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Quotes of the Day:
"I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses."
Johannes Kepler
“It’s not so much staying alive, it’s staying human that’s important. What counts is that we don’t betray each other.”
– George Orwell
"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, "I'm possible!"
– Audrey Hepburn
1. N. Korea's Kim supervises special operations' drills, urges full preparations for war
2. Close aide to N. Korean leader presumed to be reinstated after suspected reeducation
3. China Expands in the Yellow Sea (South Korea's West Sea)
4. U.S. designates N. Korea as country not fully cooperating with U.S. counterterrorism efforts
5. Post-US-China truce, wiser for Seoul, Tokyo to take the long road
6. Asia without America, part 1: The cupboards are bare
7. The ten step plan to become a North Korea expert
8. Korean Marines to hold 1st joint drill with Japanese military in Philippines exercise: Reports
9. Korean Marine Corps denies reports on plan to hold joint drill with Japanese army in June
10. No. of N. Korea's ICBMs may rise to 50 by 2035: U.S. intel report
11. Police deploy anti-sniper observation equipment to strengthen presidential candidates' security
12. Nat'l Assembly seeks special counsel probe into Supreme Court over DP candidate's retrial
13. DP candidate calls on PPP to expel ex-President Yoon from party
14. PPP appears to distance itself from ex-President Yoon
15. N. Korean youth face ideological training at border greenhouse construction
16. N. Korean officials face rare worker criticism at reclamation site
17. Navy eyes using commercial drones for military operations
18. Korea spared export hit after U.S.-China trade truce
19. 3-way presidential race heats up with economic pitches to moderates
1. N. Korea's Kim supervises special operations' drills, urges full preparations for war
The Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State – emphasis on the Guerrilla Dynasty here.
N. Korea's Kim supervises special operations' drills, urges full preparations for war | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · May 14, 2025
By Kim Soo-yeon
SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has supervised combined tactical drills of special operations, stressing that the most "crucial" task for the North's armed forces is to make full preparations for war.
The combined tactical drills of special operations and tank subunits' joint fire strike demonstration took place the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"Saying that our revolutionary armed forces are now in charge of not a few fronts, but the most important among them is the anti-imperialist class front and making full preparations for war is the most crucial task," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.
Kim appears to have highlighted the concept of the anti-imperialist class front to justify the North's deployment of troops to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine.
Photos carried by state media showed North Korean troops in camouflage suits operating drones. South Korea's spy agency earlier said it detected signs of North Korean troops deployed to Russia learning drone operations and tactics from Moscow.
Last month, North Korea acknowledged for the first time that it has sent troops to Russia to fight against Ukrainian forces. During a visit to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang last week, Kim said the North's involvement in the war was "justifiable," calling it an exercise of sovereign rights under a mutual defense treaty with Moscow.
This file photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on April 5, 2025, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (C) visiting the training site for special operations and supervising their combined drills the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · May 14, 2025
2. Close aide to N. Korean leader presumed to be reinstated after suspected reeducation
Again, the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State – with emphasis on the Gulag State here.
Close aide to N. Korean leader presumed to be reinstated after suspected reeducation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · May 13, 2025
SEOUL, May 13 (Yonhap) -- Jo Yong-won, a North Korean party secretary considered one of the closest aides to leader Kim Jong-un, appears to have been reinstated following months of suspected disciplinary reeducation, according to Seoul officials and sources Tuesday.
Jo was reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) to be among a group of high-level officials who accompanied Kim on his visit to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on Friday to mark Moscow's 80th Victory Day anniversary, according to Seoul's unification ministry.
It was the first time that North Korea's media has mentioned Jo by his name and title since he was last listed among the attendees at groundbreaking ceremonies on Feb. 28 for regional industrial factories. His absence had fueled speculation about a possible change in his official status.
On April 27, the KCNA also published photos showing Jo among officials attending an event in Pyongyang to evaluate industrial products from new factories, but he was not mentioned by name or title at the time.
"Considering that (Jo's) name and title were listed in the state media report, his status appears to have been reinstated," a ministry official said, citing the latest KCNA report.
Sources suspected that Jo may have undergone a "revolutionization" reeducation, a low-level form of disciplinary action, in connection with a corruption scandal that erupted early this year. Jo also serves as director of the ruling Workers' Party's organization and guidance department in charge of personnel affairs.
In early 2025, the KCNA reported Kim reprimanded irregularities involving regional officials in Onchon Country, Nampho Municipality, and Usi County of Jagang Province, and emphasized the need to strengthen work ethic and discipline.
Jo Yong-won (circled), a North Korean party secretary considered a close aide to leader Kim Jong-un, attends a trade show for regional factories that took place in Pyongyang from April 22-26, 2025, in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on April 27. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · May 13, 2025
3. China Expands in the Yellow Sea (South Korea's West Sea)
What will the next president of Korea do about this?
China Expands in the Yellow Sea
https://www.freiheit.org/north-and-south-korea/china-expands-yellow-sea
13.05.2025
3.7 Minutes
North and South Korea
Frederic Spohr
Ein Schiff der chinesischen Küstenwache am 28. April 2025. © picture alliance / CFOTO | CFOTO
A tense incident, largely unnoticed by the global public, took place at the end of February in the Yellow Sea, the body of water separating China and Korea. When a South Korean research vessel approached a controversial Chinese steel structure for inspection, it was blocked by a Chinese coast guard ship and three civilian inflatable boats. South Korea called in its own coast guard for support but ultimately had to abandon the inspection.
The incident is reminiscent of the situation in the South China Sea, where China has been asserting territorial claims for years through artificial islands and military presence. Now, there are fears that similar confrontations could increase in the Yellow Sea. The recent events have heightened tensions between South Korea and China, with no solution in sight.
At the heart of the dispute are large steel installations China has been constructing in contested waters. According to the U.S.-based think tank SeaLight, these are large fish farms named Shenlan 1 and Shenlan 2, launched in 2018 and 2024. A massive supply platform, reportedly built from a repurposed oil rig, has also been installed nearby. China’s structures are up to 100 meters long and 80 meters wide.
South Korea Demands Relocation
Until recently, South Korea had begrudgingly tolerated the constructions. But the February incident prompted a shift in tone. At the end of April, the South Korean government formally demanded that Beijing relocate the steel structures to Chinese territorial waters. China rejected the demand, claiming the installations were privately operated aquaculture farms and did not violate any agreements.
Fish farms may sound benign, but analysts are alarmed. There are striking parallels to one of the world’s most geopolitically sensitive maritime areas: the South China Sea, where China initially built artificial islands for supposedly civilian purposes that were later militarized. Where once there were fishing huts, airstrips now exist. Countries like the Philippines and Vietnam feel increasingly threatened by China’s expansionist policies.
Like the South China Sea, the Yellow Sea holds strategic significance. Ships headed to Tianjin—the maritime gateway to Beijing—pass through these waters. China’s Northern Fleet is also headquartered in Qingdao, on the Yellow Sea coast. For South Korea, the region is equally crucial. Seoul sits along the Han River, which flows into the Yellow Sea. The port city of Incheon, South Korea’s second-largest deep-water port, is located here. The U.S. military’s Camp Humphreys—one of its largest overseas bases—is also nearby. Furthermore, the Yellow Sea is believed to hold significant oil and gas reserves.
The region has been a battleground in the past. Key naval battles during both the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) took place here.
China Increases Naval Presence
Territorial claims in the economically and politically vital Yellow Sea remain largely unresolved. China asserts the 124th meridian east as its maritime boundary, based on a 1962 agreement with North Korea. However, this line cuts into waters South Korea considers part of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Under international maritime law, an EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles (approx. 370 km) from a country's coast, granting it exclusive rights to natural resource usage.
In 2001, China and South Korea agreed to establish a so-called Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) in overlapping EEZ claims, with the goal of jointly managing fisheries and refraining from activities like exploratory drilling. Whether China’s fish farm installations comply with this agreement is disputed. Beijing did not notify Seoul before constructing them.
China isn’t only exerting pressure through construction, it’s also ramping up its military presence. According to South Korean military sources cited in the press, Chinese warships entered disputed or South Korea-claimed waters over 330 times in the past year. By mid-April this year, over 100 such incursions had already occurred.
These tensions are intensifying during a phase of political instability in South Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office following the controversial declaration of martial law. New elections are scheduled for June 3. A conservative victory could lead to a tougher stance toward China, while South Korea’s progressive party has traditionally taken a more cautious approach to relations with Beijing.
South Korea’s relationship with China is generally complex. While China is its largest trading partner, deep mistrust persists. China has repeatedly used its economic leverage for political pressure, such as calling for boycotts of South Korean goods.
China’s recent provocations in the Yellow Sea have drawn criticism from both major South Korean political parties. In response, the South Korean parliament’s fisheries committee has proposed a budget of about 60.5 billion won (approximately 41.9 million USD) to address Chinese activities in the PMZ. If approved, the funds could be used to build South Korea’s own structures in the zone.
China has reportedly pledged in talks not to erect additional structures for now. However, Beijing has not issued any written confirmation.
Frederic Spohr heads the office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Seoul, Korea.
This article was originally published on May 10, 2025 on t-online.
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4. U.S. designates N. Korea as country not fully cooperating with U.S. counterterrorism efforts
How many terrorist organizations is the regime supporting in the Middle East and Africa? It is proliferating weapons, training, and advice, and technical support to numerous groups. Where did Hamas and Hezbollah get the expertise to build their tunnels?
U.S. designates N. Korea as country not fully cooperating with U.S. counterterrorism efforts | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · May 14, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, May 13 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. State Department said Tuesday it designated North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Syria and Venezuela as countries that do not fully cooperate with Washington's fight against terrorism -- a certification that prohibits the sale or license for export of defense articles and services to those countries.
North Korea has been on the list of "not fully cooperating countries (NFCCs)" since 1997, while the department put Cuba back on the list after having removed it last year.
North Korea has also been on the U.S.' list of state sponsors of terrorism since November 2017, when it was redesignated.
"The United States will continue to promote international cooperation on counterterrorism issues," the department said in a release. "We also continue to promote accountability for countries that do not stand against terrorism."
On Cuba's designation, the department cited at least 11 U.S. fugitives from justice in Cuba, including several facing terrorism-related charges, while noting the Cuban government made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in the U.S.
"The Cuban regime's refusal to engage on this important issue, as well as other recent circumstances of non-cooperation on terrorism-related law enforcement matters, made efforts to cooperate on counterterrorism issues futile in 2024," the department said.
The State Department in Washington. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · May 14, 2025
5. Post-US-China truce, wiser for Seoul, Tokyo to take the long road
Excerpts:
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a looser regional trade grouping with fifteen Asia-Pacific member countries — including China — could also gain a larger role. China has presented itself as a guardian of free trade against the Trump administration’s protectionism, reaching out to the European Union, South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia as part of a charm offensive. Discussions of a free trade agreement between China, South Korea, and Japan were held recently, partly in response to Trump’s tariffs.
Chinese officials have also expressed an interest in joining the CPTPP. But there is considerable opposition to admitting China out of fear it would dilute the organization’s established standards, including clear restrictions on favoring state-owned enterprises.
“If you put China into the CPTPP, you basically blow it up,” Elizabeth Economy, a widely respected expert on China at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, told the Stanford seminar. “I don’t think the Japanese have any interest in bringing China into the CPTPP.”
South Korea’s participation in CPTPP faces much less opposition and could offer a means to balance the pressure from the Trump administration. The pathway to membership, however, will need to involve the strengthening of South Korea-Japan relations.
But the South Korean government may be reluctant to take that step, suggests Shin. “I don’t think Korea would be interested in joining a multilateral entity that didn’t include the US,” he said.
Such calculations in both Seoul and Tokyo could shift, however, if attempts to bargain with Washington falter and the global economy slips into a recession. In any case, it makes sense for South Korea to look beyond bargaining with Trump and join the construction of a free trade zone in the world economy.
Post-US-China truce, wiser for Seoul, Tokyo to take the long road - Asia Times
One likely focus is expanding and strengthening existing Indo-Pacific trade regimes, including through partnerships with the EU
asiatimes.com · by Daniel Sneider · May 13, 2025
The Donald Trump administration is pursuing a flurry of activities designed to convey the impression that a wave of trade deals is underway. The announcement of an agreement framework with the United Kingdom was followed by talks between Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Chinese counterparts.
The United States and China agreed to a ninety-day pause in their tariff war, setting rates of 30 percent by the United States and 10 percent by China while negotiations take place. Talks of de-escalating the high-stakes trade war are clearly aimed at dampening the severe reactions of financial and stock markets.
South Korean officials have seized upon this activity as a sign that bilateral talks can yield positive results, particularly the removal of the 25 percent tariffs imposed on autos, steel, and electronics.
Han Duck-soo, the former prime minister who stepped down to pursue an independent bid for president, expressed hope that he could negotiate a “win-win” deal with President Trump.
“There is always some room for cooperation and good communication among policymakers of the United States and Korea. So I feel rather good about expecting some acceptable final results from that,” Han said at a meeting with foreign correspondents in Seoul on May 7. “We will do our best making win-win solutions.”
But there are grounds for deep skepticism about the prospects for success in these and other talks.
Economist and former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman dismisses reports of the US-UK deal and other deals as “smoke and mirrors, an attempt to persuade the gullible that Trump’s tariffs are actually working.” Krugman argues that these talks are “a response to a problem that didn’t exist” and that trade deficits do not reflect unfair foreign trade practices or high tariffs but rather the huge flows of capital into the United States, which reflect the perception of the United States as an attractive place to invest.
Japan’s experience of two rounds of negotiations with Bessent and other senior US officials is instructive. Japanese negotiators emerged from the talks mystified as to what the Trump administration actually wanted. The US side refused to discuss the biggest tariff rate – the 25 percent tax placed on autos, auto parts, steel, and aluminum – and insisted that these were global tariffs not subject to exemptions.
The Japanese government is in no rush to reach an agreement, although it does not want to be seen as backing away from talks. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces considerable criticism from the opposition for engaging in “tribute diplomacy.” With elections for Japan’s parliamentary upper house coming in July, the ruling party does not want to concede to what are seen as unreasonable demands from the United States.
“It’s not better just because it’s faster,” Ishiba told reporters following the bilateral talks. “For us, while properly asserting our national interests, it’s not good to reach an early conclusion by sacrificing such interests.”
South Korea faces many of the same circumstances. The first round of talks in Washington was similarly inconclusive, and the key issues for Seoul – tariffs on autos, auto parts, steel and aluminum – are also beyond discussion for now. This is unlikely to change even after a new presidential administration is voted into office on June 3.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, commenting after the US-UK announcement, acknowledged this reality. “You’ve got to spend an enormous amount of time with Japan, South Korea,” he told reporters. “These are not going to be fast deals.”
Like Japan, South Korea’s strategy has been to seek concessions to induce the removal of the tariffs. Offers to cooperate on shipbuilding and energy production have been put on the table. But trade policy experts doubt those gestures will ultimately succeed.
“Many will still try to use this pause period to finalize something in exchange for a moderation to their initial tariff ‘sentence,’” says Michael Beeman, former assistant US trade representative for Japan, Korea and APEC in the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).
“There will be value in negotiating since, as I’ve been saying, the threats are a tactic in part — but not in whole. Because at the end of the day, he still wants a new, higher rate on the world,” Beeman, the author of Walking Out: America’s New Trade Policy in the Asia-Pacific and Beyond, told this writer.
The Japanese prime minister explicitly rejected a new, higher rate as a possible outcome. “We are seeking a complete elimination,” Ishiba said on Sunday. “It is not a matter of being satisfied with a certain percentage.”
When engaging the Trump administration, Korea and Japan need to “be patient” and take a longer view, Stanford University Professor Gi-Wook Shin told a recent seminar at Stanford’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center.
Short-term efforts to appease the Trump administration are unavoidable, but they should be paired with efforts to bolster free trade outside. US discussions of reforming the World Trade Organization (WTO) offer one pathway, though admittedly a complex and drawn-out process. More likely are discussions to expand and strengthen existing regional trade regimes in the Indo-Pacific, including through partnerships with the European Union.
According to the Financial Times, plans to forge a strategic partnership between the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) have been revived in response to the trade wars unleashed by the Trump administration.
The CPTPP already brings together twelve nations, including Canada, Japan, Mexico, Vietnam, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and covers rules for investment, digital trade, and other goods trade. According to the report, support for linking the two arrangements has come from New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, and, quietly, Japan. The proposal could be discussed at the upcoming meeting of trade ministers at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) later this month in South Korea.
“Any efforts to strengthen and widen the CPTPP as a rules-based international trade system are useful,” says a former senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official who led the effort to embrace CPTPP without US participation during the first Trump administration. But the former official adds that he doubts the Ishiba government “has the guts” to do something similar.
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The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a looser regional trade grouping with fifteen Asia-Pacific member countries — including China — could also gain a larger role. China has presented itself as a guardian of free trade against the Trump administration’s protectionism, reaching out to the European Union, South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia as part of a charm offensive. Discussions of a free trade agreement between China, South Korea, and Japan were held recently, partly in response to Trump’s tariffs.
Chinese officials have also expressed an interest in joining the CPTPP. But there is considerable opposition to admitting China out of fear it would dilute the organization’s established standards, including clear restrictions on favoring state-owned enterprises.
“If you put China into the CPTPP, you basically blow it up,” Elizabeth Economy, a widely respected expert on China at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, told the Stanford seminar. “I don’t think the Japanese have any interest in bringing China into the CPTPP.”
South Korea’s participation in CPTPP faces much less opposition and could offer a means to balance the pressure from the Trump administration. The pathway to membership, however, will need to involve the strengthening of South Korea-Japan relations.
But the South Korean government may be reluctant to take that step, suggests Shin. “I don’t think Korea would be interested in joining a multilateral entity that didn’t include the US,” he said.
Such calculations in both Seoul and Tokyo could shift, however, if attempts to bargain with Washington falter and the global economy slips into a recession. In any case, it makes sense for South Korea to look beyond bargaining with Trump and join the construction of a free trade zone in the world economy.
Daniel C. Sneider is a non-resident distinguished fellow at the Korea Economic Institute of America and a lecturer in East Asian studies at Stanford University.
This article was originally published by KEI’s The Peninsula and is republished with permission.
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asiatimes.com · by Daniel Sneider · May 13, 2025
6. Asia without America, part 1: The cupboards are bare
A depressing read. I wish it could serve as a wake up call. We need our silk web of alliances for our national security and if we want to win in strategic competition and war.
Excerpts:
Russia is challenging NATO in Ukraine, China is challenging the US in East Asia, Iran is challenging the US in the Middle East and god knows what Kim Jong Un is doing in North Korea. The neglected home front is awash in drugs, obesity, crime and mental illness. America, spread thin after decades of mindless war in Iraq and Afghanistan, now maintains what’s left of primacy though an alphabet soup of multilateral alliances (G7, NATO, AUKUS, the Quad).
These alliances are inherently unstable – pitting free riding against buck passing. The US is trying to do global hegemony on the cheap through alliance partners. An overstretched America wants to pass the buck – to offload the costs of its rules-based international order onto partners. Meanwhile, alliance partners want to free ride – to enjoy benefits of the rules-based order without chipping in.
For alliances to be stable, America must demonstrate that it is willing and able to shoulder all the costs – with or without partners.
The United States did this for most of the post-World War II era, as John F. Kennedy promised in his January 1961 inauguration speech:
While partners waxed and waned based on shifting domestic politics (for example, France, the Philippines, Thailand), America’s resolve had long been assumed, even if erroneously (for example, Hungary 1956, Czechoslovakia 1968, Vietnam 1973, Lebanon 1984, Somalia 1993, Iraq 2011, Afghanistan in 2021).
But now, as President Trump abandons alliances and the capabilities of challengers grow, America’s resolve can no longer be assumed. The US is not just trying to pass the buck, it is all but telling Europe that the buck does not stop here. Asia is left in a lurch unsure what President Trump will decide. It could be anything – from an honest-to-god strategic pivot to Asia to trading Taiwan for flattery and a ham sandwich to anything in between. We just do not know.
What everyone does know is that China’s capabilities are growing and, over time, the costs of maintaining America’s position in Asia will rise. And if trends continue, buck passing will intensify and free riders will have uncomfortable decisions to make.
Asia without America, part 1: The cupboards are bare - Asia Times
We’re talking to you, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, about the collapse of America’s alliance system and the rules-based order
asiatimes.com · by Han Feizi · May 13, 2025
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometime
You’ll find
You get what you need
The rolling stones
History has multiple equilibria. Seemingly stable arrangements can turn on a dime. “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen,” Vladimir Lenin wrote in 2017, his last year in exile.
Or, as President Xi Jinping said at the door of the Kremlin after a 2023 meeting with Vladimir Putin, “Right now there are changes – the likes of which we haven’t seen for 100 years.” Within earshot of the press, President Xi slyly added, “and we are the ones driving these changes together.”
Let us not beat around the bush: We’re talking to you, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The changes that President Xi was referring to are the collapse of America’s alliance system and, along with it, the collapse of the rules-based international order.
Every nation should be prepared. The savviest actors will front-run events. When President Xi said “we are the ones driving these changes,” it was an open invitation to bet on and become part of the “we.”
Fast forward to 2025 and trends have only accelerated. President Trump, in his second term, has gratuitously insulted Europe, strong-armed Panama, threatened to annex Greenland and Canada and launched a chaotic trade war on the world.
This is not 4D chess, people. This is President Trump using whatever is left of American power to kick over the chessboard, hoping the scattered pieces magically rearrange themselves in advantageous positions. It is also sheer madness.
US President Franklin D Roosevelt responding to the Pearl Harbor attack. Photo: CBS News
In his book And Tomorrow the World: The Birth of US Global Supremacy, Stephen Wertheim tells the story of how, over just a few years preceding Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, institutions such as the Council on Foreign Relations and leaders such as President Franklin Roosevelt maneuvered America’s global posture away from wariness over foreign entanglements and towards global primacy.
Of course, none of this could be said out loud. As the new posture developed during and after World War II, it had to be buried in euphemisms like “liberal international order” and administered through neutered institutions including the World Bank/IMF (1944), the United Nations (1945), NATO (1949) and even the US Congress.
The Lansdowne portrait is an iconic life-size portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. It depicts the 64-year-old president of the United States during his final year in office.
All of this runs counter to the legacy many founding fathers hoped to bequeath the young republic fortunately separated from a fractious Europe by the Atlantic Ocean. In his valedictory address, George Washington famously warned against involvement in foreign wars and entanglements:
Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor or caprice?
Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation?Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground?
It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world; so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it; for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements.
According to Wertheim, the thinkers and leaders who planned American primacy were not acting in bad faith; these were not Pentagon paper pushers angling for a retirement gig at Lockheed Martin. These were men genuinely fearful of a world where fascists controlled the Eurasian landmass. Wertheim writes:
Peace, however, came at an unprecedented price after Germany conquered France and briefly bestrode Europe. For the United States to maintain a hemispheric military posture could potentially leave Europe to the worst Europeans and Asia to the worst Asians – totalitarian dictatorships harnessing the tools of industrial modernity to achieve armed conquest and subjugation.
After saving Europe and Asia from fascist domination in WWII (or at least joining mop-up operations in act four), the US lost no time declaring itself leader of the free world in the long twilight struggle against the Soviet Union. George Kennan, in his famous long telegram, wrote:
The main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.… Soviet pressure against the free institutions of the Western world is something that can be contained by the adroit and vigilant application of counterforce at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political points, corresponding to the shifts and maneuvers of Soviet policy, but which cannot be charmed or talked out of existence.
Primacy, it turns out, is a hard drug to quit. After the unexpected collapse of the Soviet Union and China voluntarily joining the American led economic system, the US quickly appointed itself permanent world leader under the Wolfowitz doctrine:
Paul Wolfowitz. Photo: Hoover Institution
The US must show the leadership necessary to establish and protect a new order that holds the promise of convincing potential competitors that they need not aspire to a greater role or pursue a more aggressive posture to protect their legitimate interests. In non-defense areas, we must account sufficiently for the interests of the advanced industrial nations to discourage them from challenging our leadership or seeking to overturn the established political and economic order. We must maintain the mechanism for deterring potential competitors from even aspiring to a larger regional or global role.
It was around that time that “liberal international order” morphed into “rules-based international order.”
After the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the US updated the Wolfowitz doctrine with the Bush doctrine, an aggressive foreign policy posture that assumed the right to preemptively eliminate – through military means – nascent threats before they fully materialize. At West Point’s 2002 graduation speech, George W Bush said:
President George W Bush at West Point’s 2002 graduation. Photo: Paul Morse / National Archives
We cannot defend America and our friends by hoping for the best. We cannot put our faith in the word of tyrants, who solemnly sign non-proliferation treaties and then systemically break them.
If we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long.
Our security will require transforming the military you will lead – a military that must be ready to strike at a moment’s notice in any dark corner of the world. And our security will require all Americans to be forward-looking and resolute, to be ready for preemptive action when necessary to defend our liberty and to defend our lives.
The hangover from botched military adventures under the Wolfowitz/Bush doctrines has ignited calls for a foreign policy closer to what the founding fathers had intended, now pejoratively labelled “isolationism” by primacists. Some, like self-proclaimed realist Elbridge Colby, favor a husbanding of resources to specifically contain China – a Sino-only primacist, if you will.
As with everything else, President Trump’s foreign policy has been schizophrenic and incoherent. Let us not pretend there is a Trump doctrine. There is no plan. There is no strategy. There is no theory. He’s just making it up as he goes along, driven by appetites and constrained by resources.
American primacists deliberately reject that the purpose of regional hegemony is to not have to expend resources on the military. The nation had been amply warned and not just by George Washington. John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States, urged against searching for “monsters to destroy” in an 1821 speech:
Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence, has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.… She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign Independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force.
America first heard the term “military industrial complex” from Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, in his 1961 farewell address:
President Dwight Eisenhower delivers his farewell address. Photo: American Rhetoric
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience…. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications…. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
Hegemonic dynasties coalesced in China specifically to divert resources away from fractious wars and towards public works projects (for example, the Dujiangyuan water diversion project, the Grand Canal, the Great Wall).
Dujiangyuan water diversion project. Photo: Islamic China Travel
The PRC dynasty is no different, spending less than 2% of its GDP on defense and getting the Three Gorges Dam, high speed rail, the South-North Water Transfer project and a national highway system in return.
The “freedom to roam,” popularized by John Mearsheimer, is demonstrably not a universal imperative of regional hegemons. Ming Dynasty China at the height of its power famously burned the imperial treasure fleet. The American impulse to roam is a legacy of European (mostly British) maritime imperialism which has long since outlived its utility, now incurring more costs than benefits.
Russia is challenging NATO in Ukraine, China is challenging the US in East Asia, Iran is challenging the US in the Middle East and god knows what Kim Jong Un is doing in North Korea. The neglected home front is awash in drugs, obesity, crime and mental illness. America, spread thin after decades of mindless war in Iraq and Afghanistan, now maintains what’s left of primacy though an alphabet soup of multilateral alliances (G7, NATO, AUKUS, the Quad).
These alliances are inherently unstable – pitting free riding against buck passing. The US is trying to do global hegemony on the cheap through alliance partners. An overstretched America wants to pass the buck – to offload the costs of its rules-based international order onto partners. Meanwhile, alliance partners want to free ride – to enjoy benefits of the rules-based order without chipping in.
For alliances to be stable, America must demonstrate that it is willing and able to shoulder all the costs – with or without partners.
Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States. Washington, DC 20 January 1961. Photo: US Army Signal Corps / John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Boston / Wikimedia Commons
The United States did this for most of the post-World War II era, as John F. Kennedy promised in his January 1961 inauguration speech:
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge – and more.
While partners waxed and waned based on shifting domestic politics (for example, France, the Philippines, Thailand), America’s resolve had long been assumed, even if erroneously (for example, Hungary 1956, Czechoslovakia 1968, Vietnam 1973, Lebanon 1984, Somalia 1993, Iraq 2011, Afghanistan in 2021).
But now, as President Trump abandons alliances and the capabilities of challengers grow, America’s resolve can no longer be assumed. The US is not just trying to pass the buck, it is all but telling Europe that the buck does not stop here. Asia is left in a lurch unsure what President Trump will decide. It could be anything – from an honest-to-god strategic pivot to Asia to trading Taiwan for flattery and a ham sandwich to anything in between. We just do not know.
What everyone does know is that China’s capabilities are growing and, over time, the costs of maintaining America’s position in Asia will rise. And if trends continue, buck passing will intensify and free riders will have uncomfortable decisions to make.
asiatimes.com · by Han Feizi · May 13, 2025
7. The ten step plan to become a North Korea expert
How many of us does this describe? :-)
Keep in mind that Professor Robertson is the only real Korea expert because only he could write this kind of satire.
Is there a 12 step plan to overcome our addiction?
Commentary
The ten step plan to become a North Korea expert
Keep it grim and keep it alarming, but make sure every prediction is matched by a vague, hedging escape clause.
https://www.junotane.com/p/the-ten-step-plan-to-being-a-north-korea-watcher?r=7i07&utm
May 13, 2025
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So, you completed your liberal arts degree and discovered there were no jobs. You enrolled in a master’s degree in international studies and at the halfway point with poor grades, realized there are still no jobs. What do you do?
For most people, this is a choice between a few dismal possibilities: a PhD; a government job in a department no one wants to be; or teaching English overseas with no passion and heart. For others, it’s a calling. A noble calling. A calling most often proclaimed before it’s pursued. A calling that starts with one all-encompassing phrase: “I’m a North Korea Expert!”
Congratulations! By proclamation alone, you’re now a “North Korea Expert”. What’s next???
Now, I previously spewed out advice for young North Korea watchers. Nobody listened, but all the same, I’m here putting together some advice for those sitting amidst dismal possibilities but still knowing their path is to be a North Korea expert. This’ll get you started…
Step 1. Book a 5-day tour to North Korea. Nothing sharpens your analytical acumen on a totalitarian state quite like a 5-day, pre-packaged tour where you're chauffeured between museums, gas-fuelled oyster binges, and interactions with eerily synchronized schoolchildren, while under the watchful eye of a guide whose smile says “welcome” but eyes say “more of these foreign cretins”.
You’ll return home with a newfound expertise on staged performances, censored interactions, and claggy soups. It’s immersive theater for the aspiring expert: five days in the Hermit Kingdom and you, too, can publish authoritative op-eds on regime stability based on the shine of brass statues and the visible normality of everyday life - in fact, you could get a book; a documentary, or some hard-hitting views on your YouTube channel as well.
Step 2. Read KCNA every day. Learn the sacred art of deciphering North Korea’s state media. It’ll go something like this:
“Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un personally guided a successful test of the [highly expressive adjective] [weapon] against the backdrop of [highly expressive adjective] maneuvers during a [U.S. diplomatic action] insulting the [highly expressive adjective] peace-loving state.”
Don’t worry if you don’t understand what they’re actually saying and who they’re saying it to. Nobody really does. It’s all uncertain and open to debate. The key is to say it “raises questions” and then start making predictions.
Step 3: Start making predictions. You’re not here to solve anything. You’re here to “raise awareness,” “spark debate,” and maybe get a consulting gig or two. Clarity kills careers. Ambiguity keeps you in the game. And remember: the DPRK is a mirror. The more you stare at it, the more you’re really just projecting yourself.
Keep it grim and keep it alarming, but make sure every prediction is matched by a vague, hedging escape clause. Say things like:
- Kim Jong-un may soon unveil a new initiative aimed at revitalizing key economic sectors. However, the details and implications remain unclear and could shift depending on internal priorities.
- A major military parade is expected to take place in Pyongyang to showcase new weapons systems. Still, it is uncertain whether this signals an escalation or merely routine signaling.
- Kim Jong-un is consolidating power through personnel reshuffles in the top ranks. But the long-term impact on policy direction remains to be seen.
- North Korea could re-engage diplomatically in response to changing regional dynamics. That said, any substantive outcomes will likely depend on a complex set of evolving factors.
These are perfect because they can never be proven wrong. And if someone does later point out that you were in fact incredibly way off the mark, note that you did indicate that it depended on…
Step 4: Pick a narrative. Decide what kind of North Korea watcher you want to be. Are you here to prove the regime is on the verge of collapse (any day now, for the last 30 years)? Are you here to cry for human rights while ignoring research on the ineffectiveness of sanctions you quietly support? Or perhaps you prefer the sneaky realist chickenhawk aesthetic—manage risk, maintain regional stability, deter aggression, disrupt any serious change to the status quo, and promote the purchase of many, many U.S. weapons that you or your family have invested in. Learn the narrative and start rehashing it…
For bonus points, remember to run with a parallel oft-repeated sub-narrative that disses other members of the community. Try one or more of these:
- The Washington blob doesn’t understand Seoul (this is one of my favorites).
- You have to speak Korean to understand Korea.
- You need government experience to understand policy.
- You need to visit North Korea to really understand the country.
Pick your lens and never let reality shake it. Flexibility is weakness!
Step 5: Read a bit… not too much. Pick up all the “essential” texts. Read Bruce Cumings. They’re really thick and kind of boring, so just repeat what others say about them. Skim Lankov for that gruff Russian credibility, or again, just nod and repeat “Oh, yeah…” when others fawn over his works. Read and then name-drop Victor Cha everywhere, if you want to work in Washington. Never mind that most of the books contradict each other—it’s all about the vibes.
Oh, and don’t forget to reference Orwell at least once per op-ed. Ideally while comparing Pyongyang to 1984, like it’s never been done before. Bonus points if you can compare both Pyongyang and Washington to fictional worlds by past authors.
Step 6: Start spewing out the op-eds. The more the merrier! If there’s one thing the North Korea watching community truly needs, it’s more op-eds—what better way to signal expertise than by shouting into the policy void with another 800-word piece about how Kim Jong-un is either about to collapse, about to launch a war, or about to be contained through clever diplomacy—depending on the week’s mood?
Think tank funding doesn’t renew itself, and North Korea expertise doesn’t grow on trees. There’s no better way to stay relevant than to restate last year or last decade’s analysis with a fresh headline and a few references to AI or great power competition. Besides, policymakers clearly read every single think piece on North Korea and act on them immediately, right? So by all means—write more op-eds. The peninsula’s future depends on it.
Step 7: Learn to milk every crisis. Whether it’s a missile launch, border skirmish, balloon incident, or haircut rumor—this is your moment. Get on TV. Write that op-ed. Say “the world is watching” and “this could be a turning point.” If it’s a really big event, usually once every five years or so, declare that “war is imminent!”
Always sound concerned. Never admit that you’ve seen this exact pattern at least 12 times before. Later, on social media, share the bonhomie with other North Korea watchers about “never being off-duty” and how “North Korea loves ruining American holidays.”
Step 8: Enter the ecosystem of experts, grifters, and think tank philosophers. Now it’s time to elbow your way into the North Korea watching ecosystem.
Attend conferences. Nod thoughtfully. Ask loaded questions. It’s better if those questions contain a long introductory statement expounding your knowledge or recent publications.
Take selfies with the conference organizers and VIP visiting speakers. Write long social media threads about the incredibly insightful revelations you received at the conference. If any one of those conference organizers or VIP visiting speakers passes to the great thinktank in the sky, be sure to again post your selfie with them on social media and note how much you learnt from them.
Step 9: Get a regular gig with an unintentionally hilarious local paper. Op-eds are fine for beginners trying to break into the commentary scene—quick takes, fleeting relevance, and a brief moment in the social media sun. But if you really want influence, credibility, and the illusion of insight regardless of accuracy, you need a column. Columns imply permanence, a platform, and the comforting authority of being wrong repeatedly without consequence. While op-eds beg for attention, a column assumes you already deserve it.
If you're looking to score a column with minimal effort and maximum reach, look no further than an unintentionally hilarious local English-language publication in Korea. These outlets may have accidentally published well-crafted expat jokes as op-eds and re-used newsd from highly questionable sources, but they also regularly demonstrate that there is ample space for self-appointed experts and cultural commentators.
The editorial bar is low, the audience is captive, and a glorious mix of outdated clichés, name-dropping, and lazily disguised plagiarism will not be noticed. Just be sure to know what the political position of your chosen paper is! Go out and read them now. There’s no better time to learn who you’re writing for than during a presidential election period.
Step 10: Spread rumors about your past achievements. The real currency of North Korea watching is reputation and promotion—so it’s essential to spread vague, unverifiable rumors about your past achievements. Maybe you “briefed a senior official,” “advised a delegation,” or “called the 2017 crisis before it escalated”—no need to clarify which official, which delegation, or exactly what you said. These whispered accomplishments create an aura of insider credibility that papers over years of speculative fluff and wildly incorrect forecasts. After all, in a field built on opacity, who’s going to fact-check your legend?
Welcome to the club. You’re well on the way to being a North Korea expert!
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8. Korean Marines to hold 1st joint drill with Japanese military in Philippines exercise: Reports
This is probably significant if it happens.
Tuesday
May 13, 2025
dictionary + A - A
Korean Marines to hold 1st joint drill with Japanese military in Philippines exercise: Reports
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-05-13/national/defense/Korean-Marines-to-hold-1st-joint-drill-with-Japanese-military-in-Philippines-exercise-Reports/2306504
Published: 13 May. 2025, 21:43
Korean soldiers participate in an annual multilateral exercise in the Philippines in 2024. [MARINE CORPS]
The Korean Marine Corps will hold its first-ever joint drill with the Japanese army in the Philippines next month, Japanese media reports said Tuesday.
The joint exercise will take place during Kamandag, an international military exercise in the Philippines, slated for June, according to Kyodo News Agency and NHK.
Related Article
It will mark the first time the Marine Corps and Japan's Self-Defense Ground Forces (JSDFG) hold a combined drill, though they have been participating in the annual exercise.
According to the reports, the drill will simulate a scenario in which Korean Marines and the JSDFG board boats operated by the Filipino military for search-and-rescue operations in the aftermath of tsunamis.
The Japanese self-defense forces reportedly said the upcoming drill comes as a follow-up measure to a trilateral agreement between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington on security cooperation that was signed last year.
In July, the defense chiefs of the three countries signed a document on the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework, institutionalizing joint efforts in security cooperation, including policy principles for areas of high-level policy consultations, information sharing and trilateral drills.
9. Korean Marine Corps denies reports on plan to hold joint drill with Japanese army in June
Political blowback already? Damage control and walking this back.
Wednesday
May 14, 2025
dictionary + A - A
Korean Marine Corps denies reports on plan to hold joint drill with Japanese army in June
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-05-14/national/defense/Korean-Marine-Corps-denies-reports-on-plan-to-hold-joint-drill-with-Japanese-army-in-June/2306762
Published: 14 May. 2025, 09:13
Korean soldiers participate in an annual multilateral exercise in the Philippines in 2024. [MARINE CORPS]
The Korean Marine Corps on Tuesday denied Japanese media reports that claimed the two countries will hold a joint military drill in the Philippines next month.
Earlier in the day, Kyodo News Agency and NHK reported the Korean Marine Corps will hold its first-ever joint exercise with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Jgsdf) during Kamandag, an annual international military exercise in the Philippines, slated for next month.
Related Article
The Marine Corps, however, rejected the reports, saying it has no such plan.
"We will conduct combined drills with the United States and the Philippines, but have no plan to do so with the Jgsdf," an official from the Marine Corps told Yonhap News Agency over the phone.
"Just like last year, the Korean Marine Corps and Jgsdf will hold separate exercises."
Tuesday's reports said the two sides will hold a combined drill simulating a scenario where they board boats operated by the Filipino military for search and rescue operation in case of tsunamis.
The Japanese self-defense forces said the upcoming drill comes as a follow-up measure to a trilateral agreement between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington on security cooperation signed last year, according to the reports.
In July, the defense chiefs of the three countries signed a document on the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework, institutionalizing joint efforts for security cooperation, including policy principles for the areas of high-level policy consultations, information sharing and trilateral drills.
Yonhap
10. No. of N. Korea's ICBMs may rise to 50 by 2035: U.S. intel report
This also supports Kim's political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies. He wants to drive the US to talks, to make concessions, and to appease the regime by making us afraid of the threats to the US homeland.
No. of N. Korea's ICBMs may rise to 50 by 2035: U.S. intel report | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · May 14, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, May 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is projected to have 50 ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, by 2035, an intelligence agency of the U.S. Defense Department said in a report Tuesday.
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released the report on the current and future threats to the U.S. homeland, pointing out evolving missile threats from the North, China, Russia and Iran.
"North Korea has successfully tested ballistic missiles with sufficient range to reach the entire Homeland," the report said.
According to the report, the North is expected to have 50 ICBMs by 2035, a jump from the current 10 or fewer ICBMs, while China is projected to have 700 ICBMs by that year, compared with the current 400 ICBMs.
The number of Russia's ICBMs is forecast to rise to 400 from the current 350 by 2035, while the figure for Iran is expected to jump to 60 from zero.
The agency defined the ICBM in point as a ground-based missile with a range exceeding 5,500 kilometers that flies on a ballistic trajectory and is typically armed with a nuclear warhead or warheads.
North Korea's Missile Administration successfully conducts a test-fire of the Hwasongpho-11-Da-4.5, a new tactical ballistic missile, equipped with a 4.5-ton warhead on Sept. 18, 2024, in this file photo provided by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · May 14, 2025
11. Police deploy anti-sniper observation equipment to strengthen presidential candidates' security
Police deploy anti-sniper observation equipment to strengthen presidential candidates' security | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 14, 2025
By Chae Yun-hwan
SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- Police have deployed observation equipment to detect snipers as part of efforts to strengthen security for candidates of the June 3 presidential election, officials said Wednesday.
The announcement comes as the Democratic Party has requested enhanced protection for its candidate Lee Jae-myung, following reports of terror threats against him, including claims of a sniper rifle being smuggled in.
Police have deployed such observation equipment as well as special forces to campaign rally events with bomb-sniffing dogs.
They have also deployed bomb disposal units and personnel who operate drone jamming guns to prepare for possible terror attacks. Police seek to assign more security personnel, which have already been reinforced compared to the 2022 presidential election.
"We are preparing for the possibility of terror that continues to be raised against presidential candidates," the National Police Agency said, noting that it is making all-out efforts ensure safety.
Security personnel for Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung monitor a campaign rally in Gumi, 200 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 13, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 14, 2025
12. Nat'l Assembly seeks special counsel probe into Supreme Court over DP candidate's retrial
Attacking the courts is not a good look for democracy and a republic.
(LEAD) Nat'l Assembly seeks special counsel probe into Supreme Court over DP candidate's retrial | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · May 14, 2025
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES story with proposed special counsel bill)
SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Wednesday proposed a special counsel investigation into allegations that the Supreme Court interfered in the upcoming presidential election by abusing its judicial authority in the retrial of Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung.
The Assembly's legislation and judiciary committee put forth the bill calling for an independent prosecution investigation into Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and other high-ranking court officials over alleged abuse of power and election meddling.
The bill was introduced after Cho and other court officials refused to attend a parliamentary hearing Wednesday concerning the retrial of Lee.
The Supreme Court has sent Lee's retrial case back to a lower court for review, a move that could potentially overturn Lee's previous not-guilty verdict on election law violations stemming from his time as a provincial governor.
The bill was proposed during a plenary meeting, with the backing of the DP, which holds a parliamentary majority, along with the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party. The conservative People Power Party (PPP) opposed the bill.
In a written explanation to the committee, Cho said his attendance could infringe upon the judicial independence and that it would be inappropriate for him and other court officials to participate in the hearing related to an ongoing case.
Rep. Jung Chung-rai of the Democratic Party, the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, shows Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's written explanation for his decision not to attend a parliamentary hearing in Seoul on May 14, 2025. (Yonhap)
Cho argued that the hearing runs counter to constitutional provisions that guarantee the independence of the judiciary, as well as laws that ensure the confidentiality of judicial deliberations and limit parliamentary investigations into court proceedings.
"I cannot attend the hearing because I must abide by the Constitution and the law," Cho wrote.
Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jung Chung-rai of the DP vowed to pass the bill during his term as the committee chair.
"I believe there is strong public demand for the special counsel bill," Jung said.
The PPP blasted the proposed bill as an attempt to impeach the top court's chief justice and "an international shame" that the DP has introduced the legislation only because Lee's verdict could be reversed.
Parliament seeks to delve into the top court's recent ruling that ordered Lee's case to be retried, overturning a lower court's not-guilty verdict for Lee over alleged election law violations.
The DP has accused the Supreme Court of rushing the proceedings to hand down a swift verdict on Lee, which it claims could influence the June 3 election.
As a guilty verdict could bar the presidential front-runner from running in the race, the Seoul High Court postponed the first hearing of the retrial case until after the vote.
The PPP slammed the hearing as the DP's attempt to pressure the top court in favor of its presidential candidate, with its floor leader Kweon Seong-dong calling the unprecedented move a "legislative coup."
ejkim@yna.co.kr
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · May 14, 2025
13. DP candidate calls on PPP to expel ex-President Yoon from party
This is also not a good look for Lee.
DP candidate calls on PPP to expel ex-President Yoon from party | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 14, 2025
By Chae Yun-hwan
SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung called on the People Power Party (PPP) on Wednesday to immediately expel former President Yoon Suk Yeol from the party, criticizing him as a "military coup leader."
Lee's call came a day after the PPP's candidate Kim Moon-soo said he was not considering expelling Yoon who was ousted over his short-lived martial law imposition in December and now faces criminal charges of leading an insurrection.
"The People Power Party must immediately expel military coup leader Yoon Suk Yeol now," Lee said during a campaign rally in Busan, about 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul. "If the People Power Party respects the basic liberal democratic order from the Constitution, it must apologize a hundredfold over the military coup.
"Is the People Power Party a conservative party as it is called? Is it a democratic party?" Lee questioned. "That party has to now choose between the two choices of changing or being kicked out."
Meanwhile, Lee told reporters that he expected the election to be determined by a slim margin despite rosy forecasts for the DP candidate who has been leading in the polls by a wide margin.
"Our goal is a 'certain victory' not an 'overwhelming victory,'" he said.
Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung (R) greets his supporters during a campaign rally in Busan, about 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 14, 2025. (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 14, 2025
14. PPP appears to distance itself from ex-President Yoon
PPP appears to distance itself from ex-President Yoon | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · May 14, 2025
SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- The People Power Party (PPP) showed signs of distancing itself from ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday, as the conservative party struggles to catch up with Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung with less than three weeks to go before the presidential election.
The June 3 presidential vote is being held to pick a successor to Yoon, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid, and the PPP has remained divided about Yoon's ouster.
Asked about Yoon's possible expulsion from the party, PPP presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo told reporters: "I believe former President Yoon will make his own decision. It is right to respect his judgment."
The remarks by Kim contrasted with his comment Tuesday, when he said he was not considering expelling Yoon from the PPP.
People Power Party president candidate Kim Moon-soo rallies support during a campaign stop in the southeastern city of Jinju on May 14, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
Some PPP lawmakers also said a voluntary exit by Yoon from the party would help Kim woo centrist voters.
"I hope Yoon remains silent at least while undergoing trials, and that he voluntarily leaves the party," Yang Hyang-ja, a co-chair of the PPP's election committee, told KBS radio, saying "compulsory measures" could follow if he does not.
Han Dong-hoon, former PPP leader who trailed Kim in the primary, reiterated his calls for the party to expel Yoon to overcome his martial law debacle.
In response, Kim Yong-tae, the party's interim leader nominee, said he will clarify the PPP's stance on its relationship with Yoon once officially appointed Thursday.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · May 14, 2025
15. N. Korean youth face ideological training at border greenhouse construction
The more intense and extensive the ideological training the more like;y Kim recognizes an internal threat.
N. Korean youth face ideological training at border greenhouse construction - Daily NK English
The lectures emphasized that "the path of self-reliance and prosperity through one's own technology is the true path to revival"
By Jeong Seo-yeong - May 14, 2025
dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · May 14, 2025
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Feb. 11 that "the largest modern greenhouse farm and vegetable science research base will be established in Hadanri area of Sinuiju and Seohori area of Uiju county as creative structures symbolizing the advancement of local development." (Photo: Rodong Sinmun/News1)
North Korea has launched ideological lectures for youth workers mobilized to construct large-scale greenhouse farms near Sinuiju and Uiju in North Pyongan province. The measure appears aimed at preventing young people working near the Chinese border from developing admiration for capitalism or attempting defection.
A source in the province told Daily NK recently that “lectures were held in late April based on material sent by the Central Committee’s Propaganda and Agitation Department to the political units of shock brigades participating in the large-scale greenhouse farm construction.” The lecture was titled “Let’s Preserve Our Pride as the Strong and Open the Path to National Revival with Our Own Strength.”
The lecture materials included messages such as “Youth must never trust in others’ power” and “Don’t be deceived by the bright lights of China across the Yalu River or capitalist scenery.” The source said these instructions were “intended to raise ideological awareness among youth brigade members working at greenhouse construction sites on the border facing China.”
The construction site directly faces China across the Yalu River, suggesting North Korean authorities are highly concerned about ideological laxity among mobilized youth.
The lectures also emphasized that “the path of self-reliance and prosperity through one’s own technology is the true path to revival” and “rather than envying others, we must create our own things with our own strength.”
“The purpose of these lectures, as Kim Jong Un himself emphasized, is to provide an opportunity for youth who will shoulder the future of our revolution to arm themselves with the party’s revolutionary ideology,” the source said. “The lectures consistently emphasized that youth should not be deceived by capitalist illusions, but believe in their own strength 24 hours a day, create something from nothing, love themselves and their collective, love the state, and consider national revival honorable.”
Political officers leading the lectures stressed that “this greenhouse farm construction project is not simply for North Pyongan province’s economic development, but an important national project to cultivate mobilized youth brigade members as future cadre reserves and main forces.” They emphasized that “ideological fortification of brigade members is more important than construction results.”
The lectures harshly condemned youth brigade members for expressing fascination with China. Political officers disciplined several young workers for commenting admiringly about China’s nighttime illumination, noting that some had remarked on the impressive Chinese skyline, mentioned how observing China’s lights during night shifts lifted their spirits and reduced fatigue, or expressed envy about China’s apparent abundance of electricity that keeps the neighboring country brilliantly lit after dark.
The officers emphasized the phrase “pride of the strong” and strongly condemned such comments as “completely incompatible with the pride of the strong.”
The lectures lasted about 45 minutes, followed by discussion sessions where groups of 10 confessed their mistakes and renewed their commitment.
“The government is concerned that brigade members mobilized from across the country might develop illusions about China’s bright lights or become ideologically corrupted and attempt to defect,” the source said. “These lectures were organized as a shield to prevent such problems in advance.”
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · May 14, 2025
16. N. Korean officials face rare worker criticism at reclamation site
Speaking truth to ppwer? Are the people emboldened? Is there resistance potential?
I am reminded by my friends from north Korea that the single most important obstacle for the people in north Korea is that they do not know what to do. They do not know how to take collective action and create the conditions for change.
N. Korean officials face rare worker criticism at reclamation site - Daily NK English
Workers confronted party officials in an unprecedented criticism session, challenging a system where labor goes unrecognized while superiors claim the credit
By Jeong Seo-yeong - May 14, 2025
dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · May 14, 2025
North Korea's Kangryong county in South Hwanghae province as seen from Yeonpyeong Island. (Courtesy of Professor Kang Dong-wan of Dong-A University)
Workers at a land reclamation site in North Korea’s Yeonbaek district of South Hwanghae province held an unusual meeting where they openly criticized officials.
“In late April, officials from the provincial party committee’s organization department came to the Yeonbaek reclamation site, suddenly halted all work and gathered workers for a meeting,” a South Hwanghae Province source told Daily NK recently. “Rather than evaluating work performance, the meeting allowed workers to express frustrations about working themselves to death while officials took credit for their achievements.”
According to the source, a work team leader in his forties identified as Kim boldly confronted officials during the meeting, criticizing them for never visiting work sites while laborers struggled with difficult manual tasks. His comments prompted several other workers to join the criticism, questioning why officials received recognition for accomplishments they had no part in achieving.
The meeting hall, previously quiet, grew restless as this unprecedented atmosphere of freely criticizing higher party and administrative officials emerged. Local officials, visibly flustered, repeatedly glanced at provincial party organization officials for cues on how to respond.
The provincial party organization official who led the meeting later referenced the party’s political work direction to “educate workers by correctly combining political and moral stimulation with material incentives.” This emphasized that workers should feel pride in working for the country while also receiving greater benefits for performing well to boost production motivation.
The provincial party organization official emphasized the purpose of their visit was to address labor recognition issues. He referenced socialist distribution principles to reinforce that compensation should be tied directly to effort, differentiating between genuine workers and non-contributors.
As a solution, he mandated the implementation of detailed individual performance tracking systems and a comprehensive evaluation method that would monitor not only work output but also political participation and night shift attendance.
While some workers viewed the meeting positively, seeing it as the party siding with workers over officials in ensuring fair credit for individual effort and performance, others expressed discomfort.
“Some workers said they still feel uneasy around site officials who control their livelihoods,” the source said. “They questioned whether it’s possible to change the mindset of site officials, noting that evaluation problems are common and they can’t appeal to the party every time issues arise.”
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · May 14, 2025
17. Navy eyes using commercial drones for military operations
Probably a smart move.
Navy eyes using commercial drones for military operations | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · May 14, 2025
SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- The Navy has launched a test to assess the feasibility of using commercial drones and unmanned ships for military operations for the first time, officials said Wednesday, amid growing demand for the cost effective weapons in modern warfare.
The test kicked off at a research center in Ulsan, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Monday for a five-day run to verify the potential of deploying commercial unmanned systems in a contingency, according to the Navy.
The Navy mobilized three unmanned surface ships, 10 drones and a civilian boat for the test aimed at verifying ways to use commercial assets for reconnaissance activities, attack operations on enemy assets and logistics support.
Among the mobilized drones were a fixed-wing drone used for deep-sea fishing to track tuna schools, a multirotor drone usually used for logistics transportation and a cardboard drone that can be used as a loitering munition, the Navy said.
The armed service said it plans to continue to explore ways to incorporate commercial unmanned assets for peacetime and wartime military operations.
The Navy conducts a test in waters off Ulsan, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to verify the feasibility of using commercial drones for military operations, in this photo provided on May 14, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · May 14, 2025
18. Korea spared export hit after U.S.-China trade truce
Graphic at the link.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-05-13/business/economy/Korea-spared-export-hit-after-USChina-trade-truce/2306334
Tuesday
May 13, 2025
dictionary + A - A
Korea spared export hit after U.S.-China trade truce
Published: 13 May. 2025, 19:30
- SARAH CHEA
- chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr
Korea JoongAng Daily
Korea spared export hit after U.S.-China trade truce
4 min
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping [AP/YONHAP]
Washington and Beijing’s tentative truce in the full-blown tariff war offered breathing room for Korean companies, as big players like Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics use China as an intermediate manufacturing base for assembling parts.
A drop in Chinese finished goods exports to the United States could deal a heavy blow to Korean producers of intermediate goods, which made up almost 90 percent of total exports to China, Korea's current top export destination.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Monday said the United States agreed to drop the 145 percent tariffs against China to 30 percent, while China compromised with a reduction in its tariff rate on U.S. goods to 10 percent from 125 percent. Twenty-four percent of the tariffs of each country will be paused for 90 days for further negotiations.
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미중 관세
Intermediate goods, which refer to components, materials and parts used in the production of finished products, accounted for 85.8 percent of total exports to China as of last year, according to the Korea International Trade Association. Of that, more than 90 percent consisted of semiconductors and display-related components.
“The reconciliation between the two countries can be an encouraging sign for us at the moment, considering Korea’s trade structure with China, where its large surplus comes from the export of intermediate goods to China, which are then used to manufacture finished products,” said economics professor Woo Seok-jin of Myongji University.
“If the 145 percent tariff had remained in place, China’s exports to the U.S. would likely have plummeted sharply, and that impact would have directly affected Korea’s economy.”
Korea's big companies even manufacture some finished electronics in China to export them to the U.S. market, though much of that manufacturing capacity has already shifted to Vietnam. Samsung Electronics produces various electronics like washing machines, air conditioners and refrigerators in China, and approximately 22 percent of the company’s total smartphone shipments last year were produced by outsourced manufacturers based in China.
LG Electronics also manufactures air conditioners, microwave ovens and washing machines in its Chinese plants.
"Discussions appear to be unfolding with more room for compromise and negotiation than initially expected, which offers a somewhat optimistic outlook, as such developments can serve as a barometer for industries," said a source in the electronics industry. "But big companies like Samsung, LG and Hyundai have already taken measures in anticipation of such scenarios and moved their capacities to Southeast Asian countries."
The monthslong trade dispute between the United States and China has already disrupted Korea’s export landscape, with shipments posting a sharp decline. The two countries are Korea's biggest export destinations, amounting to 38 percent of total outbound shipments.
Korea’s exports to the United States plunged 30.4 percent during the first 10 days of May compared to the same period of last year, while exports to China slid 20.1 percent, according to data from the Korea Customs Service.
Shipments of automobiles, which were hit with tariffs of 25 percent by U.S. President Donald Trump since March, dipped 23.2 percent, or $1.12 billion, while oil products fell by 36.2 percent. Semiconductors were the only category to see growth — at 14 percent — among the nation’s top 10 export items, perhaps due to yet-to-be-announced sectoral tariffs on chips.
But experts still warn that Seoul should remain vigilant with the two countries’ apparent thaw in ties, as Trump could attempt to offset concessions for Beijing by demanding further trade gains from Korea.
“It couldn’t be an easy decision for Trump to impose higher tariffs on Korea, an ally, than on China,” Professor Woo said.
“But Trump will for sure try to compensate for backing down in the trade war with China by extracting more favorable terms from other countries like Korea and Japan, and in that context, Korea remains one of the most vulnerable countries, especially given ongoing issues surrounding the U.S. military support and defense cost-sharing negotiations.”
BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
19. 3-way presidential race heats up with economic pitches to moderates
3-way presidential race heats up with economic pitches to moderates
koreaherald.com · by Jung Min-kyung · May 14, 2025
From left: People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and New Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok campaign in South Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday. Yonhap
Kim Moon-soo ‘yet to hear’ about Yoon leaving ruling party
South Korea’s three leading presidential candidates on Wednesday vowed to bring economic prosperity to the conservative South Gyeongsang region, in a bid to appeal to conservative and moderate voters.
Rallies held in the country’s southeastern region by Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party came as major cities in the area, including Busan, struggle with industrial decline and an exodus of young people.
Lee, who visited Busan in the morning, pledged to relocate the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the headquarters of HMM — formerly Hyundai Merchant Marine — to Busan. The ministry is currently located within the Government Complex Sejong while the headquarters of the country’s container shipping company is located in Seoul’s financial district of Yeouido.
He will pursue the relocation to elevate Busan into a global shipping hub aligned with the scientific projections of new shipping routes to open in the North Pole by 2030, due to global warming, he explained.
“In 2030, the Northern Sea Route will become more accessible and navigable; we must prepare before the opening of new routes,” he said. “The shipping companies must first enter Busan. Then the government must provide direct support to foster both upstream and downstream operations.”
He said that the relocation of HMM won’t be an “easy job,” but stressed that it “won’t be impossible” with the government holding a significant stake in the firm. The government currently owns some 67 percent of the container shipping company through the Korea Development Bank and the Korea Ocean Business Corp.
Lee claimed that the "employees of HMM" agreed to his relocation plan, but this was later denied by one of the two labor unions at the container shipping firm.
"It is more efficient for us to (stay in Seoul) to meet our overseas clients entering through Incheon Airport," said a spokesperson for HMM's labor union of longshoremen. "Relocating to Busan would lead to an outflow of the core workforce."
HMM's labor union of sailors, on the other hand, recently agreed to cooperate with a sub-committee under the Democratic Party's central election committee formed to pursue projects tied to the Northern Sea Route.
Lee also criticized former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed pledge to relocate the state-run Korea Development Bank to Busan, while adding that his pledges are more “feasible.”
People Power Party presidential candidate Kim, who toured the Korea Aerospace Administration, a government-funded space and aeronautics agency, in Sacheon, located 331 kilometers from Seoul, vowed to transform the city into a global aerospace hub.
Though the Yoon administration announced and pursued an initiative labeled a “space economic roadmap” in 2022, with the goal of transforming Sacheon as a space and aeronautics hub, critics say that progress has been lackluster.
“I plan to foster the Korea Aerospace Industries and KASA in Sacheon into world-class institutions,” Kim said. “I plan to provide state support to Gyeongsang National University in Jinju to help it stand at the forefront of the research and development of the aerospace industry.”
Meanwhile, Kim said to reporters that he has "yet to hear" anything about the rumor that Yoon plans to leave the People Power Party.
Lee Jun-seok sat down for lunch with students at Pusan National University in Busan and shared his thoughts on “the reality of the university’s students leaving the city for Seoul to find jobs.”
Lee vowed to cater to young Koreans in their 20s and 30s through his policies if elected, saying that he plans to build more data centers and make Busan into a technology and game industry hub.
According to the latest poll released by Gallup Korea, Lee Jae-myung led the polls with 51 percent support, followed by his main rival, Kim Moon-soo, who saw 31 percent. Lee Jun-seok came at 8 percent. The poll by Gallup Korea surveyed 1,002 eligible voters aged 18 and older from May 12-13.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
koreaherald.com · by Jung Min-kyung · May 14, 2025
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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