Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"The will to succeed is important, but what's more important is the will to prepare."

– Bobby Knight

"When in doubt tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends."

– Mark Twain

"I don't believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is vertical, so it's humiliating. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other and learns from the other."

– Eduardo Galeano

1. Korean Martial Law 2024

2. S. Korea faces rising concerns over alliance with US following Trump-Zelenskyy spat

3. The Debate Over Elbridge Colby

4. North Korea has restarted reactor at main nuclear site, watchdog says

5. North Korea stepping up cyberattacks on software supply chains, Seoul warns

6. Kim Jong Un reminds Trump they have unfinished business

7. N. Korean soldier captured by Ukraine voices intent to go to S. Korea: lawmaker

8. S. Korea to launch consultative bodies with U.S. for tariff negotiations: industry minister

9. Lessons for Asia from Trump-Zelensky showdown

10. “US nuclear aircraft carrier enters Busan port, reaffirming Korea’s will to defend itself… strong war deterrence”

11. South Korea’s Political Drama Will Produce Waves Overseas

12. Kim Jong Un's sister warns of provocative response to U.S. aircraft carrier deployment

13. Families of North Korean troops captured in Russia 'will be executed,' former Pyongyang soldier tells ABC News

14. Police to mobilize all available resources to prevent clash on day of Yoon's impeachment ruling

15. State election commission apologizes for illegal hiring, vows reform

16. 'Progressives vs. conservatives' conflict deepens amid political exploitation

17. Bleeding March 1st Movement

18. Korea’s dilemma in staying aligned with US

19. Editorial: Secret phone scandal at S. Korea's election commission casts doubt on its fairness

1. Korean Martial Law 2024

A very interesting analysis of the situation in Korea from John Cha who writes on Korean unification and democratization of north Korea.

I too am bullish on ROK democracy.

Conclusion:

The entire political affair is a mess. Despite the antidemocratic trash the DPK and its coalition are forcing down the throat of the people and the nation, I think Koreans will work themselves out of this hard spot they’re in. I feel encouraged that the young people are showing interest in the case, determined to check and follow the facts as they are rather than listening to the propaganda conjured up by the DPK and its coalition forces. The word is that the judiciary panel is split four to four, and I hope that is the case.

Korean Martial Law 2024

https://authorjcha.wordpress.com/

March 2, 2025 / Leave a comment

Late evening on December 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol went on television and declared martial law. I was in Oakland, California, when I learned about it.

I was shocked. My immediate reaction was: What’s wrong with President Yoon—an affable gentleman who sang “Bye Bye Miss American Pie” during his state visit to the White House? Since then, I figured that he was a happy-go-lucky man who wanted to and get along with everyone. But I was wrong. He turned out to be an irreproachable man, which makes sense considering that he had been a government prosecutor for 26 years, rising to the position of Attorney General in the previous administration. As a novice politician who won the presidential election by a thin margin, he seems to be more interested in what’s right and wrong rather than wanting to get along in the political arena. The question is, why did he have to declare martial law? By law, a Korean president can declare martial law in emergency—like a war—according to the constitution. Does that mean North Korea was on the prowl again? If not, what was the emergency?

I dug into the details and learned how President Yoon concluded that emergency existed. Here is a brief description of what happened.

First, it is important to note that the DPK (Democratic Party of Korea, aka Minjoo Party) and its coalition gained supermajority in the National Assembly in the general election in April 2024. With the overpowering legislative advantage, the DPK legislators pulled all kinds of shenanigans in the National Assembly, impeaching of twenty-two government officials, including the Minister of Public Administration and Security, the Inspector General, the Commissioner of Communication, myriad prosecutors, etc., basically froze governmental functions. There was nothing the minority legislators (the People’s Power Party) could do to neutralize the majority party’s tyranny. Altogether, the DPK impeached twenty-nine officials.

Second, the DPK cut budgets in crucial areas like education, defense, intelligence, justice, and energy programs. Their unilateral budget purging practically incapacitated the executive branch.

Third, in addition to the DPK’s disruptive shenanigans in the National Assembly, Yoon was very concerned about MinjooNoChong’s (Korean Confederation of Trade Unions) spying activities on behalf of North Korea. Four of its leaders were convicted of acting on orders from North Korea. The prosecution secured 102 spy separate directives issued by North Korea, as well as the status reports the MinjooNoChong spies sent back to North Korea. These spying activities were designed to disrupt the South Korean society. For example, there was a crushing incident in Itaewon, resulting in the deaths of 159 Halloween partygoers in 2022. The North Korean authorities took advantage of the tragedy and directed MinjooNoChong to organize candlelight protests and blame the tragedy on the Yoon government. In the ensuing candlelight protests, huge crowds chanted, “Bring down Yoon,” per North Korean directives to remove Yoon from office.

Neither North Korea nor the DPK party ever accepted Yoon’s presidency. The moment Yoon was elected in 2022, the DPK went into impeachment mode, calling for his resignation 178 times over the past two and a half years, in concert with the North Korean directives.

Fourth, President Yoon saw another problem—the fraudulent electoral process—a serious problem he had been aware of for many years, even before he took office. Others have been aware of the fraud election, such as former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-an and former Assemblyman Min Kyung-wook. Together, they had endeavored to bring to light the evidence they had gathered over the years. However, the National Election Commission resisted further investigation, claiming that it was an independent institution under the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction. Eventually, the NIS (National Intelligence Service) cyber experts were allowed to examine the NEC server (but only a mere 5% of the system) and found that it was susceptible to outside cyber-attacks such as the North Korean and CCP hackers. Amazingly, the system used a simple password, 12345. Yet, the election commission insisted that the system was secure.

Besides the issues concerning the system, the Board of Audit and Inspection department found 1,200 corrupt cases with respect to the employment practice in the election commission. There were irregularities concerning ballots, too, and President Yoon wanted to get to the bottom of the fraud election.

Why Martial Law

Considering all the malaise due to the DPK’s legislative tyranny, spying activities, and fraudulent election, President Yoon became alarmed about the state of affairs. He felt compelled to call for an emergency martial law to alert the nation. The martial law lasted two and half hours until the National Assembly voted to nullify it. Subsequently, President Yoon called off the martial law. I thought then—it wasn’t much of a martial law—a warning bell.

Impeachment Proceedings

The following day, the DPK party initiated a motion to impeach President Yoon, accusing him of leading an insurrection (NaeRahn SuGweh 내란 수괴), an expression used in North Korea. They also accused him of focusing his diplomatic efforts only on the US-Korea alliance while ignoring China, Russia, and North Korea. The motion failed to carry the first time but passed the second time based on the insurrection charge, which meant that President Yoon was suspended from carrying out his duties, while Prime Minister Han Duck-soo took over the chores of the nation.

Then the Constitutional Court began its trial to affirm or deny the impeachment motion sent up by the Assembly. The court was composed of six justices then with three vacancies. The DPK sought to fill the vacancies because all of the six justices would have to agree with the impeachment motion in order to terminate Yoon, and if any one of the six justices elected to deny the motion, he would recoup his office. So, the DPK chose three candidates and sent them ahead to Prime Minister Han (acting President) to appoint them. Acting President Han, rather than appointing the three candidates per the DPK’s request, retorted by asking the Assembly to produce mutual consent of all the parties as required by law.

The DPK took exception to Han’s refusal to appoint their three candidates and impeached Han utilizing the simple majority rule despite the argument that they were required to abide by the two-thirds absolute majority rule in impeaching the acting President. Nevertheless, the Assembly Speaker forced the proceedings and Han was kicked out.

Now, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok has become the acting President. The DPK pressured Choi to appoint their three candidates, threatening him with impeachment if he didn’t cooperate. Choi should have stuck with the rule that required mutual consent from all the parties in the Assembly, but he relented to appoint two of the three candidates. He did this on his own without a cabinet meeting, causing an uproar among the cabinet members. Well, what was left of the cabinet, anyway. The DPK had impeached five more officials—Minister of Defense, Minister of Justice, Minister of Security, and on, accusing them as accomplices in the insurrection. Nevertheless, the Constitutional Court moved ahead with the trial with eight justices, mostly based on unsubstantiated evidence that appeared on news media and the hearing sessions the DPK conducted in the judiciary committee.

The CIO Antics to Arrest President Yoon

The DPK needed more direct evidence against President Yoon, so they empowered an investigative department called GongSuChuh (공수처, The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, CIO in short). This investigative body was not authorized to investigate insurrection cases. Yet, they moved ahead with the investigation with the DPK’s blessings. More than anything, the CIO needed to question President Yoon. President Yoon knew that the CIO had no authority to investigate or indict insurrection cases and did not honor their summons for questioning or allow the search of the presidential compound. Then the CIO issued a warrant for his arrest with DPK’s blessing.

All things considered, the CIO gambit had false arrest written all over because the CIO did not have legal authority. Nevertheless, CIO investigators went to the presidential residence and tried to make the arrest. The Secret Service protecting President Yoon would have nothing of it. The CIO investigators returned to their office empty-handed. The next day, the incensed DPK badgered the hell out of the CIO director for failing to arrest President Yoon. The director apologized, saying that he would do better next time. A DPK Assemblyman even exhorted the head of the CIO in a public hearing to arrest Yoon even if they got shot at.

Eventually, the CIO somehow rounded up 3,000 or so policemen, went to the presidential compound, and showed force. President Yoon, not wanting bloodshed of any sort, relented to the pressure even though he didn’t agree with the CIO’s antics.

The DPK Strategy

At this time, the constitutional court is proceeding with the trial. Eight judges are hearing the case now. If six of them agree with the DPK’s resolution, Yoon will lose his office.

What struck me first about the trial is the fact that the court agreed (or chose) to discard the part about the insurrection charge from the impeachment motion. The entire premise of the original impeachment motion the National Assembly voted on was the insurrection aspect. Therefore, the resolution should have been revisited at the National Assembly before proceeding with the trial based on the revised resolution.

The DPK’s strategy appeared obvious: they sought to prosecute their case based on the presumption of guilt—that Yoon wanted to expand his power beyond what the constitution allowed—and brought in witnesses to boost their theory that Yoon sought to harm the National Assembly. For instance, the DPK charged that Yoon sent troops to seal the National Assembly Hall so that the assembly members could not enter the building. Not true. The troops (280 of them) were there to provide security. Another witness said that Yoon directed the troops to drag out the members of the Assembly who were already inside. Not true. Yet another witness, an NIS (National Intelligence Service) official, said that Yoon had ordered him to apprehend fourteen assemblymen and take them into custody. Again, not true. NIS has no authority to arrest anyone. Nor does it have custodial facilities to hold anyone. And on.

Yoon Argues Before the Court

Yoon argued that the constitution provided him the power to declare martial law in case of emergency and he enacted it for two and a half hours as a means to alert the nation about the serious nature of the emergency facing the nation. Nothing more.

He laid out the emergencies in a deliberate fashion, outlining the DPK’s shenanigans such as the unprecedented impeachments, the unprecedented budget cutting, the unprecedented legislative dictatorship, and the blatant abuse of power by the super-majority party, all of which choked off a variety of governmental functions.

I found it most interesting that, out of the three hundred assemblymen and assemblywomen, twenty-three members (all males) were ex-convicts who had served prison time. Many of them were convicted of violating national security laws because of their actions in favor of the enemy state, mainly North Korea, AND THEY TURNED OUT TO BE THE ONES LEADING THE IMPEACHMENT.

For example, Assemblyman Jung Chung-rae, the main prosecutor of the case, was convicted of bombing the US embassy; Assemblyman Park Sun-won was convicted of forcefully occupying the US Culture Center. He later became the Deputy Director of NIS (National Intelligence Service) during the Moon administration.

They had been convicted of violent crimes, and for the life of me, I cannot understand how the Korean electoral system has allowed these violent criminals in politics or anywhere near the government that is meant to serve the people. They justify their anti-state actions by saying that they were doing the work of democratization of Korea, but I do not buy their story. There is something wrong with the electoral system, and I agree with President Yoon for trying to right the wrong.

Conclusion

In his final statement during the trial, President Yoon referred to “anti-state forces” multiple times. I sense that his reference to the anti-state forces contains several layers of meaning. I can only guess what those hidden meanings are. I am sure he has access to much more information than I can imagine. I can say with confidence, however, that Kim Jong-un is sure to be smiling about the political turmoil in South Korea, same as those who support him. I could go on and on, but overall, I think North Korea’s infiltration into South Korean society is real, including the DPK. I fully understand why President Yoon regarded the situation as an emergency and declared the mini martial law to bring attention to the people.

The court has heard the arguments from both sides now, and the judges will deliberate the case. They are expected to issue their findings in early March and either acquit President Yoon or terminate him from his office, as the nation and the people wait for the court’s decision with bated breath. Meanwhile, Yoon’s supporters will continue to gather by the millions on the streets in Seoul and the rest of the country and demand his release and acquittal as they have been doing throughout the cold winter.

The entire political affair is a mess. Despite the antidemocratic trash the DPK and its coalition are forcing down the throat of the people and the nation, I think Koreans will work themselves out of this hard spot they’re in. I feel encouraged that the young people are showing interest in the case, determined to check and follow the facts as they are rather than listening to the propaganda conjured up by the DPK and its coalition forces. The word is that the judiciary panel is split four to four, and I hope that is the case.

###

2. S. Korea faces rising concerns over alliance with US following Trump-Zelenskyy spat

Yes, South Korea is in an especially difficult position, complicated even more with its internal political turmoil.

S. Korea faces rising concerns over alliance with US following Trump-Zelenskyy spat

The Korea Times · by 2025-03-04 07:59 | World · March 3, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump raises his fist as he steps out of Air Force One upon his arrival in West Palm Beach, Fla., Friday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap

Experts urge Seoul to develop comprehensive strategy to protect interests

By Lee Hyo-jin

An unprecedented shouting match between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, which analysts argue highlights the U.S. leader’s tendency to abandon allies when he no longer perceives them as serving American interests, has raised concerns that South Korea might not be an exception.

The analysts noted that the contentious meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy underscores the need for South Korea to develop a comprehensive diplomatic leverage package to protect its national interests. They warned that under Trump, the United States is becoming an increasingly unpredictable ally.

During a tense, on-camera meeting at the White House on Friday (local time), Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of being ungrateful for U.S. military aid in its defense against Russia's three-year invasion and of rejecting their proposed peace negotiations.

The heated 10-minute exchange led to the abrupt cancellation of a planned rare minerals agreement and a joint press conference, marking an unprecedented breakdown in relations between the two sides.

"The breakdown of the meeting highlights a fundamental clash of interests. Trump’s goal is to pressure Zelenskyy into ending the war quickly and halting U.S. assistance, while Zelenskyy also has to navigate political challenges at home," said Doo Jin-ho, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA).

"Through this meeting, Trump laid bare his intention to not tolerate what he perceives as 'free-riding' — even from allies who depend on U.S. support without contributing enough themselves," he added.

Doo suggested that South Korea should adopt a more pragmatic approach in its diplomacy with the U.S., strategically leveraging its options in response to Trump's transactional diplomacy, while reducing reliance on defense guarantees from the U.S.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday (local time). AFP-Yonhap

"As the South Korea-U.S. alliance remains the cornerstone for deterring North Korea’s nuclear threats, maintaining its stability will likely require Seoul to meet certain U.S. demands, such as increasing investments in America," Doo said.

At the same time, he urged South Korea to diversify its security partnerships by strengthening cooperation with like-minded nations, including NATO members. It should also manage relations with neighboring countries such as China and Russia, both of which can play key roles in addressing North Korea's nuclear threats.

"But most importantly, South Korea must strengthen its own defense capabilities," Doo said. "In an era of growing unpredictability in geopolitics, the nation must enhance its ability to produce its own weapons and build military strength for modern warfare."

Lim Eul-chul, head of the research office at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies (IFES), suggested that the Trump-Zelenskyy shouting match may have been partially staged by the U.S. to publicly humiliate the Ukrainian leader and increase pressure on Kyiv.

"There’s no guarantee that Trump, viewing diplomacy as transactional, won’t treat South Korea the same way," Lim said.

With direct engagement between South Korean government officials and the U.S. administration limited due to the ongoing impeachment crisis in Seoul, Lim recommended that officials reach out to figures close to Trump or his administration to better understand the U.S. leader's specific expectations for South Korea.

"Since his inauguration, he has hinted at South Korea’s shipbuilding, semiconductor and manufacturing industries as key areas of interest but has not specified on them. Understanding his priorities and making preemptive proposals encompassing the economy, trade and security will be critical."

An E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft and crew members are seen on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson at a naval base in Busan, Monday. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived in the southeastern port city the previous day, marking the first deployment of a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier under the second term of President Donald Trump, who took office, Jan. 20. Joint Press Corps

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Monday, Minister Ahn Duk-geun, who recently visited Washington, highlighted South Korea's potential as a key partner in the shipbuilding industry.

The ministry said Ahn received a positive response from U.S. officials to proposals that, should the U.S. place large orders for naval ships, tankers and icebreakers as a package, South Korean shipyards are ready to prioritize these orders.

However, a bigger challenge for Seoul in the security realm is navigating Trump's stance on North Korea’s denuclearization.

"South Korea opposes being sidelined in potential Washington-Pyongyang talks, but realistically speaking, there is little reason for Trump to heed Seoul's demands to play a key role," Lim said. "Worse for South Korea, Trump could once again threaten to withdraw U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a bargaining chip to appeal to Kim Jong-un — as he did in past negotiations."

Lim pointed to South Korea’s leadership vacuum as a major vulnerability.

"With no effective leadership, a divided National Assembly and split public opinion, South Korea’s domestic instability puts it in a weak position for negotiations with any country, let alone the world’s most powerful state,” he said.

The Korea Times · by 2025-03-04 07:59 | World · March 3, 2025

3. The Debate Over Elbridge Colby

I debated Elbridge Colby on Korea here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z0DM_M_mHc&t=1s

He is quite articulate and a true believer in his agenda and makes good arguments. I just think on Korea that he is wrong.

Excerpts:

But Mr. Colby has consciously made himself the intellectual front man for a wing of the political right that argues the U.S. should retreat from commitments in Europe and the Middle East. He wants the U.S. to focus on the Asia-Pacific and says the U.S. lacks the economic and political resources to do more.

Mr. Colby is right that the U.S. isn’t currently prepared for a showdown over Taiwan and could, for example, run short on long-range missiles within days of a war’s start. His 2021 book sharpened public attention on the risk that Beijing may attempt to subdue the island in a fait accompli assault.

But look closely and his argument is less about restoring American power and more a counsel of U.S. decline and retreat. His description of the Middle East as a “tertiary region” has unnerved supporters of Israel, and ditto for suggestions that the U.S. could tolerate a nuclear Iran.

...

Mr. Colby has also warned South Korea that the U.S. might not be there in a pinch. “I think we need to have a plan that is based on reality. If you are assuming that the United States is going to break its spear, if you will, fighting North Korea, that is an imprudent assumption for us to make or for you to make,” he told a South Korean news outlet. Sounds like Dean Acheson before the Korean War.

Voters elected Mr. Trump because he promised to restore deterrence against a growing alliance of adversaries. Mr. Colby doesn’t hail from the GOP tradition that produced Mr. Trump’s first-term successes like the Abraham Accords. Senators who scrutinize Mr. Colby’s views are doing the President a favor.

The Debate Over Elbridge Colby

Meet the Trump Defense nominee who says Americans don’t want a defense buildup.

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-debate-over-elbridge-colby-2017511f?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

By The Editorial Board

March 3, 2025 5:40 pm ET

Elbridge Colby Photo: Yonhap News/Zuma Press

The GOP Senate has whisked through the confirmation of President Trump’s cabinet nominees, but a revealing debate has opened up over an important if obscure sub-cabinet post. Elbridge Colby, who faces the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, has become a lightning rod in the fight between the GOP’s peace-through-strength wing and its retreat-from-the-world faction.

Some Senators have reservations about Mr. Colby, the nominee for under secretary of defense for policy. The post includes developing and articulating national defense strategy. Mr. Colby has spent his career in government and think tanks, and he did a stint in the Pentagon during Mr. Trump’s first term. He’s qualified for the job in that sense.

But Mr. Colby has consciously made himself the intellectual front man for a wing of the political right that argues the U.S. should retreat from commitments in Europe and the Middle East. He wants the U.S. to focus on the Asia-Pacific and says the U.S. lacks the economic and political resources to do more.

Mr. Colby is right that the U.S. isn’t currently prepared for a showdown over Taiwan and could, for example, run short on long-range missiles within days of a war’s start. His 2021 book sharpened public attention on the risk that Beijing may attempt to subdue the island in a fait accompli assault.

But look closely and his argument is less about restoring American power and more a counsel of U.S. decline and retreat. His description of the Middle East as a “tertiary region” has unnerved supporters of Israel, and ditto for suggestions that the U.S. could tolerate a nuclear Iran.

There “is good reason to believe that Washington, Tel Aviv, and their associates can deter Iran from transgressing their vital interests even if Tehran gets a nuclear weapon,” Mr. Colby has written. Mr. Trump, by contrast, recently signed an executive order restoring his maximum pressure campaign on Iran, “denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon.”

And that urgent race to defend Taiwan? “Taiwan isn’t itself of existential importance to America,” Mr. Colby wrote last year. That sounds like advice against defending Taiwan if the island doesn’t clear some unspecified standard of investing in its own defense.

Mr. Colby has also warned South Korea that the U.S. might not be there in a pinch. “I think we need to have a plan that is based on reality. If you are assuming that the United States is going to break its spear, if you will, fighting North Korea, that is an imprudent assumption for us to make or for you to make,” he told a South Korean news outlet. Sounds like Dean Acheson before the Korean War.

Taken together, this echoes the Barack Obama crowd’s view that the U.S. is an exhausted power and its decline must be managed by accommodating Chinese and Russian power. Mr. Colby could deploy his knowledge to persuade the public that real U.S. rearmament is required. Instead he laments that the “American people, they are not jonesing to do a Reagan buildup” of the U.S. military, “whether we want it or not,” as he put it on a think-tank podcast.

Mr. Colby has courted Tucker Carlson and others in the isolationist wing of Mr. Trump’s coalition, and it’s striking that they are picking a fight before any Senator has raised a discouraging public word. Charlie Kirk, the MAGA enforcer, has accused GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of working against Mr. Colby. This is the same Sen. Cotton who shepherded Tulsi Gabbard to confirmation.

President Trump’s son Don Jr., who is Mr. Carlson’s White House ally, followed up with an op-ed demanding Mr. Colby’s confirmation. The threats are probably bluster since voters are unlikely to care about a second-tier nominee. But Senators should care because they’ll need allies at the Pentagon to make the case for reviving America’s military strength and global deterrence.

Another point of concern is that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is letting the Pentagon fill up with neo-isolationists who make Mr. Colby look like Paul Wolfowitz. The minimum price of confirming Mr. Colby should be exile for staffers such as Michael DiMino, who has been named deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East. “Does the Middle East still matter?,” Mr. DiMino mused on a panel last year. “The answer is not really.”

Voters elected Mr. Trump because he promised to restore deterrence against a growing alliance of adversaries. Mr. Colby doesn’t hail from the GOP tradition that produced Mr. Trump’s first-term successes like the Abraham Accords. Senators who scrutinize Mr. Colby’s views are doing the President a favor.

North Korea has restarted reactor at main nuclear site, watchdog says

IAEA chief reports signs of new reprocessing campaign after 60-day pause of Yongbyon reactor, expressing ‘deep regret’

Shreyas Reddy March 4, 2025

https://www.nknews.org/2025/03/north-korea-has-restarted-reactor-at-main-nuclear-site-watchdog-says/?popup=signin&login=recaptcha

Kim Jong Un visiting a uranium enrichment facility at what appears to be the Yongbyon nuclear research center | Image: KCNA (Jan. 29, 2025)

A nuclear reactor at North Korea’s main nuclear research center at Yongbyon resumed operations in mid-October after a shutdown period, while the country continues to expand its uranium enrichment capabilities, according to the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

In a statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors on Monday, Director-General Rafael Grossi stated that the agency observed the 5MW(e) reactor at Yongbyon resumed operations after a period of approximately 60 days, which it assessed to be long enough to refuel the reactor and start a new operational cycle.

Grossi added that there appear to be “strong indicators of preparations for a new reprocessing campaign,” including the operation of the Yongbyon radiochemical laboratory’s steam plant.

“The continuation and further development of the DPRK’s nuclear program are clear violations of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and are deeply regrettable,” he said in the statement.

Grossi also called upon Pyongyang to uphold its nonproliferation commitments and resolve outstanding issues, including those exacerbated by years of refusing to allow external inspectors into the country.

The IAEA chief previously reported in Nov. 2024 that the reactor had stopped operating between mid-August and mid-October, and the latest findings appear to back up the agency’s assessment at the time that the temporary shutdown would provide “sufficient time to refuel the reactor and start its seventh operational cycle.”

In Monday’s statement, Grossi also warned that North Korea is continuing enrichment activities at Yongbyon and another facility at Kangson to produce uranium for nuclear weapons.

The statement highlighted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to a “nuclear material production base and the Nuclear Weapons Institute” at what appeared to be the Yongbyon Uranium Enrichment Plant in late January, with photographs in state media showing centrifuge cascades and infrastructure “consistent with the layout of a centrifuge enrichment facility.”

This followed state media reports in September showing Kim visiting an undeclared uranium enrichment facility, which NK News analysis identified as Kangson, a site that underwent construction to expand its floor space in early 2024. The IAEA director-general subsequently confirmed the enrichment plant was indeed located at the Kangson complex.

“The undeclared enrichment facilities at both Kangson and Yongbyon, combined with General Secretary Kim’s call for ‘overfulfilling the plan for producing weapons-grade nuclear materials,’ are of serious concern,” Grossi said on Monday.

He added that the light water reactor (LWR) at Yongbyon continues to operate, while the IAEA has also observed unspecified additions to the adjacent support infrastructure. A think tank report released in Jan. 2024 previously estimated that the reactor can produce enough enriched plutonium to fuel a dozen nuclear weapons per year.

Grossi stated that the IAEA currently “lacks the necessary information” to assess the safety of the LWR, but reiterated the need to maintain nuclear safety when operating such a reactor.

While the nuclear watchdog has not observed “significant changes” at North Korea’s main nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, Grossi said it “remains prepared to support a nuclear test,” a similar assessment to his statement in November.

North Korea made a big show of demolishing the Punggye-ri facility during a period of frequent summits with the U.S. and South Korea in 2018. However, it appeared to have begun a new wave of construction at the site a few years later, sparking speculation that Pyongyang was preparing to carry out its seventh nuclear test.

Edited by Bryan Betts

5. North Korea stepping up cyberattacks on software supply chains, Seoul warns

We must attack and defeat the all purpose sword of north Korean cyber.

North Korea stepping up cyberattacks on software supply chains, Seoul warns

NIS says DPRK compromises third-party suppliers to gain access to target’s systems, stealing sensitive data and tech

Shreyas Reddy March 4, 2025

https://www.nknews.org/2025/03/north-korea-stepping-up-cyberattacks-on-software-supply-chains-seoul-warns/?popup=signin&login=recaptcha

North Koreans using computers in Pyongyang | Image: NK News (Jan. 2018)

North Korean cybercriminals have stepped up attacks targeting software supply chains in a bid to steal confidential information and core technologies from government agencies and tech companies, according to Seoul’s spy agency.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a press release on Tuesday that it recently detected DPRK threat actors employing “sophisticated techniques” to carry out supply chain attacks, in which cybercriminals compromise third-party suppliers or vendors to gain access to the actual targets’ systems.

The agency observed the North Koreans employing three main types of software supply chain attacks: attacking IT service providers to infiltrate targets’ systems indirectly, exploiting vulnerabilities in IT solutions and software and targeting weak security management practices.

An example of the first attack type came in Oct. 2023, when DPRK cybercriminals compromised an employee email account at an unnamed IT maintenance company managing the local government’s digital infrastructure, according to the NIS.

The attackers then stole server access credentials stored in the compromised email account and attempted unauthorized access to the local government’s remote management server to extract sensitive administrative data.

In a separate incident last month, North Korean cybercriminals’ ability to exploit software vulnerabilities was on display as they compromised a “groupware” system used for collaborative working by an unnamed defense firm.

The threat group stole internal documents, employee emails and network configuration details from the company.

In an example of the third type of attack, which involves targeting weak security protocols, North Korean threat actors gained unauthorized administrator access to an unnamed identity verification firm’s systems last month, after uncovering a flaw in the company’s online administration portal.

The focus on stealing sensitive data from South Korean government entities, defense contractors and technology services is a characteristic of North Korean threat actors’ typical cyberespionage approach in support of Pyongyang’s goals.

The NIS alert also highlights the growing finesse of DPRK state-sponsored cyber operations, with Pyongyang-backed cybercriminals increasingly launching sophisticated supply chain attacks to hijack the software development process in recent years.

“Software supply chain attacks can have widespread consequences, so both IT suppliers and users must remain vigilant,” NIS Third Deputy Director Yoon Oh-jun said in the press release.

Yoon added that the South Korean government plans to advance efforts to bolster supply chain security through various measures, including institutionalizing a new software supply chain security system by 2027 through an interagency task force established last September.

To deter supply chain attacks, the NIS recommended that IT service providers strengthen security across the entire software development and usage lifecycle, including through employee education, blocking external access routes and strengthening authentication methods.

The agency also advised organizations to follow basic cybersecurity protocols like regularly applying security patches for software, restricting administrator account access from the internet, conducting regular vulnerability assessments and carrying out regular security training for employees.

Edited by Bryan Betts

6. Kim Jong Un reminds Trump they have unfinished business

Another essay that is not based on an understanding of the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime.

Conclusion:

President Trump has promised that his “proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker” and might have a real shot at promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula this time. But that breakthrough may only come with an audacious departure from the decades-long, exhausted conventional wisdom of maximum pressure and complete denuclearization of North Korea.

Kim is not going to negotiate away his nuclear weapons nor is he going to give up his objective of domination of the Korean peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.

If you want peace on the Korean peninsula (or win a Nobel Peace Prize) it will only come with rescuing an freeing 25 million Koreans in the north.

Unification first, then denuclearization; the path to unification is through human rights.

Kim Jong Un reminds Trump they have unfinished business

responsiblestatecraft.org · by James Park · March 3, 2025

Despite Pyongyang's missile threats, the American president should choose a diplomatic do-over with North Korea.

Mar 03, 2025

Kim Jong Un’s most recent cruise missile test is the second since President Donald Trump took office in January, reminding the administration that despite conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, the U.S. and North Korea have unfinished business.

Indeed, Trump has indicated on various occasions his desire to revive dialogue and negotiations with Pyongyang. At his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba earlier this month, he expressed confidence in having good relations with North Korea, touting his relationship with Kim.

Trump has shown that his willingness to engage with North Korea is not all talk. He brought back many of the key officials and veteran negotiators who were heavily involved in the summit diplomacy with North Korea during his first term and placed them in even more influential positions.

Alex Wong, who was formerly at the State Department and is now the deputy national security adviser in the White House, and Allison Hooker, the appointee for State Department undersecretary for political affairs and formerly a senior Asia policy advisor in the National Security Council, led working-level negotiations for Trump’s two summits with Kim Jong Un in 2018 and 2019.

Kevin Kim, the deputy assistant secretary for East Asian affairs at State, also helped shape those negotiations during his time as the chief of staff to Stephen Biegun, former U.S. Special Representative for North Korea. Beau Harrison, the deputy chief of staff for operations in the White House, was also known to be an important planner of Trump-Kim summits.

Trump’s diplomatic intent seems serious and is indeed a welcome sign, given the perilous situation Washington, Seoul, and their regional allies face in dealing with increasing North Korean nuclear threats.

Since the collapse of the second summit in 2019, Pyongyang has test-fired more missiles than in the preceding decade while also revealing an array of new weapons. As the ever more assertive testing and muscle-flexing suggest, North Korea’s nuclear program has grown rapidly in recent years.

In the meantime, North Korea has also significantly expanded its military and strategic ties with Russia. Their burgeoning cooperative partnership has chilling implications for North Korea’s nuclear threats: Pyongyang might gain access to Moscow’s advanced missile and nuclear technology. No hard evidence that Russia has transferred any of its technology to North Korea has emerged to date, but the possibility itself has been alarming enough.

In light of the overall accelerating momentum in North Korea’s nuclear buildup and the intensified saber-rattling between North Korea and U.S.-South Korean forces on the Korean Peninsula, Washington and Seoul have lost even basic hotline communications with Pyongyang for crisis management — raising the risks of inadvertent escalation and conflict.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration failed to recognize the urgency of the situation, simply waiting for North Korea to yield to Washington’s economic and diplomatic pressure and return to dialogue. The reality is that time has not been on America’s side. The more time wasted, the more advanced Pyongyang’s nuclear program will become. The Trump administration should not make the same mistake and instead invest serious efforts into reopening talks with Pyongyang.

If Trump and his administration indeed intend to reengage with Kim, he has the unique advantage of the previous experience of direct communications and negotiations with the North Korean leader. Understanding the counterpart’s character, style, and needs is always advantageous in negotiations, and Trump no doubt gained a better sense of Kim from their private conversations.

Trump’s personal relationship with Kim and his team’s overall experience of negotiations with the North Koreans can certainly be assets as the administration prepares for future diplomacy.

Another opportunity for Trump’s diplomacy with North Korea lies in the probable return of a liberal government in South Korea in the coming months.

Trump was unlikely to get the strong South Korean support for engagement with Pyongyang that he enjoyed during his first term if South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, who is hawkish toward North Korea, were to remain in power. However, Yoon’s declaration of martial law and failed self-coup attempt in December resulted in his impeachment by the South Korean parliament, an action that is widely expected to be upheld by the South Korean constitutional court soon. And in the anticipated snap election that would follow, the opposition liberal party, which prefers a diplomatic approach to North Korea, will likely win.

With the return of a liberal administration in Seoul, Trump will likely have its full support for a diplomatic initiative with North Korea, as he did from former President Moon Jae-in. Policy coordination to reduce tensions with North Korea, such as toning down allied rhetoric and reducing or halting joint military exercises, would have faced resistance from Yoon but would likely be supported by his liberal successor. In coordinating concessions for negotiations, Yoon’s liberal successor will also likely be more open to easing sanctions and pursuing a peace treaty with North Korea.

Trump’s ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine and improve relations with Russia could also augur well for diplomacy with North Korea. Kim’s relationship with Beijing, its main external source of economic support, has recently been rocky, and any detente between Moscow and Washington could put Kim at greater risk of isolation.

In such a scenario, the Trump administration may be able to more effectively leverage Moscow, which presumably prioritizes a deal to end the Ukraine war on favorable terms over its relationship with Pyongyang.

Overall, Trump’s personal enthusiasm for diplomacy with North Korea, his experienced team of policy professionals and negotiators at both senior and working levels, the likely return of a diplomacy-friendly government in Seoul, and potential improvements in U.S.-Russia relations could impart new momentum for reengagement.

Nonetheless, there remains one major obstacle to such a scenario: Washington’s maximalist demand for North Korea’s complete denuclearization.

Seeking the same goal that led every U.S. president, including Trump himself, to failed negotiations with North Korea would be unwise. Kim has reiterated that he will never abandon nuclear weapons and he very likely truly means it; nuclear weapons are the only reliable security guarantee for his regime. Kim now likely possesses far more nuclear weapons than the last time Trump met him in 2019. Accordingly, the price he may charge for a new round of negotiations may be higher. If Trump insists on playing the denuclearization card from the start, failure is virtually certain.

Instead, Trump and his administration should accept the reality of North Korea’s nuclear status and adopt more realistic goals. A growing number of experts have proposed an arms control-centric deal aimed, initially at least, at capping Pyongyang’s nuclear program and restricting selective particularly dangerous capabilities, such as tactical nuclear weapons.

The Trump administration should explore this approach. While arms control is not ideal compared to complete denuclearization, its chances of succeeding are greater than starting with the demand for complete denuclearization. Convincing South Koreans to accept Pyongyang’s nuclear status will not be easy, but it may be more acceptable to a liberal South Korean administration which might understand that there is no other viable option for peaceful coexistence with the North.

President Trump has promised that his “proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker” and might have a real shot at promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula this time. But that breakthrough may only come with an audacious departure from the decades-long, exhausted conventional wisdom of maximum pressure and complete denuclearization of North Korea.

James Park

James Park is a Research Associate at the Quincy Institute’s East Asia Program. His research interests include South Korean foreign policy and domestic politics, Chinese security issues, and U.S. policy vis-à-vis East Asia.

Top photo credit: President Donald J. Trump, joined by Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea Kim Jong Un, makes history Sunday, June 30, 2019, as he becomes the first sitting U.S. President to step foot on North Korean soil, in his meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Un at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

7. N. Korean soldier captured by Ukraine voices intent to go to S. Korea: lawmaker

N. Korean soldier captured by Ukraine voices intent to go to S. Korea: lawmaker | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · March 4, 2025

By Yi Wonju

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean soldier caught alive by Ukraine has told a South Korean lawmaker that he wants to go to South Korea, asking whether he could "live as I wish with the rights" he hoped for once in Seoul, according to the lawmaker Tuesday.

Rep. Yu Yong-weon made the remarks during a press conference at the National Assembly following his trip to Ukraine on Feb. 23-26 as he released an audio clip of his 70-minute talks with the soldier, identified only by his surname Ri, and another wounded soldier captured by Ukrainian forces in January during combat against Kyiv in Russia's Kursk region.

"I really want to go and meet my parents," Ri told the lawmaker, asking if he could get surgery if he goes to Seoul.

Ri, who sustained serious wounds to his jaw and arm, was unable to pronounce words correctly, according to Yu.

"If I go to (South) Korea, will I be able to live as I wish with the rights I hope for?" he asked Yu. "Will I be able to have a home and start a family?"

In a recent interview with the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, Ri also expressed his intention to go to South Korea. The South Korean government has since said it is willing to provide protection and support if the soldier requests to come to Seoul.

The other soldier, identified by his surname Paek, said he needed more time to think about the defection.

When asked whether North Korean soldiers choose to kill themselves if captured by Ukrainian troops, he said "I've seen it many times, and when I was injured and fell to the ground, I myself had a grenade for self-destruction."

He explained that there were no instructions to do so but that it was a personal choice because the soldiers believed "being captured by the enemy is a betrayal to our own country."

Yu urged diplomatic authorities to "make every effort" to ensure that North Korean soldiers captured as prisoners of war in Ukraine are not forcibly repatriated to the North.

Rep. Yu Yong-weon (R) of the ruling People Power Party speaks with a North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine during his trip to Kyiv on Feb. 23-26, 2025, in this photo provided by Yu's office on March 4. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Rep. Yu Yong-weon (R) of the ruling People Power Party speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly on March 4, 2025, about his talks with two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine during his trip to Kyiv on Feb. 23-26. (Yonhap)

julesyi@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · March 4, 2025

8. S. Korea to launch consultative bodies with U.S. for tariff negotiations: industry minister

The South Korean distributed power arrangement without a dominant chief executive seems to be working for Korea at the moment. The executive agency functions seem reliant in the face of domestic political turmoil.

S. Korea to launch consultative bodies with U.S. for tariff negotiations: industry minister | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · March 4, 2025

By Kim Na-young

SEJONG, March 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States have agreed to launch working-level consultative bodies on promoting bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding and energy industries, as well as for discussions on Washington's new tariff scheme, Seoul's industry minister said Tuesday.

South Korea is the first country to form working-level consultative bodies with the new U.S. administration on tariff negotiations and bilateral cooperation, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said in a press briefing on his recent visit to Washington, noting the channels will begin operation as soon as possible.

The two sides plan to establish four different channels to discuss shipbuilding collaboration, energy cooperation, which includes South Korea's possible participation in the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, tariffs and non-tariff barriers.

South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun (L) and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick hold a meeting in Washington on Feb. 27, 2025, to discuss the Donald Trump administration's new tariff scheme in this photo provided by Ahn's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The agreement was made during Ahn's three-day trip to Washington last week, where he met with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, as well as U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Interior and National Energy Dominance Council Chairman Doug Burgum among others to discuss the Donald Trump administration's new tariff scheme.

Ahn's trip came amid mounting concerns over the U.S. government's plan to impose 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, as well as to introduce reciprocal tariffs on trade partners while reviewing new tariffs on cars, chips and pharmaceuticals.

"Opening a negotiation channel with the U.S. was the priority of the trip as we are not playing a single-round match with the U.S. but rather a marathon," Ahn said.

Ahn said he focused on emphasizing the fact that the South Korean economy has increasingly decoupled from China in recent years while sharply deepening industrial ties with the U.S. that included massive corporate investments in America.

"We told officials that South Korean companies' investments have only started, and there are many more to come, and for them to be carried out as planned, consistency in U.S. policies is needed," he said.

This photo, provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on March 1, 2025, shows Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun (R) and U.S. Secretary of Interior and National Energy Dominance Council Chairman Doug Burgum. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The minister said he also conveyed South Korea's interest in participating in the gas pipeline development project in Alaska, one of the Trump administration's key agendas, as part of efforts to increase energy imports from the U.S. and thus reduce its trade surplus.

Washington's trade officials also welcomed Ahn's proposal that Korean shipbuilders can manufacture warships, tankers and icebreakers for the U.S. on a preferential basis as part of measures to bolster bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding industry, he added.

nyway@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · March 4, 2025

9. Lessons for Asia from Trump-Zelensky showdown

It pains me to read the subtitle of this article.

I will continue to advocate for our alliances. I believe they are critical to US national security. I give the benefit of the doubt that he knows this too. But he has his own method of operation.

Lessons for Asia from Trump-Zelensky showdown - Asia Times

Trump’s view of alliances as burdens reflects willingness to withdraw, renegotiate or downgrade commitments with little warning

asiatimes.com · by George Prior · March 4, 2025

Trump’s brusque treatment of Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last week wasn’t just about Ukraine. It was a message to the world: US alliances are becoming increasingly conditional and subject to domestic political calculations.

For Asian nations that have long depended on Washington to balance Beijing, among other factors, the reality is clear—America’s strategic commitments can no longer be assumed.

For decades, the US positioned itself as the Indo-Pacific’s stabilizing force, but Trumpism has replaced consistency with transactional unpredictability. The result? A region left exposed to erratic policy shifts, wavering security assurances, and economic disruption.

Asian leaders must now recognize that Washington’s interests are not necessarily their own. The lesson is to hedge against uncertainty and also to take decisive action in reshaping regional stability on their own terms.

If a country in the middle of an existential war like Ukraine is met with indifference in Washington, what does that signal for Taiwan, Japan or South Korea?

Trump’s history of labeling alliances as financial burdens is not just rhetoric—it reflects a willingness to withdraw, renegotiate or downgrade commitments with little warning.

His past insistence that Tokyo and Seoul increase defense spending or risk losing US protection was a preview of an evolving policy doctrine: alliances exist only as long as they serve immediate American interests.

His suggestion that both nations should consider developing their own nuclear arsenals was a stark reminder that the US security umbrella is no longer a guarantee—it’s a negotiable instrument.

Asian nations must now operate on the assumption that US military support will be subject to political whims. This means bolstering indigenous defense capabilities, investing in self-sufficiency and building regional security partnerships that function independently of Washington. Japan’s expansion of its defense budget and South Korea’s accelerated missile programs should be seen as the beginning of this strategic shift.

Trump’s economic policies make no distinction between adversaries and allies. The tariffs on Canada and Mexico—America’s closest trading partners—illustrate how economic nationalism overrides traditional relationships.

For Asia’s export-driven economies, the implications will likely be severe. Vietnam, Taiwan and South Korea—each deeply integrated into US supply chains—are as vulnerable to sudden tariff hikes and regulatory shifts as China.

For those hoping Trump’s aggressive decoupling from China would benefit other Asian economies, history suggests otherwise.

His trade policies are not strategic but reactive. The goal is not to create alternative supply chains but to pressure companies to bring manufacturing back to the US. Asian nations must prepare for a world where access to the US market is conditional, supply chains are in flux and trade agreements are subject to presidential moods rather than economic logic.

The response must be a decisive push toward regional economic integration. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a strong framework, but it must be expanded and reinforced with deeper intra-Asian trade mechanisms.

Strengthening the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to function as an independent counterweight to both Washington and Beijing will be critical in maintaining economic stability.

Intelligence-sharing is built on trust, and under a Trump presidency, that trust could be in short supply.

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His history of disclosing classified intelligence, sidelining traditional intelligence institutions and prioritizing personal diplomacy over institutional strategy makes reliance on US intelligence an increasingly risky proposition for Asian nations.

Japan, South Korea and ASEAN countries must thus urgently develop more robust regional intelligence-sharing frameworks. Partnerships between Japan and India, as well as between South Korea and Australia, should be expanded beyond defense and into coordinated intelligence capabilities.

Asia can no longer afford to be passive recipients of US intelligence—it must actively build its own networks to mitigate the risks of unreliable information flows from Washington. The idea of waiting for US elections to determine the region’s future is increasingly likely to be a losing strategy for Asian countries.

The lesson is clear: the era of dependency is over.

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asiatimes.com · by George Prior · March 4, 2025

10. “US nuclear aircraft carrier enters Busan port, reaffirming Korea’s will to defend itself… strong war deterrence”

Please note this is a Google translation of a VOA report (please see some of the mistranslated titles! it is Google's fault not the author's or VOA). But the content's intent is correct (though the headline is a little confused - again a translation issue with Google). This is a message for north Korea.

“US nuclear aircraft carrier enters Busan port, reaffirming Korea’s will to defend itself… strong war deterrence”

2025.3.4

An Jun-ho

https://www.voakorea.com/a/7995863.html

U.S. foreign policy and security experts evaluated that the arrival of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in Busan reaffirms the U.S.’s firm will to defend Korea. They also pointed out that the Carl Vinson carrier strike group, which has the world’s strongest combat power, has a strong war deterrent. Reporter Ahn Jun-ho reports.

Harry Harris, U.S. Ambassador to Korea. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Korea.

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris, who served as Commander of the Pacific Command, said on the 3rd regarding the arrival of the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson at the Busan Operations Base in South Korea, “What is important is that (this) demonstrates the U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the region and its promise to its alliances.”

[해리스 전 대사] “What is significant is the demonstration of America’s commitment to peace and stability in the region, and America’s commitment to the Alliance.”

The U.S. Navy carrier strike group, including the USS Carl Vinson, the cruiser Princeton, and the Aegis destroyer Sterrett, arrived at the Busan Operations Base on the 1st.

This is the first time a U.S. aircraft carrier has entered Korea since the USS Roosevelt in June of last year, about eight months ago, and the first since the inauguration of the second term of the Donald Trump administration on January 20.

ROK-US Combined Forces Commander: “Establishing a posture to deter aggression and maintain stability”

According to the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Commander of ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (also Commander of U.S. Forces Korea and Commander of the United Nations Command) Xavier Brunson said on the 1st, “The operations of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group demonstrate our resolve to bolster the defense of our allies and partners and enhance our capabilities to ‘Fight Tonight and Win.’” He evaluated that, “This visit, especially when combined with realistic joint training across all domains, enhances interoperability and builds a readiness posture to deter aggression and maintain stability in Korea and the region.”

“This visit reaffirms our commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he continued.

[브런슨 사령관] “The Carl Vinson's carrier strike group operations demonstrate our commitment to bolster the defense of allies and partners and strengthen our ability to 'fight tonight and win.' This visit, especially when coupled with realistic all domain, joint and combined training, increases interoperability and ensures we build the readiness posture to deter aggression and maintain stability in the Republic of Korea and the region.”

“Carrier Strike Group Arrives, Reaffirming Korea’s Defense Commitment”

David Maxwell, Vice President, Asia Pacific Strategy Center

David Maxwell, deputy director of the Asia-Pacific Strategy Center and former chief of staff for operations at the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, said in a phone call with VOA on the 3rd, “The U.S. carrier strike group possesses powerful military power,” and “their entry into Korea demonstrates, above all, the U.S. military commitment to the defense of Korea.”

[녹취: 맥스웰 부대표] “A US carrier battle group has significant military capabilities. And making a port call in South Korea, it is first and foremost a demonstration of our military commitment to the defense of South Korea.”

He also said, “Their strong will to defend is intended to deter any attack or military action by North Korea,” adding, “This provides strategic assurance to the alliance and demonstrates their strategic determination to do their utmost to defend South Korea.”

“Trump’s second term also means reaffirming the promise of expanded deterrence”

Evans Revere, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Evans Revere, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told VOA on the same day that the arrival of the Carl Vinson was “a valuable reminder of the military force that the United States regularly deploys in support of its allies and of its deterrence against them.”

“While there have been confusing and contradictory signs and signals from the Trump administration, the arrival of the carrier strike group sends a strong message of American deterrence to potential adversaries,” he continued, adding that “this is a move to support America’s allies in the region.”

[리비어 전 수석 부차관보] “Although there have been some confusing and contradictory signs and signals from the Trump administration, the presence of the aircraft carrier and its associated battle group nonetheless reflects an important deterrent message to potential adversaries, delivered on behalf of the United States in support of its regional allies.”

He added, “This will be a welcome message to South Korea amid the confusing diplomatic and political signals from the U.S. administration.”

“America’s Will to Defend Korea Is Unchangeable”

Bradley Martin, senior policy fellow and director of the National Security Supply Chain Research Center at the RAND Corporation. Photo = RAND Corporation.

Bradley Martin, senior policy fellow and director of the National Security Supply Chain Research Center at the Rand Corporation, said in a phone interview with VOA that day, “The arrival of the carrier strike group sends a message that the United States remains committed to the alliance with South Korea and that it is doing so in a routine and normal manner.”

He then emphasized that “the United States has not changed its position for decades.”

Rear Admiral Martin, who served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years and served as a submarine commander, chief of staff for operations at U.S. Forces Japan, and operations analyst for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, “These types of dockings are fairly routine, but they signal that the U.S. values its alliances and intends to support them.”

[녹취: 마틴 소장] “The message is that the United States remains committed to its alliance with the Republic of Korea that it is doing this in a routine and normal manner. It hasn't changed its position over decades.”

Regarding the US-ROK-Japan maritime exercise scheduled to take place this month, he added, “This exercise further demonstrates the importance of our defense treaty partners in East Asia.” He added, “The US government has never signaled that America’s commitment to security relations in the Pacific has weakened, and the visit of the Carl Vinson underscores that point.”

On March 2, 2025, the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN) enters the Busan Naval Base. (Photo source: Republic of Korea Navy Seoul Public Relations Team)

'Floating Military Base'∙∙∙The World's Strongest Combat Power

Commissioned in 1982, the Carl Vinson is the third Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the United States. It is 333 m long, has a flight deck width of 76.4 m, and is powered by two nuclear reactors.

It operates in the Indo-Pacific region as part of the 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet.

It is equipped with and operates around 80 state-of-the-art aircraft, including the F-35C fifth-generation stealth fighter, F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter, E-2D Hawkeye early warning and control aircraft, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, CMV-22 Osprey transport aircraft, and MH-60R/S Sea Hawk maritime operation helicopter, and has a crew of around 5,000.

“The Carl Vinson’s strategic power extends beyond just being an aircraft carrier,” said Vice Adm. Maxwell.

The carrier strike group is said to be equipped with about 80 aircraft, including fighter jets, that can attack anywhere in North Korea, as well as destroyers and cruisers with air defense and ballistic missile defense capabilities, and submarines that can launch cruise missiles and protect the strike group from nearby underwater locations.

He continued, “The carrier strike group’s combat power is the most powerful in the world,” adding, “They can attack any target in North Korea, and North Korea has little ability to defend itself against that firepower.”

[녹취: 맥스웰 부대표] “So the power of a carrier battle group is among the most powerful in the world and it can strike targets anywhere in North Korea and North Korea it has very little capability to defend against its firepower.”

Rear Admiral Martin also said, “The Carl Vinson carries an integrated air wing and operates with very capable destroyers and cruisers,” adding, “She could be a very effective force in the event of war.”

[녹취: 마틴 소장] “The Carl Vinson carries an integrated air wing and it is in company with destroyers and cruisers that are very capable, a very effective capability in the event of a war.”

“America’s adversaries know that there are consequences to declaring war or starting a war,” he continued, adding that “this kind of naval power is invaluable in deterring war.”

This is Ahn Jun-ho from VOA News.

11. South Korea’s Political Drama Will Produce Waves Overseas

South Korea’s Political Drama Will Produce Waves Overseas

TIME · by Ian Bremmer

South Korea’s political crisis continues. After President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached and arrested following his aborted imposition of martial law last December, the country’s Constitutional Court will now decide his future. Legal experts say Yoon will soon be removed from office and sent to prison.

To complicate things further, the same court will also make a ruling that could disqualify opposition leader Lee Jae-myung from an election he’s currently favored to win—and which would have to take place within 60 days of Yoon’s formal removal from office. Lee is appealing his conviction for election-law violations in 2022, and if two appellate courts affirm it, he will be barred from public office for 10 years. A final ruling is expected next month. Yes, it’s a mess.

And the soap-opera aspects of the crisis obscure an important reality: South Korea’s foreign policy is about to change dramatically, with major implications for the U.S., China, North Korea, and Japan. Lee, the runner-up in the last election in 2022, is a talented politician who has consolidated support within the center-left Democratic Party of Korea (DP). The ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP) is in disarray and doesn’t appear able to field a heavyweight candidate quickly enough to win.

Yoon’s government greatly improved the country’s long-troubled relationship with Japan, its former colonial master, and has worked closely with Washington on East Asia security strategy. For now, Lee, running as a centrist, is insisting that the U.S.–South Korea alliance must remain the “rock foundation” of South Korea’s diplomacy, national security, and economic development. But Lee’s persistent criticism of Yoon’s pro-U.S. emphasis suggests friction with the Trump Administration over trade, security cooperation, and engagement with North Korea. Lee has already proposed the creation of a bipartisan committee that would focus on preparation for the “highly likely trade war” with the U.S., signaling a much more confrontational approach to Washington.

Lee has also called for new diplomatic talks with North Korea to ensure that South Korea isn’t pushed to the side if President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stage new talks. At the first Trump-Kim meetings in 2018 and 2019, former center-left South Korean President Moon Jae-in was excluded.

In a recent foreign policy speech, Lee said little about relations with Japan and China, but here too his intense criticism of Yoon’s engagement with Tokyo signals a different approach. Lee accused Yoon of ignoring the crimes Japan committed against South Korea in the 1930s and ’40s and of bowing and scraping before Japan’s current government. We should also expect Lee will support deeper economic and diplomatic engagement with China. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, an ally and confidant of Lee’s, visited China in February and met with China’s President Xi Jinping. Woo used the trip to reassure Xi that a DP government in South Korea would privilege better relations with his country, and Xi’s decision to meet with Woo personally signaled just how happy China is to hear this. In the unlikely event that a court blocks Lee’s candidacy, Woo would be a formidable replacement.

Meanwhile, Yoon faces a separate criminal trial on charges of insurrection. If convicted, he could face the death penalty, but even a prison sentence will be enough to further enrage pro-Yoon protesters, who rioted in January when he was first arrested. Watching from the sidelines, policy-makers in Washington, Beijing, Tokyo, and Pyongyang are focused on both the dangers and the opportunities that South Korea’s political turmoil will create.

TIME · by Ian Bremmer

12. Kim Jong Un's sister warns of provocative response to U.S. aircraft carrier deployment

The most evil woman in the world are national leaders.

The Carl Vinson has the regime's attention.

World News March 4, 2025 / 3:14 AM

Kim Jong Un's sister warns of provocative response to U.S. aircraft carrier deployment

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/03/04/North-Korea-Kim-Yo-Jong-warning-USS-Carl-Vinson-deployment/4371741072426/

By Thomas Maresca

1 of 2 | Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Tuesday condemned the visit of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to Busan as "hostile and confrontational." File Pool Photo by Jorge Silva/EPA-EFE

SEOUL, March 4 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's influential sister said Tuesday that the deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to South Korea would compel Pyongyang to bolster its nuclear arsenal and ramp up military provocations.

The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson and its strike group docked at a naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on Sunday, the first carrier visit under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"As soon as its new administration appeared this year, the U.S. has stepped up the political and military provocations against the DPRK, 'carrying forward' the former administration's hostile policy," Kim Yo Jong said, using the official acronym for North Korea.

In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim said the United States has been deploying strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula at a "constant" level and denounced the carrier's visit as "hostile and confrontational."

"The action-accompanied hostile policy toward the DPRK pursued by the U.S. at present is offering sufficient justification for the DPRK to indefinitely bolster up its nuclear war deterrent," Kim said.

"The DPRK is also planning to carefully examine the option for increasing the actions threatening the security of the enemy at the strategic level," she added.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff called Kim's criticism "nothing more than sophistry aimed at justifying nuclear missile development and building pretext for a provocation."

"North Korea's nuclear weapons are absolutely unacceptable and the only way for North Korea to survive is to abandon its obsession and delusion about nuclear weapons," the JCS said in a text message sent Tuesday to reporters.

"If the North conducts a provocation using legitimate and defensive South Korea-U.S. military activities as an excuse, we will respond overwhelmingly," the JCS added.

The visit by the USS Carl Vinson underscores Washington's commitment to the region, the U.S. Navy said in a press release Sunday.

"An aircraft carrier port visit demonstrates our commitment to the alliance between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea," Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander of Carrier Strike Group One, said. "Our alliance remains the linchpin of peace and security in Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula."

The Vinson's visit was the first by a U.S. aircraft carrier since the nuclear-powered USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived in June. It comes ahead of the U.S.-South Korea Freedom Shield joint military exercise, scheduled to kick off this month.

Pyongyang regularly condemns the allies' joint drills as rehearsals for an invasion.

North Korea has maintained its belligerent rhetoric toward the United States, despite speculation that Trump may look to revive nuclear negotiations with Kim Jong Un. During Trump's first term, the two leaders held a pair of high-profile summits and met briefly a third time at the DMZ.

The diplomatic outreach failed to result in a nuclear deal, however, and Pyongyang has accelerated the development of its weapons programs in the intervening years.

Last week, the North test-fired strategic cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea in a demonstration of what Pyongyang called its "counterattack capability in any space and the readiness of its various nuke operation means."

13. Families of North Korean troops captured in Russia 'will be executed,' former Pyongyang soldier tells ABC News

The evil and the horror of the Kim family regime.

Families of North Korean troops captured in Russia 'will be executed,' former Pyongyang soldier tells ABC News

ABCNews.com · by ABC News

SEOUL -- A former sergeant in the North Korean military says that few of Pyongyang's soldiers have been captured fighting against Ukraine because they're told their families will be executed if they are caught alive.

"Most soldiers will kill themselves before they're killed by the enemy, it's the biggest shame to be captured," the former soldier, Ryu Seong-hyeon, told ABC News.

Ryu defected to South Korea in 2019, running across a minefield in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas.

North Korean defector Ryu Seong-hyeon in Seoul, South Korea.

ABC News

MORE: Ukraine claims more North Korean soldiers killed as Zelenskyy offers prisoner swap

Pyongyang has deployed more than 12,000 soldiers to Russia to fight in the Ukraine war, according to US estimates, with experts claiming Russian forces have also used North Korean weapons.

An estimated 300 North Korean soldiers have died in the fighting, and over 2,700 have been wounded, Seoul's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in a closed briefing in January.

South Korea's spy agency told journalists Thursday that an unknown number of additional North Korean soldiers have been sent to the frontlines in Russia's western Kursk region since early February, after a near month-long lull in fighting against Ukrainian troops, who launched a surprise offensive across the border last August.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in January that his forces had captured two North Korean soldiers, marking the first time that Ukraine had captured Pyongyang's troops alive.

ABC News Foreign Correspondent Britt Clennett speaks with North Korean defectors Ryu Seong-hyeon and Pak Yusung in Seoul, South Korea.

ABC News

In a nearly 3-minute video released by Ukraine following the capture of the two North Korean troops, one of the soldiers says he wants to remain in Ukraine when asked if he wishes to return home. The Korean translator asks, "Did you know you were fighting in a war against Ukraine?" The soldier shakes his head.

South Korean intelligence assessed that the two soldiers were with the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a key North Korean military intelligence agency.

An undated handout photograph released on Jan. 11, 2025, from the Telegram account of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine shows an alledged soldier presented as North Korean detained by Ukrainian authorities at an undisclosed location in Ukraine.

V_Zelenskiy_official/AFP via Getty Images

MORE: At least 100 North Korean soldiers killed, 1,000 injured in fighting in Russia, South Korean intelligence says

"If the soldiers are captured and tell information to the enemy, their families will be punished, go to a political prison camp, or worse, they will be executed in front of the people," said another North Korean defector, Pak Yusung.

'They just die like a dog'

Pyongyang's soldiers have struggled to adapt to the modern battlefield, the North Korean defectors suggested, as videos released by the Ukrainian military appear to show North Korean soldiers being chased down by attack drones.

Ryu and Pak defected long before the fighting that's underway in Russia, but they said that, in their experience, most of the soldiers would not have seen a drone in their life.

North Korean defector Pak Yusung in Seoul, South Korea.

ABC News

MORE: North Korean killed in Russia wrote of 'sacred duty' to fight for Kim Jong Un

"Before they go they don't have any practice in how to defend against a drone or how to fight Ukrainians, that's why they just die like a dog," Ryu said. "They don't have the skill, the language or the information."

Pak and Ryu's analysis lines up with information released by South Korean intelligence, which said North Korea has clearly instructed the soldiers to kill themselves to avoid being captured alive.

Seoul's spy agency also said it attributes the "massive casualties" of North Korean soldiers to their "lack of understanding of modern warfare," including their "useless" act of shooting at long-range drones, based on the agency's analysis of a recent combat video.

ABC News Foreign Correspondent Britt Clennett speaks with North Korean defectors Ryu Seong-hyeon and Pak Yusung in Seoul, South Korea.

ABC News

Ryu, who was about 110 lbs. at the time of his defection, said if he were still a North Korean soldier, he would also want to go: "If I went to Ukraine, I could eat food, and I could see another country." He said there are also big financial incentives, and the soldiers would have no idea that their chances of dying were so high.

Selling lies

Ryu and Pak said North Korean soldiers were being sold a lie. "From a young age they're told to hate the American 'wolves', and now they are told they are finally killing Americans," the defectors said.

Ryu said in his experience with the North Korean air force, about 50% of the pilots were only trained in theory, and did not have experience flying a fighter jet.

Pak, who is a researcher at the North Korea Institute, said North Korean leader Kim Jon Un would be receiving critical technology in exchange for the manpower, in what should be a deeply worrying sign for the world, Kim also gets more real combat experience in case of a war on the peninsula.

"If Russia wins the war, it will empower the dictator alliance," Pak said.

ABC News Foreign Correspondent Britt Clennett, right, speaks with North Korean defectors Ryu Seong-hyeon, center, and Pak Yusung in Seoul, South Korea.

ABC News

MORE: North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia

"This is just the start. If the Ukraine war keeps going, Kim will keep sending soldiers. Inside North Korea more people will start knowing and that could be a threat to Kim."

When asked what they could possibly do about it when living in a dictatorship controlled by fear, Pak said, "Think about it: your sons died on the battlefield and not for your own country."

Ryu added, "You cannot send so many people to the labor camps."

Pak and his team of four North Korean defectors, Voices of North Korean Youth, have been trying to push the international community to condemn Russia and North Korea with one voice, and also called for the International Criminal Court to hold North Korean leader Kim accountable.

ABC News' Karson Yiu contributed to this report.

ABCNews.com · by ABC News

14. Police to mobilize all available resources to prevent clash on day of Yoon's impeachment ruling

The questions for my Korean friends are that whatever the outcome: how can you use this stress test of democracy to unify the nation going forward? How can you turn this political turmoil into an opportunity to strengthen your democracy? Who in South Korea will demonstrate real national leadership going forward?

The hallmark of this political turmoil has been the lack of significant political violence. Hopeful whatever is the verdict that this will continue to be the case.

Police to mobilize all available resources to prevent clash on day of Yoon's impeachment ruling | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Hyun-soo · March 4, 2025

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- Police on Tuesday vowed to mobilize all available resources to prevent a potential physical clash on the day when the Constitutional Court delivers its verdict on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial over his failed martial law bid.

Lee Ho-young, the acting chief of the National Police Agency, told reporters that police reinforcements and other measures, including a possible order to use expandable batons, will be prepared on the day when the verdict will be delivered.

"We will mobilize all police forces to prevent the recurring of similar cases from the past, and block a physical collision between those in favor of and against Yoon's impeachment," Lee said, citing the possibility of violence erupting at the Constitutional Court.

In a shocking development following political turmoil triggered by Yoon's martial law attempt, supporters of Yoon stormed into the Seoul Western District Court in January in protest against the court's decision to formally arrest the suspended president.

Meanwhile, police were also "positively reviewing" whether to issue the highest emergency level on the day of the ruling, which would enable the mobilization of up to 100 percent of all available police forces.

Police are stationed at the Constitutional Court on March 2, 2025, ahead of its ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial. (Yonhap)

sookim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Hyun-soo · March 4, 2025

15. State election commission apologizes for illegal hiring, vows reform

Is this a smokescreen for other possible irregularities involving China and north Korean influence?

State election commission apologizes for illegal hiring, vows reform | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Woo Jae-yeon · March 4, 2025

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- The state election watchdog issued an apology once again Tuesday amid growing public scrutiny and backlash over employment irregularities at the agency.

"We once again sincerely apologize over the hiring of some senior officials' children and a lack of discipline," the National Election Commission (NEC) said.

The state agency pledged to "actively participate if any discussions take place in the National Assembly to oversee the NEC."

Additionally, it said it will review setting up a temporary commission led by external experts to reform its practices and restore public trust.

This undated file photo shows the entrance of the National Election Commission. (Yonhap)

Last week, the NEC issued an apology after the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) uncovered suspected nepotism involving the hiring of families and relatives of former and current officials at the NEC.

The BAI revealed that NEC officials ranging from high-ranking officials to mid-level managers had frequently solicited hires for their family members, while recruitment officers used various illegal ways to ensure the hires.

The BAI asked the NEC to take disciplinary action against 32 former and current officials for their abuse of power and violations.

As of Tuesday, disciplinary proceedings were underway against 27 individuals involved in irregular hiring, according to the NEC. However, 10 individuals found to have been unfairly employed are still working at the NEC.

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Woo Jae-yeon · March 4, 2025

16. 'Progressives vs. conservatives' conflict deepens amid political exploitation

Korea needs more and stronger rational moderates (so does the US and every democracy!)

Conclusion:

Rational moderates are silenced when ideological conflict permeates everyday life, and social tensions escalate. If this extreme polarization persists, the country may struggle to heal the wounds inflicted by martial law and achieve social integration even after the impeachment ruling. In an era of rapid geopolitical shifts, national crises are difficult to overcome even with a united front. Political leaders must recognize the gravity of their actions and stop exacerbating ideological strife, which threatens the very future of South Korean society.

'Progressives vs. conservatives' conflict deepens amid political exploitation

donga.com

Posted March. 04, 2025 07:42,

Updated March. 04, 2025 07:42

'Progressives vs. conservatives' conflict deepens amid political exploitation. March. 04, 2025 07:42. .

The level of social conflict perceived by South Koreans last year was the highest since surveys began in 2018. The most severe conflict identified was the ideological divide between progressives and conservatives, surpassing regional or economic disparities in its impact on social cohesion. This resulted from the "Social Integration Survey" conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs between June and September last year, targeting 3,000 adults.

The average score for social conflict in South Korea has fluctuated over the years but rose for two consecutive years, reaching 2.93 in 2023 and 3.04 in 2024 on a four-point scale. The most severe conflict was between progressives and conservatives (3.52), far exceeding the conflicts between the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions (3.06), regular and non-regular workers (3.01), and labor and management (2.97). The deepening ideological divide signals a deviation from democracy’s fundamental principles of moderation and compromise.

The survey was conducted before President Yoon Suk Yeol's December 3 declaration of martial law. Amid intensifying ideological strife, the political landscape remained locked in extreme confrontation, while the president, who bears the responsibility of managing national affairs and mediating conflicts, exacerbated the situation by labeling his opponents as “anti-state forces,” ultimately leading to the martial law crisis. South Korean society has suffered extreme polarization in the three months of political turmoil following his impeachment proceedings. If the same survey had been conducted now, ideological conflict scores would likely have been even higher.

Despite this alarming trend, both ruling and opposition parties continue to exploit national division, prioritizing the mobilization of their supporters over national unity. At rallies held in downtown Seoul on March 1, both for and against the president’s impeachment, lawmakers from both camps took the lead in hurling inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech at their opponents. They even denounced key democratic institutions such as the Constitutional Court, fueling public distrust in the foundations of democracy. Now, even university campuses are embroiled in the impeachment debate, further deepening societal discord.

Rational moderates are silenced when ideological conflict permeates everyday life, and social tensions escalate. If this extreme polarization persists, the country may struggle to heal the wounds inflicted by martial law and achieve social integration even after the impeachment ruling. In an era of rapid geopolitical shifts, national crises are difficult to overcome even with a united front. Political leaders must recognize the gravity of their actions and stop exacerbating ideological strife, which threatens the very future of South Korean society.

한국어

donga.com

17. Bleeding March 1st Movement

A fascinating essay. Can we see parallels in the 21st Century (no repetition but some rhyming).

Bleeding March 1st Movement

donga.com

Posted March. 04, 2025 07:42,

Updated March. 04, 2025 07:42

Bleeding March 1st Movement. March. 04, 2025 07:42. .

On March 1, 2025, South Korea experienced a national holiday filled with protests, each chanting different slogans.

The March 1st Movement was sparked by the funeral of Emperor Gojong. Opinions on Gojong vary, but as a monarch, his leadership and capabilities were neither competent nor just. During the Korean Empire period, Gojong undeniably pursued national strength and prosperity, but his approach was embarrassingly unrealistic.

It is common for late-developing nations to modernize under state-led initiatives. However, Gojong completely blurred the lines between the imperial family and the state. He redirected all national resources and tax revenues from government finances to royal income, and every modernization project was conducted under direct royal administration.

During this period, the Independence Club opposed the transfer of Korea’s natural resources and forest development rights to foreign entities. At the same time, it also had to resist the imperial family’s encroachment. Some may argue that monarchs of other dynasties behaved similarly and that there were comparable cases in other countries. That is true—Gojong himself studied Japan and other foreign models extensively.

Upon examining the governmental structure and national administration he established, it is difficult to give him a passing grade. He was incompetent and excessively greedy. When historians evaluate figures or events, the challenge lies in balancing intent and outcome. Even if Gojong’s intentions were acknowledged, they could not be assessed without considering the realities and capabilities. Under Gojong’s rule, the nation was deeply divided in terms of both national opinions and methodology. Amidst this, Gojong acted myopically and self-servingly. The reason the people spoke with one voice on his funeral day was that they were already confronting the devastating reality of the loss of sovereignty.

March 1, 2025, became a day of division because, unlike in the past, the outcome remains uncertain. Politics is now driven by incompetence and extreme self-interest, and even the fundamental principles of democracy are being denied. There was only one Gojong in the past, but there are far too many today.

한국어

donga.com

18. Korea’s dilemma in staying aligned with US

Second and third order effects. We have always prided ourselves in that our alliance is based on the spilling of blood together, shared values, and trust.

This conclusion is really telling:

The real dilemma lies in Korea’s choices. Last week, the United Nations voted on two opposing resolutions regarding the Ukraine war. The resolution submitted by the U.S. to the Security Council omitted the term “Russia as an aggressor,” whereas the resolution submitted by Europe and Ukraine to the General Assembly explicitly labeled Russia as the aggressor. Korea voted in favor of both. This decision likely stemmed from the difficulty of choosing between aligning with the U.S. and upholding moral judgments of right and wrong. At the same time, it foreshadows the many value conflicts that Korea will face in the future.

Korea’s dilemma in staying aligned with US

donga.com

Posted March. 03, 2025 07:17,

Updated March. 03, 2025 07:17

Korea’s dilemma in staying aligned with US. March. 03, 2025 07:17. .

The summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, D.C. on Friday ended in an unexpectedly disastrous manner. Contrary to predictions that Zelensky, under pressure to end the three-year-long war with Russia, would capitulate by signing a mineral agreement involving rare earths, the meeting took a different turn.

“His (Zelensky's) hatred for Putin makes it very difficult for me to finalize negotiations,” President Trump cornered Zelensky. “You don’t have a card. Without our military equipment, this war would have ended in two weeks.” He further rebuked Zelensky, saying he was very “rude” to the U.S. Zelensky did not back down, responding, “What diplomacy are you talking about?” and emphasizing that Putin is a man who has invaded again despite making non-aggression promises. Even Vice President J.D. Vance, in an unusually informal manner, joined in the criticism, saying, “You should thank President for trying to end this conflict.” The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., seated nearby, shook his head in frustration, holding his head in his hands. Following the heated exchange, Zelensky canceled the remaining schedule, including a luncheon, joint press conference, and agreement signing ceremony, and departed from the U.S.

This summit will likely be remembered in history as the moment when Trump abandoned the U.S.'s role as the leader of the liberal democratic alliance established after World War II. The U.S. has played a leading role in the free world by establishing NATO as a collective security system in Western Europe and forming bilateral military alliances with Korea and Japan in East Asia. However, Trump believes that the U.S. has been wasting its national power by protecting wealthy countries that have benefited economically from trade with the U.S. His stance is that unless the U.S. security beneficiaries pay significantly more, the U.S. will withdraw its support. A U.S. president telling the leader of a nation that has lost 20% of its territory, “You should be thankful,” was unimaginable. Trump likely envisions fostering amicable relations with other nuclear-armed great powers, such as China and Russia, to prioritize the U.S. national interests. While leaders of Western European nations such as the U.K. and France were shocked by the failed summit, they have encouraged Zelensky to pursue a second summit, seeking compromise and reconciliation. However, concerns about the uncertain future of the free world have grown significantly.

The real dilemma lies in Korea’s choices. Last week, the United Nations voted on two opposing resolutions regarding the Ukraine war. The resolution submitted by the U.S. to the Security Council omitted the term “Russia as an aggressor,” whereas the resolution submitted by Europe and Ukraine to the General Assembly explicitly labeled Russia as the aggressor. Korea voted in favor of both. This decision likely stemmed from the difficulty of choosing between aligning with the U.S. and upholding moral judgments of right and wrong. At the same time, it foreshadows the many value conflicts that Korea will face in the future.

한국어

donga.com

19. Editorial: Secret phone scandal at S. Korea's election commission casts doubt on its fairness

Another smokescreen to cover other irregularities involving China and north korea?

Editorial: Secret phone scandal at S. Korea's election commission casts doubt on its fairness

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/03/04/MXFC3BEYDRDZFPTIMMZ4G5Z5X4/

By The Chosunilbo

Published 2025.03.04. 08:57

South Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC) is facing fresh controversy after an audit revealed that a former top official secretly used a second mobile phone to communicate with politicians, then erased all data before investigators could access it. /Graphic by Lee Jin-young

A former senior official at South Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC) used a secret mobile phone registered under the commission’s name to contact politicians while in office, an audit has found. The phone was created during Kim Se-hwan’s tenure as NEC secretary-general, just before the country’s 2022 presidential and local elections.

Kim continued using the phone for an additional year and eight months after leaving office. By the time the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) seized the device, it had been factory-reset, erasing all data and making forensic recovery impossible. This means there is no way to verify whom Kim spoke with or when, the audit agency noted.

Political neutrality and independence are the foundation of the NEC’s role. The fact that a high-ranking election official used a separate phone specifically to communicate with politicians raises serious concerns.

The situation appears even more troubling given that the device was wiped clean, making it impossible to confirm whether Kim had engaged in any inappropriate activity or compromised the commission’s fairness.

The NEC is already under intense scrutiny over a series of scandals, including corruption in hiring, poor cybersecurity, and mismanagement of elections. A recent audit revealed that over the past decade, all 291 of the commission’s experienced-hire recruitments involved at least one rule violation, with a total of 878 infractions. Which means Not a single hiring process was conducted without breaking regulations.

Whistleblower complaints about hiring irregularities were dismissed with absurd justifications like, ‘We are like a family business’ and ‘Hiring relatives is our tradition.’ It’s hard to believe such excuses were even made.

The commission also failed to detect cyberattacks from North Korea and came under fire for mishandling ballots during the presidential election, at one point transporting them in plastic baskets. It is hard to imagine any other taxpayer-funded institution operating this way.

With its neutrality now in question and oversight mechanisms proving inadequate, the NEC cannot be left unchecked. The need for sweeping reforms is undeniable. A national debate is likely needed to establish effective measures for public oversight, with options such as appointing a special inspector for the commission or launching a parliamentary probe to expose further corruption.

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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