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Quotes of the Day:
"The guy who takes a chance, who walks the line between the known and the unknown, who is unafraid of failure, will succeed."
– Gordon Parks
“Men are born soft and supple; dead they are stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; dead, they are brittle and dry. Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life. The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail.”
– Lao Tzu
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence."
– Robert Frost
1. S. Korea, U.S. to begin key summertime military exercise next week
2. ROK-US, UFS exercise on 19th-29th… “Focus on responding to North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction”
3. UNICEF∙FAO: “No Request for North Korean Flood Relief”
4. N. Korean leader seen with new Mercedes-Benz SUV in defiance of sanctions
5. Arms agency test-deploys multi-legged counter-terrorism robot
6. Commentary: North Korea faces a troubled succession as Kim grooms daughter to be his likely heir
7. N. Korea slams S. Korea to divert public attention over flood damage: unification ministry
8. Yoon names new national security adviser, defense minister in surprise reshuffle
9. North Korea stole technical data about key ROK military spy planes: Ruling party
10. North's escalating rhetoric is a strategy to 'minimize internal unrest,' South says
11. N. Korea turns flooding into opportunity for spreading propaganda
12. Yoon names new defense minister, national security adviser
13. Hyesanites ordered to donate to flood relief campaign
14. Overachieving S. Korea ties own gold medal record to finish 8th
15. North Koreans celebrate Kim Jong Un winning every Olympic gold medal
1. S. Korea, U.S. to begin key summertime military exercise next week
We will be looking for north Korea's propaganda response.
(2nd LD) S. Korea, U.S. to begin key summertime military exercise next week | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 12, 2024
(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more details; CHANGES 2nd photo)
By Chae Yun-hwan
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will begin a major combined military exercise next week to strengthen their joint defense readiness in the face of evolving North Korean military threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise based on an all-out war scenario is set to take place from Aug. 19-29, featuring the main computer simulation-based command post exercise, concurrent field training and civil defense drills.
During the exercise period, the government-led Ulchi civil defense drill will involve a scenario simulating a North Korean nuclear attack for the first time, a source said, while the joint military exercise will not incorporate such a scenario.
The allies' exercise comes amid growing concerns over Pyongyang's continued weapons development push, highlighted by its launches of 37 ballistic missiles this year alone, and heightened cross-border tensions from the North's recent trash-balloon campaign.
This file photo, taken Aug. 31, 2023, shows troops taking part in a joint river-crossing drill in Cheorwon County, 76 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in connection with the summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise between South Korea and the United States. (Yonhap)
The allies said this year's exercise will reflect threats across all domains, including those posed by North Korean missiles, GPS jamming and cyberattacks, as well as lessons learned from recent armed conflicts.
"In particular, the ROK-U.S. alliance will further strengthen its capability and posture to deter and defend against weapons of mass destruction," they said in a release. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, the South's official name.
The exercise will be similar in scale to the previous year, involving some 19,000 South Korean troops, JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said in a joint briefing. It will also include 48 field training events, such as amphibious landing and live-fire drills.
Lt. Col. Ryan Donald, spokesperson of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said UFS is one of the largest exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, while declining to comment on whether U.S. strategic assets will be deployed during the exercise period.
The North has long denounced the allies' joint exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion against it and has a track record of staging weapons tests in response. South Korea and the United States have rejected the accusation, describing their drills as defensive in nature.
JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo said the North is likely to use the allies' exercise as a pretext to conduct provocations, and ordered troops to retaliate immediately during a visit to a western frontline unit, his office said.
Meanwhile, Lee confirmed only the Ulchi civil defense drill, scheduled from Aug. 19-22, will incorporate training on responding to a North Korean nuclear scenario.
It will be the first time the government-led exercise will reflect a scenario simulating damage from a North Korean nuclear weapon, the source said, compared with last year's edition that focused on preparing for a nuclear crisis situation.
Late last month, USFK Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera said the allies would not incorporate such a scenario in the UFS exercise, despite expectations it would feature the nuclear crisis dimension for the first time.
The allies have been pushing to enhance their joint readiness against the North's nuclear threats, conducting their first-ever tabletop exercise on integrating South Korean conventional forces with U.S. nuclear capabilities earlier this month.
Aside from South Korean and U.S. troops, personnel from several member countries of the U.N. Command (UNC) will join the exercise. The UNC is an enforcer of the armistice that halted the fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun (L) and Lt. Col. Ryan Donald, spokesperson of the U.S. Forces Korea, attend a joint briefing on the allies' Ulchi Freedom Shield Exercise at the JCS' headquarters in central Seoul on Aug. 12, 2024, in this photo provided by the South Korean military. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 12, 2024
2. ROK-US, UFS exercise on 19th-29th… “Focus on responding to North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction”
As I reminded a journalist this morning, there are more types of weapons of mass destruction than nuclear weapons. They include chemical and biological weapons and even radiological dispersal devices or even large mass effects producing conventional munitions.
This is a Google translation of an RFA article.
ROK-US, UFS exercise on 19th-29th… “Focus on responding to North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction”
https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/k081224le1-08122024045955.html
Seoul-Lee Jeong-eun leeje@rfa.org
2024.08.12
The ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 12th at the ROK-US Joint Briefing on the Implementation of the 2024 UFS Exercise that they will conduct the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise from the 19th to the 29th to establish a ROK-US combined defense posture. The photo shows Col. Lee Sung-joon, Director of Public Affairs for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (left), and Col. Ryan, Director of Public Affairs for the Combined Forces Command, USFK, and the United Nations Command, answering questions.
Photo: RFA
00:00 / 00:00
Anchor : The ROK-US military authorities will conduct the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, a regular joint training exercise, starting on the 19th . Reporter Lee Jeong-eun reports from Seoul .
The ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff and the ROK-US Combined Forces Command held a joint press conference on the 12th and announced that they will conduct the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise from the 19th to the 29th to establish a combined defense posture .
It is explained that realistic threats such as North Korea's increasing missile threat , GPS jamming and cyberattacks , threats on land , sea and air, and recent war patterns will be reflected in the exercise scenario .
Both sides emphasized that they will strengthen the ROK-US alliance’s ability and readiness to respond to provocations by utilizing various assets, with a particular focus on countering North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction . Lee Sung-joon, director of public relations for the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff, said .
Lee Sung-joon, Public Affairs Officer of the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff : In particular, with a focus on responding to North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, the ROK-U.S. alliance will further strengthen its response capabilities and posture to any provocation through multi-domain operations utilizing various assets .
When asked whether drills simulating a nuclear attack by North Korea would be conducted, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff drew the line, saying they would not be conducted, as previously stated by Commander of US Forces Korea Gen. Paul LaCamera .
He added that during the UFS period, the South Korean government will conduct training to respond to North Korea's nuclear weapons during the Ulchi Exercise .
Earlier, Commander Lacamera had responded to a question about whether an operational scenario that assumes North Korea's use of nuclear weapons during the UFS period would be applied during an online seminar hosted by the Institute of American Studies (ICAS) on the 31st of last month by saying that there was no such content in the scenario .
“North Korea may directly provoke before and after August ROK- US joint training ”
ROK-US Complete Review of Joint Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence … “ Specify Response Guidelines in the Event of a North Korean Nuclear Crisis ”
During this training period, the ROK-US military authorities plan to expand and conduct live-fire training, etc. in the land , sea , and air domains as part of the joint outdoor maneuver training , and to demonstrate the ROK-US alliance's ability and will to carry out joint operations .
When asked about the possibility of deploying U.S. strategic assets to South Korea as a result of this training exercise, Ryan Donald, the head of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command’s public affairs office, said , “ It is still too early to say . ”
During the training period, the Korean military plans to support wartime preparedness exercises and actual training conducted by government ministries, such as cyberattacks and counter-terrorism, and enhance the ability to conduct a nationwide all-out war at the government level .
As the number of UNC member states participating in this exercise is expected to increase , the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission plans to monitor whether they are complying with the armistice agreement .
Meanwhile, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol nominated Presidential Security Service Director Kim Yong-hyun as the new Minister of National Defense on the 12th and nominated Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik as the Director of the National Security Office .
Defense Minister nominee Kim Yong-hyun emphasized that “ the current domestic and international security situation is more severe than ever, ” and that if appointed as minister, he would establish a firm security posture based on strong power .
Candidate Kim is a former general in the South Korean Army who served as the Commander of the Capital Defense Command and the Chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Headquarters .
This is Lee Jeong-eun of RFA's Radio Free Asia in Seoul .
Editor Hong Seung-wook
3. UNICEF∙FAO: “No Request for North Korean Flood Relief”
Kim Jong Un's "pride" or fear of undermining his legitimacy by exposing his failures and incompetence prevent him from asking for help for the Korean people in the north.
This is a Google translation of an RFA article.
UNICEF∙FAO: “No Request for North Korean Flood Relief”
https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/food_international_org/flood-08092024142916.html
WASHINGTON-Lee Sang-min lees@rfa.org
2024.08.09
North Korean residents are loading relief supplies containing food and daily necessities onto containers as North Korea carries out nationwide support activities to restore damage caused by heavy rain in the northern border areas, including North Pyongan Province and Chagang Province, in late July.
/Yonhap News
00:00 /03:32
Anchor : UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and the Food and Agriculture Fund (FAO) have announced that they have not yet received a request from North Korea for support for relief efforts in the Sinuiju area, which was flooded by heavy rains last month . Reporter Lee Sang-min reports . When asked by Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 9th whether they have received a request for support for flood relief efforts from North Korea, Chiara Frisone
, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Spokesperson, replied that nothing has changed and that they have not received a request for support . Previously, on the 31st of last month, UNICEF announced that they were discussing with North Korean authorities about using food , hygiene, and health supplies that they had stockpiled in advance in North Korea for flood relief in North Korea, and that these supplies are ready to be used if North Korea requests them . On the 2nd , they said that they and UN organizations cooperating with North Korea had not received an official report on the flood damage from North Korea and that there had been no request for the use of UNICEF relief supplies . Allan Dow , Spokesperson for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for Asia and the Pacific, also told Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 9th that there had been no new requests for flood relief assistance from North Korea . Spokesperson Dow said that he had not received a request for assistance from North Korea since the 31st of last month . Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun stated on the 9th that China is willing to provide assistance to North Korea, which has suffered severe flood damage due to heavy rain .
According to the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, Ambassador Wang visited the flood-stricken area of Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, the day before with diplomats from the embassy and proposed , “ China, as a traditional and friendly neighboring country, is willing to provide necessary support and assistance according to the needs of North Korea’s disaster relief and reconstruction efforts . ”
North Korea mobilizes 300,000 people to patch up flood recovery equipment shortage
South Korea: “North Korea appears to be attempting to recover from flood damage on its own”
However, there is great skepticism about whether North Korea will ask China for help with flood relief, given that it has effectively rejected Russia's offer of flood relief assistance, with which relations have been deepening recently . On the 3rd
, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his willingness to provide humanitarian aid if North Korea conveyed information about the flood damage, but North Korean General Secretary Kim Jong Il stated that he would " ask for help if necessary . " On the 1st , South Korea also announced through the South Korean National Red Cross that it was willing to quickly provide urgently needed supplies to flood victims in North Korea, but North Korea has not responded . In light of this, it is analyzed that North Korea is attempting to recover on its own without asking for help from UN organizations, China , or Russia for flood recovery . North Korean state-run media reported on the 7th that General Secretary Kim Jong Un encouraged the recovery of the flood damage in the Yalu River area that occurred at the end of last month, calling it a "construction war" at the Baekdusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade advancement ceremony held in Pyongyang .
The Baekdu Mountain Hero Youth Shock Brigade is a youth group that is frequently dispatched to large-scale civil engineering and construction projects in North Korea. At this event, General Secretary Kim revealed that 300,000 young people have been dispatched to Sinuiju City and Uiju County to help with flood recovery efforts .
Dr. Jeong Eun-i of the Korea Institute for National Unification recently told Radio Free Asia ( RFA) that the mobilization of 300,000 residents means that the flood damage was that great , and that unlike in the past when they received support from the international community or UN organizations, they are more proactive in self-recovery in a situation where support after COVID-19 is extremely limited .
He said that his recent rejection of Russia's offer of assistance, with which he has been strengthening cooperation, by saying, "We will ask for it if necessary," could mean that North Korea still has its own capacity for flood recovery, or it could be because of concerns about the North Korean regime's weak image to the outside world if it receives international help.
Editor Park Jeong-woo , Web Editor Kim Sang-il
4. N. Korean leader seen with new Mercedes-Benz SUV in defiance of sanctions
While the Korean people in the north suffer terribly every day.
N. Korean leader seen with new Mercedes-Benz SUV in defiance of sanctions | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 12, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be using a new model of a Mercedes-Benz SUV in a move snubbing international sanctions banning North Korea's imports of luxury items.
Photos carried by the Korean Central News Agency on Saturday showed a black Mercedes-Benz SUV on a special train that Kim used to visit flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Phyongan last week.
The SUV is presumed to be the top-class model of the face-lifted Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC that was launched in April in South Korea. The price tag started at 279 million won (US$204,000).
Kim appears to have secured another high-end Mercedes-Benz SUV, as he was seen using the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 in January in footage aired by state-run TV.
The move is subject to the violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that ban the supply, sale and transfer of luxury goods, including automobiles, to North Korea.
The North's leader, known for his love for Mercedes-Benz, has made public appearances in different Mercedes-Maybach S-class vehicles, including a limousine, disregarding international sanctions on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 10, 2024, shows what is presumed to be a new model of a Mercedes-Benz SUV on a special train that the North's leader Kim Jong-un took to visit flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Phyongan from Aug. 8-9. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 12, 2024
5. Arms agency test-deploys multi-legged counter-terrorism robot
Arms agency test-deploys multi-legged counter-terrorism robot | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 12, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- The state arms procurement agency said Monday it has test-deployed a multi-legged robot designed for counter-terrorism operations as part of a push to introduce advanced technologies to the military.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) launched the project in August 2022 to develop a robot that can check for threats inside buildings in a terror situation before troops are deployed.
The Army received the robot last Wednesday to conduct the six-month trial run to determine whether it is suitable for operations. The Army Special Warfare Command and a front-line Army division will assess its performance and capabilities.
The four-legged robot can move at a speed of more than 4 kph and can overcome various vertical obstacles, such as a 20 centimeter-high step, according to DAPA.
It is also equipped with cameras to carry out day and nighttime reconnaissance missions and can also be fitted with combat equipment, such as a remotely operated handgun.
The development project took place as part of DAPA's fast-tracked program designed to swiftly deploy equipment to the military. Hyundai Rotem and Rainbow Robotics were among the companies involved in the robot's development.
This image, captured from undated video footage released by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Aug. 12, 2024, shows a newly developed multi-legged robot designed for counter-terrorism operations. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 12, 2024
6. Commentary: North Korea faces a troubled succession as Kim grooms daughter to be his likely heir
Although I remain very skeptical about the succession of Kim Ju Ae, Professor Kelly provides some good analysis.
And these articles always make me ask the not so rhetorical question: What would we do if we learned today of Kim Jong Un's death? Have we sufficiently wargames our potential responses? What desired effects do we seek once we learn that KJU has died?
Excerpts:
There is some speculation that she has played the hawk as a role to portray her brother as more gentle and diplomatic. But in a highly militarised, paranoid system like North Korea, such hawkishness likely plays well among elites. Siblings of the previous great leader are the sort of people who get purged in North Korea. So if Kim’s health declines as he ages, his daughter and sister appear, at the moment at least, on collision course.
The jockeying for succession in North Korea will accelerate. Kim is now 40, and his health problems will only worsen. Both of his likely successors are women - which would be highly unusual in North Korea.
These two women also have roughly equal claims: One is a direct descendant, but young and inexperienced; the other is a blood relative with more time in the system. But who knows if the country’s deeply rooted, deeply sexist old boys’ network would even accept them?
Kim will spend the next several decades trying to force one of them onto his male-dominated leadership. The transition on his death will likely be far more contested than the last two.
Commentary: North Korea faces a troubled succession as Kim grooms daughter to be his likely heir
Robert E Kelly
@Robert_E_Kelly
12 Aug 2024 06:00AM
channelnewsasia.com
BUSAN, South Korea: Over the past two years, there has been intense speculation surrounding leadership succession in the world’s most secretive state.
The catalyst? A photo from November 2022 of a cherubic young girl with a ponytail walking hand in hand with her father.
That photo was anything but an ordinary daddy-daughter moment. For that man was North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the little girl - reportedly 10 years old at the time - his likely heir.
That the picture was taken in front of a giant intercontinental ballistic missile was also telling of North Korea’s weapons programme.
Since then, the girl in the picture, Kim Ju Ae, has been photographed with her father at more than 20 official events. She’s traded her schoolgirl ponytail for a more mature look, fuelling even further speculation that she is being groomed to succeed her father.
WORRIES ABOUT TRANSITIONAL UNREST
North Korea has been ruled by the Kim family for three generations.
North Korea’s first supreme leader, Kim Il Sung, died in 1994. He left power to his son, Kim Jong Il. That Kim died in 2011, turning over power to his son, Kim Jong Un.
These power transitions have always been steeped in intrigue, with purges and positional competition one might associate with a regal court of old.
The great struggle in this court has always been succession. The Kims have fathered multiple children by multiple women, leading to constant speculation over who might be elevated. And behind the Kims, of course, is a very large army. The possibility of a coup always lurks. To insure the army’s loyalty, the Kims have alternated between purging the officer corps and showering it with gifts.
Yet more uncertainty atop these tensions has always been the ill health of the Kim leaders, and the possibility that they might die suddenly or be permanently debilitated. All of them have lived a notoriously hard-partying lifestyle.
The first was obese for most of his reign. The second was a heavy drinker who suffered a pancreatic stroke. The third and current Kim weighs more than 140kg, smokes, and likely has diabetes, according to the South Korean intelligence service. Who knows who will take over if he were to die suddenly.
People visit Mansu Hill to pay respect to the statues of former leaders, Kim Il Sung (left) and Kim Jong Il on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the demise of Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Jul 7, 2024. (File photo: AP/Jon Chol Jin)
Analysts have long worried about such transitional unrest. I have participated in North Koren scenario gaming, for example, where the incident provoking internal factional conflict was a botched succession.
That issue is once again cropping up, because Kim - who reportedly has three children - appears to be promoting his daughter to take over, rather than his son.
This is unusual. The son would be the obvious choice. He is the eldest child, and more important, he is a male in North Korea’s highly conservative society.
Although technically communist, North Korea is not progressive on gender norms. Where other communist states created some room for women in the labour force and even government, North Korea has not. It has cleaved to Korea’s cultural Confucian legacy which limits roles for women and promotes sons within the family.
FROM BELOVED CHILD TO MORNING STAR GENERAL
Little is known about Kim’s son, not even his name. His whereabouts are similarly unknown. He would only be 14 now, so he is probably not a political threat, at least not yet.
Perhaps he is disinterested in politics. This has happened with other children of the Kim family. If he does not want to enter the family business, he is wise to keep a low profile. It is not uncommon for individuals in Kim family struggles to meet unhappy ends.
Ju Ae, on the other hand, has been increasingly visible in public. Kim has taken to bringing her to public events and showing her various elements of North Korean state power, including missiles and parades. This is the normal route to ascension.
The North Korean media has also taken to giving her various honorifics - “respected child”, “beloved child” and “a great person of guidance”. In December last year, media reports claimed that Kim had referred to his daughter as “Morning Star General”, a term previously used to describe Kim Il Sung.
The November 2022 photo of her holding hands with her father at the Hwasong-17 missile launch has also been turned into a postage stamp.
If Ju Ae is the choice, Kim is wise to start promoting her now. She will need years of grooming to take over. Kim will need to work hard to convince the old boys’ network which actually administers North Korea - below the political level of the Kim family - to accept her. It is not easy to see the old guard generals of the army, for example, accepting a young woman in her 20s or 30s.
DAUGHTER VERSUS SISTER
Ju Ae also faces some likely competition in her aunt, Kim Yo Jong. Yo Jong is Kim Jong Un’s sister and has been a prominent regime personage for a decade now. She was closely involved in the 2018 summit in Singapore between Kim and then US President Donald Trump.
Yo Jong has generally been a hawkish voice. She has threatened South Korea and the United States with nuclear retaliation, and said repeatedly that North Korea would never denuclearise.
There is some speculation that she has played the hawk as a role to portray her brother as more gentle and diplomatic. But in a highly militarised, paranoid system like North Korea, such hawkishness likely plays well among elites. Siblings of the previous great leader are the sort of people who get purged in North Korea. So if Kim’s health declines as he ages, his daughter and sister appear, at the moment at least, on collision course.
The jockeying for succession in North Korea will accelerate. Kim is now 40, and his health problems will only worsen. Both of his likely successors are women - which would be highly unusual in North Korea.
These two women also have roughly equal claims: One is a direct descendant, but young and inexperienced; the other is a blood relative with more time in the system. But who knows if the country’s deeply rooted, deeply sexist old boys’ network would even accept them?
Kim will spend the next several decades trying to force one of them onto his male-dominated leadership. The transition on his death will likely be far more contested than the last two.
Robert Kelly (@Robert_E_Kelly) is a professor of political science at Pusan National University.
channelnewsasia.com
7. N. Korea slams S. Korea to divert public attention over flood damage: unification ministry
I think this is an accurate assessment.
Admit nothing. Deny everything. Make counter accusations.
N. Korea slams S. Korea to divert public attention over flood damage: unification ministry | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 12, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took swipe at South Korean media reports on flood damage in the North in an apparent attempt to divert public attention from the emergency situation, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday.
During a visit to flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Phyongan last week, Kim lashed out at South Korean media reports that floods in areas along the Amnok River generated massive casualties.
Kim rebuked South Korean media outlets as the media of the "dirty, rubbish country," saying that South Korea, an "unchangeable enemy" of North Korea, is staging smear campaigns against his country.
The ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said the North's criticism at South Korea was probably intended to divert the public attention from severe flood damage.
"In an emergency situation where North Korea needs to mobilize all social capabilities due to the massive flood damage, it apparently intended to minimize the deterioration of public sentiment by shifting the subject of criticism to the outside," Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at the ministry, told a press briefing.
In late July, heavy rains pummeled the border city of Sinuiju and Uiju County in North Phyongan Province, with some South Korean media outlets reporting that the number of those who died or went missing could exceed about 1,000.
The North's leader said last week that he will bring victims of the recent heavy downpours to Pyongyang and take care of them without outside help.
On Aug. 1, South Korea offered to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea over the flood damage, but North Korea has remained unresponsive to the offer.
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 10, 2024, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (R) meeting with victims of the recent heavy rains in Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Phyongan. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 12, 2024
8. Yoon names new national security adviser, defense minister in surprise reshuffle
Yes. definitely not expected at this time. This has not even been reported in Yonhap yet.
Monday
August 12, 2024
dictionary + A - A
Yoon names new national security adviser, defense minister in surprise reshuffle
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-08-12/national/politics/Yoon-names-new-national-security-adviser-defense-minister-in-surprise-reshuffle/2111150
Published: 12 Aug. 2024, 18:55
- SARAH KIM
- kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr
Presidential Security Service chief Kim Yong-hyun, the defense minister nominee, speaks to reporters at the Yongsan presidential office Monday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
President Yoon Suk Yeol tapped a new national security adviser and defense minister Monday in an unexpected shake-up of his foreign affairs and security line after returning from summer vacation.
Presidential Security Service (PSS) chief Kim Yong-hyun was named new minister of national defense, the presidential office announced.
Current Defense Minister Shin Won-sik was appointed as the new national security adviser, replacing Chang Ho-jin.
Chang was, in turn, named special adviser to the president for foreign affairs and national security, a newly created post.
Related Article
Kim, the new defense minister nominee, is a former three-star Army general who has served as PSS chief since Yoon took office in May 2022.
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A graduate of the Korea Military Academy, Kim notably oversaw the relocation of the presidential office to the Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan District, central Seoul, from the Blue House.
Presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk, in a briefing at the Yongsan presidential office, described Kim as an "expert in the field of defense and security who has held key positions in the military, receiving great trust from both within and outside the military."
He noted that Kim, as the first PSS chief of the Yoon government, "understands the intentions of the commander-in-chief better than anyone else."
His nomination will be subject to a parliamentary confirmation hearing. The president can still appoint ministerial nominees regardless of the results of such a hearing.
Defense Minister Shin Won-sik speaks at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Thursday. He was appointed as the new national security adviser Monday.[NEWS1]
Chung, in turn, noted Shin has "abundant field experience and insight, and as the current defense minister has a high understanding of the security issues facing us" and was determined to be the "right person to assist the president and take responsibility for national security without leaving any security vacuum."
Shin is a retired Army lieutenant general and People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker who was tapped as Yoon's defense minister in September 2023. He previously served in the military for 35 years and held key senior posts at the Defense Ministry and South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). He is a known hardliner on North Korea issues.
The new presidential special adviser for foreign affairs and security post was created to oversee "strategic tasks related to core national interests," Chung added, noting that Chang is a "traditional diplomat who is well-versed in the diplomacy of the four major powers, including Russia."
The national security adviser post reshuffle comes just over eight months after Cho Tae-yong, a veteran diplomat, was replaced by Chang as Yoon's new director of the National Security Office in late December.
Chang previously served as Yoon's first ambassador to Russia and vice minister of foreign affairs. He also served as a presidential foreign affairs secretary in the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration and a foreign affairs aide to former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn in the Park Geun-hye administration.
So far under the Yoon administration, four people have been selected as national security advisers, including Kim Sung-han, who hails from academia, Cho, Chang and now Shin. If appointed, Kim will be Yoon's third defense minister, following Lee Jong-sup and Shin.
"If appointed as minister of national defense, I will follow the will of the president, the commander-in-chief of the military, and establish a steadfast security posture based on strong power," Kim told reporters after his nomination. "The current domestic and international security situation is more severe than ever. Security is the economy."
He also addressed North Korea's sending of trash-laden balloons to the South and said, "We are responding with the safety of the people as our top priority," adding he will look into effective additional measures after he takes the post.
Yoon also picked former Constitutional Court Justice Ahn Chang-ho to head the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.
The president returned to work after a five-day summer vacation last week, focused on visiting traditional markets and military facilities across the country, stressing the importance of people's security and livelihoods.
The liberal Democratic Party (DP) on Monday criticized Yoon's nomination of PSS chief Kim as defense minister, accusing him of being linked to allegations that the Defense Ministry and the presidential office meddled in the military's inquest into the death of a Marine who drowned while conducting a search and rescue mission during heavy rain and flooding in July last year.
"This is the peak of a revolving door of personnel appointments and atrocities," DP spokesman Lee Hae-sik said in a briefing at the National Assembly, accusing the candidate of being "suspected of exerting influence by contacting former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup several times" during the investigation into the Marine's death.
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
9. North Korea stole technical data about key ROK military spy planes: Ruling party
North Korea stole technical data about key ROK military spy planes: Ruling party
Expert says theft could compromise South Korean surveillance, while party also confirms leak of tech on main battle tank
https://www.nknews.org/2024/08/north-korea-stole-technical-data-about-key-rok-military-spy-planes-ruling-party/?t=1723467959
Joon Ha Park August 12, 2024
North Koreans using computers in Sept. 2015 | Image: NK News
North Korean cybercriminals have stolen technical data related to two South Korean military reconnaissance aircraft, the ROK’s ruling party has revealed, while also confirming a separate leak of critical technologies related to the country’s main battle tank.
In a commentary published on Sunday, People Power Party (PPP) stated that “forces presumed to be from North Korea” had stolen data related to South Korea’s Baekdu and Geumgang spy planes, key assets for monitoring the DPRK.
The party also noted that ROK researchers leaked information about the K2 Black Panther tank, though North Korea has not been tied to that incident.
The commentary followed a Dong-A Ilbo report on Aug. 9 that a DPRK cyberattack had compromised data on the two spy aircraft that have been in service for over 20 years.
Before that, local media reported on Aug. 7 that ROK researchers had leaked information about the K2 Black Panther to a competitor in exchange for hefty payments. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration reportedly did not notice the leak until ROK police launched an investigation.
“Leaks of South Korea’s reconnaissance aircraft technologies could provide North Korea with critical insights into our surveillance methods, posing significant security risks,” Shin Seung-ki, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), told NK News.
Shin highlighted the advanced nature of the Baekdu and Geumgang systems, which are pivotal for communications and radar detection, respectively.
“Recent performance improvements have made these systems more effective than in their initial phase in surveilling North Korea’s ground activities,” he said.
Yang Uk, a military analyst at the Seoul-based Asan Institute, emphasized the need for stronger legal and institutional safeguards to protect South Korea’s advanced military technologies from espionage.
He advocated for the establishment of a specialized counterintelligence agency, separate from the police and National Intelligence Service (NIS), to better address these vulnerabilities.
The spy plane and battle tank cases are the latest in a series of recent high-profile information breaches that have raised questions about South Korean cybersecurity defenses and how the country prevents sensitive information from following into the wrong hands.
In April, for instance, North Korean cyber operatives infiltrated the networks of at least 10 South Korean defense manufacturers, attempting to steal sensitive military technology.
In another incident, a civilian employee of the Defense Intelligence Command leaked a classified list of South Korean military intelligence agents, allegedly to North Korea.
In light of the latest leaks, the PPP called for enacting a Basic Cybersecurity Law and amending the Criminal Act to expand espionage laws to cover “foreign entities.” The party highlighted the increasing threat posed by North Korean cyberattacks and the theft of critical defense industry technology.
“There is ample reason to sternly punish ‘industrial spies’ who leak advanced technologies at the level of espionage, in line with the era of economic security,” the PPP commentary states.
Both the ruling party and main opposition Democratic Party introduced legislation on enhancing cybersecurity under the previous National Assembly, but none advanced before the 22nd parliament began its term in May.
The bills differed on which agency would oversee cybersecurity efforts, and progress on a new proposal has stalled due to disagreements about which agencies should be involved and the potent impacts on existing cybersecurity structures.
The NIS has since announced its plans to push their version of the legislation forward to the National Assembly.
Edited by Bryan Betts
10. North's escalating rhetoric is a strategy to 'minimize internal unrest,' South says
It is good to see that north Korean potential internal instability is being recognized.
Monday
August 12, 2024
dictionary + A - A
North's escalating rhetoric is a strategy to 'minimize internal unrest,' South says
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-08-12/national/northKorea/Norths-escalating-rhetoric-is-a-strategy-to-minimize-internal-unrest-South-says/2111128
Published: 12 Aug. 2024, 18:42
- SEO JI-EUN
- seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hugs a child during his visit to a temporary shelter in Uiju County in North Pyongan Province to offer support to flood-damaged areas, in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 10. [NEWS1]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's continued harsh rhetoric against South Korea, labeling it as "filthy scum," appears to be a strategy to quell domestic dissatisfaction amid the widespread flood damage in North Korea, said the South Korean government on Monday.
"In an emergency situation where North Korea must mobilize all social resources due to large-scale flood damage, it seems they are redirecting the blame externally to minimize internal unrest," said Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson for South Korea's Unification Ministry, during a regular briefing on Monday.
Observers noted that it is uncommon for North Korea's top leader to directly address South Korean media reports, which are usually inaccessible to the North Korean public. This unusual move suggests that the regime is deliberately driving anti-South sentiment to prevent public dissatisfaction from being directed toward the North's ruling Workers' Party or Kim himself.
During his visit to Uiju County in North Pyongan from Aug. 8 to 9, Kim delivered a speech to flood victims, accusing the South Korean media of "fabricating" reports about the severity of the damage.
"It is important to inform Party organizations, working people’s organizations at all levels, various networks of education and the people of these facts, and thus make them have a correct understanding of the ROK scum bordering on us," Kim said, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in an English-language report. ROK is an abbreviation for South Korea.
Kim dismissed South Korean media reports, which cited intelligence sources and claimed that "the missing persons in the afflicted areas exceed 1,000 in number and several helicopters had fallen on rescue missions," as entirely false. He added, "Why do we call the enemy 'the enemy' and 'scum'?" and referred to South Korea as an "unchangeable enemy."
Earlier, on Aug. 3, Kim visited an Air Force helicopter unit that had rescued residents nearly isolated by floods. While there, he similarly criticized South Korean media for spreading "fabricated news reports," referring to them as "garbage media."
A new black SUV with a Mercedes-Benz logo is spotted at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's speech on measures to support flood victims during his visit to a temporary shelter in Uiju County in North Pyongan in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 10. [YONHAP]
During his Aug. 8 to 9 visit, Kim Jong-un's new official vehicle was spotted once again. Photos released by the KCNA showed Kim delivering a speech to flood victims from a platform created by fully opening the doors of a train car. Behind the open door, a black SUV with a Mercedes-Benz logo was visible.
The vehicle is believed to be a new luxury model from German automaker Mercedes-Benz, which was released just four months ago in South Korea. This sighting suggests that despite international sanctions against North Korea, luxury goods, including high-end vehicles, continue to be imported into the country.
Following Kim’s derogatory remarks regarding Seoul, Pyongyang launched more than 240 trash-laden balloons across the border over the weekend. This marks the 11th time this year that it has sent waste-laden balloons into South Korean territory.
BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
11. N. Korea turns flooding into opportunity for spreading propaganda
But you cannot eat ideology or propaganda.
Excerpts:
Public discontent grows amid propaganda campaign
With the North Korean authorities engrossed in propaganda activities, imploring everyone to take part in supporting recovery efforts and essentially mobilizing the entire population, public discontent is growing.
One woman living in southern Sinuiju said she, her husband and even her middle school child “have been engaged in support and mobilization efforts since the end of last month.” She said that with no rations, she lives day to day selling food, “but now I can’t even do that, making it very hard to make a living.”
N. Korea turns flooding into opportunity for spreading propaganda - Daily NK English
Loudspeaker trucks blare their messages all day while families grapple with basic needs, such as how to feed their children
By Seon Hwa - August 12, 2024
dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · August 12, 2024
North Korea's state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on July 29 that leader Kim Jong Un personally visited flood-damaged areas in Sinuiju and Uiju county in North Pyongan Province the previous day. According to the report, Kim directly supervised rescue and evacuation efforts in areas affected by heavy rains and in regions at risk of disaster. (Photo: Rodong Sinmun-News1)
North Korean authorities have turned recent flooding into an opportunity for a massive propaganda campaign. Loudspeaker trucks and propaganda teams have been touring affected and unaffected regions daily, blasting praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and calling on people to take part in recovery efforts in the morning and evening. Accordingly, people complain of intense fatigue.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Daily NK source in North Pyongan province reported recently that loudspeaker trucks and artistic propaganda teams had been fully mobilized and are fervently engaged in agitprop activities in flood-stricken border regions along the Yalu River, swollen from recent rains, and non-stricken areas per orders from provincial, city and county party committees.
“In Sinuiju now, loudspeaker trucks roam the streets from 6 a.m. blasting propaganda about the Supreme Leader’s history of love, and the voice of the broadcasters resound twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon, calling on people to come together for recovery efforts in the flood-stricken regions,” the source said, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Artists from the North Pyongan Grand Theatre have formed several small agitprop troops engaged in daily activities at mudslide recovery sites such as railways, roads and rivers. Sinuiju Nakwon Machine Complex’s mobile artistic propaganda team has been urging support for recovery efforts with daily performances calling for the do-or-die accomplishment of the decisions of the 22nd Emergency Enlarged Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee.
People express frustration with the constant presence of loudspeaker trucks in their neighborhoods. They lament that these vehicles seem to be the only ones “having fun” in today’s environment. The incessant broadcasts, described as “sickening sounds,” plague the citizens from dawn to dusk.
Many find the timing particularly galling, as the trucks blare their messages all day while families grapple with basic needs, such as how to feed their children. Adding to their discontent, citizens claim the propagandists’ rhetoric about the “great love” and unparalleled “blessings of the Great Leader” rings hollow, leaving them bewildered and disconnected from the official narrative.
Public discontent grows amid propaganda campaign
With the North Korean authorities engrossed in propaganda activities, imploring everyone to take part in supporting recovery efforts and essentially mobilizing the entire population, public discontent is growing.
One woman living in southern Sinuiju said she, her husband and even her middle school child “have been engaged in support and mobilization efforts since the end of last month.” She said that with no rations, she lives day to day selling food, “but now I can’t even do that, making it very hard to make a living.”
Discontent about the North Korean authorities’ pleas for support and mobilization efforts is even worse in regions unaffected by the floods.
“People living in unaffected regions are worse off than those in affected regions,” the source said. “This is because they must make money every day, but they have to provide aid to the flood zones and are forcibly mobilized for recovery efforts.”
“Of course, we are sorry for the people affected by the flooding, but the people who suffer from continuous mobilizations and support efforts just because they weren’t affected by the floods have serious problems,” the source said.
“Many people live day-to-day wondering how they’ll put food on the table, and they’re really unhappy, asking how they’re supposed to ensure their family can eat when they’re being continuously dragged around for aid efforts and mobilizations.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · August 12, 2024
12. Yoon names new defense minister, national security adviser
Yoinhap was scooped by the Joongang Ilbo
Yoon names new defense minister, national security adviser | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · August 12, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol named Presidential Security Service chief Kim Yong-hyun as new defense minister while Defense Minister Shin Won-sik was named as new national security adviser, his office said Monday.
National security adviser Chang Ho-jin was named as special adviser for foreign affairs and security, a newly created post, presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk said in a briefing.
Kim, a former three-star Army general, has served as PSS chief since Yoon took office in May 2022.
His nomination is subject to a parliamentary confirmation hearing, though the president can go ahead and appoint the nominee regardless of the hearing's outcome.
Defense Minister nominee Kim Yong-hyun (Yonhap)
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · August 12, 2024
13. Hyesanites ordered to donate to flood relief campaign
Can you get blood from a stone? How much more can they make the Korean people in Hyesan suffer?
Hyesanites ordered to donate to flood relief campaign - Daily NK English
Donations are being required not only by neighborhood watch units but also by workplaces and schools, which forces families to come up with two or three contributions at the same time
By Lee Chae Eun - August 12, 2024
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Eun · August 12, 2024
Rodong Sinmun reported on July 31 that officials from the Cabinet, various ministries and the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea were organizing relief efforts for flood victims in areas designated as disaster zones. Photograph=Rodong Sinmun-News1
Hyesan residents have recently been ordered to “donate” to the relief campaign for flood victims along North Korea’s northern border, Daily NK has learned.
“Quotas for disaster recovery efforts have been issued to all organizations in Hyesan, including government agencies, companies, labor groups, schools and neighborhood watch units,” a source in Yanggang province told Daily NK recently. “The same quotas apply, without exception, to students in elementary, middle and high schools, even though they’re currently on summer vacation.”
Torrential rains last month caused flooding and landslides in Yanggang province, wiping out roads and leaving families homeless.
The provincial party committee held meetings with the heads of various organizations in Hyesan at the end of July and then again on Aug. 1 to explain the flood impact in Hyesan and various counties in the province. Provincial officials then ordered that the organizations gather supplies to send the flood victims.
Each organization was given a specific, nonnegotiable quota at the meeting, separate from any supplies that may be donated voluntarily.
As a result, one neighborhood watch unit in Hyesan held an emergency meeting on Aug. 1 and informed unit families about the two kinds of contributions, one voluntary and the other mandatory.
Families were told they could donate food, clothing, dishes and blankets for flood victims as their conscience dictated, but that they were required to make a 30,000 North Korean won donation.
The per-family amount of 30,000 won is reportedly designed to cover the neighborhood watch unit’s quota of 300 kilograms of cement and 250 kilograms of sand.
People face donation demands from all sides
The problem was that these contributions are being required not only by neighborhood watch units but also by workplaces and schools. That puts each family in the position of coming up with two or three contributions at the same time.
This is not the first time Hyesan residents have been assigned double or triple quotas. But since heavy contributions are being demanded at a time of severe economic hardship, expressions of anger and frustration are being heard all over the place, the source said.
“It has long been the practice to deal with whatever issues crop up by imposing quotas on the public with no regard for their financial wherewithal. Sure enough, it’s once again ordinary North Koreans who are being shouldered with the cost of rebuilding washed out roads and bridges and providing necessities to those impacted by the heavy rains and flooding,” he said.
“Shaking down struggling people who can’t even afford three solid meals a day is causing an unbearable amount of pain. I wish they’d just stop making people’s lives even more miserable under the pretext of providing aid.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Eun · August 12, 2024
14. Overachieving S. Korea ties own gold medal record to finish 8th
(Olympics) Overachieving S. Korea ties own gold medal record to finish 8th | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Yoo Jee-ho · August 12, 2024
PARIS, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea won a medal in the very first medal event of the Paris Olympics on July 27.
The rest of the team picked it up from there and didn't look back.
South Korea finished the medal race in eighth place with 13 gold medals, nine silver medals and 10 bronze medals, far exceeding its own and many pundits' projections. South Korea tied its Summer Games record for most gold medals, equaling the mark from 2008 and 2012.
In this file photo, Lim Si-hyeon of South Korea celebrates on the podium after winning the gold medal in the women's archery individual event at the Paris Olympics at Invalides in Paris on Aug. 3, 2024. (Yonhap)
South Korea sent 144 athletes in 21 sports to France, its smallest delegation for a Summer Olympics since 1976. It didn't qualify teams for men's and women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball, and men's and women's football, among other team sports.
Though the size of the delegation wasn't likely to impact South Korea's medal chances -- the country wouldn't have been a medal contender in any of those ball sports -- it fed into the general sense of pessimism surrounding the nation.
In this file photo, Kim Woo-jin of South Korea poses with his gold medal won in the men's individual archery event at the Paris Olympics at Invalides in Paris on Aug. 4, 2024. (Yonhap)
But that quickly turned into optimism, however cautious, after one day of competition.
Park Ha-jun and Keum Ji-hyeon grabbed silver in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team shooting event for South Korea's first medal of this Olympics. Hours later, swimmer Kim Woo-min raced to bronze in the men's 400-meter freestyle final.
In this file photo, Ban Hyo-jin of South Korea celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle at the Paris Olympics at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, France, on July 29, 2024. (Yonhap)
Then fencer Oh Sang-uk captured the gold medal in the men's individual sabre fencing in the night cap.
The race was on.
South Korea had set out to win five gold medals and met that target just three days into the medal competition, before the calendar flipped to August. The country won at least one medal on all but three days of the 16-day medal race.
South Korea completed a clean sweep of five gold medals in archery. Kim Woo-jin and Lim Si-hyeon each won three gold medals. Kim reached five gold medals for his career, making him the most decorated South Korean Olympian, summer or winter.
Shooters brought home three gold and three silver medals. Ban Hyo-jin captured the women's 10-meter air rifle title at age 16, making her the youngest Summer Olympic champion for South Korea. Another teenager, the 19-year-old Oh Ye-jin, was crowned the women's 10m air pistol champion over teammate Kim Ye-ji.
After winning his individual title, Oh led South Korea to its third straight gold in the men's team sabre event.
In this file photo, Oh Ye-jin of South Korea celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 10-meter air pistol shooting at the Paris Olympics at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, France, on July 28, 2024. (Yonhap)
South Korea picked up two gold medals from taekwondo, both won by first-time Olympians. Park Tae-joon grabbed the men's -58-kilogram title on the first day of taekwondo competition. Then Kim Yu-jin followed up with the gold in the women's -57kg event. The world No. 24 knocked down four of the top-five athletes in the world rankings en route to the top of the podium.
An Se-young, world No. 1 in badminton women's singles, lived up to the hype and captured her first Olympic gold medal.
There were other memorable medals, non-gold division.
Im Ae-ji gave South Korea its first medal in women's boxing with her bronze in the women's 54kg event. In badminton, Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun teamed up for the mixed doubles silver medal. Kim became the second member of his family with an Olympic medal, joining his mother, three-time badminton medalist Gil Young-ah.
South Korea collected five medals in judo, with two silver and three bronze medals, three years after grabbing just one silver and two bronze medals. One of the silver medalists was Huh Mimi, a Japanese-born athlete who switched allegiance to South Korea to honor a dying wish of her Korean-born grandmother.
In this file photo, Oh Sang-uk of South Korea kisses the gold medal won in the men's individual sabre fencing event at the Paris Olympics at Grand Palais in Paris on July 27, 2024. (Yonhap)
On the last day of the Olympics, Seong Seung-min won bronze in the women's modern pentathlon. She became the first Asian woman to win a modern pentathlon medal since the women's competition was added in 2000.
In table tennis, former child prodigy Shin Yu-bin won the mixed doubles bronze and the team bronze, becoming the first South Korean player in 32 years to win multiple medals at a single Olympics.
There were also some disappointments where athletes seen as medal contenders failed to deliver.
In swimming, the 2024 world champion Hwang Sun-woo didn't even make it past the semifinals of the men's 200-meter freestyle. High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok finished seventh in the final after failing to clear 2.31m in three attempts. He came in with a season-best mark of 2.33m.
An Se-young of South Korea kisses her gold medal won in the women's singles badminton event at the Paris Olympics at Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris on Aug. 5, 2024. (Yonhap)
Modern pentathlete Jun Woong-tae was going for his second straight medal after the bronze from 2021 but finished in sixth place after losing steam down the stretch.
The Paris Games weren't entirely without controversy for South Korea.
Immediately after winning her gold medal, badminton star An Se-young blasted the national team and the Badminton Korea Association (BKA) for, among other things, their mishandling of her injury from last year, and their inefficient and archaic training systems. The BKA denied most of her claims, while An said she would wait until after the Olympics to further state her case.
The back-and-forth between An and the national federation threaten to overshadow the rest of the competition for South Korea.
In the end, though, athletes in action reclaimed the spotlight. And with teenagers and athletes in their early 20s coming up clutch in the biggest competition of their lives, the future of South Korea's elite sports, once thought to be on life support, suddenly seems very bright after Paris.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Yoo Jee-ho · August 12, 2024
15. North Koreans celebrate Kim Jong Un winning every Olympic gold medal
I could not resist following the Yonhap report on the South Korean Olympic achievements with this Duffelblog satire.
North Koreans celebrate Kim Jong Un winning every Olympic gold medal
“The divine athleticism of our Dear Leader has shocked the war mongering West."
duffelblog.com · by W.E. Linde
PYONGYANG — Olympic fever swept over the Hermit Kingdom faster than a winter famine this year as the nation celebrated the astonishing accomplishments of the North Korean Olympic Team in Paris. To date, the team, composed exclusively of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, has reportedly been awarded “all the gold medals,” according to state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun.
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“The divine athleticism of our Dear Leader has shocked the war mongering West, who reek of gun powder and Gatorade, and brought honor and glory to the people of True Korea,” said Kim Il-guk, President of the DPRK’s Olympic Committee and Concentration Camp Manager for Families of Losing Athletes. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
He then went into great detail about how, despite a torrential downpour and bolts of “heavenly lightning that cowed everyone else,” the North Korean leader executed flawless, gazelle-like leaps during the 110- and 400-meter hurdles.
Gen. Kang Sun-nam, the DPRK’s Minister of Defense, spoke of the one time it seemed Kim almost missed out claiming the gold in an event.
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“It was during the pole vault,” he said from a prepared statement. “Comrade Kim easily cleared the pole, but his massive, divine manhood brushed the bar and actually dislodged it. Thankfully, his hands, quick as a striking falcon, reached out and stopped the bar from falling.”
U.S. military leaders voiced skepticism of North Korea’s claims.
“We haven’t been able to confirm or refute North Korea’s bluster,” said Col. David Perry, spokesman for U.S. Forces Korea. “We’ve got our best intelligence analysts looking closely at the claims. But North Korea is so opaque, there’s really no way to determine if Kim really did beat every single athlete in Paris. We’re hoping our spy satellites can somehow shed some light.”
DPRK officials dismissed American questions.
“Chairman Kim defeated the decadent dogs who consume Big Macs while stabbing infants, whether it was in the 3000M steeple chase, the pommel horse, or breakdancing. They have to console themselves with dishonorable silver and shameful bronze.”
At press time, North Korean officials have started planning a massive national feast of beets and tree bark to commemorate the Dear Leader’s victories.
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W.E. Linde (aka Major Crunch) writes a lot. Former military intelligence officer, amateur historian, writer, podcaster. Also likes to talk about pop culture and books on YouTube.
Duffel Blog
North Korea wins Olympic Gold Medal for ‘Crossing Red Lines’
PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA — Team North Korea has scored an early success in the 2018 Winter Olympics after winning the Gold Medal for crossing red lines, sources confirmed today…
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2 years ago · Duffel Blog Staff
duffelblog.com · by W.E. Linde
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
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