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Quotes of the Day:
"Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as by the abuses of power."
– James Madison
"Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint."
– Alexander Hamilton
"An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come."
– Victor Hugo
1. South Korea's defense budget to surpass 60 trillion won as regional tensions increase
2. North Korean defectors share inspiring tales from 'extraordinary' visit to United States
3. More than half of N. Koreans experience capitalism: former N. Korean diplomat
4. Pentagon spokesman calls N. Korea 'complicit' in Russia's invasion of Ukraine
5. Unification ministry verifying report on arrest of N. Korean defectors in China
6. Settlement funding for N. Korean defectors to rise to 15 mln won in 2025
7. McMaster's memoir reveals differences between Moon, Trump administrations over N. Korea, other issues
8. N. Korea sent over 13,000 containers suspected of carrying arms to Russia: lawmaker
9. North Korea bans karaoke, saying it smacks of ‘rotten’ capitalist culture
10. ‘Rooster hairstyle,’ see-thru sleeves now banned in North Korea
11. ＜Inside North Korea＞Evacuation of Flood Victims to Pyongyang Seen as 'Show' - Backlash Against Delayed Recovery and Unfairness - People Prioritize Belongings Over Portraits...
12. U.S. takes N.K. 'suicide drone' threat 'seriously': Pentagon
13. North Korean shop raided over South Korean clothing rumors
14. North Korean farmer punished with unpaid labor for salvaging plastic to save home (and my comments on resistance)
15. North Korea demands $70 from workers in Russia for flood aid
1. South Korea's defense budget to surpass 60 trillion won as regional tensions increase
The commitment to deterrence and a strong defense is the necessary foundation for South Korea's 8.15 Unification Doctrine to succeed.
Tuesday
August 27, 2024
dictionary + A - A
South Korea's defense budget to surpass 60 trillion won as regional tensions increase
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-08-27/national/defense/South-Koreas-defense-budget-to-surpass-60-trillion-won-as-regional-tensions-increase/2121544
Published: 27 Aug. 2024, 17:48
Updated: 27 Aug. 2024, 18:03
The logo of the Ministry of National Defense [YONHAP]
South Korea's defense budget for 2025 has been set at over 60 trillion won ($45.5 billion) for the first time ever, reflecting the government's focus on key military initiatives, such as strengthening the "Three-Axis" deterrence system against North Korea and improving military personnel treatment amid an intensifying arms race in East Asia.
The Ministry of National Defense announced its new budget of 61.6 trillion won, marking a 3.6 percent increase from this year, during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Once approved by the National Assembly, this budget will surpass the 60-trillion-won threshold — only five years after it crossed the 50-trillion-won mark in 2020.
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The increase comes amid increased military spending among neighboring countries. China has maintained a 7.2 percent annual increase in defense spending for the past two years, while Japan raised its defense budget by 26 percent last year.
The majority of the budget increase is allocated to operational expenses for military forces, which will rise by 4.2 percent to 43.5 trillion won.
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Significant investments are planned to improve the treatment of military personnel, including raising soldiers' salaries from 1.25 million won this year to 1.5 million won next year. A high-interest savings program could boost soldiers' monthly income to 2.05 million won upon discharge.
A substantial portion of the operational budget, 786.3 billion won — a 49.5 percent increase — will be dedicated to improving housing facilities for military personnel, including upgrading outdated accommodation and ensuring quarters have capacity for "one room per person."
The budget for defense capability improvement will increase by 2.4 percent to 18.1 trillion won, with a focus on enhancing the Three-Axis system. This includes the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system, the Korean Air and Missile Defense System composed of multi-layered missile interceptors and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation campaign, which is aimed at eliminating the adversary's command and control by neutralizing its leadership and military facilities.
Key allocations include 3.03 trillion won for the Kill Chain platform, including the second phase of the F-35A stealth fighter project, as well as investments in electronic warfare equipment and the Maritime Helicopter II to disrupt North Korean communications.
Additionally, 1.1 trillion won will be allocated for the first mass production of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, and 71.2 billion won will be dedicated toward beginning the mass production of laser air defense systems. The additional 500 billion won required due to Indonesia's reduced share in the KF-21 development project is expected to be reflected in the 2026 budget.
The Ministry of Unification also announced its 2025 budget Tuesday, totaling 1.06 trillion won — a 3.7 percent decrease from this year. The budget reflects South Korea's shifting priorities amid ongoing challenges in inter-Korean relations, focusing more on internal support mechanisms for defectors and human rights while scaling back on cooperation projects with North Korea.
Funding for key initiatives under President Yoon Suk Yeol's "Aug. 15 Unification Doctrine" has increased.
The basic settlement allowance for defectors will rise from 10 million won to 15 million won, with additional bonuses provided for vulnerable groups, such as those with disabilities. The settlement allowance was raised from 8 million won in 2022 to 9 million won last year, and then to 10 million won this year.
The budget for establishing the National North Korean Human Rights Center increased to 10.7 billion won. The budget for the Global Korea Forum, aimed at fostering global discourse on unification issues, was raised to 1.6 billion won.
While the overall Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund was reduced, the budget for humanitarian aid increased by 16.5 percent, totaling 112.2 billion won. This fund is primarily designated for providing relief supplies, such as rice, in the event of disasters, though the actual execution rate for the aid is expected to remain low due to the current halt in inter-Korean exchanges.
The budget for social and cultural exchanges, including inter-Korean human exchanges, has been set at 10.4 billion won, a 35 percent decrease from last year. Similarly, funding for the reunions of separated families has been reduced by 25 percent to 13.4 billion won. The budget for the infrastructure development of the Kaesong Industrial Complex has been slashed by 70 percent, down to 2.2 billion won.
BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
2. North Korean defectors share inspiring tales from 'extraordinary' visit to United States
An excellent article with some important views that are worth reading.. A well done effort by the US embassy and an important documentary that provides important insights into our friends from north Korea and their experiences.
Tuesday
August 27, 2024
dictionary + A - A
North Korean defectors share inspiring tales from 'extraordinary' visit to United States
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-08-27/national/diplomacy/North-Korean-defectors-share-inspiring-tales-from-extraordinary-visit-to-United-States/2121551
Published: 27 Aug. 2024, 16:36
Updated: 27 Aug. 2024, 19:20
Korea JoongAng Daily
North Korean defectors share inspiring tales from 'extraordinary' visit to United States
5 min
Ju Chan-yang, left, a North Korean defector, speaks during a public diplomacy event held at the U.S. Embassy's American Diplomacy House in central Seoul on Monday. She was joined by two other defectors, Hyun Hyang and Park Yu-sung, while Koh Kwang-il and Lee Jeong-cheol took part in the event virtually. [U.S. EMBASSY IN SEOUL]
Six North Korean defectors flew across the Pacific to the United States, where they went busking on a Californian beach pier and shared their lives’ trajectories before and after their escape with local college students.
On Monday, five of the six defectors gathered in Seoul at a public diplomacy event at the U.S. Embassy’s American Diplomacy House.
They stressed that the focus of attention and policy should be on the “North Korean people, not the regime.”
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During the event, the defectors showcased a documentary, “I am from North Korea,” which follows their nine-day journey in the United States to raise awareness of human rights abuses in the North.
The 30-minute documentary portrayed the defectors’ efforts, which ranged from classroom speeches to anti-repatriation activism during their tour of colleges in California. It was directed by defector and YouTuber Park Yu-sung, whose former channel had over 100,000 subscribers.
In the documentary, Lee Jeong-cheol, who fled from the North in 2006 and arrived in the South in 2007, said he “hopes to provide Americans an opportunity to empathize with the minds and thoughts of North Koreans rather than simply learning the country is under dictatorship.”
Lee told U.S. audiences that his father, a schoolteacher, earned “less than five dollars” a month. He said the regime is undergirded by a social structure in which “99 percent of people are enslaved for the top one percent.”
“Does that mean I became a traitor for leaving the country because of hunger?” Lee asked.
He explained why he has been vocal about the human rights crisis in his homeland, saying he “cannot ignore North Koreans.” He noted that his friends, families and relatives remain in the North.
A documentary shows a moment where North Korean defectors and activists participated in a booth event to raise public awareness on human rights situation in North Korea during their college visits in California. It was screened at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul's American Diplomacy House in central Seoul on Monday. [LEE SOO-JUNG]
Ju Chan-yang, who fled the North 13 years ago, said “radio offered dreams of hope” to her family as she “was able to listen to voices of North Korean refugees through foreign broadcasts from South Korea and the United States” before her defection.
Another defector, Hyun Hyang, a former state singer from the North, said she had dreamed of a “moment where she could sing a song chosen by herself freely without anyone intervening.”
She said she “grew up in an environment where individual dreams were not allowed.” She added she was astonished during the college tour when she saw one school’s proactive support for a science major’s solo guitar concert on campus.
She chose the song “When I Dream” (1979) for her busking performance, as she sees herself in the lyrics: “I could fly to Paris; it’s at my beck and call.”
Now, in South Korea
Three North Korean defectors, Ju Chan-yang, Hyun Hyang and Park Yu-sung, from the left, participate in a talk show held at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul's American Diplomacy House in central Seoul on Monday. [LEE SOO-JUNG]
After the documentary screening, the North Korean defectors shared key takeaways from their journey as panelists in a discussion and engaged with audiences at the American Diplomacy House.
Koh Kwang-il, who defected during his military service in 2018, said he was surprised that people in the United States treated the defectors like anyone else — without any judgments or stereotypes, contrasting the attitude to that of North Koreans, who were raised to be anti-American.
When asked about social and educational measures to help North Korean defectors successfully settle in South Korean society, Ju stressed that “admitting them as South Korean nationals would be a considerable psychological support rather than defining them in a socially constructed framework.”
She said she does not consider herself and other defectors as “refugees.” She said it was hurtful when her South Korean friend called her a “defector” when introducing her to others, not as her friend.
Ju said she now dreams of becoming a giver and leaping from her receiver status. She highlighted the importance of emotional support, adding the role of the giver is not essentially limited to providing financial support. “Simply pressing the ‘like’ button on a defector’s social media page or subscribing to their channel can help them overcome difficulties when settling in South Korea,” she said.
“These positive changes will reach and penetrate North Korean society […] as most defectors communicate with their relatives still living under the regime — as far as I know,” Ju said.
When asked about freedom, Lee said flying to the United States with a South Korean passport in his hand “felt extraordinary,” comparing the experience to his tumultuous defection route where he had illegally crossed the border between China and Laos.
Joshua Lustig, public diplomacy officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, gives welcome remarks to audiences at the American Diplomacy House in central Seoul. [U.S. EMBASSY IN SEOUL]
Joshua Lustig, a public diplomacy officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, later told the Korea JoongAng Daily that the embassy invited the defectors because South Korea and the United States share values of “freedom of expression and democracy.”
He said that the embassy “shared its stage and gave its platform” to the defectors so they could share their stories at the American Diplomacy House, a public diplomacy space that exists only in Korea and nowhere else.
Lustig said the event was a reflection of the South Korean public’s “desire” to learn more about the United States and “to have a dialogue about important issues that both countries care about, such as human rights,” through other public diplomacy events in Seoul.
BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]
3. More than half of N. Koreans experience capitalism: former N. Korean diplomat
This is one factor that can contribute positively to the unification process.
More than half of N. Koreans experience capitalism: former N. Korean diplomat | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 27, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been imposing a reign of terror as more than half of ordinary North Korean people have experienced capitalism through an inflow of outside information, a former North Korean diplomat said Tuesday.
Ri Il-gyu, a former counselor of political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, made the remark at a special lecture at the secretariat of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council.
"More than half of ordinary North Korean people have experienced capitalism. That's why Kim Jong-un has started a reign of terror," Ri said.
The former diplomat said the elite group in North Korea had already begun feeling disillusioned with the regime under the rule of Kim Jong-il, late father of the current leader.
Kim Jong-un took power in late 2011 after his father died of heart failure.
With his family, Ri, known as a seasoned North Korean diplomat in charge of Cuban affairs, defected to South Korea in November last year.
His defection came under the spotlight as it came amid intense efforts by South Korea to establish a diplomatic relationship with Cuba. In February, the two countries forged formal ties in a surprise decision widely seen as a setback for North Korea, which has long boasted of its brotherly relations with Havana.
This photo, provided by the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) on Aug. 27, 2024, shows Ri Il-gyu, a former counselor of political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, delivering a special lecture at the secretariat of the PUAC in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 27, 2024
4. Pentagon spokesman calls N. Korea 'complicit' in Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Two members of the axis of dictators for the Dark Quad.
Pentagon spokesman calls N. Korea 'complicit' in Russia's invasion of Ukraine | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 27, 2024
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- A Pentagon spokesperson accused North Korea Monday of being "complicit" in Russia's war in Ukraine as he reiterated the United States' concerns over Pyongyang's provision of munitions and other military equipment to Moscow.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder made the accusation during a press briefing in response to a question of whether Pyongyang is able to secure enough missiles for 250 launchers that it has said would be deployed to front-line areas.
"I don't have any information to provide in terms of specifics of North Korea providing missiles or launchers to Russia other than to say that we know that Russia and North Korea have this burgeoning relationship, that they have provided capabilities, to include munitions, to Russia for employment in Ukraine, which, again, demonstrates the fact that North Korea is complicit in this illegal Russian invasion," he said.
"It's something that we're keeping a very close eye on," he added.
This photo, released by the Associated Press, shows Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder speaking during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on Aug. 13, 2024. (Yonhap)
Asked to comment on North Korea's recent showcase of what it calls "suicide drones," Ryder said he does not have anything to offer.
Earlier this month, the North's state media reported that its leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony to mark the transfer of new tactical missile launchers to front-line units, describing them as "new pivotal attack" weapons.
On Monday (Korea time), South Korea's National Intelligence Service expressed skepticism over the North's ability to supply missiles for the hundreds of new front-line launchers, lawmakers said, noting that the North's military production system has been running to supply Russia with weapons.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 27, 2024
5. Unification ministry verifying report on arrest of N. Korean defectors in China
And these two members of the Dark Quad are complicit in human rights abuses against the Korean people escaping from the north.
Unification ministry verifying report on arrest of N. Korean defectors in China | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 27, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry said Tuesday it is trying to verify a report that 15 North Korean defectors seeking to flee to South Korea were arrested by Chinese police last week.
The defectors -- 13 women and two children -- were arrested in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming on Aug. 21 in an ambush as they were preparing to board a ship to cross into a Southeast Asian country, U.S.-based media outlet Radio Free Asia reported Tuesday, citing a local civic group advocating North Korean human rights.
They were later transferred to the northeastern province of Jilin near the border with North Korea, RFA said, in a possible sign that China may send them back to North Korea against their will.
"We are communicating with the civic group and currently verifying the facts," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
Last month, President Yoon Suk Yeol said that South Korea will "spare no diplomatic effort" to ensure North Korean defectors in a foreign country are not repatriated to North Korea against their will.
China does not recognize North Korean defectors as refugees and regularly repatriates those who are caught trying to defect to the North, where they can face harsh punishment.
Civic activists hold a press conference in central Seoul on May 6, 2024, to call on the Chinese government to stop repatriating North Korean defectors staying in China to the North. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · August 27, 2024
6. Settlement funding for N. Korean defectors to rise to 15 mln won in 2025
The ROK government is walking the walk and not just talking the talk on both defense and unification (escpee) funding.
Settlement funding for N. Korean defectors to rise to 15 mln won in 2025 | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · August 27, 2024
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has increased funding for North Korean defectors to support their early settlement as part of its budget proposal for next year, in line with its new unification blueprint.
The unification ministry's budget proposal, which was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, came to 1.55 trillion won (US$1.17 billion), down 3.7 percent from this year.
Despite the overall decrease, the ministry has boosted the basic settlement grant for North Korean defectors by 50 percent, raising it from 10 million won to 15 million won. The ministry's budget proposal is subject to parliamentary approval.
This image, provided by the presidential office, shows a choir comprising students from South and North Korea singing to celebrate the day for North Korean defectors on July 14, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"Next year's budget proposal reflects the government's commitment to sound fiscal management while ensuring that the seven key initiatives outlined by President Yoon Suk Yeol in the 'Aug. 15 unification doctrine' are implemented without disruption," a ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.
During his Liberation Day speech on Aug. 15, Yoon presented a vision for unification, which includes increased support for North Korean defectors in South Korea.
South Korea has a longstanding policy of accepting any North Korean defectors who wish to live in the South. Currently, South Korea is home to more than 34,000 North Korean defectors. The flow of defectors continues amid chronic food shortages and harsh political oppression in North Korea.
The basic settlement grant is the initial financial aid provided to North Korean defectors to assist them with their early settlement in South Korea. Additional allowances are provided to vulnerable groups, such as those with disabilities.
The grant was set at 8 million won until 2022 before increasing to 9 million won last year and 10 million won this year.
If the budget proposal passes through the parliament, the settlement grant will have increased by 88 percent in just three years under the Yoon administration.
Additionally, the budget for humanitarian aid to North Korea through a fund intended to boost cooperation with North Korea has been increased by 15.92 billion won, and the budget for livelihood support has been increased by 5.7 billion won.
"The government reaffirms that humanitarian aid to ensure the survival of North Korean residents will proceed regardless of the political and military situation," the official added.
North Korea has not yet responded to South Korea's proposal to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea for the damage caused by recent downpours in its northern border areas.
South Korea's last direct aid to North Korea occurred in 2010, consisting of 5,000 tons of rice and 300,000 cups of instant noodles for flood relief. South Korea also provided food worth 19 billion won to North Korea through the World Food Program in 2017, marking Seoul's last indirect aid to the North.
The budget for enhancing unification education in schools is also set to increase, with plans to expand the number of leading universities offering unification education from eight this year to 12 next year.
In contrast, the ministry has proposed a 21.3 percent on-year reduction in spending for inter-Korean economic projects, including support for the now-defunct Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North's border city of the same name.
Since taking office, Yoon has adopted a hard-line stance against North Korea's provocative actions and emphasized the importance of raising international awareness about the dire human rights situation in the North.
President Yoon Suk Yeol announces a vision for unification with North Korea during a ceremony commemorating the 79th Liberation Day held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2024. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · August 27, 2024
7. McMaster's memoir reveals differences between Moon, Trump administrations over N. Korea, other issues
(LEAD) McMaster's memoir reveals differences between Moon, Trump administrations over N. Korea, other issues | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 28, 2024
(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 29-32)
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- The preceding South Korean and U.S. administrations differed on a set of issues, including their assessment of North Korea's intentions behind its nuclear program and their characterization of its missile provocation, according to a former U.S. official's memoir published Tuesday.
In the book, titled, "At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House," H.R. McMaster, who served as national security advisor from 2017-2018, revealed a series of anecdotes where the administrations of former Presidents Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump diverged on North Korea and other issues.
McMaster touched on what happened during Moon's visit to Washington for a summit with Trump in June 2017, noting that staying aligned with the Moon government would require a "sustained" effort.
Following the summit press conference, Moon and then Vice President Mike Pence met each other and disagreed on why Pyongyang has been doggedly pursuing nuclear arms.
"Moon said that, just like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Khadafi, Kim believed that he needed nuclear weapons for defense," McMaster wrote.
"Pence asked Moon, 'Why does Kim Jong-un need nukes when he has conventional artillery in range of Seoul? We have to consider the possibility that Kim wants the weapons for offensive purposes,'" he added.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a stop at a campaign office in Roseville, Michigan on Aug. 26, 2024, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)
That difference of opinion about what drove the North Korean leader was bound to create tension and disagreement, the former White House official recalled.
In the process of agreeing on a joint summit statement, he said Seoul and Washington struggled to bridge their differences.
"Our South Korean counterparts insisted on language that held out the prospect of negotiation with North Korea at some point and an acknowledgement that Seoul would take the lead role in any effort to talk with the North Korean regime," he said.
"In turn, Pottinger, Hooker and I insisted on language emphasizing sanctions enforcement as essential for convincing Kim Jong-un that denuclearization was in his best interest."
He was referring to Matthew Pottinger and Allison Hooker who formerly served as principal deputy national security advisor and senior director for Asia, respectively.
He also mentioned difference between himself and then South Korean counterpart, Chung Eui-yong, over how to characterize North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4, 2017.
"(Chung) told me that the Moon government was not ready to call the missile an ICBM," he said. "I responded, 'Eui-yong, just because you don't call it an ICBM doesn't mean it's not an ICBM.'"
With Moon deeply committed to inter-Korean rapprochement, his administration appeared cautious about the characterization of a North Korean ICBM launch apparently on concern that a public accusation of North Korea could hurt diplomacy with Pyongyang.
McMaster unveiled some of the allies' discussions over the installation of a U.S. THAAD missile defense battery as well.
The THAAD system was installed in Seongju, 214 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in 2017, but held the status of a "temporary" installation for years due to an environmental impact assessment requirement.
Before the summit between Moon and Trump in June 2017, McMaster warned Chung about Trump's aversion to environmental assessments.
"Please tell President Moon not to repeat his recent statement that the THAAD deployment would depend on an environmental assessment," he said. "Trump is already not a fan of THAAD, and as a real estate developer, he really hates environmental assessments."
McMaster also said that Trump "harrumphed, vociferating about how environmental assessments are a waste of time," when Moon noted the need for an assessment although he indicated he was okay with the THAAD deployment.
The former White House official shed some light on internal U.S. discussions about how to approach the North Korean nuclear quandary when Trump was in office.
This AFP photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump (R) shaking hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after signing a joint statement at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore on June 12, 2018. (Yonhap)
What was notable was that there were some government officials whom he said argued that "the least risky and least costly course of action would be to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and then deter its use of nuclear weapons."
McMaster said that he, along with Pottinger and Hooker, believed the idea that Pyongyang wanted nuclear weapons only for deterrence was "wrong."
"Kim, we thought, really wanted to reunify the peninsula under Pyongyang's control," he said.
He also recalled that Trump enjoyed North Korea-related discussions at the White House, especially if they entailed the conventional wisdom of the "stupid people" who had preceded him.
He said that Pottinger showed to Trump a timeline with photos to illustrate the historical pattern of efforts to denuclearize North Korea. And then, the contours of a "maximum pressure" strategy on the North came into view, he said.
"Trump directed us to 'fully isolate North Korea' and to make Chinese leader Xi Jinping 'pay a price for backing Kim Jong-un,'" he said.
Moreover, McMaster said that he and other colleagues had come up with the three "don'ts" when it came to North Korea -- guidelines that Trump agreed on.
The first one was not to rush to the negotiating table or acceding to weak initial agreements just to talk with North Korea, while the second one was not to view diplomacy and the development of military options as separate and sequential efforts. The last one was not to lift sanctions prematurely to reward the North just for talking.
Touching on Trump's meeting with Xi during the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany in 2017, McMaster noted that Trump underscored China could solve the North Korean quandary "if Xi decided to do so."
"Trump reminded Xi of the danger of proliferation," he said. "What if Japan, South Korea and others concluded that they needed nukes too."
He pointed out that Xi was fearful of a North Korean regime collapse that could result in the loss of a "buffer state" between a U.S. ally and the Chinese border.
"Xi warned against 'excessive pressure' and 'long-arm jurisdiction' -- his phrase for U.S. secondary sanctions on Chinese banks involved in circumventing sanctions," he said.
McMaster, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, left the Trump administration in March 2018 after alleged friction with Trump over policy issues.
This file photo, released by EPA, shows U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster on Feb. 18, 2018 in Munich, Germany. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 28, 2024
8. N. Korea sent over 13,000 containers suspected of carrying arms to Russia: lawmaker
N. Korea sent over 13,000 containers suspected of carrying arms to Russia: lawmaker | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 27, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has sent more than 13,000 shipping containers suspected of carrying arms to Russia since mid-2022 amid deepening bilateral military ties, a lawmaker said Tuesday, citing a military intelligence report.
The North delivered the shipments that could hold more than 6 million 152-millimeter artillery shells through its eastern port of Najin over the roughly two-year period, according to a Defense Intelligence Agency report submitted to Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the ruling People Power Party.
The military has been tracking signs of the North transferring arms to Russia since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
"To prepare for a prolonged war in Ukraine, Russia has moved to formalize North Korea as a supply base for weapons and ammunition," the agency said.
The latest figure marks a twofold increase since February, when Defense Minister Shin Won-sik told reporters the North had sent about 6,700 containers to Russia.
The agency said South Korea and the United States are jointly monitoring the possibility of North Korean missiles being sent to Russia, citing Russian missiles fired in Ukraine that have shown characteristics of North Korean missiles, according to Kang.
The military suspects the North could have supplied Russia with 122-mm artillery rounds, mobile anti-air missiles and anti-tank missiles, among other weapons.
In return for North Korea's weapons support, Russia is suspected to be providing technological assistance in North Korea's missile and spy satellite programs, the agency said, citing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to a Russian space port in September where he held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This composite image, provided by Yonhap News TV, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 27, 2024
9. North Korea bans karaoke, saying it smacks of ‘rotten’ capitalist culture
Even "Karaoke is an existential threat to the Kim family.
North Korea bans karaoke, saying it smacks of ‘rotten’ capitalist culture
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/karaoke-machines-ban-north-korea-restaurant-noraebang-08272024143217.html
Restaurants with karaoke machines are to be shut down, shocking owners and customers alike.
By Kim Jieun for RFA Korean
2024.08.27
A man sings karaoke while his daughter plays piano at a hotel bar in Mount Kumgang, North Korea, Oct. 7, 2011.
David Guttenfelder/AP
North Korean authorities are shutting down all restaurants with karaoke machines, claiming they are “puppet-style and hotbeds of capitalism,” residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.
That means that the government thinks they are part of a cultural invasion from South Korea, which is often derogatorily referred to as a puppet regime of the United States.
“The authorities pointed out that eating while singing with karaoke machines is ‘an expression of rotten Western culture and puppet culture,’” a resident of the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
“Restaurants that produce food, alcohol, and parties are ‘hotbeds of capitalism,’” he said. “Restaurants that fall under this category must close within this month,” he said.
The news shocked restaurant owners and ordinary people alike. After all, the karaoke machines installed in North Korean restaurants contained only North Korean songs – not South Korean or Western tunes.
Plus, people going out to sing together was one of the only kinds of entertainment allowed because listening to music or watching movies and TV shows from South Korea is banned, a resident from North Hamgyong province complained.
But now they can’t even go out to sing patriotic songs together, he said.
Banned list
It’s the latest example of North Korean authorities banning activities or fashion viewed as influenced by arch-enemy South Korea or its capitalist culture. Banned activities include “dancing like a capitalist,” singing or joking “like a South Korean,” or wearing sleeveless shirts and sporting certain hairstyles.
Karaoke originated in Japan in the 1970s and spread to other countries by the 1990s. Western customers preferred to sing in front of entire restaurants, while in many Asian settings, the karaoke parlor became a mainstay, with groups of friends or work colleagues renting individual rooms to sing only in front of each other.
A North Korean woman sings karaoke at the Hyangsan Hotel at the foot of Mount Myohyang, North Korea, Feb. 23, 2013. (David Guttenfelder/AP)
In South Korea, people who want to sing karaoke will go to their local noraebang or “song room,” with their group, rent a small room, and belt out the latest pop hits or oldies-but-goodies.
But in North Korea, it became more popular to sing with the whole restaurant as an audience and in recent years, Chinese-made karaoke machines became a must-have for a restaurant to thrive.
According to the resident, the ban does not mean that the restaurants can simply remove the karaoke machine and continue to operate.
They are to be permanently shuttered and the owner will be unable to obtain a restaurant license. RFA was not able to confirm whether the ban is temporary or permanent.
Catalyst?
The reason for the ban is related to an incident where citizens who were mobilized to provide free labor for a government construction project skipped work to go to a karaoke restaurant, the resident said.
“Some residents are protesting, saying that there is song and dance in human life,” he said. “Does singing our North Korean songs fall under ‘puppet culture’?”
He said that citizens are critical of the authorities for not allowing them to have any kind of culture in their lives and treating the people like they are all in the military.
Restaurants in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong were shocked by the sudden change in rules, a resident there told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.
“Music machines are a necessity for most restaurants these days to attract customers and that restaurants are shocked by the sudden notice,” he said. “Recently, the party is labeling everything, this, that, and the other, as anti-socialist.”
“The authorities say that the use of the music machine itself is part of puppet culture and a dangerous toxin that paralyzes the ideological and mental spirit of the people,” he said.
“They claim that we live in the most superior and powerful socialist system in the world,” he said. “But if that is the case, why are they so afraid that they block everything?”
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
10. ‘Rooster hairstyle,’ see-thru sleeves now banned in North Korea
Damn I wish I had enough hair to imitate Kim Jong Un's hairstyle.
In terms of the see-through sleeves for women, I wonder if the regime is collaborating with the Taliban to learn best practices for oppressing women.
A graphic is at the link explaining the prohibitions.
Seriously, no matter how dire the situation is for the Korean people in the north the regime still focuses on its priority of trying to maintain total ideological control.
‘Rooster hairstyle,’ see-thru sleeves now banned in North Korea
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-fashion-ban-rooster-hairstyle-see-through-sleeves-clothing-crackdowns-fashion-police-08262024152015.html
Off-limits fashion items also include jeans, dyed hair and even shoulder bags.
By Kim Jieun for RFA Korean
2024.08.26
Illustration by Rebel Pepper
RFA
North Korea has added the “rooster hairstyle” and blouses with see-through sleeves to its banned fashion list, saying they “obscure the image of a socialist system,” sources inside the country said.
Violators face up to six months of labor sentences, the sources told Radio Free Asia.
The new regulations were detailed in a video lecture shown to people, with hairstyle violators forced to shave their heads, a resident of the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The bans are the latest to target the fashion choices of the North Korean people, and join a long list of other prohibited clothing that includes sleeveless shirts, jeans, hair dye, non-creased pants, T-shirts with foreign lettering, shoulder bags, and specifically for women, hair below the waist, shorts and figure-hugging tops.
Most of these no-nos are typical styles of clothing worn in rival South Korea or in other capitalist countries and can be made illegal under the draconian Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture Law, which aims to root out an invasion of so-called capitalist or anti-socialist behavior.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Ju Ae attend the inauguration ceremony of Jonwi Street in Pyongyang, May 14, 2024. (KCNA via KNS/AFP)
But another round of fashion bans seems to prevent people from having the same style as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and those around him.
Citizens found sporting the same hairstyle as Kim, or his same style of wide-legged pants, or his iconic leather trenchcoat look can also be punished.
Negative reaction
Residents were critical of the bans, noting that they don’t seem to apply to people in Kim Jong Un’s inner circle.
The supreme leader’s daughter Kim Ju Ae recently appeared in a blouse with semi-transparent sleeves.
And Hyon Song Wol, the deputy department director of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party, who often appears at events alongside Kim, has sported the “rooster hairstyle,” in which long hair is tied atop the head with bangs covering the forehead and one eye.
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No more fancy photo shoots, wedding veils or banquets in North Korean weddings
That ordinary citizens aren’t allowed to wear these styles is a double standard, residents said.
“Residents protested, saying, ‘You can’t wear hair in a bun, you can’t cover your forehead and eyes with your bangs. Are people machines?’” the North Hamgyong resident said.
Another resident from the northwestern province of North Pyongan said that people there took issue with the ban on transparent-sleeved blouses.
“Even the leader’s daughter appeared wearing see-through clothes,” he said. “People protested and asked why wearing them would be anti-socialist.”
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong, Joshua Lipes, and Malcolm Foster.
11. ＜Inside North Korea＞Evacuation of Flood Victims to Pyongyang Seen as 'Show' - Backlash Against Delayed Recovery and Unfairness - People Prioritize Belongings Over Portraits...
All for show. But what the regime is really showing is that they have no genuine concern for the suffering of the Korean people.
But there are indicators of some potential resistance. Will we see the instability coming?
＜Inside North Korea＞Evacuation of Flood Victims to Pyongyang Seen as 'Show' - Backlash Against Delayed Recovery and Unfairness - People Prioritize Belongings Over Portraits...
asiapress.org
State media reported that Kim Jong-un, visiting the dining hall for children affected by flooding, said, "Take foods heartily and grow up healthily to become happy children adding to the laughter of their families and country." Quoted from Rodong Sinmun, August 16, 2024.
In response to the massive flooding that hit northern North Korea in late July, Kim Jong-un took measures to evacuate victims to Pyongyang. According to the Rodong Sinmun, about 13,000 affected residents from North Pyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces along the Yalu River, where damage was severe, arrived in Pyongyang on Aug. 15. Who was selected for this 'Pyongyang evacuation,' and how are residents reacting to this measure? When we asked our reporting partners living in the northern region, it became clear that there is significant dissatisfaction and backlash among residents, with many calling it an 'empty show.' (HONG Mari / KANG Jiwon)
◆ State Media Engages in Extensive Propaganda
North Korean state media is extensively promoting images of flood victims arriving in Pyongyang being moved by Kim Jong-un's speech, and of Kim Jong-un paying attention to children's meals and educational environment.
On Aug. 21, we asked reporting partner A, who lives in Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, if they were aware of the 'Pyongyang evacuation' of flood victims.
"Everyone knows that flood victims were taken to Pyongyang. The government is probably scared of losing public support because so many people died pitifully. People around here are all laughing, saying it's just a 'show'."
State media reported that in response to Kim Jong-un's welcoming speech to flood victims, "All the participants were moved to tears by the ardent feelings of the great father." Quoted from Rodong Sinmun, August 16, 2024.
◆ 'What's the Point of Measures After Death?'
A went on to say:
"Many people have died, and many bodies haven't been found. The Workers' Party organizations say to take care of the bereaved families, but once someone's dead, it's over. There's a lot of backlash, with people asking what’s the point giving a few kilograms of corn after death. If they had money to take people to Pyongyang, they should have set up flood prevention measures in advance. People are saying behind closed doors that anything done after this much damage is just for propaganda."
A also mentioned that there are missing persons among their acquaintances' families. However, even when families request searches from party committee officials, the officials are not responding properly.
"I know someone in Jagang Province who doesn't know the whereabouts of their entire family. The wife is on the verge of losing her mind. Until the bodies are found and identified, they're treated as missing. We don't even know if they're alive or dead."
◆ Only Families with Completely Destroyed Homes Given Support
According to reporting partner B, who lives in Hyesan, Ryanggang Province, only households with completely destroyed homes were selected for the 'Pyongyang evacuation'. Even though households affected by flooding are also struggling, when they request support from the party committee, they are told that their affiliated companies and organizations should take responsibility.
"There's backlash saying the Pyongyang evacuation is just for show. Many people have been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic. It's not just the flood victims who are in a difficult situation."
On Aug. 15, when the flood victims arrived in Pyongyang, Kim Jong-un encouraged them, saying, " All of you, who are present here, as precious members of our people, have remained faithful to our Party all your lives, working with devotion for the prosperity and development of our state; even when left homeless in the aftermath of an unexpected disaster, you treasured your trust in our Party more than your personal property or houses that had been lost, and your confidence in it remains fundamentally unchanged." However, it seems that public sentiment is already turning away.
A said they felt a change in people's behavior during this flood, saying:
"Until now, when fires or floods occurred, people would first carry out portraits (of leaders). But this time, many people were taking out household items like TVs, solar panels, and transformers. It seems people's consciousness is changing."
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
asiapress.org
12. U.S. takes N.K. 'suicide drone' threat 'seriously': Pentagon
Of course we must. I think it is important to realize Kim Jong Un and the nKPA are studying everything that is going on around the world and they are learning from every conflict and determining what they can develop and apply for the regime.
Although we like to say that the north is the most isolated nation in the world, that does not mean the regime is not paying attention to the outside world.
U.S. takes N.K. 'suicide drone' threat 'seriously': Pentagon | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 28, 2024
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- The United States takes threats from what North Korea called "suicide drones" "seriously," a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday, reiterating Washington's commitment to cooperating with South Korea and other allies to ensure regional security.
The North's state media reported Monday that leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a performance test of various drones on Saturday, calling for the development and production of more suicide drones to bolster the country's war preparedness.
"We clearly want to take that threat seriously and it's something that we will keep an eye on," Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told a press briefing.
"I will just conclude by saying that we will continue to consult closely with the ROK and Japan and other partners and allies in the region to ensure that our collective defense remains strong," he added, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
This photo, released by the Associated Press, shows Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder speaking during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on Aug. 13, 2024. (Yonhap)
Ryder also said that he found it "interesting" to see Pyongyang describe what are known as "one-way attack drones" as suicide drones.
In response to a question about how the U.S. will deal with North Korea's "asymmetric" threats, Ryder stressed Washington's focus on defense.
"In terms of North Korea and its capabilities, look, they have a long history here of destabilizing rhetoric and activities," he said.
"Again our focus in the region is defensive in nature and we are working with allies and partners to promote regional security and stability and to be prepared for any threats that North Korea presents."
He also pointed out that the U.S. does not want conflict with North Korea.
"We continue to call for diplomatic communication but so far, they have not been willing to take that olive branch," he said.
The North's test of drones was organized by its Drone Institute of the Academy of Defence Science, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In the test, the drones flew along various preset courses and correctly identified and destroyed the designated targets, as they have missions to attack enemy targets on the ground and at sea, KCNA said.
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 26, 2024, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (R) inspecting a performance test of drones on Aug. 24. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 28, 2024
13. North Korean shop raided over South Korean clothing rumors
Again ideological control is the paramount consideration for the regime.
Where is the breaking point? If only the Korean people had the knowledge and tools for collective action.
North Korean shop raided over South Korean clothing rumors - Daily NK English
While crackdowns on South Korean goods in North Korea are nothing new, they have intensified to unprecedented levels recently
By Lee Chae Eun - August 27, 2024
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Eun · August 27, 2024
FILE PHOTO: Hyesan, Ryanggang Province, in August 2013. (Daily NK)
Police in Hyesan recently raided a foreign exchange shop rumored to be selling South Korean clothing, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking anonymously, a Daily NK source in Ryanggang Province said police officers in Hyesan “raided the city’s foreign exchange shop on Aug. 16, locking its doors and inspecting items in the shop for several hours.” He said the inspection occurred after somebody told the police that the shop “was rumored to sell clothing from puppet South Korea.”
The main customers of Hyesan’s foreign exchange shop — which sells higher-quality items than markets at higher prices — are donju, or the country’s wealthy entrepreneurial class.. They place orders at the shop for clothing in their preferred styles, which they buy and wear when they come in.
They usually order South Korean clothing, which used to be smuggled through the border into North Korea and sold on the sly before the pandemic. However, with smuggling coming to a halt and South Korean goods growing harder to buy, donju began placing orders for South Korean goods with the foreign currency shop’s staff.
Demand for S. Korean goods remains high
While crackdowns on South Korean goods in North Korea are nothing new, they have intensified to unprecedented levels. Nevertheless, with demand for South Korean products remaining high, the foreign exchange shop’s staff import and sell such items using ways to avoid crackdowns.
“The foreign exchange shop’s staff, who bring items through customs themselves to sell them, received many orders for South Korean clothes from donju this year,” the source said. “Not only are there so many orders, but South Korean clothing is more profitable than other clothing, so the staff secretly sell it after finding ways to get it through customs.”
The foreign exchange shop’s staff buy all sorts of South Korean clothes, from bras and other innerwear to outerwear, from Chinese traders. After changing the brands and tags to Chinese ones, to make them look Chinese-made, they import them through customs.
“At first, they tried once or twice to get stuff through customs as an experiment,” the source said. “When it passed through safely, they increased the kinds and amounts of clothing and now import it alongside Chinese-made clothing. However, when rumors that the shop was importing South Korean clothing spread among the public, the police heard them, too, which led to the inspection.”
However, police in Hyesan found no evidence that any clothing displayed at the foreign exchange shop was South Korean. Instead, they criticized the shop for its “unsophisticated products that did not accord with North Korean style” and accepted a 1,000 yuan bribe to turn a blind eye.
“The shop would take needless losses if it fell out of the police’s favor, so they had no choice but to pay the bribe,” the source said. “In any case, no matter how much crackdowns intensify, they will have little substantive effect as secret transactions will continue in various ways.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Eun · August 27, 2024
14. North Korean farmer punished with unpaid labor for salvaging plastic to save home (and my comments on resistance)
Again, where is the breaking point? When will the nascent resistance expand?
This is the opportunity of the 8.15 Unification Doctrine to use information and human rights effectively to help the Korean people in the north develop the conditions to seek their own change.
While there is so much push back for helping the Korean people in the north seek change we should not allow that to deter us. The argument against helping the Korean people ist aht Kim Jong Un veiws it as a threat and therefore he will never negotiate and never denuclearize and will sustain his hostile policy oolict toward the South that is described here:
“The party’s comprehensive conclusion after reviewing the decades–long inter–Korean relations is that reunification can never be achieved with those ROK riffraffs that defined the ‘unification by absorption’ and ‘unification under liberal democracy’ as their state policy. That is in sharp contradiction with what our line of national reunification was: one nation [minjok] , one state with two systems. Reunification is realistically ‘impossible’ and the two Koreas are separate ‘belligerent states’ at war.”
– Kim Jong Un, 1 January 2024
We should not be afraid of what Kim says. And not matter what be believes that we seek regime change. No amount of denial and especial no amount of "NON-ACTION" will convince him otherwise. Our response to Kim is that while we do not seek externally imposed regime change, we are committed to helping the KOrean people realize a better life for themselves that includes freedom, self determination of government and human rights for all. We should not shy away from admitting this is our intent. We should also realize that the sum of all these ideological control activities are driving the Korean people away from the regime. They jsut need the knowledge and tools to seek cahnge for themselves.
North Korean farmer punished with unpaid labor for salvaging plastic to save home - Daily NK English
dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · August 27, 2024
Rodong Sinmun published photos of rice planting in farms across the country on May 26, 2024, saying, "Rice planting is being promoted more vigorously in rural areas amid the rising momentum of the all-people's struggle to achieve excellent results in agriculture this year." The photo shows Jangwon Farm in Jongpyong County, South Hamgyong Province. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
A North Korean farmer was recently sentenced to unpaid labor for using recycled plastic film without permission to protect his rain-damaged home, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking anonymously, a Daily NK source in the province said recently that the clay-walled home of the 50-something farmer — identified by his family name of Kim — collapsed in the wake of five days of torrential rains in the border area of Hoeryong in late July.
To prevent rainwater from entering through the fallen wall, he rushed to the propaganda room of his farm work team and took some plastic film that was kept there. However, the farm authorities made an issue of this because he did so without permission.
Kim took no more than three 1.5-meter-by-5-meter sheets of plastic film. The film was not new; it was a recycled product that had been used for two months earlier this year to cover the corn seedbeds.
However, the farm’s managers said the farmer had “made the mistake of taking farm property without any procedures” and reported him to the local police.
At the police station, Kim explained that, with his home about to collapse, he had no time to find somebody to give permission to use the material. However, he was sentenced to 10 days of unpaid labor.
Farmers angered by unfair punishment
The incident aroused the anger of other farmers, who criticized the farm for reporting the worker to the police without considering the emergency he faced when he committed his supposed crime.
Farm workers vented their rage, asking if he would have taken such tatty plastic film unless the situation was so bad that the inside of his home would have been obliterated after the wall had fallen. They also criticized the farm for not only refusing to help the farmer repair his home but also reporting him to the police over some old plastic film.
The farm’s management responded to the anger by arguing that “procedures must be followed regardless of how hurried you are, and that the farmer must take responsibility for taking farm property.” The farm also said that it could provide new homes to people who lost their old homes in the rain but that the farmer in question should repair his home on his own because “the damage didn’t even warrant a major repair.”
The farm workers were greatly perturbed by this, calling what their comrade did “a drop in the ocean compared to the corruption of farm officials.”
“Regarding the attitude of farm officials who simply stand on principle without considering the circumstances of farm workers hit by the rains, the farm workers complained that taking some plastic film is nothing compared to farm officials who pilfer everything from fertilizer in the springtime to produce such as potatoes, soybeans and corn,” the source said.
The farm workers also had unkind words for the police officers who sentenced their coworker to unpaid labor.
“The farm workers complained about how life grows harder for the powerless,” the source said. “They said, ‘People in important positions uniformly throw the book at people with nothing to eat. If Kim had given the cops at least a packet of smokes, they clearly would have dropped the matter after he’d made a single appearance.'”
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · August 27, 2024
15. North Korea demands $70 from workers in Russia for flood aid
Again, where is the breaking point?
North Korea demands $70 from workers in Russia for flood aid - Daily NK English
Pyongyang could raise $2.8M from 40,000 workers in Russia, despite rejecting foreign aid
By Seulkee Jang - August 27, 2024
dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · August 27, 2024
North Korean workers wait for a flight to Pyongyang at the airport in Vladivostok, Russia, in December 2019. (Courtesy of Kang Dong Wan, professor at Dong-A University)
North Korea is demanding foreign currency from its overseas workers to fund flood recovery, despite earlier rejecting international aid in favor of “self-reliance,” Daily NK has learned.
Speaking anonymously, a Daily NK source in Russia said recently that the North Korean authorities tasked all trading companies operating in Russia with sending $70 in cash per worker by the end of the month for flood recovery efforts.
The North Korean entities that received the order are trading companies in name only. In fact, they are human resource management companies that control hundreds or thousands of North Korean construction workers affiliated with them.
North Korean construction workers in Russia can broadly be divided into civilian workers and military workers. The latest order demanding cash reportedly applies to all companies managing civilian or military workers.
While the monthly salary of a civilian construction worker differs according to rank and workload, it is usually between $200 and $300 on average. Military workers receive minimal wages since they work on construction sites in Russia instead of serving their mandatory army service, but they still receive about $100 a month on average.
Russia pays the North Korean workers $2,000 a month, but party fees, Socialist Patriotic Youth League dues and other costs are automatically deducted, while the trading companies that manage the workers extort them for over $1,000 a month.
If they have to pay even what the party is asking for in the name of flood recovery costs, military construction workers will take home just $30 this month.
Over 40,000 North Korean workers are estimated to be working in Russia. If all of them paid the authorities $70, Pyongyang would raise $2.8 million this month.
Some workers in Russia criticize government demand
Among themselves, North Korean workers in Russia sharply criticize the state “for trying to earn foreign exchange while claiming it’s just gathering funds needed for flood recovery.”
According to the source, one worker angrily complained, “They use the money I pay every month somewhere, and now they’re extorting more money by adding the excuse of flood recovery costs? I don’t make much to start, so I’m basically working all day long and not receiving a single penny for it.”
Another laborer criticized the government’s refusal of international aid, saying, “They said they would recover from the flood through self-reliance, but in the end, they’re extorting workers abroad like us.”
In fact, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told displaced residents of Uiju County, North Pyongan province, during a visit to the flood zone on Aug. 8 and 9 that although several nations and international organizations had offered humanitarian aid, “what we regard as the best in all realms and processes of state affairs is the firm trust in the people and the way of tackling problems thoroughly based on self-reliance.”
The North Korean authorities have instead been demanding money for flood recovery efforts from North Koreans living at home and overseas. In the case of North Pyongan province, locals were made to pay 20,000 to 30,000 won a person early this month to deliver to flood zones. In Jagang Province, people were asked for 10,000 won in cash, 3 kilograms of rice and three kilograms of corn.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · August 27, 2024
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
| 
