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Quotes of the Day:
"The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youth."
– John F. Kennedy
"Sooner or later I'm going to die, but I'm not going to retire."
– Margaret Mead
"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience - well, that comes from poor judgment."
– A.A. Milne
1. Putin's embrace of Kim Jong Un has its limits
2. Unprecedented US War Drills and Naval Deployments Raise Fear of War in Korea
3. S. Korea successfully launches 2nd spy satellite into orbit
4. S. Korea, U.S. to hold regular defense talks on deterrence against N. Korea
5. Exclusive: North Korean forced labor behind Chinese seafood sold in South Korea
6. Editorial: S. Korea, China, Japan seek global stability after 4-year hiatus
7. Rival parties visit key battlegrounds two days before elections
8. Learning from US how to attract semiconductor factories
9. S. Korea's unilateral sanctions against Russia show significant downturn in bilateral ties
10. N. Korea's Kim sends message to Putin over flooding in Russia
11. ＜Investigation＞Why aren’t North Korea’s women having babies anymore? (1) The fertility rate is already severely low…It’s rare to see anyone carrying babies around
12. Korea, US begin war remains search project for this year
13. NATO Chief: Iran, Russia, China And N. Korea Aligned Against West
1. Putin's embrace of Kim Jong Un has its limits
Excerpts:
As transactional as the partnership between Putin and Kim may seem right now, Russia and North Korea are also under clear strategic imperatives to work together.
At the macro level, the two nations seek to create an alternative political, economic and security bloc to the Western-led, rules-based, liberal international order, in concert with China and Iran. In addition, Russia and North Korea are among the world's most heavily sanctioned nations, creating a further logic to their cooperation.
There is also some undeniable geostrategic utility for North Korea in keeping Washington bogged down in Ukraine while it commands attention by building out its missile and nuclear programs. Similarly, Moscow has an interest in making the U.S. worry about the Korean Peninsula to keep it from focusing too closely on Ukraine.
The current trajectory of North Korea-Russia relations is certainly unfavorable for the U.S. and its allies because it essentially gives the two nations greater wiggle room to continue their bad behavior. But all is not necessarily lost.
North Korea and Russia simply do not and cannot have a "no limits" partnership of the kind Putin declared with Chinese President Xi Jinping just before the invasion of Ukraine. Economic cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow is circumscribed by both nations' limited capacities and the constraints of international sanctions.
Putin also is likely to limit his support for Kim's arms building, especially his nuclear program, out of concern that he could inadvertently irritate Xi who wants peace and stability in Northeast Asia. To date, Xi has hesitated to provide significant military assistance to Russia for Ukraine and has steered clear of supporting Kim's missile and nuclear programs.
For his part, Kim has to ration the munitions he sends to Russia to ensure the military readiness of his own forces to fight South Korea and the U.S.
As a result, the strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea is unlikely to be decisive for either side. Yet at this point, any technological advances for North Korea's military program are inevitably of concern.
OPINION
Putin's embrace of Kim Jong Un has its limits
Upcoming trip will underscore deepening ties, but Russia remains cautious
Derek Grossman
April 4, 2024 05:00 JST
https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Putin-s-embrace-of-Kim-Jong-Un-has-its-limits
Derek Grossman is a senior defense analyst at the think tank RAND Corp. in Santa Monica, California, and an adjunct professor in the practice of political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. He formerly served as an intelligence adviser at the Pentagon.
Alexander Matsegora, Russia's ambassador to North Korea, has predicted that this will be a "breakthrough year" for the partnership between the two countries.
He is probably right. Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to visit Pyongyang in the coming months to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and reciprocate Kim's visit last September to the Russian Far East. If the trip happens, it would mark Putin's first visit to Pyongyang since 2000 when he went to meet Kim Jong Il, the current leader's father.
Last month, the Russian Ministry of Culture sent a senior delegation to North Korea to commemorate the 75th anniversary of bilateral economic and cultural cooperation. This suggests that Putin and Kim will look to elevate their countries' partnership beyond scientific, technological and military cooperation to include building social and economic links.
Bilateral tourism is already on the rise, with Russians visiting North Korea's Masikryong Ski Resort for the first time since the pandemic. North Korean travel to Russia rose fivefold in 2023 from the previous year.
North Korea's Rason Special Economic Zone, which abuts the border with rail and port links into Russia, is now bustling and poised to flourish further if Kim and Putin reach new trade and investment agreements.
Under an apparent arms-for-food agreement reached last August, the Kremlin is receiving weapons for its war in Ukraine while providing food and other needed commodities to North Korea, which is believed to be fighting off famine. Oil is another key commodity Russia is providing, with its supplies accounting for 20% to 50% of the imports the North is allowed under U.N. sanctions.
Russia also seems to be providing support for Kim's missile program, in particular reentry vehicle technology that could help North Korea perfect targeted delivery of nuclear warheads.
In February, scholars from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington tallied 44 probable deliveries of munitions to Russia by sea and rail since last August based on commercial imagery and ship tracking data. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik has estimated that the North has sent more than 3 million rounds of munitions to Russia, and the U.S. has said that some North Korean-made missiles have been fired into Ukraine.
It is difficult to discern exactly how Russia is helping North Korea with its missile program, but future test firings may give hints about their scientific and technological cooperation. For the time being, it can be reasonably assumed at least that Putin has directed Russian scientists to support Kim.
Meanwhile, last week Russia blocked the annual renewal of the mandate of U.N. sanctions monitors, a move that will make it much more difficult to assess the state of North Korea's nuclear program, while Putin's spy chief also paid a visit to Pyongyang.
According to state media, North Korea test-fired a new solid-fuel hypersonic missile on April 2: Moscow seems to be providing support for the country's missile program. (KCNA via Reuters)
In direct contravention of the sanctions, Putin is said to have recently sent Kim a Russian-made luxury car. North Korean state media reported that Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's sister and close confidante, "courteously conveyed" his thanks, referring to this "as a clear demonstration of the special personal relations between the top leaders."
As transactional as the partnership between Putin and Kim may seem right now, Russia and North Korea are also under clear strategic imperatives to work together.
At the macro level, the two nations seek to create an alternative political, economic and security bloc to the Western-led, rules-based, liberal international order, in concert with China and Iran. In addition, Russia and North Korea are among the world's most heavily sanctioned nations, creating a further logic to their cooperation.
There is also some undeniable geostrategic utility for North Korea in keeping Washington bogged down in Ukraine while it commands attention by building out its missile and nuclear programs. Similarly, Moscow has an interest in making the U.S. worry about the Korean Peninsula to keep it from focusing too closely on Ukraine.
The current trajectory of North Korea-Russia relations is certainly unfavorable for the U.S. and its allies because it essentially gives the two nations greater wiggle room to continue their bad behavior. But all is not necessarily lost.
North Korea and Russia simply do not and cannot have a "no limits" partnership of the kind Putin declared with Chinese President Xi Jinping just before the invasion of Ukraine. Economic cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow is circumscribed by both nations' limited capacities and the constraints of international sanctions.
Putin also is likely to limit his support for Kim's arms building, especially his nuclear program, out of concern that he could inadvertently irritate Xi who wants peace and stability in Northeast Asia. To date, Xi has hesitated to provide significant military assistance to Russia for Ukraine and has steered clear of supporting Kim's missile and nuclear programs.
For his part, Kim has to ration the munitions he sends to Russia to ensure the military readiness of his own forces to fight South Korea and the U.S.
As a result, the strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea is unlikely to be decisive for either side. Yet at this point, any technological advances for North Korea's military program are inevitably of concern.
2. Unprecedented US War Drills and Naval Deployments Raise Fear of War in Korea
One might say, "well that is one interpretation." It is certainly not mine.
This is in the blame America for everything category. It is quite the spin on our readiness and deterrence.
This could have received assistance from the regime's Propaganda and Agitation Department as it is very supportive of the Kim family regime's positions.
But at least Truthout is transparent. It is a resource for activists . (Just not my kind of activism). (I think for Truthout activists, movement leaders, and workers likely code words for communists or communist sympathizers).
Unprecedented US War Drills and Naval Deployments Raise Fear of War in Korea
The current US military buildup in the Korean Peninsula has surpassed Cold War levels.
By Simone Chun , TRUTHOUT
PublishedApril 7, 2024
Truthout is an indispensable resource for activists, movement leaders and workers everywhere. Please make this work possible with a quick donation.
truthout.org · by Simone Chun · April 7, 2024
South Korea’s general election will be held on April 10, as candidates compete for the 300 seats in the country’s unicameral National Assembly. The latest polls show a neck-and-neck race between President Yoon Suk-yeol’s right-wing ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition “liberal” Democratic Party which currently holds a majority. This election will serve as a referendum on Yoon’s repressive “republic of prosecutors” and his administration’s dismal neoliberal economic policies. One critical issue that has been absent in the media coverage of these critical elections is Yoon’s decision to entirely subsume South Korea’s national interests to Washington’s regional objectives, particularly with respect to the Biden administration’s new Cold War with China and the massive expansion of the provocative U.S.-led military exercises in the Korean Peninsula.
Yoon’s complete acquiescence to the demands of Biden’s aggressive new Cold War has earned steady criticism from opposition liberal and progressive parties. Lee Jae-myung, chair of South Korea’s Democratic Party, has criticized Yoon for “Cold War posturing … [that] stokes fear and division,” calling for South Korea to pursue its own national interests rather than allowing itself to be reduced to a “pawn in the plans of others.” Similarly, Cho Kuk, chair of the progressive Rebuilding Korea Party, opposes South Korea’s regression toward Cold War-era diplomatic relations with China and Russia, which he argues are straining relations to the breaking point.
Nevertheless, in spite of the considerable opposition to Washington’s imposition of its new Cold War on South Korea, Yoon has obediently rubber-stamped two years of virtually unabated U.S.-led military exercises at North Korea’s doorstep, putting the South Korean military entirely at Washington’s disposal and thrusting it firmly in the front lines of the new U.S. Cold War. In the continued absence of any meaningful Korea policy, President Biden has failed to mention North Korea in his State of the Union address for the third year running. Despite being the world’s largest military exercises in peacetime, these war games have hardly received any attention in the United States.
The latest U.S.-led military exercise, “Freedom Shield 2024,” mobilized more than 300,000 South Korean troops alongside 10,000 American troops in a staggering series of 48 field maneuvers — double those of last year’s “Freedom Shield.” These combined battle-ready attack and invasion forces carried out airstrikes, tactical live fire drills, and air combat and bombing runs at the North-South Korean border. Per Operations Plan (OPLAN) 5015 between the U.S. and South Korean Army, which envisages a preemptive strike against North Korea, these forces are armed, deployed and poised to cross the border literally at a moment’s notice.
Related Story
U.S. actions intensify the danger of nuclear war in the Asia-Pacific.
August 31, 2023
Truthout
That the United States and South Korea are ramping up provocations against North Korea is nothing new: Every U.S. president since 1945 has been antagonistic toward the North. Donald Trump threatened North Korea “with fire and fury like the world has never seen” while Biden vowed the “end of North Korean regime if it attacks.” But the scope, intensity and frequency of the war drills have been steadily intensifying and now far surpass those held during the Cold War. The past year alone included:
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250+ days of U.S. and South Korean joint military maneuvers, including almost every day between February and April 2023, compared with 30 days of North Korean military exercises over the entire year;
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21 instances in which U.S. strategic assets, including nuclear-capable weapon platforms, were deployed to South Korea;
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10+ UN Command member nations participating in U.S. and South Korean joint military maneuvers, and pledging to provide firepower in the event of hostilities;
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Attainment of a new record as the world’s largest military exercises to date in scale and scope.
South Korea’s defense chief has pledged to “swiftly eliminate North Korean leadership” as a pillar of the military’s three-axis deterrence system against the North, which includes a “Kill Chain” preemptive strike platform designed to destroy North Korea’s ballistic missiles prior to launch as well as selectively “remove” North Korean leadership. To further drive the point home, South Korea’s far right President Yoon Suk-yeol has encouraged frontline troops to “shoot first and ask questions later” in the event of any exchange with the North. For its part, while continuing the customary line that the U.S. harbors no hostile intent toward North Korea, Washington justifies the rapidly expanding U.S. military posture on the Korean Peninsula as purely a “defensive response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs” and its “resistance to negotiations.”
Even conservative security analysts dispute Washington’s claim, while experts stress that “neither North Korean conventional forces nor its nuclear weapons pose a significant threat of war on the peninsula.” The combined United States Forces Korea (USFK) and South Korean forces far overshadow those of North Korea, whose entire military budget is $1.47 billion compared to that of South Korea at $43.1 billion, not to mention that of the U.S. at $816.7 billion.
Others draw attention to the fact that, despite Pyongyang’s rhetoric, North Korea’s nuclear platforms are a defensive tool. In his speech to the North Korean legislature this past January, Kim Jong Un reaffirmed the self-defensive posture and stressed, “We will never unilaterally unleash a war if the enemies do not provoke us … there is no reason to opt for war, and therefore, there is no intention of unilaterally going to war.” Even USFK Commander General Paul LaCamera has admitted that the North Korean leader’s priorities are in fact “regime survivability” and “preparing to defend his nation.”
Three important points merit particular attention with respect to the ongoing U.S.-led joint military exercises within the context of U.S. foreign policy in the Korean Peninsula.
First, the driving force of the increasingly offensive U.S.-led joint military exercises is Washington’s “hyper-militarized Indo-Pacific Strategy” in support of its new Cold War against China. While the USFK notes that the military exercises “aim to bolster security and stability not only on the Korean peninsula but also across Northeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific,” Washington’s actions are in fact increasingly destabilizing. In addition to ramping up the scope and frequency of regional military exercises, the U.S. is deploying more than half of its aircraft carriers to the Pacific in the coming weeks — an unprecedented regional concentration of naval power that is being branded as a “show of force” against China and North Korea.
Second, the U.S. quest to leverage an ever-increasing network of global assets in its conflict with China directly drives U.S. military exercises in South Korea. Case in point is the increasing involvement of the United Nations Command (UNC) in the U.S.-led joint military exercises. Despite its name, the UNC is not an organization under the control of the United Nations; it is in fact a U.S.-controlled military alliance organized under the nominal auspices of the “international community.” According to Tim Beal, a preeminent researcher on U.S. imperialism in Asia and the author of Crisis in Korea: America, China and the Risk of War, the U.S. has initiated a rapid “modernization program” for the UNC in order to upgrade it to a key component of the U.S. military architecture in the Indo-Pacific. This effort entails:
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A multi-year push to revitalize the UNC into a “formidable military asset” and induct its member states to take part in military exercises in the Korean Peninsula. Some states such as the U.K. have already been sending combat troops to participate in joint landing exercises.
- Expansion of UNC as part of a U.S. push to frame the UNC as the core of an “expanded and repurposed global alliance structure” that “stretches far beyond the Korean peninsula” to serve Washington’s geopolitical aims.
Third, U.S. military cooption of countries along China’s perimeter requires the seamless management of a network of multinational military assets via the U.S.-controlled UNC, the recent emergence of the U.S.-led Japan-South Korea-U.S. (JAKUS) military alliance, and carving out a greater role for NATO in East Asia that has, in Tim Beal’s words, uncomfortable “echoes of the European imperialisms of the past” along with Washington’s parallel efforts to create a NATO-like bloc in Asia. South Korea, the U.S. military outpost closest to China, is a critical linchpin in the network of U.S. “force-multipliers,” serving as a frontline launch pad for any U.S.-led war in East Asia. The U.S. has retained continuous wartime operational control of the South Korean military since the Korean War in 1950, and ensures that South Korea’s 600,000 troops and 3.1 million reservists — Washington’s principal regional instrument against China — are constantly combat-ready as the first wave in any such conflict. In his hearing at the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on March 20, USFK Commander General LaCamera bluntly admitted that the strategic value of the USFK in fact lies in the fact that it serves as a “counterweight to China and Russia.” As a result, South Korea is being swept up in Washington’s intensifying hegemonic war, even though there is, in author Kim Sung-hae’s words, “no inherent reason why Korea should be an enemy of China or Russia.”
The U.S. is using North Korea as a pretext for its new Cold War against China, and, with its control of 40 percent of the world’s nuclear stockpile, is even willing to risk nuclear war to further its geopolitical aims. As Noam Chomsky puts it, “U.S. policy is very provocative. Nuclear war ends everything, but the United States always plays with fire.” It is in fact the U.S., not North Korea, that not only fans the flames of confrontation between North and South Korea, but appears to be actively planning for the possibility of a new war in the Korean Peninsula — an inconvenient truth that is absent from Western media amid fearmongering about Pyongyang.
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Simone Chun
Simone Chun is a researcher and activist focusing on inter-Korean relations and U.S. foreign policy in the Korean Peninsula. She has served as an assistant professor at Suffolk University, a lecturer at Northeast University and an associate in research at Harvard University’s Korea Institute. She is on the Korea Policy Institute Board of Directors, and serves on the advisory board for CODEPINK. She can be found on Twitter at @simonechun.
Truthout
truthout.org · by Simone Chun · April 7, 2024
3. S. Korea successfully launches 2nd spy satellite into orbit
South Korea is far superior to the north.
(2nd LD) S. Korea successfully launches 2nd spy satellite into orbit | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 8, 2024
(ATTN: CHANGES headline; UPDATES with latest details in paras 3, 8-14; CHANGES photos)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, April 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea successfully launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in the U.S. state of Florida on Monday (Seoul time), according to the defense ministry.
The Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:17 a.m. (7:17 p.m. local time) from the John F. Kennedy Space Center and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit approximately 45 minutes after the launch, the ministry said.
It succeeded in communicating with an overseas ground station at 10:57 a.m., it noted.
South Korea's second homegrown military surveillance satellite, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 7, 2024, in this captured SpaceX image. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
It is the second military satellite launched under South Korea's plan to acquire five spy satellites by 2025 to better monitor North Korea.
The satellite was equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors that capture data using microwaves and are capable of collecting data regardless of weather conditions. The other three satellites will also be equipped with SAR sensors.
Electro-optical and infrared sensors capable of capturing detailed images of the Earth's surface were fitted on the first satellite launched in December.
When operated together, the five satellites are expected to provide regular coverage at about two-hour intervals, according to analysts.
"Our military's independent surveillance and reconnaissance capability has been strengthened through the first launch of the SAR satellite. We will continue to prepare for upcoming satellite launches," the ministry said.
South Korea's second homegrown military surveillance satellite, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 7, 2024, in this captured SpaceX image. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The launch comes as Pyongyang is also making its own efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance capabilities, which could potentially enhance its precision strike capability against major targets in South Korea and the United States.
North Korea placed its first military spy satellite into orbit last November and has vowed to launch three more spy satellites this year.
Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said North Korea is likely to launch its second satellite this month in time for major political events after making enhancements to its performance.
"We have been closely watching the possibility of North Korea's satellite launch in March, but it appears to be making some additional improvements," Shin told reporters after watching SpaceX's livestream at the defense ministry.
"If the current technical enhancements are made smoothly without significant difficulties, the launch could take place around mid-April. If such enhancements take more time, the launch could take place in late April," he added.
North Korea's two major holidays in April are the birthday of the country's founder, Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of leader Kim Jong-un, on April 15 and the founding anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army on April 25.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · April 8, 2024
4. S. Korea, U.S. to hold regular defense talks on deterrence against N. Korea
Some might misinterpret the headline. These are regular talks that are held ....well....regularly. Some might think the headline means we're just going to start holding regular talks on deterrence.
(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. to hold regular defense talks on deterrence against N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · April 8, 2024
(ATTN: UPDATES with more details from 3rd para)
SEOUL, April 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will hold regular defense talks this week to discuss ways to bolster security cooperation and deter North Korean nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.
The Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will take place in Washington on Thursday (U.S. time) for discussions on a range of alliance issues ahead of the allies' Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) session in June.
South Korean Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae, Ely Ratner, U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, and Andrew Winternitz, U.S. acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, will lead this week's meeting.
The talks are seen as part of preparations for the upcoming third NCG meeting, which is expected to draw up guidelines on information sharing, consultation procedures for a nuclear crisis, and operating a real-time leader-level communication channel.
South Korean Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae (L) and U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Vipin Narang sign the Nuclear Consultative Group Framework document on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Pentagon in this file photo provided by Seoul's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The allies agreed to establish the NCG in April last year to discuss nuclear and strategic planning and sharpen deterrence against evolving North Korean threats.
"The general direction of the South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence will be discussed at KIDD but its specifics will be discussed at the NCG," Cho told reporters.
Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to using the full-range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend an ally.
Cho said he will meet his U.S. counterpart for the NCG, Vipin Narang, on Friday for talks on joint efforts under way, but did not elaborate.
During this week's talks, the ministry said the allies plan to discuss ways to follow through on the "Defense Vision of the U.S.-ROK Alliance" endorsed by their defense chiefs last November. ROK stands for the South's official name, the Republic of Korea.
The vision includes enhancing extended deterrence efforts against North Korea, modernizing the alliance's capabilities by evolving into a science and technology alliance, and strengthening regional security cooperation with like-minded partners.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · April 8, 2024
5. Exclusive: North Korean forced labor behind Chinese seafood sold in South Korea
More justification for a human rights upfront approach.
North Korea
Exclusive: North Korean forced labor behind Chinese seafood sold in South Korea
https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2024/04/08/F5T65UDOHBB5VAKBS75OPK5OZE/?utm
By Lee Min-seouk (Washington),
Park Su-hyeon
Published 2024.04.08. 09:06
Seafood being sold at a wholesale market in Donggang, Dandong City, Liaoning Province, China, in April 2023./Lee Beul-chan
It has come to light that a significant amount of Chinese seafood entering South Korea is produced through the forced labor of North Korean residents. This practice violates sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council, aimed at preventing North Korean workers’ earnings from being used for nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development.
Investigations conducted by The Chosunilbo, in collaboration with The Outlaw Ocean Project, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., have revealed that at least three out of six Chinese seafood processing companies confirmed to employ North Korean workers exported around 420 tons of goods to South Korea between 2020 and 2022. These products, processed by North Korean laborers, were distributed across the country after arriving at Busan Port from Dalian Port in China. It has been identified that there are over 400 North Korean workers employed at these three companies.
The Outlaw Ocean Project’s interviews with over 20 North Korean workers in factories in Donggang, Liaoning Province, have shed light on the scale of this issue. They found that at least 15 Chinese companies employed over 1,000 North Korean laborers across various industries. This detailed revelation of the supply chain structure, where products made by North Korean workers in China end up being distributed in South Korea, is unprecedented.
While the confirmed 420 tons are just a fraction of the total volume exported by Chinese companies to South Korea, the investigation found that various seafood items, including clams, squid, Alaska pollock, and sea cucumbers, were processed and exported to South Korea. These products are widely available in major supermarkets and online shopping malls.
For instance, products exported to South Korea by Dandong Taihua received high ratings on supermarket A’s website, praised for their convenience due to the removal of shells, likely performed by North Korean laborers. Another Korean importer, purchasing various shellfish and seafood from Dandong Taifeng Foodstuff, advertised their products being used in the seafood corner of large supermarkets.
The North Korean flag flutters at the North Korea consular office in Dandong, Liaoning province, China, on April 20, 2021./Reuters Yonhap News
Despite legal export procedures, it is challenging for distributors or consumers to ascertain whether North Korean forced labor was involved in production. Last October, The Outlaw Ocean Project revealed that over 70 American importers had imported seafood from ten Chinese companies employing North Korean forced labor, including major retailers like Walmart and McDonald’s, as well as food distributor Sysco.
The detailed accounts of human rights abuses suffered by North Korean workers in Chinese factories have sparked significant outrage in the United States. The Outlaw Ocean Project’s encounters with anonymous North Korean laborers revealed instances of daily physical abuse and sexual violence. One female North Korean worker employed by Dalian Haiqing Food, which exported 276.2 tons of frozen Alaska pollock intestines to South Korea from late 2019 to May 2022, testified to receiving death threats if caught trying to escape. Another female worker recounted being coerced into sexual acts during parties.
The Outlaw Ocean Project highlighted that North Korean laborers in Chinese factories endure constant surveillance by security personnel, working up to 18 hours a day with only one day off per month.
The U.S. Congress urged American companies to stop importing goods from these companies immediately, warning that ‘American consumers are unknowingly exposed to products tainted by North Korean labor.’ Many companies announced they would suspend their trade with them. Ian Urbina, representing The Outlaw Ocean Project, highlighted in an interview with The Chosunilbo on April 3, “The profits from the forced labor of North Korean residents go straight back to North Korea,” and pointed out, “Ironically, the profits earned by South Korean consumers could fund cyber hacking or the development of mass destruction weapons, posing a direct threat to South Korea.”
The United States, under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) enacted in 2017, impose hefty fines on companies importing products made by North Korean labor. Acting upon this, the Biden administration seized shipments of Chinese goods made by North Korean workers at ports nationwide in 2022 and imposed import sanctions on three Chinese companies found to have illegally employed North Korean workers.
South Korea, however, lacks specific legislation prohibiting the import of goods produced by North Korean labor, relying on individual assessments based on UN Security Council resolutions. A South Korean government source stated, “The South Korean government needs to directly assess the forced labor conditions of North Korean workers employed by Chinese companies to determine the necessity of sanctions.”
6. Editorial: S. Korea, China, Japan seek global stability after 4-year hiatus
I am sure that is Korea's and Japan's intention. I think China continues to execute its political warfare strategy.
Opinion
Editorial: S. Korea, China, Japan seek global stability after 4-year hiatus
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2024/04/08/AN3C7LUX5NDT5DG4GG64INB7CI/
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2024.04.08. 08:26
The trilateral summit between South Korea, China, and Japan is scheduled to take place in Seoul at the end of May. This will be the first meeting in four years and five months since the summit held in Chengdu, China, in December 2019. The three countries agreed to hold annual summits on a rotating basis starting in 2008, but various issues, such as territorial and historical disputes, have hindered smooth organization. In 2012, controversy over the Senkaku Islands/Diaoyudao Islands led to a three-year hiatus in the meetings, and since 2019, the spread of COVID-19 and other factors has posed challenges.
Over the past four years, the geopolitical landscape in East Asia has significantly shifted. After North Korea provided Russia with a shipment of weapons and ammunition amounting to 10,000 containers, the close military ties between North Korea and Russia pose a threat not only to the Korean Peninsula but also to global security. Russia, currently engaged in attacking Ukraine, has lessened concerns about ammunition shortages, while North Korea, with Russian assistance, rapidly advances the nuclear attack system, which could directly threaten not only South Korea and Japan but also the United States. According to a Washington Post editorial titled ‘Putin’s Russia throws a lifeline to North Korea,’ the recent removal of a panel of experts monitoring North Korea’s violations of UN sanctions by Russia is seen as “a gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.” Russia also has been blatantly ignoring UN sanctions by sending oil-laden ships to North Korea.
The trilateral foreign ministers' meeting held in Busan on Nov. 26, 2023. Park Jin (center), then Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, Yoko Kamikawa (left), Japanese Foreign Minister, and Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister, entering the meeting room at Nurimaru APEC House in Haeundae-gu, Busan./News1
The international landscape today is incomparable to that of four years ago. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which erupted two years ago, shows no signs of abating, while the Israel-Hamas conflict threatens to escalate across the entire Middle East. The Middle East conflict could be catastrophic for all three countries of South Korea, China, and Japan, as most of their oil energy imports depend on this region. China’s potential invasion of Taiwan also raises concerns about a US-China war in the Pacific. Over the past four years, China has been passive in meetings with South Korea and Japan, raising issues such as cooperation with the U.S. and the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. However, it is said that China is being proactive in pushing for this upcoming summit. This suggests that the volatility of the existing security and economic order is more serious than ever.
The trilateral relationship between South Korea, China, and Japan involves both cooperation and inevitable conflicts. Amid the current highly volatile global situation, opting for conflict instead of cooperation would benefit no one. While differences in stance between China and South Korea/Japan persist regarding the North Korean issue, there would likely be no country willing to welcome Russia’s military intervention. Dialogue and cooperation among the leaders of the three countries are crucial for regional stability as well as for addressing global challenges. Especially in difficult times, it is essential for them to come together.
7. Rival parties visit key battlegrounds two days before elections
(2nd LD) Rival parties visit key battlegrounds two days before elections | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 8, 2024
(ATTN: ADDS remarks by PPP, DP leaders in paras 5-8 and 10-11)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, April 8 (Yonhap) -- With the parliamentary elections two days away, rival parties headed to key battleground areas in Seoul and the nearby metropolitan regions Monday as they made their final pitch to voters after a record high turnout in the early voting.
Ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon visited the southeastern parts of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul, and districts in Incheon, about 30 kilometers west of the capital, later in the day to seek voter support.
The Gyeonggi and Incheon regions, which together have some 74 seats at stake, are considered a stronghold for the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).
This composite file photo shows ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon (L) and main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. (Yonhap)
But the southeastern districts of Gyeonggi, consisting of industrial towns with relatively younger demographics, have been seen as one of the closely contested regions in this year's general elections, set for Wednesday.
Han appealed to voters to prevent the opposition bloc, including the DP's satellite party, from securing more than 200 seats in the 300-strong National Assembly, a two-thirds threshold that gives the party enough power to override presidential vetoes and even impeach the president.
"The 12 hours of April 10th will decide whether the Republic of Korea will advance or fall into ruin," Han said during the campaigning. "We have 12 hours to block them from destroying the Republic of Korea with 200 seats."
"As far as I understand, many of you are saving your energy for Election Day. Please go to the polls that day. Let's unite our hearts so that we won't regret it in history," he said.
Han plans to also canvass in Goyang in northern Gyeonggi, and Gimpo, just west of Seoul. The PPP has made an election pledge to merge Gimpo and its adjacent cities with Seoul as part of a city reorganization plan.
DP leader Lee Jae-myung focused his campaigning in Seoul, reemphasizing the need to call for punishing what he called "the incompetent Yoon government" and hold the government responsible for mismanaging the country.
"If they continue to foul even when they're given a yellow card, you might have to give them a red card someday," Lee said during campaigning in Dongdaemun.
Starting off in a district in Dongjak to the south of the Han River, Lee visited several key battleground districts in the central and western parts of Seoul before heading to Incheon to show support for a DP candidate. Lee is also running for a seat in a different constituency in Incheon.
Ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon speaks during campaigning in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on April 8, 2024. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
It was the sixth time for Lee to show up at the DP's campaign in the Dongjak-B district, where its candidate, Ryu Sam-young, is competing against former four-term lawmaker Na Kyung-won of the PPP.
Dongjak is considered a key battlefield in Seoul, along with a handful of districts along the northern side of the Han River, in what has been dubbed the "Han River Belt."
"Dongjak-B is the barometer for all of Seoul," said Han Byung-do, the strategy chief of the DP's election campaign committee. "If we win here, we expect to be able to clinch a victory in Seoul."
On Sunday, Lee went to Seoul's southern districts of Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa, traditionally a PPP stronghold, to appeal to voters to "make a different choice" this time to "punish the Yoon government."
The DP sees that a few constituencies in Gangnam and Seocho are worth betting on as its election forecasts showed the areas were too close to call.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, holding a mic, makes remarks while campaigning for a Democratic Party candidate running for a seat in Seoul's Dongjak-B district on April 8, 2024. (Yonhap)
Fledgling parties also stepped up their last-ditch canvassing.
Lee Jun-seok, a former PPP leader who formed the New Reform Party, said he will campaign for 48 hours straight without sleep.
Lee's Hwaseong-B constituency, in Gyeonggi Province, is among the closely contested districts, with a former Samsung Electronics researcher and former Hyundai Motor executive vying for the parliamentary seat against Lee as respective PPP and DP candidates.
Lee's party spent much of the day focusing on its campaigning in the Han River Belt districts.
The Rebuilding Korea Party, led by disgraced former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, visited the Gimpo and Seongnam cities in Gyeonggi Province, before moving to Dongjak.
Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, delivers a speech before supporters in Gimpo, just west of Seoul, on April 8, 2024, as provided by his party. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The New Future Party (Saemirae), formed by former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, campaigned in Mapo in Seoul's west and Seongdong on the northern bank of the Han River, to pander to the younger generations.
The minor Justice Party also canvassed the Mapo district as part of efforts to woo younger voters in the capital and metropolitan areas.
On Tuesday, the eve of Election Day, DP leader Lee and his party members will gather in Seoul's central district of Yongsan, another key Han River Belt battleground, in their last-minute efforts to boost voter support.
Han of the PPP will appear at the Cheonggye Stream in downtown Seoul for his final campaign stop.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 8, 2024
8. Learning from US how to attract semiconductor factories
Interesting observations of our 50 States from Korea.
Learning from US how to attract semiconductor factories
donga.com
Posted April. 08, 2024 07:55,
Updated April. 08, 2024 07:55
Learning from US how to attract semiconductor factories. April. 08, 2024 07:55. .
While delving into the competition to attract semiconductor factories in the U.S., your reporter encountered an intriguing observation: Through intense competition, the 50 states are transforming themselves into 'semiconductor-friendly' environments. They are learning from past failures, increasing investments in education and infrastructure, and gearing up for future challenges.
Indiana, the US state where SK hynix announced a $3.87 billion investment last week, lost the bid to host Intel's $20 billion factory in 2022 to neighboring Ohio in a close race.
Was it because Ohio promised more incentives, such as tax credits and direct subsidies, than Indiana? Not necessarily. While the subsidies were similar, according to the U.S. media's analysis at the time, the biggest difference between the two states was the 'abundance of labor.'
The availability of skilled semiconductor workers was a key factor, and the number of college graduates in Columbus, Ohio, was attractive. In fact, Intel's new Ohio factory site is just a 25-minute drive from The Ohio State University. Furthermore, the presence of Carnegie Mellon University within a few hours' drive also played a role.
Brad Chambers, Indiana's Secretary of Commerce at the time of the Intel bid, told the NYT, “We learned a lot of lessons. The biggest takeaway was the need to assemble a more attractive package encompassing land, infrastructure, and workforce programs that we could offer to a major semiconductor company.” He learned that although subsidies are significant, a more comprehensive approach is necessary.
Two years after failing to attract Intel, Purdue University, one of the state's top science and engineering schools, has earned high scores in the 'talent abundance' category. In 2022, Purdue created the first semiconductor degree program in the United States. Last year, it announced a $100 million investment to hire more than 50 professors specializing in semiconductors within five years. Additionally, Purdue has established an outreach program to attract bright PhD candidates. SkyWater Technology, a U.S. semiconductor company that has pledged to invest $1.8 billion in Indiana, was so impressed with Purdue's efforts that it chose Indiana over four other states.
Purdue University has also emerged as a key partner for the SK hynix investment. SK hynix's new high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packaging production facility will be located in an on-campus research park. Purdue University has also pledged approximately $60 million in support to SK hynix, including a discount on the site.
In addition to the university’s support, the state government's 1 trillion won in direct and indirect subsidies, the city government’s support, and local energy companies have joined the race to attract SK hynix. "We created a semiconductor ecosystem and put it on the table," Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg reiterated in a phone interview with The Dong-a Ilbo.
Other states that failed in their bids for SK hynix will probably learn from the experience and come up with another ‘semiconductor-friendly’ strategy. It's quite intimidating to see how quickly things can change through competition. In just two years, since the pandemic gave rise to the concept of supply chain security and sparked a semiconductor subsidy war between countries, Indiana has gone from zero to eight semiconductor factories. I want to ask what did Korea do in those two golden years.
한국어
donga.com
9. S. Korea's unilateral sanctions against Russia show significant downturn in bilateral ties
S. Korea's unilateral sanctions against Russia show significant downturn in bilateral ties
The Korea Times · April 8, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un examine a Soyuz rocket launch pad during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky in the Russian Far East's Amur region, Sept. 13, 2023. AP-Yonhap
Seoul urged to remain firm in accordance with norms of international law
By Kwak Yeon-soo
South Korea's unilateral sanctions on Russia point to a downturn in the bilateral relations between Seoul and Moscow, experts said Monday.
South Korea imposed sanctions against two Russian vessels on April 2, which it says were carrying military cargo to North Korea, as well as two Russian individuals and legal entities linked to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
This came after Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts on March 29, which had spent the last 15 years monitoring the United Nations sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
Following South Korea's first unilateral sanctions on Russian vessels and nationals, Russia's foreign ministry summoned South Korea's Ambassador to Moscow Lee Do-hoon on Friday to protest Seoul's sanctions.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Moscow considers the sanctions as "another unfriendly move" by Seoul, according to Russia's Sputnik news agency.
Moscow also called on Seoul to "abandon counterproductive sanctions and force measures that provoke a further increase in tension on the Korean Peninsula."
"This is an unfriendly move by Seoul and is deeply regrettable. The imposition of illegitimate sanctions will have a negative impact on relations with Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday during a weekly briefing.
The Russian Embassy in Seoul spokesperson said the embassy had no further comment.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko / Tass-Yonhap
"South Korea-Russia relations are deteriorating, and I think they will continue to decline even after the war in Ukraine ends," Hyun Seung-soo, a Russia expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said.
"Moscow and Pyongyang have been deepening their military ties following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia last year," Hyun added. "Russia needs North Korea not only for weapons for its war in Ukraine but also for geopolitical competition in Asia. It has a strong desire to unite with North Korea to stand against a U.S.-led world order."
Doo Jin-ho, a research fellow at the Center for Security and Strategy in the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said, "It seems clear that there is an escalating friction between Seoul and Moscow. Their relations are unlikely to see progress this year because the North Korean nuclear and missile issues continue to serve as risk factors on the Korean Peninsula."
Experts said South Korea needs to make a bold approach toward Russia by continuing to act in accordance with the norms of international law.
"We must continue to look for options of putting pressure on Russia in accordance with the norms of international law as the North Korean nuclear threat poses serious security threats to the Korean Peninsula. We should make formal complaint against Russia's move to pose a nuclear threat and recognize North Korea as a nuclear state," Hyun said.
Doo added, "It looks difficult to [repair] Seoul-Moscow relations. We need to revise our policy goals and make efforts to prevent Moscow-Pyongyang from becoming too close. One way to proceed would be to send an envoy, vice foreign minister, for instance, to Russia to ease tensions."
The Korea Times · April 8, 2024
10. N. Korea's Kim sends message to Putin over flooding in Russia
N. Korea's Kim sends message to Putin over flooding in Russia
The Korea Times · April 8, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un examine a Soyuz rocket launch pad during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky in the Russian Far East's Amur region, in this Sept. 13, 2023 file photo. AP-Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a message consoling Russian President Vladimir Putin over heavy floods that hit Russia's southern region, state media said Monday.
Kim's message came in response to media reports that Russia declared a federal emergency after heavy floods in the country's Orenburg region forced thousands of people to evacuate.
"Kim Jong-un, on behalf of the DPRK government and people and on his own behalf, extended deep consolation to the Russian president and, through him, to the Russian government, people and victims upon the sad news that a lot of material losses were caused by flooding," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English-language dispatch.
DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"Sincerely hoping that the Russian government and people would eradicate the aftermath of the natural disaster at an early date and that the inhabitants in the afflicted areas would regain their peace as soon as possible under the leadership of the Russian president, the message noted that the people of the DPRK would always be with the Russian people," the KCNA said.
North Korea and Russia have been deepening cooperation in a wide range of areas following a rare summit between Kim and Putin in September.
In March, Kim sent a congratulatory message to Putin on his reelection, as well as a message of condolence over a deadly shooting at a concert hall in Moscow. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · April 8, 2024
11. ＜Investigation＞Why aren’t North Korea’s women having babies anymore? (1) The fertility rate is already severely low…It’s rare to see anyone carrying babies around
I will never forget listening to the daughter of a ROK POW who was not allowed to return to the South (1 of some 78,000 who were enslaved in the north but eventually given citizenship and then allowed to marry. However, they were given the lowest Songbun status and therefore were given the lowest jobs in north Korean society - working in the mines). The family, like all ROK POWs was suffering terribly. She described her brother asking their parents who they could have even allowed him to be born? Knowing who their children would suffer and be sentenced to the same fate as their parents (working to death in the mines) why would they even consider having children who would only suffer and live the most terrible life.
I also recall Nick Eberstadt (a great economist and demographer who has studied north Korea in depth) describing the north Korean birth rate and population growth about 20 years ago. He lamented that it was impossible to get dood data from the north because they did not publish realistic information. He said that according to the data released by the regime in the 1990s the north Korean population supposedly increased even during the great famine of the Arduous March of 1994-96 when it is estimated as many as 3 million people may have perished as a result of the conditions of the famine.
So why is the birthrate in the north so low?
＜Investigation＞Why aren’t North Korea’s women having babies anymore? (1) The fertility rate is already severely low…It’s rare to see anyone carrying babies around
asiapress.org
2. (FILE PHOTO) A daycare center on the outskirts of Sariwon, North Hwanghae Province. Children stand on a railing getting some sun. Photo by LI Jun in October 2007 (ASIAPRESS)
ASIAPRESS recently conducted research on marriage and childbearing in North Korea, which revealed that the decline in fertility is worse than previously known. Marriage avoidance and late marriages are widespread among women, and even when they do marry, the prevailing attitude is to have few or no children. North Koreans seem to be unconcerned by government appeals for people to display their patriotism by having more children. In this three-part series, ASIAPRESS looks beyond the headlines to understand the current state of North Korea's low birth rate. (JEON Sung-jun / KANG Ji-won)
◆ North Korea’s long-standing low fertility issue is worse than previously known
The United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) has revised North Korea's total fertility rate downward to 1.8 from 1.9 in 2022 in its 2023 State of the World Population report. While this is a conservative estimate for a country so closed off from the outside world, it's still below the 2.1 replacement fertility rate that is typically required to sustain a population.
Some researchers believe that North Korea's fertility rate is likely even worse. A December 2023 report from the Bank of Korea's North Korea Economic Research Center estimated North Korea's total fertility rate in the 2010s at 1.38. Based on a survey of 95 North Korean defectors and the marriage and childbearing experiences of 1,137 of their relatives and acquaintances, the results suggest that North Korea has long faced a low fertility problem.
Reports from ASIAPRESS's reporting partners reveal the severity of the problem.
"It's hard to see anyone carrying a child now. Even the local daycare center, which originally had a capacity of 38 children, said there were only 21 children last year (2023)." (reporting partner, Ryanggang Province)
◆ North Korea’s low fertility: a riddle
Fertility rates are typically higher in low-income countries and gradually decline as income increases. As of 2023, the average combined fertility rate for low-income countries (those with less than USD 1,135 per capita) as categorized by the World Bank is 4.47, nearly three times the average combined fertility rate of 1.57 for high-income countries (those with more than USD 13,845 per capita).
North Korea's fertility rate in the low-income group is similar to that of France (1.8 in 2021) and, as some experts argue, below the average fertility rate of high-income countries. North Korea's unusually low fertility rate is a highly unusual phenomenon, rarely seen outside of exceptional circumstances such as natural disasters or war.
Let's take a look at this phenomenon through the reporting by three reporting partners. Reporting partners "A," "B," and "C" are all married women in their 30s and 50s living in the northern part of the country, and "A" and "B" are raising children.
(FILE PHOTO) A young man and a young woman appear to be on a date near the Yalu River. Their expressions are unhappy, as if they are worried about their future together or angry that the camera is interrupting their meeting. Taken by ISHIMARU Jiro, Sakju County, North Pyongan Province, 2019
◆ Women who marry are fools, and stupid if they have babies
All of the reporting partners agreed with the phrase that "a woman who marries is a fool, and is an idiot if she has children." The phrase sums up North Korean women's views on marriage and childbearing.
In North Korea, where negative sentiment toward unwed mothers and out-of-wedlock marriages is deeply rooted, it is very rare for an unmarried woman to have a child, so fertility is directly linked to marriage. But as women become more aware of the sacrifices marriage requires of them, many are delaying or avoiding marriage altogether, the reporting partners said.
"Nowadays, it is rare for people to get married even if they're in a romantic relationship, and women who have some money often live alone." ("A")
Reporting partner "B" said that women generally believe that "it's hard enough to make a living on your own, so you'd have to be stupid to (have a child) because you'd have to feed him or her."
She added that "it used to be common for women to move from being a dependent to a member of the Socialist Women's Union of Korea after marriage, but nowadays, three out of ten members of the women's union are women who live alone."
"B" explained that as many women have been able to save money through earnings they make in the markets, more women are avoiding marriage, which would force them to support men who make little income at work. While the Socialist Women's Union was long seen as an organization for married women, it has a gradually increasing number of unmarried women.
※ In North Korea, housewives who do not work must be part of the Socialist Women's Union of Korea. (To be continued in the next installment)
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
A map of North Korea (ASIAPRESS)
asiapress.org
12. Korea, US begin war remains search project for this year
Shared ROK and US values to return all our missing.
Korea, US begin war remains search project for this year
The Korea Times · April 8, 2024
Officials from the defense ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency visit the Korean agency's office in Dongjak District, Seoul, April 8, in this photo provided by the Ministry of National Defense. Yonhap
Korea and the United States began an annual project Monday to jointly search for the remains of American soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's defense ministry said.
The four-week project between the ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) will take place in five locations across the country, including the eastern county of Pyeongchang.
KIA stands for killed in action, while POW and MIA are acronyms for prisoners of war and missing in action, respectively.
The two sides have regularly conducted joint searches for the remains of missing Americans after signing an agreement for joint war remains excavations in 2011.
This year, Korean and U.S. officials will visit the central city of Mungyeong, where a U.S. F-51D fighter jet is presumed to have crashed during the war, among sites where U.S. troops are suspected to have been killed.
In September, the allies plan to conduct an underwater search for U.S. aircraft wreckage and the remains of pilots in waters off Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
More than 1.7 million U.S. troops served in the Korean theater of operations during the Korean War, with more than 36,000 being killed, according to data from the U.N. Command.
Nearly 7,500 Americans still remain unaccounted for from the three-year conflict, according to the DPAA. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · April 8, 2024
13. NATO Chief: Iran, Russia, China And N. Korea Aligned Against West
NATO Chief: Iran, Russia, China And N. Korea Aligned Against West - Iran Front Page
ifpnews.com · by IFP Media Wire · April 7, 2024
Stoltenberg told the BBC that Russia, Iran, China and North Korea are increasingly aligned.
On the Middle East conflict, he stated it was “very important” that the US and other NATO countries conveyed “a very clear message to Israel” that they have to do “significantly more” to protect civilians and aid workers after the World Central Kitchen convoy attack in the Gaza Strip.
On Russia-Ukraine war, he said Ukraine may ultimately have to agree to some kind of compromise with Russia to end the conflict.
The NATO chief reiterated that the West must support Ukraine in the long term “even if we believe and hope that the war will end in the near future”. He added that Western countries should invest in Kiev’s defense capabilities to make it more resilient in the event of future hostilities.
At the same time, he signaled that it was up to Ukraine to choose when and under what conditions to seek peace with Russia.
“At the end of the day, it has to be Ukraine that decides what kind of compromises they’re willing to do,” Stoltenberg said, adding that the West’s role is to help Kiev reach a negotiating position that could produce an “acceptable result”.
That said, Stoltenberg emphasized that he was not pushing Kiev toward any concessions, adding that “real peace” can only be achieved with a Ukrainian victory.
Earlier this week, the NATO boss made a strong plea to support Kiev in the long term, urging the bloc’s members to “rely less on voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments”. According to several reports, Stoltenberg proposed a five-year €100 billion ($107 billion) package of military aid to Ukraine. The exact details of the initiative are reportedly now under discussion.
Throughout the conflict, Russia has maintained it is open to talks with Ukraine. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky banned any negotiations with the current leadership in Moscow after four former Ukrainian territories overwhelmingly voted to join Russia in the autumn of 2022.
The Ukrainian leader has also promoted a ten-point ‘peace formula’ demanding that Moscow withdraw its troops from territory Kiev claims as its own, as well as for a tribunal to be established to prosecute Russian officials for alleged war crimes. Moscow has dismissed the initiative as “detached from reality”.
In an interview with Politico on Saturday, Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, claimed that while Ukrainians were tired of the conflict, they would vehemently oppose any compromise with Russia.
However, last month Zelensky suggested that a return to Ukraine’s 1991 borders was no longer a precondition for negotiations with Russia. Nevertheless, he still insisted that Kiev must regain the territory it lost to Moscow in 2022.
Moscow has announced Ukraine must take into account the fact that its borders have changed drastically since the start of the hostilities.
ifpnews.com · by IFP Media Wire · April 7, 2024
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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