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Quotes of the Day:
"The true test of civilization is, not the census, nor the size of the cities, nor the crops – no, but the kind of man the country turns out."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Those who tell the stories rule society."
- Plato
"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness."
- James Thurber
1. N. Korea slams U.S. reconnaissance aircraft for intruding in airspace
2. North Korea denounces US move to bring ballistic missile submarine to peninsula
3. Hard-living Kim Jong Un earns unflattering nickname over massive appetite for European booze, food: expert
4. Rumors of repatriations cause stress among China’s N. Korean defector community
5. North Korea calls on international community to stop Japan’s release of treated Fukushima wastewater
6. Yoon to embark on six-day trip to Lithuania, Poland
7. Top security officials fretted about nuclear war early in Trump administration, according to ‘Anonymous’ op-ed author
8. Ukrainian media expert calls for vigilance against wartime propaganda (Korea)
9. U.S. general reaffirms 'upcoming' visit of nuclear ballistic missile submarine to S. Korea
10. N. Korea's food crisis is still grave despite imports from China: unification minister
11. How homeless children survive on North Korea’s freezing streets
12. Amid declining number of NK defectors, Hanawon turns to vocational training
13. N. Korea again orders Chinese mobile phone users to turn themselves in
14. N. Korea awards high achievers in nuclear weapons production
15. S. Pyongan Province calls on farmers to maintain high spirits until fall harvest
1. N. Korea slams U.S. reconnaissance aircraft for intruding in airspace
This is will not be like the EC -121 shootdown as in 1969: https://www.historynet.com/why-did-north-korea-shoot-down-deep-sea-129-recon-plane/
N. Korea slams U.S. reconnaissance aircraft for intruding in airspace | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · July 10, 2023
SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Monday accused U.S. spy aircraft of intruding in its airspace recently, warning that there is no guarantee that such aircraft will not be shot down, state media reported.
A spokesperson for North Korea's defense ministry claimed "provocative" flights were made by U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, such as the RC-135, the U-2S and the RQ-4B, over the East Sea and the Yellow Sea from July 2 to Sunday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"Especially in the East Sea, U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft violated the airspace of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by tens of kilometers several times," the unnamed spokesperson said in a statement carried by the KCNA, using North Korea's official name.
"There is no guarantee that a shocking incident, such as a U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft being shot down over the East Sea, will not happen," the official added.
The spokesperson also slammed the planned U.S. deployment of a nuclear-capable submarine to the Korean Peninsula as a "grave threat" to regional peace.
"The United States' attempt to bring in strategic nuclear weapons into the Korean Peninsula is the most blatant nuclear blackmail against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and neighboring countries, and is a grave threat and challenge to peace and security in the region and the world," the spokesperson said.
The United States has pledged to send a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine to the Korean Peninsula under an agreement reached with South Korea to bolster U.S. deterrence against North Korean threats. The timing of the submarine's deployment has not been revealed.
This file photo, taken May 30, 2023, shows the U.S. U-2S reconnaissance aircraft landing at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · July 10, 2023
2. North Korea denounces US move to bring ballistic missile submarine to peninsula
The regime is feeling the pressure. Recall that this deployment is not in response to anything the regime has done lately. This is the new normal. Sustained readiness and continuous demonstration of strategic reassurance to the ROK and strategic resolve to do what is necessary to defend the US and its allies.
North Korea denounces US move to bring ballistic missile submarine to peninsula
Reuters · by Jack Kim
SEOUL, July 10 (Reuters) - North Korea denounced on Monday what it called a move by the United States to introduce a nuclear missile submarine to waters near the Korean peninsula, saying it creates a situation that brings a nuclear conflict closer to reality.
North Korea also claimed U.S. reconnaissance planes recently violated its air space near the east coast, quoting an unnamed spokesperson of its Ministry of National Defence in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.
"There is no guarantee that a shocking incident where a U.S. air force strategic reconnaissance plane is shot down over the East Sea will not happen," the spokesperson said.
The statement cited past incidents of the North shooting down or intercepting U.S. aircraft at the border with South Korea and off the coast. North Korea has often complained about U.S. surveillance flights near the peninsula.
The moves by the United States to introduce strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula is a blatant nuclear blackmail against North Korea and regional countries and presents a grave threat to peace, KCNA said.
"It is up to future U.S. actions whether an extreme situation arises in the Korean peninsula region that nobody wants, and the United States will be held fully responsible if any unexpected situation occurs," it said.
A U.S. nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine arrived at the port of Busan in South Korea last month.
In April, the leaders of South Korea and the United States agreed a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine will visit South Korea for the first time since the 1980s but no timetable has been given for such a visit.
It was part of a plan to boost the deployment of American strategic assets aimed at a more effective response to North Korea's threats and weapons tests in defence of its ally South Korea, as agreed by the two leaders.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said it was time to show "the international community’s determination to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is stronger than North Korea’s desire to develop nuclear weapons,” in written comments to the Associated Press published on Monday.
Yoon is scheduled to attend the NATO summit in Lithuania this week where he is expected to seek greater cooperation with NATO members over North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, his office has said.
The move to sail nuclear submarines has created a "very dangerous situation that makes it impossible for us not to realistically accept the worst-case scenario of a nuclear confrontation," the North Korean statement said.
In June, a U.S. B-52 strategic bomber took part in air military drills with South Korea in a show of force following North Korea's failed launch of a spy satellite at the end of May.
Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Diane Craft
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Reuters · by Jack Kim
3. Hard-living Kim Jong Un earns unflattering nickname over massive appetite for European booze, food: expert
Pang - "the fat one." I am sure we will see that used in the balloon launches (if it is not already being used).
Perhaps we should lift all sanctions on Kim's favorite liquor and let him drink himself to death. (note sarcasm).
Yes this is somewhat sensational reporting. But we should be emphasizing the contradictions of Kim and his regime and the rest of the north and the world.
Hard-living Kim Jong Un earns unflattering nickname over massive appetite for European booze, food: expert
South Korean intel officials have said Kim Jong-un is 'hoarding' pills, indulging in heavy drinking
foxnews.com · by Emma Colton | Fox News
Video
North Korea leader seen with 10-year-old daughter at military parade
Kim Jong Un was seen Feb. 9, 2023, with his 10-year-old daughter, Kim Ju Ae, during a high-profile military parade. (KRT via Reuters)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly indulges in popular European food and alcohol, favoring Parma ham and whiskey commonly found on grocery store shelves, according to a U.K. defense expert.
"Kim Jong Un is the 36th richest man in the world and in 2018 took delivery of two special Maybach Mercedes S600s, has 17 palaces and a private plane," defense expert and professor Anthony Glees told the Daily Star.
"And, according to his chef, he is an inveterate boozer, drinks Black Label Scotch whisky and Hennessy brandy, and a heavy smoker," Glees continued.
The professor added that Kim, 39, has reportedly earned a nickname that translates to "the fat one" in English.
KIM JONG UN BALLOONS PAST 300 POUNDS AMID REPORTS OF PILL 'HOARDING,' HEAVY DRINKING
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (KCNA via Reuters/File)
"He is obviously grossly overweight. Indeed, a nickname for him is 'Pang,' ‘the fat one,’" Glees said.
NORTH KOREA HOLDS RALLY WITH PROMISE TO 'ANNIHILATE' US
Kim also allegedly indulges in expensive Yves Saint Laurent black "ciggies" and big portions of Parma ham, a type of prosciutto from Italy's Parma region.
Parma dry-cured ham (DeAgostini/Getty Images/File)
Glees' comments come after South Korea's intelligence service told reporters last month they believe Kim could be suffering from insomnia while abusing alcohol and tobacco, and they speculate he weighs roughly 300 pounds. Intelligence service leaders added that they believe he is "hoarding" insomnia medications such as zolpidem.
News of possible health issues for the North Korean dictator have been floated before, including speculation that his health was suffering after he skipped a series of important events earlier this year.
NORTH KOREA CLAIMS 800,000 JOIN ARMY IN SINGLE DAY TO FIGHT US
South Korea's intelligence service believes Kim could be suffering from insomnia while abusing alcohol and tobacco. (Getty Images/File)
Glees slammed Kim as "murderous" and "not just bonkers" amid his remarks to the Daily Star.
"He had his security minister executed by flamethrowers after an unsuccessful rocket launch, we believe, and in 2016, two officials in the ministry of education were executed by anti-aircraft missiles for dozing off in a meeting," Glees said.
"He ordered his henchmen to smear the blood of executed officials on his uncle who was said to have passed out with shock before himself being executed."
foxnews.com · by Emma Colton | Fox News
4. Rumors of repatriations cause stress among China’s N. Korean defector community
When the regime opens the border and allows people to cross from China we can expect about the 2000 Koreans from the north that are currently imprisoned in China to be forcibly returned. We can expect them to meet a terrible fate.
Rumors of repatriations cause stress among China’s N. Korean defector community
The majority of North Korean defectors in China are in the country illegally, so rumors of repatriations cause stress and fear
2023.07.07 10:00am
dailynk.com
Tensions are running high among North Korean defectors in China as rumors of repatriations spread through the China-North Korea border region, Daily NK has learned.
“There have been rumors going around again among defectors in China that the authorities will start repatriating them to North Korea, so people are afraid and on edge,” a source in China told Daily NK on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
According to the source, rumors are spreading that the Chinese authorities intend to repatriate both defectors living in China and those currently detained in Chinese prisons. While the authorities will send back defectors in batches, detained defectors are likely to be sent back first. The police will then begin mounting raids to arrest and repatriate other defectors living in China.
The source explained that some defectors with strong Chinese language skills are considering fleeing to places where they can lay low and conceal their defector identities for the time being.
“Even if you speak Chinese well and can hide the fact that you’re a defector for a little while, there’s no way to keep it a secret in the long run. Still, right now many defectors feel that they don’t have any other choice, so they are planning to leave [and go somewhere where people don’t know they are North Korean].”
In fact, members of a message chat room created by a group of recent defectors are frequently leaving the group without warning, which shows the sense of the fear gripping the community, the source said.
Many defectors under a great deal of stress due to rumors
Chinese police are also fining Chinese men for illegally living with female North Korean defectors, which has only heightened fears among the defector community. Many say that they have been under immense stress and cannot sleep for fear they might suddenly be arrested.
One defector living in China told Daily NK that “I try to reassure myself that the rumors are simply rumors, but I am only getting more anxious and my heart keeps pounding so much that I can’t sleep at night. Just that one word – repatriation – is so awful that just hearing it makes my whole body shake and my hair stand up on end.”
Another defector shared a similar story. “I was sent to prison once after trying to escape to South Korea, so now if someone comes into my house without knocking, I immediately hide myself without even trying to see who it is. Now that these terrifying rumors of surprise arrests and repatriations are going around, I can never relax and I don’t know what to do.”
The majority of North Korean defectors in China are in the country illegally, so rumors of repatriations cause stress and fear.
“Defectors are already living uncertain lives as it is, so when these terrifying rumors circulate constantly, it makes them even more uneasy. It makes you wish that South Korea would just send a plane here to pick up all the defectors and take them away,” the source told Daily NK.
Translated by Rose Adams. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
5. North Korea calls on international community to stop Japan’s release of treated Fukushima wastewater
North Korea calls on international community to stop Japan’s release of treated Fukushima wastewater
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/09/world/north-korea-japan-fukushima-nuclear-wastewater-intl-hnk/
By Jake Kwon and Heather Chen, CNN
Published 2:22 AM EDT, Sun July 9, 2023
CNN —
North Korea has called upon the international community to stop Japan from releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.
“The just international community must not sit and watch the evil, anti-humanitarian and belligerent action by the corrupt force that is trying to disrupt humanity’s home of the blue planet – and must unite to thoroughly stop and destroy them,” the country’s Land and Environment Protection Department said.
Its statement, reported by state media outlet KCNA on Sunday, comes after the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week that Tokyo’s plan was safe and in line with international standards for environmental safety.
Japan plans to release the wastewater sometime this summer.
Pyongyang’s statement is the latest in a series of concerns voiced by neighboring countries like South Korea, China and the Pacific Islands – all of which have raised fears about potential harm to the environment and public health.
Chinese custom authorities on Friday announced that a ban on food imports from 10 Japanese prefectures including Fukushima would remain in place and that it would strengthen inspections to monitor for “radioactive substances, to ensure the safety of Japanese food imports to China.”
The UN’s approval has done little to reassure fishermen and residents still affected by the 2011 disaster.
Speaking to CNN in a recent interview in Tokyo, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said he had met with Japanese fishing groups and local mayors and acknowledged their fears.
“My disposition … is one of listening, and explaining in a way that addresses all these concerns they have,” he said. “When one visits Fukushima, it is quite impressive, I will even say ominous, to look at all these tanks, more than a million tons of water that contains radionuclides – imagining that this is going to be discharged into the ocean. So all sorts of fears kick in, and one has to take them seriously, to address and to explain.”
The IAEA has said that there was no better option to deal with the massive buildup of wastewater collected since the disaster.
Fukushima's fishing industry survived a nuclear disaster. 12 years on, it fears Tokyo's next move may finish it off
“We have been looking at this basic policy for more than two years. We have been assessing it against … the most stringent standards that exist,” Grossi said. “And we are quite certain of what we are saying, and the scheme we have proposed.”
The 2011 disaster caused the plant’s reactor cores to overheat and contaminate water within the facility with highly radioactive material.
Since then, new water has been pumped in to cool fuel debris in the reactors. Ground and rainwater have also leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater now measuring 1.32 million metric tons – enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Overview of the Fukushima nuclear plant.
‘Necessary move’
Japanese authorities have maintained that the release is necessary as space runs out to contain the contaminated material – and the move would allow the full decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear plant.
International scientists have expressed concern to CNN, saying that there is insufficient evidence of long-term safety and arguing that the release could cause tritium – a radioactive hydrogen isotope that cannot be removed from the wastewater – to gradually build up in marine ecosystems and food chains, a process called bioaccumulation.
6. Yoon to embark on six-day trip to Lithuania, Poland
Yoon to embark on six-day trip to Lithuania, Poland | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · July 10, 2023
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol was set to depart for Lithuania on Monday for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit on a six-day trip that will take him to Poland for an official visit.
This will be Yoon's second time attending a NATO summit after the previous one held in Spain last year, demonstrating his commitment to building solidarity with like-minded nations to promote values, such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law.
The NATO gathering will be held in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing together leaders from the 31 member states and partner nations, such as South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Topics of discussion will include the war in Ukraine, cooperation between the military alliance and the Indo-Pacific region, and emerging security threats, according to the presidential office.
Yoon will hold at least 10 bilateral summits on the sidelines, including with the leaders of Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, Lithuania, Sweden, Slovakia, Estonia, Finland and Hungary. He will also meet with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) shakes hands with North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg prior to their talks at the IFEMA Convention Center in Madrid, in this file photo taken June 30, 2022. Yoon discussed South Korea's plans to enter into a new partnership agreement with the organization and open a mission to NATO in Belgium. (Yonhap)
A highlight will likely be Yoon's meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which will come in the wake of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's conclusion that the planned release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea meets international safety standards.
The report triggered a heated response in South Korea, with protesters opposing the discharge blocking the entryway of the Seoul airport through which International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi was due to arrive last Friday.
The presidential office has said Yoon will deliver the government's position to Kishida if the issue of the water discharge comes up during their meeting.
"If the Japanese side mentions it, (Yoon) will say what's necessary in keeping with the principle that we will place top priority on our people's health," a presidential official told reporters last week.
Yoon's attendance at the NATO summit will help strengthen cooperation with the alliance against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, and send a united message that North Korea's illegal acts will not be tolerated, according to Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo.
Moreover, South Korea and NATO will adopt documents for bilateral cooperation across 11 sectors, including nonproliferation, cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
"We will share ways South Korea plans to contribute to peace in Ukraine, which is one of the most important issues in the international community, and realize in detail our global responsible diplomacy," Kim said during a press briefing last week.
"It will be an opportunity to expand the horizon of our diplomacy with Europe through direct exchanges with more leaders as we share the values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, and further deepen cooperation with NATO states and partners," he said.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands during a summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in this May 21, 2023, file photo. (Yonhap)
From Vilnius, Yoon will travel to Warsaw late Wednesday for a three-day official visit that will include a summit with President Andrzej Duda on ways to further develop the bilateral strategic partnership established between the sides in 2013.
He will hold separate meetings with the prime minister and with speakers of the lower and upper houses of parliament, and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Talks will focus on expanding ties not only in trade and investment but also in strategic sectors, such as arms, nuclear power and infrastructure.
Yoon also plans to meet with officials from South Korean businesses operating in Poland, who are seeking to participate in reconstruction projects in post-war Ukraine, to discuss ways the government can support them.
An 89-person business delegation will accompany Yoon on the trip, representing companies in rechargeable batteries, arms and nuclear energy, as well as construction companies interested in participating in reconstruction projects in Ukraine.
This will be Yoon's first bilateral visit to a European nation since taking office. He will also be the first South Korean president to pay an official visit to Warsaw since Lee Myung-bak in 2009.
Kim, the deputy national security adviser, said this week's trip is expected to achieve three results: strengthening international security cooperation, expanding supply chain cooperation and promoting South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southeastern city of Busan.
On speculation Yoon could visit Ukraine during the trip and meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a presidential official told reporters there are no such plans.
Yoon will return home Saturday. First lady Kim Keon Hee will accompany him on the trip.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda as they meet on the sidelines of a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at the IFEMA Convention Center in Madrid, in this file photo taken June 29, 2022. (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · July 10, 2023
7. Top security officials fretted about nuclear war early in Trump administration, according to ‘Anonymous’ op-ed author
Excerpts:
“In the national security world, anything having to do with nuclear weapons is handled with extreme sensitivity — well planned, carefully scripted — yet we didn’t know what Trump might say at any given moment,” writes Taylor, who was intelligence and counter-threats counselor to the secretary of homeland security at the time. “One day, he threatened North Korea ‘with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before.’ He almost seemed to welcome a nuclear conflict, which terrified us.”
Taylor said then-Defense Secretary James Mattis cornered him one day after a Situation Room meeting.
“‘You all need to prepare like we’re going to war,’ he warned. Mattis was serious. DHS should assume the homeland was in mortal danger.”
Top security officials fretted about nuclear war early in Trump administration, according to ‘Anonymous’ op-ed author
By BETSY WOODRUFF SWAN
07/10/2023 04:30 AM EDT
Politico
U.S. leaders met to prepare for a potential nuclear strike by North Korea amid Trump’s fiery rhetoric, Miles Taylor writes in a forthcoming book.
As President in 2017, Donald Trump responded to North Korean missile tests with increasingly bellicose rhetoric. | Steven Senne/AP Photo
07/10/2023 04:30 AM EDT
Less than a year into Donald Trump’s presidency, top homeland security officials were so alarmed about escalating tensions with North Korea that they held multiple meetings to prepare for a nuclear attack on American soil, according to a forthcoming book by Miles Taylor, who was a top official in the department at the time.
In an excerpt of the book Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump that was shared with POLITICO, Taylor describes acute concerns in the Trump administration in 2017 after North Korean missile tests — including one while then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Trump responded to the missile tests with increasingly bellicose rhetoric.
“In the national security world, anything having to do with nuclear weapons is handled with extreme sensitivity — well planned, carefully scripted — yet we didn’t know what Trump might say at any given moment,” writes Taylor, who was intelligence and counter-threats counselor to the secretary of homeland security at the time. “One day, he threatened North Korea ‘with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before.’ He almost seemed to welcome a nuclear conflict, which terrified us.”
Taylor said then-Defense Secretary James Mattis cornered him one day after a Situation Room meeting.
“‘You all need to prepare like we’re going to war,’ he warned. Mattis was serious. DHS should assume the homeland was in mortal danger.”
The Department of Homeland Security took a step it had never taken before, according to Taylor, who is best known for writing an anonymous op-ed in The New York Times in 2018 describing a “quiet resistance” in the Trump administration “of people choosing to put country first.”
“We convened every top leader in DHS to discuss the brewing crisis,” he writes in the new book, which is set for release on July 18. “Experts walked through various scenarios of a nuclear strike on the U.S. homeland, dusted off response plans, and outlined best-case scenarios which nevertheless sounded horrifically grim. I cannot provide the details, but I walked out of those meetings genuinely worried about the safety of the country. In my view, the department was unprepared for the type of nuclear conflict Trump might foment.”
Chris Krebs, a top DHS official at the time, confirmed that in 2017, department officials looked at how they would respond to a nuclear strike on the United States.
“There was certainly a sense that there was a non-zero chance and therefore we should take the appropriate and reasonable steps of assessing readiness for such an attack,” Krebs told POLITICO.
On Nov. 28 that year, North Korea tested a missile that could have reached the continental United States. The test spurred fear throughout the U.S. government, including at DHS. Then-acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke monitored it from a secure conference room, Taylor added, and he spoke with her after the test. She told him the president had called her in the wake of the launch. But it wasn’t to talk about North Korea. Rather, he wanted to talk about DHS’s upcoming decision on whether to extend temporary legal protections for Hondurans who came to the United States.
“Although a nuclear-capable missile had just ripped through the skies, the president’s mind was on the border,” Taylor’s book says. “He wanted DHS to ‘deport them all,’ Elaine recounted.” Duke, however, decided to extend those legal protections.
DHS’s scramble to prepare for a nuclear strike was a first, according to Taylor.
“This is the first time to my knowledge that DHS thought there was the possibility, however remote, of Trump actually starting a war and us having to prepare for the nuclear fallout in the homeland,” he told POLITICO in an interview.
In his 2018 New York Times op-ed, Taylor called Trump’s leadership style “impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective.” In 2019, he wrote a book anonymously exploring the theme. And in 2020, he endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and revealed himself as the anonymous author.
POLITICO
Politico
8. Ukrainian media expert calls for vigilance against wartime propaganda (Korea)
Excerpts:
"We published thousands of articles on our website debunking lies and fake news. This is not about bad journalism, not about mistakes ― Russia uses intentional disinformation, propaganda and media as an extension of its own foreign policy."
He explained how Russia uses various approaches for different media platforms to justify the invasion of Ukraine to nations like Korea, Latin America, African countries and the U.S.
"They use it to influence the countries. They use it to brainwash the people," he said. "In that propaganda effort, not only news is used but also soap operas, entertainment, movies and even children's cartoons. They target different segments of the audiences with different sets of messages to change the way how people think. Because we didn't pay attention, we allowed Russian TV broadcast media and social media platforms in Ukraine. They use such media outlets to disseminate disinformation, fake news and propaganda."
Deynychenko also explained how Russian media uses so-called "experts" as tools of disinformation and propaganda. He cited the case of one such expert who claimed to be an American geopolitical analyst but was exposed as an insurance coordinator for a car insurance company.
Ukrainian media expert calls for vigilance against wartime propaganda
The Korea Times · July 9, 2023
Ruslan Deynychenko, co-founder of StopFake, gives a talk to journalists at the Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul, June 30. / Courtesy of Bereket AlemayehuBy Bereket Alemayehu
A Ukrainian media expert urged Korean journalists to be vigilant against fake news in combating harmful disinformation by Russian propagandists looking to justify the war in Ukraine.
Ruslan Deynychenko, co-founder of the Ukrainian media project StopFake, told a group of gathered journalists about how he co-founded StopFake, a Ukrainian website revealing false information in pro-Kremlin media. Run for almost 10 years as a project of the nongovernmental organization Media Reforms Center, StopFake fact-checks, debunks, edits, translates, researches and disseminates information.
"Right now, because of the ongoing war, because of the Russia invasion of our country Ukraine, I have to tell you that it's very dangerous in there now," he said during the talk on June 30 hosted by the Ukraine Embassy in Seoul. "Every night we rush to the shelters when we hear alerts, we hear rocket explosions and bombing. Those past six months were very critical in my own life because of the war," he said.
In 2014, Deynychenko co-founded StopFake, a Ukrainian website revealing false information in pro-Kremlin media. Run as a project of the nongovernmental organization Media Reforms Center, StopFake fact-checks, debunks, edits, translates, researches and disseminates information.
StopFake was created in 2014 as a result of an online conversation between faculty and alumni of the journalism school at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Alarmed by Russian disinformation and propaganda, they decided to establish a fact-checking website. The next day they started their mission, and they've been at it ever since.
"There is a lot of disinformation about Ukraine in Russia. Initially, in the beginning, we didn't pay attention. We thought it was bad journalism ― they made mistakes but they never corrected these mistakes. So, we decided to do something. We needed to resist such disinformation and defend our people, our citizens from this harmful influence," Deynychenko said.
"We published thousands of articles on our website debunking lies and fake news. This is not about bad journalism, not about mistakes ― Russia uses intentional disinformation, propaganda and media as an extension of its own foreign policy."
He explained how Russia uses various approaches for different media platforms to justify the invasion of Ukraine to nations like Korea, Latin America, African countries and the U.S.
"They use it to influence the countries. They use it to brainwash the people," he said. "In that propaganda effort, not only news is used but also soap operas, entertainment, movies and even children's cartoons. They target different segments of the audiences with different sets of messages to change the way how people think. Because we didn't pay attention, we allowed Russian TV broadcast media and social media platforms in Ukraine. They use such media outlets to disseminate disinformation, fake news and propaganda."
Deynychenko also explained how Russian media uses so-called "experts" as tools of disinformation and propaganda. He cited the case of one such expert who claimed to be an American geopolitical analyst but was exposed as an insurance coordinator for a car insurance company.
Ruslan Deynychenko, co-founder of StopFake, poses with Ukrainian Ambassador to Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko at the embassy in Seoul, June 30. / Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
Before the war, StopFake translated and published articles and other content in eight languages, and produced three TV shows and a radio show weekly in Ukrainian, Russian and English. It also published a textbook on Media literacy for university students. Now, StopFake publishes in 14 languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English, Spanish, Serbian, Turkish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Czech, German, Polish and Bulgarian.
When asked whether Ukrainian media has ever been caught using similar disinformation techniques, he answered that they monitor Ukraine media also.
"When such incidents happen, we ask for a correction and usually they apologize and correct the mistakes or they explain the situation for their audience. In the case of Russian media, they don't do the same. We have in our database 100,000 examples of disinformation and fake news, none of them corrected."
Ukrainian Ambassador to Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko welcomed the journalists who attended the talk, saying that journalists are important players in finding the truth by themselves during such times like Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Deynychenko was in Korea to give a speech at the 10th Global Fact-Checking Summit (GlobalFact 10), which was hosted by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) from June 28 to 30 at southern Seoul's COEX.
Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also a co-founder for a social initiative called Hanokers and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency. Visit photopatternist.com for more information.
The Korea Times · July 9, 2023
9. U.S. general reaffirms 'upcoming' visit of nuclear ballistic missile submarine to S. Korea
This is the new normal.
Strategic reassurance and strategic resolve.
(LEAD) U.S. general reaffirms 'upcoming' visit of nuclear ballistic missile submarine to S. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · July 10, 2023
(ATTN: ADDS former USFK commander's remarks in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- A senior U.S. military official in Seoul on Monday reaffirmed Washington's commitment to enhancing the "regular visibility" of powerful military assets in South Korea, pointing to the "upcoming visit" of a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine.
Brig. Gen. John Weidner, chief of staff at the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), made the remarks as the allies are striving to improve the credibility of America's "extended deterrence" commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally amid growing North Korean threats.
"The U.S. will enhance regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula as evidenced by the upcoming visit of a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine to the ROK," Weidner said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
The general spoke at a forum on the 70th anniversary of the Seoul-Washington alliance and growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats, which was hosted by South Korea's defense ministry and the National Assembly's committee on national defense.
Weidner did not elaborate on exactly when the submarine would visit Korea and whether it would be armed with nuclear weapons.
The U.S.' pledge to improve the regular visibility of such formidable weapons in Korea was included in the Washington Declaration adopted during the White House summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in April.
The declaration also entailed the allies' agreement to create the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) to discuss nuclear and strategic planning issues.
Weidner said he will represent the USFK at the NCG talks.
"I expect those discussions to establish a framework for new, bilateral, interagency table-top simulations to strengthen our joint planning approach," he said.
Touching on the allies' plan to hold the annual summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise next month, he said that the participation in the training is "invaluable to informing our alliance's approach to conflict against a nuclear-armed adversary."
In a written congratulatory speech, Seoul's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said that following the adoption of the Washington Declaration, the bilateral alliance has been elevated to a "nuclear-based" one.
"The leap in the alliance's development did not transpire in a short moment. It is a result of the South and the U.S working together over the last seven decades," he said.
Also at the forum was Joy M. Sakurai, charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, who also reaffirmed America's "enduring and unwavering" security commitment to South Korea.
"The U.S. uses all of what we call our instruments of power to address the complexity of security and peace on the peninsula," she said. "This means we leverage our powers of diplomacy, defense and economic security, along with other efforts alongside Korea and our other allies, to maintain peace in the region."
She also pointed to the earlier visits of U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and the deployment of strategic bombers as a "show of force" from the U.S.
In a video speech for the forum, retired Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, a former USFK commander, warned that North Korea's coercive actions are likely to become increasingly risky as its nuclear and missile arsenal grows.
"I believe that the alliance should take a steady, strategic and long-term approach to the North Korean challenge, continue to strengthen the alliance deterrence and defense using all our combined national powers and resist the urge to respond to each North Korean coercive action," he said.
South Korean and U.S. officials from the government, military and parliament, as well as from academia, pose for a photo at a forum hosted by Seoul's defense ministry and the National Assembly's defense committee in Seoul on July 10, 2023. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · July 10, 2023
10. N. Korea's food crisis is still grave despite imports from China: unification minister
This bears watching. UNlike the 1990s when the rise of the markets provide a relief mechanism or safety valve for the Korean people in the north and have been the foundation of the resilience of the Korean people, Kim Jong Un's efforts to curb market activity through the "COVID paradox" amy cause even greater suffering than during the famine and arduous march of 1994-1996.
(LEAD) N. Korea's food crisis is still grave despite imports from China: unification minister | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 10, 2023
(ATTN: CHANGES photo)
ANSEONG, South Korea, July 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's food prices have stabilized to some degree, aided by grain imports from China, but the secretive regime still faces a serious food crisis, South Korea's unification minister said Monday.
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se told a press briefing that deaths from starvation have occurred in some areas in North Korea, and the scope of such regions appears to have further expanded amid disruptions in the state-controlled food supply.
"North Korea's food crisis stabilized a little bit after the North Korean leadership made efforts for food imports from China. But the country's food situation is still very difficult," Kwon said.
The minister made the assessment in a meeting with the press at Hanawon, a resettlement education center for North Korean defectors, in Anseong, 64 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se speaks at a press conference on July 10, 2023 at Hanawon, a resettlement education center for defectors, in Anseong, southeast of Seoul, on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the opening of the facility. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
"Imports of rice and grain from China have helped stabilize the North's food prices, which have shot up (due to a supply crunch). But the North's food situation is still grave," he added.
The South Korean government has said the North's food situation appears to have deteriorated amid deepening economic hardships caused by border lockdowns to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and global sanctions on its nuclear and missile programs.
Touching on the health conditions of the North's leader Kim Jong-un, Kwon said Kim appears to have no problem carrying out his official work despite some health issues.
"Kim's family has a history of having some circulatory problems, and he weighs about 140 kilograms with a height of 170 centimeters. Kim is a heavy smoker and drinks alcohol a lot," Kwon said.
"In this situation, Kim's health does not appear good, but it is viewed as not serious enough to pose some problems for him to work," he added.
South Korea's intelligence agency earlier said Kim seems to be experiencing significant sleep disorders, leaving open the possibility for the North's leader to fall into a vicious circle of depending more on alcohol and nicotine, and suffer worsening insomnia.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 10, 2023
11. How homeless children survive on North Korea’s freezing streets
Tragedy and resilience.
Excerpts:
Forced to fend for himself, he became one of the “kkotjebi” or flowering swallows – the poetic name given to North Korea’s homeless, most of whom are children who have been abandoned by their parents, or elderly people cast out by families no longer able to care for them.
Reports smuggled out by activist networks suggest North Korea’s homeless population is growing, with food once again in desperately short supply.
Mr Kim, who escaped from the country in 2006 and is now an associate at the George W Bush Institute think tank in Dallas, knows exactly what they are going through.
...
He said: “I didn’t survive because I was better at begging or stealing than the other boys; I survived because of the knowledge that I had been loved by my parents and my sister. That kept me going.”
How homeless children survive on North Korea’s freezing streets
Joseph Kim was forced to fend for himself from the age of 12 after his sister had been sold as a bride to a Chinese man
By
Julian Ryall
TOKYO
8 July 2023 • 5:10pm
The Telegraph · by Julian Ryall
Joseph Kim was 12 when his father died of starvation during the devastating famine that swept North Korea in the early 1990s.
“Then, one day, my sister and my mother disappeared,” he said.
Some time later he learned that his mother had crossed the border into China and, in desperation, sold his sister as a bride to a Chinese man. But she was caught as she attempted to return to North Korea and sent to prison, leaving Mr Kim alone on the streets of Undok, a town close to the Chinese border in North Korea’s far north-east.
Forced to fend for himself, he became one of the “kkotjebi” or flowering swallows – the poetic name given to North Korea’s homeless, most of whom are children who have been abandoned by their parents, or elderly people cast out by families no longer able to care for them.
Reports smuggled out by activist networks suggest North Korea’s homeless population is growing, with food once again in desperately short supply.
Mr Kim, who escaped from the country in 2006 and is now an associate at the George W Bush Institute think tank in Dallas, knows exactly what they are going through.
Struggling to survive
After his immediate family abandoned him, he was taken in by aunts and uncles but it was made clear that he was a burden on families who were already struggling to survive.
“I thought it was better if I was on the street, even if that meant that I was not guaranteed three meals a day”, he said. “I wanted freedom and I knew that I was unwanted.”
Mr Kim survived on his wits, begging from farmers or in markets or train stations. Grandmothers could often be relied on for their generosity, he said, along with – surprisingly – soldiers. Mr Kim says he suspects they took pity on him as they were also young and away from their families.
When begging failed, he stole. Markets and stations offered the richest pickings for a pickpocket, although there was always a possibility he could be caught.
In the early hours of one morning, he was stealing a metal grating from a street in Undok to sell for scrap when he saw a group of teenagers watching him.
Stealing coal from houses
“I knew I had to make a choice of running or staying”, he said. “If I ran, they would catch me and there were three of them, so they would be able to take everything I had with me. But I had nothing, so I stayed.”
One of the boys asked if he had a lighter and, in the light of the moon, he recognised a childhood friend. Mr Kim was welcomed into the gang and, on the first night, they broke into a house to steal coal.
Over the following months, they eked out an existence by breaking into homes and taking any food or items that they could sell. During the winter months – the average temperature in Undok is minus 11C in January – they took over abandoned buildings.
That first gang did not last long as three boys were caught and Mr Kim never saw them again, but he forged similar alliances with other homeless children.
Mr Kim survived on the streets for three years before making his escape after resolving to go in search of his sister.
Asked if he has been able to discover anything about her, Mr Kim’s reply was short: “Nothing.”
He said: “I didn’t survive because I was better at begging or stealing than the other boys; I survived because of the knowledge that I had been loved by my parents and my sister. That kept me going.”
The Telegraph · by Julian Ryall
12. Amid declining number of NK defectors, Hanawon turns to vocational training
Declining numbers:
The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea has experienced a significant decline, with figures dropping from 1,047 in 2019 to 229 in 2020, according to data provided by Seoul's Unification Ministry. This downward trend has continued, with only 63 defectors in 2021 and 67 in 2022. As of March this year, a mere 34 North Korean defectors had successfully made it to South Korea.
We should keep in mind that a good number of escapees/refugees (defectors) will be the bridge between north and South during the unification process.
Amid declining number of NK defectors, Hanawon turns to vocational training
No. of defectors declines from 1,047 in 2019 to 67 in 2022, following prolonged COVID-19 border closure
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · July 10, 2023
North Korean defectors take a baking course at the vocational training center located inside Hanawon located in the city of Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. (Photo - Joint Press Corps)
ANSEONG, Gyeonggi Province – Hanawon has proactively expanded its primary role by offering a diverse array of vocational training programs in order to empower North Korean defectors and equip them with the skills necessary to pursue in-demand careers as baristas, estheticians, manicurists and pet groomers.
Before embarking on their journey of assimilation in South Korea, a destination once distant but deeply yearned for, every North Korean defector must pass through a crucial checkpoint: the Hanawon resettlement center.
Having resided on the other side of the inter-Korean border within a system fundamentally different from that of South Korea, North Korean defectors find Hanawon to be a transformative hub. Here, they acquire vital knowledge and skills necessary for integration into South Korean society over the period of three months, paving the way for a new chapter filled with hope and opportunities.
But Hanawon, formally known as the Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees, has intensified its efforts to redefine its main purpose. The response comes as the Kim Jong-un regime's prolonged border closure amid the COVID-19 pandemic has made it increasingly difficult for North Koreans to flee.
The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea has experienced a significant decline, with figures dropping from 1,047 in 2019 to 229 in 2020, according to data provided by Seoul's Unification Ministry. This downward trend has continued, with only 63 defectors in 2021 and 67 in 2022. As of March this year, a mere 34 North Korean defectors had successfully made it to South Korea.
North Korean defectors learn nail art at the vocational center of Hanawon in Anseong, south of Seoul, on Monday, on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the resettlement center for North Korean defectors. (Pool photo)
The Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees chief Seo Jung-bae said on Monday that the center has made efforts to reallocate its remaining resources to offer a comprehensive array of on-the-job training courses for North Korean defectors residing in South Korea.
At Hanawon, North Korean defectors have the opportunity to undergo a two-month vocational training program with the ultimate objective of obtaining a national certificate.
The vocational training encompasses a wide range of professional courses designed to enhance their skill sets and enhance their employment opportunities.
These comprehensive courses at Hanawon cover a diverse range of fields, including Korean, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, hair styling, nail art, makeup application, skin care, tourism management, hotel housekeeping, baking and barista skills.
In addition, Hanawon provides training in industrial sewing, clothing alteration and repair and professional laundry services, as well as basic electronic technology and electronics manufacturing.
North Korean defectors receive computer education at Hanawon in Anseong, south of Seoul, on Monday, on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the resettlement center for North Korean defectors. (Pool photo)
Around 250 North Korean defectors have participated in the training program as of Monday dating to June 2020, when a four-story vocational training center was built inside Hanawon. Currently, around 20 defectors are undergoing training at the center. The pass rate for the state-run tests conducted after the training program stands at around 93 percent.
"We are also revising the occupational categories to better align with the strengths and abilities of North Korean defectors in our society. We have already introduced job training courses that allow them to utilize their strengths effectively," Seo told local and foreign media outlets during a news conference at Hanawon on Monday, in what was the first such event since 2016.
"Considering the changing market trends and potential opportunities, we've broadened the range of training courses available in the second half of this year. This includes expanding into areas such as construction and carpentry, pet grooming, rice cake production and wallpaper installation."
Kwon Young-se, South Korea’s outgoing Unification Minister, emphasized the significance of offering vocational training in response to the evolving job market and shifting economic landscape.
"Certain occupations that North Korean defectors were previously engaged in may no longer be viable in South Korea, while new occupations are emerging that require specific skills training. We are committed to continuously developing and enhancing our programs to address any challenges and meet changing demands."
Kwon emphasized that the ministry will continue developing programs for North Korean defectors to receive the necessary skills and training to succeed in the dynamic and evolving economic environment of South Korea.
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se answers reporters' questions during a visit to Hanawon in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the resettlement center for North Korean defectors. (Pool photo)
"Hanawon is an institution that guides us in exploring our interests and finding ways to make a living based on our choices. It goes beyond determining whether the education provided by Hanawon is helpful or not," according to an anonymous defector who recently entered Hanawon for resettlement education, during an interview with reporters at the facility.
This defector, in her 30s, left North Korea in 2014 and arrived in South Korea this year after residing in China.
"I didn't know what kinds of options I had in my hands. But the institution now offers an opportunity to consider and explore different possibilities," she added.
In a rare move, South Korea's Unification Ministry permitted local and foreign media outlets to interview three North Korean defectors who recently arrived in South Korea at Hanawon.
During their interviews, they shared that they had to flee North Korea in order to survive.
"From the age of 10, there was no food distribution, and my mother's business also deteriorated. To make matters worse, the security forces confiscated the little rice we had," another anonymous defector in her 30s, who escaped from North Korea in 2004, said.
"During that period, I suffered from severe malnutrition, and I believed that I would die if I continued in that state. When I learned that my sisters were going to China, I made the decision to follow them. I crossed the Tumen River, recognizing it as my only chance for survival."
All three fled to China, but the harsh reality of staying in China without identification became even more difficult due to COVID-19. They were not able to receive medical care or move within China as restrictions intensified.
"I was an illegal resident, and my salary was only half of what Chinese workers were earning. I felt that it was extremely unfair to be underpaid and felt sorry for myself being confined to home (of my employer)," said another defector who left North Korea in 2019. "I longed to live confidently as a human being in a place where human rights are guaranteed, and where I have my own identification."
But the three are hopeful about the next chapter of their lives in South Korea despite the challenges they have faced.
"Previously, I couldn't even imagine doing the things I now have the chance to do. I have great hopes for succeeding in them," the first unnamed defector said. "As I live in Korea, I now worry about how I can earn a substantial income and contribute through taxes as a way of paying back their help."
By Ji Da-gyum (dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)
koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · July 10, 2023
13. N. Korea again orders Chinese mobile phone users to turn themselves in
Another indication of how afraid Kim Jong Un is of the Korean people in the north and information.
N. Korea again orders Chinese mobile phone users to turn themselves in
People "are critical of the government calling Chinese cell phone users traitors without putting out policies to alleviate people’s hardships," a source claimed
By Lee Chae Un - 2023.07.10 4:00pm
dailynk.com
FILE PHOTO: In this photograph taken in February 2019, North Korean border guards can be seen at a checkpoint on the banks of the Yalu River in North Pyongan Province. (Daily NK)
The Ministry of State Security (MSS) is once again pressuring illegal cellphone users in the China-North Korea border region to turn themselves in, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Thursday that the Hyesan branch of the MSS has recently been conducting meetings regarding the issue at the neighborhood watch unit level. The meetings are disseminating orders for people to “turn themselves in if they have owned or ever used a Chinese cell phone.”
Security officials at the meetings claim that “the state has already pointed out the persistent issue of people secretly owning and using Chinese cell phones, but there are still human scum that use Chinese cell phones to communicate with the outside. They become blinded by the little bit of money the enemy tosses their way and do traitorous things like divulge information to the enemy. In doing so, they unwittingly set out on the road to betray our socialist motherland.
“Even so, if they return to the straight and narrow, confess their crimes, and turn themselves in to the relevant security official or institution, then [the government] will grant them amnesty regardless of the nature of their crimes. But, for those who do not comply and continue to use illegal cell phones, they will miss out on the chance to redeem themselves and will end up crying bloody tears of regret.”
The threats also included a warning that “if you are caught, not only will you suffer, but your family as well,” the source said.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea has shut its borders and conducted brutal, widespread campaigns to eliminate foreign cell phones as a channel for information to enter the closed-off country.
Yet people living in the China-North Korea border region continue to use foreign cell phones to communicate with the outside world, prompting the authorities to once again issue grave warnings.
However, people who attended the recent MSS meetings showed a cold response to what was said, according to Daily NK’s source.
“People say that if no one was using Chinese cell phones during the pandemic, then North Korea would be in even worse shape than it already is. People aren’t convinced by these constant calls to turn themselves in, and they’re critical of the government calling Chinese cell phone users traitors without putting out policies to alleviate people’s hardships.
“Until the government solves the food shortage, this carrot-and-stick cycle of pleading with and then threatening people won’t be effective. Until then, they can hold a hundred lectures and meetings about whatever they like and every time they will be met with criticism from the people.”
Translated by Rose Adams. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
14. N. Korea awards high achievers in nuclear weapons production
Excerpts:
The regime’s move to hand out commendations to nuclear facility personnel appears aimed at showing the workers that their activities are crucial and tied to the nation’s security. At the same time, the authorities appear to be trying to improve morale among the military munitions workforce to encourage good results in the second half of the year.
Following the Munitions Industry Department’s enlarged plenary session in late June, high-ranking cadres visited uranium enrichment facilities, including Yongbyon, to hand out the appreciation letters and award distinguished service commendations. One individual even received a Hero of Labor award, the source said.
“Thanks to the high marks they received from the Central Committee for the first half of the year’s results and an order from the Munitions Industry Department, personnel at nuclear warhead production bases took a three-day break from Saturday, the day of the commendation ceremony. They received a wide-range of provisions, too, so it really felt like it was a holiday.”
N. Korea awards high achievers in nuclear weapons production
The authorities appear to be trying to improve morale among relevant personnel so they can achieve good results in the second half of the year
dailynk.com
The nuclear facility in Yongbyon County, South Pyongan Province. (Yonhap)
The Central Committee’s Munitions Industry Department recently commended personnel at several uranium enrichment facilities for achieving good results in their activities during the first half of the year, Daily NK has learned.
“The Munitions Industry Department held an enlarged plenary session in late June to review the results of the Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee,” a Daily NK source in North Korea said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The department decided to award appreciation letters to personnel who received outstanding reviews for research and production of nuclear warheads in the first half of the year. The awards were given at commendation ceremonies, which were held on Saturday.”
The commendation ceremonies were held simultaneously at the Yonbyon nuclear complex and three or four other uranium enrichment facilities, according to the source.
The source told Daily NK that the Central Committee — after receiving the Munitions Industry Department’s report on the general results of its implementation of uranium enrichment plans during the Eighth Plenary Meeting — praised “the majority of uranium enrichment facilities for achieving their goals for the first half of the year in line with the party’s decision to exponentially increase the nation’s arsenal of nuclear warheads.”
The Central Committee ordered that individuals who helped to expand the country’s arsenal of nuclear warheads receive the highest of rewards, even as it strongly rebuked officials involved in the recent failed launch of a military reconnaissance satellite.
During the Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee in December, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un elucidated his “epochal strategy of the development of nuclear force and national defence for 2023,” saying: “Now that the south Korean puppet forces who designated the DPRK as their ‘principal enemy’ and openly trumpet about ‘preparations for war’ have assumed our undoubted enemy, it highlights the importance and necessity of a mass-producing of tactical nuclear weapons and calls for an exponential increase of the country’s nuclear arsenal.”
One individual receives Hero of Labor award
The regime’s move to hand out commendations to nuclear facility personnel appears aimed at showing the workers that their activities are crucial and tied to the nation’s security. At the same time, the authorities appear to be trying to improve morale among the military munitions workforce to encourage good results in the second half of the year.
Following the Munitions Industry Department’s enlarged plenary session in late June, high-ranking cadres visited uranium enrichment facilities, including Yongbyon, to hand out the appreciation letters and award distinguished service commendations. One individual even received a Hero of Labor award, the source said.
“Thanks to the high marks they received from the Central Committee for the first half of the year’s results and an order from the Munitions Industry Department, personnel at nuclear warhead production bases took a three-day break from Saturday, the day of the commendation ceremony. They received a wide-range of provisions, too, so it really felt like it was a holiday.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
15. S. Pyongan Province calls on farmers to maintain high spirits until fall harvest
I am reminded of the old joke, "the beatings will continue until morale improves."
Unfortunately this is not joike in north Korea.
S. Pyongan Province calls on farmers to maintain high spirits until fall harvest
The province also called on officials to head to the fields to ascertain conditions and resolve urgent agricultural issues
dailynk.com
In this photo published by state media on Mar. 14, North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun can be seen inspecting a farm field in South Hwanghae Province. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
South Pyongan Province’s party committee recently convened a plenary meeting that called on farmers to keep up their spirits even after the end of the planting season and devote themselves to their work, a source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
At the meeting, which was held to review decisions made the Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee, South Pyongan Province’s party committee told workers in the agricultural sector to move forward “from the position of taking charge of this year’s farming to the very end.”
The party committee called on the province’s committee for rural finances, city and county rural management committees and farm managers to focus on farming until the autumn harvest, saying that it was “too early to breathe a sigh of relief just because the planting season has ended.”
In particular, the provincial party committee said: “It’s the goal of the provincial party committee that South Pyongan Province become self-sufficient this year, while also ensuring that South Pyongan Province beats South Hwanghae Province in contributing patriotic rice to the state and in filling the nation’s rice pots.”
In fact, the provincial party committee issued a written decision calling for South Pyongan Province “to play a decisive role in this year’s farming and protect the Workers’ Party with rice.”
Officials ordered to the fields to resolve urgent issues
The committee also called on officials with provincial, city and county agricultural guidance agencies to head to the fields to ascertain conditions and carefully and methodically resolve problems, saying they must “increase the number of Three Revolutions Movement farms and farms that receive the title of model farms.”
The committee instructed officials to quickly ascertain realities on the ground, saying it was important for them to confirm for themselves the state of their manure, water and soil management, as well as how well they are prepared against catastrophic weather.
In response to the orders, officials from provincial, city and county agricultural guidance agencies immediately rushed to the fields after the plenary meeting to closely observe farming conditions and solve urgent problems.
Above all, they are looking around fields that are geographically prone to damage from monsoon rains and working with local officials to study measures to prevent damage to crops, the source said.
“Farms are struggling to feed high-level officials on inspections. Despite facing difficult conditions themselves, farmers are having to slaughter a pig or goat to feed the officials.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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