hongikingan, Korea's movement for independence strove to build an ideal nation that would have regional and global consequences: "Independence for Korea today shall not only enable Koreans to lead a normal, prosperous life, as is their due; it will also guide Japan to leave its evil path and perform its great task of supporting the cause in the East, liberating China from a gnawing uneasiness and fear and helping the cause of world peace and happiness for mankind, which depends greatly on peace in the East."
The movement became a light in the early 20th century for nationalist movements in other colonized countries, such as India that had been striving for independence from British rule. In 1929, Asia's first Nobel laureate, the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, wrote the "Lamp of the East" where he said:
"In the Golden Age of Asia
Korea was one of the lamp-bearers
That lamp waits to be lighted once again
For the illumination of the East."
A contemporary of Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore was a critic of some strong nativist tendencies in the Indian independence movement, recognizing that although India had a right to national sovereignty it should not be anti-foreign or spurn the developments of the West. Thus, it is understandable that he would be attracted to the moral spirit and vision of the Korean independence movement which sought to promote the best of East and West as well as embrace its oppressors to build a better region and world.
Tragically, although Korea was a leader in shaping the independence movements of the twentieth century, it has yet to realize the aspiration of its own independence movement in creating a model, ideal nation. A brief window of opportunity opened in 1945 after national liberation but it was quickly closed by the artificial division of the peninsula and the confrontational geopolitics of the Cold War. With German unification and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the Korean people are the only ones that still must contend with the unfortunate legacy of colonialism and the Cold War well into the 21st century. That task, to fulfill our ancestors' hopes, falls to us today.
As Koreans, we must recognize that this is the most consequential moment in the history of our people. The rise of statist powers in the heart of Asia is leading to a more dangerous geopolitical environment in this region and world. The war in Ukraine is resurrecting old Cold War alignments. Meanwhile, China's threats against Taiwan, as well as the ongoing threat of North Korea's nuclear program, have made East Asia the vortex of an impending storm that includes the militarization of Japan.
Over a century ago, our forefathers dreamt of building a model Korean nation that would inspire the world and lead to peace. Today, we should pick up that noble mantle and strive to complete what they began. We are destined to become more than who we currently are in both the North and the South. The old Cold War paradigm should be cast aside as a foreign construct, and a new one adopted where all Koreans unite together to build a new nation aligned with the aspirations of our ancestors and our founding.
I call this the Korean Dream and have described it in my book entitled "The Korean Dream: Vision for a Unified Korea." Central to the creation of this new nation should be the founding ideal of Hongikingan that our people "should benefit all humanity." Thus, it should reflect the best of East and West as well as carry the lofty moral ideals of the independence movement that even sought to embrace our oppressors for the betterment of the region and world.
The Korean Dream is being promoted nationwide by Action for Korea United, an unprecedented coalition of over 1,000 civil society organizations. It has embarked on a three-year campaign to promote the Korean Dream, culminating on the 80th anniversary of Korea's Liberation Day in October 2025. Imagine the impact if tens of millions of Koreans, in towns and cities around the South and across the diaspora, mobilize around a singular common vision for a future unified people and nation, very much like our ancestors did over a hundred years ago. It will spark a second March 1 movement that could break down the physical, ideological, cultural and mental divide among Koreans and open the door to unification and the creation of a new nation. This is our moment. As Koreans, let's seize this opportunity by owning the Korean Dream.
Hyunjin Preston Moon is chairman and founder of Global Peace Foundation.
The Korea Times · March 30, 2023
13. Yoon-Biden summit - onward toward unification
Yoon-Biden summit - onward toward unification
The Korea Times · March 30, 2023
By David Maxwell
On April 26, 2023, President Joe Biden will host President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea for a state visit and summit. This is only the second state visit of his administration. The allies will honor the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty that cemented the alliance with a vision beyond the Korean War. The two Presidents have the opportunity to chart a new path forward for the alliance. It is imperative that it be a path leading to a free and unified Korea. This should be a major point in the joint statement that will emerge from the summit.
Unification is not a new concept to past ROK and U.S. presidents. In joint statements from 2009 until 2017, Korean and U.S. presidents stated the mutual desire to achieve peaceful unification. However, the two joint statements of the Biden administration, with President Moon Jae-in in May 2021 and with President Yoon in May 2022, made no reference to unification. This seems odd since President Biden included unification in his October 2020 Yonhap opinion piece and he has mentioned it in a past speech as vice president.
There are important reasons for considering making a free and unified Korea the major direction of the ROK-U.S. alliance. This strategic guidance from the two presidents will drive changes to planning for all instruments of national power in both countries and provide renewed energy for the alliance.
North Korea's Kim Jong-un has stated on multiple occasions and in party and strategic documents that he has no intention of giving up his nuclear weapons. Therefore, it is time to flip the conventional wisdom on its head and pursue peaceful unification as the path to denuclearization and not vice versa, while recognizing that Kim Jong-un, the regime elite or second-tier military leadership in North Korea will be the deciding factor as to whether it is peaceful or not.
Focusing on denuclearization as the priority and main effort will not result in solving the security problem for the Korean peninsula. Only a free and unified Korea will create the necessary conditions for peace and security in the region.
As the lead agency, the South Korean Ministry of Unification must focus on the deep and detailed planning for unification and coordinate the efforts of the Korean instruments of national power, as well as seek international support for unification. The ROK-U.S. military alliance will have to plan for military support to the unification process regardless of the path to unification ― which could be war, regime collapse or internal regime change but in the best case, a peaceful one. Since the ministry has no counterpart agency in any other government, the U.S. should consider establishing a unification support directorate to work with the ministry and coordinate U.S. government actions to support unification.
While planning and preparation are critically important for achieving this most important strategic goal, there are other important reasons, one of the most important being to give hope to the Korean people in the North who are suffering on an unimaginable scale because Kim prioritizes the pursuit of nuclear weapons over the welfare of the people. As part of the preparation for unification, the alliance should implement a human rights upfront approach and use a sophisticated information and influence activities campaign to get information into the North. Information will help to drive change inside and prepare the Korean people for unification. Recently a working group developed a threefold strategy for a human rights upfront approach, an influence campaign, and the pursuit of a free and unified Korea. The ROK-U.S. alliance should consider this to assist in policy and planning efforts.
In addition, if the two governments establish unification as the strategic goal, civil society on the peninsula, throughout the region and international community will be motivated to support unification. Civil society will play an important role in the process and outcome and a strong statement will empower them to act.
In a recent interview, Dr. Hyunjin Preston Moon said that a "unified Korea would be a model nation on the global stage." One month before the ROK-U.S. summit, President Yoon, among others, co-hosts the Democracy Summit of 2023 with President Biden. There will be no better example of a democratic nation than a free and unified Korea. The two presidents should adopt this strategic goal as not only the exemplar in support of the Democracy Summit but as the only acceptable durable political arrangement that will secure, sustain and advance ROK and U.S. interests on the Korean Peninsula.
The military leaders who drafted and signed the 1953 Armistice Agreement were very prescient. They recognized in paragraph 60 that the political leaders must solve the "Korea question" and that question is the unnatural division of the peninsula. It is time for political leaders to take up the challenge to reach a solution.
The ROK, the U.S. and the international community must come to the realization that Kim will not negotiate as a responsible member of the international community and will never give up his treasured sword of nuclear weapons. The only way there will be an end to the military threats, human rights abuses and crimes against humanity is through the establishment of a free and unified Korea.
President Yoon, with President Biden's support, can lead the way to a nation that is secure and stable, non-nuclear and has a liberal constitutional form of government based on freedom and individual liberty, a free market economy, the rule of law and human rights for all. It might be called the United Republic of Korea (UROK).
David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel and has spent more than 30 years in Asia as a practitioner and specializes in Northeast Asian Security Affairs and irregular, unconventional and political warfare. He is a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation and the vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy.
The Korea Times · March 30, 2023
14. South Korea to host third Summit for Democracy
The best example for democracy at the next summit would be a free and unified Korea - A United Republic of Korea (UROK).
Wednesday
March 29, 2023
dictionary + A - A
South Korea to host third Summit for Democracy
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/03/29/national/diplomacy/Korea-Summit-for-Democracy-Yoon-Suk-Yeol/20230329192032589.html?utm_source=pocket_saves
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at a plenary session as a co-host of U.S President Joe Biden's second Summit for Democracy from the Blue House in central Seoul Wednesday. [YONHAP]
President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden announced that South Korea will host a future third Summit for Democracy in a joint statement Wednesday, highlighting the two countries' shared bonds and values and Seoul's growing global leadership.
The two leaders issued the statement just ahead of Biden's second Summit for Democracy, which Yoon co-hosted Wednesday.
"The United States and the Republic of Korea share deep bonds, rooted in our common democratic values and respect for human rights, and we are committed to further strengthening our robust political, economic, security and people-to-people ties," the statement read.
"And today, we are announcing that the Republic of Korea will host a future, third Summit." A date has yet to be set.
The two leaders further noted that Korea's "democratic institutions are a beacon of strength in the Indo-Pacific and demonstrate to the world that democracy fosters the conditions needed to cultivate continued security and prosperity."
They also recognized that in recent years, Korea has "emerged as a global leader" at large because of the enduring commitment of its people to "increasing governmental transparency, ensuring effective checks and balances, and developing laws that are responsive to public needs."
The Biden administration has worked to unite democracies aligned with the United States, in contrast to the global trend toward the authoritarianism of autocracies like Russia and China.
The two-day Summit for Democracy, which runs through Thursday, brought together some 120 global leaders invited by Biden over a virtual conference.
Korea was among five co-hosting countries alongside Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Zambia and the United States.
Yoon led the first plenary session on "Democracy Delivering Economic Growth and Shared Prosperity" and highlighted Korea's role as a defender of democracy.
"The world is now facing various crises and challenges," Yoon said in his opening remarks at the session, noting that the "combination of geopolitical conflicts and competing interests has divided the international community and greatly reduced multilateral cooperation."
He noted, in particular, the challenges faced in democracy, which enabled "freedom and prosperity" in the past century, and said, "In addition to authoritarian forces that directly deny the rules-based international order, fake democracy represented by anti-intellectualism is on the rise all over the world."
He described the development process of Korea as having been a "constant journey toward freedom." He added that efforts to preserve freedom are still ongoing.
Recalling the Korean War, Yoon said that South Korea, which protected its freedom with the international community's help more than 70 years ago, "is now fulfilling its role and responsibility as a promoter of freedom in the international community."
He called to "embark on a new journey to revive retreating democracy through painstaking innovation and solidarity."
Yoon likewise focused on the importance of liberal democracy in guaranteeing individual freedom and noted that freedom, human rights and the rule of law are the "key to making democracy work."
"As the host of the next summit, Korea will fulfill its responsibility and role to further solidify democracies," Yoon said. "In close cooperation with the international community, we will strongly support and firmly defend democratic solidarity."
Speakers in the first session included the leaders of Greece, India, Timor-Leste, Italy, Kenya, Botswana, Israel and Croatia.
On the second day, Korea will also host an Indo-Pacific regional session under the theme "Challenges and Progress in Addressing Corruption."
It will focus on the themes of international cooperation for anticorruption, financial transparency and integrity, non-governmental stakeholders and technology.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, in Washington Tuesday, ahead of the second Summit for Democracy led by U.S. President Joe Biden and co-hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol and four other leaders set to take place over Wednesday and Thursday. [AP/YONHAP]
The Summit for Democracy was inaugurated by the Biden administration in December 2021 for the United States and like-minded allies to show the world that democracy is a better alternative to autocracy.
Yoon and Biden, in their Wednesday joint statement, said that the summit process has brought together leaders from governments, civil society and the private sector who are "committed to strengthening democratic governance, protecting human rights, and advancing the fight against corruption."
They noted that cooperation among "strong, resilient democracies is essential to tackling the world's greatest challenges," such as safeguarding shared security and prosperity, addressing the climate crisis, promoting global health and pandemic preparedness and ensuring that new and emerging technologies work for democratic societies, not against it.
"We are proud to continue our work together to ensure that the momentum built by the first two Summits for Democracy will continue into the future and reflect this effort's global leadership," the leaders added.
The two leaders will be joined in person next month when Yoon visits Washington for a summit with Biden as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance this year.
Yoon will be the first Korean president to visit since 2011 and become Biden's second state guest since he received French President Emmanuel Macron last December.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
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
| 
