|
Quotes of the Day:
"The oldest, shortest words— "yes" and "no"— are those which require the most thought."
– Pythagoras
“We are ready to die for an opinion but not for a fact: indeed, it is by our readiness to die that we try to prove the factualness of our opinion.”
– Eric Hoffer
“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.”
–Benjamin Disraeli
1. Over 6,000 N. Korean troops killed or injured in Ukraine war: British defense ministry
2. PM nominee stresses stronger Seoul-Tokyo ties in meeting with Japanese PM adviser
3. Lee calls on S. Korea, Japan to join hands for future ahead of 60th anniv. of ties
4. N. Korea urges Japan to face up to history of wartime aggression
5. State affairs committee chief says to form task force for gov't reorganization
6. Unification ministry discusses measures to prevent anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns
7. Police to send mobile units to border areas to curb anti-N. Korea leaflet campaigns
8. U.S. Army reopens rotational unit's headquarters in S. Korea after US$2.2 million upgrade
9. Hanwha Systems, Northrop Grumman partner for joint development of air defense systems
10. Editorial: Lee's crackdown on anti-North Korea leaflets undermines free speech
11. Strategic flexibility and South Korea’s return to the frontlines of conflict
12. North Korea supplying deadly cluster munitions to Russia for rare rocket system
13. NK teachers bristle at classroom surveillance
14. N. Korea’s challenge to the NLL
15. North Korean abductees group protests gov't crackdown on balloon leafleting campaigns
16. Seoul pivots from confrontation to engagement with Pyongyang
1. Over 6,000 N. Korean troops killed or injured in Ukraine war: British defense ministry
Is that half the force that was deployed? Have there been replacements and rotations? (speculation 11,000 initial and then 3,000 replacements)
Over 6,000 N. Korean troops killed or injured in Ukraine war: British defense ministry | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · June 16, 2025
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is estimated to have sustained more than 6,000 casualties in fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, more than half of the troops Pyongyang initially deployed, according to Britain's defense ministry.
The ministry shared the assessment in an X post Sunday, two months after its earlier estimate of over 5,000 North Korean troop casualties in Russia's western front-line region of Kursk in early April.
"The total casualties amount to more than half of the approximately 11,000 DPRK troops initially deployed to the Kursk region," it said. "Significant DPRK casualty rates have almost certainly been sustained primarily through large, highly attritional dismounted assaults."
DPRK stands for North Korea's official name -- the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The ministry said North Korea's operations in the war have so far been confined to the Kursk region, adding that any decision to deploy into Ukrainian territory would likely need approval from Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
After deploying some 11,000 troops to Russia last year, North Korea is estimated to have sent an additional 3,000 soldiers to the Kursk region this year, according to South Korea's military.
The National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in late April that North Korea had incurred some 4,700 casualties, including about 600 deaths.
A wounded soldier, suspected to be North Korean and captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region, is seen in this file photo posted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's X account on Jan. 12, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · June 16, 2025
2. PM nominee stresses stronger Seoul-Tokyo ties in meeting with Japanese PM adviser
It seems like Korea is on a path to sustain strong bilateral relations (and hopefully trilateral cooperation).
PM nominee stresses stronger Seoul-Tokyo ties in meeting with Japanese PM adviser | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Woo Jae-yeon · June 16, 2025
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok on Monday expressed his hope for deepening relations between South Korea and Japan during a meeting with a high-ranking Japanese official.
"This year is particularly meaningful for both countries as it marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. I hope the horizon of South Korea-Japan cooperation expands even further," Kim said.
He made the remarks while meeting in Seoul with Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, emphasizing that Japan is a key cooperation partner."
The two officials exchanged views on the future direction of bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen it. They also affirmed their shared understanding of the importance of bolstering trilateral security cooperation among Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok (R) speaks with Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, in Seoul on June 16, 2025, in this photo provided by the Confirmation Hearing Preparation Committee. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Woo Jae-yeon · June 16, 2025
3. Lee calls on S. Korea, Japan to join hands for future ahead of 60th anniv. of ties
Again, this seems to be a positive way forward.
(LEAD) Lee calls on S. Korea, Japan to join hands for future ahead of 60th anniv. of ties | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · June 16, 2025
(ATTN: ADDS Lee's remarks in 5th para, other details; CHANGES photos; TRIMS)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae-myung on Monday called for South Korea and Japan to join hands for a better future, casting the two neighbors as important partners bound to work together amid a rapidly changing global environment.
Lee made the remark in a congratulatory video message at the start of an event hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which falls on this Sunday.
"South Korea and Japan are key partners who must cooperate closely in responding to a rapidly changing global landscape. Let's join hands and move toward a better future," Lee said.
The phrase "join hands and move toward a better future" is the official slogan for the 60th anniversary of the normalization of the ties. Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45.
"Building on the achievements and progress we have made so far, I sincerely hope that Korea and Japan will continue to develop a stable and future-oriented relationship," he said.
President Lee Jae-myung delivers a video message to guests during a reception marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Japan, held at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on June 16, 2025. (Yonhap)
Lee did not attend Monday's ceremony, as he had departed for Canada to take part in an expanded meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) summit.
Attention is being drawn to whether Lee will meet bilaterally with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the margins of the G7 gathering.
"As we look ahead to the upcoming G7 summit and beyond, I hope to build a strong foundation of trust and friendship with the prime minister," Lee added.
Lee has signaled a departure from his hard-line stance on the Asian neighbor to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral relations that dramatically improved under the previous conservative government.
Lee has pledged to take a "two-track" approach, separating efforts for forward-looking cooperation from historical disputes rooted in the colonial period.
Among those attending Monday's ceremony were Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na and Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Ishiba, along with government officials, business leaders, academics, and other key stakeholders from both countries.
In a congratulatory remark, Nagashima pointed out that close communication between Seoul and Tokyo is "indispensable" given the current challenging international environment.
"It's not a problem of choice ... This cooperation will encompass various fields, including security, economy, energy, technology and culture," he said.
This photo taken June 16, 2025, shows the folding screen originally used at a treaty ratification ceremony on Dec. 18, 1965, six months after South Korea and Japan signed a bilateral pact on normalizing diplomatic relations. The screen was displayed at the reception hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of ties. (Yonhap)
Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Koichi Mizushima highlighted the progress in bilateral exchanges for the past six decades, including trade, tourism and culture, saying the Seoul-Tokyo relations are "standing at a new starting point."
"The deepening and development of Japan-South Korea relations is undeniable fact," he said in his speech. "We must strive to achieve further leaps in Japan-South Korea relations in the next 60 years and beyond by supporting the next generation who will shape the future of both countries."
A variety of performances were held ahead of the ceremony, including those by a student choir from the Seoul Japan School and Korean pianist Lee Kyung-mi.
On one side of the stage, an old folding screen was on display, originally used at the treaty ratification ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 18, 1965.
The screen is the left panel of a pair, with the right panel held at the South Korean Embassy in Japan. This marks its second public showing, following its display at the 50th anniversary celebration.
Inscribed on the screen is an excerpt from a classical poem by 16th-century Korean poet and politician Jeong Cheol, also known by his pen name, Songgang.
The latter part of the event was to feature Mizushima conferring awards on individuals and groups in recognition of their contributions to promoting bilateral relations and cultural exchange.
Myaku-Myaku (C), the official mascot of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, is surrounded by attendees at a reception hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul at Lotte Hotel on June 16, 2025, to mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan. (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · June 16, 2025
4. N. Korea urges Japan to face up to history of wartime aggression
I am sure the Propaganda and Agitation Department assesses this will contribute to subversion in South Korea and divide the population. But I think it is likely miscalculating.
N. Korea urges Japan to face up to history of wartime aggression | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 16, 2025
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea called on Japan on Monday to face up to history over its 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering issuing a message marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II.
Japan's Sankei Shimbun reported last week that Ishiba's message would not be different from the 70th anniversary statement issued by then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In 2015, Abe reaffirmed Tokyo's past apologies over its wartime aggression but did not give a fresh apology, saying that future generations should not have to keep apologizing for the sufferings caused by Japan's military past.
The director of the Institute for Japan Studies of North Korea's foreign ministry condemned Japan for trying to pass the 80th anniversary of its surrender without seriously reflecting on its wartime history, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
"This is an unpardonable mockery and insult upon the peoples of the DPRK and other Asian countries that are suffering from the hideous crimes of the Japanese imperialists," the director said, using the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
North Korea claimed, "No statute of limitations is applicable even after 80 years and 800 years" when it comes to Japan's war crimes.
"It is the unavoidable moral responsibility of Japan, the war criminal state, and its duty before international law to face up to the history and liquidate its past," the North's official said.
This undated photo, provided by EPA, shows Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 16, 2025
5. State affairs committee chief says to form task force for gov't reorganization
The South Korean DOGE?
(2nd LD) State affairs committee chief says to form task force for gov't reorganization | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · June 16, 2025
(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 8-10; CHANGES photos)
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- The presidential state affairs committee will create a separate task force for government reorganization, focusing on building a more competent and effective government structure to better address key policy tasks, the committee chief said Monday.
Lee Han-joo, chief of the State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee, made the remarks as the committee set sail as an effective transition team for the Lee Jae-myung government to present a blueprint for policy initiatives and action plans for the five-year term.
"A separate task force will be formed to develop a well-refined government reorganization plan," Lee said in the opening remarks at the launch ceremony.
The reorganization will be aimed at redistributing overly centralized powers and responsibilities, improving administrative efficiency to help South Korea develop as a global leader in artificial intelligence and reforming institutions to better respond to climate change, among others, Lee said.
"We will discuss a range of reform agendas aimed at improving our society, including mid- to long-term tax and fiscal reform plans, and strive to come up with concrete solutions," Lee said.
A plaque-unveiling ceremony is held ahead of the inaugural meeting of the presidential State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee, at the government complex in Seoul on June 16, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
The committee came as Lee assumed office June 4 without the usual two-month transition period as an early election was held to choose the successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office in April over his brief imposition of martial law.
The 55-member committee, led by President Lee's close aides, will be debriefed by each ministry on main policy agendas and budget plans before it presents a road map for 100 major policy tasks for the government and sets timelines and goals for each plan.
Lee Han-joo's remarks suggest that the committee may pursue reform plans proposed by the Democratic Party (DP).
The DP has called for a major overhaul of the prosecution system by separating its authority over investigations and indictments, stripping the finance ministry of its role in budget planning, and merging the country's two existing financial watchdogs into a single ministry-level body.
On the campaign trail, President Lee also proposed the creation of a ministry for climate and energy.
On Monday, Lee Han-joo pledged to promptly establish the direction and key policy initiatives of the new government, and to make sure steady progress for long-term initiatives that would shape the country's future, such as climate change.
The launch event began with the unveiling of the official plaque, followed by the conferral of appointment certificates to the committee's leadership.
Aside from Lee, former head of the Gyeonggi Research Institute, the deputy chiefs include Kim Yong-beom, senior presidential secretary for policy; Jin Sung-joon, policy chief of the ruling DP; and Bang Ki-sun, minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination.
The committee will have seven sectoral subcommittees under its wing, including state affairs planning, economy, social, political and administrative, and foreign and security affairs.
The committee will operate under a 60-day legal mandate, with a possible extension of up to 20 days. A white paper detailing its outcomes must be released within 30 days of completing its activities.
Lee Han-joo, chief of the presidential State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee, makes remarks during the committee's inaugural meeting at the government complex in Seoul on June 16, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · June 16, 2025
6. Unification ministry discusses measures to prevent anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns
Disappointing on a few levels:
- Limits freedom of expression.
- Support Kim Jong Un' remaining in power.
- Abandons the Korean people in the north so they suffer from the continued human rights abuse and crimes against humanity against them.
- Takes away a tool to create pressure for change.
(LEAD) Unification ministry discusses measures to prevent anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 16, 2025
(ATTN: REWRITES headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry discussed measures with related government agencies Monday to prevent activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border and to punish violators of related laws in line with President Lee Jae-myung's instruction.
Lee ordered measures Saturday to prevent the "illegal" launches of leaflets critical of North Korea and impose punishments for violators as he seeks to mend frayed ties with North Korea.
The meeting was presided over by the chief in charge of human rights affairs at the unification ministry and attended by officials from related government agencies, including the Prime Minister's Office, the intelligence agency and the interior ministry.
This file photo, taken April 23, 2025, shows balloons carrying leaflets calling for North Korea's repatriation of South Koreans abducted by the North in Paju, just northwest of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Earlier this month, the unification ministry voiced "regret" over the latest leaflet launch by a group of families of those abducted by North Korea and "strongly" called on them to suspend the campaign.
It marked the first time the ministry has called for a halt to leaflet campaigns since the Constitutional Court ruled in September 2023 that the so-called law banning leaflet campaigns is unconstitutional, citing freedom of expression.
Participants in the Monday meeting were expected to review measures to curb leaflet campaigns and punish suspected violators under related laws and may discuss ways to counter criticism that the government seeks to excessively restrict freedom of expression.
Last year, the land ministry judged the launch of leaflet-carrying balloons that weigh more than 2 kilograms could be in violation of the Aviation Safety Act that regulates drone flights.
The Act on Disaster and Safety Management prohibits unauthorized access to areas designated as risk-prone. Last year, the local government of Gyeonggi Province designated the cities of Paju and Gimpo and Yeoncheon County -- areas near the border with the North -- as such zones and stepped up police patrols.
North Korea has bristled at North Korean defectors in the South and conservative activists' leaflet campaigns on concerns that an influx of outside information could threaten the Kim Jong-un regime. Critics of leaflet launches here said such campaigns could raise inter-Korean tensions and risk the safety of residents in border areas.
Despite President Lee's stern warning, the group of families of abductees held in North Korea said it will continue to send leaflets toward the North unless the government shows sincerity in resolving the abductee issue.
"We will halt a leaflet launch if Lee meets and consoles two mothers of the victims of the North's abduction and raises the issue of confirming abductees' fates when inter-Korean talks are resumed," the group said.
Lee has promised to halt anti-North leaflet launches and the military's propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the border as part of his election pledges to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and improve ties with Pyongyang.
South Korea's military suspended its yearlong loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea on Wednesday, and North Korea paused its broadcasts of loud noises targeting South Korea the next day.
A group of families of those abducted by North Korea holds a press conference on June 16, 2025, in front of the government complex in central Seoul over its campaign to send anti-North Korea leaflets across the border. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 16, 2025
7. Police to send mobile units to border areas to curb anti-N. Korea leaflet campaigns
This is just terrible. The people conducting these operations are Korean patriots trying to bring peace to the peninsula and freedom for all Korean people in the north and South.
(2nd LD) Police to send mobile units to border areas to curb anti-N. Korea leaflet campaigns | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 16, 2025
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- Police plan to dispatch mobile units to border areas to prevent activists from sending anti-North Korea leaflets across the border, the unification ministry said Monday after a pan-government meeting to discuss ways to curb "illegal" leaflet campaigns.
The move came as President Lee Jae-myung ordered measures Saturday to prevent launches of leaflets critical of North Korea and punish violators of related laws as he seeks to mend frayed ties with the North.
Earlier in the day, the unification ministry presided over a meeting to discuss ways to curb anti-Pyongyang leaflet launches with related government agencies, including the office of the National Security Council, the land and interior ministries, and the police agency.
This file photo, taken April 23, 2025, shows balloons carrying leaflets calling for North Korea's repatriation of South Koreans abducted by the North in Paju, just northwest of Seoul. (Yonhap)
The meeting came as a civic group sent balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets toward North Korea in defiance of the government's stern warning, spawning concerns about the safety of residents in border areas due to the North's potential military actions.
The participants in the meeting "shared the assessment that it is the nation's important duty to (promote) peace on the Korean Peninsula, and protect the lives and safety of residents in border areas," the unification ministry said in a release.
Police plan to dispatch mobile units and regional police officers to key border areas to curb such leaflet launches, and regional judiciary police officers will ramp up their patrols in areas where activists are likely to launch leaflets.
The government said it will also review potential revisions to related laws, including the Aviation Safety Act, in a bid to enhance the effectiveness of punishment.
The unification ministry will seek cooperation with the National Assembly to pursue a revision to the so-called law banning leaflet launches before the Aug. 15 Liberation Day.
Earlier this month, the ministry voiced "regret" over the latest leaflet launch by a group of families of those abducted by North Korea and "strongly" called on them to suspend the campaign.
It marked the first time the ministry has called for a halt to leaflet campaigns since the Constitutional Court ruled in September 2023 that the law banning leaflet campaigns is unconstitutional, citing freedom of expression.
Last year, the land ministry judged the launch of leaflet-carrying balloons that weigh more than 2 kilograms could be in violation of the Aviation Safety Act that regulates drone flights.
The Act on Disaster and Safety Management prohibits unauthorized access to areas designated as risk-prone. Last year, the government of Gyeonggi Province designated the cities of Paju and Gimpo and Yeoncheon County -- areas near the border with the North -- as such zones and stepped up police patrols.
North Korea has bristled at North Korean defectors in the South and conservative activists' leaflet campaigns on concerns that an influx of outside information could threaten the Kim Jong-un regime.
President Lee has promised to halt anti-North leaflet launches and the military's propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the border as part of his election pledges to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and improve ties with Pyongyang.
South Korea's military suspended its yearlong loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea on Wednesday, and North Korea paused its broadcasts of loud noises targeting South Korea the next day.
A group of families of those abducted by North Korea holds a press conference on June 16, 2025, in front of the government complex in central Seoul over its campaign to send anti-North Korea leaflets across the border. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 16, 2025
8. U.S. Army reopens rotational unit's headquarters in S. Korea after US$2.2 million upgrade
Any guesses on the funding for this?
U.S. Army reopens rotational unit's headquarters in S. Korea after US$2.2 million upgrade | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · June 16, 2025
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- The headquarters of a rotational U.S. military unit in South Korea reopened Monday after undergoing a US$2.2 million update to expand its operational capabilities, the U.S. Army said.
The building at Camp Hovey in Dongducheon, about 40 kilometers north of Seoul, underwent a 13-month construction project to improve its facilities and enhance security and storage space, according to the U.S. Army.
With the reopening, it will serve as the new home for the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, which began arriving in South Korea last month to replace the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division as part of a regular rotation.
The announcement came amid lingering speculation about possible adjustments to U.S. military presence in South Korea.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the Pentagon is considering withdrawing about 4,500 troops of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea, raising speculation that it could involve a brigade-level unit.
While the Pentagon has dismissed the report, a senior U.S. official pointed out last month the need to "calibrate" U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula to deter China.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Sean Crockett (R), acting commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, shakes hands with U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Eilers of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, before a ribbon cutting ceremony held at Camp Hovey at the Rotational Stryker Brigade Headquarters building on June 16, 2025, in this photo provided by the U.S. Army. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · June 16, 2025
9. Hanwha Systems, Northrop Grumman partner for joint development of air defense systems
Arsenal. Of. Democracies.
Hanwha Systems, Northrop Grumman partner for joint development of air defense systems | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chang Dong-woo · June 16, 2025
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Hanwha Systems Co. has partnered with U.S. defense giant Northrop Grumman Corp. to jointly develop multilayered air defense systems, industry sources said Monday.
According to the sources, Hanwha Systems has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for joint projects in air defense systems with the U.S. firm, which is the developer of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS).
IBCS is regarded as one of the most advanced air defense command and control platforms in the world. It integrates radar and interceptor systems across land, sea and air to build a dense and flexible air defense network, enabling coordinated responses to a range of threats.
The partnership comes as Hanwha Systems continues to strengthen its radar technologies. Last month, the company was selected to develop the multi-function radar (MFR) for the second-phase development of South Korea's long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) system.
Hanwha has previously developed and supplied MFR systems for missile systems under projects led by the state-run Agency for Defense Development.
"The synergy between Hanwha's radar technologies and Northrop Grumman's integrated defense systems is expected to strengthen both companies' air defense capabilities," a defense industry official said. "It could also provide a boost to Hanwha Group's efforts to expand its presence in the U.S. defense market."
This file photo, provided by Hanwha Systems Co., shows the joint booth of three Hanwha Group defense affiliates -- Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Aerospace -- set up at the Asian Defense and Security Exhibition 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chang Dong-woo · June 16, 2025
10. Editorial: Lee's crackdown on anti-North Korea leaflets undermines free speech
You lose freedom of expression and then you will lose other rights.
That said, if the ROK government was going to embark on an aggressive information campaign to support the Korean people in the north through alternate means such as rdio then I would be very supportive. All the people launching balloons could be put to good use developing content and assisting with broadcasting into the north.
We should ask why the Korean people from the north who are in the South are doing this? Because the government nor anyone else is.
Excerpts:
Leaflets have long served as a tool for informing North Korean citizens of the realities under the Kim Jong-un regime. But they have also triggered hostile responses. In 2014, North Korea fired at a balloon carrying leaflets, and more recently, the regime retaliated by sending balloons filled with waste. These incidents underscore the need to explore alternative methods for information delivery—ones that do not provoke the North or disrupt the lives of South Korean residents near the border.
Radio transmissions and other media-based approaches may ultimately prove more effective than leaflet drops in reaching North Korean audiences. Rather than enforcing bans that skirt constitutional protections and push civic groups into clandestine operations, the government should seek to work collaboratively with these organizations to develop safer and more strategic channels of outreach. Treating leaflet campaigns as quasi-military threats only reinforces Pyongyang’s narrative and risks undermining democratic values at home.
Editorial: Lee's crackdown on anti-North Korea leaflets undermines free speech
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/06/16/QR6UCOL2PVGZJCT7AUHJUKU5JE/
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2025.06.16. 08:24
A banner reading “Danger Zone Designated for Anti-North Korea Leaflet Launches and Prohibited Activities” is displayed in front of Peace Land near Imjingak in Paju, Gyeonggi-do, on the 15th. /News1
President Lee Jae-myung on June. 14 ordered the government to take both preventive and punitive action following the launch of anti-North Korea leaflets by a civic group across the border. The Democratic Party (DP) echoed the call, urging law enforcement to impose “strict enforcement” measures against those involved. The Ministry of Unification announced plans to convene a meeting on June 16 to address both preemptive and post-incident responses to future leaflet campaigns. Police have also launched an investigation into potential violations of the Aviation Safety Act.
Since President Lee assumed office, stronger enforcement of laws targeting leaflet distribution to North Korea has been widely anticipated. On June. 11, he ordered the suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts directed at the North, and during a visit to residents near the border on June 13, he emphasized that “using helium gas for leaflet balloons violates the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act and constitutes grounds for immediate arrest.” Lee added, “We will respond firmly to all illegal acts.” This position echoes his stance as Gyeonggi Province governor in 2020, when he pledged to “mobilize every possible means” to prevent leaflet launches. At the time, he cited seven legal statutes, including the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, which allows certain zones to be designated as restricted “danger areas,” along with the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act, the Waste Control Act, and the Marine Environment Management Act. The current administration is expected to draw from the same legal framework.
However, regulating or criminalizing leaflet activity directed at North Korea raises serious constitutional issues concerning freedom of expression. The so-called “Anti-Leaflet Law,” enacted under the Moon Jae-in administration following pressure from Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of North Korea’s ruling party, was widely condemned by the international community for infringing on human rights. South Korea’s Constitutional Court later struck down the law, ruling it imposed an excessive restriction on free speech. Regardless of the legal basis cited, any renewed attempt to prosecute leaflet campaigns would be in direct conflict with the Constitution and amount to a legal workaround.
Leaflets have long served as a tool for informing North Korean citizens of the realities under the Kim Jong-un regime. But they have also triggered hostile responses. In 2014, North Korea fired at a balloon carrying leaflets, and more recently, the regime retaliated by sending balloons filled with waste. These incidents underscore the need to explore alternative methods for information delivery—ones that do not provoke the North or disrupt the lives of South Korean residents near the border.
Radio transmissions and other media-based approaches may ultimately prove more effective than leaflet drops in reaching North Korean audiences. Rather than enforcing bans that skirt constitutional protections and push civic groups into clandestine operations, the government should seek to work collaboratively with these organizations to develop safer and more strategic channels of outreach. Treating leaflet campaigns as quasi-military threats only reinforces Pyongyang’s narrative and risks undermining democratic values at home.
11. Strategic flexibility and South Korea’s return to the frontlines of conflict
This is the challenge for pundits with absolutely no military experience or understanding of how the US military will contribute to the defense of Taiwan and Korea. They have no understanding of military capabilities and depend solely on numbers of trips and the circular press reports lamenting potential abandonment or threats from China.
Commentary
Strategic flexibility and South Korea’s return to the frontlines of conflict
The frontline is shifting again—and South Korea was walking toward it with its eyes wide shut. Some in the Lee Administration are not.
https://www.junotane.com/p/strategic-flexibility-and-south-koreas-return-to-conflict-frontlines?utm
Jun 15, 2025
∙ Paid
Strategic flexibility—the U.S. doctrine that deems forward-deployed forces, including those in South Korea, ready to respond to crises anywhere in the region—is knitting the Korean and Taiwan theatres together once again.
In the early Cold War, the fates of Taiwan and the Korean Peninsula were not seen as distinct. They were treated as two nodes in a single strategic contest between the U.S.-led bloc and the Communist powers of China and the Soviet Union. U.S. forces stationed in South Korea and the Taiwan Strait patrolled overlapping threat environments, responding to crises in either theatre with a regional logic of containment.
By the 1990s, that logic had shifted. The Cold War was declared over, and the strategic linkage between Korea and Taiwan was decoupled. South Korea focused inward—its military prioritized defense against the North, and its diplomacy sought regional stability, not expeditionary entanglement.
That separation between Korea and Taiwan is now being undone.
For South Korea, the decision to allow these forces to be used beyond the peninsula was finalized under the Yoon Administration, but its implications are only now being more closely considered. Advisors coming into power under the Lee Administration are not unquestioningly dedicated to the concept. Some are vehemently opposed.
On paper, it gives Washington agility. In practice, it risks transforming South Korea from a stable peninsula guarding its own security into a forward operating base for a larger U.S.-China confrontation.
The consequences of this shift are not abstract. South Korea’s involvement in America’s regional planning is no longer limited to deterring North Korean aggression.
With strategic flexibility, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) could be rapidly deployed to assist in a Taiwan contingency—drawing South Korea into a war it did not provoke, over an issue it did not choose.
This isn’t a hypothetical. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has been quietly integrating its contingency planning across theatres, and war games involving Taiwan scenarios increasingly assume that U.S. assets in Korea would be mobilized early. These include logistics hubs, airlift routes, and even U.S. missile defense and ISR assets currently stationed south of Seoul.
It’s important to note, this is not a Trump Administration agenda. It is an agenda that has been continuing unabated since the post-Cold War period. The strategy has steadily advanced across U.S. administrations, regardless of party. Under both Democratic and Republican leadership, the Pentagon and Indo-Pacific Command have pursued greater integration of U.S. forces in the region, including those in Korea, into wider contingency planning.
The logic is institutional, not political: military planners seek to maximize flexibility and readiness across theatres. As a result, the weaving of USFK into Taiwan-related scenarios has continued through the Obama, Trump, and Biden years—not as a product of partisan policy, but as a reflection of enduring U.S. strategic priorities in the face of a rising Chinese military threat.
For South Korea, this means that the pressure to be indirectly drawn into a Taiwan conflict will persist, no matter who occupies the White House.
South Korea, by accepting this logic, is effectively placing itself back on the frontline of great power conflict. The irony is striking: for decades, South Korea tried to regionalize and de-escalate its security outlook—recasting itself as a middle power focused on diplomacy, development, and trade.
Now, with little public debate and under the guise of alliance modernization, it is sliding into the role of a frontline state in a brewing U.S.-China conflict.
This exposes South Korea to significant risk. China has already hinted that South Korea’s alignment on Taiwan will shape the future of bilateral relations. In a Taiwan conflict, Beijing will treat U.S. bases in South Korea as legitimate targets—regardless of whether they are used to stage operations.
Seoul might protest that its role is defensive, but war has no time for nuance. The moment U.S. aircraft take off from Osan or USFK assets are rerouted to a Taiwan mission, South Korea becomes part of the war.
Worse, strategic flexibility undermines South Korea’s ability to define its own interests. It allows Washington to set the terms of engagement, while Seoul absorbs the fallout. If U.S. forces launch operations from Korea without Seoul’s consent, the alliance is hollow. If Seoul consents, it becomes a belligerent. In either case, autonomy is compromised.
This is a far cry from the strategic logic of the post-Cold War period, when Korea’s security was managed primarily on its own terms, through deterrence and gradual inter-Korean diplomacy. Back then, the separation of the Taiwan and Korea theatres was a reflection of reality: one was about cross-strait tension, the other about the armistice on the peninsula. Now, that separation is being erased not because of necessity, but because of strategic ambition in Washington.
Policymakers in Seoul are asking: whose war is this? And are we prepared for what participation means? Advisors are listening.
The logic of strategic flexibility serves American goals. It helps balance Chinese power, reinforces U.S. regional deterrence, and provides operational depth. But what does it give South Korea?
More exposure, more entrapment risk, and more strain on already fraught ties with Beijing. All while doing little to actually reduce the threat from North Korea—still the only actor that can reliably turn Seoul into a warzone within minutes.
The United States can afford to be flexible. It has distance, resources, and options. South Korea does not.
Its capital lies within range of thousands of artillery pieces. Its economy depends on Chinese markets. Its people have no appetite for war over Taiwan. And yet, by hosting U.S. forces without clear limitations, and by refusing to draw red lines on operational use, it is giving Washington a blank cheque.
Strategic flexibility is not an abstract principle. It is a doctrine of war planning. If South Korea does not reclaim its voice in that planning, it will find itself a participant in a war it did not start, over a dispute it cannot shape, and with consequences it will suffer far more than those who planned it.
The frontline is shifting again—and South Korea was walking toward it with its eyes wide shut. Some in the Lee Administration are not.
12. North Korea supplying deadly cluster munitions to Russia for rare rocket system
News
North Korea supplying deadly cluster munitions to Russia for rare rocket system
New images show Russia using more DPRK launchers and shells in sign of deepening reliance on Pyongyang
Anton Sokolin June 16, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/06/north-korea-supplying-deadly-cluster-munitions-to-russia-for-rare-rocket-system/
North Korean units firing 107mm Type-75 MLRS during artillery drills circa 2010 | Image: Korean Central Broadcasting Committee
North Korea has supplied Russia with deadly cluster munitions for weapons like the rare 107mm multiple-launch rocket system and the more widely used 122mm Grad model, according to NK News analysis of images on social media, underscoring Moscow’s increasing reliance on armaments from Pyongyang.
After the appearance of the 107mm Type-75 towed multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) on Russian war-focused Telegram channels earlier this month, bloggers circulated images last week of “high-explosive fragmentation shells” and “cluster munitions” for the system.
The weapon is one of North Korea’s “less innovative” attempts to copy a Chinese variant, namely the Type-63, according to DPRK arms expert Joost Oliemans.
107mm cluster and high-explosive fragmentation rounds for the Type-75 towed multiple launch rocket system | Image: @milinfolive via Telegram, edited by NK News
1
2
3
Photos show two types of munitions: one marked Gwaji-921 (과지-921) and the other one labeled 107 Sanpo (107산포) in accompanying specifications. The rockets can reportedly carry up to 15 submunitions, each 36 mm in caliber and weighing 284 grams, including 43 grams of explosive content.
According to the specifications, the submunitions disperse 15 seconds after impact and can potentially penetrate around 40 mm of armor when hitting at an angle exceeding 70 degrees.
The specification sheet also outlines various markings on the shells, such as 10-95-43 and 5-94-96, which indicate batch number, production year and factory code.
The munitions in the images bear different numbers from the manual but share the same production year, 94, which may correspond to 2005 under the North Korean Juche calendar.
Oliemans told NK News the appearance of such rounds aligns with the fact that most shells he has analyzed originated “from early 2000s stockpiles.”
Meanwhile, Russian war bloggers published the first footage of the Type-75 being fired in open terrain and a forest. Some Russian units even mounted the launcher on a Soviet-era UAZ-3303 truck to use as a mobile artillery system.
Footage purporting to show live-fire by a North Korean 107mm MLRS at a training ground in Russia | Source: @divannyevoini via Telegram
Footage purporting to show live-fire by a North Korean 107mm MLRS in a forest | Source: @divannyevoini via Telegram
Oliemans confirmed that the other DPRK-made munitions circulated by Telegram bloggers were 122mm rockets suited for the Russian Grad system and fitted with cluster warheads. NK News previously reported on their use by Russian forces in late 2023.
Notably, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un recently inspected the Tonghungsan Machine Factory located in Hamhung Province, which is known for manufacturing 122mm rockets and 240mm rounds.
Cluster munitions offer “much improved area of effect, primarily against infantry and lightly armoured targets,” Oliemans explained.
He added that this type of rounds “can be up to twice as effective in that regard as regular high explosives,” noting that while North Korea was long expected to be a “prolific user” of such munitions, the Ukraine war has provided “more details on warhead types of their legacy systems.”
North Korean-made 122mm rockets with cluster warheads purportedly used by Russian forces | Image: @milinfolive via Telegram, edited by NK News
1
2
3
Oliemans said the DPRK maintains a “diverse set” of weapons for export but questioned why seldom-seen systems like the Type-75 or 140mm mortars are now showing up on the front lines.
“It seems like they’re getting more reliant on North Korean armaments and becoming less picky,” he said.
A 140mm round North Korea reportedly supplied to Russia along with its rare 140mm mortar | Image: @milinfolive via Telegram, edited by NK News
At the same time, he suggested the Russian military may be diversifying its arsenal due to “growing scarcity,” as in the case of the Type-75.
Another possibility is that Moscow is not looking to “replace current systems” but to “build up force for a larger offensive,” even if Russia now has “not much capacity for that anymore.”
Following the first known deployment of the rare 140mm mortar with Russian troops earlier this month, Russian war bloggers released an image of a shell reportedly used with the weapon, along with live-fire footage of the system in action.
Footage purporting to show a North Korean 140mm test-fired by Russian soldiers at a training ground | Source: @milinfolive via Telegram, edited by NK News
Meanwhile, the UK Ministry of Defence released a new report on Sunday estimating that DPRK forces deployed to fight Ukraine have suffered over 6,000 casualties, or more than half of their deployment, with most operations limited to the Kursk region.
The high casualty rates likely resulted from “large, highly attritional dismounted assaults” observed in the early stages of Pyongyang’s involvement, the ministry added.
“Any decision to deploy into internationally recognized, sovereign Ukrainian territory in support of Russian forces, would almost certainly require sign-off from both Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and [DPRK leader] Kim Jong Un.”
Edited by Alannah Hill
13. NK teachers bristle at classroom surveillance
Control at all costs. Control is more important than anything. Indoctrination over education.
NK teachers bristle at classroom surveillance
“Instructors from the training centers frequently show up at schools unannounced to observe classes, cross-check lesson plans and pacing charts...," a source told Daily NK
By Eun Seol - June 16, 2025
dailynk.com
NK teachers bristle at classroom surveillance - Daily NK English
North Korean media published this photo of education officials discussing how to select outstanding teachers on June 6, 2025. (Rodong Sinmin-News1)
North Korea’s education authorities have rolled out surprise inspections of school classes through teacher training centers ahead of their mid-year program review. Teachers are bristling at what they call excessive interference.
A South Hwanghae Province source told Daily NK recently that earlier this month, provincial education authorities issued a special directive: “Under provincial training center guidance, local teacher retraining centers must make unannounced visits to schools in their jurisdictions to inspect teachers’ instructional materials and observe classes.”
The directive coincides with the Education Commission’s mid-year teacher assessments and appears aimed at evaluating teacher competence and revising pay grades.
Constant surveillance
Teacher retraining centers don’t just provide professional development for educators across all school levels—they also conduct year-round spot checks on classroom instruction. They use these audits as a pretext for unannounced classroom inspections to evaluate each teacher’s performance and adjust pay grades accordingly.
“Instructors from the training centers frequently show up at schools unannounced to observe classes, cross-check lesson plans and pacing charts, and scrutinize everything from teaching equipment to attendance registers,” the source explained. “Teachers who normally coast through their lessons get flagged by the centers, called into the principal’s office, and live in constant fear of being humiliated in front of their colleagues.”
The pressure has created a culture of last-minute scrambling. “In principle, lesson plans should be rewritten every three years, but since textbooks rarely change, most teachers don’t bother,” the source said. “So when inspectors show up, it’s common to see teachers pulling all-nighters to draft new plans from scratch.”
A system that fails to motivate
While these audits are supposedly designed to assess teachers’ abilities and assign pay grades, the grading system itself provides little real incentive for classroom educators.
Teacher pay in North Korea is divided into five grades, but the monthly salary differences between grades are so minimal they barely affect living standards. This leaves most teachers largely indifferent to the entire evaluation process.
“Even if they ace the evaluations and get promoted, it doesn’t make much difference to their daily lives, so teachers simply don’t care,” the source noted. “Unless someone is specifically aiming to become a principal, most are completely indifferent to the grading system.”
Education authorities may use the grading system to try spurring competition and improving teacher performance, but for those actually in the classroom, pay grades lost their meaning long ago.
Growing resentment
The constant oversight is breeding resentment rather than improvement. “When instructors from the training centers show up, they pester teachers with questions and nitpick every detail,” the source said. “Teachers see them as nothing more than censorship bodies. The constant inspections and needless meddling only deepen everyone’s exhaustion.”
“In this kind of atmosphere, official slogans about ‘creative teaching methods’ or ‘improving education quality’ inevitably ring completely hollow.”
Translated by Kyungmin Kim.
Read in Korean
Eun Seol
Eun Seol is one of Daily NK's full-time reporters. Questions about her articles can be directed to dailynkenglish(at)uni-media.net.
dailynk.com
14. N. Korea’s challenge to the NLL
This is all part of the regime's political warfare strategy and blackmail diplomacy.
N. Korea’s challenge to the NLL
North Korea's NLL challenge represents more than a boundary dispute; it reflects broader attempts to reshape the Korean Peninsula's legal and political framework
By Kim Tae Won - June 16, 2025
dailynk.com
N. Korea’s challenge to the NLL - Daily NK English
North Korea's Rodong Sinmun reported on April 26 that "a launch ceremony for the newly constructed destroyer was held grandly at Nampo Shipyard, with Comrade Kim Jong Un in attendance, marking the founding day of the first armed force of the Korean revolution." The new destroyer is a 5,000-ton class vessel that North Korea has designated as the "Choihyon-class." (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
North Korea has intensified efforts to nullify the Northern Limit Line (NLL) through strategic moves that signal a fundamental shift in maritime boundary claims. When Kim Jong Un attended the launch of the 5,000-ton destroyer “Choihyonho” in April, he introduced the term “intermediate line waters” for the first time while explaining naval operational areas. More significantly, North Korea formally objected to South Korea’s UNESCO Global Geopark application for waters around Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Socheong islands, fearing that international recognition would legitimize South Korean territorial claims in these disputed waters.
This opposition stems from Kim’s December 2023 “hostile two-state theory,” which redefined inter-Korean relations and set the stage for new maritime boundary assertions. The strategic timing suggests North Korea views the geopark designation as potentially cementing international recognition of South Korean sovereignty over the northwestern island waters, directly conflicting with its goal of turning the West Sea into disputed territory.
Historical context and legal foundations
The NLL dispute reflects deeper contradictions in inter-Korean relations. While South Korea’s constitution claims the entire peninsula, both Koreas joined the U.N. separately in 1991 and maintain distinct diplomatic relationships globally. This creates fundamental ambiguity about whether inter-Korean boundaries should be governed by special bilateral agreements or standard international maritime law.
North Korea’s position on the NLL has been notably inconsistent since the 1953 Armistice Agreement. For 20 years until 1972, North Korea effectively recognized the NLL as the maritime boundary, cooperating on disaster relief, aviation zones, and crew rescues. However, since raising boundary objections in 1972, North Korea has alternately respected and violated the line, depending on political circumstances. This inconsistency undermines North Korea’s current claims while strengthening arguments for the NLL’s legitimacy through historical acquiescence.
The Armistice Agreement’s maritime implications
The 1953 Armistice Agreement contains no explicit maritime demarcation provisions, creating interpretive challenges. However, the agreement can be understood as separating belligerent forces across all domains, including maritime areas. Under international treaty interpretation principles established by the International Court of Justice, the NLL gains legitimacy through contextual factors including the agreement’s purpose, subsequent practices, and the parties’ conduct over seven decades.
The Armistice Agreement, while not a traditional state-to-state treaty, constitutes an international agreement between legitimate actors under international law. North Korea’s twenty-year period of peaceful NLL acceptance creates a strong legal foundation based on acquiescence principles, where prolonged non-objection to boundary arrangements can establish legal rights.
International maritime law complications
North Korea’s strategy appears to involve selective application of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, claiming its benefits only where advantageous while rejecting comprehensive implementation. The 2007 North Korean announcement of boundary lines based on twelve-nautical-mile and equidistance principles suggests future constitutional amendments will incorporate maritime law concepts selectively.
However, applying standard maritime boundary principles to the Korean Peninsula ignores the unique armistice context. Unlike typical state-to-state boundary disputes, the inter-Korean maritime division serves primarily as a military separation mechanism rather than a commercial or resource boundary. Mechanical application of maritime law principles would undermine the armistice system’s fundamental purpose of maintaining military separation and preventing conflict.
Strategic implications and response
North Korea’s maritime boundary claims pose multiple challenges for South Korea. Constitutional amendments establishing new maritime borders would likely increase armed conflict risks around the five West Sea islands and could eventually reach the International Court of Justice. This creates urgency for diplomatic preparation and alliance coordination.
The NLL’s legal status depends critically on interpretation frameworks. While historical consolidation theories lack precedent in territorial disputes, acquiescence principles provide stronger grounds for defending the NLL’s legitimacy. North Korea’s decades of practical acceptance, combined with the armistice system’s continuing relevance, creates compelling arguments for maintaining current arrangements.
South Korea’s response strategy must balance legal, security, and diplomatic considerations. Rather than engaging in technical maritime law debates that favor North Korea’s position, South Korea should emphasize the armistice system’s continuing validity and the NLL’s role in preventing conflict. Building international support requires demonstrating how NLL changes would destabilize regional security rather than resolve legitimate boundary disputes.
Conclusion
North Korea’s NLL challenge represents more than a boundary dispute; it reflects broader attempts to reshape the Korean Peninsula’s legal and political framework. The “hostile two-state theory” provides ideological justification for rejecting existing arrangements, while selective application of international maritime law offers tactical advantages in specific areas.
South Korea’s most effective response involves emphasizing the NLL’s unique character as a conflict-prevention mechanism rather than a typical maritime boundary. The line’s seven-decade history of maintaining relative stability, combined with North Korea’s inconsistent positions, provides strong grounds for defending current arrangements. Success requires coordinated diplomatic efforts with allies and clear messaging that frames NLL preservation as essential for regional stability rather than South Korean territorial ambition.
The ultimate resolution depends on broader inter-Korean political developments rather than technical legal arguments. Until fundamental political reconciliation occurs, maintaining the existing armistice-based framework serves all parties’ interests in preventing military escalation while preserving space for future negotiations.
Read in Korean
Kim Tae Won
Kim Tae-won is a Research Fellow in the Korean Institute for National Unification's Human Rights Research Division.
dailynk.com
15. North Korean abductees group protests gov't crackdown on balloon leafleting campaigns
Monday
June 16, 2025
dictionary + A - A
North Korean abductees group protests gov't crackdown on balloon leafleting campaigns
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-16/national/socialAffairs/North-Korean-abductees-group-protests-govt-crackdown-on-balloon-leafleting-campaigns/2331220
Published: 16 Jun. 2025, 18:52
Choi Seong-ryong, head of the Families of Abductees to North Korea Association, second from left, speaks at a press conference in front of the Seoul Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, central Seoul, on June 16, explaining the purpose and contents of the group's leaflet campaign to North Korea and urging the government to confirm the fate of their abducted family members. [YONHAP]
Members of the Families of Abductees to North Korea are pushing back against South Korea’s government crackdown on balloon leafleting campaigns aimed at the North, escalating tensions over a highly charged issue that pits national security against freedom of expression.
As the Ministry of Unification convened an interagency meeting to enforce stricter measures against balloon launches carrying leaflets to North Korea on Monday, the members of the Families of Abductees group held a protest outside the Seoul Government Complex, demanding their right to send messages to loved ones still missing in the North.
Related Article
“We are citizens too,” the members argued during the protest, and vowed to continue their balloon campaigns despite government warnings and possible penalties.
In a statement distributed Monday during the protest, the group declared, “We are not criminals, but families of those kidnapped by North Korea. When we lost all other options, we started sending newsletters about our abducted family members, but now the government treats us like offenders.”
They accused law enforcement of targeting victims rather than the criminals responsible for the abductions and urged the government to cease efforts to block their activities, arguing that sending these newsletters is their last hope for answers.
The group’s leader, Choi Seong-ryong, criticized the government for what he called an ideological crackdown on its own citizens, saying, “The courts have ruled that leaflet distribution is permissible, but the government is dividing the people with ideological bias. We will send balloons again as soon as the wind allows.”
Earlier this month, the association released balloons with leaflets containing the faces and stories of abductees, demands for their whereabouts and repatriation, from Paju, Gyeonggi. The Ministry of Unification condemned the practice, warning on June 9 that it risks escalating military tensions and endangering border residents, and urged an immediate halt.
Members of the Families of Abductees to North Korea Association prepare to launch balloons carrying leaflets toward North Korea behind the fence at Peace Land in Paju, Gyeonggi, on April 27. [FAMILIES OF ABDUCTEES TO NORTH KOREA ASSOCIATION]
Yet the families announced plans to resume balloon launches near the demilitarized zone from Monday to Sunday, with another group having already sent leaflets from the border area of Incheon’s Ganghwa County on June 14.
The government has been scrambling to apply existing laws to crack down on the balloon campaigns since a key law regulating inter-Korean relations was struck down by the Constitutional Court last year. Officials have cited the Aviation Safety Act, which classifies balloons carrying more than 2 kilograms of material as unmanned free balloons requiring prior approval, and have warned that unauthorized launches could bring up to three years in prison or fines of 30 million won.
Local authorities in Gyeonggi designated parts of the border region as “risk zones” under the Disaster and Safety Management Act, deploying special police units to enforce bans on leaflet distribution, punishable by up to one year in jail or fines of 10 million won.
Officials also suspect that the use of high-pressure gases to inflate balloons may violate the High-Pressure Gas Control Act, which requires vehicle registration and penalties for violations. The abductee group had intended to bring a helium-filled balloon to the protest but was warned by police and instead carried only the leaflets.
Experts warn that the government’s patchwork application of various laws to sidestep constitutional protections for freedom of expression could face legal challenges in court. While investigations and prosecutions may proceed, judges could ultimately rule in favor of the activists.
The Families of Abductees to North Korea Association prepares to launch eight balloons carrying anti-North Korea leaflets toward the North from behind the fence at Peace Land in Paju, Gyeonggi, on April 27. [FAMILIES OF ABDUCTEES TO NORTH KOREA ASSOCIATION]
Following the Monday's interagency meeting, the Ministry of Unification pledged to establish a coordinated task force with relevant agencies to prevent illegal leaflet launches that threaten border safety and heighten military tensions.
Officials also discussed accelerating legislative efforts to revise the National Security Act and the Aviation Safety Act before South Korea’s Liberation Day on August 15. Proposed revisions may ease current harsh penalties, introduce permit systems, and explicitly include balloon leaflets under regulations for unmanned aerial devices.
Choi offered a conditional olive branch, saying he would halt balloon launches if President Lee Jae-myung personally met with surviving families and raised the issue in inter-Korean talks. But for now, the families remain determined to keep their airborne messages flying.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHUNG YOUNG-GYO, LEE YU-JEONG [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]
16. Seoul pivots from confrontation to engagement with Pyongyang
What makes anyone think that somehow this will be different than the Sunshine Policy and the Peace and Prosperity Policy of 1997-2006 or the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration? Or the 1991-1992 agreements on denuclearization and reconciliation, non-aggression and exchanges or the 2005 agreement at the 6 Party talks or the 2009 leap Day Agreement or Kim Dae Jung's or Moon Jae In's visit to Pyongyang or the 1972 agreement on unification. Or the Singapore and Hanoi summits and the DMZ visit by President Trump.
What is it about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?
That said, I am all for engagement if it is part of a superior political warfare strategy that acknowledges the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime and has as the ultimate objective solving the "Korea question."
Seoul pivots from confrontation to engagement with Pyongyang
Button Label
Listen
textScalePopoverWrapper open
print
open image gallery
President Lee Jae-myung shakes hands with a soldier at Piryong Observatory in Yeoncheon, a county near the inter-Korean border in northern Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Captured from President Lee Jae-myung's Facebook
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/northkorea/20250616/seoul-moves-away-from-confrontation-with-pyongyang
By Jung Min-ho
Published Jun 16, 2025 7:00 am KST
Updated Jun 16, 2025 2:04 pm KST
Lee Jae-myung orders crackdown on anti-regime leaflet campaign as he seeks to improve relations
South Korea is moving away from its previous confrontational stance toward North Korea, as the Lee Jae-myung administration tries to mend relations that deteriorated under his predecessor.
In the latest development on Saturday, Lee directed all relevant government departments to devise measures to prevent and penalize the sending of leaflets critical of the North Korean regime across the inter-Korean border. This directive followed an attempt by human rights activists to launch balloons carrying anti-regime messages from Ganghwa Island, near North Korean shores, earlier that day.
Lee reaffirmed his commitment the next day to restoring communication and trust between Seoul and Pyongyang.
“The Lee Jae-myung government will cease all hostilities, resume dialogue and cooperation and restore the inter-Korean communication channel and the crisis management system to ease military tensions and create a peaceful atmosphere,” Lee said in a social media post on the 25th anniversary of the June 15 North–South Joint Declaration, which was adopted in Pyongyang following a landmark inter-Korean summit in 2000.
“We must remember the promise made 25 years ago today. We must reclaim lost time and lost peace,” he said, pledging to help build a better future where “both Koreas can coexist.”
The government held an interagency meeting on Monday to discuss preventive and punitive measures against the distribution of anti-North Korean leaflets, in accordance with Lee’s instructions. Those in attendance included officials from the Ministry of Unification, the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the National Police Agency.
Since taking office on June 4, the new president has signaled a clear change in policy toward North Korea, following more than five years of suspended exchanges between the two Koreas after the collapse of talks between Pyongyang and Washington in Hanoi in 2019.
Under his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, inter-Korean relations plunged to their lowest point in many years. The two sides engaged in a tit-for-tat balloon campaign, with South Korean activists sending anti-regime leaflets and Pyongyang responding by launching balloons loaded with cigarette butts and other trash. Meanwhile, North Korea focused on developing its nuclear and missile capabilities.
The Lee administration has made it clear that it would depart from this hardline stance. On Wednesday, it turned off loudspeakers that had been broadcasting criticism, propaganda and K-pop into the North for the past year.
In line with this shift, ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers proposed easing restrictions on inter-Korean exchanges and clarifying the government’s responsibility to promote them.
Also on Wednesday, 11 lawmakers drafted a bill to remove the legal requirement for South Koreans to notify the Ministry of Unification before contacting North Koreans, arguing that current restrictions unjustly limit freedom and hinder exchanges.
A second bill, filed by 13 legislators the following day, would require the government to actively promote inter-Korean exchanges by formulating necessary policies and securing funding.
North Korea appears to have responded to South Korea’s new approach. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pyongyang suspended its own loudspeaker broadcasts the day after Seoul halted its own.
However, some rights advocates have expressed concerns about the implications for freedom of expression and the rights of North Koreans living under the regime.
“The Constitutional Court in 2023 struck down a 2020 law that criminalized the sending of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets to North Korea, calling it an excessive restriction on free speech,” a member of a Seoul-based nongovernmental organization told The Korea Times. “I hope lawmakers will take constitutional rights and the human rights of North Koreans into account as they draft a new bill.”
Meanwhile, the Korean War Abductee’s Family Union has said that it would consider stopping its leaflet campaigns if Lee were to agree to meet with the families in person.
“Sending leaflets is the only way we can contact our kidnapped family members, yet now even that is being treated as crime," Choi Seong-ryong, head of the organization, said at a press conference held Monday outside Government Complex Seoul. “If President Lee meets with the families of abductees and offers his condolences, we will stop sending leaflets.”
The unification ministry said that it would listen to the families’ concerns. “Resolving the abduction issue requires continued dialogue, and we will pay close attention to what the families have to say," ministry spokesperson Koo Byeong-sam said during a regular briefing.
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
| 
