1. Trump Signs Proclamation Commemorating End of Korean War
2. Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2020 | The White House
3. N.K. leader confers pistols to officers on armistice anniversary
4. Declare your ideology (South Korea)
5. North Korea Reports 1st Suspected Case Of Coronavirus
6. US ambassador shaves off mustache to stay masked in summer amid pandemic
7. United Nations Command launches official website
8. Bill Gates Says Korea Taking Lead in COVID-19 Vaccine Development
9. Korea aims to maximize its newfound global popularity
10. Tear down the DMZ
11. The children of Korean War prisoners who never came home
12. Guns and glory : two Koreas mark armistice
13. North Korea's Kim marks war anniversary amid virus concerns
14. Trump stresses 'ironclad alliance' with Seoul in armistice proclamation
15. Gov't, military hit for poor security, defector management
16. North Korea shock: Kim Jong-Un's sister asserts authority with new childbirth plan
1. Trump Signs Proclamation Commemorating End of Korean War
Let us never forget the sacrifices of all those who defended freedom in Korea. And let us also never forget the blood of some 5 million souls is on the hands of Kim Il Sung and the Kim family regime.
Trump Signs Proclamation Commemorating End of Korean War
defense.gov · by David Vergun
Sixty-seven years ago, the guns fell silent along the Korean demilitarized zone after more than three years of brutal fighting to defeat the expansion of communism on the Korean Peninsula,
President Donald J. Trump said in a proclamation yesterday.
When freedom and democracy were under threat on the Korean Peninsula, ... 2 million Americans left their homes, put on our nation's uniform, and answered their country's call to duty."
President Donald J. Trump
National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day marks the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27,1953, in Panmunjom, a border village inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea.
"We pause to remember the uncommon courage and sacrifice of ordinary Americans who fought to defend freedom and protect the values we hold dear," Trump said about the historic day.
Armistice Signing
United Nations, North Korea and Chinese officials sign the Korean War armistice agreement at Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, July 27, 1953.
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This year marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. When the conflict began, Americans were still rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of World War II, enjoying the blessings of peace and looking toward a future filled with hope and prosperity, Trump noted.
"When freedom and democracy were under threat on the Korean Peninsula, however, 2 million Americans left their homes, put on our nation's uniform, and answered their country's call to duty," he said.
MacArthur Observation
Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur, U.N. Command commander in chief, observes the naval shelling of Incheon, South Korea, from the USS Mount McKinley, Sept. 15, 1950.
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Their resolve was tried and tested in once obscure and unfamiliar places, such as Pork Chop Hill, Heartbreak Ridge, Chipyong-ni, Pusan and the Chosin Reservoir, and in unnamed locations known only by grid coordinates or hilltop elevations, he said.
"Alongside tens of thousands of coalition troops from our allies around the world, these individuals fought, bled, died, went missing, and suffered brutal captivity to defeat a determined foe amid the harshest of conditions, including sweltering heat, bone-numbing cold, and deep snow that buried valleys and rugged ridgelines," the president said.
Gun Crew
An American gun crew checks their equipment near the Kum River in South Korea, July 15, 1950.
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"Their unquestioned valor, determination, and patriotism halted communist aggression and restored liberty and dignity for the South Korean people," he said. "In our nation's capital, the black granite wall of the Korean War Veterans Memorial stands as a testament to their sacrifice, etched with the words '
Freedom is Not Free.'"
In total, more than 36,000 Americans gave their lives in the Korean War, more than 103,000 were wounded, and nearly 8,000 went missing in action, he said.
Missouri Salvo
To disrupt North Korean communications, the battleship USS Missouri fires a salvo from its 16-inch guns at shore targets near Chongjin, North Korea, Oct. 21, 1950.
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Today, South Korea, once decimated in the aftermath of the war, is one of the world's most vibrant, dynamic and economically prosperous democracies - and one of our strongest allies, he said.
"Our armed forces continue to proudly serve side-by-side with our Korean military counterparts," Trump said. "This ironclad alliance, forged in war and reinforced by a shared love of liberty and deep ties of friendship, is vital to peace and stability in both Asia and the world."
"As we commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, we renew our commitment to the principles of liberty for which our Korean War veterans so valiantly fought," he said. "We are eternally grateful for the families that endured the unimaginable sacrifices and heartache of war, and we are thankful for all the men and women who helped change the fate of a nation. The 38 months of bloody warfare represent the honorable legacy of a selfless and courageous generation of American patriots."
2. Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2020 | The White House
Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2020 | The White House
whitehouse.gov · by President Donald J. Trump
Proclamations
Proclamation on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2020
Sixty-seven years ago today, guns fell silent along the Korean Demilitarized Zone after more than 3 years of brutal fighting to defeat the expansion of communism on the Korean Peninsula. On National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, we pause to remember the uncommon courage and sacrifice of ordinary Americans who fought to defend freedom and protect the values we hold dear.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. When the conflict began, Americans were still rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of World War II, enjoying the blessings of peace and looking toward a future filled with hope and prosperity. When freedom and democracy were under threat on the Korean Peninsula, however, 2 million Americans left their homes, put on our Nation's uniform, and answered their country's call to duty. Their resolve was tried and tested in once obscure and unfamiliar places, such as Pork Chop Hill, Heartbreak Ridge, Chipyong-ni, Pusan, and the Chosin Reservoir, and in unnamed locations known only by grid coordinates or hilltop elevations. Alongside tens of thousands of coalition troops from our allies around the world, these individuals fought, bled, died, went missing, and suffered brutal captivity to defeat a determined foe amid the harshest of conditions, including sweltering heat, bone-numbing cold, and deep snow that buried valleys and rugged ridgelines. Their unquestioned valor, determination, and patriotism halted communist aggression and restored liberty and dignity for the South Korean people. In our Nation's Capital, the black granite wall of the Korean War Veterans Memorial stands as a testament to their sacrifice, etched with the words "Freedom is Not Free." In total, more than 36,000 Americans gave their lives in the Korean War, more than 103,000 were wounded, and nearly 8,000 went missing in action.
Today, the Republic of Korea, once decimated in the aftermath of the war, is one of the world's most vibrant, dynamic, and economically prosperous democracies - and one of our strongest allies. Our Armed Forces continue to proudly serve side-by-side with our Korean military counterparts. This ironclad alliance, forged in war and reinforced by a shared love of liberty and deep ties of friendship, is vital to peace and stability in both Asia and the world.
As we commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, we renew our commitment to the principles of liberty for which our Korean War veterans so valiantly fought. We are eternally grateful for the families that endured the unimaginable sacrifices and heartache of war, and we are thankful for all the men and women who helped change the fate of a nation. The 38 months of bloody warfare represent the honorable legacy of a selfless and courageous generation of American patriots.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 27, 2020, as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor and give thanks to our distinguished Korean War Veterans.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
3. N.K. leader confers pistols to officers on armistice anniversary
Some of the north Korean generals might need some muzzle awareness. Quite the "oaths" from these officers: "solemn pledges, looking up to the Party flag, to hold close to their hearts the commemorative pistols conferred upon them by the Supreme Leader until their death," Not like our oaths to support and defend the Constitution. And we stand before our national flag, not the "party flag."
N.K. leader confers pistols to officers on armistice anniversary | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · July 27, 2020
SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un marked the 67th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War by visiting a war cemetery and presenting army officers with pistols, state media said Monday.
Kim paid homage to the North's soldiers killed in the Korean War and buried at the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery to commemorate the anniversary of the armistice, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
"The undying feats of the defenders of the fatherland in the 1950s, who provided the valuable mental heritage of the revolution amid the flames of the hard-fought war, would shine long in history," Kim was quoted as saying.
The KCNA said Kim also held a ceremony on Sunday afternoon at the headquarters of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee and presented newly developed "Mount Paektu" commemorative pistols to leading commanding officers of the armed forces on the occasion of the anniversary.
Mount Paektu is the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula and is considered the sacred birthplace of the Korean people. The North claims that national founder Kim Il-sung led anti-Japanese guerrilla forces at the mountain to fight for independence from the 1910-45 colonial rule and that late leader Kim Jong-il, father of the current leader, was born there.
The Kim family is dubbed the "Paektu bloodline."
"This is an expression of the great trust and expectation of the Party in the commanding officers of the new generation who would carry to completion the revolutionary cause of Juche by firmly holding the weapons of the revolution," he was quoted as saying. Juche is the concept of self-reliance.
The commanding officers responded by making "solemn pledges, looking up to the Party flag, to hold close to their hearts the commemorative pistols conferred upon them by the Supreme Leader until their death," the KCNA said.
North Korean officials accompanied Kim at the ceremony, including Pak Jong-chon, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army.
The armistice signed on July 27, 1953, left South and North Korea technically in a state of war. The North has designated the date as Victory Day.
4. Declare your ideology (South Korea)
Sigh... I think Professor Tizzard is giving the ruling party line here. Ideology is important because it guides actions. Look at what new members of Moon's national security team have been jailed for. Anyone who have violated the national security law should be thoroughly examined for suitability by the National Assembly.
By David Tizzard
_5ea6563a22503.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) David Tizzard
In a democratic society, one normally assumes that an individual is given certain freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and freedom to assemble. That little space inside our head where thoughts appear and circulate is deemed off limits to the government.
Article 19 of the South Korean constitution declares a freedom of conscience and that no citizen be forced to make public their inner thoughts. It is a sacred place: A sanctuary to which we can retreat from the overwhelming barrage of narratives and messages thrown at us by social media. There is no policeman in our head.
Yet last week in South Korean domestic politics the public was treated to one of the most peculiar stories in the modern age. A politician being elected to a ministerial post was asked publically about his ideological beliefs stretching back to the 1980s.
If that doesn't sound too strange, one needs to consider the identity of those taking part in the Korean inquisition (After all, no-one expects it).
The one asking the questions was Thae Young-ho. Thae was the former North Korean deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom before defecting with his family to the South in 2016. Thae was elected to the National Assembly as a member of the Conservative Party following his comprehensive victory in the Gangnam district. He is the first North Korean defector to win a constituency seat in South Korea.
Thae Young-ho changed his name to Thae Gu-min while in South Korea -- a name signaling his desire to "save the citizens." He has been openly critical of the North Korean regime since his defection who, in return, have labeled him "human scum".
Despite being an authoritative voice on the North and their diplomatic practices (his book "Cryptography From the Third Floor Secretariat" became a best seller here in South Korea), he was forced to apologize in May of this year having completely misjudged events in Pyongyang.
An absent Kim Jong-un brought a great deal of speculation about his health, his role, the rise of his sister Kim Yo-jong and more. Thae claimed, with some authority, that Kim Jong-un was unable to "stand up by himself or walk properly". Many hung on his words, believing him to be a vital source of information about a state clouded in secrecy and -- more importantly -- propaganda.
However, Thae was shown to be incorrect in his claims as Kim Jong-un popped up smiling at a fertilizer plant a few days later. As a result, Thae said back in May that he would "promise to do parliamentary activity in a more prudent and modest manner."
Last week's events would suggest he might have forgotten that promise. Thae was seen questioning a South Korean politician about his ideological leanings, supposed support of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, and demanding public statements about what the politician believed vis-à-vis Pyongyang.
Lee In-young is President Moon's choice to take over the position of Minister of Unification following Kim Yeon-chul's resignation amidst the controversy regarding defector organizations and the sending of information into the North and Kim Yo-jong's outspoken response. That in itself was a strange event as the South Korean government acquiesced to Kim Yo-jong's tirade and began preventing NGO's from sending rice, bibles, and other materials to the North.
Lee was a radical student in his youth (who wasn't?) and a leader of a student-led group in the 1980s which was primarily pro-democracy and, for the most part, pro-unification. In 1987, as protests grew demanding direct presidential elections and amendments to the constitution, Lee was a leader of the Korea University student council, and took part in these. For his role, he was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment.
Staunch conservatives see Lee's group, Jeon Dae Hyup, and other more radical ones such as Han Chong Nyun as sleeper groups of Koreans who support the North and look to bring about socialist change. The former was a student-led group; the latter, however, openly supported a Pyongyang-led Korea and was influenced heavily by Marxist readings.
So, in simple terms, a North Korean was grilling a South Korean about whether or not he had supported Pyongyang in the past. And, moreover, this was all happening in the National Assembly.
2020 continues to be weird.
Do we really have a system in which domestic politics are still influenced by a Cold War ideology and Manichean diptychs where the forces of good are set up and opposed to the forces of evil? Furthermore, following Thae Young-ho's questioning, are Orwellian performative pronouncements of one's ideology still of upmost importance?
Lee In-young publically stated during the interrogation that he was not a believer of juche (North Korea's ideology) at the time and neither is he now. That of course didn't stop conservative media such as the JoongAng Ilblo labeling Lee as evasive and ambiguous in his arguments.
Freedom of conscience is important -- and defended by law. However, if people are to take roles in which they serve the public, tax payers probably will want to know the beliefs and ideas of those who are given such responsibility. Both things can be held true at the same time. It is a matter of how these are approached.
If we take a step back, we realize that members of the South Korean National Assembly are arguing with each other about what they believed thirty to forty years ago instead of doing what they are there to do: serve the people, solve the many societal problems we currently face, and make the world a bit better for those who have entrusted them with the responsibility.
The 86 Group (those born in the 1960s and who attended university in the 1980s) and the resulting ideological split still seems to be creating rifts in South Korean politics. But it's 2020. Of course one cannot forget the past or pretend it didn't exist. But the country today is very different from back then - it's now a democracy and the challenges it faces are far different.
Perhaps this was Thae's mistake. He was still overly concerned with the declaration of one's ideological leanings rather than one's actual actions and behavior.
Regardless of one's private beliefs, South Korea needs politicians and leaders that will solve the problems the country faces: youth unemployment, growing housing prices, high levels of suicide and depression, a tanking economy, a problem accepting multiculturalism when it's not white and willing to assimilate, a disturbing amount of digital sex crimes, and gender conflicts.
That, more than anything else, makes it worrying that people who receive tax payer's money are instead grilling each other about their ideological beliefs. Would be nice if they focused on solving some problems instead, wouldn't it?
Perhaps if they forgot about their ideologies for a few minutes they might even be able to work together and, you know, help create a society in which the citizens can be happy and content. Imagine that!
David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University, where he teaches Korean Studies, and he is an adjunct professor at Hanyang University lecturing in World History and Political Science. He discusses the week's hottest issues on TBS eFM (101.3FM) on "Life Abroad" live every Thursday from 9:35-10 a.m.
5. North Korea Reports 1st Suspected Case Of Coronavirus
The other thing this accusation against a defector returning from South Korea does it to pave the way for acceptance of medical aid from the SOuth to help combat the coronavirus. Now the Propaganda and Agitation Department will say South Korea must atone for its sin of allowing the coronavirus to spread into north Korea. So the South will have to now provide aid and meet all the demands of the north.
North Korea Reports 1st Suspected Case Of Coronavirus
NPR · by Doreen McCallister · July 26, 2020
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears in a TV news program watched by people in Seoul, South Korea, on June 24.
Ahn Young-joon/AP
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un placed the city of Kaesong under lockdown after a person suspected to be infected by the coronavirus returned from South Korea.
Kim declared a state of emergency and called it a "critical situation in which the vicious virus could be said to have entered the country," North Korea's state news agency,
KCNA, reported.
Kaesong is near the border with South Korea and is about 100 miles south of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
The state news agency reported that an individual who defected to South Korea three years ago came back across the militarized border that separates the two Koreas with symptoms that suggested COVID-19.
After running several tests, health officials put the person and any contacts under quarantine, as well as those who have been in Kaesong in the last five days, state media reported.
If the case is confirmed to be COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, it would be the first official case acknowledged by North Korean officials. The country has yet to report a confirmed case of COVID-19, a claim doubted by outside experts.
In the early days of the coronavirus crisis, Pyongyang says, it mobilized quickly to fight for its "national survival."
NPR's Anthony Kuhn
reported in February that North Korea closed its border and cut transport links with neighboring China, extended its quarantine period from 15 to 30 days and restricted the activities of foreign diplomatic and international organization staff in Pyongyang.
Reports suggest that closing the border with China, North Korea's main trading partner, has caused economic activity to slump and prices to soar.
6. US ambassador shaves off mustache to stay masked in summer amid pandemic
Everyone must do their part to #killthevirus.
US ambassador shaves off mustache to stay masked in summer amid pandemic
koreaherald.com · by The Korea Herald · July 27, 2020
Published : Jul 27, 2020 - 09:57 Updated : Jul 27, 2020 - 09:57
(US Ambassador Harry Harris' Twitter account-Yonhap)
US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris has figured out a way to stay cooler in a hot and humid Seoul while keeping his mask on amid the coronavirus pandemic -- go clean-shaven.
Harris is now a mustache-free man after removing his signature facial hair at an old barbershop in central Seoul, a video posted on his Twitter page showed.
In the video clip, the ambassador says he thought he had to do something to "get cooler" during the muggy and hot summer in the host country while at the same time complying with the coronavirus guideline by wearing a mask.
Guided by one of his advisers, he visited the classic barbershop, where he briefly consulted the barber about removing his facial hair before lying back comfortably in a salon chair.
The video clip then shows Harris before and after the shaving. Harris exclaims that it's a face he hasn't seen in years while looking in a mirror.
His mustache had been a source of attention, with critics saying it reminds South Koreans of the ones worn by Japanese governor-generals when Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910-45. Harris is born to a Japanese mother.
Harris, a retired Navy admiral who took office as the US envoy in 2018, has told local media that he decided to grow the mustache as a sign of starting a new career as a diplomat and that he would keep it unless someone convinced him that it hurt the bilateral relationship between Washington and Seoul. (Yonhap)
7. United Nations Command launches official website
Well it is about time. Now the ROK/US Combined Forces Command needs its own web site. This has long been one of the problems with the USFK server hosting both UNC and ROK/US CFC. It is what gives the impression that the US controls the ROK forces apportioned to ROK/US CFC. It is why the ROK press always refers to USFK as the higher command and even makes such erroneous statements as ROK forces "falling under the control" of USFK. Especially in preparation for OPCON transition the ROK/US CFC should establish its own web site not connected to USFK.
United Nations Command launches official website
koreaherald.com · by The Korea Herald · July 27, 2020
Published : Jul 27, 2020 - 09:54 Updated : Jul 27, 2020 - 09:54
(United Nations Command's official website-Yonhap)
The United Nations Command (UNC) launched an official website as it marked the 70th anniversary of its establishment, officials said, in a move seen as part of the US-led entity's push to strengthen its presence and roles on the Korean Peninsula.
The website,
www.unc.mil, introduces its mission, multilateral contributors, history and roles "in preserving security, stability and enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula," UNC said on its Facebook page on Friday.
The UNC had previously shared the website with US Forces Korea.
The UNC was established on July 24, 1950, upon the outbreak of the Korean War, as the world's first unified command structure, to command the multinational military forces supporting South Korea. Since the Armistice Agreement that halted the three-year war, the UNC has been in charge of enforcing the agreement.
The UNC has taken various measures under a revitalization campaign in recent years, such as having more officials exclusively dedicated to UNC roles, rather than taking multiple responsibilities for USFK or the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command. (Yonhap)
8. Bill Gates Says Korea Taking Lead in COVID-19 Vaccine Development
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has sent a letter to President Moon Jae-in expressing hope to further strengthen their cooperation in responding to COVID-19. Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday that Gates sent the letter last week, praising Korea's efforts in quarantine and vaccine development.
Bill Gates said he was impressed with Korea's COVID-19 response, citing its excellent quarantine and the fact that the country's private sector is leading efforts in vaccine development. Mister Gates expressed hope that he will be able to work together with the Korean government so that people around the world can benefit from vaccines developed locally.
SK Bioscience has secured US$3.6 million in research funding from the Gates Foundation to develop a vaccine. If successful, it's hoped that the company will be able to produce 200 million doses a year starting next June.
In April, Moon and Gates spoke over the phone, agreeing to step up their cooperation on developing coronavirus vaccines and treatments.
9. Korea aims to maximize its newfound global popularity
Wise moves by Korea.
Experts sit for an online forum at the Gwanghwamun CKL Stage in central Seoul on July 21, on the subject of "Content after the Covid-19." [NEWS1]
If anyone knows how to rebrand itself, it's Korea.
Dozens of countries all over the world had enforced a travel advisory alert against those traveling to and from Korea in February, some going so far as to ban the entry of travelers from Korea.
Phrases like "out of control" and "prevention sabotaged" were used by foreign press outlets to describe the outbreak of coronavirus that arose in the city of Daegu and even the Korean public grew skeptical of whether containing the virus would ever be possible when the number of daily infections peaked at 909 on Feb. 29.
But just weeks later, headlines took a drastic turn.
Korea was soon dubbed as a "success case" and cited as "hope for the future" when it came to containing the coronavirus, after Korean health authorities managed to flatten the curve within just a few weeks and without resorting to extreme lockdown measures.
Since then, Korea has actively shared its knowledge on tracking, tracing and treating - such as the guidebook published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which includes various information on social distancing guidelines - and has risen as the model country for handling the coronavirus crisis.
Korea's brand image has soared and so has the demand for Korea's cultural content.
Yet with travel restrictions and festivals moving online, content creators have been deprived of the chance to meet with their potential overseas buyers in person, hindering any new transactions from taking place.
The coronavirus has given Korea a chance to rebrand itself on the global stage, but it has in return, also cut off opportunities for Korean content creators to make the most of the new demand.
Korea has taken the lemon and created the most delicious lemonade ever, but how will it promote and sell that lemonade to the global market in the midst of Covid-19 and moving forward?
Starting Jan. 28, the day that Korea's first patient was diagnosed, to April 23, 8,610 reports were made by foreign press regarding Korea during 100 days. Of that number, 65 percent were about the government's measures taken against the coronavirus, according to the Korea Culture and Information Service (Kocis).
"A considerable amount of these reports were favorable toward the Korean government, although there is no exact number on it," said Lee Byung-jong, Professor at the School of Global Service at Sookmyung Women's University and a former reporter at major foreign news agencies such as AP and Bloomberg, at a symposium held on July 1 with the theme of "Searching for new ways of promoting Korea and Korean culture overseas in the post-Covid-19 era." The symposium was organized by the Korean Academic Society for Public Relations and sponsored by Kocis, providing a sphere of discussion among experts.
"The Korean government struggled in the early stages, but has been recognized by countries all over the world for its effective system and containment measures. The positive assessment from overseas news outlets was definitely the outcome of the success achieved by the government, the citizens and the medical workers. But the government's overseas media promotion also played an integral part," Lee said.
A captured image of "Korea, Wonderland?" video created by the Korean Culture and Information Service. The video has over 3.9 million views on YouTube as of July 23. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
One example of such promotion by the government includes a four-minute video created by Kocis, titled "Korea, Wonderland?" posted on YouTube on March 17. The video is a summary of how people are dealing with the coronavirus in all corners of Korea, including touching tales of how an 83-year-old woman "hand-stitched masks made of faded fabrics in the hope of helping those who can't get masks" or how "donations flooded in" and "volunteer doctors and nurses flocked to virus-affected areas" in the country's time of need.
The video had some 4 million views and 16,800 comments as of July 21. Many different languages are seen in the comment section, and the comment with the most likes, 8,000, reads, "I'm from Europe, yet it was so inspiring! I admire and like Korea for so many reasons and this is one of them!"
The reason for the video's success is definitely in part due to its timeliness, according to experts. Korea battled with a large-scale cluster early in February, when other countries had yet to face the virus to such an alarming extent. And as Korea began to grasp how to handle the situation, other countries were only beginning their battles. The video showed a realistic depiction of Korea, telling stories that the world needed to hear at this time, the same Korea that should be promoted overseas in the future according to Choi Yoon-hee, second vice minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
"The video gathered empathy from a global audience, while at the same time consoling people's hearts by telling the story of altruism that shone amid a crisis. Overseas promotion should be about pursuing a universal value and connecting with the world. We need to find the common good, not just share self-complimenting stories. Now, when Korea stands higher than ever and the international society awaits our next step, it is high time that we set new strategies that are right for the times," said Choi.
One particular industry that potentially has the most to benefit from the coronavirus is the content industry, especially cultural exports.
People stuck at home have naturally turned to various contents they can enjoy online, the likes of movies, games, dramas, cartoons and online concerts - which have already been staples of Korea's cultural exports.
Last year's content export volume amounted to an estimated $10.4 billion, recording an 8.1 percent increase from the $9.62 billion in 2018. A total of $4.81 billion worth of content was exported in the first half of 2019, of which 69.2 percent were games, 7.9 percent characters, 6.7 percent information and 5.4 percent being music. The numbers for the entirety of 2019 has yet to be released.
According to the Korea Creative Content Agency (Kocca), the demand for Korean content has definitely increased since the coronavirus outbreak, but ironically, the coronavirus is also what is preventing content creators from selling their work to overseas buyers, according to Park Seung-ryong, general director of the global business division at Kocca.
"Even though most of the popular content can be enjoyed online, new transactions are usually made through face-to-face events like content fairs or expos, especially for smaller-sized companies and individual creators. Fortunately, existing transactions have not been affected and prominent creators who have already set up their own networks are also coping with the situation. But even for them, the times are difficult - and even worse for the smaller, lesser-known creators," said Park.
Whether or not content creators find a way of making the most of the new normal, post Covid-19 will greatly affect this year's content exports, according to Lee Yang-hwan, general director at Kocca's policy division, who gave a presentation on the Korean content industry's status during Kocca's first online forum held on July 21 under the title "Content after the Covid-19."
Experts sit for an online forum at the Gwanghwamun CKL Stage in central Seoul on July 21, on the subject of "Content after the Covid-19." [NEWS1]
Content companies such as CJ ENM, PUBG, SM Entertainment, Lezhin Comics, JTBC and Google also took part in the debate session of the forum.
According to the predictions for the content industry made by Kocca at the end of June, an optimistic outlook for sales exports could see the country garner a 3.3 percent increase in export volume compared to last year and record $10.7 billion in exports. On the flip side, the most pessimistic forecast would see an 8.6 percent plummet with $9.5 in exports.
In the most realistic scenario, there will be a similar export volume as the previous year, or a slight decrease, "depending on the games export."
"I believe Korean content has the biggest potential to lead the Korean economy after the coronavirus pandemic," said Kim Hyun-soo, head of the convention business department at CJ ENM. "It is an industry that could lead to the success of other industries across the Korean economy. The coronavirus is a threat, but it's also an opportunity. The problem is, that we don't have a clear answer to how to make the most of it. But the key will lie in how we translate our content into the digital realm."
One defining characteristic of post-Covid-19 life is uncertainty, according to Cho Dong-chun, general manager of the business communication unit of SM Entertainment, admitting that "nobody knows the answer to anything."
"We don't know when the coronavirus will end, or whether any of our predictions about the post-Covid-19 world will actually be right. We're uncertain, but one thing we do know now is that offline businesses need to transition into an online model," he said.
Korea Creative Content Agency holds online meetings between local content creators and overseas buyers on June 30. [YONHAP]
One remedy offered by Kocca provides content creators with an opportunity to make use of the agency's network of people through an online platform.
One such event took place on June 30, when Kocca invited Korean content creators to meet with foreign buyers through online meetings throughout the day. Co-hosted with the Korea International Trade Association, 35 content creation companies met with 50 potential buyers from across Asia - 33 from China, 11 from Japan, five from Indonesia and one from Vietnam.
Kocca also announced its three-step plan to help content creators establish their businesses overseas businesses - offering assistance with online transitions, hosting the K-Content Expo online and adding a new function to WelCon, the agency's content export marketing platform.
Kocca announced that it set up an online counseling center at WelCon for those who are facing difficulties exporting their work and will later add new functions to allow creators to exhibit their work and meet with buyers through conferences and meetings through the website.
The culture ministry will also make the most of the new opportunity through its New Hallyu Promotion Policy, by promoting new Hallyu content exports to the global market with the help of already successful Hallyu content, such as K-pop, games and films.
The New Hallyu Policy, or K-Culture as dubbed by the culture ministry, will focus on promoting already-popular content through various methods online, such as holding an Asian Esports tournament in November or expanding financial support for the film industry, as well as helping grow industries, such as webtoons and literature, to reach a larger audience - mostly by financing translation services and providing export opportunities.
The policy will be promoted by 11 other related governmental bodies, such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, taking into account three main missions: to diversify Hallyu contents, lead relevant industries' growth through Hallyu and establish the foundation for the sustainable spread of Hallyu.
"Hallyu has the potential to encourage other related businesses to grow, but it is still centered around pop culture," said Park Yang-woo, the minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. "The information had been dispersed around many different bodies, which had hindered the efficient spread of Hallyu. We have put together the Hallyu Cooperation Committee for the first time with 12 related government bodies, and we vow to work together to plan and promote Hallyu as one."
BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]
10. Tear down the DMZ
It saddens me to read this. Yes I want to "tear down" the DMZ. I have said the following many times:
* I support a diplomatic solution to the north Korean nuclear threat
* I support ROK engagement with the north
* I do not support a weakening of the ROK and ROK/US defensive capabilities
* I believe there cannot be success for US, ROK, and Japanese interests without strong ROK/US and Japan/US alliances
* Despite the above I think we have to accept that north Korea may have a continued hostile strategy and therefore while we prioritize diplomacy we have to remain prepared for the worst cases. I hope I am wrong here and that Kim Jong-un will dismantle his nuclear weapons and seek peaceful co-existence.
I am not one who is willing to gamble and remove troops before unification and the establishment of a United Republic of Kora. (UROK). If we remove troops while the Kim family regime is still in power there will be conflict and war. Yes it is true I cannot prove that will happen. But the truth is no one can disprove it either. I am not willing to gamble the lives of 85 million Koreans and hundreds of thousands of Americans. It is in US interests to prevent war on the Korean peninsula.
 Emanuel Pastreich stands at Imjingak's Pyeonghwa-Nuri Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, June 25, 2020. Courtesy of Emanuel Pastreich
By Emanuel Pastreich
Exactly 70 years ago, the Korean People's Army crossed over from up there and set out to invade, or (as those in the North thought) to liberate, the southern part of Korea. The division into North and South was artificial, a product of the geopolitical struggles between the United States and the Soviet Union that emerged as the consensus on the need for a new international approach to governance that had powered the struggle against fascism faded into the background.
The United States and the Soviet Union had worked together as allies against the ruthless fascist push to destroy wide swaths of humanity in the pursuit of profit and against an agenda of eugenics that assumed much of humanity had no rights at all, not even the right to exist.
This invasion of the South was not the start of the conflict, but it transformed it. Getting right the historical and cultural significance of what happened 70 years ago is critical to the future of the United States and above all, to the continued role of the United States in East Asia.
As an American who was trained as an Asia expert and has spent a career trying to understand Asia, and to make a concrete contribution to Asia's future, this question of what the United States' role has been, and what is can be, is critical.
Although it is clear that there are numerous examples of Americans, and of American institutions, that have made positive contributions in Korea to the lives of the people, those efforts were mixed with other, far less benign, activities.
As the United States turns back to extreme isolationism, as racist and anti-Asian rhetoric spills out from the corporate media in the United States, as we see the commitment in the United States to Korea increasingly conditional on the sales of weapons, the hyping of a China threat and a North Korea threat, the greatest danger is that everything that the United States did of value will be buried in a wave of anti-American sentiment, some of it with justification. We can already see that wave coming.
But the response cannot be to embrace the American flag and try to defend the indefensible. If we Americans do that, we will no longer have any positive role in East Asia, and I fear we will no longer have any role in the world either. Our only choice is to condemn the racist and destructive efforts to blame the American culture of decadence and corruption on East Asia and to go forward with a new vision for America's role in Asia, and in the world, that makes a clean break from the destructive habit of promoting conflict, competition, containment and consumption. We can, we must, embrace a vision based on cooperation, coexistence, climate science and cultural exchange.
Let us go back to the moment on June 25, 1950 when the Korean People's Army swept down though Gaeseong toward Seoul, through Chuncheon to Hongcheon and through Gangneung towards Pohang. It was a tremendous shift in the nature of society. Family members would not be able to see each other again, millions would die in a war that produced one of the highest percentages of civilian deaths in history. Nothing would be normal again.
As we today anxiously await a return to "normal," a return to an environment in which we can work as we did before, travel as we did before, we cannot help thinking about that terrible transformation of Korea 70 years ago.
But the invasion was most certainly not the start of the conflict. The uprising against the administration of Rhee Syngman in the south that started on Jeju on April 3, 1948, would leave tens of thousands dead. It was, in effect, a war. So also conflicts between Christian and socialist groups in Pyongyang were equally catastrophic and tragic in the years before 1950. The conflict was a continuation of the battle against colonialism and imperialism that had been going on for decades beneath the surface in Korea, and in China, in Vietnam and even in Japan itself.
The nature of the political and cultural struggle in Asia started to shift even before June 25. The collapse of the Chinese economy in 1948 and the collapse of the Guomindang (Republican Party) of China altered the political landscape.
When Mao Zedong made his declaration of the People's Republic of China on October 3, 1949, the United States was pushed by domestic factions to move away from the anti-fascism alliance with the Soviet Union, and the efforts to avoid taking a stand against the Chinese Communist Party. Pro-business groups in the United States campaigned for close affiliation with the British Empire, for the United States to take advantage of the opportunities for power and financial advantage to be gained from accepting the mantle of a decayed London-based global system. The battle against fascism, the battle against eugenics and racism was buried in a cynical campaign of "Who lost China?"
That campaign was designed to remove all sense of complexity about the political and economic situation and to make the United States the bastion for an anti-communist global campaign. It was a tragic choice that was made in Washington D.C.
The United Nations was not able to realize its sacred mission as an international organization, promoting internationalism, and the gates were opened for a treacherous form of globalism that would lead the United States in a dangerous direction.
That is not all. The dream of establishing a culturally and politically open Korea, a unified Korea freed from the shackles of colonialism that had been held up by the Shanghai provisional government under Kim Gu, and also by other Korean groups across Asia, was shunted aside. Voices of reason and cooperation in the United States were silenced through a campaign that suppressed all so-called "leftist" discourse in policy.
The Senate Internal Security Subcommittee was formed in 1950 in the United States and set out to destroy thoughtful Americans who tried to cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party in any way in the pursuit of peace. Most notable was the attack on the thoughtful and insightful Chinese scholar Owen Lattimore for his promotion of the investigation of the truth. That campaign made cooperation impossible and permanently altered the United States' role in Korea, and in East Asia. The battle against fascism, against colonialism, against racism - a battle that had been supported by many thoughtful Americans - was buried.
Where do we stand today, 70 years later? The United States still has many troops here in Korea and the Korean Peninsula is still divided. The political establishment in Washington D.C. and in Seoul assumes that somehow the United States must have troops in South Korea forever. There is no vision at all for when American troops will go home, or how Koreans will be brought together again.
But the United States constitution says nothing about the United States stationing the military abroad for 70 years. When President Donald Trump says that American troops will be withdrawn unless the Republic of Korea coughs up an enormous amount of money, he is representing cynical financial interests that want to squeeze more out of Koreans.
But he is also appealing to a profound truth: the United States is not supposed to have troops in Korea forever and a military alliance is something that requires a state of war and should not be the driving force in a relationship between two nations. Cooperation in education, science, culture, cooperation in understanding the true threats of our age and responding to them must be the true goal of our relationship.
As an independent candidate for president of the United States, I would like to put forth a new vision today for what the United States relationship with Korea will be from this day forward, from the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.
We will promote cooperation between Koreans and Americans to respond to the true security challenges of the 21st century. The development of nuclear weapons by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not anywhere near the top of that list and the question of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula cannot be solved until the United States itself completely commits itself to the principles of the nonproliferation treaty and sets a plan for the United States to quickly get rid of all the dangerous nuclear weapons that remain in our country.
Cooperation between Americans and Koreans will not be limited to South Koreans. Americans should work with all thoughtful, brave and peace-loving Koreans, whether they are in South Korea, North Korea, China, Japan, Russia or the United States itself, to pursue an inspiring vision for what can be realized on the peninsula.
Security will be a critical part of that project. But we will have to redefine security.
Security must be a global response to the four horsemen of the apocalypse. That response must be along the lines of the battle against fascism of the 1930s and 1940s, and not the tragic division of the Korean Peninsula in the 1950s. That tragic division must end, and it must end now. It must end today.
What are the four horsemen of the apocalypse? Well, at this point, the term "apocalypse" is no longer hyperbole. The apocalypse is no longer for fundamentalists anymore. "Halleluiah! I believe!"
The first horseman of the apocalypse is the collapse of the climate, the death of the oceans, the spread of deserts and horrific destruction of biodiversity brought on by the thoughtless pursuit of a consumption and growth economy.
The second horseman of the apocalypse is the radical concentration of wealth in the hands of a few billionaires who plot now to control finance and currency completely through their supercomputer networks and to create a human-free economy for their own profit and amusement.
The third horseman of the apocalypse is the rapid evolution of technology that is rendering humans as passive animals that have lost all agency and are incapable of meaningful political action. This transformation is pushed forward by the promotion of artificial intelligence and automation in a cynical effort to increase profits for the few while dumbing down citizens through the promotion of consumption.
The fourth horseman of the apocalypse is the extreme militarization of the economy, often out of sight for citizens, which has set off an unlimited global arms race on land, on the oceans, and now even in space that could easily be the end of humanity.
These horrific developments must be the focus of an international effort to create a sustainable future for our children and that effort must be at the center of any cooperation between the United States and Korea. To put it more sharply, if cooperation with Korea is not directly related to a concrete and immediate response to those four horsemen of the apocalypse, then that cooperation should stop. We do not have the funds, the manpower, or the time to pursue projects that are unrelated to the central imperative of saving humanity.
Finally, the unification of the Korean Peninsula offers us a tremendous opportunity, one that comes only once in 500 years, an opportunity for Koreans to lay the foundations for a nation that will not only offer inspiration for its citizens, but a new hope for all citizens on Earth.
Koreans can create new institutions on a massive scale that cannot be easily done in other nations precisely because Korea is in the midst of a massive transformation. Korea can end the use of fossil fuels, create finance that is focused on citizens, not international investment banks and pursue an honest and brave internationalism that brings us together for true cooperation.
The frugal and modest lives of North Koreans are not something that must be quickly replaced by mindless consumption or thoughtless development. If anything, North Korea is perfectly positioned to be a nation that is 100 percent fossil-fuel free. North Korea can take the brave position that the minerals and the coal beneath its forests and fields shall remain there, untouched by multinational corporations because it is the people, and the ecosystem, that are far, far more valuable than money.
This tradition of sustainability, of humanism, and of moral philosophy date far back in Korea. I have had occasion to learn about Korean concepts like "hongik" (the spread of benefit to all members of society, or "seonbi" (the intellectual committed to social justice). Those ideas will bring Koreans together, will unify Korea. It will not be the investment banks or sovereign wealth funds.
The United States, or more accurately, those in the United States who are deeply committed to peace, to freedom and to the fight against totalitarianism and against the destruction of our ecosystem, must combine forces with similar movements around the world much as we did in the 1930s and 1940s.
There will be a struggle, but it must be one that is inspiring based on the pursuit and on a scientific approach to policy, and that brings back the best of the American traditions of internationalism from that time, traditions that have been buried for so long.
That means tearing down the DMZ. That means reaching out to those with the will to address real security threats; that means creating a new future for Korea, for Northeast Asia and for the world.
I cannot support Donald Trump's rhetoric, especially the racist message of "Make American Great Again." But I will say that, with the help of all citizens of Korea, of Northeast Asia and of our precious Earth, we can work together to give hope again to the discouraged and the oppressed. In that process, I believe, we can take the first steps towards making America great for the first time.
11. The children of Korean War prisoners who never came home
On the 67th anniversary of the Armistice we should not forget those who never came home because of the evil nature of the Kim family regime and the Chinese COmmunist Party. This was the most contentious issue of the Armistice negotiations: the return of and accounting for POWs.
The children of Korean War prisoners who never came home
BBC · July 27, 2020
When the Korean War ended
in 1953,
about
50,000
South Korean
prisoners of war
were kept in the North. Many were forced into labouring jobs against their will.
S
ome were killed. Now their children
are fighting for
recognition
, writes
BBC Korea's Subin Kim
.
No matter how hard she tries, Lee cannot recall what happened after three shots were fired by the executioners who killed her father and brother. It was three decades ago, when Lee was in her thirties.
She does remember what happened just before. Security officers had dragged her to a stadium in a remote village in North Korea called Aoji. She was forced to sit under a wooden bridge, waiting for something - she knew not what - to happen.
A crowd swelled and a truck pulled up, and two people were escorted off the truck. It was her father and brother.
"They tied them to stakes, calling them traitors of the nation, spies and reactionaries," Lee told the BBC in an interview recently. That's the moment her memory falters. "I think I was screaming," she said. "My jaw was dislocated. A neighbour took me home to fix my jaw."
The
f
orgotten prisoners
Lee's father was one of about 50,000 former prisoners of war who were kept in the North at the end of the Korean war. The former prisoners were regrouped against their will into North Korean army units, and forced to work on reconstruction projects or in mining for the rest of their lives.
When the armistice was signed, on 27 July 1953, the South Korean soldiers had assumed expected there would soon be a prisoner exchange and they would be sent home. But a month before the armistice, South Korean President Syngman Rhee unilaterally freed more than 25,000 North Korean prisoners, in order to sabotage the ceasefire. He wanted UN forces to help him reunite the country under South Korea. Many believe the move made the repatriation of South Korean prisoners more difficult.
The North only sent back a small fraction of the prisoners it had taken.
Soon South Korea largely forgot the men. In years since, three South Korean Presidents have met North Korean leaders, but the prisoners of war were never on the agenda.
In the North, the Lee family were viewed as bad stock. Lee's father was born in the South and had fought alongside United Nations forces in the Korean War, against the North - a black mark against him. The family's low social status relegated them to backbreaking jobs and dim prospects. Both Lee's father and brother worked at coal mines, where fatal accidents were a regular occurrence.
Lee's father harboured a dream of going home one day, when the country was reunited again. After work, he would tell his children stories of his youth. At times, he would prod his children to escape to the south. "There will be a medal for me, and you will be treated as children of a hero," he would say.
But Lee's brother, while drinking with friends one day, let slip the things their father would say. One of the friends reported it to the authorities. In a matter of months, Lee's father and brother were dead.
In 2004, Lee managed to defect to South Korea. It was then that she realised her father's error - his country did not see him as a hero. Little had been done to help the old prisoners of war get home.
The soldiers kept back in North Korea suffered. They were viewed as enemies of the state, men who had fought in the "puppet army", and assigned to the lowest rank of North Korean social caste of "songbun".
Such status was hereditary, so their children were not allowed to receive higher education or the freedom to choose their occupation.
Choi was a star student, but her dream of going to a university was impossible because of her father's status. She once yelled at her father, "You reactionary scum! Why don't you go back to your country?"
Her father didn't yell back, but said to her dejectedly that their country was too weak to repatriate them. Eight years ago, Choi abandoned her family and fled to the South.
"My father wanted to come here," she said. "I wanted to come to the place the person I loved the most in my whole life wanted to come but never could. That's why I abandoned my son, my daughter and my husband."
Choi's father is now dead. And in South Korea, on paper, she has no father, because official documents say he died in action during the war.
Bringing my father's bones home
Son Myeong-hwa still clearly remembers her father's last words on his deathbed nearly 40 years ago. "If you get to go to the South, you've got to carry my bones with you and bury me where I was born."
Son's father was a South Korean soldier who was from Gimhae, some 18km away from Busan. In the North he was forced to work in coal mines and a logging factory for decades and only allowed to go home ten days before he died of cancer.
He told Son, "It is so bitter to die here without ever seeing my parents again. Wouldn't it be good to be buried there?"
Son defected in 2005. But it took her eight years to get her father's remains out of North Korea. She asked her siblings to dig up her father's remains and bring them to a broker in China. Three suitcases were needed. Two of Son's friends came along, but it was Son who carried her father's skull.
Son protested for more than a year for the recognition of her father's status as an unrepatriated soldier, and eventually she was able to bury his remains at the national cemetery in 2015.
"I thought that I finally fulfilled my duty as a daughter," she said. "But it breaks my heart when I think of him having had his last breath there."
Son discovered later that the family paid a terrible price for the burial. Her siblings in the North were sent to political prisons.
Son now heads the Korean War POW Family Association, a group that fights for better treatment of roughly 110 families of South Korean soldiers who never came home.
Through a DNA test, Son was able to prove that she was her father's daughter - which was essential for her to file for his unpaid wages from South Korea. Even if they manage to escape to the South, the children of prisoners of war are not officially recognised, and many of the unrepatriated prisoners were considered dead, or discharged during the war, or simply missing.
Only a handful of prisoners of war who managed to escape to the South ever received unpaid wages, and those who died in captivity in the North were not eligible for any compensation.
In January, Son and her lawyers filed a constitutional court case, arguing that the families of the prisoners who died in the North had been treated unfairly and that the government had done nothing to repatriate the prisoners, making it responsible for the prisoners who never came back.
"We were so sad to be born the children of the prisoners, and it was even more painful to be ignored even after coming to South Korea," Son said.
"If we can't recover our fathers' honour, the horrendous lives of the prisoners of the war and their children will be all forgotten."
Some names
were
changed
to protect contributors' safety
. Illustrations by Davies Surya.
12. Guns and glory : two Koreas mark armistice
Which side wants peace and which side wants to use its military to dominate the peninsula? Which side honors its veterans and the sacrifice of a nation? Which side makes its military and the population worship at the feet of its dictator?
Guns and glory : two Koreas mark armistice
24matins.uk · July 27, 2020
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was shown surrounded by pistol-toting generals while in the South masked veterans were socially distanced as the two sides on Monday separately marked the armistice that ended Korean War hostilities.
The contrasting events marked 67 years since the ceasefire that left the peninsula divided and millions of families split by the Demilitarized Zone.
In the North's capital, Kim handed out commemorative pistols to dozens of generals and senior officers, who pledged their loyalty to him, state media reported.
The North reported its first suspected case of novel coronavirus infection at the weekend - after insisting for months it had kept itself free of the disease that has swept the world - but pictures showed the generals all gathered close together for a group photo, none of them wearing masks.
In Seoul, scores of veterans - in facial coverings and socially distanced seats - attended a ceremony paying tribute to their efforts, themed
"Days of Glory".
Korean War veterans wore face masks at an event in Seoul marking the anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement
© AFP Ed JONES
On screen, dramatic reconstructions of the war were interspersed with interviews with foreign veterans, and messages of support from current leaders of the countries that sent troops to support the South, among them US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Millions of people were killed during the three-year conflict, which began when the Communist North invaded the US-backed South as leader Kim Il Sung - grandfather of the incumbent - sought to reunify by force the peninsula Moscow and Washington had divided at the end of World War II.
The Chinese- and Soviet-backed North fought to a standstill against the South and a US-led United Nations coalition.
Hostilities ended on July 27, 1953 with a ceasefire that has never been replaced by a peace treaty.
The North has subsequently built up a nuclear arsenal that it says it needs to protect itself against a US invasion, and has been subjected to multiple international sanctions as a result.
'Air of uncertainty'
Pyongyang regards the conflict - which it calls the Glorious Fatherland Liberation War - as a victory, and the anniversary is a public holiday.
The official news agency KCNA reported that Kim presented his generals at the weekend with
"commemorative pistols bearing his august name in token of his trust".
South Korea and a US-led UN coalition fought against the Chinese- and Soviet-backed North during the three year conflict that left millions dead
© AFP Ed JONES
The weapons were named after Mount Paektu, the dormant volcano on the Chinese-Korean border that is regarded as the spiritual birthplace of the Korean people.
In the pictures, the chief of the general staff Vice Marshal Pak Jong Chon, who was sitting to Kim's right, carefully pointed his pistol upwards rather than towards the leader.
At another Southern ceremony in Panmunjom, the truce village in the Demilitarised Zone, General Robert Abrams, the commander of UN Command and US Forces Korea, noted the stark deterioration in conditions on the peninsula.
Nuclear discussions between Washington and Pyongyang have been largely at a standstill since the Hanoi summit collapsed over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return.
Relations between Seoul and Pyongyang have steadily worsened and last month the North blew up a liaison office on its side of the border.
Previously,
"there was an air of cautious optimism as the world witnessed a significant and palpable reduction of tensions between North and South Korea", Abrams told a handful of uniformed officers and diplomats in masks.
In sight of the emblematic sky-blue huts that straddle the border, Abrams went on:
"Today, this cautious optimism has shifted somewhat to an air of uncertainty."
The US stations 28,500 troops in the South to defend its interests and protect it from its neighbour.
13. North Korea's Kim marks war anniversary amid virus concerns
The more I read these reports and think about the situation the more I think either the north is having a large outbreak or it soon will because it is unable to contain it and/or it knows it can no longer contain the information about it which is just as dangerous for the regime.
If I were advising the ROK/US CFC I would recommend they incorporate instability scenarios into next month's training. And this is why readiness has to take precedence over the OPCON transition process. On the other hand if we have a contingency in north Korea it would be best if the ROK/US CFC was led by a Korean general. If the situation ever evolves to the point where the peninsula is on the path to unification, military operations in support of the unification process need to be led by a Korean general. This is one of the reasons why I support the OPCON transition process. WHile I make a distinction of readiness over OPCON transition process in reality we have to figure out they can be "both/and" versus "either/or."
North Korea's Kim marks war anniversary amid virus concerns
AP · by HYUNG-JIN KIM · July 27, 2020
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a national cemetery and handed out commemorative pistols to army officers, state media reported Monday, as he pushes to muster public support for efforts to contain a potential coronavirus outbreak.
On Sunday, North Korea said that Kim had put a city near the border with South Korea under lockdown and declared a state of emergency after a person with suspected COVID-19 symptoms was recently found there. If the person is diagnosed with the coronavirus, it would be North Korea's first officially confirmed case, though many outside experts believe the virus has already spread to the country.
The North's official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim visited a cemetery on the outskirts of Pyongyang where Korean War dead are buried to mark the 67th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 war. Kim laid a single rose and bowed before a big monument at the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery, according to KCNA. It didn't say exactly when Kim went there.
A 1953 armistice that ended the war has yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula in a technical state of war. North Korea considers the armistice signing as a victory and often uses the anniversary as a chance to promote nationalism.
KCNA also reported that Kim gave "Paektusan" commemorative pistols, named after the sacred peak on the peninsula, to senior military officials during a ceremony Sunday marking the war anniversary. State media photos showed a beaming Kim, clad in his trademark dark suit, sitting while surrounded by army officers holding black pistols.
"The participants held high the pistols and made firm pledges to fight for Kim Jong Un at the cost of their lives," KCNA reported.
Kim is in need of stronger internal unity as he struggles to withstand crippling U.S.-led sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic, which forced him in January to close the North's border with China, its biggest trading partner and aid benefactor.
While announcing the Kaesong city lockdown, North Korea's state media reported that the suspected virus patient was a runway who had fled to South Korea three years ago before illegally slipping back to the North early last week.
Some experts say North Korea was aiming to hold South Korea responsible for a virus spread and apply more pressure on its rival. Others say the North may be trying to find an excuse to win anti-virus aid items from South Korea.
South Korean officials said their investigation into who crossed the border into the North has been narrowed to a single person. Without identifying who that person is, military spokesperson Kim Jun-rak told reporters Monday that a bag belonging to the person was found on a South Korean border island. Health official Yoon Taeho separately said that the person has never been listed as a virus patient in South Korea.
KCNA on Sunday quoted Kim as saying "the vicious virus" may have entered the North while urging the North Korean public to rally behind him to overcome "the present epidemic crisis."
Monitoring groups and refugees from North Korea have been highly skeptical of the North's claim that it has had no cases of the coronavirus because the country shares a long, porous border with China, where the virus is believed to have started late last year. Analysts say a virus outbreak in North Korea could cause a humanitarian disaster due to its wrecked health care system and lack of medical supplies.
14. Trump stresses 'ironclad alliance' with Seoul in armistice proclamation
It is always interesting that he did not mention north Korea in this proclamation.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington Friday. [AP/YONHAP]
U.S. President Donald Trump stressed that Washington's "ironclad alliance" with Seoul is vital to peace and stability in Asia and around the world in a proclamation marking the armistice agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
"Today, the Republic of Korea, once decimated in the aftermath of the war, is one of the world's most vibrant, dynamic, and economically prosperous democracies - and one of our strongest allies," said Trump in a proclamation released by the White House on the eve of the National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, which falls on a Monday.
"This ironclad alliance, forged in war and reinforced by a shared love of liberty and deep ties of friendship, is vital to peace and stability in both Asia and the world."
The National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day is observed each year in the United States on July 27. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the three-year Korean War and the 67th anniversary of the armistice agreement which ended it with a ceasefire on July 27, 1953.
Over 36,000 American soldiers died during the war, an estimated 103,000 were wounded and nearly 8,000 went missing in action, he said.
Trump noted that U.S. forces "continue to proudly serve side-by-side with our Korean military counterparts" to this day. He continued, "As we commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, we renew our commitment to the principles of liberty for which our Korean War veterans so valiantly fought."
His remarks come as the two allies continue to struggle to seal a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) after their previous bilateral defense cost-sharing deal expired at the end of last year.
Reports earlier this month indicated that the Trump administration was considering reducing the U.S. military presence in Korea to below the current 28,500 personnel. U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper subsequently said he had issued no orders to withdraw forces from the Korean Peninsula.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said in a Senate hearing last week that Seoul and Washington have agreed there is a need to "rejuvenate" the alliance but added that a "substantial presence" of U.S. troops in the region "would strongly advance America's security interests in East Asia."
Trump didn't have a message toward North Korea as he did in his previous two armistice proclamations.
Trump's proclamation in 2019 mentioned his third meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the demilitarized zone at the inter-Korean border the previous month on June 30.
Noting he was the first sitting U.S. president to step into the North, he said at the time, "I hope these steps will spur progress in the ongoing effort to achieve the complete and verifiable denuclearization of North Korea, establish a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula and continue the recovery and repatriation of remains of fallen American soldiers."
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
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[Heroes from afar] Turkish soldiers came to the aid of war's orphans
15. Gov't, military hit for poor security, defector management
As I have written, escapees (defectors) should be treated as South Korea national assets. They should be protected and they should be provided the opportunity to work toward unification in pursuit of the United Republic of Korea.
Gov't, military hit for poor security, defector management
The Korea Times · July 27, 2020
 A missed delivery notice is attached to the door of an apartment in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, belonging to a North Korean defector who is suspected of having fled to the North while police were investigating rape allegations made against him earlier this month. Yonhap
By Jung Da-min
The South Korean military and police are facing criticism for failing to notice that a North Korean defector had returned to the North, only becoming aware after the situation was reported by North Korean state media.
The military failed to prevent the border crossing, and the police neglected to properly manage the defector, whose identity has not yet been confirmed. However, both the police and the military believe the defector in question is a man surnamed Kim, 24, who has been under police investigation following sexual violence allegations against him.
"The combat readiness inspection office of the JCS is checking the military's overall readiness and other conditions including if surveillance equipment and video recording were operating correctly," the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, hours after the defector's return was known, Sunday.
The military is currently investigating the details of the incident, including the specific route of Kim's return to the North. The military suspects he swam across the border from Ganghwa Island in Incheon to the North after going through a drain under barbed wire fences.
 The Han River is seen from Ganghwa County, Incheon, Monday. A North Korean defector who fled to the North is suspected of having swum across the river. Yonhap
Near the drain, the military found his bag containing some clothes, swimming goggles and a receipt showing he had exchanged 4.8 million won into dollars.
The case raised questions about the military's surveillance capabilities, as the incident was only the last in a series of border crossing cases in recent years.
In May, a group of Chinese people entered the country undetected after arriving by boat in Taean County, South Chungcheong Province.
In June last year, a North Korean fishing boat carrying four sailors arrived in Samcheok Port, 130 kilometers south of the Northern Limit Line, without being detected by the military.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo repeatedly expressed regret over the failures of the military's surveillance and vowed to strengthen defensive operations around the coastline - an aim that does not appear to have been successful.
Police are also under fire for not properly monitoring North Korean defectors and even ignoring a report of Kim's possible border crossing.
Kim, who came to the South in 2017, has been under police investigation over rape allegations.
Another North Korean defector and YouTuber Kim Jin-ah said during her live broadcast on Sunday that the suspect's border crossing was not impromptu but preplanned, as he had changed South Korean won to U.S. dollars and visited the Ganghwa area several days in advance to scout out his intended travel route.
"From what I heard from his acquaintances, Kim exchanged about 30 million won to 40 million won to U.S. dollars before returning to the North, including the 15 million won deposit for an apartment provided by the government for defectors here, 20 million won from the government's employment subsidy for defectors, and some more after selling his car to illegal secondhand dealers," Kim said.
Kim said she received a text message from him hinting at his plans to return to the North early in the morning on July 18, and she went to his apartment to find that he was already gone. She said she went to a police station near his residence in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, but police officials there said they were not in charge of the matter. "If the police received my report and dealt with the matter at the right time, they could have stopped him from returning to the North," she said.
The North Korean media reports said Kim returned on July 19, but the government is currently investigating if it was when he arrived there or when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was informed of his redefection.
According to the South's Ministry of Unification, a total of 11 North Korean defectors have returned to the North over the past five years, excluding the latest event.
16. North Korea shock: Kim Jong-Un's sister asserts authority with new childbirth plan
What is Kim Yo-jong up to? She seems to have her hand in every aspect of north Korea these days.
North Korea shock: Kim Jong-Un's sister asserts authority with new childbirth plan
Express · by Ted Jeffery · July 27, 2020
This was a story first reported by North Korean state-run outlet Naenara. A North Korean source spoke to Daily NK: "Comrade Kim Yo Jong ordered the Cabinet to send up a petition [to Kim Jong Un] about the stipend scheme." On Wednesday it was said: "Things moved forward when Kim gave his approval."
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It's been cited that Kim Yo-Jong has also been seen giving medicine to new mothers at a hospital in Pyongyang.
The stipend seems to be part of a broader strategy to show her "love of the people."
The source said: "The stipend scheme is aimed at boosting trust in the socialist healthcare system with a view to encourage people to have more children, while also providing support for young children who, of course, are vulnerable to contagious diseases."
"Families with children under five years old received KPW 7,500 each."
Kim Yo Jong meeting South Korean officials (Image: GETTY IMAGE)
The stipend appears to have come in response to growing numbers of North Korean families avoiding having children due to economic difficulties and high child-rearing costs.
The stipend may also be considered a kind of "disaster relief payment" stemming from difficulties due to COVID-19.
The fixed sum of money is quite small when you look at what the South Korean government has provided.
Kim Jong Un at US NK summit (Image: GETTY IMAGE)
It appears as though their government has given more to families with children than the North Koreans do.
The South Korean government has issued families with childcare coupons worth some KRW 400,000 per child.
The country also provides support to families to pay for childcare services, among other benefits.
Daily North Korea's source said: "While North Korea's stipends may be small, they are the first such financial incentives to encourage people to have more children the state has given out in a long time."
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North and South Korea meet on the border (Image: GETTY IMAGE)
Adding that: "many households are unhappy that the stipends are so small in value."
Also that "the stipend is enough to purchase 1.8 kilograms of rice, so it will only help families feed themselves for a couple of days."
The current situation in Pyongyang, when it comes to prices is that one kilogram of rice costs KPW 4,100 (as of July 1).
People of North Korea during COVID-19 pandemic (Image: GETTY IMAGE)
Meanwhile, one USD is equivalent to KPW 8,300, which means the value of the stipend is less than one American dollar.
A further issue being highlighted about this 'fixed sum of money' is that it has only been given out to a small selection of North Koreans living in urban areas.
The source said: "The stipend was not paid to citizens nationwide."
Adding, "It was mainly given to people in Pyongyang. In areas outside the capital, only families with both parents working for state-run businesses received it."
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