Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"The worse that a man can do to himself is to do injustice to others."

– Henrik Ibsen

"If a person gave away your body to some passerby, you'd be furious. Yet you handover your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled – have you no shame in that?"

– Epictetus.

"Reality cannot be ignored, except at a price; and the longer the ignorance is persisted in, the higher and more terrible becomes the price that must be paid."

– Aldous Huxley.

1. Yoon walked out. Will he survive impeachment?

2. Former US Officials and Experts: “US, South Korea, and Japan Should Pressure China to Block Military Cooperation with North Korea and Russia”

3. Frenchman visiting North Korea: “North Korea seems to have stopped foreign tourism due to exposure of negative image”

4. Massive rallies held in Seoul one day after Yoon's release

5. No. of damaged houses in accidental bombing grows to 142

6. How North Korea’s unstoppable hackers are weaponising AI

7. S. Korea to sign additional deal to export K2 tanks to Poland as early as April: officials

8. Alaska gas pipeline project may open new opportunities for S. Korean steel industry: experts

9. South Korea’s left fights for survival in a right-leaning landscape

10. Editorial: Who's really to blame for legal chaos over President Yoon's case?

11. North Korea unveils construction of ‘first nuclear-powered submarine’

12. Trump demands ships "very fast, very soon" as China dominates

13. With Drones and North Korean Troops, Russia Pushes Back Ukraine’s Offensive

14. Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center: Snowfall Shows Activity

15. "More farmers than fighters": How agricultural work is undermining N. Korea's military readiness

16. Yoon Suk Yeol’s release raises concerns over impeachment ruling delay

17.

1. Yoon walked out. Will he survive impeachment?

Excertps:

Could this lead to Mr Yoon’s victory at the Constitutional Court? The silver lining is that the CIO was so incompetent that there’s been little investigation done by them. The police and prosecutors, who have clearer jurisdiction over insurrection charges, did most of the investigative work.

Thus I still believe the Constitutional Court will uphold Mr Yoon’s impeachment.

The irony, however, is striking. Minjoo claimed they wanted to limit prosecutors’ power, yet the Moon administration wielded that power so extensively that its top prosecutor became the conservatives’ favorite candidate. As the Moon administration ended, Minjoo rushed to finally “reform” the prosecution service. Critics warned the haphazard reforms would create legal loopholes, but Minjoo proceeded anyway. The CIO was born as a result—its legal fiascos, too.

I suspected Minjoo was preemptively undermining potential investigations by the next administration. If that was truly their intention, it worked brilliantly.

But none of them could have anticipated that Mr Yoon would be the first major beneficiary.

Yoon walked out. Will he survive impeachment?

https://koreakontext.com/yoon-walked-out-will-he-survive-impeachment/

Looks like there’s nothing on my bingo card. So don’t ask me about whether President Yoon walking out of custody before the court ruling was on it.

The sight of an impeached president—charged with declaring martial law—returning to his official residence while waving to cheering crowds was so surreal that I felt compelled to create a “Directed by David Lynch” generator just to make these images feel more realistic.

However, Mr Yoon’s release has less to do with the core allegations behind his impeachment and more with procedural sloppiness resulting from Minjoo’s prosecutor reforms. From the outset, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) was questioned about its jurisdiction over insurrection charges, as this crime isn’t explicitly mentioned in its founding legislation. The CIO argued it could investigate under “associated crimes” of authority abuse.

Well, the court disagreed.

“It is appropriate to cancel the detention to ensure procedural clarity and eliminate doubts about the investigation’s legality,” the court said. “If criminal proceedings continued with these unresolved issues, it could become grounds for reversal in higher courts.”

Could this lead to Mr Yoon’s victory at the Constitutional Court? The silver lining is that the CIO was so incompetent that there’s been little investigation done by them. The police and prosecutors, who have clearer jurisdiction over insurrection charges, did most of the investigative work.

Thus I still believe the Constitutional Court will uphold Mr Yoon’s impeachment.

The irony, however, is striking. Minjoo claimed they wanted to limit prosecutors’ power, yet the Moon administration wielded that power so extensively that its top prosecutor became the conservatives’ favorite candidate. As the Moon administration ended, Minjoo rushed to finally “reform” the prosecution service. Critics warned the haphazard reforms would create legal loopholes, but Minjoo proceeded anyway. The CIO was born as a result—its legal fiascos, too.

I suspected Minjoo was preemptively undermining potential investigations by the next administration. If that was truly their intention, it worked brilliantly.

But none of them could have anticipated that Mr Yoon would be the first major beneficiary.

Excerpts:

“The US should coordinate with Seoul and Tokyo to pressure China to oppose Russian arms and technology transfers to North Korea, which violate UN Security Council resolutions, as well as North Korean arms shipments to Russia, which contravene G7 sanctions. Such coordinated pressure could be effective, as China has no interest in an emboldened Kim Jong Un triggering a regional nuclear arms race or driving closer security cooperation among the US, Japan, and South Korea.”

He explained that Russia's transfer of weapons and technology to North Korea is a violation of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, and that North Korea's export of weapons to Russia is a violation of G7 sanctions.

The report predicted that “such pressure will be effective, as it is not in China’s interests for an emboldened Kim Jong-un to trigger a regional nuclear race or for security cooperation between the U.S., South Korea and Japan to become closer.”

Susan Shirk, a professor at the University of California, San Diego and co-chair of the Task Force on U.S.-China Policy, told VOA on the 8th, “Russia's help to North Korea in accelerating its drive to develop nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is a threat to the peace and stability of Northeast Asia. Getting the ROK and Japan to make the case to China that they all are threatened by North Korean weapons makes sense and could be more effective than the US making it only a bilateral issue. China not only is directly threatened by a nuclear armed North Korea but also will worry about the greater likelihood that the ROK and Japan could go nuclear and coordinate their military deterrence and defense.”

This is a Google translation of a VOA report.

Former US Officials and Experts: “US, South Korea, and Japan Should Pressure China to Block Military Cooperation with North Korea and Russia”

2025.3.8

Jo Eun-jung

https://www.voakorea.com/a/8002969.html

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before beginning a bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019, during his first term. (File photo)

The Trump administration should work with South Korea and Japan to pressure China to play a constructive role in blocking North Korea-Russia military cooperation, U.S. China experts and former officials have suggested. They also called for expanding security, economic, and technological cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Reporter Cho Eun-jung reports.

The Task Force on US-China Policy said that the Trump administration should work with South Korea and Japan to pressure China to block military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

A task force of U.S. China experts and former officials recently released a report titled “U.S. Policy toward China,” which listed the war in Ukraine, North Korea, cross-strait relations, and the South China Sea and East China Sea as issues that should prompt China to expand its geopolitical responsibility.

“China must oppose cooperation between North Korea and Russia”

In particular, regarding the North Korea policy, he said, “The United States should work with South Korea and Japan to pressure China to oppose Russia’s transfer of weapons and technology to North Korea and North Korea’s supply of weapons to Russia.”

[Report]

He continued, “China is not only directly threatened by a nuclear-armed North Korea, but also fears that South Korea and Japan will acquire nuclear weapons, increasing the possibility of coordinating military deterrence and defense capabilities.”

“We must prevent the consolidation of anti-Western solidarity”

The report also said the axis formed by China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela was in its “infancy” stages, and that “the United States must prevent this expanding partnership from solidifying into a full-blown anti-Western bloc.”

[Report] “The US should prevent these growing partnerships from hardening into a full-fledged anti-Western bloc by strengthening balancing coalitions and signaling costs but also creating incentives to weaken Beijing's ties to Moscow and Pyongyang. China's interests do not fully align with Russia's, and Beijing is uneasy about Moscow's deepening partnership with Pyongyang. Additionally, China fears that the formation of an Asian NATO-style security architecture could embolden US allies in the region to take a firmer stance against Beijing.”

The idea is to warn China of the costs of forming an anti-Western alliance while also offering incentives to weaken its ties with Russia and North Korea.

“China’s interests are not entirely aligned with Russia’s, and China is anxious about deepening cooperation between North Korea and Russia,” the report said.

He also pointed out that “China is concerned that if an ‘Asian NATO’ security structure is formed, U.S. allies in the region may take a harder line against China.”

“Given these dynamics, the United States should leave the door open for China to participate in some regional initiatives, such as fisheries management and non-combat military exercises,” he continued, saying that China should be allowed to participate as long as it abides by existing rules.

The report explains that if the United States uses both pressure and engagement, it can fracture the cooperative relationships among China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and Venezuela and prevent them from hardening into an anti-Western alliance.

“Expanding cooperation with allies and partners”

The report also said that allies and partners in Europe and Asia serve as “force multipliers” to advance U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region.

America's allies and partners "contribute to regional stability, deter aggression, accelerate economic growth, defend American values, and enhance America's negotiating position vis-à-vis China."

“The United States should expand security, economic, and technological cooperation with its allies in the Indo-Pacific region,” the report said.

In addition, he suggested that the US and China adopt a ladder-type approach rather than a lump-sum “grand bargain” approach, starting with trade and expanding the scope of negotiations to issues such as China’s geopolitical responsibilities and China’s approach to countries in the region.

He also said that while avoiding a trade war, economic pressure and incentives should be introduced simultaneously, and that restrictions on technology against China should be periodically reviewed.

“We recognize that some of the policy recommendations are inconsistent with the administration’s rhetoric, early actions, and philosophical leanings,” the report said. “A successful long-term strategy for maintaining America’s global leadership and addressing the challenge from China will require carefully coordinated policies across all areas.”

The Task Force on U.S.-China Policy is co-chaired by Susan Shirk, a professor at the University of California, San Diego and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the Clinton administration, and Orville Schell, director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, and includes some 30 former U.S. officials and China experts.

VOA has asked the State Department for a response to the task force's policy recommendations.

The Trump administration has maintained a hardline stance toward China since taking office.

President Trump imposed an additional 10% tariff on China on the 4th of last month, citing reasons such as insufficient efforts to respond to the drug fentanyl. Starting this month, he is adding an additional 10% tariff to this, for a total of 20% tariffs on Chinese products.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a Quad meeting with ministers from Japan, Australia, and India who were visiting the U.S. to attend President Trump’s inauguration in January. The Quad is a U.S.-led security alliance that is considered to have a check on China.

This is Eun-Jeong Jo from VOA News.

3. Frenchman visiting North Korea: “North Korea seems to have stopped foreign tourism due to exposure of negative image”

The regime does not want information coming into or leaving north Korea. Information is an existential threat to the regime.

This is a Google translation of an RFA report.

Frenchman visiting North Korea: “North Korea seems to have stopped foreign tourism due to exposure of negative image”

WASHINGTON-Park Jae-woo parkja@rfa.org

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in-focus/2025/03/07/north-korea-tours-halt-tourism-package/

2025.03.07

Mr. Steven Cheng taking a picture with his guides at a restaurant in Rajin, North Korea (Steven Cheng's Instagram)

Anchor: Just weeks after opening its borders, North Korea has once again suspended foreign tourism. The North Korean authorities have not given an official reason, but the most recent Western tourist to return from North Korea said the negative image of the country may have had an impact. Reporter Park Jae-woo reports on an interview with French national Stephen Cheng, who visited North Korea for the last time before foreign tourism was suspended.

“I heard the news that the Rason tour was suspended during my trip.”

According to North Korea specialist travel agencies, North Korea has suddenly suspended tourism again just weeks after opening up to foreign tourism .

Although North Korean authorities have not yet revealed the reason for this decision, several factors appear to have been at play.

On the 6th, Radio Free Asia (RFA) conducted an interview with French national Stephen Cheng (32), who visited Rason, North Korea for 4 nights and 5 days and arrived in Hong Kong the day before.

Mr. Cheong heard the sudden news of the suspension of tourism during his trip.

[Interview] Steven Cheng, Chinese-French Traveler

[Steven Cheng] I heard directly from a travel agent in North Korea that 'Rason tours have been suspended.' But no one knows the exact reason. I don't know the exact reason either. When I was in North Korea, there was no sign of the border being closed again.

However, North Korea did not reveal a specific reason for this.

He speculated that the suspension of tourism may have been influenced by concerns about external information leaks and continued vigilance against COVID-19.

[Steven Chung] North Korea has emphasized the ban on filming, but some tourists have not followed the rule, and the videos have spread online, which seems to have made the authorities uncomfortable.

North Korean authorities strictly prohibit foreign tourists from taking photos in certain locations.

However, some tourists have been ignoring filming regulations and freely taking photos and videos, raising concerns that the authorities may have felt burdened by the dire conditions in North Korea.

A photo taken by Steven Chung at an elementary school in North Korea (Steven Chung's Instagram)

Filming restrictions and North Korean authorities' sensitive response

North Korean guides strictly prohibit photography in certain locations.

According to Mr. Cheong, military personnel, police officers, old buildings, and rural areas were particularly off-limits to filming.

[Steven Cheng] It was a problem when soldiers came into the screen. It was okay to film through the window, but if a soldier walked by and appeared on the screen for even a moment, the entire video had to be deleted. And in rural areas, they told us not to film scenes showing farmers, old buildings, or poverty. I didn't ask them directly why, but I think there must be scenes that the North Korean government doesn't want to show.

On the other hand, filming was freely permitted and even encouraged in newly constructed buildings or facilities that the authorities wanted to promote.

Despite these restrictions, some tourists are believed to have caused discomfort to North Korean authorities by filming and sharing the poor conditions in North Korea.

North Korea to Distribute Kim Jong-un Praise Songs to Western Tourists?

North Korea suddenly halts group tours to the West... Are they embarrassed when their true colors are revealed?

Western Tourist: “North Korea Sending Troops to Russia?” North Korean Guide: “They Are Sending Them”

'Guide' who knows the outside news well

Mr. Steven Cheung traveled with KTG, a Spain-based North Korea specialist travel agency, but due to the agency's circumstances, he was given a "private" tour with no other travelers.

He said that he was able to plan his tour more flexibly by working with KTG Travel staff, two North Korean guides, and a North Korean driver.

Through this, Mr. Steven Cheng had the opportunity to communicate directly with North Korean guides as well as residents.

[Steven Cheng] The guides were very knowledgeable about external news, comparing not only the Hong Kong and Taiwan issues, but also the relationship between North and South Korea. However, they insisted that North Korea is self-sufficient in everything and has no reason to envy the outside world. They also asked me, “Which country do you think is the strongest?” I tried to avoid the question, but they eventually expressed their opinion, “We are the strongest country.”

He also heard an explanation of North Korea's Internet system, and the guides proudly said, "We have Internet. It's not just an international Internet, it's North Korea's own Internet."

The photo shows Chinese tourists touring North Korea holding border tourism passes instead of passports. (Yonhap News)

I also encountered Chinese tourists

There were reports that Chinese group tours to North Korea were scheduled to resume after a five-year hiatus, but they fell through .

However, according to Mr. Qing's testimony, Chinese tourists were also touring in Rason.

He said he encountered two Chinese tourist groups in North Korea, one of which included people from Hong Kong.

[Steven Cheng] It seemed like Chinese tourists were traveling in North Korea without any particular restrictions. I live in Hong Kong, so I know some of them from Hong Kong, and I had the opportunity to talk to them.

This contradicts previous observations that North Korea only opens its doors to tourists from Western countries.

“Traveling to North Korea should be approached with an open mind”

[Steven Chung] Honestly, my experience has been much more positive than the negative perceptions some YouTubers give.

Mr. Steven Cheung recalled that the private tour made sightseeing much more free than he had imagined.

While individual movement by foreigners is generally restricted in North Korea tourism, Stephen was given the unusual opportunity to take a taxi in Rason.

He explained, “Taxi use is prohibited in principle, but when I asked the guide, he arranged for me to take a taxi the next day.”

He also said that although the schedule did not include a visit to the statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, he was able to visit the site upon Mr. Cheng's request.

Stephen stressed to those considering a trip to North Korea that “it’s important to have an open mind.”

[Steven Cheung] Of course, you can't see everything, but it was a very special opportunity to experience North Korea firsthand. If you leave your prejudices behind, it will be a more meaningful trip.

He also said, “I would like to visit Pyongyang again when it opens up,” and “I would like to have the opportunity to talk to more North Korean people.”

North Korea has now suspended tourism again, and no official date has been announced for its resumption.

Editor Park Jeong-woo

4. Massive rallies held in Seoul one day after Yoon's release

Yonhap seems deliberately vague in the reporting of numbers who are for and against impeachment.

(3rd LD) Massive rallies held in Seoul one day after Yoon's release | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Yoo Jee-ho · March 9, 2025

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest info in paras 9-12; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- Tens of thousands of people were expected to gather in Seoul on Sunday to rally for or against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol a day after his surprise release from detention.

Sarang Jeil Church, led by conservative activist pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, held a Sunday service outdoors near the presidential residence in central Seoul. Around 4,500 people had gathered as of noon, according to an unofficial police estimate.

"With President Yoon's release, the impeachment trial has become meaningless. It's over," Jeon said. "In the event the Constitutional Court does something funny, we will exercise the people's right to resist and get rid of them with a single slash."

On Saturday, Yoon was released from the detention center where he had been held since mid-January over his failed martial law bid in December, after a court ruled that his detention was invalid.

Even in the absence of physical detention, Yoon still has to stand trial on charges of leading an insurrection and is awaiting the verdict of the Constitutional Court on whether to uphold or dismiss his impeachment.

A group of activists holds a press conference near Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul on March 9, 2025, to declare the coming week a week for urging President Yoon Suk Yeol's immediate removal from office. (Yonhap)

Conservative civic group Angry Blue was scheduled to hold a separate rally, opposing Yoon's impeachment at Bosingak Pavilion at 1 p.m. before marching along Jongno 3-ga street.

An opposing rally by a group of activists calling for Yoon's immediate ouster was held overnight just outside of Seoul's Gyeongbok Palace, and the group held a press conference outside the nearby government complex Sunday to declare a week of "emergency action" urging Yoon's removal from office.

At 2 p.m., the group will begin a march from the National Palace Museum, with the reported attendance of 100,000 people, leading to partial road closures in the area.

Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party, including leader Lee Jae-myung (front, C), chant slogans denouncing the prosecution for releasing President Yoon Suk Yeol from detention at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 9, 2025. (Yonhap)

At 7 p.m., the group held another rally near Gyeongbokgung Station, with an estimated 5,000 people taking to the streets to criticize the prosecution for letting Yoon walk without appealing the court's ruling.

Representatives from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) attended the rally, and DP Chairman Lee Jae-myung drew loud cheers when his image appeared on the screen on the stage.

The activists marched toward the Constitutional Court, a little over 1 kilometer east of the subway station. They plan to gather for a rally near the station at 7 p.m. every evening until the Constitutional Court hands down its verdict on Yoon.

Jeon had also said his group would also hold a daily rally in front of the court starting Monday.

Activists hold up signs calling for the immediate ouster of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and the breakup of the ruling People Power Party during a rally near Gyeongbokgung Station in Seoul on March 9, 2025. (Yonhap)

Meanwhile, DP demanded Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung resign immediately to take responsibility for the prosecution's release of Yoon following the court ruling.

The party threatened to consider all possible measures, including his impeachment, should the top prosecutor refuse.

"The Democratic Party will immediately file a complaint against Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung," floor leader Park Chan-dae said after an emergency general meeting of lawmakers. "Prosecutor General Shim released Yoon Suk Yeol, the ringleader of an insurrection, after voluntarily giving up the opportunity to immediately appeal the court decision (to release him) and receive the judgment of a higher court."

Also on Sunday, the DP and four other minor opposition parties -- the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Jinbo Party, the Basic Income Party and the Social Democratic Party -- agreed at a meeting of their leaders to jointly call for Shim's resignation and push for his impeachment should he refuse.

The five parties also agreed to file a complaint against Shim with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

The ruling People Power Party stepped up its calls on the Constitutional Court to dismiss Yoon's impeachment and reinstate him.

"The Constitutional Court must keep in mind that it will face unbearable backlash in the event it hastily removes the president from office and he is later acquitted of the insurrection charges," a party spokesperson said.

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Yoo Jee-ho · March 9, 2025

5. No. of damaged houses in accidental bombing grows to 142

A tragedy, yes and I do not want to minimize it at all. But people should consider this was one strike by a relatively limited number of aircraft (2) with a relatively limited number of munitions (8 X Mk 82 500 lb bombs) that produced extensive damage. It is very fortunate that no one was killed and that only 19 were injured. People should imagine what the war will be like when strikes like this are taking place around the clock throughout the peninsula. If hostilities resume the amount of blood and treasure that will be lost will be incomprehensible.

No. of damaged houses in accidental bombing grows to 142 | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · March 9, 2025

POCHEON, South Korea, March 9 (Yonhap) -- The number of houses damaged in last week's accidental bombing of a northern village has grown from 58 to 142 following a second survey, the local government said Sunday.

The village in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers north of Seoul, suffered large-scale damage after two KF-16 fighter jets "abnormally" dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range during live-fire drills on Thursday.

Initially, 58 houses were reported damaged, but the number grew to 99 as of Saturday morning, and following a second survey, grew further to 142, according to the Pocheon municipal government.

Twenty-two households have evacuated their homes, while another nine households have returned following partial restoration work.

The number of injured civilians has also increased by two to 19.

The interior ministry and the local governments of Gyeonggi Province and Pocheon began a third damage survey and safety inspection earlier in the day.

Investigators examine the site of an accidental fighter jet bombing over a village in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers north of Seoul, on March 7, 2025, one day after the Air Force's two KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly released eight MK-82 air-to-surface bombs outside a training range. (Yonhap)

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · March 9, 2025

6. How North Korea’s unstoppable hackers are weaponising AI

We must defend ourselves. And the best defense is a good offense. We must attack the regime's all-purpose sword of cyber.

ChatGPT, DeepSeek and Google’s Gemini are among the AI models that North Korean hackers are exploiting for fraud, experts warn

Leopold Chen

Published: 8:00am, 9 Mar 2025Updated: 12:20pm, 9 Mar 2025

In their relentless quest for foreign currency, North Korean cybercriminals have turned to artificial intelligence as a powerful new tool – one that analysts warn may be nearly impossible to block.

Despite efforts by major US-based AI companies, such as OpenAI and Google, to crack down on accounts linked to Pyongyang’s state-backed hackers, cybersecurity experts say these measures are unlikely to stem the tide.

Since late January, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and Google have announced measures to shut down accounts suspected of being tied to North Korean operatives. They have also revealed how their platforms have been manipulated for illicit purposes. But the regime’s hackers and scammers can easily bypass restrictions using virtual private networks, shell companies and brokers, industry insiders warn.

“Threat actors will use the cheapest and most efficient tool to get the job done,” Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at the US-based cybersecurity firm Secureworks, told This Week in Asia.

“Many cybercriminals prefer online services that are free to sign up for or can be paid for via cryptocurrency. This would likely be true for North Korean IT workers as well.”

North Korean operatives need not rely solely on US-based AI tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, either. Analysts point out that cheaper, more accessible generative AI platforms are being developed worldwide – and some may offer fewer safeguards against misuse.

Screens display the logos of Chinese AI company DeepSeek and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Photo: AFP

In January, Chinese tech start-up DeepSeek launched a large language model that quickly became the top-rated app on Apple’s App Store in the US thanks to its advanced reasoning capabilities. This development could further enable North Korean cybercriminals, according to Tom Hegel, principal threat researcher at cybersecurity firm SentinelLabs.

“Chinese firms would be less aggressive in blocking North Korean users, whether due to government policies or lax enforcement,” Hegel said.

“A major negative of this is Western nations would lose visibility into their actions within these tools, perhaps limiting the breadth of intelligence on the actors.”

AI-driven forgery, fraud and deceit

North Korean hackers have already demonstrated how effective AI can be in furthering their schemes. OpenAI reported last month that it had uncovered accounts linked to fraudulent hiring practices orchestrated by North Korean operatives.

These accounts used AI models, like ChatGPT, to generate realistic resumes, fake personas and references, all designed to secure jobs at Western companies and funnel foreign currency back to the regime.

“The activity we disrupted shared characteristics publicly reported in relation to North Korean state efforts to funnel income through deceptive hiring schemes,” OpenAI said in the report. “Individuals fraudulently obtain positions at Western companies to support the regime’s financial network.”

The hackers also used AI tools to craft job advertisements, trick unsuspecting employers and even hire real people to help pass identity checks. Google on January 30 reported a similar pattern of abuse of its Gemini AI system, with North Korean hackers using it to identify potential targets, research South Korean military intelligence and analyse cryptocurrency markets – all in service of Pyongyang’s goals.

North Korea’s embrace of AI tools extends even further. A propaganda video released last month by the state-run outlet Voice of Korea showed a computer program titled “GPT-4 Real Case: Writing” being used as part of an apparent educational initiative. Analysts believe this is part of a broader strategy to train a new generation of cyber operatives.

Peter Ward, a research fellow at diplomatic and security research centre Sejong Institute in Seoul, told This Week in Asia that AI tools had enabled North Korean scammers to speak in natural-sounding English that was “indistinguishable” from a native speaker.

“They probably learned the basic techniques and knowledge inside the country and went out for training. There are large teams outside the country who are being trained,” he said.

North Korean cybercriminals have used AI to land lucrative jobs. Photo: Shutterstock

North Korea has long relied on a global network of IT workers to generate foreign currency. According to the US government, thousands of North Korean IT professionals, mostly based in China and Russia, as well as Southeast Asia and Africa, are tasked with securing remote employment. This workforce reportedly brings in hundreds of millions of US dollars annually.

Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein, an assistant professor in Korean studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said these IT workers had become a critical pillar of North Korea’s economy. “What we are seeing would be increased dedication of resources to educating young IT workers,” he said, noting the regime’s heavy investment in science and technology.

AI tools enable hackers to automate attacks, craft convincing phishing emails and even create deepfake content for financial fraud.

“The increasing use of AI by North Korean cyber actors presents a significant shift in the cybersecurity landscape, making their operations more efficient, scalable and difficult to detect,” Hegel said.

He urged AI companies to tighten their systems by enhancing “geofencing” – virtually created geographic boundaries – detecting suspicious behaviour and monitoring usage patterns. Meanwhile, Pilling of Secureworks advised companies to educate hiring teams about North Korean fraud tactics and refine recruitment processes.

“Warning signs may include inconsistencies in how a candidate responds via email, anomalies in their CV, being unwilling to go on camera during video interviews, long pauses in the conversation and last-minute changes of address or payment methods,” he said.

Leopold Chen

Leopold holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He used to work part-time with the metro news team of The Standard.

7. S. Korea to sign additional deal to export K2 tanks to Poland as early as April: officials

Again, despite the political turmoil in South Korea the government continues to function. And importantly it continues to be a partner in the arsenal of democracy.

S. Korea to sign additional deal to export K2 tanks to Poland as early as April: officials | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · March 9, 2025

SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will likely sign another deal to export K2 tanks to Poland as early as next month, government officials said Sunday.

Under the proposed 9 trillion-won (US$6.2 billion) deal, Seoul is expected to export 180 additional K2 tanks to the European country, according to the government.

The two countries signed an agreement in July 2022, under which South Korea agreed to sell K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers to Poland.

South Korea signed its first contract, worth $12.4 billion, in August 2022 to ship 180 K2 tanks, 212 K9 howitzers and 48 FA-50 jets to Poland, and has since been pushing to export another batch of K2 tanks to Poland.

The two sides were expected to reach their arms deal last year, but the schedule was delayed due to a difference between the Polish government and a local company over the details of the deal, as well as the political chaos here that followed the short-lived martial law declaration by impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 3.

In a bilateral foreign ministers' meeting held in Warsaw last week, the two sides agreed to provide full support to swiftly finalize the countries' second round of contracts for Seoul's exports of the battle tanks and further advance their defense cooperation.

This undated file photo provided by the Army shows a K2 tank unit. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (L) pays a courtesy call on Polish President Andrzej Duda during his visit to Warsaw on March 6, 2025, in this photo provided by Cho's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

nyway@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · March 9, 2025

8. Alaska gas pipeline project may open new opportunities for S. Korean steel industry: experts

There is so much collaboration we can do with our allies in so many areas.

Alaska gas pipeline project may open new opportunities for S. Korean steel industry: experts | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · March 9, 2025

SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean steel industry may be able to clinch new opportunities if it takes part in the Alaska gas pipeline project led by the Donald Trump administration, despite the envisioned 25 percent U.S. tariff on all steel imports, experts said Sunday.

Such an assessment comes ahead of the planned imposition of 25 percent tariffs on all U.S. steel imports starting Wednesday (U.S. time).

The new duties may deal a blow to Korean steelmakers in the short term but open new business opportunities as they have advanced technologies and production capacity, the experts said.

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

South Korea has been considering taking part in the Trump administration's Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, aimed at building a nearly 1,300-kilometer pipeline from Alaska's vast North Slope to its southern port in Nikiski, also offering to do so in its recent tariff negotiations with Washington.

Korean companies have shown competitiveness in manufacturing steel products needed for drilling and transporting oil and gas, such as pipes and valves, according to the experts.

Last year, South Korea exported casings and steel pipes for drilling worth US$400 million to the U.S., becoming the largest exporter of the products to the country, according to data compiled by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).

Seoul was also the biggest supplier of steel tubes to the U.S. in 2024, with its outbound shipments reaching $288 million.

Steel products are piled up at a port in Pyeongtaek, about 65 kilometers south of Seoul, on Feb. 11, 2025. (Yonhap)

Major Korean steelmakers, such as POSCO Holdings Inc. and Hyundai Steel Co., also have the capabilities to develop and supply special steel products for LNG plants, according to industry watchers.

POSCO was the first company in the world to develop high manganese steel that can withstand temperatures of minus 163 C, thus allowing the storage of LNG at extremely low temperatures, like in Alaska.

Hyundai Steel produces thin plates for LNG tankers and steel materials for LNG storage tanks.

The start of the new U.S. steel tariffs is also expected to lift the U.S.' annual quota on shipments of South Korean steel, allowing the country to compete under the same conditions against Canada, Mexico, China and other major steel exporters, which could possibly lead to an increase in U.S.-bound shipments of South Korean steel products, the experts note.

Trump had imposed a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports to the U.S. in 2018, citing national security concerns.

At the time, the U.S. waived the tariffs on South Korean steel products in return for a yearly import quota of 2.63 million tons, which accounted for about 70 percent of Seoul's average export volume between 2015 and 2017.

nyway@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · March 9, 2025

9. South Korea’s left fights for survival in a right-leaning landscape

As terrible as the Martial Law decision may seem, it may be a political inflection point in Korea because the left has really exposed its true anti-democratic and pro China and pro-north Korea positions and this is shifting the political landscape.

But do not allow the leftists to portray themselves as victims.

South Korea’s left fights for survival in a right-leaning landscape - Asia Times

Main opposition party leader seeks to roll up the welcome mat and leave progressives to their own devices

asiatimes.com · by Lee Seung-ku · March 6, 2025

Former factory worker and labor activist Yoon Jong-oh says being a left-winger in South Korea has always been tough.

The dictators in charge for most of the first four decades after the Republic of Korea gained independence in 1948 saw communists under every bed and, specifically, did not like labor organizers one bit – much less give them a say in national politics.

In the 1990s, Yoon’s generation of rebels – born in the ’60s, organizing and demonstrating for democracy in the ’80s, and then having reached their 30s – were dubbed the “386 generation.”

Their political bloc started to alternate in power with conservatives. But, despite the passage of decades, many people failed to forgive and forget radical behavior – including some dalliances with North Korea – that 386ers and their sympathizers tried to dismiss as youthful indiscretions.

Now, halfway through the second decade of the 21st century, the Korean left is still confronted with widespread distrust and a fresh wind of misery is blowing in: an attempt at the top of the main opposition Democratic party – which had self-identified as centrist but inclusive – to isolate, and distinguish itself from, committed progressives such as National Assembly Representative Yoon.

As a potential snap election looms, Representative Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, is shifting to the right in what some ruling party lawmakers call a “political show to court undecided voters.”

Moving to the ‘center-right’

Lee appeared on a pro-Democratic Party YouTube channel on February 19 and said that the DP is “not progressive.” “In fact, we hold a position that is about center-right. The progressive camp needs to be newly established,” Lee added.

Lee’s abrupt swing to the right has sparked criticism across the aisle.

The ruling People’s Power Party senior spokesperson Shin Dong-wook railed at Lee’s remark, calling it an “impersonation of conservatism.” According to Shin, Lee is shedding “crocodile tears” to appeal to undecided voters, as Lee’s ratings become “boxed in” to the traditionally progressive demographic.

Meanwhile, some Democratic Party lawmakers have voiced concerns that the party’s identity may thin following Lee’s sudden remarks.

“The DP is not the PPP,” said DP’s five-term senior lawmaker Lee In-young. “I have read the party charter and manifesto many times, and I still do not know which part to call conservative. The DP is an accumulation of the political fight to realize progressive values.”

In South Korea’s two-party political sphere, the DP is generally regarded as a progressive force while the ruling PPP is considered conservative. However, some experts argue that the DP cannot truly be labeled progressive and that South Korea’s political spectrum has generally shifted to the right.

“As conflict on the Korean Peninsula has persisted for 76 years, South Korea’s entire political spectrum has shifted unnaturally to the right,” said Yoon Tae-ryong, an honorary professor at Konkuk University and no relation to Yoon Jong-oh, in a column published in local media. “The current party politics is not a struggle between the progressive and conservative forces but, rather, one between the conservatives and far right.”

Ji Byung-geun, a political science professor at Chosun University, made similar observations. “If you look at the traditional standards in which we dictate which party is progressive, the DP is not a true progressive party,” Ji told Asia Times.

“They made policy decisions that are unthinkable to traditionally progressive parties,” Ji added, listing former President Roh Moo-hyun’s decision to participate in the Gulf War and former President Kim Dae-jung’s decision to accept the structural reform policies of the International Monetary Fund. The DP, he said, “moves within the range of center-left to center-right.”

Historical constraints to progressivism

As Professor Ji notes, crackdowns on leaders and a focus on economic development suppressed progressive movements from the end of World War II through much of the rest of the 20th century.

Although the first truly progressive party earned parliamentary seats in 2004, the number of progressive seats has significantly dwindled since then, Ji noted.

Representative Yoon Jong-oh, the former labor organizer who is one of the farthest left members of the National Assembly, is a leader of the minor opposition Progressive Party. Historically, he said, the country’s political environment provided “a difficult environment for left-leaning parties.”

After a hard-scrabble youth, Yoon entered local politics in 1998 in industrial Ulsan. Although unaligned with a party at the time, he championed progressive policies and agendas including universal healthcare, universal school meal plans, and a wealth tax scheme.

“Back then, these [policy] requests were considered radically progressive,” Yoon, 61, said in an interview. “However, they are very much universal.”

To the former labor activist, South Korea’s pre-democratization society brings back memories of oppression. “When I worked for a local automaker, we worked non-stop. Our breaks were 30 minutes. We worked on Saturdays.” The pay was low.

Yoon (right) at Hyundai Motors. Photo: Wiki

Yoon claims that South Korea’s developmental dictatorship created a society in which national development and interests overshadowed individual rights and happiness. It was taboo to go against the government’s developmental drive and advocate for labor rights.

North Korean threat

According to Ji, the professor, the progressive parties’ relative ideological proximity to North Korea’s socialist regime acts as a political vulnerability, making them easy targets for crackdowns under the National Security Act.

Indeed, Yoon points to South Korea’s authoritarian past and the ongoing North Korean threat as limiting the expansion of progressive politics.

In the past, he said, South Korea “lacked the perception of individual rights, as the dictatorship claimed that the country needed to be well-off first. The National Security Act was a tool in suppressing such rights.”

Signed in 1948, the National Security Act sought to eradicate pro-North Korean and anti-state forces. However, historical accounts show its abuse by authoritarian regimes to crack down on political opponents and to suppress democratization movements.

Even today, Yoon argues, right-leaning administrations still use the “pro-North Korea frame” to hinder progressive parties.

“Think about President Yoon Suk Yeol’s most recent martial law decree,” said Representative Yoon. (These two Yoons likewise are not related). The conservative president “labeled all those opposed to him, and those who advocate for workers’ rights as pro-North Korean forces.” The president’s administration “oppresses labor movements and civic groups to prolong its grip on power.”

To the progressive politician, this is not unique to the recently impeached government.

“Though President Yoon Suk Yeol is more blunt, all conservative regimes persecuted civil society and blocked the progressive movement, placing them under a pro-North Korean frame. That is how they disbanded the Unified Progressive Party,” Representative Yoon added.

The Unified Progressive Party was disbanded by South Korea’s Constitutional Court in 2014 under the National Security Act for allegedly “holding a hidden purpose of realizing North Korean-style socialism.” The National Intelligence Service had accused UPP lawmaker Lee Seok-ki of plotting a pro-North Korean rebellion and Lee was sentenced to a prison term.

Yoon Jong-oh in his special forces days. Photo: Wiki

Yoon is a military veteran in a country where service remains compulsory. Having reached the rank of sergeant as a combat intelligence specialist in an airborne special forces brigade, he dares anyone to impugn his loyalty to the country.

He ran for local office under the UPP in 2014, before it was disbanded, and lost. Representing the successor Progressive Party, he was the only minor leftwing party candidate to win a constituency seat in South Korea’s 2024 Legislative Elections.

Professor Ji argues that institutional constraints systematically disadvantage progressive parties from winning legislative and presidential elections.

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“South Korea’s electoral system is a winner-takes-all system. Such a system favors two-party politics and impedes ideological diversity across the aisle,” the academic said. “It is a system that does not properly represent the people.”

South Korea employs a system combining proportional representation with constituency-based representation. While the system was inaugurated in 2020 with the intention of ensuring fair representation to minor parties, it ultimately backfired. Major parties swept constituency seats and created satellite parties to secure most proportional seats, further marginalizing minor parties.

A future for progressivism?

Lawmaker Yoon believes a runoff electoral system would help the South Korean legislature better reflect the public’s ideological distribution.

“South Korea has over 20 million workers and 1 million farmers. However, most lawmakers are former lawyers, professors, journalists and executives at large conglomerates,” he said.

“We have to change the electoral system, but the established power is clenching onto the existing system, and not letting go,” he added. “Institutional improvements are crucial for the growth of progressive parties in South Korea.

Despite such setbacks, the lawmaker remains hopeful.

“South Korea’s political soil was unfavorable for the seeds of progressivism to grow. However, I have persevered and now reached a point where my voice can be heard,” he said. “I will continue to appeal to the people, stand beside them and work to better their livelihoods.”

To Yoon and other progressives, the DP’s shift to the right and the political turmoil caused by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law decree create opportunities for leverage.

“Since DP leader Lee Jae-myung said they are now moving toward the center-right, we, the Progressive Party, can become a firm leftist stronghold that fights for the rights of the everyday people and hardworking laborers,” Yoon said.

“People today need a force that stands up to the far-right hardcore conservatives. We can be that force,” the lawmaker added.

Professor Ji is more skeptical.

“I think the DP’s decisions to position itself center-right and abandon the left was very strategic. They believe there is not much future in the progressive bloc,” he said.

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asiatimes.com · by Lee Seung-ku · March 6, 2025

10. Editorial: Who's really to blame for legal chaos over President Yoon's case?

Note the second and third order effects from the previous Moon administration's actions.

Excerpt:

The turmoil stems from the Moon Jae-in administration and the Democratic Party’s rushed overhaul of investigative powers and the hasty creation of the CIO. The controversy over the CIO’s authority will continue to be a key issue throughout the trial. Given the uncertainty of the legal landscape, many citizens will likely remain unconvinced, potentially leading to social unrest. Moving forward, the judiciary must clarify these legal ambiguities and ensure that all proceedings are conducted lawfully and fairly.

Editorial: Who's really to blame for legal chaos over President Yoon's case?

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/03/09/U4TNEDOXMRED7DMI4VEVFYUHAM/

By The Chosunilbo

Published 2025.03.09. 10:33

Updated 2025.03.09. 10:39

Supporters rally in front of President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence in Yongsan district, Seoul on March 7, after the court granted his request for detention cancellation. /Newsis

The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25 ruled to cancel the detention of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had been indicted on insurrection charges. This decision came 40 days after his indictment. Had prosecutors not appealed within seven days, Yoon would have been released. The court determined that his detention should be canceled because prosecutors had indicted him after the legal detention period expired. While prosecutors had been calculating the detention period by date, the court ruled it should have been measured in hours. Based on this interpretation, prosecutors had exceeded the initial 10-day detention period before filing the indictment.

Beyond the timing issue, the court raised a more fundamental concern. Even if Yoon had been indicted within the detention period, the lack of clear legal provisions granting the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) the authority to investigate insurrection charges made cancellation appropriate. While the CIO conducted the investigation and prosecutors handled the indictment, the court found that, given the legal ambiguity, it was proper to proceed with the trial after canceling detention. The court emphasized that proceeding without resolving this issue could lead to a reversal in higher courts or even future retrials.

As the court pointed out, the investigation into President Yoon sparked controversy from the outset. Under current law, only the police have the authority to investigate insurrection. Nevertheless, both the prosecutors and the CIO aggressively pursued the case despite lacking such authority. The CIO claimed it could investigate insurrection as a related offense while probing Yoon’s alleged abuse of power. However, using a minor charge to justify investigating a major one was a clear distortion of legal principles.

Further fueling controversy, prosecutors sought Yoon’s arrest warrant from the Seoul Western District Court, rather than the appropriate court, raising suspicions of “judge shopping.” The judge even made an unusual ruling, suggesting that certain provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act should not apply in Yoon’s case. The court in the current trial determined that canceling the detention was the correct decision amidst this broader judicial confusion.

The way the judiciary has dealt with President Yoon’s case has been marked by confusion and inconsistency. Earlier, the court issued the CIO’s arrest and detention warrants and dismissed Yoon’s request for a legality review of his arrest. With jurisdiction unclear, the courts should have stepped in to uphold legal principles. Instead, they yielded to public pressure and accepted the prosecutors’ claims. This time, however, the court applied the law more strictly, leaving the public perplexed and uncertain.

The turmoil stems from the Moon Jae-in administration and the Democratic Party’s rushed overhaul of investigative powers and the hasty creation of the CIO. The controversy over the CIO’s authority will continue to be a key issue throughout the trial. Given the uncertainty of the legal landscape, many citizens will likely remain unconvinced, potentially leading to social unrest. Moving forward, the judiciary must clarify these legal ambiguities and ensure that all proceedings are conducted lawfully and fairly.

11. North Korea unveils construction of ‘first nuclear-powered submarine’

On the one hand I want to say I will believe it when I see it and dismiss this as normal regime propaganda. On the other hand the north has surprised us with its ingenuity on many occasions. And we need to consider what kind of technical assistance is Russia providing.

North Korea unveils construction of ‘first nuclear-powered submarine’

‘Strategic guided missile’ vessel glimpsed in state media pictures would be ‘absolutely threatening,’ says South Korean submarine expert

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/03/08/north-korea-claims-building-first-nuclear-powered-submarine/

Sophia Yan

Senior foreign correspondent

Mar 8, 2025 -Politics & Policy

Trump demands ships "very fast, very soon" as China dominates

Colin Demarest
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Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios

President Trump is ship obsessed.

He's texting about rust into the wee hours of the morning, according to John Phelan, his pick to be Navy secretary.
And he's sprung the idea of a White House shipbuilding office, spanning both commercial and military sectors.

Why it matters: Amid years of American atrophy — shuttered shipyards, workforce woes accelerated by the pandemic, abandoned guns and schedule overruns — China has cornered the market.

Beijing's capacity is hundreds of times larger than Washington's by some estimates.
That spells trouble in the Indo-Pacific, a watery region where military leaders and Beltway diviners believe a war over Taiwan could erupt as soon as 2027.

Driving the news: Trump in a combative nationwide address said he would "resurrect the American shipbuilding industry."

"We used it to make so many ships," he said. "We don't make them anymore very much, but we're going to make them very fast, very soon."
But details on the office — exactly how it would work and how far it would reach — are scarce. The president did mention tax incentives.

By the numbers: The Navy would need to spend tens of billions of dollars a year for three decades to satisfy its expansion goals, according to a roundup from the Congressional Budget Office.

The service tallied 296 battle force ships (aircraft carriers, submarines, surface combatants, amphibious ships, and logistics and support ships) in December.
It's eyeing 381.
That doesn't include the many unmanned assets key to the hybrid fleet envisioned by former chiefs of naval operations Adms. Lisa Franchetti and Michael Gilday.

Merchant ships built by country as a share of global gross tonnage, 2014 to 2023

A stacked area chart illustrating the share of global gross tonnage of merchant ships built by country from 2014 to 2023. The categories include China, South Korea, Japan, and the rest of the world. In 2023, the U.S. accounts for 0.1% of the total.

U.S. in 2023

0.1%

China

South Korea

Japan

Rest of the world

Data: UN Trade and Development; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios

Flashback: The U.S. built thousands of cargo ships during World Wars I and II, according to a 2023 congressional report.

"In the 1970s, U.S. shipyards were building about 5% of the world's tonnage, equating to 15-25 new ships per year."
"In the 1980s, this fell to around five ships per year, which is the current rate of U.S. shipbuilding."

What they're saying: The shipbuilding office "can only help," Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday at a Ronald Reagan Institute event. "How it will work, I do not know."

"We are producing 1.2 attack submarines a year. We need to produce 2.7, or we need to produce almost three, a year," he added. "The way to get started doing it is to say we're going to get started."

Support also rolled in from industry.

Matthew Paxton, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America, said companies are "ready to answer the call to design and build America's commercial and military fleets."
Fincantieri in a statement to Axios said it welcomed the creation of the office, "which will empower us to further expand the U.S. industrial base by creating hundreds of additional jobs in the" immediate term.

What's next: Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Utah Republicans, want the option to build warships and major components overseas, in NATO countries and friendly Indo-Pacific areas (think Japan or South Korea).

Go deeper: Saronic, now valued at $4 billion, wants its own futuristic shipyard

13. With Drones and North Korean Troops, Russia Pushes Back Ukraine’s Offensive

I hope we can study this hard and learn if there is a coordinated effort with lessons that the north will be able to take back to the peninsula and employ in a war. against the South We must anticipate the changes that might occur within the nKPA.

With Drones and North Korean Troops, Russia Pushes Back Ukraine’s Offensive

Russia has retaken about two-thirds of the territory Ukraine seized last summer in the Kursk region of Russia, but at a fearful cost in lives.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/08/world/europe/ukraine-russia-north-korea-kursk.html?utm

A Ukrainian military vehicle driving in the country’s Sumy region, near the border with the Kursk region of Russia, in January.Credit...Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times

By Marc Santora

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

Published March 8, 2025

Updated March 9, 2025, 12:52 a.m. ET

Want to stay updated on what’s happening in North Korea, Russia and Ukraine? Sign up for Your Places: Global Update, and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.

Russian and North Korean forces have made significant battlefield advances in recent days in the Kursk region of Russia, threatening Ukraine’s supply lines and its hold on a patch of land it hopes to use as a bargaining chip in future negotiations, according to Ukrainian soldiers, Russian military bloggers and military analysts.

Working together, a new influx of North Korean soldiers and well-trained Russian drone units, advancing under the cover of ferocious artillery fire and aerial bombardment, have been able to overwhelm important Ukrainian positions, Ukrainian soldiers said.

“It’s true; we can’t stop them,” said Oleksii, the commander of a Ukrainian communications unit fighting in the area, when reached by phone. “They just sweep us away, advancing in groups of 50 North Koreans while we have only six men on our positions.”

“Decisions are being made here, but I don’t know how effective they will be,” he said.

If Ukrainian forces were cut off or forced to retreat, it would be a significant setback for Kyiv. Not only was the incursion into Kursk a signature operation that boosted morale and embarrassed President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, but holding territory in Russia gave Ukraine a potential bargaining chip in any peace negotiations. Pulling out could weaken its bargaining position at a moment when President Trump is trying to force through settlement talks.

Ukrainian forces first swept across the border last summer in an unexpected assault, overrunning unprepared Russian positions and securing a bridgehead of some 200 square miles around the Russian town of Sudzha, which sits about six miles from the border.

It was the first time that a foreign army had crossed into Russian territory since World War II.

Military analysts remain divided on whether the surprise decision to carry out an offensive into Russian territory served a useful purpose or was a strategic mistake.

Russian and North Korean soldiers have retaken about two-thirds of the land lost in the summer — but at a horrendous cost, with at least 4,000 troops killed in combat, according to Ukrainian, South Korean and Western intelligence estimates.

Image

Ukrainian service members carrying the body of a Russian soldier from a destroyed building at the Sudzha Border Crossing last August.Credit...David Guttenfelder for The New York Times

Ukrainian officials have said the offensive served multiple goals: thwarting a looming Russian offensive into the Sumy region of Ukraine; demonstrating that Western fears of escalation were overwrought; forcing Russia to divert resources away from the frontline in Ukraine; and possibly serving as leverage in future peace negotiations.

The recent setbacks in Kursk have come as Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine have managed to stall Russian offensive efforts for months and largely stabilize their lines.

Three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Putin, who keeps tight control over all information in Russia, has paid no apparent political price for the military embarrassment in Kursk, even as the Kremlin has lost thousands of soldiers in grueling battles to drive the Ukrainians out.

As the battles dragged on, the Russians brought in an estimated 12,000 North Koreans to join the fight. North Korea was already supplying Russia with millions of artillery shells Moscow desperately needed, as well as artillery and ballistic missiles.

For months, Russian and North Korean forces have been attacking in some of the most ferocious clashes of the war, the intensity rising and falling but never really subsiding, soldiers said.

The North Koreans were forced to withdraw from the battlefield in January and regroup, but they soon returned.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on Feb. 8 that “Russia has once again deployed North Korean soldiers alongside its troops.” Four Ukrainian soldiers all said in interviews that North Koreans were at the vanguard of the latest waves of attacks, along with elite Russian drone units.

Ukrainian soldiers said the North Koreans were now better adapted to waging war on a battlefield that has been transformed by the proliferation of drones. They still engage in the same ferocious frontal assaults that led to so many casualties, but they are operating more cohesively.

“The North Koreans’ application of tactics is constantly improving,” said Andrii, a drone commander fighting in Kursk. They are working in better coordination with North Korean artillery units and supported by Russian drone operators, he said.

They have helped the Russians break through Ukrainian lines in the western part of the Ukrainian-held pocket near the border, south of Sudzha, according to DeepState, a group of analysts mapping the battlefield based on sources in the Ukrainian military, and open-source data like satellite imagery, photos and video posted on social media.

Image

Razor wire threaded through the forest along the border between Ukraine and Russia.Credit...Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times

Ukrainian soldiers in the fighting said that their lines were broken south of the small village of Kurylivka, where the enemy troops were able to cross a narrow river in January. They quietly amassed forces, soldiers said, but by early March, there were simply too many North Koreans, and when they attacked they overran the Ukrainian positions.

Ukrainian forces retreated in an organized manner along designated defensive lines, Ukrainian soldiers said. The enemy advance has been halted, for the moment.

In addition to having an overwhelming edge in troops and firepower, the Russians have saturated the battlefield with fiber-optic drones. Unlike radio-controlled drones, these are immune to jamming because they are controlled by ultrathin fiber optic cables that unspool as their pilots guide them to their targets.

Capt. Oleksandr Shyrshyn, a battalion commander in the 47th Mechanized Brigade fighting in Kursk, said that the Russians appeared to have increased the range the drones can fly while bringing some of their best operators to the Kursk region.

Small Russian assault units of just a couple of soldiers are also now sometimes moving forward with the drones, further extending the range pilots can fly them.

“Once they storm in, at approximately 200 to 300 meters from the front line, they start using them from there,” he said.

This, he said, has allowed the Russians and North Koreans to strike more effectively at Ukraine’s main supply line: the only road leading from Ukraine to Sudzha.

That route has long been a target of Russian attacks. On a visit to the border this winter, it was littered with the wreckage of blasted-out armored tanks and other military vehicles that had failed to safely run the gauntlet.

The Russians can now keep that road under near-constant fire.

Captain Shyrshyn said that his soldiers were still able to hold their positions even under increasing pressure, but other soldiers said the situation was growing more difficult by the day.

Andrii, the drone commander, said, “The enemy has strongly focused on cutting our logistics, which affects our ability to hold the defense.”

“This was influenced by the number of their drones and the training of their crews,” he said. “It feels like they have gathered their best crews here, and, accordingly, their numbers are large.”

“We have losses,” he added, “but we are still carrying out the tasks assigned to us.”

Liubov Sholudko and Yurii Shyvala contributed reporting.

Marc Santora has been reporting from Ukraine since the beginning of the war with Russia. He was previously based in London as an international news editor focused on breaking news events and earlier the bureau chief for East and Central Europe, based in Warsaw. He has also reported extensively from Iraq and Africa. More about Marc Santora

A version of this article appears in print on March 9, 2025, Section A, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: Russian Drones and North Korean Troops Beat Back Ukraine’s Forces in Kursk. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

14. Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center: Snowfall Shows Activity

Satellite imagery at the link: https://www.38north.org/2025/03/yongbyon-nuclear-scientific-research-center-snowfall-shows-activity/

Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center: Snowfall Shows Activity

By: Peter Makowsky, Jack Liu and Iliana Ragnone
March 7, 2025

Commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center indicates activity is ongoing throughout the site. Recent snowfall provided a short period to observe activity, based on snow melt.

Intermittent smoke at the thermal plant of the Radiochemical Laboratory (RCL), discharge from the 5 MWe Reactor and Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR), and snow melt at the Uranium Enrichment Plant (UEP) and throughout the uranium conversion complex suggest efforts to fulfill Kim Jong Un’s orders to expand fissile material production for the country’s nuclear weapons program are proceeding.

Radiochemical Laboratory

Work has continued to repurpose a small compound located approximately 0.5 km northeast of the RCL and just southwest of the never-completed 50 MWe Reactor that has been associated with military construction brigades; its potential new purpose is yet unclear.

Imagery from early December 2024 revealed more than 40 holes had been dug in the courtyard of the compound, laid out in a grid-like pattern. An additional 100 or so holes were dug in a small field just east of the compound. These holes were squared-off, measuring approximately 1.5 m x 1.5 m.

Figure 1. Imagery from December 9, 2024 shows holes have been dug within a compound near the RCL. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Figure 2. Holes have been squared-off on imagery from December 24, 2024. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

On imagery from January 31, the roof of the long building separating the two sets of holes had been removed. By February 9, the building was completely razed, along with two others at the compound. By February 22, a rectangular excavation alongside one of the series of holes had appeared. Machinery can be seen operating in between the two sets of holes.

Figure 3. New holes have been dug around the complex on imagery from January 31, 2024. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Figure 4. Buildings have been razed surrounding the two series of holes on imagery from February 9, 2025. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Figure 5. Overview of activtiy on imagery from February 22, 2025. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

The squared holes may serve as footings for pillars to support two new buildings or one larger building with solid foundations, as observed in similar construction processes.

Figure 6. Observed near Pyongyang, a similar pattern of squared holes can be observed to serve as building footers. Image: Google Earth, annotation by 38 North. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

A new series of smaller holes, measuring approximately 0.5 m in diameter, had been dug around the compound’s perimeter by February 9. By February 22, a solid wall had been built around the complex, resembling that encompassing the RCL and suggesting greater security for the facility.

Possible propaganda placards have been placed along sections of the wall.

The road connecting this facility to Building 500—a suspected radioactive waste storage facility—was laden with tracks in the snow on January 31, indicating some level of activity. Workers were also observed on the access road on that date.

In the same image, two cargo trucks are seen parked along the access road to the RCL’s spent fuel receipt building. One of these trucks has a red cab, such as the type of truck often observed at the 5 MWe Reactor. By February 9, the vehicles had departed, and by February 22, another two appeared.

Thermal (Steam) Plant

On imagery from January 30 and January 31, smoke was observed emanating from the thermal plant located to the south of the RCL. The roof had a patch free of snow, and coal dust residue was observed between the coal crushing building and the thermal plant, indicating traffic and activity in both buildings. By February 9, satellite imagery revealed that the emissions stopped. Smoke was observed again on February 22, along with steam emissions at the RCL.

Figure 7. Smoke emission, snow melt, and coal dust observed at the thermal plant on imagery from January 31, 2025. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Figure 8. No smoke emission observed on imagery from February 9, 2025. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Figure 9. Smoke emission observed at the thermal plant on imagery from February 22, 2025. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Figure 10. Steam emission observed at the RCL on imagery from February 22, concurrent with smoke emission from the thermal plant. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Past indications of spent fuel reprocessing and plutonium extraction at the RCL have been continuous smoke from the thermal plant and emissions from the RCL for several weeks at a time. Since major renovations to the thermal plant were completed around July 2024, smoke has only been observed intermittently. While a pattern of intermittent smoke emissions does not indicate that a reprocessing cycle has begun, it may mean a lower-level activity is taking place, such as radioactive waste processing or preparation for a reprocessing campaign, which is preceded by the transfer of chemicals to the process area.

Reactor Area

5 MWe Reactor

Imagery from January 31 reveals that the rooftops of the 5 MWe Reactor’s main reactor building and turbine generator are free of snow and steam vapor can be seen emanating from the turbine generator building. The adjacent spent fuel storage building also shows signs of snow melt due to heat from the spent fuel likely discharged during the mid-October 2024 shutdown of the reactor.

Figure 11. Imagery from January 31 shows snow mely on the 5 MWe Reactor, spent fuel storage building, and support buildings. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Water discharge is observed from the 5 Mwe Reactor discharge point on imagery from January 31 through February 22. All observed signatures indicate that the reactor is operating again after the shutdown.

Figure 12. Overview of the reactor area on February 22 indicates outflow from all discharge points. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

ELWR

The roofs of the ELWR reactor building and turbine generator building are clear of snow. Heavy warm water discharge is seen emanating from the ELWR discharge point on imagery from both January 31 and February 9. These signatures have been observed with few interruptions since November 2023, and likely indicate preoperational testing and certification, including running and testing the reactor, steam generators, and turbine-generators. Whether or not fuel has already been loaded for testing cannot be concluded from imagery alone.

Snow melt is also observed on the roof of the high bay structure adjacent to the ELWR and the pump house associated with the ELWR.

Figure 13. Snow on imagery from January 31 indicates snow melt on the ELWR, pump house, and associated high bay structure. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Winter ice in the Kuryong River seems to be stressing the overflow dam just south of the ELWR pump house. Imagery from late January and early February indicate sections of the dam have been breached, allowing the flow of too much water. As a stopgap measure, an earthen dam has been constructed.

Figure 14. On imagery from February 22, an earthen dam appears to have been constructed just south of the ELWR pump house. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

Uranium Enrichment Plant

Previous reporting observed that renovation work at the UEP and uranium conversion facilities appeared complete, given the removal of support materials and equipment located around the complex. However, the purpose of changes made inside these facilities during that construction period is unknown.

Imagery from January 31 shows snow melt at multiple buildings within the complex. Notably, there is only snow melt on Hall 1 of the centrifuge building, suggesting that Hall 2 is either not operating or has better isolation.

Two buildings south of the uranium conversion area constructed in 2023, were secured with fencing in the spring of 2024. The purpose of these buildings is unclear, but their isolation within the Yongbyon complex is unusual. The western building is free of snow, indicating some kind of operations are taking place inside.

Snow melt can also be seen on the roofs of the suspected Isotope Production Plant, indicating some operations are taking place inside as well.

Figure 15. Snow melt observed on buildings throughout the UEP. Notably, Hall 1 of the centrifuge building, the Isotope Production Plant, and support buildings to the south of the complex. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2025. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.

15. "More farmers than fighters": How agricultural work is undermining N. Korea's military readiness

This has been going on for many years. Every former north Korean soldier I meet describes similar conditions.

And I bet farming has a greater impact on readiness than wokeness.

"More farmers than fighters": How agricultural work is undermining N. Korea's military readiness - Daily NK English

"Soldiers aren't just missing training to work the farms, they're also leaving base more frequently for supplies," a source told Daily NK

By Seon Hwa - March 7, 2025

dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · March 7, 2025

A photo published in May 2019 by North Korea's state-run media of farmers conducting the annual rice planting. (Rodong Sinmun)

There are concerns that North Korean soldiers’ fighting strength and discipline are weakening as they spend more time farming than training.

A military source told Daily NK recently that units with the IV Corps in Ryongyon county, South Hwanghae province, are prioritizing agricultural work over training, despite ongoing regular winter military exercises.

Soldiers are so occupied with tending crops, raising livestock and maintaining fish farms that both training and basic guard duties are being neglected.

North Korean military units must provide for their own nutritional needs through farming and raising livestock. Most units maintain bean fields, rabbit hutches and goat pens, while larger units even operate greenhouses and fish farms, according to the source.

These agricultural initiatives stem from Kim Jong Un’s focus on soldiers’ nutrition since becoming supreme leader. Kim routinely inspects soldiers’ diet during military base visits.

“Since the supreme leader praises military farms during his inspections, the military has made farm yields a priority,” the source explained.

However, some believe these practices are undermining military discipline.

“Soldiers aren’t just missing training to work the farms, they’re also leaving base more frequently for supplies. More contact with civilian society means more exposure to illegal publications and recordings, which seems to be weakening discipline,” the source said.

After spending full days working in fields, soldiers often fall asleep during guard duty. In essence, these additional responsibilities frequently lead to negligence in their primary military obligations.

Despite this serious erosion of discipline, commanders who should be controlling the troops are struggling to address the issue. With superiors emphasizing food production, unit commanders have little choice but to assign troops to agricultural work and permit frequent off-base trips.

The soldiers themselves resent their farming duties.

“Even the soldiers disapprove of how much labor goes into farming. They joke that they often feel more like farmers, ranchers or construction workers than soldiers,” the source said.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · March 7, 2025

16. Yoon Suk Yeol’s release raises concerns over impeachment ruling delay

In the previous impeachments I believe the length of time for a decision was about 70 days.

Yoon Suk Yeol’s release raises concerns over impeachment ruling delay

koreaherald.com · by Kim Da-sol · March 9, 2025

Suspended president to refrain from ‘political activity’ while ‘humbly’ awaiting court verdict: presidential office

Suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol bows while greeting supporters upon his sudden release from Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. (Yonhap)

The Constitutional Court of Korea, currently deliberating suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial after seven weeks of hearings, faced a fresh challenge following Yoon’s sudden release from detention on Saturday, with some raising concerns over a possible delay in the court announcing its ruling.

It had been anticipated that Yoon’s impeachment verdict would be out this week, likely on Friday, considering the timing of previous rulings for two other presidents who were impeached.

In these previous cases, former President Roh Moo-hyun’s ruling was issued 14 days after arguments concluded, while former President Park Geun-hye’s ruling took 11 days. Following the timelines of these past impeachment trials, Yoon's ruling is expected to be delivered by the second week of March, as the arguments in his trial concluded on Feb. 25.

But as the prosecution on Friday waived its right to appeal the Seoul Central District Court’s decision to revoke Yoon’s arrest, the suspended president was abruptly freed and returned to the presidential residence after 52 days in detention.

Release has little to do with impeachment trial: legal experts

Though Yoon remains under legal scrutiny as he awaits criminal trial following his indictment for leading an insurrection, his side has argued there were “procedural illegalities” involved in the process of extending his arrest warrant ― a claim that threatens to put the Constitutional Court itself under scrutiny for what some critics might argue was a “rushed” rather than normal impeachment trial process.

During the hearings, Yoon’s legal team had repeatedly requested the court to give them more time to prepare, although the pace of the hearings ― two times a week ― matched that of Park’s 2017 impeachment trial.

Considering the sudden change in circumstances, there is a possibility that the eight justices mulling the decision on whether to uphold or overturn Yoon’s impeachment could take a longer time to make a decision.

Others, however, argue that since Yoon’s release from detention is related to the procedures for his criminal trial, it is separate from his impeachment trial, which focuses on determining the constitutionality of his actions.

Therefore, the most widespread belief among legal experts is that the Seoul Central District Court’s decision to release Yoon will have little effect on his impeachment trial.

The Constitutional Court is also free from criticism for using investigation records from other authorities in Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial, because none were adopted from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. Yoon had continually questioned the CIO for attempting to investigate him for leading an insurrection and abuse of power, arguing it only had the authority to investigate abuses of power.

Currently, the Constitutional Court justices are reviewing the arguments and evidence presented in 11 rounds of hearings, along with a court task force comprising 10 researchers who are responsible for drafting the verdict.

Meanwhile, the presidential office said Yoon would “humbly” wait for the court’s verdict at his residence and refrain from political activity, noting that if he does send out any messages, they will be at a “very restrained level.”

However, Yoon is likely to meet with ruling People Party lawmakers and his legal representatives to prepare for his criminal trial.

The suspended president cannot receive any official reports from his aides, but he can still access government reports on current affairs.

“If the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment, he will return to the office immediately. To avoid any disruption in state affairs, it is necessary for him to grasp pending government issues now,” said an official from the presidential office.

On Sunday, the presidential office was scheduled to hold a senior secretary meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Jeong Jin-seok. This meeting, held every Sunday, will discuss policy-related matters to be reported to acting President Choi Sang-mok.

ddd@heraldcorp.com

koreaherald.com · by Kim Da-sol · March 9, 2025

17. Why did prosecutors agree to release Yoon Suk Yeol?

Why did prosecutors agree to release Yoon Suk Yeol?

koreaherald.com · by Jung Min-kyung · March 9, 2025

The headquarters of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul on March 7 (Yonhap)

Prosecutors decided to release suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol from custody on Saturday afternoon despite the organization being heavily divided over the matter, according to a report in Yonhap News, Saturday.

The move to comply with the Seoul Central District Court’s decision that ruled in favor of Yoon’s request to cancel his detention, rather than appeal it, is mainly to avoid the risk of being accused as “unconstitutional,” some observers say.

“The Constitutional Court in 1993 and 2012 ruled that prosecutors’ moves to file immediate appeals regarding the suspension of carrying out detention and bail decisions, respectively, as violations of the Constitution,” Kim Seon-taek, a constitutional law professor at Korea University School of Law, said via phone.

“What Yoon filed is a request to cancel his detention, which is different from the previous two requests. Yet, it seems the prosecution wanted to avoid any risk of the Constitutional Court viewing its latest detention of Yoon as unconstitutional,” according to him.

The Supreme Prosecutors Office on Saturday indirectly cited these past rulings of the Constitutional Court as the reason behind their latest decision not immediately to appeal the Seoul Central District Court’s ruling.

“We have decided not to file an immediate appeal, considering the Constitutional Court’s decision, which reflects its view that the current Criminal Procedure Act blocks immediate appeals for detention due to a bail decision or a suspension of the execution of detention…Coupled with (our respect) for the country’s warrant system,” the top prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

Due to the Constitutional Court rulings, the related clauses of the Criminal Procedure Act were amended separately in 1995 and 2015 to ban prosecutors from filing immediate appeals of bail decisions and suspensions of the execution of detention.

Still, prosecutors were allowed to file an immediate appeal against Yoon’s request, as Article 97 of the Criminal Procedure Act stipulates that “the prosecutor concerned may file an immediate complaint against a ruling to cancel detention.” Prosecutors have seven days to file an immediate appeal against court rulings that approve a detainee’s request to cancel his or her detention.

Kim also highlighted that the prosecutors aimed to avoid any controversy surrounding the timeframe of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials’ detention of Yoon and the prosecution’s indictment.

The Seoul Central District Court said investigators from the CIO and the prosecution "illegally divided the detention period without any legal grounds," and that both entities also "failed to follow the procedure for custody transfer as mandated when transferring the custody of the defendant from one organization to another."

The CIO transferred Yoon's case to the prosecution on Jan. 23, as the prosecution holds the authority to indict the president.

The CIO rejected the court's interpretation that the indictment occurred after the legal 10-day detention period had expired, maintaining that Yoon’s detention complied with legal procedures.

After Yoon was arrested and taken into custody by the CIO on Jan. 15, the agency claimed that the initial 10-day detention period was extended to Jan. 27, 12 days later, as, using the usual standard of counting days, they had deducted time spent on reviewing Yoon’s request concerning the legality of his detention on Jan. 16, and a hearing prior to Yoon’s formal arrest on Jan. 18.

Yoon's request to cancel his detention was based on counting the same period in hours, however.

Suspended President Yoon was released from the Seoul Detention Center, located in Uiwang, south of Seoul, on Saturday, 52 days after he was detained on charges of leading an insurrection.

mkjung@heraldcorp.com

koreaherald.com · by Jung Min-kyung · March 9, 2025

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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