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Quotes of the Day:
"We fail to learn the lesson implied by Marshall’s admonition in 1939. To paraphrase, “Before we had time and no money. Now we have money and no time.” We are wasting time and money now. Infuriatingly, thinking is relatively inexpensive except perhaps to one’s career. Buying is easy but expensive. Thinking is hard but cheap. So, what do we do?"
- Robert Simpson
“For most of history anonymous was a woman.”
– Virginia Woolf
"Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.”
– Alex Haley
1. U.S. will take steps for three-way engagement on nuclear deterrence with S. Korea, Japan: Campbell
2. S. Korea's nanosatellite makes successful communication with ground station
3. S. Korea, U.S. to hold energy security dialogue next week
4. U.S. sent ATACMS missiles to Ukraine following Russia's use of N.K. missiles: White House
5. Senior officials from S. Korea, U.S. discuss cooperation in chip industry
6. N. Korea warns of 'practical actions' over U.S. seeking new mechanism to monitor sanctions
7. INTERVIEW: ‘If I had stayed in North Korea, I might have been on the gravy train.’
8. U.S. election outcome not to change direction of S. Korea-U.S. alliance: top Seoul envoy
9. S. Korea to seek global leadership in AI chip, advanced bio, quantum technologies: gov't
10. Australian Navy chief pledges continued support for N.K. sanctions enforcement
11. North threatens retaliation against U.S. plans for new sanctions monitoring
12. U.S. deputy secretary of state says Yoon and Kishida deserve Nobel Peace Prize
13. N. Korea says expansion of AUKUS will turn Asia-Pacific region into 'nuclear minefield'
14. Defenseless against NK hackers
15. N. Korea's youth pretend to be loyal to the state to get the jobs they want
16. Four N. Korean stationmasters arrested for failing to show loyalty to Kim Jong Un
17. Romania discusses cooperation with South Korea for acquisition of K9 howitzers and K2 tanks
18. South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai, Philly Shipyard ink agreement on construction, MRO
19. Exclusive: China harbors ship tied to North Korea-Russia arms transfers, satellite images show
1. U.S. will take steps for three-way engagement on nuclear deterrence with S. Korea, Japan: Campbell
A Nobel for Yoon and Kishida would be a powerful statement by the committee. But I am skeptical as to whether the committee will recognize anyone surrounding Korea issues since the committee was burned by the Nobel for Kim Dae Jung for his meeting with Kim Jong Il due to the transfer of funds to arrange the summit, e.g., "the cash for summit" scandal.
I personally do not think there will be a Nobel for Korea until there is actual unification and the Korean people in the north are freed.
Excerpts:
Campbell cast rapprochement between Seoul and Tokyo as a crucial element of America's drive to bring regional allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific together for cooperation on strategically vital fronts, including technology.
"If we are successful in continuing the path and pace of rapprochement between Japan and South Korea ... if that can continue technologically, politically, strategically and people-to-people, that will have probably the most far-reaching consequential improvement in our partner engagement in the region," he said.
He heaped praise on Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for their fence-mending efforts, noting that their endeavors deserve joint recognition from the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a group responsible for selecting the annual winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.
"If you ask me honestly who deserves the award for really doing something that could make a huge difference on the global stage, I would say that should be a joint award between Kishida and Yoon," he said.
U.S. will take steps for three-way engagement on nuclear deterrence with S. Korea, Japan: Campbell | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 25, 2024
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, April 24 (Yonhap) -- The United States will take steps "in time" to have three-way engagements on nuclear deterrence with South Korea and Japan, a senior U.S. diplomat said Wednesday, reiterating America's "firm" security commitment to the Asian allies.
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell made the remarks, noting ongoing efforts to ensure the credibility of the U.S.' "extended deterrence" commitment through bilateral platforms with the allies in the face of shared challenges, including North Korea's evolving threats.
Extended deterrence refers to America's commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to defend its non-nuclear allies.
"I believe that we will be taking steps in time to have also trilateral engagements on these topics as well," he said during a forum hosted by the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell speaks during a forum hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington on April 24, 2024 in this photo captured from the institute's YouTube account. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Campbell mentioned the plan as he touched on Washington's separate nuclear deterrence dialogue with Seoul and Tokyo at a time of deepening trilateral cooperation buoyed by improved relations between the two Asian neighbors long frayed due to historical feuds.
In particular, he pointed to the Washington Declaration that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden adopted during a summit last April. The declaration included the launch of the Nuclear Consultative Group, a bilateral platform to discuss nuclear and strategic planning issues.
"I think we've taken substantial steps (for Korea)," he said. "These are designed to make clear that our extended deterrence is solid, and we are determined to take the necessary steps to buttress this message of partnership and the nuclear umbrella extended deterrence applies clearly now as in the past."
Emphasizing the role of America's nuclear umbrella, Campbell warned, "If any one country chose to break out, I think you would have possibly a chain reaction that would be deeply concerning."
Campbell was apparently alluding to a scenario under which a country goes nuclear, leading others to follow suit.
"I think it is a critical component of America's foreign policy and national security to take the necessary steps to reassure leaders that our commitment remains firm," he said.
Campbell cast rapprochement between Seoul and Tokyo as a crucial element of America's drive to bring regional allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific together for cooperation on strategically vital fronts, including technology.
"If we are successful in continuing the path and pace of rapprochement between Japan and South Korea ... if that can continue technologically, politically, strategically and people-to-people, that will have probably the most far-reaching consequential improvement in our partner engagement in the region," he said.
He heaped praise on Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for their fence-mending efforts, noting that their endeavors deserve joint recognition from the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a group responsible for selecting the annual winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.
"If you ask me honestly who deserves the award for really doing something that could make a huge difference on the global stage, I would say that should be a joint award between Kishida and Yoon," he said.
The relations between Seoul and Tokyo took a turn for the better after the Yoon administration announced a decision last March to address the issue of compensating Korean victims of Japan's colonial-era forced labor.
A thaw in the bilateral relations created fresh momentum for the U.S.' longstanding push for trilateral security cooperation, which culminated in the landmark trilateral summit between Yoon, Biden and Kishida at Camp David in August.
With improved relations between Seoul and Tokyo, Biden took a careful approach, Campbell noted.
"I will tell you honestly (that) the president was deeply involved in this, but his goal is to remain in the background," the official said. "He encouraged it, he did phone calls, he supported it, but he recognizes that the American role has to be careful, it has to be nuanced, it has to be subtle, it has to be behind the scenes."
As for various factors creating "anxiety" in the Indo-Pacific, Campbell mentioned China's nuclear buildup, North Korea's military moves and Russia's open threat of nuclear use.
"It used to be that we thought some of the activities that North Korea was taking were somehow to be bartered in some kind of dialogue with the U.S. or with other countries," he said.
"But it's clear that they are determined to create greater capability in a number of areas and to refine capacity, whether it's long-range ballistic missiles or the like ... It's not only their missile launches but their determination to provide capability to Russia."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 25, 2024
2. S. Korea's nanosatellite makes successful communication with ground station
South Korea is so technically superior over north Korea.
(3rd LD) S. Korea's nanosatellite makes successful communication with ground station | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 24, 2024
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with latest info in paras 4-5, 11-12; ADDS new photos)
SEOUL, April 24 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean nanosatellite successfully communicated with its ground station after being launched into space as part of the nation's project to create a satellite constellation by 2027, officials said Wednesday.
The Earth observation satellite lifted off aboard Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from a spaceport at 7:32 a.m. in Mahia, New Zealand, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.
The satellite, named NEONSAT-1, was deployed into space at an altitude of 520 kilometers, about 50 minutes after the rocket's launch. NEONSAT stands for the New-space Earth Observation SATellite constellation for national safety.
The science ministry confirmed that the launch was successful as the satellite entered the orbit and made two-way communications with Korea's King Sejong Station in Antarctica at around 2:13 p.m. and 3:44 p.m.
NEONSAT-1 is planned to begin its official earth observation mission in December following a performance review, it added.
This image captured from Rocket Lab's YouTube livestream on April 24, 2024, shows its space rocket Electron lifting off from a spaceport in Mahia, New Zealand, carrying South Korea's first nanosatellite for the country's satellite constellation project. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This image provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT shows NEONSAT-1, South Korea's nanosatellite for its satellite constellation project launched on April 24, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Developed by the state-run Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) for mass production, NEONSAT-1 weighs less than 100 kilograms and has a resolution of 1 meter.
The satellite was the first among 11 nanosatellites to form a satellite constellation to monitor and take images of the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding regions.
South Korea plans to launch five more nanosatellites into space in June 2026 and five more in September 2027.
The launch was originally set to take place at 7:08 a.m. but was delayed due to a potential risk of colliding with another space vehicle and other issues, according to the ministry.
The launch project was named B.T.S., short for "The Beginning of the Swarm," by the launch service provider Rocket Lab.
This image provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT shows the arrangement positions of South Korea's satellite constellation to be formed by 2027. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The ministry said it has initiated the 231.5 billion-won (US$168 million) project to create a satellite swarm as part of efforts to bolster South Korea's capabilities in public safety, national security and response to natural and manmade disasters by securing high resolution optical images captured by the swarm.
The swarm is also expected to contribute to creating new economic opportunities in the space industry considering that the nanosatellites can be mass produced, the ministry explained.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 24, 2024
3. S. Korea, U.S. to hold energy security dialogue next week
S. Korea, U.S. to hold energy security dialogue next week | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 25, 2024
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, April 24 (Yonhap) -- Senior diplomats from South Korea and the United States will hold bilateral talks on energy security and clean energy transition in Houston, Texas, next week, the State Department said Wednesday.
South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister for economic affairs Kim Hee-sang and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt will lead the 10th Energy Security Dialogue (ESD) set to take place from Tuesday to May 1.
ESD will cover the "full scope" of energy security and energy transition priorities, the department said.
"This includes collaboration on de-carbonization efforts and clean energy cooperation, securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains, including ... American LNG exports, and the role of the private sector in combating climate change," it said in a media note.
In addition, officials will discuss support for Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the wake of an escalation in Russian attacks on Ukraine.
For the first time, both delegations plan to join a number of public-private meetings with senior Korean and U.S. company executives and others to better understand how government policies can help accelerate investment in critical mineral supply chains, offshore wind deployment, and the clean hydrogen sector, according to the department.
This file photo shows the State Department in Washington. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 25, 2024
4. U.S. sent ATACMS missiles to Ukraine following Russia's use of N.K. missiles: White House
It is interesting that we are using the north Korea missiles to Russia as contributing rationale for this.
Yes, I am biased with my north Korea focus but trying to be objective, I find that it is north Korea that is connected to nearly every conflict in the news, from Putin's war in Ukraine to support to Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen, and Syria. north Korea has to be one of the worst malign actors in the international community today. north Korea is proliferating a wide range of weapons and training to conflict areas in the Middle East and Africa.
U.S. sent ATACMS missiles to Ukraine following Russia's use of N.K. missiles: White House | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 25, 2024
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, April 24 (Yonhap) -- The United States has shipped longer-range tactical missiles to Ukraine for use in the fight against Russian forces following Moscow's use of North Korean ballistic missiles against the war-torn country, the White House confirmed Wednesday.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that in February, President Joe Biden directed his aides to provide Ukraine with a "significant" number of the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) missiles for use inside the Ukrainian territory and that the shipments have arrived in the country.
"(The arrival) followed Russia's procurement and use of North Korea's ballistic missiles against Ukraine, as well as Russia's renewed and escalating attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine," Sullivan told a press briefing.
He added that Washington plans to send more missiles, but he did not specify the shipment volume due to "operational reasons."
"I believe they will make a difference," he said.
This file photo, released by Reuters, shows White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaking during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on April 9, 2024. (Yonhap)
The missile deliveries came before the U.S. House of Representatives voted Saturday to endorse a US$95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and others in an approval that ended a monthslong political impasse.
The provision of the missiles with a range of about 300 kilometers marked a policy shift. Sullivan said that the U.S. was unable to send ATACMS missiles due to "readiness concerns."
"But behind the scenes, the administration across the board has worked relentlessly to address those concerns," he said. "We now have a significant number of ATACMS coming off the production line and entering U.S. stocks, and as a result, we can move forward with providing ATACMS, while also sustaining the readiness of the U.S. armed forces."
Sullivan warned that the "path ahead" will not be easy as Russia will double down on its attacks. But he expressed confidence in Ukrainians' endeavors to repel invaders.
"Over time, we assess that Ukraine's position in this conflict will improve, and we believe that Ukraine can and will win," he said. "As I've said from this podium before, no one in this room, and no one anywhere else should underestimate the Ukrainian people, and no one should underestimate President Biden's resolve and the American people's resolve."
Asked to comment on suspected military ties between North Korea and Iran, Sullivan pointed to "linkages" in defense cooperation between the two countries.
"Episodically, over the course of many years and many administrations, we've seen various linkages in defense cooperation between North Korea and Iran that's come and gone, ebbed and flowed," he said.
What is new or different over the course of the last two years is cooperation between Russia and Iran and between Russia and North Korea, Sullivan noted.
"We believe that this is a matter of grave concern to the security of Europe, way beyond the borders of Ukraine," he said. "We're also concerned about what may happen in the other direction. What is Russia going to provide to North Korea or Iran that will destabilize the Indo-Pacific or destabilize the Middle East?"
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 25, 2024
5. Senior officials from S. Korea, U.S. discuss cooperation in chip industry
We continue to sustain high level engagement across the instruments of national power.
Senior officials from S. Korea, U.S. discuss cooperation in chip industry | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kang Yoon-seung · April 25, 2024
SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- Senior trade officials from South Korea and the United States have discussed ways to broaden cooperation in the semiconductor sector, officials said Thursday.
Deputy Minister for Trade Yang Byeong-nae met with his U.S. counterpart, Ramin Toloui, in Seoul earlier in the day during which Yang asked Toloui to offer sufficient support for South Korean firms seeking to invest in the U.S.
Last week, the U.S. government revealed a plan to grant Samsung Electronics Co. up to US$6.4 billion to support its chipmaking investment in central Texas. The funding, provided under the CHIPS and Science Act, supports Samsung's projected investment of over $40 billion.
In response, Toloui said Washington will carefully review South Korea's requests, highlighting that bilateral cooperation has not only strengthened between the governments but also within the private sector, according to Seoul's industry ministry.
This undated file photo provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy shows Deputy Minister for Trade Yang Byeong-nae (R). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kang Yoon-seung · April 25, 2024
6. N. Korea warns of 'practical actions' over U.S. seeking new mechanism to monitor sanctions
Yes, we must "cook up" something new.
Excerpts:
"Whenever the U.S. cooked up a new sanctions resolution in the U.N. arena, it triggered a more powerful and more developed nuclear test of the DPRK," Kim said, vowing to take "more powerful practical actions" to beef up its military technical strength.
N. Korea warns of 'practical actions' over U.S. seeking new mechanism to monitor sanctions | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · April 25, 2024
SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Thursday decried the United States over efforts to build a new mechanism for the monitoring of sanctions enforcement against the North and warned of "powerful practical actions" to build up its military strength.
The U.S. has pledged to work with South Korea and other countries to establish an alternative with the mandate of a U.N. expert panel monitoring sanctions enforcement that's set to expire at the end of April following Russia's veto to extend it last month.
"Clearly speaking, if the U.S. introduces a new version of sanctions against the DPRK, the latter will take a new opportunity necessary for its upward readjustment of force which the U.S. is most afraid of," Kim Un-chol, vice minister for U.S. affairs at the North's foreign ministry, said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The official said new sanctions will only result in Pyongyang further building up its military power.
"Whenever the U.S. cooked up a new sanctions resolution in the U.N. arena, it triggered a more powerful and more developed nuclear test of the DPRK," Kim said, vowing to take "more powerful practical actions" to beef up its military technical strength.
During a visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington is looking at "out of the box" options, suggesting that "all possibilities" are on the table, even outside of the U.N. regime.
The latest statement marked the first such statement issued by a vice minister in charge of U.S. affairs at Pyongyang's foreign ministry since December 2019. Similar statements have mostly been issued by lower-ranking officials handling U.S. affairs.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · April 25, 2024
7. INTERVIEW: ‘If I had stayed in North Korea, I might have been on the gravy train.’
He is now the only member of the General Assembly who escaped from north KOrea since Ji Seung Ho was not given the opportunity to run by the PPP and Thae Young Ho was given a strong DP disctc by the PPP and was defeated.
Park Chung-Kwon (whom I do not know yet) is an example of a success story that should be highlighted as apart of an information campaign to the north. Note the power information had on changing his world view. This is why I outline the following as basic considerations for an information campaign:
- Design an overt information campaign targeting the North Korean people based on Information, Knowledge, Facts/Truth, and Understanding:
o Information involves massive quantities of information from entertainment to news.
o Knowledge means practical information on how to effect change, best practices for agriculture and market activity, and educational lessons without Juche influence.
o Facts and truth reflecting the reality about the regime and the situation in north Korea as well as the outside world.
o Understanding helps the Korean people in the north familiarize themselves with the inalienable and universal rights that belong to all human beings.
INTERVIEW: ‘If I had stayed in North Korea, I might have been on the gravy train.’
Escapee elected to National Assembly talks about flight to the South, political goals.
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/park-04242024144326.html
By Lee Jeong Eun for RFA Korean
2024.04.24
Park Chung-kwon, elected as a proportional representative to the South Korean National Assembly, in an interview with Radio Free Asia
RFA
Park Chung-kwon is one of about 34,000 people who escaped from North Korea and resettled in the South. He is the third escapee to be elected to South Korea’s National Assembly.
His story is unusual. Unlike most escapees, who generally flee economic hardship, Park was a member of the North Korean elite on the fast track to a cushy life of power and privilege.
He was a graduate at the Kim Jong Un National Defense University and worked developing nuclear missiles, but after living a life most North Koreans could only dream of, he came to realize that he was helping to prop up a broken system that keeps most people living in misery.
So in 2009 he fled the country and defected to the South. While many escapees feel they are marginalized, Park’s drive to succeed suited South Korean society well. He entered the prestigious Seoul National University, where he earned a masters degree and a doctorate in materials engineering and later became a lead researcher at Hyundai Steel.
RFA Korean interviewed Park about why he decided to leave his relatively privileged life in North Korea to come to the South, why he decided to enter politics and what policies he hopes to enact during his term in office. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
RFA: You were an elite member of North Korean society and you were living a relatively comfortable life. What made you decide to escape?
Park: It was a direct trigger for me to learn the reality of the North Korean system and realize its essence. If I had stayed in North Korea, I might have been on the gravy train. I graduated from a university that develops, produces and researches strategic weapons. I was assigned to a job at a time when the North Korean authorities were promoting ‘military-first politics’ and emphasizing the military.
The problem is that after learning about the reality of the North Korean system, my world view completely changed. The future, which I previously thought to be very hopeful, turned completely gloomy and all of my dreams and hopes disappeared.
Also, the society of North Korea itself felt like a huge prison, and the everyday lives of residents were nothing but misery. In the meantime, I couldn’t even raise my voice to say that this was wrong. Even if I wanted to change something, there was nothing I could do. So, I escaped from North Korea with the idea of going out and working to inform and change the reality of the North Korean system.
RFA: Many North Korean escapees decide to escape only after experiencing the outside world first-hand. How is it that a young Pyongyang elite who had never left the country became skeptical of the North Korean system?
Park: Before I changed my mind, you could say that I was a staunch defender, supporter and loyalist of the system. However, while I was in college, I witnessed a lot of corruption that is rampant in the North Korean system.
I recognized that corruption among officials was a problem as I saw situations where one official committed a mistake but got away with it by paying a bribe, or where another official wanted to have power or be assigned to a good job and could get that with the right bribe.
Beginning in the third year of college, I became a student official. In North Korea, a student official has power to control students and manage their organizational lives. As a result, I learned how the North Korean system works and how it controls people.
At that time, I read two essays written by (former leader) Kim Jong Il. It was Kim Jong Il’s rebuttal against criticisms of the socialist system from the outside world. But I found that everything that the outside world pointed out was correct.
Socialism is totalitarianism, administrative order and empty rhetoric. Everything is correct. Also, North Korea talks about a monolithic ideological system, but it is natural for everyone to have different thoughts. So, I wondered why politically, we all had to become one.
Just like a planned economy, how does the state know what I want to eat for breakfast tomorrow? That’s how the theoretical transition occurred. By the time I graduated from university, I realized that the system was wrong from the top.
Park Chung-kwon, elected as a proportional representative to the South Korean National Assembly, in an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA)
RFA: When you escaped from North Korea, did you have a plan for what you would do once you arrived in South Korea?
Park: I had several career-related scenarios, and one of them was to continue my studies at university. When I was living in North Korea, I looked up the best university in South Korea in the Rodong Sinmun, it said it was said to be Seoul National University. I thought, ‘I should give it a try at Seoul National University’ so I continued my studies there once I arrived.
Also, I had the idea that I wanted to expose the reality of North Korean society to the outside world and help change the North Korean system. I also had thoughts about possibly working at the South Korean National Intelligence Service (the country’s spy agency).
RFA: So here you are, established in South Korea with a successful career. What is it that made you want to go into politics? When did you get the inkling to pursue political life?
Park: I never thought about going into politics. Rather, I was interested first in just making money and eventually starting a business. The opportunity for political life came when I received a recruitment offer from the People Power Party, South Korea’s ruling party.
The reason I wanted to make money was because I always wanted to live a helpful life to our society, but I also wanted to live a meaningful life after risking my life to escape from North Korea.
It was not an easy decision. After a lot of sleepless nights thinking about it, I decided to enter politics because I thought there is a definite role for someone like me.
RFA: Your National Assembly term begins on May 30. What do you plan to focus on during your four-year term?
Park: Since I have a background as a North Korean escapee and an engineering student, I plan to focus on inter-Korean relations, North Korea policy, and science, technology and industry.
First, we plan to prepare bills for North Korean escapees so that they can have a support system within South Korean society beyond initial settlement, such as in employment and starting a business.
Also, as someone who has experienced the North and South Korean systems sequentially and as an active supporter of liberal democracy and the market economic system, I would like to play a role in protecting South Korea’s liberal democratic system.
I also plan to act as a speaker to help the South Korean people discern how they view North Korea, so as to view the North Korean regime and its people separately.
I majored in weapons development in North Korea, so I plan to actively participate in South Korea’s security and defense fields.
I am a representative of young scientists in the fields of science, technology and industry, so I will actively support scientists so that they can work with pride. I will work to create a better environment for companies to do business.
RFA: What specific policies do you think are needed regarding North Korean escapees in South Korea?
Park: Current policies to support North Korean escapees are focused on those who initially entered the country. The number of escapees entering South Korea has plummeted since the onset of coronavirus. Nevertheless, the number of relevant support organizations and staff has expanded. In line with the changed situation, policies to support North Korean escapees need to be improved in a streamlined and systematic direction.
Additionally, it is quite difficult for North Korean escapees to find employment. Even if they get a job, it may be difficult to continue working long term. Therefore, I believe it is necessary to provide employment opportunities for North Korean escapees until they successfully settle down. What I want to say to the public in South Korea is that there is a need to understand and wait for North Korean escapees to adapt to South Korean society. Doing so will greatly help North Korean escapees to adapt.
When I first came to South Korea, I also felt that the gap between the two Koreas was so distant that it could not be seen with my naked eyes. Still, I was proud of having received an elite education in North Korea, but that pride collapsed when I entered graduate school in the South. In the early days of graduate school, I studied with less than 4 hours of sleep a day. I felt so pitiful and knew so little. But my classmates and my colleagues understood me, waited for me, and helped me. So, I was able to adapt quickly and succeed in settling down.
RFA: You said you would serve as a speaker for the North Korean people. What is the most serious human rights problem in North Korea in your opinion? What efforts are needed to improve it?
Park: When it comes to human rights issues in North Korea, it is no exaggeration to say that almost everything is a problem.
But what I think is the most serious problem is the harsh punishment. In North Korea, basic human rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of movement and ownership are not guaranteed, and when you do exercise your basic rights, you are severely punished. For example, the most serious problem is that people are executed for accessing information from the outside world.
To improve this situation, the North Korean authorities must recognize that the way of maintaining the system by blocking the people from the outside world and the flow of information is no longer working.
Times have changed a lot. The minds of North Korean residents have also changed significantly from the past. We must work externally to help the North Korean regime face this reality and find a different strategy.
The North Korean regime also needs to recognize that this method of controlling North Korea by cutting it off from the outside world will no longer work due to advances in science and technology. Not only South Korea but the entire world must continue to pay attention to North Korean residents and work to improve their human rights.
RFA: I was wondering if there were any cases where you personally felt a change in the mind of the young generation while living in North Korea.
Park: I think it was when I was in my fourth year of college. I went to my hometown and had dinner with my high school classmates. Blackouts are common in North Korea, so there was no electricity, and we were eating by lamplight. Then, the electricity came on for a moment and we were all very happy. But, less than 5 minutes later the power went out again.
In this situation, a friend asked if there would be news in the paper about the five-hour power outage in Hamhung. In North Korea, power outages are not accidents, but everyday life. But this friend had the perception that it was an accident.
Just before I escaped from North Korea, the North Korean leadership began to transfer power to Kim Jong Un and was spreading rumors … that Kim Jong Un was a very good leader and a genius.
Young friends who heard the rumor responded by saying, “No matter how much they say he is a genius, how good will he be?”
There have been quite a few cases that I cannot talk about openly, but I’ve been surrounded by such expressions.
Park Chung-kwon, elected as a proportional representative to the South Korean National Assembly, in an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA)
RFA: At the end of last year, Kim Jong Un defined inter-Korean relations as hostile and said that unification of the two Koreas cannot be achieved. What do you think is the reason?
Park: I believe that the North Korean leadership is feeling a sense of crisis over the survival of the system because the changes in the people’s minds have reached a point where it is impossible for the Kim Dynasty to succeed to a fourth generation.
To make such a transition possible, it will be very important to bring about a change in the people's minds. There is admiration for South Korea among North Korean residents, especially young people, so I think the North Korean authorities are working to instill a vague fear of South Korea in people’s minds by defining South Korea as a hostile country and not an object of unification.
RFA: Do you think unification of North and South Korea is possible?
Park: I believe that regardless of whether we think that unification is possible or not, that it could occur at a time when we cannot predict it, and whether we want it or not.
I believe that unification is the destiny of our race. It would be most desirable for a change in the North Korean people’s minds to lead to a change in the North Korean government’s strategy and for unification to occur after North Korea becomes a normal country. But this ideal situation may not happen.
Whatever the method, it is important to change the mindset of the North Korean people to minimize the impact of unification. The more that the North Korean authorities say that South Korea is not the target of unification and that they are not part of the same race, the more South Korea should pay attention to North Koreans and work to improve their human rights and change their mindset. We need to ensure that North Koreans have positive feelings toward South Korea so that when unification occurs, we can minimize the shock.
RFA: What message can your story as an elected representative give to North Korean residents?
Park: I graduated from a good university, and had a good job, so North Korean people are probably curious as to why I escaped.
It would be quite a shock to hear that someone came to South Korea on his own, received a doctorate from the best university, worked as a researcher at a good company, lived a good life, and then became a member of the National Assembly representing the people.
I think it could be a source of hope not only for those who are loyal to the North Korean system, but also for those who have already changed their minds but have no choice but to conform to the system.
I am excited to see what the results will be if this news spreads to North Korean residents, especially the elites and young people. I think it will be a bigger message if I am recognized by the South Korean people for doing well in legislative activities in the National Assembly rather than being a waste of taxes.
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
8. U.S. election outcome not to change direction of S. Korea-U.S. alliance: top Seoul envoy
If Trump does win it will be imperative for Korea to show the value of the alliance and how it helps Trump "win" and benefit personally in his foreign policy. If Trump cannot see how the alliance benefits him personally he will likely revert many of the actions of his first term.
U.S. election outcome not to change direction of S. Korea-U.S. alliance: top Seoul envoy | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 25, 2024
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- The overall direction of South Korea's alliance with the United States will not change no matter who wins the White House in November, as the breadth and depth of the alliance has never been greater, its top envoy to Washington said Thursday.
Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Hyun-dong made the remark as attention is running high over what would be a rematch between the sitting U.S. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump and how its result will impact the future of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
Some have raised concern over the alliance's prospects if Trump returns to the White House, given his unorthodox foreign policy that places less importance on the value of alliances.
Ambassador to the United States Cho Hyun-dong speaks during a press conference at the foreign ministry in Seoul on April 25, 2024. Cho was back home this week to attend an annual conference of the chiefs of the diplomatic missions. (Yonhap)
"At the moment, we have no idea how the U.S. presidential election will turn out. Variables like the swing states, the middle-of-the-road voters and third candidates, are indicators that will determine the direction of the election," Cho said in a press availability.
Cho was in Seoul this week to attend an annual conference of the chiefs of South Korean diplomatic missions.
"I want to make one thing clear. That the level of the South Korea-U.S. alliance is stronger than ever before," Cho said.
He took note of the security cooperation that has further advanced since the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol government and the leaders' April summit last year, which was followed by "multilayered" high-level exchanges.
"Strong security cooperation, like the NCG, and cooperation in the economy, science and technology, which are closely linked, has become so much more institutionalized that it's difficult to simply define it as a deepening of cooperation," Cho said.
The NCG refers to the Nuclear Consultative Group, a bilateral platform to discuss nuclear and strategic planning issues. Creating the NCG was part of the Washington Declaration that Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden adopted during the summit.
"In this context, the overall direction of the development of the South Korea-U.S. alliance will remain unchanged no matter what the outcome of the November U.S. presidential election," he said.
Regarding the alliance's prospects, the Trump side, despite his unpredictable behavior and various past comments belittling the merit of alliances, never questioned the fundamentals of the alliance with South Korea, a senior foreign ministry official in Seoul said.
In terms of how South Korea is preparing for the post-U.S. election, the government is taking a "balanced approach" given the "sensitivity" of the election issues, the official said.
"A discreet approach, is the direction we believe is desirable," he said.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 25, 2024
9. S. Korea to seek global leadership in AI chip, advanced bio, quantum technologies: gov't
A global pivotal state across all the instruments of national power.
S. Korea to seek global leadership in AI chip, advanced bio, quantum technologies: gov't | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 25, 2024
SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will launch an initiative to become one of three leading nations in the so-called game-changer industries that include artificial intelligence (AI) chip, advanced biology and quantum technologies by 2030, the science ministry said Thursday.
The Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology held a meeting and decided to adopt the "game-changer technology initiative" aimed at making the country the "first mover" in such areas that the Ministry of Science and ICT said will change the future.
The decision came three days after President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to nurture the science and technology sectors to make South Korea one of the world's top-three countries in the field.
President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers remarks during a ceremony marking science, technology, and information and communications day at Gwacheon National Science Museum in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, on April 22, 2024. (Yonhap)
Under the initiative, the ministry said South Korea will strengthen investment on AI chip, advanced biology and quantum science technologies, advance the value chain of the markets and bolster strategic cooperation with its allies.
For the AI chip industry, the government will work to develop artificial general intelligence, a next-generation AI with equally advanced cognitive ability as human, low power AI and AI safety technologies.
The government also plans to foster innovations in the industry, such as the application of processing-in-memory technology on memory chips and the development of neuromorphic AI semiconductor and advanced chip packaging systems.
For the advanced biotechnology industry, the country will focus on fostering digital biotechnologies that connect data, AI and biology, and securing synthetic biology technologies, including DNA and RNA design, protein design and genetic circuit control, according to the ministry.
The ministry said the government will also double its budget from this year for quantum science in 2025 to prepare for the era of quantum technology, which will play a pivotal role in the future economy as well as national defense.
In detail, the government will bolster the country's capacity in quantum science by developing quantum processor units for quantum computer and quantum algorithm, software, network and sensing technologies, the ministry added.
This image provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT shows the South Korean government's initiative to foster artificial intelligence chip technologies. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 25, 2024
10. Australian Navy chief pledges continued support for N.K. sanctions enforcement
(Yonhap Interview) Australian Navy chief pledges continued support for N.K. sanctions enforcement | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 25, 2024
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- The chief of the Australian Navy on Thursday pledged consistent support for enforcement of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against North Korea although Russia's veto undercut the U.N. sanctions regime.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, Vice Adm. Mark Hammond said the Australian military will continue activities to monitor and deter illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods to North Korea.
Since 2018, Australia has deployed maritime patrol aircraft on 13 occasions and Royal Australian Navy vessels 10 times to support the UNSC sanctions.
"We have been supporting the United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly with maritime assets ... We continue to support that activity. I don't think that will change," Hammond said during the interview at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul.
Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, the chief of the Royal Australian Navy, speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on April 25, 2024, after attending a ceremony commemorating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand. (Yonhap)
Last month, Russia vetoed the renewal of a U.N. Security Council panel of experts monitoring North Korea's compliance with international sanctions, undermining international efforts aimed at blocking Pyongyang's illicit weapons development. The panel is set to expire on April 30.
From a broader perspective, Hammond underlined the importance of security cooperation among like-minded countries to address rising security threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
"I think it's really important that nations like ours work together to advance the message of acceptance of an adherence to the international rules and norms," he said. "From a strategic perspective, I would argue that it's vital."
Hammond was in Seoul as part of his Asia trip, which includes stops in Indonesia and China. He engaged in talks with top naval officials during the Western Pacific Naval Symposium held in the Chinese port city of Qingdao earlier this week.
A commemorative event for Anzac Day is held at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on April 25, 2024 to honor Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in major conflicts in the nations' history, in this photo provided by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Although Hammond advocated bolstering military cooperation with South Korea, he was cautious of further advancing the partnership by expanding the membership of AUKUS, a security partnership between Australia, Britain and the U.S.
Launched in September 2021 in an apparent move to counter China's regional influence, AUKUS consists of two key pillars. Pillar I is to support Australia in acquiring conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines while Pillar II is for cooperation on military technology, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence and hypersonic missiles.
"I think it's a great opportunity to advance the capabilities of participating nations to advance the interests of security and peace in our region ... Membership of the AUKUS program is ultimately a political decision," he said.
While the AUKUS submarine program is a deal among the three countries, Hammond expressed hope for forging partnership in the shipbuilding industry under Australia's plan to bolster naval force.
Australia has announced plans to invest $7.2 billion over the next 10 years to acquire 11 new frigates and six new large optionally crewed surface vessels.
Hammond said he is "pleased" by South Korea's participation in Australia's upcoming bid for the frigate procurement program given its advanced shipbuilding technology.
"If the ROK (Republic of Korea) Navy wasn't such a competent, capable, respected and professional Navy, then the shipbuilder who provides those warships wouldn't be in the mix," he said. "So I think that's a real credit to Korean shipbuilding. They have a very strong reputation."
Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, the chief of the Royal Australian Navy, speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on April 25, 2024, after attending a ceremony commemorating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand. (Yonhap)
Earlier in the day, the top Australian naval official participated in the commemorative event of Anzac Day, a national day that honors all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in major conflicts in the nations' history.
Over 17,000 Australians served during the 1950-53 Korean War, which left 340 killed and over 1,000 wounded.
"It is a poignant reminder for both our nations of the cost of war, the deep partnership that we have between Korea and Australia and New Zealand and those enduring aspects of friendship," Hammond said.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 25, 2024
11. North threatens retaliation against U.S. plans for new sanctions monitoring
Not a surprising statement from the regime.
Thursday
April 25, 2024
Published: 25 Apr. 2024, 17:47
North threatens retaliation against U.S. plans for new sanctions monitoring
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-04-25/national/northKorea/North-threatens-retaliation-against-US-plans-for-new-sanctions-monitoring/2033852
In this footage broadcast by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central Television on Tuesday, four short-range ballistic missiles are fired from super-large multiple rocket launchers during a tactical drill held the previous day to simulate a nuclear counterattack by the North. [YONHAP]
North Korea said Thursday it could mount a “powerful” response to U.S. efforts to create a new mechanism to monitor and enforce sanctions against the regime.
In a statement carried by the North’s state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Un-chol, vice minister for U.S. affairs at Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry, said that the North would “carry out an upward readjustment of its forces” if the United States introduces new sanctions.
Washington has vowed to work with Seoul and other countries to establish alternative ways to monitor sanctions compliance in the place of a panel of experts that currently advises the United Nations Security Council.
The panel’s mandate is due to expire at the end of April after Russia vetoed its extension last month amid growing military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
In the KCNA report, Kim suggested that new sanctions could lead to Pyongyang carrying out more weapons tests.
“Whenever the United States cooked up a new sanctions resolution at the United Nations, it triggered a more powerful and advanced nuclear test by the DPRK,” Kim said, referring to the North by the acronym for its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
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North breaks out 'super-large' rockets for 'nuclear counterattack' drill
The North Korean Foreign Ministry official also said Pyongyang would likely take “more powerful practical actions” to bolster its military technical strength in response to heightened sanctions enforcements by Washington and other countries.
On Tuesday, the North’s state media reported that the regime had conducted a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack using super-large multiple rocket launchers, which it said was in response to the joint Korea Flying Training (KFT) exercise by South Korea and the United States that began last week.
During her visit to the demilitarized zone dividing the Korean Peninsula earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington was looking at “all possibilities” and “out of the box” ways to continue monitoring and enforcing sanctions against the North.
At a press conference held later at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States would engage with not only South Korea and Japan, but also “like-minded countries” to develop options both inside and outside the United Nations to continue the work of the organization's panel of experts.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations noted that Russia and China will likely continue trying to block efforts to monitor sanctions against the North, but said their obstruction “is not going to stop us from finding that path moving forward.”
Thomas-Greenfield also called on Pyongyang to respond to calls for dialogue from Washington, which she said “harbors no hostile intent” toward the North.
“We have repeatedly asked Pyongyang to reject provocation and embrace dialogue. We have held the doors open for meaningful diplomacy and we remain open to dialogue,” she said.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
12. U.S. deputy secretary of state says Yoon and Kishida deserve Nobel Peace Prize
I hope the DEPSECSTATE did not jinx it for Yoon and Kishida though I think they are a long shot.
Thursday
April 25, 2024
dictionary + A - A
Published: 25 Apr. 2024, 17:06
U.S. deputy secretary of state says Yoon and Kishida deserve Nobel Peace Prize
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-04-25/national/diplomacy/US-deputy-secretary-of-state-says-Yoon-and-Kishida-deserve-Nobel-Peace-Prize/2033779
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, right, speaks during a forum hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington on Wednesday, in a photo screen captured from the think tank’s X account. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida jointly deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for their "political courage," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, referring to the two leaders' overtures last year to mend bilateral ties.
Campbell focused on the achievements made in trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the United States at a forum hosted by the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank, on Wednesday.
Related Article
"If you asked me honestly who deserves the award for really doing something that could make a huge difference on the global stage, I would say that should be a joint award between Kishida and Yoon," Campbell said. "That's how important the undertip was."
Seoul and Tokyo's bilateral relations soured in recent years over historical disputes, including the issue of compensation for Korean forced labor victims during World War II and a trade spat that began in the summer of 2020.
Following a bilateral summit in Tokyo in March last year, Yoon and Kishida agreed to normalize relations, including the two counties' General Security of Military Information Agreement, or Gsomia. They have worked to mend ties through multiple meetings, paving the way to the historical three-way Camp David summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in August 2023.
"It was remarkable to see the determination on the part of both leaders of Japan and South Korea to overcome both incredibly difficult historical issues, but also interest groups and political groups in both countries that are determined not to see that improvement or at least on current terms," Campbell said. "So, I think there's no small part of political courage involved."
He added that Biden also "was deeply involved in this, but his goal is to remain in the background," noting the U.S. president "recognizes that the American role has to be careful, it has to be nuanced, it has to be subtle, it has to be behind the scenes."
Campbell, known as a key architect of the Barack Obama administration's "Pivot to Asia," or rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific policy, pointed out that the Nobel Peace Prize has not focused "as much on the Indo-Pacific" so far.
Regarding three-way engagement for extended deterrence, Campbell noted, "We have an existing bilateral dialogue with Japan on nuclear deterrence, and I believe that we will be taking steps in time to have also trilateral engagements on these topics as well."
Campbell also downplayed concerns that the liberal Democratic Party's victory in Korea's general election on April 10 could contribute to negative public opinion on Seoul-Tokyo relations.
"Much opinion polling in South Korea suggests that there is actually more support for this rapprochement than is widely understood," Campbell said, adding that "there is an appreciation for the steps that both countries are taking and the need to recognize where this future relationship can go."
He said the joint accords released at the Camp David summit between South Korea, the United States and Japan last year "places the United States into the context of a trilateral relationship, and it makes clear that we have a role and a voice, and I think our instinct will be to use it to try to keep things on a positive trajectory."
Campbell added, "Since then, we have been more prepared, usually quietly, to engage when we think something's going to happen that will set back that progress or would ask one or the other countries to reconsider."
He noted the two countries have "taken substantial steps" through the Washington Declaration signed by Yoon and Biden in their bilateral summit in April last year, "designed to make clear that our extended deterrence is solid."
He stressed the United States is "determined to take the necessary steps to buttress this message of partnership."
This comes amid rising threats posed by North Korea, China and Russia in the region.
Campbell served as an assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2009 to 2013, joined the Biden administration as the National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific in 2021 and became deputy secretary of state in February 2024.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
13. N. Korea says expansion of AUKUS will turn Asia-Pacific region into 'nuclear minefield'
No one does over the top rhetoric than the regime's Propaganda and Agitation Department.
Excerpt:
"It is the sinister intention of the U.S. to make Japan... a crewmember of a confrontation ship called AUKUS and put it at the outpost line of the anti-China pressure and push the nuclear minefield in the Asia-Pacific region closer to China," Kang Jin-song, an international affairs analyst, said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
N. Korea says expansion of AUKUS will turn Asia-Pacific region into 'nuclear minefield'
The Korea Times · April 25, 2024
North Korea conducts a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack by super-large multiple rocket units in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, April 22. Yonhap
North Korea on Thursday criticized the United States, Britain and Australia's move to expand their AUKUS security partnership to more countries, warning that the move will only turn the Asia-Pacific region into a "touch-and-go nuclear minefield."
Earlier this month, the defense chiefs of the three AUKUS nations issued a statement noting their consideration of Japan as a partner for advanced military technology fields in their trilateral AUKUS security cooperation.
They are also considering South Korea, Canada and New Zealand as potential partners for cooperation on Pillar II advanced capability projects. AUKUS, launched in September 2021, is largely seen as a group of like-minded countries formed to counter China's assertiveness.
"It is the sinister intention of the U.S. to make Japan... a crewmember of a confrontation ship called AUKUS and put it at the outpost line of the anti-China pressure and push the nuclear minefield in the Asia-Pacific region closer to China," Kang Jin-song, an international affairs analyst, said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
Kang accused the U.S. of attempting to seek stronger security cooperation with South Korea, Australia, Japan and the Philippines based on what he called "anti-China confrontation."
"The peace camp in the region and the rest of the world should heighten vigilance against the reckless moves of Washington to frantically expand its alliance sphere without limits, targeting a certain state," Kang said. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · April 25, 2024
14. Defenseless against NK hackers
Excerpts:
What is more worrisome is that the targeted companies were totally unaware of the attacks until police and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) embarked on investigations early this year. It's truly astounding to witness such glaring loopholes in matters so closely tied to national security.
Anxiety is growing over the possible leak of key national secrets, as most of the hacked parties comprise major enterprises, thus posing a daunting threat to national security. The North’s cybercrime abilities are becoming increasingly sophisticated as time passes, utilizing state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Defenseless against NK hackers
The Korea Times · April 25, 2024
National Assembly should immediately pass cybersecurity bills
North Korean hacking groups were found to have infiltrated the internal networks of South Korea’s defense companies and stolen technical data over the past 18 months, police said on Tuesday. The North’s three major hacking groups – Lazarus, Andariel and Kimsuky – combined forces in all-out attacks against the defense firms.
Police said the three groups mounted offensives against 83 domestic defense companies from late 2022. Ten firms were confirmed to have been hit. However, the police added that they could not confirm the specifics of the technology used or the dates concerning the alleged data thefts. In doing so, North Korea was found to have mobilized various measures, including direct access, the planting of malicious code and the theft of information from server accounts.
What is more worrisome is that the targeted companies were totally unaware of the attacks until police and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) embarked on investigations early this year. It's truly astounding to witness such glaring loopholes in matters so closely tied to national security.
Anxiety is growing over the possible leak of key national secrets, as most of the hacked parties comprise major enterprises, thus posing a daunting threat to national security. The North’s cybercrime abilities are becoming increasingly sophisticated as time passes, utilizing state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
North Korea has so far stolen technologies pertinent to drone engines and launchers of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Now itis mobilizing its hacking groups in a desperate bid to steal South Korea’s key defense technologies related to missiles and radars. North Korea's actions are particularly menacing, especially at a time when South Korea is on the brink of emerging as a significant global player in the defense industry. In 2021, the North hacked Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which manufactures KF-21 fighter jets. All these cases, and no doubt others, prove the North’s cyberattacks seriously undermine the South's national security.
According to the NIS, the number of international cyberattacks against South Korean public entities reached 1.62 million a day on average last year, up 36 percent from a year earlier. Of them, attacks from the North accounted for 80 percent.
South Korean weapons have been flourishing in global defense markets. Las December , President Yoon Suk Yeol unveiled an ambitious plan to elevate the nation's defense industry to the ranks of the world's top four by 2027. The government is also seeking to pour 400 billion won ($290 million) this year into the development of defense parts and materials.
Unless the nation effectively addresses the cyberattacks from North Korea, the burgeoning defense industry could suffer detrimental consequences. There should be increased efforts to enhance security awareness among defense companies, coupled with bolstered security education at the state level.
Despite the graveness of the situation, however, the Yoon administration has largely failed to take due steps. In contrast, the United States and Japan have been running a security control tower whose mission is to safeguard national security. But the control tower has remained feeble, being divided between the government and civilian sectors, thus failing to effectively cope with cyberattacks.
Three cybersecurity-related bills are awaiting passage at the National Assembly. They are designed to install a pan-government control tower while boosting cooperation between the government and related companies. But the bills have remained unlegislated for more than four years amid partisan bickering. This has been mainly due to opposition from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) wary of the possible repercussions from civic groups citing the possible surveillance of South Korean citizens. This is equivalent to dereliction of duty. The current 21st National Assembly should pass the relevant bills without fail before its term ends.
The Korea Times · April 25, 2024
15. N. Korea's youth pretend to be loyal to the state to get the jobs they want
As we talk about potential loyalty oaths to work in a future US government, here is a society that requires direct, demonstrated, and personal loyalty to get ahead. The headline editor erred. It is loyalty to the regime, and Kim Jong Un personally, not the state.
I do not mean the above as a partisan snipe, just a fact about what loyalty oaths cause.
Note the parallel between the young people in north Korea and the motivations of the younger generations in other countries to include those in the west.
N. Korea's youth pretend to be loyal to the state to get the jobs they want - Daily NK English
In the provinces, where economic stability is the top value, young people prefer well-paying jobs
By Mun Dong Hui - April 25, 2024
dailynk.com · by Mun Dong Hui · April 25, 2024
Rodong Sinmun reported on Jan. 11, 2024, that a torchlight rally and march by young people to fully implement the decision of the 8th Plenary Session of the Workers' Party of Korea's 9th Central Committee was held at the square in front of the 4.25 Cultural Center on Jan. 10. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
North Korea’s “new generation” includes everyone from unmarried young people to infants. North Korea defines this new generation as the “driving force that must carry on the patriotic and revolutionary line” and has emphasized its ideological indoctrination.
However, this new generation includes young people who will lead North Korean society, the so-called “MZ Generation,” which prioritizes personal interests over those of the state of the collective. They are uninterested or even displeased with ideological indoctrination.
Thus, the North Korean youth display different work attitudes from those of previous generations. They tend to seek jobs that pay a lot and enable them to live well rather than jobs where they can flex their political muscles. They also strongly desire to go abroad to experience a free atmosphere.
North Korea’s MZ Generation prefers making money and overseas work experiences
A 20-something resident of Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, told Daily NK that young people today “strongly wish to do everything they can and go as far as they can, living at a certain standard, since you only live once.” He said, “This being the case, money and high economic status are becoming their highest values, and this way of thinking is spreading far and wide like a virus.
“Before, young people preferred to become guidance officials in state agencies as political power or position was connected to stable lives, but now, they want jobs that pay well, even if that means less activity in organizations — for example, taking a job in a government agency in name only while engaging in trade,” he added.
“Now, ‘Let’s go overseas at least once’ has become a slogan,” a 20-something in Pyongyang said. “[Young people] tend to prefer going overseas to work as expatriate employees or serving in specialized agencies with many opportunities for overseas work.” In Pyongyang, more and more young people want to experience a different world. Accordingly, they are most interested in the IT sector, where opportunities to work overseas abound, and the foreign languages sector.
In the provinces, where economic stability is the top value, young people prefer well-paying jobs. In Pyongyang, where people already enjoy economic stability, they prefer jobs that enable them to experience social atmospheres that differ from North Korea for themselves.
North demands loyalty in job placement, but young people just go through the motions
However, people in North Korea are not free to choose their work. The state decides where one works and what one does. Personal ability and specialization are partial considerations in determining job placement and career paths, but the most crucial factor is songbun, or personal background. People with good songbun — or, in other words, people from good families — enjoy advantages in job placement.
“It’s not easy to land the job you want based on personal effort alone,” an official in Pyongyang told Daily NK. “The reality is that you have to leverage your money, parents’ power or personal connections.” However, he added that while one needed just money or power to get the job you wanted in the past, “things are a bit different now as you need experience in patriotic activities.”
The official said that as North Korea equates patriotism with loyalty to the party, state, and supreme leader, how much loyalty an individual has displayed has recently become the most important factor in job placement. To land desired jobs, people must compete to show the most loyalty.
In South Korea, young people build the experience they need to get their desired jobs through volunteer work, outside activities, internships and contests. In North Korea, they engage in activities to prove their loyalty.
This suggests North Korea is demanding more and more loyalty from young people as time passes.
However, a 20-something resident of Rason said young people “are working hard to build up patriotic experience while simply pretending to actively participate in social and political activities.” This suggests that North Korean youth now display an “artificial” loyalty, resulting from a desire for jobs.
In a study published in December by the Korea Institute for National Unification titled “North Korean Youth in the Kim Jong-Un Era: Navigating Between Compliance and Independence, Traversing the State and Market Boundaries,” the authors wrote that North Korean young people “differ from previous generations in the political and ideological tension between the state and the individual” and that they are “not unconditionally devoted to the party or the state, but obey simply to satisfy personal interests or display only perfunctory obedience, which makes the state endlessly nervous.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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 Mun Dong Hui · April 25, 2024
16. Four N. Korean stationmasters arrested for failing to show loyalty to Kim Jong Un
Again, there is no meritocracy in north Korea. You can only get ahead (or even survive) by demonstrating personal loyalty to the Kim family regime and Kim Jong Un himself.
Four N. Korean stationmasters arrested for failing to show loyalty to Kim Jong Un - Daily NK English
The stationmasters were quietly executed or sent to political prison camps on Apr. 12, seven months after their arrest
By Jong So Yong - April 25, 2024
dailynk.com · by Jong So Yong · April 25, 2024
A photograph of a train at Kaesong Station published in state media in September 2020. (Rodong Sinmun)
The North Korean Ministry of State Security has recently informed senior officials at provincial bureaus about the punishment given to people arrested in connection with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia last September, Daily NK has learned.
“Political departments at state security bureaus in North Hamgyong Province received classified material from the Ministry of State Security and distributed that to bureau officials at the rank of department head and higher at a Saturday study session on the morning of Apr. 13,” a source in the province told Daily NK on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
According to the source, this classified material contained a full disclosure of cases of disloyalty that turned up in connection with Kim’s visit to Russia last September and stated that people implicated in those cases were severely punished in keeping with an internal decision by the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Ministry of State Security.
According to the material, the stationmasters at four stations on the railroad that Kim Jong Un rode on in North Hamgyong Province and South Hamgyong Province on his way to Russia were arrested on the spot for failing to demonstrate their loyalty to the North Korean leader.
The stationmasters were quietly executed or sent to political prison camps on Apr. 12, seven months after their arrest, in line with the Central Committee and the Ministry of State Security’s internal decision that the legal procedures should be completed before the Day of the Sun (Apr. 15, birthday of Kim Il Sung).
“Two of the stationmasters were arrested and executed in private for failing to be in the proper spot when the Marshal’s [Kim Jong Un] train passed by. The other two stationmasters were arrested and sent to political prison camps after the Marshal raised concerns about the dilapidated state of the railroad and surrounding areas while riding on the train,” the source said.
The classified material from the Ministry of State Security also said that the stationmasters’ families were notified of their fate and then whisked away by local state security departments early in the morning on Apr. 13.
“The material from the Ministry of State Security stated that these measures had been taken according to legal procedures and strongly emphasized the idea that even the slightest negligence in projects involving the Marshal was completely unacceptable,” the source said.
The Ministry of State Security asked its bureaus in each province to diligently fulfill their duty of maintaining ongoing supervision and oversight to safeguard the government and preserve the physical safety of Kim Jong Un.
The ministry also reminded bureau officials that the position of the party and the government is that anyone subject to Kim’s personal criticism should be targeted and investigated without mercy, the source said.
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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 Jong So Yong · April 25, 2024
17. Romania discusses cooperation with South Korea for acquisition of K9 howitzers and K2 tanks
A partnerin the Arsenal of Democracy.
Romania discusses cooperation with South Korea for acquisition of K9 howitzers and K2 tanks | Defense News
April 2024 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2024 | Archive News year
armyrecognition.com · by Erwan · April 23, 2024
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol welcomed Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to Seoul, where they discussed enhancing cooperation in the military industry, including joint weapons production and the supply of K9 self-propelled howitzers. This move is part of South Korea's broader strategy to strengthen its presence in the global defense industry, particularly in Europe. Indeed, Poland is also a major partner of South Korea, with recent meetings between the two countries' authorities focusing on the supply of K9 self-propelled howitzers and Chunmoo K-MLRS.
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In 2021, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Hanwha DEfense and the Romanian state defense company for the export of the K9 self-propelled howitzer (Picture source: Hanwha Defense)
Defense relations between Romania and South Korea are marked by recent agreements that underscore their mutual commitment to military modernization and defense cooperation. Specifically, Hanwha Aerospace of South Korea is in discussions for a contract worth about 1 trillion won (approximately $725.7 million) to supply K9 howitzers to Romania. This would be the first major defense contract between the two countries, with significant implications for strengthening Romanian defense capabilities.
Additionally, in 2021, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Hanwha and the Romanian state defense company for the export of the K9 self-propelled howitzer and infantry fighting vehicles, marking the beginning of a long-term collaboration in technology and logistics support.
In a parallel commitment, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik met with Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda. Their discussions reportedly focused on an imminent contract for Hanwha Aerospace to supply an additional 70 Chunmoo rocket artillery units worth $1.6 billion, following Poland's substantial $22 billion weapons purchase from South Korea.
In 2022, Poland signed a substantial agreement with South Korea for the purchase of military equipment worth $22 billion, representing the largest arms sale in South Korea's history. This agreement includes more than 150 K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery units, 288 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, and a significant order of K2 Black Panther main battle tanks. In addition to these equipment purchases, the two nations have engaged in collaborations on military exercises, thus enhancing interoperability and mutual understanding between their armed forces.
The K9 Thunder is a South Korean self-propelled 155 mm howitzer designed and manufactured by Hanwha Defense. Developed to meet the operational requirements of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, the K9 boasts a maximum firing range of approximately 40 kilometers using standard NATO ammunition and can achieve up to 60 kilometers with rocket-assisted projectiles. Its design emphasizes high mobility, rapid response, and survivability, with the capability to fire three rounds in 15 seconds for "shoot-and-scoot" tactics, which minimizes the system's exposure to enemy fire.
The K239 Chunmoo, also known as the Korean Multiple Launch Rocket System (K-MLRS), is a highly versatile artillery system developed by Hanwha Defense, capable of firing a variety of munitions including guided rockets and missiles. It offers a rapid-fire solution capable of launching salvos that cover a wide area, effectively engaging enemy targets at various ranges. The system can house up to 12 tubes for 239mm rockets or two pods of four 130mm rockets each, providing flexibility and firepower in a variety of combat scenarios. The Chunmoo is designed for quick deployment and high mobility to match the operational pace of modern warfare, ensuring compatibility with various international missile and rocket systems.
These initiatives are complemented by technology transfers and training programs, where Polish engineers and technicians receive training in South Korea to ensure the effective maintenance and operation of the acquired equipment. This cooperation attests to the commitment of both countries not only to strengthen their national security but also to promote peace and regional stability in the face of growing security challenges.
Negotiations and contracts are taking place as South Korea leverages Russia's invasion of Ukraine to increase its market share in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Amid these expanding military ties, the South Korean parliament has taken steps to facilitate these large-scale deals by easing restrictions on state export financing, aiming to smooth the path for future agreements.
South Korea's ambitions are not only focused on expanding market reach but also on deeper integration with potential and existing partner nations in the defense sector. This strategic positioning is crucial as South Korea seeks not only to enhance its defense capabilities but also to secure a more influential position on the global stage amidst intensifying geopolitical tensions.
Defense News April 2024
armyrecognition.com · by Erwan · April 23, 2024
18. South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai, Philly Shipyard ink agreement on construction, MRO
South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai, Philly Shipyard ink agreement on construction, MRO - Breaking Defense
The Korean company and Norwegian-owned American subsidiary have a history of working together.
breakingdefense.com · by Justin Katz · April 24, 2024
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — South Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of understanding with Philly Shipyard to cooperate on construction and maintenance of naval vessels ordered by the US government.
Under the new deal, the two companies will “explore a potential business relationship relating to future U.S. government shipbuilding projects as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul projects, according to a Philly Shipyard statement.
“We look forward to further growing HHI’s presence in the global defense market through collaboration with US companies in government and military vessels building and MRO business” said Won-ho Joo, an executive with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Philly Shipyard meanwhile sits at what was once a US Navy shipyard in the eponymous city. It is a subsidiary of the Norwegian industrial investment group Aker ASA, headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 1997, it is best known for its work on commercial container vessels and tankers.
“Philly Shipyard and HD Hyundai have a long and gratifying history of working together, and we are honored by the idea of future cooperation with HHI on opportunities for U.S government shipbuilding project,” said Steinar Nerbovik, president and CEO of Philly Shipyard.
The two companies previously worked together on the construction of 22 commercial product tankers, according to Philly Shipyard.
The MOU is the latest in a series of moves by South Korea’s defense industry to ingrain itself into the American supply chain, a move that was ostensibly precipitated by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro visiting Asia in recent months and openly inviting such investments.
Prior to today’s announcement, South Korea’s other major shipbuilder Hanwha offered an unsolicited takeover bid to the Australian contractor Austal, which would have included a controlling stake of the Alabama-based Austal USA. The Australians rejected the bid over regulatory concerns — issues Hanwha said would not have thwarted the deal — but both sides seem to leave open the possibility of a deal moving forward.
Separately, the Biden administration came out forcefully against a proposed deal by Japan’s Nippon Steel to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel earlier this month. While the Japanese company was not one Del Toro said he visited during his trip to Asia, that potential deal strikes at a sector upon which shipbuilders rely.
19. Exclusive: China harbors ship tied to North Korea-Russia arms transfers, satellite images show
No surprise that China is complicit in these activities.
Exclusive: China harbors ship tied to North Korea-Russia arms transfers, satellite images show
By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom
April 25, 20241:39 AM EDTUpdated 7 hours ago
https://www.reuters.com/world/china-harbors-ship-tied-north-korea-russia-arms-transfers-satellite-images-show-2024-04-25/?utm_
A ship, identified by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) as the North Korean registered cargo ship Angara, is seen docked alongside a larger vessel at the Zhoushan Xinya Shipbuilding Co wharf in Zhoushan, China February 11, 2024 in a satellite image. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - China is providing moorage for a U.S.-sanctioned Russian cargo ship implicated in North Korean arms transfers to Russia, according to satellite images obtained by Reuters, as U.S. concerns grow over Beijing's support for Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Britain's Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank said the Russian vessel Angara, which since August 2023 has moved to Russian ports thousands of containers believed to contain North Korean munitions, has been anchored at a Chinese shipyard in eastern Zhejiang province since February.
The ship's presence at the Chinese port underscores the challenges facing the United States and its allies as they try to choke off military and economic support for Russia.
With Ukraine under a renewed Russian assault and running short of ammunition, U.S. officials have issued increasingly stark warnings about what they say is China's help rebuilding Russia's military after its early setbacks in the Ukraine war.
That support is expected to top the agenda this week as Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Beijing.
The State Department's second ranked diplomat, Kurt Campbell, said this month that Washington would not "sit by" if Beijing increased its backing for Moscow.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said it was aware of "credible, open-source reports" that the Angara is currently moored in a Chinese port and had raised the issue with Chinese authorities.
"When Secretary Blinken meets with his PRC counterparts this week, he will address a range of concerns, including Russia’s war against Ukraine and Russia-DPRK ties," the spokesperson said, referring to China and North Korea by the initials of their official names.
Satellite images RUSI obtained in recent months from companies including San Francisco-based Earth imaging firm Planet Labs PBC showed the Angara docked at Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in Zhejiang, which on its website says it is China's largest private ship repair company.
The ship was identified by its unique automatic identification system (AIS) transponder that had been briefly turned on, likely for safety reasons, while navigating a busy stretch of the Korea Strait en route to China.
RUSI said that before arriving in China on Feb. 9, seemingly for repairs or maintenance, the Angara had been docked in January at North Korean and Russian ports with its transponder turned off. It again stopped transmitting shortly after arriving in China.
AT LEAST 11 VOYAGES TO RUSSIA
The ship, sanctioned by the U.S., opens new tab in May 2022, had conducted at least 11 deliveries between the North Korean port of Rajin and Russian ports from August 2023, according to RUSI, which has been tracking its movements as part of a project to use open source data to monitor North Korea's sanctions evasion networks.
China's embassy in Washington said it was not aware of the details related to the Angara, but that China "always opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or mandate from the Security Council."
China's foreign ministry also said it had no information about the matter.
The U.S. and dozens of other countries said earlier this year that the North Korean weapons transfers to Russia "flagrantly" violate, opens new tab multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Joseph Byrne, a research fellow with RUSI, said China's government should know that the U.S.-sanctioned vessel was docked at its shipyard.
"If it lets (the Angara) sail out of port uninspected and newly repaired, then it shows China likely won't take any action on these Russian vessels," Byrne said.
Washington has repeatedly asked China not to aid Moscow's war effort since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which came just weeks after Russia and China declared a "no limits partnership."
Blinken last week criticized Chinese support for Russia's defense industry, saying Beijing was currently the primary contributor to Moscow's war in Ukraine though its provision of critical components for weaponry.
Russia's foreign ministry, and Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard did not respond to requests for comment on the Angara.
The company's website says its clients come from around Asia, Europe and the U.S. and that it has "strategic cooperation" with global shipping companies, including Maersk and Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp, as well as partnerships with European technology companies.
Both Russia and North Korea have repeatedly dismissed criticism over the alleged weapons deliveries. Moscow says it will develop ties with whatever countries it wants and that its cooperation with Pyongyang does not contravene international agreements.
Campbell told an event in Washington on Monday that the growing Chinese and North Korean partnership with Russia was "antithetical" to U.S. security interests in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Reporting by Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom; Additional reporting by Antoni Slodkowski, Guy Faulconbridge and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Don Durfee and Daniel Wallis
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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