Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie."

- Alexandr Solzhenitsyn

“All these people talk so eloquently about getting back to good old-fashioned values. Well, as an old poop I can remember back to when we had those old-fashioned values, and I say let's get back to the good old-fashioned First Amendment of the good old-fashioned Constitution of the United States -- and to hell with the censors! Give me knowledge or give me death!”

- Kurt Vonnegut

"You must not fight too often with one enemy or you will teach him all your art of war."

- Napoleon Bonaparte

1. Taking Joint Action with the Republic of Korea to Combat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Illicit Revenue Generation

2. Treasury Department sanctions North Korea IT entities

3. Treasury Targets DPRK Malicious Cyber and Illicit IT Worker Activities

4. Joint U.S.-ROK Symposium on Countering DPRK Sanctions Evasion Involving DPRK IT Workers

5. Korea Space Race Heats Up With North and South Planning Launches

6. South Korea Isn’t Sure the US Has Its Back

7. FM says joint operation between Seoul, Washington top priority for nuclear consulting group

8. Bracing for nuclear war (Korea and beyond)

9. South Korea cancels third launch of homegrown rocket due to technical problems

10. South Korea company fuses AI with imagery to detect ballistic missiles

11. Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S. hold meeting over N.K. spy satellite, provocations

12. Food shortage spreads in North Korea, with some starving farmers unable to work

13. US sanctions North Korean crypto operations

14.

1. Taking Joint Action with the Republic of Korea to Combat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Illicit Revenue Generation

Excellent news.

Taking Joint Action with the Republic of Korea to Combat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Illicit Revenue Generation

PRESS STATEMENT

ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE

MAY 23, 2023

https://www.state.gov/taking-joint-action-with-the-republic-of-korea-to-combat-the-democratic-peoples-republic-of-koreas-illicit-revenue-generation/

The United States is steadfast in our commitment to combat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) illicit activities to generate revenue by stealing funds from global financial institutions and other entities.

Today, the Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on four entities and one individual involved in illicit revenue generation and malicious cyber activities. The DPRK conducts malicious cyber activities and deploys information technology (IT) workers abroad who fraudulently obtain employment to generate revenue that supports the Kim regime.

The DPRK’s extensive illicit cyber and IT worker operations threaten international security by financing the DPRK regime and its dangerous activities, including its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.

We are taking this action in coordination with the Republic of Korea (ROK), which is concurrently imposing sanctions against one entity and one individual associated with overseas DPRK IT workers. Today’s Treasury action includes three targets that the ROK recently designated for engaging in cyber operations and illicit revenue generation that support the DPRK’s WMD programs. We will not hesitate to continue holding the DPRK regime responsible for its actions.

Today’s actions are being taken pursuant to Executive Order 13687 and Executive Order 13810. For more information about this designation, please see the Department of the Treasury’s press release.

2. Treasury Department sanctions North Korea IT entities

Treasury Department sanctions North Korea IT entities - UPI.com

upi.com

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The U.S. Treasury Department issued sanctions Tuesday against a number of North Korean entities believed to be responsible for illicit fundraising and cybercrime. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

May 23 (UPI) -- The United States on Tuesday sanctioned four entities and one individual for carrying out malicious cyberactivity on behalf of the North Korean government.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Tuesday said that the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea Government deploys IT workers who "fraudulently obtain employment" in order to generate revenue to support North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's regime.

"Today's action continues to highlight the DPRK's extensive illicit cyber and IT worker operations, which finance the regime's unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs," said Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson. "The United States and our partners remain committed to combatting the DPRK's illicit revenue generation activist and continued efforts to steal money."

Tuesday's sanctions targeted Pyongyang University of Automation, a cyber instruction institution that the Treasury Department said is responsible for training cyber units within North Korea's intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau.

They also took aim at the Technical Reconnaissance Bureau and its 110th Research Center which are believed to have conducted cyber operations across the world. The center is also believed to have trained operatives of the Lazarus Group, which was responsible for the 2013 DarkSeoul attacks that knocked out financial services and media companies in the Republic of Korea.

The Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company was also designated for acting as an entity associated with the DPRK's Ministry of People's Armed Forces that has satellite offices in the Russian Federation and China. The entity is accused of funneling money to the DPRK.

Lastly, Kim Sang Maa a representative of Chinyong based in Vladivostok, Russia, was sanctioned as he is believed to be responsible for payments to DPRK IT workers around the world.

The Treasury Department has sanctioned a number of entities and individuals connected to North Korea in recent months, including entities involved in the regime's missile program and the circumvention of sanctions.

Topics
Kim Jong Un

upi.com

3. Treasury Targets DPRK Malicious Cyber and Illicit IT Worker Activities

Synchronized interagency and alliance action.

Treasury Targets DPRK Malicious Cyber and Illicit IT Worker Activities

home.treasury.gov

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four entities and one individual involved in obfuscated revenue generation and malicious cyber activities that support the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Government. The DPRK conducts malicious cyber activities and deploys information technology (IT) workers who fraudulently obtain employment to generate revenue, including in virtual currency, to support the Kim regime and its priorities, such as its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

“Today’s action continues to highlight the DPRK’s extensive illicit cyber and IT worker operations, which finance the regime’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States and our partners remain committed to combatting the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation activities and continued efforts to steal money from financial institutions, virtual currency exchanges, companies, and private individuals around the world.”

Today’s actions demonstrate our continued coordination with our Republic of Korea (ROK) partners, who are concurrently taking sanctions action against overseas DPRK IT workers, by jointly designating the individual and one of the entities identified below. Furthermore, the other three entities OFAC is designating today were previously sanctioned by the ROK on February 10, 2023, for engaging in cyber operations and illicit revenue generation that support the DPRK’s WMD programs.

DPRK MALICIOUS CYBER ORGANIZATIONS

The DPRK’s malicious cyber actors target individuals and companies worldwide to steal funds to support the regime’s priorities, including its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. According to a March 2023 UN Panel of Experts report, DPRK cyber actors stole more virtual currency in 2022 than in any previous year, with estimates ranging from $630 million to over $1 billion—reportedly doubling Pyongyang’s total cyber theft proceeds in 2021.

Pyongyang University of Automation, one of the DPRK’s premier cyber instruction institutions, is responsible for training malicious cyber actors, many of whom go on to work in cyber units subordinate to the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB)—the DPRK’s primary intelligence bureau and main entity responsible for the country’s malicious cyber activities. The RGB was designated by OFAC on January 2, 2015, for being a controlled entity of the Government of North Korea pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13687.

OFAC is also designating the RGB-controlled Technical Reconnaissance Bureau and its subordinate cyber unit, the 110th Research Center. The DPRK-based Technical Reconnaissance Bureau leads the DPRK’s development of offensive cyber tactics and tools and operates several departments, including those affiliated with the Lazarus Group. On March 23, 2022, the Lazarus Group carried out the largest virtual currency heist to date, stealing about $620 million in virtual currency from a blockchain project linked to the online game Axie Infinity. The Lazarus Group was designated by OFAC on September 13, 2019, as an agency, instrumentality, or controlled entity of the Government of North Korea pursuant to E.O. 13722.

The 110th Research Center has conducted cyber operations against networks worldwide, including in the United States and the ROK. In 2013, the 110th Research Center conducted the campaign known as DarkSeoul, which destroyed thousands of financial sector systems and resulted in outages at the top three media companies in the ROK. Additionally, the 110th Research Center has stolen sensitive government information from the ROK related to its military defense and response planning.

Pyongyang University of Automation, Technical Reconnaissance Bureau, and the 110th Research Center are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13687 for being agencies, instrumentalities, or controlled entities of the Government of North Korea or the Workers’ Party of Korea.

ILLICIT IT WORKER REVENUE GENERATION

In addition to theft resulting from cyber intrusions, the DPRK generates significant revenue through the deployment of IT workers who fraudulently obtain employment with companies around the world, including in the technology and virtual currency industries. The DPRK maintains a workforce of thousands of highly skilled IT workers around the world, primarily located in the People’s Republic of China and Russia, to generate revenue that contributes to its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs. In some cases, DPRK IT workers can each earn more than $300,000 per year. These workers deliberately obfuscate their identities, locations, and nationalities, typically using fake personas, proxy accounts, stolen identities, and falsified or forged documentation to apply for jobs at these companies. They target employers located in wealthier countries, utilizing a variety of mainstream and industry-specific freelance contracting, payment, and social media and networking platforms. Applications and software developed by DPRK IT workers span a range of fields and sectors, including business, health and fitness, social networking, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. DPRK IT workers often take on projects that involve virtual currency. DPRK IT workers also use virtual currency exchanges and trading platforms to manage digital payments they receive for contract work as well as to launder these illicitly obtained funds back to the DPRK.

The vast majority of DPRK IT workers are subordinate to, and working on behalf of, UN- and U.S.-designated DPRK entities directly involved in Pyongyang’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs; this IT worker activity has included assisting DPRK officials in procuring WMD and ballistic missile-related items. Although these workers normally engage in IT work distinct from malicious cyber activity, we have also seen instances in which DPRK IT workers have provided some support to the DPRK’s malicious cyber program through privileged access to virtual currency firms.

DPRK-based Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company (Chinyong), also known as Jinyong IT Cooperation Company, is associated with the UN- and U.S.-sanctioned Ministry of Peoples’ Armed Forces. Chinyong, by way of companies under its control and their representatives, employs delegations of DPRK IT workers that operate in Russia and Laos. One such representative of the Chinyong office located in Vladivostok, Russia, DPRK-national Kim Sang Man (Kim), is presumed to be involved in the payment of salaries to family members of Chinyong’s overseas DPRK worker delegations.

Furthermore, Kim has been involved in the sale and transfer of IT equipment for the DPRK and, as recently as 2021, received cryptocurrency funds transfers from IT teams located in China and Russia that were valued at more than $2 million USD. Kim maintained awareness of cryptocurrency payments from a company under his leadership that were being sent to the DPRK. Kim has been affiliated with the U.S.-designated Korea Computer Center and worked as an IT developer in the DPRK prior to being selected as an agent of the UN- and U.S.-designated RGB, in order to earn foreign currency.

Chinyong is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13687 for being an agency, instrumentality, or controlled entity of the Government of North Korea or the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Kim is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13810 for being a North Korean person, including a North Korean person that has engaged in commercial activity that generates revenue for the Government of North Korea or the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Today, the ROK is also designating Chinyong and Kim in relation to their IT worker activities.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today’s action, pursuant to E.O. 13687 and E.O. 13810, all property and interests in property of the persons named above that are in the United States, or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.

In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the individuals or entities designated today may themselves be exposed to designation. Furthermore, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services for any of the individuals or entities designated today could be subject to U.S. correspondent or payable-through account sanctions.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897.

For additional information regarding the DPRK’s IT workers, see the May 16, 2022, Guidance on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Information Technology Workers.

For guidance on complying with sanctions as they relate to virtual currency, see OFAC’s Sanctions Compliance Guidance for the Virtual Currency Industry and OFAC’s FAQs on virtual currency.

For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list.

###

home.treasury.gov

4. Joint U.S.-ROK Symposium on Countering DPRK Sanctions Evasion Involving DPRK IT Workers

Very interesting timing of the announcement of sanctions and this symposium. I don't recall ever seeing a symposium like this from State.

But this seems like a great initiative.

This is so important. These "all purpose sword" of regime cyber activities is critical to the funding of the regime and its weapons programs.

Excerpt:

During the symposium, industry leaders and experts from the U.S. and ROK governments will provide insights into the threat posed by DPRK IT worker activities, real world case studies of DPRK workers fraudulently accessing IT staffing platforms, and guidance to protect business and national security interests from this ongoing tactic of DPRK sanctions evasion.

Joint U.S.-ROK Symposium on Countering DPRK Sanctions Evasion Involving DPRK IT Workers

MEDIA NOTE

OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON

MAY 23, 2023

https://www.state.gov/joint-u-s-rok-symposium-on-countering-dprk-sanctions-evasion-involving-dprk-it-workers/

The U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK) will co-host a U.S.- ROK Joint Symposium: Stopping DPRK Sanctions Evasion in the Remote IT Work Industry in San Francisco, CA, on May 24, 2023, as part of our ongoing efforts to both curb the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) attempts to earn revenue for its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) and to raise awareness of DPRK workers’ rights.

DPRK IT workers take advantage of the demand for specific IT skills, such as software mobile app and decentralized finance platform development, to obtain freelance employment contracts from clients around the world, including in North America, Europe, and East Asia. DPRK remote IT workers have also used the privileged access gained through these positions to enable malicious cyber operations.

Like other DPRK workers employed in third countries, DPRK remote IT workers may be subjected to forced labor and constant and close surveillance by government security agents. IT workers have also been forced to work 12-16 hours per day, which may be an indicator of forced labor and an abuse of their human rights.

Government officials and private sector experts from freelance work platforms, payment processors, IT staffing firms, social media companies, and other industry stakeholders, representing more than a dozen countries, are expected to attend this symposium.

During the symposium, industry leaders and experts from the U.S. and ROK governments will provide insights into the threat posed by DPRK IT worker activities, real world case studies of DPRK workers fraudulently accessing IT staffing platforms, and guidance to protect business and national security interests from this ongoing tactic of DPRK sanctions evasion.

5. Korea Space Race Heats Up With North and South Planning Launches

There can be some real possibilities for influence operations when the ROK wins this space race.

Korea Space Race Heats Up With North and South Planning Launches

North Korea is sending a new surveillance satellite into orbit
South Korea meanwhile plans a homegrown rocket launch May 24

BySangmi Cha and Bruce Einhorn

May 23, 2023 at 4:00 PM EDT

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-23/korea-space-race-heats-up-with-north-and-south-planning-launches?sref=hhjZtX76

The two Koreas are in a space race.

The North is upgrading its space center to accommodate the increased demands of leader Kim Jong Un, who boasted last month the country had completed its first military reconnaissance satellite and called for its launch into orbit to monitor US forces and their allies in Asia.

Given the progress Pyongyang has made with its development of long-range missiles, North Korea stands a good chance of succeeding. The country’s space agency, which recently marked its 10-year anniversary, is at the fore of “building a space power,” state media reported, with the goal “to explore and conquer outer space in our own way.”

All this is raising alarm 195 kilometers (120 miles) away in Seoul. South Korea is working on a rocket program of its own, with the first deployment of commercial satellites into orbit scheduled for Wednesday aboard the locally made Nuri rocket.

“There’s definitely a rivalry between the two Koreas in terms of what they’re trying to set up in space,” said military historian David Silbey, director of teaching and learning at Cornell University’s program in Washington.

One big concern is that a successful launch by North Korea could provide a boost to Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

“One of the things satellites are used for is targeting nuclear weapons,” Silbey said. “It’s worth being really nervous about North Korea having this kind of high-end capacity.”

Kim earlier this month visited a facility assembling North Korea’s first spy satellite, an indication the state may conduct its first space rocket launch in about seven years. During the last launch in February 2016, the country said it put an earth-observation satellite into orbit, although outside watchers doubted the claim.

While the country is barred by United Nations Security Council resolutions from conducting ballistic missile tests, Pyongyang has long claimed it’s entitled to have a civilian space program for satellite launches. The US and its partners have warned that technology derived from North Korea’s space program could be used to advance its ballistic missile technology.

“If North Korea can successfully launch and place an imaging satellite into orbit, I have no doubt they’ll use the images to try and refine their targeting list,” David Schmerler, a senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said.

One satellite alone wouldn’t be able to cover all of North Korea’s areas of interest, but with subsequent launches, Pyongyang may look to increase its operational awareness on the peninsula and expand into the immediate region, Schmerler said.

“The potential threat from North Korea would notionally remain the same, but with better or more up-to-date imagery, that threat would be more refined — and more effectively deployed — if used,” he said.

Read: Kim Jong Un Calls for Spy Satellite Launch in Face of US Threat

And any satellite launch would add to security concerns Kim’s government is raising the stakes, particularly given the series of new weapons’ tests in recent years.

This photo provided April 14, 2023, by the North Korean government, shows what it says is the test-launch of Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile on April 13.Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP Photo

These have included a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile launched for the first time in April that could be quickly deployed to target the US, and new missiles systems to hit US troops stationed in South Korea and Japan.

South Korea’s expected launch of its home-grown Nuri rocket on May 24, meanwhile, comes as it seeks to advance its civilian space program. Shortly after the news of the North’s surveillance satellite, South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development announced that it would be building one, too.

The Agency for Defense Development is in charge of the development and the plan is to spend more than 1.4 trillion won ($1.1 billion) by 2030 on the project. The first launch will come in November, when Seoul wants to send multiple synthetic aperture radars (SAR) and electro-optical and infrared sensors into space aboard one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 21.Photographer: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The SAR satellite will be the first one South Korea’s military launches into the orbit and will enable the government to monitor North Korea movements every two hours within a 30-centimeter resolution.

Still, while both sides race to make progress, some play down any perceived tensions.

“We’re working based on our timeline,” said Koh Jeonghwan, a principal researcher at Korea Aerospace Research Institute. “We’re not comparing ourselves to North Korea.”

— With assistance by Jon Herskovitz

6. South Korea Isn’t Sure the US Has Its Back

I have great respect for Dr. Brands. But frankly I think he has not really engaged with any ROK officials to gauge their views. I think his views are the conventional wisdom among some pundits but my recent discussions with a number of officials and ROK thought leaders leads me to to contrary view. Yes some ROK academics and former officials do have concerns but my strong anecdotal evidence is that there is confidence in the commitment and the Washington Declaration is reinforcing that confidence.

But what is most egregious is that Dr. Brands is most likely unknowingly supporting Kim Jong Un's political warfare strategy to drive a wedge i the ROK ?US alliance. One of the ways Kim is trying to do that is to create the perception of there is a trade for Seattle for Seoul. When you really think about it such "trade" is unrealistic. Or what is unrealistic is to think that there is some action we can take so that we can prevent such a trade. Please tell me what that action is? Withdrawal of extended deterrence and the nuclear umbrella? THe withdrawal of US troops? Doing either or both will invite a conflict on the peninsula sooner than later. And do we think such a conflict will leave the US unaffected when the economics of the 2d, 3d, and 10th largest economies are severely affected? What happens when the conflict spills over into Japan and China in addition to tin the ROK? Are we willing to give up the security of the ROK and allow for the global economic devastation that a conflict in Korea will cause?

I hate to offer this because it is not creative or sexy. There is no easy solution other than to continue to maintain the strongest possible deterrence and defense capability to continue to successful deter a resumption of hostilities and deter the use of WMD against the US, the ROK, and our allies.

Excerpt:

That’s bad news for the US-South Korea alliance. South Korea sits under the American nuclear umbrella: Washington has promised to use its own nuclear weapons, if necessary, to defend its ally from a North Korean attack. Yet that threat looks less plausible once we reach a point where an American president might have to sacrifice Seattle to protect Seoul.

South Korea Isn’t Sure the US Has Its Back

With North Korea developing more potent technology, Seoul is questioning the American commitment and thinking about building its own bomb.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-05-23/south-korea-worried-about-the-north-s-nukes-and-doesn-t-trust-us?sref=hhjZtX76

ByHal Brands

May 23, 2023 at 6:00 PM EDT

The Group of 7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, last week was dominated by the two issues that have riveted US policymakers of late: The war in Ukraine and escalating competition with China. But as Washington fixates on great-power competition, other geopolitical threats are getting worse.

Iran’s nuclear program keeps inching ahead, raising the risk of showdown with the US and Israel. America may think that its global war on terrorism is over, but extremism continues to fester from Afghanistan to Africa. And, as became clear when I visited South Korea last week for the Asian Leadership Conference, North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities are rapidly improving, in ways that will put the alliance between Washington and Seoul to the test.

For a generation, a nuclearizing North Korea has been a problem without a solution. The only ways to disarm the Kim Jong Un regime would be by waging a ghastly war or by squeezing it to death economically in a way that neighboring China is unlikely to tolerate.

Under former President Donald Trump, the issue seemed headed for a showdown, as Washington sought to stop North Korea from crossing a critical threshold: an intercontinental ballistic missile capability that would allow it to target the US. But Trump’s threats of “fire and fury” couldn’t force Kim to part with the weapons that secure his regime and scare the world.

Trump soon shifted from fruitlessly coercing Kim to fruitlessly courting him, and Washington then pivoted to entirely different matters. Today, as one major war rages in Ukraine and another threatens in the Western Pacific, the challenge posed by a tinpot tyrant — no matter how well armed — doesn’t rate the same attention.

FM says joint operation between Seoul, Washington top priority for nuclear consulting group

The Korea Times · May 23, 2023

Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks during a forum organized by the Korea News Editors' Association at the Press Center in Seoul, May 23. Yonhap

Foreign Minister Park Jin said Tuesday that ensuring joint operation between South Korea and the United States is top priority for the allies' envisioned nuclear consulting group for bolstering nuclear deterrence against North Korea's military threats.

Park also appeared to open the possibility that Japan may join the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), saying the participation of Japan in the group "can be discussed."

At a forum hosted by the Korea News Editors' Association in Seoul, Park said the priority of the NCG would be the "faithful establishment and operation between South Korea and the United States."

Seoul and Washington agreed to establish the NCG during a bilateral summit last month to share information on nuclear operations and planning, and regularly deploy U.S. strategic assets, such as a nuclear ballistic missile submarine, to the Korean Peninsula.

When asked whether Japan could potentially join the apparatus, Park stated it is "a matter that can be discussed." The minister added that Japan is also allied with the U.S. and has security concerns regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles.

On the agenda of a likely trilateral summit between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan in Washington later this year, Park said there will be "announcements from the defense authorities of the three countries on how to achieve real-time sharing of North Korea's missile provocation alerts." (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · May 23, 2023

8. Bracing for nuclear war (Korea and beyond)

Excerpts:

The impression, fortified by the meeting of the G7 in Japan, is that Washington is forming a defensive line extending from Japan and South Korea, through Taiwan and the Philippines, and on down to Australia.

Biden sought to brace up confidence in this defensive network even though he had to cancel plans to go to Australia after the summit for a meeting of the Quad Four, including both Japan and India as well as the U.S. and Australia, and then on to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for a session of the Pacific Islands Forum of 18 South Pacific nations.

There was no doubt the cancellation of visits to Sydney and then the PNG capital, Port Moresby, was a severe disappointment considering China's aggressive pursuit of influence and trade throughout the South Pacific. But Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi were both in Hiroshima as observers. Together they staged a Quad Four meeting on the sidelines of the G-7.

Chinese commentators persisted in saying that the cancellation of the second half of Biden's Pacific journey was evidence of "declining U.S. power" and a betrayal of its "commitments." That was the same word, of course, that Biden often uses to assure the leaders of Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines that he will always stand by them against China.

Bracing for nuclear war

The Korea Times · May 23, 2023

By Donald Kirk

The gaunt ruin of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial formed a stark backdrop to the G7 summit as leaders of the seven major industrial democracies and observers from other nations met to fend off wars that could trigger the next nuclear conflagration.

Their host, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is from Hiroshima, began the talkfest by escorting his fellow potentates to the Genbaku Dome, the ghostly ruin of the first nuclear bomb dropped in warfare on Aug. 6, 1945.

President Joe Biden was not there to apologize for the bomb that killed at least 70,000 people. But his visit to the Peace Memorial was a powerful reminder of the urgent need to look for peace in a world beset by the dangers of wars that could engulf much of humanity. Right now, the hottest war is being fought in Ukraine, where the G-7 leaders agreed totally on the need to stanch the bleeding of the Russian invasion that's cost, by some estimates, 50,000 lives.

Just to get the G7 leaders to match their bold words with promises of much more military aid, including F-16 fighter planes, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met them in Hiroshima after visiting Saudi Arabia, where he had appealed for aid from a much different forum, the Arab League. For Zelenskyy, the symbolism of Hiroshima could hardly have been more appropriate considering the danger of Russian nukes poised near Ukraine's borders.

On the opposite side of the Eurasian landmass, China, looking very much like Russia's best friend and ally, poses a threat that may be of still bigger proportions. With every passing day, fears mount of a Chinese attack on the independent Chinese island province of Taiwan.

But Taiwan is not the only Asian flashpoint that worries the G7. Some analysts believe China is just as likely to open fire on the South China Sea, which China claims as its own territory. American warships periodically steam within eyesight of an airstrip the Chinese have built on Mischief Reef, in the Spratly Islands, while American warplanes defy Chinese warnings to fly away.

A much bigger nuclear threat, at least judging from the rhetoric, emanates from North Korea, where leader Kim Jong-un has ordered missile tests this year, including that of an intercontinental model powered by solid fuel, used to quickly and definitively launch missiles before spy satellites notice. Kim has not ordered a nuclear test since September 2017, but his short and intermediate-range missiles, bearing nuclear warheads, theoretically could hit targets in South Korea and Japan.

With images of the death and destruction inflicted by the atom-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan remains dead set against producing its own nuclear warheads to match those of North Korea, which may have more than 100 by now, or China, estimated to have several hundred. South Korean conservatives often call for the South to begin developing nukes while the U.S. assures both Korea and Japan of the security of its "nuclear umbrella" with warheads on American ships and planes and also on bases in Guam and Hawaii.

The impression, fortified by the meeting of the G7 in Japan, is that Washington is forming a defensive line extending from Japan and South Korea, through Taiwan and the Philippines, and on down to Australia.

Biden sought to brace up confidence in this defensive network even though he had to cancel plans to go to Australia after the summit for a meeting of the Quad Four, including both Japan and India as well as the U.S. and Australia, and then on to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for a session of the Pacific Islands Forum of 18 South Pacific nations.

There was no doubt the cancellation of visits to Sydney and then the PNG capital, Port Moresby, was a severe disappointment considering China's aggressive pursuit of influence and trade throughout the South Pacific. But Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi were both in Hiroshima as observers. Together they staged a Quad Four meeting on the sidelines of the G-7.

Chinese commentators persisted in saying that the cancellation of the second half of Biden's Pacific journey was evidence of "declining U.S. power" and a betrayal of its "commitments." That was the same word, of course, that Biden often uses to assure the leaders of Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines that he will always stand by them against China.

Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, writes from Seoul and Washington.

The Korea Times · May 23, 2023

9. South Korea cancels third launch of homegrown rocket due to technical problems

Did I jinx this launch with my comment about the ROK winning the space race. At least they caught the problem before they conducted a failed launch. This would actually be another indication of a superior space program - the ability to detect and correct faults before they are catastrophic.

South Korea cancels third launch of homegrown rocket due to technical problems

theprint.in · by Reuters · May 24, 2023

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SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea cancelled the third flight of its homegrown space rocket on Wednesday because of technical problems hours before a launch that was meant to mark a significant step in its burgeoning space programme.

South Korea is aspiring to be a key player in space technology, competing with its Asian neighbours.

The technical glitches are most likely communication errors between computers that control a helium relief valve, officials say. The vehicle itself does not show any problems, so it will remain on the launch pad for a rescheduled test.

South Korea’s deputy science minister, Oh Tae-seok, told a briefing that a meeting on Thursday would decide when another launch could take place, perhaps as early as Thursday afternoon.

In June 2022, the country successfully launched its domestically produced Nuri rocket and placed working and dummy satellites into orbit in its second test.

The third test would be the first to load and launch a commercial-grade satellite aboard the Nuri vehicle, standing on the pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, on the southwestern tip of South Korea.

The country plans to carry out three more test launches of the Nuri system by 2027.

The planned launch on Wednesday also comes amid an arms race around South and North Korea, which are technically still at war since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice.

North Korea is preparing to launch its first military spy satellite, state media has reported. South Korea has no military surveillance satellites, relying on information from its major ally the United States.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Tom Hogue and Gerry Doyle)

Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.

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theprint.in · by Reuters · May 24, 2023

10. South Korea company fuses AI with imagery to detect ballistic missiles

A game changer?

Necessity is the mother of invention.

South Korea company fuses AI with imagery to detect ballistic missiles

c4isrnet.com · by Colin Demarest · May 23, 2023

ST. LOUIS — A South Korean company specializing in satellite imagery analysis is developing new techniques to identify missiles, launchers and supporting infrastructure in North Korea with potential applications far beyond the shared peninsula.

SI Analytics CEO Taegyun Jeon on May 22 briefed reporters on the North Korea Dynamic Ballistic Missile Operation Area Search Project at the GEOINT Symposium in St. Louis. The company previously competed in U.S. Defense Innovation Unit challenges, including building damage assessments and detection of so-called dark vessels that don’t broadcast their location or appear in public monitoring systems.

The latest project fuses earth-observation data from multiple commercial satellite operators with in-house artificial intelligence-augmented image analysis to detect and classify anomalies — North Korean ballistic missile operations, for example. The findings, once verified by experts, can then be shared, facilitating a government response.

“We will contribute our private sector capability and effort for a safer world,” Taegyun said. “As can be seen in the media, the news, there is increasing global stress from North Korea.”

This image released and notated by Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North shows the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea. (Airbus Defense and Space/38 North via AP)

North Korean missile tests rattle neighbors and far-flung nations alike. They also draw widespread condemnation. A joint statement issued this week by South Korea and the European Union described North Korean developments as “reckless” and as a “serious threat” to “international and regional peace and security.”

A meaningful dialogue is needed, it continued, as is a suspension of “all actions that raise military tensions.”

SI Analytics was established in 2018. It is based in Daejeon, with offices in Seoul and Gwangju.

About Colin Demarest

Colin Demarest is a reporter at C4ISRNET, where he covers military networks, cyber and IT. Colin previously covered the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration — namely Cold War cleanup and nuclear weapons development — for a daily newspaper in South Carolina. Colin is also an award-winning photographer.

11. Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S. hold meeting over N.K. spy satellite, provocations

I am still amazed at the very high level sustained diplomacy we are conducting with Korea. I do not think any past administration has sustained engagement at such a high level for so long. And north Korean actions just keep strengthening the alliance.

Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S. hold meeting over N.K. spy satellite, provocations | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · May 24, 2023

SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's deputy nuclear envoy Lee Joon-il met his U.S. counterpart to discuss ways to counter North Korea's evolving military threats, including the North's plan to launch a military spy satellite, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The meeting between Lee, the ministry's director-general for North Korean nuclear affairs, and U.S. Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak, came as Pyongyang has recently announced the completion of preparations to mount its first military spy satellite on a rocket.

During their meeting held in San Francisco the previous day (local time), the two sides agreed to step up cooperation in dealing with the North's provocations and take stern measures against the launch of the reconnaissance satellite.

They also assessed that the allies' decision to simultaneously slap unilateral sanctions on the North earlier this week demonstrated their "close coordination," the ministry said.

On Tuesday, Seoul imposed unilateral sanctions on three North Korean organizations and seven individuals in response to their illegal cyber activities aimed at financing the North's nuclear and missile development programs. The U.S. also slapped its own sanctions on four North Korean organizations and one individual.

Lee Joon-il (R), director-general for North Korean nuclear affairs at South Korea's foreign ministry, and U.S. Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak pose for a photo after holding talks in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 2, 2022, in this file photo provided by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

julesyi@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · May 24, 2023

12. Seoul, Washington conduct table-top simulation for nuclear contingencies

A scoops? I had not seen anything on this TTX before. But it is a good thing they did.

Some might say the Washington Declaration is actually codifying much of what we are already doding.

There could be a meme for this statement:

government-wide nuclear umbrella operation training

Korean and US government staffers could be seen leaving the TTX carrying open umbrellas with the nuclear warning symbol highly visible on top of the umbrella.

Seoul, Washington conduct table-top simulation for nuclear contingencies

donga.com

Posted May. 24, 2023 07:56,

Updated May. 24, 2023 07:56

Seoul, Washington conduct table-top simulation for nuclear contingencies. May. 24, 2023 07:56. by Kyu-Jin Shin, Hyo-Ju Son newjin@donga.com,hjson@donga.com.

The Presidential Office of South Korea and the White House reportedly conducted a joint government-wide nuclear umbrella operation simulation (TTS) training last month, prior to the Washington summit between South Korea and the United States. This marks the first time that the highest-level organizations of both countries, rather than the military authorities, have led a nuclear umbrella response training, assuming a staged nuclear provocation scenario by North Korea. This suggests that “table-top simulation” or TTS, whose impending introduction was specified in the “Washington Declaration,” the strengthened measure of extended deterrence (nuclear umbrella) agreed upon from the summit meeting last month, had actually been put into operation.

According to The Dong-A Ilbo's coverage on Tuesday, the government-wide nuclear umbrella operation training led by the Blue House and the White House took place before President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the United States. It was revealed that Defense Secretary Im Gi-hoon participated in the training as a representative from the Korean side. TTS is a training program where officials from South Korea and the United States discuss and simulate specific procedures and methods in response to North Korea's staged nuclear provocation scenarios, including nuclear threats, imminent use of nuclear weapons, and actual use of nuclear weapons.

The Washington Declaration explicitly states, "The Alliance has established a new bilateral, interagency table-top simulation to strengthen our joint approach to planning for nuclear contingencies." A senior government official said that this was to "enhance the execution and specificity of extended deterrence provided to South Korea." South Korea and the United States have agreed to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) for such discussions and are preparing for its operation.

This TTS conducted before the South Korea-U.S. summit differs from the previous Table-top Exercise (TTX) conducted between military authorities, as it involves higher-level participants and expands the scope of response to the government-wide level, allowing for closer coordination between South Korea and the United States in the process of providing extended deterrence.

"Since it is a government-wide exercise, it can be seen as assuming actual battles,” a government source said. “Compared to TTX, TTS is closer to simulation training for actual scenarios."

한국어

donga.com

13. Food shortage spreads in North Korea, with some starving farmers unable to work

Are we ready for what may come next?

Food shortage spreads in North Korea, with some starving farmers unable to work

Desperate families flee by boat to South Korea to escape hardship.

By Sung Whui Moon and Do Hyung Han for RFA Korean

2023.05.23

rfa.org

A food shortage in North Korea appears to be spreading, with sources inside the country telling Radio Free Asia that as many as 30% of farmers in two northern provinces are unable to work on collective farms because they’re weak from hunger.

Although the army has been sent in to pick up the slack, the food crisis has grown dire in Ryanggang and Chagang provinces, which border China, a resident connected with rural economic planning in Ryanggang told Radio Free Asia’s Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

North Korea is chronically short of food each year. But a drought last year that ruined potato and corn harvests, combined with the lack of imports from China due to a prolonged border closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, has made the situation worse, the economic planner said.

Steps the government took to cope with the pandemic may also be contributing to the shortage.

Most farms in North Korea are collective ventures, where workers in a region cooperate to plant and harvest food, which is then shared among the communities.

But last year, the government distributed a plot of land to each family to cultivate so that they would not come in contact with each other and potentially spread the virus. This made worker attendance irrelevant from the authorities’ point of view, as each family worked their own plot.

“The current food crisis in the cooperative farms in Ryanggang and Chagang is so serious that it cannot be compared to 2022, the time of the coronavirus pandemic,” the economic planner said.

Keeping people in line

Authorities are punishing administrative officials who cannot keep the minimum worker attendance rate of 60%, the planner said.

The Organization and Guidance Department of the Central Committee ordered that in the event that any workers at collective farms die of starvation, lower level administrative and party officials will be “severely punished,” another Ryanggang resident said.

A U.N. expert agrees that the crisis so far this year appears worse than the year before.

Currently, around 42% of the North Korean population is malnourished due to food shortages, Elizabeth Salmón, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea said in a report to the UN Human Rights Council.

Farmers plant rice at the Namsa Co-op Farm of Rangnang District in Pyongyang, North Korea, on May 25, 2021. There’s little doubt that North Korea’s chronic food shortages worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and speculation about the country’s chronic food insecurity has flared as its top leaders prepare to discuss the "very important and urgent task" of formulating a correct agricultural policy. Credit: Associated Press

North Korea will be short by about 800,000 tons of rice this year, a representative of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, or NIS, said in a closed business report to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee in March.

Potatoes cost 2,000 won, or about 20 US cents, per kilogram (2.2 pounds) in the marketplace in Hyesan, Ryanggang province, the economic planner said. That’s the highest price since 2015, he said.

“It’s evidence that the food shortage of the residents in the northern mountainous area is serious,” she said.

Fleeing hardship

Living conditions are so bad that two desperate families this month fled the country on a fishing boat, crossing over into South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea, according to interviews conducted by the military and the NIS.

Fleeing North Korea on the high seas is relatively rare, as most escapees leave the country by crossing the border with China. The last such escape occurred in 2017, when five North Koreans fled to the South in waters east of the peninsula.

The South Korean military first spotted the fishing boat as it approached the disputed Northern Limit Line maritime border. When the boat crossed the line, the military boarded and confirmed the escapees’ intentions to flee to the South.

They were then transferred to an investigation facility for interrogation and background checks. Once cleared, they will be admitted to a settlement support center for North Korean refugees, for about three months before joining South Korean society.

Two South Korean government agencies confirmed the incident to RFA.

“It is a fact that North Koreans recently defected to South Korea, and a joint investigation [with the military] is underway,” a representative of the NIS told RFA. The two families consisted of fewer than 10 people and included children.

The two families are headed by millennial brothers according to The Korea Herald, one of South Korea’s major English-language newspapers.

Farmers plant rice using a rice seedling transplanter at the Chongsan Cooperative Farm in the Kangso District of Nampho City. Credit: AFP

Citing sources knowledgeable about the two brothers and their families, the report said that they decided to run to South Korea with their wives, children, and their mother because they sought a better life as portrayed on the South Korean TV shows they secretly watched over the years.

In particular, it was the talk show “Now on My Way to Meet You,” which features North Korean escapees adjusting to their new lives in the South, that prompted them to try to escape, they said in a screening interview with government officials.

In North Korea, they were the targets of discrimination because their late father who died several years ago had been rejected from joining the Korean Workers’ Party, which is the gateway to preferential jobs, education, social standing and better food rations, the report said.

The number of North Koreans escaping to South Korea was around 1,000 per year until 2019, but then dropped sharply during the pandemic to 229 in 2020, 63 in 2021 and 67 in 2022, , according to Ministry of Unification statistics.

Potato shortage

Meanwhile, in the North, potato production was so low last year due to the drought that there may have only been enough potatoes for planting this season – not enough to use as food, said the first source.

Taehongdan county, which is known for its potato production, harvested only between 8 to 15 tons per jeongbo [2.45 acres] due to last year’s extreme drought, he said.

“They need 8 tons of potatoes per jeongbo for sowing in the spring. So, in the worst case, they only grew enough to save for seeds.”

In an effort to avoid punishment, the cooperative farm managers are begging for food from rich people in their areas, the second resident said.

“They borrowed the food, promising that they would pay it back double in the fall, and distributed it to the farm workers to sustain their lives.”

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

rfa.org

13. US sanctions North Korean crypto operations

Note the subtitle - fraudulently working remote jobs.

US sanctions North Korean crypto operations

Besides stealing cryptocurrency, Pyongyang allegedly has tech specialists 'fraudulently’ working remote jobs.

Alex Willemyns and RFA Korean

2023.05.23

Washington

rfa.org

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned four North Korean entities and one person for their role in a fundraising scheme that uses cryptocurrency to funnel stolen money and salaries “fraudulently” earned abroad back to Pyongyang for its weapons program.

The sanctioned entities include the Pyongyang University of Automation, described as one of the North’s “premier cyber instruction institutions,” and the Technical Reconnaissance Bureau, which the Treasury Department says works closely with Lazarus Group, a team of hackers who last year stole US$620 million in cryptocurrency.

The 110th Research Center, a subsidiary of the Technical Reconnaissance Bureau that has created “outages” at South Korean media outlets and attacked financial and government institutions in Seoul, has also been added to the U.S. sanctions list.

All three entities are accused of “malicious cyber activities” to steal funds for use in Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program, with South Korea’s government also simultaneously issuing similar sanctions.

$300,000 annual salaries

The list of sanctions entities, though, also includes the Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company, which is accused of managing computer specialists who “fraudulently” work remotely at companies in developed countries and earn hefty salaries.

“In addition to theft resulting from cyber intrusions, the DPRK generates significant revenue through the deployment of IT workers who fraudulently obtain employment with companies around the world, including in the technology and virtual currency industries,” the Treasury statement said, using an acronym for the North Korean regime.

“The DPRK maintains a workforce of thousands of highly skilled IT workers around the world, primarily located in the People’s Republic of China and Russia, to generate revenue that contributes to its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs,” it continued.

“In some cases, DPRK IT workers can each earn more than US$300,000 per year,” it said.

The workers “obfuscate their identities, locations, and nationalities, typically using fake personas, proxy accounts, stolen identities, and falsified or forged documentation” to apply for remote jobs at firms in wealthy countries, the statement said.

They have developed apps across the categories of “business, health and fitness, social networking, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle,” it added.

The Treasury Statement also says one individual – Kim Sang Man – has been sanctioned for managing “the payment of salaries to family members of Chinyong’s overseas DPRK worker delegations.”

‘A sharp break’

Experts told Radio Free Asia that cutting off financing was a critical part of weakening the North’s nuclear weapons program.

The sanctions represent an “important step in degrading North Korea’s ability to engage in illicit cyber-attacks to generate revenue” and raise awareness of how crypto is being misused, said Troy Stangarone, a senior director at the Washington-based Korea Economic Institute.

“In addition to making it more difficult for North Korea to act, the new designation is a reminder to crypto businesses and tech companies that North Korea is working to exploit their systems for its own gains and the need to take additional precautions,” Stangarone said.

Bruce Klinger, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, meanwhile, said the simultaneous sanctions issued by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government showed the year-old administration in Seoul was taking a less diplomatic route than its predecessor.

The cooperation marks “a sharp break from the Moon Jae-in administration which sought to reduce international sanctions and law enforcement measures against North Korea as well as downplaying Pyongyang's human rights violations,” Klinger said.

Edited by Malcolm Foster.

rfa.org

14. Unmarried N. Korean woman dies after receiving abortion at doctor’s home

So tragic.

Unmarried N. Korean woman dies after receiving abortion at doctor’s home

Most unmarried pregnant women receive abortions at a doctor’s home rather than at a hospital, a reporting partner told Daily NK

By Lee Chae Un - 2023.05.24 5:00pm

dailynk.com

FILE PHOTO: North Korean women are seen on bikes near Sakju County, North Pyongan Province. (Daily NK)

An unmarried woman in her 30s recently died after receiving an abortion at a doctor’s home in Hamhung, Daily NK has learned.

Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a reporting partner in South Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on May 18 that the woman, identified by her surname Kim, died on May 10 due to excessive blood loss from an abortion of her seven-month-old fetus.

Kim had been impregnated out of wedlock, and found out about her pregnancy two months after conception. She had intended to carry out the abortion immediately, but due to a lack of funds she missed out on aborting during the initial pregnancy period when the surgery was relatively less complicated.

As her pregnancy progressed, an increasingly anxious Kim barely managed to scrape together RMB 200 (around USD 28) for engaging the services of a doctor who performed unauthorized medical procedures at his own residence.

The doctor had previously worked as an obstetrician at a hospital in Hamhung, but subsequently left the hospital and turned to treating patients at home illegally for more than a decade for personal profit. In Hamhung, he is a relatively well-known figure who generally receives good reviews for his skills, the reporting partner said.

Following the incident, the doctor was subsequently detained by the city’s Ministry of Social Security for his failure to stem the bleeding resulting from Kim’s procedures, which eventually led to her death.

“North Korean young women who get pregnant fear the spread of rumors because they’ll be treated like criminals or face criticism,” the reporting partner said. “It is common for pregnant women to undergo an abortion to avoid the spread of rumors or, if they lack the finances to do so, many turn to abandoning their babies after childbirth.”

The reporting partner further explained that most unmarried pregnant women receive abortions at a doctor’s home rather than at a hospital, and there have been numerous cases of lives lost during such procedures due to the absence of emergency response systems in these homes.

In Kim’s case, the abortion was performed at a stage of her pregnancy where her fetus had grown too large, meaning that considerable risks were already foreseeable, the reporting partner said.

“This kind of incident would not have occurred if not for the negative social perceptions against young pregnant women. There’s an urgent need for the government to implement measures to prevent such unfortunate deaths from occurring among unmarried women.”

Translated by Marc Yeo Yi Fei. 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

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

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

If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."

Access NSS HERE

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