Quotes of the Day:

"Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or family back-ground; they are measured by the size of their thinking." 

– David Schwartz

"A good soldier is not violent.

A good fighter is not angry.

A good winner is not vengeful.

A good employer is umble.

This is known as the Virtue of not striving.

This is known as the ability to deal with people.

This since ancient times has been known as the ultimate unity with heaven."

– Tao Te Ching

Chapter 68

Lao Tzu

"Why look for conspiracy when stupidity can explain so much."

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

1. South Korea promises Trump to ‘Make American Shipbuilding Great Again’

2. UNC says around 30 N. Korean troops crossed inter-Korean border recently, triggering S. Korean warning shots

3. Lee wraps up visit to Japan, departs for high-stakes summit with Trump

4. Lee-Trump summit likely a major test for future alliance trajectory

5.  N. Korea's Kim supervises test-firing of new air defense missiles: KCNA

6. Lee's envoys meets China's FM, deliver personal letter for Xi

7. S. Korean biz leaders head to U.S. for Lee-Trump summit

8. S. Korea, U.S. in talks over possible summit announcement on nuclear energy pact revision discussion: source

9. Lee-Ishiba summit enhances 3-way cooperation with U.S.: security adviser

10. North Korean TV airs extensive footage of troops fighting Ukraine for first time

11. Kim Jong Un oversees launch of two new air defense missiles: state media

12. The New Acronym Driving South Korea’s Summit With Trump: MASGA

13.  Arrest warrant sought against former PM Han in martial law probe

14. Wonsan Kalma: My trip to North Korea’s 'Benidorm' - flanked by guards

15. Will Trump put money over principle when meeting S Korea’s Lee?

16. Why North Korea Is Coming Clean on Its Role in the Russia-Ukraine War

1. South Korea promises Trump to ‘Make American Shipbuilding Great Again’

​"MASGA"

South Korea promises Trump to ‘Make American Shipbuilding Great Again’

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet President Donald Trump for their first summit Monday, with a deal to boost U.S. shipbuilding and cooperation front and center.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/08/24/south-korea-united-states-shipbuilding/

August 24, 2025 at 7:09 a.m. EDTToday at 7:09 a.m. EDT

8 min

Summary

6

A ship is under construction at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea in January 2024. (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

By Michelle Ye Hee Lee

ULSAN, South Korea — When South Korean President Lee Jae Myung meets with President Donald Trump for the first time on Monday, he will arrive at the White House with a gift that’s sure to please Trump: South Korea’s shipbuilding prowess.

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Lee, who was elected in June, will arrive for his first summit with Trump at a rocky moment in the relationship between the two security allies, thanks to a transactional U.S. president who gauges allies by their trade deficit.

South Korea’s is large — $66 billion last year, according to the U.S. Trade Representative — but shipbuilding has emerged as a crucial opportunity for cooperation.

Trump has made revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding a priority to try to close the gap with dominant China. Since his reelection, he has repeatedly raised the prospect of working with South Korea, the world’s second-largest shipbuilder behind China — even as he rails against South Korea for “free-riding” on the U.S. for security.

There are other thorny issues: The Pentagon is considering withdrawing troops from South Korea, and Trump wants to increase the cost to Seoul of stationing U.S. troops in the country.

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At the same time, Lee wants a less confrontational approach with Beijing, while Trump wants allies to join Washington to curtail China.

“This is a very challenging time with a large number of important issues, and I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that things will work out between the two presidents,” said Ahn Ho-young, a former South Korean ambassador to the United States.

That’s why Seoul has leaned into ships as its most potent — and perhaps only — leverage in dealing with Trump. Government officials have even dubbed their proposal the “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” Project, or MASGA.

Moja Factory, a custom hatmaker near Seoul’s Dongdaemun fashion district, rushed to make an order of 10 red caps emblazoned with the phrase “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again,” along with an American flag and a South Korean flag, before the two sides announced a bare-bones tariff deal last month.

Initially threatened with a 25 percent blanket tariff, Seoul secured a 15 percent levy in last month’s agreement, the same as Japan.

“I hoped the negotiations would go well after seeing how they were preparing for it down to the minor details like creating a hat,” said Shim Ki-dae, head of the factory. The hat “was just a small thing I could do, but I’m glad to see it was used so well in a big way.”

Last week, the factory was working on a new government order — and Shim has a hunch he’ll be seeing the new hats at Monday’s summit.

Shim Ki-dae, head of the South Korean hat company Moja Factory, wears a “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” (MASGA) hat at the company’s office in Seoul on Thursday. (Jintak Han/The Washington Post)

When the two nations announced the framework of their tariff agreement last month, Lee said the deal included a $150 billion fund dedicated to shipbuilding cooperation, though the details remain vague.

Experts said this nevertheless tapped into one of South Korea’s core areas of expertise.

“I think Koreans are very excited because this is the first time that the United States has said to Korea, ‘Hey, you guys, can you do something for us?’” said Rhee Shin-hyung, naval architecture professor at Seoul National University.

It may be premature for South Koreans to have “rosy dreams” about where the cooperation is headed, he warned. “I don’t know if it will be the huge jackpot opportunity that people think it is.”

The deal could be mutually beneficial, allowing the nation’s firms to expand into the U.S. defense and commercial markets, and solidifying South Korea as a critical part of the supply chain, according to Hong Jin-hee, senior economic security researcher at the government-affiliated Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.

Large-scale projects like expanding production of LNG carriers and warships at U.S. shipyards and collaborating with the U.S. Navy would help South Korea develop its globally competitive track record, Hong said.

Lee is betting it will be beneficial. The South Korean president is scheduled to tour the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia following the summit. Last year, Hanwha Group became the first South Korean company to acquire a U.S. shipyard, investing $100 million and bringing high-tech equipment, sophisticated designs and manufacturing know-how to boost production.

South Korea’s shipbuilding industry has flourished since the 1970s, following heavy government subsidies, and helped shepherd the country’s industrial revolution from postwar poverty.

The fruits of those investments are on full display in Ulsan, home to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s biggest shipbuilder, which produces both commercial vessels and military ships for the South Korean Navy. At its shipyard here, also the world’s biggest, towering orange cranes with names like “Goliath” dot the skyline.

Residents stroll through the Hyundai art park, go to the Hyundai clinic when they’re sick, send their kids to Hyundai middle and high school, drive on the HD Hyundai Construction Equipment Road and cheer for the Hyundai soccer team. No wonder it was once called the “Republic of Hyundai.”

“There was just nothing much here back in the day,” said Park Chan-hyun, 57, who used to work in the industrial sector. Then, auto, energy and shipyard companies burgeoned on the back of cheap labor and government support. “It’s now all Hyundai around here.”

A pair of 1600-ton capacity gantry cranes, including one nicknamed “Tears of Malmö” after Hyundai bought it for $1 from a defunct Swedish shipyard in 2002, is seen above an array of smaller cranes at Hyundai's Ulsan shipyard in 2017. (SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

In fact, shipbuilding has thrived across East Asia. China, South Korea and Japan together account for 90 percent of the global commercial shipbuilding capacity, according to Rand, a national security think tank.

Meanwhile, the U.S. shipbuilding industry has largely been left to rust since the 1980s, when the Reagan administration ended government subsidies, and now comprises less than 1 percent of the global market.

The U.S. Navy struggles to build ships on time, on budget and in mass quantities, according to the Government Accountability Office. And a law designed to protect U.S. shipbuilders from foreign competition has contributed to the aging of the U.S.'s commercial fleet, according to the Congressional Research Service.

That means the U.S. should lean on allies, rather than going it alone, especially given the level of support the Chinese government offers to its state-owned shipyards, said Miyeon Oh, Korea chair at Rand.

Meanwhile, China now has the world’s largest navy. The scale of China’s naval expansion is “alarming” in its fleet size and how quickly it can build warships, Oh said.

Because of “buy America” provisions in U.S. law and political constraints, it’s not feasible to outsource shipbuilding to allies anytime soon.

But the U.S. can consider allowing limited co-production with close treaty allies, while still maintaining American ownership and operation, she said. “The United States cannot compete with China alone,” Oh said.

Coordinating with Seoul and Tokyo allows the U.S. to build servicing capacity in the region in case of conflict in the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea, said Bryan Clark, a former U.S. Navy officer and naval operations expert at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank. For example, the allies can help with repair and maintenance. U.S. naval ships based in Japan already do almost all of their maintenance there, he said.

“The U.S. is the away team in that fight and ends up having to rely a lot on naval forces to be able to counter Chinese aggression against allies,” Clark said.

On the commercial side, Clark said the U.S. also needs to attract investment from the allies to boost its own domestic production capacity, especially to protect itself from coercive Chinese behavior like cutting off supply chain and logistics access. South Korean firms could buy or invest in more U.S. commercial shipyards, replicating the Philly Shipyard model, he said.

South Korean shipbuilders say they stand ready.

“We hope to support the rebuilding and modernization of the U.S. shipbuilding industry through future cooperation with the U.S. in the commercial marine and defense industries, and together, we can open a new chapter in the global shipbuilding industry,” HD Hyundai Industries said in a statement.

China has taken notice, with the state-affiliated Global Times warning South Korea and Japan last week that cooperating with the U.S. would risk “potentially diverting resources from their own priorities.”

In Ulsan, many residents are not sure more cooperation is necessarily good news. They wonder if ramping up South Korean investments in U.S. shipyards means there will be less focus on the plant here.

“They’re bringing our systems to America, so Ulsan could take a back seat,” said Kang Ji-hyun, 34, who works as a pharmacist across from the plant. “So if we work more with the United States, I think it will hurt our economy.”

6 Comments

By Michelle Ye Hee Lee

Michelle Ye Hee Lee is The Washington Post's Tokyo bureau chief, covering Japan and the Korean peninsula. follow on X@myhlee

2. UNC says around 30 N. Korean troops crossed inter-Korean border recently, triggering S. Korean warning shots

Just something to keep us all on our toes.

A lost patrol?

Test the ROK response?

A deliberate provocation?

Timed for the Lee-Trump summit? 

Enquiring minds want to know.

UNC says around 30 N. Korean troops crossed inter-Korean border recently, triggering S. Korean warning shots | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · August 24, 2025

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- Around 30 North Korean troops recently crossed the inter-Korean border despite warning broadcasts, triggering warning shots from the South Korean military, a spokesperson of the U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC) said Sunday, citing its investigation into the incident.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency, a day after North Korea berated the South Korean military for having fired more than 10 warning shots at North Korean troops who were conducting a border reinforcement project last week.

"The UNCMAC investigation team confirmed that the around 30 members of the Korean People's Army (KPA) crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in an area where they have been conducting construction and maintenance activities," the spokesperson said via email. UNCMAC is short for the UNC Military Armistice Commission.

"ROK forces issued several warning broadcasts in an attempt to notify the soldiers that they had crossed the MDL, but they did not respond to the broadcasts. ROK forces then fired warning shots in a designated warning shot area to compel the KPA soldiers to return to the north side of the MDL," the official added.

ROK is short for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

This file photo, provided by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Dec. 23, 2024, shows North Korean soldiers installing barbed wire fences in a border area. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The spokesperson said that following the incident, UNCMAC members initiated an investigation into the case, which South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said took place Tuesday.

The UNC pointed out that North Korean military counterparts delivered prior notification about their intended construction activities in certain areas of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas.

"UNC recognizes the value of prior notifications and dialogue in mitigating the risk of misinterpretation and accidental incidents," the spokesperson said. "We remain ready to engage KPA counterparts on this and other potential issue areas related to our standing agreements."

Since April last year, North Korean troops have been seen installing barbed wire fences and anti-tank barriers near the MDL -- a move seen as aimed at fortifying the border with the South.

The South Korean military had broadcast a warning message when North Korean troops conducting the barrier project moved close to the MDL. It then fired warning shots when they violated the boundary.

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · August 24, 2025

3. Lee wraps up visit to Japan, departs for high-stakes summit with Trump

​Tomorrow (Monday) is the big day. What will be the alliance like on Tuesday?

(LEAD) Lee wraps up visit to Japan, departs for high-stakes summit with Trump | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · August 24, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead with Lee's departure)

By Kim Eun-jung

TOKYO, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung wrapped up his two-day visit to Japan on Sunday and headed to Washington, D.C., for a high-stakes summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

In Tokyo, Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held summit talks on Saturday, during which they agreed to deepen cooperation to address shifting global trade and security dynamics and to strengthen trilateral ties with the United States.

Lee said his decision to make Japan the first diplomatic destination for a bilateral summit since taking office underscored his focus on ties with a "neighbor sharing the front yard" and an "indispensable partner."

Lee plans to meet with Japanese lawmakers before departing and will arrive in Washington later in the day.

President Lee Jae Myung (R) waves before he and first lady Kim Hea Kyung board the presidential jet at Seoul Air Base as they leave for a diplomatic trip to Japan and the United States on Aug. 23, 2025. (Yonhap)

In Washington, Lee is scheduled to hold his first in-person meeting with Trump at the White House, with discussions expected to center on trade and security issues following a tariff deal struck between Seoul and Washington in late July.

Lee is expected to face a pivotal foreign policy test as the Trump administration pushes to "modernize" the alliance with South Korea, a process that could involve higher South Korean defense spending and a realignment of U.S. Forces Korea amid Washington's drive to counter an increasingly assertive China.

The two leaders are also expected to hammer out details of the broad trade agreement that lowered the U.S. "reciprocal" tariffs on Korean goods to 15 percent from 25 percent in return for Seoul's $350 billion investment pledges and other commitments.

After the White House talks, Lee will attend a business roundtable with top corporate executives from both countries and deliver a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Lee also plans to visit Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, seen as a symbol of bilateral shipbuilding cooperation, before returning to Seoul.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · August 24, 2025

4. Lee-Trump summit likely a major test for future alliance trajectory

​The trajectory: a successful launch or a failure to launch?

(News Focus) Lee-Trump summit likely a major test for future alliance trajectory | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · August 24, 2025

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (Yonhap) -- The planned summit between Presidents Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump is expected to be a crucial test for the South Korea-U.S. alliance to set its future trajectory, as Washington is pushing to reshape the bilateral security and economic partnerships in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Lee and Trump are set to hold their first in-person summit at the White House on Monday, as South Korea and the United States seek to forge a shared understanding of where their partnership should be headed under a joint effort to "modernize" the alliance.

The high-stakes summit will come against the backdrop of the Trump administration's growing demand that South Korea and other Asian allies boost their defense spending and undertake greater security burdens, while the U.S. focuses on deterring the "pacing threat" from its biggest strategic rival, China.

Keen attention is fixated on how Seoul will navigate tricky "alliance modernization" issues, including Washington's potential move to readjust the size, role, composition and operational scope of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) in an effort to better deter China.

This composite EPA-Yonhap photo shows South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"(The summit) really stands to be a litmus test for the new administration in Seoul as well as an opportunity to sort of set the trend for the bilateral relationship over the coming years," Arius Derr, director of communications at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), said during a press meeting on Thursday.

Hard issues aside, the summit will be a crucial opportunity for the two leaders to build personal rapport, experts said, at a time when Seoul hopes to further strengthen cooperation with Washington on North Korean nuclear threats, economic security, trade and other fronts.

During their first phone call in June, signs of their budding friendship were detected as Lee and Trump talked about a set of mutually relatable topics -- their experiences with assassination threats on the campaign trail and their shared interest in golf.

But an array of challenging alliance issues are expected to figure prominently in the summit. Chief among them is Washington's apparent push for greater USFK "strategic flexibility" to expand its operational scope beyond the Korean Peninsula to cover China-related contingencies, including a Taiwan conflict.

Seoul and Washington already issued a joint statement on strategic flexibility in 2006, which stated that South Korea respects the "necessity" for strategic flexibility, while the U.S. respects Seoul's position that it will not be involved in a regional conflict against the will of the Korean people.

Observers said that Washington might want a more explicit South Korean understanding of the strategic flexibility concept -- a move that would test Lee's "pragmatic" approach that values the alliance with the U.S. as the "foundation" of Seoul's security and foreign policy, but leaves open room for better ties with China.

To what extent Trump will push the China-related issue remains to be seen as Trump has touted his "great" relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a time when his administration seeks to strike a trade agreement with the Asian superpower.

This photo, taken on March 20, 2024, shows a South Korea-U.S. river-crossing exercise in progress in Yeoncheon, 62 kilometers north of Seoul. (Yonhap)

The USFK issue is expected to be part of the broad alliance modernization agenda.

Alliance modernization is not a novel concept for the allies as their treaty partnership, forged in the crucible of the 1950-53 Korean War, has undergone adjustments in line with America's policy changes, shifting regional and global security landscapes, South Korea's growing military capabilities and its pursuit of an enhanced role in what has been an asymmetric partnership.

"(Alliance modernization) refers to potential changes in the U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula that could include the reduction in ground troops, enhancement of air and naval capabilities, greater South Korean defense spending, changes in the cost-sharing arrangement (and the) return of wartime operational control (OPCON)," Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told reporters on Wednesday.

Speculation has persisted that Washington might weigh the idea of a ground troop reduction in the Army-centric USFK as it apparently sees naval and air force components as more suited for potential operations to address China-related contingencies.

The alliance modernization discussions have proceeded as the Lee administration is expected to pursue the retaking of wartime OPCON within its five-year term -- a goal that some observers say might fall in line with Washington's push for allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense.

Seoul and Washington have been working on the "conditions-based" OPCON transfer. Conditions include South Korea's capabilities to lead combined Korea-U.S. forces, its strike and air defense capabilities, and a regional security environment conducive to such a handover.

South Korea handed over operational control of its troops to the U.S.-led U.N. Command during the 1950-53 Korean War. Control was then transferred to the two allies' Combined Forces Command when the command was launched in 1978. Wartime operational control still remains in U.S. hands, while South Korea retook peacetime OPCON in 1994.

This photo, provided by South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, shows Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and South Korean and U.S. troops posing for a photo during his visit to a wartime command center on Aug. 20, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

A defense spending issue could also be a point of contention at the summit.

The Trump administration has been expected to demand that South Korea move toward what it has called the "global standard" of spending 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense -- a goal that North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states agreed to achieve by 2035.

South Korea's defense budget this year stands at around 61.2 trillion won (US$44.2 billion), or about 2.32 percent of its GDP, according to Seoul's defense ministry.

How to lure North Korea back to a denuclearization track will be another key alliance issue at the summit.

Both Lee and Trump have expressed their willingness to resume dialogue with Pyongyang, but the reclusive state has reiterated its rejection of any denuclearization dialogue at a time when it has relied on Russia for food, fuel, security, technology and other necessities.

The leaders' anticipated show of unity against North Korea's nuclear threats could strike a sour note with the recalcitrant regime, which has already responded angrily to the allies' ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise despite the scaling-down of the exercise's field training portion.

For Trump, his summit with Lee will be an opportunity to underscore South Korea's pledges for investments and industrial cooperation as his America First policy success, observers said.

Expectations are that Lee will announce new plans for investments in the U.S., while more clarity will be given to last month's broad-brush trade deal, under which Washington agreed to lower "reciprocal" tariffs on Korea to 15 percent from the proposed 25 percent in return for Korea's investment pledges and other commitments.

The summit will also be a chance to "reset" South Korea's role and status in Trump's "hierarchy," Scott Snyder, president and CEO at the KEI, said, noting South Korea's apparently "diminished" influence under the Trump administration considering indicators, including the fact that no close Trump associate or prominent figure has been appointed as U.S. ambassador to Korea.

This file photo shows national flags of South Korea and the United States at Imjingak in Paju, some 30 kilometers north of Seoul. (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · August 24, 2025

5.  N. Korea's Kim supervises test-firing of new air defense missiles: KCNA

​What kind of systems? S-400s from Russia?

(LEAD) N. Korea's Kim supervises test-firing of new air defense missiles: KCNA | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · August 24, 2025

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info throughout, new photo)

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea conducted a test-firing of two types of newly improved air defense missiles to assess their combat capability, with leader Kim Jong-un supervising the test of new weapons, state media reported Sunday.

The Missile Administration carried out the test Saturday, firing two types of new air defense missiles at different targets, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Kim oversaw the firing, accompanied by party and military officials, including Air Force Commander Marshal Kim Kwang-hyok.

The firing test came as South Korea and the United States have been conducting their large-scale joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, since Aug. 18, for an 11-day run.

This file photo, published by the Korean Central News Agency on March 21, 2025, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un overseeing the test of a new ground-to-air missile the previous day, which went into mass production. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The firing demonstrated the missiles' "superior combat capability" to promptly respond to aerial targets, such as attack drones or cruise missiles, the KCNA said, adding that their operation and reaction mode are based on "unique and special" technology.

"The firing particularly proved that the technological features of two types of projectiles are very suitable for destroying various aerial targets," it said.

Kim also put forth "an important task" for the country's defense science sector to carry out ahead of a key party session, the report also said, without elaboration.

Since the start of the Seoul-Washington military exercise, North Korea has issued back-to-back criticism. Last week, Kim denounced it as an expression of their will to "ignite a war," followed by remarks by his influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, who said South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is unfit to "change the course of history."

The test was conducted on the same day that Lee met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo, ahead of his scheduled summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday.

North Korea often bitterly protests the drills as a "war rehearsal," while the allies describe them as "defensive in nature."

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · August 24, 2025

6. Lee's envoys meets China's FM, deliver personal letter for Xi

The Lee administration is multi-tasking.

(LEAD) Lee's envoys meets China's FM, deliver personal letter for Xi | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Soo-yeon · August 24, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung's special envoys to China met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday and delivered Lee's personal letter for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The trip came as Lee left for Washington earlier in the day for summit talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (U.S. time) after wrapping up his two-day visit to Japan.

After arriving in Beijing, the delegation, led by former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, met with Wang in the afternoon and delivered Lee's personal letter for Xi while explaining the government's foreign and other policies.

At the meeting, Wang highlighted China has continued to regard its relations with South Korea as important, marking the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations Sunday.

Former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug (L) delivers President Lee Jae Myung's personal letter for Chinese President Xi Jinping during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Aug. 24, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

"By expanding mutual interests, we are willing to put bilateral ties on the right trajectory and develop them in a stable manner and over the long haul," Wang noted.

In response, Park stressed President Lee "highly" values the Seoul-Beijing relationship, hoping the two nations will work together to bring to a normal path the bilateral ties that have been "entangled" over the past few years under the preceding government.

"We request again for President Xi to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held in South Korea's Gyeongju in late October," Park said when he conveyed Lee's personal letter for Xi.

Before departing, Park told reporters that he would faithfully explain the Lee government's foreign policy, which is rooted in "pragmatic diplomacy."

Regarding the president's letter, he said its core message is to strengthen the "strategic cooperative partnership" in a way that can "help the lives of the people of both countries."

This photo, taken Aug. 24, 2025, shows former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug (4th from L), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (4th from R) and President Lee Jae Myung's special envoys to China in Beijing. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

The delegation also consists of ruling Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Tae-nyeon and Park Jeung, and Roh Jae-hun, son of former President Roh Tae-woo.

The envoys are scheduled to meet key Chinese officials, including Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress.

They will convey the Korean government's commitment to advancing the "strategic cooperative partnership" with China and discuss ways to expand cooperation in such areas as the economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges, according to the president's office.

President Lee Jae Myung's special envoys to China, former National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug (2nd from L), ruling Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Tae-nyeon (L) and Park Jeung (2nd from R), and Roh Jae-hun, son of former President Roh Tae-woo, speak to reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Aug. 24, 2025, before their departure for Beijing. (Yonhap)

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Soo-yeon · August 24, 2025

7. S. Korean biz leaders head to U.S. for Lee-Trump summit

​ROK businessmen could really be the key to sustaining the alliance. They are the ones who can give President Trump what he wants.

(LEAD) S. Korean biz leaders head to U.S. for Lee-Trump summit | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Soo-yeon · August 24, 2025

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES with more details throughout; ADDS photos)

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong and other top executives from South Korea's major conglomerates left for the United States on Sunday to join the economic delegation for President Lee Jae Myung's upcoming summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Samsung chairman arrived at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center of Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul around 3:50 p.m. to board a flight to Washington.

Industry attention is being paid to whether Samsung Electronics will disclose a plan to expand its chip factory in Taylor, Texas.

Samsung Electronics earlier announced plans to invest US$37 billion to build new foundry facilities in Taylor, Texas, by 2030. The tech giant operates a separate chip factory in Austin, Texas.

Around noon, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan left for the U.S. as part of the presidential economic delegation.

Asked about his role, Chey said briefly, "I will do my best."

Other business leaders in the delegation include Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, CJ Group Chairman Lee Jae-hyun, Korean Air Co. Chairman Cho Won-tae and HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun.

Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong arrives at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) of Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul on Aug. 24, 2025, to head to the United States to join the economic delegation for President Lee Jae Myung's upcoming summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. (Yonhap)

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won arrives at the SGBAC of Gimpo International Airport on Aug. 24, 2025, on his way to join the economic delegation for the South Korea–U.S. summit set to be held in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 25. (Yonhap)

The summit -- set for Monday (local time) in Washington -- follows a recent trade deal that lowered U.S. reciprocal tariffs on South Korean goods from 25 percent to 15 percent in exchange for South Korea's pledge of US$350 billion in investment and $100 billion in U.S. energy purchases.

Of the pledged investment, $150 billion will go toward Seoul's shipbuilding cooperation initiative, dubbed "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" (MASGA). Trump has stressed the need to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry and highlighted the role of allies, such as South Korea, a global leader in naval vessel construction.

It remains to be seen whether Korean companies will unveil additional U.S. investment plans during Lee's first meeting with Trump since his inauguration on June 4.

Hyundai Motor Group announced in March it will invest $21 billion in the U.S. through 2028, including $8.6 billion in the automotive sector and $6.1 billion in steel, components and logistics.

SK hynix Inc. is building a $3.87 billion memory packaging plant and advanced packaging R&D facility in West Lafayette, Indiana, to produce high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for artificial intelligence applications.

LG Energy Solution Ltd., an LG Group affiliate, operates three battery cell plants in the U.S., located in Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan, with additional facilities under construction in Michigan, Georgia and Ohio through joint ventures with GM, Hyundai Motor Group and Honda, respectively.

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo arrives at the SGBAC of Gimpo International Airport on Aug. 24, 2025, to join the economic delegation for the South Korea–U.S. summit set to be held in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 25. (Yonhap)

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Soo-yeon · August 24, 2025

8. S. Korea, U.S. in talks over possible summit announcement on nuclear energy pact revision discussion: source

S. Korea, U.S. in talks over possible summit announcement on nuclear energy pact revision discussion: source | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · August 24, 2025

By Song Sang-ho and Cho Joon-hyung

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are considering the idea of announcing during next week's summit that they will launch discussions on a potential revision to a bilateral nuclear energy pact, a source said Saturday, as Seoul seeks to ease restrictions, including on spent fuel reprocessing.

Seoul and Washington have been coordinating over the issue, the source said, as President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to hold their first in-person meeting at the White House on Monday, with a range of security and trade issues to be featured in the high-stakes summit.

If agreed upon by both sides, the two governments could include in a joint summit document an agreement to open discussions and research on a possible amendment to the pact, or leaders could make a public mention of the agreement to make it official.

This combined Yonhap-UPI file photo shows South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump. (Yonhap)

Last revised in 2015, the pact, known as the "123 Agreement," bans Seoul from reprocessing and uranium enrichment. But it opened the way for South Korea to begin research into a new technology for spent nuclear fuel recycling, known as "pyroprocessing," in addition to making low-level enriched uranium under U.S. consent.

The current pact is valid through 2035, but Seoul has repeatedly shown its desire to amend it.

South Korea has long hoped to secure uranium enrichment and reprocessing capabilities to complete the nuclear fuel cycle, as it views these capabilities as crucial to addressing its energy security and environmental concerns, and enhancing its status as a capable nuclear reactor exporter.

Washington has been cautious against lifting restrictions in the pact due largely to proliferation concerns, given that a reprocessing facility can be utilized to extract plutonium used to build nuclear weapons.

Unlike South Korea, Japan has a reprocessing right under a bilateral pact with the U.S.

Even if discussions on a revision get under way, it remains uncertain whether the Trump administration would warm to that idea.

Last week, Seoul's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac pointed out that Seoul has long been making efforts toward revising the pact.

"Our hope is that we will make progress (in the effort to revise the pact) through this summit," he told reporters.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · August 24, 2025

9. Lee-Ishiba summit enhances 3-way cooperation with U.S.: security adviser

(LEAD) Lee-Ishiba summit enhances 3-way cooperation with U.S.: security adviser | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · August 24, 2025

(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 6-10, photo)

By Kim Eun-jung

TOKYO, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- The first full summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba enhanced three-way security cooperation with the United States, Lee's top security adviser said Sunday, ahead of high-stakes summit talks between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters that Lee's Saturday summit talks with Ishiba also marked the early resumption of "shuttle diplomacy" between Seoul and Tokyo, paving the way for deepening bilateral ties.

"The summit was meaningful in that it strengthened Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation," Wi said at a press briefing in Tokyo.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac gives a briefing on President Lee Jae Myung's visit to Japan during a press briefing in Tokyo on Aug. 24, 2025. (Yonhap)

He added that the two leaders shared the understanding that both bilateral and trilateral cooperation are essential to maintaining peace and stability in the region, and discussed ways to deepen three-way coordination.

In their small-group meeting, they also agreed to devote "considerable time" to trade negotiations with the U.S., Wi said.

President Lee Jae Myung (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shake hands after holding a joint press conference following their talks at the premier's office in Tokyo on Aug. 23, 2025. (Yonhap)

As major exporters to the U.S., both Seoul and Tokyo share critical interests but face growing pressure from Washington to boost defense spending and contribute more to the cost of stationing American troops. Their auto and semiconductor industries also remain vulnerable to U.S. tariff hikes.

Wi said the closer alignment between Seoul and Washington, Washington's key Asian allies, has been one of the U.S. administration's priorities, saying it would have a positive implication on the broader trilateral cooperation.

"It is positive that the two countries, despite many pending issues stemming from the past, are moving toward good cooperation," Wi said.

Asked whether Ishiba offered advice to Lee ahead of his meeting with Trump, Wi said the two leaders "exchanged views and shared experiences on current issues," adding it would be up to Lee to decide what to take away from another leader's experience.

"What matters is not the particular circumstances of each country but how we extract what has been shared and turn advice into something useful," he added.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Eun-jung · August 24, 2025

10. North Korean TV airs extensive footage of troops fighting Ukraine for first time

Photos at the link.

​Excerpts:

“North Korean soldiers really got equipped well,” Oliemans said, while adding that the clips “almost certainly” represent a “mixture of staged events and combat footage.”

Shin Seung-ki, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, stated that the biggest takeaway is that North Korea has learned how to ” use and respond” to UAVs.

“They’ve gained surveillance and reconnaissance abilities in a war setting, and on that basis learned how small tactical units can maneuver, respond, find the enemy, and destroy them,” he told NK News.

Overall, Oliemans assessed that the DPRK troops’ depicted tactics and gear appear in line with “a light infantry role with Russian outfitting and armament wherever equivalents existed.”

The expert also highlighted North Korean soldiers’ use of DPRK-made 60mm mortars and 107mm MRLS in the state media footage, suggesting that “their demonstrated suitability for this type of warfare is what led the Russians to adopt them as well afterwards.”

North Korean TV airs extensive footage of troops fighting Ukraine for first time

Videos show soldiers using a range of DPRK and Russian weaponry, including drones, during combat operations in Kursk

https://www.nknews.org/2025/08/north-korean-tv-airs-extensive-footage-of-troops-fighting-ukraine-for-first-time/

Anton Sokolin August 22, 2025

North Korean soldiers using the Russian-made RMG multipurpose rocket launcher, presumably in Kursk | Image: KCTV (Aug. 22, 2025)

North Korea released extensive combat footage documenting its troops’ operations in Russia’s war against Ukraine for the first time on Friday, providing a revealing look at the mortars, rockets, drones and other weapons that they have been using in Kursk.

The Korean Central Television (KCTV) aired a lengthy segment in the afternoon on DPRK servicemen deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, showing them engaging opponents with weapons including North Korean anti-tank missiles and multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS).

The combat footage played on a large screen during a DPRK leadership concert held for North Korean commanders and soldiers who have returned from the battlefield, part of a series of events on the war that also honored 101 soldiers killed in action in Kursk.

North Korean singers Kim Ok Ju and Choe Sol Hui performing at a concert dedicated to North Korean soldiers who fought against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region | Image: KCTV (Aug. 22, 2025)

The segment focused heavily on underscoring the DPRK troops’ military prowess and bravery amid dangerous combat conditions, often presented through the lens of first-person view (FPV) drones. 

Some videos showed North Korean forces under aerial attack, while others featured Ukrainian tanks presumably destroyed by DPRK soldiers.

Experts said much of the footage appears authentic and aligns with previous reports on the Korean People’s Army’s tactics in the war, while giving short shrift to cooperation with Russian forces.

WEAPONS

KCTV’s footage provided a closer look at the weapons and gear North Koreans soldiers have used during the war, beyond the previously reported AK-12 rifles and 60mm mortars.

For instance, the broadcast confirmed that North Korean troops have used 107mm Type-75 towed MLRS, a domestic version of the Chinese Type-63, which was previously only seen in regular use by Russian soldiers.

A North Korean soldier tossing a grenade in a room during a raid I Image: KCTV (Aug. 22, 2025)

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The footage also showed North Korean forces firing a Bulsae-4M anti-tank missile system, purportedly in Kursk, though the segment did not specify the location. The DPRK is suspected of supplying Bulsae-4M munitions to Russia, but there was previously no evidence of its use by North Korean troops in Kursk.

Similarly, DPRK servicemen appeared in the segment using an RMG multipurpose rocket launcher, which weapons expert Joost Oliemans described as a “pretty modern Russian piece of kit.” The expert also identified a captured U.S. Mk 19 grenade launcher in state TV’s footage of Russian and DPRK soldiers in forested terrain.

North Korean soldiers firing a 107mm Type-75 MLRS, presumably in Russia’s Kursk | Image: KCTV (Aug. 22, 2025)

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Drone warfare featured prominently in the broadcast. Oliemans pointed out shots of North Korean drone operators controlling FPV loitering munitions, as well as of blown up Ukrainian military vehicles.

KCTV also briefly showed the troops setting up defenses against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as by installing communications or drone jamming equipment on trees.

North Korean soldiers operating a first-person view drone, presumably in Kursk | Image: KCTV

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“North Korean soldiers really got equipped well,” Oliemans said, while adding that the clips “almost certainly” represent a “mixture of staged events and combat footage.”

Shin Seung-ki, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, stated that the biggest takeaway is that North Korea has learned how to ” use and respond” to UAVs.

“They’ve gained surveillance and reconnaissance abilities in a war setting, and on that basis learned how small tactical units can maneuver, respond, find the enemy, and destroy them,” he told NK News.

Overall, Oliemans assessed that the DPRK troops’ depicted tactics and gear appear in line with “a light infantry role with Russian outfitting and armament wherever equivalents existed.”

The expert also highlighted North Korean soldiers’ use of DPRK-made 60mm mortars and 107mm MRLS in the state media footage, suggesting that “their demonstrated suitability for this type of warfare is what led the Russians to adopt them as well afterwards.”

North Korean forces using what appears to be a Russian-made Azart radio station | Image: KCTV (Aug. 22, 2025)

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Other equipment shown in the segment included Russian-made Azart handheld radios, previously reported by Ukrainian Special Operations Forces as collected from a killed DPRK soldier back in January. North Korean troops were also shown as using inflatable rafts to carry their equipment over swamps and rivers.

Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, an associate professor at Tokyo International University’s Institute for International Strategy, stressed the propaganda aspect of these videos, stating that North Korea is showing off “achievements” and not telling the big picture story of the Korean People’s Army.

“It would have been odd to completely cover up the recent deployment,” the expert said. “It would be insulting and dishonoring to the soldiers, so it’s not unusual or odd for North Korea to propagate all this.”

Chris Monday, a Russia researcher at Dongseo University, said the KCTV footage looked more realistic than what the Russian military and media have released, highlighting that “Kim’s soldiers have experienced modern warfare.”

A Russia-issued military ID, DPRK military slogans and North Korean soldiers’ personal journals | Image: KCTV (Aug. 22, 2025)

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WORTHY SACRIFICE?

Experts noted that footage and photos released by state media focused almost entirely North Korean soldiers while shunning ally Russia, with only a handful of images of Russian and DPRK servicemen together.

Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Sookmyung Women’s University and former head of the Institute for National Security Strategy, suggested that the omission of Russia was likely “unavoidable, since the focus was on encouraging those who came back from fighting.”

“They will likely continue promoting these individuals as heroes through propaganda efforts,” the expert said, stressing North Korea’s need to “justify troop deployments” in the future. “Ultimately, they’re focusing heavily on shaping public opinion, and that’s why they’re glorifying these people.”

North Korean soldiers during their deployment to Russia | Image: KCTV (Aug. 22, 2025)

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Earlier in the day, state TV showed Kim Jong Un awarding commanders and combatants who returned from Kursk the title Hero of the Republic (공화국영웅).

A North Korean defector and former DPRK army officer, who spoke to NK News on condition of anonymity citing safety concerns, said this commendation sets the recipients up for life.

“To put it simply, someone with that title gets everything the North has to offer,” they said. “It helps with promotions, and economically, regardless of your rank, the state takes full responsibility for your well-being.”

The former DPRK officer explained that the title is very rare and “reserved for combat heroes,” unlike the Hero of Labor (로력영웅) award for outstanding workers.

North Korea began deploying soldiers to fight against Ukraine last October, years after it started supplying artillery, missiles and munitions to Russia.

The DPRK troops proved instrumental in Russia’s efforts to repel Ukrainian forces from Kursk, with the operation largely succeeding by April.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov and journalist Marina Kim with North Korean soldiers | Image: KCTV (Aug. 22, 2025)

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The KCTV footage additionally briefly showed photographs of high-level Russian commanders with DPRK brass, presumably in Kursk. These included Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, who oversees Russia’s operations in Africa, and Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov, who is in charge of the Kursk war theater.

Jooheon Kim contributed reporting to this story. Edited by Bryan Betts

Updated at 8:50 p.m. KST on Aug. 22, 2025 to correct identification of grenade launcher shown in footage to a U.S. Mk launcher

11. Kim Jong Un oversees launch of two new air defense missiles: state media

​Excerpt:

North Korea previously tested surface-to-air missiles from a naval ship as part of a range of missile launches in late April. The salvo launches followed a similar March test of a “new-generation” air defense missile system, with one expert assessing the projectile to be an upgraded model of the “Pyoljji-1-2” publicly unveiled last year.

Kim Jong Un oversees launch of two new air defense missiles: state media

In an undisclosed location, Pyongyang tests missiles in a first since May

https://www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-jong-un-oversees-launch-of-two-new-air-defense-missiles-state-media/

Anton Sokolin August 24, 2025

North Korea firing a new surface-to-air missile at an undisclosed location on Aug. 23, 2025 | Image: KCNA (Aug. 24, 2025)

North Korea test fired two new upgraded surface-to-air missiles with leader Kim Jong Un observing the event at an undisclosed location on Saturday, state media reported the following day, months after similar missile launches.

Pyongyang’s Missile General Bureau “carried out firings against various targets to inspect the combat performance of the two improved types of new anti-air missiles,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim observed the launches, providing instructions for the defense research sector ahead of the upcoming party congress.

North Korea firing new surface-to-air missiles at an undisclosed location on Aug. 23, 2025 | Image: KCNA (Aug. 24, 2025)

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Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea’s (WPK) Central Committee Jo Chun Ryong, First Vice Department Director of the WPK Central Committee Kim Jong Sik, Air Force General and Commander of the Air Force Kim Kwang Hyok and President of the National Defense Academy of the DPRK Kim Yong Hwan were also present.

The test confirmed the new systems’ “superior responsiveness against various aerial targets such as unmanned attack drones and cruise missiles,” the report said, noting the systems’ “operation and response methods” were developed based on “unique and special technologies.”

State media added that “the technical characteristics of the two improved missile types were recognized as being highly suitable for destroying different aerial targets.”

In May, Seoul’s military reported that North Korea launched several unidentified cruise missiles toward the East Sea, following its failure to launch its new 5,000-ton-class destroyer a day earlier. The same month, the DPRK tested a 600mm multiple-launch rocket system and Hwasong-11A short-range ballistic missile during a nuclear strike simulation against U.S. and South Korean forces.

North Korea previously tested surface-to-air missiles from a naval ship as part of a range of missile launches in late April. The salvo launches followed a similar March test of a “new-generation” air defense missile system, with one expert assessing the projectile to be an upgraded model of the “Pyoljji-1-2” publicly unveiled last year.

Throughout the summer, Pyongyang has largely refrained from further missile tests, with its military focusing on artillery drills and competitions featuring both light mortars as earlier in August, 152mm gun-howitzers in July, heavy equipment like presumably 240mm MLRS in June and regular cannons in May.

The August mortar firing competition came as a warning amid the U.S. and ROK’s annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises.

Edited by Kristen Talman

12. The New Acronym Driving South Korea’s Summit With Trump: MASGA

​Will MASGA be responsible for sustaining the alliance? This probably offers the most "win-win" for Lee and Trump.

And we should add a JAROKUS shipbuilding consortium to be the most powerful shipbuilders in the world (Japan - ROK - US).

The New Acronym Driving South Korea’s Summit With Trump: MASGA

Seoul bets helping to ‘Make America Shipbuilding Great Again’ will net a better deal with Washington

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/the-new-acronym-driving-south-koreas-summit-with-trump-masga-aed1aad9?st=oRMugr&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

By Timothy W. Martin

Follow

 and Soobin Kim

Aug. 24, 2025 9:00 am ET

The world’s largest shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, could build an American warship quickly and cheaply—if U.S. rules allowed it. Photo: Tina Hsu for WSJ

Quick Summary

• South Korea pledged $150 billion to revive U.S. ship manufacturing, a key concern for the Trump administration, during trade talks.View more

SEOUL—In July, as the U.S. and South Korea entered a decisive phase of trade talks between the two countries, South Korean negotiators brought a sealed box for their American counterparts.

Inside the box—which had been rushed from South Korea to Washington on a Korean Air flight—sat 10 red baseball caps bearing the slogan “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again,” or MASGA. U.S. and Korean flags adorned the hats.

Along with the hats came a pledge: Seoul promised to spend $150 billion to help the U.S. revive its ship manufacturing, which has fallen badly behind China and has become a central concern for the Trump administration. 

“Great idea,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told the South Korean negotiators. The two sides soon sealed a trade agreement that, along with investment pledges for ships and other sectors, cut the country’s reciprocal tariff rate and levies on cars. Seoul agreed to buy $100 billion in U.S. energy, too.

One of the MASGA hats made for U.S.-South Korea trade talks. Photo: Yonhap News/Zuma Press

In recent weeks, MASGA has become something of a national rallying call in South Korea, whose leader, Lee Jae Myung, holds his first face-to-face meeting with President Trump at the Oval Office on Monday. On the table are major issues that could transform the U.S.-South Korean alliance: tariffs, the role of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and Seoul’s defense spending.

Seoul officials believed no issue held the same potential with Trump as shipbuilding. The president has often lamented the erosion of American maritime manufacturing, vowing a swift turnaround through special tax incentives and a new White House office dedicated to shipbuilding.

Japan, which is also negotiating tariffs with the Trump administration, has suggested it could help boost American shipbuilding power, too. But Japan’s largest shipmaker, Imabari Shipbuilding, recently said directly supporting the U.S. shipbuilding industry is difficult.

South Korea has been more eager. It is home to the world’s largest shipyard and ranks as the biggest global producer after China, whose commercial shipbuilding is less technologically advanced. The trade breakthrough prompted Trump to extend the White House invitation to Lee, a left-leaning politician who took office in early June.

Koo Yun-cheol, South Korea’s finance minister and a top trade negotiator, said “the MASGA project contributed most significantly” to a tariff agreement.

Seoul officials have said the $150 billion investment in U.S. shipbuilding could encompass purchases of American shipyards, workforce training, supply-chain restructuring, repairs and other areas.

‘A lot to offer’

After meeting with Trump, Lee is scheduled to visit Hanwha Philly Shipyard, which was acquired last year by South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, a shipbuilding company, for roughly $100 million. It is the first and only South Korean purchase of a U.S. ship-production site.

Hanwha’s acquisition drew praise at the time from then-U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who said the Philadelphia shipyard’s workforce would double in size and manufacturing capacity would quadruple, allowing it to compete for both commercial and naval shipbuilding contracts.

South Korea’s robust naval supply chain and the country’s deep-pocketed conglomerates that own big maritime groups have allowed the top firms to weather downturns in the boom-or-bust shipbuilding industry and to continue to invest in new technology. 

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which operates the world’s largest shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, could make a U.S. destroyer there at roughly half the cost it would take in the U.S. and two-thirds the time, according to industry officials. But U.S. regulations forbid building American commercial or military ships overseas.

Buying an American shipyard, like Hanwha did, is an option under consideration by HD Hyundai, said Jeong Woo-maan, the firm’s head of planning for the naval business. But rebuilding U.S. shipbuilding capacity would require a deeper pool of workers, infrastructure and suppliers, something that would take years to build, he said.

Jeong Woo-maan of HD Hyundai says the company aims to add to the U.S. ship-repair deals it has won so far. Photo: Tina Hsu for WSJ

HD Hyundai in recent months has agreed to advise some of the U.S.’s largest military and commercial shipbuilders on how to build their capacity. 

“South Korea can help shorten that timeline for the U.S., reducing the trial-and-error that would otherwise be wasted in the learning process,” Jeong said. “We have a lot to offer.”

Help is needed. The U.S. represents less than 1% of global commercial shipbuilding—dwarfed by China’s roughly 60%, according to Clarksons Research. South Korea ranks at No. 2 with 22%.

U.S. shipbuilding weakness particularly matters in the context of a potential showdown with China over Taiwan. Beijing’s naval fleet now outnumbers America’s, with the gap expected to widen in the years ahead. Meanwhile, the U.S. fleet faces production backlogs, and it is shrinking as it retires ships.

Beijing has pledged to seize control of Taiwan, potentially by force. Taipei officials have contemplated a potential Chinese invasion as soon as 2027, with the Pentagon expressing a similar possible timeline. 

Potential fixes

A lot of the maintenance, repairs or overhaul work for American military ships still occurs in Guam, Hawaii or the continental U.S. Shifting more of that fix-up work to Indo-Pacific shipyards would free up the U.S.-based ones to focus on new building, said Peter Lee, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a Seoul-based think tank.

It would also give Washington closer options for repairing damaged vessels should a Taiwan conflict occur, he said. “The U.S. could have access to allied shipyards and bases, all the way up and down the Indo-Pacific,” Lee said. “That will be an advantage that China simply doesn’t have.”

Over the past year, Hanwha and HD Hyundai have won four maintenance deals with the U.S. Navy for repairs of noncombatant ships that fall under the Japan-headquartered 7th Fleet’s region. U.S. regulations generally limit such work by foreign shipyards to auxiliary and supply vessels during routine port visits for safety-related or mission-critical situations.

The Philly Shipyard was taken over last year by South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean. Photo: Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg News

HD Hyundai landed its first maintenance project earlier this month. By year’s end, the company aims to win one or two more such repair jobs, after which it will evaluate whether it should secure a dedicated shipyard for such work, said Jeong, the HD Hyundai executive.

This type of maintenance work isn’t particularly lucrative, Jeong added, though it shows how HD Hyundai is an ally, not a competitor, to the U.S. “We feel it is something we must do in order to build trust,” he said.

Samsung Heavy Industries, which doesn’t make military vessels, also said it would review whether to pursue American naval repairs. Hanwha said it would continue to expand its repair-work business with the U.S., including on combat ships, should the legal restrictions be eased. 

The relaxing of some of those U.S. impediments was the focus of a House bill proposed earlier this month by Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat from Hawaii, and Rep. James Moylan, a Republican from Guam. The legislation proposes establishing a “foreign ally shipping registry.” Countries on that list, which could include South Korea and Japan, would be exempted to build and fix more American ships.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

To what extent will the deal with South Korea help to revive U.S. shipbuilding? Join the conversation below.

Write to Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com

13.  Arrest warrant sought against former PM Han in martial law probe

(2nd LD) Arrest warrant sought against former PM Han in martial law probe | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Soo-yeon · August 24, 2025

(ATTN: TRIMS headline; UPDATES with more details throughout; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- A special counsel team on Sunday filed for a court warrant to arrest former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched attempt to impose martial law.

Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk's team filed the request for the writ on a total of six criminal allegations, including charges of aiding Yoon's efforts to impose the martial law decree on Dec. 3 last year.

Han is accused of having not stopped Yoon's martial law declaration as the second-in-command to the former president. Cho's team suspects Han aided Yoon's attempt as a key accomplice.

Han is suspected of being involved in Yoon's move to draft and destroy a revised version of the decree after martial law was lifted. He is also accused of lying under oath when he testified at the National Assembly in February.

It marked the first time in South Korea's constitutional history that an arrest warrant has been sought against a former prime minister.

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (L) arrives at special counsel Cho Eun-suk's office in southern Seoul on Aug. 22, 2025, to undergo questioning over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration. (Yonhap)

The special counsel team said it filed for the arrest warrant against Han, citing his failure to stop the imposition of martial law.

"A prime minister is the sole public servant in the executive branch appointed by a president after the National Assembly's approval, and is the No. 1 state institution that assists in a president's duty to uphold the Constitution," assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said during a press briefing.

"Han was the top constitutional institution that could have prevented the imposition of the unconstitutional and unlawful martial law in advance," she said.

Park said Han's charges are grave, citing concerns that he could destroy evidence and there is a flight risk.

A court hearing to review the warrant is expected to take place Tuesday or Wednesday.

Han was among the six Cabinet members Yoon called in to share his plans to impose martial law. He also took part in a Cabinet meeting that reviewed the decree before its declaration and another one that lifted it the next day.

At the time, Han said he was not aware of the martial law decree until the Cabinet meeting that lifted martial law, claiming that he later realized a copy of the decree was in his pocket.

Last week, Han told Cho's team that he received the decree from Yoon, reversing his previous testimony.

If a court issues the arrest warrant against Han, the special counsel team's investigation into other Cabinet members, including former Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, is expected to gain traction.

Choi, who is suspected of having received a memo from Yoon ordering a budget for an emergency legislative body during the Dec. 3 Cabinet meeting, has said that someone had handed him a "folded note" but he was too overwhelmed at the time to read it.

Han is also suspected of having tried to impede the National Assembly's vote to demand the lifting of martial law as he had 7-minute phone talks with Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the then ruling People Power Party (PPP), right after the martial law declaration.

Cho's team is looking into allegations that Choo sought to disrupt PPP lawmakers' participation in the vote to demand the lifting of martial law at the request of Yoon's side.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo attend a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in central Seoul in this Oct. 29, 2024, file photo. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Kim Soo-yeon · August 24, 2025

14. Wonsan Kalma: My trip to North Korea’s 'Benidorm' - flanked by guards

​A Russian in Wonsan.

Photos at the link.

Wonsan Kalma: My trip to North Korea’s 'Benidorm' - flanked by guards

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c707d1ez0kno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

BBC

My trip to North Korea's 'Benidorm' - flanked by guards and full of rules

13 hours ago

Yaroslava Kiryukhina

BBC News Russian

Anastasia Samsonova

Anastasia Samsonova was among the first group of tourists to visit Wonsan Kalma's beaches

It was the security guards accompanying Anastasia Samsonova's group that suggested this wasn't a typical beach holiday.

In July, the 33-year-old human resources worker was one of the first tourists to stay at a new holiday resort in North Korea, a country largely closed to the outside world.

Set in an exclusive area on the east coast where leader Kim Jong Un spent much of his youth, the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone opened on 1 July.

Built near a missile testing site, the resort features hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and a water park, according to state media.

But while it was initially billed as being open to international tourists, so far only Russians, entering in groups and organised by accredited travel agencies, have been allowed in.

KCNA

The resort features hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and a water park, according to state media

Anastasia travelled there last month with 14 other people. The visit was tightly controlled, with guides and guards accompanying them and a fixed itinerary that could not be diverged from without permission from North Korean authorities.

She says the guides told her the guards were needed to "prevent situations where we interacted with locals and startled them".

"When we walked down the street, they [North Koreans] looked at us with great surprise because the country has been closed for a very long time," says Anastasia.

BBC News Russian got in contact with her after searching the geotags of people on social media who had travelled to the resort, independently of any travel agency or media outlet.

No scramble for sunloungers

Anastasia says her group was also told not to photograph construction sites and was expected not to wear revealing clothes.

Yet despite the restrictions, she says she "enjoyed a vacation without people" on almost-empty beaches with white sand.

"Every day the [beach] was cleaned and levelled perfectly. Everything was immaculate," she says.

"The loungers were absolutely new, everything spotless. The entrance to the sea was very gentle, so yes, it really was a very good beach."

Anastasia Samsonova

Anastasia said the beaches were "immaculate" and mostly deserted

• First British tourists allowed back into North Korea tell BBC what they saw
• BBC Verify looks at North Korea's Benidorm-style resort
• North Koreans tell BBC they are being sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia

Since the Covid pandemic, international tourism into North Korea had been on pause to prevent the spread of the virus.

But last year, the republic began allowing Russian tourists to visit again.

In February, it also started receiving tourists from the West, including Australia, France, Germany and the UK, though it abruptly halted this weeks later, without saying why.

Wonsan Kalma has been touted as a key part of Kim's ambitions to boost tourism in the country.

It is said to have drawn inspiration from Spain's tourism hotspot Benidorm, where a North Korean delegation was sent on a fact-finding mission in 2017.

But details of how it was built have been shrouded in secrecy, and human rights groups have criticised the alleged harsh treatment of workers, including claims of forced labour, harsh conditions, long hours and locals being driven out of their homes.

Weeks after it opened, North Korea announced that foreigners were "temporarily" not allowed to visit - except tourists from Russia, an ally of the republic.

So far, two Russian tour groups have visited the resort, with another currently there.

Anastasia Samsonova

North Korean rocket models cost around $40 each

A week-long trip from Russia to North Korea, including three days at the Wonsan Kalma resort, costs $1,800 (£1,300) - 60% more than the average monthly salary in Russia.

Some adverts for the trip even reference the nearby missile testing site, describing it as a "unique" vacation spot.

Anastasia says no missiles were launched while she was there, but toy rockets were being sold nearby for $40 (£30).

Describing a typical day while on her trip, Anastasia says the group would have breakfast at 08:00 when lots of activities were planned and 09:30 on a more relaxed day.

In terms of the food they were given, there was "lots of meat", typically in sweet and sour sauce, and a dish involving finely chopped cabbage and carrots in sauce.

She says a 500ml bottle of beer was very cheap, costing about 60 cents at the beach, while the souvenir of choice for tourists was North Korean Olympic clothing.

Another tourist, Daria, writing on Instagram, described the resort as "very raw" and "not the kind of vacation Russian tourists are used to".

"But if you're tired of Asia, Turkey, etc., and want something exotic — this is it," she added.

Vostok Intur

A week's tour of North Korea costs a Russian traveller around $1,800 (£1,300)

However, there is uncertainty over when the next Russian tourists will be allowed into Wonsan Kalma.

The travel agency which organised the first three trips to the resort, Vostok Intur, said there was high interest in potential tours in September, but North Korean authorities had yet to agree to them.

Initially, tours were advertised online by Russian travel agencies for mid-September, but these were later removed.

It is not just Russians who face difficulties getting to Wonsan Kalma.

Even citizens of China, which borders North Korea and is its main ally and economic partner, are having difficulties accessing the resort, according to Andrei Lankov, an expert in North Korea-Russia relations and a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul.

He says Pyongyang deliberately limits the number of tourists and closely controls their movements, in part so North Koreans won't compare themselves unfavourably to richer foreigners.

"Ordinary people might begin to wonder, 'How is it that even without our great leader, or his son or daughter, they seem to live so well?'", Lankov says.

For that reason, North Korea has concluded it's largely better not to have too many foreigners entering the country, he adds.

AFP

The resort features a water park, but Anastasia's group did not get to visit it

With travel restrictions into North Korea easing, tourism from Russia has been rising, though it remains modest compared with other destinations.

In 2024, about 1,500 Russians travelled to North Korea for tourism, according to Russia's Federal Security Service border guards.

In contrast, more than 6.7 million visited Turkey and almost 1.9 million went to China.

However, in the second quarter of 2025, 1,673 Russians entered North Korea as tourists – a level last seen in 2010, before tourist restrictions were introduced.

Wonsan Kalma is seen as key to reviving North Korea's ailing economic fortunes, but it's not been without controversy.

Since the resort began construction in 2018, human rights groups have protested the alleged mistreatment of its workers. They point to reports of people being forced to work long hours to finish the massive project in a rapid timeframe under harsh conditions and inadequate compensation.

As BBC Verify reported last month, the UN has highlighted a system of forced labour used in North Korea, in particular "shock brigades" where workers often face harsh conditions, long hours, and inadequate compensation.

James Heenan of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul has said "there are reports that the resort was built using what they call shock brigades".

"We've also seen reports that people were working 24 hours at the end to get this thing finished, which sounds like a shock brigade to me."

The BBC has approached the North Korean embassy in London for comment.

Anastasia Samsonova

There is a long promenade that lines the front of the hotels at the resort

Despite the challenges of getting to Wonsan Kalma, and the restrictions on what Russian tourists can do when they arrive in North Korea, Anastasia says she hopes to come back next year.

"We're actually thinking about gathering the whole group next year to go to the same place.

"I'm not sure if it will work out, but I've heard there's also a ski resort near Wonsan Kalma. So, maybe one day I'll visit that resort too."

Anastasia Samsonova

Anastasia says the beaches were "immaculate" and virtually deserted most of the time

Tourism

Kim Jong Un

Asia

Russia

North Korea

Related

15. Will Trump put money over principle when meeting S Korea’s Lee?

Excerpts:

South Korean citizens facing intimidation and lawsuits uncovered substantial evidence of widespread electoral irregularities in the recent June 2025 presidential election (as they did for elections in 2020, 2022, and 2024.)

The evidence has never been examined. Instead, the party, which dominates both the National Assembly and the media, declares it all “baseless conspiracy theories.”

...

The Trump administration fumbled things after the June 3 South Korean election. Perhaps hoping to make the best of things, the White House said the US-ROK alliance is “ironclad” – and declared the election “free and fair.”

It did express general concern over “Chinese interference” in democracies. The State Department similarly offered congratulations to President Lee.

This was a gut punch to pro-freedom South Koreans. Trump has a chance to recover if he calls out Lee when they meet next week.

However, if Trump takes the “easy” route – overlooking American principles in exchange for a trade deal and investment – don’t be surprised if the “ironclad” alliance starts to unravel.

Will Trump put money over principle when meeting S Korea’s Lee? - Asia Times

Trump shouldn’t let $350 billion investment pledge or more money for US troops blind him to Lee’s true colors

asiatimes.com · Grant Newsham · August 23, 2025

US President Donald Trump will meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Washington on August 25.

Let’s hope Trump doesn’t allow the prospects of US$350 billion in South Korean investment into the United States, and some more money for US forces in South Korea, to blind him to the fact that Lee doesn’t like him or the United States very much.

President Lee is a lifelong leftist with an affinity for the People’s Republic of China and North Korea, and has no great love for the United States.

He has referred to American troops in South Korea as “occupiers” and said China should do what it wants to Taiwan.

Lee apparently likes North Korea enough to put money down. He was indicted on charges of sending $8 million to North Korea while he was governor of Gyeonggi Province. His deputy has already been convicted.

He also opposed US THAAD missile defense deployment, which allowed American forces to better defend themselves and South Korea.

And Lee recently praised Vietnam for fighting against foreign powers and reunifying. Foreign powers? The Americans. And, South Korean forces were in Vietnam too.

However, since being elected Lee has talked up the US-ROK alliance and three-way US-ROK-Japan security cooperation. Thus, many American observers claim Lee is a pragmatist and a centrist, and will govern as such.

Trump no doubt understands that nice words don’t overturn a lifetime of behavior. Instead, maybe Lee and others like him mean what they say behind the soothing language intended for Western governments.

Better to look at Lee’s new Prime Minister Kim Min Seok.

Kim was a Seoul University radical student leader in the 1980s and joined the illegal occupation of the Seoul American Cultural Center in 1985. He was jailed for three years due to his anti-state and pro-North Korea activities. The Americans once refused to give him a visa, and he is said to have claimed that the Americans were behind Covid.

And consider Jung Chung Rae, the head of Lee Jae Myung’s Democratic Party of Korea. He led the 1989 occupation of the US Ambassador’s residence in Seoul and spent two years in prison. He is still a hard-core radical.

And there are a few things that ought to really resonate with Trump.

Lee’s regime is persecuting former President Yoon and his wife. Both are imprisoned and under harsh conditions. The intention, it seems, is to break – if not kill – one or both. And also intimidate the political opposition.

Lee is doing to the Yoons what a cabal of US Democrats tried to do to Trump and his family for standing up for Americans against the domination of the bi-coastal elites.

Lee’s and his party’s broader objective is one-party rule forever. Part of the strategy is to manipulate the electoral process.

South Korean citizens facing intimidation and lawsuits uncovered substantial evidence of widespread electoral irregularities in the recent June 2025 presidential election (as they did for elections in 2020, 2022, and 2024.)

The evidence has never been examined. Instead, the party, which dominates both the National Assembly and the media, declares it all “baseless conspiracy theories.”

Did anyone at the US Embassy, State Department or the White House even examine the evidence? Or meet with the citizen groups? Apparently not.

And, recently, South Korean police raided the offices of the new political party, Freedom and Innovation Party, headed by respected former Prime Minister and acting President Hwang Kyo Ahn. His offense: promoting the idea of honest elections.

Police also are reportedly investigating South Korean citizens who went to Incheon International Airport in July to welcome former US Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice Morse Tan – a strong proponent of South Korean election integrity.

The Trump administration fumbled things after the June 3 South Korean election. Perhaps hoping to make the best of things, the White House said the US-ROK alliance is “ironclad” – and declared the election “free and fair.”

It did express general concern over “Chinese interference” in democracies. The State Department similarly offered congratulations to President Lee.

This was a gut punch to pro-freedom South Koreans. Trump has a chance to recover if he calls out Lee when they meet next week.

However, if Trump takes the “easy” route – overlooking American principles in exchange for a trade deal and investment – don’t be surprised if the “ironclad” alliance starts to unravel.

Grant Newsham is a retired US Marine officer and former US diplomat. He is the author of the book “When China Attacks: A Warning To America. Follow him on X at @NewshamGrant

asiatimes.com · Grant Newsham · August 23, 2025

16. Why North Korea Is Coming Clean on Its Role in the Russia-Ukraine War

​Can't hide it so exploit it for propaganda benefit.

Why North Korea Is Coming Clean on Its Role in the Russia-Ukraine War

https://www.newsweek.com/why-north-korea-coming-clean-its-role-russia-ukraine-war-2118015

Published Aug 23, 2025 at 9:39 AM EDT

01:06

Watch Ukraine Forces Capture North Korean Soldier In Kursk

By Tom O'Connor

Senior Writer, Foreign Policy & Deputy Editor, National Security and Foreign Policy

North Korea's once-covert role in direct support of Russia's war against Ukraine is now being embraced by the nation's leadership, a shift that reflects emerging realities on the battlefield and in the world order to the benefit of Moscow and Pyongyang.

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's award ceremony and visit to a memorial to troops slain in action on Friday marked the latest step in a trend that began in April, when Pyongyang first acknowledged that it sent soldiers to aid Moscow in repelling a Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region. That reveal took place some six months after intelligence from the United States and South Korea first assessed that North Korean forces had arrived in Russia.

Since then, the joint Russian-North Korean military operation has managed to retake much of the land considered a potentially key bargaining chip for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he hopes to reclaim at least some of the near-fifth of his country occupied by Russia in an eventual peace agreement.

For North Korea—officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)—which signed an unprecedented mutual defense treaty with Russia in June of last year, the gains fuel a narrative reminiscent of the partnership displayed between Moscow and Pyongyang during the Korean War that erupted eight decades ago.

"I think this reflects unfortunately the gains on the ground that Russian and DPRK troops have made in the Kursk territory," Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Newsweek. "They have created a narrative of victorious allies and the first success of this newly rejuvenated military treaty relationship."

"Initially, the progress was not apparent, leading the North Koreans not to disclose," said Cha, who previously served in a number of U.S. government positions and represented the U.S. at the 2003-2007 Six-Party Talks that also included China, the two Koreas, Russia and Japan. "But now, they are crystal clear about their being in bed with the Russians."

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un pays his respects before portraits of at least 100 "martyrs" during a ceremony honoring soldiers "who took part in overseas military operations," on August 22 in Pyongyang. Korean Central News Agency

An Alliance Forged in Blood

While North Korea has widely been associated with its other great power neighbor, China—previously Pyongyang's only treaty ally—the country's relationship with Russia dates back even further. The Soviet Union oversaw the establishment of North Korea as a rival to U.S.-backed South Korea after the end of World War II, laying the grounds for one of the Cold War's deadliest confrontations.

The USSR contributed relatively little in terms of combatants. But Moscow's advisers, equipment and nuclear power status served as a major boost to North Korean and Chinese forces fighting South Korea and a U.S.-led coalition in a bloody conflict that ultimately ended in a 1953 stalemate and a lingering state of war no U.S. administration has managed to pacify.

In a letter sent to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier this week to mark the 80th anniversary of the Korean War, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui described how "the DPRK people always remember the internationalist feats performed by the officers and men of the Red Army who shed their blood in the fight for Korea's liberation."

Read more North Korea

North Korea's Kim Jong Un Oversees New 'Unique and Special' Missile Test

Zelensky Thanks Donald Trump for 'Kind Words' on Ukrainian Independence Day

North Korea Slams 'Deliberate Provocation' After South Korea Fires Shots

New North Korean 'Nuclear Threat' to US Homeland Identified

"She expressed belief that the strategic communication and concerted action between the foreign policy agencies for the permanent development of the alliance between the two countries will further grow and strengthen in the future, too, always remaining faithful to the inter-state treaty in conformity with the strategic plan and noble intention of the top leaders of the DPRK and Russia," according to a North Korean Foreign Ministry readout published Wednesday.

Since coming to power in 2012, Kim has sought to emphasize ties with the Kremlin, where Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled for a quarter of a century. Now that Russia has brought on a war across its own borders, North Korea's call to arms marks a significant milestone in the relationship, constituting the first major active combat deployment of the Korean People's Army since the Korean War.

It also speaks to what Cha described as North Korea's "revisionist intentions—that is, it is not simply content to have its nuclear weapons and be left alone." He added that the Moscow-Pyongyang axis was in some ways "more concerning" than the traditional China-North Korea alignment as Beijing traditionally exercised greater restraint in terms of military adventurism and nuclear activities.

"Moscow sees a transactional relationship where they get munitions and missiles and troops," Cha said. "They pay the North Koreans in food, fuel, and weapons technology and they really do not care what the North Koreans do."

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un toast during a reception at the Mongnangwan Reception House in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Kim's Gambit

Jenny Town, senior fellow at the Stimson Center, where she also serves as director of the Korea Program and 38 North project, spoke of the "enormous opportunity" the expanded relationship with Russia has afforded North Korea.

These benefits range from "political standing to military modernization support to new levels of cross-border economic cooperation," demonstrating "the outsized impact the small country can have on global security, elevating its role on the global stage," Town told Newsweek.

Such benefits, she added, likely contributed to Kim's decision to showcase rather than conceal North Korea's contribution to the Russian war effort.

"The war isn't over yet, but with greater visibility about the benefits of the bilateral relationship, it created an opening to admit to the domestic public, the depth of the military cooperation," Town said.

"It helped to be able to present the information domestically as contributing to critical (battle) victory for Russia, helping frame North Korea's sacrifices as contributing to that success," she added. "It also now allows North Korea to honor those sacrifices, giving the fallen a hero narrative, helping to mitigate potential social disapproval of the situation."

It's a gamble unlike any North Korean leader has taken since Kim's grandfather, founding Supreme Leader Kim Il Sung, first ordered his troops to cross the 38th Parallel, the hastily drawn post-WWII border that initially separated the two Koreas and from which their current armistice line, the Demilitarized Zone, lies not far.

North Korea did contribute to other Cold War-era conflicts against U.S.-backed forces, aiding fellow communists during the Vietnam War, supporting an Arab coalition against Israel and backing leftist African movements in the likes of Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe but never as visibly or high-stakes as the deployment on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war that has drawn the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) full attention.

And though the conflict has served as a catalyst for revamping Russia-North Korea ties, the broader trajectory was likely to outlast the war as Pyongyang also more broadly capitalized on Moscow's challenge to the West.

"If and when the war ends, the intensity and nature of their bilateral cooperation, especially the build out of new areas, is likely to lessen," Town said. "But in many ways, this relationship is increasingly being framed as a cornerstone of an anti-Western world order, meaning the underlying rationale for cooperation will persist."

North Korean soldiers fire a multiple rocket launcher during footage published August 22 purported to show Korean People's Army operations in the Russia-Ukraine war. Korean Central Television

Tough Talks

The success of North Korea's contribution to thwarting the Ukrainian incursion in Kursk also takes on a new light as President Donald Trump proposes "land swaps" as part of a settlement to end the over three-year war.

The proposal is part of the Trump's accelerated efforts to resolve the conflict in recent weeks, having met with Putin in Alaska last Friday and then days later with Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday. As he now seeks to arrange a direct meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, the loss of Ukrainian-held territory in Russia risks weakening Zelensky's hand at a time when Russian troops have made gradual, yet steady, advances in eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Trump's face-to-face meeting with Putin, their first meeting in six years and Putin's first travel to U.S. soil in a decade, bore some of the hallmarks of his historic debut summit with Kim, the first-ever between U.S. and North Korean leaders, at the start of an unprecedented peace process in 2018.

Those talks, which culminated in two more meetings, ultimately unraveled the following year, leaving tensions to fester on the Korean Peninsula. Kim and his influential sister, Korean Workers' Party Publicity and Information Department Deputy Director Kim Yo Jong, have only hardened their rhetoric against South Korea in recent years, and the North Korean ruler has simultaneously doubled down on nuclear development.

These steps persisted as Trump recently ordered a direct attack on the nuclear facilities of Iran, another longtime U.S. foe and friend of North Korea. Observers told Newsweek at the time the strike was likely to only bolster Kim's embrace of Russia and his own weapons of mass destruction.

As such, even with Kim Yo Jong notably avoiding direct criticism of Trump—recently referring to her brother's relationship with him as "not bad"—Town said any deal preconditioned on North Korea abandoning its nuclear arsenal would be a non-starter.

"How the U.S. responds to that opening, though is unclear," Town said. "If the policy remains centered on denuclearization (essentially hinging all aspects of the relationship on North Korea's willingness to move toward nuclear disarmament), efforts to revive diplomacy will fail."

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com