Quotes of the Day:

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." 

– Mahatma Gandhi

"Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong. All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them. The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, in this field as in all others. His culture is based on 'I am not too sure.' " 

– H.L. Mencken

"I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man." 

– George Washington

1. US formalizes talks to modernize alliance with South Korea

2. North Korean Dissidents Display Art at VOC Museum

3. South Korea must rethink its one-sided courtship of North Korea

4. South Korea Jockeys for a Deal With Trump at Least as Good as Japan’s

5. South Korean trade negotiators meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick

6. Arizona woman imprisoned for $17M North Korean remote workers scheme

7. U.S. takes flurry of steps to disrupt N. Korea's illicit revenue generation

8. 2 Chinese men indicted for allegedly filming U.S. aircraft carrier at naval base in S. Korea

9. S. Korea, U.S. to continue trade talks before Aug. 1 deadline: presidential office

10. 2 soldiers get 30 days’ leave for intercepting North Korean man inside DMZ

11. New agreement allows South Korean firm to repair US Army Chinooks

12. North Korea jams GPS signals near maritime border, leading ROK to warn ships

13. How North Korea hijacked America’s national pastime to take a swing at the US

14. New unification minister prioritizes resuming dialogue with N. Korea as he takes office

15. Vice FM Kim discusses alliance, economic ties with senior U.S. diplomat

16. New defense minister vows to rebuild military as 1st civilian chief

17. National security adviser fails to meet Rubio during 'final critical stages' of tariff talks

18. North Korean youth risk arrest for speaking like South Koreans

1. US formalizes talks to modernize alliance with South Korea

I sure wish I could be part of a working group on this. I have a few ideas. But I do not think Bridge would have me nor like my ideas.

But I would start with making the working group answer these five 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?

Then I would ask the question of how do we optimize our combined force posture and strategy to support being "a global comprehensive strategic alliance?"

Excerpt:

At the center of this rethinking is Elbridge Colby, regarded as the principal architect of the Trump-era defense posture. Now serving as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Colby is leading a comprehensive reassessment of U.S. force deployment globally. His forthcoming iteration of the National Defense Strategy is expected to further institutionalize a doctrine of allied burden-sharing and assertive regional balancing—principles that could soon reshape the U.S.–ROK alliance for a more uncertain Indo-Pacific era.

US formalizes talks to modernize alliance with South Korea

Washington confirms consultations with Seoul on future of bilateral security posture

https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/07/25/W3IOSYKIZBAMFDQGZ2U75522AU/

By Kim Eun-joong (Washington),

Roh suk-jo,

Park Su-hyeon

Published 2025.07.25. 15:53

On July 24, the U.S. Department of State signaled a formal shift in the trajectory of the U.S.–South Korea alliance. “The Alliance, which we have maintained and developed for over 70 years, must adapt to a changing regional security environment,” it declared, adding, “The two sides decided to initiate consultations based on a shared understanding of the future direction of the Alliance, including strengthening its capabilities and posture amid an evolving regional security environment.”

The remarks, delivered in a statement to The Chosun Ilbo and attributed to a State Department spokesperson, marked the first official confirmation that the two governments have begun discussions on what the Trump administration has termed “alliance modernization”—a reconfiguration of the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty to bring it into closer alignment with Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

This emerging dialogue reflects Washington’s growing insistence that its allies assume greater responsibility for regional security. According to The Chosun Ilbo, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau urged Seoul during a vice foreign ministers’ meeting in Tokyo on July 18 to embrace a “future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance.” Kevin Kim, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, reportedly echoed that message during working-level consultations in Seoul earlier this month.

U.S. President Donald Trump visits the Federal Reserve, on July 24, 2025, in Washington./AP-Yonhap

At the heart of this shift is a reinterpretation of the treaty’s foundational language. The agreement affirms a commitment to “collective defense in the Pacific area,” and Article III stipulates that an armed attack “in the Pacific” is to be treated as a mutual threat requiring coordinated action. U.S. officials increasingly appear to be signaling that in the event of a Taiwan contingency—or a broader U.S.–China confrontation—Seoul must be prepared to play a more active and defined role.

Bruce made this expectation explicit: “Through these consultations, both sides are acknowledging this reality, as well as the need to maintain extended deterrence and increase ROK defense burden sharing, with the aim of rebalancing roles and responsibilities between U.S. and Korean forces on the Peninsula.” She added, “We welcome and fully support the ROK’s key role in maintaining security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, which presents additional opportunities for collaboration.”

The statement encapsulates the Trump administration’s broader strategic objective: to enlist allies into a more assertive regional posture vis-à-vis China. This recalibration—financial, military, and structural—is not only about deterring Beijing but also about distributing security burdens that Washington has historically borne alone.

In March, the Pentagon’s Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance identified “deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan” as its principal priority. The full National Defense Strategy (NDS) and accompanying Global Posture Review (GPR), expected as early as August, are likely to codify a reorientation of U.S. forces to reflect that objective. As part of this realignment, the United States is pressing regional allies—including South Korea, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines—not only to increase defense spending but also to commit more explicitly to supporting the U.S. position in a potential crisis with China.

Yet despite its enduring role as a linchpin of U.S. security architecture in Northeast Asia, South Korea remains largely outside of newer regional security configurations. Unlike Japan and Australia, Seoul has not joined minilateral initiatives such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) or AUKUS, and remains tethered primarily to the trilateral framework with Washington and Tokyo. That absence has led some in Washington to view Seoul as a potential weak link in the Indo-Pacific’s emerging lattice of security partnerships.

This perception has spurred calls across the U.S. political establishment for a reconceptualization of the Indo-Pacific theater—one that integrates the Korean Peninsula into a broader arc of contested maritime zones, including the East and South China Seas. Japan has already endorsed this “one theater” approach, proposing it to U.S. counterparts, while the Philippines has responded with increased diplomatic and military alignment.

At the center of this rethinking is Elbridge Colby, regarded as the principal architect of the Trump-era defense posture. Now serving as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Colby is leading a comprehensive reassessment of U.S. force deployment globally. His forthcoming iteration of the National Defense Strategy is expected to further institutionalize a doctrine of allied burden-sharing and assertive regional balancing—principles that could soon reshape the U.S.–ROK alliance for a more uncertain Indo-Pacific era.

2. North Korean Dissidents Display Art at VOC Museum

An informative and sobering event to hear the testimony of the north Korean diaspora and to see the displays and consider the scourge of communion throughout history and to wonder why communist regimes continue to exist today.

Photos at the link: https://victimsofcommunism.org/north-korean-dissidents-display-art-at-voc-museum/

North Korean Dissidents Display Art at VOC Museum 

victimsofcommunism.org · July 17, 2025

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation hosted the Global Peace Foundation and the North Korea Young Leaders Assembly for a special forum highlighting the voices of North Korean escapees.

The program featured panel discussions with young defectors, many of whom are Fulbright scholars, sharing their personal journeys and perspectives on freedom and resilience. Distinguished speakers included leaders from the Global Peace Foundation, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, and the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy. The event also featured video messages from U.S. policymakers, a recap of NKYLA 2024, and a powerful photo exhibition.

victimsofcommunism.org · July 17, 2025

3. South Korea must rethink its one-sided courtship of North Korea

One of the most naive (and dangerous) strategic assumptions is that making concessions to north Korea (or appeasement) will result in a change of behavior by the Kim family regime.

Excerpts:

All of this raises a difficult, but essential, question: Is South Korea pursuing reconciliation or merely indulging in an unrequited romance?

With the simultaneous suspension of long-standing radio and TV broadcasts, public skepticism about the administration's true intentions is growing. This does not mean the public opposes peace. On the contrary, most South Koreans understand the need for engagement.

But many are now asking whether the government is moving too fast, offering too much and asking too little in return. A policy of "watching and waiting" for Pyongyang's response before taking the next step may be wiser than a flurry of unilateral gestures.

Peace on the Korean Peninsula must be built on mutual trust and reciprocity -- not on blind, one-sided affection. It's time to reexamine this approach before goodwill turns into strategic naïveté.

World News July 25, 2025 / 6:05 AM

South Korea must rethink its one-sided courtship of North Korea

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/07/25/korea-perspective-south-korea-north-korea-reconciliation/3351753392017/

By Nohsok Choi

One of President Lee Jae Myung's earliest moves since taking office was to halt loudspeaker broadcasts at the DMZ. File photo by Jin-hee Park/EPA

July 25 (UPI) -- Earlier this month, South Korea's National Intelligence Service quietly and abruptly suspended its decades-long radio and television broadcasts targeting North Korea.

The decision -- made just 10 days after the inauguration of NIS Director Lee Jong-seok --marks a significant and sudden break from a 50-year tradition of information outreach to the North. When questioned by the press, the agency simply responded, "We cannot confirm."

Though the suspension is being presented as a gesture of goodwill aimed at reviving inter-Korean dialogue, the Lee Jae Myung administration's increasingly unilateral and unquestioning approach to North Korea deserves serious scrutiny.

NIS broadcasting to the North dates to 1973, when it formally took over operations from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The radio programs -- such as Voice of the People and Echo of Hope -- have long served as a vital source of uncensored information for North Korean listeners.

In the 1980s, the South also began television transmissions, adapted to North Korea's PAL system. Many defectors have testified that these broadcasts were their first exposure to the realities of life in the South.

It is no surprise, then, that 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring outlet, described the suspension as a "major victory" for Pyongyang in its battle against outside information.

These broadcasts continued for decades across all administrations -- liberal and conservative alike -- regardless of the state of inter-Korean relations. Even the progressive governments of Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Moon Jae-in never halted them.

Like the West German broadcasts that relentlessly reached across the Berlin Wall during the Cold War, South Korea's airwaves played a quiet, but strategic, role in informing and inspiring hope in the North. That this effort was shut down without a single explanation or public discussion is as shocking as it is unprecedented. "Unconditional," even "blind," affection for North Korea is not an unfair characterization.

President Lee Jae Myung did pledge to pursue inter-Korean reconciliation during his campaign. Since taking office, he has acted swiftly to make good on that promise. One of his earliest moves was to halt loudspeaker broadcasts at the DMZ. In response, Pyongyang immediately turned off its own propaganda speakers the following day. Though the move was unilateral, North Korea's mirrored response sparked cautious optimism.

On July 8, South Korean civic groups -- most notably the Korean War Abductees' Family Union -- also announced a voluntary suspension of leaflet launches across the border, which North Korea has long condemned. This, too, was not a spontaneous civilian decision. It was facilitated through active persuasion by the Unification Minister nominee, vice ministers and several lawmakers.

The initiative was undertaken without prior consultation with the North, yet it succeeded in calming a volatile issue. North Korea had previously retaliated by sending balloons filled with garbage and equipped with GPS trackers into the South. Many residents of border towns welcomed the decision as a measure to ease their suffering.

But recent steps have raised the stakes. On July 9 -- just one day after the leaflet suspension -- South Korean authorities repatriated six North Korean fishermen rescued from coastal waters in the East and West Seas. After repairing one of the wooden boats in which they had arrived, the navy and coast guard escorted the men to the Northern Limit Line, where a North Korean patrol vessel and a presumed tugboat were waiting.

Earlier, South Korean military and maritime authorities rescued four North Korean individuals aboard a drifting vessel in the East Sea on May 27, and two more from a separate boat in the West Sea on March 7.

The wooden boat used in the July 9 repatriation was the same vessel rescued from the East Sea. The boat from the West Sea, however, was deemed beyond repair and ultimately abandoned. Demonstrating an unusual level of dedication, the Lee Jae Myung government undertook repairs of the damaged North Korean vessel to ensure the safe return of its passengers.

The July 9 repatriation marked 43 days since the East Sea group was rescued and 124 days since the West Sea group's rescue. The government stated that all six expressed a clear desire to return home, and that Pyongyang's persistent silence had delayed the process. Eventually, Seoul issued a final notification via the United Nations Command, complete with coordinates for the handover point.

Still, this was a highly sensitive move. North Korean defector repatriations carry heavy political and ethical risks, especially when the individual's intent is unclear.

The 2019 case of two North Korean sailors -- who were forcibly returned via Panmunjom despite reportedly expressing a desire to defect -- ignited international outcry and legal consequences. It took until February 2025 for a South Korean court to issue suspended sentences against officials involved in the incident, which became a national controversy over human rights.

In this latest case, the government has emphasized that the fishermen's return was voluntary. But the lack of North Korean cooperation and the unilateral nature of the move mean that the possibility of another human rights controversy cannot be ruled out. Despite that risk, the administration went forward -- using even the United Nations Command as a channel -- without receiving any reciprocal response or goodwill gesture from Pyongyang.

All of this raises a difficult, but essential, question: Is South Korea pursuing reconciliation or merely indulging in an unrequited romance?

With the simultaneous suspension of long-standing radio and TV broadcasts, public skepticism about the administration's true intentions is growing. This does not mean the public opposes peace. On the contrary, most South Koreans understand the need for engagement.

But many are now asking whether the government is moving too fast, offering too much and asking too little in return. A policy of "watching and waiting" for Pyongyang's response before taking the next step may be wiser than a flurry of unilateral gestures.

Peace on the Korean Peninsula must be built on mutual trust and reciprocity -- not on blind, one-sided affection. It's time to reexamine this approach before goodwill turns into strategic naïveté.

Read More

• Seoul confirms plans to repatriate 6 North Koreans rescued at sea
• South Korea intercepts boat carrying suspected North Korean defectors

4. South Korea Jockeys for a Deal With Trump at Least as Good as Japan’s

South Korea Jockeys for a Deal With Trump at Least as Good as Japan’s

The agreement that Japan secured has added pressure on South Korea to defuse the threat of high tariffs on its exports to the United States.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/business/south-korea-trump-tariffs.htmlz

Containers at a port in Busan, South Korea, in July.Credit...Seung-il Ryu/NurPhoto, via Getty Images

By Lydia DePillis and Ashley Ahn

Lydia DePillis reported from Seoul, and Ashley Ahn from New York.

July 24, 2025

Updated 2:48 p.m. ET

President Trump’s trade agreement with Japan, announced this week, has intensified pressure on South Korea to cut a deal that doesn’t leave it at a disadvantage relative to its biggest rival in East Asia.

Kim Jung-Kwan, South Korea’s industry minister, who arrived in Washington on Wednesday for negotiations, pledged an “all-out effort” to strike a deal by the Aug. 1 deadline to stave off a 25 percent tariff that the White House threatened in April and again this month.

Moving forward, Mr. Kim said, he was taking a close look at the terms that Tokyo accepted. Mr. Trump agreed to a tariff rate of 15 percent. Japan vowed to buy more American cars and rice, as well as make more than $550 billion in investments at Mr. Trump’s direction.

The South Korean delegation will need to wait longer for clarity. A meeting planned for Friday with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, was canceled because of Mr. Bessent’s schedule and had yet to be rescheduled.

South Korea and Japan have similar powerhouse industries and trade relationships with the United States, and some of the sticking points are the same, including agriculture and automobiles.

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

South Korea has limited negotiating levers, because it already committed to drop most of its tariffs to zero in a 2007 trade agreement. Mr. Trump signed a minor revision to that pact in 2018, lifting caps on how many American cars could be exported to South Korea. Nevertheless, the American trade deficit with South Korea has increased every year since then, reaching $66 billion in 2024.

That’s why the heat is still on, despite what South Korea has seen as a productive trade relationship.

“Reciprocity was measured in terms of outcomes and results, not terms and conditions,” said Michael Beeman, a former U.S. trade official for East Asia, on a podcast last week.

Although South Korea is the United States’ largest buyer of beef, the cattle industry has demanded that the country lift its import restrictions of beef over 30 months old, which South Korea has banned since 2008 over concerns that it may introduce mad cow disease. Farming is politically sensitive in the East Asian nation, where rural areas depend on the sale of crops and livestock, especially a native breed of cattle known as hanwoo.

Image

Although South Korea is the United States’ largest buyer of beef, the cattle industry has demanded that the country lift its import restrictions of beef over 30 months old.Credit...Soo-Hyeon Kim/Reuters

“If tariffs on agricultural imports are eliminated, Korean agriculture is dead,” read signs held by members of the Korean Successor Advanced Farmers Federation at a news conference in Seoul this month, threatening “massive farmer protests” if protections are weakened.

The South Korean government said on Wednesday that it had decided to draw a “red line” and remove the country’s beef and rice markets as a possible concession, Yonhap News reported.

Despite having very low import duties, South Korea does impose other barriers to foreign goods, such as stricter safety and sanitary standards. And in the negotiations, attention has focused on digital services: American tech companies have protested aggressive enforcement actions by South Korea’s competition regulator, as well as restrictions on foreign companies’ use of location data that have partly excluded services like Google Maps.

And then there is investment, which the Americans have sought in the hundreds of billions.

One item likely on the negotiating agenda is a $44 billion natural gas pipeline in Alaska that is at the center of Mr. Trump’s energy program. Mr. Trump said on Tuesday that Japan would form a joint venture with the United States in Alaska, likely a reference to the liquefied natural gas project, but the Japanese government has yet to confirm it.

Seoul’s public gas utility already has a long-term commitment to purchase L.N.G. in Louisiana. It has hesitated to commit to the Alaska project because of high costs, and because natural gas demand in South Korea is decreasing.

Nonetheless, South Korea has ramped up its investment in the United States significantly in recent years, including Hyundai’s $21 billion commitment to automotive manufacturing in March. Samsung, LG and SK have funneled billions into battery production for electric vehicles. Prospects for high returns dimmed after Republicans nixed consumer incentives for buying them.

That leaves less room for a large expansion of South Korean business in the United States. Japan promised to invest $550 billion, but the Korea Investment Corporation — the country’s sovereign wealth fund and a potential source of capital — has $206 billion under management.

South Korean officials have emphasized developing a more cooperative relationship, rather than one that is purely financial. For example, they hope that offering assistance in developing American manufacturing capacity in large ocean vessels and semiconductors — abbreviated “ships and chips” — will count.

Last weekend, Hyundai announced a deal with an American company to help build ships in Tampa, Fla.

“As a longstanding and trusted ally, Korea is uniquely positioned for President Trump’s vision of revitalizing U.S. manufacturing,” Sarah Ahn, economic minister with the country’s embassy in the United States, said on a panel last week. “With Korea’s industrial strength and resilient supply chains, such a partnership would effectively serve both to balance and expand our bilateral trade.”

Choe Sang-Hun contributed reporting from Seoul, and River Akira Davis from Tokyo.

Lydia DePillis reports on the American economy. She has been a journalist since 2009, and can be reached at lydia.depillis@nytimes.com.

Ashley Ahn covers breaking news for The Times from New York.

A version of this article appears in print on July 25, 2025, Section B, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: South Korea Is Jockeying for a Deal Like Japan’s. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

5. South Korean trade negotiators meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick

World News July 25, 2025 / 3:48 AM

South Korean trade negotiators meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/07/25/korea-South-Korea-trade-negotiators-Commerce-Secretary-Howard-Lutnick-trade-discussion-tariffs/2971753427349/

By Thomas Maresca

South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan (L), Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo (C) and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met in Washington for tariff negotiations, Seoul's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Friday. Photo courtesy of South Korea Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

SEOUL, July 25 (UPI) -- South Korea's top trade negotiators met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington, Seoul's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Friday, with both sides reaffirming their intention to reach a tariff agreement before an Aug. 1 deadline imposed by the Trump administration.

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with Lutnick on Thursday to discuss tariffs and ways to strengthen manufacturing cooperation between the two countries, the ministry said in a statement.

Kim proposed bilateral cooperation in strategic manufacturing sectors, including shipbuilding, semiconductors and batteries, the ministry said. He also stressed the need for tariff relief in individual sectors such as automobiles.

"We will do our utmost to ensure that our companies are not treated unfavorably compared to our competitors," Kim said.

Related

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• Trump sets 15% tariff on Japanese imports as part of investment agreement
• Trump announces tariffs deal with Philippines after White House meeting

The trade delegation will "use all its capabilities to reach the best possible result from the perspective of maximizing national interests by August 1," he added.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to reach a "mutually beneficial" trade deal before the deadline, the ministry said.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods from South Korea, which is set to take effect on Aug. 1.

Kim also met with Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday to discuss cooperation on clean energy and energy security. He invited Wright to attend the Energy Super Week to be held in Busan at the end of August, the ministry said.

Separately, Yeo held a video meeting with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday to highlight South Korean investments in the United States.

Kim is scheduled to meet with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum during this week's trip, while Yeo plans to hold meetings with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Seoul and Washington were scheduled to hold high-level "2+2" trade talks on Friday involving U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Greer and their Korean counterparts, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and Yeo.

However, the meeting was delayed at the last minute due to a scheduling conflict with Bessent, Seoul's Finance Ministry said on Thursday.

The delay has raised concerns about whether the export-dependent South Korea will be able to strike a tariff deal before the Aug. 1 deadline. Japan and the United States reached an agreement earlier this week to reduce tariffs on Japanese goods from 25% to 15%.

6. Arizona woman imprisoned for $17M North Korean remote workers scheme

U.S. News July 24, 2025 / 7:05 PM

Arizona woman imprisoned for $17M North Korean remote workers scheme

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/07/24/chapman-north-korea-remote-workers-fraud/7551753396658/

By Mike Heuer

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced an Arizona woman to 102 months in prison for operating a laptop farm that helped North Korean operatives fraudulently get remote work at U.S. companies. File Photo (2018) by Andrew Wong/UPI | License Photo

July 24 (UPI) -- Arizona resident Christina Chapman must serve 102 months in prison for her role in a $17 million scheme to help North Koreans obtain remote positions with U.S. tech firms.

U.S District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Randolph Moss on Thursday sentenced Chapman, 50, after she entered a guilty plea in February to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments on behalf of the government of North Korea.

Chapman participated in a "fraudulent scheme that assisted North Korean workers -- posing as U.S. citizens and residents -- in obtaining and working in remote [Internet technology] positions at more than 300 U.S.companies," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti announced in a news release.

"North Korea is not just a threat to the homeland from afar," Pirro said. "It is perpetrating fraud on American citizens, American companies and American banks."

She said it's important for U.S. corporations and businesses to verify the identities of remote workers to thwart such fraud.

"If this happened to these big banks, to these Fortune 500, brand-name, quintessential American companies, it can or is happening to your company," Pirro added.

In addition to the prison term, Moss also ordered Chapman to forfeit $284,555.92 that was intended for North Koreans and to pay a $176,850 fine.

She also must serve three years of supervised release after completing her prison term.

Chapman was part of what the Justice Department says is one of the largest North Korean IT worker fraud schemes.

It involved the theft of identities from 68 U.S. citizens and residents and affected 309 U.S. businesses and two international businesses.

Chapman is a U.S. citizen and participated in the scheme from October 2020 to October 2023 by using stolen and purchased identities of U.S. nationals to help North Korean operatives to obtain remote work as U.S. firms, including many Fortune 500 companies.

The DOJ says Chapman operated a "laptop farm" at her home, where she received and operated at least 90 laptops to fool U.S. employers into thinking the North Korean operatives were located in the United States.

She also shipped 49 laptops and other devices that U.S. employers provided and that she shipped overseas.

Chapman sent several to a city in China that is located along the border with North Korea.

The companies affected include a top-five television network, a Silicon Valley tech company, an aerospace manufacturer, a U.S. carmaker, a luxury retail store and a U.S. media and entertainment company.

The North Korean operatives also tried to gain remote employment with two U.S. government agencies.

Court documents indicate North Korea has deployed thousands of highly skilled IT workers around the world to use false, stolen or borrowed identities of people in the United States and elsewhere to obtain remote positions.

The scheme relies on the assistance of U.S. citizens and legal residents when tried in the United States and enables North Korea to defraud respective employers of millions of dollars, the DOJ says.

The illicit funds often are used to help fund North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

The Department of State in July sanctioned North Korean hacker Song Kum Hyok for similar alleged criminal activities

The DOJ in August also accused Matthew Isaac Knoot, 39, of Nashville, of allegedly operating a laptop farm to benefit North Korea's nuclear arms program.

Read More

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• Russia warns against targeting North Korea
• Feds uncover remote tech workers scheme to benefit North Korea

7. U.S. takes flurry of steps to disrupt N. Korea's illicit revenue generation

Good. But we need more than a flurry. We need a blizzard.

We really need an aggressive and strong strategic strangulation campaign to cut off Kim Jong Un from his illicit revenue generation. Unfortunately, Russia is now likely providing more funding than the regime makes from its illicit activities. So we need to do something about that.

(2nd LD) U.S. takes flurry of steps to disrupt N. Korea's illicit revenue generation | Yonhap News Agency

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

(ATTN: UPDATES with State Department's comments in paras 14-17)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, July 24 (Yonhap) -- The United States announced a package of actions Thursday to disrupt North Korea's illicit schemes to generate revenue for its nuclear and missile programs, including offering rewards for North Koreans involved in the schemes, and sanctioning a North Korean firm and associated people.

The move came although U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled his openness to reengaging with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, raising speculation that he could seek to resume his personal diplomacy, which led to three in-person meetings between him and Kim during his first term.

The Trump administration described the move as a "whole-of-government" effort that involved an array of organizations, including the Department of State, Justice and the Treasury.

The State Department said its Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is offering rewards totaling up to US$15 million for information leading to arrests or convictions of seven North Koreans -- Sim Hyon-sop and six co-conspirators.

Sim and the others were charged for their role in illicit activities to buy and sell tobacco from North Korea to gain access to U.S. dollars, according to the department.

The reward offers include an increase of up to $7 million for Sim, up to $3 million each for Myong Chol-min and Kim Se-un, and up to $500,000 each for Kim Yong-bok, Kim Chol-min, Ri Tong-min and Ri Won-ho.

Sim and some of his co-conspirators, including Kim Se-un, have also been involved in illicit information technology (IT) worker schemes. The North is thought to have sent thousands of IT workers abroad to orchestrate fraudulent IT work, often to Russia and China, the department said.

The department stressed that the North's revenue generation schemes, including cryptocurrency theft, trafficking in counterfeit goods, oil smuggling, and other transnational criminal activities, often target U.S. companies and U.S. citizens to raise funds for Pyongyang's weapons programs that threaten the U.S. homeland and stand in breach of U.N. and U.S. sanctions.

"Today's actions illustrate the U.S. government's commitment to mitigating such threats posed by North Korea to protect U.S. companies, the U.S. financial system, and American citizens," the department said. "The United States will not stand idly by while North Korea profits from criminal activity to fund its destabilizing actions."

The State Department in Washington (Yonhap)

In a coordinated move, the Treasury Department sanctioned the North's Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company and three associated individuals -- Kim Se-un, Jo Kyong-hun and Myong -- for their involvement in the evasion of U.S. and U.N. sanctions and efforts to generate revenue clandestinely for Pyongyang, including through IT worker schemes.

"The DPRK relies on front companies like Korea Sobaesku Trading Company and key facilitators to procure materials and generate revenue for the regime's illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs," Bradley Smith, the director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said.

"Our commitment is clear: Treasury, as part of a whole-of-government effort, will continue to hold accountable those who seek to infiltrate global supply chains and enable the sanctions evasion activities that further the Kim regime's destabilizing agenda."

Alongside the Treasury and State Departments, the Justice Department unsealed indictments against seven North Koreans for it called the criminal avoidance of sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act involving the illicit trafficking of counterfeit cigarettes.

Asked if Thursday's actions signaled that diplomacy with Pyongyang would be difficult for the time being, a State Department spokesperson pointed out the recalcitrant regime's advancing military threats to the U.S. and its allies, and reaffirmed the U.S.' commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of the North.

"North Korea continues to advance its destabilizing weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. These programs pose a threat to America, our allies, and partners, and undermine security in the region," the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency via email.

"We continue to consult closely with the Republic of Korea, Japan, and other allies and partners to deter North Korean aggression. Our commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan are ironclad," the official added, referring to South Korea by its official name.

The spokesperson also recalled attention to Trump's diplomacy with the North during his first term, saying it resulted in the first leader-level commitment from the North to denuclearize.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

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

8. 2 Chinese men indicted for allegedly filming U.S. aircraft carrier at naval base in S. Korea

We must not overlook Chinese subversion activities. in South Korea from espionage to political warfare to subvert the South and drive a wedge in the ROK/US alliance. Unrestricted warfare and the three warfares of psychological warfare, legal warfare, and media and public opinion warfare are being employed in the South. And South Korea is a battleground in strategic competition between the PRC and the US.

2 Chinese men indicted for allegedly filming U.S. aircraft carrier at naval base in S. Korea | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · July 25, 2025

BUSAN, July 25 (Yonhap) -- Two Chinese men have been indicted on charges of illegally filming a U.S. aircraft carrier and a South Korean naval base with a drone in the southeastern port city of Busan, legal sources said Friday.

The Busan District Prosecutors Office recently indicted the two Chinese nationals -- both students in their 30s and 40s enrolled at a university in Busan -- on charges of benefiting an enemy and undermining national military interests.

Under South Korean law, individuals convicted of such offenses may face imprisonment of at least three years up to life imprisonment.

The two are accused of flying a drone near the Korean Fleet Command in southern Busan nine times between March 2023 and June 2024. They allegedly used the drone to illegally record footage of the naval base as well as the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt while it was docked in Busan.

The two proceeded with the filming even on June 25, 2024, when former President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Theodore Roosevelt to inspect the vessel and meet with South Korean and U.S. service members, which heightened security.

Their illegal filming content totaled 11.9 gigabytes comprising 172 photos and 22 videos, with some of them distributed to TikTok and other Chinese social media.

Separately, another Chinese woman in her 30s is also under investigation by prosecutors after being referred on suspicion of violating the military base law, the sources added.

This undated EPA file photo shows the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt visiting a South Korean naval base in the southeastern city of Busan. (Yonhap)

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · July 25, 2025

9. S. Korea, U.S. to continue trade talks before Aug. 1 deadline: presidential office

S. Korea, U.S. to continue trade talks before Aug. 1 deadline: presidential office | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · July 25, 2025

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will continue negotiations to reach a tariff deal before the hefty reciprocal duties take effect on Aug. 1, with key issues, such as investment and agricultural market access, currently on the negotiating table, the presidential office said Friday.

Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, made the remarks as Seoul seeks to reduce the proposed 25 percent tariffs on Korean goods by reaching a comprehensive package covering industrial cooperation, investment, procurement and security cooperation.

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo held talks with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in Washington on Thursday, and are scheduled to continue negotiations with him and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Friday (local time), according to Kim.

Kim Yong-beom (L), the presidential chief of staff, and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac brief on a trade strategy meeting during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul on July 25, 2025. (Yonhap)

"Both sides reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in strategic sectors like shipbuilding and semiconductors and agreed to work out concrete measures," he said during a briefing. "They also reiterated their commitment to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement before Aug. 1."

Kim noted the Korean negotiation team "strongly urged" the U.S. side to ease sector-specific tariffs, particularly those on automobiles, while stressing the importance of bilateral manufacturing ties.

When asked whether beef and rice are among the items being discussed, Kim said, "Agricultural products are included on the list of negotiating items."

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said negotiations in the security sector are "relatively more stable" compared to other areas, expressing hope that progress in this field could have a "positive ripple effect" across the broader talks.

South Korea faces added pressure in the negotiations as Japan, one of its major export competitors, recently concluded a trade deal with Washington that lowered reciprocal tariffs to 15 percent in exchange for opening its markets to automobiles and agricultural products, along with a US$550 billion investment pledge.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · July 25, 2025

10. 2 soldiers get 30 days’ leave for intercepting North Korean man inside DMZ

2 soldiers get 30 days’ leave for intercepting North Korean man inside DMZ

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

Asia-Pacific

ByYoojin Lee and David Choi

Stars and Stripes •

South Korean soldiers stand guard at the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea, May 9, 2023. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)

Two of the 10 South Korean soldiers who helped secure a North Korean man inside the Demilitarized Zone earlier this month were granted 30 days of leave, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday.

All 10 troops will receive commendations for their actions on July 3, when a North Korean man crossed the midwestern section of the heavily fortified border dividing the Korean Peninsula, a Joint Chiefs spokeswoman said by phone Thursday.

The group included two conscripts, who received the additional leave, and eight officers and noncommissioned officers, she said.

South Korean forces deployed to interdict the man, who identified himself as a civilian, the South’s military said at the time. He was removed from the DMZ and remains under investigation.

Under South Korean law, all able-bodied adult males are required to serve in the military or in certain government agencies for at least 18 months. Conscripts are typically granted about 20 days of leave during their service but may earn additional time off for merit-based accomplishments.

In a similar case in 2017, two South Korean and four American soldiers received the U.S. Army Commendation Medal after rescuing a North Korean defector under gunfire.

South Korean officials customarily speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

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 Yoojin Lee and David Choi · July 24, 2025

11. New agreement allows South Korean firm to repair US Army Chinooks

Another example of South Korea as a partner in the arsenal of democracies.

New agreement allows South Korean firm to repair US Army Chinooks

Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · July 24, 2025

A CH-47 Chinook assigned to the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, takes flight in Paju, South Korea, March 19, 2025. (Jiwon Yun/U.S. Army)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The U.S. and South Korean militaries have agreed to allow a South Korean defense firm to service the T-55 engines on U.S. Army Chinook helicopters.

The allies agreed in principle to contract with a commercial firm to maintain, repair and overhaul the T-55s, according to a news release Tuesday from the South’s Ministry of National Defense.

The release does not identify the firm, but Hanwha, a major South Korean defense contractor, is the only company with the infrastructure and technical expertise to repair the T-55, a Hanwha spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday.

The firm has serviced more than 5,700 aircraft engines, including those found in the roughly 40 South Korean army Chinooks, the spokesman said.

Hanwha in April completed a seven-month overhaul of the dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra at a Geoje Island shipyard, the company said in March. The job involved more than 300 repairs, according to a Hanwha news release.

The Wally Schirra overhaul was the first contract under a five-year agreement allowing Hanwha to bid for Navy work.

The agreement on Chinook repairs will maintain U.S. combat readiness in an era of regional disputes and supply chain issues, according to the ministry release.

The maintenance, repair and overhaul, or MRO, pilot project is part of a DOD plan to solve the problem of sending U.S. military assets from the Indo-Pacific region to the continental United States for repair.

Allowing companies operating from five allied countries in the Indo-Pacific to service these U.S. assets would create a logistical network that cuts costs and time, according to a DOD news release July 18, 2024.

The fuselages of the U.S. and South Korean Chinooks differ, but the engines are identical, said the Hanwha spokesman.

“As Korea’s only dedicated aircraft engine company, we will leverage our 46 years of technical expertise not only to strengthen the [South Korea]-U.S. alliance but also to expand our presence in the global MRO market and secure future growth opportunities,” the spokesman said.

No further details, such as an estimated cost or timeline of the project, was available due to the agreement just being reached, the spokesman said. Some South Korean business officials customarily speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

U.S. military officials in March visited Hanwha’s aerospace plant in Changwon, roughly 180 miles southeast of Seoul, where they inspected the company’s capabilities and security protocols, senior manager Baek Il-seong told news reporters at the site April 24.

The company seeks to expand its services to the U.S. military by repairing the AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, both of which are employed by the South Korean army, Baek said at the time.

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 · July 24, 2025

12. North Korea jams GPS signals near maritime border, leading ROK to warn ships

Can there still be any doubt about north Korea's hostile policies?

North Korea jams GPS signals near maritime border, leading ROK to warn ships

Seoul’s science ministry confirms disruptions in Yellow Sea earlier this week due to jamming signals traced to DPRK

https://www.nknews.org/2025/07/north-korea-jams-gps-signals-near-maritime-border-leading-rok-to-warn-ships/

Jooheon Kim July 25, 2025

South Korean navy units training along the Northern Limit Line | Image: ROK navy (May 2017)

North Korea jammed GPS signals near the inter-Korean maritime border earlier this week, leading ROK authorities to issue a warning to civilian vessels.

The jamming took place just hours before the DPRK reportedly stopped its transmission of signals aimed at interfering with South Korean propaganda radio in response to Seoul’s suspension of the broadcasts.

A ROK science ministry spokesperson told NK News that the GPS jamming took place on Tuesday near the country’s westernmost Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea. 

“We can confirm that there was an attempt from the North,” the official said. “But it’s difficult to provide further technical details at this time.”

The spokesperson added that analysis of the signal frequencies indicated the jamming originated from the North, but they did not elaborate on who or what organization within the DPRK was responsible.

According to the vessel traffic service center responsible for the Gyeonggi Province and Incheon area, interference affecting GPS signals was first detected at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

A Korea Coast Guard official told NK News that ROK authorities issued a navigational safety broadcast shortly after at 8:37 a.m. via VHF Channel 71, which it described as part of routine vessel safety management procedures.

Along with the Korea Coast Guard, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the ROK navy are jointly responsible for monitoring civilian vessels sailing near the inter-Korean maritime border and continuously issuing broadcast warnings to prevent them from approaching restricted waters.

The news of the jamming comes as North Korea reportedly stopped transmitting signals targeting South Korean propaganda broadcasts on Tuesday night, following Seoul’s decision to halt its own transmissions. According to domestic media, a government official said 10 jamming frequencies had ceased, leaving only two or three still active as of 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

Despite this, Koo Jong-soo, a professor of military studies at Tongmyong University and former ROK navy officer, warned against letting down the military’s guard, noting how past GPS disruptions caused confusion for fishing and merchant vessels. 

“Has North Korea ever stopped these actions just because relations were improving? During periods of supposed peace, such as around the time of the Battle of Yeonpyeong, they still carried out provocations,” the expert said. 

North Korea has carried out GPS jamming on numerous occasions in recent years, including around Baengnyeong Island just before President Lee Jae-myung’s election. A police spokesperson on the island said similar disruptions last year were suspected to be the work of North Korea, citing previous cases reported by local media.

Earlier this year, the International Civil Aviation Organization adopted a decision to warn North Korea over its jamming of GPS signals near the border, after Seoul accused the DPRK of endangering more than 4,400 civilian aircraft.

Edited by Bryan Betts

13. How North Korea hijacked America’s national pastime to take a swing at the US

Can we exploit this?

Interesting use for propaganda.

Excerpts:

FUELING ANTI-U.S. PROPAGANDA

Despite baseball’s perception as a quintessentially American sport, North Korea has not been averse to portraying it in popular culture, even if state media often tries to downplay the sport’s U.S. influence by claiming it originated in the French game choule or the British rounders.

“Just because something is American, and even strongly so, doesn’t necessarily make it anathema in North Korea,” Banfill stated.

Rather than being threatened by the sport’s American ties, the DPRK has instead harnessed it in the past to take aim at its old enemy.

This was particularly evident in the early years of the DPRK-Cuba relationship, when Pyongyang was eager to highlight any successes its fellow socialist state achieved against their mutual foe.

For example, after Cuba defeated the U.S. in the Amateur World Series in 1969, North Korean media gleefully celebrated the victory over the “imperialists” and praised the Cuban players for “holding the banner of socialism high.”

“The Cuban players defeated the American bastards’ team by a score of 2 to 1, nicely breaking the noses of the American bastards,” the party-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported.

How North Korea hijacked America’s national pastime to take a swing at the US

Popular during Japanese rule, baseball fell out of favor in the DPRK but has occasionally served its propaganda goals

https://www.nknews.org/2025/07/how-north-korea-hijacked-americas-national-pastime-to-take-a-swing-at-the-us/

Shreyas Reddy July 25, 2025

Images: Uriminzokkiri, KCTV and Korea Stamp Corporation, edited by NK News

Baseball has long been considered America’s national pastime, so it came as a surprise when North Korea, a country with a sworn hatred of the U.S., welcomed the head of the sport’s global governing body to Pyongyang this week, even organizing a demonstration game of the simplified variant Baseball5 featuring five players per team.

The visit highlighted North Korea’s complicated history with baseball, a sport that was popular in the undivided Korea during the colonial era but then fell out of favor under the post-World War II regime.

However, over the years the state has occasionally revived its interest in baseball for both sporting reasons and propaganda, even hijacking the American game to take shots at the U.S. and promote socialist superiority.

Baseball has largely disappeared from North Korea in recent years as the regime turned its attention to other priorities, but the prospect of financial support, international success and even further opportunities to embarrass the U.S. could tempt Pyongyang into making a long overdue comeback to the sport.

KEEPING BASEBALL ALIVE

First introduced to Korea in the late 19th century, baseball grew in popularity during the colonial period as a sport enjoyed by Koreans, westerners and the ruling Japanese alike.

Pyongyang emerged as one of the main hubs for baseball in colonial Korea during this period, spurred by the rivalry between local powerhouses Pyongyang Industry and the Pyongyang Railroad Club.

A Korean baseball game in the early 20th century | Image: National Institute of Korean History

However, after the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945, baseball found itself out of favor under the USSR-backed interim North Korean government. 

The new regime replaced the Pyongyang Railroad Ballpark with buildings for the railway ministry, and the site now serves as the Pyongyang Railway Museum. Another baseball field on Pyongyang’s Moran Hill gave way to Moranbong Stadium, which later became Kim Il Sung Stadium.

“The athletic policy of the Soviets, and later the DPRK, was to massively popularize sport in order to raise the defence and productive capacity of the population. Baseball did not fit into this plan,” Yong Ja Hong, a doctoral candidate at the University of North Korean Studies, told NK News.

She explained that baseball requires a lot of land and specialized equipment and was primarily popular in major urban centers during the colonial era, making it a less attractive proposition to develop as a sport in the newly established country. 

Moreover, North Korea’s focus on sporting exchanges with other socialist countries — few of which played baseball — limited the prospects for international competition, Hong said.

According to James Banfill, a Society of American Baseball Research member who previously worked in North Korea, another factor would have been the association of baseball with Japanese rule and the U.S., both of which were at odds with the new government’s ideology.

However, despite the regime’s apparent efforts to sideline the sport, Banfill told NK News that many North Koreans would have retained a “cultural memory” of the sport, which would have increased thanks to the migration of thousands of or ethnic Koreans in Japan to the DPRK after 1959.

Another factor may have been Pyongyang’s proximity to Cuba, whose leader Fidel Castro was an avid baseball fan and former player, according to Japanese sources.

After a short-lived burst of engagement with the sport, baseball was sidelined again for many years. It later experienced a brief renaissance when Kim Jong Il began exerting more influence over sporting policy, with North Korea even participating in a few international baseball and softball competitions in the 1990s, before fading again.

Fidel Castro and Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang | Source: Uriminzokkiri (archived)

FUELING ANTI-U.S. PROPAGANDA

Despite baseball’s perception as a quintessentially American sport, North Korea has not been averse to portraying it in popular culture, even if state media often tries to downplay the sport’s U.S. influence by claiming it originated in the French game choule or the British rounders.

“Just because something is American, and even strongly so, doesn’t necessarily make it anathema in North Korea,” Banfill stated.

Rather than being threatened by the sport’s American ties, the DPRK has instead harnessed it in the past to take aim at its old enemy.

This was particularly evident in the early years of the DPRK-Cuba relationship, when Pyongyang was eager to highlight any successes its fellow socialist state achieved against their mutual foe.

For example, after Cuba defeated the U.S. in the Amateur World Series in 1969, North Korean media gleefully celebrated the victory over the “imperialists” and praised the Cuban players for “holding the banner of socialism high.”

“The Cuban players defeated the American bastards’ team by a score of 2 to 1, nicely breaking the noses of the American bastards,” the party-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported.

In the North Korean movie “Kwangju Appeals,” Korean baseball players take on a Japanese team. | Image: KCTV

Baseball’s propaganda value was not restricted to celebrating American comeuppances, as Pyongyang also often used it to target imperialist powers in general.

For example, the 1985 movie “Kwangju Appeals,” which was set in the colonial era, depicted Korean baseball players taking on Japanese opponents in a game that ultimately descended into an all-out brawl due to biased umpiring. 

Similarly, an episode of the popular North Korean cartoon “Clever Raccoon Dog” depicts a baseball team of small animals like the titular raccoon dog defeating a team of large animals like elephants and giraffes, symbolizing how small nations like North Korea and its international partners can overcome major powers like the U.S. and Japan.

The long-running North Korean cartoon “Clever Raccoon Dog” shows a small animals banding together to defeat a team of large animals in a baseball game. | Image: KCTV

According to Hong, North Korea has in the past relished its limited propaganda engagement with baseball as “an opportunity to show their superiority by beating ‘the imperialists’ at their own game.”

Banfill agreed that there would have been some official emphasis during the Cold War on highlighting socialist victories like Cuba’s 1969 success, but added that Pyongyang’s occasional focus on baseball and softball likely reflects its interest in international sports rather than political messaging aimed at the U.S. and its allies.

PROSPECTS FOR REVIVAL

Despite Pyongyang’s track record of co-opting baseball for anti-U.S. rhetoric, the sport has largely disappeared from North Korea over the past decade.

The world baseball federation chief’s visit and the establishment of a new domestic governing body has raised hopes for North Korea’s return to the sport, but Banfill believes the prospects remain slim.

“To borrow a baseball phrase, I think the prospects are beneath the Mendoza Line,” he said, referring to an informal benchmark for low batting averages.

While the renewed engagement could lead to updated facilities, Banfill said the sport’s space and equipment requirements — as well as the threat of citizens getting interested in South Korea’s popular professional baseball league — make widespread adoption unlikely in the near future.

However, he believes that baseball will make a long-term comeback, with authorities likely to prioritize women’s softball as an area where the country can find global success.

Hong agreed that Pyongyang may prioritize the sport if it has a strong chance of winning internationally but called this is a “pipe dream.”

Instead, she suggested authorities may be tempted to back the sport if they receive “significant financial support,” which plays a big role in the DPRK’s continued involvement in sports like ice hockey despite little success.

“The DPRK’s sport policy, like much of their other state policy, is very malleable and Machiavellian,” she said.

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari meeting North Korea’s deputy sports minister Pak Chon Jong in Pyongyang | Image: KCNA (July 20, 2025)

Edited by Bryan Betts

14. New unification minister prioritizes resuming dialogue with N. Korea as he takes office

One step forward, 10 steps back.

I am afraid this will backfire on the ROK.

(2nd LD) New unification minister prioritizes resuming dialogue with N. Korea as he takes office | Yonhap News Agency

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

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in 9th para)

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- New Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Friday emphasized the need to restore communication channels and resume dialogue with North Korea, calling them his top priorities as he took office.

"Restoring communication channels and resuming dialogue (between the two Koreas) are tasks I must pursue as soon as possible," Chung told reporters ahead of his inauguration ceremony as the first unification minister under President Lee Jae Myung.

The president approved his appointment as the country's top point man on North Korea earlier in the day.

"It has been six years since talks between South and North Korea were suspended, far too long a period," he said.

Chung also said renaming the ministry is not a priority, explaining that recovering its manpower, which was slashed under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, must come first.

Citing the need to increase the chances of dialogue with North Korea, he has repeatedly called for renaming the ministry, suggesting the Korean Peninsula ministry as one option.

"The past three years have marked the worst point in inter-Korean relations, during which both sides responded to each other with animosity and confrontation," he said in a subsequent inauguration speech.

The minister described the recent suspensions of mutual propaganda broadcasts by the two Koreas as the "first signal" of recovering inter-Korean trust, saying, "It's time for South and North Korea to start rebuilding the trust that has been dismantled, step by step."

"Let us put animosity and confrontation behind us and open an era of reconciliation and cooperation again," the minister said, expressing hope that the two Koreas will hold a joint event to mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of pre-division poet Kim So-wol's renowned poetry collection, "Azaleas."

Ahead of the inauguration ceremony, Chung also visited the truce village of Panmunjom near the inter-Korean border.

During the visit, Chung inspected the South's facilities at Panmunjom, a historic venue where some 370 rounds of inter-Korean talks have taken place since 1971.

Chung stressed that restoring now-suspended inter-Korean communication channels is an "urgent priority" in order to swiftly resume dialogue between the two Koreas.

"Under cooperation with relevant agencies, such as the U.N. Command, I will do my best to make Panmunjom into a space for connection and cooperation rather than one of separation and tension," he said.

Chung, a journalist-turned-lawmaker, previously served as unification minister in 2004-05 under former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young takes the oath of office during his inauguration ceremony at the government complex in central Seoul on July 25, 2025. (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

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

15. Vice FM Kim discusses alliance, economic ties with senior U.S. diplomat

Vice FM Kim discusses alliance, economic ties with senior U.S. diplomat | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · July 25, 2025

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina met with Michael Rigas, U.S. deputy secretary of state for management and resources, on Friday and discussed ways to boost the alliance and economic partnership, the foreign ministry said.

Kim's meeting with Rigas came as the senior U.S. diplomat was visiting South Korea as part of his two-nation swing that will also take him to the Philippines later this week.

Kim expressed her hope to advance the bilateral alliance not only in terms of security but also across various fields, such as the economy and advanced technologies, through active exchanges between the two countries.

Rigas reaffirmed the U.S.' ironclad commitment to the bilateral alliance and highlighted the importance of continued close cooperation to further develop bilateral ties.

They also agreed to enhance communication between the ministry and the department to ensure the ongoing tariff negotiations will reach a "successful conclusion."

Rigas is the official in charge of organization operations and personal matters at the U.S. State Department, including overseas missions. His trip came amid lingering speculation that the department could close a consulate in South Korea's southern port city of Busan as part of its reform efforts.

At their meeting, Kim requested the U.S. side's "attention and support" to ensure that changes in the U.S. immigration policy "do not inadvertently cause harm or unjustly infringe upon the rights of Korean nationals," the ministry said.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina (R) poses with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas ahead of their meeting at the foreign ministry in Seoul on July 25, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · July 25, 2025

16. New defense minister vows to rebuild military as 1st civilian chief

Echoes of bringing back the warrior ethos, restoring deterrence, and focusing on lethality?

My snarky comment aside, there are some important points here (though I would have left off domestic).

I think we should focus on a "global comprehensive strategic alliance."

Excerpts:

"We need to restore our military's pride and thoroughly push for a defense reform that can respond to domestic and external threats ... this is where the mission of a civilian defense minister lies," Ahn said in his inaugural address.

...

He called on the military to strictly adhere to political neutrality and focus on its duty of protecting the people from external threats, mentioning North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats, and growing uncertainties in the global security situation.

As part of such efforts, the new minister vowed to strengthen a defense cooperation network based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which he called a "linchpin" of the country's security.

"I will continuously expand cooperation so the South Korea-U.S. alliance, as a 'global comprehensive strategic alliance,' will develop in a direction that corresponds with national interest," he said.

At the same time, Ahn vowed to militarily support efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, pledging to leave doors open for dialogue while strengthening deterrence.

(LEAD) New defense minister vows to rebuild military as 1st civilian chief | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · July 25, 2025

(ATTN: ADDS details on meeting of key commanders in last 2 paras)

By Lee Minji and Kim Hyun-soo

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- New Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back pledged Friday to rebuild the military into one trusted by the people following last year's botched martial law bid, as he formally took office as the country's first civilian defense chief in 64 years.

Ahn made the remark after President Lee Jae Myung approved his appointment earlier in the day, filling the ministerial post that had been vacant since former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun stepped down over allegations he played a key role in the short-lived martial law imposition on Dec. 3.

"We need to restore our military's pride and thoroughly push for a defense reform that can respond to domestic and external threats ... this is where the mission of a civilian defense minister lies," Ahn said in his inaugural address.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back delivers a speech during his inauguration ceremony held at the defense ministry in Seoul on July 25, 2025, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

He called on the military to strictly adhere to political neutrality and focus on its duty of protecting the people from external threats, mentioning North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats, and growing uncertainties in the global security situation.

As part of such efforts, the new minister vowed to strengthen a defense cooperation network based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which he called a "linchpin" of the country's security.

"I will continuously expand cooperation so the South Korea-U.S. alliance, as a 'global comprehensive strategic alliance,' will develop in a direction that corresponds with national interest," he said.

At the same time, Ahn vowed to militarily support efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, pledging to leave doors open for dialogue while strengthening deterrence.

Following his inauguration, Ahn presided over a meeting of key commanders, where he inspected the military situation and called for a firm and watertight readiness posture against any threat.

Attending the meeting held at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) were senior officials of the defense ministry, the JCS and armed services, including JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (R) attends his inauguration ceremony held at the defense ministry in Seoul on July 25, 2025, in this photo provided by his office. U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson (2nd from R) also attended the event. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · July 25, 2025

17. National security adviser fails to meet Rubio during 'final critical stages' of tariff talks

Not a good sign for the alliance.

Excerpts:

“My visit was meant to support the detailed negotiations being handled by economic officials. While I was there, I had sufficient discussions with Deputy National Security Advisor and the Vice President’s National Security Adviser Andy Baker, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, among others.”

However, a direct meeting with Rubio, which had been a central objective of the visit, did not materialize. The cancellation of the so-called “2+2 trade dialogue” between the finance and trade chiefs of both countries — due to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s last-minute schedule change — led Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol to turn around at Incheon Airport. The series of developments sparked concerns that tariff talks between the two allies may have hit a snag.

In response, Wi took the unusual step of issuing a written briefing to disclose details of the coordination process with Rubio. Wi stated that he'd visited the West Wing of the White House at the scheduled time on July 21 for a meeting with Rubio. Present at the meeting were Baker and State Department chief of staff Michael Needham.

“Just before the meeting, President [Donald] Trump urgently summoned Secretary Rubio,” wrote Wi. “While waiting, I exchanged sufficient views and conveyed our position on bilateral issues with those present. As the meeting between Secretary Rubio and President Trump ran long, we agreed to coordinate a follow-up discussion at a later date.”

Wi added that Rubio “pledged to share the two days of discussions thoroughly with President Trump and other relevant officials,” and emphasized the importance of continuing close communication going forward.

Wi also noted that he'd been contacted by Rubio’s office on Tuesday asking to hold a phone call instead of an in-person meeting due to a U.S.–Philippines summit.

“We had a sufficiently thorough phone discussion,” he said, adding that Rubio had apologized three times, saying he had been looking forward to the meeting but could not attend due to Trump’s unexpected summons.

Thursday

July 24, 2025

 dictionary + A - A 

National security adviser fails to meet Rubio during 'final critical stages' of tariff talks

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-07-24/national/diplomacy/National-security-adviser-turned-away-from-White-House-during-final-critical-stages-of-tariff-talks/2360877

Published: 24 Jul. 2025, 20:23

Updated: 24 Jul. 2025, 23:17

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac answers briefs reporters on the outcomes of his visit to the United States at the Incheon International Airport on July 24. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac returned to Korea on Thursday without having met Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his trip to the United States.

“Korea and the United States are in the final critical stages of negotiations on a number of pending issues,” said Wi, who departed Korea on Sunday, to reporters at Incheon International Airport after his three-day visit. 

Related Article

Korea-U.S. '2+2' trade talks canceled due to Treasury Secretary Bessent's 'urgent schedule'

Korea thrown into disarray as U.S. cancels tariff talks

Kospi ends higher amid postponed tariff talks; won sharply up

Korea aims for better terms than Japan in U.S. tariff negotiations (KOR)

“We had traveled to Washington because a comprehensive discussion on trade, security and the alliance was necessary,” he said.

“My visit was meant to support the detailed negotiations being handled by economic officials. While I was there, I had sufficient discussions with Deputy National Security Advisor and the Vice President’s National Security Adviser Andy Baker, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, among others.”

However, a direct meeting with Rubio, which had been a central objective of the visit, did not materialize. The cancellation of the so-called “2+2 trade dialogue” between the finance and trade chiefs of both countries — due to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s last-minute schedule change — led Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol to turn around at Incheon Airport. The series of developments sparked concerns that tariff talks between the two allies may have hit a snag.

In response, Wi took the unusual step of issuing a written briefing to disclose details of the coordination process with Rubio. Wi stated that he'd visited the West Wing of the White House at the scheduled time on July 21 for a meeting with Rubio. Present at the meeting were Baker and State Department chief of staff Michael Needham.

President Donald Trump speaks at an AI summit hosted by All-in Podcast and Hill & Valley Forum at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. [GETTY/YONHAP]

“Just before the meeting, President [Donald] Trump urgently summoned Secretary Rubio,” wrote Wi. “While waiting, I exchanged sufficient views and conveyed our position on bilateral issues with those present. As the meeting between Secretary Rubio and President Trump ran long, we agreed to coordinate a follow-up discussion at a later date.”

Wi added that Rubio “pledged to share the two days of discussions thoroughly with President Trump and other relevant officials,” and emphasized the importance of continuing close communication going forward.

Wi also noted that he'd been contacted by Rubio’s office on Tuesday asking to hold a phone call instead of an in-person meeting due to a U.S.–Philippines summit.

“We had a sufficiently thorough phone discussion,” he said, adding that Rubio had apologized three times, saying he had been looking forward to the meeting but could not attend due to Trump’s unexpected summons.

“Since this was an unofficial, behind-closed-doors visit, I am limited in what I can disclose,” Wi said. “Reports claiming the U.S. side declined [to allow] a meeting with Secretary Rubio are not only false, but also damaging to both of our reputations and the mutual trust between Korea and the United States at this sensitive stage of negotiations.”

As high-level communication between Korea and the United States continues, President Lee Jae Myung has been meeting major business leaders to review investment plans in the United States.

President Lee Jae Myung, center, sits down for a meeting with heads of Korea's largest companies and related economic organizations on June 13 at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Central Seoul. From left are LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, President Lee, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

On Thursday, Lee was scheduled to have dinner with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong. He had previously met SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on Tuesday, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan on Monday, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo on July 15 and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung on July 14.

These meetings are likely connected to the ongoing tariff negotiations between Korea and the United States. Japan recently concluded its talks with Washington, agreeing to invest $550 billion in exchange for lower tariffs. With the U.S. likely to seek large-scale investments from Korea as well, Lee Jae-myung’s meetings with Korea’s top corporate leaders appear to be part of preparations for a coordinated response.

In March, Chung announced a $21 billion investment plan in the United States, including the expansion of vehicle production in Georgia and the construction of a new steel plant in Louisiana.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY YOON SUNG-MIN [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]

18. North Korean youth risk arrest for speaking like South Koreans

Hard to put the information genie back in the bottle and the coercion will only make the youth resist more.

One of the indicators of potential resistance is using a unique form of communication among members.  

North Korean youth risk arrest for speaking like South Koreans

Four people in their twenties were arrested in Chongjin by local state security officers for talking like South Koreans

By Lee Chae Eun - July 24, 2025

dailynk.com

North Korean youth risk arrest for speaking like South Koreans - Daily NK English

FILE PHOTO: A clip from a video showing North Koreans being called up to face a public criticism in March 2023. (Daily NK)

North Korean authorities are doing everything they can to stop the spread of South Korean pop culture, or hallyu, but young people keep using South Korean expressions and speech patterns anyway.

Article 41 of North Korea’s Youth Education Guarantee Act, passed in 2021, forbids young people from speaking or writing “in odd speech patterns that are not our own.” While North Korea has legally banned youth from using “non-socialist” language, South Korean speech patterns are quietly spreading among young people regardless.

According to a Daily NK source in North Hamgyong province recently, four people in their twenties were arrested in Chongjin by local state security officers for talking like South Koreans. A local resident had tipped off authorities after spotting the group mimicking lines from South Korean films and dramas.

The four are currently being questioned at the city’s Ministry of State Security branch and will likely face six months to a year of forced labor.

“These days, young people are careful to avoid South Korean speech during official activities because they know about the crackdowns, but when they’re with friends, they use it without hesitation—mimicking lines from South Korean movies and shows,” the source said. “They copy the patterns quite naturally, probably because they’ve grown up watching this content.”

When young people hang out together, they freely use South Korean expressions like jagiya (honey), oppa (elder brother, used affectionately by women), daebak (awesome), and jjokpallinda (embarrassed).

This might be their way of mocking North Korean society, where constant surveillance and informing on each other have become normal. North Korean youth embrace South Korean speech patterns, adapting what they hear in films and dramas while laughing and smiling as they do it, the source explained.

Parents’ growing fears

“Places up north like the Hamgyong provinces and Ryanggang province have thick accents, so many North Koreans admire the Pyongyang accent. But South Korean accents sound much softer and friendlier than Pyongyang’s, so everyone tries to copy them sometimes,” the source said. “Young people are especially drawn to and curious about how South Koreans speak.”

Given this reality, completely eliminating the South Korean speech patterns now common among youth will be nearly impossible.

Parents watching how their children talk can’t hide their anxiety and worry.

“Young people today are too careless. No matter how friendly a gathering seems, you never know when someone will report you to the Ministry of State Security—as they say, walls have ears,” said a Chongjin resident in their forties.

“As someone with a child in their twenties, I’m constantly on edge,” said a resident of Hoeryong in their fifties. “Seeing kids my child’s age get dragged into the Ministry of State Security for questioning just for speaking like South Koreans terrifies me.”

“Sometimes my child copies lines from South Korean movies, and while it makes me laugh at first, I end up scolding them because I’m worried they’ll get caught doing it outside. But my child just shrugs it off, saying it’s no big deal, that it’s fine,” they continued with a sigh. “It’s already exhausting worrying about how to feed my family, but now I have to worry about this too. It’s really tough.”

Read in Korean

Lee Chae Eun

Lee Chae Un is one of Daily NK's full-time journalists. She can be reached at dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

dailynk.com

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