|
Quotes of the Day:
“We know they are lying.
They know they are lying.
They know that we know that they are lying.
We know that they know that we know that they know they are lying.
And still … They continue to lie.”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
“Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.”
- Lord Byron
“Don’t just teach children to read. Teach them to question what they read. The value of an education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think.”
- George Carlin
1. The Rising Tide of Japan-South Korea Relations
2. Sohae Satellite Launching Station: Launch Pad Construction Resumes
3. Kishida wants to open 'new era of friendship' with Korea
4. S. Korea's envoy calls N. Korea's move to win int'l recognition with nuclear threats 'empty dream'
5. N. Korea slams U.S. for being behind Japan's military 'collusion' with NATO
6. Setting the foundation for future diplomacy (ROK)
7. North Korean Human Rights: Is There Still a Way Forward?
8. [ANALYSIS] What North Korea's recent silence means for South Korea, US
9. Ukrainian first lady’s visit could pressure Seoul to ship arms to Kyiv
10. N. Korea mobilizes orphaned teenagers to work on Pyongyang housing project
11. N. Korean mother and son arrested after nationwide notice put out for their capture
12. Forced labor victim's family accepts govt compensation, withdraws legal action against Japanese firm
13. Will foreign policy buoy Yoon’s ratings?
14. Peru is Korea's gateway to Latin America, says vice FM
15. American couple who took in Korean travelers during snowstorm visit Korea
1. The Rising Tide of Japan-South Korea Relations
Conclusion:
The detritus of history will never completely disappear in the relationship between Tokyo and Seoul. Kishida’s remarks at the press conference fell short of a fresh apology, and many in South Korea will no doubt find them unsatisfactory. Issues related to territorial disputes, textbooks, and other irritants will no doubt periodically reappear above the surface. But the rising tide of common strategic interests, reinforced by leadership in both capitals and support from Washington, may finally subsume the tragedies of the past.
The Rising Tide of Japan-South Korea Relations
By Christopher Johnstone, Victor Cha Friday, May 12, 2023, 8:16 AM
Christopher Johnstone is Senior Adviser and holds the Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Victor Cha is vice dean and D.S. Song professor of government at Georgetown University, and senior fellow in human freedom at the George W. Bush Institute. He is an MSNBC news contributor and author of Beyond the Final Score: The Politics of Sport (2008).
lawfareblog.com · May 12, 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s visit to Seoul this week affirms the new reality in ties between Japan and South Korea: that a rising tide of common strategic interests is submerging the issues of history that have long divided them. This is a welcome change that is clearly in U.S. interests, and one that could prove to be enduring in the current strategic environment—if it doesn’t fall prey to parochial domestic exigencies. The United States should have a light touch in mediating this delicate historical rapprochement between its two key allies in Asia, while focusing on practical ways the three can cooperate going forward.
Kishida’s trip, the first bilateral visit by a Japanese prime minister in 12 years, was light on deliverables but long on sentiment and signaling. Kishida brought with him expected notice that Japan has begun the formal process of restoring South Korea to Japan’s “Group A” export control list, from which it was removed in 2019 during a tit-for-tat series of actions taken as relations deteriorated—but little else in terms of concrete actions. But more than he did during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Tokyo, Kishida clearly signaled that he shares Yoon’s commitment to building a bilateral partnership—a welcome shift from the cautious embrace that characterized Tokyo’s early response to Yoon’s overtures.
The trip had an auspicious start, as Yoon rolled out the red carpet for Kishida in Seoul on his arrival. In a gesture of hospitality, the South Korean president hosted an intimate dinner with spouses at their residence. Yoon spoke of his forward-looking vision for relations with Japan and showed appreciation for the visiting prime minister’s paying respects at the National Cemetery in Seoul to fallen independence activists. Kishida for the first time also agreed to receive a Korean delegation for consultations on the release of treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, a longstanding irritant between the two countries.
In the press conference that followed their two-hour meeting, the two leaders expressed mutual commitments to see the rapprochement through to the end. Yoon spoke of his personal responsibility in improving bilateral ties, and Kishida reiterated his respect for Yoon’s “decisiveness and initiative” to improve the relationship, and said that he had decided to accelerate the timing for his visit, which was originally planned for later in the summer. Kishida added a personal touch in addressing the fraught issues related to the colonial period, expressing profound “heartache” for “the many people who experienced suffering and sadness in severe circumstances.” At the end of his remarks in the press conference, Kishida said that at the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, he and Yoon would together visit a memorial to Koreans killed in the atomic bombing—a significant gesture, given that the more than 20,000 Korean victims were largely forced laborers brought to Japan during the colonial period.
More significant was the long list of areas the leaders identified where their two governments continue to deepen cooperation. Yoon and Kishida pointed to the launch of a bilateral dialogue on economic security, including cooperation on supply chains; the resumption of finance minister meetings and bilateral security talks, each for the first time in five years; and significant engagement with the United States, including plans for another meeting with President Joe Biden on the margins of the G7. It is this extensive common agenda—grounded in mutual interests, concerns about China’s role in the international order, and a deteriorating global security environment—that could help to ensure that the shift in bilateral ties is durable.
But the waters ahead may not remain calm. Some on the progressive left in Korea and parts of the political right in Japan have been critical of this rapprochement. The former accuses Yoon of “humiliating” diplomacy before its past colonial aggressor, while the latter criticizes Kishida for setting his country up for another disappointment when future elections in Korea may return an anti-Japan politician to the presidency. These dynamics leave both politicians with little room to maneuver, and each has consumed large amounts of political capital for the sake of diplomacy. While some domestic critics denigrate Yoon and Kishida for lacking acute political antennae, the authors of this piece believe they are demonstrating the leadership and foresight necessary in these challenging times—and that they are seizing the opportunity presented by the growing strategic alignment between the two countries.
The White House has supported this rapprochement indirectly, through a regular drumbeat of trilateral meetings over the last year. It should continue to do so, while refraining from direct involvement in historical issues; one key to the durability of this reconciliation will be the sense on both sides that progress has been driven by the parties themselves, and that ultimate accountability rests in Tokyo and Seoul. On this score, the political timing of the breakthrough in Japan-South Korea ties should help to reinforce its longevity. Yoon has nearly four years left in his term. Kishida is likely to call an election later this year, but his approval ratings have recovered significantly since last year when his cabinet was dogged by scandal and his standing as the leader of his party, the Liberal Democratic Party, appears secure. The relatively long runway ahead for both leaders creates the opportunity to cement the new dynamic in bilateral ties.
Washington can best help by lashing up with its allies wherever possible, and by institutionalizing the areas of cooperation that are deepening. The three governments should regularize the trilateral dialogue on economic security that began in February, among senior officials in respective national security councils. They should convene a ministerial economic “2+2+2” meeting, to further drive the common agenda in these areas. They should take steps to formalize deeper defense ties, including by establishing liaison officers at Combined Forces Command and at U.S. Forces-Japan at Yokota Air Base, and by exchanging observers at respective bilateral exercises; the three governments should establish a trilateral military planning cell to facilitate coordination during a crisis on the Korean Peninsula. And they should launch periodic trilateral discussions on extended deterrence, to complement the new bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group announced during Yoon’s visit to Washington.
The detritus of history will never completely disappear in the relationship between Tokyo and Seoul. Kishida’s remarks at the press conference fell short of a fresh apology, and many in South Korea will no doubt find them unsatisfactory. Issues related to territorial disputes, textbooks, and other irritants will no doubt periodically reappear above the surface. But the rising tide of common strategic interests, reinforced by leadership in both capitals and support from Washington, may finally subsume the tragedies of the past.
lawfareblog.com · May 12, 2023
2. Sohae Satellite Launching Station: Launch Pad Construction Resumes
Imagery at the linik: https://www.38north.org/2023/05/sohae-satellite-launching-station-launch-pad-construction-resumes/
Will we see a satellite launch to test a missile capability or something else?
Sohae Satellite Launching Station: Launch Pad Construction Resumes
Recent commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launching Station indicates that after nearly a half-year hiatus, activity at the launch pad area has resumed. Within the past two weeks, materials on the launch pad have been removed and a new, taller tower crane has been assembled next to the gantry tower. These efforts are likely tied to Kim Jong Un’s modernization goals to boost space launch capabilities as set forth in March 2022, and in support of a new generation of larger satellite launch vehicles (SLVs).
Launch Pad
Work on the launch pad restarted within the past two weeks and is proceeding rapidly. Materials on the launch pad, including fuel/oxidizer tanks from the bunkers that were razed, panels from the rail mounted transfer structure, a new launch stand ring and sections of a new tower crane have largely been undisturbed on the apron since last fall. Previous
Expand
Figure 1b. Minimal launch pad activity indicated between January 18 and April 30, 2023. Image © 2023 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.
Figure 1a. Minimal launch pad activity indicated between January 18 and April 30, 2023. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2023. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.
Figure 1b. Minimal launch pad activity indicated between January 18 and April 30, 2023. Image © 2023 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.
Figure 1a. Minimal launch pad activity indicated between January 18 and April 30, 2023. Image Pleiades NEO © Airbus DS 2023. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.
Figure 1b. Minimal launch pad activity indicated between January 18 and April 30, 2023. Image © 2023 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com. Next
Imagery from May 12 indicates most of the materials on the launch apron have recently been used or removed. A new tower crane, much taller than the gantry tower, has been erected next to the existing tower and is about 90 m high. This implies the gantry tower height, which remains at 65 m tall, can be easily increased another 20 m. The legacy gantry crane is still on the launch pad and was probably used to erect the tower crane over the past few weeks, though its future role is unclear.
Reassembly work occurs at the rail-mounted transfer structure, which remains at about 32 m tall. Its height means it can transfer a vertically stacked Unha-3 SLV (or a different SLV similar in height) to the gantry tower for launch. It is unclear why it was torn apart if it is being rebuilt at the same height as before. One possibility includes efforts to strengthen its structure and equipment to handle heavier and bulkier launch vehicle stages. Previous
Expand
Figure 2b. Overview of launch pad activity on imagery from May 12, 2023.Image © 2023 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.
Figure 2a. Overview of launch pad activity on imagery from May 12, 2023.Image © 2023 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.
Figure 2b. Overview of launch pad activity on imagery from May 12, 2023.Image © 2023 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.
Figure 2a. Overview of launch pad activity on imagery from May 12, 2023.Image © 2023 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com.
Figure 2b. Overview of launch pad activity on imagery from May 12, 2023.Image © 2023 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com. Next
This spurt of activity since April 30, after months of not much happening, is remarkable. However, there remains much to be done both to the launch pad itself and to rebuild the fuel/oxidizer bunkers before a satellite launch can be undertaken from this location.
3. Kishida wants to open 'new era of friendship' with Korea
What will China and north Korea do to try to harm this new friendship?
Monday
May 15, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Kishida wants to open 'new era of friendship' with Korea
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/15/national/diplomacy/Korea-Japan-prime-minister/20230515174938100.html
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, shakes hands with JoongAng Holdings Chairman Hong Seok-hyun at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on Thursday. [JUN MIN-KYU]
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he wants to "open a new era of friendship and trust" with Korea in an exclusive interview with the JoongAng Ilbo ahead of the Group of 7 (G7) summit in Hiroshima, which Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to attend.
Kishida made the remarks during a special interview on the future of Korea-Japan relations with Hong Seok-hyun, chairman of JoongAng Holdings, marking the first time the Japanese prime minister granted an interview with a Korea media outlet since he took office in 2021.
While Kishida declined to specify if the two countries' leaders plan to announce a joint declaration outlining the future of their bilateral relationship, he said Seoul and Tokyo "will pursue detailed cooperation through close solidarity and communicate this in due time."
If Yoon and Kishida promulgate a joint declaration charting the future course of their countries’ relationship, it will come 25 years after the Korea-Japan Joint Declaration of 1998, which was made by President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, Hong noted.
During the interview, Kishida also emphasized the sincerity of his comments regarding Korean suffering under Japan's 1910-45 colonial occupation of the peninsula, which he made during his visit to Seoul earlier this month.
In his remarks at the time, Kishida said he was "heartbroken that many [Korean] people underwent very difficult and sad experiences in the harsh conditions of the time."
His comments had a mixed reception in Korea, with some characterizing it as merely a personal expression of sadness and not an explicit apology on behalf of the Japanese government.
When Hong pressed Kishida about why his comments didn't include the "sad remorse and sincere apology" offered by Tokyo in the 1998 declaration, Kishida said the remarks represented a "frank expression of my thoughts in my own words," adding that they were not coordinated with the Korean government in advance.
Kishida also praised South Korea's plan to compensate Korean forced labor victims with money from Korean companies that benefitted from the lump-sum development aid paid out by Japan under the 1965 treaty that established diplomatic relations between Seoul and Tokyo.
"[The plan] will restore the health of the relationship between the two countries after it fell into a very difficult situation due to the [Korean] Supreme Court ruling in 2018," Kishida said, referring to the court's decision that ordered Japanese companies that used Korean forced labor to compensate plaintiffs who brought lawsuits.
However, Kishida declined to detail how Japanese companies might contribute to funds to be disbursed by the Korean government, saying that the Japanese government "should refrain from commenting on the response of private companies."
Regarding Japan's plan to release treated, but radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Kishida offered reassurances that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be reviewing the safety of the water's release, as the agency has authority in both Korea and Japan.
While Hong pointed out that Korean public opinion is concerned that the Korean government inspection team would not be able to independently verify the safety of the plant's treated wastewater, Kishida said that the inspection later this month "will take place under the authority of the IAEA, which is accepted by both Korea and Japan."
Kishida also said his joint visit with Yoon to the memorial for Korean victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was his suggestion.
"As a native of Hiroshima and the host of the G7 summit, I first proposed the idea to President Yoon, and he agreed," Kishida said.
Kishida also pushed back on speculation that Japan opposes Korea's entry into the G7 despite it being supported by the United States, adding that membership expansion has never been discussed.
In response to a question about Japan's ability to strike back in the event of a conflict, Kishida noted the importance of "strengthening the joint deterrence and responsive capabilities of South Korea, the United States and Japan," especially against the rising military threat from North Korea.
Kishida added diplomacy is crucial in preempting a conflict.
"Japan's national security strategy puts the importance of diplomacy first," he said, adding that Japan "needs defense to protect the lives and lives of its citizens, but also pursues strong diplomacy to maintain peace and stability in the region."
BY SPECIAL REPORTING TEAM [kim.hyunki@joongang.co.kr]
4. S. Korea's envoy calls N. Korea's move to win int'l recognition with nuclear threats 'empty dream'
We have to ensure that Kim's political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies continue to fail. This is one indication of failure - the failure to get recognition as a nuclear power.
S. Korea's envoy calls N. Korea's move to win int'l recognition with nuclear threats 'empty dream' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · May 15, 2023
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top nuclear envoy denounced North Korea on Monday for harboring an "empty dream" in using nuclear threats as the means to be recognized as a nuclear state from the international community, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
South Korea's top nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, made the remarks Monday during a discussion session on nuclear anxieties in the Indo-Pacific region, as he attended the Munich Leaders Meeting in Tokyo, according to the ministry.
Kim criticized the North for seeking to be recognized from the international community with nuclear threats, and establishing relations with nations in the region to "suit its taste," the ministry added.
The nuclear envoy appears to refer to the geopolitical situation, in which the North is striving to strengthen nuclear capabilities and seeking closer ties with China and Russia vis-a-vis the United States' push to bolster trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan.
Kim also urged the international community to closely cooperate in blocking the North from illegally earning foreign currencies, as the North has sent its workers abroad and engaged in illicit cyber activities to fund its nuclear and missile programs.
On the sidelines of the international conference, Kim met with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, to discuss the North's nuclear issues, the ministry added.
This photo, provided by South Korea's foreign ministry on May 15, 2023, shows Kim Gunn, South Korea's top nuclear envoy, speaking at a session of the Munich Leaders Meeting in Tokyo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · May 15, 2023
5. N. Korea slams U.S. for being behind Japan's military 'collusion' with NATO
This also strikes fear with north Korea and China. Diplomacy and national security are so much easier when you have friends, partners, and allies, China and north Korea only have each other! And those lips and teeth are suffering from severe decay and gum disease.
N. Korea slams U.S. for being behind Japan's military 'collusion' with NATO | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · May 15, 2023
SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Monday the United States is behind Japan's move to seek military "collusion" with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), denouncing Washington for aiming to build a military bloc in the Asia-Pacific region.
Kim Sol-hwa, a researcher of the Institute for Japan Studies of the North's foreign ministry, said Japan's "unprecedented" military ties with NATO have sparked "great" concerns in the international community.
In an article carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency, Kim listed examples of Japan's military "collusion" with NATO, such as Japan's plan to open a NATO liaison office in Tokyo for the first time in Asia.
"What should not be overlooked is the fact that the black-hearted design of the U.S. to hold its hegemonic position in the Asia-Pacific region by fabricating 'Asian-version NATO' lurks behind the worrisome Japan-NATO cohesion," the KCNA said in an English-language dispatch.
The researcher said it is an "open secret" that the U.S. has worked "overtly and covertly" to create a military bloc in the Asia-Pacific region, as shown by its establishment of NATO after the end of World War II under the pretext of defending Western countries from "communist aggression."
Kim said the U.S. has a "sinister" intention to lay huge siege to China and Russia by "inveigling" Japan, South Korea and others into exclusive security cooperation blocs and linking them with NATO.
The official also condemned Japan for seeking to become a "military giant" by inviting the "unbidden guest" of NATO, warning that Tokyo will face its "second ruin" if it continues to pursue such military ties with outsiders.
This file photo, taken June 29, 2022, shows Jens Stoltenberg (C), chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), posing for a photo with four leaders of the Asia-Pacific region who attended a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, including South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (2nd from L). (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · May 15, 2023
6. Setting the foundation for future diplomacy (ROK)
Another big week for the ROK.
Monday
May 15, 2023
dictionary + A - A
Setting the foundation for future diplomacy
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/15/opinion/editorials/Yoon-Suk-Yeol-Fumio-Kishida-Joe-Biden/20230515200909246.html
President Yoon Suk Yeol will have busy diplomatic schedules this week. After meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday in Seoul for a summit, Yoon attends a Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan from Friday through Sunday. Upon returning home, he meets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Council President Charles Michel on Sunday and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the following day. Yoon will meet leaders of 10 countries and international bodies in just a week.
The president is scheduled to visit the memorial of the victims of the atomic bombing, including Koreans, together with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In the upcoming third trilateral summit, Yoon will discuss with Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden the issue of military information sharing to cope with North Korean nuclear and missile threats in further detail. President Yoon faces the challenges of healing the wounds of the past, maintaining a stable present and moving toward a better future.
On May 9, a day before his inauguration, President Yoon underscored the achievements his administration has made on diplomatic and security fronts over the past year. We can hardly deny his accomplishments in improving diplomatic relations with Japan, strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance and restoring tripartite cooperation with Washington and Tokyo. To help the diplomatic achievements bear fruits, President Yoon must use this “super week” to draw up a blueprint for the country’s future.
The president also needs to review the agreements between him and Kishida and address what’s on his plate first. He must persuade the Japanese prime minister to ensure a team of radiation experts from Korea closely monitor the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant later this month and the quality of the treated water beyond the level of a mere site visit. The two countries need to make a farsighted declaration akin to the Élysée Treaty signed by French President Charles de Gaulle and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in 1963 to reinforce mutual cooperation in diplomacy, defense, education and culture.
At the same time, President Yoon must consider the strategic importance of China and Russia even while consolidating relations with the West. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi in Vienna for two days last week to find a win-win solution for many disputes. China and Russia are indispensable to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue and closely connected to Korea economically. A decision to exclude the two from our diplomatic choices is half-baked. There is no eternal friend or foe in international relations.
7. North Korean Human Rights: Is There Still a Way Forward?
Two important conferences this week on Wednesday and Thursday with a number of the same speakers and complementary topics - Human Rights, information and influence, and a free and unified Korea.
The one below on Thursday from from Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), the Hoover Institution, and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)
And the one from the Global Peace Foundation on Wednesday on Capitol Hill (RSVP In person: HERE and online HERE)
North Korean Human Rights:
Is There Still a Way Forward?
Thursday, May 18, 2023
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
National Endowment for Democracy
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 1100
Washington, D.C.
RSVP
This event will be held in-person. It will be on the record and open to the press.
All participants must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
Breakfast & lunch will be provided. Please note any dietary restrictions in your RSVP.
The Welcoming and Opening Remarks & the first session (9:15-10:30 a.m.) will also be streamed live at: https://www.ned.org/events/north-korean-human-rights-is-there-still-a-way-forward
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), the Hoover Institution, and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) have the pleasure to invite you to a full-day conference entitled "North Korean Human Rights: Is There Still a Way Forward?" on Thursday, May 18 at NED.
As North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities, this conference will examine the human rights situation in the country and explore how human rights issues may be elevated in future bilateral & multilateral interactions with Pyongyang.
You may RSVP for the event by clicking on the button above or by emailing Abigail Skalka at abigails@ned.org. Please note any dietary restrictions in your RSVP.
To register as a member of the press, please email press@ned.org.
The Welcoming and Opening Remarks and the first session (9:15-10:30 a.m.) will also be streamed live at: https://www.ned.org/events/north-korean-human-rights-is-there-still-a-way-forward
The full program agenda is enclosed below.
Program Agenda
8:45 a.m. | Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Damon Wilson, President and CEO, NED
- Dr. Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy, Freeman Spogli Institute for Int'l Studies at Stanford University
- Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director, HRNK
9:15 a.m. | Refugees, Prison Camps, and the Chinese Dimension
- The Hon. Roberta Cohen, Co-Chair Emeritus, HRNK
- Dr. Tara O, Adjunct Fellow, Hudson Institute
- Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, Researcher, Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG)
- Moderator: Olivia Enos, Washington Director, Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong
Break (10:30-11:00 a.m.)
11:00 a.m. | Empowerment through Information
- David Maxwell, Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Board Member, HRNK
- Dr. Jieun Baek, Research Project Manager on Technology & Human Rights in N. Korea, Carr Center at Harvard University
- Lynn Lee, Deputy Director for Asia, NED
- Hyun-Seung Lee, Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
- Moderator: Christopher Walker, Vice President for Studies and Analysis, NED
Lunch (12:30-1:30 p.m.)
1:30 p.m. | The North Korean Human Rights Act: Implementation, Problems, and Prospects
- The Hon. Robert King, former U.S. Special Envoy for N. Korean Human Rights Issues; Board Member, HRNK
- Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute; Board Member, HRNK
- Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, Researcher, TJWG
- Moderator: Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director, HRNK
Break (3:00 - 3:15 p.m.)
3:15-4:30 p.m. | A New Approach to North Korea Policy: Human Rights up Front?
- Dr. Kim Dong-Su, Senior Advisor, Institute for Nat'l Security Strategy
- The Hon. Robert Joseph, former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control & Int'l Security; Board Member, HRNK
- The Hon. Joseph DeTrani, former U.S. Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks with N. Korea
- Moderator: Dr. Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy, Freeman Spogli Institute for Int'l Studies at Stanford University
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Abilgail Skalka at abigails@ned.org.
Thank you.
8. [ANALYSIS] What North Korea's recent silence means for South Korea, US
The regime may be engaged in a deep lessons learned analysis to understand how its political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies have failed so badly.
Not only does the ROK/US Alliance grow stronger with each north Korean provocations, the ROK/Japan relationship has vastly improved, and trilateral cooperation is arguably at the highest it has ever been. (And China cannot be happy with this) There is no sign that sanctions will ever be lifted. And if the US and international community decided to really aggressively crackdown on north Korea's illicit activities around the world in a comprehensive manner the regime could suffer from a strategic strangulation campaign.
The regime has to be trying to figure out what to do next. Unfortunately it can only follow the regime playbook and the playbook is very limited.
[ANALYSIS] What North Korea's recent silence means for South Korea, US
The Korea Times · May 15, 2023
A news program shows an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on a TV screen at Seoul Station in Seoul, April 11. AP-Yonhap
Pyongyang expected to resume armed provocations targeting S. Korea-US joint drill set for May 25
By Lee Hyo-jin
North Korea seems to be caught in a dilemma on how to respond to a landmark nuclear deal between the United States and South Korea signed recently, which could be a reason why the reclusive regime has refrained from military provocations in the last few weeks, according to analysts.
However, the experts viewed that the North is likely to break its silence and stage a major show of force later this month, targeting the largest-ever joint live-fire drills between Seoul and Washington slated for May 25 to June 15.
In recent months, the Kim Jong-un regime has been ramping up the development of nuclear weapons and missiles, launching a barrage of missile tests including its first solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on April 13.
But the North has refrained from additional military provocations for over a month since then.
It was widely anticipated that Pyongyang would stage military actions during President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to meet U.S. President Joe Biden at the end of April. During the summit held on April 26, the two leaders inked the Washington Declaration, with the U.S. promising stronger extended deterrence and "overwhelming response" in the event of North Korean attacks.
Other than issuing commentaries and statements through its state media condemning the Washington Declaration, the North has not shown any military provocations so far.
Cho Han-beom, a senior researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, viewed that Pyongyang seems to be caught in a dilemma following the stronger-than-expected measures promised between the allies, which includes regular deployment of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea launches a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile from the Sunan area in Pyongyang, March 16, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Yonhap
"From what I see, North Korea has yet to decide on what level of provocations to stage in response to the strengthened South Korea-U.S. military ties," he said. "The allies have vowed to take stronger corresponding measures to the North's military threats…so the regime seems to be calculating what steps it should take next."
He added, "Or, the fact that the North has already disclosed to the world its up-to-date weaponry could be another reason why it's been silent for the last few weeks."
He said that the month-long silence does not mean that Pyongyang will give up its nuclear ambitions and return to negotiations.
On April 18, the North Korean leader ordered the completion of military reconnaissance within the month so that it could carry out a launch on the "planned date," raising speculations that the regime will deploy its first spy satellite soon. But it has yet to do so.
Cho said the satellite launch may be delayed for another few weeks, if not months, due to technical issues.
"But considering that Pyongyang has almost always staged armed provocations in response to joint drills with the U.S., it is likely to break the silence and resume military threats later this month," the researcher said.
South Korea and the U.S. will conduct their largest-ever live-fire exercise from May 25 to June 15 in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, commemorating the 70th anniversary of bilateral ties.
Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, saw that the Kim regime is planning its next moves carefully, and its seventh nuclear test could be one of the options. North Korea conducted its previous nuclear test in September 2017, its sixth.
"If we look at previous patterns, North Korea tends to increase military belligerence following weeks of silence," he said, describing the current situation as "the calm before the storm." He cautiously predicted that Pyongyang may conduct its seventh nuclear test before the monsoon season in the summer.
The Korea Times · May 15, 2023
9. Ukrainian first lady’s visit could pressure Seoul to ship arms to Kyiv
Korea is a partner in the arsenal of democracy. But it has some constitutional challenges with supplying arms directly to a nation at war.
Ukrainian first lady’s visit could pressure Seoul to ship arms to Kyiv
koreatimes.co.kr
First lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska arrives for a reception hosted by Britain’s King Charles, for overseas guests attending his coronation at Buckingham Palace in London, United Kingdom, May 5. Reuters-Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska is now in Seoul as part of her campaign to advocate the safety of Ukrainian mothers and children in the face of Russia’s aggression against her country.
However, her visit may serve as a catalyst urging South Korea to provide arms or other military support to Kyiv despite Moscow’s threats against such aid, prompting diplomatic observers to believe that her trip aligns with Ukraine’s repeated calls for Seoul to provide arms support.
According to diplomatic sources, the Ukrainian first lady arrived in Seoul, Monday. She is expected to attend a forum hosted by a local newspaper later this week among other events.
“Zelenska is expected to highlight the safety of Ukrainian mothers and children, as well as the illegality of Russia’s aggression against her country, based on her recent messages,” said Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University.
“This will likely lead to discussions on providing arms support to Ukraine, although it may not be explicitly stated in public comments,” he added.
Currently, South Korea provides only humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine, following the principle of not including lethal weapons in support offered to foreign countries.
However, President Yoon Suk Yeol signaled a major shift from this principle during a media interview last month, stating that it may be difficult for Seoul to insist solely on humanitarian or financial support if there is “a situation the international community cannot condone, such as a large-scale attack on civilians, massacres, or serious violations of the laws of war.”
Those remarks drew hostile responses from Russia, with Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of the Russian National Security Council, asking, “I wonder what the residents of this nation (South Korea) would say when they see the newest Russian weapons in the hands of their closest neighbor―our allies in the DPRK?” DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.
South Korean lawmakers watch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivering an address during a videoconference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, April 11, 2022. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-keun
Seoul has been under pressure to offer military aid to Ukraine, not only from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but also from Western countries, despite its geopolitical proximity to Russia and North Korea.
During a National Assembly speech on April 12 last year, Zelenskyy also urged Seoul to provide military aid to the war-torn country, citing Korea’s possession of various military equipment to counter Russian missiles and naval vessels.
“Ukraine and European nations are urging South Korea to provide arms support because it is one of the few countries capable of doing so,” Park said.
“South Korea is one of the few countries whose weapons and ammunition are compatible with Ukraine’s and it possesses a rich inventory of ammunition.”
The most frequently mentioned weapon for supporting Ukraine is the 155-millimeter artillery shell. Although South Korea does not directly export these rounds to Ukraine, multiple reports indicate that Seoul has indirectly addressed Ukraine’s ammunition needs by exporting shells to the United States and other countries that provided their own ammunition to Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian first lady’s visit will likely be the first in a series of calls for arms support that President Yoon will face in a string of diplomatic events he will attend in the coming weeks,” Park said.
Yoon is scheduled to have a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Seoul, Wednesday. He will then fly to Hiroshima, Japan, to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit and meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on May 21, followed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel on May 22.
Given that there have been rumors about South Korea considering exporting 155-millimeter artillery rounds to Canada, and the Ukraine War is anticipated to be the main topic of the G7 Summit, Seoul’s potential arms support to Ukraine is likely to feature prominently in Yoon’s diplomatic schedule in the coming weeks.
“This indicates that Seoul’s ambivalence toward the Ukraine issue is diminishing and the country needs to determine its stance on the Ukraine War,” Park said.
“If it perceives the Ukraine War as an international dispute ― as the opposition claims ― South Korea should refrain from providing arms support to Kyiv, even if Western countries express their regret. However, if the country defines the Ukraine War as Russia’s illegal aggression against Ukraine, it should consider providing arms support, even if it means enduring Russia’s hostile responses,” he added.
koreatimes.co.kr
10. N. Korea mobilizes orphaned teenagers to work on Pyongyang housing project
Just another example of the regime's human rights abuses.
N. Korea mobilizes orphaned teenagers to work on Pyongyang housing project
The lack of people to work on construction projects has prompted the government to set its sights on orphaned teenagers
dailynk.com
A so-called "Speed Poster" outside a construction site in Pyongyang. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
Amid efforts to build 50,000 housing units in Pyongyang, North Korean authorities have recently mobilized orphans for construction work in the city’s Sopo District. The employment of orphaned teenagers at a construction site has aroused criticism inside the country.
Speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, a reporting partner in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Tuesday that the North Korean government recently assigned middle and high school students from an orphanage in the city to construction work in Sopo District.
More specifically, the South Pyongan Province branch of the Workers’ Party of Korea placed some 70 students from an orphanage in the city of Pyongsong in a “speed battle shock troop unit” assigned to the construction site.
Children without parents in North Korea progress through three tiers of orphanages that double as schools — the first tier covers nursery and kindergarten curriculums, the second covers the elementary curriculum (ages 7-11), and the third covers the middle and high school curriculums (ages 12-15).
The fact that orphans in their early teens had been put to work on the construction site came out when a senior member of the South Pyongan Province Party Committee called for the orphans on the shock troop unit to “at least be sent some food” during a discussion of assistance for construction work in Sopo District.
Some object to use of orphans on construction projects
Participants in the meeting reportedly objected that poor kids without any parents to look after them had been put on a construction detail.
According to another reporting partner in North Korea, who spoke to Daily NK on condition of anonymity, the North Korean authorities coerced students in the graduating class at the third-tier orphanage in Pyongyang to “volunteer” for the shock troop unit at the construction site in Sopo District. “You orphans have got to show your gratitude to the party for raising you,” they were apparently told.
What may have appeared voluntary was actually compulsory, with every one of the students in the graduating class given no choice but to sign up for the construction detail.
Since the groundbreaking was held for road construction in Pyongyang’s Sopo District on Feb. 25, the North Korean authorities have been focusing on rounding up people to help with the construction work.
Rodong Sinmun and other North Korean media outlets have been boasting that young people have been “voluntarily gathering from around the country” to work on construction. However, they have basically been coerced into working on the project because of the social disadvantages they would face if they refused.
Although people from around the country and all walks of life have been roped into the housing construction project, work crews remain shorthanded, prompting the government to set its sights on orphaned teenagers.
“There are many examples of teenagers from third-tier orphanages being mobilized for work at construction sites, farms and ranches,” a defector in South Korea told Daily NK, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The North Korean authorities like to brag about expanding support for orphans as part of their ‘love-for-the-people politics,’ but in reality, children without parents are being exploited as a source of labor that can be monopolized by the state.”
Regime emphasizes love and concern for orphaned children
Since coming to power, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has appeared in state-run media making several visits to orphanages and ordering that they receive more assistance. He has also ordered the construction of more orphanages in Pyongyang.
Kim has used those visits to underline his “love-of-the-people leadership” and the party’s love and concern for children.
On Apr. 12, Rodong Sinmun printed photographs of children at orphanages in Wonsan, Kangwon Province, eating snacks in modern-looking facilities. “Orphans’ luxurious abodes are clustered in the warm and loving embrace of General Secretary Kim Jong Un, who withholds nothing from future generations,” the newspaper said.
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of reporting partners who live inside North Korea and China. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
11. N. Korean mother and son arrested after nationwide notice put out for their capture
Note the connection to a South Korea Prisoner of War who the north never allowed to return to the South. Remember the north kept some 78,000 ROK soldiers who were POWs and forced them to work in the mines for the remainder of their lives. They were allowed to marry and their children also worked in the mines. I heard from one descendant of a POW tell the story of one of her siblings asking his parents why they even had him if they knew their children would suffer such horrible fates at the hands of the regime. He said why did you even let me be born?
Excerpt:
According to the reporting partner, the mother and son were the granddaughter and great grandson of a South Korean prisoner of war who died in an accident after being dragged off to work in a mine in North Hamgyong Province. The Ministry of State Security had been keeping a watchful eye on them for some time.
N. Korean mother and son arrested after nationwide notice put out for their capture
The two had sold their home and their possessions due to hardships experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up on the streets
dailynk.com
FILE PHOTO: A scene from Sunchon, South Pyongan Province. (Daily NK)
North Korea’s Ministry of State Security recently arrested the descendents of a South Korean prisoner of war who were aimlessly wandering the country by train, Daily NK has learned.
“The Ministry of State Security put out a nationwide wanted notice for a mother and son who were wandering the country after selling their home due to hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the end the pair was arrested in Yangdok late last month,” a reporting partner in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
According to the reporting partner, the mother and son were the granddaughter and great grandson of a South Korean prisoner of war who died in an accident after being dragged off to work in a mine in North Hamgyong Province. The Ministry of State Security had been keeping a watchful eye on them for some time.
The mother and son sold their home and their possessions due to hardships experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up on the streets. Later, they started wandering the country.
However, when they suddenly disappeared, the security agency watching them suspected that they fled to South Korea, so they put out a wanted notice for the pair.
“The Ministry of State Security said they were trying to go to South Korea and ordered that they must be caught, even if that meant searching the entire country. So it distributed photos of the pair to neighborhood watch units and the train police,” said the reporting partner. “In the end, they were caught on a train near Yangdok Station and immediately dragged off somewhere.
“They were accused of being dangerous wanderers and arrested for the serious crime of trying to flee to the South, so rumors about their case spread not only in Yangdok, but throughout the province as well,” he added.
The Ministry of Social Security has responded to the incident by ordering localities to thoroughly register the current places of residence of the families and descendants of South Korean prisoners of war, defectors to South Korea, people who illegally crossed the border and people who have gone missing, and to regularly watch their movements.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of reporting partners who live inside North Korea and China. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
12. Forced labor victim's family accepts govt compensation, withdraws legal action against Japanese firm
Forced labor victim's family accepts govt compensation, withdraws legal action against Japanese firm
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · May 15, 2023
The bereaved family members of a wartime forced labor victim have withdrawn their request for a court order to dispose of a Japanese company's assets after accepting the Seoul government's compensation plan, legal sources said Monday.
The four family members of the late victim, Yeo Un-taek, on April 27 submitted a letter of withdrawal to the Supreme Court, which was reviewing the case, they said.
Yeo was one of the four forced labor victims who initiated a compensation suit against Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. in South Korea in 2005.
In 2018, the Supreme Court ordered the company to pay compensation to them and their families. Three of the four plaintiffs had already died before the landmark ruling.
However, the firm did not comply with the ruling and the plaintiffs filed for court orders to seize, liquidate and sell its shares in a joint venture in South Korea.
A district court in the southeastern city of Pohang accepted their request for seizure and disposal of the assets in August 2020 and December 2021, respectively.
After its appeals were rejected, the company brought the liquidation and sale order to the Supreme Court.
As part of efforts to improve ties with Japan, the Seoul government announced its decision in March to compensate the victims thorough a government-affiliated foundation without contributions from Japanese firms.
According to sources, Yeo's family expressed their intention to receive the state compensation and submitted letters to the top court and district court to cancel their action against the company.
Four other plaintiffs in the same case and two other victims who won a separate case to seize and dispose of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.'s domestic assets did not withdraw their applications. (Yonhap)
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · May 15, 2023
13. Will foreign policy buoy Yoon’s ratings?
Unfortunately, I do not think so. I fear no one in South Korea is ever pleased with their President. (note sarcasm but if the history of approval ratings are any indication I may be correct. Can anyone remember a President with a positive approval rating for very long?).
Will foreign policy buoy Yoon’s ratings?
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · May 15, 2023
Eyes are on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s upcoming diplomatic engagements, with some speculating how the coming weeks could influence his still-low popularity at home, which has seen improvement since summits with the US and Japanese leaders.
The five-day Realmeter poll conducted from May 8-12 found that 36.8 percent of Koreans approve of Yoon’s job performance -- a steady rise from three weeks ago, when the figure stood at 32.6 percent in the same weekly poll.
In the last week of April, Yoon announced a nuclear accord with US President Joe Biden, the single biggest diplomatic gain so far for the conservative Korean leader who took office in May last year. The deal, an upgrade to the allies’ current defense treaty, gives Seoul a bigger say in Washington’s potential nuclear response to North Korea, Seoul’s biggest threat.
Last week, Yoon and his Japanese counterpart shook hands on deeper ties chiefly to contain the North, vowing to put behind them a historical dispute that had long thwarted such cooperation. Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to revive their regular visits to each other’s countries, known as “shuttle diplomacy,” after a 12-year hiatus.
Yoon’s push for foreign policy wins, however, is not likely to aid his approval ratings, despite a series of potential policy gains in recent weeks, commentators said.
“Yoon’s outreach to Washington and Tokyo had bolstered his traditional support base -- the conservatives and some of those in the middle,” said Rhee Jong-hoon, a political commentator. He added however that the momentum for such “foreign policy wins” will be short-lived, saying Yoon seems to have reeled in “every possible support from the conservatives and the undecided out there.”
Yoon, Biden and Kishida, representing a coalition working on North Korea’s denuclearization, are expected to meet again Sunday -- the last day of a three-day Group of Seven meeting that starts Friday. The three-way meeting on the sidelines of the gathering Japan is hosting in Hiroshima to discuss global priorities is what Yoon and his supporters believe is crucial to advancing South Korea’s global status.
Hwang Tae-soon, also a political commentator, said Yoon’s growing popularity in the last three weeks has more to do with “declining confidence in the main opposition,” a party that has been rocked by infighting over corruption scandals involving a former chairman at the party and a lawmaker close to the current chairman.
“The way I see is the poll is a reflection of a change of heart for those people who threw their support behind Yoon because they were disappointed with his opposition. Yoon is the lesser evil, hence a rise in popularity,” Hwang said, ruling out a further rise.
Jang Sung-chul, head of a local policy think tank in Seoul, said Yoon’s three-way meeting with Biden and Kishida on Sunday would provide little to build on the momentum for an uptick in popularity, either.
“Yoon’s adviser has just said the three leaders won’t issue a joint statement, which to many is an indication the gathering will not reveal something unexpected. That’s not good,” Jang said, dismissing a sudden popularity boost.
Kim Tae-hyo, Yoon’s first deputy national security adviser, said the meeting will “review coordinating responses and efforts dealing with the common nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.” It will not discuss a “consultative group” to be exclusively responsible for supporting joint anti-North Korea measures, he added. Many expect the body to be evidence of ever closer three-way ties.
During the trip to Japan, Yoon, who is scheduled to address the seven leaders at an extended G-7 meeting, will also pay respects to Korean atomic bomb victims at a memorial in Hiroshima, according to Kim, who stressed it will be the first time for a Korean leader to do so.
It will also be the first time Yoon and Kishida will jointly pay respects to the Korean victims, Kim stressed. The two leaders agreed on the plan at Kishida’s trip to Seoul from May 7-8 -- a tour that followed Yoon’s visit to Tokyo from March 16-17.
Meanwhile, Yoon is looking to enhance Korea’s ties with Canada and Europe as well.
The president will hold talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday to mark 60 years of relations. Next week, Yoon will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · May 15, 2023
14. Peru is Korea's gateway to Latin America, says vice FM
Peru is Korea's gateway to Latin America, says vice FM
Peruvian vice foreign minister promotes the country's $1.5b economic revitalization plan for Korea's participation
koreaherald.com · by Sanjay Kumar · May 15, 2023
Peruvian Vice Foreign Minister Ignacio Higueras speaks in an interview with The Korea Herald at Four Seasons Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on Monday. (Sanjay Kumar/The Korea Herald)
Peruvian Vice Foreign Minister Ignacio Higueras urged South Korea to partner with the Peruvian government’s "Con Punche Peru" measures in an interview with The Korea Herald last month.
Con Punche Peru is a rapid execution plan initiated by the Peruvian government with investments of $1.5 billion.
The plan aims to create 130,000 jobs by 2023 and recover from a critical economic situation by focusing on families, as well as the regional and national economy, to reactivate Peru’s economic landscape.
Korean companies should consider taking part in projects in transportation, the construction of roads, sanitation and health in Peru, suggested the vice minister.
Peruvian Vice Foreign Minister Ignacio Higueras and Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs Kang Jae-Kwon attend the seventh meeting of Korea-Peru High-Level Political Consultations on April 17 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul.(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Higueras visited Seoul on the 60th anniversary of Peru-Korea diplomatic relations, where he attended the sixth meeting of the Korea-Peru Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation and the seventh Korea-Peru High-Level Political Consultations.
In the consultations, Peru and Korea assessed that trade has doubled since the Korea-Peru FTA took effect in 2011 and agreed to cooperate in energy, resources and industries such as digital and green industries.
The two countries also signed the Korea-Peru Agreement for air services between and beyond their respective territories on April 18.
The agreement will open new doors to strengthening connectivity, Higueras told The Korea Herald. He hopes to see flights from Incheon to Lima and vice versa connecting Korea, Europe and Latin America.
Peruvian Vice Foreign Minister Ignacio Higueras and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Do-hoon attend the 7th Meeting of the Korea-Peru High-level Policy Consultation on April 17 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
He also expressed hope in strengthened people-to-people contact, businesses and tourism.
According to Higueras, Peru wants to stimulate interactions with Korean civil society to link Korea with many other Latin American countries.
Higueras introduced 16 public-private partnership investment projects worth $300 million in transportation, mining, hydrocarbons, electricity, sanitation, telecommunications and agriculture, inviting Korean companies to participate.
He also referred to Korean investments of $117 million in Peru’s Pachapaqui mine expansion project in Bolognesi province, located 240 kilometers north of Lima.
"Peru has an infrastructure deficit but has the resources to overcome it," Higueras stressed, explaining Peru's intention to reach out to Korean companies.
Referring to Korea's fast-growing investments in Peru, which reached $44 million in 2021 from a mere $0.8 million in 1994, Asia's fourth-largest economy has become a strong partner of the Latin American country.
"Korea is becoming a strong ally in the Peruvian region, offering complementary opportunities, shared political principles and economic aspects such as a free trade agreement (FTA), a double taxation agreement and an investment chapter," said Higueras.
The Peru-Korea FTA entered into force on Aug. 11, 2011, while the double taxation agreement entered into force on March 13, 2014.
"South Korea is Peru’s fourth-largest trading partner in the world, the third-largest destination market for its exports, and the 12th-largest origin of its imports," underlined Higueras.
Peruvian Vice Foreign Minister Ignacio Higueras discusses investment opportunities for Korean companies in an interview with The Korea Herald at Four Seasons Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on Monday. (Sanjay Kumar/The Korea Herald)
According to Higueras, the suitability of Peru's fiscal measures, reduced fiscal deficit, low public debt ratio and considerable foreign exchange reserves make Peru a stable investment destination for Korea.
He called upon Korean companies and corporations to join projects funded by Peru and government-to-government deals, citing the example of Chinchero International Airport, with its estimated cost of $593 million.
The airport is to cover 454 hectares, handle more than 5 million passengers a year, and connect visitors to Machu Picchu, a symbol of the 15th-century Incan Empire in the Andes Mountains.
Acknowledging Korea’s leading role in the digital age, Higueras expressed Peru’s strong confidence in Korea's expertise, experience and transparency.
Now is the best time for Peru and Korea to share technology and innovation to undertake projects in agriculture, public policy and governance, said Higueras.
When asked about Peru’s stance on the inclusion of South Korea as a member of the Pacific Alliance, the Latin American trade bloc of Peru, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, Higueras extended his support to Korea.
"Peru fully supports Korea becoming an associate member of the Pacific Alliance," he emphasized, highlighting that South Korea has been one of the main trading partners in the Pacific Alliance as an observer state since 2014.
Peruvian Vice Foreign Minister Ignacio Higueras and 1st Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin propose a toast at a dinner reception marking the 60th anniversary of Peru-Korea bilateral relations hosted by the Peruvian Embassy in Seoul at the Peruvian Ambassador's residence in Itaewon-dong, Seoul on Monday. (Sanjay Kumar/The Korea Herald)
"We have done things between the Pacific Alliance and Korea," he said, adding that Korea meets the conditions to be an associate member.
"Korea has already signed FTAs with the four member countries of the Pacific Alliance," Higueras said, hoping that negotiations for a better agreement to deepen all provisions will help.
"Peru will be very happy to make it happen as soon as possible," he said.
Asked whether there is any missing link in Peru-Korea diplomatic relations, the vice minister pointed to geographical distance as a major gap and suggested activating not only high-level visits but also people-to-people ties and tourism moving forward.
Taking the 60th anniversary of Peru-Korea ties as an opportunity for bolstering bilateral relations, he wished to see more exchanges on the civilian level.
He said he would like to invite Korean nationals to ecological sites in the Amazon, Arequipa and Lima while encouraging Peruvians to visit Busan, the South Korean port city bidding to host the 2030 World Expo.
By Sanjay Kumar (sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Sanjay Kumar · May 15, 2023
15. American couple who took in Korean travelers during snowstorm visit Korea
Yes, a great feel good story. But I hope it inspires more humanity like this. We certainly need it. Two great Americans here. And Korea is a "thankful nation." Not just the people who were helped when in need are grateful,but the Korean government reached out to show its appreciation and express its thanks to those who cared for Korean citizens.
American couple who took in Korean travelers during snowstorm visit Korea
The Korea Times · May 15, 2023
Alexander Campagna, right, and his wife, Andrea, hold a press conference at a restaurant in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization
By Lee Hae-rin
Alexander Campagna, a 41-year-old dentist based in Buffalo, New York, still vividly remembers hearing the knock on his door amid intense snowfall around 2 p.m., Dec. 23, 2022. "Who could be outside right now? Everyone should already be inside, safely," he thought.
Yet, at his door, he found two Korean strangers in soaked clothes in the snowstorm. Park Gun-yong, 55, and his tour guide reached the closest house they could find and asked for shovels in order to dig out their van from the heavy snow. Along with eight other Korean tourists, they were stranded on their way to Niagara Falls amid the deadly blizzard.
"I said, 'Sure, of course,' but immediately realized there was no point in using a shovel," he said during an interview with reporters in Seoul, Sunday. Campagna and his wife, both of whom are lifelong residents of Buffalo, deemed the idea of shoveling one's way out ― in one of the worst storms they've seen ― like "using a spoon to take out water from an ocean."
So the couple invited the 10 stranded Koreans into their house and made hot tea and coffee and provided them with warm socks and blankets to make everybody safe and comfortable. It was the start of a Christmas the 12 will never forget.
The catastrophic blizzard lasted for four days in the region and left almost 40 dead.
Most residents were trapped in their houses, some with power outages, due to a rare and deadly combination of 1.32 meters of snow and hurricane-level winds.
The American couple and the Korean group grew a special bond while enduring the disaster together, but both parties noted another special connection that made them feel they were "meant to be," ― their common love for Korean cuisine.
Alexander Campagna, left, shares Korean meals with the Korean travelers he and his wife Andrea sheltered during the deadly blizzard at his house in Buffalo, N.Y., Dec. 24, 2022. Courtesy of Alexander Campagna
"I've enjoyed Korean cuisine for over 20 years," Andrea said, adding that the couple had their first date at a Korean restaurant in town named Woo Chan Korea House back in August 2016. They also cook Korean food at home occasionally because they often watch an English-language YouTube cooking channel that features Korean dishes.
"I got the impression that for the first couple hours, our guests thought they'll have tea and leave. But it was impossible to get anywhere in that weather, and it was going to be time for dinner soon," Alex said. To make the strangers feel at home, the couple showed them their refrigerator and pantry, which was filled with Korean condiments, which immediately sparked excitement in the room.
Park said in disbelief that they were surprised to see the American couple had Korean soy sauce, mirin, chili powder, chili paste and everything they needed to cook Korean food at the house.
"They even had a rice cooker and a book of Korean recipes, as if they had prepared it all for us," he said.
The Campagnas "literally opened the refrigerator" for the Koreans and told them to feel free to use all the ingredients they needed, Park said. In appreciation of the hospitality shown, his wife and some other natural-born cooks in the group made feasts of Korean food for the host couple, spicy chicken stew and spicy marinated pork, recreating the dinner form their first date.
Korean visitors prepare Korean feasts featuring spicy chicken stew at the Campagnas' house in Buffalo, Dec. 23, 2022. Courtesy of Alexander Campagna
The group spent two nights and three days with the Campagnas while the massive winter storm blanketed the city, not knowing when they will be rescued. When help finally came at around noon on Christmas day, "everybody was cheering and hugging," in joy, Andrea recalled.
The good deeds of the Campagnas, which they did "without expecting anything at all," spread quickly across the globe upon the reports of the local media, such as the New York Times and CNN. Their mailbox and social media were soon filled with thank you notes and positive wishes, while Korean companies and organizations presented them with gifts, including the Korean fried chicken franchise, Genesis BBQ, who gave them one year of free chicken.
The couple believes their story resonated with people across the globe because "with so much sadness, pain and loss, the world was hungry for heart-warming stories," Andrea said.
The Campagnas were life savers on that day for the 10 Koreans, but the American couple was simply happy to do their part, citing Buffalo as a "city of good neighbors," who help strangers and neighbors in dangerous situations.
KTO President Kim Jang-sil, center, Alexander and Andrea Campagna, front row second from left, respectively, pose with Korean travelers the American couple sheltered at a restaurant in Seoul during their reunion arranged by the KTO, Sunday. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization
In appreciation, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) invited the Campagnas to Korea in January, which the couple found an "unbelievable honor and blessing." The couple arrived in Korea last Saturday and will travel for ten days.
KTO President Kim Jang-sil said the group hopes the couple experiences not only the beautiful nature, rich culture and history that the country has to offer, but the "warm-hearted Korean people and their kindness during the visit." It is the first time the KTO invited foreign civilians due to this kind of reason, he said.
The couple and the Korean travelers who survived the ordeal will also make an appearance in a KTO tourism promotion video titled "Korea Never Forgets," which aims to encourage foreign travelers to visit the country once it goes on air later this year.
On Sunday, the Campagnas and six of the Koreans, including Park, met again in Seoul. The couple was overjoyed to see their friends are well and happy in their home country, and appreciated the "happy ending to our story, which could have been very different, given the circumstances with the bad snowstorm," Andrea said.
Park said the others in the group also found the reunion overwhelming, especially because they never expected to see the Campagnas again. "After our memorable time together, I feel I should do good deeds for others, too," Park said, expressing appreciation to the KTO for arranging the occasion.
"We hope our story inspires people all around the world to be accepting of their neighbors and strangers and people in need," Alex said.
The Korea Times · May 15, 2023
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
| 
