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Quotes of the Day:
"The parachute soldier has characteristics that mark him out among men. First, he is a volunteer and, second, he has to overcome something every time he jumps."
— Lieutenant General Sir Richard Gale, Commander of the British 1st Airborne Division
“Where is the prince who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defense, as that ten thousand men descending from the clouds might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief?”
— Benjamin Franklin, c. 1784
"We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded."
— Captain Richard Winters, 101st Airborne Division, as portrayed in Band of Brothers
1. Fact check: Trump falsely claims Biden ‘terminated’ South Korea deal Biden actually made
2. Trump signals U.S. will make defense cost-sharing part of talks for 'package' deal on trade, other issues
3. The China, Japan, Korea trilateral FTA
4. Ex-PPP leader Han Dong-hoon announces presidential run
5. Ex-President Yoon to leave presidential residence Friday
6. S. Korea sanctions freight ship, 4 entities for illegal transport of N. Korean iron ore
7. Experts call for prudent, guarded approach to Trump's proposed 'package deal'
8. S. Korea to expand interagency task force in response to U.S. tariff measures
9. SK Group chairman meets with TSMC chief for talks on chip cooperation
10. Commander of US Forces Korea: “ROK, US Signed Plan to Respond to North Korean Nuclear Weapons Last Year”
11. North Korea’s Kim likely looking for payback from Putin by ‘Victory Day,’ May 9
12. Seoul requests U.S. support after missile redeployment
13. Editorial: Moon officials undermined THAAD to appease China
14. Knee-length leather coats: N. Korea's latest status symbol for the elite
15. USFK commander general stresses importance of joint operations plan, alliance with South
1. Fact check: Trump falsely claims Biden ‘terminated’ South Korea deal Biden actually made
Sigh... Are the Administration's Korea hands/advisors providing the President with accurate information about the alliance or is the President just not heeding their information and knowledge?
Fact check: Trump falsely claims Biden ‘terminated’ South Korea deal Biden actually made | CNN Politics
CNN · by Daniel Dale · April 9, 2025
President Donald Trump answers a reporters question during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
CNN —
President Donald Trump tried again Tuesday to rewrite the history of US relations with South Korea.
Trump has repeatedly delivered false assertions about the payments South Korea has made for decades to help cover the cost of the major US military presence in the country (more than 26,000 personnel as of the end of 2024). On Tuesday, he wrote on social media that he had just spoken with South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo about economic issues and about “payment for the big time Military Protection we provide to South Korea.”
Trump then added this: “They began these Military payments during my first term, Billions of Dollars, but Sleepy Joe Biden, for reasons unknown, terminated the deal. That was a shocker to all!”
Trump’s claim is false in two big ways.
First, South Korea’s payments did not begin during Trump’s first term. The cost-sharing deals known as Special Measures Agreements began in 1991, more than 25 years before Trump took office in 2017.
Second, former President Joe Biden did not terminate a Trump cost-sharing agreement with South Korea. The only Special Measures Agreement signed by the Trump administration had expired by the time Biden took office in 2021 – and Biden’s administration then signed two such agreements, one in 2021 and one in 2024, that both included South Korean spending increases.
“There was no deal that was ‘terminated,’” Andrew Yeo, a politics professor and Korea expert at The Catholic University of America and The Brookings Institution think tank, said in a Tuesday email.
“Trump’s characterization of Biden’s deal with South Korea is inaccurate,” Yonho Kim, an international affairs professor and associate director of the Institute for Korean Studies at The George Washington University, said in a Tuesday email.
South Korea increased its payments in both of its cost-sharing deals with Biden
Here’s the truth about what happened under Trump and Biden.
Trump inherited a South Korea cost-sharing deal negotiated by the Obama administration, which ran from 2014 through 2018. Trump then agreed to a one-year deal for 2019, which secured an 8.2% increase in the South Korean contribution.
That one-year Trump deal was the 10th in the series of Special Measures Agreements that started in 1991, so “it wasn’t as if South Korea began its VERY FIRST cost-sharing payments in 2019,” Jiun Bang, a Colorado College international relations professor, said in a Tuesday email. And Trump was unable to get South Korea to agree to the standard multi-year agreement; South Korea rejected his demands for a giant spending increase in the vicinity of 400%, from less than $1 billion per year to $5 billion per year or close.
South Korea did come to a smaller deal with the Trump administration in mid-2020 to spend $200 million that year to pay the South Korean employees of US forces, who had been put on leave because Trump’s one-year Special Measures Agreement had lapsed at the end of 2019. But negotiations on a new Special Measures Agreement were still unresolved when Trump left the White House in January 2021.
The Biden administration completed the talks in March 2021, agreeing to an 11th Special Measures Agreement to retroactively cover 2020 and continue through 2025. Then, with the possibility of a second Trump term looming, the Biden administration and South Korea signed a 12th agreement in late 2024, to run from 2026 through 2030.
Trump claimed during his 2024 presidential campaign that Biden had allowed South Korea’s payments to go “way, way down” to “almost nothing,” but that’s not true, either. South Korea agreed to substantial spending hikes in both of its Biden-era deals.
The agreement signed in 2021 included a 2021 increase of 13.9% – meaning South Korea’s payment that year would be about $1 billion – and then additional increases in 2022 through 2025 tied to increases in South Korea’s defense budget. The agreement signed in 2024 is scheduled to begin with an 8.3% increase in 2026 and then additional increases tied to South Korean inflation.
Trump baselessly claimed in October 2024, as a presidential candidate, that “if I were there now, they’d be paying us $10 billion a year. And you know what? They’d be happy to do it.”
CNN · by Daniel Dale · April 9, 2025
2. Trump signals U.S. will make defense cost-sharing part of talks for 'package' deal on trade, other issues
Do we really need to waste our time on this?
Let's review just a few of the highlights.
First: Why are we in Korea? To support US interests by preventing war because war or regime collapse will have direct effects on the US homeland as well as global effects. Second, we should consider the future in the Asia Pacific region. Not only does the Mutual Defense Treaty call on both countries to defend against threats to each throughout the "Pacific Area," South Korea can, should, and will provide a platform for US operations in the region in addition to deterring war on the peninsula. Third, does South Korea help us to win in strategic competition with China? Fourth does South Korea's defense industry now make significant contributions as a partner in the Arsenal of Democracy to include backfilling US munitions shortfalls due to support for Ukraine? Can one of the world's largest shipbuilders help the US to revitalize its shipbuilding capabilities and help fill the gap the US has in ships? Is Korea providing sufficient support to US forces? Is it a bad deal for the US? Is the US really getting "ripped off" by South Korea?
The Republic of Korea (ROK) provides substantial financial support to the United States for maintaining U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea. This support encompasses various aspects, including contributions to salaries of local workers, utility costs, and facilities construction.
Overall Financial Contributions:
From 2016 through 2019, South Korea contributed approximately $5.8 billion in direct financial support. This funding covered expenses such as labor, construction, and utilities associated with the U.S. military presence.
In a 2024 agreement, South Korea agreed to increase its annual contribution by 8.3% for 2026, amounting to 1.52 trillion won (approximately $1.13 billion). For the years 2027 through 2030, cost increases will be based on the Consumer Price Index and are aimed at not exceeding 5% annually.
U.S. Costs
The U.S. spends approximately $4 billion annually to maintain its forces in South Korea, covering troop salaries, operations, and infrastructure maintenance.
From 2016 to 2019, the U.S. spent $13.4 billion on its presence in South Korea, which included troop-related expenses and facility maintenance.
South Korea’s Contributions
Under the Special Measures Agreement (SMA):
South Korea will contribute $1.14 billion (1.52 trillion won) in 2026, with annual increases tied to inflation (capped at 5%).
South Korea’s contributions cover local worker salaries, utilities, base construction, and logistical support.
Between 2016 and 2019, South Korea provided $5.8 billion to offset U.S. costs.
The U.S. covers about 60% of the total cost, while South Korea funds the remaining 40% through the SMA.
South Korea’s share has steadily increased over time, reflecting adjustments tied to defense budget growth or inflation indices.
Camp Humphreys Construction Costs:
Camp Humphreys has undergone a significant expansion, becoming the largest U.S. overseas military base. The expansion project cost approximately $10.8 billion, with South Korea covering about 90% of these costs.
Support for Local Workers and Facilities:
South Korea's contributions also fund salaries for local workers employed by U.S. Forces Korea, utility costs, and the construction of facilities on U.S. bases. For instance, recent projects include two barracks at Camp Humphreys, costing $67 million and accommodating 600 soldiers.
KATUSA Soldiers:
The Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) program integrates ROK soldiers into U.S. Army units to enhance combined defense capabilities. Currently, there are approximately 2,800 KATUSA soldiers assigned to U.S. Army units across the Korean peninsula. These soldiers are distributed among various areas, including 285 personnel in Area IV alone, fulfilling roles such as riflemen, chaplain assistants, field engineers, and logistics specialists. The total number of KATUSA soldiers has varied over time; during the Korean War, up to 23,000 KATUSAs served at any one time.
Now let's review the Mutual Defense Treaty:
The Parties to this Treaty,
Reaffirming their desire to live in peace with all peoples and an governments, and desiring to strengthen the fabric of peace in the Pacific area,
Desiring to declare publicly and formally their common determination to defend themselves against external armed attack so that no potential aggressor could be under the illusion that either of them stands alone in the Pacific area,
Desiring further to strengthen their efforts for collective defense for the preservation of peace and security pending the development of a more comprehensive and effective system of regional security in the Pacific area,
Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE I
The Parties undertake to settle any international disputes in which they may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security and justice are not endangered and to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations, or obligations assumed by any Party toward the United Nations.
ARTICLE II
The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of either of them, the political independence or security of either of the Parties is threatened by external armed attack. Separately and jointly, by self help and mutual aid, the Parties will maintain and develop appropriate means to deter armed attack and will take suitable measures in consultation and agreement to implement this Treaty and to further its purposes.
ARTICLE III
Each Party recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the Parties in territories now under their respective administrative control, or hereafter recognized by one of the Parties as lawfully brought under the administrative control of the other, would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger in accordance with its constitutional processes.
ARTICLE IV
The Republic of Korea grants, and the United States of America accepts, the right to dispose United States land, air and sea forces in and about the territory of the Republic of Korea as determined by mutual agreement.
ARTICLE V
This Treaty shall be ratified by the United States of America and the Republic of Korea in accordance with their respective constitutional processes and will come into force when instruments of ratification thereof have been exchanged by them at Washington.(2)
ARTICLE VI
This Treaty shall remain in force indefinitely. Either Party may terminate it one year after notice has been given to the other Party.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Washington, in the English and Korean languages, this first day of October 1953.
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/kor001.asp
Trump signals U.S. will make defense cost-sharing part of talks for 'package' deal on trade, other issues | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 10, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, April 9 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump indicated Wednesday that his administration will make a defense cost-sharing issue a part of negotiations for a "package" deal with U.S. allies and others over trade and other bilateral matters.
Trump made the remarks during a press availability amid concerns that he could demand a hefty rise in South Korea's share of the cost for stationing the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea, although a bilateral cost-sharing deal -- valid for 2026-2030 -- was already struck last year.
"It depends. We pay for military over in Europe. We don't get reimbursed by much ... South Korea too," Trump told reporters at the White House, responding to a question about whether he has any plans to reduce the number of American troops in Europe.
"It would be one of the things we discuss. That's unrelated to trade, but I think we'll make it part of it because (it) makes sense. (It would be) nice to wrap it all up in one package for each country. You know, it's nice and clean," he added.
U.S. President Donald Trump smiles as he speaks to reporters after signing a series of executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on April 9, 2025, in this photo released by EPA. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
On Tuesday, Trump said he had a "great" call with South Korea's acting President Han Duck-soo, during which he said the two sides discussed Seoul's payment for the U.S.' "big time" military protection of the Asian ally.
In October, Seoul and Washington struck a defense cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement (SMA). Under the multiyear deal, Seoul is to pay 1.52 trillion won (US$1.03 billion) next year, up from 1.4 trillion won this year.
After the conclusion of the SMA negotiations, Trump, then a presidential candidate, said at a campaign event that South Korea would be paying $10 billion a year for the upkeep of USFK if he had been in the White House. He also described the Asian country as a "money machine."
Meanwhile, John Noh, who performs the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, highlighted the need to "rebalance burden sharing" with U.S. allies as part of efforts to counter rising threats from China.
"To counter the growing threat from China, it is critical that we re-establish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, resource with combat credible military forces postured forward, while rebalancing burden sharing with our allies and partners and investing in our defense industrial base to support our war fighters," Noh said during a hearing at the House Armed Services Committee.
"The bottom line is that we need to accelerate efforts to strengthen our force posture and increase operational capabilities in the Indo-Pacific given China's historic and rapid military buildup and the urgent need to reestablish deterrence," he added.
The official went on to say that the Trump administration pursues an America First approach, but it does not mean "America alone" or "America only."
"It means America is supported by and standing with capable, like-minded allies and partners -- allies and partners who will do their part to restore and sustain deterrence," he said.
"Stronger allies lead to stronger alliances, and stronger alliances deter aggression and create dilemmas for our adversaries."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 10, 2025
3. The China, Japan, Korea trilateral FTA
Excerpts:
The path to a unified front is of course not without its challenges. Acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo expressed reservations about forming a coalition with China and Japan to counter U.S. tariffs, emphasizing a preference for direct negotiations with Washington.
In an interview with CNN, Han stated, "I don't think that kind of fighting back will improve the situation dramatically. We will not take that route."
BUT he didn’t hesitate to push for the trilateral FTA. AND if you think Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo are eager… wait till a progressive administration comes into power in a few months time!
The historical tensions, territorial disputes, and domestic political considerations means progress will not be easy. Aligning the economic policies of three distinct economies alone requires meticulous negotiation and compromise. Despite these differences, Trump is a powerful engine driving greater East Asian regional cooperation.
The concerted move by South Korea, Japan, and China to bolster their economic collaboration in response to U.S. tariffs marks a potential inflection point in East Asian geopolitics. It reflects a pragmatic shift towards regional self-reliance and a potential reconfiguration of traditional alliances.
Future historians will view this development as a critical juncture that signalled the beginning of a new era in East Asian geopolitics, characterized by diminished U.S. influence and enhanced regional cooperation.
The China, Japan, Korea trilateral FTA
A single event to mark the accumulation of hundreds of separate decision points and less significant events towards exclusive East Asian regionalism.
https://www.junotane.com/p/the-china-japan-korea-trilateral-fta?utm
Apr 10, 2025
It’s at this point of time in a Trump Administration that every foreign policy analyst, everyone schooled under the conventions of liberal democratic international relations, wonders wtf is going on.
It was the same last time round as Trump ramped up the North Korea crisis with threats, boasts about the size of nuclear forces, mistruths about aircraft carrier battlegroup deployments, and brain farts about moving(!) and evacuating Seoul.
This is disruption and it was needed, but certainly not in this way. One day, historians will look back and say it was from here that things started to change.
In international relations, certain events stand out as pivotal moments. These single events are the accumulation of hundreds of separate decision points and less significant events.
Take the 30th September 1938 Munich Agreement and Chamberlain’s "peace for our time" speech. This single event is recorded in history as the epitome of appeasement, yet it was the culmination of hundreds of separate decision points and less significant events.
The initiative of South Korea, Japan, and China to expedite a trilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in response to U.S. tariffs will be one such event. Once achieved, the securing of a trilateral FTA will be recorded in history as the epitome of East Asian cooperation, yet it will be the culmination of hundreds of separate decision points and less significant events, one of which was the decision to begin negotiations in response to Trump’s tariffs.
We can mark early April 2025, and Trump's broader "Liberation Day" poorly formulated tariff strategy to address trade imbalances and protect domestic industries, as the beginning. China faced a staggering 104% tariff, Japan 24%, and South Korea 25%.
These have probably changed two or three times since this was written. Is it back to 10% and up to 125% for China? Who knows? All that is certain, the U.S. is today considered unreliable and high risk. The disruption imposes significant strain on the economies of East Asia and each state is looking for alternative avenues to mitigate the impact.
South Korea convened a ministerial meeting led by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on April 9, 2025. The outcome was a commitment to pursue a trilateral FTA with Japan and China "at the earliest possible moment."
The agreement aims to foster deeper economic integration among the three nations, collectively accounting for 22.4% of the world's GDP and 18.3% of global trade.
This initiative builds upon earlier discussions - the hundreds of separate decision points and less significant events. On March 30, 2025, trade ministers from the three countries held their first economic dialogue in five years, emphasizing the need to strengthen regional trade ties in light of looming U.S. tariffs. They agreed to enhance supply chain cooperation and advance talks on the trilateral FTA.
This built upon earlier dialogue. The concept of a trilateral FTA among China, Japan, and South Korea is not novel. Negotiations commenced in 2012, aiming to build upon existing frameworks like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which came into effect in 2022. While RCEP laid the groundwork for broader regional integration, the trilateral FTA seeks to deepen economic ties specifically among these three nations.
The path to a unified front is of course not without its challenges. Acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo expressed reservations about forming a coalition with China and Japan to counter U.S. tariffs, emphasizing a preference for direct negotiations with Washington.
In an interview with CNN, Han stated, "I don't think that kind of fighting back will improve the situation dramatically. We will not take that route."
BUT he didn’t hesitate to push for the trilateral FTA. AND if you think Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo are eager… wait till a progressive administration comes into power in a few months time!
The historical tensions, territorial disputes, and domestic political considerations means progress will not be easy. Aligning the economic policies of three distinct economies alone requires meticulous negotiation and compromise. Despite these differences, Trump is a powerful engine driving greater East Asian regional cooperation.
The concerted move by South Korea, Japan, and China to bolster their economic collaboration in response to U.S. tariffs marks a potential inflection point in East Asian geopolitics. It reflects a pragmatic shift towards regional self-reliance and a potential reconfiguration of traditional alliances.
Future historians will view this development as a critical juncture that signalled the beginning of a new era in East Asian geopolitics, characterized by diminished U.S. influence and enhanced regional cooperation.
Recommend Junotane to your readers
Diplomacy | Foreign Policy | Disruption - commentary, analysis, and fiction focused on the Korean Peninsula and its region.
4. Ex-PPP leader Han Dong-hoon announces presidential run
Will he unify or further divide the conservatives?
Ex-PPP leader Han Dong-hoon announces presidential run | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · April 10, 2025
SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), announced his presidential bid for the June 3 election on Thursday, vowing to defeat former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.
Han called Lee a "dangerous" politician who would sacrifice the nation's fate for personal power, stressing he is the right person to defeat Lee in the upcoming election, triggered by the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
"We need to prevent a dangerous person from becoming president and creating a monstrous administration that will ruin the country," Han said at the National Assembly.
Han, a former prosecutor who was previously considered one of Yoon's closest confidants, expressed opposition to Yoon's martial law declaration in December immediately after it was announced.
He led a group of PPP lawmakers to vote to reject the martial law decree at the National Assembly, hours after its declaration.
Han stepped down as PPP leader after the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon.
South Korea will hold a presidential election on June 3, after the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon's impeachment last Friday, forcing him out of office.
This file photo, taken March 24, 2025, shows Han Dong-hoon, former chief of the ruling People Power Party. (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · April 10, 2025
5. Ex-President Yoon to leave presidential residence Friday
(LEAD) Ex-President Yoon to leave presidential residence Friday | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 10, 2025
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with latest details in 2nd para)
SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to leave the presidential residence Friday to return to his private residence in southern Seoul, officials said Thursday, following his removal from office last week.
"Yoon plans to leave the official residence at 5 p.m. Friday move to his private residence," a senior presidential official said in a press notice.
The Presidential Security Service (PSS) has reportedly completed organizing a private residence security team of about 40 people for Yoon. Under the current law, Yoon can receive protection from the PSS for up to 10 years.
Yoon's private residence is located at the Acrovista apartment complex in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, and he previously stayed there for six months even after his presidential inauguration in May 2022.
Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, are reportedly considering moving to another private residence in the capital area later because they own as many as 11 pet dogs and cats and the presence of security guards may cause some inconveniences for neighbors.
The Acrovista apartment complex in southern Seoul (Yonhap)
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 10, 2025
6. S. Korea sanctions freight ship, 4 entities for illegal transport of N. Korean iron ore
(LEAD) S. Korea sanctions freight ship, 4 entities for illegal transport of N. Korean iron ore | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · April 10, 2025
(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 9-10)
SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea imposed independent sanctions on a freight ship, its Hong Kong-based operator and three related entities on Thursday in connection with the ship's internationally banned transport of North Korean iron ore last year, the foreign ministry said.
The sanctions follow a joint government investigation into the vessel Sunrise 1, which was detained while sailing through South Korea's territorial waters in June last year, carrying North Korean iron ore, the ministry said.
The supply, sale or transfer of North Korean iron ore, as well as coal and iron, is prohibited under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2371 as part of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile development.
The four sanctioned entities are Xiangrui Shipping Co. Ltd., a Hong Kong-registered shipping firm in charge of Sunrise 1; two Chinese operators of the firm -- Sun Zhengzhe and Sun Feng; and LLC Consul DV, the Russia-registered consignor, according to the ministry.
These images, provided by the National Intelligence Service, show a North Korean ship sanctioned by South Korea in July 2024 and its navigation route. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The fresh sanctions require the entities to obtain prior approval from South Korea's Financial Services Commission or the governor of the Bank of Korea for any financial or foreign currency transactions with South Korean banks and financial institutions.
The sanctioned ship must also obtain prior approval before entering a South Korean port.
The results of the joint government investigation, involving the foreign ministry as well as the Coast Guard, customs authorities and the national spy agency, found that Sunrise 1 entered North Korea's Chongjin port on the upper eastern coast from June 14-17 last year and loaded 5,020 tons of iron ore.
The investigation identified LLC Consul DV as the freight's consignor.
Following its detainment by the South Korean government, the sanctioned freighter was held at the southeastern port of Busan for investigation.
The government plans to expel the ship soon.
The government said Thursday's action reflects its "strong determination to block any illegal maritime activities by North Korea."
"The government will firmly and consistently enforce the law against those involved in sanctions violations, in collaboration with like-minded countries," the foreign ministry said.
In July last year, South Korea imposed similar sanctions on a Hong Kong shipping company and a North Korean cargo ship for illegal transfer of North Korean coal.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · April 10, 2025
7. Experts call for prudent, guarded approach to Trump's proposed 'package deal'
(News Focus) Experts call for prudent, guarded approach to Trump's proposed 'package deal' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 10, 2025
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea should take a prudent and guarded approach in its negotiations with the Trump administration over his proposed "package deal" on tariffs and security issues, as it would be better not to hastily respond to such talks under Seoul's current acting leadership, experts said Thursday.
Experts said South Korea needs to carefully consider what it can offer to the United States and secure from it in return, such as stronger U.S. security commitment, as Trump has announced a 90-day pause on its "reciprocal" tariffs on South Korea and others.
Trump suggested Wednesday (U.S. time) that his administration will put other security and non-tariff issues all on the table, saying that reducing American troops abroad, like in Europe and South Korea, can be "part of" the negotiations.
This Reuters photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump as he signs executive orders and proclamations in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 2025. (Yonhap)
His remarks added to growing speculation that Washington under his command could bring up the defense cost-sharing agreement as a condition for the tariff negotiations with Seoul.
"Under the current acting presidency, and with the tariff pause, the priority should be to clearly assess U.S. intentions and lay the groundwork so that the next government can respond strategically," Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, said.
He said Trump's tariff salvo may be an opportunity for South Korea to secure more meaningful security commitments from the U.S. in deterring North Korea's military threats.
"The fact that North Korea's nuclear threats have reached a new level is the most pressing issue for us. We could ask for in return, for example, the U.S. to consider redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear assets to South Korea, to boost our defense," he said.
Trump's remarks came after his first phone talks with acting President Han Duck-soo on Tuesday, during which he said they discussed Seoul's "payment for the U.S.' big time military protection" and the "confines and probability" of a deal for both countries that are "not covered by trade and tariffs."
Some experts argue that South Korea should consider accepting a higher share of defense-sharing costs if the Trump administration moves to overturn the finalized agreement and push for a new deal.
In October, Seoul and Washington struck the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), under which Seoul is to pay 1.52 trillion won (US$1.03 billion) next year for the stationing of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), up from 1.4 trillion won this year.
Trump has referred to South Korea as a "money machine" and, as a presidential candidate, said that if he were in the White House, the U.S. ally would be paying significantly more for its defense.
Seoul's position has now become increasingly precarious as Trump has made the issues of cost-sharing and troops presence more explicit.
"Since Trump doesn't always stick to the traditional frameworks, his unpredictability could work as an advantage and potentially lead to a stronger security outcome for South Korea," Yang said.
While South Korea has expressed a willingness to discuss economic cooperation, such as shipbuilding and potential participation in the U.S.' envisioned Alaska liquefied natural gas pipeline project, it has maintained that the defense burden-sharing deal is a settled matter and a separate issue from the tariff negotiations.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (R) and then U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg sign the Special Measures Agreement on determining Seoul's share of the cost for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea, at the foreign ministry in Seoul on Nov. 4, 2024, in this file photo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"As a shift in policy direction could create new problems, it would be strategically wise to hold off on the defense cost-sharing issue until the new government comes in," Jo Bee-yun, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, said.
South Korea will hold an early presidential election on June 3, following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law attempt.
Jo noted that the succeeding government could highlight the presence of American troops in South Korea in the context of deterring China's assertiveness in the region, including the Taiwan Strait.
"The government should clarify its stance on China, and particularly Taiwan, and highlight that it also contributes to the U.S. deterrence in countering Beijing in the region," Jo said.
Yang of the Asan institute said it's important to gauge what the U.S. wants from South Korea in the broader effort to counter China.
"To what extent South Korea can cooperate in this regard will be key to the relationship with the U.S.," he said.
On Wednesday, the foreign ministry reaffirmed that South Korea has contributed to the stable USFK presence through its "steady increases" in the defense cost-sharing.
"We intend to continue to enhance these efforts and will actively explain our position to the U.S. side, and seek dialogue and cooperation," the ministry said.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 10, 2025
8. S. Korea to expand interagency task force in response to U.S. tariff measures
S. Korea to expand interagency task force in response to U.S. tariff measures | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · April 10, 2025
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will expand its existing response task force into a comprehensive interagency team to better cope with the U.S. administration's evolving tariff measures, the finance ministry said Thursday.
The decision came as the Donald Trump administration announced a 90-day suspension of newly imposed reciprocal tariffs on imports from South Korea and other trading partners, only hours after the tariffs went into effect Wednesday.
In response, the government will operate the task force under an expanded framework, including eight specialized working groups focusing on sectors such as macroeconomy, finance, industry, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the ministry said.
The task force aims to conduct in-depth analyses of sector-specific impacts of the tariff measures by facilitating rapid information-sharing among government agencies, the ministry said.
Given the unpredictable nature and potential longevity of global trade tensions, the government also plans to review more fundamental strategies, the ministry added.
This image, provided by the finance ministry on April 10, 2025, shows First Vice Finance Minister Kim Beom-suk (L) during a government response task force meeting in Seoul on April 10, 2025. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · April 10, 2025
9. SK Group chairman meets with TSMC chief for talks on chip cooperation
SK Group chairman meets with TSMC chief for talks on chip cooperation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Oh Seok-min · April 10, 2025
SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has visited Taiwan, and met with the chief of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and officials from other semiconductor companies to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation in the semiconductor sector, sources said Thursday.
During the meeting held earlier this week, Chey and TSMC CEO C.C. Wei agreed to work together to lay the foundation for an artificial intelligence (AI) era and to deepen cooperation on the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) sector, among other areas, according to the industry sources.
In April 2024, South Korea's leading chipmaker SK hynix Inc. set up a strategic partnership with TSMC aimed at bolstering its capabilities in producing HBM chips and advanced packaging technologies.
Chey also met with officials of other Taiwanese IT firms and discussed ways of working together on the semiconductor industry.
It marked Chey's first publicly known visit to Taiwan in 10 months since June, and he was accompanied on the trip by SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung, the sources said.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won (L) shakes hands with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. CEO C.C. Wei at the headquarters of the Taiwanese chip company in Taipei on June 7, 2024, in this file photo provided by Chey's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Oh Seok-min · April 10, 2025
10. Commander of US Forces Korea: “ROK, US Signed Plan to Respond to North Korean Nuclear Weapons Last Year”
This is a Google translation of an RFA report.
We will watch the SASC hearing at 0930 today (10 April) along withe INDOPACOM Commander.
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-receive-testimony-on-the-posture-of-united-states-indo-pacific-command-and-united-states-forces-korea-in-review-of-the-defense-authorization-request-for-fiscal-year-2026-and-the-future-years-defense-program
Commander of US Forces Korea: “ROK, US Signed Plan to Respond to North Korean Nuclear Weapons Last Year”
WASHINGTON-Kim Ji-soo kimjis@rfa.org
2025.04.09
https://www.rfa.org/korean/in-focus/2025/04/09/north-korea-nuclear-threat/
Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea. (AP)
General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea and US-ROK Combined Forces Command, announced on the 9th that South Korea and the US signed a new combined operational plan that was prepared last year in response to North Korea's advancement of nuclear weapons.
In a statement submitted to the House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. on the same day, Commander Brunson said, “Last year, we were able to significantly improve our new combat readiness posture,” and “we signed a new combined operational plan (OPLAN).”
“In response to the security environment in which North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile capabilities are becoming increasingly sophisticated, the new operational plan will enable the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command to better prepare for armed conflict,” Brunson explained.
“We will continue to use, refine, and train with this operational framework,” he said, adding that “we will continue to refine and refine our training programs to align with the new operational framework and seek additional opportunities to improve integration and interoperability.”
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ROK-US joint combat command training conducted... 1,200 soldiers participated
ROK-US Combined Forces Command Nominee: “Maintaining Firm Readiness Against North Korean Nuclear Threat”
“Northeast Asia is a critical region for America’s national security, and one that is facing new challenges as authoritarian collusion between China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran intensifies,” Brunson said.
He pointed out that “North Korea is focusing on research and development of cruise missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles,” and that “in 2024, North Korea failed to launch a satellite (military reconnaissance satellite) once and launched 47 ballistic missiles.”
He also said, “(North Korea’s General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea) Kim Jong-un has publicly visited nuclear facilities twice, making clear his intention to develop nuclear weapons capabilities.”
He continued, “Next year, North Korea is expected to further develop its hypersonic and multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) capabilities, targeting the 8th Party Congress,” and “Kim Jong-il’s leadership has changed from one that pursues unification to one that strengthens his own position, as evidenced by his border reinforcement, refusal to discuss unification, and destruction of monuments in the Joint Security Area.”
“The ROK-U.S. alliance remains a linchpin of security in Northeast Asia,” he said. “I will work together to ensure continued security, freedom, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Editor Park Jae-woo
11. North Korea’s Kim likely looking for payback from Putin by ‘Victory Day,’ May 9
Excerpts:
He suggested that Mr. Shoigu had three tasks in Pyongyang: to express gratitude to North Korea, reaffirm the importance of the 2024 agreement and invite Mr. Kim to Moscow.
Mr. Doo believed Mr. Kim had three grievances: delays in Russian compensation for his troop dispatch, Moscow’s passive stance on two North Korean troops captured by Ukraine, and a lack of strategic communications on Moscow’s negotiations with the Trump administration.
Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine have not been factored into POW exchanges, which are routinely negotiated between Kyiv and Moscow, and may defect to South Korea.
North Korea’s Kim likely looking for payback from Putin by ‘Victory Day,’ May 9
Shoigu visit, aerial actions, buttress North Korea: Expert
washingtontimes.com · by Andrew Salmon
Premium
By - The Washington Times - Tuesday, April 8, 2025
A version of this story appeared in the daily Threat Status newsletter from The Washington Times. Click here to receive Threat Status delivered directly to your inbox each weekday.
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants payback from Russian President Vladimir Putin for his troops’ sacrifices in the Ukraine war, which Moscow is moving belatedly to address, a leading expert said Tuesday.
Russian air interventions off the Korean Peninsula during recent South Korea-U.S. military drills and visits to Pyongyang by two Kremlin power players are likely elements of a wider exchange package for North Korea’s munitions supply and troop deployment, Doo Jin-ho told foreign reporters in Seoul.
The South Korean defense expert, who heads the global strategy division of the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, anticipates a trip by Mr. Kim to Moscow around May 9.
A formal, bilateral alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang is the most visible relationship in the CRINK, shorthand for the alignment of the authoritarian states of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, though the degree of quadrilateral cooperation is debatable.
Pyongyang is estimated to have supplied Moscow with millions of artillery shells and tactical rockets for its war in Ukraine. Iran also has supplied weapons, notably strike drones, to Russia.
Last year, Mr. Kim and Mr. Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with a mutual defense clause. Subsequently, North Korea became the only country to dispatch troops to fight in Mr. Putin’s war after Ukraine stormed into Russia’s Kursk oblast in August.
An additional dispatch of approximately 3,000 in January buttressed a dispatch of 11,000 to 13,000 elite North Korean troops in October. The North Koreans are estimated to have sustained as many as 5,000 casualties.
The two nations share a land border and are opaque states, obfuscating intelligence collection. Considerable analyses cover how and with what Moscow intends to repay Pyongyang.
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On March 14, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko arrived in Pyongyang for a meeting that some analysts suspect became heated.
“I believe [Mr. Rudenko’s visit] did not have a positive atmosphere compared to past meetings,” said Mr. Doo. “I believe North Korea used the meeting to express dissatisfaction with Russia, and the Russian Embassy recommended follow-up actions.”
Moscow may have been jolted into action.
On March 15, Russian military aircraft breached South Korea’s Air Identification Zone an unprecedented eight times. The incursions compelled Seoul to scramble its warplanes.
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Distinct from globally recognized sovereign airspace, an ADIZ lacks a basis in international law. However, multiple capitals have declared ADIZs as national air security perimeters.
The aerial action-reaction sequence took place during South Korea-U.S. Freedom Shield spring military drills from March 10-20.
Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian State Security Council, landed in Pyongyang on March 21.
Though Western media interpreted Mr. Shoigu’s removal from his defense minister position in May 2024 as a demotion because of Russian military blunders in Ukraine, a London-based Russia expert told The Washington Times that is misreporting.
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She said Mr. Shoigu has a critical role as a longtime confidant of Mr. Putin: ensuring the sustainability of Moscow’s military-industrial complex amid hostilities and sanctions.
“Shoigu was sent as special envoy right after Freedom Shield to reaffirm a commitment to North Korea in the event of a possible conflict,” Mr. Doo said. “Of course, the visit was carefully timed to avoid provoking the U.S. and to maintain South Korean relations.”
He suggested that Mr. Shoigu had three tasks in Pyongyang: to express gratitude to North Korea, reaffirm the importance of the 2024 agreement and invite Mr. Kim to Moscow.
Mr. Doo believed Mr. Kim had three grievances: delays in Russian compensation for his troop dispatch, Moscow’s passive stance on two North Korean troops captured by Ukraine, and a lack of strategic communications on Moscow’s negotiations with the Trump administration.
Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine have not been factored into POW exchanges, which are routinely negotiated between Kyiv and Moscow, and may defect to South Korea.
Victory Day visit?
Mr. Doo expected Mr. Kim to continue troop deployments to earn “a political stake” at the conflict’s end.
The deputy chief of the North Korean General Staff, the director of army operations and the commander of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea’s intelligence and sabotage arm, remain in Russia.
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North Koreans have sustained heavy casualties. Because of language and doctrinal barriers, they cannot operate effectively with Russian armor, artillery, air power or drones. They have taken on a high-risk battlefield role as unsupported infantry shock troops.
They also have demonstrated impressive physical fitness and marksmanship while maintaining unit cohesion and determination.
“I think Kim is using troop levels as a bargaining chip,” Mr. Doo said. “I believe he is monitoring the Russian response … whether it offers meaningful compensation for his deployment and losses.”
Mr. Doo believes preliminary talks are underway before May 9.
That date, Russia’s Victory Day, marks the end of World War II in Europe and holds special significance this year: 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the war’s end.
Even so, Mr. Doo does not anticipate Mr. Kim joining Mr. Putin on the Kremlin saluting podium, given that other national leaders, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, are expected.
“Kim Jong-un has not attended any multilateral summits,” Mr. Doo said. “He is not well prepared.”
Though North Korean troops may goose-step with Russian troops on Red Square on May 9, he expected that Mr. Putin and Mr. Kim would cement ties and sign deals before or after Victory Day.
In addition to supplies of oil and grain — key strengths of the Russian economy and major weaknesses in North Korea — he said Moscow may upgrade North Korea’s satellite and air defense technologies.
Warplanes and surface warships are two assets Russia might donate, Mr. Doo said: Mr. Kim’s air force and navy are low-tech.
He did not expect Russia to upgrade North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, including its nascent nuclear submarine program.
That would infuriate the U.S., a target for those classes of armaments, and could grant North Korea strategic independence, reducing Russian influence.
Regardless of what Russia offers, North Korea’s army — which before last year had not fought a major conflict since 1953 — is likely reaping the benefits of millennial combat exposure.
“On April 4, Kim gave on-site guidance to his special forces and said they have to enhance tactics and capabilities in line with evolving trends,” Mr. Doo said. “North Korean soldiers are learning the modern warfare landscape.”
• Andrew Salmon can be reached at asalmon@washingtontimes.com.
Copyright © 2025 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
washingtontimes.com · by Andrew Salmon
12. Seoul requests U.S. support after missile redeployment
High demand low density systems. The US DOD must prioritize its scarce resources to accomplish national security missions. It determines where it can and must accept risk. I ask that my Korean brothers respect that. The US cannot be single focused on single strategic problems. They are all related and interconnected.
This might be one of those off peninsula contingencies the 56th SCM directed the combined force prepare for. It means filling gaps with other capabilities when forces are not available ANd the US cannot always fill those gaps.
This situation is one where an integrated missile defense capability with the ROK, Japan, and the US might be advantageous.
Seoul requests U.S. support after missile redeployment
donga.com
Posted April. 10, 2025 07:32,
Updated April. 10, 2025 07:32
Seoul requests U.S. support after missile redeployment. April. 10, 2025 07:32. .
South Korea is requesting supplementary U.S. military assets after the partial redeployment of Patriot missile defense batteries from the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East, government officials said Tuesday.
South Korean defense authorities have asked the U.S. Department of Defense to consider deploying alternative air defense systems or combat aircraft to South Korea on a rotational basis, possibly from the U.S. mainland or Japan, according to government sources.
The Pentagon requested the temporary relocation of two out of approximately 10 Patriot batteries stationed in South Korea between late February and early March. The systems, including PAC-2 and PAC-3 variants, are expected to remain in the Middle East for three to six months. The redeployment followed consultations between South Korea and the U.S. under bilateral defense protocols.
The Patriot systems are primarily deployed at key U.S. military installations such as Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek and Osan Air Base. They serve as a core element of South Korea’s lower-tier missile defense, protecting the headquarters of the U.S. Forces Korea (the USFK) and surrounding air assets against potential missile attacks from North Korea. Operating at altitudes of 15 to 40 kilometers, the Patriots provide a first line of defense against incoming threats.
Together with the U.S.-operated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Seongju — which intercepts missiles at higher altitudes of 40 to 150 kilometers — and South Korea’s domestically developed Cheongung-II (KM-SAM) system, the Patriots form a multi-layered defense network against the North’s growing missile arsenal.
There is growing speculation that under the Trump administration, U.S. military redeployments from the Korean Peninsula may become more frequent. A recent internal Pentagon directive reportedly emphasizes deterrence against China, particularly over Taiwan, and prioritizes homeland defense. The document also urges allied nations to shoulder more responsibility for regional security, including threats from North Korea and Russia.
Some analysts in Seoul warn that Washington may use such asset movements as leverage in defense cost-sharing negotiations. However, a South Korean government official downplayed the likelihood of a lasting reduction in deterrent capabilities.
“South Korea and the U.S. have long agreed that overseas deployments of U.S. forces should not create a gap in our joint defense posture against North Korea,” the South Korean official said. “The Trump administration is unlikely to authorize withdrawals that would critically weaken the USFK’s deterrence capabilities.”
한국어
donga.com
13. Editorial: Moon officials undermined THAAD to appease China
This is not good. And unfortunately a successor government in the image of Moon's policies is likely to follow this path.
Editorial: Moon officials undermined THAAD to appease China
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/04/10/H2DQ67ZZ2ZAVPOVN4XYUQ24UL4/
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2025.04.10. 08:47
Prosecutors have indicted former top national security officials from the Moon Jae-in administration for allegedly leaking classified information to civic groups opposing the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system—an apparent attempt to delay its full installation.
Chung Eui-yong, former head of the presidential National Security Office, and his former deputy, Suh Choo-suk, were charged without detention. Prosecutors allege Suh instructed staff on at least eight occasions to share sensitive details—including information on the transport of THAAD equipment and construction materials—with protest groups.
Among those groups were three organizations previously designated by South Korea’s Supreme Court as pro-North Korea entities, including the Pan-Korean Alliance for Reunification, which advocates unification under North Korean leadership.
The leaked material reportedly included second-tier military secrets. This amounted to a self-inflicted blow to national security.
Police forcibly disperse more than 50 protesters and local residents staging a sit-in against the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system near the entrance to the THAAD base in Soseong-ri, Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, on the morning of April 28, 2021./Yonhap
THAAD’s deployment was approved under the Park Geun-hye administration as a countermeasure against North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats. The move drew fierce opposition from China, and anti-THAAD activists staged prolonged protests outside the Seongju base in southeastern South Korea, citing health concerns over electromagnetic radiation from the system’s radar.
In 2020, amid escalating tensions, South Korean and U.S. military authorities launched a covert transport operation to avoid clashes. Prosecutors say Suh tipped off protesters in advance, allowing them to block access roads with vehicles and disrupt the mission. Rather than quelling resistance, Moon administration officials actively enabled it.
At the time, the Moon government had effectively ruled out additional THAAD deployments, participation in the U.S. missile defense network, and the formation of a trilateral military alliance with the United States and Japan—positions widely seen as concessions to Beijing. The leaks were clearly part of a broader effort to delay THAAD’s rollout in line with those unofficial commitments.
Despite conducting multiple tests that found the radar posed no risk to human health, the Moon administration reportedly withheld the results, fearing they would undercut opposition to the system. The result was a five-year delay in full deployment. In doing so, the administration effectively undermined South Korea’s own missile defense capability to appease China.
The THAAD base was finally completed under President Yoon Suk-yeol. Now the courts must uncover the full truth—and ensure those responsible are held to account.
14. Knee-length leather coats: N. Korea's latest status symbol for the elite
At one it was furry hats I think.
Knee-length leather coats: N. Korea's latest status symbol for the elite - Daily NK English
The coats are not cheap, costing between 500 and 1,500 Chinese yuan ($70-$210), but they sell well due to high demand
By Lee Chae Eun - April 10, 2025
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Eun · April 9, 2025
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Dec. 8. 2023, that "Comrade Kim Jong Un made a congratulatory visit to the Korean People's Army Air Force Command and the Air Force Division No. 1 Flight Regiment on the occasion of Aviation Day." Kim Jong Un's daughter, Ju Ae, also accompanied him to this event commemorating Aviation Day. /Photo: Rodong Sinmun, News1
Knee-length leather coats have become a sartorial trend among young North Koreans, Daily NK has learned.
“Leather coats have recently become a trend among young people in their 20s and 30s in Chongjin,” a Daily NK source in North Hamgyong province said recently. “Young people especially like coats that fall right above the knee.”
According to the source, leather outerwear is a status symbol typically worn by the children of wealthy families or officials.
People used to wear shorter leather coats that fell to the waist, but this spring, one can easily spot young people in longer leather coats on the streets of Chongjin.
“If it’s a trend, everyone wants to buy and wear it,” the source said. “Long leather coats, called ‘off-the-rack leather jumpers’ by locals, have recently become a trend, with children from wealthy families scrambling to find them in the markets.”
Wholesalers who import clothing from China previously imported a few leather coat samples, uncertain if they would sell. Initially finding few buyers, they placed no more orders.
However, the coats suddenly became popular after a few wealthy people wore them, and wholesalers quickly moved to secure more. Consequently, markets now have some stock of the coats.
The coats are not cheap, costing between 500 and 1,500 Chinese yuan ($70-$210), but they sell well due to high demand, the source said.
The long leather coat trend appears partly influenced by the attire worn by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, during a March 2024 visit to Kangdong General Greenhouse Farm. Kim Ju Ae appeared in a long, purple leather coat that fell to the knee.
“The response wasn’t particularly strong when the Supreme Leader’s daughter wore a leather coat around this time last year, but similar leather coats suddenly became a trend this spring,” the source said. “Wholesalers must carefully consider what they import since young people’s tastes change overnight nowadays.”
Leather coats are also trendy in Hyesan, Ryanggang province.
“Long leather coats that fall to the knee have recently become fashionable with young people,” a source in Ryanggang province said. “Both fitted coats that show off your figure and more standard cuts are popular.”
“Leather clothing is especially popular among everyone from soon-to-graduate high school students to young people in their 30s, with leather coats currently enjoying the most popularity,” the source said. “The only thing that has changed is the length, while the shape is evolving slightly to follow the trends.”
However, the leather coats also starkly demonstrate the gap between the rich and poor, the source said.
“Ordinary people cannot easily afford leather coats,” the source said. “As you can tell who comes from a wealthy family and who doesn’t just by looking at their clothes, people without the coats feel disheartened.”
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Eun · April 9, 2025
15. USFK commander general stresses importance of joint operations plan, alliance with South
He is the UNC, ROK/US Combined Forces Command, and USFK commander.
This is how the SASC describes him. Why can't the Korean press do the same? Why does the Korean press only focus on USFK which is a subunified command and not a warfighting HQ?
General Xavier T. Brunson, USA
Commander, United Nations Command/ Combined Forces Command/ United States Forces Korea
Thursday
April 10, 2025
dictionary + A - A
USFK commander general stresses importance of joint operations plan, alliance with South
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-04-10/national/defense/USFK-commander-general-stresses-importance-of-joint-operations-plan-alliance-with-South/2282277
Published: 10 Apr. 2025, 15:08
U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander General Xavier Brunson speaks during a change-of-command ceremony for the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and the United States Forces Korea at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 20, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]
U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander General Xavier Brunson highlighted the importance of a new combined operations plan, the Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) and continued U.S. strategic asset deployments to the Korean Peninsula, citing North Korea’s growing threat capabilities.
While concerns persist that the Trump administration may reframe alliance commitments through an economic lens, potentially weakening the promise of extended deterrence, Brunson’s message suggests a continuation of the goals under the Biden and Yoon administrations of strengthening the military alliance.
Related Article
“Last year, we took a significant step forward in our combat readiness when the new combined Operations Plan [OPLAN] was signed," Brunson stated in a written testimony submitted to the U.S. House Armed Services Committee signed for April 9.
"Over the past several years, Alliance planners worked diligently to construct and develop this plan, constantly testing and validating its concepts through execution during our biannual FS [Freedom Shield] and UFS [Ulchi Freedom Shield] exercise events," wrote Brunson. "In response to the evolving security environment, where the DPRK’s WMD [weapons of mass destruction] and missile capabilities are increasingly sophisticated, the new OPLAN better prepares CFC [Combined Forces Command] prior to armed conflict.”
DPRK refers to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
Brunson described U.S. strategic deployments as a critical pillar of deterrence, saying, “U.S. strategic asset deployments to the Korean Peninsula allow training opportunities with multinational forces, operationalize extended deterrence and signal U.S. commitment to the security of the ROK [Republic of Korea].”
U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) helicopters are seen at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on April 9. [YONHAP]
He also reaffirmed the role of trilateral military cooperation with South Korea and Japan, saying, “The Freedom Edge exercise seeks to enhance strategic coordination between the U.S., Japan, and Korea. This exercise brings our trilateral security cooperation to the next level and further fosters peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.”
Brunson pointed to the creation of a new extended deterrence-focused command structure under USFK.
“USFK has established a nascent Strategic Integration Element (SIE) focused on extended deterrence cooperation,” he wrote. “Since its activation, the element has supported the U.S. and ROK bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group [NCG], assumed increasing responsibility for bilateral Conventional-Nuclear Integration [...] and built productive working relations with ROK Strategic Command.”
He explicitly thanked Congress for its continued support of the U.S. troop presence on the peninsula.
“I want to thank Congress and this committee for maintaining the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act language to maintain our presence of 28,500 U.S. service members deployed to the Republic of Korea. This manpower floor demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance.”
U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) armored vehicles are seen in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi, on March 10. [YONHAP]
Brunson also acknowledged Korea’s financial and technological contributions to joint defense.
“As of January 2025, the ROK has invested over $30 billion in active government-to-government sales cases with the U.S. under the Foreign Military Sales system.” He added, “Militarily, ROK contributions reduce the U.S. costs by as much as 18% across all military expenditures.”
Speaking on the broader threat environment, Brunson warned, “The DPRK’s chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs and formidable missile force [...] pose a threat to the U.S. homeland, U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific and allied nations.”
He concluded by reaffirming the strength and necessity of the alliance.
“The security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia requires untiring attention and a multifaceted approach. The U.S.-ROK alliance is stronger than it has ever been.”
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]
16.
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
| 
