Quotes of the Day:
"Civilization has been thrust upon me… and it has not added one whit to my love for truth, honesty, and generosity."
- The Great Sioux Indian Chief known as Standing Bear
"Put from you the belief that ‘I have been wronged’, and with it will go the feeling. Reject your sense of injury, and the injury itself disappears."
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
"Psychological Warfare has always rested as an uneasy activity in democracies, even in wartime. It is partly to do with the suspicion that using the mind to influence the mind is somehow unacceptable. But is it more unacceptable to shoot someone's brains out rather than to persuade that brain to drop down their weapon and live?"
- Dr. Phillip M. Taylor, Author of "Munitions of the Mind", Manchester University Press, 1995
1. President-elect Yoon's Advance Team
2. Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol's U.S.-ROK Policy Consultation Delegation
3. Special Representative for the DPRK Kim’s Meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative Noh
4. North Korea tries to cover up failed ICBM launch
5. U.S. to cultivate options in waters near Korea over Pyongyang's provocation: Pacific commander
6. U.S. agrees on need to upgrade alliance with S. Korea: Seoul delegate
7. S. Korean, U.S. nuclear envoys agree to push for new UNSC resolution on N. Korea
8. U.S. looks forward to working with new S. Korean gov't on N. Korea: State Dept.
9. Pyonghattan: Escapees from North Korea’s Capital
10. Prisoners in Military Uniform: Human Rights In The North Korean Military : Research Reports
11. Most South Koreans believe their country should have closer ties to US, poll says
12. Yoon administration's agenda items narrowed to 115: spokesperson
13. N. Korea has large arsenal of 'theater-class' missiles: U.S. commander
14. Yoon's delegation makes rounds in Washington
15. North Korea's harsh rhetoric seen as attempt to tame South Korea
16. Yoon's relocation plan to Yongsan to gain momentum
17. Yoon's spokeswoman defends Seoul's right to launch preemptive strike
18. USFK chief expresses condolences over deaths of 4 pilots in KT-1 crashes
19. Korea voices concerns over reported signs of civilian killings in Ukraine war
20. US agrees to upgrade strategic alliance with Korea: Yoon’s delegation
21. What to Make of Kim Yo Jong’s Verbal Attack of South Korea’s Defense Minister
22. John Batchelor Interview: #NorthKorea: Expect more provocations
1. President-elect Yoon's Advance Team
This is probably the most important part of the visit - the Korean War memorial - to reinforce the blood alliance.
Photo at the link.
Monday
April 4, 2022
Advance team
Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party, second from left in the front row, visits the Korean War Memorial in Washington on Sunday with his delegation, which is there to discuss policy issues on behalf of the incoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration. [NEWS1]
2. Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol's U.S.-ROK Policy Consultation Delegation
All the right words.
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol's U.S.-ROK Policy Consultation Delegation - United States Department of State
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Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol’s U.S.-ROK Policy Consultation Delegation
Readout
April 4, 2022
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The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Today, Deputy Secretary Sherman met in Washington with Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol’s U.S.-ROK Policy Consultation Delegation, led by National Assembly Representative Park Jin. The Deputy Secretary congratulated the delegation for President-elect Yoon’s victory and reaffirmed the U.S.-ROK Alliance as the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The Deputy Secretary highlighted the U.S.-ROK Alliance’s over six decades of cooperation and noted she looks forward to working with the new administration when it takes office in May. She also stressed the importance of U.S.-ROK cooperation in tackling the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century, including threats to regional security from the DPRK, supply chain resiliency, combatting the climate crisis, and ending the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Deputy Secretary also highlighted the importance of ongoing U.S. and ROK support for Ukraine in the face of President Putin’s continued brutal war. Deputy Secretary Sherman condemned the DPRK’s recent ballistic missile launches, which violated multiple UN Security Council resolutions, and highlighted the United States’ readiness to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy with the DPRK. Deputy Secretary Sherman also reaffirmed that the United States’ commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea remains ironclad and welcomed joint efforts to make progress on achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
3. Special Representative for the DPRK Kim’s Meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative Noh
A busy day at State for those working on Korea issues.
Special Representative for the DPRK Kim’s Meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative Noh - United States Department of State
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Special Representative for the DPRK Kim’s Meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) Special Representative Noh
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April 4, 2022
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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
On April 4, Special Representative for the DPRK Sung Kim met with ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk in Washington, D.C. The two jointly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s March 24 intercontinental ballistic missile launch, which was only the latest in a series of increasingly escalatory DRPK launches this year. They also reaffirmed the importance of a strong, unified response to these escalatory actions.
The Special Representatives condemned these ballistic missile launches as clear violations of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that posed a serious threat to regional stability. Special Representative Kim underscored the United States’ ironclad commitment to the security of the ROK, while reaffirming that the United States continues to seek serious and sustained dialogue with the DPRK. Special Representative Kim stressed the importance of close bilateral coordination with the ROK and other allies and partners as we seek to advance our shared goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
4. North Korea tries to cover up failed ICBM launch
Joshua Stanton's tweet is the perfect description of the Kim family regime.
Joshua Stanton
@freekorea_us
Orwell defined the Newspeak word "blackwhite" as "a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this," & "also the ability to BELIEVE that black is white, & more, to KNOW that black is white, & to forget that one has ever believed the contrary.”
North Korea tries to cover up failed ICBM launch
Government promotes test as a success even as many Pyongyang residents witnessed missile explode in air.
By Chang Gyu Ahn and Soyoung Kim
2022.04.04
North Korea is attempting to discredit reports of a failed intercontinental ballistic missile launch, dismissing the accounts as hearsay even though many people in Pyongyang saw the rocket explode over the city, sources in the capital told RFA.
North Korean media reported on March 24 that it successfully completed tests of the new Hwasong-17 ICBM, attributing its success to leader Kim Jong Un’s bravery. South Korean military authorities, however, reported Tuesday that the Hwasong-17 was involved in an earlier failed test launch on March 16. The March 24 launch was actually the older Hwasong-15 missile, they said.
The North Korean government is now denying “rumors” of loud sounds and flashes that could be heard and seen over Pyongyang on March 16.
“I have heard on various occasions through meetings and gatherings that there have been baseless rumors circulating about missile explosions. These rumors undermine the defense technology of our republic,” a Pyongyang city official told RFA’s Korean Service March 30.
“There is an emphasis from higher ups that we should not believe or get involved in these false rumors spread by hostile forces, and evil people who hold a grudge against our way of life,” said the official, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
The official admitted that the so-called rumors were in fact true.
“On the morning of March 16th, people in the districts of Sunan, Hyongjesan and Ryongsong heard a loud roar that seemed to pierce the sky and a ‘bang’ sound and witnessed pieces of debris falling and smoking,” he said.
“I heard from a friend in the same department who has a house in Sunan … that his wife went outside to hang clothes and heard a big airplane passing by and heard a ‘bang.’ After a while, she saw small pieces of shards falling nearby while smoking,” the official said.
The official said that others in Ryongsong and Hyongjesan districts saw similar events unfold.
“I even heard from a friend who lives in Ryongsong district that two people in Chungi-dong were struck by large pieces of debris falling,” he said.
“About a week after these testimonies, there was a report that the launch of new intercontinental ballistic missile ‘Hwasong-17’ on March 24th was a great success under the direct guidance of Kim Jong Un,” said the official.
Pyongyang has not only been trying to pass off the launch on the 24th as the Hwasong-17, it is also trying to use the event to lionize Kim.
“People say that Kim Jong Un seems like an actor in a well-produced music video on the TV reports he appears in. The missile launch failed, but I don’t understand the government’s effort to hide it,” he said.
North Korea has sent agents into the provinces for damage control, a resident of South Pyongan province, north of Pyongyang, told RFA.
“Last week, an executive appeared at the morning assembly at my company, saying there were rumors that a missile launch failed. He emphasized that we were not to believe the false rumors spread by evil forces intent on internally breaking us down,” said the resident, who requested anonymity to speak freely.
“But people are acknowledging the missile explosion as a fact. In Pyongyang as well as here, people saw flashing lights and smoke from the sky, and small fragments of debris fell here and there,” she said.
The resident said others, including her cousin who lives in another South Pyongan town, saw flashing lights and heard bangs in the sky.
“Although the incident has been witnessed by many, the authorities are dismissing it as a rumor spread by evildoers. There are many citizens who directly witnessed the explosion in the air, but I don’t know what the authorities are afraid of that they would hide the truth,” she said.
More sanctions
The U.S. Treasury Department Friday sanctioned five North Korean entities for their involvement in ballistic missile development programs in violation of several United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In a statement, the Treasury Department said the sanctions target a North Korean organization that conducts research and development of weapons of mass destruction and four of its revenue-generating subsidiaries.
“The DPRK’s provocative ballistic missile tests represent a clear threat to regional and global security and are in blatant violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the statement.
“The United States is committed to using our sanctions authorities to respond to the DPRK’s continued development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. I also commend Japan for their actions today against the DPRK, and stand ready to continue to work together to counter the DPRK’s continued threatening behavior,” she said.
Analysts applauded the move.
“It’s a positive sign, in that the U.S. is taking action against North Korea’s weapons development and testing,” Soo Kim of the RAND Corporation told RFA.
“But I would underscore that the latest designations are subsidiaries of organizations that should probably have been designated. So it’s unclear whether this will have teeth in terms of impact,” she said.
Bruce Klingner of the Heritage Foundation, a group that promotes free enterprise and limited government, that there are any remaining North Korean entities to sanction, given its long and expansive history of violations of U.N. resolutions and U.S. laws.
“It raises the question as to why Washington chose not to [sanction them] until now and how many other North Korean and other country entities the US could sanction but has not done so,” Klingner told RFA.
“Each U.S. administration has claimed to be tough on North Korea and other violators but chose not to fully enforce U.S. laws. Trump's ‘maximum pressure’ was never maximum. Indeed, he announced he was not sanctioning 300 North Korean entities and 12 Chinese banks that had violated US laws. Sanctions, like diplomacy, are a tool that should be used in conjunction with other tools of international power,” he said.
Translated by Claire Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
5. U.S. to cultivate options in waters near Korea over Pyongyang's provocation: Pacific commander
One option (beyond the waters but the Aegis ships form the ROK, US, and Japan all play a role) is integrated missile defense. This is something the two bilateral alliances should pursue to gain trilateral cooperation at least in the area of integrated missile defense.
I heard a Korea watcher use this analogy with a Korean delegation today. He said it is like having three outfielders on the field. Do you want them to talk and support each other and back each other up? You do if you want to control the outfield and win the game. Right now the two bilateral alliances are like an outfield with no chatter and no help.
U.S. to cultivate options in waters near Korea over Pyongyang's provocation: Pacific commander | Yonhap News Agency
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The United States has more room to maneuver in waters around the Korean Peninsula to help deter further provocations by North Korea and will continue to cultivate such options, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet said Monday.
Adm. Samuel Paparo also said North Korea's recent missiles launches are "deeply, deeply concerning."
"We are cultivating some options for a demonstration of our bilateral commitment to the security, the stability and the well being of the Republic of Korea," the admiral said in a media roundtable in Washington, referring to South Korea by its official name.
His remarks come after North Korea fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) since November 2017, ending its self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile testing that had been in place since then.
Pyongyang has conducted 12 rounds of missile launches this year, including seven rounds in January alone that marked the largest number of missile tests it has staged in a single month.
"While we tightly calibrate our operations on the peninsula, in accordance with the sovereign wishes of the Republic of Korea, we have a little bit more room to maneuver in the West Sea or in the East Sea as it's called in Korea," Paparo said when asked if the U.S. had plans to commit additional military assets to the region in light of the recent North Korean provocations.
"As the naval component commander, I have a key element within that and will continue to cultivate those options," he added.
Paparo said the U.S. has already taken a step to show its commitment to the defense of South Korea.
"In response to the last, we did, in coalition and in partnership with one another, execute a demonstration at sea, which demonstrated our own resolve," he said.
The U.S. dispatched the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Yellow Sea last month to conduct a carrier-based air demonstration.
The move came after North Korea launched two ballistic missiles on Feb. 27 and March 5 (Seoul time) that the U.S. says had involved testing a new ICBM system.
Paparo reaffirmed the U.S.' commitment to the defense of South Korea.
"What's unquestioned is the ironclad alliance between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea and the commitment to the Republic of Korea, to its security and to its stability as one of the world's key and most vibrant democracies," he said.
(END)
6. U.S. agrees on need to upgrade alliance with S. Korea: Seoul delegate
I would like to see an updated comprehensive bilateral strategy that includes as a major line of effort, strategic influence through information advantage. We have the expertise (escapees), we have the tools. We just need the will to execute a comprehensive information and influence campaign. This is a fundamental requirement to support deterrence but also beyond the nuclear issue and in support of seeking the resolution of the Korea question which is the most important objective to achieve the strategic outcome that supports ROK/US alliance interests.
(LEAD) U.S. agrees on need to upgrade alliance with S. Korea: Seoul delegate | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with reports of the South Korean delegates' meeting with White House czar for Asia, Kurt Campbell in last 3 paras)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The United States agrees on the need to expand and upgrade its bilateral alliance with South Korea, the head of a South Korean delegation sent by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday.
Rep. Park Jin of Yoon's People Power Party said the U.S. side has also agreed on the need to reactivate the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG).
"(We) relayed the president-elect's wish for South Korea and the U.S. to further upgrade the South Korea-U.S. alliance into a comprehensive and strategic alliance and formed a consensus (with the U.S.)," Park said after meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
"We had a very useful consultation today with Deputy Secretary Sherman," he said of the meeting.
Park is leading the seven-member U.S.-ROK Policy Consultation Delegation.
He earlier said one of the main objectives of the delegation is to strengthen the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
"We will hold discussions with people from the U.S. administration, Congress and think tanks to lay the groundwork for the normalization of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and to place the bilateral relationship on a strong foundation," Park said after arriving in Washington on Sunday.
The visit by the delegation also follows a series of North Korean missile launches that included the firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the first of its kind since November 2017.
Earlier reports have also suggested the North may be preparing for a nuclear test, citing ongoing construction work at the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site that was purportedly demolished in 2018.
Park said the countries have agreed on the need for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea, adding they have also agreed on the need to reactivate the EDSCG to that end.
"The two sides agreed that maintaining deterrence to counter any North Korean provocation is most important," Park said.
"To this end, the countries agreed on the need to strengthen the extended deterrence between South Korea and the U.S. and the importance of reactivating the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group that has failed to play its role over the past few years."
The South Korean delegates also met with Kurt Campbell, White House policy coordinator for Asia.
They said Campbell has agreed on the importance of developing the South Korea-U.S. alliance to also promote economic security and technology cooperation.
Campbell was also quoted as saying that the U.S. is looking forward to working closely with South Korea's incoming administration, while highlighting the importance of the trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.
(END)
7. S. Korean, U.S. nuclear envoys agree to push for new UNSC resolution on N. Korea
Of course China and Russia will not support this. But we need to pursue this regardless. We need to make Russia and China demonstrate their complicity in supporting north Korea's malign activities. Their vetoes would provide useful messages for a comprehensive strategic influence through information advantage campaign. Not only is Kim Jong-un not acting as a responsible member of the international community, but Xi and Putin are not as well (of course Putin is demonstrating this now every day in Ukraine).
(LEAD) S. Korean, U.S. nuclear envoys agree to push for new UNSC resolution on N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks from the nuclear envoys, more information, background from 8th para; ADDS photo)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States on Monday agreed to jointly push for a new U.N. Security Council resolution against North Korea over its recent series of ballistic missile launches.
They also reaffirmed their condemnation of the missile launches as serious violations of existing UNSC resolutions.
"South Korea and the U.S. first shared our views on the current situation of the Korean Peninsula at today's meeting," Noh Kyu-duk said of his meeting with Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for the DPRK.
"In addition, we reaffirmed our joint position that it is important to sternly act against North Korea's provocations while maintaining a strong joint defense posture," added Noh.
DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
Noh arrived here Sunday to discuss North Korea's recent missile launches that included the firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on March 24 (Seoul time), which ended the North's self-imposed moratorium on long-range ballistic missile testing that had been in place since November 2017.
"These launches are a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and we must work together to come up with a decisive response to the DPRK's provocative behavior," the top U.S. nuclear envoy told reporters.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, head of the U.S. mission to the U.N., earlier said the U.S. will propose a new UNSC resolution to strengthen existing sanctions on North Korea.
"And because of DPRK's increasingly dangerous provocations, the United States will be introducing a chapter seven Security Council resolution to update and strengthen the sanctions regime," the U.S. envoy said in a UNSC meeting held in New York on March 25.
"We also agreed on the importance of a strong UN Security response to these escalatory actions by the DPRK, and I look forward to working with Ambassador Noh and his team and their colleagues in the UN to pursue a new UN Security Council resolution," Kim said.
Noh confirmed joint efforts to push for a UNSC resolution.
"Especially regarding the North's ICBM launch on March 24, (we) agreed on the need to take strong measures, including a new resolution at the UNSC, consider that it was a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions," the South Korean envoy said.
Both Kim and Noh said their countries continue to remain open to dialogue with the North.
"We also made clear that we remain open to diplomacy. But it really is up to Pyongyang to decide the path forward. They can choose to talk to us, to negotiate with us for our shared goal of denuclearization," he said.
Noh urged the North to quickly return to diplomacy.
"I once again call on North Korea to refrain from taking any action that may further deteriorate the situation and return to dialogue and diplomacy," he said.
Noh added he has invited his U.S. counterpart to visit Seoul in the near future to continue their discussions.
Kim said he will do so in a few weeks, and that he also looks forward to holding talks with members of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team.
(END)
8. U.S. looks forward to working with new S. Korean gov't on N. Korea: State Dept.
We have to be treading carefully here. The Yoon administration does not take office for another month and we could see some activity by Kim Jong-un that will take a coordinated effort with the current administration.
We can also expect remarks like these as well as President Yoon's that talk about revitalizing the alliance and move the ROK and US closer together to be exploited by the north. We should expect the north Korean Propaganda and Agitation Department to use themes and messages that will try to show President-elect Yoon kowtowing to the US and acting as a puppet of the US. If we think the rhetoric against Moon has been strong since September 2018, we will likely see even more provocative (and disgusting) propaganda from the north toward Yoon.
U.S. looks forward to working with new S. Korean gov't on N. Korea: State Dept. | Yonhap News Agency
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 4 (Yonhap) -- The United States looks forward to working with South Korea's incoming administration to tackle challenges posed by North Korea, including concerns over humanitarian conditions in the impoverished North, a state department spokesperson said Monday.
Ned Price also highlighted the importance of all U.N. member countries, including China, implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea to stop the country from taking additional destabilizing actions.
"We know that the U.S.-ROK alliance is the linchpin of peace, security, prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," the department press secretary said in a daily press briefing, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
"And we look forward to continuing to work with our partners, our allies in the ROK, including the incoming government, on the challenges posed by the DPRK's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs, but also to seek to address the humanitarian needs and concerns," he added.
DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
The remarks come as a special delegation of South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is currently on a visit to the U.S. for consultations regarding security and other major policy issues with the U.S.
The delegation, led by Rep. Park Jin of Yoon's People Power Party, was set to meet Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman later in the day. Yoon is set to take office on May 10.
Price underscored the importance of working with all countries, including the People's Republic of China (PRC), to prevent North Korea from taking any further escalatory steps.
"We coordinate closely in the first instance with our allies -- the ROK and Japan -- on a coordinated approach to the DPRK's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs," said Price.
"But it's also important that we consult with those countries that are in a position to wield leverage over the DPRK, including in some cases in ways that we are not. The PRC is certainly one of those countries," he added, noting U.S. Special Representative for the DPRK Sung Kim was scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Liu Xiaoming, in Washington this week.
Pyongyang staged 12 rounds of missile launches this year, including seven rounds in January alone that marked the largest number of missile tests it has conducted in a single month.
The North also fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) late last month, marking its first ICBM launch since November 2017.
"We believe that all countries, again especially those countries that may have ties with the DPRK that the United States, Japan, the ROK do not, to use that relationship in a way that is constructive and in a way that moves us towards our collective goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Price said.
The U.S. special envoy for North Korea met his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, earlier in the day.
The two said they have agreed to push for a new U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea.
(END)
9. Pyonghattan: Escapees from North Korea’s Capital
A one hour+ video worth watching. You will listen to 3 people who are really working to bring change to north Korea.
Ms. Song's tweet describes what we should all be supporting (as my tweet in response notes).
The Korea Society
@koreasociety
"Some of the work we do is how we can get more information into the hands of the North Korean people to become more aware of the outside world and eventually to be in a position where they can determine their own future." @hannahsong on @LibertyinNK
David Maxwell
@DavidMaxwell161
Ms. Song's quote should be the basis for our campaign of strategic influence through information advantage. We hold the advantage, we just need to use it. She and other escapees are doing the hard work and know what they are doing. At a minimum we simply need to support them.
Video here:
Pyonghattan: Escapees from North Korea’s Capital
Sibling defectors from Pyongyang Seohyun Lee and Hyun-Seung Lee discuss their life in North Korea, their journey to escape, and their transition to life in the United States, alongside Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) President & CEO Hannah Song, in conversation with Korea Society policy director Jonathan Corrado. Hyunseung and Seohyun Lee are prominent North Korean activists and siblings. They're the children of Ri Jong-ho, a high ranking North Korean defector who worked for decades in “Office 39,” which generates revenue for the North Korean leadership. Hyun-Seung and Seohyun were raised in Pyongyang, educated in China, and escaped North Korea in 2014 with their family after witnessing a series of brutal purges by Kim Jong Un. They speak to their experience as millennials from Pyongyang and share the true nature of the Kim regime and the reality of life in North Korea. The event marks the anniversary of the February 2014 publication of the historic UN Commission of Inquiry report on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
This program is made possible by the generous support from the Korea Foundation.
Pyonghattan: Escapees from North Korea’s Capital
In-Person and Livestream
Thursday, March 31, 2022 | 6 PM
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Seo-Hyun Lee was born and raised in central Pyongyang and grew up with the best educational opportunities available in North Korea. In 2008, she enrolled at Kim Il Sung University and continued her study in the Chinese language in the department of Foreign Languages & Literature. After moving to China with her family, she graduated from China Dongbei University of Economics and Finance in 2014 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance. During a heightened period of brutal purges by the Kim Jong Un regime, her family defected to South Korea and finally resettled in the United States in 2016. Advocating for North Korean human rights, Seo-Hyun works with HRNK and LiNK to inform the international community about the uncensored truth of North Korea. Seo-Hyun also works with several other NGOs, such as Lumen, to disseminate information into North Korea, which she believes is the best way to liberate the North Korean people. On top of that, in order to bring greater awareness of North Korea to the outside world, she and her brother have launched a YouTube channel called “Pyonghattan” to share their diverse experiences of living in Pyongyang’s core society.
Hyun-Seung (Arthur) Lee escaped North Korea when he was 29 years old. He engaged in trade and economic relations between China and North Korea through his managerial role in a business entity under the DPRK regime. He graduated from China Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, where he was the chairman of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, Dalian China branch. After completing his military service in 2005 with the rank of Sergeant, he was granted membership in the Korean Workers Party. Despite his prestigious background and elite-level education, a series of brutal purges by Kim Jong Un forced him and his entire family to defect in late 2014, making their way first to South Korea. Subsequently, the entire family emigrated to the United States (2016) where Hyun-Seung has been engaged with several Washington DC think tanks and NGOs in consulting roles.
Hannah Song is President and CEO of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK). She joined in 2006 as Deputy Director, managing day-to-day operations and coordinating overseas programs, including underground shelters and refugee resettlement efforts in the United States and in South Korea. At the end of 2008, she became President/CEO, helping to re-found the organization with a new mission focused on building international support for the North Korean people, providing direct assistance to North Korean refugees, and developing long-term, people-focused strategies to accelerate positive change inside the country. Hannah regularly speaks at international fora and to the media on North Korea-related issues.
10. Prisoners in Military Uniform: Human Rights In The North Korean Military : Research Reports
Prior to COVID I had the honor of meeting the nKPA soldier who crossed the MDL in the JSA. It was fascinating listening to him describe his life in the north Korean military,
From the Forward:
In November 2017, the world was captivated by video footage of a North Korean soldier dashing across the Demilitarized Zone as his fellow North Korean soldiers fired upon him to prevent his escape to South Korea. During the soldier’s medical treatment of the wounds he sustained during his escape, doctors discovered parasitic worms inside his intestines, what one doctor described as something he had only seen in medical textbooks.
This episode, for a brief moment, brought the world’s attention to North Korea. The soldier’s daring escape displayed a different side of the North Korean military than what is typically seen on the news, often saturated with missile tests and parades. Instead, we saw a member of the North Korean military actively turn against the regime and defect to South Korea, where the severity of the situation in North Korea came into greater focus. Months later, in 2018, NKDB published the Korean edition of Prisoners in Military Uniform, shedding further light on the human rights situation that even soldiers face in North Korea. In the 2018 first edition of this report, the majority of the information providers had served during the rule of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Now, 10 years into Kim Jong Un’s rule, NKDB sought to answer whether the human rights of those who have had their youth stripped away from them while being forced to serve in the Korean People’s Army have improved. For this report in 2022, NKDB has included an additional chapter exploring the changes in conditions of North Korean soldiers during the past ten years by interviewing former soldiers who have served in the military under Kim Jong Un.
The North Korean military remains a key organization that plays an instrumental role in protecting the regime, requiring the maintenance of a large-scale military force despite constant economic difficulties. With the end of the Cold War and amid a series of systemic transitions in socialist countries of Eastern Europe, Kim Jong Il implemented the military-first ruling strategy known as Songun for his government in order to strengthen the regime. Even after the emergence of his successor, Kim Jong Un, in 2009, North Korea has not hesitated to launch armed provocations in accordance with its internal and external interests, such as the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, as well as the high tensions on the Korean Peninsula in 2017. According to the 2020 Defense White Paper, North Korea has roughly 9 million troops, including 1.28 million peacetime troops in the army, navy, air force, and strategic forces, and an additional 7.62 million reserve troops.
Prisoners in Military Uniform: Human Rights In The North Korean Military : Research Reports
Prisoners in Military Uniform: Human Rights In The North Korean Military
30 Mar 2022
TitleㆍPrisoners in Military Uniform: Human Rights in the North Korean MilitaryAuthorㆍInsung Kim, Hyun-min An, Hanna Song, Seungju LeePublication Yearㆍ2022Price/Not for Saleㆍ$20/20,000 KRWPublication Dateㆍ2022-03-28Pagesㆍ395
Table of Contents
Forewordㆍ11
I. Introductionㆍ 17
1. Purpose of Resarchㆍ 17
2. Research Content and Methodologyㆍ 19
1) Research Content and Scopeㆍ 19
2) Research Methodologyㆍ21
II. The State of Human Rights in the North Korean Militaryㆍ 47
1. Overview of North Korean Military Human Rightsㆍ 47
1) The Presence of Discrimination Due to Background and Songbunㆍ 47
(1) Enlistmentㆍ 48
(2) Installation Assignmentㆍ 55
(3) Admission to the Partyㆍ 59
(4) Promotionsㆍ 65
2) Human Rights Violations due to Group Deploymentㆍ 67
3) Existence of Human Rights Training and Reporting Proceduresㆍ 69
2. The State of the Right to Lifeㆍ 78
1) Public and Secret Executionㆍ 78
2) Death in the Course of Trainingㆍ 97
3) Death in the Course of Workㆍ 108
4) Death Due to Beatings and Other Harsh Actsㆍ 118
5) Death Due to Malnourishmentㆍ 124
6) Death Due to Inadequate Medical Treatmentㆍ 136
3. The State of the Right to Libertyㆍ 147
1) Disappearanceㆍ 147
2) Physically and Psychologically Harsh Actsㆍ 155
(1) Verbal Abuseㆍ 155
(2) Beatingsㆍ 165
(3) Harsh Acts (Torture)ㆍ 182
(4) Sexual Violenceㆍ 190
3) Surveillance Systemㆍ 203
(1) Monitoringㆍ 203
(2) Lettersㆍ 216
(3) Phone Callsㆍ 223
(4) Visitsㆍ 229
III. State of Crimes Committed Against Civilians by the Militaryㆍ 237
1. Murder of Civiliansㆍ 238
2. Assault of Civiliansㆍ 246
3. Looting Civiliansㆍ 256
4. Forced Labor of Civiliansㆍ 268
5. Sexual Assault Against Civilian Womenㆍ 270
IV. The State of Human Rights in North Korean Military Detention Facilitiesㆍ 277
1. The State of Human Rights in North Military Detention Facilitiesㆍ 279
2. The State of Labor Reform Camps in North Koreaㆍ 286
1) Entry Processㆍ 288
2) Food Distributionㆍ 289
3) Forced Laborㆍ 290
4) Monitoringㆍ 291
5) Beatingsㆍ 292
6) Death and Disposal of Bodiesㆍ 292
V. Conclusionㆍ 295
VI. Changes to the North Korean Military System and the State of Human Rights after Kim Jong Un’s Rise to Powerㆍ303
Referencesㆍ 361
11. Most South Koreans believe their country should have closer ties to US, poll says
86%. Quite an impressive number.
Most South Koreans believe their country should have closer ties to US, poll says
American and South Korea flags wave outside Camp Humphreys, South Korea, March 16, 2020. (Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Nearly 87% of South Koreans think their country ought to develop closer ties to the United States than to any other nation, according to a poll released Monday.
The survey found 86.8% of respondents believe Seoul should develop closer economic, foreign and security policy ties with Washington. The Federation of Korean Industries commissioned the poll, which was conducted March 24-28.
Just 5% of respondents said North Korea ought to be the top partner with South Korea, and 3.2% said China. The European Union was cited by 2.1%, and 1.4% said Japan.
The poll surveyed 1,000 people and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. The federation, an association of large businesses, seeks to “promote sound economic policies,” according to its website.
The results come one month before South Korean President Moon Jae-in finishes his five-year term. Yoon Seok-youl, a former chief prosecutor elected president last month, is scheduled to be inaugurated May 10.
Moon’s critics accused him of prioritizing relations with North Korea over ties to the U.S. Following his summit meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2018, Moon agreed to indefinitely postpone large-scale military exercises with U.S. troops to lower tensions on the Korean Peninsula, a frequent North Korean demand.
In contrast, Yoon, a member of the conservative People Power Party, has called for closer ties with the U.S., including the resumption of large-scale drills, while taking a hardline stance against North Korea’s provocations.
“We will rebuild the [South Korea]-U.S. alliance and boost the comprehensive strategic alliance, sharing liberal democracy, a market economy, and the key value of human rights,” he said in a statement March 10.
FKI’s survey comes five months after a separate poll found that 67% of respondents viewed the U.S.-South Korean alliance favorably. The findings of that poll by the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Defense Analysis represent a “substantial” increase in U.S. support over previous years, according to the institute.
Nearly 75% of FKI respondents believe the South Korean government should repair relations with Japan. Twenty-two percent said it was very necessary to improve relations and 52.9% said it was somewhat necessary. Another 18.5% of respondents said it was somewhat unnecessary while 6.6% said it was very unnecessary.
Moon’s government has at times been at odds with Tokyo, particularly as the two countries continue to spar over territorial disputes in the Dokdo, or Takeshima, islands and address reparations for Korean comfort women subjected to prostitution by Japan during World War II.
Conservative lawmakers like Yoon have campaigned to mend ties with Japan, calling for a “future-oriented” relationship “based on a correct understanding of history,” according to a policy outlook from Yoon’s presidential campaign.
Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
12. Yoon administration's agenda items narrowed to 115: spokesperson
Still a long "to-do" list.
(LEAD) Yoon administration's agenda items narrowed to 115: spokesperson | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES headline; ADDS more info in 3rd para; CHANGES photo)
SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- The transition team of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has sorted out about 110 items that the incoming government plans to pursue, Yoon's spokesperson said Tuesday.
"Currently items for the state agenda have been narrowed to about 110, while action items have been reduced to 580, but we will further narrow down our plans to keep our promises to the people," Kim Eun-hye, Yoon's spokesperson, said during a press briefing.
Shin Yong-hyun, a spokesperson for the presidential transition committee, later clarified that a total of 115 state agenda items and 587 action items have been gathered and follow-up work, which includes the review of campaign pledges from other parties, is under way.
Earlier, the presidential transition committee said it will review and select items for the agenda by April 25, and Yoon plans to finalize and announce them sometime between May 4 and 9.
The transition team is comprised of seven standing subcommittees, including those for foreign affairs and national security; science, technology and education; and two for the economy.
(END)
13. N. Korea has large arsenal of 'theater-class' missiles: U.S. commander
Excerpts:
"The DPRK previously tested ICBM class missiles designed to reach the U.S., and they have a large arsenal of theater-class missiles," he said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The recent missile launches demonstrate their ongoing desire to develop a credible missile threat."
Theater-class missiles refer to those intended for use in specific areas of military operations.
"Theater class" might refer to two descriptions. First, simply, is that such missiles that can be employed throughout an entire theater of operations. The second meaning could mean these missiles are used for "theater," or for show to support political warfare and blackmail diplomacy. Of course the Admiral did not refer to them in that content and I make this comment only half in jest. north Korea is particularly adept at "theater" operations - though I think some would describe it as "theater of the absurd."
N. Korea has large arsenal of 'theater-class' missiles: U.S. commander | Yonhap News Agency
By Chae Yun-hwan and Song Sang-ho
SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has a large number of "theater-class" missiles with a desire to develop a "credible" missile threat, a U.S. commander has said, casting the recalcitrant regime as a strategic security challenge.
Adm. Charles Richard, head of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), made the assessment in a written statement to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense prior to a closed-door hearing on Tuesday (U.S. time).
"The DPRK previously tested ICBM class missiles designed to reach the U.S., and they have a large arsenal of theater-class missiles," he said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The recent missile launches demonstrate their ongoing desire to develop a credible missile threat."
Theater-class missiles refer to those intended for use in specific areas of military operations.
Richard's remarks came as Seoul and Washington are cranking up security cooperation in the wake of a series of North Korean missile launches, including the regime's March 24 test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The commander reiterated the U.S.' commitment of "extended deterrence" to its two key Asian allies, South Korea and Japan.
Extended deterrence means America's stated pledge to use a full range of military assets, both nuclear and conventional, to defend its allies.
The admiral also said that his command supports the Pentagon's efforts with regional partners to reduce military tensions and encourage diplomatic efforts to pursue the North's denuclearization.
(END)
14. Yoon's delegation makes rounds in Washington
Laying the groundwork.
Tuesday
April 5, 2022
Yoon's delegation makes rounds in Washington
People Power Party Rep. Park Jin, center, responds to questions from the press after meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at the State Department on Monday. [PARK HYUN-YOUNG]
Washington and Seoul are on the same page on defense ties in light of escalating regional tensions brought on by North Korean provocations, People Power Party Rep. Park Jin said after meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at the State Department on Monday.
“Substantial and fruitful consultations were held,” Park told a group of reporters after the meeting with Sherman. “The U.S. side also welcomed the president-elect's initiative to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance, which is a key pillar of regional security and prosperity, into a partnership that contributes at the global level, such as responding to the Ukraine crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Park added that in light of escalating regional tensions, both administrations agreed that it is “most important to maintain a deterrent force” that can strongly respond to “any provocations” from the North.
“We shared the view that a high-level strategic meeting to strengthen the combined defense posture and extended deterrence is very important,” Park said. The two administrations share the view that the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of the North must be accomplished for peace on the Korean Peninsula, he said, bringing back an acronym that has been generally avoided in recent years by both Korean and U.S. administrations during a period of diplomatic outreach to Pyongyang.
Park is leading a delegation from President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol in Washington this week to coordinate Yoon’s U.S. policies, not only on North Korean affairs but also on the global supply chain and Covid-19 recovery.
Yoon, set to be inaugurated as president next month, has a foreign policy outlook that centers on the alliance with the United States and a hawkish stance on national security that emphasizes pre-emptive strike capacity against the North, as well as normalization of joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul.
Yoon also pledged on the campaign trail to re-activate the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group, created jointly by Washington and Seoul in 2016 to counter threats from North Korea, which could lead to deployment of U.S. strategic assets such as nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers to Seoul.
Park and the delegation were scheduled to visit the White House on Tuesday to give a letter from Yoon to President Joe Biden and to discuss details of an upcoming summit between the two leaders.
The delegation also met on Monday with Kurt Campbell, deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council.
“The importance of trilateral cooperation between the United States, Korea and Japan was highlighted during the conversation,” Park said. “[Campbell] assured us that while the U.S. government is focusing on the Ukrainian crisis, it will not change the administration’s priority on the Indo-Pacific region.”
15. North Korea's harsh rhetoric seen as attempt to tame South Korea
If Kim thinks he can "tame" South Korea he has again miscalculated. Come May 10th he is going to be facing a very well aligned ROK/US alliance and he will rue the day that he did not make a deal with the Moon and Trump administrations. That was his last best chance.
North Korea's harsh rhetoric seen as attempt to tame South Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol / Korea Times photo
Kim Yo-jong warns of nuclear response in case of Seoul's preemptive strikes
By Kang Seung-woo
Scathing remarks made by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister in response to South Korea's defense minister touting the South's "pre-emptive strike" ability were aimed at taming Seoul's new administration, which is widely expected to take a tougher stance against Pyongyang, including the use of military options, according to experts.
They also noted that North Korea's warning, the second of its kind in just three days, was largely propaganda aimed at bolstering internal solidarity amid economic woes triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement carried by state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong denounced Defense Minister Suk Wook's reference to possible pre-emptive strikes as a "fantastic daydream" and the "hysteria of a lunatic," adding that it was a big mistake for the South Korean military to highlight its pre-emptive strike capabilities against her country.
"If South Korea chooses to wage a military conflict with us, our nuclear combat force will have no choice but to carry out its duty," she said.
Last Friday, Suh said his troops had the capability to accurately and swiftly strike the origin of North Korea's missile launches as well as command and support facilities in the event of clear signs of an attack targeting South Korea. Kim warned, Sunday, that Seoul will face a serious threat for the remarks.
"Kim Yo-jong's two statements are aimed at warning the new South Korean government taking actions that will be hostile to North Korea when reviewing its policy toward the North," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
During the election campaign, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol mentioned the need to carry out a preemptive strike in the event North Korea appears ready to fire a nuclear-tipped missile at the South.
Along with Yoon, his national security team is widely expected to be composed of people who handled inter-Korean affairs under the hawkish Lee Myung-bak administration from 2008 to 2013. At that time, ties between the two Koreas experienced a serious downturn.
However, Yang also said given that Kim did not mention military action plans in the latest statement, North Korea has indirectly left room for dialogue with South Korea if the Yoon administration refrains from taking a hardline stance.
In Tuesday's statement, Kim said, "Unless the South Korean army takes any military action against our state, it will not be regarded as a target of our attack."
President Moon Jae-in chats with Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while watching a performance at the National Theater of Korea in central Seoul in Feb. 11 2018. Yonhap
Given that both of Kim's two statements were published on the state-run Rodong Sinmun, which is largely for domestic audiences, the reclusive country appears to be trying to bolster internal unity by creating a sense of crisis.
"The North Korean regime has strengthened internal solidarity with a sense of crisis that South Korea or the U.S. may attack and as soon as the pre-emptive strike comments were made last week, it played upon the public's fears to this end as the country is struggling with economic difficulties due to the pandemic," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.
In the wake of China's COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019, the reclusive state quickly closed its borders to prevent the spread of the disease, but the move has dealt a heavy blow to the country's already feeble economy.
Meanwhile, the second statement unveiled the North Korean military's strategy on how to use nuclear weapons in times of emergency, according to Park.
Since North Korea's development of nuclear weapons came to light, there have been mixed responses on when the country will use its nuclear bombs when a war breaks out and Kim made it clear that Pyongyang will do so from the beginning.
"In case South Korea opts for military confrontation with us, our nuclear combat force will have to inevitably carry out its duty," she said.
"One's nuclear combat force is mobilized to take initiative at the onset of war, to completely dampen the enemy's war spirits, prevent protracted hostilities and preserve one's own military muscle."
Park said it was a very aggressive scenario, which could be very serious.
"Minor conflicts, or conception or misconception, can trigger a war, but North Korea's plan to use its nuclear weapons at the early stage of a war means they are highly likely to expand into a full-scale war," he added.
16. Yoon's relocation plan to Yongsan to gain momentum
Will the President-elect prove the naysayers wrong? Will he be able to start his term in new offices?
Excertps:
It appears that the two sides may have reached the compromise by starting with moving branches that are not related to military exercises. A Cheong Wa Dae official said, "The two sides have narrowed their differences regarding the national security vacuum."
According to Yoon's plan, the total cost for the presidential office relocation will reach 49.6 billion won ($40.93 million), 11.8 billion won of which will be used for moving the defense ministry to the JCS headquarters.
Regarding the remainder of Yoon's budget, it is possible that Moon could hold an additional Cabinet meeting to approve them. The Cheong Wa Dae official said, "The two sides will continue to engage in talks," on whether to hold an additional Cabinet meeting.
Regardless of the budget, chances are slim for Yoon to keep his pledge to start his presidency on May 10 from the new presidential office due to time and other constraints.
Yoon's relocation plan to Yongsan to gain momentum
Presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee speaks during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Yonhap
Partial budget for presidential office relocation plan to be approved Wednesday
By Nam Hyun-woo
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's plan to relocate the presidential office to Seoul's Yongsan District is expected to pick up speed, as the current Cabinet is set to approve a portion of the budget for the move in an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
"President Moon Jae-in instructed the approval of a budget related to the presidential office relocation," presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said, Tuesday. "The government will hold an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Wednesday and will approve the proposal of financing the relocation using the state reserve fund."
Following the March 28 meeting between Moon and Yoon, the President expressed his intention to "thoroughly review and cooperate" on the president-elect's proposal to use the state reserve fund to finance the cost of setting up a new presidential office in the defense ministry compound in Yongsan.
A day earlier, the government held a meeting between ministries related to the presidential office relocation, but did not come to a conclusion, and the proposal was not on the table during in the regular Cabinet meeting that took place on Tuesday.
The size of the budget was not revealed, but it is assumed to stand at between 31 billion won ($25.6 million) and 36 billion won. Reportedly, the budget also covers the costs for moving the defense ministry headquarters to the nearby JCS headquarters.
Before their March 28 meeting, Moon had opposed Yoon's presidential office relocation plan, citing a potential national security vacuum. To provide enough space for the new presidential office at the Ministry of National Defense building, the ministry will have to move to the nearby JCS headquarters, and the JCS will also have move to other locations.
It appears that the two sides may have reached the compromise by starting with moving branches that are not related to military exercises. A Cheong Wa Dae official said, "The two sides have narrowed their differences regarding the national security vacuum."
According to Yoon's plan, the total cost for the presidential office relocation will reach 49.6 billion won ($40.93 million), 11.8 billion won of which will be used for moving the defense ministry to the JCS headquarters.
Regarding the remainder of Yoon's budget, it is possible that Moon could hold an additional Cabinet meeting to approve them. The Cheong Wa Dae official said, "The two sides will continue to engage in talks," on whether to hold an additional Cabinet meeting.
Regardless of the budget, chances are slim for Yoon to keep his pledge to start his presidency on May 10 from the new presidential office due to time and other constraints.
Yoon's presidential office relocation team had estimated that moving the defense ministry and the JCS, as stated in Yoon's plan, would take six to eight weeks. They had sought to receive Cabinet approval by March 25.
Yoon's presidential transition committee said Tuesday it will hold a contest to get public recommendations on the new presidential office within this month.
17. Yoon's spokeswoman defends Seoul's right to launch preemptive strike
The right of self defense is never denied.
I am not sure of the translation of the spokesperson's comment here but I think we can get the gist.
Excertos:
"Preemptive strikes are one of the actions accepted in the world, including at the U.N., as being usable not in a preventative sense but when a preemptive threat persists," Yoon's spokesperson, Kim Eun-hye, said during a press briefing.
Yoon was criticized by his opponents during the campaign after he suggested preemptively striking North Korea in the event of an imminent threat, leading to speculation Pyongyang's latest protest was actually directed at Yoon.
Yoon also vowed during the campaign to establish the Kill-Chain preemptive strike platform, which makes up part of South Korea's "three-axis" defensive system.
Yoon's spokeswoman defends Seoul's right to launch preemptive strike
Military guard posts of North Korea, background, and South Korea, foreground, are seen in Paju, near their border, April 5. AP-Yonhap
A preemptive strike remains an option South Korea can take in the case of an impending threat, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's spokesperson said Tuesday, after North Korea slammed Defense Minister Suh Wook, accusing him of threatening such action.
The North Korean leader's sister, Kim Yo-jong, issued warnings Sunday and Tuesday after South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook said the military was capable of "accurately and swiftly" striking the origins of North Korean missile launches if they appear to be targeting the South.
Kim said the minister's "reckless remarks" could put South Korea under "serious threat" and unveiled a scenario of North Korea mobilizing its nuclear combat force in response to any conflict.
"Preemptive strikes are one of the actions accepted in the world, including at the U.N., as being usable not in a preventative sense but when a preemptive threat persists," Yoon's spokesperson, Kim Eun-hye, said during a press briefing.
Yoon was criticized by his opponents during the campaign after he suggested preemptively striking North Korea in the event of an imminent threat, leading to speculation Pyongyang's latest protest was actually directed at Yoon.
Yoon also vowed during the campaign to establish the Kill-Chain preemptive strike platform, which makes up part of South Korea's "three-axis" defensive system.
"(North Korea's) remarks came after Minister Suh Wook spoke, and Minister Suh belongs to the current government," Kim Eun-hye continued. "Therefore, while I will say that we will respond without the slightest error to North Korea's provocations and security threats, I would be grateful if you could ask Minister Suh and the defense ministry regarding their interpretation." (Yonhap)
18. USFK chief expresses condolences over deaths of 4 pilots in KT-1 crashes
Of course the right thing to do.
As an aside, Koreans should refer to General LaCamera as the Commander of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command because that command "belongs" to the ROK and is "co-owned" by the ROK and the US and is the only command responsible for deterring war and defending South Korea which is what the two pilots were training to do and the two instructor pilots were training them to do.
USFK chief expresses condolences over deaths of 4 pilots in KT-1 crashes
Gen. Paul LaCamera / UPI-YonhapU.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander General Paul LaCamera expressed his condolences Tuesday to the families of four pilots who died after two trainer jets collided and crashed last week.
In a Facebook post, LaCamera delivered the message on behalf of the USFK, the U.N. Command and the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command. He leads the three commands.
"I offer our deepest condolences to the families, friends and airmen of the four ROK Air Force pilots who died Friday," LaCamera said, referring to Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
"As fellow military service members, we mourn the loss of those who perished while protecting and defending the Korean people."
The jets went down in a rice paddy in Sacheon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, after colliding with each other in midair during training, just minutes after takeoff from a nearby base. Each jet carried a trainee pilot, ranked first lieutenant, and a civilian flight instructor. (Yonhap)
19. Korea voices concerns over reported signs of civilian killings in Ukraine war
Good for South Korea. Its voice is important on these issues. (but let's not forget the human rights atrocities in north Korea as well)
Korea voices concerns over reported signs of civilian killings in Ukraine war
People walk past destroyed buildings in the town of Borodianka, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 4. AFP-Yonhap
Korea expressed "serious concerns" Tuesday over reported signs of Russian forces having killed Ukrainian civilians on the outskirts of Kyiv, stressing the need to investigate accountability for the alleged atrocity.
In Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital, dozens of bodies have reportedly been found following the withdrawal of Russian troops there. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pointed to the deaths as signs of "genocide."
"Our government expresses serious concerns over the Ukrainian government's announcement on signs of the killings of civilians," Choi Young-sam, the spokesperson of Seoul's foreign ministry, told a regular press briefing.
"The government supports the U.N. secretary general's statement April 3 that it is essential an independent investigation leads to effective accountability," he added, stressing a wartime civilian massacre is a "clear violation of international law."
Russia has denied the accusations about the civilian deaths despite residents' accounts and related photos. (Yonhap)
20. US agrees to upgrade strategic alliance with Korea: Yoon’s delegation
It will be interesting to understand what "upgrade" means. We have a blood alliance. We have a fully integrated combined military command. We have a Free Trade Agreement. We have a strong people to people relationship.
I think the CVID statement is interesting. It would seem there is little wiggle room for those who advocate coming off denuclearization and moving to arms control negotiations and offering concessions to the north.
If that is the case we need to develop a new strategy for beyond the nuclear crisis that will lead to the acceptable durable political arrangement that will protect, sustain, and advance ROK/US alliance interests.
US agrees to upgrade strategic alliance with Korea: Yoon’s delegation
Yoon’s delegation says they formed consensus on need of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of Pyongyang with US
Published : Apr 5, 2022 - 15:16 Updated : Apr 5, 2022 - 18:47
Rep. Park Jin (left), head of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol‘s policy consultation delegation to the US, and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at the US Department of State pose after their meeting in Washington on Monday (US time). (Yonhap)
Washington agreed to raise the level of strategic alliance with South Korea and agreed on the need for complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea, the chief of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s policy consultation delegation said during his trip to the United States on Monday (US time).
Rep. Park Jin of the People Power Party, who is leading Yoon’s delegation, said he had also discussed the importance of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group and reviving it between the two countries in a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Washington. Reactivating the EDSCG with the US was one of Yoon’s election pledges.
“In this critical time of government transition and with North Korea’s continuing provocations, we agreed on the importance of maintaining impenetrable cooperation,” Park said after meeting with Sherman.
“We were able to explain President-elect Yoon’s policy stance on North Korea -- to pursue CVID for sustainable peace and security of the Korean Peninsula -- and the US side also agreed.”
The delegation chief also said he relayed Yoon’s intentions for South Korea to participate in the working group of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad. The Quad is a US-led regional security forum that includes Australia, India and Japan.
“We also shared the view that it is very important to hold high-level strategic discussions (with each other) to reinforce a united defense posture and for nuclear deterrence,” Park added.
The EDSCG was first established by the US-Korea Foreign and Defense Ministers’ meeting in October 2016. It served as the channel for the two allies to discuss strategic and policy stances on extended deterrence against North Korea.
Also called the 2+2 working group, the group’s meeting has apparently stopped since early January 2018, when Seoul had worked to achieve rapprochement with Pyongyang under President Moon Jae-in’s lead.
The meeting between the Korean delegation and Sherman lasted for around two hours. Officials in charge of other sectors such as the economy, security and COVID-19 management from the US side were also present.
Over the issue of Pyongyang’s human rights, Park reiterated how seriously Yoon’s office takes the issue. Park said that Yoon’s government would be at the forefront when the United Nations adopts a resolution regarding the regime’s human rights situation.
On Tuesday (US time) Park was set to visit the White House and deliver Yoon’s personal letter to President Joe Biden. The delegation chief was also expected to coordinate plans for a summit between the two leaders.
The South Korean delegation of seven members took off for the US on Sunday for a five-night trip, aiming to discuss a wide range of topics including the bilateral alliance and coordinating policies before Yoon enters office on May 10.
Earlier in the day, the US State Department said the US looks forward to working with South Korea’s incoming government to tackle the nuclear threats and challenges posed by North Korea and address concerns about the isolated regime’s human rights situation.
21. What to Make of Kim Yo Jong’s Verbal Attack of South Korea’s Defense Minister
I do not think the regime fears our exercises. They look at exercises as an opportunity to exploit to try to drive a wedge in the ROK/US alliance and support the political divides that exist in both the ROK and the US. And a major objective of focusing on exercises is to weaken military readiness to give an advantage to the north and ultimately to drive US forces off the peninsula.
Excerpts:
However, Kim and Park’s latest statements also represent Pyongyang’s fear of upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, which are scheduled later this month. When the nuclear talks and inter-Korean dialogue were ongoing in 2018 and 2019, Seoul and Washington agreed to scale back their joint military drills so as to foster a more friendly environment for the North to take substantive steps for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However, the nuclear talks have been stalled after Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump failed to reach an agreement during the Hanoi summit meeting in 2019. Instead, North Korea appears to be fully committed to developing more advanced nuclear and missile programs, eliminating the rationale for Seoul and Washington’s scale-backed joint military drills.
The joint military drills are expected to be conducted on a larger scale from April 18 to 28, according to local media reports. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic will also no longer affect the military drills. Seoul and Washington will likely conduct the drills as planned and conduct some larger-scale exercises, which had been off the table in the past four years. Considering North Korea’s recent missile threats and its flurry of missile tests since January, it is inevitable for Seoul and Washington to rejuvenate their joint military drills.
Based on the schedules of the North’s important events and joint military drills between Seoul and Washington in April, the focus of the latest statements from Kim Yo Jong and Park Jong Chon is likely on the South Korea-U.S. joint military drills. Pyongyang is showing its clear stance that it will immediately take more provocative missile tests as tit-for-tat measures if Seoul and Washington conduct the drills on a larger scale.
What to Make of Kim Yo Jong’s Verbal Attack of South Korea’s Defense Minister
Three days after Defense Minister Suh Wook underscored the South’s preemptive strike capabilities, Pyongyang warned that Seoul was facing a serious threat.
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Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a leading voice on inter-Korean relations, said on Sunday that “South Korea may face a serious threat,” according to the North’s state media.
“The senseless and scum-like guy dare mentioned the ‘preemptive strike’ at a nuclear weapons state, in his senseless bluster which will never be beneficial to South Korea, either,” Kim said in a reported statement.
The “guy” that Kim referred to in the statement is South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook, who recently underscored the South’s capability to take a preemptive strike against the North if there is any indication of the North launching missiles toward South Korea. Kim also called Suh “a confrontation maniac engrossed in the mindset of confrontation with his fellow countrymen in the North.”
“His reckless and intemperate rhetoric about the ‘preemptive strike’ has further worsened the inter-Korean relations and the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim said. Giving a serious warning toward the South, Kim used the “upon authorization” phrase to imply that her remarks came from her brother, Kim Jong Un.
Since taking office in 2017, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has focused his efforts on overtures to North Korea centered on dialogue. Against that backdrop, South Korean officials could not make strong remarks in response to North Korean moves, as Moon’s office even refrained from defining the North’s missile tests as “provocations.” However, new South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has explicitly taken a hawkish stance on North Korea and showed more conservative responses to the North’s missile tests. Thus Seoul’s Defense Ministry is now taking bolder moves to deter North Korea’s threats.
Pyongyang may conduct a nuclear test in the lead up to the several important events that are scheduled this month, including the 110th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the founder of the North and the late grandfather of Kim Jong Un.
Amid the tensions on the Korean Peninsula, escalated by North Korea’s test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Seoul and Washington have been closely monitoring the movements and activities of Pyongyang. Considering Kim Jong Un’s recent “Top Gun”-style performance on the country’s ICBM test site and Kim Yo Jong’s blunt remarks toward Seoul, aimed at emphasizing her country’s status as a “nuclear weapons state,” no one should be surprised by a nuclear test or other larger missile tests from North Korea.
Alongside with Kim’s statement, Park Jong Chon, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, also issued a statement on Sunday, calling Suh’s remarks a demonstration of the anti-North Korea “confrontational frenzy” of the South Korean military.
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“Now the Korean Peninsula is technically at war. Any slight misjudgment and ill statement rattling the other party under the present situation where acute military tensions persists may become a spark triggering off a dangerous conflict and a full-blown war. This is a fact known by all,” Park said in his statement.
Park also added that the North’s army will “mercilessly direct all its military force into destroying major targets in Seoul and the South Korean military” if Seoul engages in military actions such as a preemptive strike.
Kim and Park’s statements were published three days after Suh publicly mentioned that the South’s military has the capability to accurately strike any targets in North Korea. Suh was speaking at a ceremony for the reinforcement of the Army Missile Strategic Command on April 1.
On March 16, an unknown ballistic missile launched by North Korea exploded in mid-air. Seoul and Washington believe the missile that blew up immediately after liftoff on March 16 could have actually been North Korea’s new Hwasong-17. In response, Pyongyang had to launch a version of its ICBM system – the Hwasong-15, successfully tested back in 2017 – to eliminate any questions among Pyongyang citizens about the state of the country’s missile capabilities and Kim’s regime. A South Korean lawmaker who attended the closed meeting with the Defense Ministry said that “the debris of the missile fell like rain” over Pyongyang after the failed test.
Even though Seoul and Washington called the North’s ICBM test on March 24 “deceptive,” Pyongyang has not responded to that claim.
Citing the North’s activities to restore its Punggye-ri nuclear site, experts believe that North Korea is trying to find a clear motivation and pretext to take bolder moves, such as testing its nuclear capabilities. It has already officially crossed the red line recently by conducting an ICBM test. Given the important upcoming events, which North Korea will want to celebrate through demonstrations of military prowess, Pyongyang could try to entice the South to make hostile moves first so that its future missile tests could be seen as countermeasures.
However, Kim and Park’s latest statements also represent Pyongyang’s fear of upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, which are scheduled later this month. When the nuclear talks and inter-Korean dialogue were ongoing in 2018 and 2019, Seoul and Washington agreed to scale back their joint military drills so as to foster a more friendly environment for the North to take substantive steps for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However, the nuclear talks have been stalled after Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump failed to reach an agreement during the Hanoi summit meeting in 2019. Instead, North Korea appears to be fully committed to developing more advanced nuclear and missile programs, eliminating the rationale for Seoul and Washington’s scale-backed joint military drills.
The joint military drills are expected to be conducted on a larger scale from April 18 to 28, according to local media reports. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic will also no longer affect the military drills. Seoul and Washington will likely conduct the drills as planned and conduct some larger-scale exercises, which had been off the table in the past four years. Considering North Korea’s recent missile threats and its flurry of missile tests since January, it is inevitable for Seoul and Washington to rejuvenate their joint military drills.
Based on the schedules of the North’s important events and joint military drills between Seoul and Washington in April, the focus of the latest statements from Kim Yo Jong and Park Jong Chon is likely on the South Korea-U.S. joint military drills. Pyongyang is showing its clear stance that it will immediately take more provocative missile tests as tit-for-tat measures if Seoul and Washington conduct the drills on a larger scale.
22. John Batchelor Interview: #NorthKorea: Expect more provocations
#NorthKorea: Expect more provocations before the Inauguration May 10. David Maxwell @DavidMaxwell161 @FDD, Army Special Forces colonel (ret); Fellow, Institute of Corean American Studies. Gordon G. Chang @GordonGChang. Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill
#NorthKorea: Expect more provocations before the Inauguration May 10. David Maxwell @DavidMaxwell161 @FDD, retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel and Fellow at the Institute of Corean American Studies. Gordon G. Chang @GordonGChang. Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill;
author, The Coming Collapse of China and The Great U.S.-China Tech War.
David Maxwell of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
V/R
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Phone: 202-573-8647
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
