|
Quotes of the Day:
“Education isn’t something you can finish.”
- Isaac Asimov
“You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society.”
- Kurt Vonnegut
“It is usually futile to try to talk facts… to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.”
- Thomas Sowell
1. Seoul, Washington to restart extended deterrence dialogue in near future: Amb. Cho
2. Families of fallen troops to visit new Korean War monument in D.C.
3. N. Korea may conduct nuke test to mark 'Victory Day': minister
4. Korean firms leaving China amid growing uncertainties
5. S. Korea joins US and others in condemning execution of opposition leaders in Myanmar
6. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 50: state media
7. US Army helicopters hold first live-fire drills in South Korea since 2019
8. S. Korea to commemorate Korean War U.N. Veterans Day this week
9. SK to invest $22 billion in manufacturing in the United States
10. Defense, unification ministries contradict lawmaker's claims about fishermen's repatriation
11. North Korean military conducts study sessions focused on "Kim Jong Il's patriotism"
12. Will Biden attend Korean War monument event?
1. Seoul, Washington to restart extended deterrence dialogue in near future: Amb. Cho
Seoul, Washington to restart extended deterrence dialogue in near future: Amb. Cho | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · July 26, 2022
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, July 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will likely resume their strategic dialogue on extended deterrence in the very near future, South Korea's ambassador to the U.S. said Monday.
Amb. Cho Tae-yong said the bilateral dialogue, known as the "Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG)," may be held within the next two months.
"(We) have been working to strengthen our traditional alliance (with the U.S.), while focusing on efforts to restart the EDSCG amid the lingering possibility of North Korean provocations while North Korea continues to avoid dialogue with the international community," Cho said in a meeting with reporters here.
"I believe the dialogue can be held within the next month or two," he added.
The EDSCG was suspended in 2018 amid heightened engagement with North Korea that included three inter-Korean summits and two historic U.S.-North Korea summits.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, agreed to revive the strategic talks when the two met in Seoul in May, less than two weeks after Yoon took office.
North Korea has launched more than 30 ballistic missiles in 18 rounds of missile tests this year, marking the largest number of ballistic missile tests it conducted in a single year.
Officials in Seoul and Washington have said the North may also conduct a nuclear test in the near future, noting the country appears to have already completed all preparations for such a test.
Pyongyang conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.
"We also continue to hold consultations with the U.S. on the Yoon government's North Korea policy, which has the elements of both feasibility and flexibility, while sternly dealing with North Korean provocations and threats," Cho said.
"I believe South Korea and the U.S. have established the foundation for air-tight cooperation on their North Korea policy and for their joint work ahead based on consensus," he added.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · July 26, 2022
2. Families of fallen troops to visit new Korean War monument in D.C.
See the photo of the wall at the link.
Families of fallen troops to visit new Korean War monument in D.C.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220726001200325?section=national/defense
Defense 09:32 July 26, 2022
SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- A new Korean War monument in Washington, D.C. will be open to some family members of troops who were killed or went missing during the 1950-53 conflict before it is formally unveiled this week, according to Seoul's veterans affairs ministry Tuesday.
Around 800 bereaved family members plan to visit the Wall of Remembrance on Tuesday (local time), the eve of a planned event marking the completion of the structure bearing the names of 36,634 U.S. troops and 7,174 members of the Korean Augmentation Troops to the U.S. Army (KATUSA) who died during the war.
Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-shik, John Tilelli, the board chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, and South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Tae-yong will join the memorial event.
"The names inscribed on the Wall of Remembrance mean that we will never forget the heroes who dedicated their lives to safeguard free democracy in the Republic of Korea," Park was quoted by his office as saying.
Among the family members is Han Sin-hui, a son of Han Sang-sun, a KATUSA who died in action during the war.
"I used to look at the only picture left of my father to soothe my longing for him," Han said before visiting the wall. "I am so proud to know that my father's sacrifice for the nation hasn't gone in vain."
The wall, another symbol of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, is the first such monument on U.S. territory, in which the names of South Korean war dead are inscribed in honor of their ultimate sacrifice, according to the ministry.
The South Korean government offered 26.6 billion won (US$20.27 million) for the 27.4 billion-won project to build the wall. Other sponsors include the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, the Korean Veterans Association and South Korean businesses.
The photo, provided by the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, shows the Wall of Remembrance, which displays the names of 43,808 U.S. and South Korean soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. The latest addition to the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington is set to be dedicated on July 27, 2022. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
hide caption
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END
3. N. Korea may conduct nuke test to mark 'Victory Day': minister
Will it happen this Wednesday (in Korea - Tuesday night US time)?
N. Korea may conduct nuke test to mark 'Victory Day': minister
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · July 26, 2022
By Yonhap
Published : Jul 26, 2022 - 11:14 Updated : Jul 26, 2022 - 11:14
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se (File Photo-Yonhap)
South Korea's unification minister did not rule out the possibility of North Korea carrying out a nuclear test on the occasion of what it calls "Victory Day" this week, speaking publicly Tuesday.
"I think there is such a possibility," Kwon Young-se said, when asked about the issue during a radio interview here.
The North is marking the 69th anniversary on Wednesday of the 1953 armistice, which effectively ended the Korean War. Pyongyang calls the national holiday the Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War, or Victory Day.
The minister, who serves as Seoul's top point man on Pyongyang, noted the North is set to hold a national conference of war veterans within the coming days.
Keen attention is being paid to whether the country's leader Kim Jong-un will attend the Pyongyang event and deliver a new message on the regime's external policies. Kim has been out of public view for over two weeks.
The North carried out its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017. It has completed all preparations for another underground nuclear test in the Punggye-ri site, according to the intelligence communities of South Korea and the United States. (Yonhap)
4. Korean firms leaving China amid growing uncertainties
Korean firms leaving China amid growing uncertainties
The Korea Times · July 26, 2022
US request for 'friend-shoring' expected to accelerate exodus
By Park Jae-hyuk
Once regarded as a "land of opportunity" for its low labor costs and rapid economic growth, China is now considered somewhat notorious among companies from other countries for its unstable political and economic conditions.
More Korean companies have joined the recent trend of global firms leaving China, relocating their workforces and manufacturing facilities away from the world's most populous country.
Although Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won emphasized during a forum on Jeju Island this month the importance of maintaining amicable economic relations with China, SK Group under his leadership has also downsized its operations there.
"Whether you like it or not, China is a significantly large market," Chey told reporters. "It is too early to decide to stop doing business in China."
The chairman, however, admitted the difficulties in doing business there.
Last August, SK China, the holding entity of the group's operation there, sold its entire stake in its car rental business for the Chinese market to Toyota for 300 million yuan ($44 million). The group also sold SK Tower building in Beijing in June last year.
SK Group cited its plan to invest more promising Chinese startups as the main reason for the sell-offs, but the series of restructuring measures are widely interpreted as part of the group's efforts to cut its reliance on China, just as many other Korean firms do.
A recent survey conducted by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) showed that a majority of Korean firms doing business in China were considering downsizing, retreating or relocating their operations there, as most of them anticipated that the Chinese government would continue its strict quarantine measures against COVID-19 throughout this year.
According to the survey, 88.1 percent of respondents answered that China's lockdown measures have had negative impacts on their business, causing setbacks in transportation, sales, marketing and supply chains.
"Even after lifting the lockdown, Shanghai has restricted face-to-face customer services," KITA's Shanghai office said in a report. "Because transportation is still inconvenient, it will take time for non-manufacturing companies to normalize their operations."
Political risks
The quarantine measures, however, seem to have had a limited impact, compared to political risks stemming from the conflict between the U.S. and China.
Korean companies that have been active in China for more than a decade picked the Chinese government's regulations, discrimination in favor of local firms and intensifying trade feud between the U.S. and China as the major reasons for the worsening investment environment there, according to the Federation of Korean Industries.
Lotte Group, for example, has almost finished pulling out of China, after facing five years of severe economic retaliation from Beijing, due to the conglomerate's decision in 2016 to offer a site for the U.S. Forces Korea to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system.
Amorepacific has also closed hundreds of outlets over the past few years, following a boycott from Chinese consumers.
Hyundai Motor Group sold its plant in Beijing last year, two years after the factory's operation had been suspended, due to the sluggish sales amid the THAAD row.
LG Corp. sold its Twin Tower building in Beijing for 8 billion yuan in 2020, while LG Electronics liquidated two factories in Tianjin and Kunshan, as well as a Hi Plaza store in Shenyang.
Against this backdrop, the U.S. asked Korean semiconductor and battery manufacturers to leave China, in order to strengthen cooperation among allies.
Following U.S. President Joe Biden's visit in May to a Samsung Electronics factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen toured LG Chem's R&D facility in Seoul this month, calling for "friend-shoring," a strategy of building supply chain excluding unfriendly nations.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivers a speech at LG Science Park in Seoul, July 19. Courtesy of LG ChemDuring her visit to Korea, Yellen even described China and Russia as "unreliable" and "authoritarian," criticizing them for threatening the global market economy.
In response, Chinese state media warned that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will suffer if Korea decides to join the U.S.-led "Chip 4" alliance along with Japan and Taiwan.
However, U.S. experts ruled out the possibility, given that Chinese firms are incapable of producing high-quality semiconductors.
Amid the geopolitical tensions, Samsung Electronics has actually downsized its workforce in China.
According to the company's sustainability report, the number of employees hired by its Chinese subsidiary dropped 51.9 percent to 17,820 in 2021 from 37,070 in 2016. In contrast, the number of employees in Korea rose to 111,126 from 93,000 during the same period. It has maintained the number of employees in the Americas at around 25,000.
"The number of employees of our Chinese subsidiary has decreased naturally as we have downsized our production lines there," a Samsung Electronics official said.
Need for diversification
The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has been expected to follow the request from the U.S. to stand in solidarity with its allies, amid the ongoing global supply chain crisis.
"The era of booming exports of the past 20 years via China is coming to end," presidential secretary for economic affairs Choi Sang-mok told reporters during Yoon's visit to Spain last month to attend the NATO Summit. "We need substitute markets and diversification."
China's economic slowdown has also made the country less attractive for businesspeople. Its growth rate fell below 1 percent during the second quarter, showing a 0.4 percent year-on-year growth.
Economic experts have called on the Korean government and businesses to devise strategies for market diversification as soon as possible, if they wish to cut reliance on China.
"It is impossible to deny the fact that Korean industries have relied heavily on China," Hyundai Research Institute economist Joo Won said. "Considering the potential negative impacts on sales of intermediate goods to China, diversification measures are necessary for Korean firms."
The Korea Times · July 26, 2022
5. S. Korea joins US and others in condemning execution of opposition leaders in Myanmar
S. Korea joins US and others in condemning execution of opposition leaders in Myanmar
The Korea Times · July 26, 2022
People protest in the wake of executions, in Yangon, Myanmar, July 25, this screen grab obtained from a social media video shows. Reuters-Yonhap
The top diplomats of the United States and seven other countries including South Korea issued a joint statement Monday, condemning the recent executions of pro-democracy leaders in Myanmar.
Earlier reports said at least four people, including two pro-democracy activists in Myanmar, have been executed by the country's military regime that came into power through a coup early last year.
"The Myanmar military regime's executions of pro-democracy and opposition leaders are reprehensible acts of violence that further exemplify the regime's disregard for human rights and the rule of law," said the statement jointly issued by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts from Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and South Korea.
"We urge the regime to release all those unjustly detained, grant full and independent access to prisons and fulfill its obligations under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) Five-Point Consensus to seek peace through dialogue, not further violence," it added.
The statement was also signed by the high representative of the European Union, according to the U.S. state department.
The foreign ministers expressed support for the people of Myanmar while calling on the military regime to end its use of violence.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with the bereaved families and loved ones as they grieve those unjustly put to death. We remember and mourn all lives lost in Myanmar in the aftermath of the coup," they said. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · July 26, 2022
6. N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 50: state media
(LEAD) N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 50: state media | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · July 26, 2022
(ATTN: UPDATES with more info from 3rd para)
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases dropped below 50, according to its state media Tuesday.
More than 30 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.
It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reported. As of July 5, the death toll had stood at 74, with the fatality rate at 0.002 percent.
The total number of fever cases since late April came to over 4.77 million as of 6 p.m. Monday, of which 99.99 percent had recovered and at least 260 others are being treated, it added.
The North's daily fever tally has been on a downward trend after peaking at over 392,920 on May 15, three days after it announced a coronavirus outbreak.
The KCNA reported the North is concentrating all efforts to ensure maximum safety in the antivirus work while paying "sharp attention" to the worldwide health crisis from monkeypox and COVID-19.
"The emergency anti-epidemic sector and the public (health) sector direct all the efforts to recovering the perfect stability of anti-epidemic situation within the shortest period and ensuring the ability to actively control and manage the inroads of a new epidemic," the KCNA said in an English-language article.
Health authorities have taken measures to "further complete the test method of monkeypox virus in a technological way," it added. Earlier this week, the World Health Organization declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency.
Pyongyang disclosed its first COVID-19 case on May 12, after claiming to be coronavirus-free for over two years, and implemented nationwide lockdowns.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · July 26, 2022
7. US Army helicopters hold first live-fire drills in South Korea since 2019
For those not following this is a big training and readiness issue caused by encroachment on training areas as land is developed for residential living around training areas. The previous administration had been unable to resolve the dispute with local residents.
US Army helicopters hold first live-fire drills in South Korea since 2019 | CNN
CNN · by Story by Reuters · July 26, 2022
US Army Apache attack helicopters based in South Korea are holding live-fire drills with rockets and guns for the first time since 2019, as the allies step up military exercises amid tension with North Korea.
Training resumed at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex just south of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the border, after having been canceled in recent years when those living nearby complained about noise and safety concerns.
Over the past week, AH-64E Apache helicopters engaged in certification drills, video images and photographs released by the US 2nd Infantry Division showed.
“Crews are qualifying during both day and night on the AGM-114 Hellfire missile, Hydra 70 rocket and 30mm canon,” the division said on Twitter.
The drills come as the allies announced they would resume other live field training during joint exercises scaled back for several years because of Covid-19 and efforts to reduce tension with the North.
A US Army Apache helicopter trains in Pocheon, South Korea, on July 25.
2nd Infantry Division USFK
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has vowed to “normalize” joint drills and boost deterrence against the North.
The Apache drills will also measure the level of noise they generate, in response to the complaints, a Defense Ministry official said.
US Forces Korea (USFK) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lack of live-fire training had been a “big problem” for the US pilots and crews, a former senior US defense official said.
“They were less ready by the time they left (South Korea) than when they arrived,” he told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss US military operations.
South Korea's Presidential Office
Exclusive: South Korea's new leader says age of appeasing North Korea is over
During the period of no live-fire drills, the Pentagon paid to send Apache crews back to the United States for qualification exercises every quarter, he added.
The problem was worsened when the US military permanently stationed a previously rotational Apache unit in South Korea in February, he said.
The administration of former South Korean President Moon Jae-in had no interest in overcoming the political problems and resuming the drills, the former official said, predicting that Yoon was likely to make more progress.
CNN · by Story by Reuters · July 26, 2022
8. S. Korea to commemorate Korean War U.N. Veterans Day this week
S. Korea to commemorate Korean War U.N. Veterans Day this week | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · July 26, 2022
SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Tuesday it will host an annual ceremony this week commemorating the sacrifices of foreign veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Some 1,000 people, including veterans, senior government officials and military personnel, are expected to join Wednesday's event for the Korean War U.N. Veterans Day at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in downtown Seoul, according to the veterans affairs ministry.
"We will remember the great promise of the war veterans who tried to safeguard the freedom of the Republic of Korea," Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-shik was quoted as saying. "Today, we will also preserve the values of freedom through the solid alliance."
During the event to be held on the 69th anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement that brought the Korean War to an end, vocalists from the U.S. Eighth Army band and Seoul's defense ministry band will sing "Arirang," a Korean folk song.
"Arirang" is the song the U.S. military played for the U.N. delegation that signed the armistice, the ministry noted.
The national flags of 22 countries that participated in the war will then appear alongside those of South Korea and the United Nations. Various performances will also be staged in honor of those who fought under the U.N. banner during the three-year conflict.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · July 26, 2022
9. SK to invest $22 billion in manufacturing in the United States
Are businesses no longer chasing cheap labor?
Tuesday
July 26, 2022
SK to invest $22 billion in manufacturing in the United States
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/07/26/business/industry/Korea-SK-Biden/20220726185617132.html
SK Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks during the appointment ceremony of BTS as the ambassadors for the World Expo 2030 Busan at the HYBE office in Seoul on July 19. [NEWS1]
SK companies will invest over $22 billion in U.S. manufacturing, according to media outlets Tuesday.
The White House said during a press briefing on Tuesday that SK, the second-largest chaebol in Korea, is to announce a new investment plan in the United States with a focus on manufacturing.
"We've heard that there will be a meeting between Chairman Chey and President Joe Biden," a spokesperson said.
"But all the details will be announced following the meeting," he said.
U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a video conference with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Washington . Biden and Chey will discuss SK Group’s investments in the U.S. and job creation.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will also participate in the video conference.
The White House said that the meeting will highlight the Biden administration’s strength in promoting manufacturing growth, creating new high-paying jobs, developing technologies to respond to the climate crisis and the popularity of the United sSates as an investment destination.
Chey announced a $52 billion investment plan in the United States through 2030 during his visit to the country last November, half of which would go toward electric vehicle batteries and other related renewable technologies.
BY SHIN HA-NEE, LIM JEONG-WON [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]
10. Defense, unification ministries contradict lawmaker's claims about fishermen's repatriation
Murkier and murkier. But note the comments about the United Nations Command (UNC). These are the first comments I have seen about it but I have been wondering why there has been no discussion of the UNC role (or lack thereof) before this as the UNC is responsible for maintenance of the Armistice which includes security of the DMZ and the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom.
Excerpts:
But both ministries issued clarifications on Tuesday that the UNC approved South Korean officials’ use of Panmunjom for the repatriation process without realizing it was against the fishermen’s will.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Defense Ministry vice spokesman Moon Hong-sik explained, “Approving entry into Panmunjom and approving forced repatriations are two different things.”
According to the spokesman, the Blue House National Security Office (NSO) at the time requested that the South Korean military escort the two fishermen back to the North, but the Defense Ministry conferred with the UNC before deciding military involvement was inappropriate as the pair were civilians.
Moon said that the Unification Ministry subsequently requested permission from the UNC for its officials to enter Panmunjom to escort civilians returning to the North, which the UNC granted.
“The Unification Ministry is the government department that took charge of [the fishermen’s] repatriation and obtained approval from the UNC [to use Panmunjom],” the spokesman said.
In an interview with CBS Radio on Tuesday, Unification Minister Kwon said that the UNC was unaware that the civilians returning to the North via Panmunjom were being repatriated against their will, and that the UNC lodged a strong complaint with the ministry.
“The UNC was not aware that the repatriation was forced,” Kwon said, adding that the Unification Ministry’s request to the UNC “only specified in a neutral way the number of individuals returning North and how many security officials would be escorting them.”
The unification minister also said that UNC officials present during the repatriation were taken aback by the means by which South Korean officials had subdued the fishermen before they were handed over to the North.
“They were shocked to see [the fishermen] blindfolded and bound with rope,” he said, adding those restraints “were removed immediately after the UNC strongly protested.”
Kwon added that relations between the Unification Ministry and the UNC were rocky for a time following the incident, citing unofficial comments made by ministry employees.
Tuesday
July 26, 2022
Defense, unification ministries contradict lawmaker's claims about fishermen's repatriation
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/07/26/national/northKorea/Korea-North-Korea-fishermen/20220726174117365.html
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se responds to lawmakers' questions at the National Assembly in Yeoudio, southern Seoul on Monday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
The truth behind the previous administration's repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019 became even murkier on Tuesday as Seoul's defense and unification ministries partially contradicted claims made by the ruling People Power Party (PPP) concerning the incident.
The pair, who crossed into South Korean waters in the East Sea on Nov. 2, 2019, were forcibly sent back to the North five days later after former President Moon Jae-in’s government concluded they had murdered 16 fellow crew members before fleeing to the South.
Speaking on a Monday radio show just before the hearing, PPP lawmaker Ha Tae-keung repeated allegations that the Moon administration did not seek approval from the United Nations Command (UNC) to return the two fishermen via the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, the southern side of which is administered by the UNC under the terms of the Korean War armistice.
An official who spoke to the JoongAng Ilbo on condition of anonymity last week said that the South Korean military opened checkpoints under the UNC’s control to repatriate the two men despite the UNC’s objections.
Those claims were contradicted by Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and Unification Minister Kwon Young-se, both of whom said at the National Assembly on Monday that the UNC granted South Korean officials entry into Panmunjom to escort civilians back North.
But both ministries issued clarifications on Tuesday that the UNC approved South Korean officials’ use of Panmunjom for the repatriation process without realizing it was against the fishermen’s will.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Defense Ministry vice spokesman Moon Hong-sik explained, “Approving entry into Panmunjom and approving forced repatriations are two different things.”
According to the spokesman, the Blue House National Security Office (NSO) at the time requested that the South Korean military escort the two fishermen back to the North, but the Defense Ministry conferred with the UNC before deciding military involvement was inappropriate as the pair were civilians.
Moon said that the Unification Ministry subsequently requested permission from the UNC for its officials to enter Panmunjom to escort civilians returning to the North, which the UNC granted.
“The Unification Ministry is the government department that took charge of [the fishermen’s] repatriation and obtained approval from the UNC [to use Panmunjom],” the spokesman said.
In an interview with CBS Radio on Tuesday, Unification Minister Kwon said that the UNC was unaware that the civilians returning to the North via Panmunjom were being repatriated against their will, and that the UNC lodged a strong complaint with the ministry.
“The UNC was not aware that the repatriation was forced,” Kwon said, adding that the Unification Ministry’s request to the UNC “only specified in a neutral way the number of individuals returning North and how many security officials would be escorting them.”
The unification minister also said that UNC officials present during the repatriation were taken aback by the means by which South Korean officials had subdued the fishermen before they were handed over to the North.
“They were shocked to see [the fishermen] blindfolded and bound with rope,” he said, adding those restraints “were removed immediately after the UNC strongly protested.”
Kwon added that relations between the Unification Ministry and the UNC were rocky for a time following the incident, citing unofficial comments made by ministry employees.
On Friday, Kwon also contradicted an earlier PPP claim about the fishermen.
Although PPP lawmaker Han Ki-ho said Wednesday the fishermen were framed as murderers by Pyongyang because they were hired to help people flee the North by sea, Kwon said in a radio interview on Friday there was a “high likelihood” that the pair had committed murder before fleeing to the South.
The two men’s alleged crimes have featured as a key point of contention in the controversy over their repatriation.
Former Moon administration officials have repeatedly described the pair as “vicious criminals” who were not bona fide defectors and posed an unacceptable risk to South Korean society.
Meanwhile, critics allege the fishermen’s crimes were fabricated by the North to get them back, and that their guilt was accepted unquestioningly by Seoul in order to maintain good relations with Pyongyang.
BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
11. North Korean military conducts study sessions focused on "Kim Jong Il's patriotism"
Ideological training is all the regime has. But ideology does not fill the bellies of soldiers or the people.
North Korean military conducts study sessions focused on "Kim Jong Il's patriotism" - Daily NK
Military propaganda departments and youth departments have also been ordered to arrange singing sessions for the song “Ode to the Fatherland” by the end of the month
By Jeong Tae Joo - 2022.07.26 3:00pm
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · July 26, 2022
Kim Jong Un at the leadership podium during the Party Foundation Day military parade in Pyongyang on Oct. 10, 2020. / Image: KCNA
The Central Committee’s Propaganda and Agitation Department is calling on organizations to properly carry out political activities aimed at putting “Kim Jong Il’s patriotism” into practice. The General Political Bureau of the North Korean military has responded by issuing an order to propaganda departments across the entire military calling for workshops on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s 2012 address on “Kim Jong Il’s patriotism.”
A Daily NK source in the North Korean military said Friday that the General Political Bureau order called for a month of workshops on Kim Jong Un’s nojak starting from July 16, ostensibly to mark the 10th anniversary of a July 28, 2012 statement by Kim to leading Central Committee officials entitled “Let Us Step Up the Building of a Thriving Country by Applying Kim Jong Il’s Patriotism.”
Nojak refers to books that describe the revolutionary socialist theories or statements of Kim Jong Un, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
North Korea publishes the books, statements, speeches and meeting decisions of its supreme leader as nojak or party documents, and makes its citizens study them.
Following the Propaganda and Agitation Department’s order, the Workers’ Party of Korea Publishing House re-published Kim’s 2012 statement in book form. Earlier this month, it distributed the work in booklet form to the General Political Bureau, which disseminated them to propaganda departments across the military.
Following the distribution of the republished book and a set of political lecture materials published by the General Political Bureau’s publishing house on Kim Jong Un’s work, military personnel have been intensively studying them.
According to the source, units across the military are holding workshops on Kim’s nojak on “Kim Jong Il patriotism” during the political lecture hour of their summertime exercises, focusing on the basic ideology of Kim Jong Il patriotism, the importance of realizing Kim Jong Il patriotism, tasks and methods.
Through the workshops, the military is trying to instill in its personnel ideas such as, “You must etch upon your hearts the truth that the highest expression of patriotism is found in defending the motherland, and a life dedicated to national defence is the most valuable, patriotic life.” The military is also telling soldiers that, “Completing preparations for war is the major task to realize Kim Jong Il patriotism, and this is patriotism itself.”
The source said, “The General Political Bureau called for intensive ideological education on how completing preparations for war by realizing Kim Jong Il patriotism in their duties was the very realization of Kim Jong Il patriotism and patriotism itself.”
The source also told Daily NK that the military’s propaganda departments are telling units to instill “Kim Jong Il’s profound outlook for the future generations” into young soldiers, widely calling on young soldiers to “live as Kim Jong Il’s fighters, as his disciples.”
The General Political Bureau also ordered military propaganda departments and youth departments to take charge of arranging singing sessions for the song “Ode to the Fatherland” by the end of the month. Preparations for the sessions are underway, the source said.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · July 26, 2022
12. Will Biden attend Korean War monument event?
Oh no. If so, I imagine it will change the security protocols and we will have to line up pretty early tomorrow. I may have to adjust my timing to get to the memorial tomorrow!!
Will Biden attend Korean War monument event?
The Korea Times · July 26, 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a virtual meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., Monday (local time). Biden expressed hope that he could return to work in person this week after recovering from COVID-19, as the question arises as to whether he will attend Wednesday's event marking the completion of a new Korean War memorial monument in Washington. EPA-Yonhap
War of Remembrance to honor fallen US, Korean soldiers
By Jung Min-ho
U.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope Monday (local time) that he could return to work in person this week after recovering from COVID-19, as the question arises as to whether he will attend Wednesday's event marking the completion of a Korean War memorial monument in Washington, D.C.
At the ceremony unveiling the Wall of Remembrance, which will be a permanent addition to the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-shik will read out a message from President Yoon Suk-yeol as the two nations celebrate the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 war.
In his first public appearance at a virtual meeting since Friday, the day after he was infected, Biden, 79, said he was "feeling great" and hoped to come out of isolation "by the end of this week."
In theory, Biden can attend the event. Ashish Jha, coordinator of the White House response to COVID-19, said Biden will be able to resume in-person duties if he tests negative for the virus Tuesday ― his fifth day of isolation. However, given that many old military veterans, who are in a high-risk category for COVID-19, will attend the event, Biden may avoid crowded places for a while. U.S. CDC guidelines advise against travel for 10 days.
An official at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs told The Korea Times that the ministry is preparing for two different scenarios and that if Biden misses the event, it is unclear who will attend from the White House.
Along with Minister Park, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, Rep. Lee Hun-seung of the ruling People Power Party and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won are expected to attend the event. From the U.S. side, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and hundreds of Korean War veterans and their family members are expected to be there.
The Wall of Remembrance displays the names of 43,808 U.S. and South Korean soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War. The latest addition to the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is set to be dedicated on Wednesday. Yonhap
The wall, the latest symbol of the Seoul-Washington alliance, bears the names of 43,808 U.S. and South Korean troops killed during the devastating war, which ended with an armistice.
Park, who paid his respects to the fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, said the names inscribed on the Wall of Remembrance mean that "we will never forget the heroes who dedicated their lives to safeguard free democracy in the Republic of Korea."
His statement comes at a time when North Korea has completed preparations for its seventh nuclear weapons test. Minister Lee and military experts believe the regime will "very likely" do so as early as later this week. After the monument ceremony, the defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. will meet to discuss the schedules of joint military drills and deployments of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula.
Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-shik, left, pays his respects to the fallen heroes of the Korean War at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., Monday (local time). Yonhap
On Sunday, Park visited the home of U.S. Army Col. William Weber in Maryland to pay his respects to the family of the colonel, a decorated Korean War veteran who died in April. There, he gave a nameplate honoring his sacrifice to his widow, Annelie Weber.
The construction of the wall was proposed by a handful of U.S. Congress members in 2011. Weber was one of the leaders behind the efforts for the project, for which the South Korean government offered 26.6 billion won ($20.4 million). Other sponsors include the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, the Korean Veterans Association and the SK chairman.
The Korea Times · July 26, 2022
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Senior Advisor, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
VIDEO "WHEREBY" Link: https://whereby.com/david-maxwell
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
| 
