Quotes of the Day:

"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'" 

– John Greenleaf Whittier

"Do not ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." 

– Harold Whitman

"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute—and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity."

– Albert Einstein

1. S. Korea's 1st spy satellite approved for combat suitability

2. N. Korea slams Kishida's call for nuclear-free world

3. Russia’s Deepening Ties to North Korea: China’s Gateway to the Arctic?

4. S. Korea to stage large-scale military parade in Seoul for 2nd year

5. Sudden reshuffle of national security team baffles diplomats, experts

6. The Legitimacy of the Kim Family regime rests on the myth of Kim Il Sung's Anti-Japanese Partisan Warfare while the ROK seeks a free and unified Korea

7. North Korea issues nuclear 'cannon fodder' warning to US allies

8. Sending balloons with heavy payloads into North Korea poses legal issues: Seoul

9. Too frequent reshuffles of security aides (South Korea)

10. South Korea says North Korean hackers stole technical data on spy planes and tanks

11. Severe floods in N. Korea could cut its 2024 crop output: FAO

12.  Fatalities in Jagang Province...Police Struggle to Confirm Who Survived; Officials Ordered to Self-Criticize; Railway Remains Inoperative

13. Semiconductor workforce shortage hits S. Korea, U.S., Japan

14. Korean Air, L3Harris discuss ways to bolster Air Force's surveillance capabilities

15. Yoon hosts lunch for descendants of independence fighters on eve of Liberation Day

16. Japan's sexual slavery victim urges S. Korean gov't's intervention for compensation

17. The ‘Korean Wave’ already crashed on Cuba

18. North Korean delegation shows interest in engine and communication technologies at Russian military exhibition

19. President Yoon: “I will do my best to treat those who have contributed to protecting freedom and their descendants.”

1. S. Korea's 1st spy satellite approved for combat suitability

And how are north Korea's satellites doing?

S. Korea's 1st spy satellite approved for combat suitability | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · August 14, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first indigenous military spy satellite launched in December has passed a combat suitability evaluation, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday, in a feat bolstering the country's space reconnaissance capabilities against North Korean threats.

Following its launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California last year, the satellite underwent operational and space orbit flight tests in the space environment and was approved for combat suitability by the defense ministry on Tuesday, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said.

The electro-optical and infrared satellite is capable of capturing detailed images of the Earth's surface at any time, including nighttime, and will serve as an "eye" for South Korea's Kill Chain preemptive strike system, DAPA said in a release.

South Korea plans to launch five spy satellites by 2025 to establish an independent military spy satellite network to better monitor North Korea.

Following the initial launch in December, the country placed its second satellite, equipped with synthetic aperture radars (SAR), into orbit in April. The remaining three satellites will also be equipped with SAR sensors that capture data using microwaves and are capable of collecting data regardless of weather conditions.

The five satellites are expected to provide regular coverage at about two-hour intervals when fully deployed, according to analysts.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying South Korea's first indigenous spy satellite lifts off from the U.S. Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 1, 2023, in this file photo provided by SpaceX. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · August 14, 2024

2. N. Korea slams Kishida's call for nuclear-free world

N. Korea slams Kishida's call for nuclear-free world | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · August 14, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Wednesday criticized Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's recent speech advocating for a world without nuclear weapons, accusing Japan of pretending to be a victim of nuclear arms.

During a memorial ceremony on Aug. 6 to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, Kishida emphasized Japan's commitment to the "three non-nuclear principles" of not possessing, producing or permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons.

The prime minister said that it is Japan's duty to steadily work toward realizing a world without nuclear arms, noting that Japan is the only country to have experienced the use of nuclear weapons.

Calling the speech "brazen," North Korea accused Japan of harboring a hidden agenda by promoting the outdated three non-nuclear principles.

"The fact is, Japan, which has the complete capability to manufacture and possess nuclear weapons at any moment, now seeks a justification and space to legitimize this capability," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary.

North Korea also highlighted Japan's ambitions to acquire nuclear armament, pointing to Tokyo's efforts to strengthen defense cooperation within the AUKUS security partnership.

The United States, Britain and Australia launched a security pact known as AUKUS in 2021 to counter China's assertiveness.

In this AFP photo, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (C) attends a memorial ceremony on Aug. 6, 2024, in Hiroshima to mark the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · August 14, 2024

3. Russia’s Deepening Ties to North Korea: China’s Gateway to the Arctic?

An interesting perspective and one I had not thought about.

On a related note the port of Rason ( AKA Najin and Rajin) and the tri border area in the Tumen River area will be one of the keys to Korean unification.

Excerpt:

US Army Special Forces teams are particularly well suited for austere operating environments in the Arctic due to their specialized skill sets, one of which is interacting with and learning from indigenous populations who have extensive experience living and working in the Arctic. Proposals to employ the Alaskan National Guard as enablers and recruit indigenous populations into its ranks would constitute a significant force multiplier as difficult weather and terrain conditions emphasize the importance of the human element in military operations. The Arctic’s extreme conditions will demand specialized capabilities for effective operations. For instance, equipment must be engineered to withstand extreme temperatures, as standard fuels and batteries fail in such conditions and protective equipment shatters during polar airborne operations. Proximity to Russia also necessitates robust operational security to mitigate risks from espionage, electronic warfare, and surveillance.

The military can effectively train a potential Arctic special operations force through a multifaceted approach. Domestically, leveraging existing cold-weather training facilities such as the Northern Warfare Training Center provides essential basic and advanced training in Arctic-specific tactics and operations. The US Army Mountain Warfare School is also another venue for receiving expert instruction relating to such environments, with ten members of the school recently traveling to the High North of Canada to conduct Arctic training exercises with the Canadian Army. Additionally, military analysts recommend international collaboration, such as establishing a combined special operations forces training center in extreme environments like India’s Himalayas. This initiative not only allows US operators to gain firsthand expertise in challenging terrain but also enhances bilateral partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

The establishment of the Rason Special Economic Zone in the 1990s aimed initially to foster limited capitalism and attract foreign investment. However, recent developments underscore a growing strategic alignment among China, Russia, and North Korea. China’s critical involvement in the Rason SEZ could catalyze significant Arctic engagement as North Korea continues supplying Russia arms from the port. As China is the pacing threat for the United States, Chinese assertions of “near-Arctic state” status highlight strategic intent aimed at expanding influence in this vital region. Enhancing US Arctic capabilities and signaling unilateral and multilateral resolve in the region are imperative steps to mitigate emerging security risks.

Russia’s Deepening Ties to North Korea: China’s Gateway to the Arctic? - Modern War Institute

mwi.westpoint.edu · by Jake Rinaldi, Brandon Tran · August 13, 2024

Share on LinkedIn

Send email

Recently, the Moscow Times reported that Russia would coordinate a deal with China and North Korea to allow Chinese ships to navigate through a seventeen-kilometer stretch of the Tumen River to the Rason Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on the Pacific coast. The Tumen forms the border between China and North Korea, but its final section marks the border between North Korea and Russia. This stretch of the river runs alongside the Rason SEZ, with the port city of Rason situated a few miles down the coast from the river’s mouth, where it empties into the Sea of Japan. The initiation of this deal took place following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May and as Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in June. It comes against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine that Russia has been engaged in for over two years. As a result of the protracted conflict, Russia has drawn closer to North Korea in recent months, importing weapons from North Korea to fill its own depleted caches. And in fact, the Rason SEZ has evolved into a significant point of North Korea–Russia cooperation, recently implicated in North Korean arms shipments to Russia for use in Ukraine.

But the deal also has implications for a region far beyond Rason, and indeed beyond Ukraine. Isolated from the international community due to its aggressive war, Russian Arctic development has stagnated. Foreign capital investment proved inaccessible, with China being the only viable source of support left. With limited options to access the materiel it needs to continue its war, Putin was prompted to explore areas of cooperation with North Korea and extend long desired economic concessions to China in order to keep supply lines open for his military operations in Ukraine. This in turn offers China an opportunity to strengthen its position in the Arctic, as Russia’s military needs and its deepening military ties with North Korea can be leveraged by China to take steps toward its objective of becoming a “near-Arctic state.” Long excluded from substantive involvement in the Arctic by Russia, China is now poised to take advantage of the geopolitical exigencies that its neighbor faces.

The Rason SEZ is central to China’s Arctic strategy, frequently featured in Chinese academic and government studies. For instance, Sun Wei of China’s National Development and Reform Commission highlights Rason’s pivotal role as a key node for China’s Arctic strategy in his article on “the Construction of the Northeast Asia Arctic Corridor.” The trilateral negotiations for river access, Rason’s role in supplying munitions to Russia, and increased investments in infrastructure all combine to support China’s Arctic ambitions and warrant a deeper analysis of the three states’ coordination in this field.

China’s Strategic Objectives

Given Rason’s historical role in trilateral cooperation involving Russia, North Korea, and China, recent developments there may reignite Chinese interest in Arctic shipping and security. Understanding both the original intentions and future strategic goals of the SEZ is crucial for assessing its implications on regional stability.

China’s strategic interest in Rason is rooted in its perception of the Arctic as a pivotal frontier for interstate competition. Authoritative scholars from state and military institutions in China foresee the melting of the Arctic as bringing significant changes to global energy, trade dynamics, and political power, and thus advocate for China’s strategic positioning in this region. As the Arctic has become more traversable in recent years due to climate change, the role it plays in global competition is still relatively new and dynamic. Much like China’s initiatives in space and the deep sea, China’s Arctic ventures seek to make its presence regular and definite in an environment that is relatively unexplored, and so sets the stage for future claims when opportunities arise for China to extract resources or serve as a leader in the Arctic region.

As a more immediate consideration, the primary objective of North Korea’s Rason SEZ initially centered on significant cost savings in global trade and shipping. Chinese scholars have underscored the potential cost efficiencies of the Northeast Arctic Passage, which could reduce the distance from China’s coastal ports to the East Coast of North America from 5,500 to 3,500 nautical miles annually, resulting in estimated savings of $53.3 billion to $127.4 billion in international shipping costs, while also mitigating piracy risks.

Beyond global trade considerations, scholars emphasize natural resources and energy reserves as pivotal factors influencing Chinese policy toward Rason and the Arctic. According to Gang Chen, “The melting of the ice in the Arctic Ocean attracts China because an ice-free Arctic environment will not only provide shorter shipping routes but also access to untapped energy and mineral resources.” China has actively pursued agreements with other nations to secure access to these resources, exemplified by bilateral accords with Iceland aimed at developing Arctic energy resources and acquiring geothermal technology and expertise. Additionally, China has played a significant role in Russian energy extraction and shipping initiatives in the region, despite Russia’s attempts to exclude Chinese partners from cooperation. Now, with the war in Ukraine significantly hampering Russian economic and military activity, Chinese assistance in the Arctic has become an absolute necessity, one that Beijing is sure to use to its advantage.

Trilateral relations between China, Russia, and North Korea are critical in this regard. To further one of Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy initiatives, the “Polar Silk Road,” China invested in Russia’s Zarubino port, which is connected to the Russian Far Eastern Railway and sits near the border with North Korea. China has invested in liquid natural gas infrastructure—both the Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 projects—in Russia. China’s state-owned oil and gas firm, China National Petroleum Corporation, purchased 20 percent of Yamal LNG’s shares in 2013, and the project’s completion was aided by China’s Silk Road Fund, which purchased an additional 9.9 percent share. The Rason SEZ could figure prominently in China’s Arctic energy plans as the first and last node in China’s Arctic strategy. Rason can act as a gateway for energy to flow from these locations back to China without traversing traditional maritime routes. These investments necessitated the building of railways and highways linking Rason to China’s Jilin province, making the port a key node for China’s Arctic strategy. The negotiations to secure China’s access to the last stretch of the Tumen River would enhance the strategic value of the Rason SEZ by providing a direct, cost-efficient waterway that can handle larger volumes of material, complementing the rail and highway infrastructure and boosting China’s resource extraction, trade potential, and access to the Arctic.

Potential for Trilateral Cooperation

Chinese investments in Rason and the Arctic have more recently exemplified a strategic approach aimed at safeguarding established shipping routes and energy extraction points. This strategy is underpinned by significant technological investments, such as the deployment of advanced icebreakers like Xuelong 1 and Xuelong 2, which are crucial for navigating and ensuring access through Arctic waters. Furthermore, China’s commitment to scientific exploration, including deep-sea mapping and sonar testing, not only supports civilian research initiatives but also holds military implications by providing essential data for submarine operations. The attempted acquisition of an abandoned naval base in Greenland further underscores China’s strategic calculus, suggesting ambitions to establish logistical and potentially military infrastructure that could bolster its presence in the region.

Despite this confluence of factors—Rason’s role in supplying North Korean munitions to Russia, its strategic value vis-à-vis Arctic access, and China’s Arctic ambitions—the potential for trilateral strategic cooperation among China, Russia, and potentially North Korea has been somewhat overlooked. From a military standpoint, such realignment could foster significant technology sharing, especially between China and Russia. Russia’s extensive fleet of icebreakers, outnumbering that of the United States twenty to one, suggests promising avenues for collaboration and resource sharing in Arctic navigation. Moreover, Russia’s possession of Arctic-capable drones represents another valuable asset that could enhance joint reconnaissance and operational capabilities in polar regions if shared with China. Operationally, Russia has established a dedicated Arctic military command and conducted extensive Arctic exercises. Additionally, Russia’s substantial investment in constructing around five hundred military structures in the Arctic since 2014 presents tangible opportunities for its trilateral cooperation and combined operability.

The United States Needs Countermeasures

Russia, China, and North Korea’s cooperation is cause for concern as all three states have engaged in activities that threaten the rules-based liberal international order, with major strategic ramifications for the United States if it does not act upon this concern. The potential for adversary cooperation and projected ice-free summers by 2030 underscore the need for a permanent US special operations detachment in Alaska, serving as the core for an Arctic headquarters. Kodiak Island is an ideal location due to the existing Naval Special Warfare Command presence and a Coast Guard air station. The force will also need staging bases in remote Arctic Circle locations to exercise C4ISR capabilities (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), store supplies of specialized armaments and munitions, and maintain infrastructure for presence patrols and cyber operations in peacetime. Reactivation of special operations units is also a viable option.

US Army Special Forces teams are particularly well suited for austere operating environments in the Arctic due to their specialized skill sets, one of which is interacting with and learning from indigenous populations who have extensive experience living and working in the Arctic. Proposals to employ the Alaskan National Guard as enablers and recruit indigenous populations into its ranks would constitute a significant force multiplier as difficult weather and terrain conditions emphasize the importance of the human element in military operations. The Arctic’s extreme conditions will demand specialized capabilities for effective operations. For instance, equipment must be engineered to withstand extreme temperatures, as standard fuels and batteries fail in such conditions and protective equipment shatters during polar airborne operations. Proximity to Russia also necessitates robust operational security to mitigate risks from espionage, electronic warfare, and surveillance.

The military can effectively train a potential Arctic special operations force through a multifaceted approach. Domestically, leveraging existing cold-weather training facilities such as the Northern Warfare Training Center provides essential basic and advanced training in Arctic-specific tactics and operations. The US Army Mountain Warfare School is also another venue for receiving expert instruction relating to such environments, with ten members of the school recently traveling to the High North of Canada to conduct Arctic training exercises with the Canadian Army. Additionally, military analysts recommend international collaboration, such as establishing a combined special operations forces training center in extreme environments like India’s Himalayas. This initiative not only allows US operators to gain firsthand expertise in challenging terrain but also enhances bilateral partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

The establishment of the Rason Special Economic Zone in the 1990s aimed initially to foster limited capitalism and attract foreign investment. However, recent developments underscore a growing strategic alignment among China, Russia, and North Korea. China’s critical involvement in the Rason SEZ could catalyze significant Arctic engagement as North Korea continues supplying Russia arms from the port. As China is the pacing threat for the United States, Chinese assertions of “near-Arctic state” status highlight strategic intent aimed at expanding influence in this vital region. Enhancing US Arctic capabilities and signaling unilateral and multilateral resolve in the region are imperative steps to mitigate emerging security risks.

Dr. Jake Rinaldi is a defense analyst in the China Landpower Studies Center within the Strategic Studies Institute at the US Army War College. Dr. Rinaldi holds a PhD and MPhil from the University of Cambridge, where his doctoral dissertation examined China–North Korea military relations, and his MPhil focused on China’s nuclear forces.

Brandon Tran is a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, majoring in international affairs (foreign policy and security studies) and Chinese studies. He hopes to commission as a military intelligence officer.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.

Image credit: kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

Share on LinkedIn

Send email

mwi.westpoint.edu · by Jake Rinaldi, Brandon Tran · August 13, 2024

4. S. Korea to stage large-scale military parade in Seoul for 2nd year

I was in downtown Seoul last year and watched some of the parade in the rain. I do recall some criticism of the ROK military performance by some retired ROK military officers.

S. Korea to stage large-scale military parade in Seoul for 2nd year | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · August 13, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will hold a large-scale military parade in central Seoul in October to mark the 76th founding anniversary of the country's armed forces, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

This year's parade will take place on Oct. 1 in the area spanning Sungnyemun Gate to Gwanghwamun Square and will begin with a car parade of veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War, as well as servicemen who were injured during duty, according to defense officials.

In September, South Korea staged a similar parade for the first time in 10 years, mobilizing some 4,000 troops and over 170 pieces of military equipment, such as tanks and fighter jets.

South Korea has usually held a military parade every five years in time for Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1 but the event did not take place under the preceding Moon Jae-in government, which pushed for inter-Korean reconciliation.

In conjunction with the military parade, the ministry plans to host the "K-Military Festival" from Sept. 3 - Oct. 11, featuring arms exhibitions, forums, trainings and cultural events for the general public. A ministerial meeting of member states of the U.N. Command and the annual Seoul Defense Dialogue forum will also take place from Sept. 10-12.

This Sept. 26, 2023, file photo shows cadets taking part in a large-scale military parade in central Seoul ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of South Korea's armed forces. (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · August 13, 2024

5. Sudden reshuffle of national security team baffles diplomats, experts

I was certainly surprised.  

Tuesday

August 13, 2024

 dictionary + A - A 

Sudden reshuffle of national security team baffles diplomats, experts

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-08-13/national/politics/Sudden-reshuffle-of-national-security-team-baffles-diplomats-experts/2111898

Published: 13 Aug. 2024, 18:17

Updated: 13 Aug. 2024, 18:18

• 
  
• LIM JEONG-WON
• lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, who was named the next national security adviser on Monday, left, and Presidential Security Service (PSS) chief Kim Yong-hyun, who was named the next Defense Minister, right. [YONHAP/NEWS1]

Monday's surprise reshuffle of the president's foreign policy and security team, including the appointment of incumbent national security adviser Chang Ho-jin to the newly created post of special adviser to the president for foreign affairs and national security, has observers asking one thing — why?

In particular, some analysts say the appointment of Shin Won-sik, a leading North Korea hardliner and current defense minister, as the new national security adviser ahead of Yoon’s announcement of a new unification policy on Liberation Day on Aug. 15 suggests a lack of careful consideration of the shakeup's external implications.

On Monday, the presidential office announced the new reshuffle, with Shin and Chang given new positions, and Presidential Security Service (PSS) chief Kim Yong-hyun named the new defense minister to replace Shin.

The replacement of Chang as the national security adviser has been met with surprise from both inside and outside the administration.

Pause

Unmute

Loaded: 100.00%

Remaining Time -0:39

Fullscreen

Related Article

Yoon names new national security adviser, defense minister in surprise reshuffle

President Yoon nominates Vice Justice Minister Shim Woo-jung as prosecutor general

Yoon names new chief of staff, national security adviser

Some speculate that Chang failed to respond appropriately to the recently signed comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between North Korea and Russia, an agreement that approaches a military alliance. Chang, who was the Yoon administration's first ambassador to Russia, may have placed too much emphasis on strategically managing relations with Russia for the administration's liking.

However, others argue that this would not have been enough to necessitate a shakeup.

“The South Korean government recognized the situation a month ago that cooperation between North Korea and Russia could go too far,” a diplomatic source told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily. “It was because the administration prepared ahead based on this knowledge that they were able to respond immediately, such as announcing the reconsideration of lethal support to Ukraine immediately after the treaty was signed.”

At the same time, Shin, the new security adviser, could be blamed for the recent leak of confidential information about South Korean undercover agents overseas and the erosion of organizational discipline within the military.

Chang Ho-jin, current national security adviser who was named on Monday special adviser to the president for foreign affairs and national security, a newly created post, attends a cabinet meeting on July 2. [YONHAP]

The lack of clear reasons for replacing Chang or Shin has even fueled political speculation of internal strife.

Some are concerned that this is already the fourth appointment of a national security adviser since the Yoon administration took office just two years and three months ago. Considering that diplomacy involves counterparts, experts say replacing key positions too frequently can negatively affect the stability of policy implementation.

“Security policy shouldn’t just be hardline, but should be a combination of strong military power, competent diplomacy, flexible attitudes and intelligence capabilities,” said Ra Jong-yil, a professor of security and North Korean studies at Dongguk University who served as national security adviser under the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration. “It’s a pity and a concern that the government has failed to explain why they should change the position again at this point, especially since the average tenure of previous advisers in the current administration was less than six months.”

The timing of the reshuffling amplifies concerns. The announcement was made just three days before the Yoon administration’s new unification discourse, which will be unveiled at the Liberation Day celebration on Aug. 15.

That Shin, who has publicly talked about “ending the Kim Jong-un regime,” was appointed as the new national security adviser could be seen as taking a hardline approach before sending a message of reconciliation to North Korea, leaving no room for dialogue with North Korea.

Since taking office as defense minister last October, Shin has emphasized retaliating against North Korean provocation "immediately, strongly and to the end." At the joint press conference of the South Korea-United States Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in November last year, Shin said that “if North Korea provokes war, the Kim Jong-un regime will disappear, and we will gain reunification under the free, democratic basic order led by South Korea.”

In a media interview last month, Shin also said that “if North Korea provokes us with drones, we will also send drones to major areas in North Korea, take pictures and release them to the world,” adding that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "should try provoking us if he is confident that he can handle it.”

Of course, there are expectations that Shin will act and speak differently once he becomes a national security adviser, who must strategically coordinate North Korea policy. However, the symbolism of the appointment of hardliners such as Shin and newly named Defense Minister Kim Yong-kyun is significant.

The presidential office reportedly cites the stabilization of the South Korea-U.S. alliance as a reason for the most recent reshuffle.

Previous security advisers Kim Sung-han, Cho Tae-yong and Chang Ho-jin were praised for achieving significant results in dealing with the United States, including U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to  Seoul in May 2022, the first state visit by a Korean president to the United States in 12 years and the Washington Declaration in April 2023.

However, there are doubts about appointing a national security adviser with a military background when preparations are urgently needed for the U.S. presidential election in November. 

As the race between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to grow more heated, the need for diplomatic networks and intelligence-gathering to reach out to both camps is more urgent than ever.

The return of Trump to the White House would inevitably impact the achievements of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, such as restraining North Korean expansion, and the U.S. military presence in Korea.

Accordingly, observers are asking whether the latest reshuffle sufficiently considered the move's diplomatic ramifications, including for the alliance with the United States. 

"Depending on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, the foreign affairs and security line of the presidential office, including the national security adviser, may need to be replaced again, and it is difficult to understand why the appointment was made three months before the U.S. presidential elections," said a diplomatic source.

"It is, of course, possible to appoint a military figure as the national security adviser. But there should be rationality in the appointment, which is somewhat puzzling in this case."

BY LEE YOO-JUNG, PARK HYUN-JOO, LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]

6. The Legitimacy of the Kim Family regime rests on the myth of Kim Il Sung's Anti-Japanese Partisan Warfare while the ROK seeks a free and unified Korea

The Legitimacy of the Kim Family regime rests on the myth of Kim Il Sung's Anti-Japanese Partisan Warfare while the ROK seeks a free and unified Korea

As the Korean peninsula prepares for Liberation Day on August 15th we should consider how the north and South are commemorating. The South is looking forward toward unification while the north remains mired in its own quagmire of the past that seeks the same objective since 1945, 1948, and 1950: the domination of the Korean peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State to ensure the survival of the Kim family regime.

Here is how the Kim family regime's Propaganda and Agitation Department is recognizing Liberation Day. This is what the regime is emphasizing to the Korean people in the north. Tomorrow we will read President Yoon's vision for a free and unified Korea in comparison.

Anti-Japanese Armed Struggle in Korea

“Let Us Liberate the Country Death-defyingly”

With Adroit Guerrilla Tactics

Immortal Exploits of National Liberation: All-People Resistance was the Way

To Realize People's Long-cherished Desire

Anti-Japanese Armed Struggle in Korea

Date: 14/08/2024 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1723629700-621989283/anti-japanese-armed-struggle-in-korea/

Pyongyang, August 14 (KCNA) -- August 15 marks the 79th anniversary of Korea's liberation from the colonial rule of the Japanese imperialists.

The national liberation was the outcome of the great anti-Japanese war led by President Kim Il Sung to defeat the brigandish Japanese imperialists through all-people resistance with the Korean People's Revolutionary Army as the core force.

The anti-Japanese armed struggle organized and led by the President was a revolutionary struggle that gave origin to the national liberation revolution in colonies under the banner of independence for the first time in history.

At the historic Kalun meeting in Juche 19 (1930), he clarified the original revolutionary theory that the Korean people are responsible for all the problems arising in the revolution and should settle them independently in conformity with the actual conditions of the country. Later, he clarified the Juche-oriented stand on several occasions that they should liberate the country by their own efforts, and consistently maintained this stand in the whole period of the anti-Japanese armed struggle.

He made sure that weapons and all other things needed for the anti-Japanese armed struggle were provided by dint of self-reliance as there was neither state-backing home front nor support from a regular army. He created the ways and tactics of the anti-Japanese armed struggle in an original way on the basis of the actual conditions of the country and always won victories in battles against the Japanese imperialists who styled themselves "invincible imperial army".

The historic victory in the anti-Japanese armed struggle showed to the world that if the oppressed popular masses of colonial countries wage armed struggle in reliance on their own revolutionary forces, they can defeat any imperialist aggression forces.

With this example of the national liberation revolution in colonies as an occasion, many countries and peoples under the yoke of the imperialists came to achieve their independence through armed struggle and embark on the road of building a new society. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche113.8.14.)

Outstanding Strategy and Tactics Applied in Anti-Japanese War

Date: 14/08/2024 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1723629699-390301573/outstanding-strategy-and-tactics-applied-in-anti-japanese-war/

Pyongyang, August 14 (KCNA) -- President Kim Il Sung was an iron-willed brilliant commander who defeated the formidable imperialist foe, superior in number and technology, by means of strategic and tactical superiority during the anti-Japanese revolutionary war.

The Japanese imperialists, who boasted about their mightiness, describing the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA) as "a drop in the ocean", were killed in the battles by the unique guerrilla tactics created by the President.

One day in May Juche 28 (1939), Kim Il Sung organized a an attack on Banjiegou, an important position for the Japanese imperialists' "punitive operations". At a meeting of commanding officers, he stressed the need to observe the time of launching the attack at any cost.

That day the moon was bright but just before the attack, it got dark suddenly. The members of the KPRA who took up an offensive position were very surprised. A lunar eclipse started. Enemies were all killed by the sudden attack by the KPRA. When the attack was completed, the moon got bright again. In fact, the President set the correct start and end time of the attack as he predicted that there would be a lunar eclipse.

The history of the anti-Japanese armed struggle records many battles proving the personality of the President as a peerlessly great man, including the battle of Fusong county town in which he won a victory with the tactic of appearing now in the east and now in the west in a flash, the battle in Mt Hongtou in which he won a great victory by driving the enemies into the trap valley, and the battle of the Duoguling Pass in which it was said that " Kim Il Sung carries his soldiers with leaves".

The President defeated the regular aggressor troops with his rare military wisdom and superb guerrilla strategy and tactics and thus achieved the historic cause of national liberation on August 15, 1945. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche113.8.14.)

“Let Us Liberate the Country Death-defyingly”

Date: 14/08/2024 | Source: Naenara (En) | Read original version at source

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1723626556-5304507/%e2%80%9clet-us-liberate-the-country-death-defyingly%e2%80%9d/

There are many slogans written by the anti-Japanese guerrillas on trees and rocks in the areas associated with the anti-Japanese armed struggle organized and led by President Kim Il Sung in the first half of the last century.

Among them is the slogan "Let us liberate the country death-defyingly", which was discovered in the area of Yonsa County, North Hamgyong Province, several decades ago.

The slogan reflects the indomitable revolutionary spirit and noble patriotic spirit cherished by the anti-Japanese guerrillas as an element of their faith.

As they felt more keenly than anyone else that if they had no homeland, they were no better than dead even though they were alive, they bravely turned out in the bloody, sacred war to liberate the country robbed by the Japanese imperialists and devoted their youth and lives to the indomitable struggle.

Fighters shouted that they could see the victory of the revolution even when they were killed on the scaffold or deprived of their eyes by the enemy. What they pictured with faith was the happy appearance of the people who would enjoy a happy life in the liberated country led by President Kim Il Sung .

Through this slogan, the Korean people harden their will to devote their all to the prosperity of the country inheriting the staunch revolutionary spirit cherished by the anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters.

These slogans which tell the history of the Korean people’s heroic resistance are preserved as precious treasures of the Korean revolution.

Yang Ryon Hui

With Adroit Guerrilla Tactics

Date: 14/08/2024 | Source: Naenara (En) | Read original version at source

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1723626556-826408929/with-adroit-guerrilla-tactics/

The adroit guerrilla tactics created by President Kim Il Sung during the anti-Japanese armed struggle are clearly recorded in the history of the Korean people’s anti-Japanese war as an almighty treasured sword capable of defeating the Japanese imperialists with numerical and technical superiority with strategic and tactical superiority.

In December 1935, a unit of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army which was active in the area of Emu County moved to a mountainous forest area on the order of Kim Il Sung . Soon, the enemy got wind of this and dispatched the "punitive” force there.

Upon hearing the report on this, Kim Il Sung told commanding officers that they would launch a battle at an unimaginable place; they would boldly go out to the hills and annihilate the enemy by the method of allurement and ambush there.

The anti-Japanese units that were active there at that time were mainly based on rugged mountains, so the enemy did not pay much attention to hills. A decoy party lured the enemy to the place where the guerrillas laid in ambush. The enemy, who had not expected a battle to break out in the hills, was all killed. This tactic is the “net tactic” which struck terror into the enemy.

The following happened in the spring of 1938.

One day, on the order of Kim Il Sung , the KPRA sent a notice to the enemy that it would attack Liudaogou.

On receiving the notice, the enemy brought in reinforcements and strengthened their guard day and night. But the KPRA did not appear. Kim Il Sung sent a similar notice to the enemy again.

The enemy did not sleep for several nights making a fuss. The KPRA did not appear this time either.

Exhausted, the enemy sent back all their reinforcements saying that guerrillas were only sending false notices.

At this time Kim Il Sung issued an order of assault. The KPRA units rushed into the enemy's fortress with high morale and defeated the enemies, victoriously concluding the battle.

Upon hearing that Liudaogou had been attacked, the enemy officers were stunned, saying that the notice was mysterious.

Thanks to the many fighting methods and tactics created by Kim Il Sung during the anti-Japanese armed struggle, the Korean people could defeat the Japanese imperialists and successfully accomplish the historic cause of national liberation (August 15, 1945).

Kim Hyok

Immortal Exploits of National Liberation: All-People Resistance was the Way

Date: 14/08/2024 | Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EN) | Read original version at source

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1723622844-217383162/immortal-exploits-of-national-liberation-all-people-resistance-was-the-way/

August 15 marks the 79 th anniversary of national liberation.

Greeting the day, Korean people are paying the highest tribute and glory to President Kim Il Sung . We are now recollecting with deep emotion his immortal exploits of national liberation and nation-building. He led the arduous anti-Japanese war to victory, accomplished the historic cause of national liberation, and built the country into a full-fledged independent sovereign state and an invincible socialist country of Juche.

The anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle organized and led by President Kim Il Sung was a revolutionary war aimed at defeating the heinous Japanese imperialists to win back the sovereignty and dignity of the country and nation.

In his early years of revolution, President Kim Il Sung , keeping in mind the philosophy that dependence on foreign forces would not bring national liberation, held fast to the idea of national independence and that by our own efforts - a thoroughgoing idea of completing the Korean revolution by drawing on the strength of the Korean people. He set forth the unique line of forming anti-Japanese national united front and of an all-people resistance, and mobilized the whole nation to gallantly rise up as one with arms in an organized and nationwide resistance against Japan, thus accomplishing the historic course of national liberation

It can be said that liberation of fatherland is the review of the 20-year-long anti-Japanese revolutionary war waged under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung as well as the conclusion of the heroic resistance of all the people.

After the liberation, President Kim Il Sung successfully accomplished the 3 tasks of building the Party, the state and the army in such a short span of time and developed our country, once a backward agricultural state, into an independent country and into an invincible socialist country of Juche to the envy of the world.

Our country, restored by President Kim Il Sung and developed by Chairman Kim Jong Il , is now following the sacred course of its development under the leadership of respected Comrade Kim Jong Un who is brilliantly carrying forward the revolutionary cause of Paektu.

True to the patriotic desire cherished by President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il , respected Comrade Kim Jong Un laid out a master plan to build a world power, eternally strong and prospering, and is now leading the struggle to that end, i.e. to build a country where people lead a life envied by the entire world.

As desired by President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il , our people will surely build a prosperous socialist power on this land by dint of patriotism and unity, firmly rallied behind respected Comrade Kim Jong Un .

To Realize People's Long-cherished Desire

Date: 14/08/2024 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1723629699-817746576/to-realize-peoples-long-cherished-desire/

Pyongyang, August 14 (KCNA) -- Mt Paektu is the ancestral mountain shining with the sacred history of the Korean revolution.

The Korean people see the past and present and the future of Juche Korea shining with victory and glory in its majestic appearance.

The indomitable spirit created on this sacred mountain of the revolution is still cherished in the minds of the Korean people as their immortal faith and will. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche113.8.14.)

7. North Korea issues nuclear 'cannon fodder' warning to US allies

I have not yet found the KCNA article in English.

We should remember that north Korea and Russia have formed their "new" alliance based on fear, weakness, desperation, and envy:

They fear alliances of free nations and especially the trilateral cooperation of the ROK-Japan-US.

They are weak due to their internal contradictions that increase resistance potential among the people.

They are disparate for support due to their poor decision making, policies, and strategy.

They envy the alliances of the free world and seek the kind of strength and respect alliances bring.

Our superior political warfare response should emphasize the above themes. 

The rhetoric below is designed to drive a wedge in US alliances and especially trilateral cooperation with the ROK and Japan.

North Korea issues nuclear 'cannon fodder' warning to US allies

Newsweek · by Hugh Cameron · August 13, 2024

ByLive News Reporter

Share

✓ Link copied to clipboard!

North Korea has warned that American actions have forced it to "bolster" its nuclear arsenal, and put its allies at risk of a retaliatory attack by the cornered regime.

On Tuesday, state-run news agency KNCA published an article on the developing military relationship between the U.S., South Korea and Japan, which it termed a "serious tripartite security crisis."

"The strengthened tripartite security cooperation trumpeted by the U.S. has only made the peoples of Japan and the puppet ROK cannon fodder of nuclear war, rather than giving benefits to the two stooges," the commentary read.

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un during a press conference, June 19, 2024, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korean state media has warned that the growing alliance between the U.S., Japan and South Korea... North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un during a press conference, June 19, 2024, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korean state media has warned that the growing alliance between the U.S., Japan and South Korea will make the two East Asian states "cannon fodder of nuclear war." Getty Images

The three countries have increased their cooperative endeavors in response to a deteriorating security situation on the Korean Peninsula.

In August of last year, a security framework was signed by the three heads of state, which reaffirmed the U.S.'s "extended deterrence" commitments to the Asian states, pledged to pursue the "complete denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," and promised to coordinate annual trilateral military exercises.

The first of these trilateral exercises took place in late June, during which the air and naval forces of each country participated in drills to test their "cooperative ballistic missile defense" capabilities, as well as defensive cyber training, according to a statement from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The U.S. and South Korea are also set to begin their annual bilateral military exercises, set to run between August 19 and 29.

However, KNCA wrote that this expending alliance "wrecks the balance of force in the region," and that this "is bound to invite strong counteraction of independent states possessed of nuclear weapons."

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio arrive for a joint news conference following three-way talks at Camp David on August 18, 2023 in Camp David,... South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio arrive for a joint news conference following three-way talks at Camp David on August 18, 2023 in Camp David, Maryland. The three countries have enhanced their military cooperation in response to growing concerns over the regional threat posed by North Korea. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

KNCA also responded to a recent op-ed in The Washington Post, co-authored by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, which deemed Pyongyang's "nuclear saber-rattling" a major U.S. security challenge in the Indo-Pacific.

Concerns are growing over the country's nuclear weapons program, heightened by threats of nuclear escalation from Kim Jong Un's regime.

One expert previously told Newsweek that North Korea has prevailed in its procurement of missile and WMD components, in spite of widespread sanctions meant to curtail its military development programs, and South Korea's former defense minister recently warned that Pyongyang's development of a nuclear weapon "is believed to be in the final stages."

"The DPRK's 'nuclear threat', touted by the U.S., is an inevitable result of the latter's deep-rooted hostile policy toward the former that has lasted decades after decades and generation after generation," KNCA wrote. "It is the U.S. that compelled the DPRK to have access to nuclear weapons and it is none other than the successive U.S. administrations that have pushed the DPRK into bolstering up its nuclear war deterrence."

About the writer

Hugh Cameron

Hugh Cameron is Newsweek Live News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on international politics, conflict, and crime. Hugh joined Newsweek in 2024, having worked at Alliance News Ltd where he specialised in covering global and regional business developments, economic news, and market trends. He graduated from the University of Warwick with a bachelor's degree in politics in 2022, and from the University of Cambridge with a master's degree in international relations in 2023. Languages: English.

You can get in touch with Hugh by emailing h.cameron@newsweek.com

Hugh Cameron is Newsweek Live News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on international politics, conflict, and ...

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek · by Hugh Cameron · August 13, 2024

8. Sending balloons with heavy payloads into North Korea poses legal issues: Seoul

The ROK must be careful and not cut off its nose to spite its face. north Korea and pro-north supporters in the South will use a north Korean equivalent to the Chinese lawfare to achieve its political objectives. (namely to stop information from going into the north).

Sending balloons with heavy payloads into North Korea poses legal issues: Seoul

Minister says he will discuss topic with activists, as local authorities lean on aviation law to stop leafleting

https://www.nknews.org/2024/08/sending-balloons-with-heavy-payloads-into-north-korea-poses-legal-issues-seoul/

Jeongmin Kim August 14, 2024

Park Sang-hak holding a balloon filled with anti-DPRK leaflets sometime between April 25 and 26, 2022 | Image: Park Sang-hak of Fighters for Free North Korea

South Korean activists who send leaflets into North Korea could run into legal problems if they launch balloons carrying payloads that are too heavy, Seoul has warned, announcing plans to discuss the issue with activists as the DPRK continues retaliatory trash balloon launches.

The land ministry has informed relevant ministries and local governments that balloons with payloads exceeding 4.4 pounds (2 kg) could be considered ultra-light aerial vehicles under the Aviation Safety Act, the ministry confirmed to NK News.

Unification minister Kim Yung-ho also told lawmakers on Tuesday that he will engage leaflet launchers on the topic, after lawmakers asked whether payloads over 2 kg are illegal and whether the land ministry intends to ask organizations to refrain from leafleting.

“Many of you have pointed out issues related to the Aviation Safety Act,” Kim said during a session of the National Assembly’s foreign affairs and unification committee. “I will raise this issue with civilian groups when I meet them later.”

Kim’s remarks suggest a subtle shift in the ministry’s stance on anti-DPRK balloons, after it has repeatedly emphasized the importance of guaranteeing the constitutional right to freedom of expression for leaflet launchers.

North Korea strongly objects to anti-regime leafleting and has launched balloons carrying trash across the border into the South since late May in retaliation.

Concerns about the trash balloons and inter-Korean tensions have since led some local governments near the border to look for new legal grounds to clamp down on activist leafleting, after the Supreme Court ruled a law banning such leafleting unconstitutional last year.

The Paju City Office confirmed to NK News on Wednesday that it has asked police to “swiftly investigate potential Aviation Safety Act violations” related to balloon launches by a North Korean defector group in the area, citing the land ministry’s interpretation of the 2 kg threshold. 

Park Sang-hak launching anti-DPRK leaflets via balloons on June 20, 2024 | Images: Fighters for a Free North Korea

1

2

3

4

According to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (KOSTA) and the land ministry, reporting requirements for ultralight aircraft under the Aviation Safety Act vary by type.

Powered aircraft of both controlled and weight-shift types, rotorcraft, powered paragliders and parachutes must be reported to authorities, and “balloons” technically require reporting only if they carry people.

For unmanned aircraft, reporting is necessary if the maximum takeoff payload weight exceeds 2 kg.

However, the land ministry’s aviation safety policy department clarified that they are not judging whether specific anti-DPRK balloons violated the law.

“We simply stated that under aviation safety laws, objects carrying more than 2 kg can be viewed as unmanned autonomous vehicles. Whether something is a breach of this law or not is not our jurisdiction but the police investigation’s realm,” department official Cho Jong-gwan told NK News. 

Several organizations have made headlines in recent months for launching anti-DPRK leaflet balloons, most notably Park Sang-hak of Fighters for a Free North Korea. It’s unknown how heavy his leaflet payloads are.

The head of the Committee for Reform and Opening Up of Joson, an activist group that uses GPS tracking for discreet leaflet dissemination in North Korea, told NK News they are unsure if their payloads exceed 2 kg and expressed uncertainty about how the Aviation Safety Act applies to balloons.

Eric Foley, CEO of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea, has helped launch Bibles into North Korea by balloon in the past, and he told NK News that the key question should be not how the aviation law impacts balloon launches but how it impacts public safety.

Balloon launchers are a “diverse group using diverse technologies in very fluid ways,” Foley said, stating that authorities policed balloon launches for decades by applying basic safety ordinances.

“But in 2020, police in these areas suddenly had to try to apply any potentially applicable law from outdoor advertising laws to noise ordinances to gas transportation laws to achieve a political goal — halting all balloon launches by any means possible,” he said, referring to efforts by municipalities near the border. “The result was neither a reduction in the number of launches nor an increase in public safety.”

Foley suggested that the latest attempts by local authorities to apply the aviation law to balloon launches are unlikely to improve the situation.

“Police don’t need to add scales to their squad cars or to be tasked with arguing with launchers and their lawyers and constitutional courts about weights and measures. Instead, letting police and military return to the basic laws, common sense, and good relationship skills is the far safer way forward,” he suggested.

Park Sang-hak and the Paju police, who may investigate potential aviation act breaches, were unavailable for comment.

Joon Ha Park contributed reporting to this article. Edited by Bryan Betts

9. Too frequent reshuffles of security aides (South Korea)

Tuesday

August 13, 2024

 dictionary + A - A 

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-08-13/opinion/editorials/Too-frequent-reshuffles-of-security-aides/2112156

Published: 13 Aug. 2024, 20:12

In a surprising development, President Yoon Suk Yeol has decided to reshuffle senior diplomatic and security officials in his government. Experts raise questions over his sudden promotion of Defense Minister Shin Won-shik as the National Security Office head, his nomination of Presidential Security Service chief Kim Yong-hyun as Defense Minister and his appointment of National Security Office head Chang Ho-jin as his special advisor on diplomatic and security affairs. Shortly after returning from his summer vacation, the president changed his top security aides.

Amid escalating inter-Korean tensions, the president will release a message on reunification ahead of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day. But he chose Shin and Kim, both hard-liners toward North Korea, as heads of the Security Office and the Defense Ministry. The president’s sudden replacement of Chang, an expert in managing Korea-U.S. relations, with less than three months left before the U.S. presidential election also raises questions.

The president cannot avoid criticism for his frequent reshuffle of diplomatic and security aides despite the need for policy consistency. He has replaced his Security Office chief four times since taking office in 2022. Each of the three previous heads of the office served for less than a year.

In comparison, U.S. National Security Advisor supported the president even longer. Jake Sullivan has been serving as Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor for four years. During the eight-year terms of the Clinton and Bush administrations, two National Security Advisors served their president while three served for eight years during the Obama administration. Donald Trump replaced his National Security Advisor four times during his term.

If President Yoon’s latest reshuffle reflects his intention to reprimand the outgoing officials for their diplomatic and security fumbles, we can understand his decision. But the Defense Minister has been promoted as head of the National Security Office. The office drew criticism for its inability to catch the signs of the North Korea-Russia relations being restored to the level of their past treaty mandating “automatic military intervention” at times of emergency. The Defense Ministry was also blamed for the leak of personnel information from the Defense Intelligence Command and the dirty fight between its two-star commander and a brigadier general. Kim Yong-hyun, the former head of the Presidential Security Service, was allegedly involved in rescuing a Marine Corps commander from the scandal over the tragic death of a Marine last year.

Timely recruitments can help the government run the country smoothly. We hope the presidential office clearly explain the reasons for the reshuffle.

10. South Korea says North Korean hackers stole technical data on spy planes and tanks

No surprise that Kim's all purpose sword is hard at work.

South Korea says North Korean hackers stole technical data on spy planes and tanks

https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/south-korea-says-north-korean-hackers-stole-technical-data-on-spy-planes-and-tanks

News

By Sead Fadilpašić published 23 hours ago

Data on K2 tanks, and Baekdu and Geumgang planes allegedly stolen

The South Korean government has accused North Korea of stealing critical information about major military equipment.

Citing reports in local media, BleepingComputer says South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) has warned about the theft of information on K2 tanks and Baekdu and Geumgang spy airplanes.

The data was reportedly stolen after engineers working on the equipment changed companies. The new company was hacked, and the crooks managed to take design blueprints, development reports, as well as information about the tank’s overpressure system, with them in an external storage drive. The new company also allegedly tried to export the technology to an unnamed Middle Eastern firm, meaning the leak could be even bigger.

Not an option, but a necessity

The K2 tank is South Korea’s main battle tank, and that the country currently has 260 units currently serving. Another 150 are being planned, it added. Baekdu and Geumgang are spy airplanes that the country uses to monitor its border with its northern neighbor, as well as their military activities.

The PPP has urged the country’s political parties to come up with new cybersecurity measures immediately, to prevent future incursions and successful cyber-espionage campaigns.

"Moreover, as North Korea's cyberattacks become more widespread and bold by the day, enacting the Basic Cyber Security Act to prevent North Korea's hacking and technology theft is no longer an option but a necessity," PPP said in a statement. “In addition, in order to protect our national interests, we must quickly pursue a revision of the criminal law that expands the scope of application of espionage laws to ‘foreign countries.’ "

The name of the group behind the theft was not mentioned, but we do know North Korea has a huge government department dedicated to cyber-warfare. Part of that department is Lazarus, an infamous threat actor that was attributed with some of the biggest cryptocurrency heists in history. 

11. Severe floods in N. Korea could cut its 2024 crop output: FAO

Just when you thought it could not get any worse for the Korean people in the north.

Severe floods in N. Korea could cut its 2024 crop output: FAO | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 14, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's crop output for this year could be dented by severe floods from the latest heavy rains and a possible increase in pest infestations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Wednesday.

North Korea is expected to receive above-average precipitation amounts between August and October, according to a report posted on the website of the FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System.

"Heavy rains could exacerbate waterlogging and lead to further flooding, causing significant agricultural damage and population displacements," the FAO said.

"In addition, above-average temperatures are forecast during the same period, raising the risk of increased incidences of pest and disease infestations, and potentially reduced yields," it added.

Heavy rains in late July inundated large areas of North Phyongan and Jagang provinces along the Amnok River. Some South Korean media outlets reported the number of those who died or went missing probably exceeded 1,000.

The FAO said cumulative precipitation amounts in July were up to 80 percent above the average in North Korea's provinces of Hwanghae and Phyongan, known as the country's breadbasket.

"Although a detailed assessment of the damage to crops is not yet available, it is likely that paddy crops in low lying areas have been particularly affected," it said.

The North's crop production is estimated to have increased 310,000 tons on-year to 4.82 million tons last year, according to South Korea's Rural Development Administration.

Still, it was below 5.76 million tons, the annual amount that the North needs to feed its people, according to a projection by the FAO.

This file photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on July 31, 2024, shows submerged areas of North Korea's border city of Sinuiju in North Phyongan Province due to the latest heavy rains. (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 14, 2024

12.  Fatalities in Jagang Province...Police Struggle to Confirm Who Survived; Officials Ordered to Self-Criticize; Railway Remains Inoperative

Self criticism is always good for solving problems. (Note sarcasm).

Fatalities in Jagang Province...Police Struggle to Confirm Who Survived; Officials Ordered to Self-Criticize; Railway Remains Inoperative

asiapress.org

View of Hyesan city after heavy rains. Taken by a Chinese reporting partner on July 31 (ASIAPRESS )

Heavy rains hit northern North Korea in late July. While state media claims the Kim Jong-un regime is rushing to support victims and carry out recovery work, what's the actual situation? On August 8, a reporting partner in Hyesan, Ryanggang Province, said the northern railway along the Yalu River remains inoperative, and many people's survival status and whereabouts are unknown. (ISHIMARU Jiro / KANG Ji-won)

◆ Inquiring About Acquaintances' Safety Leads to Secret Police Summons

-- Is flood recovery work progressing?

They say the railway tracks near Manpo in Jagang Province are buried under mud, and it's still being determined when they'll be repaired.

It seems many have died in the Jagang area, but even the Ministry of Social Security (police) can't confirm how many or who died. People with acquaintances there have tried calling everywhere out of concern but couldn't find out anything.

Due to difficult living conditions, many people had left their workplaces (even before the flood) to go into the mountains or to rural areas to earn money, leaving empty houses. So, in many cases, it's unknown where people are or whether they're alive or dead.

When that acquaintance went to the communications office (telephone bureau) to inquire, they were summoned by the Ministry of State Security (secret police). Here now, just trying to find out something can make you suspected (of intending to spread information).

※ The central "Northern Line" railway runs between Hyesan and Manpo, and operations have been suspended since the heavy rains in late July.

◆ Support for Recovery Work is Forced Mobilization

-- The Rodong Sinmun reported on the 6th and 7th that Workers' Party members and youth organizations supported the recovery work.

In Hyesan, party members from workplaces organized 'shock troops' for recovery work. I heard about 120 people went to the Jagang Province area. They say people voluntarily petitioned to be sent, but they were all selected and forcibly mobilized.

-- Kim Jong-un criticized officials for failing to prevent the flood in advance.

I heard that all Ryanggang Province party officials submitted self-criticism reports, saying the flood damage was not the central party's responsibility but an accident caused by local officials' expediency and defeatism. They were told to write what party policies they implemented and what was lacking.

-- Reports emerged that Kim Jong-un personally visited the flood-damaged areas. What's the reaction to the visit on the ground?

Some say "he's thinking of the people" because he mobilized helicopters and conducted on-site guidance by boat. But some don't think much of the visit and only say, "It’s tragic for those who lost their lives.”

◆ Serious Deterioration of Public Safety

-- Are recovery support supplies being appropriately delivered?

They put out broadcasts and give lectures to commend people who have contributed support or been mobilized. They propagate the idea that helping each other in difficult times is a fine communist tradition and an expression of patriotism.

But only those who earn good money can afford to give support, and they're doing it to get their names listed. Those with difficult lives can't contribute much, so they become cautious because if they do contribute, they might be suspected of why they having the means (to provide support).

-- We hear that public safety is deteriorating.

Robberies are frequent. In a nearby house, a man who came in asking for water to drink beat and kicked an older woman who was alone, leaving her unconscious. They say he stole a phone and one kilogram of rice.

It's so scary that even if someone comes saying they might die, well-off people don't show their faces. They're scared and also don't care about others. People say that's the wise thing to do.

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.

North Korea map (ASIAPRESS)

• Chinese authorities warn of possible North Korean landmine displacement due to floods, notify residents "Do not go to the riverbank”
• Railways Stopped in Northern Region, Continued Power Outages Food Shortages Lead to Increase in Robberies
• ＜Inside N. Korea＞Heavy Rain Causes Casualties in the Northeast; Officials Panic Fearing Kim Jong-un's Criticism: "The Blame Game Has Already Begun"
• ＜Video Interview＞ The Voice of a North Korean Woman (1): 'Only Officials Thrive, Others Struggle'...Facing starvation due to the border closure, people sell off their homes to survive
• ＜Inside N. Korea＞Forced Labor Camps on Collective Farms Target Urban Job Deserters

asiapress.org

13. Semiconductor workforce shortage hits S. Korea, U.S., Japan

This would seem to be a national security as well as an economic and business issue. Why the shortage?

Graphics at the link.

Excerpt:

The FT reported that there has been a belief that “increasing chip manufacturing capacity was simply a matter of money,” but it turns out cash alone is insufficient for chipmaking. The report also noted that “the jobs-to-workers gap [in the chip sector] is becoming dangerously wide.” The shortage of semiconductor workers is not just a U.S. issue; companies in South Korea and Japan are also struggling to secure talent.

Semiconductor workforce shortage hits S. Korea, U.S., Japan

U.S. workforce shortfall to reach 146,000 by 2029, McKinsey reports

https://www.chosun.com/english/industry-en/2024/08/14/KCYQNIOR2NFKDC5CTS5NNXUPIU/

By Yun Jin-ho,

Kim Seo-young

Published 2024.08.14. 14:55

Graphics by Baek Hyeong-seon

The U.S. semiconductor industry is projected to face a shortage of 146,000 workers by 2029. Last year, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) estimated a shortfall of 67,000 by 2030, meaning the projected shortage has more than doubled in just one year. The surge in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors has prompted major countries, including the U.S., to make massive investments in facilities. However, there is an increased risk of these facilities not being fully operational due to a lack of available talent.

According to the Financial Times on Aug. 13, consulting firm McKinsey’s report released on Aug. 2 projected that an additional 164,000 semiconductor engineers and technicians will be needed in the U.S. from this year until 2029. However, only 18,000 new workers are expected to join the chip industry during this period, resulting in a projected shortage of 146,000 by 2029. The FT reported that there has been a belief that “increasing chip manufacturing capacity was simply a matter of money,” but it turns out cash alone is insufficient for chipmaking. The report also noted that “the jobs-to-workers gap [in the chip sector] is becoming dangerously wide.” The shortage of semiconductor workers is not just a U.S. issue; companies in South Korea and Japan are also struggling to secure talent.

Graphics by Baek Hyeong-seon

The deepening talent shortage is due to significant investments by major countries, including the U.S., China, and Japan, all vying for semiconductor dominance. There are currently 123 semiconductor production facilities under construction worldwide, with China accounting for 43 and the U.S. for 25.

The U.S. government and private sector plan to invest $250 billion (about 342 trillion won) by 2032 to create over 160,000 new jobs. This workforce needs to be sourced from both the U.S. and international pools, yet the supply is falling short. When the CHIPS Act was announced, which includes substantial subsidies for building semiconductor production facilities in the U.S., the U.S. pledged to invest 18 trillion won to bridge the workforce gap through talent development. However, McKinsey estimates that even if the talent development programs under the CHIPS Act are fully implemented, there will still be a shortage of 59,000 workers by 2029.

Bill Wiseman, a senior partner at McKinsey, added that high turnover rates in the semiconductor industry, driven by factors such as work environment issues, exacerbate the problem. Employees at TSMC’s U.S. facility are reported to be dissatisfied with long working hours and high workloads. The New York Times noted that cultural clashes between Taiwanese managers and American workers contribute to difficulties, with some employees struggling to adapt to TSMC’s demanding culture, leading to higher turnover rates.

Graphics by Baek Hyeong-seon

The issue extends beyond the U.S. Japan, aiming to reclaim its former semiconductor powerhouse status, established a semiconductor strategy in 2021. The country is attracting large investments from global semiconductor companies like TSMC and Micron and providing 9 trillion won in subsidies to the joint venture Rapidus, formed by Japanese giants such as Toyota and Sony.

However, according to industry sources, the number of job postings for semiconductor engineers on Japanese job sites has increased more than 14 times compared to 10 years ago. Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), a foundry created by Sony and Toyota, launched recruitment activities for South Korean graduate students earlier this year. The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association forecasts that eight major semiconductor companies in Japan will face a shortage of 40,000 workers over the next decade.

South Korean semiconductor companies are also focusing heavily on retaining talent. South Korea is expected to face a shortage of about 56,000 semiconductor workers by 2031. SK Hynix will host a “Tech Day” event starting on Aug. 20, visiting major domestic universities such as Seoul National University and POSTECH to recruit graduate students in semiconductor-related fields. Unlike in previous years, the company’s CEO will attend the annual event this time. Samsung Electronics’ DS (semiconductor) division has also eased the criteria for experienced hires since February last year to lower the threshold.

Graphics by Baek Hyeong-seon

14. Korean Air, L3Harris discuss ways to bolster Air Force's surveillance capabilities

Korean Air, L3Harris discuss ways to bolster Air Force's surveillance capabilities | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Chang Dong-woo · August 14, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Co. said Wednesday it has discussed ways to strengthen the surveillance capabilities of South Korea's Air Force with U.S. defense industry firm L3Harris Technologies Inc.

The two sides held a meeting in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss cooperation in the field of surveillance capabilities, Korean Air said.

Attendees included Park Jung-woo, senior vice president of Korean Air's aerospace business division; Jason Lambert, president of L3Harris Intelligence; and representatives from 30 domestic and international defense firms.

The Air Force aims to acquire additional Airborne Early Warning & Control systems to enhance its surveillance capabilities. Currently, the Air Force operates four Boeing E-737 Peace Eye airborne control aircraft. A second phase of the project is under way to procure additional aircraft by 2031.

L3Harris has proposed a solution for the second phase, integrating Bombardier Defense's Global 6500 aircraft with Israel Aerospace Industries' state-of-the-art radar systems.

Under a 2022 cooperation agreement with L3Harris, Korean Air plans to contribute to aircraft modification, parts manufacturing and operational training.

This project is expected to provide the domestic defense industry with opportunities for technology transfer, enhancing indigenous capabilities and facilitating integration into global supply chains, Korean Air said.

"This strategic collaboration will enable Korean Air to acquire and develop cutting-edge technologies in the modification, systems integration and comprehensive maintenance of advanced special mission aircraft," Park said.

Park added that Korean Air is "dedicated to cultivating strategic alliances within the defense industry and bolstering the entire aerospace aftermarket value chain."

Park Jung-woo (2nd from R), senior vice president of Korean Air's aerospace business division, and other attendees pose for a photo at an aerospace industry meeting organized together with U.S. defense firm L3Harris Technologies in Seoul on Aug. 13, 2024, in this photo provided by Korean Air. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

odissy@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Chang Dong-woo · August 14, 2024

​15. Yoon hosts lunch for descendants of independence fighters on eve of Liberation Day

Excerpts:

During the event, Yoon gave thanks for the sacrifices and dedications of the independence heroes, pledging to uphold their legacy in building a country that is “free, peaceful and prosperous.”

He also emphasized the importance of remembering the spirit of independence heroes and paying due respect to them and their descendants.

Yoon hosts lunch for descendants of independence fighters on eve of Liberation Day | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr

 13:56 August 14, 2024

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) — President Yoon Suk Yeol met Wednesday with descendants of those who fought for the country’s independence from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule to honor their sacrifices on the eve of Liberation Day.

Yoon hosted a luncheon for about 100 descendants in recognition of the contributions of independence fighters and their families as the country is set to commemorate the 79th Liberation Day on Thursday.

During the event, Yoon gave thanks for the sacrifices and dedications of the independence heroes, pledging to uphold their legacy in building a country that is “free, peaceful and prosperous.”

He also emphasized the importance of remembering the spirit of independence heroes and paying due respect to them and their descendants.

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a luncheon with descendants of Korean independence fighters at the guesthouse of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Aug. 14, 2024, on the eve of Independence Day. (Yonhap)

The lunch came as the country’s largest association of independence fighters and their descendants vowed to boycott this year’s government-organized Liberation Day ceremony in protest of Yoon’s appointment of a figure accused of holding pro-Japanese views as president of the Independence Hall of Korea.

Kim Hyoung-suk’s past remarks that South Korea came into being when its government was established in 1948 led to suspicions his appointment was a precursor to designating Aug. 15, 1948, as national foundation day, despite the government’s repeated denials.

The question of when South Korea came into being has long been a subject of ideological debate, with many arguing it was April 11, 1919, when a provisional government was established during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

Lee Jong-chan, the head of the Heritage of Korean Independence, has said he will not attend the government’s ceremony unless Kim’s appointment is withdrawn, the first such move since the state-funded association was established in 1965.

Instead, the organization plans to host a separate ceremony.

The main opposition Democratic Party has also vowed to boycott the Liberation Day ceremony in protest of Kim’s appointment.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (2nd from R) shakes hands with Lee Jong-chan (L), the head of the Heritage of Korean Independence, during an event commemorating the Independence Movement held at the Yu Gwan-sun Memorial in Seoul on March 1, 2024. (Yonhap)

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

Keywords

#Yoon #independence fighters

Yoon hosts lunch for descendants of independence fighters on eve of Liberation Day

en.yna.co.kr

​16. Japan's sexual slavery victim urges S. Korean gov't's intervention for compensation

Japan's sexual slavery victim urges S. Korean gov't's intervention for compensation | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · August 14, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- Lee Yong-soo, an outspoken South Korean victim of Japan's wartime military sexual slavery, urged the government on Wednesday to proactively intervene in securing compensation from Japan.

The 96-year-old victim made the call in an interview with Yonhap News Agency during an event marking the memorial day for victims of Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women to serve front-line soldiers during World War II.

The Aug. 14 memorial day was designated in 2017 in honor of the late Kim Hak-sun who was the first to come forward publicly and testify about her experience as a victim on Aug. 14, 1991.

"It has been eight months since we won the second compensation suit against the Japanese government. ... It's time for the South Korean government to proactively step in to secure compensation," Lee said.

Last year, the Seoul High Court overturned a lower court's rejection of a damages suit filed by 16 victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, including Lee, and ordered Japan to pay the compensation requested by the victims.

The ruling was finalized as Japan did not appeal, but it remains unclear whether the compensation will actually be paid, given Japan's inaction.

"With only nine surviving victims now, (the compensation issue) should be resolved while they are still alive," she said.

Lee said she considers Japan's decision not to appeal to be a "silent apology," adding, "I will respond with silence as well."

"What remains is the execution of the compensation payment. Our government should conduct consultations with Japan on follow-up measures," she said, urging a "proactive" role from the government.

Lee Yong-soo (R), a South Korean victim of Japan's wartime military sexual slavery, attends a ceremony for the memorial day for victims of Japan's sexual enslavement, in Seoul on Aug. 14, 2024. (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · August 14, 2024

17. The ‘Korean Wave’ already crashed on Cuba

The soft power of K-culture. Don't be misled by the headline - "crashed" is not use in a nagative way (likely a translation issue).

This is a Google translation of an RFA report.

The ‘Korean Wave’ already crashed on Cuba

Havana is home to dedicated K-pop fanclubs, dance troupes, and superstans, just like everywhere else.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/cuba-south-korea-kpop-k-pop-soft-culture-cultural-exchange-08012024164035.html

By Eugene Whong for RFA

2024.08.13

Adara, a Cuban K-pop cover band, performs in Havana, Cuba, in April 2024.

 RFA Korean

Even before South Korea and Cuba established bilateral relations earlier this year, K-pop had gained a following in the communist island.

The spread of K-pop worldwide is often characterized by the somewhat outdated term “Hallyu” or the "Korean Wave," crashing into audiences in countries where Korea, or its pop culture had previously not been on the mainstream radar. 

It was a term well suited for the early 2000s in South Korea’s neighboring Asian countries, and the post Gangnam-style 2010s in Europe and the Americas. 

But in the current era ruled by acts like BTS and NewJeans, it is reasonable to say that the wave has already crashed everywhere it possibly could have.

RELATED STORIES

North Koreans shocked as Cuba establishes ties with South Korea

N Korea reduces Cuba coverage as its ally enhances ties with South

Cuban K-pop fans rehearse ahead of a festival in April 2024, in Havana, Cuba. (RFA Korean)

When RFA Korean traveled to Cuba to gauge reactions to Seoul and Havana redefining their relationship, they also found that K-pop had already made inroads into the Americas’ socialist stronghold.

With no official relations between the two countries, the fanbases in Cuba developed organically, owing in large part to the open internet policy enjoyed by Cuban citizens and the government’s less stringent control over what the people can watch or listen to, a stark contrast to South Korea’s rival, socialist North Korea.

Pyongyang has often touted its relationship with Havana as that of two socialist brethren bound by an ongoing struggle against U.S. imperialism. 

Though Cuba’s new relationship with South Korea may have North Korean officials bristling, many in Cuba welcome warmer ties with the South and like the crash of the Korean Wave years ago, they see it as a completely natural development.

18. North Korean delegation shows interest in engine and communication technologies at Russian military exhibition

Does this indicate north Korean weaknesses?

This is a Google translation of an RFA report.

North Korean delegation shows interest in engine and communication technologies at Russian military exhibition

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/nk_nuclear_talks/dprk-russia-military-exihibition-08132024143713.html

WASHINGTON-Lee Sang-min lees@rfa.org

2024.08.13

The North Korean delegation looks at a monitor with a picture of an engine at the exhibition space of the Russian company (ASI) at the Russian Military Expo on the 12th.

 /Russian company ASI Internet social network 'VK'

A North Korean delegation was spotted showing interest in engines and communications technology at a military exhibition in Moscow, Russia .

On the 12th , the Russian company 'ASI ' posted a photo on the Russian Internet social network ' VK ' saying that the North Korean delegation visited their exhibition space set up at this expo .

The photo shows one of the North Korean delegation members looking at a monitor ( screen ) with a picture of an engine .

The engine was observed to be a 'turbofan engine' that obtains thrust from the exhaust gas of fuel combustion and air accelerated by a fan at the front of a mechanical device called a 'turbine'. This engine is used in high-power engines such as warships and tanks .

The Russian company says it is presenting medical, rehabilitation and communications equipment at the show . 

The North Korean delegation showed interest in the R-760, an integrated communications system developed by a Russian research institute, at the expo that day . 

The Russian news agency TASS reported a video of a North Korean delegation visiting the exhibition hall of the Omsk Institute of Instrumentation and Engineering in Russia, which developed the communication system, explaining that the device is used for radio communications between surface ships, coastal command posts, ships , submarines and aircraft .

Meanwhile, John Supple, the Pentagon's East Asia and Pacific Affairs Spokesperson, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 12th regarding the North Korean delegation's attendance at the Russian military expo, saying that Russia and North Korea are becoming more isolated on the world stage, and are now forced to look to like-minded countries for military equipment .

Editor Park Jeong-woo, Web Editor Han Deok-in

19. President Yoon: “I will do my best to treat those who have contributed to protecting freedom and their descendants.”

This is a Google translation.

President Yoon: “I will do my best to treat those who have contributed to protecting freedom and their descendants.”

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/081424hw-08142024043530.html

Seoul - Hong Seung-wook hongs@rfa.org

2024.08.14

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol speaks at a luncheon for descendants of independence activists held at the Blue House guest house on the 14th.

Yonhap News

00:00 / 04:13

Anchor : South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol invited over 100 descendants of independence activists to a luncheon . At the event, President Yoon paid tribute to the heroes who reclaimed the country, established the South Korean government, and defended the country against North Korea . Hong Seung-wook reports from Seoul .

A luncheon for descendants of independence activists held at the Blue House guest house on the 14th, a day before the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day .

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol said at the event, which invited around 100 descendants of independence activists, that “ we were able to reclaim our country thanks to the sacrifices and dedication of independence heroes who dreamed of a free country where the people are the masters . ”

He continued, “ I will do my best to ensure that the spirit of independence and the legacy left behind by our independence heroes are remembered forever , and that those who have rendered meritorious service and their descendants are treated with due respect . ”

President Yoon also emphasized that we must continue the legacy we inherited from our ancestors, saying, “ There are heroes who established the free democratic government of the Republic of Korea and defended freedom against North Korea’s invasion . ”

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol : My government and I will never forget the will of our ancestors who protected and developed the values ​​of freedom, and we will devote all our efforts to building a Republic of Korea of ​​freedom , peace , and prosperity .

The event was also attended by descendants of distinguished veterans who have dedicated themselves to the country for generations, including firefighter Gong Byeong-sam, whose great-grandfather was a patriot, his grandfather was a Korean War veteran , and his father was a Vietnam War veteran, and Air Force Warrant Officer Kim Min-seok, whose father was a Korean War veteran .

Meanwhile, South Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite, a key surveillance and reconnaissance asset in the so-called ' kill chain ' against North Korea , has begun its full-scale mission .

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced today that the first satellite of the ' Project 425 ' , a military reconnaissance satellite acquisition project , was deemed fit for combat by the Ministry of National Defense .

The agency explained, “ Satellite 1 is the ROK military’s first independent surveillance and reconnaissance satellite , which can photograph any area at any time and precisely analyze various targets with the world’s highest level of resolution . ”

The first military reconnaissance satellite was launched in California, USA in December of last year and has since undergone initial operational checks , space orbit tests , and operational test evaluations in a space environment .

The military launched the second satellite in April and plans to launch the third later this year .

The agency said it is also developing a “ micro-satellite system for rapid sign surveillance and early warning, ” adding , “ We will maximize our independent surveillance and reconnaissance asset capabilities to maintain overwhelming superiority over North Korean satellites . ”

North Korea, which had pledged to launch three military reconnaissance satellites this year alone, attempted to launch a satellite in late May , but it failed when it exploded in mid-air .

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense: " North Korea Preparing to Launch Additional Military Reconnaissance Satellites "

“ It would have been difficult for the North to hide the satellite launch failure ”

A joint ROK-US small unit live-fire maneuver exercise was also conducted .

The South Korean Army announced that the 1st Armored Brigade's Advance Battalion and the US 1st Armored Division's ' Thunderbolt ' Battalion conducted training at the Seungjin Training Center in Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do from the 9th to this day .

This training is designed to verify the interoperability of command and control , mobility , and firepower assets by forming a ROK-US combined arms combat group, thereby strengthening the ability to conduct small unit combined operations .

The 1st Armored Division, the first armored division in the U.S. Army, is stationed in Texas and is one of the reinforcement forces from the continental United States participating in the Korean Peninsula readiness training in conjunction with the Ulchi Shield of Freedom (UFS) exercise this year .

Approximately 320 ROK -US troops formed a combined combat group and participated in the training , while Apache attack helicopters from the 2nd US Division in Korea and the ROK-US Combined Division were also deployed .

South Korea Army Chief of Staff Park An-soo, who visited the site on the last day of the exercise, evaluated it as “ a powerful deterrent in itself, as the live-fire maneuver training conducted by South Korea and the U.S. during the joint training in the second half of this year . ”

Commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command Paul LaCamera also observed the training with General Park and encouraged the ROK-US soldiers .

This is Hong Seung-wook of RFA's Radio Free Asia in Seoul .

Editor Lee Hyun-joo

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