Quotes of the Day:
"Nothing is inherently and invincibly young except spirit."
-George Santayana
"You are wrong, my friend, if you think that a man who is worth anything weighs his chances of living or dying when deciding what to do. No, he considers only whether the action he is about to take is just or unjust, the work of a good man or bad."
- Plato
We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech… The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way… The third is freedom from want… The fourth is freedom from fear.
— Franklin D. Roosevelt (1941)
1. North Korea is committed to an 'alarming change' in its nuclear policy, professor says
2. Why are tensions rising on the Korean Peninsula?
3. How Can S.Korea Counter Kim Jong-un's Nukes?
4. Subdued Celebration of Kim Il-Sung’s Birth Stuns Western Officials
5. After Kim’s missile test, South Korea-US drills kick off
6. N. Korea uncooperative on Seoul's bid to confirm fate of Mount Kumgang facilities: ministry
7. S. Korea to set up task force on new U.S.-led economic framework
8. Locals mobilized to work on construction projects following Kim Jong Un’s visit to satellite launching station
9. N. Korea's massive military parade seems imminent, satellite imagery suggests
10. FM nominee meets U.S. nuclear envoy to discuss N. Korea policy
11. S.Korea's incoming president meets U.S. envoy on North Korea
12. Yoon holds private meeting with visiting US nuclear envoy
13. What will be South Korea's stance on Taiwan?
14. Working-level U.S. delegation due in Seoul to discuss potential Yoon-Biden summit: official
15. FM's residence emerges as key candidate for presidential residence
16. It’s Time for K-pop Stars to Speak Out on Human Rights
17. N. Korea tightens regional travel amid official warnings about COVID-19 “stealth variant”
1. North Korea is committed to an 'alarming change' in its nuclear policy, professor says
With all due respect to Dr. Lewis this argument that north Korea wants nuclear weapons for deterrence only is a dangerous one to make. While there is some validity to that, e.g.,g Hwang Jong-yop told us the regime does not believe the US will attack another nation armed with nuclear weapons (and we are surely demonstrating our "self deterrence" in Putoin's war in Ukraine that would seem to confirm the regime's belief). But we must not stop with the "deterrence only" argument. We must understand the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime. For the regime, survival is not merely co-existing with the South and other nations in the region. Survival will only be possible in the long term through unification and the domination of the Korean peninsula under the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State. To that end the regime is pursuing a two track strategy. One of political warfare and blackmail diplomacy to use threats, increased tension and provocation to gain political and economic concessions (and subvert the ROK to weaken and collapse it). The second is the development of advanced warfighting capabilities to be able to use force to unify the peninsula when Kim deems the conditions acceptable to do so..
The "deterrence only" argument leads us down the path to arms control negotiations which will result in north Korean maintaining its nuclear and missile capabilities. It also leads to the argument that since Kim only wants security guarantees then we can remove US troops that Kim perceives as the threat to give him the security guarantee that he wants. Unfortunately the removal of US troops actually provides Kim with the condition he needs to use force to achieve his objectives.
We need to be very careful about assessing that Kim only wants security guarantees so that he can co-exists with South Korea.
North Korea is committed to an 'alarming change' in its nuclear policy, professor says
- North Korea currently has a small number of nuclear weapons it can use against the United States, says Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
- “What I think the North Koreans really, fundamentally want is the ability to use a much larger number of nuclear weapons against U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan if they thought an invasion was underway,” he said.
- Lewis also said it’s up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to decide when he wants to test a nuclear weapon.
CNBC · by Abigail Ng · April 19, 2022
VIDEO1:2201:22
'Alarming change' in North Korea's approach to nuclear weapons: Professor
North Korea ultimately wants to have more nuclear weapons to use against the U.S. troops in South Korea and Japan in the event of an invasion, according to a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
North Korea currently has the ability to use a small number of nuclear weapons against the United States, said Jeffrey Lewis, a professor on arms control.
"They have some deterrence, but what I think the North Koreans really, fundamentally want is the ability to use a much larger number of nuclear weapons against U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan if they thought an invasion was underway," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Monday.
"This is part of [an] … alarming change in the way they approach nuclear weapons, and that change is really to give themselves the ability to use nuclear weapons first if they think they are about to be invaded," he said.
State news agency KCNA reported that Kim "gave important instructions on further building up the defense capabilities and nuclear combat forces of the country."
"North Koreans are really committed to shifting their nuclear policy," according to Lewis.
He said the missile looked like "yet another variant" of a short-range one and that it's "more of the same" from North Korea — but it's "still quite unwelcome."
Testing nuclear weapons?
According to Lewis, North Korea is now working toward a nuclear weapons test, more than four years since its last one in 2017.
"In a sense, the gloves are off," he said. "They don't really feel bound by any of the commitments they made in 2018 when the diplomacy period started, and we're also seeing a lot of activity at the nuclear test site."
North Korea closed the entrances to its nuclear test tunnels in 2018, but they have likely already reopened them, Lewis said.
It's now up Kim to decide when he wants to test a nuclear weapon, the professor said.
"If we know one thing, we know that there's going to be a nuclear test when Kim Jong Un feels like it," he added.
CNBC · by Abigail Ng · April 19, 2022
2. Why are tensions rising on the Korean Peninsula?
As an aside, if South chose to participate in an arms race on the Korean peninsula north Korea would not be able to keep up
Why are tensions rising on the Korean Peninsula? | DW | 19.04.2022
Experts believe North Korea is ramping up demonstrations of its military power in a message to the US and to increase loyalty on the domestic front.
- Date 19.04.2022
- Author Julian Ryall
DW · by Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com)
Tensions are once again ratcheting up on the Korean Peninsula, with experts concerned that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is inching closer to a dramatic demonstration of his military power — either an underground nuclear test or the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
North Korean media reported on Sunday that Kim was on hand the previous day to watch the successful test-firing of a new tactical guided rocket system that is "of great significance in drastically improving the firepower of the front-line artillery units and enhancing the efficiency of the operation of tactical nuclear weapons," the North's official KCNA news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the launch of two projectiles was monitored by the South Korean military, which determined that they reached a maximum altitude of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) and traveled 110 kilometers at a speed of Mach 4 before crashing into the Sea of Japan.
US will respond 'responsibly and decisively'
Sung Kim, the US special representative for North Korean affairs, said in talks with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul, Noh Kyu-duk, that Washington remains open to talks — without preconditions — with the North. He cautioned Pyongyang, however, that the US and its allies in the region will respond "responsibly and decisively to the provocative behavior."
And while the launches are not as provocative as what would be a seventh underground nuclear test or an ICBM fired over Japan, they do continue the worrying uptick in threatening moves by the regime in Pyongyang.
"The situation on the peninsula is not normal and there are a range of reasons why we are seeing this behavior from the North," said Ahn Yinhay, a professor of international relations at Korea University in Seoul.
Watch video 02:43
North Korea 'one step closer to hitting the US': political scientist Darcie Draudt
"A conservative government has just been elected in South Korea and it is very likely that the North will do something to test the incoming administration of Yoon Suk-yeol, to see its reactions and capabilities," Yinhay told DW. "The North carried out its third nuclear test in February 2013, just 13 days before Park Geun-hye was sworn in as president, so I fully expect something from the North before the end of this month."
Pyongyang will undoubtedly have been further antagonized by the start on Monday of a nine-day joint exercise between South Korean and US forces stationed on the peninsula. North Korea has long insisted that any exercises are a preparation for an invasion, while the outgoing administration of Moon Jae-in repeatedly scaled back or canceled numerous military drills in an attempt to mollify Kim's regime.
That effort to reduce tensions on the peninsula has failed to reap any benefits and the new Yoon government has already signaled it will take a firmer line on the North, and that its military will be better prepared to fend off any attacks.
Efforts to boost domestic loyalty
The posturing in Pyongyang is also designed to whip up support for Kim's policies, said Ahn. "This is a very important year for the North and the Kim family," she said. "This is the 10th year since Kim took power, 25th of April is the 90th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Army and in February they marked the 80th anniversary of the birthday of Kim Jong-il, the father of the present leader," she added.
"That means that Kim has to show off his power to his own people. But he is also sending a message to the US and its allies because they are all focused on what is happening in Ukraine now," she said. "He feels North Korea is being overlooked and believes that a seventh nuclear test or an ICBM launch will mean he can no longer be ignored."
And while preparations are underway for a military parade in Pyongyang on April 25 to mark the army's anniversary, Leif-Eric Easley, an associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, says that Kim is also attempting to build national pride and legitimacy.
"The public commemorations around its founder's birthday tried to portray an economy that is not only resilient, but also growing, and a society that is not only united, but also modern and happy," Easley told DW.
"State propaganda highlighted new apartments and citizens with smartphones taking pictures of flowers, fireworks, dancing and light shows, but this does not represent a shift away from North Korea's military build-up."
"Kim Jong-un's stated goal of deploying tactical nuclear weapons, Kim Yo-jong's recent threats toward Seoul, and satellite imagery of tunneling activity at Punggye-ri all point to an upcoming nuclear test," he added. "Additional missile launches are also expected for honing weapons delivery systems."
Watch video 04:44
How serious is North Korea's food crisis?
Fears of an arms race
Easley also believes that the primary reason the regime continues to spend crippling amounts of its paltry national income on the latest weapons systems is because it senses it is locked into an arms race on the peninsula.
Such an arms race is an uphill battle, given that the South Korean military is backed by a "much larger and technologically sophisticated economy, as well as a superpower ally," he said.
Alongside pushing ahead with joint military drills, the US has deployed the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, and its accompanying fleet off the east coast of the peninsula, marking the first time a US carrier has entered the Sea of Japan since 2017.
With a complement of 80 aircraft and supported by an entourage that includes advanced Aegis destroyers and nuclear submarines, it is an unmistakable shot across North Korea's bow at a time of worsening tensions. However, Kim shows no inclination to dial back those tensions.
In a commentary released by the foreign ministry, the North accused US President Joe Biden of triggering a "frenzy of weapons buildup" after he detailed a $29 billion (€26.9 billion) increase to the US defense budget for fiscal 2023. It appears likely that Pyongyang will use the actions of Washington and Seoul to justify its own military spending and development, even if it can't afford the cost of that arms buildup.
Edited by: Leah Carter
DW · by Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com)
3. How Can S.Korea Counter Kim Jong-un's Nukes?
An argument for ROK nuclear weapons.
Is this excerpt a fact?
Weapons can only be countered with weapons of the same caliber. This has been the rule throughout human history. A nuke can only be deterred with nuclear weapons. Even the most powerful conventional warhead is only 1/10,000th the power of a nuclear warhead.
I do not think we should accept this at face value.
Deterrence is in the mind of the target of deterrence and as Sir Lawrence Freedman has said, "deterrence works, until it doesn't."
I would say however, that even without the use of nukes the ROK/US alliance, and even the ROK alone (which we must ensure it will never be), has superior firepower. However, I do agree with the saying, "peace through superior firepower."
Conclusion:
Efforts must continue to achieve North Korean denuclearization. But it is best to be realistic and come up with concrete preparations because anything else would compromise national security. The only way to maintain peace is to gain superior firepower.
How Can S.Korea Counter Kim Jong-un's Nukes?
North Korea is boasting about the "successful launch of the new-type tactical guided weapon system" that is capable of "enhancing the efficiency in the operation of tactical nukes." That means the North could now be capable of hitting Seoul with so-called "tactical" or smaller nuclear weapons that could be used in conventional theaters of battle. Russia has threatened Ukraine with the use of such weapons, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered scientists to develop tactical nukes in January of last year. Unlike intercontinental ballistic missiles, tactical nukes are aimed squarely at South Korea. His sister Kim Yo-jong's threat to leave the South Korean military "little short of total destruction and ruin" could become a reality if North Korea has both tactical nukes and missiles to deliver them.
The South Korean military relies on the "kill chain" of preemptively detecting and eliminating North Korean attacks and the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) to shield itself. But holes in the strategy are gaping wider by the day. It is only theoretically possible to launch preemptive strikes against an enemy armed with nuclear weapons -- but no matter how tight the defense, even one nuclear warhead falling on South Korean soil would spell disaster.
Weapons can only be countered with weapons of the same caliber. This has been the rule throughout human history. A nuke can only be deterred with nuclear weapons. Even the most powerful conventional warhead is only 1/10,000th the power of a nuclear warhead. NATO members who lack nuclear weapons have either formed pacts with the U.S. or entrusted the organization to mobilize such weapons in emergencies. The National Defense University under the U.S. Department of Defense proposed the sharing of nuclear weapons with South Korea in a 2019 report, and late last year, two U.S. professors wrote in an op-ed that Washington should support Seoul's acquisition of nuclear weapons to keep Pyongyang and Beijing in check.
South Korea's regional neighbors are either nuclear powers or have the capability to become one quickly. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already threatened to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but a nuclear-armed state would not have been invaded in the first place. Kim will continue to threaten South Korea with nuclear weapons.
Efforts must continue to achieve North Korean denuclearization. But it is best to be realistic and come up with concrete preparations because anything else would compromise national security. The only way to maintain peace is to gain superior firepower.
4. Subdued Celebration of Kim Il-Sung’s Birth Stuns Western Officials
I do not know anyone who was surprised.
Subdued Celebration of Kim Il-Sung’s Birth Stuns Western Officials
The absence of a military parade came as a surprise to Western officials, who had predicted that North Korea would use the opportunity to showcase its arsenal.
On Friday, North Korea celebrated the “Day of the Sun,” a holiday marking the 110th birthday of the country’s founder and “Eternal President,” Kim Il-sung, with fireworks and public processions. However, North Korea celebrated the holiday without the traditional military parade, a significant departure from its celebration in previous years.
North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un visited the Kim Il-sung mausoleum in Pyongyang on Friday and attended a “national meeting and public procession” in the capital city’s Kim Il-sung Square, although he did not give a speech at the event. Instead, another senior official gave the commemorating remarks, claiming that North Korea would overcome any difficulties and triumph over its enemies, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The government also held an evening gala in the center of the capital that included art exhibitions, concerts, and a light festival “artistically depict[ing]” Mount Paektu, North Korea’s traditional sacred mountain and the alleged native home of Kim Il-sung.
However, the absence of a military parade came as a surprise to many Western officials, who had predicted in the days leading up to the event that North Korea would use the opportunity to showcase its arsenal—or even conduct another missile or nuclear test.
Despite the absence of a parade, various indicators suggest that Pyongyang is preparing to hold one in the near future. NK News, a South Korea-based news site dedicated to covering North Korean politics, observed that satellite footage depicted soldiers conducting drills at the country’s Mirim parade training base. It also noted that there has been an increase in tire tread marks around a known heavy weapons garage, suggesting that the weapons systems within it had been taken out for practice in advance of a parade.
Observers have suggested that April 25, which marks the ninetieth anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army, could be the date of the parade. “Since the two anniversaries are just ten days apart, it seems a bit difficult to hold a parade on both occasions,” Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, South Korea, told AFP.
Trevor Filseth is a current and foreign affairs writer for the National Interest.
Image: Reuters.
5. After Kim’s missile test, South Korea-US drills kick off
As I have written I am going to beat this horse: If you think we should cancel, postpone or scale back exercises then I ask you, do you want the ROK/US Combined Forces Command to end up like the RUssian military? Training is perishable. We must conduct sustained multi-echelon training – from tactical air,land, and sea training to complex command post computer simulation training at the ROK/US CFC and component HQ level. Failure to do so will lead to a failure of deterrence and a failure in the defense of the ROK.
We must never again delude ourselves that Kim only wants an end to training as a security guarantee and a demonstration of the end of the US hostile policy. In reality it is Kim Jong-un that is executing the real hostile policy as an existential threat to the South. And as Dr. Jung Pak always ask: Who does Kim fear more – the US or the Korean people living in the north? It is the Korean people armed with information.
Kim wants an end to the training to make the presence of US forces untenable. If they cannot train they cannot remain on the Korean peninsula. We must not play into his political warfare strategy that is designed to support his warfighting strategy.
After Kim’s missile test, South Korea-US drills kick off
With a new administration poised in Seoul, the Koreas, Japan, Russia and the US flex military muscles in the region
SEOUL – Spring has arrived in Korea, meaning clear skies, seasonal blossoms, cool breezes – and military tensions.
South Korea and the United States kicked off nine-day military drills on Monday, one day after North Korea conducted its 13th missile test this year. Meanwhile, joint Japanese-US naval drills have sparked a Russian response in the Sea of Japan.
These events are happening in the closing days of the Moon Jae-in administration, which exits office on May 9. The leftist Moon has been an ever-hopeful engager of North Korea, and had promised Beijing that Seoul would never enter a military alliance with Tokyo.
His successor as South Korean president, the rightist Yoon Suk-yeol, has a different outlook. He has displayed far less interest in engaging North Korea, and – in a highly unusual initiative for a South Korean politician – has vowed to upgrade relations with Japan.
Korean and regional media are rife with rumors that Yoon is interested in joining the US-led, China-facing Quad alliance. Other rumors and voices are suggesting that Japan should be welcomed into the US-led “Five Eyes,” the Anglosphere intelligence-sharing grouping.
The transition from Moon to Yoon may shift the dynamics of Northeast Asia, a region that is, along with Western Europe and North America, one of three pillars of the global economy. Though peace currently prevails, the region is a virtual tinderbox, brimming with multiple animosities based on ideological, territorial and historical rivalries.
That list includes China versus the US, China versus Taiwan, China versus Japan, North Korea versus Japan, South Korea and the US, Japan versus South Korea, Russia versus Japan, and Russia versus the US.
Moreover, regional powers are engaged in a very expensive arms race. The list of the top 10 biggest spenders on military forces/arms in the world in 2020 according to Swedish military think-tank SIPRI include five regional players: No 1 spender the United States, No 2 China, No 4 Russia, No 9 Japan and No 10 South Korea.
Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers march during a military parade. Beiing’s expanding military represents a wider regional arms race. Photo: AFP / Stephen Shaver
War games on
Since then-US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a historic summit in Singapore in 2018, the annual South Korea-US spring drills have been put on the back burner.
While Trump criticized the drills on grounds of cost, the aim of downsizing and de-prioritizing the exercises, in the words of a US general, was “to give diplomacy room to work.” That aim was backed to the hilt by the engagement-centric Moon administration.
Subsequently – and even after Trump walked out of a 2019 summit with Kim in Hanoi – the drills were impacted further amid the Covid-19 crisis, when gatherings were taboo.
The downgrading of joint drills generated some grumbling in US military and conservative circles, who complained that joint readiness was being eroded.
And some South Koreans fretted that the drills are necessary to demonstrate domestic capabilities to the United States – a demonstration necessary before Washington is willing to transfer wartime operational command of local forces to Seoul’s control, the long-planned “OPCON Transfer.”
Now, at a time when North Korea is ramping up its missile-testing regimen to an unusual tempo, the drills are back on. But they are low-key.
The exercises no longer use their customary codename, “Key Resolve” (used since 1997). As of 2019, they have simply been called CCPT (combined command post training).
The 28,000-strong US Forces Korea, or USFK, did not put out any related press release on Monday. That left it up to South Korean media, quoting Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, to announce their start.
As is customary, the first joint drills of the year do not involve boots hitting ground: They are command-post exercises, which means South Korean and US troops huddling in bunkers, fighting virtual battles via computer stimulations.
Traditionally, they are the first component of a regular series of annual South Korea-US drills.
In recent years, “Key Resolve” has been a command-post exercise held in the spring – the equivalent of today’s CCPT. “Foal Eagle” is a field drill that takes place after Key Resolve in spring, often with live-fire drills. “Ulchi Freedom Guardian” is another command-post drill held in the summer, often with visiting US personnel or assets.
The fate of the latter drills, this year, is uncertain.
North Korea considers these exercises preparation for an invasion. Seoul and Washington deny this, saying they are defensive in nature.
However, informed persons tell Asia Times that the drills often include a counterattack component – suggesting that North Korean criticisms are not entirely unfounded.
Meanwhile, Washington is maneuvering major assets in the region: A US aircraft-carrier strike group has been traversing Northeast Asian waters.
Goodbye Moon, hello Yoon
With Yoon taking power on May 10, all signals are that the current government’s outreach to North Korea will be reeled in.
“The Moon administration made efforts to improve inter-Korean ties in its own way, but North Korea did not respond to them properly,” Park Jin, Yoon’s foreign minister-designate, said in Seoul on Monday. “We cannot stop North Korea from repeating military provocations only with a conciliatory stance and I think it is time to practically change our peacemaking policy toward North Korea.”
The president-elect made a point of visiting the main US base in South Korea on April 7. US commander-in-chief General Paul J LaCamera hosted Yoon and, according to USFK, provided an “ironclad commitment to strengthening the US-ROK alliance and providing a strong robust combined defense posture.”
Yoon has also made clear that he wants to build bridges to Tokyo, raising the specter of a potential trilateral alliance – a development Washington has long sought.
For decades, Seoul and Tokyo have been bitterly divided over historical issues. Under Moon, those disputes crossed firewalls into the diplomatic and even economic spaces.
The retirement of the anti-Japanese Moon, following the 2020 resignation of nationalist Shinzo Abe from Tokyo’s premiership, offers the chance for a Japan-South Korea reset.
While both capitals have alliances with Washington, there is no trilateral relationship, beyond a shaky intelligence-sharing agreement. But if Yoon wants to advance matters, he could face domestic political barriers.
“Moon has rejected trilateral training and I don’t know if the Yoon government will do that, as civil society’s response will be very harsh,” said Moon Chung-in, an academic and high-profile adviser to the Moon Jae-in (no relation) administration. “That could give Japan a pretext for a revision of their pacifist constitution, so that they no longer have a self-defense force, they become a regular force.”
Amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, there have been rumbles in the Sea of Japan.
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has very different ideas about regional military issues than his predecessor. Photo: Tasnim News Agency
Don’t forget Kim
North Korea is also simmering, as Kim works to his own timetable to upgrade his armory. On Sunday – the day prior to the South Korean-US drills – the nation fired two projectiles into the Sea of Japan, in what was the the 13th missile test this year.
State media said that the weapons, which were tested under the personal supervision of Kim, are “of great significance in drastically improving the firepower of the frontline long-range artillery units and enhancing the efficiency in the operation of tactical nukes.”
Tactical nuclear weapons, along with hypersonic missiles, submarine-launched missiles and a super-large nuclear weapon were all part of the smorgasbord of new arms that the state announced it would develop during a 2021 Party Congress.
And last month, it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) – overturning a self-applied moratorium that had held since 2018. There are now concerns that Kim will resume nuclear tests.
To the surprise of some, North Korea did not use its April 10 holiday – which marks the birthday of state founder Kim Il Sung – to conduct a military parade, instead holding civilian rallies.
But there is little question that the country is determined to continue developing weapons.
“More than marking North Korean holidays, challenging South Korea’s incoming president, or taking advantage of the war in Ukraine, the reason the Kim regime further develops missiles and nuclear weapons is to win what it perceives as an arms race on the Korean Peninsula,” Leif-Eric Easley, who teaches international studies at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University, said in an e-mail briefing to reporters.
“South Korea’s military is backed by a much larger and technologically sophisticated economy, as well as a superpower ally.”
Since last year, after a summit between US President Joe Biden and Moon lifted American restrictions on South Korean missile innovation, Seoul has been testing space launch vehicles, ballistic missiles and submarine- launched ballistic missiles.
Here come the headwinds
One man who has played an advisory role to all the South Korean presidents who have sought to engaged North Korea is appalled at the way developments are shaping up.
“There was nothing wrong with President Moon’s peace initiative but the US government screwed it up – the Hanoi summit and the [recent attempt to sign an] end-the-Korean-War declaration,” Moon Chung-in told Asia Times. “Once they gained the trust of North Korea they should have pushed it, but they screwed it up, and that gave ammunition to the hardliners in Pyongyang.”
He was also critical about the stated policy of the Yoon administration to pressure the regime while engaging in dialog.
“This idea of pressure and dialogue is a formula that does not work,” said Moon, who has been a part of all South Korean presidential delegations to the North. “North Korea sees pressure as hostile intent, and will not talk.”
The ramifications of the upcoming power shift in Seoul could ripple beyond the peninsula.
“For China, expanded US military exercises in Asia, improved South Korean missiles, and increased Seoul-Tokyo defense cooperation would be unwelcome developments,” Easley said. “The incoming Yoon administration is likely to pursue all three if Beijing fails to restrain Pyongyang from further provocations.”
That does not appear to be a priority for Beijing policymakers.
“Beijing is hardly pressuring Pyongyang on denuclearization or returning to diplomacy,” he said. “China’s leaders are more focused on rivalry with Washington and willing to support international norm-violators in Russia and North Korea.”
Kim Jong Un may be overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, but is never too far from the headlines. Photo: AFP
6. N. Korea uncooperative on Seoul's bid to confirm fate of Mount Kumgang facilities: ministry
I wonder if they "blew up"(according to some reports) the golf course because Kim Jong-un could not score many holes in one there.
N. Korea uncooperative on Seoul's bid to confirm fate of Mount Kumgang facilities: ministry | Yonhap News Agency
By Chae Yun-hwan
SEOUL, April 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea still refuses to respond to Seoul's calls for explanation of the reported demolition of South Korean-built facilities at Mount Kumgang on its east coast, a government official here said Tuesday.
South Korea had asked the North twice earlier this month via the inter-Korean liaison hotline to confirm the status of the facilities, including the Haegumgang Hotel and the Ananti Golf and Spa Resort, amid signs of their removal.
"There has yet to be a specific response from the North on the matter," the official at Seoul's unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs told reporters on background.
"(We) are aware that the dismantlement work of the Hageumgang Hotel and the golf resort at the Mount Kumgang region is ongoing," the official added, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity.
The Voice of America, a Washington-based news outlet, earlier reported that the North appears to have demolished the roofs and outer walls of eight buildings of the golf resort, citing satellite imagery taken Sunday by Planet Labs.
It added that the seven-story Haegumgang Hotel seems to have been torn down to one to three floors.
Pyongyang earlier announced it would remove the facilities at Mount Kumgang after its leader Kim Jong-un ordered authorities in 2019 to tear down all "unpleasant-looking" facilities at the resort, once a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. The tour program to Mount Kumgang was launched in 1998 but came to a halt in 2008, when a South Korean tourist was fatally shot there by a North Korean soldier.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
7. S. Korea to set up task force on new U.S.-led economic framework
But the biggest strategic mistake of the 21st century for the US was withdrawing from TPP. Truly shot ourselves in the foot (or even both feet).
S. Korea to set up task force on new U.S.-led economic framework | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will set up a task force to deal with its potential participation in a U.S.-led economic framework, as the United States has accelerated preparations to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), Seoul's trade ministry said Wednesday.
The Joe Biden administration has sought to launch the IPEF for deeper cooperation with partner nations in the Asia-Pacific region on digital trade, supply chains and other major emerging trade issues amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.
The Seoul government is positively reviewing participation in the IPEF and has had consultations with concerned nations, while assessing its potential impact on domestic companies and the broader economy, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
As related discussions have picked up pace in Washington and elsewhere recently, the Seoul government decided to set up a new task force under the trade ministry, which will focus on four major parts of the envisioned framework -- fair and resilient trade, supply chains, clean energy and anti-corruption, it added.
"Now is high time to enhance cooperation among regional partners in such new trade fields as supply chains and digital," Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said while presiding over the trade promotion committee meeting.
He added that the framework would help ensure stable supply chains and create new business opportunities.
The U.S. and 15 Asia-Pacific nations, including South Korea, Japan, India and the ASEAN nations, account for 33 percent of the world's total population, 41 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) and 28 percent of the world's total trade volume, according to government data.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)
8. Locals mobilized to work on construction projects following Kim Jong Un’s visit to satellite launching station
This is the way it is done in north Korea. Everyone is subject to the "press gang" - being pressed into service to serve the regime.
But what does this mean for Sohae? WIll they conduct a satellite launch? I think we have to take a holistic look at all the actions Kim has taken so far this year and the picture he is painting for the outside world. We cannot view these actions and activities as single discreet events. I think it is obvious that Kim is trying to raise tensions deliberately to put pressure on the Biden administration. We must not give into Kim's blackmail diplomacy. If we make a concession in the face of threats, increased tensions, and provocations Kim will assess his strategy a success and continue to execute it.
Locals mobilized to work on construction projects following Kim Jong Un’s visit to satellite launching station
“The heads of the people’s units insist that no one can be excused from this work since it was ordered by Kim Jong Un himself,” a source told Daily NK
North Korea state media reported that Kim Jong Un visited the satellite launch site on Mar. 11. (Rodong Sinmun - News1)
After North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Sohae Satellite Launching Station (in Tongchang Village, Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province) in mid-March and ordered the station modernized and expanded, local residents have been mobilized to work on several bustling construction projects, Daily NK has learned.
“After Kim Jong Un carried out field guidance at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang Village, residents not only of Cholsan County but also of nearby counties have been mobilized to improve the surroundings of Road No. 1, which enters Cholsan County,” a source in North Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Monday.
Following Kim’s on-the-spot guidance, the party committee for North Pyongan Province drew up a plan to thoroughly implement Kim’s instructions, the source said. As part of that plan, the committee ordered area residents to work on repairing and beautifying the areas around Road No. 1.
According to the source, the provincial party committee has instructed the committee’s second secretary to personally take responsibility for repairing and beautifying all roads and buildings within a 10 kilometer radius of the Sohae Satellite Launching Station.
As a result, the provincial branch of the North Korean women’s league has reportedly been assigned quotas in the repair and beautification work.
“The work on Road No. 1 began on Apr. 2 with weeding the area around the road and scraping up the sand that has long been allowed to accumulate on the road. The women of Cholsan County are being sent to work from the early evening until midnight,” the source said.
Residents of other counties, including Kusong County and Chongju County, are also helping out with beautifying the area around Road No. 1. They have to set out on foot in the early evening and do not arrive at the work site until late at night.
“The reason the residents are being asked to work on road repairs and beautification at night is because of their difficult living conditions. That gives them time to make a living in the markets during the daytime,” the source explained.
“A lot of families have so little to eat that they can’t join the road work. But since every work unit has been ordered to complete its quota, this isn’t a situation where anyone can be let off the hook. The heads of the people’s units insist that no one can be excused from this work since it was ordered by Kim Jong Un himself,” the source said.
Despite these circumstances, the source said, the provincial party committee has called for solid repair work on Road No. 1 to ensure the road is flawless and that no accidents occur there.
In addition to the road work, a secret military base in the area of the Sohae Satellite Launching Station is reportedly being repaired and expanded. Only factory workers and specialists are assigned to the work inside the base, while those who are not allowed inside are stuck on the beautification work on the outside of the base, the source said.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Jong So Yong is one of Daily NK’s freelance reporters. Questions about her articles can be directed to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
9. N. Korea's massive military parade seems imminent, satellite imagery suggests
It will probably happen but we should never forget that "all warfare is based on deception." As we focus on what we can see (and what they show us deliberately), I wonder what it is that we are not seeing and that they do not want us to see.
(LEAD) N. Korea's massive military parade seems imminent, satellite imagery suggests | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS details throughout; UPDATES with more info in last 2 paras)
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to be making final-stage preparations for a military parade involving a large number of troops ahead of another key anniversary next week, according to satellite imagery reported by U.S. news outlets Wednesday.
More than 12,000 troops were seen gathering at a plaza of Mirim Airfield in eastern Pyongyang earlier this week, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said. It cited commercial satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs.
The area is known as the secretive North's traditional parade training venue with the replica of Kim Il Sung Square, where such an event highlighted by goose-stepping soldiers and a show of major weapon systems is actually staged. The satellite imagery was taken on Sunday, a week before the North celebrates the 90th founding anniversary of the North Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA), the anti-Japanese guerrilla force.
What is noteworthy is a large crowd spotted at Kim Il-sung Square in central Pyongyang, which indicates that the North's parade preparatory work is in the last stage.
Many people were seen there, with makeshift tents set up on April 17-18, RFA said.
The Voice of America also carried a report based on satellite photos taken on April 17-18 that show a large crowd of people making formations with red flowers at the square.
The imagery showed a parking space northwest of the parade training ground of the airport packed with vehicles, it added.
South Korea's military and intelligence authorities are paying attention to the odds of a massive parade around next Monday. They do not rule out the possibility of a nighttime event.
If held, the North could use it as a chance to again show off its strategic weapons, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
An informed source in Seoul expected the North to mobilize more than 20,000 troops for a parade this time, with tracked vehicles like armored cars and transporter erector launchers (TELs) already on the move.
On the weekend, the North test-fired what it claims to be a new tactical guided weapon.
Last Friday, Pyongyang celebrated the 110th birth anniversary of its late founder Kim Il-sung with fireworks and a mass dance performance but without staging a military parade.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Alexandria (SSN 757) arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, on Monday in yet another display of America's military might, according to a U.S. Navy photo posted on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
The arrival came after the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group engaged in a naval exercise with Japan in the East Sea last week amid growing concerns about the possibility of North Korean provocations.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
10. FM nominee meets U.S. nuclear envoy to discuss N. Korea policy
I assume Pak Jin has recovered from testing positive for COVID as was reported after his return from the US. Hopefully he was asymptomatic and did not suffer from a severe bout of the virus.
FM nominee meets U.S. nuclear envoy to discuss N. Korea policy | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister nominee Park Jin met with a visiting U.S. nuclear envoy Wednesday to discuss ways to coordinate North Korea policy under the incoming government of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, Park's office said.
Park, a four-term lawmaker of the People Power Party, sat down with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim amid concern that Pyongyang could stage major provocations, including a nuclear test, ahead of Yoon's inauguration on May 10. Kim is on a five-day trip here that will last through Friday.
The nominee said Pyongyang's recent missile launches pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability and underscore the need for close coordination between Seoul and Washington against rising the threat from the North, according to a press release.
With consultations underway for a summit between Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden in the near future, Park said the new government will closely communicate and cooperate with Washington from Day 1 for the allies' "watertight" posture, it read.
Kim was quoted as saying that the Biden administration has high expectations for working with the Yoon administration on issues related to the Korean Peninsula.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
11. S.Korea's incoming president meets U.S. envoy on North Korea
Interestingly, I have not seen this reported in the major Korean news sources yet (Yonhap, Joongang Ilbo, Donga Ilbo, etc). This is as of 0434 EDT.
S.Korea's incoming president meets U.S. envoy on North Korea
April 20, 2022
4:34 AM EDT
Last Updated 2 hours ago
SEOUL, April 20 (Reuters) - South Korea's president-elect, Yoon Suk-yeol, has met the visiting U.S. envoy for North Korea, an official in Yoon's transition team said on Wednesday, as the allies coordinate North Korea policy under a new government in Seoul.
U.S. Special Representative Sung Kim arrived in the South Korean capital on Monday for a five-day visit that has included talks with the outgoing president, Moon Jae-in, and members of the new administration preparing for office. read more
The visit comes after North Korea restarted tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles, breaking a self-imposed 2017 moratorium, and has shown signs that it may be preparing to resume nuclear testing. read more
Yoon will head a conservative administration and he has already signalled a tougher approach towards North Korea after efforts by the liberal Moon to improve ties failed to make headway.
Yoon and the U.S. envoy met on Tuesday evening for dinner, their first encounter since Yoon won an election last month.
"It was a friendly get-together, not intended to discuss serious policy issues such as the North's nuclear programme," said the source in Yoon's transition team who declined to be identified, citing diplomatic sensitivity.
Yoon's nominee for foreign minister, Park Jin, met Kim on Wednesday.
Park said he hoped for an early summit between Yoon and President Joe Biden and vowed to expand cooperation over the North's missile launches and possible nuclear tests, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.
Kim said on Monday that the allies would maintain the "strongest possible joint deterrent" and respond "responsibly and decisively" to North Korea's "provocative behaviour".
Kim has repeatedly offered to meet North Korean officials without preconditions but North Korea has brushed off the overtures, accusing the United States of maintaining a hostile policy including sanctions and military exercises.
The United States has some 28,000 troops in South Korea.
South Korean and U.S. troops began annual joint military exercises this week. North Korea routinely denounces such drills as preparations for war on it.
Reporting by Hyonhee Shin. Editing by Gerry Doyle, Robert Birsel
12. Yoon holds private meeting with visiting US nuclear envoy
I stand corrected. The English language Korea Times is reporting on Ambassador Sung Kim's meeting with President-elect Yoon.
Yoon holds private meeting with visiting US nuclear envoy
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, second from left, poses with Sung Kim, third from left, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, Vice National Assembly Speaker Rep. Chung Jin-suk, left, and Rep. Cho Tae-yong during their meeting at Chung's residence in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Yoon's transition committee
President-elect shows strong determination to coordinate with US on North Korea policy
By Kang Seung-woo
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol had an unscheduled meeting with Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, Tuesday, and expressed his strong determination to coordinate with the United States on North Korea's mounting threats, according to his transition team, Wednesday.
Yoon had dinner with the American envoy at the residence of Vice National Assembly Speaker Rep. Chung Jin-suk in Seoul, according to the transition committee. Chung, a longtime friend of Kim, arranged the gathering that lasted more than two hours. Rep. Cho Tae-yong of the main opposition People Power Party and former Vice Foreign Minister also accompanied them.
Kim is visiting Seoul on a five-day trip, which is packed with a flurry of meetings with the foreign and unification ministers of the outgoing Moon Jae-in administration as well as officials of Yoon's transition committee and Cabinet-minister nominees handling diplomatic and North Korea issues.
When Kim's trip was announced last week, attention was on whether he would meet with Yoon here since the incoming president vowed to engage in diplomacy that places alignment with the U.S. at the center of its foreign policy priorities.
However, due to Kim's official status ― equivalent to the deputy foreign minister ― he had not been expected to meet Yoon in person. But it was Yoon's "pragmatic diplomacy" that brought them together.
"Those who were present concurred on the need that relations between South Korea and the U.S. should improve steadfastly," an official of the transition team said.
Their "unofficial" meeting came after North Korea carried out 13 missile tests so far this year, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which Washington has set as an unofficial "red line" against the North's saber rattling.
Yoon, who will be inaugurated into office, May 10, is likely to sit down with U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly on May 21, ahead of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) summit in Tokyo slated for May 24.
However, the meeting among the four was unofficial and they apparently did not talk about the envisaged summit.
On Thursday, Kim plans to continue his meetings with future members of Yoon's Cabinet ― Unification Minister nominee Kwon Young-se and Kim Sung-han, highly anticipated to become the national security director.
While local media was focusing on the diplomatic implications of the Yoon-Kim meeting, the transition committee wanted to discourage speculation and described the event as just a private gathering.
"The dinner between Yoon and Kim was a simple meeting, privately arranged by Chung, so it did not carry a diplomatic significance," Yoon's spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin said.
Foreign Minister nominee Park Jin, right, shakes hands with Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea during their meeting at Park's office in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Park's office
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister nominee Park Jin held a closed-door meeting with Kim, Wednesday.
According to Park's office, the four-term lawmaker stressed the need to work together to effectively deal with North Korea's possible provocations, including a nuclear test, that pose a major threat to the international community as well as South Korea.
Citing the envisaged South Korea-U.S. summit, Park also said the allies should maintain close communication and cooperation on North Korea policy.
In response, Kim emphasized the Biden administration's high expectations for close coordination with the Yoon government to pursue North Korea policy, adding that the U.S. will deal with the grave situation on the Korean Peninsula based on their bilateral cooperation.
13. What will be South Korea's stance on Taiwan?
A good question. But one that would seem to require a complex and nuanced answer. But we should remember that President Yoon's Foreign Affairs article was titled, "South Korea Needs to Step up."
But for those who call for a South Korean contribution to the defense of Taiwan I think we should keep in mind that as long as the Kim family regime remains in power the north is an existential threat to the South and the possibility of war on the Korean peninsula may rise significantly if China attacks Taiwan. The first priority for the ROK/US Combined Forces Command must always be deterrence and defense. That said should a conflict break out in Taiwan some US forces that are "dual apportioned" for more than one conflict may not be available for the defense of the ROK and; therefore, the alliance will need appropriate contingency plans on the peninsula to deal with the possibility of reduce availability of some US US forces.
We should also note the conditions are different than during the Vietnam War when South Korea made an important contribution and committed some two divisions to the war there while the US maintained its forces in Korea. I do not think anyone should make the rgument that since South Korea committed forces to the Vietnam War it could contribute forces for the defense of Taiwan.
That said, as a fellow democracy facing a threat from an authoritarian regime, South Korea does need to step up diplomatically and economically and in security areas that makes sense and show solidarity with Taiwan just as it should do in Ukraine (while understanding the hold Russia has over so many South Korean investments in Russia).
What will be South Korea's stance on Taiwan?
South Korea has not been invested much in the Cross-Strait issue referring to China-Taiwan affairs, given its top external priority in terms of security has been North Korea. gettyimagesbank
Conservative president-elect has pledged greater alliance with US as Cross-Strait tensions escalate
By Kim Bo-eun
HONG KONG ― Despite its relative geographic proximity to other Northeast Asian countries, Taiwan has not featured much as an important issue on the agenda of South Korean governments in past decades.
Externally, South Korea has been preoccupied with its Northern neighbor and the Cross-Strait issue ― referring to affairs between China and Taiwan ― seems almost irrelevant to the country's security. Nonetheless, with Cross-Strait tensions building against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, experts believe that this is now becoming a geopolitical factor that South Korea can no longer afford to ignore.
China claims the self-ruling island of Taiwan under its "One China" principle. Chinese President Xi Jinping stated last year that "reunification" with Taiwan should be accomplished.
Analysts state that China will be closely observing the developments of the Russian invasion, for lessons that could potentially be applied in case it decides to invade Taiwan.
Given that the war has become a protracted conflict, plus the damaging effects of the sanctions imposed by the West and its allies, analysts think that any action by China against Taiwan will likely be taken after deliberation as well as making sure that its military is well prepared.
In the meantime, the U.S. has stepped up support for Taiwan in recent years. A group of U.S. lawmakers met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei last week, pledging support for the island democracy, to which Beijing responded with strong condemnation and large-scale military drills around Taiwan. This was the latest of a series of high-level visits by the U.S. to Taiwan.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, seventh from left, poses with U.S. lawmakers on their visit to Taipei on April 15. AFP-Yonhap
Pamela Kennedy, a research analyst at U.S. think tank Stimson's East Asia Program, noted frequent statements by U.S. political leaders in support of "maintaining the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait," and U.S. officials' visits to Taiwan confirming "the shared values of the two democracies." But the U.S. has not been clear on its level of involvement in the case of a Taiwan contingency.
"There is no guarantee of U.S. action, but Beijing cannot discount it especially when the U.S. maintains bases across the region," Kennedy said in an email. "Another important factor is the perspective of Japan. The U.S. is obligated to defend against any attack on Japanese sovereign territory, including Japan's southwestern islands near Taiwan."
South Korea's stance on Taiwan
Seoul has maintained unofficial relations with Taipei, since establishing diplomatic ties with Beijing in 1992 when it severed relations with Taipei. Taiwan now only has official diplomatic relations with about a dozen small countries in the Pacific, Caribbean, South America and Southern Africa.
Broader support for Taiwan hinges on a number of factors ― key international organizations such as the United Nations have not granted membership for the island. China as the world's second-largest economy with deep trade relations with major countries is another looming factor.
South Korea's government under President Moon Jae-in granted China a weighty role not only for trade but also for relations with North Korea.
Attention was drawn to Moon's joint statement with U.S. President Joe Biden in May last year, which for the first time contained wording on the Taiwan Strait issue.
However, the government immediately downplayed its significance, referring to it as "general expressions."
Taiwan's Digital Minister Audrey Tang / YonhapThere was more Taiwan-related controversy in December, when Taiwan's Digital Minister Audrey Tang's speech for a virtual government event was cancelled only hours prior to the address.
The ill-mannered move was seen as a decision taking China into account. In 2014, Tang took part in a civic movement protesting a trade deal between Taiwan and China, known as the Sunflower Movement.
"The kind of 'strategic ambiguity' stance taken by Moon will not work. Actually, it did not work during Moon's presidency either," Lee Seong-hyon, visiting scholar at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, said in an email.
He noted that South Korea spent a "lost decade" of complacency, focused on domestic politics and North Korea.
"[South] Korea is completely unprepared for a seismic U.S.-China geopolitical shift that has been unfolding outside the Korean Peninsula," said Lee, also a senior fellow at the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. "It never imagined that the 'faraway' Taiwan issue will have any relevance to [South] Korea's own security."
Lee said Taiwan is important for South Korea, stating "in the case Taiwan goes down, it would practically mean the demise of U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific region."
South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol speaks on the phone with U.S. President Joe Biden at his home in southern Seoul, following his election on March 10. Provided by People Power Party
Given evolving geopolitical circumstances, and South Korea's election of new conservative president Yoon Suk-yeol, who has pledged greater alignment with the U.S., the incoming administration could face pressure to take a stance.
This will prove to be tricky for South Korea as China is its largest trading partner. Any shift in support of Taiwan would undoubtedly irk China, which is expected to present damaging implications for South Korea.
"No doubt, Yoon will align more closely with the U.S. thinking on China and its stance on Taiwan," Lee said, adding this would require efforts to minimize damage with China.
"This requires a track record of accruing credibility with China and trusted messengers. Yoon's foreign policy team has to start over. There's a bumpy road ahead."
14. Working-level U.S. delegation due in Seoul to discuss potential Yoon-Biden summit: official
I hope we can make this happen. It seems like this meeting indicates it is likely to.
Working-level U.S. delegation due in Seoul to discuss potential Yoon-Biden summit: official | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- The United States will soon dispatch a team of working-level officials to Seoul to prepare for a likely May summit between incoming South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden, an official with the transition team said Wednesday.
"The U.S. officials will be here to go over items on (the summit) agenda, rather than to discuss specific policies," said Kim Sung-han, a key member of the transition team's foreign policy subcommittee, adding he himself doesn't plan on meeting those delegates.
According to diplomatic sources, the U.S. delegation is scheduled to arrive here around Saturday.
While the working-level officials and their Seoul counterparts are expected to discuss the time and place for the summit, more senior diplomatic officials will likely discuss key details of an agreement between the two leaders.
Seoul and Washington are apparently in talks to set up a summit on May 20 or 21 in South Korea, with Biden already scheduled to be in Japan for a security meeting later that month. If realized, the summit would come just days after Yoon takes office on May 10, making it the earliest-ever South Korea-U.S. summit following a South Korean president's inauguration.
(END)
15. FM's residence emerges as key candidate for presidential residence
Hmmm... I thought the commander's residence would be a very good choice. I had no idea it was so "outdated and run down."
FM's residence emerges as key candidate for presidential residence
The entrance of the official residence in Yongsan, Seoul / Yonhap
The foreign minister's official residence has emerged as "the most reasonable" candidate for the new presidential residence of incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol, transition team officials said Wednesday.
The official residence of the Army chief of staff had originally been considered a top candidate for Yoon's residence following his plan to relocate the presidential office to the defense ministry compound in Yongsan, central Seoul.
But officials said the Army chief's home is too outdated and run-down for a presidential residence.
"The foreign minister's official residence went through remodeling last year," the official said. "It appears to be the most reasonable alternative (to the Army chief's home)."
Should the place be confirmed as the presidential residence, the foreign minister needs to move out, but the official said follow-up measures have yet to be determined.
Another official earlier said remodeling the Army chief's home was unlikely due to the excessive cost.
"Repair costs for the official residence of the Army chief of staff are larger than expected," an official close to Yoon's office said. "We are reviewing various options."
The Army chief's residence, which was built in the mid-1970s, reportedly requires extensive remodeling, virtually close to reconstruction, as the building itself is too old, even having leaks when it rains.
Meanwhile, Yoon is likely to open the Cheong Wa Dae compound to the public right after his May 10 inauguration ceremony, according to the official.
Yoon pledged to fully open Cheong Wa Dae to the public for good on the day of his inauguration. (Yonhap)
16. It’s Time for K-pop Stars to Speak Out on Human Rights
Many have been conspicuously absent on the human rights front. Everyone needs to speak out for human rights in north Korea. It is not only a moral imperative, it is a national security issue as Kim Jong-un denies the rights of the Korean people in the north in order to remain in power.
We need a human rights upfront approach and we cannot give Kim a pass on human rights in the naive hope that avoiding human rights will somehow convince him to denuclearize. Ronald Reagan was able to "walk and chew gum" and address multiple issues simultaneously (Soviet arms control negotiations and "tear down this wall").
It’s Time for K-pop Stars to Speak Out on Human Rights
With few exceptions, South Korea’s K-pop idols have been conspicuously silent on controversial subjects – including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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At the 2022 Grammy Awards on April 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a pre-recorded speech, imploring musicians and the global community to speak out on the ongoing war in Ukraine. “Russia,” he said, “brings horrible silence with its bombs.” Zelenskyy urged the Grammy artists to “fill the silence with your music… Tell the truth about this war on your social networks, on TV.”
Many artists in the United States and worldwide have been doing just that, with singers ranging from Billie Eilish to Elton John donating and speaking out in support of the Ukrainian people. But one group has been conspicuously absent from this movement: South Korea’s K-pop singers. Despite their rising global stature, only a handful of K-pop idols have heeded Zelenskyy’s call.
Indeed, while outspokenness on hot-button societal issues has become ubiquitous among American celebrities – who voice their thoughts on causes ranging from the war in Ukraine to Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights, and climate change – the social media accounts of Korean idols cultivate squeaky-clean images rather than broach subjects that could prove controversial. Only top stars like BTS have had leeway to speak out on pressing issues – and even then, this is rare. At most, others express their support quietly with subtle fashion items, or advocate on relatively uncontroversial causes, like air pollution or animal rights.
K-pop idols’ silence is particularly conspicuous in comparison to their global fanbase, which has proved to be a formidable source of human rights advocacy around the world. K-pop fans in Myanmar have played a crucial role in organizing anti-authoritarian protests in the country. In 2020, pro-democracy protesters in Thailand marched to the tune of the Girls’ Generation song “Into the New World” – a track that has a rich history of use in South Korea’s own protest movements. In the United States, during the major Black Lives Matter movements in 2020, K-pop fans drowned out racist voices by flooding anti-BLM Twitter hashtags with fancams of their favorite idols.
Korean celebrities’ avoidance of these contentious issues stems, understandably, from the goal of achieving widespread popularity. In trying to foster an expansive, loyal fanbase, K-pop agencies have instructed singers to avoid topics that could alienate fans instead of attracting them: K-pop stars are not allowed to date, let alone voice opinions on sensitive global causes.
Yet, if K-pop hopes to have global staying power, it is time to break this silence. To ensure that K-pop is taken seriously, the industry’s idols should begin to engage with serious issues that global audiences care about. This is especially true in light of a growing expectation that idols should do so. For example, fans seek accountability from an industry that benefits from the appropriation of Black culture or the support of LGBTQ+ communities, yet whose stars remain silent on the rights issues these groups face. Speaking out on such causes is a sure way for K-pop to garner widespread global respect and cement its place as a genre that is relevant, global-minded, and here to stay.
True, idols may alienate some fans by advancing certain positions, but this has done little to hurt K-pop’s overall march toward global domination. The genre’s popularity is so immense that in 2020, the Chinese Communist Party backed down from an attempt to stir nationalist frenzy against BTS. The mega-boy group emerged unscathed.
Even the Kim Jong Un regime, one of the most oppressive governments in the world, is no match for K-pop: The genre’s popularity among North Koreans persists despite the threat of execution for individuals caught listening. In fact, the issue of human rights in North Korea could be an important cause for K-pop celebrities to take up, especially given K-pop’s penetration into the reclusive nation. Who is better positioned than South Korean idols to speak up on behalf of their brethren to the north?
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The problems within the K-pop industry itself may be another good place to start. Idols face notoriously grueling working conditions and immense mental and physical pressure. If idols are to begin voicing their opinions, agencies must better support their artists, rather than abandoning them when controversy arises.
K-pop stars do not need to become as politically hyperactive as their counterparts in the United States. However, now that they have a foothold in global markets, they should use their platform to speak out on human rights movements – not only because they are well-positioned to support these causes, but also because doing so will cement their global staying power. To remain globally relevant, K-pop must be the first mover, not a fast follower – or risk getting left behind.
AUTHORS
GUEST AUTHOR
Gi-Wook Shin
Gi-Wook Shin is the director of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) and the Korea Program at Stanford University.
GUEST AUTHOR
Haley M. Gordon
Haley M. Gordon is a research associate at the Korea Program at Shorenstein APARC.
GUEST AUTHOR
Maleah Webster
Maleah Webster is a second-year International Relations major at Stanford, and a research assistant at Shorenstein APARC.
17. N. Korea tightens regional travel amid official warnings about COVID-19 “stealth variant”
The north Korean COVID paradox. The regime is deathly afraid of it yet it has used OCVID as an opportunity to crack down on any dissent and impose draconian population and resources control measures to further oppress the Korean people living in the north.
N. Korea tightens regional travel amid official warnings about COVID-19 “stealth variant”
Paratyphoid has been on the rise lately, and this has given an opportunity to the authorities to strengthen quarantine efforts, a source told Daily NK
Kim Jong Un at a completion ceremony for the apartments on April 11. (Rodong Sinmun - News1)
Even as North Korea continues to tighten the proverbial reins to block the spread of COVID-19, the authorities continue to hold mask-free events aimed at the domestic population and international community.
This demonstrates a lack of basic consistency in quarantine efforts.
In an article published Monday, the Rodong Sinmun called on North Koreans to “properly understand” the “global health crisis that grows worse by the day,” and to more thoroughly adhere to quarantine regulations.
The newspaper added that the rapid spread of the highly contagious “stealth variant” — which can also evade vaccine protections — is making the situation even worse.
By pointing to the increasing spread of “stealth Omicron,” which is reportedly more contagious than ordinary Omicron, and the supposed ineffectiveness of vaccines against the new variant, North Korea is apparently seeking to quiet public discontent with the country’s failure to adopt vaccines, while at the same time putting people on alert regarding quarantine efforts.
In fact, Daily NK’s reporting has determined that North Korean authorities have taken their quarantine efforts aimed at the public up a notch from the start of April.
A Daily NK source in South Pyongan Province said Tuesday that the authorities ordered quarantine stations in every region to remain alert and intensify their inspections. He said this is making inter-region travel more difficult.
Every April, controls on movement grow tougher ahead of late national founder Kim Il Sung’s birthday on Apr. 15, with authorities granting fewer travel certificates. This year, however, the authorities ordered the quarantine stations that verify quarantine compliance to intensify their enforcement, rather than the Ministry of State Security checkpoints that control movement itself.
Moreover, the authorities have reportedly issued almost no entry permits into Pyongyang this month.
The source said you used to be able to bribe officials to get “approval numbers” to enter Pyongyang for official business or weddings and funerals, but not anymore. He said you cannot pass through quarantine stations even with travel papers.
In particular, the authorities have reportedly greatly bolstered the number of personnel at quarantine stations, an indication of just how strict passage through the stations have become.
Another source in the country told Daily NK that paratyphoid has been on the rise lately, and this has become an opportunity to strengthen quarantine efforts. The waterborne disease spreads through contaminated waterworks and sewer facilities, and is accompanied by high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Paratyphoid is not a communicable respiratory disease, but because it demonstrates similar symptoms to COVID-19, North Korean authorities are apparently intensifying quarantine efforts.
In contrast to the tightening quarantine controls put on local residents, North Korea has convened a series of mask-free events, demonstrating to the outside world the nation’s confidence regarding quarantine efforts.
In fact, nobody wore masks during the Sixth Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly in February, a fact the authorities put on full domestic and international display through the KCNA, Rodong Sinmun, and other local media.
North Korea has held mask-free events when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in attendance. However, for attendees to go mask-free at an event without Kim present is extraordinary.
Likewise, none of the attendees wore masks at a symposium for officials of the Central Committee’s Propaganda and Agitation Department held last month. Nor did they practice social distancing, sitting close together.
Earlier this year, North Korea appeared to be easing controls on movement as it ostensibly shifted from control-focused quarantine efforts to “advanced, people-friendly” guidelines. However, the country is apparently intensifying controls once again as the COVID-19 pandemic continues worldwide and a disease with similar symptoms rages in North Korea itself.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Seulkee Jang is one of Daily NK’s full-time journalists. Please direct any questions about her articles to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
