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Quotes of the Day:
“A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what's going on. A psychotic is a guy who's just found out what's going on.”
- William S. Burroughs
“Tyrants preserve themselves by showing fear and mistrust among the citizens, by means of spies, by distracting them with foreign wars, by eliminating men of spirit, who might lead a revolution, by humbling the people, and making them incapable of decisive action.”
- Aristotle
"Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed by the masses."
- Plato
1. Yoon to pay state visit to U.S. from April 24-29
2. S. Korea detects signs of N. Korea seeking to attract Chinese investment to Kaesong complex
3. South Korea, China exchange harsh words over Yoon's remarks on Taiwan
4. N. Korea boosts number of military-affiliated trading companies
5. N. Hamgyong Province family arrested in remittance payment sting
6. [EXCLUSIVE] Ukraine welcomes South Korea's gesture of possible arms support
7. North Korea conducts backdoor attack against US video-conferencing firm 3CX
8. This Korean American Republican is trying to educate her party — in the U.S. and abroad
9. Despite Kim's call, work still ongoing at North's launch site
10. Biden, Yoon to show unity on North Korea with many 'deliverables' for alliance: U.S. experts
11. Crash Landing on You: The Best Korean drama ever made
12. The Biden-Yoon Summit: An Opportunity to Chart a New Alliance Course
1. Yoon to pay state visit to U.S. from April 24-29
Excerpts:
The adviser pointed to four key areas where he expects to see results, including a strengthening of the allies' combined defense posture and a more detailed implementation of the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea.
Extended deterrence refers to the U.S.' commitment to mobilizing the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.
The credibility of that commitment has sometimes been called into question in South Korea as North Korea has simulated nuclear missile strikes on the South while advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities.
Kim said the summit will also aim to flesh out cooperation on economic security, such as in semiconductors and batteries; promote exchanges between future generations, including by nurturing talents in the advanced technology sector; and strengthen cooperation on international issues.
On the eve of the summit, Biden and first lady Jill will invite Yoon and first lady Kim to an informal get-together, he said.
On April 27, Yoon will deliver an address before a joint session of Congress and look back on the past 70 years of an alliance rooted in the shared values of a liberal democracy, the rule of law and human rights, address the challenges the two countries face and present a blueprint for the alliance's way forward.
(LEAD) Yoon to pay state visit to U.S. from April 24-29 | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · April 20, 2023
(ATTN: UPDATES with details)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol will pay a state visit to the United States from April 24-29 to hold a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and mark the 70th anniversary of the bilateral alliance, a presidential official said Thursday.
Yoon will be the first South Korean president since Lee Myung-bak in 2011 to pay a state visit to the U.S., Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters while announcing the details of his trip.
Yoon and Biden will hold a summit at the White House on April 26 after an official welcoming ceremony and before a state dinner where they will be joined by first ladies Kim Keon Hee and Jill Biden.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and U.S. President Joe Biden pose for a photo during their summit at a hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in this Nov. 13, 2022, file photo. Yoon and Biden warned the two countries will respond with "overwhelming force using all available means" should North Korea use nuclear weapons. (Yonhap)
"The two leaders will spend a lot of time together over the course of many events ... celebrate the achievements of the South Korea-U.S. alliance accumulated over 70 years, and exchange in-depth views on the alliance's way forward," Kim Tae-hyo said.
The summit will mark the sixth meeting between Yoon and Biden, following those in Seoul last May and then in Madrid, London, New York and Phnom Penh.
"We expect the contents and breadth of our global comprehensive strategic alliance to be further expanded at the upcoming talks, based on the trust and friendship the leaders have built until now," Kim said.
The adviser pointed to four key areas where he expects to see results, including a strengthening of the allies' combined defense posture and a more detailed implementation of the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea.
Extended deterrence refers to the U.S.' commitment to mobilizing the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.
The credibility of that commitment has sometimes been called into question in South Korea as North Korea has simulated nuclear missile strikes on the South while advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities.
Kim said the summit will also aim to flesh out cooperation on economic security, such as in semiconductors and batteries; promote exchanges between future generations, including by nurturing talents in the advanced technology sector; and strengthen cooperation on international issues.
On the eve of the summit, Biden and first lady Jill will invite Yoon and first lady Kim to an informal get-together, he said.
On April 27, Yoon will deliver an address before a joint session of Congress and look back on the past 70 years of an alliance rooted in the shared values of a liberal democracy, the rule of law and human rights, address the challenges the two countries face and present a blueprint for the alliance's way forward.
He will then have lunch with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris before moving to an undisclosed location to receive a briefing from U.S. military leaders.
Later that day, Yoon will travel to Boston and hold discussions on April 28 with digital and bio scholars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He will also deliver an address at Harvard University the same day.
"President Yoon will look back on the U.S.-led expansion of economic and political freedoms over the past 200 years and share his thoughts on the two sides of freedom in the digital era we live in," Kim said.
Yoon will wrap up his trip and depart for Seoul on April 29.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · April 20, 2023
2. S. Korea detects signs of N. Korea seeking to attract Chinese investment to Kaesong complex
This will be another conduit for sanctions evasion activity.
S. Korea detects signs of N. Korea seeking to attract Chinese investment to Kaesong complex | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이민지 · April 20, 2023
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has detected signs of North Korea trying to attract investment from Chinese businesses in a now-shuttered joint industrial park in the North, Seoul's unification ministry said Thursday.
The ministry's remark came amid a media report that the North has sent photos of facilities and sample products made at the Kaesong Industrial Complex to businessmen in the border areas with China in a bid to lure Chinese investment and business opportunities.
"As intelligence related to participation of companies from a third-party country in the factory zone has been detected, we are looking into it with relevant institutions," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity, without elaborating.
This file photo, taken March 13, 2023, shows the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a joint industrial park in the North's border city of Kaesong. (Yonhap)
Seoul has repeatedly warned the North against using the industrial park without permission and vowed to hold the North accountable for infringing the property rights of South Korean companies even if it takes time.
Stressing that the joint industrial park is an "asset" of the South Korean government and businesses, the official made clear that the government will take "all possible measures" on the legal issue of unauthorized use.
South Korea shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the namesake border city, once a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation, in February 2016 in response to the North's nuclear and long-range missile tests.
But recent media reports here, as well as photos and videos carried by Pyongyang's state media, indicated that the North has resumed partial operation of the facilities and is using assets, such as buses, left by South Korean companies.
Meanwhile, the official said the government is closely monitoring the North's potential launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, as there is a possibility the North may press ahead with it "soon."
On Wednesday, the North's state media reported that leader Kim Jong-un ordered officials to prepare for the launch as planned. The North earlier said it will complete preparations for the satellite launch by April.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이민지 · April 20, 2023
3. South Korea, China exchange harsh words over Yoon's remarks on Taiwan
South Korea is standing up to the bully
South Korea, China exchange harsh words over Yoon's remarks on Taiwan | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김승연 · April 20, 2023
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry strongly denounced China for committing a "serious diplomatic discourtesy" Thursday after a Chinese official branded President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent comments on Taiwan as a verbal meddling by others.
The ministry issued the statement after the Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said earlier in the day Beijing would not allow others to meddle by word, in reference to Yoon's media interview the previous day in which that he expressed opposition to any change in the status quo of the Taiwan Strait by force.
Wang also called on Seoul to adhere to the "One China" policy under the spirit of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, saying solving the Taiwan issue is solely a matter of China's own affairs.
Seoul's foreign ministry said Wang's comments were "unspeakable."
In this file photo, Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson for South Korea's foreign ministry, responds to reporters' questions during a regular press briefing at the ministry building in Seoul on April 13, 2023. (Yonhap)
"In response to our leader's mention of the universal principle that we oppose the change of the status quo by force, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson made an unspeakable statement," the ministry said.
"The spokesperson's remarks must be pointed out as a serious diplomatic discourtesy that calls into question China's national integrity," the ministry said.
In the interview with Reuters published Wednesday, Yoon said the tensions over Taiwan, which China claims as its own, have been intensifying because of the attempts to change the status quo by force and that he stands by the international community opposing such a change.
Yoon also said the Taiwan issue is much like the issue of North Korea and a global one.
Beijing refuted Yoon's claim and insisted the Taiwan issue is a completely different matter, as Taiwan is not a sovereign state like the two Koreas.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 김승연 · April 20, 2023
4. N. Korea boosts number of military-affiliated trading companies
Military First Politics (Songun) never went away. But it seems to be rediscovered again. What is old is new.
The military is the best functioning organization in north Korea.
Excerpts:
However, some North Koreans are reportedly expressing concern that the country “will see a revival of the obstinate trading landscape of the Songun era, when military-affiliated trading companies filled their own pockets ostensibly doing state smuggling or earning foreign currency on the back of the state.”
The Songun era refers to the reign of current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s predecessor and father, Kim Jong Il.
The reporting partner told Daily NK that there will be a windfall for the military leadership if military-affiliated trading companies take off due to government support. He pointed out, however, that ordinary trading companies may not be able to push forward trade like they did prior to COVID-19.
North Korea is recruiting not only personnel to handle domestically oriented trade duties such as imports and exports, but also personnel the companies will ultimately send overseas.
“People really prefer to work for military-affiliated trading companies, with only one of 50 candidates getting recruited. This is because of stable salaries and rations,” the reporting partner said.
N. Korea boosts number of military-affiliated trading companies
Besides Chonryong Trading Company, several other new military-affiliated trading companies have emerged since 2019, a reporting partner told Daily NK
dailynk.com
FILE PHOTO: Military guard post along the Yalu River in North Pyongan Province. (Daily NK)
North Korea recently began boosting the number of trading companies affiliated with the military and is currently supplementing personnel to staff them, Daily NK has learned.
“There are an increasing number of defense ministry-affiliated trading companies dealing with not only domestically oriented trade duties, but also arms smuggling, construction, contract labor, farming and even restaurant management. A personnel expansion is also underway,” a Daily NK reporting partner in North Korea said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
For example, the defense ministry-affiliated Chonryong Trading Company has been doubling both the number of soldiers who work for it and civilian staff in response to an recent order from the Workers’ Party’s Central Military Commission to “increase the number of personnel by supplementing en masse the soldiers and staff personnel” who work for the company.
Founded in 2019 as a trading company affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, Chonryong Trading Company secures funds for the country’s ruling party by sending personnel overseas to earn foreign currency.
According to the reporting partner, besides Chonryong Trading Company, several other new military-affiliated trading companies have emerged since 2019.
By increasing the number of both military-affiliated trading companies and their staff, North Korea seems to be trying to secure foreign currency — which it lacks — through military-led trade.
However, some North Koreans are reportedly expressing concern that the country “will see a revival of the obstinate trading landscape of the Songun era, when military-affiliated trading companies filled their own pockets ostensibly doing state smuggling or earning foreign currency on the back of the state.”
The Songun era refers to the reign of current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s predecessor and father, Kim Jong Il.
The reporting partner told Daily NK that there will be a windfall for the military leadership if military-affiliated trading companies take off due to government support. He pointed out, however, that ordinary trading companies may not be able to push forward trade like they did prior to COVID-19.
North Korea is recruiting not only personnel to handle domestically oriented trade duties such as imports and exports, but also personnel the companies will ultimately send overseas.
“People really prefer to work for military-affiliated trading companies, with only one of 50 candidates getting recruited. This is because of stable salaries and rations,” the reporting partner said.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of reporting partners who live inside North Korea and China. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
5. N. Hamgyong Province family arrested in remittance payment sting
I do not think Kimmhas any intention of lifting the draconian population and resources control measures he has implemented during COVID. The "prime directive" is repression, oppression, and control of the Korean people living in the north.
N. Hamgyong Province family arrested in remittance payment sting
State security officials have recently been ratcheting up surveillance on not only defector families but also remittance brokers
By Lee Chae Un - 2023.04.19 12:29pm
dailynk.com
Onsong County, North Hamgyong Province. (Daily NK)
The family of a North Korean defector in North Hamgyong Province who received a remittance payment was recently been apprehended by state security agents, Daily NK has learned. Of late, defector families have been dealing with a gradual increase in surveillance and prosecution by the Ministry of State Security.
“The family of a defector and a man in his 30s who was attempting to deliver money to them were arrested by state security agents in Hoeryong in early April. The defector’s family were nabbed by state security officers who had been tailing them,” a reporting partner in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
According to the reporting partner, one member of the arrested family had defected to South Korea. In addition, the family had been banished to a rural area in 2018 after being caught using a Chinese mobile phone with the WeChat app installed on it.
As a result, this family was under even stricter surveillance than other defector families. For those reasons, the money transfer broker apparently sent a male intermediary in his 30s to the family’s house instead of going in person.
After explaining to the defectors’ family why he had come instead of the broker, the intermediary then set a date, time and location for their next meeting. But the state security office was tipped off about a stranger visiting the house and began watching the family even more closely.
The family left their house and headed to the agreed-upon location, little knowing that state security agents were on their tail. After collecting the money from the intermediary, they were about to go their separate ways when state security agents burst in and arrested everyone involved, the reporting partner said.
“This just shows how defector families are in a horrific plight that’s even worse than jail. On top of strict surveillance from state security agents, anyone caught receiving a remittance has their money confiscated before they can even use it and faces punishment on top of that. What an injustice!”
Significantly, state security officials have recently been ratcheting up surveillance not only of defector families but also of remittance brokers. Even after collecting protection money from the brokers, state security agents will dispatch informants to monitor the brokers’ every step, the reporting partner said.
“The duplicity of state security agents is compared to fattening people up for the slaughter. People say the only reason they take care of remittance brokers is because they intend to bring them down one day,” the reporting partner said.
The remittance broker implicated in these events remains at large. After his intermediary was arrested, the broker went into hiding, fearing the worst, the reporting partner said.
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of reporting partners who live inside North Korea and China. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
6. [EXCLUSIVE] Ukraine welcomes South Korea's gesture of possible arms support
Three words: Arsenal. Of. Democracy.
[EXCLUSIVE] Ukraine welcomes South Korea's gesture of possible arms support
The Korea Times · by 2023-04-20 16:52 | Foreign Affairs · April 20, 2023
Ukrainian Ambassador to South Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the country's embassy in Seoul, Feb. 25, 2022. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Russia threatens to send weapons to North Korea
By Kwon Mee-yoo, Lee Hyo-jin
Ukrainian Ambassador to South Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko welcomed Seoul's decision to possibly provide arms to his home country in its war with Russia.
"We would welcome the decision by the Korean Government to extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and financial aid," Ponomarenko told The Korea Times, Thursday. "Continuation of timely defense assistance from our partners is crucial to ending the war in 2023."
The ambassador also expressed hopes that South Korea will join efforts in leading democratic countries to support Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression by providing state-of-the-art defense equipment.
In an interview with Reuters published the previous day, President Yoon Suk Yeol hinted at the possibility of providing arms to Kyiv, a major shift from Seoul's earlier stance of providing only humanitarian and economic assistance to the war-torn nation.
"If there here is a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any large-scale attack on civilians, massacres or a serious violation of the laws of war, it may be difficult for us to insist only on humanitarian or financial support," he said.
Yoon's remarks came amid mounting pressure from Western allies ― the United States and NATO ― to supply weapons directly to Ukraine. South Korea is the world's eighth-largest arms exporter, with its weapons in high demand in Poland, a NATO member state.
However, the South Korean government has so far maintained a policy of not providing any lethal weapons to Ukraine, mindful of damaging relations with Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday. AP-Yonhap
The Kremlin reacted furiously to Seoul's change in stance and warned of possibly supplying North Korea with advanced weapons if South Korea provides military assistance to Ukraine. Moscow remains one of Pyongyang's main backers as the reclusive regime continues to develop nuclear weapons and missiles.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of the Russian National Security Council, wrote on his Telegram channel, Wednesday, "I wonder what the residents of this nation (South Korea) would say when they see the newest Russian weapons in the hands of their closest neighbor ― our allies in the DPRK?" DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that the provision of weapons to Kyiv ― by any nation ― will be considered as anti-Russian activities and thus negatively affect bilateral ties.
Yoon's remarks also took flak from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which argued that antagonizing Russia would harm national security.
"If we begin to provide arms, it would deal a heavy blow to [South] Korean companies. What Yoon should have asserted ahead of his state visit to the U.S. is our stance of no military aid to Ukraine," said DPK floor leader Rep. Park Hong-keun. He also pointed out that it is unconstitutional for the president to make a unilateral decision on offering military aid to a foreign country without parliamentary review.
In response to Russia's strong rhetoric, the presidential office explained that South Korea's level of assistance to Ukraine remains unchanged and that Yoon's remarks during the interview were made under the assumption of large-scale attacks on civilians in Ukraine.
"The president's response was based on common sense and principle. The Russian government seems to be commenting on a situation that hasn't happened yet, but what actions we will take in the future depends on Russia's moves," a senior presidential official told reporters, Thursday.
Ukrainian soldiers fire howitzer D-30 at the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday. AP-Yonhap
The official did not elaborate on what level of "large-scale" attacks on civilians could possibly prompt South Korea to send lethal weapons to Ukraine.
Russia has already been accused of massacre during its occupation of Bucha in March 2022, during which they killed at least 300 unarmed Ukrainians.
Moreover, according to Gulagu.net, a Russian human rights organization, two former commanders of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group recently testified that they killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians, including some 40 children. The incidents, which were not verified by the Russian authorities, apparently took place in the Donetsk region and Bakhmut in February.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense reiterated its stance that the government will adhere to its principle of not providing arms to Ukraine. In a regular press briefing, ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said the ministry "has not received any orders to review offering military aid."
The government is said to have not received any official complaints from Russia through diplomatic channels on the matter.
Speculation is mounting over what additional support for Kyiv may be included in the agenda during the upcoming summit between Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden on April 26, with Washington expressing an eagerness to cooperate with South Korea on the matter.
According to a Reuters report, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said it will "continue to coordinate closely with South Korea on more support for Ukraine," describing the Asian nation a "stalwart partner" in defending Ukraine's right to territorial sovereignty against Russian aggression.
The Korea Times · by 2023-04-20 16:52 | Foreign Affairs · April 20, 2023
7. North Korea conducts backdoor attack against US video-conferencing firm 3CX
Beware. All platforms will likely be attacked.
North Korea conducts backdoor attack against US video-conferencing firm 3CX
The Korea Times · April 20, 2023
gettyimagesbank North Korea has used its upgraded skills to stage a backdoor attack against the network of the United States virtual phone service company 3CX last month, Mandiant, Google's cybersecurity unit, said Thursday.
3CX, which provides online voice, video conferencing and messaging services for businesses, saw its network chain had been attacked by information-stealing malware planted by a hacker cluster named UNC4736. It is known to be a Lazarus sub-group dubbed Labyrinth Chollima, while Lazarus is one of the North Korean government-led secret operations organizations.
"We believe a North Korean nexus threat actor, who we are calling UNC4736, was behind this attack," Charles Carmakal, consulting chief technology officer at Mandiant, said at an online media briefing.
He said Mandiant, which has worked with 3CX to look into the massive breach, discovered that the hackers have not directly attacked the company's network. Instead, they had planted the malware into a separate software package of X Trader, a U.S. financial trading application, and led to the malicious code being transferred to the 3CX network through a 3CX employee's personal computer.
"What happened was an employee of 3CX installed the X Trader software on his personal computer, and it ended up deploying a backdoor on his personal computer, because the X Trader software was laced with malware that we call a veiled signal."
The Mandiant official said the method employed in the attack was higher and more sophisticated than the previous schemes that North Korea had used in committing cybercrimes.
"This is very notable to Mandiant because this is the first time that we've ever observed a software supply chain attack lead to another software supply chain attack," he said. "A North Korean threat actor really stepped up their skill and their sophistication, such that they're able to conduct a cascading software supply chain attack."
The company also said North Korea's latest attack against 3CX is targeting cryptocurrency, widely believed to be a source of funding for the reclusive country's nuclear program.
"I think this is likely financially motivated as sort of an end goal, but this targeting also appears to be somewhat opportunistic in terms of the software supply chain," said Ben Read, head of cyber espionage analysis at Mandiant. "This backdoor would allow the North Korean actors in this case to gather some rudimentary information about the server and, sort of more importantly, pull down additional malware to enable more functionality and spread throughout the network." (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · April 20, 2023
8. This Korean American Republican is trying to educate her party — in the U.S. and abroad
Keep up the fire, Representative Kim.
This Korean American Republican is trying to educate her party — in the U.S. and abroad
Politico
Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) describes herself as a “bridge builder” between America and South Korea. It’s a task that isn’t always easy, in either nation.
With a Democrat in the White House, Rep. Young Kim is not an influential voice in shaping U.S. foreign and national security policy. But she has sought out opportunities to serve as a link between America’s conservative party and the right-wing government in Seoul. | Olivia Beavers/POLITICO
04/12/2023 04:30 AM EDT
SEOUL, South Korea — When a group of American lawmakers arrived in South Korea for meetings with government and military officials, President Yoon Suk-yeol singled out one in particular for special recognition.
It was not the senior-most official on the trip — that would be Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair — but a junior colleague with just three years in office: Rep. Young Kim of California, one of only two Korean American Republicans in Congress.
In a meeting last week at the Yongsan presidential office, the conservative Yoon recognized Kim and thanked her for her efforts on the Hill.
“I know enough about the work that you’ve done,” Kim recalled Yoon saying to her during a brief one-on-one exchange. “He personally thanked me for that, and that really meant a lot to me.”
It was a rewarding moment for a relative newcomer to Washington who has moved to claim a kind of informal diplomatic role linking American lawmakers with the politics of South Korea, the country of her birth.
“I consider myself really a bridge builder between our two countries,” said Kim, 60, in an interview last week after the delegation toured the demilitarized zone between South Korea and its heavily armed neighbor to the north.
Her bridge-building remains aspirational in many respects. With a Democrat in the White House, Kim is not an influential voice in shaping U.S. foreign and national security policy. But she has sought out opportunities to serve as a link between America’s Conservative Party and the right-wing government in Seoul.
As part of the trip to East Asia intended as a show of support for allies in the region, Kim and her fellow U.S. lawmakers formally delivered an invitation to Yoon to address Congress when he visits Washington later this month. And on a visit to the DMZ, Kim paused to examine the wall outside the U.S. military mess hall there where dignitaries sign their names — and quickly found her own signature from a previous visit.
“Thank you for fighting to defend our freedom,” it read. Kim added an upbeat note of support for the U.S.-South Korea bond: “U.S.-ROK Rock!” (She used an abbreviation for Republic of Korea, the country’s formal name in English.)
Even Kim’s symbolic role is complicated, though. She is a prominent Asian American in a party struggling to allay fears among voters of color, including Asian Americans, that Republicans are focused on white voters and overly tolerant of racial bigotry and xenophobia.
A recent blowup on Capitol Hill illustrated this tension in wrenching terms: When Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) questioned the national loyalty of a leading Asian American Democrat, the U.S.-born Rep. Judy Chu of California, Kim sought a private meeting with Gooden. She did not call him out publicly at the time, but said during an interview in Seoul that his comments were inappropriate.
“Lance, out of nowhere, started attacking her loyalty. So I said ‘no.’ Whether or not she is a Democrat or Republican, it didn’t matter,” Kim said. “Don’t question someone’s loyalty when she is born in the U.S., and she has served honorably in her position.”
Responding to a request for comment, Gooden showed no contrition and instead chastised Kim.
“Rep. Kim requested this private meeting and I believed it was to remain private,” Gooden said in a statement. “She has betrayed the trust of our visit but as a now-undeserved courtesy to her, I will not further broach some of the other things she said.”
Kim was a young teenager when her family made what she has called the “difficult” decision to leave Seoul for the U.S. Her early days in politics, including time advising former Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), align with the resume she leans on today: focused on Asian American communities and foreign policy.
After ousting a Democratic incumbent to become the first Korean American Republican woman to serve in the California State Assembly, she unsuccessfully challenged then-Rep. Gil Cisneros (D) in 2018 before prevailing in their 2020 rematch.
Since taking office representing a battleground district that favored President Joe Biden in 2020, Kim has diverged from her own party during a few big moments. When anti-Asian rhetoric and acts of racist violence flared during the pandemic, for example, she testified before a House committee to denounce discrimination.
Kim said she saw it as an opportunity to “educate my colleagues” about how they could talk about the pandemic in a “respectful” way — without deploying provocative terms like “China virus.” (That concern did not stop her from supporting Trump’s reelection in 2020, however.)
In 2021, when the Democratic majority in the House voted to strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) of her committee assignments because of her incendiary rhetoric, Kim voted for that punishment.
The chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee’s Indo-Pacific subpanel has also voted for some bipartisan bills — including one that stirred anger in South Korea.
During her visit, Kim confronted frustration with her vote for a bipartisan package of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing incentives that enraged foreign tech manufacturers, powerful Korean conglomerates among them.
Touring a Samsung facility in Seoul, Kim insisted that the U.S. semiconductor law was less offensive to free-trade principles than the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ massive clean energy-focused law that passed with zero GOP votes. That may or may not have reassured Korean executives.
In the interview, Kim said she had tried to assure them that she was lobbying the Biden administration to ensure countries that have free-trade pacts with the U.S., such as South Korea, receive better treatment under laws that award special benefits to domestic companies.
Issuing subsidies that disadvantage foreign manufacturers, Kim said, “is not how we treat one of our biggest trading allies like South Korea.”
Linking up with Korean officials may be more realistic for Kim now that Seoul’s government is more politically aligned with the U.S. GOP.
Back in 2021, Kim and Rep. Michelle Steel of California, the only other Korean American Republican in Congress, joined a small group that met in Washington with then-Korean President Moon Jae-in, a popular liberal then nearing the end of his term. But the dynamic is clearly warmer now.
In an interview, Steel said “we are actually working much closer” with the Yoon administration than its predecessor, adding: “This year it’s going to be much more comfortable.”
It remains to be seen how comfortable the House GOP can be as a home for Steel and Kim, emigres from South Korea whose friendship long predates their service in Congress. These days, both represent districts that Democrats have targeted in recent campaigns.
Steel acknowledged that the women’s entry into the congressional Republican ranks hasn’t always been smooth.
“A lot of people, the first year, they couldn’t recognize the differences between Kim and me,” she recalled. “I had to mention that I’m taller than her, I have longer hair than her.”
Despite exit polls showing the Asian American electorate generally tilting leftward, Kim’s anti-communist rhetoric has helped her connect with conservative Asian American voters in her Orange County-area district — particularly Vietnamese Americans, who tend to lean more to the right. House Republican leaders, eager to diversify the party’s ranks, have pointed to Kim and Steel as valuable messengers and potential models.
What has worked for Kim in her district hasn’t quite translated into national success for the GOP, though.
Republicans still haven’t been able to break through among Asian American voters in other key races, with the fast-growing voting bloc still swinging decisively towards Democrats during the last election in swing states from Georgia to Nevada.
And Kim is plainly still finding her own way in Washington, too, even as Speaker Kevin McCarthy predicts she could rise to become a committee chair or senator.
In an interview, Chu, the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said Kim had initially expressed some interest in joining the all-Democratic group. Membership in CAPAC might have functioned as a useful platform for a junior lawmaker with hopes of closing the gap between the Republican Party and Asian Americans — and between the U.S. and East Asia.
But Kim ultimately opted against joining, Chu said, after realizing she would have been outvoted by the group’s executive board on any major decision.
Wu reported from Washington.
POLITICO
Politico
9. Despite Kim's call, work still ongoing at North's launch site
Thursday
April 20, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Despite Kim's call, work still ongoing at North's launch site
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/20/national/northKorea/Korea-North-Korea-Sohae-Satellite-Testing-Ground/20230420181100448.html
A photo released by the Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central Television on Feb. 7, 2016 shows the launch of the regime's Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite from the Sohae Satellite Testing Ground in Cholsan, North Pyongan Province. [YONHAP]
Aerial photos of a satellite launch site in North Korea taken Wednesday show construction work is still ongoing despite leader Kim Jong-un's urgings that the regime's first spy satellite be launched within the month, according to a Korean-language report by Voice of America (VOA) on Thursday.
The outlet cited photos taken by Planet Labs, a private earth observation company, to conclude that work on the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Cholsan, North Pyongan Province remains incomplete, raising doubts about whether the North can launch its first military reconnaissance satellite soon.
Pyongyang’s state media claimed in December and again earlier this week that the regime was on track to launch a spy satellite into orbit by this month.
According to VOA, at least two ships can be seen in waters adjacent to a pier near the launch site since April 3.
Although the purpose of the ships’ presence remains unclear, the pier is connected by land to the launch site, suggesting the vessels may be in place to transport materials to the area, the VOA said.
The pier is located only 3.6 kilometers (2.2 miles) from a coastal village connected directly to the launch site via a tunnel that appears to be under construction in the photos.
Planet Labs photos taken on April 19 also show that a 25-meter-wide road appears to have been lengthened by 30 meters to the north and 60 meters to the south since last month.
If the road continues to be extended at both ends, it will connect the pier to the tunnel that leads into the launch site, thereby bypassing the winding, mountainous path that connects the two.
VOA cited the ongoing road and tunnel construction work, as well as the leftover debris and dismantled rocket assembly facilities at the launch site, to conclude the North is unlikely to launch a spy satellite within the month.
Pyongyang’s state media reported Wednesday that leader Kim Jong-un has ordered final preparations to launch the regime’s completed spy satellite into space.
The North Korean leader made the comments during a Tuesday inspection of the North’s space development agency, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim ordered final preparations be sped up to ensure that his regime’s military reconnaissance satellite will be launched at the scheduled date within this month in order to “firmly establish satellite intelligence-gathering capability” and to pave the way for the deployment of “several reconnaissance satellites in different orbits in succession in the future,” the KCNA said.
Kim also ordered the agency to develop “standardized and reliable carrier rockets” for the satellite.
A spy satellite has long been on the North Korean leader’s wish list of sophisticated military assets, having been first mentioned during his speech at the eighth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party held in January 2021.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
10. Biden, Yoon to show unity on North Korea with many 'deliverables' for alliance: U.S. experts
Thursday
April 20, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Biden, Yoon to show unity on North Korea with many 'deliverables' for alliance: U.S. experts
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/04/20/national/northKorea/YoonBiden-Yoon-Suk-Yeol-KoreaUS/20230420094727506.html
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, left, talks with U.S. President Joe Biden during their summit at a hotel in Phnom Penh on Nov. 13, 2022. [YONHAP]
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden will likely show strong unity on how to deal with threats posed by North Korea while they are expected to produce many deliverable agreements on ways to further strengthen the alliance, U.S. experts said Wednesday.
Yoon will make a state visit to the United States from Monday, two days before he and Biden will hold a summit in Washington.
"I expect unity on North Korea," said Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank based in Washington.
"I don't expect any new initiatives in terms of diplomacy. North Korea doesn't seem to be interested in diplomacy right now, but we will certainly see unity in purpose and mission from the two presidents on that," he told a telephonic press briefing.
The upcoming summit follows an unprecedented number of North Korean missile provocations. Pyongyang launch a record 69 ballistic missiles in 2022, followed by dozens of missile tests, including an intercontinental ballistic missile launch, this year.
Against such backdrop, the allies have been discussing ways to strengthen U.S. extended deterrence, including the relaunching of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group in 2022 after a five-year hiatus.
"I expect that there will be some announcements of new things on extended deterrence," said Cha, adding, "This has been a major issue between the two allies, given North Korea's continued provocations."
Ellen Kim, deputy director of CSIS Korea Chair, said the leaders will likely explore cooperation in other areas related to North Korea, noting North Korea "will be the key agenda issue for both leaders."
"This will include measures to strengthen and upgrade U.S. extended deterrence in South Korea and also expand their security partnerships in new areas like space and cybersecurity," she told the briefing.
"We may expect to see a major announcement on cyber security cooperation between the two countries, which will involve joint cyber exercises and also enhanced information and intelligence sharing between the two countries," added Kim.
The leaders are also expected to produce agreements on ways to further enhance their countries' alliance, according to the experts.
"I expect a big piece of the summit deliverables to focus on the next generation work of the alliance," Cha said, noting South Korea currently is the third largest source of foreign students in the United States after China and India.
"But there's not as many Americans that are going to South Korea, and I expect that there will be some initiative or something of that sort announced with regard to encouraging more Americans to go to South Korea," he added.
Other deliverables that can be expected from the upcoming summit may include those in space exploration and space cooperation, Cha said, noting the South Korean president is scheduled to visit NASA during his trip.
Yonhap
11. Crash Landing on You: The Best Korean drama ever made
Crash Landing on You: The Best Korean drama ever made
showsnob.com · by Deepak Kumar 1 minute ago Follow @Yelloscreen · April 19, 2023
Crash Landing on You is one of the most popular Korean shows ever and for good reason. This romantic comedy-drama series aired from 2019-2020 and quickly captured the hearts of audiences around the world with its compelling storyline, excellent acting, and beautiful production values.
The show tells the story of a South Korean chaebol heiress named Yoon Se-ri, played by Son Ye-jin, who accidentally crash lands in North Korea while paragliding. She is then rescued by a North Korean army officer named Ri Jeong-hyeok, played by Hyun Bin, who risks everything to protect her and help her return to South Korea.
As they spend time together, they fall deeply in love, despite the political and cultural differences that separate them. One of the reasons why Crash Landing on You is so beloved is its unique storyline.
The show offers a rare glimpse into the lives of North Koreans and the challenges they face, which is not often depicted in mainstream media. By placing a South Korean character in this context, the show offers a fresh perspective on the complex relationship between North and South Korea while exploring themes of identity, family and loyalty.
Another reason why the show is so popular is the excellent acting performances by its cast. Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin deliver outstanding performances as the two leads, portraying their characters with nuance and depth.
Their on-screen chemistry is palpable and audiences cannot help but be drawn into their love story. The supporting cast is also strong, adding depth and humor to the show.
Crash Landing on You was filmed in Switzerland and South Korea, featuring beautiful locations and stunning cinematography. The music and soundtrack are also notable.
The TV series was broadcasted on tvN in South Korea and worldwide on Netflix from December 14, 2019, to February 16, 2020. It is the most popular TV drama on tvN and the fourth most-watched South Korean cable television drama ever.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – AUGUST 09: South Korean actors Son Ye-Jin and Hyun Bin attend the press conference for ‘The Negotiation’ at CGV on August 9, 2018 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)
Crash Landing on You star-cast
The cast of Crash Landing on You features a talented ensemble of actors, including Hyun Bin, who plays the emotionally reserved and talented Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok of the Korean People’s Army. Son Ye-jin portrays Yoon Se-ri, a successful South Korean CEO and chaebol heiress, who finds herself stranded in North Korea after a paragliding accident.
Seo Ji-hye stars as Seo Dan, portraying the character of a wealthy heiress from North Korea who is engaged to Ri Jeong-hyeok through an arranged marriage. On the other hand, Kim Jung-hyun plays the role of Gu Seung-joon, a cunning South Korean swindler who develops feelings for Seo Dan, despite the societal barriers between them.
Their love story adds a layer of complexity to the already intense and emotionally charged narrative of the show. The younger versions of the characters are played by Lee Chun-moo, Kim Seung-chan, Kim Tae-yeon and Park Seo-yeon.
Together, the talented cast brings these characters to life in a captivating story about love, survival and the power of human connection.
The global reach of Crash Landing on You: A new era for Korean cinema’
Crash Landing on You has made significant contributions to Korean cinema, both domestically and internationally. The show’s massive success has brought Korean cinema to the attention of a wider global audience, expanding its reach beyond its home country and into the international market.
The show explores themes of identity, loyalty and family, offering insights into the challenges faced by people from both sides of the border. By doing so, the show helps to bridge the divide between North and South Korea and promotes understanding and empathy between the two countries.
The show’s success has helped to boost the Korean economy, particularly in the tourism industry. The show’s stunning cinematography and beautiful locations have inspired many viewers to visit the places where the show was filmed, such as Switzerland and the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
This has led to an increase in tourism and has helped to promote Korean culture and cuisine to the world.
Crash Landing on You season 2 update
Fans of the K-drama Crash Landing on You have been eagerly waiting for news about a possible second season. According to recent reports, Studio Dragon, the production company behind the show, has located suitable settings to begin filming for a second season.
While there is no official release date for Crash Landing on You season 2, fans can take solace in the news that an American adaptation of the show is in the works. Korean production company CJ ENM has claimed that the American remake is in the final stages of planning and development with Netflix U.S.
It remains to be seen how the American adaptation will differ from the original, but fans are excited to see how the story will be adapted for a new audience. Overall, fans of Crash Landing on You can look forward to more content related to the show, whether it be through a second season or an American adaptation.
The pandemic may have delayed production, but it is clear that the show’s popularity continues to grow. Fans cannot wait to see what the future holds for their favorite characters.
Next: Beef season 1 : From road rage to emotional catharsis
What did you think of Crash Landing on You? Leave your answers in the comments below!
You can watch Crash Landing on You on Netflix.
showsnob.com · by Deepak Kumar 1 minute ago Follow @Yelloscreen · April 19, 2023
12. The Biden-Yoon Summit: An Opportunity to Chart a New Alliance Course
The Biden-Yoon Summit: An Opportunity to Chart a New Alliance Course
It is time for the U.S. and its ally South Korea to execute a political warfare strategy that flips the conventional wisdom.
19fortyfive.com · by David Maxwell and Matthew Ha · April 19, 2023
On April 26, U.S. President Joe Biden is set to host South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for a bilateral summit and state visit in Washington, D.C. This meeting comes amid tensions on the Korean peninsula, as North Korea continues to test its wide range of ballistic missiles and sustains its hostile rhetoric towards the South and the U.S. The circumstances underscore the critical necessity of the ROK-U.S. alliance, which must remain iron-clad and resolute. This alliance is the lynchpin of peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia.
However, the 70th anniversary of the alliance provides an opportunity to develop a new strategy altogether, with new ends, ways, and means.
The elections of Biden in 2020 and Yoon in 2022 have brought about a positive change in the ROK-U.S. alliance. The presidents seem to have aligned their assumptions about the nature, objectives, and strategy of the North Korean regime. Yoon has acknowledged that the regime in Pyongyang is the enemy, and he has embarked on making important improvements to ROK military readiness and capabilities. Most important, the alliance has significantly improved the readiness of the ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command, which both nations count on to deter an attack, and if deterrence fails, to defend the ROK and defeat North Korea’s military.
The resumption of major training exercises on land, sea, and air that include multi-echelon training on field maneuvers, live fire, and theater-command post computer simulation has revitalized readiness, five years after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally decided to cancel, postpone, and scale back exercises in the hope that it would positively influence North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Sadly, it did not.
Now it is appropriate to consider how the focus and strategy should evolve.
Biden and Yoon will release a joint statement at the end of the summit. This traditional statement should include a commitment to a free and unified Korea. The ROK Ministry of Unification has released its 2023 white paper, “A Denuclearized, Peaceful, and Prosperous Korean Peninsula.” The significant elements of the paper include a denuclearized North Korea, a focus on the human rights of Koreans in the North, and the achievement of a “free and democratic Korea.” It is imperative the two presidents highlight a human rights upfront approach, as this is critical to achieving a free and unified Korea. The Biden administration should fully support this policy, and both administrations should draw strategic guidance from it to determine a new direction for the alliance. Details of a proposed new strategy can be found at the National Institute of Public Policy in a recent paper entitled “National Strategy for Countering North Korea.”
From 2009 through 2017, U.S. and South Korean leaders have called for peaceful unification in their joint statements. It is time now to definitively declare that the pursuit of a free and unified Korea is the foundation for the future of the alliance.
The alliance must shift from denuclearization as the overall objective to solving the so-called Korea question, which comes from paragraph 60 of the Armistice Agreement. The military commanders in 1953 recognized that a political settlement was required to solve the unnatural division of the peninsula. The alliance must pursue a free and unified Korea because the establishment of a United Republic of Korea that is secure, stable, economically vibrant, and non-nuclear, with a liberal constitutional form of government, is the only way to end the North’s threats (nuclear and conventional) and stop the human rights abuses and crimes against humanity being committed against the Korean people in the North.
With the objective of a free and unified Korea, there are additional lines of effort required to solve the Korea question. Below we list some major points of emphasis.
The alliance must adopt a human rights upfront approach. Not only are human rights a moral imperative, they are also a national security issue. Kim must deny the human rights of the Korean people in the North so that he can remain in power. Koreans suffer because of Kim’s deliberate policy decisions to prioritize nuclear and missile development over the welfare of the people.
The alliance should develop and execute a comprehensive information and influence campaign. This campaign will aim to provide large quantities of information, from entertainment to news. It will include practical knowledge on how to take collective action to drive change. It will describe the truth about the situation in North Korea as well as the outside world, and promote understanding of universal human rights that apply to all people. Every time the ROK and U.S. are made to respond to provocations, they must also address human rights. Discussion of the nuclear program reinforces regime legitimacy, but calling out the regime for its human rights abuses undermines it.
The alliance must continue to sustain the high level of military readiness of the past year. Military strength provides the foundation for all other elements of national power. The allies should continue to pursue OPCON transition so that any military operations conducted in North Korea will be led by a Korean commander.
Although denuclearization of the North remains a worthy goal, it must be viewed as aspirational so long as the Kim family regime remains in power. The conventional wisdom has always been that denuclearization must come first and unification will follow, and that there should be no discussion of human rights out of fear that it would prevent Kim from making a denuclearization agreement.
It is clear that Kim will not denuclearize, even though his policies have been an abject failure. He has failed to get sanctions relief; he has failed to subvert the ROK; and he has failed to drive a wedge in the ROK-U.S. alliance. His political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies completely failed in 2022 because Yoon and Biden, like their predecessors, refused to make the political and economic concessions he demanded just to come to the negotiating table: namely, to remove sanctions.
Biden and Yoon have the opportunity to chart a new course for the alliance, and their joint statement should be the first communique of new strategic guidance to the policymakers, strategists, and planners in the alliance.
It is time for the U.S. and its ally South Korea to execute a political warfare strategy that flips the conventional wisdom by seeking unification first, and then denuclearization. The international community must realize that the only way to end nuclear threats and human rights abuses is through unification of the Korean peninsula. The ROK and U.S. must continue to maintain the highest state of military readiness to deter war and then adopt a human rights upfront approach. They must undertake a comprehensive and sophisticated information and influence activities campaign and focus all efforts on the pursuit of a free and unified Korea – ultimately achieving a United Republic of Korea.
David Maxwell, a 1945 Contributing Editor, is a retired US Army Special Forces Colonel who has spent more than 30 years in Asia and specializes in North Korea and East Asia Security Affairs and irregular, unconventional, and political warfare. He is the Vice President of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and the editor of Small Wars Journal. He is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and at the Global Peace Foundation (where he focuses on a free and unified Korea).
Mathew Ha is a political science PhD student at George Mason University’s Schar school of Policy and Government, he is a former research analyst focused on North Korea and China at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former analyst from Valens Global. His area of expertise includes U.S. foreign policy in Asia and North Korean cyber operations and sanctions policy.
19fortyfive.com · by David Maxwell and Matthew Ha · April 19, 2023
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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