Quotes of the Day:
"Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong."
- Thomas Jefferson
"How is it possible, that the love of gain and the lust of domination should render the human mind so callous to every principle of honor, generosity and benevolence?"
- Abigail Adams
“I fear that in every elected office, members will obtain an influence by noise not sense. By meanness, not greatness. By ignorance, not learning. By contracted hearts, not large souls . . . There must be decency and respect.”
-John Adams
1. Yoon to appoint new JCS chief amid tensions over N. Korea
2. N. Korea lashes out at closer security ties among S. Korea, U.S., Japan
3. Yoon's disapproval rating exceeds approval rating in latest poll
4. Pyongyang squawks at goings-on at NATO summit
5. A honeymoon that didn’t last long (President Yoon)
6. Biden’s policy errors could affect Korea
7. More than six out of 10 South Koreans willing to fight for country
8. Need for pragmatic diplomacy
9. Combating COVID-19: lessons learned from South Korea
10. FM hints at military cooperation with Japan, US
11. Trilateral security cooperation is back, says Yoon
12. South Korean defense agency backs buy of 20 more F-35A jets
13. Satellite pics reveal North Korea’s huge ‘176,000sq ft’ underground lair
14. Army announces Korea Rotational Force Transition
15. Army will no longer rotate tank units to Korea — but the tanks are staying
1. Yoon to appoint new JCS chief amid tensions over N. Korea
I do not know General Kim. It is good news that the ROK/US CFC DCINC will move to the CJCS. A natural progression might then be from CJCS to CINC ROK/US CFC. When the OPCON transition is completed the first act of the Military Committee should be to return the proper historical traditional name to CFC - the Commander-in-Chief ROK/US Combined Forces Command.
Yoon to appoint new JCS chief amid tensions over N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, July 3 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to appoint Army Gen. Kim Seung-kyum as the new head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) early this week, a key presidential official said Sunday, amid lingering tensions over North Korea's provocations.
Kim, who was nominated for the top military job on May 25, should take over the position quickly to prevent any leadership vacuum in the armed forces, the official said. "We haven't identified any ground for disqualification," the official added.
Kim most recently served as the deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.
The outgoing JCS chief, Air Force Gen. Won In-choul, will step down Monday.
The planned appointment on Monday comes amid tensions over a series of North Korea's missile launches and a possible nuclear test.
Kim would be the first the JCS chair to be appointed without a parliamentary confirmation hearing since 2006, when South Korea added a JCS chair to the list of nominees who are subject to confirmation hearings.
Yoon does not require approval from the National Assembly in appointing Kim as his first JCS chair.
In South Korea, the prime minister is the only Cabinet post that requires parliamentary approval.
Last month, Yoon also appointed Kim Chang-ki, a longtime tax official, as the new chief of the National Tax Service.
The two nominees could not undergo confirmation hearings due to a parliamentary deadlock over various issues, including who will chair the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)
2. N. Korea lashes out at closer security ties among S. Korea, U.S., Japan
Blowback and second and third order effects of north Korean actions. The regime has no one to blame except itself for improving trilateral cooperation.
N. Korea lashes out at closer security ties among S. Korea, U.S., Japan | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, July 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea lambasted South Korea, the United States and Japan on Sunday for their move to strengthen trilateral security cooperation highlighted in a rare group summit of their leaders last week.
Pyongyang's foreign ministry strongly condemned discussions on three-way military drills that President Yoon Suk-yeol held with his American and Japanese counterparts -- Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida -- on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Spain.
"The recent NATO summit more clearly proves that the U.S. pursues a plan to contain Russia and China at the same time by realizing the 'militarization' of
Europe and forming a military alliance like NATO in the Asia-Pacific region and keeps the U.S.-Japan-South Korea tripartite military alliance as an important means for materializing the plan," the ministry's spokesperson said, according to an English-language article of the official Korean Central News Agency.
Due to the "reckless military moves of the U.S. and its vassal forces," world peace and security have been put in the "most critical condition after the end of the Cold War," as a nuclear war might break out simultaneously in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, the unnamed spokesperson was quoted as saying.
North Korea will "reliably" defend the sovereignty and interests of the country and fulfill its "responsible duty" to ensure peace and security in the region, added the official.
(END)
3. Yoon's disapproval rating exceeds approval rating in latest poll
South Korean politics are complicated. I think becoming president in Korea must be like buying a new car. The moment you drive it off the lot it loses huge value. The moment you are elected president in the ROK, the population turns on you.
And apparently there is no honeymoon after the election or at least a 100 day period to get started on executing the election platform.
Yoon's disapproval rating exceeds approval rating in latest poll | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, July 3 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol's disapproval rating surpassed his approval rating in a poll released Sunday.
The survey by Research View, conducted on 1,000 South Koreans aged 18 or over from last Tuesday to Thursday, was the latest in a series of national polls, in which those giving a negative assessment of Yoon's performance outnumbered those who were bullish on the president.
This poll was conducted while Yoon was visiting Spain for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, his first overseas trip since taking office in May.
According to Research View, 51 percent of the polled said Yoon has been doing an inadequate job as president, while 45 percent said he is handling state affairs well.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
In Research View's previous poll on Yoon from May 28-30, Yoon had a 53 percent approval rating, with only 40 percent giving a negative performance review on the new president.
Among different age brackets, 61 percent of those in their 50s disapproved of Yoon's performance, a jump of 22 percentage points from the May survey.
For those identifying as moderates, 58 percent gave a negative performance review, up from 37 percent in the previous poll.
Previously, in a Realmeter survey from June 20-24, the disapproval rating for Yoon came out to 47.7 percent, 1.1 percentage points higher than the approval rating. A poll by the Korea Society Opinion Institute, conducted on June 24 and 25, showed the disapproval rating at 47.4 percent, compared with an approval rating of 46.8 percent.
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4. Pyongyang squawks at goings-on at NATO summit
Let them squawk.
Excerpts:
The North's Foreign Ministry claimed that U.S.-led joint military exercises and navel drills in the region "destroy peace and stability" on the Korean Peninsula as well as in the Asia-Pacific region.
It added that a "dangerous situation" has been created in which "a nuclear war might break out simultaneously in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region" and "the world peace and security came to be placed in the most critical condition after the end of the Cold War."
I think it is historic for NATO to address China and north Korea:
The strategic concept states that Russia poses "the most significant and direct threat" to the alliance's security and says that China's "coercive policies" challenge its "interests, security and values." It mentions North Korea as a country that continues to develop nuclear and missile programs and has resorted to the use of chemical weapons, noting that the use of such weapons or materials "by hostile state and non-state actors" remain a threat to NATO's security.
Sunday
July 3, 2022
Pyongyang squawks at goings-on at NATO summit
President Yoon Suk-yeol, right, shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden ahead of a trilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of a NATO gathering at the IFEMA Convention Center in Madrid Wednesday afternoon. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned South Korea, the United States and Japan for efforts to strengthen security cooperation in a trilateral summit in Madrid last week and accused Washington of creating a NATO-like military alliance in the Asia-Pacific.
The ministry's spokesperson said, according to an English-language report from the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Sunday, "During the recent NATO summit, the chief executives of the U.S., Japan and south Korea put their heads together for confrontation with the DPRK and discussed the dangerous joint military countermeasures against it including the launch of tripartite joint military exercises."
DPRK is the acronym for the North's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
On Wednesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden met on the sidelines of a NATO Summit in Madrid, holding their first trilateral talks in nearly five years.
The KCNA report said that the United States "and its vassal forces," referring to its allies, tried to find "fault with the DPRK's measure for bolstering its military capability for self-defense in a 'new strategic concept' adopted at the NATO summit."
The spokesperson said the NATO summit last week "clearly proves that the U.S. pursues a plan to contain Russia and China" while "realizing the 'militarization' of Europe and forming a military alliance like NATO in the Asia-Pacific region."
The U.S.-Japan-South Korea military alliance is "an important means for materializing the plan," added the spokesperson.
The North's Foreign Ministry claimed that U.S.-led joint military exercises and navel drills in the region "destroy peace and stability" on the Korean Peninsula as well as in the Asia-Pacific region.
It added that a "dangerous situation" has been created in which "a nuclear war might break out simultaneously in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region" and "the world peace and security came to be placed in the most critical condition after the end of the Cold War."
NATO invited for the first time four Asia-Pacific countries — South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand — to attend the summit held last Wednesday and Thursday.
The 30 NATO leaders during the summit adopted a new strategic concept meant as a blueprint for the military alliance's priorities for the next 10 years, which targets rising threats from Russia and China, traditional allies of North Korea.
The strategic concept states that Russia poses "the most significant and direct threat" to the alliance's security and says that China's "coercive policies" challenge its "interests, security and values." It mentions North Korea as a country that continues to develop nuclear and missile programs and has resorted to the use of chemical weapons, noting that the use of such weapons or materials "by hostile state and non-state actors" remain a threat to NATO's security.
The United States is reviewing "expanding sanctions on North Korean individual and entities," said a South Korean presidential official after the trilateral talks in Madrid Wednesday.
On Saturday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement vowing to strengthen its "self-defense" measures against threats from the United States in response to the Group of Seven, or G7 meeting held in Germany ahead of the NATO gathering.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
5. A honeymoon that didn’t last long (President Yoon)
Sunday
July 3, 2022
A decline in approval ratings for President Yoon Suk-yeol and his People Power Party (PPP) has continued for three consecutive weeks, according to a recent Gallup Korea poll. In a survey released on Friday, Yoon’s approval rating fell to 43 percent, down 10 percent from early June, while his disapproval rating rose to 42 percent. Yoon’s approval rating is lower than former president Park Geun-hye’s 42 percent in her first three months in office. The approval rating for the PPP, which won a razor-thin victory against the Democratic Party (DP) in the March 9 presidential election, also dropped to 40 percent, down five percent in a month.
Bad external circumstances may have played a part in the simultaneous decline in approval ratings. Koreans are struggling with runaway inflation from the Ukraine war and shortages of supplies from a heated contest for power between the U.S. and China. On top of that, ominous leftovers from the liberal Moon Jae-in administration still affect the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
But the Yoon administration also should be held accountable for the alarming decline in its approval ratings. At the top of the list of its failings is the conservative president’s unique appointment style based on his connections with the prosecution agency. In the Gallup Korea poll, 18 percent criticized his appointments, while only six percent gave good scores to his leadership.
Opponents are attacking Yoon for his nominations of Park Soon-ae as education minister and Kim Seung-hee as health and welfare minister despite their lack of qualifications. Yoon picked them to help dilute public criticism of his appointment style and how it focuses on graduates of Seoul National University, candidates in their 50s and mostly males. In Kim’s case, in particular, it turned out that the National Election Commission (NEC) had requested the prosecution investigate her alleged violation of the Political Fund Act during her campaign for a legislative seat. The president can appoint them without getting approval from the National Assembly, but he must not.
The PPP is no exception. Due to a never-ending internal battle between Chairman Lee Jun-seok and his opponents in the party over his non-compromising leadership style and recently over an alleged sex scandal, members of the PPP have been engrossed in winning a power struggle over the past month. This is not the kind of behavior that pleases the public.
Yoon has been in office for less than two months. If he loses public support now, he cannot push the many reforms that he promised in his presidential campaign. We hope the president and PPP wake up before it is too late.
6. Biden’s policy errors could affect Korea
Excerpts:
The impact on the alliance
What would be the consequence for Korea if the U.S. government’s misjudgment causes devastating inflation in the U.S. and globally? Biden would try various policies to restore popularity ahead of the midterm election and may seek help from Korea. Big Korean companies like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor may be asked to make more investments in America. While lowering tariffs on Chinese imports, Washington could be tempted to create other troubles with Beijing to divert attention.
Benevolence comes during the good times. The United States grappling with high inflation could lead to heavy demands on Korea and other allies.
Sunday
July 3, 2022
Biden’s policy errors could affect Korea
Nam Jeong-ho
The author is a columnistat the JoongAng Ilbo.
The Russia-Ukraine war has delivered unintended consequences and a change in mood globally. U.S.-led sanctions to stop the invasion of Ukraine stoked the worst inflation in decades, while the approval rating of U.S. President Joe Biden has plummeted. Korea-U.S. relations have been affected, and the global order has been shaken. This demands closer study.
The United States has been fully backing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, counting on the weakening of Russia and the Vladimir Putin regime from the war, where Ukraine has defended itself far better than expected. Washington had first been passive in supplying weapons over fear of expanding the conflict, but ended up assisting Ukraine with choppers and armored vehicles after witnessing the brutality of Russian forces. The U.S. is estimated to have provided $5.6 billion of weapons and other resources to Ukraine. It also supplied $914 million of humanitarian aid in the form of water, medical supplies and other daily necessities.
After Ukraine stood up against Russia’s relentless offensive for more than two months, Biden in May upped the stakes. He ordered an import ban on Russian crude oil and natural gas. The move was expected to deal a critical blow to Russia as Russians rely heavily on revenues from oil and gas exports.
Energy-related raw materials accounted for 42.8 percent of Russia’s total exports last year. Republican Senator John McCain, who lost to Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, called Russia “a gas station masquerading as a country.”
Sanctions on oil and natural gas were expected to slash fiscal income for Russia and funding for Putin’s war. The Biden administration also bet on anti-war sentiment in Russia on a surge of casualties.
The U.S. may also have calculated benefits to U.S. energy companies. With shale gas discoveries and exploitation, the U.S. has turned into an energy exporter from an importer. The ban on Russian oil and natural gas would result in revenue and benefit to American energy producers.
Washington was certain that the U.S. would be able to humble the Putin regime and got NATO member states, Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Japan on board with the sanctions.
But the outcome missed the mark by a wide margin. Although Russia lost Europe and other regions for exports, its revenue from oil shipments increased. Crude has become dear due to the ban on energy supplies from Russia. To counter the sanctions, Russia began to sell its production cheaply at a time when international crude prices soared. It sold crude more than $30 cheaper than Brent, West Texas Intermediate and Dubai Crude. Countries unaligned with the U.S. rushed to grab cheap Russian oil, bolstering Russia’s energy income.
Brazil, India, China and South Africa — the other BRICS — were primary customers for Russian fuel. India has been the most avid buyer. The country procures 740,000 barrels per day these days, which is nearly 20 times last year’s daily average of 38,000 barrels. New Delhi is suspected of stocking cheap Russian oil for resale at higher prices. Brazil also has defied the U.S. call. President Jair Bolsonaro went ahead with a visit to Russia to meet with Putin in February despite Washington’s opposition. China and South Africa also are major customers for Russian oil.
During a Senate hearing on June 9, U.S. energy security envoy Amos Hochstein acknowledged that Russia might be earning more revenue from fossil fuels than before its invasion of Ukraine.
Bad lessons
What caused the misjudgments of the Biden administration? Many blame them on bad lessons from the past. Biden’s foreign policy team — Secretary of State Tony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan — designed sanctions on Iran during the Barack Obama administration that proved to be effective. Based on their experience, they were sure of the effect of economic sanctions on Russia. Washington in 2015 had succeeded in defeating Iran with lengthy sanctions to force a deal to suspend its nuclear program.
But the sanctions on Russia were different. They were not accompanied by a secondary boycott that also punishes companies that buy energy from a country under sanction. As a result, anyone could purchase Russian oil and gas due to the lack of binding force.
Due to the rhetorical sanctions, countries who did not go along were not disadvantaged. In fact, they benefited from cheap and abundant supplies from Russia, whereas countries that joined U.S. sanctions are grappling with multiyear-high inflation from expensive fuel.
In the U.S., gasoline soared above $5 a gallon. It had been $1 before the war. The consumer price index jumped 8.6 percent in May on year, the steepest gain in 41 years. The monstrous inflation has been hard on Biden’s approval rating. It fell to 40.2 percent on his 500th day in office, lower than President Donald Trump’s 41.5 percent. At this rate, the Democratic Party is headed for a major defeat in midterm elections in November and cannot dream of winning a second presidential term two years from now.
Easing sanctions on China
The Biden administration has gone all-out to fight inflation. It is even mulling an easing of high tariffs on Chinese imports — tariffs levied by the Trump administration. High tariffs on Chinese imports have been criticized for fanning inflation while doing little to damage the Xi Jinping regime.
Biden plans to visit Saudi Arabia next month to request an increase in crude output. He will be meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country he had vowed to make a “pariah” for the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident.
At home, he lambasted energy majors like Exxon, blaming them for doing little to tame the prices when they were making “more money than God.”
Biden’s latest endeavors won’t likely help greatly to contain inflation. The sanctions have fanned fuel prices, but have not hurt Putin. Putin’s war chest is big enough to continue the war. On the other hand, Biden may come under pressure to throw in the towel. In that case, the Ukraine war will likely end in Russia’s favor.
The impact on the alliance
What would be the consequence for Korea if the U.S. government’s misjudgment causes devastating inflation in the U.S. and globally? Biden would try various policies to restore popularity ahead of the midterm election and may seek help from Korea. Big Korean companies like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor may be asked to make more investments in America. While lowering tariffs on Chinese imports, Washington could be tempted to create other troubles with Beijing to divert attention.
Benevolence comes during the good times. The United States grappling with high inflation could lead to heavy demands on Korea and other allies.
7. More than six out of 10 South Koreans willing to fight for country
Interesting data. My sense is the number will be higher if hostilities actually resumed.
More than six out of 10 South Koreans willing to fight for country
Ukrainian officers sit in a bus after they were evacuated from the besieged Mariupol Azovstal steel plant near a remand prison in Olyonivka, in the Donetsk People's Republic, a contested territory in eastern Ukraine, in this May 17 photo. AP-Yonhap
By Kang Seung-woo
Nearly seven out of 10 South Korean nationals are willing to fight for their country in the event of war, according to a recent poll.
The World Values Survey polled 1,245 South Koreans, 67.4 percent of whom expressed their willingness to fight for their country, while 32.6 percent were unwilling to take up arms to defend their homeland.
South Korea ranked 40th out of 79 countries polled between 2017 and 2021 when it comes to the percentage of the population willing to fight for their country in the event of a war, but the percentage of people who are unwilling to take up arms has been steadily increasing, compared to 6.5 percent in a 1981 survey.
South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Populations of countries that were invaded in the past were more willing to fight for their homeland.
Vietnam had the highest percentage of citizens willing to defend their country, at 96.4 percent, followed by Jordan at 93.8 percent, Kyrgyzstan at 92.7 percent and China at 88.6 percent.
Japan had the lowest percentage of people willing to fight a war for their country at 13.2 percent, followed by Lithuania at 32.8 percent, Spain at 33.5 percent and Macedonia at 36.2 percent.
The survey conducted in Japan showed that 48.6 percent of 1,353 respondents answered, "Don't know," which was up to 30 percentage points higher than other countries with greater proportions of their population who were unwilling to fight, raising speculation that the result was mainly due to Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which outlaws war as a means to settle disputes and the retention of armed forces for war.
8. Need for pragmatic diplomacy
Autocracy versus Democracy.
Excerpt:
It is getting more difficult for Seoul to strike a balance between Washington and Beijing. This is putting Yoon to the diplomatic test. A new Cold War between Western democracies and autocratic countries, such as China and Russia, is emerging rapidly. And Korea is under greater pressure to join the U.S.-led effort to contain China's growing regional and global influence. Under this circumstance, it is necessary to pursue principled diplomacy in order to ensure Korea's security. It is equally important to pursue pragmatic diplomacy to protect Korea's national interests.
Need for pragmatic diplomacy
Korea should try to keep close ties with China
President Yoon Suk-yeol made a successful diplomatic debut at the NATO summit last week by opening the way for security cooperation with the transatlantic alliance. He also made a pitch for economic collaboration with NATO members in such fields as semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries and nuclear power plants.
Yoon's push for a new global partnership with NATO was well reflected in his speech at the summit: "Freedom and peace are guaranteed through solidarity with the international community." He added, "I hope the cooperative relationship between South Korea and NATO will become a cornerstone for such solidarity."
It seems inevitable for South Korea to work with the U.S.-led regional alliance so as to better cope with the rapidly changing international order and emerging security threats. It is all the more so when the country is faced with North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile threats. So it is a step in the right direction for Seoul to strengthen its "value-based solidarity" with the 30 NATO member nations in pursuit of universal values such as democracy and human rights.
However, Yoon's attendance in the summit has raised concerns that South Korea may hurt its ties with China. Beijing is strongly against NATO's move to expand its role beyond the North Atlantic region to the Asia-Pacific region. The Chinese foreign ministry denounced NATO for adopting its new strategic concept that defined China as posing "systemic challenges" to global stability. NATO also labeled Russia a "direct threat" to the security of their nations amid its protracted war in Ukraine.
China appears to believe that Seoul is moving toward the U.S.-led international coalition against the Asian giant. It has already expressed opposition to Korea's tilt toward the U.S. amid the intensifying great power rivalry. In this situation, no one can rule out the possibility of Beijing taking retaliatory measures against Seoul as seen in the U.S. deployment of a THAAD anti-missile battery on Korean soil in 2017.
That's why the Yoon administration should adopt pragmatic diplomacy to maintain close ties with China and maximize Korea's national interests. Seoul should not give the impression that it is taking an anti-China stance. On Saturday, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Yoon's participation in the NATO summit does not target China. Yoon should clearly explain that Seoul wants to keep strategic partnership with Beijing. The government needs to make all-out efforts to avoid unnecessary conflicts with China, South Korea's largest trading partner.
It is getting more difficult for Seoul to strike a balance between Washington and Beijing. This is putting Yoon to the diplomatic test. A new Cold War between Western democracies and autocratic countries, such as China and Russia, is emerging rapidly. And Korea is under greater pressure to join the U.S.-led effort to contain China's growing regional and global influence. Under this circumstance, it is necessary to pursue principled diplomacy in order to ensure Korea's security. It is equally important to pursue pragmatic diplomacy to protect Korea's national interests.
9. Combating COVID-19: lessons learned from South Korea
Combating COVID-19: lessons learned from South Korea
By Jonas von Oldenskiold
I remember the phone call like it was yesterday ― a buzzing ringtone just as I was about to start dinner before heading off to watch the well-acclaimed film, "Parasite." It was February 2020 and I was a new resident in Korea.
Unfortunately, I could not finish my burger, nor did I manage to catch "Parasite" that evening, because COVID-19 rapidly rising in South Korea and I was called in to make sure our business contingency was ensured.
We all have variations of the same story as COVID-19 spreads across the world ― many were shocked and concerned, there was uncertainty, and governments reacted in different ways.
The Korean government undertook sweeping measures to reshape its quarantine policy to allow more freedom for the public without having ever enforced a broad-based lockdown. The country's strategy has emerged as an apotheosis of pandemic management. Despite the positive steer from the government, South Koreans remain cautious, if not apprehensive, of their future.
Recent findings from our COVID-19 Consumer Survey report have indicated one out of two of Koreans continue to remain anxious or overwhelmed about their financial future. Over half of those surveyed did not feel secure with their existing level of coverage.
Both findings are higher relative to other comparable markets in the region. Another consequence of the prolonged pandemic is a heightened mental health anxiety; as noted in the same survey, one in three Koreans believe their mental health has deteriorated in the past year.
The good news is, most people are open for support and engagement, digitally.
As might be expected for a highly innovative economy, Koreans are well ahead when it comes to digital insurance adoption. The strong appetite for tech-based engagement points to a clear opportunity to encourage uptake of more comprehensive and customized customer journey via digital channels, contributing to the financial resilience of consumers in the process.
Working with our partners, we have introduced an innovative health age model solution integration for Korea, in which digital platforms draw on data from medical tests to calculate a customer's "health age," which may differ from their biological age, and factors this into dynamic pricing that can result in substantial premium discounts.
This creates a clear and rewarding channel of engagement with the customer and motivates people to live healthier lives. In this way the insurance industry not only benefits from medical digitalization, but also reinforces and amplifies the goal of promoting better health outcomes.
The industry is investing heavily to apply data and analytics to underwriting, which means higher face-value policies with more simplified issuance and less medical underwriting. This concept is not new, and fast movers over the last few years have faced some tough growing pains. But, the analytics are improving, and the industry is making progress. This is an area in which reinsurers are uniquely positioned to lead.
Our recent partnerships with traditional insurance companies as well as digital insurers highlight the adoption of data-driven underwriting benefitting the industry and end-customers alike. These partners have valuable data from sources such as credit card transactions that vastly enhance customers' needs, making it possible to streamline the underwriting process across the entire customer base, and thereby reducing complexity and costs.
The pandemic has taken a toll on people's physical and mental health. And we have not fully grasped the impact of those afflicted by long-COVID. While we continue to grapple with the negative effects of this pandemic, the time to think about the next pandemic is now.
When the next pandemic hits, the government will continue to be the bearer of most of the pandemic impact. Unlike other major societal risks like natural disasters, pandemics are of a global systemic nature, and this makes them uninsurable on a purely private basis. The loss in economic output over 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 is estimated at $12 trillion, far exceeding the capital of the entire insurance industry.
That said, the reinsurance industry plays a vital role in three important areas: prevention and preparedness; intervention and emergency management; and financing. Reinsurance plays an important role through its risk knowledge, for example we have 50,000 scenarios for pandemic in our risk model.
Furthermore, it is vital to ensure that financial support ― whether public or private ― gets to those enterprises that are significantly impacted by such an event, the insurance industry managing such distribution of compensation to affect every day, ensuring claims and benefits reach the eligible user.
In my view, collaboration is the key. The reinsurance industry is already working closely with governments around the world to protect vulnerable regions from natural catastrophe. It has proven to be a successful model in most cases. There are no reasons why similar collaborations can't take place to manage future pandemic threats, through cost efficient disaster response.
Reflecting on pandemic preparedness in our recent Swiss Re SONAR: New emerging risk insights report, rebuilding trust in doctors, healthcare and institutions is raised as an essential factor in building back better. In this context, this means designing services around people and their needs. Healthcare professionals need to be equipped with new skills, especially around digital health, to best respond to patient's needs.
No one can say for sure when the pandemic will end, and whether we will be faced by another outbreak in five years' time. Whatever it may be, hopefully our COVID-19 experience has taught all of us some valuable lessons on handling a pandemic.
But one thing I know now when we can travel again, I will definitely take the opportunity to finally watch "Parasite" on the next flight.
Jonas von Oldenskiold, head of the Korea branch of Swiss Re, is chairperson of the Insurance Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK).
10. FM hints at military cooperation with Japan, US
Excerpts:
“The leaders of South Korea, the US and Japan met (at the Madrid NATO summit) and agreed that they need to cooperate on the security front, also on the military front,” Park said.
“North Korea continues to carry out military provocations and even preparing for a nuclear test. So when the North test-fires a missile, we (Seoul, Tokyo and Washington) could work together to raise alert, track and identify the missile in advance.”
Park’s remark adds on to what South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said after the summit with his Japanese and US counterparts on the sidelines of the NATO leaders’ summit last week.
Yoon said he had agreed with the other two leaders on the need for the three to resume military cooperation.
FM hints at military cooperation with Japan, US
Park Jin also urges China to join new world order, says it benefits most from free trade
Published : Jul 3, 2022 - 15:41 Updated : Jul 3, 2022 - 17:00
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (Yonhap)
As the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to work together to deter North Korea’s nuclear threats, Seoul’s foreign minister raised the possibility of the three countries expanding their military cooperation.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin also said China “has benefited the most from free trade,” and urged the country to join the “new world order” forming in the Asia-Pacific region, in a televised interview with Channel A on Saturday.
“The leaders of South Korea, the US and Japan met (at the Madrid NATO summit) and agreed that they need to cooperate on the security front, also on the military front,” Park said.
“North Korea continues to carry out military provocations and even preparing for a nuclear test. So when the North test-fires a missile, we (Seoul, Tokyo and Washington) could work together to raise alert, track and identify the missile in advance.”
Park’s remark adds on to what South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said after the summit with his Japanese and US counterparts on the sidelines of the NATO leaders’ summit last week.
Yoon said he had agreed with the other two leaders on the need for the three to resume military cooperation.
As Park raises the possibility of exchanging military information, it is likely that Seoul would ramp up efforts to normalize the operation of the General Security of Military Information Agreement, an intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan.
Ties between Seoul and Tokyo have long been strained from disputes over a series of historical issues, including Japan’s coercion of Koreans into forced labor and sexual slavery during its 1910-45 colonial rule.
The operation of the GSOMIA became sluggish in 2019 after disagreement between Seoul and Tokyo flared following Seoul’s top court ruling that Japanese companies liquidate their Korea-based assets and provide compensation for the Koreans they forced into labor during wartime.
In an act of protest against the court’s ruling, the Japanese government imposed export curbs on strategic materials.
For normalization, Park underscored that the trade curbs should be lifted and diplomatic relations with Japan restored.
The Yoon Suk-yeol administration, inaugurated in May, has been showing efforts to revive the soured relations with Japan, in part to ramp up trilateral cooperation, including the US.
Returning to Seoul from last week’s NATO summit, Yoon said, “We should not think in this way that we cannot discuss the current and future affairs when there are historical disputes.”
The president added, “They all can be addressed at the same time, and we hold the belief that both countries would be able to resolve the past issues for the future.”
In Saturday’s interview, Park also said China should join moves in forming a new order in the Asia-Pacific region, as he tried to explain that Seoul’s intent in participating in the US-led NATO summit is not an “anti-China” move.
“China is a country that has benefited the most from free trade. It would help China to join the world order,” Park said
“China also wants to join in the new order forming in Asia, India and the Pacific regions, and it can take part as much as it wants to.”
The Korean foreign minister is expected to meet with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Yoshimasa Hayashi and Wang Yi, respectively, at the G-20 summit slated this week in Bali, Indonesia. He is also planning to travel to Japan in mid-July, according to the Foreign Ministry.
11. Trilateral security cooperation is back, says Yoon
We need to hear similar statements from Prime Minister Kishida. I hope this is not unrequited cooperation.
Sunday
July 3, 2022
Trilateral security cooperation is back, says Yoon
President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks to reporters in a press conference aboard Air Force One en route to Seoul from Madrid after concluding a five-day trip to Spain to attend a NATO summit. [YONHAP]
President Yoon Suk-yeol said he and the leaders of Japan and the United States agreed it would be desirable "in principle" to resume three-way security cooperation to respond to North Korea's threats, denying any attempt to exclude China.
Yoon described his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of a NATO gathering last week as his "most important and significant" diplomatic event in a press conference aboard Air Force One en route home to Seoul Friday.
"It is the first time in five years that the three countries leaders have discussed a joint response to the North Korean nuclear issue," he said.
Yoon rejected concerns from Beijing that the NATO gathering in Spain was aimed at excluding Russia and China.
"I am not excluding any specific country through the trilateral summit or participating in the NATO Summit," Yoon told reporters. "I believe that domestic issues and international relations should be dealt with in the spirit of universally pursued values."
He added, "If any country does not respect the rules-based order and acts against such values and norms, we will jointly condemn it and impose sanctions in solidarity. If a country accepts it, we will work together for world peace and prosperity."
In regard to the first Korea-Japan-U.S. summit held since 2017, Yoon noted that he, Biden and Kishida "agreed in principle that it would be desirable to resume military security cooperation that has been suspended for a long time to respond to the North Korean nuclear program."
He said that more details will be elaborated on through subsequent discussions among foreign ministers, defense ministers and security officials of each country.
Seoul and Tokyo have seen relations deteriorate over historical issues such as compensation for forced laborers and wartime sexual slavery victims.
Yoon's remarks indicate that Seoul supports an early normalization of the bilateral General Security of Military Information Agreement (Gsomia) with Tokyo. In 2019, the Moon Jae-in government put off the expiration of the Gsomia "conditionally" after initially withdrawing from the military intelligence-sharing pact in response to Japanese export restrictions on Korea. The trade restrictions were seen as retaliation against Korean Supreme Court rulings ordering Japanese companies to compensate victims of forced labor during Japan's colonial rule in 2018.
Kishida said during the trilateral summit last Wednesday that if North Korea conducts a seventh nuclear test, "I hope that response can be taken at the trilateral level, including joint exercises."
He also said that "in order to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities" of its alliance with the United States, "Japan will fundamentally reinforce our defense capabilities."
Those pledges could raise worries in Seoul as being in line with Tokyo's attempts to amend its decades-old Peace Constitution to enable Japan to exercise the right of so-called collective self-defense, or the right to wage war.
On improvement of bilateral relations with Japan, Yoon in the press conference reiterated that "historical issues and matters about the two countries' future should all be placed on one table and resolved together."
He continued, "If we can discuss everything together, and if the two countries can cooperate for the future, I believe that the problems of the past will be sufficiently resolved."
Yoon and Kishida crossed paths five times in Spain – at a gala dinner hosted by the Spanish king Tuesday, four-way talks among NATO's Asia-Pacific partners (AP4), the trilateral summit, a photo session with the AP4 countries and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and a NATO session for partner countries.
Though the two leaders failed to hold a bilateral summit, a presidential official on Wednesday expressed optimism that there was a "top-down" desire to resolve relations. Despite an olive branch extended by South Korea, diplomatic efforts are expected to resume only after Japanese upper house parliamentary elections this month.
During the 24-minute press conference, Yoon emphasized the term "values," echoing the theme of his address to the NATO Summit Thursday, where he stressed a message of solidarity over shared values such as liberal democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee wrapped up their five-day trip to Spain Friday and returned to Seoul Air Base in Seongnam Friday. It was their first overseas trip.
Yoon became the first Korean president to participate in a NATO summit.
The 30-member NATO invited four Asia-Pacific partners — South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand — to take part in this year's summit hosted by Spain. The four countries held an inaugural AP4 meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
The presidential office said Yoon met with nearly 30 leaders during the NATO Summit.
Yoon took part in a total of 16 diplomatic activities, including 10 bilateral talks with the leaders of Australia, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Turkey, Denmark, Czech Republic, Canada, Britain and the European Union.
Yoon also had meetings with King Felipe VI of Spain and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and attended a luncheon meeting with Spanish businesspeople Thursday.
Such meetings were opportunities for South Korea to pursue "sale diplomacy."
Yoon told reporters aboard Air Force One, "Many countries in Europe were very interested in new nuclear power plants in order to attain energy security and 2050 carbon neutrality."
He said that he shared brochures about APR1400, Korea's next-generation nuclear reactors, in many of his talks.
"In particular, Eastern and Nordic countries recognized Korea's nuclear power plants, green technologies, semiconductors and next-generation electric vehicle battery capabilities as top-level in the world and expressed a desire to cooperate with Korea in such fields," said presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun in a statement Sunday.
Yoon was quoted as saying that he "realized anew that the future of our country depends on these fields."
The visit was also an opportunity for Yoon to ask for countries' support for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo.
The first lady took part in a series of events for the spouses of NATO leaders and individual activities in support of the Korean community in Spain.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
12. South Korean defense agency backs buy of 20 more F-35A jets
South Korean defense agency backs buy of 20 more F-35A jets
SEOUL — A South Korean defense agency has backed the purchase of more F-35A fighter jets as part of the country’s F-X project, which comprises the government’s preemptive strike strategy Kill Chain, meant to counter North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
According to National Assembly member Daesik Kang of the ruling People Power Party, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration participated in a defense committee meeting June 9 to discuss the F-X project. DAPA said that under the effort, South Korea would receive 20 Lockheed Martin-made F-35A jets for its Air Force by 2030. The agency also noted the country would spend 3.9 trillion won (U.S. $3 billion) by next year if the additional jets are ordered.
The lawmaker called the acquisition “appropriate” given North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile advancements. “It is imperative that the ROKAF [South Korean Air Force] increases its counter-North Korea deterrence capabilities with F-X, as the lack of air power of the ROKAF is expected in the mid-2020s,” he said.
The committee is expected to make a final decision July 13, and DAPA is expected to expedite follow-up procedures by reducing the feasibility study period as much as possible.
Lockheed Martin delivered all 40 F-35A Block 3 fighters the country ordered, as of December 2021. The 20 more jets would come in the Block 4 variant, which is capable of compromising enemy radars and other electronic equipment, features an improved electro-optic system, and can carry more ordnance. According to Lockheed, all F-35s the U.S. Air Force currently operates have Block 4 software-enabled capabilities, but the service will begin receiving Block 4 aircraft with Lot 17.
The previous South Korean administration heavily focused on the F-35B over the F-35A as part of the light aircraft carrier project CVX, despite preliminary research performed from 2018 to 2019 that found the country was in need of the “A” variant.
Similarly, the Air Force emphasized a need to strengthen its stealth capabilities amid an aging fighter jet fleet, North Korean nuclear missile advancements and the development efforts of neighboring countries for fifth-generation stealth aircraft.
Even if South Korea’s indigenous 4.5-generation fighter, dubbed KF-21, is developed as scheduled by 2026, the Air Force is concerned the military will face a prolonged gap in air power without additional reinforcements from 2025 to 2031, when it’s expected to have a gap of 70 jets in relation to its minimum required fleet size.
The military reported the need for additional acquisitions under the F-X project to the presidential transition team in March; South Korea’s new president entered office in May.
Daehan Lee is a South Korea correspondent for Defense News.
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13. Satellite pics reveal North Korea’s huge ‘176,000sq ft’ underground lair
AREA FIFTY 'UN'
Satellite pics reveal North Korea’s huge ‘176,000sq ft’ underground lair with room for 20,000 of Kim Jong-un’s cronies
Satellite pics reveal North Korea’s huge ‘176,000sq ft’ underground lair
SATELLITE images have revealed North Korea’s massive 176,000sq ft underground lair.
The Kanggye General Tractor Plant which is believed to have room for up to 20,000 people is considered the country's largest underground arms factory.
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Satellite images of the Kanggye General Tractor Plant in the Chagang provinceCredit: Google Earth
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Kim Jong Un during a visit to the plant in 2019Credit: AFP
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Kim said at the time he "appreciated the plant for having produced highly efficient machinery and equipment"Credit: AFP
The site, known as Factory No.26, has multiple tunnels that provide access to the interior of a 1.2m-long hill.
Based on analysis by American researcher Jacob Bogle the huge factory is estimated to cover 176,000sq ft and while its exact size is not known, it is estimated it has multiple floors and numerous several-mile-long tunnels.
He told Metro.co.uk: "The average person looking at the factory probably wouldn’t suspect just how large or important it is.
"Outside, in front of the hill that houses the underground portion, there’s about 50 hectares of administrative buildings, warehouses and even a small stadium for employees to play football.
"The factory is somewhat nondescript. But then all you have to do is look at the hill and you can see small buildings extending straight into the rock and at least nine entrance tunnels.
"In fact, it’s a little difficult getting an exact count of just how many tunnels there are.’
The plant is responsible for manufacturing ammunition including self-propelled artillery.
The factory which is located in the Chagang province is also believed to be responsible for the manufacturing of components for short-range ballistic missiles which are later shipped to other facilities for assembly.
It is thought that during the 90s and early 2000s centrifuges used for uranium enrichment were also manufactured and stored at the factory.
Bogle, who is based in Tampa, Florida, has analysed satellite images of underground factories around North Korea.
While most of them have up to three access tunnels, Kanggye includes at least nine.
Staff are said to undergo body searches upon entering the site, with guards on the lookout for anything that could cause a fire such as lighters and matches.
During a visit to the site in 2019, Kim Jong Un was said to have “appreciated the plant for having produced highly efficient machinery and equipment conducive to the national economy and the strengthening of the defense capabilities,” Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported at the time.
Bogle continued: "So, to carry on with the Bond villainy analogy, you have this somewhat normal-looking factory, surrounded by the region’s mountains.
"But then you look more closely and there’s this hidden network of tunnels all producing weapons for one of the largest militaries in the world and that’s headed by a guy who murdered his own brother and uncle."
The site was established soon after the Korean War as the small-arms factory was split into three, and each part moved to different areas of the country.
The term "tractor" comes from Soviet nomenclature that typically denotes a military factory.
Back in 1991, a major explosion caused by the mishandling of explosive material, reportedly caused the death of at least 1,000 people.
The explosion destroyed an area nearly a kilometer, damaging every above-ground building and blew out windows for miles around.
According to locals, cited in a Daily NK report the official death toll could have reached as many as 6,000 people, including pregnant women.
Among the victims were also workers who were trapped underground as authorities reportedly blocked all exits to prevent an even bigger explosion.
Research showed it took 3-4 years for the site to be cleared and reconstructed, with no new residential buildings facing the factory, although the area does remain populated.
Mr Bogle said: "We know that North Korea is one of the worst offenders when it comes to unsafe working conditions and it has the highest incidence of work-related deaths in the world according to a study published in 2021 by the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization.
"At Kanggye, there are recreational facilities such as a stadium and swimming pool, there’s a medical clinic, and there are other amenities for the workers and their families.
"Work at the factory is likely to be difficult, and there would be no public discussion of injuries or safety failures, but there is no reason to believe that workers are any less safe than at other North Korean arms factories."
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The North Korean leader meeting troops who took part in the military parade marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary ArmyCredit: Reuters
14. Army announces Korea Rotational Force Transition
Little noticed announcement.
Army announces Korea Rotational Force Transition
By U.S. Public AffairsJune 30, 2022
WASHINGTON — The Department of the Army announced today that beginning in Fall 2022, the Korea Rotational Force will transition from an armored brigade combat team (ABCT) to a Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT). This transition will enable the U.S. to maintain capabilities on the Korean peninsula to rapidly respond to any acts of aggression.
SBCTs provide agile and multifunctional capabilities using the Stryker vehicle platform to respond to a wide range of challenges. The SBCT is an infantry-centric unit with over 4,400 Soldiers who offer speed, efficiency, increased mobility and strategic flexibility to senior commanders.
The existing ABCT equipment, which includes M-1 Abrams tanks and M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, will be maintained on the Korean peninsula in a ready state to further ensure a robust defense capability.
This transition to a Stryker BCT demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the ROK-US Alliance and enhances defensive capabilities.
15. Army will no longer rotate tank units to Korea — but the tanks are staying
The Army Times is not helpful here:
Removing the rotational armored brigade is the latest step in a gradual drawdown of American ground firepower on the peninsula, too, although a permanent air cavalry squadron was activated there in May.
This is not a message that USFK, the Army or DOD intended to send. Or at least I hope not. Is there a deliberate plan for the gradual drawdown of American firepower? I am sure enquiring minds in Korea would like to know.
This is a logical move for a number of reasons outlined in the article (e.g., modernization, pressure on armored forces, etc) but that is overshadowed by the statement about the gradual drawdown of ground firepower.
If I had been asked about this I would have recommended we execute an aggressive information plan to try to prevent interpretations and comments like this from the Army Times.
I also would have recommended a major change to edmontrate US commitment and that would have been to say since we are going to rotea only infantry battalions that we return them to rotating to patrolling the DMZ. We need to put US infantryman back on the DMZ with their Korean brothers. I do not recommend re-establishing an American sector but instead rotating them in among the ROK divisions across the DMZ to both spell the ROK units and allow them to come South to do live fire training that is restricted by the Comprehensive Military Agreement and increase the experience for infantryman in conducting live fire combat patrols. At one time it was the 2d INfantry Division that had the best trained infantryman (as well as artillerymen providing on-call fire support) when we had US forces patrolling the DMZ. And of course there is no more visible demonstration of the US commitment to the defense of South Korea than by patrolling the DMZ.
Army will no longer rotate tank units to Korea — but the tanks are staying
The Army will no longer rotate tank brigades to South Korea beginning this fall, the service acknowledged in a press release Thursday afternoon.
Instead, the Army will now rotate a Stryker brigade combat team to Korea every nine months. It will also maintain the existing armored brigade combat team’s worth of tanks and equipment on the peninsula in a similar manner to the pre-positioned tank stocks in Europe that allowed a tank brigade to rapidly deploy out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, in response to Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine.
Removing the rotational armored brigade is the latest step in a gradual drawdown of American ground firepower on the peninsula, too, although a permanent air cavalry squadron was activated there in May.
Before it was deactivated in 2015, the 2nd Infantry Division’s 1st ABCT “Iron Brigade” was permanently stationed there. In the years since, the Army has maintained a rotational tank brigade commitment — until now.
Reduced OPTEMPO for ABCTs?
The change to Strykers is also a tacit acknowledgement that the service’s armored brigades may be overcommitted after the Ukraine crisis led the Army to increase its European armor commitment from one brigade combat team to three.
At a March town hall with family members of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st ABCT, which had just deployed to Europe less than six months after returning from a Korea rotation, Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston acknowledged “how this math is going.”
An Army official told Army Times that with the departure of 1st Infantry Division’s 1st ABCT the service currently has two armored brigades in Europe. And the Army’s long-term rotational commitments now include an ABCT and a new additional rotational brigade in Romania.
A Defense Department fact sheet on the changes indicated that an infantry brigade could fill the Romania commitment in the future, though.
RELATED
If the Army's current requirements in Europe stick around, the service may have to tweak force structure.
Force structure expert Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank told Army Times in March that unless the service reduced its commitments, “the [operational tempo] would be very severe.”
Removing the Korea ABCT rotation will likely ease some of that pressure on the service’s tank force, buying time for units to modernize their equipment in between rotations.
The Army’s 11 ABCTs would have faced a significant challenge attempting to continue manning the Korea rotation in addition to three brigades in Europe, though it’s still unclear whether the service will be required to maintain its current posture in Europe.
Davis Winkie is a senior reporter covering the Army, specializing in accountability reporting, personnel issues and military justice. He joined Military Times in 2020. Davis studied history at Vanderbilt University and UNC-Chapel Hill, writing a master's thesis about how the Cold War-era Defense Department influenced Hollywood's WWII movies.
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
Phone: 202-573-8647
