Quotes of the Day:
“Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
"You have the power over your mind- not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."
- Marcus Aurelius
1. North Korea deploys national medical teams to battle intestinal epidemic
2. Ex-generals see nuclear blackmail "trinity" in Russia, China, North Korea
3. North Korea reports 19,310 new fever cases amid COVID-19 outbreak, KCNA says
4. Feared North Korean general dubbed 'Angel of Death' to oversee brutal purges
5. Main opposition accuses ruling party of framing Moon administration as ‘pro-North’
6. 4 Korean battle deaths in Ukraine not confirmed
7. Yoon hosts 'housewarming' event in front yard of new presidential office
8. Space rocket Nuri to be moved to launch pad Monday as planned
9. Internet Explorer's final resting place: as a 'world-class joke' in South Korea
10. Industry deal moves Poland closer to acquiring South Korean artillery system
11. Korean YouTuber-turned-Ukraine fighter Rhee Ken under prosecution for violating passport law
12. ‘Sounds cooler in English’: South Korean president’s unnecessary mixing of languages annoys citizens
1. North Korea deploys national medical teams to battle intestinal epidemic
Nuclear weapons and missiles cannot cure pandemics and save the Korean people in the north.
But this very much bears watching and observing for indications of potential internal instability and effects on the regime.
North Korea deploys national medical teams to battle intestinal epidemic
SEOUL, June 19 (Reuters) - North Korea has dispatched medical crews and epidemiological investigators to a province battling the outbreak of an intestinal disease, state media reported on Sunday.
At least 800 families suffering from what North Korea has only called an "acute enteric epidemic" have received aid in South Hwanghae Province so far.
Enteric refers to the gastrointestinal tract and South Korean officials say it may be cholera or typhoid.
The new outbreak, first reported on Thursday, puts further strain on the isolated country as it battles chronic food shortages and a wave of COVID-19 infections.
On Sunday state news agency KCNA detailed prevention efforts, including quarantines, "intensive screening for all residents," and special treatment and monitoring of vulnerable people such as children and the elderly.
A national "Rapid Diagnosis and Treatment Team" is working with local health officials, and measures are being taken to ensure that farming is not disrupted in the key agricultural area, KCNA said.
Disinfection work is being carried out, including of sewage and other waste, to ensure the safety of drinking and household water, the report said.
Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Daniel Wallis
2. Ex-generals see nuclear blackmail "trinity" in Russia, China, North Korea
Blackmail diplomacy. Even if they are not deliberately synchronizing their activities they are likely learning from each other and they will likely exploit opportunities created by the actions of others.
We make it worse when we say we question whether we will trade Seoul, or Tokyo, for LA. We play right into their hands and they assess blackmail diplomacy works.
Excerpts:
"The most significant of all the problem sets may be the emergence of a new norm in nuclear doctrine—blackmail. That approach is in stark contrast to the notion of Mutually Assured Destruction, where major powers—United States, the USSR, and China—viewed atomic attack as truly a last resort," retired Air Force Major General Howard Thompson and former Lieutenant General Dan Leaf wrote in a report published by Real Clear Defense.
The report by the former generals comes in the wake of China and Russia vetoing sanctions against North Korea last month for the first time since October 2006, according to CNN, despite a series of North Korean ballistic missile tests that were launched during the first half of this year.
Ex-generals see nuclear blackmail "trinity" in Russia, China, North Korea
Newsweek · by Fatma Khaled · June 18, 2022
Former U.S. generals said Saturday that they see a nuclear blackmail "trinity" in Russia, China, and North Korea, adding that the United States must now "seriously" consider how it would counter one.
"The most significant of all the problem sets may be the emergence of a new norm in nuclear doctrine—blackmail. That approach is in stark contrast to the notion of Mutually Assured Destruction, where major powers—United States, the USSR, and China—viewed atomic attack as truly a last resort," retired Air Force Major General Howard Thompson and former Lieutenant General Dan Leaf wrote in a report published by Real Clear Defense.
The report by the former generals comes in the wake of China and Russia vetoing sanctions against North Korea last month for the first time since October 2006, according to CNN, despite a series of North Korean ballistic missile tests that were launched during the first half of this year.
"This first-ever rejection of sanctions marks the emergence of an unholy trinity implicitly willing to hold the world order at risk by threatening, and perhaps executing, limited nuclear attack," the former generals said.
Former U.S. generals said Saturday that they see a nuclear blackmail “trinity” in Russia, China, and North Korea, adding that the United States must now “seriously” consider how it would counter one. Above, the South Korean Defense Ministry, U.S. Army Tactical Missile System, and South Korea's missile system fire a missile into the East Sea during a drill aimed to counter North Korea's ICBM test on July 29, 2017 in East Coast, South Korea. Photo by South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images
This was not the case in October 2006 when the United Nations Security Council, including China and Russia, were fast in condemning and passing sanctions against North Korea after the country launched its first nuclear test, according to the report. The two countries haven't blocked any of the nine previous sanction votes that were passed since that year.
"The vetoes today are dangerous. Those members today have taken a stance that not only undermines the Security Council's previous action to which they have committed but also undermines our collective security," U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement last month that was made on behalf of the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.
In their report, Howard and Leaf referenced a Financial Times article that was published in April with national security analyst at Harvard University, Graham Allison, that pointed out that there is "every reason to believe" that Russian President Vladimir Putin would choose to "escalate the level of destruction" instead of accepting a loss in Ukraine, if he had to pick between the two.
"Putin first explicitly raised the nuclear option to deter outside intervention, and since has hinted of the use of tactical nuclear weapons to force capitulation or punish intervention from or expansion of the NATO alliance," the former generals said in their report.
Meanwhile, Howard and Leaf didn't rule out the possibility of China using a nuclear option as Beijing's tension with Taiwan continues. The Chinese government repeatedly pointed out that it's not hesitant to use military force to reclaim the independent island.
"Xi has left no doubt about his willingness to resort to a military option to reclaim Taiwan, and it would be naïve to expect the Chinese to refrain from nuclear coercion in such circumstances. With Russian backing for a move against Taiwan or aggression in the volatile South China Sea, the potential for nuclear coercion is exceedingly high," they explained.
Newsweek · by Fatma Khaled · June 18, 2022
3. North Korea reports 19,310 new fever cases amid COVID-19 outbreak, KCNA says
Beware all numbers and data from north Korea.
North Korea reports 19,310 new fever cases amid COVID-19 outbreak, KCNA says
People wearing protective face masks commute amid concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pyongyang, North Korea March 30, 2020, in this photo released by Kyodo. Picture taken March 30, 2020. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
SEOUL, June 19 (Reuters) - North Korea has recorded another 19,310 new fever cases amid its first official COVID-19 outbreak, state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday, without detailing how many of those patients had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Overall more than 4.6 million have shown fever symptoms since an outbreak was first acknowledged in mid-May.
Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Daniel Wallis
4. Feared North Korean general dubbed 'Angel of Death' to oversee brutal purges
If Kim thinks he must crack down and tighten control then he must be seeing the signs of instability and the existential threat to the regime. This bears watching.
Excerpts:
Madden, a fellow of The Stimson Center in Washington DC, and who runs the North Korea Leadership Watch website, claims the move looked more like a crackdown.
"This indicates Kim Jong-un tightening control," he said.
"There could be a matter of he and General Jo cracking down on certain cohorts in the military.
"But that would be an incomplete picture. The CMC also has some oversight over civilian officials in the party and state.
"And the MSC which Jo leads can surveil or investigate civilian officials.
"In short, his appointment to the CMC is intended to serve as a warning to North Korean officials of all ranks and stations."
It would be wise to review the great work of Robert Collins in his patterns of collapse and know the indications of warnings of the resistance phase (we currently remain in Phase 4 - the suppression phase). I hope the IC and. the ROK/US CFC are reviewing Robert COllins' work. It remains the best treatment of the potential for north Korean instability and regime collapse.
As an aside I attended an important event with a number of Korea thinkers and two escapees from north Korea this week looking at strategic influence. Both escapees said many people in the north long for war in north Korea. They wish the ROK and the US would attack the north. This is not because they want to fight the ROK and US but because it will allow them to attack and kill all the local political and security officials who make their lives so terrible. This is nascent resistance potential and can be exploited with the right information and influence activities from those who possess an unconventional warfare mindset. The escapees basically confirmed Robert Collins' analysis below.
Phase Five: Resistance - Based on success of suppression (or lack thereof), sub-system groups and/or individual leaders (as opposed to individuals) will elevate levels of resistance both horizontally and vertically, organizationally and violently.
e. Phase Five: Resistance - This phase presupposes that the suppression phase failed to meet its intended goals. Local groups, even new sub-systems evolving out of independent activity, will gain confidence in their ability not to succumb to the government’s suppression attempts either through open resistance or manipulation of reporting that forwards false data.
1/ Refusal to obey government directives. These directives will be ignored because those that resist perceive enforcement is unlikely.
2/ Usurpation of government assets, such as storehouses or competing sub-systems. This will enhance the power of local resistance activities, whether economically or politically based.
3/ Threats and violence employed against internal security representatives to either win their culpability or simple elimination. Resistance groups will lose their fear of internal security forces and either eliminate them, beginning at the basic level, or incorporate them into their local sub-system to assist in their activity.
4/ The more successful local resistance becomes, the more likely a resource-denied sub-system (which is already a paramilitary unit within the nKorean social system) will begin to employ counter-force against the regime’s mobilized military units. Such an incident will become a central issue dominating the attention of the Core Group.
5/ Successful armed resistance, though only at the sub-system level (company to battalion-sized paramilitary level) will lead the regime’s Core Group to employ combined arms operations against the resistance group. Some military leaders receiving such orders will hesitate to employ maximum indiscriminate force against local citizens and will immediately be relieved if not executed on the spot. Other leaders will execute the executioner. The depth of the resistance phase can be measured by the rank of the officer who does not obey orders from Pyongyang.
6/ Low echelon border units, along both the northern border and the DMZ, will cross the border and the mdl while senior echelons are preoccupied with resistance suppression. Platoon commanders will be capable of initiating a platoon level crossing of the border or DMZ for the purpose of avoiding punishment, chaos, or worse. After eliminating the company’s single political officer, a company commander would be capable of taking a whole company across the DMZ. The senior battalion commander would be forced to call for artillery fires into the DMZ or beyond to halt the platoon or company-sized defections across the DMZ. He would do this knowing that he would probably be immediately executed for permitting it to happen in the first place. This process would not likely end until the division or corps level.
Feared North Korean general dubbed 'Angel of Death' to oversee brutal purges
A FEARED North Korean general dubbed the "Angel of Death" has been promoted to oversee the brutal purging of Kim Jong-un's enemies.
Jo Kyong-chol was the wicked mastermind behind the purging of senior officials like the dictator's uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who was killed in 2013.
4
'Angel of Death' Jo Kyong-chol helped Kim Jong-un consolidate power in 2011Credit: Credit: Pen News
4
Kyong-chol is known for his heavy-handed tactics and bloody purges
4
Those tactics included beating prisoners into submission
The cold-blooded killer of North Korea's Military Security Command (MSC) has now been promoted to the rogue nation's most powerful decision-making body - the Central Military Commission (CMC).
Michael Madden, a leading North Korea expert, described the "shadowy" general's new role.
He said: "We can link him overall to supervising the process whereby top North Korean military officers and party cadres are incarcerated and executed.
"When we talk about prison for North Korean elites, we are talking about places where there is no natural light and if you go into one you do not leave there alive."
MORE ON NORTH KOREA
He continued: "With regard to executions, they are typically done with three bullets from a firing squad.
"Of course we have accounts of more creative methods for putting down disobedient malcontents such as using anti-aircraft artillery fired at close range.
"Another account says that some military officers were restrained to the ground and run over by military tanks.
"But this is not the norm and more to send a message to North Korean elites to shape up under the principle of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys."
MOST READ IN THE US SUN
Madden, a fellow of The Stimson Center in Washington DC, and who runs the North Korea Leadership Watch website, claims the move looked more like a crackdown.
"This indicates Kim Jong-un tightening control," he said.
"There could be a matter of he and General Jo cracking down on certain cohorts in the military.
"But that would be an incomplete picture. The CMC also has some oversight over civilian officials in the party and state.
"And the MSC which Jo leads can surveil or investigate civilian officials.
"In short, his appointment to the CMC is intended to serve as a warning to North Korean officials of all ranks and stations."
The soulless general was among a group who helped Kim Jong-un consolidate his power after the death of Kim Jong-Il, the leader's father and predecessor in 2011.
Analysts say work is finished on a mountain tunnel ready for a test, and work in progress on another tunnel means more are planned.
The satellite images show the Punggye-ri testing site last Sunday, June 13.
Ongoing rebuilding and preparations can be seen at an area called Tunnel No. 3, said a report by Beyond Parallel, a project of Washington think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
This site is "apparently now complete and ready for an oft-speculated seventh nuclear test", the authors say.
Analysts also spotted new construction at Tunnel No. 4, which collapsed after North Korea mothballed the site in 2018.
READ MORE ON THE SUN
The report says: "The most recent image shows new indications of activity below the entrance to Tunnel No. 4," which strongly suggests "an effort to reenable it for potential future testing."
And it concludes: “The timing of a seventh nuclear test now rests solely within the hands of Kim Jong-un.”
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Kim Jong-Un promoted the general to the country's most powerful decision-making body - the Central Military Commission (CMC).Credit: Getty
5. Main opposition accuses ruling party of framing Moon administration as ‘pro-North’
I thought people like President Moon's former Chief of Staff Im Jong Seok described themselves as pro-north. There is certainly evidence that members of the Moon administration were pro-north.
Here is my assessment from 2020.
"New South Korean National Security Team Has Close Ties to Pyongyang"
Main opposition accuses ruling party of framing Moon administration as ‘pro-North’
Published : Jun 19, 2022 - 15:10 Updated : Jun 19, 2022 - 15:10
Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s emergency steering committee speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly on Sunday. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s main opposition party’s interim chief Rep. Woo Sang-ho on Sunday accused conservative ruling party of strategically framing the previous liberal Moon Jae-in administration as “pro-North Korea,” following a decision overturning the initial conclusion regarding a civil servant killed by North Korea.
“Instead of taking care of people’s livelihoods, (the incumbent Yoon Suk-yeol administration) is trying to create an image (of his predecessor) as having had succumbed to the North,” Rep. Woo, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea’s emergency steering committee said in a press conference at the National Assembly.
On Thursday, the Coast Guard and the Ministry of Defense withdrew their earlier determination that Lee Dae-jun, a late Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official, had sought to defect to the North. The authorities said they found no evidence of a defection.
Lee was shot dead in 2020 by North Korean troops at sea. At the time, when the preceding Moon Jae-in administration was in office, maritime and military authorities said the official was attempting to defect to the North when he was killed. The then-ruling Democratic Party of Korea also supported the idea.
Following the change in the conclusion last week, the ruling People Power Party said the then Moon Jae-in administration and the then ruling Democratic Party had wrongly accused late Lee of defection, in a bid to lighten Pyongyang’s fault in killing the official.
The People Power Party’s floor leader Kwon Seong-dong called on Sunday for the previous government and the Democratic Party to apologize for manipulation of the incident.
But the liberal opposition’s interim chief Rep. Woo insisted the latest change in view of the incident, is an intentional act of the ruling faction against the previous government and the now opposition party.
“We can only take stern measures to respond to the series of decisions (by the ruling bloc), which is seen as deliberate to pressure the oppposition party,” Rep. Woo said.
“In this situation where the main opposition party holds more seats (in the National Assembly) it is crucial for the ruling party to cooperate with the opposition in this time of economic crisis,” Rep. Woo said.
Currently, Democratic Party holds a firm majority of 170 seats out of 299.
The late official’s family has said the Moon administration “hasn’t done anything (for the family),” and that the family has been “barred from knowing how he died, and what the government has or hasn’t done to protect him in his last hours.”
6. 4 Korean battle deaths in Ukraine not confirmed
I was only aware of the former ROK Navy SEAL turned YouTiber but that must be because of the publicity surrounding him.
Sunday
June 19, 2022
4 Korean battle deaths in Ukraine not confirmed
An apartment building in Kyiv, Ukraine, after it was hit by Russia [YONHAP]
Moscow's claim that four Koreans died fighting in Ukraine has not been verified by Seoul.
Asked by local reporters whether Russia’s statement was true, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said the Korean Embassy in Moscow has been ordered to “find out the facts.” Thus far, the embassy has told the ministry it had “no information” on the matter.
Last Friday, Moscow’s Defense Ministry released a list of what it described as foreign mercenaries helping Ukrainian forces in the war against Russia.
The list included 13 Korean nationals, four of whom died, eight of whom had left Ukraine and one who was still fighting.
No other information such as names or ages of the people was revealed.
A diplomatic source who spoke with the JoongAng Ilbo Sunday on the condition of anonymity said that Russia’s figures weren’t congruent with those of the Korean government.
The source said it appeared Moscow was releasing fake data for propaganda purposes and to persuade mercenaries to leave Ukraine by exaggerating deaths.
On the list released Friday, the largest number of foreign mercenaries were said to have come from Europe, especially Poland.
TASS, Russia’s official news agency, quoted Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman, as saying that 1,831 people from Poland have come to Ukraine to fight. Of that figure, 378 have been “eliminated,” he said, while 272 returned home.
The second-largest cohort was said to have come from Romania, followed by Britain. From Romania, 504 people arrived, 102 were killed and 98 remain in Ukraine, the spokesman said. From Britain, 422 arrived, 101 were killed and 95 remain.
“From the Americas, Canada is in the lead: 601 arrived, 162 eliminated, 169 left,” Konashenkov said, according to the English-language TASS report. “The U.S. is in second place: 530 arrived, 214 killed, 227 left.”
The Russian spokesperson said 6,956 mercenaries and “weapons operation specialists” from 64 countries have arrived in Ukraine since the onset of the war, of whom 1,956 have been “destroyed” and 1,779 of whom have yet to leave.
The Korean government has banned all travel to Ukraine since mid-February, shortly before the war with Russia began. As the Ukrainian government asked foreign mercenaries for help, the Korean Foreign Ministry warned criminal changes would face any Korean national who tried to fight in Ukraine.
Some Koreans are known to have gone to Ukraine anyway, including popular YouTuber Ken Rhee, a former special forces officer.
Rhee returned to Korea in late May after three months of fighting in Ukraine, citing injuries.
Prosecutors are now reviewing Rhee’s case for possible violation of the country’s passport law, which could lead to up to a year in prison or a maximum fine of 10 million won ($7,740).
In an exclusive interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily earlier this month, Rhee said his time in Ukraine was worth the risk of going to jail for a year. Rhee went with two other men, but they returned to Korea much earlier. They could also face punishment.
For months, Ukraine has been asking Korea to send anti-aircraft weapons to use against Russia, which Seoul keeps refusing. Korea has so far provided only humanitarian relief and non-lethal military supplies such as bulletproof helmets, blankets and medical supplies.
In early June, Lee Jun-seok, chairman of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s People Power Party, traveled to Ukraine to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a statement, the PPP said Ukraine’s presidential office asked Korea to participate in reconstruction activities once the war with Russia ends. Lee said he would relay the proposal to Yoon.
BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]
7. Yoon hosts 'housewarming' event in front yard of new presidential office
Note Afghan refugees were among the guests.
Yoon hosts 'housewarming' event in front yard of new presidential office | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol hosted a "housewarming" event in the front yard of the presidential office in central Seoul on Sunday, inviting some 400 neighbors and others to celebrate the relocation of the office.
Living up to his campaign pledge, Yoon has moved the presidential office to the former defense ministry building in Yongsan from Cheong Wa Dae in line with his campaign pledge to connect better with people.
About 400 residents of Yongsan, young Afghan refugees and small business owners were invited to the event held in time for the completion of remodeling work at the defense ministry building, according to officials.
"I thank you for allowing me and the presidential office staff into Yongsan and giving us a warm welcome," Yoon said. "I will work harder."
"I think South Korea and the whole world will be able to become happier when South Koreans, currently in a difficult situation, and people across the world have the sense of becoming one and unite," the president noted.
The Sunday event included a flea market and a street food event, with small merchants operating around the presidential office taking part.
Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee, did not join the event due to "other engagements," according to officials.
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
8. Space rocket Nuri to be moved to launch pad Monday as planned
Space rocket Nuri to be moved to launch pad Monday as planned | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, June 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri will be moved to the launch pad early Monday as planned for its scheduled launch the following day, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said Sunday.
The institute canceled its initial plan to launch Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, last Thursday after a part in the oxidizer tank sensor was seen malfunctioning during a final pre-launch checkup at the launch pad in Naro Space Center in Goheung, a southern coastal village some 470 kilometers south of Seoul.
The launch was rescheduled to Tuesday after aerospace engineers replaced the malfunctioning part.
Nuri will be transported from the assembly building to the launch pad at 7:20 a.m., the aerospace institute decided in a meeting of the flight test committee.
The liftoff is likely to take place at 4 p.m. Tuesday, but the time could change, officials said.
According to the weather agency, no rain has been forecast in Goheung for Monday, and the surface wind speed is expected to be mild at between 1 and 3 meters per second.
The envisioned launch would be Nuri's second liftoff, following its maiden voyage in October.
In its first launch, Nuri successfully flew to a target altitude of 700 kilometers but failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit, as its third-stage engine burned out earlier than expected.
(END)
9. Internet Explorer's final resting place: as a 'world-class joke' in South Korea
Internet Explorer's final resting place: as a 'world-class joke' in South Korea
CNN · by Story by Reuters
SeoulFor Jung Ki-young, a South Korean software engineer, Microsoft's decision to retire its Internet Explorer web browser marked the end of a quarter-century love-hate relationship with the technology.
To commemorate its demise, he spent a month and 430,000 won ($330) designing and ordering a headstone with Explorer's "e" logo and the English epitaph: "He was a good tool to download other browsers."
After the memorial went on show at a cafe run by his brother in the southern city of Gyeongju, a photo of the tombstone went viral.
Microsoft scaled down support for the once omnipresent Internet Explorer on Wednesday after a 27-year run, to focus on its faster browser, Microsoft Edge.
Jung said the memorial showed his mixed feelings for the older software, which had played such a big part in his working life.
Read More
"It was a pain in the ass, but I would call it a love-hate relationship because Explorer itself once dominated an era," he said.
He said he found it took him longer to make sure his websites and online apps worked with Explorer, than with other browsers.
But his customers kept asking him to make sure their websites looked good in Explorer, which remained the default browser in South Korean government offices and many banks for years.
Launched in 1995, Explorer became the world's leading browser for more than a decade as it was bundled with Microsoft's Windows operating system that came pre-installed in billions of computers.
But it started losing out to Google's Chrome in the late 2000s and became a subject of countless internet memes, with some developers suggesting it was sluggish compared with its rivals.
Jung said he had meant to give people a laugh with the gravestone, but was still surprised about how far the joke went online.
"That's another reason for me to thank the Explorer, it has now allowed me to make a world-class joke," he said.
"I regret that it's gone, but won't miss it. So its retirement, to me, is a good death."
CNN · by Story by Reuters
10. Industry deal moves Poland closer to acquiring South Korean artillery system
Perhaps the rest of the deal will be to get them to Ukraine.
Industry deal moves Poland closer to acquiring South Korean artillery system
Amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Poland is accelerating efforts to acquire South Korean defense equipment, looking to take advantage of the Asian nation’s mass production capacity and lenient policy toward technology transfers. The NATO member shares a border with Ukraine as well as the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
In addition to the K2PL, which is a Polish version of the Black Panther main battle tank in service with the South Korean Army, Poland is in talks with Hyundai Rotem to buy hundreds of K2 Black Panther tanks for its Army, according to to government and industry sources with knowledge of the discussions.
Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak discussed during a June 13 meeting with military leadership his weapons wish list, which includes Korean main battle tanks, self-propelled guns and infantry fighting vehicles. The minister had visited the Asian nation in late May to discuss the supply of South Korean combat vehicles and fighter jets.
“Why is Korean equipment proven? Because Korea has the challenge of its northern neighbour, who also conducts aggressive policy, so our task is to equip the Polish Armed Forces with modern equipment,” Blaszczak said in a news release posted online by his ministry.
Armed with a 120mm/55-caliber smoothbore gun and an autoloader, the 56-ton K2 Black Panther can fire up to 10 rounds per minute and features active protection systems. The tank is powered by a 1,500-horsepower diesel engine and a fully automatic transmission, and it can reach speeds of 70 kph (44 mph) and can maintain speeds up to 53 kph (33 mph) in off-road conditions.
Hyundai Rotem displayed a scale model of the K2PL at Eurosatory. Photos of the model show the Polish variant has a larger chassis than the Black Panther and features an additional seventh roadwheel.
Hanwha Defense showed off a model of the K9 Thunder howitzer at the 2022 Eurosatory defense expo. (Hanwha Defense)
The K9 self-propelled howitzer, developed by Hanwha Defense, is also a part of Warsaw’s arms wish list. Poland signed a contract earlier this month to export more than 50 155mm Krab howitzers to Ukraine, following the delivery of 18 secondhand Krabs to the war-torn country. Polish daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reported the deal covers about 60 howitzers and is valued at about 3 billion zlotys (U.S. $700 million).
In 2016, Poland ordered 120 Krabs, which are based on the K9 Thunder chassis. Polish Armaments Group subsidiary Huta Stalowa Wola manufactures the Krab by putting the British AS-90M Braveheart turret onto the K9 chassis.
A Polish Army delegation visited the K9 manufacturing plant as well as a South Korean Army unit operating the artillery systems earlier this month to discuss the purchase of the K9 to fill the gap left by the Krab export.
Multiple options are on the table, including providing the entire K9 system, just delivering the K9 chassis, or exporting a package of K9 howitzers and K10 automatic ammunition resupply vehicles.
“Hanwha Defense has a strong partnership with the Polish defense industry on the successful Krab project,” Jeff Sung, a spokesman for Hanwha Defense, told Defense New. He would not comment on the details of discussions between Seoul and Warsaw regarding the emergency supply of K9 howitzers.
The spokesman noted that nine countries — South Korea, Turkey, Poland, India, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Australia and Egypt — have ordered the K9 howitzer.
The NATO-compatible platform has a firing range exceeding 40 kilometers (25 miles) with conventional 155mm ammunition. Equipped with an automatic fire control system, the howitzer can fire six rounds per minute continuously for three minutes.
Powered by a 1,000-horsepower diesel engine, the 47-ton vehicle can move as fast as 67 kph. The gun was primarily designed to meet the tactical concept of “shoot and scoot” — or firing at a target, then quickly moving to another location to avoid responsive fire.
As for the infantry fighting vehicle, Poland is pondering options to buy Hanwha Defense’s K21, which is in service with the South Korean Army.
The 25-ton amphibious armored fighting vehicle is equipped with a 40mm cannon and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, as well as anti-tank guided missiles. It also features cross-country maneuverability with an in-arm suspension unit and an advanced battlefield management system for sharing real-time battlefield information.
Poland is also eyeing the next-generation Redback, which is competing for Australia’s LAND 400 Phase 3 program.
Hanwha Defense shows off its Redback infantry fighting vehicle during the 2022 Eurosatory trade show. (Hanwha Defense)
Hanwha Defense displayed the Redback heavy infantry fighting vehicle at Eurosatory this week. “In Europe, the Redback has drawn keen attention in the wake of the ongoing conflict in some part of the region, as many European armed forces are seeking to acquire combat vehicles fitted with state-of-the-art armored protection capabilities against anti-tank weapons, and all-terrain manoeuvrability,” the company said in a June 13 news release.
The 42-ton Redback employs several protection and situational awareness technologies, such as the Iron Fist hard-kill active protection system; the Iron Vision helmet-mounted display; and the Solar Sigma Shield according to the news release. The Redback has also adopted a composite rubber track to mitigate noise and vibration.
Brian Kim is the South Korea correspondent for Defense News.
11. Korean YouTuber-turned-Ukraine fighter Rhee Ken under prosecution for violating passport law
Korean YouTuber-turned-Ukraine fighter Rhee Ken under prosecution for violating passport law
YouTuber Rhee Ken, the former Korean Navy special forces officer who went to Ukraine in March to fight against the Russian invasion, is now under prosecution for passport law violation.
Rhee, who previously served as a lieutenant in the Korean Navy’s Naval Special Warfare Flotilla, was sent to prosecution without detainment on June 15 by the International Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
In Ukraine, Rhee joined the fight as a foreign volunteer soldier of the Homeland Defense Force International Brigade. He was promoted to a "leadership position" in the Ukrainian army last month.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Rhee of violating the passport law as he disregarded a travel ban the Korean government imposed on Ukraine on Feb. 13.
Upon Rhee’s return to South Korea on May 27, he was met by a police investigator at Incheon International Airport who inspected his injuries and imposed measures to ensure Rhee could not leave the country.
"I will unconditionally cooperate with the police investigation,” Rhee said at the time. “I violated the law, but I went to Ukraine to protect people and play a more important role."
In an interview with Korea JoongAng Daily, Rhee shared that he returned to Korea to get treatment for an injury he sustained after falling in a sinkhole.
“I only came back because I got hurt,” said Rhee. “I have ACL [anterior cruciate ligament] tears in both of my knees. With that kind of injury, I can't be in any operation that we have been doing. At this time, I have to heal.”
He shared that he was placed under a seven-day quarantine as his COVID-19 vaccination has expired.
“I stepped off the plane and counted about 15 police officers who escorted me to baggage claim,” he shared.
Rhee said he voluntarily faced police questioning on June 10 and admitted to most of the charges.
Amid criticisms from fellow Koreans about his violations, Rhee said he simply “couldn't sit back and watch.”
“I saw what was going on and I said, ‘OK, this can't happen. I wish there was something I could do to help,’” he said. “I'm sure there are many ways to help the war effort [while staying in Korea]. But I was a military officer and I wanted to help in the best capacity that I could.”
Rhee, who now faces up to a year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won (approximately $7,730), is hoping endorsements from Ukrainian authorities will help his case.
“Best case scenario, I think I'll be charged and fined,” he said. “But I think these letters or a call from a politician in Ukraine — maybe the embassy in Korea will get involved and try to put in a good word for me — any of that would help, I think.”
12. ‘Sounds cooler in English’: South Korean president’s unnecessary mixing of languages annoys citizens
I had not heard this criticism.
‘Sounds cooler in English’: South Korean president’s unnecessary mixing of languages annoys citizens
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s “unnecessary” use and praise of English has some citizens alleging he has a “complex.”
Yoon has been heard using English terms on several occasions, even when the events did not call for a mixing of languages.
In a meeting on June 10 with the leaders of the ruling People Power Party, Yoon brought up a name change for Yongsan Park, a newly opened former Korea base for the U.S. Forces.
While suggesting a new name, the president said, “When you say ‘National Memorial Park’ in English, it sounds cool, but when you say ‘Gukrip Chumo Gongwon,’” referring to the Korean equivalent of the name, “it doesn’t, so I don’t know what to call it in our country’s language.”
In another incident on June 8, Yoon spoke about how “In advanced countries like the U.S., former ‘general attorneys’ are widely positioned in politics and government,” saying “general attorneys” in English.
Yoon’s seemingly unnecessary inclusion of English in his official statements have sparked debate in South Korea as to whether the new president is showing bias toward the U.S. and the West more broadly.
Sejong Institute of Korean English Language and Culture Director Kim Seul-ong stated that Yoon had a responsibility as the country’s leader to speak in a way that is most accessible to the public.
“The president represents the country and the public organizations, so he is obligated to use words that are easy to communicate and keep to the Framework Act on Korean Language,” the director explained. “His overuse of foreign languages like English may disrupt the public’s use of language.”
In another speech, Yoon pledged to make Busan Port an international, massive “megaport,” with the last word in English again, despite “megaport” not being a familiar term to most Koreans.
Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Representative Cho Eung-chun stated on an MBC radio show that Yoon appears to have “some sort of complex about English,” adding that the president had mentioned Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon’s fluency in English as one of the first reasons for picking him.
Despite the controversy, Yoon’s favoring of English is not completely uncalled for in a country that requires most of its citizens to achieve a high level of English fluency in their schooling.
Korea’s College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), also known as Suneung, has a notoriously difficult English section that has proven to be difficult for even native English speakers.
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
