Quotes of the Day:

"The attack upon Korea makes it plain beyond all doubt that communism has passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer independent nations and will now use armed invasion and war"

– President Harry S. Truman

"From the onset of the crisis, Truman's concerns were of a global nature. At meeting after meeting he prodded his subordinates to assess where the next Soviet moves might be. A key deterrent, in fact, to intervention in Korea was the thought that Stalin might divert U.S. attention to an area of tertiary significance while the Russians swiftly seized areas of greater importance. Truman instinctively believed that the Soviets wanted to overrun Iran, gain access to Middle Eastern oil, and find warm-water ports in the Persian Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean. The idea that North Korea might be acting on its own volition to bring about a unification of the Korean people was beyond the grasp of U.S. officials."

Melvyn P. Leffler, A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Administration, and the Cold War, "Wrestling The Initiative", (1992), p. 366.

"We went over there and fought the war and eventually burned down every town in North Korea anyway, someway or another, and some in South Korea too."

– Curtis LeMay, in Strategic Air Warfare: An Interview with Generals (1988)

1. Understanding the Forever Conflict Between North and South Korea

2. N. Korea stages anti-U.S. mass rallies on Korean War anniversary

3. Mongolia Forum 2025 Takes Place under the Theme "Northeast Asian Peaceful Development and Korean Unification"

4. S. Korea approves civic groups' bid for N. Korean contact for humanitarian aid exchanges

5. State Dept. reaffirms N.K. denuclearization goal after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuke facilities

6. Defectors testify to executions by firing squad of N. Koreans for watching S. Korean TV dramas

7. China Calls Them Fish Farms. South Korea Fears They Have Another Use.

8. South Korea’s new president starts early to mend relations with North

9. Military solution to North Korea nuclear issue is ‘unimaginable’: ROK nominee

10. Russian Far East entrepreneurs visit North Korea to discuss joint ventures

11. Chinese state media largely silent on anniversary of Korean War outbreak

12. On Korean War anniversary, president prioritizes peace for national security

13. UN North Korea Human Rights Office Director: “North Korean Human Rights Victims Have ‘Right to Have Their Suffering Recognized’”

14. Unification Minister Candidate: “Peace Establishment is the People’s Command, the Most Important Task”

15. North Korea mobilizes students to collect stones daily for flood prevention walls

16. U.N.-reported petroleum exports to N.K. reach only 4 pct of sanctions cap amid Russian omission

1. Understanding the Forever Conflict Between North and South Korea

A useful basic tutorial for those who do not follow Korea issues in detail.

Remember that today, June 25th is the 76th anniversary of the day Kim Il Sung ordered the attack on the South.

Understanding the Forever Conflict Between North and South Korea

The uneasy truce between the nuclear-armed North and the US-allied South remains one of the most vexing security concerns for the world.

https://www.bloomberg.com/explainers/north-south-korea-conflict-history?sref=hhjZtX76

By Jon Herskovitz

June 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM GMT+8

The guns fell silent in the Korean War seven decades ago, but the hostilities never truly ended. Today, North Korea’s secretive dictator oversees an isolated society and command economy, portraying himself as the benevolent protector of a nation under siege from hostile foreign powers. Its wealthy, democratic southern neighbor is an industrial and technological powerhouse that’s exporting its culture to the world, shielded from the nuclear-armed North by a defense treaty with the US.

More than 1 million troops, and one of the heaviest concentrations of weapons anywhere, face off along a strip of no-man’s land that’s divided the two Koreas since 1953. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been raising the stakes by expanding his nuclear arsenal and threatening to unleash it on the US and its allies. Meanwhile, a postwar generation is dying without ever having fulfilled the dream of meeting their relatives living across the border.

Why are North Korea and South Korea separate countries?

Korea was a single nation for centuries under the Goryeo and the Joseon dynasties, and through a period of Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. The Soviet Union joined with the US to expel the Japanese from the peninsula in the latter days of World War II. The victors divided the country, with Russia exerting its influence north of the 38th parallel — the line of latitude 38 degrees north of the equator — and the US doing the same in the south. What was supposed to be a temporary arrangement became permanent as the Cold War set in and the two Koreas became proxies for the superpowers. The Republic of Korea was formed in the South in August 1948. Its first president was Syngman Rhee, a convert to Christianity who was educated at an American Methodist school. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was established in the North the following month, led by the Soviet-trained Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of the country’s current leader.

In June 1950, North Korea invaded the South in an attempt to unite the peninsula under Soviet-style rule. US-led United Nations forces fought back on behalf of the South, and communist China sent in troops to support North Korea. An estimated 3 million people died as a result of the fighting, a large majority of them civilians. In 1953, an armistice was signed and a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) wide demilitarized zone established along the lines where the opposing forces had reached a stalemate, severing cross-border movement and separating families and friends living on either side of it. With no permanent peace treaty, the conflict never formally came to an end.

Left: US marines at Battle of Chosin Reservoir in December 1950. Right: North Korean and Chinese troops celebrate after driving back an attack by US forces in June 1950.Source: Universal Images Group Editorial/Getty Images & Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images

Left: South Korean President Syngman Rhee on the US aircraft carrier Boxer near Inchon, in April 1950. Right: North Korea's Kim Il Sung in Beijing with Chinese premier Zhou En-lai, in November 1953.Source: AP Photos & Sovfoto/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

How different are North and South Korea?

For a time after the war, North Korea’s economy was stronger than that of the South. Today, South Korea produces more goods and services in six days than North Korea does in a year, even though the South, with almost 52 million people, is only twice as populous. Its industrial conglomerates make much of the world’s consumer electronics and household appliances and are major players in semiconductors, smartphones and electric cars. Samsung Electronics produces 41% of the world’s DRAM chips and 33% of NAND memory chips — crucial inputs for companies from Apple Inc. to Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp.

South Korea’s decades-long economic boom has lifted living standards to a point where the country outperforms many other wealthy nations in terms of education and health. High disposable incomes have underpinned its creative industries, and Korean culture, including hit Netflix shows such as Squid Game and K-Pop bands like BTS, has become a major export.

Dividing Lines

Disputed waters west of Korea are a potential conflict zone

Source: Data compiled by Bloomberg

North Korea is one of the world’s poorest countries. South Korea’s central bank estimates that the North’s annual gross domestic product per capita is about $1,000, positioning it among the ranks of instability-wracked countries such as Sudan and Yemen. South Korea’s per capita GDP was $33,121 in 2023, according to the World Bank.

Because of frequent droughts, severe flooding and economic mismanagement, food scarcity is often a problem. A famine in the 1990s caused untold misery, with death estimates ranging from 240,000 to 3.5 million people. It only ended thanks in large part to Chinese aid.

The two countries are almost entirely cut off from one another, with no telephone, internet or postal links, no direct air or sea connections, and now no roads or railways either.

Left: A production line at a tractor plant in North Korea in 1980. Right: A worker at a Samsung factory in Seoul in 1987. Photographer: Patrick RobertSource: Universal History Archive/Universal Images/Getty Images & Patrick Robert/Sygma/Corbis/Getty Images

Left: Construction workers near North Korea's border with China in October 2024. Right: Workers at a semiconductor fabrication site in South Korea in February 2024.Photographers: Weitao Tian/Getty Images & Jun Michael Park/The New York Times/Redux

Are North Koreas able to move to South Korea?

North Koreans are rarely allowed to travel abroad. An unauthorized effort to leave the country can result in imprisonment or death. Dodging soldiers, razor-wire fencing and landmines in the DMZ is especially dangerous. Those who successfully defect usually cross the border with China instead, with some then making their way to a third country before seeking asylum in South Korea. China and North Korea have stepped up surveillance of their frontier in recent years and defections have declined sharply. From a record of almost 3,000 in 2009, the number fell to 196 in 2023, according to South Korean government data.

How different are the people of North and South Korea?

Because of poor diet and harsh living conditions, North Koreans on average are between 3 and 8 centimeters (1.1-3.1 inches) shorter than South Koreans. Refugees from the North often struggle to assimilate in South Korea and their children find it hard to adjust to its highly competitive school system. Some complain of a stigma associated with their origin and try to lose their northern accents. Navigating online bureaucracy and cashless payments add further challenges as North Koreans are often unfamiliar with digital technology and the South is one of the world’s most digitalized societies.

The Korean language has evolved differently in the two countries. The regime in the North has sought to purge foreign words, including some associated with western consumerism. South Koreans have embraced English vocabulary, incorporating a slew of borrowed and mashed-up “Konglish” phrases into the vernacular. These include words such as “wonpiesu” (from “one piece”) for the word “dress” and “apatu” for “apartment.”

Language in the North has been influenced by the harsh tone of much of the propaganda that pervades media there. The rough style of many North Korean greetings is sometimes misconstrued as rudeness by Southerners.

South Korea has mandatory military service for young men, meaning that almost all serve for a time in the armed forces to defend against a possible attack from the North. Military life is even more deeply embedded in northern society. The country has 1.28 million active military personnel — about 5% of the population.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, youth groups perform at an event in February 2024 to mark the 76th anniversary of the country's founding.Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP

Fans watch South Korean boy band Highlight perform at the Seoul Park Music Festival in June 2023.Photographer: Justin Shin/Getty Images

How likely are the Koreas to reunify?

It’s hard to see that happening while the Kim dynasty remains in power. As leadership has passed from the founder Kim Il Sung to his son Kim Jong Il and now his grandson, Kim Jong Un, the family has built a vigorous personality cult. State propaganda asserts that their bloodline hails from Mount Paektu, which straddles the border between North Korea and China and is considered a sacred site by many Koreans.

Kim’s rule is stable, and the fixtures of his regime are pervasive. State security stamps out dissent and the country’s propaganda machine relentlessly portrays Kim as the protector of the Korean people. Much of the country’s limited resources have gone to building its military, bolstering the narrative of a nation united against the constant threat of annihilation by the US and its allies. The current Kim has brought his preteen daughter, identified by South Korean intelligence as Kim Ju Ae, to missile tests and military parades, demonstrating that there’s another generation waiting in the wings that will be equipped for survival.

Reunification of the two Koreas would carry big opportunities but enormous risks.

South Korean companies could benefit from low-cost workers and new commercial opportunities. But merging two countries with such divergent cultural outlooks and contrasting levels of economic development and education would be a vast enterprise. South Korea’s National Assembly Budget Office said in a 2015 report that spending of 4.8 quadrillion won ($3.45 trillion) would be required over half a century to raise the North’s per capita income level to 66% of the average in the South.

Kim Jong Il with his father, Kim Il Sung, in an undated photograph.Photographer: Noboru Hashimoto/Sygma/Getty Images

Left: People bowing before statues of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as North Korea marks its 79th National Liberation Day in Pyongyang, in August 2024. Right: North Korean workers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex in 2013.Photographers: Kim Won Jin/AFP/Getty Images & Kim Hong-Ji/AFP/Getty Images

Who is Kim Jong Un?

When he took power after his father’s death in 2011, foreign observers questioned whether a leader in his late 20s could rule a country where seniority was revered. He soon exerted authority over geriatric generals and eliminated potential rivals. He executed his uncle and one-time deputy, Jang Song Thaek, on charges of treason, corruption and factionalism. (Analysts said Jang was viewed as a threat to Kim’s power.) Kim was also suspected of having ordered the killing of his older half-brother, Kim Jong Nam. The exiled sibling, whose existence may have undermined the legitimacy of Kim’s rule, died after being exposed to the nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Kim’s remaining siblings include older brother Kim Jong Chol, who has no official title and seems to be more interested in playing guitar than politics, according to a book by a senior North Korean diplomat who defected. Kim’s younger sister Kim Yo Jong has been the point person for pressure campaigns on South Korea and the US. Her tasks include shaping propaganda, appearing at her brother’s side for high-level meetings, and picking up the cigarette butts he flings in the corridors of power.

Now in his 40s, Kim is overweight and a heavy smoker, and questions surround his health. South Korea’s spy agency assesses that he has three children, including perhaps a school-age son and the daughter, Ju Ae, who has been dubbed the “respected daughter” and “beloved child” by state media and is a potential future leadership candidate.

In these photographs provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong Un and his daughter observe an air force demonstration to commemorate the "Day of Airmen" in North Korea, in November 2023.Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP

Left: Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un inspect military facilities in North Korea in an undated photograph; Right: Kim Jong Un and Kim Yo Jong sign a visitor's book at the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia, in 2023Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP

Do North Koreans approve of Kim’s leadership?

It’s difficult to know because citizens are compelled to show unwavering support for the regime, and unwelcome expressions of personal opinion can result in imprisonment. South Korea’s government has conducted extensive surveys of North Korean emigres. In a 2024 poll of more than 6,350 defectors, 44% said that when they lived in the North they did not want the Kims to remain in power, while 38% said they did. Younger North Korean defectors were more likely to have been exposed to outside influences and were more skeptical of the North Korean state’s messages, the survey showed. Among respondents age 50 and older, 47% had a favorable view of North Korea’s leadership.

How does Kim keep the North Korean people in line?

State media drills it into the people that they should fear the US and its “puppet traitors” in South Korea. The leader is presented as a father figure who deserves the love and respect due to a good parent. The message is inescapable, because all media are controlled by the state. TV and radio devotedly recount Kim’s visits to factories, farms and military bases, conveying the idea that he’s deeply concerned about the lives of workers, farmers and soldiers. Another theme: If citizens encounter problems, it’s always the fault of government officials who failed to faithfully follow Kim’s advice.

In this photos provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong Un tours a North Korean munitions factory in January 2024.Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP

What is the likelihood of a coup?

A coup is a possibility given the concentration of power in a single leader with health issues, and the potential for North Korea's grinding poverty to produce political instability. North Korea watchers suggest that if it were to happen, it would be orchestrated by the military. Kim Jong Un cycled through top military officials and defense ministers in the first several years of his rule, “which points to fears of a coup or at least insubordination at crucial moments,” Peter Ward, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute think tank, wrote in NK News, a Seoul-based news site focused on North Korean affairs.

However, an overthrow is not seen as likely. The government has cut the population off from the outside world, listens in on people’s communications, has citizens keep tabs on each other, and punishes anyone who gets out of line by sending them to prison. North Korea employs a system known as “three generations of punishment,” in which the parents and children of political prisoners can also be jailed for their transgressions, according to the US State Department. Milder punishments include banishment from the capital, Pyongyang, which can end a person’s career and deny their children any chance of advancement.

Recently, Kim’s regime has received a boost from aid, including food and fuel, sent by Moscow in exchange for military supplies useful in Russia's war in Ukraine. The deliveries have helped to stabilize prices in North Korea and expand the economy, according to South Korean officials.

Play

Play

8:37

How North Korea Is Building a Nuclear Arsenal

What is the North Korean nuclear threat?

Kim has focused much of his energies on turning North Korea into a country that can credibly deliver a nuclear attack on the US mainland. He has expanded its arsenal of atomic warheads and modernized the missiles that would carry them, relying on domestic technology that can be manufactured despite sanctions. The buildup has led to speculation as to his intentions. Some experts see it as a form of insurance policy, showing the US it would pay a high price if it tried to oust Kim. Success in nuclear weapons may also help to divert attention at home from Kim’s failures in other areas.

Have North Korea and South Korea attacked each other since the war?

There have been no cases where exchanges of live fire went on for days and resulted in mass casualties. But there have been deadly and isolated altercations, almost always initiated by North Korea. One flashpoint is the Yellow Sea border islands that are part of South Korea but located in waters claimed by the North. In 2010, some two years before Kim Jong Un took power, Yeonpyeong Island was the scene of a deadly artillery bombardment that killed two South Korean soldiers and two civilians. About six months earlier, South Korea accused North Korea of torpedoing its warship Cheonan near the island, killing 46 sailors — an allegation the North denied.

In these photographs provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong Un and his daughter watch what North Korea says is the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, in an undisclosed location in North Korea.Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP

A ceremony to mark the delivery of nuclear-capable missile launchers in Pyongyang, August 2024.Source: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP

Do South Koreans want reunification?

It depends on whom you ask. Younger South Koreans are generally more comfortable with the idea of North Korea as a foreign country. Fewer than half of millennials in the South think unification is necessary, compared with nearly three-quarters of people born before 1950, according to a 2024 survey from the Korea Institute for National Unification.

— With assistance from Lisa Beyer, William Norris, and Jasmine Ng

Follow all new stories by Jon Herskovitz

2. N. Korea stages anti-U.S. mass rallies on Korean War anniversary

We can dismiss it for the overt propaganda that it is. However, it is really illustrative of the nature of the regime. It must have the US and South as the enemy to justify the suffering and sacrifice of the Korean people in the north in order to keep the regime in power. This is happening on the anniversary of the way but in reality this takes place in various forms throughout the entire year. The regime must externalize the threats because in reality Kim is more afraid of the Korean people than he is of the ROK/US combined military.

N. Korea stages anti-U.S. mass rallies on Korean War anniversary | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · June 25, 2025

SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has staged various rallies and events inciting anti-American sentiment and pledging retaliation as the country marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, state media reported Wednesday.

Students, female workers and members of North Korea's largest women's organization gathered in Pyongyang the previous day, vowing to retaliate against the United States over what were described as Korean War atrocities, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

During the meetings, a video depicting "abominable" crimes committed by the U.S. was shown, and young participants warned that they are "sternly renewing a pledge to retaliate against ... imperialist U.S. invaders," the KCNA reported.

In North Korea, June 25, the day the Korean War broke out in 1950, is observed as the day of struggle against U.S. imperialism, with mass rallies held throughout June to reaffirm and incite anti-American sentiment.

Also on Tuesday, agricultural workers and members of a farming association held a similar rally in the coastal town of Susan, while an exhibition of artworks featuring wrongdoings by the U.S. and Japan was also staged in the capital.

This photo, published by the Korean Central News Agency on June 24, 2025, shows an anti-American rally in Pyongyang staged the previous day with the participation of workers. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's most widely read newspaper, intensified anti-American sentiment by publishing an article accusing the U.S. and its follower countries of harboring intentions to topple North Korea.

"(They) are challenging our people's righteous efforts to build a prosperous homeland by staging reckless and frantic war exercises everywhere in the sky, on land and at sea," the newspaper said.

The daily warned halting the country's efforts to build up its own power could lead to a repetition of the Korean War.

North Korea skipped anti-American public rallies in June between 2018 and 2021 while leader Kim Jong-un engaged in summits with U.S. President Donald Trump but resumed them the following year after the summitry ended without a tangible result.

This photo, published by the Korean Central News Agency on June 24, 2025, shows an anti-American rally in Pyongyang staged the previous day with the participation of students. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · June 25, 2025

3. Mongolia Forum 2025 Takes Place under the Theme "Northeast Asian Peaceful Development and Korean Unification"

This is a nice article from the Mongolian Press. 

But overlooked by the very nice journalist is this important outcome of the Forum (and the 3 day retreat in the countryside where very frank discussions were held): the key takeaway is broad and enthusiastic international support for unification first, then denuclearization.

Mongolia Forum 2025 Takes Place under the Theme "Northeast Asian Peaceful Development and Korean Unification"

https://montsame.mn/en/read/372867

Politics

Urin.N

n.urin@montsame.gov.mn

2025-06-25 16:17:51

Ulaanbaatar, June 25, 2025 /MONTSAME/. “Mongolia Forum 2025” took place under the theme “Northeast Asian Peaceful Development and Korean Unification” on June 20-24, 2025, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

In 2018, non-governmental organizations and research institutes from Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America agreed to jointly organize the “Mongolia Forum” each year as a platform to discuss the matter of Northeast Asian Peaceful Development and Korean Unification. Mongolia is considered an ideal neutral location for such a forum, as it maintains friendly relations with its neighboring countries, has no territorial or border disputes, and is the only country in not only Northeast Asia but in the world that has politically affirmed its nuclear-weapon-free status. The Mongolia Forum participants discuss and share views on regional trade, economy, and environmental issues. However, for the last two years, the Forum has been working to provide support and preparation for the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Former Mongolian Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of “Blue Banner” NGO, Ambassador Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan, remarked, “The Forum is expanding every year. Last year, we organized a horse-riding trip to bring youth closer to nature and the nomadic lifestyle. While in the past, participants of the Forum used to exchange perspectives on a particular topic, now we release a joint statement as an outcome of the Forum. This year’s Forum prioritized youth engagement and organized an ecological movement among over 20 young people from 19 countries. Additionally, the Forum highlights the “Billions of Trees” National Movement, initiated by the President of Mongolia, Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, and focuses on desertification issues. Participants shared views on how to organize and participate in COP17 to be held in Mongolia. The Forum will make a joint statement regarding these issues and formulate plans for 2026.”

Senior Scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy, Ambassador Robert G. Joseph, noted, “This is my first visit to Mongolia, and I have positive impressions about the success of Mongolia in establishing a stable democracy and neutral national security and foreign policy. Mongolia is active in promoting peace and stability in the region and globally, as well as efforts to improve the environment. Mongolia is also very active through the ‘Mongolia Forum’ in helping prepare the next generation of leaders to further contribute to the peace and stability of the nation. The only solution to the nuclear challenges is a peaceful, non-nuclear Korean Peninsula. This is important to the global non-proliferation regime.”

Strategic Advisor and Former International Vice President of the Global Peace Foundation, Mr. David Caprara, stated, “First, we want to commend President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa and the great nation of Mongolia for hosting this Forum for the seventh year. We started with a tribute to the beautiful legacy of the Former President of Mongolia, Ochirbat Punsalmaa, as a peacebuilder in the world, who was a patron for the ‘Mongolia Forum’, together with his right-hand Ambassador Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan and the ‘Blue Banner’ NGO. We are forging partnerships out of this Forum. For instance, the United Nations Beijing was here today with a massive forestation model in Inner Mongolia. I believe the Forum brings a unique dimension of how COP17 can link environmental forestation models on the ground here. Also, we are bringing forestation models from Africa and Latin America to offer examples. In the environmental session, we are announcing a Memorandum of Agreement with the “My Club” Tree Planting Movement, which has planted 2 million trees, and the Global Peace Leadership Corps of young leaders. Yesterday, delegates, including ambassadors and scholars, planted trees together in Mongolia, which they can track throughout their lives through an online application. This way, we are part of COP17 through action. This year’s Forum is special because young leaders are being trained by experts, former ambassadors, and scholars, which is a marrying of technical expertise with the vision of young people. We are promoting action-oriented scholarship and dialogues that lead to more expansive multilateral frameworks with an end goal of seeing the crisis on the Korean Peninsula resolved through a new nation – the Korean dream.”

Retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel, Mr. David Maxwell, said, “The challenges, of course, lie in the fact that the Northeast Asian region is an area of one of the most concentrated military forces. So, miscalculation can be catastrophic. Whatever happens in Northeast Asia will have global consequences. Thus, when considering security issues, it is imperative to prevent miscalculation. And miscalculation can derive from misunderstanding. So, dialogues like the ‘Mongolia Forum’ are critical. It takes dialogue, understanding, and commitment to peace over conflict. I think it is achievable, but it will always be a work in progress. We must do everything we can through education, interpersonal contacts, government dialogues, and commitment to a peaceful world. And Mongolia admirably leads the way by being a mediator and a neutral facilitator that solely seeks peace.”

4. S. Korea approves civic groups' bid for N. Korean contact for humanitarian aid exchanges

Please ensure it gets to the Korean people in the north who need this assistance.

S. Korea approves civic groups' bid for N. Korean contact for humanitarian aid exchanges | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · June 25, 2025

SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- The government has granted permission for several civic groups to contact North Korea for humanitarian purposes in an effort to resume civil-level inter-Korean exchanges that had effectively been suspended during the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Last Thursday, the unification ministry approved proposals by two nongovernmental organizations to contact the North for humanitarian exchanges, followed by additional approval Tuesday for the Foundation of Inter-Korean Cooperation for a cultural exchange.

It marked the first time that the ministry has permitted inter-Korean contact for civilian exchanges since the last humanitarian aid plan was exceptionally approved in August 2024 under the Yoon administration following flood damage in the North.

Departing from the Yoon government's hard-line policy on North Korea, President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to ease hostilities and resume dialogue with the North in an effort to reduce military tensions and build peace.

Under Yoon, civil-level inter-Korean exchanges effectively came to a halt in late 2023 amid rising tensions between the Koreas and military provocations by Pyongyang.

A unification ministry official noted the permission was granted as part of efforts to foster a peaceful atmosphere through the reinstatement of civil-level communication and cooperation, adding that the ministry will proactively review similar requests from private groups.

This undated file photo shows officials from a charity organization helping North Korea examine relief products. (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · June 25, 2025

5. State Dept. reaffirms N.K. denuclearization goal after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuke facilities

Some might argue that if we had done in 1994 in north Korea what we did in 2025 in Iran we might be in a very different place.

But we have failed to prevent north Korea from obtaining a nuclear capability and we have failed to denuclearize north Korea since it tested its first device in 2006.

Although denuclearization of the north remains a worthy goal, it must be viewed as aspirational as long as the Kim family regime remains in power. The conventional wisdom has always been that denuclearization must come first and then unification will follow and that there should be no discussion of human rights out of fear that it would prevent Kim Jong Un from making a denuclearization agreement. Today even a blind man can read the tea leaves and know that Kim Jong Un will not denuclearize despite the fact that his policies have been an abject failure. His political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies completely failed in 2022 and 2023 because the ROK and US refused to make the political and economic concessions he demanded just to come to the negotiating table: namely to remove sanctions. His strategy continued to fail through 2024. His promises to the Korean people in the north (namely that nuclear weapons would bring them peace and prosperity) have failed. It is time for the U.S and the ROK/U.S. alliance to execute a political warfare strategy that flips the conventional wisdom and seeks unification first and then denuclearization. Everyone must come to the understanding that the only way to end the nuclear program and the human rights abuses is through unification of the Korean peninsula. The ROK and U.S. must continue to maintain the highest state of military readiness to deter war and then adopt a human rights upfront approach, a comprehensive and sophisticated information and influence activities campaign, and focus all efforts on the pursuit of a free and unified Korea- ultimately a United Republic of Korea (UROK).

It might be time to reflect on the 5 key questions.

1. What do we want to achieve in Korea?

2. What is the acceptable durable political arrangement that will protect, serve, and advance US and ROK/US Alliance interests on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia?

3. Who does Kim fear more: The US or the Korean people in the north? (Note it is the Korean people armed with information knowledge of life in South Korea)

4. Do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the seven decades old strategy of subversion, coercion-extortion (blackmail diplomacy), and use of force to achieve unification dominated by the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State in order to ensure the survival of the mafia like crime family cult known as Kim family regime?

5. In support of that strategy do we believe that Kim Jong-un has abandoned the objective to split the ROK/US Alliance and get US forces off the peninsula? Has KJU given up his divide to conquer strategy - divide the alliance to conquer the ROK?

The answers to these questions should guide us to the strategy to solve the "Korea question" (para 60 of the Armistice) and lead to the only acceptable durable political arrangement: A secure, stable, economically vibrant, non-nuclear Korean peninsula unified under a liberal constitutional form of government with respect for individual liberty, the rule of law, and human rights, determined by the Korean people. A free and unified Korea or, in short, a United Republic of Korea (UROK)

The root of all problems in Korea is the existence of the most evil mafia- like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime that has the objective of dominating the Korean Peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.

Let's not worry about what Kim is doing or will do. Let's make him worry about what we can and will do. Let's focus on human rights, information, cyber, sanctions, military readiness, and the pursuit of a free and unified Korea. Let's present him with a broad front effort to bring peace, prosperity, and stability to the Korean peninsula by showing the Korean people in the north that their sacrifice and suffering is the result of Kim Jong Un's failed promises, policies, and strategy. Let's create conditions that will cause Kim to change his behavior or be faced with change from within.

(LEAD) State Dept. reaffirms N.K. denuclearization goal after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuke facilities | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · June 25, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; ADDS more info in paras 5-6)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, June 24 (Yonhap) -- A State Department spokesperson on Tuesday reiterated the Trump administration's commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea, after the United States launched strikes at key nuclear facilities in Iran over the weekend.

Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson, made the remarks in response to a question over whether there is a lesson for Pyongyang to learn from the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

"President Trump, in his first term, made significant outreach to North Korea. And what I can say, of course ... they've got their own nuclear program in North Korea, that we remain committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, that remains a commitment," Bruce said.

"If the North Korean nuclear issue can't be resolved through dialogue ... I'm not going to speculate on hypotheticals at this point."

On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. conducted precision strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan in a military operation that he claimed had obliterated the Islamic Republic's nuclear enrichment facilities.

The move came as Pyongyang has continued to double down on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs despite the Trump administration's pursuit of denuclearization.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during a press briefing at the department in Washington on June 24, 2025. (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

6. Defectors testify to executions by firing squad of N. Koreans for watching S. Korean TV dramas

I just cannot emphasize this enough:

The root of all problems in Korea is the existence of the most evil mafia- like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime that has the objective of dominating the Korean Peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State. 

Also, here in Mongolia this week I hear from more than one internaitonal colleague that we need a Ronald Reagan like effort with a human rights upfront approach to north korea with a statement similar to "tear down this wall."  Perhaps "Open up this DMZ."

Defectors testify to executions by firing squad of N. Koreans for watching S. Korean TV dramas | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · June 25, 2025

By Park Boram

SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- Watching or distributing South Korean TV dramas or K-pop songs is being punished by execution by firing squad in North Korea, with one young man shot to death in public on such charges, North Korean defectors testified Wednesday.

The testimonies were given during public sessions hosted by the U.N. Human Rights Office in Seoul to shed light on the human rights situation in North Korea over the past decade.

Kim Il-hyuk was among several North Korean defectors who spoke at the sessions, having fled the North and arrived in South Korea in recent years.

"One 22-year-old man, whom I had known, was executed by firing squad in public for the crime of distributing three South Korean dramas and 70 K-pop songs," Kim said during a session.

"Such public executions by firing squad took place about twice every three months, with up to 12 people shot to death in a single session. Half of them were those condemned for (violating) the law prohibiting reactionary ideologies and culture," Kim noted.

Kim, a former resident of Kangryong in South Hwanghae Province, defected to South Korea in May 2023 by crossing the Northern Limit Line, the maritime inter-Korean border, aboard a boat with his wife and his younger brother's family.

A female defector, who spoke anonymously during a separate session, also testified to the increased punishments for those caught watching South Korean dramas in the North.

She said the regime's scrutiny began tightening in 2015 and intensified further around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, with offenders subjected to execution by firing squad.

"North Korea began imposing such (execution) punishments, viewing South Korean dramas (as harmful) as drugs. The regime appears to see them as a threat, as the Korean Wave has had considerable impacts on North Korean society," she said.

North Korean defector Kim Il-hyuk testifies during a public session hosted by the U.N. Human Rights Office in Seoul on June 25, 2025. (Yonhap)

Kim also spoke about steep increases in the prices of manufacturing goods and the severe hardships people endured during the pandemic, citing that period as the starting point for tighter controls on movement and the flows of information.

"Far more people died of starvation than from (COVID-19-related) diseases ... while the regime propagated that it had brought in vaccines at the price of a cow per dose," he noted.

The female defector also echoed Kim's testimony, saying that the prices of rice almost doubled during the pandemic, while some people starved to death due to food shortages. Amid such economic difficulties, many children became orphans or homeless, she added.

Including the two defectors, the U.N. Human Rights Office in Seoul has interviewed nearly 400 North Korean defectors as it prepares an upcoming report assessing the human rights situation in North Korea over the past 10 years.

In September, the Seoul office will release the updated report building on the landmark 2014 Commission of Inquiry report commissioned by the U.N. Human Rights Council, which found systematic human rights violations by the North Korean regime.

The upcoming report will be presented to the council by the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.

James Heenan, representative of the U.N. Human Rights Office in Seoul, speaks during a public session hosted by the office on June 25, 2025. (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · June 25, 2025

7. China Calls Them Fish Farms. South Korea Fears They Have Another Use.

Unrestricted Warfare and Three Warfares.

China Calls Them Fish Farms. South Korea Fears They Have Another Use.

China has installed large steel cages and a former oil drilling rig in the Yellow Sea, raising concerns in South Korea that they could be used for military purposes.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/world/asia/china-south-korea-sea-dispute.html

Korean military veterans protested near the Chinese Embassy in Seoul in April, calling on Beijing to remove the steel structures it installed in shared waters in the Yellow Sea.Credit...Kim Jae-Hwan /SOPA Images, via Sipa USA, via Associated Press

By Choe Sang-Hun

Reporting from Seoul

June 24, 2025

阅读简体中文版閱讀繁體中文版

In recent years, China has towed a decommissioned offshore oil-drilling rig and two giant octagonal steel cages into the sea between China and South Korea, saying that the structures were used as deep-sea fish farms in shared waters. But South Koreans fear that they are more than that and could be used to expand China’s military influence.

South Korea’s National Assembly formally took issue with the Chinese structures on Monday when its ocean and fisheries committee condemned them as “a threat to maritime safety,” in a resolution adopted with bipartisan support. Those fears were bolstered on Tuesday by a report from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“While available information suggests that the platforms are genuinely focused on aquaculture, concerns that the platforms may be dual-use are not unfounded, given China’s track record in the South China Sea,” said the report, which used satellite imagery and other data to track the installations. Dual-use refers to a second potential use for military purposes.

“Even without further expansion, the platforms are likely already collecting data that could have value for undersea navigation and detection,” the report said.

South Koreans see striking parallels between the Chinese installations and what Beijing has done in the South China Sea. China initially built artificial islands there for civilian purposes, but they were gradually transformed into military outposts, leading to territorial disputes with countries including the Philippines and Vietnam.

Want to stay updated on what’s happening in China and South Korea? Sign up for Your Places: Global Update, and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.

The tensions creeping up around the Chinese platforms in the Yellow Sea — called the West Sea by Koreans — will likely become one of the first challenges faced by the government of President Lee Jae Myung, who took office this month. Mr. Lee has vowed to improve ties with Beijing while at the same time promising to strengthen his country’s alliance with Washington. Mr. Lee hopes to meet China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, in November.

When the two countries held talks in April on oceanic cooperation, South Korean officials expressed their “deep concern” about the Chinese structures, warning that they would not allow them to undermine Seoul’s rights, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said. But China insisted that the structures were nothing but deep-sea salmon farms. Both sides agreed to continue dialogue to resolve the dispute.

China’s growing assertiveness in the Yellow Sea comes at the same time Beijing has called for bilateral relations with Seoul to reach a “higher level” after Mr. Lee was sworn in as president.

That reflects Beijing’s carrot and stick approach with its neighbors. On one hand, it hopes to warm ties by offering Seoul economic inducements. On the other, China considers its dominance of regional waters a vital strategic interest, one that it feels it can pursue because of its military strength.

Editors’ Picks

A TikTok Trend Promises to Erase Student Loan Debt. Heres Why It Doesn’t Work.

You’ve Got ‘The Ick.’ Is Your Relationship Doomed?

Why Do Yemeni Coffeehouses Seem to Be Everywhere Lately?

In recent years, South Korea has become increasingly concerned about China’s military activities near the Korean Peninsula, including a growing number of Chinese warplanes flying near its airspace. In May, China’s newest and most-advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, conducted fighter jet drills in the Yellow Sea. China declared no-sail zones there while the drills were underway.

“If China uses its structures in the West Sea for military purposes like monitoring, surveillance and disrupting sea routes and does so repeatedly and in an escalating scale, they will eventually threaten our jurisdiction in the West Sea,” said Chung Min-jeong, an analyst at the National Assembly Research Service. “South Korea, the United States and Japan will need to cooperate if China uses the West Sea structures to help blockade Taiwan.”

China installed its aquaculture structures inside the so-called Provisional Measures Zone, or PMZ, which was created by South Korea and China through a bilateral agreement in 2001 to manage their overlapping exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, claims in the Yellow Sea. The agreement allows fishing activities from both sides but does not mention aquaculture, “leaving an ambiguity that will make it difficult for Seoul to convince Beijing to remove the platforms,” according to the C.S.I.S. report.

The first floating fish-farm cage — the Shen Lan 1, which is 200 feet in diameter — was installed in 2018, and the larger Shen Lan 2 was added last year. The former oil-drilling rig was moved there in 2022, repurposed into a central operations hub.

Tensions flared in February when a South Korean ocean survey vessel attempted an on-site investigation, only to be forcibly blocked by Chinese coast guard ships and civilian vessels. South Korea also deployed patrol ships in the two-hour standoff.

In a report this month, South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited satellite imagery that it said showed China remodeling several retired oil rigs for use as offshore support facilities for fish farms.

In their resolution adopted on Monday, South Korean lawmakers proposed that if China does not remove its facilities, South Korea should take “proportional” countermeasures, such as installing its own aquaculture facilities in the area and building a survey ship to increase monitoring of Chinese activities in the sea.

Berry Wang contributed reporting from Hong Kong.

A correction was made on June 24, 2025: An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of one of the steel cages China has put in the Yellow Sea. It is the Shen Lan 2, not the Shan Lan 2.

When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more

Choe Sang-Hun is the lead reporter for The Times in Seoul, covering South and North Korea.

A version of this article appears in print on June 25, 2025, Section A, Page 9 of the New York edition with the headline: As China Installs ‘Fish Farms’ at Sea, South Korea Fears a Military Angle. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

8. South Korea’s new president starts early to mend relations with North

But does Kim want relations mended especially now since Putin is bankrolling him in return for soldiers and ammunition and weapons?

Do we have sufficient understanding of the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime?

South Korea’s new president starts early to mend relations with North

Stars and Stripes · by David Choi and Yoojin Lee · June 24, 2025

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and his wife, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, board a plane from Seoul Air Base to Canada for the G7 summit on June 16, 2025. (Lee Jae-myung)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Less than a month into his new administration, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has reversed some of his predecessor’s North Korea policies, a sign of more changes to come for two countries technically still at war, according to experts.

Lee, of the Democratic Party, was inaugurated June 4 to replace Yoon Suk Yeol, a member of the conservative People Power Party impeached after a short-lived martial law attempt six months earlier.

During his campaign, Lee contrasted himself with Yoon, who took a hard line toward North Korea. Lee argued that with a softer stance toward the North, the two countries could develop amiable relations and finally achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean progressives typically favor engaging North Korea through dialogue and economic ventures, rather than trading threats, Andrei Lankov, a Korean Studies professor at the Seoul-based Kookmin University, said by phone Monday.

One week after taking office, Lee silenced the military’s propaganda loudspeakers aimed at North Korea. The loudspeakers along the 160-mile border with the North broadcasted a range of media intended to vex the communist regime, such as news and pop music from the South.

North Korea responded the same evening by silencing its own border broadcasts, according to the South’s military at the time.

“For North Korea, it seems negative for their soldiers if they keep broadcasting,” Korea University North Korean politics professor Lim Jae-Cheon said by phone Thursday. “I think that is why they stopped broadcasting; it’s not bad for them. They stopped their broadcasting in response to our halt.”

Lee also directed the government to curb propaganda leaflets sent northward by balloon by activist groups in South Korea. The North characterized the balloons as an act of war.

The balloons that sometimes carry rice, small radios and other essentials to aid impoverished North Koreans hinder diplomatic relations between North and South and “threaten the daily lives and safety” of border-area residents, according to a presidential office statement June 14.

Previous attempts by former South Korean President Moon Jae-in to outlaw the practice have failed. The country’s Constitutional Court in 2023 ruled that Moon’s legislation violated freedom of expression.

In addition to preemptively lowering tensions, South Korea likely wants to send humanitarian aid to the North and for the Koreas to restart joint economic projects that withered with strained relations, according to Lankov.

However, these projects will come at a heavy price for Seoul, he added.

“From North Korea’s point of view, South Korea should always pay; North Korea should not give Seoul anything for free,” Lankov said.

The defunct inter-Korean rail lines that linked the two countries since 2018 are one of these ventures. North Korea blew up the rail lines on its side in October, after Kim described the South as its “primary enemy” and rejected the possibility of reunification.

South Korea loaned the North approximately $132 million for the project, which it has yet to repay, according to the South’s Ministry of Unification.

“When they are talking about exchanges … you discover that relations between the two Korean states have not ever been based on the reciprocity principle,” Lankov said. “Basically, South Korea was always losing money when trading with North Korea or investing in North Korea.”

Yoojin Lee

Yoojin Lee

Yoojin Lee is a correspondent and translator based at Camp Humphreys, South Korea. She graduated from Korea University, where she majored in Global Sports Studies.

David Choi

David Choi

David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Stars and Stripes · by David Choi and Yoojin Lee · June 24, 2025

9. Military solution to North Korea nuclear issue is ‘unimaginable’: ROK nominee

Not quite. If Kim attacks there will be a military solution.

But I understand he means he wants a peaceful solution. The only path forward that we have not tried is unification first, then denuclearization. But it does not seem like the nominee for Unification minister is interested in unification at all. Maybe is going to take a page out of the DOGE playbook and tear down the ministry.

Military solution to North Korea nuclear issue is ‘unimaginable’: ROK nominee

Unification minister candidate stresses diplomacy and avoiding war following US military strikes on Iran

https://www.nknews.org/2025/06/military-solution-to-north-korea-nuclear-issue-is-unimaginable-rok-nominee/

Jeongmin Kim June 24, 2025

Unification minister nominee Chung Dong-young speaks to journalists at the Inter-Korean Relations Management Bureau. | Image: NK News (June 24, 2025)

South Korea will not tolerate any military solution to the North Korean nuclear issue and will focus on restoring dialogue channels with Pyongyang, the nominee to be Seoul’s next unification minister said Tuesday, following U.S. military strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program.

Chung Dong-young made the remarks to journalists in front of the Inter-Korean Relations Management Bureau, where he will prepare for his parliamentary hearing following his nomination by President Lee Jae-myung on Monday.

“North Korea’s nuclear issue must also be resolved through peaceful, diplomatic means and dialogue,” he said, asked about how South Korea can reassure Pyongyang following the recent U.S. military action. “Under no circumstances should the problem be addressed by force or war — that is unimaginable.”

While calling the recently announced Iran-Israel ceasefire fortunate, Chung said images of destroyed buildings and “families weeping amid the ruins” in the Middle East should serve as a reminder of “just how horrific war is for its victims.”

“Eliminating the possibility of war here permanently is our responsibility,” he added.

Among his priorities once confirmed as minister, Chung said that “resolving the situation of severed [inter-Korean] communication is the first task,” stressing that “trust begins with communication.”

A former journalist and lawmaker, Chung previously served as unification minister some two decades ago under the progressive Roh Moo-hyun administration, which pursued dialogue and cooperation with Pyongyang under its Sunshine Policy.

Lee’s decision to tap Chung for the role once again thus appears to be a push to revive dialogue with the DPRK, despite leader Kim Jong Un’s rejection of the goal of reunification in late 2023.

Asked about the potential resumption of U.S.-DPRK nuclear talks, Chung said he “personally supports” a Trump-Kim summit reunion. 

“It’s something that is possible because it’s President Trump; the Bush and Obama administrations did not attempt it,” he said, blaming American neoconservatives for the failure of the Hanoi summit in Feb. 2019. ”From our perspective, it would greatly contribute to easing tensions and promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”

Chung added that it was “only natural” for Washington to not insist on denuclearization as a condition for talks with Pyongyang, after acting U.S. Ambassador Joseph Yun endorsed that approach earlier in the day. 

Unification minister nominee Chung Dong-young speaks to journalists at the Inter-Korean Relations Management Bureau. | Image: NK News (June 24, 2025)

PEACE MINISTRY?

Chung on Tuesday emphasized the need to “redefine” the status and function of the unification ministry, framing this as a way to address the ministry’s “abnormal” role under the previous Yoon administration that downplayed dialogue with Pyongyang.

In line with these plans, he signaled openness to changing the ministry’s name, following unconfirmed reports that some Lee administration officials have advocated a name change to “South-North (inter-Korean) relations ministry.” 

“If necessary, I think it should be done,” he said.

While Chung did not express a preference for a new name, he called unification “the cart” and peace the “horse” and said “the cart cannot pull the horse.”

Chung added that Kaesong Industrial Complex, the economic part where South Korean companies once employed North Korean laborers, might need rebranding as a “peace city” to better reflect its symbolic importance.

He also revealed he spoke over the phone directly with Choi Seong-ryong, the head of the Abductee’s Family Union, on Tuesday morning, after his civic group indicated that it may suspend anti-regime leaflet launches.

“I highly value the decision to reconsider the leaflet launches. Leaflet drops have served as a catalyst for hostility and confrontation between the two Koreas. They are highly provocative and hostile acts that must not recur.”

Chung avoided directly stating whether he would continue efforts to bring North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine to Seoul. “It is a sensitive issue,” he said. “I will put it under deliberation.” 

Kim Jong Un reads a letter from Donald Trump. | Image: Rodong Sinmun (June 23, 2019)

FOREIGN MINISTER ON NORTH KOREA

Cho Hyun, nominee for foreign minister, also spoke to reporters outside his confirmation hearing preparation office earlier on Tuesday, outlining the administration’s diplomatic priorities and emphasizing peace and dialogue with North Korea as a key focus.

“Establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula through successful North Korea-U.S. dialogue is one of the top priorities of the Lee administration’s diplomatic and unification policy,” he said. 

“Diplomacy is about pursuing peace and prosperity, but given the difficult situation, North Korea-related issues must be handled carefully, with various ministries thoroughly deliberating, coordinating and finding common ground.”

Cho described ties with China and Russia as highly sensitive and said it should be addressed in step with other major diplomatic issues.

Asked whether Lee plans to visit the United States as his first bilateral overseas destination in accordance with presidential precedent, Cho said there is no need to be bound by such conventions but that a trip would likely happen “naturally.” 

Lee had been scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 leader’s summit last week, but the talks did not take place as planned after Trump departed the gathering early due to the Iran-Israel conflict.

Regarding Lee’s decision not to attend the upcoming NATO summit and send National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac instead, Cho said it was the best decision the administration could make “given the high level of uncertainty” with global security. 

Meanwhile, during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Lee emphasized that “building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and strengthening security are important responsibilities that require our constant attention.”

“It can never be emphasized enough how essential it is to protect our community’s values through strong security,” he said. 

The 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, when North Korea launched a surprise invasion of the South, falls on Wednesday.

Edited by Bryan Betts

10. Russian Far East entrepreneurs visit North Korea to discuss joint ventures

Half of the CRInK is cooperating (and colluding) just fine.

Russian Far East entrepreneurs visit North Korea to discuss joint ventures

Delegation from Khabarovsk reaches deals on construction, oil, food and more despite UN sanctions on the DPRK

https://www.nknews.org/2025/06/russian-far-east-entrepreneurs-visit-north-korea-to-discuss-joint-ventures/

Anton Sokolin June 24, 2025

Representatives of the Khabarovsk Chamber of Commerce with Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Alexander Matsegora in Pyongyang in June 2025 | Image: Khabarovsk Chamber of Commerce

North Korea welcomed a business delegation from the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk for the first time this month, discussing plans to establish joint ventures and production facilities in the region in defiance of international sanctions.

The business mission from June 16-20 saw Khabarovsk entrepreneurs hold 30 meetings with DPRK counterparts in Pyongyang on working on joint projects with North Korean companies, including in construction, oil supplies, foodstuffs, transportation and tourism, according to the Khabarovsk Chamber of Commerce (KCC). Nearly all these areas fall under U.N. sanctions on the DPRK.

The delegation reportedly reached deals with local construction materials manufacturers who “expressed interest in setting up joint ventures in Khabarovsk Krai and provided product samples for testing.” 

Representatives of the Khabarovsk Chamber of Commerce during talks with North Korean counterparts in June 2025. A brochure advertising the Commercial Port of Vladivostok is visible in the lower right corner. | Image: Khabarovsk Chamber of Commerce

1

2

3

North Korean entities are prohibited from opening joint ventures with foreign partners under U.N. Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2375. However, this hasn’t stopped other DPRK firms in the construction and textile sectors from boasting of such partnerships in Russia and China.

While the KCC didn’t name members of the delegation, NK News analysis of the chamber’s photos shows that Korea studies scholar Liudmila Zakharova from Moscow participated in the trip, along with KCC officials Nikita Bozhok and Stanislav Filimonov — both of whom serve as local lawmakers in charge of urban management in Khabarovsk.

Bozhok, who also runs a construction company in the city, released a video statement noting that North Korean firms are interested in setting up shop in Russia’s Far East.

“North Korean partners are ready to launch their own production facilities in our region, bringing in both technology and specialists,” he said. “The finished products are expected to be shipped not only to other markets but also back to North Korea.”

Pyongyang is banned from dispatching workers to third countries for the purpose of earning income overseas under UNSCR 2397.

Bozhok also noted that the KCC and the DPRK’s Chamber of Commerce signed a cooperation agreement last Thursday, calling the deal a “foundation for long-term, stable and successful cooperation between businesses from both countries.”

In another notable development, the KCC stated that representatives of the oil refining industry “identified common ground on issues related to the supply and processing of petroleum products.”

While KCC didn’t provide further details, U.N. sanctions limit North Korea to importing 500,000 of refined petroleum products per annum, suggesting that the envisioned cooperation could also run afoul of international restrictions.

The DPRK is already known to violate the cap using its so-called dark fleet to shuttle oil from the Russian Far East, and a KCC image from one of the meetings shows a brochure with the name and logo of the Commercial Port of Vladivostok, which is part of the FESCO group subject to U.K. sanctions.

Ahead of the imminent opening of the Wonsan Kalma beach resort on North Korea’s east coast, the Khabarovsk chamber of commerce received a request from the Korean International Sports Travel Company, the resort operator, to find a “partner travel agency in Khabarovsk.”

It also “expressed willingness to discuss launching a charter flight between Khabarovsk and Wonsan,” according to the KCC’s statement.

Footage showing the KCC’s activities in Pyongyang during the June 16-20 trip | Video: Khabarovsk Chamber of Commerce, edited by NK News

Finally, the chamber singled out trade in “DPRK-grown fruits and vegetables” for subsequent sale in retail chains in Khabarovsk as another promising area of cooperation, with some agreements having already been reached. NK News previously reported that North Korea started supplying apples to Khabarovsk supermarkets in violation of U.N. sanctions in March.

“Staff from the Russian Embassy in the DPRK played a key role in the success of the business mission, providing support at every stage and participating in negotiations,” it added.

The delegation’s visit comes after North Korea didn’t permit Russian businesspeople to join the 23rd Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair from May 12-16, following an abrupt decision to cancel visas for all foreign participants.

The KCC mentioned that the trip’s preparation “proved challenging due to the country’s specific circumstances,” with visa processing taking over 60 days and plane tickets only available for purchase in cash at the Vladivostok Airport by individuals previously vetted by DPRK authorities.

The chambers of commerce of Russia’s Kursk region and Pyongyang signed a cooperation deal in February encompassing multiple areas like “industry, agriculture and food processing.” A few months later, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to send 6,000 demining specialists and military construction workers to help Russia rebuild the war-torn region.

Edited by Bryan Betts

11. Chinese state media largely silent on anniversary of Korean War outbreak

Chinese state media largely silent on anniversary of Korean War outbreak

Only one English-language article discusses date to criticize US, while making no mention of North Korea’s invasion

https://www.nknews.org/2025/06/chinese-state-media-largely-silent-on-anniversary-of-korean-war-outbreak/

Dave Yin June 25, 2025

Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun speaks at the Changjin Lake Chinese Peoples Volunteer Army Martyrs Cemetery on March 30, 2025. | Image: Chinese Embassy of DPRK

Chinese state media largely abstained from commemorating the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War this week, in line with the Communist Party’s preference to reserve high-profile memorials for the official entry of Chinese soldiers into the conflict in late October.

But at least one English-language article highlighted the date to criticize the U.S. for pursuing “great power rivalry,” while making no mention of North Korea’s invasion of the South.

The People’s Daily, Global Times, Xinhua and the Chinese edition of China Daily all refrained from publishing articles this month about June 25, 1950, when DPRK forces crossed over the 38th parallel in a surprise attack.

The official Weibo account of the Memorial of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong, along with outlets such as the People’s Liberation Army Daily (PLA Daily), did publish several syndicated humanistic stories in June about the experiences of Chinese Korean War veterans. However, there was no notable increase in such stories from previous months, and none appear to have been published on Wednesday.

In March, China’s Ambassador to Pyongyang Wang Yajun visited a cemetery dedicated to Chinese troops in the DPRK’s South Hamgyong Province to mark the 75th anniversary of China’s participation, according to the Chinese Embassy, amid questions surrounding bilateral relations between the two countries.

Only the English edition of China Daily, a major state-run outlet, published an op-ed by an academic at the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-affiliated National Defense University discussing the outbreak of the war on Wednesday.

The op-ed blamed the U.S. for having “manipulated” the U.N. Security Council into legitimizing its Korean operation at the time, as well as for not taking seriously China’s threat to involve itself in the conflict.

During the Korean War, China’s foreign minister Zhou Enlai warned U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, the leader of U.N. Command forces, on several occasions that China would enter the war if U.N. troops approached the Yalu River marking the China-North Korea border — a threat historians argue MacArthur ignored. 

“The U.S. misinterpreted China’s response as mere bluff,” wrote Xiaoguang Wang, the author of the op-ed. “Similar misjudgments continue to escalate tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait today.”

Wang called for rational thinking among both Chinese and U.S. leadership with the “shadow of war looming over the world.”

“Standing at the historical juncture of the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, the world must heed the lessons written in blood and sacrifice,” he wrote in the article, which was not published in Chinese.

Notably, the op-ed explicitly criticized North Korea for disrupting the region’s power balance by continuing to develop nuclear capabilities and conducting frequent missile tests, but Wang only referred to the “outbreak” of the war and did not highlight the DPRK’s role in instigating the conflict. 

According to historians, DPRK founding leader Kim Il Sung received approval from both Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and China’s Mao Zedong before launching an invasion of South Korea, with a guarantee that China would join in the event of U.S. intervention. 

Pyongyang’s official narrative of the Korean War falsely accuses the U.S. of launching an invasion that North Korean forces quickly repelled.

China’s muted remembrance about the start of the Korean War stands in stark contrast to Beijing’s memorializations of the beginning of its own participation, namely its first campaign to help North Korean forces push back U.S.-led U.N. troops on Oct. 25, 1950, as well as the signing of the armistice on July 27, 1953. 

In previous years, high-profile speeches, including ones by Chinese President Xi Jinping that depict the war as a Chinese victory have marked the anniversary of the People’s Volunteer Army’s entry into the conflict.

The fanfare is not always reciprocated, however. In November, Kim Jong Un only sent a wreath to the China-North Korea Friendship Tower in Pyongyang in November to commemorate China’s assistance along with a short greeting. 

Edited by Bryan Betts

12. On Korean War anniversary, president prioritizes peace for national security

​But we cannot have peace at any cost which is what too many seem willing to offer.

1. South Korea
2. 
   
3. South Korea
4. Politics

On Korean War anniversary, president prioritizes peace for national security

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/politics/20250625/on-korean-war-anniversary-s-korean-president-prioritizes-peace-for-national-security

By Anna J. Park

Published Jun 25, 2025 4:03 pm KST

Updated Jun 25, 2025 5:36 pm KST

menu

The Korea Times

Subscribe

My Times

open search

open notice

Log In

Opposition party leader offers tribute to veterans

Marking the 75th anniversary of the Korean War’s outbreak, President Lee Jae Myung underscored the vital importance of peace, saying the strongest form of national security is creating conditions that eliminate the need for conflict.

In a message posted Wednesday on his official Facebook page, Lee highlighted the limitations of relying solely on military strength in today’s security environment.

“The era of defending a nation solely through military power is now behind us,” he wrote. “Winning without fighting is more important than winning through conflict.”

Reflecting on the devastation of the 1950–1953 Korean War, Lee spoke of the enduring pain and loss suffered by millions. Despite this painful history, he highlighted the resilience and determination of the Korean people in rebuilding the nation.

"We rose again with hope, overcame our scars and moved forward toward a better tomorrow,” he added.

The president highlighted South Korea’s remarkable progress since the war’s end. In 1953, per capita income stood at just $67, but the country has since grown into a global economic leader, with annual per capita earnings now topping $36,000.

He noted that South Korea became the first former aid recipient to join the OECD as an official donor country, calling it a symbol of the nation’s emergence as a model for developing countries worldwide.

Graves of fallen soldiers are adorned with national flags and flowers at Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Graves of fallen soldiers are adorned with national flags and flowers at Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Lee also acknowledged the sacrifices of South Korean soldiers, veterans and bereaved families, expressing regret that their contributions have not always received full recognition or adequate compensation.

“We must do more to support those who made extraordinary sacrifices for the country,” he said, pledging to seek new ways to strengthen that support.

He concluded by emphasizing that peace is not just a moral imperative, but a foundation for economic and social stability.

“Creating a country that never again experiences war is the most meaningful way to honor the sacrifices of the past,” he said. “Peace today is directly tied to economic strength and the safety of our people. I am committed to building a lasting peace framework on the Korean Peninsula so that our citizens can live secure, prosperous lives.”

Political leaders attend a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Korean War at Daejeon Convention Center in Daejeon, Wednesday. From right, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Democratic Party of Korea's interim leader and floor leader Kim Byung-kee and People Power Party's interim chief Kim Yong-tae are among the participants. Yonhap

Political leaders attend a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Korean War at Daejeon Convention Center in Daejeon, Wednesday. From right, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Democratic Party of Korea's interim leader and floor leader Kim Byung-kee and People Power Party's interim chief Kim Yong-tae are among the participants. Yonhap

Leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties also came together at a commemorative ceremony in Daejeon, each issuing messages honoring the fallen, pledging support for veterans and reaffirming the importance of national security in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea interim leader and floor leader Kim Byung-kee attended a commemorative ceremony earlier at the Daejeon Convention Center, where he met with Korean War veterans and delivered a message of gratitude and renewed commitment.

“As President Lee Jae Myung pledged, the DPK will not forget the extraordinary sacrifices made by those who fought for the country,” Kim said. “We will reexamine whether they are receiving proper compensation and recognition, and correct any shortcomings we find.”

Main opposition People Power Party interim chief Kim Yong-tae also attended the ceremony, highlighting the nation’s lasting debt to those who defended South Korea’s freedom during the war.

“Countless citizens gave their lives, their blood and their sweat to protect our liberal democratic system,” the PPP leader told reporters after the event. “We owe them our deepest gratitude.”

Reflecting on the historical context of the war, Kim recalled the devastating surprise attack by North Korea in 1950 and vowed that his party would never forget the sacrifices made.

He also drew a parallel with recent global conflicts, referencing the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

“That ceasefire reminded me of the importance of peace based on strength. Dialogue grounded in a position of military superiority is crucial," he said, adding that despite changes in government, the principle of “peace through strength” must continue to guide inter-Korean policy.

Anna J. Park

Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.

13. UN North Korea Human Rights Office Director: “North Korean Human Rights Victims Have ‘Right to Have Their Suffering Recognized’”

This is a Google translation of an RFA report.

Human rights are not only a moral imperative they re a national security issues. Kim must deny the human right s of 25 million Koreans in the north to remain in power.

UN North Korea Human Rights Office Director: “North Korean Human Rights Victims Have ‘Right to Have Their Suffering Recognized’”

Seoul-Handohyeong hando@rfa.org

2025.06.25

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in-focus/2025/06/25/heenan-un-north-victim-right/

Anchor: James Heenan, head of the UN Office for Human Rights in North Korea, emphasized that victims of human rights abuse in North Korea have the right to have their suffering recognized. Han Do-hyung reports from Seoul.

An open discussion on 'The human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea over the past 10 years as seen by victims and witnesses' hosted by the UN Office for Human Rights in North Korea in Seoul on the 25th.

In his opening remarks that day, James Heenan, head of the United Nations Office for Human Rights in North Korea, said that a follow-up report to the 2014 report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in North Korea is currently being prepared and is expected to be completed within a few months.

The United Nations Human Rights Council established the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in North Korea in 2013 to investigate human rights violations in North Korea, and the UN COI report was released the following year in 2014.

The UN Office for Human Rights in North Korea plans to publish a follow-up report to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on human rights in North Korea at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in September.

Director Heenan explained that this follow-up report will cover the human rights situation in North Korea over the past 10 years since 2014, and will also examine North Korea's compliance with past recommendations.

He also explained that this follow-up report will include interviews with hundreds of victims of human rights abuse in North Korea and materials provided by civil society groups and government officials.

“North Korean human rights victims have one thing in common: they want to be recognized as victims,” said Director Heenan. “They have the right to have their suffering recognized.”

[James Heenan, Director of the UN Office for Human Rights in North Korea] We prioritize victim-centered justice. There was one thing that was very important in common among the victims: they wanted to be recognized as victims. They have a right to have their suffering recognized.

Related Articles

Seoul UN Human Rights Office Director: “Concerted Efforts Needed for Change in North Korea”

[2022 Final Interview: North Korean Human Rights] James Heenan, Director of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul: “Discussions on North Korean Human Rights Must Be Raised to the Level of Politics and Security”

Kim Il-hyuk, a North Korean defector who led the family's escape on a wooden boat in May 2023.

Kim Il-hyuk, a North Korean defector who led the family's boat defection in May 2023. (RFA)

“If you distribute Korean dramas or songs after the enactment of the three evil laws, you will be publicly executed”

At the event that day, there were testimonies from North Korean defectors about the human rights situation in North Korea.

Kim Il-hyuk, a defector who led the family's escape on a wooden boat in May 2023, said, "After enacting the so-called three major evil laws, including the Act on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture, the Act on Guaranteeing Youth Education, and the Act on the Protection of Pyongyang Culture and Language between 2020 and 2023, North Korea exercised control over its residents and even carried out public executions."

“One of my acquaintances, a 22-year-old man, was publicly executed for distributing South Korean dramas and songs,” Kim said, adding that “the executions occurred about twice every three months.”

[North Korean defector Kim Il-hyeok] During this period, public executions were carried out twice every three months, sometimes as many as 12 people were executed at once. 50% of the death row inmates were executed after being caught watching content from enemy countries under the Rejection of Reactionary Ideology and Culture Act.

Defector Maeng Hyo-sim also testified at the event, “In North Korea, public executions are taking place for watching South Korean dramas.”

Along with this, Ms. Maeng said, “My disabled mother was a target of neglect and discrimination in North Korean society,” and “In North Korea, disability is not just an inconvenience, but a wall that blocks life.”

[North Korean defector Maeng Hyo-sim] My mother was not able to go to college just because she had a disability, and she always had to live with the cold stares and ignorance of those around her. Not only was she not able to work just because she had a disability, she had to pay fines from the Women's Union and the People's Committee for over 20 years.

In addition, an anonymous defector who did not reveal his name that day said, “I heard that if you are caught watching a South Korean drama in North Korea, you will be executed in principle.”

He also said, “In the past, if you were caught watching Korean dramas, you could get away with it by giving a bribe of $300 to $400, but recently, as related laws have been strengthened, the amount of money needed to avoid punishment has become much larger.”

This is Han Do-hyung from RFA Free Asia Broadcasting in Seoul.

Editor Yang Seong-won

14. Unification Minister Candidate: “Peace Establishment is the People’s Command, the Most Important Task”

The only way to achieve a permanent peace is to solve the Korea question" (per paragraph 60 of the Armistice). Peace will only come through unification.

This is a Google translation of an RFA report.

Unification Minister Candidate: “Peace Establishment is the People’s Command, the Most Important Task”

Seoul-Hong Seung-wook hongs@rfa.org

2025.06.24

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in-focus/2025/06/24/unification-minister-nominee-peace-korea/

Minister of Unification nominee Jeong Dong-young answers reporters' questions as he enters the personnel hearing preparation office set up at the Inter-Korean Relations Management Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 24th. 2025.6.24 (Yonhap)

Anchor: South Korea's Minister of Unification nominee Chung Dong-young said that establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula is the most urgent task. He also indicated that he would consider changing the name of the Ministry of Unification. Hong Seung-wook reports from Seoul.

On the 23rd, Democratic Party of Korea member Chung Dong-young was nominated as a candidate for the Minister of Unification for the first time in 20 years.

On the 24th, he met with reporters at the Inter-Korean Relations Management Office in Jongno-gu and said, “Establishing peace is the supreme command and priority for 50 million citizens.”

Candidate Chung emphasized the importance of seeking to establish new inter-Korean relations together with the new government, saying that the previous government that caused the conflict between the two Koreas has disappeared into history, regarding the prospects for dialogue with North Korea, which is hostile to South Korea.

He then defined the current state of complete severance of inter-Korean relations as abnormal, saying, “The first task is to resolve the situation of severance and lack of communication.”

[Jeong Dong-young, Nominee for Minister of Unification] Inter-Korean dialogue has been completely cut off for the past six years. I think the next step is to restore communication channels. So preventing accidental clashes and restoring inter-Korean channels will be the top priority.

North Korea has not responded to South Korean phone calls since unilaterally blocking inter-Korean communication channels in April 2023.

Candidate Jeong highly praised the decision of the Abductees' Families Association to reconsider scattering anti-North Korea leaflets, saying that it was a necessary measure for the stability and peace of inter-Korean relations.

Regarding the North Korea-US summit, he said, “It will happen and it must happen,” and “South Korea supports it because it will greatly contribute to easing tensions and achieving peace and stability.”

Regarding South Korea-Japan cooperation, he said, “I understand that Japan is also conducting behind-the-scenes talks to improve North Korea-Japan relations,” and “There are various agendas for cooperation between South Korea and Japan, including the North Korea issue.”

The need to change the name of the Ministry of Unification was also raised.

Candidate Jeong cited the example of Germany changing the name of its "Ministry of Unification" from the "External Germany" to the "Ministry of Relations between East and West Germany," and made his argument, saying, "Unification is like a carriage and peace is like a horse. The carriage cannot pull the horse; the horse has to go first."

He also said, “We need to actively consider changing the name of the Ministry of Unification because unification can be sought on the basis of peace and stability.”

Related Articles

Rep. Jeong Dong-young, nominated as Minister of Unification again after 20 years

South Korean Prime Minister Nominee: “Korea-US Alliance Will Be the Foundation of Diplomacy and Security”

Cho Hyun, the nominee for South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs, also expressed his position on the same day, saying, "Successful US-North Korea dialogue and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula is one of the priorities of the Lee Jae-myung government's foreign policy and unification policy."

Minister of Foreign Affairs nominee Cho Hyun is arriving at the personnel hearing preparation office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 24th. 2025.6.24

Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun arrives at the personnel hearing preparation office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 24th. 2025.6.24 (Yonhap)

When asked about the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in supporting the North Korea-US summit during a meeting with reporters that day, candidate Cho said, “I will work closely with the US and other allies to ensure that there are no obstacles to promoting such an event.”

When asked about the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in creating a situation for inter-Korean dialogue, he said, “Diplomacy is about pursuing peace and prosperity, but in this very difficult situation, the North Korean issue needs to be carefully addressed by various ministries through deep reflection and consultation to find common ground.”

Prime Minister Nominee: “Strengthening ROK-US Alliance in All Areas Including Security”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok emphasized at the National Assembly confirmation hearing held that day that now is the time to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance across all areas, including security.

[Kim Min-seok, Nominee for Prime Minister of Korea] I studied abroad in the United States twice. What I value most about the United States is the Constitution and the criminal procedure law that reflects its spirit. So, while emphasizing those aspects, I will do my best to make Korea-U.S. relations even stronger and more developed.

Candidate Kim said, “In a situation where the international order is being reorganized, it is time for the ROK-US alliance to be ‘further established and strengthened’ in all aspects, including not only security but also economy, politics, and culture.”

He then emphasized that the ROK-US alliance has been the basic axis of South Korean politics and diplomacy, regardless of progressive or conservative, since former President Kim Dae-jung, under whom he studied politics.

This is Hong Seung-wook of RFA's Free Asia Broadcasting in Seoul.

Editor Yang Seong-won

15. North Korea mobilizes students to collect stones daily for flood prevention walls

I heard the can make soup with stones too. (terrible attempt at sarcasm I know)

North Korea mobilizes students to collect stones daily for flood prevention walls

Elementary to high school students in Ryanggang province forced to contribute five stones, each the ‘size of a soccer ball,’ to flood prevention construction projects.

By Moon Sung Hui for RFA Korean

2025.06.24

https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2025/06/24/north-korea-students-flood-prevention-walls/

North Korea is mobilizing students in the northern border province of Ryanggang to gather rocks daily to help build flood walls as the region braces for seasonal monsoon rains, following devastating floods last year, sources told Radio Free Asia.

Video: North Korea experiences heavy rains in Pyongyang, provinces (RFA)

Last July, large areas along the Amnok, or Yalu, River near North Korea’s border with China suffered extensive damage, prompting authorities to accelerate flood prevention measures this year ahead of monsoons that typically start in June and last until September.

Last year, South Korean media outlets reported that over 1,000 people were killed or missing due to the floods, and that North Korea may have executed a number of officials who were held responsible.

North Korea’s state-run Korea Central News Agency said over 5,000 people who had been stranded were saved by on-site instructions relayed by leader Kim Jong Un, who was depicted leading flood relief efforts.

This photo released by North Korea's government on July 31, 2024, and not independently verifiable shows leader Kim Jong Un visiting flooded areas after record-breaking heavy rains in North Pyongan province.

This photo released by North Korea's government on July 31, 2024, and not independently verifiable shows leader Kim Jong Un visiting flooded areas after record-breaking heavy rains in North Pyongan province. (KCNA via AFP)

Multiple sources in Ryanggang province, also known as Yanggang, told RFA that the construction of embankments were ongoing, and that young students – in elementary, middle and high school levels – have been mobilized to collect rocks daily for the past two weeks without any breaks, including Sundays.

Mobilization orders by North Korean authorities are a common practice by local governments to make citizens donate labor to public projects.

“Each student must contribute five stones the size of a soccer ball to the construction site every day,” a source who works in the education sector of Ryanggang province said.

He, like other sources RFA interviewed for this story, requested anonymity for safety reasons.

This Oct. 20, 2004, photo shows North Korean students carrying stones to a railway construction site in Kaesong, North Korea.

This Oct. 20, 2004, photo shows North Korean students carrying stones to a railway construction site in Kaesong, North Korea. (You Sung-Ho/AP)

Students from Yeondu-dong, Yeonpung-dong, and Songbong-dong areas in Wiyeon District of Hyesan City gather every day, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., after they finish their morning classes to “collect rocks the size of soccer balls,” a second source in the province told RFA.

The students are required to bring the rocks they collect to the construction site of an embankment in the upper reaches of the Geumsan River, which flows into the Amnok, the source said. Last year, the Geumsan River was also flooded and caused much damage, he said.

The construction period for the Geumsan River embankment runs until the end of June, but delays are expected due to shortages of stones needed for the walls, sources said.

This photo released by the North Korean government on July 31, 2024, and not independently verifiable shows flooding after record-breaking heavy rains near the city of Sinuiju in North Pyongan province.

This photo released by the North Korean government on July 31, 2024, and not independently verifiable shows flooding after record-breaking heavy rains near the city of Sinuiju in North Pyongan province. (KCNA via AFP)

To meet the shortfall, students from many neighborhoods including Seonghu-dong, Hyesan-dong, Hyemyong-dong, and Yeonbong-dong work afternoons collecting stones at the old quarry in Yeonbong-dong, while those from the outskirts of Hyesan city like Masan-dong, Chun-dong, and Hyetan-dong search through quarries at Hyesan Youth Mine.

The rock gathering exercise has caused accidents and health problems for students, prompting protests by parents at schools, sources said.

“There are many accidents where people hurt their hands and feet while mining rocks, and there are also students who get nosebleeds while sleeping at night due to exhaustion,” said the first source who works in the education sector.

Growing parental dissatisfaction has led to protests at school offices, with some families keeping their children home from school rather than allowing them to participate in the stone collection work, he added.

On Saturday, North Korean state media reported heavy rainfall in the capital Pyongyang and several northern and central provinces, prompting weather authorities to issue alerts across multiple regions.

Pyongyang recorded 140 millimetres of rain between 5 p.m. on Thursday and 8 p.m. local time on Friday, according to KCNA, Reuters reported.

Written by Tenzin Pema. Edited by Mat Pennington.

16. U.N.-reported petroleum exports to N.K. reach only 4 pct of sanctions cap amid Russian omission

U.N.-reported petroleum exports to N.K. reach only 4 pct of sanctions cap amid Russian omission | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · June 25, 2025

SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- The amount of refined petroleum exports to North Korea, as reported to the United Nations, reached only 4 percent of the annual sanctions cap imposed by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) this year, as Russia omitted its notifications, the U.N. website showed Wednesday.

China was the only country to report its refined petroleum exports to North Korea to the UNSC sanctions committee, listing 14,385 barrels in January and 5,519 barrels in February this year, according to the committee's website.

The 19,904 barrels account for only about 4 percent of the 500,000-barrel export cap imposed in 2017 as part of U.N. sanctions in response to North Korea's internationally prohibited launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile earlier that year.

The two-month total is a far cry from the 116,190 barrels reported to the committee during the same period last year.

The figure, however, does not reflect North Korea's actual petroleum inflows, as Russia has ceased submitting its required reports to the committee since January last year.

In May 2024, the United States disclosed that Russia had provided more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea in March last year alone.

Russia has become the dominant source of economic resources and key technology for North Korea as the two countries have escalated their military alignment amid the Russia-Ukraine War, to which North Korea deployed more than 10,000 troops on the Russian side.

This computerized image depicts U.N. sanctions against North Korea over the export cap on supplies of refined petroleum products to Pyongyang. (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · June 25, 2025

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