Quotes of the Day:
“When people feel insecure about their social standing in a group, they are more likely to use jargon in an attempt to be admired and respected,”
- Adam Galinsky, Columbia University psychologist
"However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light."
- Stanley Kubrick
“Modern writing at its worst... consists in gumming together long strings of words which have already been set in order by someone else and making the results presentable by sheer humbug. The attraction of this way of writing, is that it is easy."
- George Orwell
1. Chinese FM says N. Korea's security concern not resolved yet, U.S. holds key
2. N. Korea urged to respect denuclearization deals amid reports of activities at Yongbyon
3. Australia sanctions N. Korean firm involved in arms development
4. North restarts construction at old nuclear test site
5. N.Korea could return to ICBM, nuclear tests this year-U.S. intelligence report
6. S.Korea seizes N.Korean 'fishing' boat, fires warning shot at patrol boat
7. Russia says it understands North Korea's move to renew missile launches -RIA
8. North Korea: Construction spotted at Punggye-ri nuclear test site
9. U.S., 10 others, bemoan failure of U.N. Security Council to condemn N.Korea launches
10. Why Won't S.Korea Join the Quad?
11. Korea's mildeok put their collections to use to help Ukraine
12. Pentagon urges N. Korea to stop 'needless' provocation and engage in negotiations
13. N. Korean inspections find that grain processers and military logistics departments colluded to pilfer rice
14. Many N. Korean party cadres believe Ukraine’s “abandonment” of nuclear weapons caused current crisis
15. Lee vows to send special envoy to N. Korea, freeze public utility charges
16. 'Peace for Ukraine' message put up on Seoul city library building
1. Chinese FM says N. Korea's security concern not resolved yet, U.S. holds key
What about South Korea's security concerns? The north has never backed off from its written and verbal statements that it seeks to dominate the peninsula. Read its Constitution and its documents. The 4th largest army in the world is postured for offensive operations- to attack the ROK. What about Japan's security concerns? How many missiles have been aimed toward Japan? How many times has the ROK or Japan (or the US) attacked north Korea since 1953? How many times has the north attacked the South? countless times.
The Chinese and the north Koreans should not get a pass for these kinds of statements. We need to push back. If not, those who don't follow the Korean situation will hear these statements and say they sound logical and will ask why don't we just withdraw our troops. It is the north that has a hostile policy. The ROK/US/Japan do not.
(LEAD) Chinese FM says N. Korea's security concern not resolved yet, U.S. holds key | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with more details, comments in paras 6-8)
BEIJING, March 7 (Yonhap) -- The top Chinese diplomat said Monday North Korea's "reasonable" security concern remains unresolved and a resolution to its nuclear issue is up to the United States.
"North Korea's reasonable security concerns have not been fundamentally resolved," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a press conference held on the sidelines of the National People's Congress in Beijing.
He said Beijing is taking note of Washington's statement that it has no "hostility" toward Pyongyang.
"Where the next stage will go depends much on how the U.S. does (going forward)," he said in response to Yonhap News Agency's question on the Korean Peninsula issue.
The key is whether Washington will take concrete action for a resolution to the problem or continue seeking to use it as a "geopolitical strategic card," he added.
Wang said North Korea has taken "positive actions" since 2018 as part of efforts to resume talks, but it hasn't received "adequate rewards" from the U.S., in an apparent reference to Pyongyang's self-imposed moratorium on tests of nuclear and longest-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The diplomat urged Washington to take actions to dispel the North's security concerns and build mutual trust with the regime to resolve problems on the peninsula.
"China will continue to play a constructive role and wants to make efforts to that end," he said.
On Seoul-Beijing ties, he said the two sides need to fully cooperate with each other, as they commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
They are "friendly neighbors" that share long history, having proved to be partners for huge cooperation, not rivals, Wang said.
"I hope that China and South Korea will achieve joint development by reviving the tradition of friendship and deepening mutual cooperation on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations," he said.
(END)
2. N. Korea urged to respect denuclearization deals amid reports of activities at Yongbyon
Joint Declaration on The Denuclearization of The Korean Peninsula
Date
2008-02-14 18:13:00
Hit
4305
Joint Declaration on The Denuclearization of The Korean Peninsula
South and North Korea,
In order to eliminate the danger of nuclear war through the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, to create conditions and an environment favourable to peace and the peaceful unification of Korea, and thus to contribute to the peace and security of Asia and the world,
Declare as follows;
1. South and North Korea shall not test, manufacture, produce, receive, possess, store, deploy or use nuclear weapons.
2. South and North Korea shall use nuclear energy solely for peaceful purposes.
3. South and North Korea shall not possess nuclear reprocessing and uranium enrichment facilities.
4. In order to verify the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, South and North Korea shall conduct inspections of particular subjects chosen by the other side and agreed upon between the two sides, in accordance with the procedures and methods to be determined by the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission.
5. In order to implement this joint declaration, South and North Korea shall establish and operate a South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission within one month of the entry into force of this joint declaration;
6. This joint declaration shall enter into force from the date the South and the North exchange the appropriate instruments following the completion of their respective procedures for bringing it into effect.
January 20, 1992
Chung Won-shik Yon Hyong-muk
Chief Delegate Head
of the South of the North
delegation to the delegation to the
South-North South-North
High-Level Negotiations High-Level Negotiations
Premier of the
Prime Minister of the Administration Council of
Republic of Korea the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea
(LEAD) N. Korea urged to respect denuclearization deals amid reports of activities at Yongbyon | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS activities detected at Punggye-ri nuclear testing site in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, March 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday called on North Korea to abide by agreements it has made with the international community for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula amid reports the reclusive regime is continuing activities at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex.
On Monday, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the agency's monitoring team has spotted indications of activity at the 5-megawatt reactor at the complex north of Pyongyang, calling the move "deeply regrettable."
"The government, in close coordination with related countries and agencies, such as the United States and the IAEA, is continuing the monitoring of North Korea's nuclear and missile activities," a ministry official told reporters on background.
The official declined to comment further on "intelligence matters" but added there hasn't been any major activities worthy of attention.
"(We) urge North Korea to respect the spirits of agreements it has signed with the international community and South Korea (to push for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula)," the official said.
According to the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the North appears to be building an annex to a centrifuge enrichment facility at Yongbyon, though its purpose has yet to be determined.
North Korea also appears to be constructing a new building at its purportedly demolished Punggye-ri nuclear test site, Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute, said, citing information based on satellite imagery.
"This is the first activity we have seen at the site since North Korea dismantled it in May 2018," he said. "One possibility is that North Korea plans to bring the test site back to a state of readiness to resume nuclear explosive testing."
(END)
3. Australia sanctions N. Korean firm involved in arms development
Small victory. But we need aggressive enforcement of sanctions.
Australia sanctions N. Korean firm involved in arms development | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, March 8 (Yonhap) -- Australia has imposed its own sanctions against a North Korean trading company linked with the secretive nation's development of weapons of mass destruction, as well as Chinese and Russian companies accused of helping Pyongyang shun international sanctions, a recent government document showed.
The Pyongyang-based Puhung Trading Corp. has been added to Australia's list of entities under financial sanctions, which restrict the use of their assets, according to a document from Foreign Minister Marise Payne dated March 1.
"The Minister made the designations being satisfied that one of the entities (Puhung Trading Corporation) has been associated with the DPRK's weapons of mass destruction program or missiles program," a separate ministry statement read, using the acronym of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
It added that China-based Dandong Rich Earth Trading Company Limited and Russia-based Profinet Pte Ltd have also been included in the sanctions list for assisting or having assisted in North Korea's violation or evasion of international sanctions. Dandong Rich Earth Trading and Profinet were targeted by U.S. sanctions in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
4. North restarts construction at old nuclear test site
I think the regime must think they can shape the conditions to extort concessions from us. They believe we so desperately want to avoid an ICBM and/or nuclear test that surely we will lift concessions to keep them from doing so. They are so obviously trying to send signals that they are preparing for both an ICBM and a nuclear test.
As I have said many times, if we give in based on how the regime is shaping the information environment then we will only see Kim double down on his political warfare strategy and blackmail diplomacy because our actions will prove Kim is successful (in his mind). Concessions (and appeasement) will not improve the security situation and in fact will make it worse.
Tuesday
March 8, 2022
North restarts construction at old nuclear test site
Analysis of satellite images of the Punggye-ri nuclear testing site in North Korea's North Hamgyong Province suggests the North has renewed construction work at the location, almost four years after its well-publicized demolition. [ARMS CONTROL WONK]
Satellite images show renewed construction activity at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, almost four years after North Korea demolished most of its facilities at the location before world media in 2018, according to a U.S. think tank on Monday.
The California-based James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies said it analyzed satellite images of North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Hamgyong Province and found construction of new buildings and repairs of existing buildings.
The center told Voice of America (VOA) that changes in the site documented through satellite images taken by Maxa Technology on Feb. 18 and March 4 allowed it to determine that renewed construction activity had taken place.
In particular, a vacant lot of land photographed on Feb. 18 had been filled with construction materials by March 4, suggesting the existence of ongoing work at Punggye-ri.
A comparison of satellite images also showed a new building on the location of a previous structure, as well as a pile of lumber likely earmarked for repairs at the site.
The changes were noted by Jeffrey Lewis, director of the James Martin center, on his blog Arms Control Wonk.
“This is the first activity we have seen at the site since North Korea dismantled it in May 2018,” Lewis wrote in a post detailing the changes at Punggye-ri.
However, Lewis also noted that construction had been caught “very early,” adding that “it's too early to tell what they're up to or how long it would take to get the test site back to a state of readiness.”
The observations made by the James Martin center follow similar activities detected at the Punggye-ri site by former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) official Oli Hainonen, who told VOA in January that satellite analysis of the test site suggests North Korea is still maintaining facilities at the location.
“They are maintaining the site in such a way that you see trails of the cars, cleaning of snow, and things like that. So, they kind of maintain the buildings in some kind of conditions,” Hainonen said.
North Korea demolished its Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Hamgyong Province in May 2018 in the presence of reporters from South Korea, China, Russia, Britain and the United States.
38 North, a Pyongyang analysis site run by the Stimson Center, concluded shortly after the demolition that the last three remaining tunnels, as well as a number of buildings at the site, were destroyed, but questioned whether they could one day be rebuilt.
The demolition of the nuclear testing site was seen as a show of North Korea’s sincerity about denuclearization as it planned the first summit between then-U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which took place in June 2018.
However, North Korea suggested earlier this year in January it could end its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile testing. An end to the moratorium, which started in 2017, could result in future nuclear tests at the Punggye-ri site, though it remains unknown how quickly the regime could restart testing at the location, or if it harbors other underground nuclear test sites.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
5. N.Korea could return to ICBM, nuclear tests this year-U.S. intelligence report
Not if Kim can successfully extract concessions from us. But that would only delay testing for a while at least until Kim can no longer extract successions.
N.Korea could return to ICBM, nuclear tests this year-U.S. intelligence report
WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - North Korea's missile launches could be groundwork for a return to intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear bomb tests this year for the first time since 2017, the U.S. Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI) said in its annual Worldwide Threat Assessment released on Monday.
On Tuesday, U.S.-based analysts said commercial satellite imagery shows construction at North Korea's nuclear testing site for the first time since it was closed in 2018. read more
International experts have also reported that North Korea's main nuclear reactor facility at Yongbyon appears to be in full swing, potentially creating additional fuel for nuclear weapons.
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The DNI report, dated Feb. 7, and released ahead of a congressional hearing on Tuesday, said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remained strongly committed to expanding his nuclear weapons arsenal and ballistic missile research and development.
It said the North Korea's continued development of ICBMs, intermediate range ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles showed the country's intention to bolster its nuclear delivery capability.
"In January, North Korea began laying the groundwork for an increase in tensions that could include ICBM or possibly a nuclear test this year - actions that Pyongyang has not taken since 2017," the report said.
"Flight tests are part of North Korea’s effort to expand the number and type of missile systems capable of delivering nuclear warheads to the entire United States," it added.
The DNI report said it based its assessment on information available as of Jan. 21.
A return by North Korea to ICBM or nuclear testing would be a massive additional headache for the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, even as he grapples with the crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Amid stalled denuclearization talks, North Korea has suggested it could resume testing nuclear weapons or ICBMs.
It tested a record number of missiles in January, including its largest since 2017, and appears to be preparing to launch a spy satellite.
The United States and 10 other countries on Monday bemoaned the failure of the United Nations Security Council to condemn North Korea's missile launches this year, saying this eroded the credibility both of the council and the global non- proliferation regime. read more
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Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Patricia Zengerle
6. S.Korea seizes N.Korean 'fishing' boat, fires warning shot at patrol boat
I think it is still a little early in the season for the "crab wars."
Note: The Northern Limit Line (NLL) is not a boundary. It is not recognized internationally and certainly not by north Korea. It is an administrative measure imposed after the Armistice to limit South Korean ships from going too far to the north where they risked engagement or capture by the nK navy.
Excerpt:
The official said it was the first time that a North Korean patrol vessel had crossed the border since 2018, when the rival Koreas agreed to cease “all hostile acts” and dismantled some structures along the heavily fortified land border.
S.Korea seizes N.Korean 'fishing' boat, fires warning shot at patrol boat
Reuters · by Hyonhee Shin · March 8, 2022
2 Min Read
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea’s military seized a North Korean boat that crossed into its waters on Tuesday and fired a warning shot to see off a North Korean patrol vessel that tried to intervene, Seoul officials said.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency initially described the vessel as a fishing boat, but officials said that had still to be determined.
Seven unarmed sailors were aboard the vessel, but six appeared to be wearing uniforms, a South Korean military official said. During initial questioning, the North Korean sailors claimed that there must have been a “navigating error”.
A North Korean patrol boat that was tracking the seized vessel briefly crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto sea boundary, but turned back after the South Korean military broadcast warnings and fired a warning shot, a second military official said.
“We’ve informed the North side that we’re making checks on the boat and will notify the results,” the official told reporters.
The boat crossed into the South’s waters at around 9:30 a.m. (0030 GMT), and was about 10 km (6.2 miles) off the west coast of the peninsula when it was seized and towed to Baengnyeongdo island for investigation, the official said.
The official said it was the first time that a North Korean patrol vessel had crossed the border since 2018, when the rival Koreas agreed to cease “all hostile acts” and dismantled some structures along the heavily fortified land border.
The incident comes at delicate time on the Korean Peninsula. The South is set to hold a presidential election on Wednesday, and tension has risen over the North’s recent weapons tests and fresh signs of activity at its nuclear testing site.
The two Koreas have officially remained in a state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice not a peace treaty.
Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Kim Coghill, Robert Birsel & Simon Cameron-Moore
Reuters · by Hyonhee Shin · March 8, 2022
7. Russia says it understands North Korea's move to renew missile launches -RIA
Solidarity with the north is not unexpected especially at this time. It certainly must be pleased with the dilemmas the north can create for the US.
Russia says it understands North Korea's move to renew missile launches -RIA
March 8 (Reuters) - Russia understands North Korea's decision to renew frequent missile launches and sees no prerequisites to restart Korea de-nuclearisation talks, RIA news agency quoted a Russian foreign ministry official as saying on Tuesday.
Pyotr Ilyichyov, head of the international organisations division at the foreign ministry, said that when Pyongyang paused missile tests before there had been an increase in military cooperation between Seoul and Washington.
North Korea tested a record number of missiles in January, including its largest since 2017, and launched a ballistic missile into the sea in a resumption of weapons tests in late February. It launched another one last Saturday.
Ilyichyov said he saw no prerequisites for the resumption of de-nuclearisation talks because Washington has chosen to pursue the path of sanctions against Pyongyang.
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Reporting by Reuters
8. North Korea: Construction spotted at Punggye-ri nuclear test site
North Korea: Construction spotted at Punggye-ri nuclear test site
Published
2 hours ago
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Image source, Maxar/MiddleburyInstituteofInternationalStudies
Image caption,
Satellite imagery by Maxar showed three locations in Punggye-ri nuclear testing site where fresh activity had emerged
North Korea appears to have started repairing a closed nuclear testing site, according to satellite images.
The Punggye-ri site was shut in 2018 and some parts were blown up, after leader Kim Jong-un promised to halt all nuclear tests.
The new finding by US analysts comes amid predictions the country could resume testing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.
But analysts also say it could be years before Punggye-ri is ready for tests.
The satellite images showed "very early signs of activity" which took place only in the last few days, including construction of a new building, repair of an existing one, and lumber and sawdust at Punggye-Ri, according to a report by analysts from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS).
The pictures were taken on Friday by satellite imaging company Maxar.
The work indicates that North Korea "has made some decision about the status of the test site", the analysts said.
One possibility could be a plan to bring the test site back to a state of readiness to resume nuclear explosive testing.
The move would align with an earlier statement issued by North Korea in January to "examine the issue of restarting all temporarily-suspended activities," they said.
But the analysts called the new activity spotted at Punggye-ri "preliminary", pointing out it could take "months, if not years, from being ready for North Korea to conduct nuclear explosions". They added that this would depend on the extent of the damage inflicted to the site's tunnels when it was closed down.
Another possibility, they said, was that North Korea may resume nuclear testing at another location.
International media were invited to witness a series of explosions which Pyongyang claimed would block tunnels and entrances, but officials refused to allow international inspectors to enter. Some worried at the time that the damage caused could be easily reversible.
Punggye-ri is believed to be North Korea's main nuclear facility, and up until 2018 was the only active nuclear testing site in the world. North Korea has conducted six known nuclear tests since 2006 at the facility.
In August, the International Atomic Energy Agency said the North was appearing to re-start its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, raising concerns that plutonium for nuclear weapons was being produced at the reactor's complex.
Media caption,
Video shows North Korea appearing to blow up tunnels at its only nuclear test site
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9. U.S., 10 others, bemoan failure of U.N. Security Council to condemn N.Korea launches
Russia and China are roadblocks to international security and effective functioning of the UN Security Council.
U.S., 10 others, bemoan failure of U.N. Security Council to condemn N.Korea launches
March 7 (Reuters) - The United States and 10 other countries on Monday bemoaned the failure of the United Nations Security Council to condemn repeated missile launches this year by North Korea, saying this eroded the credibility both of the council and the global non- proliferation regime.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda-Thomas Greenfield, said 11 missile tests this year by North Korea had violated multiple U.N. Security Council Resolutions.
"While the DPRK escalates its destabilizing actions, the Security Council continues to remain silent," she said in reading a joint statement by 11 countries after a closed Security Council session that included discussion of North Korea's latest launch at the weekend.
"Each ballistic missile launch that results in inaction by the council erodes the credibility of the U.N. Security Council itself in addressing the DPRK and undermines the global non- proliferation regime," she added, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name,
Thomas-Greenfield reiterated that Washington remained committed to seeking "serious and sustained" diplomacy with North Korea but Pyongyang had opted instead for an "increasingly escalatory series of ballistic missile launches in total violation of international law."
"We stand ready to collaborate and determine a mutually agreeable approach with other council members to address the DPRK's provocations," she said.
The United States was joined in the statement by Albania, Australia, Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, and Britain.
Neither Russia nor China, which is North Korea's main ally, endorsed the statement.
The United Arab Emirates did not join the countries in issuing the statement, although it backed a similar joint statement last month. read more
A spokesman for the UAE mission to the United Nations said this was because it was the Security Council president this month.
"We did not join this month because we are respecting the neutrality and impartiality of the office of the President," Shahad Matar said. "Following our Presidency, we will return to joining statements and stakeouts with other Council Members whenever they are in line with our national position."
China has said repeatedly that the key to solving the issue of North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs is in the hands of Washington, which should show "more sincerity and flexibility" if it wants a breakthrough. read more
Regional military authorities reported the launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea on Saturday, the second by the nuclear-armed country in a week. North Korea on Sunday called it "another important" test for reconnaissance satellite systems. read more
The repeated launches have raised fears that Pyongyang may be preparing to conduct a major weapons test in coming months.
Amid stalled denuclearization talks, North Korea has suggested it could resume testing nuclear weapons or intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the first time since 2017.
In Vienna, the chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, drew attention on Monday to activity at suspected North Korean nuclear fuel enrichment plants. read more
Grossi said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had continued to observe construction activity at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear site, including an annex to the reported Centrifuge Enrichment Facility there. It said the purpose of the annex had yet to be determined.
Reporting by Katherine Jackson, Humeyra Pamuk and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker and Richard Pullin
10. Why Won't S.Korea Join the Quad?
It is not a puzzle to me. South Korea is still trying to balance between China dn the US- to thread the needle betweens its largest economic partner and its security partner. But at some point it is going to have to stand up and be counted as part of the international rules based order. When it is ready to do that then it may be asked to join the Quad.
Excerpt:
The puzzle is why South Korea is not a member. Its own policies mirror almost exactly the areas of agreement by Quad members in their September and March summits. Indeed, the deliverables at the May 2021 summit between presidents Joe Biden and Moon Jae-in on supply chains, vaccines, climate, and emerging technology overlap with those of the Quad. It is almost as if South Korea is running in parallel to the Quad rather than intersecting with it.
Why Won't S.Korea Join the Quad?
By Victor Cha, a professor at Georgetown University, Senior Fellow in Human Freedom at George W. Bush Institute, and Korea Chair at CSIS in Washington, D.C.
One of the most important new multilateral initiatives today is the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or "Quad," an informal alliance to contain China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific region brought together by U.S. President Donald Trump when he was in office and consisting of Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
The initial meeting in March 2021 was not the first incarnation of the Quad. Its origins date back to 2004, when the same countries came together to respond to a devastating earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed nearly a quarter-million people. I was working at the White House at the time, and the scale of the disaster prohibited an immediate response by UN and other international agencies, which were better suited to the relief and reconstruction effort and did not have the capacity for quick response.
President George W. Bush instead decided to lead a disaster response effort with Australia, India and Japan using cargo planes, hospital ships, helicopters and other military assets in a major humanitarian operation deploying over 40,000 troops and emergency responders with extraordinary speed. They cleared debris, provided medical assistance, re-established telecommunications, and supplied fresh water and food to the hardest-hit regions in South and Southeast Asia until UN agencies could establish operations on the ground.
The group, later known as the "Tsunami Core Group," worked around the clock for nine days but disbanded after it accomplished its mission, though all partners realized the success of this coalition of like-minded countries and expressed hope for its future potential to do more. As Mark Grossman, the undersecretary of State for policy and U.S. point person for the Core Group, wrote, this was "a new way of making diplomacy work in the 21st century."
The notion of turning the Core Group into the more formal Quad was introduced by then-prime minister Shinzo Abe in early 2007 during a speech to the Indian parliament. This led to some academic meetings and a naval exercise in September 2007 but lost steam as Australia pulled out of the group under Kevin Rudd because of concerns about China.
The Roh Moo-hyun government also lobbied the State Department against the Quad due to potential negative effects it might have on Chinese cooperation in the six-party talks over North Korea.
The current iteration of the Quad, brought forward by the White House coordinator for Asia Kurt Campbell, reached agreement in its first meeting to boost COVID vaccine supply to 1 billion doses. The second summit in September 2021 advanced an even broader agenda, committing Quad countries to donate over 1 billion vaccines, and to work together on infrastructure, climate preservation, cybersecurity, and the protection of emerging technology, and supply chains. These initiatives have been heralded as an unmitigated diplomatic success and show how the major democracies of Asia can work together to support the regional order.
The puzzle is why South Korea is not a member. Its own policies mirror almost exactly the areas of agreement by Quad members in their September and March summits. Indeed, the deliverables at the May 2021 summit between presidents Joe Biden and Moon Jae-in on supply chains, vaccines, climate, and emerging technology overlap with those of the Quad. It is almost as if South Korea is running in parallel to the Quad rather than intersecting with it.
The Moon government's answer to the question is that the U.S. never asked Seoul to be a member. In fact, the government directly responded to my Jan. 26 Foreign Policy article in which I wrote that Biden officials approached South Korea about joining the first Quad meeting and Seoul rejected the offer. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, when asked about my article, responded with this on Jan. 27, "The related claim is different from the fact. South Korea did not receive any direct request for participation from any of the four countries in [the] Quad." On the same day, the DongA Ilbo quoted a Cheong Wa Dae official as saying, "The government's stance is unchanged. We did not receive any formal invitation to [the] Quad."
These statements are carefully crafted talking points that are designed to hide the truth and do not stand up to logical reasoning. First, would it not be odd for the U.S. to organize the major democracies of Asia and not include South Korea, its closest military ally? There is no fathomable reason.
Second, when one looks at the areas of cooperation for the Quad listed above, South Korea would be an ideal, if not critical, participant given its production capacity on COVID vaccines, its global role as a memory chip producer, and its critical climate technologies. So, why would Biden not include South Korea?
Third, if Biden really intended to exclude South Korea from the Quad, should that not be insulting to South Korea? That is, should the government not express dismay, anger, or bewilderment at not being invited?
Fourth, the question that should be asked of the Moon government is not whether the U.S. provided an invitation; rather it should be "Does the Moon government want to join the Quad?" Or "Why doesn't the Moon government ask Biden to join the Quad given the overlap in bilateral alliance and Quad areas of cooperation?"
These are rhetorical questions because the answer is already well-known. In fact, Biden officials engaged early on with the Moon government about the Quad and floated the idea of South Korea joining. The Moon government's response was ambivalent at best and showed no enthusiasm for the idea. They effectively told the U.S. "Please don't ask us to join."
The Moon government in other words pre-empted an invitation by begging that no one ask them the question -- which was all the other members needed to know. I make this point not to defend my statements, but to avoid the impression that somehow the U.S. is at fault for South Korea's exclusion from the most important new coalition of democracies in the world today. The decision for South Korea's exclusion was Moon's, not Biden's, and it runs against the general sentiment of the South Korean public.
11. Korea's mildeok put their collections to use to help Ukraine
An interesting way to contribute.
Monday
March 7, 2022
Korea's mildeok put their collections to use to help Ukraine
Bouquets, a donated military helmet, and letters of encouragement written by Koreans line the entrance to the Ukrainian Embassy in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Sunday afternoon. [NEWS1]
For years, Korean collectors and enthusiasts of military equipment have avidly followed technological advances abroad and in the burgeoning domestic defense industry, commenting on the latest armaments and weapons systems created by Korean companies.
Now, they are answering a call from the Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul for materiel assistance to the besieged country’s armed forces, which are locked in a struggle against a Russian invasion.
The outpouring of military equipment donations comes from hobbyists — who called themselves mildeok, a portmanteau of the English word “military” and the Korean word deokhu, which roughly translates to “geek” — who track the latest developments in modern warfare and collect products typically designed for use in combat.
One 29-year-old man, who identified himself only by the surname Lim, left 30 different kinds of military-use personal protective equipment at the Ukrainian Embassy in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Thursday.
Lim, who has collected military equipment as a hobby since he was in high school, donated 30 different types of gear, including bulletproof helmets, military blankets, hemostatic tourniquets and ammunition pouches. He said the majority of the supplies he gave to the embassy were imports from foreign manufacturers.
“I narrowed my donations down to items which would be useful to soldiers in the field,” Lim said. “I have no occasion to use them, and they would be far more helpful to [Ukrainians] than sitting untouched in the corner of my room.”
He added, “I’m glad that my hobby and knowledge serves a useful purpose this time.”
Thirty-four-year-old Seo Yoo-seok, who runs a domestic tactical equipment manufacturer, also donated 1 million won ($815) worth of bulletproof vests, gun slings and ammunition pouches made by his company directly to the Ukrainian Embassy.
“There haven’t been many occasions to donate equipment,” Seo said. “I hope there are more opportunities to help out in the future.”
On social media such as Twitter and Facebook, Korea’s military enthusiasts have posted photos of the equipment they dropped off at the embassy, typically accompanied by words of encouragement for Ukraine’s military.
“Among the donated items, about 50 kilograms [110 pounds] of bulletproof armor, combat vests, knee and elbow guards, and first aid kits have already been delivered to Ukraine,” said an official at the Ukrainian Embassy who spoke to the JoongAng Ilbo on Sunday.
While the embassy did not put out a public notice for such donations in its official communications, the official said it told individual Koreans inquiring about how they can help Ukraine that the country needs equipment, such as bulletproof helmets, to better protect its troops.
That response was widely circulated in online communities for military gear enthusiasts, leading to the stream of donations.
In practice, the Ukrainian Embassy in Korea is open to donations of bulletproof helmets, bulletproof body gear, handheld communications devices, radios, combat uniforms and power generators.
According to the official at the embassy, the country’s armed forces need more bulletproof gear, but added that officials cannot accept donations of bottled water, food or used clothes due to constraints on the quantity and volume of supplies that can currently be sent to Ukraine.
The embassy will also not accept combat uniforms currently used by the South Korean military or combat uniforms similar to those worn by the Russian military.
The embassy reminded Korean donors of military equipment that unlike contributions for humanitarian purposes, donations of gear will be delivered to the Ukrainian military for use in combat.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
12. Pentagon urges N. Korea to stop 'needless' provocation and engage in negotiations
Of course Kim doesn't think they are "needless." They are key his political warfare strategy and blackmail diplomacy
Pentagon urges N. Korea to stop 'needless' provocation and engage in negotiations | Yonhap News Agency
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, March 7 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson on Monday called on North Korea to stop its missile launches, calling them "needless provocations."
Department Press Secretary John Kirby also urged Pyongyang to engage in dialogue to find a negotiated solution.
"These continue to be provocations, needless provocations at that," he said when asked about North Korea's recent missile tests that it claims to have been aimed at developing a reconnaissance satellite.
North Korea has staged nine rounds of missile launches since the start of the year, with the latest test taking place on Saturday (Seoul time).
"We urge Pyongyang to cease these missile launches and these provocations and signal that they're willing to sit down, as we are, without preconditions to find a negotiated way forward here and ... a diplomatic path to reduce the tensions on the peninsula," Kirby told a press briefing.
The U.S. state department earlier condemned North Korea's missile launches as violations of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The U.S., nine other UNSC members, and South Korea also issued a joint statement on Monday, condemning the North's recent missile tests while urging all UNSC members to call out the North's "destabilizing" actions.
The joint statement came after the 15-member UNSC failed to produce a joint statement on the North Korean missile launch in a closed-door session held earlier in the day, reportedly due to China's opposition.
China, a close ally of North Korea and veto-power wielding permanent member of the UNSC, earlier blocked U.S. efforts to impose additional sanctions on North Korea.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
13. N. Korean inspections find that grain processers and military logistics departments colluded to pilfer rice
Another indicator of potential instability? This bears watching.
N. Korean inspections find that grain processers and military logistics departments colluded to pilfer rice
Some people believe the cadres involved will just receive a slap on the wrist because “every cadre” must have been in on the scheme, a source told Daily NK
By Jeong Tae Joo - 2022.03.08 7:18pm
North Koreans making rice-planting preparations. (DPRK Today)
North Korean authorities are conducting intensive inspections after discovering signs that grain processing facilities were colluding with military “rear services” (logistics) departments to pilfer large amounts of military rice.
According to multiple Daily NK sources in North and South Pyongan provinces on Friday, the authorities detected what was going on as they compared rice processing ledgers with actual stores during surprise inspections of provincial grain processing bodies in January and February of this year.
The inspections found that many grain processing facilities were pilfering military rice stores by falsely filling out the ledgers.
The rear services departments knew what was going on, but made no issue of it. On the contrary, they entered into “illegal contracts” with the rice processing centers, actively collaborating with their activities.
The corruption did not stop there. The rear services departments siphoned off a great amount of military rice by reporting fake “depletion ratios” during the rice polishing process. For example, if they brought dry rice, they would report that there was a lot of wet rice. After polishing, they would record a smaller amount of rice, pilfering the difference.
The two organizations followed ostensibly formal procedures so that everything appeared legal. This kind of corruption was possible because both sides got a cut of the pilfered rice.
The inspections conclusively revealed that the two organizations were engaged in widespread “joint operations” to pilfer military rice stores as well, one of the sources told Daily NK. The inspection team had informed personnel inspecting rice processing facilities nationwide that it had discovered the illegal collusion between the processing facilities and the rear services departments.
The source said the side processing the rice and the side taking the rice cooperated in the corruption, something that was possible because the party “cannot watch over each and every thing.” That is what allowed the corruption to become routine, he claimed.
The rear services departments were even shamelessly storing their pilfered rice in rice processing centers’ empty warehouses.
Rice processing organizations faked the weights of trucks laden with military rice, too. Similar methods have long been employed elsewhere in North and South Pyongan provinces.
Individuals involved in corruption of this sort face serious punishment. This is because North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s image was tarnished when his “grave decision” to release military rice stores in June 2021 revealed rice shortages.
The authorities are reportedly even more upset that cadres at rice processing bodies and military rear services departments were living with such abundance.
However, some people also believe the cadres will receive a slap on the wrist because “every cadre” must have been in on the scheme.
One of the sources said that the authorities have long let cadres steal or “legally” pilfer rice as long as nobody made a fuss about it, so people handling rice must have considered such embezzlement natural.
She said some people have little hope in the inspections since nearly all provincial, city, or county cadres are in the debt of the grain processing bodies. She added that some people believe that only “one or two powerless individuals” without connections will get sacked.
The Central Committee’s Economic Department and the Agricultural Commission — formerly the Ministry of Agriculture — have been engaged in sweeping inspections of grain processing facilities all across North Korea since Feb. 26.
The Economic Department has maintained an information sharing system with inspection teams nationwide to inform them of each and every instance of corruption involving rice processing, calling on teams to “uncover in their entirety the inner workings of grain management.”
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
14. Many N. Korean party cadres believe Ukraine’s “abandonment” of nuclear weapons caused current crisis
This will harden the resolve of the regime (not that it needs any hardening). This will also strengthen the hand of the arms control advocates as everyone should not recognize that Kim will never give up his nuclear program as long as he is in power.
Many N. Korean party cadres believe Ukraine’s “abandonment” of nuclear weapons caused current crisis
During a regular political lecture for cadres, North Korean authorities blamed “US hegemony” for igniting the crisis in Ukraine
By Seulkee Jang - 2022.03.07 12:28pm
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un can be seen speaking at the fourth plenary meeting of the 8th Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee. (KCNA/Yonhap News)
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more and more party cadres in North Korea say Pyongyang can never abandon its nuclear weapons. North Korea is apparently growing more attached to its nuclear arsenal since the crisis in Ukraine.
A high-ranking source in North Korea told Daily NK on Thursday that the war never would have happened if Ukraine had nuclear weapons. He said the Ukraine crisis demonstrates that nuclear weaponry makes it difficult for one country to invade another.
Another high-ranking source said only nuclear weaponry prevents foreign invasions, and that ultimately, protecting the North Korean regime lies not with receiving economic aid, but with strengthening the nation’s independent national defense.
The consensus among high-ranking North Korean cadres is reportedly that the Ukraine crisis began when Kiev abandoned its nuclear arsenal.
Ukraine became a member of the nuclear club when it inherited Soviet nuclear weapons deployed on Ukrainian territory as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
However, Ukraine returned its nuclear weapons to Russia and joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty in return for security guarantees and economic aid when it signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994.
The nuclear weapons based in Ukraine were Soviet from the very beginning. Kiev had no capacity to maintain them.
Nevertheless, high-ranking cadres in North Korea believe that hegemonic tensions between the United States and Russia intensified in Ukraine because Ukraine abandoned its nuclear weapons.
North Korean high-ranking cadres appear to be linking the crisis in Ukraine with the imperatives of nuclear armament due to the political propaganda and education they have received.
According to one of the high-ranking sources, during a regular political lecture for cadres, North Korean authorities blamed “US hegemony” for igniting the crisis in Ukraine.
The lecture blamed the crisis solely on hegemonic policies by the US and the West, without mentioning North Korea’s own position regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
For the North Korean authorities, who have long relied on “anti-imperialism” as a means of social unity and political value, informing cadres and ordinary people that Russia had, in fact, invaded Ukraine — and expressing a position regarding said invasion — is no easy task.
Because of this, Pyongyang appears to be shifting blame for the crisis on to the US and the West, even as it supports its ally Russia.
In fact, North Korea’s foreign ministry released an official position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 28. In the statement, it said, “The root cause of the Ukraine crisis totally lies in the hegemonic policy of the S and the West, which enforce themselves in high-handedness and abuse of power against other countries.”
Moreover, North Korea voted against the Mar. 2 resolution at the United Nations calling for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, North Korea reportedly plans to use Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to actively promote to cadres why Pyongyang is “justified” in possessing nuclear weapons.
The authorities will expand political and ideological education to blame the Ukraine crisis on the United States and justify North Korea’s own possession of nuclear weapons, not only among party and foreign ministry cadres, but also at the Ministry of State Security and Ministry of Social Security.
One of the high-ranking sources said he thinks political lectures regarding Ukraine will soon begin for party officials, as well as at the Ministry of State Security and Ministry of Social Security.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Seulkee Jang is one of Daily NK’s full-time journalists. Please direct any questions about her articles to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
15. Lee vows to send special envoy to N. Korea, freeze public utility charges
He will build on Moon's policies.
Lee vows to send special envoy to N. Korea, freeze public utility charges | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, March 8 (Yonhap) -- Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said Tuesday he will send special envoys to the United States, China, Japan and North Korea as soon as he is elected in an effort to help bring lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Lee of the liberal Democratic Party made the remark during a special press conference on the eve of the election, saying he will pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests and remove dangers of war from the divided peninsula.
"I will remove a threat of war on the Korean Peninsula," Lee said at a press conference at his party's headquarters in Seoul. "Based on our strong independent national defense capability, I will pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interest to open a new path to peace and joint prosperity."
In regards to overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, Lee said he will issue an executive order to lift business curfews and freeze main public utility charges until the spread of the virus is over.
The former Gyeonggi governor also stressed that he will restore national unity after the election, saying he will have a panel under the presidential transition committee that looks into election pledges of each candidate that are in common.
"In the process of election, we inevitably had many conflicts," he said. "I will make a government of united people to heal them."
kdon@yna.co.kr
(END)
16. 'Peace for Ukraine' message put up on Seoul city library building
'Peace for Ukraine' message put up on Seoul city library building | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, March 8 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul city government has put up a message wishing for "peace for Ukraine" against an image symbolizing Ukraine's flag on a large signboard plastered on the front wall of the Seoul city library building.
The message on the Seoul Metropolitan Library building was put up in the hope of peace in Ukraine and is in line with the city's ongoing "peace light" campaign to light up key city landmarks in blue and yellow symbolizing Ukraine.
The signboard shows in the background a blue sky above a yellow wheat field symbolizing Ukraine and bears the message in English along with a Korean sentence wishing for peace in the country.
In the upper right corner is an image of a dove with the message "Seoul Stands with Ukraine."
"The city wishes that the desires of Seoul citizens, inscribed in the board, could go out to Ukrainian people and give consolation," a city official said.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
