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Quotes of the Day:
"A word can change your mind, a sentence can change your life in a book can change the world."
– Tom Kane
“The intellectual must lead the physical.”
– The late General Gordon Sullivan, CSA
"The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
– Thomas Jefferson
1. Beyond Utopia: More than a Tale of Two Countries
2. N. Korea says Kim guided simulated nuclear counterattack drill
3. S. Korea, U.S. hold consultations on nuclear energy, nonproliferation
4. S. Korea to launch 1st nanosatellite this week, part of satellite constellation project
5. Yoon, Romanian president agree to strengthen cooperation in defense, nuclear energy
6. Hanwha Aerospace likely to sign additional deal for Chunmoo with Poland: sources
7. U.S. Takes Aim at Chinese Banks Aiding Russia War Effort
8. Smuggling of used cars into North Korea rises amid post-COVID demand
9. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ Crackdown on primitive slash-and-burn farmers who hide in the mountains shows Kim Jong-un’s uncompromising efforts to control his population
10. Korea is Having its AI Moment
11. N. Koreans scoff at government's propaganda about childcare programs
12. Early launch of defense cost sharing talks won't eliminate 'Trump risk': experts
13. 3 NK hacking groups execute concerted attack on 10 S. Korean defense firms: police
1. Beyond Utopia: More than a Tale of Two Countries
Yesterday I attended my third screening of this excellent and important film at HRNK. We were fortunate to have Pastor Kim and Dr. Sue Mi Terry for a discussion following the screening.
Each time I have watched this film I am of course moved by the suffering and sacrifice of the Korean people but I also learn something new. This time I followed two threads throughout the film. The first is the excellent example of north Korean propaganda and indoctrination and how the Roh family gradually came to realize the lies they had been told (and forced to live) and how it affected each member of the family (from the children who still thought Kim Jong Un was the greatest person in the world ,to the mother telling the grandmother she no longer has to lie ,to the father's anger that he lived for 50 years and the grandmother and father who wished they came to the South sooner, and much more). The second thread I followed was the underground railroad. Of course they glossed over the tactics, techniques, and procedures but Pastor Kim and Dr. Terry also reminded us that every time an escapee is caught they have to assume that that part of the underground railroad is compromised during the interrogation by Chinese authorities and the north Korea authorities during the horrific interrogations. But the underground railroad process also parallels the doctrine of unconventional assisted recovery. If I were advising students at JSOU or the Naval Postgraduate school or the Master student at CSIA at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School,I would have them talk to the NGOS who are operating the underground railroads throughout China, Vietnam, and Laos. They could learn a lot about operating in denied areas. They could assess the underground railroads and compare it to our UAR doctrine to see where we could improve it. They could also provide advice and assistance to the NGOs if they can share unclassified best practices. Indigenous support is critical. Pastor Kim shared that they are dependent on local support. Crossing the mountainous jungle from Vietnam to Laos requires "guides" from the local population "the Mountain people." Pastor Kim said no matter how many times he had walked the ground he could guide anyone through it without the local help. And not shown in the film but discussed after in the Q&A, Pastor Kim noted how Chinese surveillance has increased making it even harder to move over the underground railroad. Debraining Korean NGOs might provide many insights into the Chinese counterintelligence operations.
Beyond Utopia: More than a Tale of Two Countries
nkhiddengulag.org
https://www.nkhiddengulag.org/blog/beyond-utopia-more-than-a-tale-of-two-countries?utm
4/22/2024
0 Comments
By Diana Woo, HRNK Research Intern
Edited by Raymond Ha (Director of Operations & Research) and Rick Herssevoort (International Outreach Associate)
Since the establishment of the DMZ on the Korean Peninsula, experts, policymakers, and scholars have strived to deepen global understanding of North Korea’s internal dynamics. Their collective efforts shape our knowledge of the pariah state. Although interest in North Korea fluctuates depending on shifts in global priorities, geopolitical events, diplomatic developments, and media coverage, it is imperative to expose the Kim family’s repressive, authoritarian rule as the North Korean people continue to bear the brunt of the country’s isolation and heinous human rights violations.
Beyond Utopia sheds light on the experiences of the North Korean people, following the Roh family’s escape from North Korea and Lee So-yeon’s attempt to rescue her son.[1] Their testimonies reveal the harrowing experiences North Koreans continue to endure today. Providing rare and valuable footage of the perilous trek North Korean escapees take to escape the Kim regime, Beyond Utopia is a timely and important call to remember the ongoing and egregious suffering of the North Korean people.
Exile List
As the documentary begins, the Roh family find themselves stranded in a tent, still near the North Korean border in China. They make an urgent rescue request to Pastor Kim Sung-eun in South Korea. Nearly 4,000 kilometers lie ahead for them to be able to reach South Korea through China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. They are some of many on Kim Jong-un’s “banishing list,” a fear-and-control tactic used to target and punish relatives of escapees.
The consequences include being exiled to prison camps in the remote, mountains regions of North Korea, where they may be subject to forced labor, torture, arbitrary punishment, malnutrition, and other inconceivably harsh conditions. As such, they walk with cyanide capsules in their pockets. For the Roh family, including their two young daughters and 80-year-old grandmother, seeking freedom is the only remaining choice.
The Roh family’s escape, as assisted by Pastor Kim, is clear evidence of the lack of protections available for North Korean escapees and the risky business the broker network has become. Even while crossing the mountains of Vietnam in the dark of the night, human greed creeps in. A lead broker walks the family and Pastor Kim in circles, refusing to take them across unless they fork over a higher sum of money. There is little regard for the family who is risking it all. In this concealed industry, currency comes before the sanctity of human life.
Broker Network
Lee So-yeon’s story also represents the risk and despair North Korean escapees must endure, even for the simple hope of being together as a family. The whereabouts of Lee’s son, Cheong, who attempted to leave North Korea to meet his mother, are unknown. In the months after Cheong is captured near the North Korean border, Lee So-yeon’s only option to obtain the slightest bit of information on her son is to bribe and rely on a network of brokers. Wiring sums of money on multiple occasions does not guarantee clear information. She takes several phone calls with different brokers, who are only able to provide unreliable information. She also receives criticism for prompting her son to make the dangerous journey. Finally, she receives the gut-wrenching news that her son has been severely tortured, with little to no hope of release. There is no bribe, no connection, no NGO, no religion, no country, and no utopia that can rescue her son from the horrors of the North Korean regime’s systematic punishment of forcibly repatriated escapees.
Family and Freedom
Beyond Utopia pulls back the curtains and brings viewers closer to the North Korean people. Within the film’s frames are the North Korean people’s unbounded human spirit and determination to reach freedom. Even while risking it all, the Roh family’s sense of unity shines through. Between going in and out of safe houses in unfamiliar and potentially dangerous countries, they share meals, laugh, sing, cry, and also grieve for not being able to bring their dog, Bobo, with them. They express deep sympathy and sorrow for their friends and family who are still in North Korea.
We also learn firsthand how families are forcibly separated as a consequence of the Kim regime’s human rights violations. The senselessness of her son’s capture and knowing that her elderly mother is now under constant surveillance bring tears to Lee So-yeon’s eyes. She is a North Korean escapee, but more importantly, she is a daughter and a mother. Living in the comforts of a free, democratic country means little as she realizes that she is unable to rescue her son or meet with her mother ever again. She is left heartbroken, in despair, and in guilt, unable to repair her family.
Conclusion
More than anything, Beyond Utopia illuminates the personal stories of North Koreans, emphasizing the significance of hearing and seeing directly from North Koreans themselves. Through their own words and lived experiences, the plight of the North Korean people is brought to the forefront of the conversation surrounding the precarious puzzle that is North Korea. As audience members, we must remember that the Kim regime’s severe human rights abuses deserve as much attention as its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. As a global community, we should look beyond great-power competition and geopolitical dynamics to advocate for the human rights of the North Korean people. As fellow human beings, we must remember that North Koreans, too, seek and deserve the opportunity to pursue happiness—the small, blissful moments of living freely with family and friends.
Diana Darae Woo is a recent graduate of Northeastern University's M.S. in Global Studies and International Relations program. In October 2023, she began interning at HRNK to pursue her passion for international human rights.
[1] Beyond Utopia. [Film] Directed by: Madeleine Gavin. USA: Ideal Partners, 19340 Productions, XRM Media, Random Good Foundation, Two Chairs Films, Human Rights Foundation; 2023.
2. N. Korea says Kim guided simulated nuclear counterattack drill
Is the regime sending a subtle signal and shifting from first use of nuclear weapons to a counterattack using nuclear weapons. Does Kim want us to think or know that he will not conduct a surprise attack using nuclear weapons but instead will only use them after an attack? Is that a message for us or is that a message for domestic propaganda to show the people that they have a real threat from the South and the ROK/US alliance? They want to portray the alliance as the belligerent aggressor. I think the latter is the reason.
(LEAD) N. Korea says Kim guided simulated nuclear counterattack drill | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · April 23, 2024
(ATTN: ADDS details throughout, photos)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has conducted a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket launchers, state media said Tuesday, a day after South Korea said the North fired short-range missiles into the East Sea.
Leader Kim Jong-un guided the drill held Monday to operate super-large multiple rocket units that will have an "important role in substantially strengthening the prompt counterattack capacity of the state nuclear force," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
"The drill ... is a clear warning signal to the enemies as it was conducted at a time when the enemies' military confrontation racket against the DPRK is being committed with extremely provocative and aggressive nature," the KCNA said.
On Monday, South Korea's military said the North fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, three days after the North conducted what it claimed to be a super-large warhead power test for a strategic cruise missile and test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile into the Yellow Sea.
The latest launches came as South Korea and the United States have been conducting a two-week joint annual air exercise to strengthen readiness against the North's military threats.
The North has used such drills as a pretext for its military provocations, with the KCNA on Tuesday denouncing the latest joint exercise as an attempt to "stifle the DPRK by force," using the acronym for the North's formal name.
North Korea conducts a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack, attended by leader Kim Jong-un, on April 22, 2024, in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
During the exercise, units practiced switching to a nuclear counterattack posture in the event that the highest level of nuclear crisis alarm, "Hwasan," is issued, as well as firing super-large multiple rocket launcher shells tipped with simulated nuclear warheads, according to the KCNA.
The launched missiles "accurately" hit the target island within a 352-kilometer range, it added.
The North's super-large multiple rocket launch system is classified as a short-range missile that could put the entire South Korean territory within range. Pyongyang has claimed a tactical nuclear warhead could be mounted on such a weapon.
The KCNA said Kim expressed great satisfaction over the drill and called for continued efforts to deter and take the initiative in a war "in any time and any sudden situation."
"He appreciated with satisfaction... the plan of the Party Central Committee for building the nuclear force on expanding the operation space of tactical nuclear attack and diversifying it has been translated into reality," it said.
North Korea conducts a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack, attended by leader Kim Jong-un (C), on April 22, 2024, in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
This compilation image, released by the Korean Central News Agency on April 23, 2024, shows North Korea carrying out a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving "super-large" multiple rocket launchers the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · April 23, 2024
3. S. Korea, U.S. hold consultations on nuclear energy, nonproliferation
Sustained high level diplomacy.
S. Korea, U.S. hold consultations on nuclear energy, nonproliferation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · April 23, 2024
SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States held consultations to discuss bilateral cooperation in nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
At the meeting held in Seoul the previous day, Kweon Ki-hwan, the deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, and Jill Hruby, under secretary for nuclear security of the U.S. Department of Energy, stressed that nuclear cooperation is an "important pillar" of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
They also agreed to bolster ties in the supply of nuclear fuel, management of spent nuclear fuel and joint research on nuclear nonproliferation, according to the ministry.
Kweon Ki-hwan (R), South Korea's deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, poses for a photo with Jill Hruby, under secretary for nuclear security of the U.S. Department of Energy, on April 22, 2024, in this photo provided by the ministry the following day. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Yi Wonju · April 23, 2024
4. S. Korea to launch 1st nanosatellite this week, part of satellite constellation project
S. Korea to launch 1st nanosatellite this week, part of satellite constellation project | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 23, 2024
SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is set to launch a homegrown earth observation nanosatellite into space this week, as part of its plan to create the country's satellite constellation by 2027, the science ministry said Tuesday.
The nanosatellite, the first unit of the envisioned satellite constellation, will be launched from Rocket Lab's spaceport in Mahia, New Zealand, at around 10:08 a.m. Wednesday (local time), according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.
The satellite, named NEONSAT-1, will be launched on Rocket Lab's Electron rocket along with the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System created by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NEONSAT stands for New-space Earth Observation SATellite constellation for national safety.
This image shows NEONSAT-1, South Korea's homegrown earth observation nanosatellite later to be a part of a satellite constellation, provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT on April 23, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
NEONSAT-1, less than 100 kilograms in weight, will be the first among 11 nanosatellites to form a satellite constellation to monitor and take images of the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters.
South Korea plans to launch five more nanosatellites into the space in June 2026 and five more in September 2027, according to the ministry.
This image provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT on April 23, 2024, shows the kick stage of Rocket Lab's Electron rocket which will carry NEONSAT-1, South Korea's homegrown earth observation nanosatellite later to be a part of a satellite constellation, into the space. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
nyway@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 23, 2024
5. Yoon, Romanian president agree to strengthen cooperation in defense, nuclear energy
Another client for a partner in the Arsenal of Democracy.
Yoon, Romanian president agree to strengthen cooperation in defense, nuclear energy | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · April 23, 2024
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis agreed Tuesday to boost cooperation in the defense and nuclear energy sectors as part of efforts to strengthen their countries' strategic partnership.
The two leaders reached the agreement during a summit held on the second day of Iohannis' four-day official visit to South Korea, which produced a joint statement on strengthening the strategic partnership established in 2008.
President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) shakes hands with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis during their summit meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on April 23, 2024, in this photo provided by Yoon's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue their bilateral dialogue and consultations on defense-related issues, including through the Joint Defense Industry and Logistics Committee, to exchange information and to increase their cooperation in the defense industry field, through joint production of military equipment and defense technology cooperation," the statement said.
"Both sides also agreed to cooperate in the fields of military education and training, military medicine, sports and cultural exchanges, exchange of information and experience."
Negotiations are currently under way to export various weapons systems to Romania, after the country placed an order for South Korea's Chiron surface-to-air missiles last November, according to the presidential office.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in the nuclear energy sector while reaffirming their commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels.
"In order to combat the effects of climate change and with the aim to increase energy security in their respective regions, both sides will increase cooperation through bilateral consultations, participation in joint energy projects with a focus on technologies for nuclear energy, both for large scale, and small modular reactors, hydrogen, renewable energy and increased investments," the statement said.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (4th from L) and his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis (4th from R), hold talks at the presidential office in Seoul on April 23, 2024. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
To explore areas of cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, Iohannis plans to visit a Doosan Enerbility plant in Changwon, 298 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Wednesday. The company specializes in building plants and providing solutions in the thermal, nuclear and renewable energy sectors.
The two sides also agreed on the need for closer cooperation against threats to the rules-based international order, such as Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
On the occasion of the summit, the countries signed five accords: an agreement on defense cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cultural and sports cooperation, an MOU on nuclear energy cooperation, an agreement on cooperation in emergency disaster situations and disaster safety control, and an MOU on promoting bilateral trade and investment.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · April 23, 2024
6. Hanwha Aerospace likely to sign additional deal for Chunmoo with Poland: sources
I hope the ROK and Poland can work through the political and financial challenges in Poland with the defense deals.
(LEAD) Hanwha Aerospace likely to sign additional deal for Chunmoo with Poland: sources | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 23, 2024
(ATTN: UPDATES with defense minister's meeting with Polish official in paras 8-9; ADDS photo)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korean defense firm Hanwha Aerospace Co. is expected to export an additional batch of Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Poland, a deal estimated at around 2.2 trillion won (US$1.6 billion), multiple sources said Tuesday.
A Polish delegation, led by Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda, plans to observe a test-firing of the K239 Chunmoo MLRS at the state-run Agency for Defense Development's Anheung testing site in Taean, 109 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Wednesday.
A successful test of the system, modified to fit a Polish military vehicle, is expected to lead to a deal, sources familiar with the issue said.
As Poland committed to buying 288 units of the Chunmoo and signed a contract to purchase 218 units in November 2022, the anticipated deal is likely to cover the remaining 70 units, they noted.
Hanwha Aerospace Co. displays the K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system during an International Defence Industry Exhibition held in Kielce, Poland, on Sept. 5, 2023, in this file photo provided by the South Korean defense firm. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The MLRS is one of the Korean weapons systems Poland bought to bolster its defenses in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.
In 2022, Poland signed procurement deals worth 17 trillion won to buy K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft and Chunmoo, marking South Korea's largest-ever arms sales abroad.
The delegation has been in South Korea to observe weapons systems, review their performances and discuss terms of contracts with industry and military officials.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik (L) holds talks with Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda (R) at the defense ministry in Seoul on April 23, 2024, in this photo provided by Shin's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
On Tuesday, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik met with Bejda to discuss ways to expand the bilateral defense cooperation in areas of cross-training of weapons systems, military education and cyber security, the defense ministry said.
During the talks, Shin pledged support for the Korean weapons systems' integration in the Polish national defense, and expressed hope for additional contracts and defense industry cooperation, it said.
During their weeklong trip running through Saturday, the Polish officials are scheduled to visit K2 manufacturer Hyundai Rotem Co., K9 maker Hanwha Aerospace and aircraft manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., according to industry officials.
Their visit comes at a time when South Korea is mulling ways to provide state-backed loans and other financial packages to support another round of weapons deals with Poland, estimated at a total of 30 trillion won.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 23, 2024
7. U.S. Takes Aim at Chinese Banks Aiding Russia War Effort
Will they also include Chinese banks that are supporting north Korea since north Korea is providing support to Russia?
U.S. Takes Aim at Chinese Banks Aiding Russia War Effort
Washington says Beijing’s dual-use trade has helped Moscow rebuild its war machine
https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-takes-aim-at-chinese-banks-aiding-russia-war-effort-fcf76dcc?mod=hp_lead_pos1
By Ian Talley
Follow and Alan Cullison
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Updated April 23, 2024 12:00 am ET
A Moscow bus stop shows an ad for military conscription. PHOTO: YURI KOCHETKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK
The U.S. is drafting sanctions that threaten to cut some Chinese banks off from the global financial system, arming Washington’s top envoy with diplomatic leverage that officials hope will stop Beijing’s commercial support of Russia’s military production, according to people familiar with the matter.
But as Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Beijing on Tuesday, the question is whether even the threat of the U.S. using one of its most potent tools of financial coercion can put a dent in complex and burgeoning trade between Beijing and Moscow that has allowed the Kremlin to rebuild a military badly mauled by more than two years of fighting in Ukraine.
China has heeded Western warnings not to send arms to Russia since the beginning of the war, but since Blinken’s trip to Beijing last year, China’s exports of commercial goods that also have military uses have surged. With China now the primary supplier of circuitry, aircraft parts, machines and machine tools, U.S. officials say Beijing’s aid has allowed Moscow to rebuild its military industrial capacity.
The West now worries Russia could win against Ukraine in a war of attrition, particularly if allies don’t mobilize their own industries to match Russian production.
Blinken and other top cabinet officials have been sounding the alarm among Western allies, including last week at a meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations in Capri, Italy.
But this time as he heads to China, officials are counting on the threat of Chinese banks losing access to the dollar and the risk of roiling trade ties with Europe persuading Beijing to change tack. The banks serve as key intermediaries for the commercial exports to Russia, handling payments and providing client companies credit for trade transactions.
“China can’t have it both ways,” Blinken said in Capri. “It can’t purport to want to have positive friendly relations with countries in Europe, and at the same time be fueling the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, in Capri, Italy, for a Group of Seven meeting last week. PHOTO: CLAUDIA GRECO/REUTERS
U.S. officials say targeting banks with sanctions is an escalatory option in case the diplomatic overtures fail to persuade Beijing to curb its exports. U.S. officials have ramped up pressure on Beijing in recent weeks in private meetings and calls, warning that Washington is ready to take action against Chinese financial institutions handling trade in such dual-use goods.
“Any banks that facilitate significant transactions that channel military or dual-use goods to Russia’s defense industrial base expose themselves to the risk of U.S. sanctions,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen earlier this month amid meetings with counterparts in Beijing.
Officials say they hope the combined Western diplomatic pressure will avert the need to take an action that could break a fragile detente between the two powers. Cutting banks off from access to the dollar—the denomination of most of global trade—has much broader implications than normal sanctions targeting individuals and firms, and so are often reserved as a last resort. Such sanctions often force banks into failure, affecting their entire customer and client base, and represent a particular risk for China as the country grapples with growing credit problems.
In the past, however, the mere threat to target banks have had short-lived results. In December, President Biden signed an executive order that gave the Treasury Department authority to sanction banks that aid Russia’s military-industrial complex.
That created bottlenecks in China-Russia trade transactions as major Chinese banks backed out of any roles in facilitating the deals, said Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center think tank and a former employee of Russia’s central bank.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing last year. PHOTO: LOUISE DELMOTTE/ASSOCIATED PRESS
But, she said, those banks have gradually been replaced by more obscure regional Chinese banks with little work in the dollar-denominated economy, and hence less to fear from U.S. sanctions. “Payment chains are slowly being rebuilt,” Prokopenko said. “Both Russians and Chinese are constantly adapting to the new conditions.”
Trade in some of the most critical dual-use goods for Russia’s military surged after Xi’s meeting with Putin in March last year, according to a recent analysis published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. CSIS said the number of shipments of key dual-use goods, including helicopter parts, navigational equipment and the machines used to craft precision parts for weapons and aircraft jumped from just a few thousand a month to nearly 30,000 a month.
“This has ultimately enabled the Kremlin to speed up its weapons production, including armor, artillery, missiles, and drones, and put up an effective defense against Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive,” said Max Bergmann, a senior fellow at CSIS.
At the outset of the war, Xi appeared sensitive to calls from the West to refrain from shipping military equipment to Russia, but since then the Chinese have found workarounds. The Chinese don’t provide them with anything that looks like a weapon,” said a senior European diplomat based in Washington. “The components we are talking about—chips, machinery, tools—these are components you put into a weapon.”
Part of the challenge the U.S. faces is that the trade isn’t just a strategic investment for Putin, but also for Xi, the diplomat said. The two men, who have met dozens of times, spent years laying the groundwork for closer trade ties before the invasion of Ukraine, including by fostering more trade in ruble and yuan as a way to insulate their economies from Western sanctions, the official said.
“I don’t think Putin would have had the courage to start the war without understanding that the Chinese would support him technologically,” the diplomat said.
Olaf Scholz, chancellor of Germany, acknowledged China’s refusal to sell weapons to Russia during his meetings in Beijing last week. PHOTO: MICHAEL KAPPELER/ZUMA PRESS
The Chinese shipments to Russia have been critical to reassembling parts of the Russian military broken and destroyed by the first disastrous year of its invasion in 2022, say officials and analysts. The trade has also helped mitigate a labor shortage Western officials had hoped would cause the economy to buckle. But the Chinese supply lines will also be important to the resilience of Russia’s military production in the coming years as it launches offensives to take new Ukraine territory.
China’s foreign ministry calls the sanctions against its firms, including for dual-use shipments, “economic coercion, unilateralism and bullying.”
“China will continue to do what is necessary to firmly safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies,” the ministry’s spokesman told reporters in a recent press conference.
Washington’s European allies have shown even more reticence to apply punitive measures against a major trade partner and financier, sanctioning only a fraction of the scores of firms put on U.S. rosters.
Olaf Scholz, chancellor of Germany, acknowledged China’s refusal to sell weapons to Russia during his meetings in Beijing last week. Germany and some other key European allies had been satisfied with that no-arms policy as enough.
“Now there’s an effort to adjust that in part because of the scale of Chinese support,” a former senior U.S. national security official said. “The hope is that we get the Europeans to read China the riot act.”
Scholz hinted at a change in policy after his meetings, though when pressed by reporters, he declined to elaborate. “The question of dual-use should not be ignored either,” he said.
The U.S. believes that Europe’s financial and trade ties with China means it has more diplomatic sway than Washington over Beijing.
“There is underused leverage by the West, especially given the dollar and euro dominance in the financial system,” said Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at CSIS and one of the chief authors of its recent report. “That could be one promising avenue to deal with the problem.”
Lingling Wei contributed to this article.
Write to Ian Talley at Ian.Talley@wsj.com and Alan Cullison at alan.cullison@wsj.com
8. Smuggling of used cars into North Korea rises amid post-COVID demand
Excerpts:
In early April, a North Korean living in China told RFA that he reached out to a Chinese trader in Dandong to ask about buying used cars.
The North Korean expatriate said he asked the trader to properly inspect the used cars to see if they were in good condition, and also suggested some prices.
“Are there a lot of used cars going from China to North Korea these days?” the trader asked.
“Yes,” the expatriate responded.
Since there is no credit used in the used car transactions, the trader told the expatriate he always waits until he has received payment from his North Korean buyers before sending the used cars across the border.
The North Korean source who knew about the crossings into Yanggang province said that Chinese customs officials are aware of the used car smuggling but turn a blind eye in exchange for bribes.
Chinese officials must also pretend not to know about the smuggling to avoid being implicated in the violation of U.N. sanctions against North Korea.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397, passed in 2017, is meant to deprive Pyongyang of cash and resources that could be funneled into its nuclear and missile programs.
Smuggling of used cars into North Korea rises amid post-COVID demand
Vehicles are being driven across the narrow upper reaches of the Yalu River, sources said.
By Cheon Soram for RFA Korean
2024.04.22
rfa.org
A recent surge in demand for used cars in North Korea has triggered an increase in car smuggling from China, with dozens of vehicles crossing a shallow section of the Yalu River every day, several sources told Radio Free Asia.
The used vehicles include a variety of cars that are often dismantled once they reach North Korea so that their parts can be used for the repair and maintenance of other vehicles, the sources said.
Trucks are also among the recent imports, raising the possibility that they’re needed on development projects emphasized by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Cars were regularly smuggled into North Korea before 2020, even though U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397 prohibits the export of passenger vehicles into the country.
But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing and Pyongyang closed down the border and suspended all trade, which also stopped the smuggling. That led to pent-up demand for used vehicles and automotive parts, according to Choi Jangho of the South Korea-based Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.
Car dealers and customers walk at a second-hand car market near a newly built residential area in Hefei, Anhui province, Jan. 26, 2013. (Stringer/Reuters)
Because of the U.N. sanctions, buyers of the used cars can’t bring them through the Changbai-Hyesan Bridge into North Korea’s Yanggang province through official means, a North Korean source told RFA, citing discussions with local traders.
“But if you go upward, you will reach the upper reaches of the Yalu River,” he said. “There is not much water these days, so even when a car fords over the river, only half of the wheels are submerged.”
Satellite images
RFA looked at locations suspected of being used for car smuggling through satellite images, and got some help interpreting them from experts.
About 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) upriver from the Changbai-Hyesan Bridge, the Yalu River narrows to about 35 meters (yards) and the river’s depth becomes shallow with a hard-enough bottom that would make it an ideal spot for vehicles to pass.
In one satellite image, exposed stones from the river bed could be seen, said Bruce Songhak Chung, a researcher at the South Korea-based Korean Institute for Security and Strategy.
“The whitewater current shows that the river is shallow enough for people to easily cross, and that there are more stones and pebbles than sand,” he told RFA.
There are several other sections of the Yalu River near North Korea’s Yanggang province where smugglers could easily bring in used cars, according to Choi Jangho.
“The Yalu River there is shallow, so you can just pass by,” he said. “As many [cars] as you would like.”
Second hand cars are displayed at the Guangjun Used Auto Market in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, Nov. 22, 2013. (Kelvin Chan/AP)
Several sources said most of the cars are purchased in Changbai Korean Autonomous County in China’s Jilin province, just across the border from Yanggang province.
But some are purchased in the city of Dandong, which lies across from the North Korean city of Sinuiju near where the Yalu River meets the Yellow Sea.
Turning a blind-eye
In early April, a North Korean living in China told RFA that he reached out to a Chinese trader in Dandong to ask about buying used cars.
The North Korean expatriate said he asked the trader to properly inspect the used cars to see if they were in good condition, and also suggested some prices.
“Are there a lot of used cars going from China to North Korea these days?” the trader asked.
“Yes,” the expatriate responded.
Since there is no credit used in the used car transactions, the trader told the expatriate he always waits until he has received payment from his North Korean buyers before sending the used cars across the border.
The North Korean source who knew about the crossings into Yanggang province said that Chinese customs officials are aware of the used car smuggling but turn a blind eye in exchange for bribes.
Chinese officials must also pretend not to know about the smuggling to avoid being implicated in the violation of U.N. sanctions against North Korea.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397, passed in 2017, is meant to deprive Pyongyang of cash and resources that could be funneled into its nuclear and missile programs.
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
rfa.org
9. ＜Inside N. Korea＞ Crackdown on primitive slash-and-burn farmers who hide in the mountains shows Kim Jong-un’s uncompromising efforts to control his population
Question for Korea watchers and the intelligence community. How effectively can people hide in the mountains in north Korea? Are there "sanctuary aress" inside the north?
And is this report another indicator of potential internal instability?
＜Inside N. Korea＞ Crackdown on primitive slash-and-burn farmers who hide in the mountains shows Kim Jong-un’s uncompromising efforts to control his population
asiapress.org
(FILE PHOTO) People going up a mountain to cultivate a field. Taken by Mindeullae in the mountains in the northern part of the country in June 2013 (ASIAPRESS)
North Korean authorities have launched a major crackdown on people who live in secluded areas in the mountains and cultivate fields to survive, a reporting partner in the northern part of the country told ASIAPRESS in early April. They are using very coercive tactics, including mobilizing enforcement personnel to destroy temporary shelters people have built in the mountains. We look into the background of why the authorities are so obsessed with cracking down on slash-and-burn farmers, the lowest class in North Korea. (JEON Sung-jun / KANG Ji-won)
◆ Following the COVID outbreak, an increasing number of slash-and-burn farmers are from the cities
Slash-and-burn farmers refers to farmers who set fire to mountains to clear and cultivate fields. The term for slash-and-burn farmers in Korean, “hwajeonmin,” also means “fugitive” in the North Korean context. This is because they illegally left their homes and went into hiding in the mountains.
Slash-and-burn farmers began to appear in North Korea in the mid-1990s, in response to the social turmoil and hunger that swept the country. They turned their backs on civilization and moved deep into the mountains, away from the reach of state power, where they built huts and began farming.
While the huts may sound romantic to some, they are very primitive living arrangements with minimal protection from wind and rain. Living in the mountains without a proper house, electricity, running water, or neighbors is a harsh existence that is hard for most modern people to imagine.
In effect, slash-and-burn farmers are sort of like domestic refugees. Initially, they were mainly from rural areas where they were familiar with the mountains and used to farming, but recently, there have been many slash-and-burn farmers originally from urban areas.
◆ Up to 10 people from each neighborhood watch unit are going into the mountains
According to information sent by a reporting partner living in a northern city in early April, the number of people going into the mountains has increased, even in urban areas, as North Korea has sealed its borders and tightened domestic population controls since the COVID pandemic broke out in January 2020.
"Even in my neighborhood, a lot of people went into the mountains last year, and I heard that there are usually five to as many as 10 people going to the mountains from each neighborhood watch unit."
※ Neighborhood watch units are North Korea’s lowest administrative units and are typically made up of 60-80 people.
(FILE PHOTO) A mountain without a single tree. Densely cleared fields are visible up the steep slopes. There is no more land to work near their homes, so slash-and-burn farmers head deep into the mountains. Taken from the Chinese side of the border across from Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, in May 2010, by LEE Jin-su (ASIAPRESS)
◆ Government uses neighborhood watch units to intensify monitoring of slash-and-burn farmers, destroying huts and even forcing people to leave mountainous areas
North Korea’s government has been cracking down on slash-and-burn farmers since they began to appear, but this year, the authorities have intensified their efforts to eliminate these farmers. In addition to crackdowns, the authorities have recently been monitoring their activities through neighborhood watch units, according to the reporting partner.
"The authorities don't know when and where they go (into the mountains), so the government is informing people through neighborhood watch units not to go into the mountains under the pretext of preventing forest fires or preventing damage to forests.”
She added: "The forestry administration office or forest monitoring team tells people not to start forest fires, and they go around looking for fire pits, tearing them down and chasing slash-and-burn farmers away," the reporting partner said, adding that one person who went up to the mountain had to come back down because his hut was destroyed.
※ Forestry Administration Office: A government department that manages the nation’s forests to ensure they are used in an efficient manner.
※ Forest Monitoring Team: A government agency that monitors and cracks down on people who illegally farm in forested areas or damage forests.
◆ The government’s real goal is to control its people
"In winter, it's too cold to live in the mountains, so the farmers come down before going back up in the spring. However, the government turns a blind eye to the elderly and only crackdown on young people. The purpose is to prevent (young people) from skipping out on organizational life, disappearing, defecting, or otherwise getting into trouble."
The government’s measures to control the population, which also threaten the livelihoods of slash-and-burn farmers, have led to growing discontent among North Korean people.
"People who are trying to live somehow (in the mountains) are complaining that they don't know what they did wrong to deserve such a hard life."
The Kim Jong-un regime's crackdowns on slash-and-burn farmers fits into the larger context of its ongoing efforts following the start of the COVID pandemic to exert greater control over society. More specifically, the government aims to exert control over land and people that have been outside of the state's control.
As the crackdowns and controls intensify, the unhappiness of slash-and-burn farmers as they prepare for the spring planting is only growing.
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
A map of North Korea (ASIAPRESS)
asiapress.org
10. Korea is Having its AI Moment
This article makes me think of what perhaps are some out of the box questions: How can AI help in seeking a free and unified Korea? What role can/should/will AI play in the unification process? I have no answer and right now I cannot think of an answer. But I am sure there are some smart people out there who might see the application of AI in support of the unification process.
Korea is Having its AI Moment
https://keia.org/the-peninsula/korea-is-having-its-ai-moment/?utm
Published April 22, 2024
Author: Tom Ramage
Category: South Korea
The world is in a technology revolution surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Companies are competing to scoop up the best AI talent, and each is looking to be the first to shore up partnerships with the top firms. Among others, Meta with Dell to cooperate on Llama 2; Apple with Google to incorporate their Gemini AI; and OpenAI with its own veritable roster including a $100 billion data center partnership with Microsoft while it courts investment from a who’s who in Silicon Valley titans.
AI technologies use systems trained on large data sets. Korea’s role as the global center of memory chip technologies used in AI data storage systems means it is playing a central role in the AI transition and it is one of the many factors contributing to the international attention it is receiving for AI collaboration—all of which gives it firm footing in the race to deploy new technologies surrounding the propitiously dubbed AI boom.
This has led Silicon Valley leaders to actively engage with Korea, where they seek audiences with President Yoon Suk Yeol and the leading technology figures within the country. Accordingly, the first two months of 2024 saw visits to Korea by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg—both in pursuit of AI cooperation.
Judging by the focus Korean companies are placing in AI innovation, they are not wrong. Samsung consistently appears in the top ranks for its number of AI-related patents, while SK Hynix is set to supply NVIDIA with the high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips needed to power the graphics processing units (GPUs) used in their AI-centric semiconductors. Moreover, the Korean government’s plans, such as the $471.4 billion Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, reflect a concerted effort to drive the country’s AI capabilities forward, which is spurring a corresponding rush of investor confidence. In the wake of the flurry of investment announcements surrounding Korean chip companies role in AI, share prices for both SK Hynix and Samsung have ascended rapidly and analysts are saying there’s more to come as the HBM market looks to expand a thousand percent by 2026. Consequently, Korean companies are placing big bets on their advanced chip packaging operations, and it’s spilling over to the United States where Korean companies are making full use of the generous incentives set aside by the CHIPS Act. As such, even Korean power equipment companies are riding the wave of success from their role in supplying the boom as energy intensive AI data centers begin to make their full debut.
Simultaneously, American firms are pouring money into Seoul-based AI startups, fostering a mutually beneficial exchange of resources and expertise. Bolstered by one of the top electronics markets in the world, these deals are inundating Korean firms with partnerships to deploy advanced GPUs and develop AI search engines and customer chatbots. Accordingly, recent placements by Moreh, CCK Solution, and others on Hugging Faces’s large language model (LLM) benchmark show Korean companies as international leaders in LLM development used for AI, while Kakao and KT on their way to joining the ranks of Naver, LG, and Samsung in developing AI chatbots shows great promise for the Korean AI business—especially as they expand to cover languages beyond Korean. All of this is part of why Korea is one of the leading countries in its overall depth of AI scale-up.
Selection of Recent US-Korea AI Deals
DateAmerican EntityKorean EntityProjectApril 9, 2024
Intel
Naver
Integration of Intel’s Gaudi 3 processor into Naver’s cloud LLM infrastructureMarch 27, 2024
Google Cloud
NCSOFT
Joint commitment to advance AI, cloud, and productivity initiativesMarch 12, 2024
Bear Robotics
LG Electronics
$60 million strategic investment led by LG into Bear Robotics to advance development in AI food delivery robotsFebruary 29, 2024
Amazon Web Services
KT
Partnership to develop generative AI using Amazon BedrockFebruary 27, 2024
Amazon Web Services
LG U+
AI utilization collaboration agreementFebruary 27, 2024
Humane
SK Telecom
Partnership for SK Telecom to be exclusive provider for Humane’s Ai Pin in Korea February 26, 2024
Perplexity
SK Telecom
Partnership for SK Telecom to offer Perplexitiy’s AI-based search engine in its services
January 30, 2024
Rockwell Automation
MakinaRocks
Strategic partnership to integrate AI into industrial automation
January 30, 2024
Sivoo
Furiosa
Sivoo to deploy Furiosa’s AI ‘Warboy’ accelerator card for generative AI tasks
November 6, 2023
Imprimed
SK Telecom
SK Telecom investment into Imprimed to launch AI healthcare business
November 3, 2023
New York City
American Chamber of Commerce in Korea
LNG CNS
MOU with New York City and American Chamber of Commerce in Korea for LG CNS to apply new DX technologies such as AI to New York CityOctober 26, 2023
AMD
Moreh
$22 combined Series B investment by AMD and KT into Moreh, using AMD GPUs as alternative to NVIDIA October 24, 2023
Nvidia
Intel
Twelve Labs
$10 million Series A funding by NVIDIA, Intel into Korean AI Startup Twelve Labs
October 23, 2023
Koop
Hyundai-Kia
Strategic investment by Hyundai-Kia in Koop to produce product development for autonomous vehicles
October 6, 2024
Microsoft
WRTN
Agreement for WRTN to expand the use of Microsoft Azure across its AI toolsSeptember 22, 2023
NYU
KAIST
Agreement to collaborate on AI and digital technology research August 15, 2023
Anthropic
SK Telecom
Partnership to develop large language model. $100 million investment from SK Telecom into Anthropic
July 13, 2023
Google
Ministry of Science and ICT
Partnership for AI Developer Training Program
July 4, 2023
Google
WRTN
Implementation of Google’s PaLM 2 LLM into WRTN’s AI tools
October 3, 2022
NVIDIA
2Digit
Technical cooperation on natural language processing and artificial intelligence
Accompanying this is the Korean government’s forward-thinking vision for the technology’s development. The Digital Strategy of Korea unveiled in September 2022 earmarks roughly $750 million through 2026 to develop core technologies for AI semiconductors; efforts which were complemented this month when President Yoon announced roughly $7 billion in new investment to expand development in AI chips. Meanwhile Korea’s K-Cloud project separately works to heavily subsidize the development of NPU chips, which are specifically designed for processing machine learning algorithms, for AI data centers.
All of which is done with an eye towards responsible governance. Korea’s Digital Bill of Rights, which preceded the United States’ own Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights released in October 2022, enshrines safe utilization protections into the use of digital technologies.
President Yoon has embarked on a global campaign calling for close cooperation between governments to create a framework for AI governance—something which was iterated in the commitments outlined at the Camp David Summit between the United States, Korea, and Japan in August. This has been manifested both as an undertone of the 2024 Summit for Democracy and through Korea’s involvement in hosting the AI Safety Summit and REAIM Summit later this year, where we are likely to see more done surrounding the makings of an international governance framework
As governments worldwide are beginning to understand both the promise and potential of AI in transforming the economy, Korea’s investments in chips, tech talent, and relationships with US companies have all the makings of a first mover advantage with the potential for US-Korea economic partnerships to flourish.
Tom Ramage is an Economic Policy Analyst at the Korea Economic Institute of America. The views expressed here are the author’s alone.
Photo from Shutterstock.
KEI is registered under the FARA as an agent of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, a public corporation established by the government of the Republic of Korea. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
11. N. Koreans scoff at government's propaganda about childcare programs
Sp the specialist workers paradise does not provide everythings for the people free of charge?
Excerpts:
“There are families with three children here [in Hyesan], but they haven’t received any benefits from the government. It makes me feel bad just to see the struggles of families with many children. Imagine how ridiculous this [article] would seem to them,” the source said.
The biggest problem, the source said, is that many families cannot send their children to nurseries or kindergartens because they are expected to pay for everything but water.
Under these circumstances, some North Koreans grumble that free dairy products from the government are of little use if they cannot even afford child care.
“More and more parents these days are telling their children not to have children because they don’t want their children to suffer like they have. If the government programs were any help, I doubt they’d be saying that,” the source said.
“They keep printing nice sounding stories that may sound plausible to people on the outside who don’t know what’s really happening. But the reality is that children continue to die of malnutrition,” he continued, adding: “It would be better if they didn’t do this kind of propaganda. The claims that the party’s childcare programs are giving children better nutrition and taking away parents’ worries only make people more upset.”
N. Koreans scoff at government's propaganda about childcare programs - Daily NK English
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Un · April 23, 2024
A photo taken in August 2012 of children in North Korea. (Nicor, Wikimedia Commons)
North Korea continues to spread propaganda about the ruling party’s childcare programs, including the distribution of free dairy products to children. Recently, the party even ran a story in the Rodong Sinmun quoting grateful members of the public. But some North Koreans grumble that few actually benefit from these childcare programs.
“Many parents in Hyesan cannot afford to send their children to nurseries or kindergartens. So people scoff at the nonstop propaganda in the Rodong Sinmun and on TV about how the party’s love makes it possible to raise children without any worries,” a source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on April 19, speaking on condition of anonymity.
At its third plenary session in June, the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea took the unusual step of discussing an agenda item on improving and strengthening the party’s childcare programs.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un emphasized the importance of childcare programs with the following words: “Considering that children are the future of our country, ensuring that they grow up strong is a revolutionary program of the utmost importance. Improving childcare conditions regardless of the cost is the top priority and the greatest goal of the Party and the government.”
The following year, in February 2022, the Supreme People’s Assembly passed the Childcare Law at its sixth session, mandating that childcare conditions be improved and that children be provided with dairy products and other nutritious foods. Since then, the Party has continued to propagandize about its childcare programs.
For example, the Rodong Sinmun printed an article titled “Voices of Gratitude for the Mother Party’s Childcare Programs” on the second page of its Apr. 9 issue. But according to the source, several Hyesan residents who came across the article were astonished at how far removed it was from reality.
The article in question quoted Ju Yeong-hui, a resident of Songsin-1 in Sadong District, as saying that she felt confident about raising five children thanks to the party’s tireless efforts on behalf of the next generation. Ju added that she was able to move into a new house on Songhwa Street two years ago because of special benefits for families with multiple children.
“There are families with three children here [in Hyesan], but they haven’t received any benefits from the government. It makes me feel bad just to see the struggles of families with many children. Imagine how ridiculous this [article] would seem to them,” the source said.
The biggest problem, the source said, is that many families cannot send their children to nurseries or kindergartens because they are expected to pay for everything but water.
Under these circumstances, some North Koreans grumble that free dairy products from the government are of little use if they cannot even afford child care.
“More and more parents these days are telling their children not to have children because they don’t want their children to suffer like they have. If the government programs were any help, I doubt they’d be saying that,” the source said.
“They keep printing nice sounding stories that may sound plausible to people on the outside who don’t know what’s really happening. But the reality is that children continue to die of malnutrition,” he continued, adding: “It would be better if they didn’t do this kind of propaganda. The claims that the party’s childcare programs are giving children better nutrition and taking away parents’ worries only make people more upset.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Un · April 23, 2024
12. Early launch of defense cost sharing talks won't eliminate 'Trump risk': experts
If he becomes president it will be imperative for Korea to show how the alliance helps Trump "win." Korea must bring Trump "wins" - economic, diplomatic, and military. But even that may not overcome his ignorant and uninformed views on the alliance and cost sharing.
Early launch of defense cost sharing talks won't eliminate 'Trump risk': experts
The Korea Times · April 23, 2024
Korean and U.S. troops participate in a joint river-crossing drill at a training ground in the border county of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, March 20. Yonhap
Korea-US hold negotiations in Hawaii Tuesday
By Lee Hyo-jin
An early start to defense cost sharing negotiations between Korea and the United States is unlikely to fully mitigate the so-called "Trump risk," analysts said, as the allies are set to begin their first round of talks to determine how much Korea should contribute to the cost of stationing American soldiers here from 2026.
The Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations, which outline Seoul's financial obligations for stationing 28,500 U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops, are scheduled to kick off in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tuesday (local time) and will run through Thursday, according to Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The discussions, led by Korea's chief negotiator, Lee Tae-woo, and his U.S. counterpart, Linda Specht, involve foreign, defense and economic officials from the two sides.
The negotiations will determine costs starting from 2026, with the current six-year SMA set to expire at the end of 2025. The early start, with one year and eight months remaining until expiration, deviates from the previous timeline of typically beginning talks one year before expiration.
Yang Uk, a defense analyst at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, believes that the possibility of former U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House led the allies to initiate negotiations earlier than usual.
However, he was skeptical about whether Korea will achieve its desired outcome.
"I think it's not a bad move for Korea to launch the discussions early. But beginning talks on an earlier timeframe does not guarantee that it will be able to achieve its goal of reaching an agreement early to prevent Trump, if reelected, from making radical demands for increased funding," Yang told The Korea Times.
"From Korea's perspective, negotiating with the Joe Biden administration would likely be easier than with Trump. Yet, the government should bear in mind that Trump could easily overturn the agreement. Various plans should be made under such a scenario," he added.
During his tenure, Trump pressed Korea for a fivefold increase in its share of defense costs, straining the decades-long bilateral alliance and significantly delaying the signing of a renewed deal.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters as he attends a rally in Schnecksville, Pa., April 13. Reuters-Yonhap
Now, with Trump seeking another presidential term and recent polls showing him in a neck-and-neck race with Biden, Korea is bracing for potential "Trump risk" in defense cost sharing.
"Even if the two sides manage to sign a deal earlier than anticipated, there are still concerns that if Trump gets reelected, he might just scrap it. It's not a far-fetched scenario, given his past tendency of disregarding already signed agreements with other nations if he deems them to be unfair to the U.S.," said Cha Du-hyeogn, a senior researcher at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies.
He also pointed out that it would be physically impossible to wrap up the negotiations before the U.S. presidential elections in November.
But the researcher highlighted potential advantages of initiating discussions ahead of schedule, such as addressing a broader range of issues that were often overlooked in previous negotiations, including increasing transparency in expenditures.
"This could also provide leeway for Seoul to make flexible demands, considering the significant concessions it made in the previous 11th SMA," Cha noted.
In the 11th SMA, reached in March 2021 during the Biden administration, the two sides settled on Korea paying 1.18 trillion won ($1.03 billion), marking a 13.9 percent hike from the previous agreement signed in 2019 — the third-largest annual rise for Seoul since the pact was created in 1991.
In that agreement, Korea consented to an annual increase rate of its share in defense costs to align with annual rises in its defense budget. This departure from the previous practice of correlating it with the rise in the consumer price index (CPI) was perceived by critics as imposing a heavier burden on the Asian nation.
The Korea Times · April 23, 2024
13. 3 NK hacking groups execute concerted attack on 10 S. Korean defense firms: police
The all purpose sword at work. We must defend against this and attack it as well.
3 NK hacking groups execute concerted attack on 10 S. Korean defense firms: police
The Korea Times · April 23, 2024
gettyimagesbank
Three key hacking groups from North Korea have infiltrated about 10 South Korean defense firms over the past one and a half years in a concerted attempt to steal defense technologies, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Tuesday.
The police agency disclosed the results following an investigation conducted with the national cyber crisis management team into cyber threats shared by related government organizations.
It marks the first confirmed concerted hacking attack launched by the three notorious North Korean hacking groups — Lazarus, Andariel and Kimsuky — with the aim of stealing defense technologies from South Korean firms, the NPA said.
Since November 2022, Lazarus has hacked into the external computer server of one of the affected firms and implanted malicious codes, eventually taking control of the firm's intranet and transferring key data from six internal computers to an overseas-based cloud server.
Andariel has been stealing defense technology data from another defense firm since October 2022 by illegally obtaining email and password information from a separate firm responsible for remote maintenance and repair work for the defense firm.
Kimsuky also illegally accessed email servers of another defense technology firm and downloaded technology data between April and July last year, the NPA said.
Based on the IP addresses and malicious codes used in the attacks, including what were identified as Nukesped and Tiger RAT, as well as the methods of targeting the most vulnerable software loopholes and building route servers, the police traced the attacks back to the North Korean hacking groups.
Some of the IP addresses were traced to China's Shenyang and identified as the same addresses used in the 2014 hacking attack on the South Korean hydro power agency, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.
Police have confirmed that such attacks had continued for one and a half years until recently. However, due to the expiration of the communication log storage periods and the deletion of traces of the leaks, the exact timeframe and the full extent of the damage remained inconceivable, officials said.
The affected firms themselves had also not been aware of the attacks until the police investigation began.
"In regard to the extent of the damage, the defense ministry and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration will look into the matter thoroughly," an NPA official said, without disclosing the types of leaked technologies, citing confidentiality.
The NPA also speculated that the hacking attack may have been conducted under instructions by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"In the past, it was known that Kimsuky had the role of attacking government organizations and politicians while Lazarus and Andariel had separate roles targeting financial institutions and the military and defense institutions, respectively," the official said.
"The latest investigation confirmed that the three hacking groups launched all-encompassing attacks during an overlapping period for a single purpose," the official said. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · April 23, 2024
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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