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Quotes of the Day:
"Be of one mind and one faith, that you may conquer your enemies and lead long and happy lives."
- Genghis Khan
“Ideas should be neutral. But man animates them with his passions and folly. Impure and turned into beliefs, they take on the appearance of reality.”
- Emile M. Cioran
"It takes more courage to dig deep in the dark corners of your own soul and the back alleys of your society than it does for a soldier to fight on the battlefield."
- William B Yeats
1. U.S. defense commitment to allies will not be shaken by N. Korean provocation: Pentagon
2. Biden extends declaration of national emergency with regard to N. Korea
3. N. Korea calls Blinken's visit to China 'disgraceful begging trip'
4. S. Korea completes environmental assessment of U.S. THAAD missile defense base
5. N.Korea Starves Its People for Arms
6. S. Korea to release report on forced labor in N. Korea for 1st time
7. Yoon, French president to discuss NK human rights
8. North Korea worries Blinken's trip may lead to US-China detente
9. S. Korea, US stress China role in N. Korea disarmament
10. Polish pilots on transition from flying Soviet jets to S. Korea's FA-50
11. N. Korean diesel prices fall amid increased imports of oil from Russia, China
12. Covid keeps N Korea in starving self-isolation
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1. U.S. defense commitment to allies will not be shaken by N. Korean provocation: Pentagon
We are taking the Nietzsche approach to alliances. Every time nK does something it makes the alliance stronger. Kim does not seem to understand how his strategy is failing.
U.S. defense commitment to allies will not be shaken by N. Korean provocation: Pentagon | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · June 21, 2023
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, June 21 (Yonhap) -- The United States' commitment to the defense and security of its allies remains strong and will not be shaken by military provocations staged by North Korea, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday.
Sabrina Singh, deputy spokesperson for the Department of Defense, also reiterated that North Korea's missile launches, as well as claimed satellite launches, are in clear violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions when asked about Pyongyang's recent failed attempt to launch a claimed military reconnaissance satellite.
"What you have seen from North Korea within the last week or two weeks when you mentioned the satellite launch is that, again, these are clear violations of UN Security Council resolutions," she told a daily press briefing.
"It demonstrates DPRK's further use to destabilize and threaten peace and security in the region," she added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Department of Defense spokesperson Sabrina Singh is seen taking questions during a daily press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on June 21, 2023 in this captured image. (Yonhap)
Pyongyang unsuccessfully launched a space launch vehicle (SLV) carrying what it claimed to be a military satellite on May 31.
Still, the U.S. and its key allies -- South Korea and Japan -- have strongly condemned the failed launch as a serious violation of UNSC resolutions that prohibit North Korea from acquiring or using any ballistic missile technology.
"Any DPRK launch that uses ballistic missile technology, which would include SLVs used to launch a satellite into space, violates multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions," a state department spokesperson said earlier.
North Korea has since announced plans to attempt a second space rocket launch in the future.
The Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment when asked if the U.S. would seek to intercept North Korea's space rocket.
"The White House put out a readout of National Security Advisor (Jake) Sullivan's meeting with his counterparts in Japan and South Korea where he again, and we do from this podium, reaffirmed our commitment to the region," said Singh.
She added, "Our agreement between Japan and South Korea will not be shaken by the continuing destabilizing action that DPRK continues to take."
Singh highlighted the strength of joint defense readiness of the U.S. and South Korea when asked about their combined missile defense system.
"I won't get into specifics from here, but as you know we continue to coordinate and conduct exercises with the South Koreans," she said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · June 21, 2023
2. Biden extends declaration of national emergency with regard to N. Korea
Excerpts:
"For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13466 with respect to North Korea," Biden added in the letter.
The national emergency declaration is automatically terminated unless the president publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to Congress a notice stating the emergency will continue at least 90 days prior to the anniversary date of the declaration, according to the letter.
"I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to North Korea that was declared in Executive Order 13466 of June 26, 2008 ... is to continue in effect beyond June 26, 2023," said the released letter.
Biden extends declaration of national emergency with regard to N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · June 21, 2023
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, June 20 (Yonhap) -- President Joe Biden has notified U.S. Congress of his intention to extend the national emergency declaration period with regard to threats posed by North Korea, the White House said Tuesday.
In a letter sent to Congress, the U.S. president also cited proliferation risks posed by Pyongyang.
"The existence and risk of the proliferation of weapons‑usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula; the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea that destabilize the Korean Peninsula and imperil United States Armed Forces, allies, and trading partners in the region, including its pursuit of nuclear and missile programs; and other provocative, destabilizing, and repressive actions and policies of the Government of North Korea, continue to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," said the letter, released by the White House.
"For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13466 with respect to North Korea," Biden added in the letter.
The national emergency declaration is automatically terminated unless the president publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to Congress a notice stating the emergency will continue at least 90 days prior to the anniversary date of the declaration, according to the letter.
"I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to North Korea that was declared in Executive Order 13466 of June 26, 2008 ... is to continue in effect beyond June 26, 2023," said the released letter.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) greets his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, at an expanded session of the Group of Seven summit held at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 20, 2023. (Yonhap)
bdk@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Duk-Kun Byun · June 21, 2023
3. N. Korea calls Blinken's visit to China 'disgraceful begging trip'
N. Korea calls Blinken's visit to China 'disgraceful begging trip' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 21, 2023
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Wednesday called U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's latest visit to China a "disgraceful begging trip," claiming it demonstrated the U.S. failure in its policy of putting pressure on Beijing.
Jong Yong-hak, an analyst on international affairs, said Blinken flew to China to "beg for the relaxation" of worsened bilateral ties, as its pressure policy on China dealt a fatal blow to the U.S. economy and a China-U.S. confrontation could trigger an unprecedented military conflict.
"It is the height of the double-dealing and impudence peculiar to the U.S. to provoke first and then talk about the so-called 'responsible control over divergence of opinion,'" Jong said in an English-language article carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
The analyst claimed Blinken's recent visit was nothing but "a disgraceful begging trip of the provoker admitting the failure of the policy of putting pressure on China."
During Blinken's trip on Sunday and Monday, the first to China by a U.S. secretary of state in five years, Washington and Beijing agreed to stabilize their relations amid an intensified rivalry between the two, although they failed to produce a major breakthrough.
Blinken called on China to use its influence on Pyongyang to stop the secretive regime from making further provocations, he told reporters Monday, amid concerns that the North may soon launch a space rocket carrying a military spy satellite after a failed launch in May.
This photo, provided by AFP on June 19, 2023, shows U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during his two-day trip to China. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · June 21, 2023
4. S. Korea completes environmental assessment of U.S. THAAD missile defense base
It is about time. I hope we can get on with construction and improve the operational capability and quality of life for the troops.
S. Korea completes environmental assessment of U.S. THAAD missile defense base
Song Sang-ho
All News 10:57 June 21, 2023
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SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea completed an environmental impact assessment of a U.S. THAAD missile defense unit in a southern county Wednesday, the defense and environment ministries said, clearing the way for its full-fledged deployment.
The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has been pushing for the "normalization" of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery, which was installed in Seongju, 214 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in 2017, but has held the status of a "temporary" installation pending the assessment.
The normalization efforts have gained traction as North Korea has been doubling down on its nuclear and missile programs as seen in its major weapons tests earlier this year, including that of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.
"Now that the environmental assessment has been completed through cooperation between the environment and defense ministries, we will closely cooperate with the U.S. side to proceed with the (deployment) project in full reflection of the assessment," an environment ministry official was quoted as saying in a press release.
The environment ministry approved the environmental assessment document that the Defense Installations Agency under the defense ministry submitted May 11. The approval is expected to enable and expedite the infrastructure construction required for the full-capacity operation of the battery.
The assessment found the maximum amount of electromagnetic waves emanating from the THAAD base -- a key source of concern among local residents -- was just 0.2 percent of a legal safety protection standard, according to the ministries. To ensure credibility, the government involved third-party experts, like those from the Korea Radio Promotion Association, in the assessment.
"The environment ministry said it is judged that the impact of (the electromagnetic waves from the base) on human bodies and the surrounding environment is insignificant," the ministry said in a joint press release.
Although Pyongyang's missile provocations have underscored the need for such a missile defense unit, efforts for the full operation of the THAAD base have been hampered by protests by residents and activists amid lingering health concerns.
The installation of the THAAD battery here was also a bone of contention between Seoul and Beijing, as China argued it could undermine its strategic security interests amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.
The U.S. THAAD battery in Seongju, 214 kilometers southeast of Seoul (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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5. N.Korea Starves Its People for Arms
N.Korea Starves Its People for Arms
english.chosun.com
June 19, 2023 13:30
A BBC report last Wednesday based on secret in-depth interviews with North Koreans reveals that people in the isolated country are starving to death since the border with China was sealed in the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Japan's Asia Press, North Korea halted food distribution to the provinces in May, resulting in more people suffering from malnutrition and starving to death. Crime is on the rise, and while many people are abandoning their elderly parents and children.
The UN has also warned about the North's food shortage. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report on June 8 that North Korea ranks at the bottom of a list of 38 countries when it comes to food security, while the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme said in a joint report that "a large proportion of the population in [North Korea] might suffer from low levels of food consumption and poor dietary diversity."
At the same time the North fired 71 missiles last year at a cost equivalent to 500,000 tons of rice, which is enough to feed the entire population for 46 days. A South Korean government official said, "Even if you apply North Korean unit production costs, which are lower than in the West, the North is estimated to have spent around W260 billion" on the missile launches (US$1=W1,272).
While his people starve, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is spending astronomical sums of money to develop ballistic missiles. The North fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea last Thursday as President Yoon Suk-yeol was watching a joint live-fire drill with the U.S. military at a training ground near Seoul. In April, North Korea test fired its new Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile. Military experts say it costs Pyongyang between US$20 million to $30 million each time it fires an ICBM. An intermediate-range ballistic missile launch costs $10-15 million and a short-range ballistic missile launch $3-5 million. That means North Korea squandered around W8 billion over the last 15 days alone.
The South Korean military salvaged from the ocean debris from North Korea's space rocket launched last month that bore the word "Chonma" and an image of a black Pegasus. How long until the horse is sent to the knacker's yard?
Read this article in Korean
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com
english.chosun.com
6. S. Korea to release report on forced labor in N. Korea for 1st time
Human rights upfront.
S. Korea to release report on forced labor in N. Korea for 1st time | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · June 20, 2023
SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to disclose a report on forced labor practices in North Korea for the first time as part of efforts to raise awareness on human rights violations in the secretive regime, the unification ministry said Tuesday.
The report will be based on interviews conducted with North Korean defectors who have arrived in the South over the past five years, as the ministry plans to carry out an in-depth inquiry into forced labor practices in the North this year.
The ministry plans to look into changes in forced labor practices before and after the launch of the Kim Jong-un regime in 2011 and the relevant laws and systems of forced labor.
The government will also push to make public reports on other aspects of the North's human rights records, such as North Korean women's rights and people's right to work.
The logo of the Ministry of Unification (Yonhap)
The North Korean Human Rights Records Center, affiliated with the ministry, has carried out inquiries into the North's rights records and written related reports for internal reference without opening them to the public.
"But given the need to raise awareness about the human rights situation in North Korea, we plan to release the results, excluding personal information," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Since taking power in May last year, President Yoon Suk Yeol has stressed the need to inform the international community of the dismal rights and living conditions facing North Koreans and to take a hard-line stance against the North's provocations.
In late March, the ministry publicly released a report on North Korea's human rights situation for the first time. The government will also publish a report on economic and social situations in the North in November.
Meanwhile, responding to why the North recently reinstated Kim Yong-chol, a former top North Korean party official in charge of affairs with South Korea, the ministry official said the move may signal Pyongyang's push to bolster its activities regarding the South.
"Kim is an expert who has engaged in inter-Korean dialogue and the North's affairs with South Korea. Against this backdrop, we presume that the North may be aiming to strengthen its response in that area," the official said.
Kim, 77, served as the North's top negotiator in denuclearization talks with the United States, but his political status was severely damaged following the breakdown of the Hanoi summit in 2019.
The North's state media reported Monday that Kim has been elected an alternate member of the political bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea, describing him as an "advisor" to the party's department handling inter-Korean affairs.
mlee@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · June 20, 2023
7. Yoon, French president to discuss NK human rights
Yoon, French president to discuss NK human rights
The Korea Times · by 2023-06-20 09:19 | Foreign Affairs · June 20, 2023
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers remarks during a dinner with Koreans residing in France at a hotel in Paris, June 19. YonhapSouth Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss North Korea's human rights situation when they hold a summit in Paris this week, Yoon's office said Monday.
The two leaders are set to meet Tuesday while Yoon is in Paris to attend a general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions, the international body in charge of overseeing the World Expo, to promote South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southeastern city of Busan.
"Our two countries stress human rights. France has always stressed human rights, and from that perspective, has not established diplomatic ties with North Korea," presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon told reporters in Paris.
Yoon asks Koreans in France to support Busan Expo bid
"Under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, we have not avoided the issue of North Korea's human rights but handled it head on, so this will likely be an important item on the agenda," he said.
Lee particularly noted that Yoon's predecessor, former President Moon Jae-in, used his visits to Europe to ask countries to lift sanctions on North Korea, but that Macron responded clearly that "Now is not the time to lift sanctions but for the international community to work together to implement sanctions."
Yoon and Macron will also discuss industrial cooperation in areas, such as nuclear power and aviation, and plans to cooperate at the U.N. Security Council following South Korea's election as a non-permanent council member from 2024-2025. France is a permanent member of the council. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · by 2023-06-20 09:19 | Foreign Affairs · June 20, 2023
8. North Korea worries Blinken's trip may lead to US-China detente
North Korea worries Blinken's trip may lead to US-China detente
The Korea Times · June 21, 2023
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Monday. AP-Yonhap
Beijing's attempt to manage bilateral tensions ruffles Pyongyang: analysts
By Jung Min-ho
North Korea on Wednesday belittled U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to Beijing as a "begging trip" to reduce bilateral tensions, in remarks analysts believe revealed the regime's desire to maintain the Cold War-like status quo.
Citing Jong Yong-hak, an analyst on international affairs, the North's official Korean Central News Agency portrayed Blinken's trip as an admission of the failure of U.S.' policy of putting pressure on China, following one of the most significant exchanges between the two nations under President Joe Biden.
The state news agency then slammed the "double-dealing and impudence" of Washington, siding with Beijing, which demands the lifting of all U.S. tech restrictions targeting Chinese companies.
"China tends to view North Korea as a liability when it has a good relationship with the United States and treats it as an asset when that relationship is bad. The media report shows North Korea's anxiety about a possible U.S.-China detente," Park Won-gon, an expert on North Korea at Ewha Womans University, told The Korea Times.
"China has given undivided support for the North on the world stage (such as at the United Nations) in recent years. It fears that China's support may weaken as its relations with the U.S. improves," he added.
In other words, Pyongyang fears a scenario where China uses North Korea as a diplomatic card against the U.S. Taking advantage of the new Cold War climate amid Russia's war in Ukraine and China's intensifying hegemony rivalry with the U.S., the North has been able to develop unlawful weapons, while avoiding additional sanctions with China and Russia ― permanent members of the U.N. Security Council ― rejecting any united move to punish its behavior.
A TV screen shows a report of North Korea's missile launch at Seoul Station, June 15. AP-Yonhap According to Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute, North Korea does not want any change to an ideal geopolitical environment where it can continue to develop new weapons with few or no consequences. But if China so chooses, he added, there are many areas where it can influence North Korea.
"It can, for example, control the number of Chinese tourists there; it can also strengthen law enforcement on trafficking of, say, luxury goods, which could affect the North Korean ruling class directly," he said.
Aware of Beijing's leverage, Blinken said he urged Chinese leaders to help resolve the North Korean nuclear issue during his visit, saying that it "is in a unique position to press Pyongyang to engage in dialogue and to end its dangerous behavior."
To experts, however, a Chinese change in stance on North Korea is very unlikely. Given that the Sino-U.S. competition continues to grow more confrontational and uncompromising over many long-term complex issues, China will likely keep the North close by, they added.
"If the U.S. wants China's cooperation on major issues such as the North Korea nuclear one, it should offer China something in return," Cheong said.
"But compromising issues such as Taiwan or the U.S.-led semiconductor alliance is unthinkable for U.S. politicians. This means a drastic improvement in the U.S.-China relationship ― and, therefore, change in the geopolitical dynamics regarding North Korea ― is very unlikely."
The Korea Times · June 21, 2023
9. S. Korea, US stress China role in N. Korea disarmament
S. Korea, US stress China role in N. Korea disarmament
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · June 21, 2023
South Korea and the United States said Wednesday the two allies will continue openly calling on China to back their efforts to denuclearize North Korea, following Washington’s briefing in Seoul about its latest talks with Beijing.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Monday to stabilize their relations to prevent further conflict, during Blinken’s two-day trip to Beijing that started a day earlier. Such a meeting last took place five years ago.
At Wednesday’s briefing with Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Yong-sam, Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant US secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said the US and China discussed Beijing’s influence over North Korea in facilitating denuclearization as a permanent member on the United Nations Security Council, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.
Disarmament as well as stopping Pyongyang’s aggression are in the common interests of China and the international community, Choi said in the statement, stressing that Seoul and Washington will continue to ask China to play a “constructive role.”
North Korea is defying UN sanctions prompted by its nuclear and missile programs, with China and Russia having blocked recent US-led attempts within the UNSC to sanction the North for its repeated provocations.
At a key party meeting over the weekend, Pyongyang vowed to push ahead with what it says is a plan to launch a military reconnaissance satellite, after its failed first test last month. Seoul, Washington and others in the international community suspect it to be a cover for ballistic missile tests, as they use the same technology.
Satellites are needed for surveillance purposes, according to the North, which says it wants to closely monitor US military activities.
In a separate statement released by the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, Kritenbrink also met with First Vice Foreign Minister Chang-ho Jin the same day. The two agreed to closely work on advancing ties with China, a country that had recently been at odds with not only the US, but also South Korea.
Since the Yoon administration last year announced a new foreign policy potentially favoring the US over China, Seoul-Beijing ties have been rocky.
In the last two weeks, their relations soured further, with the two countries having called in each other’s top envoy in a tit-for-tat spat over the Chinese ambassador’s public warning against the South on making a “wrong bet” on China losing out to the US.
South Korea will continue working on healthy and mature ties with China that respect reciprocity, Deputy Foreign Minister Choi said.
By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Choi Si-young · June 21, 2023
10. Polish pilots on transition from flying Soviet jets to S. Korea's FA-50
The new partner in the Arsenal of Democracy continues to provide weapons, systems, ammunition, and training.
[From the Scene] Polish pilots on transition from flying Soviet jets to S. Korea's FA-50
8 Polish pilots in S. Korea for FA-50 operation training as delivery of combat aircraft starts in August
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · June 21, 2023
While Polish Air Force pilots were seated in the front seats operating the TA-50 aircraft, South Koran Air Force instructor pilots seated in the rear seats displayed the national flags of South Korea and Poland on Monday. (Republic of Korea Air Force)
YECHEON, North Gyeongsang Province — A team of Polish pilots is bidding farewell to its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets. They are instead transitioning to South Korea's FA-50 light combat aircraft, with training support and guidance from the South Korean Air Force.
Two groups, each comprising four Polish pilots, have undergone monthslong training in Korea. The primary aim of this training is to provide them with the essential skills and knowledge required to operate the FA-50 light combat aircraft, which will be delivered to Poland beginning in August.
The training holds paramount importance at a crucial juncture for Poland as it accelerates its military modernization efforts in response to the growing threats posed by Russia. South Korea's FA-50 aircraft will be utilized as replacements for Poland's MiG-29 fighter jets, which have been transferred to Ukraine — a country embroiled in the ongoing war with Russia.
"In one word, it's transition. Transition means we are here to transition from one type of aircraft to our final product, which will be the FA-50PL," said Maj. Jacek Stolarek of the Polish Air Force during an interview with several local media outlets on Monday.
Stolarek made the remarks at the South Korean Air Force's 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province, when asked about the significant lessons the Polish pilots learned during the training.
"This training has focused on changing our behavior (and) muscle memory," he said.
In particular, three out of four Polish pilots, including Stolarek himself, in the first group have flown Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets as their primary aircraft.
Maj. Jacek Stolarek of the Polish Air Force (right) and Capt. Pawel Mlodzikowski speak to South Korean media outlets at the South Korean Air Force's 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province, on Monday. (Republic of Korea Air Force)
Capt. Yoon Pil-sang of the South Korean Air Force said he and other instructor pilots have been providing training to the Polish pilots with the "utmost consideration, aiming to facilitate their rapid adaptation to the different aircraft systems."
As the FA-50 has been developed with reference to the American F-16 fighter aircraft, Yoon said it would have been more challenging for Polish pilots to adapt due to the differences in aircraft systems.
"The MiG-29 aircraft are characterized by their substantial weight and decent thrust-to-weight ratio. However, their sustained turn rate is relatively low. Consequently, Polish pilots have developed a tendency to approach the battlefield environment while taking the characteristics into account," Yoon said.
"It took a while for Polish pilots to learn how to fight in environments where fighter aircraft like the FA-50 or F-16 series hold advantages. The pilots made a lot of effort to adapt and overcome these challenges."
Capt. Pawel Mlodzikowski also took note that the FA-50 is a single-engine light combat aircraft while the MiG-29 is a twin-engine, heavy fighter jet.
Mlodzikowski said that the most challenging aspect for him was learning to fly a fighter jet using "fly-by-wire" systems. But after completing around 10 or 15 flights, he has become accustomed to it. FBW systems are semi-automatic, computer-regulated flight control systems that replace traditional mechanical flight controls with an electronic interface.
Capt. Sebastian Rajchel of the Polish Air Force (right) and Maj. Bartosz Gula (left) attend a briefing before flying the TA-50 at the South Korean Air Force's 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province, on Monday. (Republic of Korea Air Force)
Monthslong, intensive course
The first group of four Polish pilots, each paired with a South Korean Air Force instructor pilot, completed an eight-week training program for the comprehensive operation of the FA-50, which included flight theory and aerial maneuvers.
Each pilot completed a total of 14 sorties with the T-50 jet trainers during the first-stage training, which took place from February to April at the South Korean Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing in Gwangju.
The T-50 is a variant primarily designed for flight operations, offering performance comparable to the FA-50 fighter aircraft. In contrast, the TA-50 serves as an intermediate version, positioned between the T-50 and FA-50, and is equipped with basic armaments.
Afterward, the pilots underwent an additional seven-week "lead-in fighter training" to enhance their tactical maneuvering skills, including air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. This training involved flying TA-50 lead-in fighter trainers at the 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon from May to June.
Each pilot completed a total of 11 sorties in the TA-50 aircraft to acquire the necessary skills for combat missions, develop the pilots' proficiency in aircraft control and enhance their situational awareness in aerial combat scenarios.
"Each step is very important to achieve the main goal, so every flight hour is priceless," Stolarek said.
Capt. Sebastian Rajchel of the Polish Air Force gestures before takeoff while boarding the TA-50 aircraft at the South Korean Air Force's 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province, on Monday. (Republic of Korea Air Force)
Every pilot also participated in eight simulator training sessions, during which they consistently practiced emergency situation drills.
During a simulator session on Monday, a scenario was created where the aircraft's electrical system was completely disabled, resulting in the loss of critical information for the pilots, such as the distance from the base or the aircraft's position. The training focused on effectively utilizing the aircraft's battery power and swiftly gathering available information to ensure a safe landing.
Furthermore, the pilots also engaged in bombing training exercises as part of their simulator training sessions.
New chapter, still long way to go
On Monday, the lead-in fighter training came to an end, concluding with a dynamic flight over the skies of Yecheon. Two TA-50 aircraft, with a Polish pilot in the front seat and a South Korean Air Force pilot in the rear seat, successfully landed after the mission.
"It was another stage of my pilot career," Capt. Sebastian Rajchel of the Polish Air Force told The Korea Herald after his final flight.
But Rajchel acknowledged that the training was even more challenging for him compared to his colleagues due to his previous experience flying Poland's turboprop PZL-130 as his primary aircraft. While jets have turbine engines enclosed with fan blades, turboprops feature an external propeller, making the transition demanding for Rajchel.
"My friends from the group were flying the MiG-29 back in Poland, but personally, I'm kind of an experiment because most of my background was (with) the PZL-130 ... It was extremely challenging for me to understand everything from the beginning within such a short, short amount of time," he said.
"I'm here and I finished the course. I think that I’ve proven that the pilots from the turboprop platforms can also perform very well."
Polish Air Force Maj. Bartosz Gula (third from left) and Capt. Sebastian Rajchel (third from right) take a commemorative photo with South Korean Air Force pilots after completing their final training flight on Monday. (Republic of Korea Air Force)
The first group of four Polish pilots will hold a completion ceremony for their lead-in fighter training on Thursday. Subsequently, the pilots will proceed to the Korea Aerospace Industries' headquarters, where they will undergo a one-week training session on the FA-50 simulator. After this, they will conclude their final ground-based flight proficiency training before returning to Poland in July.
Last September, KAI secured an export contract valued at approximately $3 billion, equivalent to around 3.9 trillion won, to deliver 48 FA-50 aircraft to Poland.
The initial delivery of 12 FA-50 aircraft is scheduled between August and the end of this year. The first batch, dubbed the "FA-50 Gap Filler," aims to replace the outdated fighter aircraft and address the gap in Poland's combat capabilities.
The rest of the 36 aircraft will be the FA-50PL variant, which will feature enhanced specifications specifically tailored to meet the unique requirements of the Polish Air Force. The delivery will commence in 2025 and continue until 2028.
Stolarek said the FA-50 aircraft will play a crucial role in the missions in Poland, such as air policing and quick reaction force, and carry out various tasks similar to those performed by F-16 or other aircraft. The advantage of the FA-50 is its cost-effectiveness, and the ability to accomplish certain tasks at a lower price, he added.
The pilots acknowledged that there is still a significant journey ahead to achieve their main goals, which include becoming instructor pilots to train other Polish pilots in operating the FA-50 and ensuring the full operational readiness of the FA-50 in the future.
"I would like to go back to Poland as soon as possible, because we have a lot of other tasks to do," Stolarek said.
By Ji Da-gyum (dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · June 21, 2023
11. N. Korean diesel prices fall amid increased imports of oil from Russia, China
Excerpts:
According to a June 13 report on the website of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea, Russia supplied 67,300 barrels of refined oil from December to April. This was the first Russian supply of refined oil to North Korea in two years and four months. The last shipment reported to the UN occurred in August 2020.
However, the figure only includes refined oil exports officially reported to the UN. If unofficial exports are included, North Korea may have received more oil from Russia than officially recorded.
Daily NK reported last August that North Korea had imported grain such as whole wheat and energy products like oil and gas through the North Korea-Russia border, citing several sources in North Korea.
N. Korean diesel prices fall amid increased imports of oil from Russia, China
The market price of gasoline also fell, but not as much as diesel prices
dailynk.com
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, on April 25, 2019. (Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via Reuters)
North Korea’s recent increase in oil imports from China and Russia has led to a fall in diesel market prices, Daily NK has learned.
According to Daily NK’s regular survey of market prices in North Korea, a kilogram of diesel in markets in Pyongyang cost KPW 10,000 as of June 11. This was 14.5% less than it did in the last survey two weeks ago on May 29, when it cost KPW 11,700.
The price of diesel in Pyongyang shot up to KPW 12,000 a kilogram in the middle of last month but began falling from late June. Recently, diesel prices plunged by almost 20% in just a month.
In Hyesan, where prices tend to be higher than in the interior of the country, a kilogram of diesel cost KPW 16,000 in markets as of June 11. This was 7.9% less than it cost nearly a month ago on May 14, when it cost KPW 12,600, a less pronounced drop than in other regions.
In the case of Hyesan, comparatively less oil is in circulation because oil transportation prices are high, along with the fact it is not a major agricultural production area.
Gasoline prices also fall
Daily NK’s regular survey of market prices found that gasoline prices also fell, but not as much as diesel prices.
A kilogram of gasoline cost KPW 13,300 in one market in Pyongyang as of June 11, a 6.3% drop from May 29, when it cost KPW 14,200.
In Hyesan’s markets, a kilogram of gasoline cost KPW 14,000 as of June 11, a 4.1% drop from May 29, when it cost KPW 14,600.
The drop in oil prices in North Korean markets appears to be the result of the government’s recent expansion of oil imports from China and Russia.
North Korea has been expanding oil imports from China since mid-May, and recently dramatically increased imports of refined oil from Russia from early June.
“An order was issued early this month to expand diesel imports for the farming season, and a lot of oil was imported from Russia in particular,” a source in Pyongyang familiar with the situation said. “Russian oil is coming in by ship, but also by tanker truck.”
According to a June 13 report on the website of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea, Russia supplied 67,300 barrels of refined oil from December to April. This was the first Russian supply of refined oil to North Korea in two years and four months. The last shipment reported to the UN occurred in August 2020.
However, the figure only includes refined oil exports officially reported to the UN. If unofficial exports are included, North Korea may have received more oil from Russia than officially recorded.
Daily NK reported last August that North Korea had imported grain such as whole wheat and energy products like oil and gas through the North Korea-Russia border, citing several sources in North Korea.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
12. Covid keeps N Korea in starving self-isolation
The age old question. But just because it has not happened doesn't mean it won't. And what do we do if there is an "uprising?"
Why don’t the people rise up?
A BBC documentary broadcast recently quoted three interviewees who spoke of a shoot-to-kill policy for people trying to either defect or cross the recently reinforced border to smuggle food and medicines.
They spoke of rising disaffection with the regime, but also said that the level of fear of informers was such that nobody dared speak openly, let alone protest or even petition for reform.
People in North Korea are paralyzed by the regime’s politics of fear, its surveillance system, its control of mobility and its songbun (class system), which strictly controls people’s status and life chances. People at the top have a vested interest in keeping things the way they are.
Beneath the ruling caste there is no real civic leadership. And such is the level of fear that being aware that regime propaganda bears little resemblance to reality has not led the people to organize against the repression and hardship.
There is hope that North Korea will open its borders somewhat in 2023, such is the need for trade and foreign currency.
If so, this perhaps is a time for the rest of the world to consider how to enable the positive development of civil society in North Korea, rather than focusing simply on the negatives of the regime.
Covid keeps N Korea in starving self-isolation
North Korea last nation worldwide to maintain strict Covid restrictions on mobility and trade as fears of famine rise
asiatimes.com · by Sojin Lim · June 21, 2023
Three years after Covid-19 hit, people around the world have regained their freedom to move between countries.
One country is an exception: North Korea, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), where always-severe limitations on mobility turned into virtually absolute prohibitions during the pandemic.
In January 2020, Kim Jong Un decided to isolate the entire country even more drastically than usual from the outside world in response to Covid. And in June 2023, the DPRK remains closed except for some trade with China.
Not long after closing the borders, Kim Jong Un warned of the possibility of a second “arduous march,” a reference to the famine that killed at least 600,000 people – some researchers estimate multiples of that number – in the 1990s.
This is what severe malnutrition did to North Korean youngsters during the great famine of the 1990s. Photo: BBC
And now the BBC has placed its imprimatur on reports that there are, once again, severe food shortages inside the country.
By June 2021, Pyongyang watchers already anticipated food shortages. But instead of opening the borders, Kim urged his people to stay strong in the face of “tremendous challenges” of Covid.
Even before the border closure, China was North Korea’s only reliable trading partner due to international sanctions imposed in response to Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Due to the collapse of the public distribution (rationing) system during the famine in the 1990s, people living in the country’s northern border regions took to smuggling in food, medicines and other daily necessities, mostly from China.
Illicitly traded goods were circulated through jangmadang (grey or informal markets), and it became an important survival mechanism for the country’s economy.
But with the lockdown, both official and unofficial trading was shut down. At the state level, trade between the two countries has slowly resumed but is nowhere near pre-pandemic levels. Due to strict policing of the border, smuggling has become pretty much impossible, making the jangmadang almost inactive.
In a report published on March 21 2023, the United Nations called for an end to what it described as the DPRK’s “unparalleled self-isolation.” Special rapporteur Elizabeth Salmón said:
I am seriously concerned about the impact of three years of border closures on the people of the DPRK, especially women working in informal markets, people living in poverty, the elderly, the homeless and kkotjebi (homeless children).
She particularly highlighted the plight of women who have faced increasing violence due to their inability to put food on the table for their families.
Inside information
But because it is difficult to get information from inside North Korea, it is hard to assess just how bad the situation has become.
Even before the pandemic, those of us who watch North Korea from the outside already had limited access to information, but since the shutdown it has become scarcer. Former information sources – such as diplomats and aid workers – have been shut out.
Since the border closure, cases of defection from the regime have dramatically decreased, so we do not get to hear much from defectors. Another informal (and limited) way of getting up-to-date information – asking defectors’ families, when they confirm receipt of remittances – has become more limited.
Lacking adequate triangulation methods for the information, we can confirm inside information only partially. For example, in May 2023, the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that a group of ten defectors had escaped by sea and confirmed the stricter regime controls.
This leaves us with two conflicting images of Kim Jong Un’s North Korea. While ordinary people are suffering from starvation, the Kim family and their close regime members are well off.
Kim Jong Un’s ten-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, frequently appears in public media in expensive luxury outfits, while most ordinary citizens barely have access to basic supplies. And the North Korean government continues its program of missile tests, despite the crippling economic difficulties.
Kim Jong Un with his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who’s wearing a coat that a sharp-eyed South Korean TV broadcaster spotted as a Christian Dior. Photo: KCNA
There are reports of resentment among ordinary people, especially when they see the glamorous Kim Ju Ae on their TV screens. One anonymous person told Radio Free Asia that:
I find it uncomfortable to see Kim Jong Un’s daughter dressed up more than an adult and getting special treatment, like when she walks the red carpet side beside Kim Jong Un and they pass in front of cheering crowds.
But he added that nobody dares say anything publicly.
Why don’t the people rise up?
A BBC documentary broadcast recently quoted three interviewees who spoke of a shoot-to-kill policy for people trying to either defect or cross the recently reinforced border to smuggle food and medicines.
They spoke of rising disaffection with the regime, but also said that the level of fear of informers was such that nobody dared speak openly, let alone protest or even petition for reform.
People in North Korea are paralyzed by the regime’s politics of fear, its surveillance system, its control of mobility and its songbun (class system), which strictly controls people’s status and life chances. People at the top have a vested interest in keeping things the way they are.
Beneath the ruling caste there is no real civic leadership. And such is the level of fear that being aware that regime propaganda bears little resemblance to reality has not led the people to organize against the repression and hardship.
There is hope that North Korea will open its borders somewhat in 2023, such is the need for trade and foreign currency.
If so, this perhaps is a time for the rest of the world to consider how to enable the positive development of civil society in North Korea, rather than focusing simply on the negatives of the regime.
Sojin Lim is a reader in Asia Pacific studies with special reference to Korea, an MA North Korean studies course leader and a co-director of the International Institute of Korean Studies at the University of Central Lancashire.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Read: North Korean children’s food situation still dire
Related
asiatimes.com · by Sojin Lim · June 21, 2023
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
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