Quotes of the Day:
"Specialists argue that North Korea’s propensity to revert to provocations is so deeply embedded that it is part of the country’s DNA."
-(unknown but some Korea watcher I am sure)
"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"There are sadistic scientists who hurry to hunt down errors instead of establishing the truth."
-Marie Curie
1. Yoon en route to U.S. military base Camp Humphreys
2. Briefing with Special Representative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Sung Kim on Recent Developments in the DPRK and U.S. Efforts to Advance Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula
3. U.S. prepared to deal with any N. Korean provocation, including nuclear test: Sung Kim
4. U.S. will continue to maintain appropriate defense capabilities on Korean Peninsula: Kirby
5. Yoon’s delegation delivers a letter to Biden
6. Yoon vows to strengthen deterrence against N. Korea's nuclear, missile threats
7. Yoon to start presidency at Defense Ministry, confident about no ‘security gap’
8. Do South Koreans Support a Peace Treaty With the North?
9. North could carry out big test, says Sung Kim
10. North Korea feared to return to nuclear brinkmanship
11. ROK President-elect Yoon Visits USAG-Humphreys
12. Biden should visit South Korea’s Jeju April 3rd Peace Park
13. Yoon administration to keep current gov't structure, including gender ministry, for now: Ahn
14. S. Korea views N. Korea’s warning to use nuclear weapons as ‘existential threat’
1. Yoon en route to U.S. military base Camp Humphreys
Look forward to reading the results of the visit. Perhaps not much will come from this meet and greet. However, a strategic influence campaign for the ROK/US CFC and the alliance begins today. This visit establishes a foundation in that it simply shows the priority the President-elect places on the ROK/US CFC and the alliance.
Yoon en route to U.S. military base Camp Humphreys | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol was en route to the U.S. military base Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek on Thursday, his spokesperson said, as tensions have been running high over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
The base, located some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, serves as the headquarters of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.
His visit comes as North Korea has ratcheted up tensions by conducting an intercontinental ballistic missile test last month.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
2. Briefing with Special Representative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Sung Kim on Recent Developments in the DPRK and U.S. Efforts to Advance Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula
For those who have not been following recent events Ambassador Kim provides a very useful overview. I commend his opening statement.
In regards to questions from the journalists, the next time I address an Ambassador I am going to start out with , "Hey, Ambassador."
On a serious note there are a number of important responses. I also think it is important that we have an Ambassador who does not shy away from talking about the importance of military activities and can describe them for public understanding.
I interpret from this concluding statement that we are going to ensure military readiness and there will be no premature sanctions relief. BUt I really do believe we are sincere in our offer of diplomacy but we are not going to give into unreadable demands (threats and provocations)
Excerpt:
But even as we take steps to further deter the DPRK and reduce its threat, the threat that it poses to the region and beyond, we will continue to reach out with a sincere commitment to diplomacy. I sincerely hope this message will make its way to Pyongyang and that they will respond positively.
Briefing with Special Representative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Sung Kim on Recent Developments in the DPRK and U.S. Efforts to Advance Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula - United States Department of State
MS PORTER: Good morning, everyone, and thank you so much for joining today’s press call. Special Representative for the DPRK Ambassador Sung Kim is visiting Washington this week for a series of engagements and is here to discuss U.S. policy toward the DPRK. We’re very glad to have the special representative with us on the line today to tell you a little bit more about his visit. Ambassador Kim will start with some opening remarks and then proceed with taking your questions. I’d like to also take this opportunity to remind everyone that while this call is on the record, the contents of this briefing are embargoed until the end of the call. And with that, I’ll hand it over to Special Representative Kim.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Great, thank you very much, Jalina. And thank – many thanks to all of you for joining us this morning. Let me start by saying a few words on where we are and where we are heading in our work on the DPRK, and then I’d be happy to take your questions.
Since taking office, the Biden-Harris administration has made clear its priority to reduce the threat posed by the DPRK. We are determined to protect the security of the United States, along with that of our allies and partners in the region and beyond. We are of course closely following developments in the DPRK, and we maintain the ultimate goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
We know there are challenges, and these will not be easily resolved, but we remain fully committed to working closely with our allies and partners in a global effort to make progress toward this end goal. Our efforts involve both diplomatic outreach and threat reduction. And while it is clear the DPRK leadership is determined to advance its illegal weapons programs, we know that our efforts are constraining their progress. At the same time, we have not closed the door on diplomacy. We are committed to pursuing serious and sustained dialogue. As we have said many times, we are prepared to meet the DPRK without preconditions. But Pyongyang must make the choice to halt its destabilizing actions and instead choose engagement.
The U.S. Government at all levels has engaged vigorously on the DPRK with our allies and partners around the world. The Secretary, Deputy Secretary Sherman, and I have consulted regularly with our counterparts in the ROK and Japan bilaterally as well as trilaterally. We have repeatedly offered to meet the DPRK to discuss any and all issues, and yet the DPRK has declined our invitation to dialogue. Instead, they have initiated a series of missile tests that recently culminated in at least three ICBM launches. These actions pose a serious threat to regional stability.
The U.S. strongly condemns these tests, each of which was a blatant violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. These launches demonstrate the DPRK continues to prioritize its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs at the expense of regional and international security. This prioritization is also at the expense of the North Korean people. The government has chosen to deploy its limited resources to fund illegal weapons programs even as the humanitarian situation in the country has grown increasingly dire.
The potential range of these ICBMs should also remind us that the DPRK’s actions are a global security concern. It is not merely about the United States and the DPRK.
In response to DPRK’s recent escalatory actions and as part of our effort to impede the DPRK’s ability to advance its missile program, we have taken a series of diplomatic, economic, and military measures. As of March 25, we have raised the DPRK’s ballistic missile launches at the UN Security Council six times this year. Russia and the PRC have consistently blocked our efforts to produce a UN public statement. And in spite of this, we’ve worked with a growing group of like-minded countries to draw attention to the DPRK’s irresponsible behavior.
On March 7th, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, INDOPACOM, ordered intensified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance collection activities in the Yellow Sea. USINDOPACOM also enhanced readiness among our ballistic missile defense forces in the region to help ensure the security of our allies.
A week later, on March 15th, USINDOPACOM announced it had conducted a carrier-based air demonstration in the Yellow Sea as a demonstration of resolve and commitment to our regional allies. The U.S. Department of Treasury and the Department of State have also announced several new actions to help prevent the DPRK from accessing foreign items and technology that enable it to advance its prohibited weapons programs. We have placed sanctions on a number of individuals and entities as well.
We will also continue to work closely with our allies and partners to address the critical issue of the DPRK’s cyber program, which poses a sophisticated and agile espionage, cyber crime, and attack threat. The illicit revenues from the DPRK’s malicious cyber activities directly fund its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.
Our actions are intended to make clear to the DPRK that its escalatory behavior has consequences and that the international community will not accept the DPRK’s ongoing weapons development as normal. Most importantly, we want to make clear to the DPRK that its only viable path forward is through diplomacy. We harbor no hostile intent towards the DPRK. This administration is willing to listen to the DPRK’s full range of concerns and address difficult topics, but this can only happen through dialogue.
The DPRK finds itself isolated in unprecedented ways and has shut itself off during the COVID pandemic. Only the resumption of diplomacy can break this isolation, and only then can we pick up the important work that has been done before, building on the Singapore Joint Statement.
But even as we take steps to further deter the DPRK and reduce its threat, the threat that it poses to the region and beyond, we will continue to reach out with a sincere commitment to diplomacy. I sincerely hope this message will make its way to Pyongyang and that they will respond positively.
Be happy to take your questions now. Thank you.
MS PORTER: Let’s take our first question from Courtney McBride.
QUESTION: Just what is the U.S. interpretation of or reaction to the recent statements from Kim Yo-jong which appeared designed to threaten South Korea?
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thank you. Her statement in response to some comments that the ROK defense minister made – I obviously was concerned by Kim Yo-jong’s statements. They were provocative. We obviously hope that instead of making such provocative statements, that they would focus instead on some serious engagement that will address our common goal of denuclearization – and may promote stability on the Korean Peninsula.
MS PORTER: Let’s take our next question from Janne Pak, please. Janne Pak, USA Journal Korea.
OPERATOR: One moment.
QUESTION: Hello?
MS PORTER: Hi.
QUESTION: Hello, can you – hi, can you hear me?
MS PORTER: Yes, we can hear you.
QUESTION: All right. Thank you. Hi, Jalina. Nice to hear from you. And hi, Ambassador Kim. I have two questions on North Korea. Recently, North Korea has declared long-term confrontation rather than dialogue. If North Korea does not come to the table of negotiation, how will the United States diplomatic solution proceed?
And the second question: You said that you will not close the U.S. diplomacy. In the meantime, North Korea has continued to develop nuclear missile in the background while having dialogue with the United States. Do you believe that North Korea will give its nuclear weapons through dialogue? If so, what is the reason? Thank you very much.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thank you very much, Ms. Pak. So we remain committed to the path of dialogue, and we believe, along with our allies and partners, that the only viable path forward is through diplomacy, and we hope that the North Koreans will accept our invitation to engage in a serious and sustained dialogue to advance our shared goals on the peninsula, starting with, of course, the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. But as I indicated in my opening remarks, we are willing and prepared to address any serious concerns that they may have about their situation on the peninsula.
With your question of – the second question about if they don’t give up through diplomacy, well, I mean, we – we and our allies and partners are determined to continue to seek the path of diplomacy. We believe that that is the only viable path forward to achieve denuclearization on the peninsula and to maintain peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
MS PORTER: Let’s please go to the line of Ryohei Takagi.
QUESTION: Can you hear me?
MS PORTER: Yes.
QUESTION: Oh, thank you for briefing, Ambassador Kim. We support you are trying to persuade China to join the new UN Security Council resolution against North Korea. So what was your Chinese counterpart’s reaction to possible sanction resolution?
And secondly, I’m just wondering whether you had any good suggestions from Chinese counterparts to encourage the DPRK to engage in meaningful negotiations? Thank you.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thank you very much, Takagi-san. So I had a very long and detailed discussion with Special Representative Liu Xiaoming yesterday. We covered a number of issues, including our work in the UN Security Council to achieve a new UN Security Council resolution. We believe that the unprecedented number of DPRK ballistic missile launches this year and the instability they belong to the Korean Peninsula are obviously in nobody’s interest, and we call on the PRC as well as Russia to work with us to send a very clear message to the Security Council that North Korea’s actions are unacceptable.
The U.S. and China have a very important shared interest in maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula, and through my many years of involvement in this issue, I’m convinced that Beijing shares our goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. So I look forward to working with Special Representative Liu and his colleagues in Beijing to make progress towards that goal.
MS PORTER: Let’s now go to the line of Doug Byun.
QUESTION: Hi. Hello, Ambassador. Thank you for doing this. I was wondering if the – I mean, you kind of mentioned this, but I was wondering if North Korea has responded in any way, negative or positive, to U.S. overtures, and also if the United States is sending any private messages instead of just messaging over public messaging.
And I have one more question regarding the – Secretary Blinken’s meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts last month in Hawaii. At the time, the sides said they had discussed new ideas to bring North Korea back to the dialogue table. I was wondering if you could share some of what some of those new ideas were and if there has been any progress in your discussions on those ideas. Thank you.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thanks very much, Doug. We have not received any response from Pyongyang, which is very disappointing because we have sent several messages, both public and private, inviting them to a dialogue without any conditions. We made very clear that we’re willing to address their concerns, but also chart a path forward on how we can achieve progress on the denuclearization goal.
I still hope that they will respond positively to our many outreaches, but thus far they have not.
The Secretary, as you mentioned, had very productive meetings with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Hawaii a couple of months ago. In fact, I think that is another example of the close coordination and communication that we have enjoyed with our allies on this very difficult issue. I don’t want to go into the details of those discussions, but I can assure you that all three of us are committed to exploring all possible avenues to jumpstart a serious diplomatic process.
MS PORTER: Let’s go to the line of Edward Wong, please.
QUESTION: Hello. I was wondering, with the change in administration in Seoul, what is your assessment of the direction that Seoul would now like to take their policy on the DPRK? And how much of it is a departure from the policy of the Moon administration?
AMBASSADOR KIM: Yeah, thanks, Edward. It’s tempting, but I don’t think it’s my place to predict the incoming South Korean government’s policies on this issue. What I can say is that we have enjoyed very close cooperation and coordination with the ROK, and I fully expect that with the incoming administration that close coordination will continue on this very important issue. Thank you.
MS PORTER: Let’s please go to the line of Sangmin Lee.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) to several measure to North Korea to hold DPRK accountable for their provocative action, shooting ICBM. So the resumption of large-scale field-based U.S.-Korean military exercises is – can be another measure you’re thinking about?
MS PORTER: Hi, if you’re still on the line, can you please repeat your question for us? Thank you.
QUESTION: Can you hear me?
MS PORTER: We can hear you now. If you’re able to repeat your question, that would be wonderful.
QUESTION: Okay, okay. So the – Ambassador, you mentioned about several measure to hold DPRK accountable for their provocations. So do you think that the resumption of large-scale field-based U.S.-ROK joint military exercises can be another measure you’re thinking about?
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thank you very much, Sangmin. So the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises, as you know, are defensive and they’re done to make sure that we have the combined deterring capability necessary to deal with any contingency on the peninsula. So these are extremely important exercises, and I know that both militaries are committed to continuing those efforts going forward.
MS PORTER: Let’s go to the line of Michelle Nichols, please.
QUESTION: Hi, thanks so much for the call. I’m the Reuters correspondent up here at the UN, so I just wanted to follow up on the earlier question about the resolution. Is China and Russia engaging on the draft resolution? What exactly are you proposing? Are you seeing any spillover from the Ukraine conflict?
And this call – you mentioned earlier that you’re hoping this – Pyongyang will get a message that the U.S. wants to talk. Is that why you’re doing this call, to sort of publicly get a message to them because they’re not responding? Thanks.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thanks very much. As I mentioned earlier, I think the escalatory and provocative actions by the North Koreans require us to have a decisive response in the Security Council, and this is why we have, in cooperation with our partners, proposed a new UN Security Council resolution. We have had discussions with the PRC and Russia. Unfortunately, I cannot report that we have had productive discussions with them thus far, but I would defer to my very capable colleagues in New York to continue that effort. I know that there is overwhelming consensus that the Security Council needs to respond to these blatant violations of multiple Security Council resolutions, and we hope that Russia and China will agree that it’s in their interest to work with us on this new Security Council resolution.
The purpose of doing this call, I think, is to try to address any questions and comments that the press corps may have about the status of our North Korea-related efforts. It’s not necessarily to send a public message to the North Koreans, because I think we have made ourselves very clear through both public statements and private messages to the DPRK that we are ready to engage them in a serious and meaningful dialogue.
MS PORTER: Let’s please go to the line of Sho Watanabe, please.
QUESTION: Hello, do you hear me?
MS PORTER: Yes, we can hear you.
QUESTION: Okay, thank you for doing that. I have two questions. One, that North Korea’s anniversary on April 15th is now approaching, and there are also the concerns about further provocations. So in your meeting with your Chinese counterparts, did you ask China to urge North Korea not to conduct any tests or even nuclear tests, and you persuaded China to use their own leverage to North Korea?
And my second question is: Do you think there are any concrete steps that can be taken further by the three countries – Japan, U.S., and the South Korea – to increase our deterrence towards North Korea? Thank you.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thank you very much, Mr. Watanabe. So we are worried that, in connection with the upcoming April 15th anniversary, that the DPRK may be tempted to take another provocative action. We obviously hope not, but we will be prepared.
Part of their preparation is related to your second question about the importance of trilateral cooperation among the U.S., the ROK, and Japan. As I mentioned earlier, we have had closest possible communication and coordination with both governments, Tokyo and Seoul, and that will continue, especially as we anticipate that there may be further provocative actions by the DPRK. And I think those possible measures include a number of different areas and I know that our colleagues in the military are also considering what we can be doing together bilaterally as well as trilaterally – more strengthen our deterrent capability.
MS PORTER: Let’s please go to the line of Jinmyung Kim, please.
QUESTION: Hi, can you hear me?
MS PORTER: Yes, we can hear you.
QUESTION: This is Jinmyung Kim from South Korea’s Chosunilbo, and thank you for doing this. Ambassador Kim, I have a question about the UN Security Council resolution you are seeking with South Korea’s Special Representative Noh Kyu-duk. And so what is the nature of this resolution? Do you seek to impose new, substantial sanctions on North Korea? Or do you simply aim to have a kind of declaratory statement that condemns North Korea’s action?
And my second question is: So everybody knows that it is probably unachievable right now because of the lack of cooperation – Russia’s cooperation. So why do you still pursue this resolution while you know that it may not go through? And my second question is: In your dialogue with Chinese special representative, have you seen any positive signs that China has already engaged in direct communication with DPRK to help bring back them to the negotiating table? Thank you.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thanks very much, Ms. Kim. So the new UN Security Council resolution is intended to address a number of things, especially their continued missile activities, ballistic missile activities, because this resolution is in response to the escalatory, provocative actions that they have taken through a series of missile launches this year. They’re up to 13 launches just this year, deeply concerning, and at least three of those have been ICBM launches. I think it’s important for the Security Council to respond to such behavior that are clearly a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
You may be right that the PRC and Russia will not cooperate despite our earnest efforts, but I think it’s still important for us to do what is responsible. This actually affects more than the DPRK issue. This is about the credibility of the United Nations. When a country violates multiple Security Council resolutions in addition to their own commitments under the Six-Party Talks as well as the Singapore joint declaration, I think we need to hold them accountable. And this is why we’re pushing the resolution despite the fact that so far, we have received very little cooperation from Beijing and Moscow.
MS PORTER: We have time for a final question, and let’s go to the line of Conor Finnegan.
QUESTION: Hey, Ambassador. Just first brief follow-ups to some of my colleagues’ questions. When you said that you were worried about provocative action perhaps next week on the anniversary, is that concern specifically of a nuclear test? When you talk about no response from North Korea, I’m just wondering why you think that they haven’t responded.
And then finally, you referenced the Singapore declaration in your opening remarks. Do you think that that declaration should form the basis for future negotiations despite what some people see as its flaws and its vague language? Thank you.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thanks, Conor. So in terms of the upcoming anniversary and the provocation – provocative actions the DPRK may take, I don’t want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch, it could be a nuclear test. The important thing is that we, in cooperation and coordination with our allies and partners, are prepared to deal with whatever they may undertake. And I want to emphasize that we obviously hope that they will refrain from further provocation. They’ve already done quite a bit this year – 13 launches. So hopefully the anniversary can pass without any further escalation.
And I – it’s always hard for me to speculate on why Pyongyang does what it does or what it doesn’t do. I mean, we have indicated very sincerely our interest in a diplomatic effort with them, and hope that they will respond. I mean, I would just speculate that given that the country has been a – complete shutdown for the past two years due to the COVID pandemic, perhaps that’s a factor in the fact that they have not responded. But I will limit my speculation to that.
On the Singapore declaration, I mean, you’re right about there’s been criticism that the document was too vague, not detailed enough. But we believe that it would form a useful basis to build on, because that is one document in which the dear leader Kim Jong-un has personally made a commitment towards denuclearization. So I think it would appropriately form a basis for a further effort to develop a viable diplomatic path and roadmap towards the complete denuclearization goal. Thank you.
MS PORTER: Thank you, everyone. That concludes today’s briefing. The embargo is now lifted. Special Representative Kim, thank you so much for your time, and I hope you all have a great day ahead.
AMBASSADOR KIM: Thank you.
3. U.S. prepared to deal with any N. Korean provocation, including nuclear test: Sung Kim
Yonhap's interpretation of Ambassador Kim's statement and meetings this week.
Excerpts:
"I don't want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch. It could be a nuclear test," Kim said when asked about the possibility of North Korea conducting a nuclear test around the upcoming anniversary of the birth of its late founding leader Kim Il-sung, which falls on April 15.
"The important thing is that we, in cooperation and coordination with our allies and partners, are prepared to deal with whatever they may undertake. I want to emphasize that we obviously hope that they will refrain from further provocation," he added.
(2nd LD) U.S. prepared to deal with any N. Korean provocation, including nuclear test: Sung Kim | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks from the U.S. nuclear envoy in paras 15, 18-19)
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 6 (Yonhap) -- The United States and its allies are prepared to deal with any further provocations by North Korea, U.S. special envoy for North Korea said Wednesday, noting the recalcitrant state may conduct a nuclear test in the future.
Sung Kim also urged the North to return to dialogue, saying the U.S. is prepared to discuss "any concerns" it may have.
"I don't want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch. It could be a nuclear test," Kim said when asked about the possibility of North Korea conducting a nuclear test around the upcoming anniversary of the birth of its late founding leader Kim Il-sung, which falls on April 15.
"The important thing is that we, in cooperation and coordination with our allies and partners, are prepared to deal with whatever they may undertake. I want to emphasize that we obviously hope that they will refrain from further provocation," he added.
Officials in Seoul and Washington have said the North appeared to be repairing underground tunnels at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site that it had purportedly demolished in 2018 to show its willingness to denuclearize.
Pyongyang has already staged 12 rounds of missile tests this year, while also ending its self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile testing after four and a half years by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on March 24.
"Hopefully, the anniversary can pass without any further escalation," the U.S. envoy said.
Kim, who concurrently serves as U.S. ambassador to Jakarta, also urged North Korea to quickly return to dialogue, saying the U.S. is prepared to discuss any issues the North wishes to address.
"The DPRK finds itself isolated in unprecedented ways. (It) has shut itself off during the COVID pandemic. Only the resumption of diplomacy can break this isolation, and only then can we pick up the important work that has been done before -- building on the Singapore joint statement," Kim said in a telephonic press briefing, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"We will continue to reach out with a sincere commitment to diplomacy. I sincerely hope this message will make its way to Pyongyang and that they will respond positively," he added.
The Singapore joint statement was issued by former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in their historic U.S.-North Korea summit held in June 2018, under which the North agreed to denuclearize in exchange for normalized relations with the U.S.
Kurt Campbell, White House Asia policy coordinator, has said the Joe Biden administration, despite its earlier criticism of Trump's meetings with the North Korean leader, will build on the Singapore statement to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea, however, remains unresponsive to all "public and private messages" from the U.S., according to Kim.
"We have not received any response from Pyongyang, which is very disappointing because we have sent several messages -- public and private -- inviting them to a dialogue without any conditions," he said. "I still hope that they will respond positively to many outreaches."
"We are willing and prepared to adjust any serious concerns that they may have about the situation on the peninsula," added Kim.
Still, Kim said the U.S. will continue to push for a new U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea to hold Pyongyang accountable for its recent missile launches.
"These escalatory and provocative actions by the North Koreans require us to have a decisive response from the (U.N.) Security Council, and this is why we have in cooperation with partners proposed a new U.N. Security Council resolution," he said.
The U.S. envoy called on Russia and China to cooperate, noting six U.S. attempts this year to have the U.N. Security Council issue a public statement against North Korea's missile provocations have failed because of their opposition.
"We believe that the unprecedented number of DPRK ballistic missile launches this year and the instability they bring to the Korean Peninsula are obviously in nobody's interest, and we call on the PRC, as well as Russia, to work with us to send a very clear message through the Security Council that North Korea's actions are unacceptable," he said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
4. U.S. will continue to maintain appropriate defense capabilities on Korean Peninsula: Kirby
Strategic reassurance and strategic resolve.
We will continuously ask and seek to answer the question with our ROK ally, how to optimize our combined military capabilities (on and off the peninsula) to deter war and defend the Republic Korea. This evolves over time based on assessments of conditions and capabilities.
The foundation of our strategic influence campaign should rest on our number one interest in Northeast Asia - to prevent war on the Korean peninsula. But if we breaks out due to Kim Jong-un's decision making, we will decisively defeat the nKPA and set the military conditions for establishing the acceptable durable political arrangement that will protect, sustain, and advance US and ROK/US alliance interests.
U.S. will continue to maintain appropriate defense capabilities on Korean Peninsula: Kirby | Yonhap News Agency
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, April 6 (Yonhap) -- The United States is in constant consultation with South Korea to ensure the allies have adequate capabilities to counter any aggression from North Korea and will continue to do so, Department of Defense spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday.
The Pentagon press secretary, however, declined to comment on whether the U.S. may consider deploying strategic military assets to South Korea to help prevent further provocations by the North.
"We are going to continue to work with our South Korean allies on making sure that our capabilities are appropriate to the threat, the threat that's continued to be posed by North Korea and by their advancing ballistic missile program," he said in a press briefing.
"We are not going to detail all that from the podium but we're constantly looking at what the readiness requirements are. That's why we constantly consult with our ROK allies," he added, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
Seoul's defense ministry earlier said that it plans to discuss with the U.S. about the possible deployment of U.S. strategic assets in a report to President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol.
A special delegation sent by Yoon to the U.S. has also said the issue of deploying U.S. strategic assets was discussed in a meeting with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, held Tuesday.
Strategic assets generally refer to formidable military hardware such as nuclear-powered submarines, aircraft carriers and long-range bombers.
Kirby again declined to comment when asked if the U.S. may consider deploying its nuclear weapons to South Korea.
"Our job is to make sure that we are contributing to the alliance in meaningful, tangible ways to the security of the peninsula and to other allies in the region," he said. "And we look at our posture every day with that in mind and we're in constant consultation with our ROK allies."
The heightened attention on the Korean Peninsula follows 12 rounds of North Korean missile launches this year that also included the North's first firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) since November 2017.
Kirby said the launches were "troubling."
"We know that they are continuing to try to advance and improve their ballistic missile program. And with each test, whether it's a failure or not, they learn from that and that's troubling," he said.
He urged the North to return to the dialogue table, while reaffirming U.S. commitment to resolve issues diplomatically.
"We continue to make it clear that we will be willing to sit down with North Korea without preconditions to talk in good faith to find a diplomatic path forward here, to reach a better outcome for security and stability on the peninsula," said Kirby, noting the North has yet to show any interest in dialogue.
"So we're going to continue to work on our capabilities inside the alliance with the ROK. We're going to continue to make sure that we're doing our part to make sure we have the capabilities on the peninsula to preserve a sense of security there," he added.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
5. Yoon’s delegation delivers a letter to Biden
Yoon’s delegation delivers a letter to Biden
Posted April. 07, 2022 07:58,
Updated April. 07, 2022 07:58
Yoon’s delegation delivers a letter to Biden. April. 07, 2022 07:58. weappon@donga.com.
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s policy consultation delegation to the U.S. met with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday (local time) and discussed the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula, including aircraft carriers and strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Park Jin, head of the delegation, said the two sides shared the understanding that North Korea’s nuclear and missile development poses a threat to regional security as well as the Korean Peninsula. Park said the two sides consulted on the need to strengthen nuclear deterrence and joint defense posture, adding they also discussed the deployment of strategic assets, which is an important factor in strengthening extended deterrence.
The deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula is known to be North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s most feared military response. Following North Korea’s sixth nuclear test in September 2017, the U.S. caught North Korea off guard by deploying B-1B bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons to 150 kilometers north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL). During when the U.S. maximized engagement with North Korea, however, the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula was reduced along with ROK-U.S. joint military exercises.
Yoon’s delegation also delivered the president-elect’s letter to U.S. President Joe Biden on the same day to Sullivan. The letter contains a message that South Korea and the U.S. should take their bilateral alliance to the next level as a comprehensive strategic alliance in order to jointly respond to new challenges, including North Korea’s nuclear threat, economy, and security, according to the delegation.
Park said he and Sullivan also discussed the need for an early summit between South Korea and the U.S. after the new administration takes office, adding they agreed that the summit should be packed with issues critical to strengthening the alliance.
6. Yoon vows to strengthen deterrence against N. Korea's nuclear, missile threats
Yes, this might seem like a photo op but I think he is making an important statement about the importance of the alliance and the combined defense. Not only the words in his statement but the actual visit helps to reinforce this.
The only thing I would recommend would have been comments to see "his" commanders (the Commander and Deputy Commander of the ROK/US CFC) to acknowledge that he has co-equal "ownership" and strategic control of the ROK/US CFC. CFC is not a US command but a combined command and I think we too often forget that )I know the Korean press does). I hope that in the future the President-elect can talk about "ownership" in that way. Hopefully after he assumes office he will consider the ROK/US CFC as belonging equally to Korea and the US which will be the case even after OPCON transition.
I will be very interested to see the response from the north Korean Propaganda and Agitation department.
I watched the news on Yonhap TV covering the visit. Kudos to the ROK and US personnel on the strategic communications team for orchestrating some excellent video, In every shot there was a balance of Korean and American military personnel with President-elect Yoon that appeared natural and not staged. This is normal and routine for the Combined 2d Infantry Division but is usually never captured in news reports. Well done.
(4th LD) Yoon vows to strengthen deterrence against N. Korea's nuclear, missile threats | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with USFK press release in paras 13-14)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol vowed Thursday to strengthen deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats during a visit to a U.S. military base, his spokesperson said.
Yoon flew by helicopter to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, amid heightened tensions in the wake of North Korea's test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile last month and concern Pyongyang could carry out a nuclear test.
"Strong deterrence through the Korea-U.S. military alliance and combined defense posture cannot be emphasized enough in a grave international security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's ICBM launch," Yoon was quoted as saying by spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin.
Bae said Yoon "stated his determination to further increase the solidarity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and strengthen deterrence and the response posture against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats."
The base, located some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, serves as the headquarters of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and the U.S.-led U.N. Command.
During the visit, Yoon met with Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of USFK and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), as well as Deputy CFC Commander Gen. Kim Seung-kyum.
"The freedom and prosperity the Republic of Korea enjoys today were made possible by the dedication and sacrifice of the numerous soldiers gone before us," he said as he thanked the troops under LaCamera's command.
LaCamera responded that it would be a dereliction of duty to not do everything to bring stability to the Korean Peninsula, Bae said. He emphasized the importance of the "iron-clad alliance" and thanked the South Korean people for making the construction of the base possible.
The CFC is currently in the process of relocating to Camp Humphreys from Yongsan in Seoul, the same area that Yoon is pushing to move the presidential office to.
Past presidents-elect, including Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak and Roh Moo-hyun, visited the CFC in Yongsan but not the base in Pyeongtaek.
Yoon called Camp Humphreys the "heart of the South Korea-U.S. military alliance" and noted that it was his first visit to a military base since his election.
After touring the facilities, he shared a meal with South Korean and American troops at the canteen and took photos with them before returning to Seoul Air Base, just south of the capital, Bae said.
In a press release later, the USFK said Gen. LaCamera provided Yoon with an overview of his commands' "ironclad" commitment to strengthening the bilateral alliance and providing a "robust" combined defense posture for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
It also noted Yoon conversed with American and South Korean troops about their responsibility to defend South Korea "against any threat or adversary."
On his way to the base, the spokesperson said Yoon got an aerial view of the Samsung semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek and took special interest in its vast facilities, saying he will push to elevate the country's high-tech industries to a world-class level.
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
7. Yoon to start presidency at Defense Ministry, confident about no ‘security gap’
Excerpts:
“President Yoon Suk-yeol will begin his presidency without a security gap on the day the new government is inaugurated on May 10,” a transition committee official said Thursday.
The committee said the relocation of the presidential office hinges on two conditions: “Will the so-called ‘bunkers,’ the crisis management center, that will prevent a security gap be completed?“ and “Will the new president begin his duties at the ministry building?”
The official added that the committee believes both conditions will be met before May 10.
However, the Ministry of National Defense has postponed the moving of the first floor to the fourth floor of the main building until after the Korea-US joint training in late April, so Yoon will likely start work in a temporary office.
Yoon to start presidency at Defense Ministry, confident about no ‘security gap’
Request for prime minister nominee hearing submitted Thursday
Published : Apr 7, 2022 - 15:15 Updated : Apr 7, 2022 - 15:15
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol (Yonhap)
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s new government is taking shape, with the transition committee saying Yoon would start work at the Yongsan Defense Ministry building immediately after taking office and the Cabinet will be formed based on the current government organization.
“President Yoon Suk-yeol will begin his presidency without a security gap on the day the new government is inaugurated on May 10,” a transition committee official said Thursday.
The committee said the relocation of the presidential office hinges on two conditions: “Will the so-called ‘bunkers,’ the crisis management center, that will prevent a security gap be completed?“ and “Will the new president begin his duties at the ministry building?”
The official added that the committee believes both conditions will be met before May 10.
However, the Ministry of National Defense has postponed the moving of the first floor to the fourth floor of the main building until after the Korea-US joint training in late April, so Yoon will likely start work in a temporary office.
According to Yoon’s plan for the building, key facilities such as Yoon’s presidential office, secretary’s office, press room, spokesperson’s office and security office will be located on the first to fourth floors of the current Defense Ministry main building. The fourth and fifth floors will be the aide’s offices, and the sixth floor and above will belong to the public-private joint committee.
The transition committee said it faces a mammoth task as the relocation within the Ministry of National Defense building covers 10 floors, and that it will be “done partially and step by step.”
Yoon plans to form a Cabinet based on the current government organization system, according to Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the presidential transition committee.
Ahn said of the reorganization Thursday that they decided that it would be “better to focus on the current national affairs rather than make hasty decisions during the transition period.“
Ahn said he would also announce the candidate for the minister of gender equality and family who would oversee the department that has been on the verge of abolition.
“The transition committee has been reviewing the issue of reorganizing the government in-depth,” Ahn said. “We have considered recent economic issues at home and abroad and the difficult situation of diplomacy and security.”
Yoon’s office is also pushing for the nomination process of the prime minister.
The prime minster’s office said a request for a confirmation hearing for Han Duck-soo, the prime minister nominee, was submitted to the National Assembly on Thursday.
Yoon Suk-yeol has asked former Prime Minister Han to reprise his role again, saying he is the “right person” to oversee and coordinate the Cabinet and carry out state affairs based on his abundant experience in the public and private sectors.
8. Do South Koreans Support a Peace Treaty With the North?
There is a huge difference between an end of war declaration and actual peace treaty negotiations. I do not support an end of war declaration.
However, I do fully support starting negotiations for a real peace treaty. Not an end of war declaration but a real peace treaty. And the South Koreans are correct to want a peace treaty between north and South. They are the two that are at war. We should remember that the US never declared war on north Korea and instead fought under the UN flag. China only sent "volunteers" and did not officially fight the war. The UN recognized north Korea as the aggressor that attacked the South and called on member nations to defend South Korea and its freedom. The war was halted by a military armistice signed by the military commanders of the United Nations Command (UNC), the north Korean People's Army (nKPA), and the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV). As part of a peace treaty the US and the PRC can provide security guarantees but the signatories to a peace treaty must be north and South (and it makes no matter that the South did not sign the military armistice so no one should be trotting out that old argument - the ROK military was under the OPCON of the UNC so the armistice applied to all participant. President Rhee had other items on his agenda and reasons for not signing, but his signature was not necessary - and Kim Il Sung eventually signed not as head of state but as the COmmander of the nKPA. ).
The correct next step is to negotiate a formal peace treaty.
It took more than 2 years to negotiate the military armistice. I expect it might take 3 or 4 times that to negotiate a peace treaty.
Of course a peace treaty is problematic for both the north and the South and that is because the constitutions of both countries do not recognize the existence of the other and claim sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula and all Koreans, north and South of the DMZ.
Despite the problems and challenges I would recommend this be the focus of diplomacy. As part of peace treaty negotiations there will need to be conventional force reductions as confidence building measures. Then there will need to be denuclearization negotiations. Negotiations must be real and not subject to the regime's blackmail diplomacy. It must be negotiated and not "bought" with concessions. But the ROK and north Korea should initiatie peace treaty negotiations which may allow for the ROK and the alliance to cope, contain, and manage the security situation until the Korea question can be resolved or an effective durable peace treaty put into effect.
Of course for this to work, Kim Jong-un will have to decide to become a responsible member of the international community.
Do South Koreans Support a Peace Treaty With the North?
A recent survey finds a majority of Koreans approve of the idea — even among supporters of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol.
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Does the South Korean public support a peace treaty with North Korea? My original survey work shows that, despite recent missile tests by North Korea and the lack of meaningful inter-Korean dialogue, a clear majority of South Koreans approve of the idea. Even among those who had planned to vote for Yoon Suk-yeol, the conservative presidential candidate (and now president-elect) a thin majority support a peace treaty, in contrast to Yoon’s rhetoric about a tougher stance toward North Korea and the expectation that his administration will not continue President Moon Jae-in’s call for a peace treaty without first denuclearization efforts by Pyongyang. However, the public may view a treaty as aspirational, not considering the logistics or feasibility now, allowing Yoon to end such overtures.
Yoon’s election victory is expected to lead to a hawkish pivot in South Korea’s policy with North Korea and away from the engagement efforts under Moon. At the first inter-Korean summit between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, both sides declared support for efforts to lead to a peace treaty that would formally end the Korean War. However, there has been little progress beyond this abstract agreement, and no summits since 2019. Moon, however, remained optimistic about the resumption of talks and continued to push for a peace treaty. Thanks to Moon’s insistence, the U.S. and South Korea agreed in principle on an end of war declaration, despite little participation by North Korea leading up to the announcement.
For its part, North Korea routinely demands the end of the United States’ “hostile policy” as a necessary precondition for a treaty, while the U.S. has resisted taking such a step without concrete evidence of denuclearization. Moreover, North Korea tested nine missiles this year prior to the South Korean presidential election. Such bellicose actions would be expected to sour South Korean public interest in a peace treaty.
A peace treaty would have symbolic importance, maintaining hope for, if not reunification, at least peaceful coexistence, especially at a time where more South Koreans would choose the latter over the former. However, the practical benefits of a treaty are unclear, especially as North Korea continues its missile program. Similarly, the logistics of all parties signing a peace treaty, which presumably would also include the United States and China, seem unlikely.
As a candidate, Yoon seemed disinterested in these end-of-war efforts, stating that a treaty would only be “will be done only on paper with ink” as long as North Korea has nuclear capabilities. This perhaps gets to the heart of the issue, where South Koreans may in general be supportive of a peace treaty, but differ on whether there should be no explicit preconditions or whether concessions from North Korea, such as verifiable denuclearization, must come first.
To address public perceptions, I conducted a web survey before the South Korean presidential election, via Macromill Embrain on February 18-22. In this survey, I asked 945 South Koreans “Do you support a peace treaty between South Korea and North Korea?”
Overall, a clear majority support such actions (71.64 percent). However, among supporters of the two main candidates we see clear distinctions, with the vast majority of Lee Jae-myung supporters in favor (92.24 percent) compared to a slim majority of Yoon’s supporters (50.37 percent). Several factors could explain these patterns. Support among those who were planning to vote for Lee would be consistent with liberal-progressive support for “Sunshine Policy”-type programs that aim to warm inter-Korean relations. In contrast, Yoon’s supporters, consistent with conservative parties more generally, may be apprehensive of negotiations with the authoritarian state, which candidate Yoon referred to as a “archetype of a failed state,” especially negotiations that potentially reward North Korea without requiring a change in behavior. Still, considering the lack of progress toward warmer relations across the peninsula, that majorities support a peace treaty is surprising.
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Breaking down support by political ideology provides additional insight. Admittedly, ideology corresponds strongly with vote intention, with over 60 percent of those identifying as left of center (1-3 on a seven-point ideology measure) supporting Lee and those right of center (5-7) supporting Yoon. However, when broken down by political ideology rather than vote choice, we see a clear decline in support as one moves across a seven-point progressive-conservative scale. Among the very progressive, 90.48 percent of respondents support a treaty, dropping to only 29.41 percent amongst the very conservative.
Regression analysis gives further insight. Controlling for demographic factors as well as ideology and candidate support, only age and support for Lee positively correspond with supporting a peace treaty, while ideology and support for Yoon negatively correspond with support. Switching out the candidates for their respective parties produces similar results. In addition, those who evaluated Moon’s presidency more favorably, controlling for partisan and demographic factors, were also more likely to support a peace treaty.
What does this mean for President-elect Yoon? Admittedly, the limitations of this survey work do not allow us to identify the weight the South Korean public gives to a peace treaty compared to other factors such as housing or jobs. Nor can it capture whether the public has fully considered the complexities involved in such arrangement. In other words, the findings may be a more visceral response to the idea of a peace treaty and not factor in what would be necessary for it to have more than symbolic meaning. Yoon must also contend with a North Korea that has decided to scrap its moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing and may be preparing for a nuclear test, incentivizing a more hardline stance while limiting support for even rhetoric about engagement.
Thus, while a public may seem supportive of a peace treaty, recent actions by North Korea as well as domestic concerns in South Korea will likely lead Yoon to spend little effort promoting such efforts.
GUEST AUTHOR
Timothy S. Rich
Timothy S. Rich is an associate professor of political science at Western Kentucky University and director of the International Public Opinion Lab (IPOL). His research focuses on public opinion and electoral politics.
9. North could carry out big test, says Sung Kim
The Ambassador's remarks are getting a lot of media coverage in the Korean press. It is a logical assessment. And it makes sense to expose the regime's likely course of action. This is part of political warfare - recognize the north's strategy, understand it, expose it, and attack it so that it cannot achieve the effects desired by the regime.
Thursday
April 7, 2022
North could carry out big test, says Sung Kim
Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea [YONHAP]
Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, told reporters that Pyongyang could conduct a missile or nuclear test to mark the anniversary of the birth of its founding leader Kim Il Sung this month.
The anniversary, also known as the Day of the Sun, falls on April 15 and is considered North Korea’s biggest national holiday. Kim Il Sung was the grandfather of Kim Jong-un, the current North Korean leader.
In previous years, Pyongyang has celebrated the occasion with flashy military parades and missile tests. North Korean pundits say this year’s Day of the Sun holds special meaning for Pyongyang, given that it’s the 110th. The communist regime tends to give more emphasis to anniversaries ending in a five or zero.
“In terms of the upcoming anniversary and the provocation – provocative actions the DPRK may take, I don’t want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch, it could be a nuclear test,” Kim told reporters through a press call.
DPRK is short for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.
Kim didn’t specify whether his comment was based on U.S. intelligence, but stressed that he hoped the anniversary passes without such a test.
“The important thing is that we, in cooperation and coordination with our allies and partners, are prepared to deal with whatever they may undertake,” said Kim. “And I want to emphasize that we obviously hope that they will refrain from further provocation.”
He continued: “They’ve already done quite a bit this year – 13 launches.”
Kim said Washington has repeatedly offered to meet the North to discuss “any and all issues,” but that Pyongyang has continuously declined the invitation to dialogue. The reason, he said, could be the pandemic.
“It’s always hard for me to speculate on why Pyongyang does what it does or what it doesn’t do,” said Kim. “I would just speculate that given that the country has been in a complete shutdown for the past two years due to the Covid pandemic, perhaps that’s a factor in the fact that they have not responded. But I will limit my speculation to that.”
Kim’s comments about North Korea came on the same day that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific region, during which she said Washington was committed to boosting trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo. The commitment was part of Washington’s evolving security approach in response to “evolving” security threats, she said.
Sherman also mentioned her recent meeting in Washington with a South Korean delegation dispatched by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, saying the meeting was a message to Pyongyang that they “can’t just keep doing this [raising tensions with missile launches] without any consequences.”
Sherman and the U.S.-South Korea policy consultation delegation, led by People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Park Jin, met on Monday. Yoon’s five-year presidency starts on May 10.
BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]
10. North Korea feared to return to nuclear brinkmanship
The Korea Times does a good job of reporting on all the major events and statements this week tying everything together.
The headline is important. If the north is feared returning to nuclear brinkmanship then we need to expose and attack that strategy.
North Korea feared to return to nuclear brinkmanship
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, second from right, talks to officials of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) during his visit to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of USFK
President-elect reiterates importance of extended US deterrence during visit to Camp Humphreys
By Jung Da-min
Concerns are rising that North Korea may be returning to nuclear brinkmanship by conducting another nuclear test ahead of major political events, including the 10th anniversary of leader Kim Jong-un's inauguration on April 11, as well as the April 15 Day of the Sun, an annual holiday marking the birthday of Kim Il-sung, North Korea's founding leader.
According to U.S. government officials and North Korea watchers, there is a high possibility of the country launching an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) or carrying out a nuclear weapons test in the coming days.
Sung Kim, the special representative for North Korea policy at the U.S. state department, in particular, warned of Pyongyang's possible nuclear weapons test on the April 15 anniversary, which would be the country's first nuclear weapons test in nearly five years. North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test in November 2017.
"We are worried that in connection with the upcoming anniversary, the DPRK may be tempted to take another provocative action," Kim told reporters during a phone briefing on Wednesday (local time). DPRK is an acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea.
"I don't want to speculate too much, but I think it could be another missile launch, it could be a nuclear test," he added.
Sung Kim, the special representative for North Korea policy at the U.S. state department, speaks to reporters outside the State Department building, in this Oct. 18, 2022, file photo. NewsisPresident-elect Yoon Suk-yeol reiterated the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and the U.S.' extended deterrence during his visit to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday.
"The importance of extended deterrence cannot be overemphasized," Yoon said.
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, center, holds a meeting with officials of the United States Forces Korea (USFK), including General Paul LaCamera, commander of the United Nations Command (UNC), the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) and USFK, during his visit to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of USFK
His remarks came after his delegation to the United States, led by veteran lawmaker Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), discussed the matter with U.S. counterparts, during a week-long trip to Washington D.C. which started on April 3.
During the delegation's meeting with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, the two sides discussed strengthening extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear weapons, including the deployment of strategic assets, which refer to long rage bombers, nuclear-powered submarines, or aircraft carriers.
On March 24, Pyongyang test launched what it said was a Hwasong-17 ICBM, which the militaries of the U.S. and South Korea later concluded to have been a Hwasong-15 ICBM after days of analysis.
The North's latest ICBM launch was its first long-range missile test in nearly five years. The North Korean leader abandoned a self-imposed moratorium on ICBM tests since late 2017, which followed Pyongyang's launch of a Hwasong-15 in November that year.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman also noted growing security threats in the region during a House Foreign Services Committee hearing on restoring American leadership in the Indo-Pacific, Wednesday, saying more missiles tests are expected to come.
She said the U.S. and South Korea are committed to strengthening the alliance and enhancing capabilities to counter such growing security threats.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, right, poses with Rep. Park Jin of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), who led President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's delegation to the United States, at the State Department building, Monday (local time). Courtesy of U.S. Department of State
"Threats to our security are evolving, and our security approach must evolve with them. We are strengthening and deepening our five treaty alliances and other vital partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and working to enhance our capabilities," Sherman said.
She also called for "strong action" against Pyongyang's missile provocations.
"The transition team for President-elect Yoon of South Korea is here, and this is very much up in part of their discussions with everyone with whom they have met, which is to ensure that we take some strong action to let the North know that they can't just keep doing this without any consequences, that we take actions that show we have a credible deterrence against any attack by North Korea," Sherman said.
Seoul and Washington's joint move to seek strong action against Pyongyang comes amid growing tensions in the region, especially following strong messages by Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
In an April 3 statement, Kim Yo-jong warned that the South Korean military "will face an unimaginably terrible disaster, the worst-ever, if it violates even an inch of our territory," in response to Defense Minister Suh Wook's remarks on April 1 that the South Korean military is capable of conducting a preemptive strike if there is an obvious missile launch signal from the North Korean side.
Kim Yo-jong issued another statement on April 5 with a more specified warning of a nuclear attack against the South, saying: "In case South Korea opts for a military confrontation with us, our nuclear combat force will have to inevitably carry out its duty."
North Korea watchers said the two statements were warnings against the incoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
"So far, first deputy director Kim's statement has played a role as a rough introduction to North Korea's route change to adopt aggressive strategies," Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said in a recent report on developments of inter-Korean relations.
Hong said the latest statement could be a prelude to Pyongyang's aggressive strategy against the incoming Yoon administration and there is a possibility of a military satellite launch or submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test by the North.
11. ROK President-elect Yoon Visits USAG-Humphreys
More phtos at the link.
PRESS RELEASES
ROK President-elect Yoon Visits USAG-Humphreys
PA-001-22 | April 7, 2022
Photos
Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon, Suk-yeol greets Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea Commander, and ROK Gen. Kim, Seung-kyum, CFC Deputy Commander at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, April 7, 2022. President-elect Yoon visited Humphreys to receive an overview of UNC/CFC/USFK’s ironclad commitment to strengthening the US-ROK Alliance and providing a strong robust combined defense posture to maintaining peace, security, and stability of the Korean peninsula. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kris Bonet) (Photo by by Staff Sgt. Kris Bonet)
Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon, Suk-yeol signs a guest book accompanied by Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea Commander, and ROK Gen. Kim, Seung-kyum, CFC Deputy Commander at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, April 7, 2022. President-elect Yoon visited Humphreys to receive an overview of UNC/CFC/USFK’s ironclad commitment to strengthening the US-ROK Alliance and providing a strong robust combined defense posture to maintaining peace, security, and stability of the Korean peninsula. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kris Bonet) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Kris Bonet)
Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon, Suk-yeol conducts an office call with his staff and personnel from Combined Forces Command at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, April 7, 2022. President-elect Yoon visited Humphreys to receive an overview of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea’s ironclad commitment to strengthening the US-ROK Alliance and providing a strong robust combined defense posture to maintaining peace, security, and stability of the Korean peninsula. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kris Bonet) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Kris Bonet)
Republic of Korea President-elect Yoon, Suk-yeol spends time with Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, April 7, 2022. President-elect Yoon visited Humphreys to receive an overview of UNC/CFC/USFK’s ironclad commitment to strengthening the US-ROK Alliance and providing a strong robust combined defense posture to maintaining peace, security, and stability of the Korean peninsula. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Seong-yeon Kang) (Photo by Cpl. Seong-yeon Kang)
USAG Humphreys, Republic of Korea —
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol visited United States Army Garrison - Humphreys today.
윤석열 대통령당선인은 오늘 주한미군기지 캠프 험프리스를 방문하였다.
Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea Commander, hosted Yoon and provided an overview of UNC/CFC/USFK’s ironclad commitment to strengthening the US-ROK Alliance and providing a strong robust combined defense posture to maintaining peace, security and stability of the Korean peninsula.
유엔군사령관/한미연합사령관/주한미군사령관 폴 러캐머라 대장은 윤석열 대통령 당선인을 접견하고, 한미동맹을 강화하고, 한반도 평화와 안보, 그리고 안정을 유지하기 위해 강력한 연합방위태세를 제공하고 있는 유엔군사령부/한미연합사령부/주한미군사령부의 굳건한 의지를 밝혔다.
Yoon also dined and conversed with U.S. and ROK service members assigned to the Second Infantry Division about their specific jobs, duties, and responsibilities to protecting and defending the ROK against any threat or adversary.
윤석열 대통령당선인은 제2보병사단의 한미 장병들과 함께 식사를 하며, 적이나 위협으로부터 대한민국을 보호하고 방어하는데 그들이 담당하는 구체적인 직무 및 업무에 대해서 대화를 나누었다.
This was Yoon’s first visit to the installation that houses United Nations Command, United States Forces Korea, Special Operations Command Korea, Eighth Army and Second Infantry Division Headquarters among other U.S. military units.
윤석열 대통령당선인의 험프리스 미군기지 방문은 이번이 처음으로, 이 곳에는 유엔군사령부, 주한미군사령부, 특수전사령부, 미8군, 제2보병 사단 사령부가 주둔하고 있다.
12. Biden should visit South Korea’s Jeju April 3rd Peace Park
A sad chapter in history. Professor Lee offers an important recommendation. The greatness of America is that we acknowledge and correct our mistakes. We should honor the victims and acknowledge our mistakes.
Biden should visit South Korea’s Jeju April 3rd Peace Park
BY SUNG-YOON LEE, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR - 04/06/22 10:30 AM ET
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT OF THE HILL
Among the world’s cities that forever will be associated with brutal massacres, one in South Korea remains obscure abroad: Jeju. Sometimes called the “Hawaii of Korea,” Jeju Island long has been a favorite destination for tourists and honeymooners.
But 70 years ago, it was the site of systematic and widespread slaughter of men, women and children by South Korean authorities under the auspices of the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea. The role of the United States adds a layer of complexity and controversy. And the specters of some 30,000 murdered have yet, after seven decades, to rest in peace.
The Jeju Uprising and Massacre is the biggest peacetime killing of civilians in post-1945 Korean history. It started as a small-scale, armed communist uprising on April 3, 1948. The government cracked down swiftly. What began as an operation to quell an uprising expanded into a wholesale vilification of Jeju inhabitants as “commies” and indiscriminate killings of civilians. The killings lasted for six years and included more than 800 children under age 10 and more than 3,000 women. Government forces burned entire villages. As such, the slaughter warrants study, remembrance and reconciliation.
There is such an opportunity. On April 1, Yoon Suk-Yeol, South Korea’s president-elect who takes office on May 10, became the first leader — either president-elect or president — from the conservative party to visit the Jeju April 3 Peace Park, a memorial park and museum that honors confirmed victims and tens of thousands who are unaccounted for. In the solemnity of the vast rows and columns of unnamed tombstones one can feel the weight of history and silenced agony.
On April 3, the 74th anniversary of the uprising, Yoon returned to the Peace Park. He said that his administration will do its best to heal the deep pain of survivors, build a better future together, and defend the values of peace and human rights. It’s a welcome development. To date, sustained denialism in South Korea and silence in the United States have blocked the path toward full truth and reconciliation.
Successive South Korean governments have enforced censorship and discriminated against the victims’ families. The United States, which, at the time of the outbreak had both de jure and de facto operational control over South Korea’s constabulary and the police, was complicit. Even after the formal establishment of the Republic of Korea on Aug. 15, 1948, the U.S. exercised de facto control over South Korea’s instruments of force until June 1949. During the most intense period of the killings and torture, October 1948 to March 1949, the U.S. Army Government in Korea (USAMGIK) ignored the widespread arbitrary killings, disappearance of persons, torture, and extensive destruction of property on Jeju Island.
Even today, many South Koreans remain in denial. In their eyes, South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, could do no wrong. To them, Rhee was the founding father who withstood North Korea’s invasion in 1950 and won from the U.S. a defense treaty in 1953. And the armed rebels and communist sympathizers in Jeju deserved their fate, they say.
Rhee, American-educated and anti-communist, was forced to step down in a nationwide student uprising after 12 years in power. His legacy, therefore, is that of the failure of democracy. As for his leadership in the Korean War, without the aid of the United States and the other 15 nations under the banner of the United Nations, Rhee’s Korea would have become the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, united and despotic under Kim Il Sung. In fact, in fleeing Seoul in the first days of the North’s invasion, Rhee had the Han River Bridge, the only road bridge across the river, blown up, thus abandoning fellow citizens north of the river.
That Rhee half-bullied and half-cajoled the U.S. into signing a defense treaty with South Korea is an achievement. But his role in the Jeju Massacre — which today would fall under crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide — clouds his legacy.
This week, Yoon’s foreign policy special envoys, led by a former lawmaker and a former vice foreign minister, are meeting with American counterparts in Washington. Discussions on North Korea’s growing nuclear threat will top the agenda. But there’s also a chance for a quantum leap in public diplomacy. The South Koreans should inform President Biden of the Jeju Massacre and Yoon’s two recent visits to the Peace Park. They should suggest that Biden, on his next visit to South Korea, pay respects at the Peace Park together with President Yoon.
In May 2016, when Biden was vice president, President Obama visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Some family members of veterans of World War II objected to the visit, but, together with then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Obama paid homage, saying the world must never forget what happened. “That memory allows us to fight complacency,” he said. “It fuels our moral imagination. It allows us to change.”
Next year marks the 75th anniversary of the Jeju tragedy. If Biden paid his respects to the victims, it would mark the dawn of a different chapter in U.S.-Korea relations. There would be little controversy in America, and South Koreans would embrace a visit to mitigate the deep ideological divide within South Korea. Further, history would judge that visit as moral, good and just.
Congress could follow suit. In 1908, Congress passed a bill allocating approximately half of the $25 million the U.S. had exacted from Qing China for the Boxer Uprising of 1899 and 1900. A multilateral coalition of nations, including the United States, sent troops into China to quell an armed xenophobic uprising directed against foreigners. China, in defeat, was forced to pay an indemnity of more than $330 million.
By making millions of dollars available for Chinese students to study in the United States, the U.S. stood on the right side of history. Likewise, if Congress were to pass a bill allocating funds to be made available to family members of Jeju Massacre victims who wish to study in the United States, the act would be remembered in perpetuity as good, moral and just.
As the world watches Russia’s sickening war crimes in Ukraine, cities such as Bucha, Irpin and Mariupol where civilians have been tortured and killed are becoming household names. Jeju, outside South Korea, has never been granted such recognition.
South Korea and the U.S. have the chance to give Jeju a new symbolic resonance as the island of peace, truth, justice and reconciliation. More than any official statements, an act of humility and respect would show the world that the bilateral alliance is, in fact, ironclad.
Sung-Yoon Lee is Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies and assistant professor at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and faculty associate at the U.S.-Japan Program, the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. Follow him on Twitter @SungYoonLee1.
13. Yoon administration to keep current gov't structure, including gender ministry, for now: Ahn
President-elect Yoon seems to be acknowledging the criticism and listening to the people.
(LEAD) Yoon administration to keep current gov't structure, including gender ministry, for now: Ahn | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: ADDS remarks, details from para 5)
SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- The incoming administration of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will maintain the current government structure, including the gender ministry, as it seeks to focus on addressing pending state affairs, transition team Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo said Thursday.
A nominee for gender minister will also be announced when a new Cabinet lineup is unveiled, Ahn said, meaning that the ministry will be kept for the time being even though its abolition has been one of Yoon's key campaign pledges.
The new gender minister will be tasked with drawing up plans to revamp the ministry, Ahn said.
"It was judged that it would be better to focus on current state affairs rather than making an early decision and pushing ahead with (government restructuring) during the transition period," Ahn said.
Asked whether the transition team could announce nominees for key posts, including a finance minister, by the end of this week, Ahn said it is hard to say exactly when such announcements can be made, but the most talented people will be appointed through various strict verification processes.
Ahn said the transition team decided not to hurry a reorganization of the government structure due to "grave" situations in economy and diplomacy.
"As the economic and diplomatic situations are grave, we will do our best to form a lineup as soon as possible," Ahn said.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
14. S. Korea views N. Korea’s warning to use nuclear weapons as ‘existential threat’
I do hope the Yoon administration will reign in the Unification Ministry and get it focused on substantive unification planning and not on making statements that should come from MOFA or MND of the NIS.
But yes nuclear weapons are an existential threat to Seoul and there is always the possibility of an "accidental conflict" due to fear, honor, and interest and passion, reason and chance.
S. Korea views N. Korea’s warning to use nuclear weapons as ‘existential threat’
Seoul sees accidental conflict with North Korea as prone to happen in foreseeable future
Published : Apr 6, 2022 - 18:21 Updated : Apr 6, 2022 - 18:22
Unification Minister Lee In-young speaks at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s Unification Ministry views North Korea’s recent warning that it would strike South Korean conventional forces with nuclear weapons as an “existential threat,” while keeping close tabs on potential accidental conflicts between the two Koreas.
Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful younger sister, on Tuesday warned that the country will inevitably use nuclear weapons to “annihilate” South Korean conventional forces if South Korea chooses a military confrontation.
“We should not overlook the fact that (North Korea) refers to the nuclear issue as an existential threat” in the statement, a high-ranking official at the Unification Ministry, who wished to remain anonymous, said in a closed-door briefing.
The official with knowledge of the matter pointed out that Pyongyang had said the country would not use nuclear weapons against the Korean people, taking note of a change in North Korea’s declaratory policy concerning the use of nuclear weapons.
North Korea specifically said its “nuclear combat force will inevitably have to carry out its duties if South Korea chooses a military confrontation,” clarifying its position that it would use nuclear weapons at the outset of a war with South Korea.
The official said South Korea is “concerned” about the statement, as North Korea said it would launch a nuclear attack against South Korea under certain conditions.
“We view it as an existential threat,” the high-ranking official said, sharing Seoul‘s assessment of the statement after its careful examination.
Concerns over accidental conflict
The situation on the Korean Peninsula is at a crossroads, and “seasonal factors” such as the wind direction could raise the risks of the two Koreas being involved in accidental conflicts.
The wind direction in spring enables civic groups to send out anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets. In addition, the crab fishing season between April and June is another risk factor, as fishing boats catch blue crabs near the Northern Limit Line, a disputed inter-Korea maritime border in the Yellow Sea.
“There are risks that an incident or unexpected situation could lead both sides to confrontation and clashes,” the high-ranking official said.
The Unification Ministry’s assessment is noteworthy given that analysts largely forecast that North Korea could provoke South Korea in the near future, with the intent to abrogate the Sept. 19 inter-Korean comprehensive military agreement.
In addition, North Korea’s internal situation and the international circumstances have created a conducive environment for another major weapons test, the official noted.
Internally, North Korea has been gearing up for major political events this month, including the 110th anniversary of national founder Kim Il-sung’s birth and the 90th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army.
The South Korea-US joint military exercise scheduled for this month and Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine would have affected North Korea’s behavior and calculus as well.
The official viewed that there are higher chances that North Korea will launch another intercontinental ballistic missile rather than conduct a nuclear test. But the official did not rule out the possibility of the seventh nuclear test.
To prevent long-term confrontation
The high-ranking official also repeatedly underscored that the incoming government in South Korea should strive to bring North Korea to the negotiating table at a critical juncture, suggesting specific ways to resuscitate inter-Korean relations.
As the first step to jump-start dialogue, the next government must “make a declaration that it will provide humanitarian aid under any circumstance and separately from political and military situations,” the official said.
Yoon has endorsed the idea of providing humanitarian aid that can substantially help the North Korean people, irrespective of the denuclearization progress or political situation.
Another option could be to resume the inter-Korean tour program at Kumgangsan as it does not violate UN Security Council sanctions resolutions.
South Korea’s unification minister on Wednesday also called for President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol to put forth “intensive efforts” from the beginning of his term to prevent the two Koreas from moving toward “long-term confrontation.”
Unification Minister Lee In-young appealed to the incoming government to “implement North Korea and unification policies in a more consistent manner and with a long-term perspective” rather than taking a hard-line stance on North Korea.
“I propose (Yoon) to make a contractarian move by adopting a peace policy against the public expectations that the conservative government will take a confrontational stance (on North Korea),” Lee said during his last meeting with reporters held at the ministry’s inter-Korean dialogue office in central Seoul.
Lee said Yoon will be able to “resolve escalating tensions and crisis” and “prevent (the two Koreas) moving toward long-term confrontation only if he makes intensive efforts from his early days in office and succeeds in shifting the situation on the Korean Peninsula toward peace.”
The unification minister underlined that the incoming Yoon government must stop North Korea from resuming a nuclear test, which has been suspended since September 2017.
To that end, Lee said Yoon should implement a “forward-looking and proactive peace policy” to “make a turnabout on the situation of the Korean Peninsula.”
(dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)
15.
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.
