Quotes of the Day:

"Be a free thinker and don't accept everything you hear as truth. Be critical and evaluate what you believe in." 

- Aristotle

"Many who are self-taught far excel the doctors, masters, and bachelors of the most renowned universities."

- Ludwig von Mises

"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."

- John Stuart Mill

1. South Korea says North Korea launches 'space projectile,' setting off evacuation alarms in Seoul and Japan

2.  N. Korea admits failure of spy satellite launch, vows to seek 2nd launch in near future

3. North Korea’s first spy satellite launch ends in failure, and promise to send up another

4. KCNA Report ("Chollima-1" Rocket Launch Failure)

5. Purported N. Korean 'space launch vehicle' falls into Yellow Sea after 'abnormal' flight: S. Korean military

6. NSC condemns N.K. rocket launch as grave violation of U.N. resolutions

7. Nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan 'strongly condemn' N.K. space launch

8. Seoul city erroneously sends emergency alert after N.K. launch

9. N.K. leader estimated to weigh about 140 kg with significant sleep disorders: spy agency

10. North Korean Spy Satellite Fails to Reach Space

11. Spy agency says hard living is taking a toll on North Korean leader's health

1. South Korea says North Korea launches 'space projectile,' setting off evacuation alarms in Seoul and Japan

The ROK really needs to track down who issued the alert and evacuation order.

Seoul cannot be evacuated and even if it was to be evacuated does anyone think it is practical to just evacuate children and the elderly first? This really undermines the credibility of the ROK government.

Excerpts:

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred around 6:29 a.m. Two minutes later, an air raid siren sounded in Seoul, and a minute after that a text message was sent urging residents to “prepare to evacuate and allow children and the elderly evacuate first.”

Another message followed at 6:41 a.m. to say the warnings were “sent in error.”

South Korea says North Korea launches 'space projectile,' setting off evacuation alarms in Seoul and Japan | CNN

CNN · by Yoonjung Seo,Junko Ogura · May 31, 2023

CNN —

South Korea’s military said North Korea fired a “space projectile” Wednesday, triggering emergency alerts in Seoul and Japan, weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered officials to prepare to launch the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred around 6:29 a.m. Two minutes later, an air raid siren sounded in Seoul, and a minute after that a text message was sent urging residents to “prepare to evacuate and allow children and the elderly evacuate first.”

Another message followed at 6:41 a.m. to say the warnings were “sent in error.”

Japan’s Defense Ministry had warned on Monday it would destroy any North Korean missile that entered its territory after Pyongyang notified the country of plans to launch a “satellite” between May 31 and June 11.

Wednesday’s launch triggered alarms in Japan, where alerts issued for the Okinawa prefecture were later recalled after authorities there determined there was no threat to Japanese territory.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile was launched from Tongchang-ri, Pyongan province towards the south, and was detected flying over the west of Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea.

A separate warning was issued for Baengnyeong Island that was lifted just after 8 a.m, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Interior and Safety, which said the projectile was launched over the West Sea.

More to come.

CNN · by Yoonjung Seo,Junko Ogura · May 31, 2023

2. N. Korea admits failure of spy satellite launch, vows to seek 2nd launch in near future

Of course, north Korea has tried to launch satellites before. I believe the launch was actually in support of its ICBM program, but it will be using the excuse of a satellite (purportedly for reconnaissance) launch to justify it. Despite that, as noted by State and the ROK NSC, since it uses ballistic missile technology it is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

I think it is useful to compare the north and the South's space launch programs. South Korea's space program is much more capable and advanced than the north's given not only the recent successful launch of some five satellites but the other recent launches that have included a lunar orbiter that is sending data back from the moon. 

Since the launch failed we will not be able to determine if the north actually was attempting to test a re-entry vehicle as opposed to a satellite. Even if they did not intend to do that, I think we have to assess that the purpose of this launch is to advance its ICBM program.

The obvious response is more aggressive, efficient, and effective enforcement of sanctions to conduct the strategic strangulation of the regime's illicit activities and funding efforts to cut off support to its nuclear, missile, and advanced military capabilities development. However, this is difficult because China and Russia are complicit in north Korean sanctions evasion activities. Therefore, the international community and in particular the US, should employ secondary sanctions against those who are supporting north Korean sanctions evasion.

The ROK/US alliance should also embark on an aggressive information and influence campaign to provide information to the Korean people in the north. To really pressure Kim, the people need information. They need to know they are suffering because Kim Jong Un prioritizes military capabilities and support to the elite over the welfare of the people. And this failed launch surely wasted millions of dollars. We need to provide practical information to the people on how to improve agriculture and market activity as well as how to take collective action in the face of tyrannical rule of the regime. The Korean people in the north need to know they have choices and that they can shape their future. Kim is actually more afraid of this than he is of the ROK and US military, This will exert enormous pressure on the regime.

(2nd LD) N. Korea admits failure of spy satellite launch, vows to seek 2nd launch in near future | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · May 31, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout; CHANGES photos)

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Wednesday a rocket carrying a military spy satellite it launched earlier in the day crashed into the Yellow Sea due to an engine problem and that the country plans to carry out its second launch "as soon as possible."

The North launched its military reconnaissance satellite "Malligyong-1," mounted on a new-type rocket named "Chollima-1," at its rocket launching station on the west coast at 6:27 a.m., according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

But the carrier rocket fell into the Yellow Sea "after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine after the separation of the first stage during the normal flight," the KCNA said in an English-language dispatch.

People check an emergency alert on their smartphones, which urged Seoul residents to take shelter, at Seoul Station in the capital on May 31, 2023, shortly after South Korea's military said it detected the launch of what it claims to be a "space launch vehicle" southward from Tongchang-ri on the North's west coast at 6:29 a.m. The alert issued by the Seoul metropolitan government was later retracted. (Yonhap)

The failure was attributable to "the low reliability and stability of the new-type engine system and unstable character of the fuel used," the report said, citing a spokesperson of the state-run space development agency.

The North said it would thoroughly investigate the "serious" defects found in the latest satellite launch and take necessary measures to overcome them, vowing to "conduct the second launch as soon as possible through various part tests."

Earlier in the day, South Korea's military said what the North claims to be a "space launch vehicle" fell into waters some 200 kilometers west of the South's southwestern island of Eocheong, after an "abnormal" flight.

North Korea said Tuesday the planned launch of a spy satellite is "indispensable" to monitor "dangerous" military exercises by the United States and South Korea in real time.

The North notified Japan and the International Maritime Organization earlier this week of its plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11.

A spy satellite is among the high-tech weapons systems that the North's leader Kim Jong-un vowed to develop at a key party congress in 2021, along with a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile and a nuclear-powered submarine.

Earlier this month, the North announced the completion of preparations to mount a spy satellite on a rocket, with Kim approving "the future action plan."

Experts said the North may have pressed ahead with the satellite launch due to political reasons, as it probably wants to show off its success to intensify internal solidarity ahead of a key anniversary in July.

Pyongyang will mark the 70th anniversary of "Victory Day" on July 27, the signing date of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. The North has claimed it won the conflict that it calls the Great Fatherland Liberation War.

The North has launched a rocket carrying what it claims to be a satellite six times, including Wednesday's launch, since 1998. The regime put Earth-observation satellites into orbit in 2012 and 2016, respectively, but they are known not to be normally operating.

The North's satellite launch would violate a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions banning its nuclear and missile programs, as it uses the same technology used in ballistic missiles.

This photo, provided by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on May 31, 2023, shows an object believed to be part of North Korea's "space launch vehicle" that was retrieved from the Yellow Sea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 김수연 · May 31, 2023

3. North Korea’s first spy satellite launch ends in failure, and promise to send up another

Looks like the ROK is ahead on the "space race." (way ahead).

​

North Korea’s first spy satellite launch ends in failure, and promise to send up another

The Guardian · by Justin McCurry · May 31, 2023

North Korea’s first spy satellite launch has ended in failure after its second stage malfunctioned, sending the projectile plunging into the sea, the country’s state media has said, with the regime vowing to conduct another launch soon.

The launch sparked emergency warnings in Japan and the South Korean capital Seoul, where the city briefly issued an evacuation warning in error.

The new Chollima-1 satellite launch rocket failed due to instability in the engine and fuel system, state news agency the official KCNA news agency said, adding that officials were working to verify the “grave” defects that caused the rocket to malfunction.

The launch was the nuclear-armed state’s sixth satellite launch attempt, and the first since 2016. It was supposed to launch North Korea’s first spy satellite into orbit.

Japan may take ‘destructive measures’ after North Korea announces satellite launch dates

Read more

South Korea’s military detected the launch of what Pyongyang has described as a military reconnaissance satellite from the Tongchang County area in the western province of North Pyongan in North Korea, at around 6.29am, heading in a southerly direction, the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

It said it was salvaging an object it believed was linked to the launch.

The military was analysing whether the rocket and its payload may have broken up in mid-air or crashed after vanishing from radar early, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The “projectile disappeared from radar before reaching expected drop point,” Yonhap said, citing the Joint Chiefs, adding that the military was looking at the possibility of it “exploding mid-air or crashing”.

North Korea on Tuesday confirmed it planned to launch what it called “military reconnaissance satellite No. 1!” before 11 June, having told Japan of its plans a day earlier.

In a statement from the White House, the US “strongly condemned” Wednesday’s launch, which it said raised tensions. The launch “involved technologies that are directly related” to North Korea’s missile program, the statement from National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said.

The launch “risks destabilising the security situation in the region and beyond,” he said.

Earlier, Tokyo and Seoul strongly criticised the proposed launch, which they said would violate UN sanctions barring Pyongyang from any tests using ballistic missile technology.

Because long-range rockets and space launchers share the same technology, analysts say developing the ability to put a satellite in orbit would provide Pyongyang with cover for testing banned intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

Soon after the launch, Seoul city authorities sent an emergency text message alert to residents saying: “Citizens, please prepare to evacuate and allow children and the elderly to evacuate first” as an air raid siren sounded in central Seoul.

The alert prompted consternation and confusion on Twitter before Seoul’s interior ministry minutes later said the alert had been “incorrectly issued”.

Japan briefly activated its missile alert warning system for the Okinawa region early Wednesday, lifting it after about 30 minutes.

“Kim stayed true to his word and launched the spy satellite today,” Soo Kim, policy practice area lead at LMI Consulting and a former CIA analyst, told AFP.

“What’s concerning here is that the satellite launch involves the use of ballistic missile technology – which would be a violation of UNSC resolutions.”

North Korea does not have a functioning satellite in space, experts say.

Since 1998, Pyongyang has launched five satellites, three of which failed immediately and two of which appeared to have been put into orbit – but signals from them have never been independently detected, indicating they may have malfunctioned.

North Korea said on Tuesday its new spy satellite would be “indispensable to tracking, monitoring ... and coping with in advance in real time the dangerous military acts of the US and its vassal forces”.

Criticising US-South Korea joint military exercises, including ongoing large-scale live-fire drills, a top North Korean military official said Pyongyang felt “the need to expand reconnaissance and information means and improve various defensive and offensive weapons”, state media reported.

Pyongyang, which typically does not give advanced warning of missile launches, has been known to inform international bodies of purportedly peaceful satellite launch plans.

It told Japan on Monday it would launch a rocket between 31 May and 11 June.

In 2012 and 2016, Pyongyang tested ballistic missiles that it called satellite launches. Both flew over Japan’s southern Okinawa region.

Since diplomatic efforts collapsed in 2019, North Korea has doubled down on military development, conducting a string of banned weapons tests, including test-firing multiple ICBMs.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last year declared his country an “irreversible” nuclear power and called for an “exponential” increase in weapons production, including tactical nukes.

Kim identified the development of military satellites as a key defence project, and this month inspected the country’s first military spy satellite as it was prepared for launch, giving the green light for its “future action plan”.

“Whether or not North Korea’s current satellite mission is a success, Pyongyang can be expected to issue political propaganda about its space capabilities,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

South Korea’s foreign ministry earlier this week condemned the launch plan, saying the “so-called ‘satellite launch’ is a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning all launches using ballistic missile technology”.

“If North Korea eventually goes ahead with the launch, it will have to bear the price and pain it deserves.”

With Agence France-Presse

The Guardian · by Justin McCurry · May 31, 2023

4. KCNA Report ("Chollima-1" Rocket Launch Failure)

KCNA Report

Date: 31/05/2023 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1685496981-427573091/kcna-report/

Pyongyang, May 31 (KCNA) -- The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) made public the following report on Wednesday as regards an accident occurred during the launch of military reconnaissance satellite:

The National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) of the DPRK launched a military reconnaissance satellite, "Malligyong-1", mounted on a new-type carrier rocket, "Chollima-1", at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Cholsan County of North Phyongan Province at 6:27 on May 31, Juche 112 (2023), as scheduled.

The carrier rocket "Chollima-1" fell to the West Sea of Korea after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine after the separation of the first stage during the normal flight.

The NADA spokesperson attributed the failure to the low reliability and stability of the new-type engine system applied to carrier rocket "Chollima-1" and the unstable character of the fuel used, saying that scientists, technicians and experts concerned start discovering concrete causes.

The NADA said that it would thoroughly investigate the serious defects revealed in the satellite launch, take urgent scientific and technological measures to overcome them and conduct the second launch as soon as possible through various part tests. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche112.5.31.)

5. Purported N. Korean 'space launch vehicle' falls into Yellow Sea after 'abnormal' flight: S. Korean military

(7th LD) Purported N. Korean 'space launch vehicle' falls into Yellow Sea after 'abnormal' flight: S. Korean military | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · May 31, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with new info, details in paras 11, 15-16; RECASTS 4th para)

By Song Sang-ho and Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired what it claims to be a "space launch vehicle" southward Wednesday, but it fell into the Yellow Sea after an "abnormal" flight, the South Korean military said, in a botched launch that defied international criticism and warnings.

The North confirmed the failure, saying its new "Chollima-1" rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite, "Malligyong-1," fell into the sea due to the "abnormal starting of the second-stage engine," according to its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It plans to conduct a second launch as soon as possible, the KCNA said.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from Tongchang-ri on the North's west coast at 6:29 a.m. and the projectile fell into waters some 200 kilometers west of the South's southwestern island of Eocheong following its flight over the waters far west of the border island of Baengnyeong.

This photo, carried by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on Dec. 19, 2022, shows the North conducting "an "important final-stage test" at Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Cholsan, North Pyongan Province, for the development of a reconnaissance satellite the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The South Korean military identified an apparent part of the North's vehicle and retrieved it, the JCS added. The part could shed light on the makeup of the rocket and the North's technological progress, observers said.

The North notified Japan and the International Maritime Organization of its plan earlier this week to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11 despite criticism that it would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions banning any launch using ballistic missile technology.

The recalcitrant regime last launched a rocket carrying what it called a "Kwangmyongsong-4" satellite in February 2016.

An apparent part of a purported North Korean space launch vehicle is seen in waters some 200 kilometers west of the southwestern island of Eocheong on May 31, 2023, in this photo provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

After the latest launch, the presidential office convened an emergency standing committee session of the National Security Council, which condemned the launch as a "serious provocation" that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community.

President Yoon Suk Yeol was immediately briefed on the launch and continued to be updated in real time, according to his office.

The United States denounced the North's launch, the White House said, noting President Joe Biden and his security team are assessing the situation in coordination with the allies and partners.

"The United States strongly condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for its launch using ballistic missile technology, which is a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, raises tensions, and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond," National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement. DPRK is the North's official name.

In a separate release, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stressed the "ironclad" security commitment to South Korea and Japan, saying it will continue to monitor the situation.

On Tuesday, Ri Pyong-chol, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the North's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, made the launch plan official, defending its pursuit of the satellite and other reconnaissance means as "indispensable" to cope with "dangerous military acts" of the U.S. and South Korea.

The North has been striving to secure the space-based reconnaissance asset as part of key defense projects unveiled at the eighth congress of its ruling party in early 2021.

Observers said that the North appears intent to secure intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets as it is far behind the allies in ISR capabilities despite its focus on developing an array of formidable weapons systems, such as submarine-launched ballistic missiles and tactical nuclear arms.

Wednesday's failure could pose a setback to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who appears keen on reducing the gap in ISR capabilities, particularly after South Korea successfully launched a homegrown space rocket just last Thursday in a key milestone for its space program.

The North said it would conduct another launch "as soon as possible," but analysts said it could take months to correct defects found in Wednesday's launch. The North fired a satellite-carrying rocket in an apparently failed launch in April 2012 and conducted another launch eight months later.

In the runup to the launch, South Korea "strongly" warned that it will make Pyongyang pay "due prices" should the launch go ahead.

The chief nuclear envoys of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan also warned the North would face a "stern, unified" response from the international community.

The rocket launch marks the North's first such provocation since it fired what it claimed to be a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile on April 13.

The North previously launched what it called a satellite-carrying rocket five times -- one each in 1998, 2009 and 2016, and twice in 2012.

The North claimed to have put a satellite into orbit after its launch in December 2012 and 2016. But it remains unknown whether they have been functioning normally.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · May 31, 2023

6. NSC condemns N.K. rocket launch as grave violation of U.N. resolutions

(4th LD) NSC condemns N.K. rocket launch as grave violation of U.N. resolutions | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · May 31, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with presidential official's remarks on timing of next launch)

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- The National Security Council (NSC) on Wednesday condemned North Korea's rocket launch as a grave violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious provocation threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, the presidential office said.

The presidential office convened an emergency NSC standing committee meeting led by National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong to discuss North Korea's "long-range ballistic missile launch under the pretext of a so-called satellite," it said in a statement.

North Korea fired the rocket at around 6:30 a.m., according to South Korea's military, going ahead with a launch it said would take place between Wednesday and June 11. The North later acknowledged failure in the launch and vowed to try again as soon as possible.

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on May 23, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

"The NSC standing committee members emphasized that this launch, regardless of whether it succeeded, was a grave violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious provocation threatening peace and safety on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community, and condemned this," the statement said.

"Also, the participants agreed to maintain a coordination posture with allies and friendly nations while continuing to carefully monitor the possibility of North Korea's additional launches," it added.

The NSC meeting was attended by Unification Minister Kwon Young-se, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyou-hyun, among others, and preceded by a security situation assessment meeting.

President Yoon Suk Yeol was briefed immediately after the launch and continued to be updated in real time, his office said earlier.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile fell into waters some 200 kilometers west of the South's southwestern island of Eocheong after an "abnormal" flight.

North Korea's space agency later acknowledged the rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite crashed into the Yellow Sea due to an engine defect and that it plans to conduct an additional launch in the near future, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency.

National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong (2nd from L) speaks during an emergency meeting of the National Security Council in Seoul on April 13, 2023, right after the North's intermediate-range or longer ballistic missile launch, in this file photo provided by the presidential office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The next launch could take place within the window set by North Korea, a presidential official told Yonhap News Agency.

"We're standing ready with that possibility in mind," the official said.

Yoon agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a trilateral summit in November to share missile warning data in real time to cope with the growing threat of North Korea's nuclear and missile program.

The warning system was not activated Wednesday but will likely go into operation following coordination between the three countries' military authorities next month, the official said.

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · May 31, 2023

7. Nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan 'strongly condemn' N.K. space launch

Nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan 'strongly condemn' N.K. space launch | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · May 31, 2023

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Wednesday "strongly condemned" North Korea's launch of what it claimed to be a "space launch vehicle," Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, delivered the joint message in a conference call after Pyongyang announced that it launched a rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite earlier in the day.

The North said the launch resulted in failure due to an engine problem and that it plans to carry out a second launch "as soon as possible."

According to the ministry, the three sides "strongly condemned North Korea's act of conducting launches that violate international law, and threaten the peace and stability of the international community."

They also stressed that any launch by Pyongyang using ballistic missile technology is a clear violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. They emphasized that the North's latest launch cannot be justified in any way.

South Korean chief nuclear negotiator Kim Gunn (C) poses for a photo with his U.S. counterpart, Sung Kim (R), and Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, prior to talks on North Korea's denuclearization at the foreign ministry in Seoul on April 7, 2023. (Yonhap)

odissy@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · May 31, 2023

8.Seoul city erroneously sends emergency alert after N.K. launch

No mention of the monthly air raid drills that used to take place on the 15th of every month. This should not have been an evacuation order. It should have been a move to shelter order. There is no way to evacuate Seoul.

Excerpt:

In the alert, the city only said, "An alert warning issued for Seoul. People are advised to prepare for evacuation with priority given to children and those old and weak," without providing information on what was going on.

(4th LD) Seoul city erroneously sends emergency alert after N.K. launch | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 박보람 · May 31, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with mayor's comment)

By Park Boram

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul city government on Wednesday erroneously sent out an emergency alert advising citizens to prepare for evacuation after North Korea's launch of what it claimed to be a space launch vehicle.

The mobile phone alert was sent to all citizens at 6:41 a.m., shortly after the Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired what it claimed was a satellite-carrying rocket. But the interior ministry retracted the alert at 7:03 a.m., saying it was sent by mistake.

"We inform that the alert warning issued by the Seoul Metropolitan City at 6:41 a.m. was an erroneous issuance," the interior ministry said in a separate mobile phone alert.

A ministry official said that Seoul is not an area where an alert has been issued.

These images show mobile phone alerts sent out in the wake of North Korea's launch of what appeared to be a space launch vehicle on May 31, 2023. (Yonhap)

The city government said it sent out the alert after receiving notification from the interior ministry about the North's rocket launch.

"It was an emergency action taken against the possibility of a crisis that can have an impact on the lives and the safety of citizens while the level of risks of the North Korean projectile was yet to be identified," an official said.

Still, the city came under fire as the alert came too late and did not specify what was happening.

In the alert, the city only said, "An alert warning issued for Seoul. People are advised to prepare for evacuation with priority given to children and those old and weak," without providing information on what was going on.

The alert also came nine minutes after the city received notification from the ministry.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon apologized for "causing confusion" but insisted the alert was not a mistake.

"The alert was issued upon the judgment that an immediate action is needed in the situation where North Korea fired (a projectile) southwards this time" unlike in the past when it usually fired them toward the East Sea, Oh said in a press briefing.

"The emergency message could be the result of an overreaction by working-level officials, but my judgment is that it was not an erroneous issuance," he said. "There can be no compromise on safety, and our principle is to respond in a manner that can be seen as excessive."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a briefing at Seoul City Hall on May 31, 2023. (Yonhap)

The interior ministry separately sent out an emergency alert to residents of Baengnyeong Island and Daecheong Island, near the western Northern Limit Line separating the two Koreas, advising islanders to evacuate.

Sirens sounded for over 20 minutes in Baengnyeong areas and an evacuation advisory was broadcasted across the region, according to residents.

A township office in Baengnyeong told Yonhap News Agency, "The doors of some 20 shelters were opened up, and many residents took refuge."

The North has notified Japan and the International Maritime Organization of its plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11.

The early-morning mishap by the Seoul city government threw many residents off guard.

"After getting the emergency message to evacuate, I woke my child. Then another message came that it was a mistake and I was bewildered," a 46-year-old resident, surnamed Kim, told Yonhap News Agency. "I couldn't arrive at work on time because I had to soothe my frustrated child."

Another resident, surnamed Lee, said the alert message at the early morning commute time left him torn between going to work and evacuating.

"Checking the situation on the TV, I had tens of thousands of thoughts about what to do and whether I had to go to work," he said. "It's totally ridiculous."

The mobile version of Naver, the biggest internet portal in South Korea, briefly went down after the North Korean launch as a wave of people went online for information.

People look at their mobile phones at Seoul Station on May 31, 2023. (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 박보람 · May 31, 2023

9. N.K. leader estimated to weigh about 140 kg with significant sleep disorders: spy agency

Hmmm... How bad ishe? And of course what no one can predict is a heart attack or some other catastrophic medical event as a result of his condition.

This begs the questions: What actions will we take when we learn that Kim is no longer with us in this world? Are we ready for what comes next? Did we miss an opportunity in 2011? Have we laid down the information foundation to influence a potential successor? Have we made clear what choices the Korean people in the north have? (I mean the "royal we" as in the ROK/US alliance but the main responsibility for this lies with the ROK).

N.K. leader estimated to weigh about 140 kg with significant sleep disorders: spy agency | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by 심선아 · May 31, 2023

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) --- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is estimated to be experiencing significant sleep disorders and to weigh around 140 kilograms, lawmakers quoted South Korea's state intelligence agency as saying Wednesday.

Director Kim Kyou-hyun of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered the report during a briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to key ruling and opposition members of the committee.

"Based on the fact that North Korean authorities have been actively collecting the latest medical information, including medications such as zolpidem, for the treatment of insomnia in high-ranking officials abroad in April, the NIS estimates Chairman Kim is suffering from significant sleep disorders," Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party told reporters after the closed-door briefing.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is seen in these undated file photos. (Yonhap)

He said the NIS also stated that it is closely watching the possibility of Kim falling into a vicious circle of depending more on alcohol and nicotine and suffering worsening insomnia as the North has been importing large quantities of foreign cigarettes and high-quality snacks.

The agency also reported "Chairman Kim looked very tired with noticeable dark circles under his eyes during his public appearance on May 16" and an analysis using artificial intelligence of some of his recent photos evaluated his weight to be around 140 kg, Yoo said.

"Since the end of last year, scratches and bruises have continuously been observed on Chairman Kim's hands and arms, which are suspected to be a combination of allergies and stress-induced dermatitis," the lawmaker quoted the NIS director as saying.

sshim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by 심선아 · May 31, 2023

10. North Korean Spy Satellite Fails to Reach Space

It will be interesting to see if South Korea can salvage the satellite or anything of intelligence value.

Excerpt:

Seoul’s military said it was salvaging a part of North Korea’s rocket from the Yellow Sea. South Korea’s National Security Council convened an emergency meeting and condemned the satellite launch as a serious provocation.

North Korean Spy Satellite Fails to Reach Space

Pyongyang vows to conduct another reconnaissance satellite launch near future

By Dasl YoonFollow

Updated May 31, 2023 5:57 am ET

https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-launches-satellite-triggering-evacuation-alerts-in-south-korea-japan-7e5db2be?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1

SEOUL—North Korea’s first military satellite crashed into the Yellow Sea and failed to launch into space, Pyongyang’s state media said, a test that triggered emergency alerts in South Korea and Japan. 

North Korea launched a rocket carrying a military satellite around 6:27 a.m. local time from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, the country’s state media said hours later. But the second stage of the rocket malfunctioned, causing it to crash into the waters between China and the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang will conduct another launch in the near future, the report said.

The Wednesday launch spurred early-morning confusion in the South Korean capital of Seoul—a city of roughly 10 million people—as air-raid sirens blared and residents received an emergency text recommending people to prepare for a potential evacuation. South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety later said that guidance had been a false alert.

This satellite picture shows the Sohae Satellite Launching Station near Tongchang-ri, North Korea. PHOTO: PLANET LABS/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seoul’s military said that Pyongyang had fired a “space-launch vehicle” that flew irregularly and fell into waters about 124 miles off South Korea’s western island of Eocheong.

Construction had been taking place at the Sohae launch site in recent months, and, based on satellite imagery from Tuesday, vehicles that could transport elements of the space-launch vehicle or fuel oxidizer tanks were spotted, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. The launch site, located in the country’s northwest, has been used to conduct satellite launches and Pyongyang’s first solid-fuel engine test.

Seoul’s military said it was salvaging a part of North Korea’s rocket from the Yellow Sea. South Korea’s National Security Council convened an emergency meeting and condemned the satellite launch as a serious provocation.

In a statement, the U.S. National Security Council said the space launch was a brazen violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions as it involved technologies directly related to North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile program, and called on Pyongyang to return to negotiations. Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said the Japanese government would work with the U.S. and South Korea to analyze the launch and conduct surveillance activities.

Only a limited group of nations, including the U.S., China and Russia, possess advanced satellite capabilities given the technical hurdles. Neighboring South Korea last week cleared a key advancement, sending eight satellites into space with plans to launch its first reconnaissance satellite in November.

Such efforts have long bedeviled North Korea. Several attempts have failed, including in 2012, when North Korea launched a multistage rocket that blew up less than two minutes into flight and had parts crash into the Yellow Sea. Later that year the Kim Jong Un regime successfully placed a satellite into space. Then, in 2016, it did so again, though the pair of satellites that are orbiting Earth are considered nonfunctional because they cannot transmit any data back.

North Korea’s 39-year-old dictator has said spy-satellite technology was crucial in countering the U.S. and South Korea. The military reconnaissance satellite was one of Kim’s pursuits in the five-year weapons strategy revealed in January 2021. He was photographed by state media examining the hexagon-shaped spy satellite earlier this month.

On Wednesday morning, the South Korean government did maintain a warning for citizens near Baekryeong island, the western most of five South Korea-controlled islands near the inter-Korean maritime border. The space vehicle flew over western seas near the island, Seoul’s military said. Japanese authorities issued evacuation warnings in Okinawa, initially characterizing North Korea’s launch as a missile test. 

Pyongyang had earlier told the Japanese government and the International Maritime Organization that a launch could occur between May 31 and June 11. North Korea said it expected the satellite debris to fall over the Yellow Sea and into the Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. and South Korea have conducted a series of joint military drills this year, which require North Korea to obtain the “means capable of gathering information about the military acts of the enemy in real time,” said Ri Pyong Chol, a senior North Korean military official, in state media on Tuesday. Ri justified the coming satellite launch as a response to the “dangerous military acts” of Washington and Seoul.

In recent days, the U.S., South Korea and Japan have said North Korea would face a firm response for its satellite launch. The U.N. Security Council bans Pyongyang’s satellite launches, which overlap with long-range missile technology. Japan’s defense minister ordered the military to prepare destructive measures against any missile debris that could fall in Japanese territory. 

North Korea has launched missiles roughly a dozen times this year, including cruise missiles from a submarine and a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korea has characterized joint military drills between the U.S. and its allies as a rehearsal for invasion and pointed to them as reasons for carrying out further weapons tests. Pyongyang hasn’t conducted a missile launch since April.

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

11. Spy agency says hard living is taking a toll on North Korean leader's health

Hard living? More like soft living with drinking and smoking. Kim has never done anything hard in his life. Let's not "glorify" Kim's lifestyle.

Wednesday

May 31, 2023

 dictionary + A - A 

Spy agency says hard living is taking a toll on North Korean leader's health

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/31/national/northKorea/Korea-North-Korea-Kim-Jongun/20230531195530512.html

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks to a spy satellite launch committee in footage broadcast by the state-controlled Korean Central Television on May 16. A pack of cigarettes and an ashtray flank him on the desk. [YONHAP]

South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told a parliamentary committee that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un suffers from multiple health problems tied to his hard drinking and smoking habits, a People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker told reporters Wednesday.

According to Rep. Yoo Sang-bum, who serves as the executive secretary of the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, the spy agency briefed lawmakers on Kim’s current state of health and said the North Korean leader likely suffers from insomnia and other ”serious sleeping disorders.”

The NIS also told the committee that the leader is “importing large quantities of foreign cigarettes, such as Marlboro and Dunhill, and high-end liquor,” according to the PPP lawmaker.

Yoo added that spy agency is keeping its eye on the possibility that “Kim’s insomnia is worsening as he increases his dependence on nicotine and alcohol, which could lead to a vicious cycle.”

The NIS noted during the briefing that “dark circles were clearly visible under [Kim’s] eyes during a public event on May 16, highlighting his tired appearance.”

The spy agency also estimated the North Korean leader’s body weight at 140 kilograms (308 pounds) using analysis that relies on artificial intelligence, according to Yoo.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com