Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the day:

“Orwell and Churchill recognized that the key question of their century ultimately was not who controlled the means of production, as Marx thought, or how the human psyche functioned, as Freud taught, but rather how to preserve the liberty of the individual during an age when the state was becoming powerfully intrusive into private life. The historian Simon Schama has described them as the architects of their time. They were, Schama said, “the most unlikely of allies.” Their shared cause was to prevent the tide of state murder that began rising in the 1920s and 1930s, and crested in the 1940s, from continuing to rise.”

– Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas E. Ricks

"What sweetness is left in life, if you take away friendship? Robbing life of friendship is like robbing the world of the sun."

– Cicero

"Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments."

– John Steinbeck

1. Top Biden officials tout improved Seoul-Tokyo ties, cooperation against NK threats as key policy feats

2. U.S. calls on N. Korea to stop 'unproductive' steps after event for tactical missile launcher transfer

3. Top military officer calls for 'stern' action in event of N.K. provocation

4. N. Korea denounces Germany for joining U.N. Command

5. Authorities issue warning against N. Korean hackers trying to steal construction, machinery data

6. North Korean flood victims who lost their homes or families told not to show sadness

7. Cuba’s past may be with North Korea but its future is with the South

8. Kim Jong Un's visits dictate flow of N. Korean flood aid

9. Anti-foreign spy bills floated after alleged leak of agents’ identities (South Korea)

10. Japan rejected S. Korea's call to include term 'forced' in Sado mine exhibits

11. North Korean band rocks out to national anthem in unusual show for Kim Jong Un

12. North Korea set to increasingly use ‘gray zone’ tactics to challenge US: Report

13. North Korean diplomats return from Russia with luxury goods

14. Flood-destroyed bridges likely to obstruct North Korean nuke program, arms sales

15. Heir of North Korea's tyrant faces 'psychopath' aunt in control fight

16. Kim Jong Un wants Trump back, elite defector tells BBC

17. Kim's flood visit prompts scrutiny of North Korean officials' actions

1. Top Biden officials tout improved Seoul-Tokyo ties, cooperation against NK threats as key policy feats

The link to the WAPOST OpEd is here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/08/05/blinken-austin-sullivan-biden-indo-pacific-military-economic/

I give the administration great credit for strengthening our alliance and in particular the trilateral relationship and cooperation with the ROK and Japan but I would not describe it as a policy "feat." It is just good national security and foreign policy work.

Top Biden officials tout improved Seoul-Tokyo ties, cooperation against NK threats as key policy feats

The Korea Times · August 6, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the 2024 Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Aug. 5. Reuters-Yonhap

Top U.S. officials highlighted "unprecedented" defense and economic cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan, and tighter multinational collaboration against North Korean threats as feats of President Joe Biden's Indo-Pacific diplomacy in an opinion piece published Monday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan wrote the piece in The Washington Post, underlining "tremendous results" of Biden's policy strategy while noting that America's standing in the region was "at its lowest point in decades" at the time of his inauguration in January 2021.

Their joint op-ed came as Vice President Kamala Harris is set to be formally nominated this week as the Democratic Party's flag-bearer for the Nov. 5 general election, where she is to take on former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

"President Biden brought together Japan and South Korea — two countries with a difficult history — to join the United States in the Camp David trilateral summit, spurring unprecedented defense and economic cooperation among our countries," they said in the op-ed.

They were referring to the Camp David summit, the first-ever standalone trilateral summit among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, which yielded a series of landmark agreements, including the leaders' "commitment to consult" each other in the event of a shared challenge.

Blinken, Austin and Sullivan also stressed that under Biden, the U.S. upgraded the old "hub-and-spoke" model of diplomacy with an "integrated, interconnected" network of partnerships, pointing to the trilateral partnership among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, and the AUKUS security pact, which consists of the U.S., Britain and Australia, among other groupings.

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Del., Aug. 2. AFP-Yonhap

The officials said that Washington's security cooperation with allies and partners is paying dividends, as they pointed to North Korea's nuclear saber-rattling and China's "dangerous and provocative actions at sea" as "serious" security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

"We're locking arms with our allies and partners against North Korea's destabilizing weapons programs," they said, stressing that the U.S.' security partnerships across the Indo-Pacific have become "more effective and more united."

Though they did not mention Trump by name, the three officials took note of the foreign policy environment when Biden took office, and claimed that a strategy by Biden and Harris has led to the "transformation" of America's approach to the Indo-Pacific.

"But when President Biden took office, America's standing in this critical part of the world was at its lowest point in decades. The region was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our allies and partners feared that the United States had become an unreliable friend," they said.

"An increasingly assertive China was taking advantage of America's turn inward to advance its alternative vision of the world — a vision hostile to U.S. interests. So, President Biden instructed us to transform our approach to the region."

At the core of Biden's policy strategy is to reinvigorate and leverage a network of America's allies and partners to confront shared challenges together.

The officials also noted that South Korea has adopted a new strategy to "surge" economic investment in key industries in Southeast Asia, strengthening supply chains the U.S. economy relies on. They were referring to Seoul's regional strategy seeking a "free, peaceful and prosperous" Indo-Pacific. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · August 6, 2024

2. U.S. calls on N. Korea to stop 'unproductive' steps after event for tactical missile launcher transfer

Let's begin employing information against the regime effectively.

U.S. calls on N. Korea to stop 'unproductive' steps after event for tactical missile launcher transfer | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 6, 2024

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- The United States called on North Korea Monday to stop "provocative" and "unproductive" steps and return to dialogue after Pyongyang said it held a ceremony over the weekend for transferring 250 new tactical missile launchers to frontline military units.

Matthew Miller, the State Department's spokesperson, made the call as the North's Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that leader Kim Jong-un attended the ceremony for the transfer of the launchers, which it portrayed as "new pivotal attack" weapons.

"We would encourage North Korea to discontinue taking provocative and unproductive steps and return to the negotiating table," he told a press briefing.

This photo, taken on June 7, 2024, shows Matthew Miller, the State Department's spokesperson, speaking during a press briefing at the department in Washington. (Yonhap)

Concerns about North Korea's nuclear and missile threats have persisted in the absence of no meaningful diplomacy to at least curb those threats despite Washington's repeated overtures to meet with the North without preconditions.

Asked about the possibility of Pyongyang conducting a nuclear test, Miller said that he did not have any assessment to comment on the matter.

Miller also expressed hope that humanitarian concerns involving North Korean people will be addressed following reports about heavy damage from recent downpours in the reclusive state.

Pyongyang has expressed gratitude for Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer of assistance to recover from what was left in the wake of the torrential rains, while remaining unresponsive to Seoul's proposal for humanitarian aid.

"Obviously, our thoughts are always with the people of North Korea as they are with the people of any country around the world when they suffer humanitarian disaster," he said.

"Whatever differences we have with any government, those are not differences with the people of that country. So we would hope to see the humanitarian needs of the North Korean people addressed."

The North's border city of Sinuiju and Uiju County in North Phyongan Province were recently pummeled by heavy rains. South Korean media outlets have reported that the number of those who died or went missing could exceed 1,000.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 6, 2024

3. Top military officer calls for 'stern' action in event of N.K. provocation

Again please start employing information against the regime effectively.

If I were advising the ROK/US military alliance I would have our combined psychological operations military forces embark on a very specific PSYOP campaign to achieve two objectives (behaviors) from the leadership and soldiers of the north Korean People's Army.

From one of my forthcoming papers:

Direct ROK and US military psychological operations forces to create a campaign targeting the north Korean People’s Army (nKPA) with two objectives: first is to prevent an attack of the South. The second is to disobey orders directing the suppression of any collective action by the Korean people. The nKPA must decide not to put down any resistance to the Kim family regime.

Top military officer calls for 'stern' action in event of N.K. provocation | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 6, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top military officer on Tuesday called for "stern" action in the event of a North Korean provocation as he visited a command overseeing border island units in the Yellow Sea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo renewed the call at the North West Islands Defense Command in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, citing increasing North Korean threats, according to his office.

The visit came two days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony commemorating the transfer of 250 tactical ballistic missile launchers to frontline military units.

"As a military that takes bold and stern action, (we) must instill fear in the enemy and trust in the people," Kim said, according to a release.

The North West Islands Defense Command is in charge of operations of troops stationed on the border islands near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea. Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Kim Kye-hwan doubles as the command's head.

Waters near the NLL have been a flashpoint between the two Koreas, where three bloody naval skirmishes took place in 1999, 2002 and 2009.

In March 2010, Pyongyang torpedoed a South Korean warship near the NLL, killing 46 sailors. The North also bombarded the border island of Yeonpyeong in November that year, killing two Marines and two civilians.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo (R) inspects troop readiness at the North West Islands Defense Command in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, on Aug. 6, 2024, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 6, 2024

4. N. Korea denounces Germany for joining U.N. Command

Of course. The regime cannot tolerate countries that support peace, security, stability, and freedom.

The UNC surely has Kim's attention.

N. Korea denounces Germany for joining U.N. Command | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Oh Seok-min · August 6, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea criticized Germany for its recent entry into the United States-led U.N. Command (UNC), calling it an act of ruining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, its state media said Tuesday.

On Friday, Germany formally joined the multinational mechanism overseeing the armistice of the 1950-53 Korean War as the 18th official member state.

The North "strongly denounces Germany's entry into the United Nations Command, regarding it as an act of wrecking peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and aggravating the situation," a spokesperson of Pyongyang's foreign ministry said in a release carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"Germany's improper act is again reminiscent of its inglorious past in which it plunged mankind into the bloodbath of the Second World War and inflicted untold misfortune and pain upon mankind in the last century," the ministry said, warning that Berlin "will be held wholly responsible for all the consequences."

The North claimed that Washington is attempting to revive the function of the command "which should have been extinct in the last century" in a move toward the Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to deter the North and its neighboring countries.

The North then vowed to "take more thorough measures for bolstering up its self-defensive capabilities" to deter the current "ever-escalating military confrontation" on the peninsula, according to the KCNA.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (R) hands the German flag to Gen. Paul LaCamera (3rd from L), commander of the U.N. Command, during a ceremony marking Germany's admission into the multinational command at its headquarters in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on Aug. 2, 2024. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

graceoh@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Oh Seok-min · August 6, 2024

5. Authorities issue warning against N. Korean hackers trying to steal construction, machinery data

The all purpose sword at work.

Authorities issue warning against N. Korean hackers trying to steal construction, machinery data

The Korea Times · August 5, 2024

Official gives a briefing about North Korean hackers in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Nov. 21, 2023. Yonhap

Cybersecurity authorities on Monday issued a joint warning against North Korean hackers trying to steal construction and machinery data in South Korea.

The Korea Cybersecurity Intelligence Community, which includes the spy agency, prosecution, police and military, said North Korean hackers have targeted such information to help build plants and develop cities in the North.

The authorities said they confirmed a sharp increase this year in the North's hacking attempts to steal such information.

According to the authorities, the North's hacking groups used the "watering hole" method, which targets a large number of users by infecting websites they commonly visit, and malicious codes to steal information.

Last month, South Korea's cybersecurity authority also issued a joint advisory with its U.S. and British counterparts against North Korea's cyber espionage campaign targeting classified information in defense, aerospace, nuclear and engineering sectors. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · August 5, 2024

6. North Korean flood victims who lost their homes or families told not to show sadness

Translation: Under no circumstances must the Korean people in the north embarrass Kim Jong Un.

North Korean flood victims who lost their homes or families told not to show sadness

They are under constant surveillance and are made to watch propaganda about how Kim Jong Un ‘rescued’ them.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-floods-propaganda-videos-surveillance-censorship-08052024160109.html

By Son Hyemin for RFA Korean

2024.08.05

Flooding after record-breaking heavy rains, in the city of Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, July 28, 2024.

KCNA via KNS/AFP

North Koreans who lost everything when last week’s floodwaters submerged their island homes–killing their families in some cases–were forbidden from expressing grief, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.

On the evening of July 27 and the early morning of July 28, the island of Wihwa in the country’s northwest was completely submerged by flooding in the Yalu River that separates North Korea from China.

RFA reported last week that not only did the country’s leader Kim Jong Un refuse help from China to evacuate Wihwa and other islands before they were claimed by the raging river, he arrived on the scene to “lead rescue efforts,” long after the waters had subsided.

North Korean state media reported that after the floods, Kim Jong Un held an emergency meeting in the city of Sinuiju, and he said that he blamed Kang Bong Hun, the provincial party committee secretary of Chagang Province, and Ri Thae Sop, the minister of social security, for “causing unacceptable casualties” and dismissed them from their positions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (2nd L) awards a medal to the commander during a visit to the helicopter unit of the Air Force of the Korean People's Army (KPA) that rescued over 4,200 people in flood-hit areas in the northwestern part of North Pyongan Province, at an undisclosed location, August 2, 2024. (KCNA via KNS/AFP)

In the days following their evacuation, the residents who made it off the island were forced to watch propaganda videos that paint Kim as a hero, and they must avoid showing even a hint of sadness on their faces, a resident of the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“An official who participated in the flood investigation said that hundreds of people from Wihwa were still missing,” he said, adding that some of them were evacuated from the island by helicopter and are taking shelter in hotels and inns in the city of Sinuiju.

“On the first day, flood victims cried in despair because their elderly parents and young children were washed away by the flood, but they were stopped by guards.”

The guards are police officials, he said. As part of their rescue efforts, they surveil the flood victims and force them to watch videos of Kim Jong Un rescuing people in the flooded areas.

“The guards insisted that the victims be thankful for Kim Jong Un’s love for his people,” the resident said, adding that the flood victims are under nonstop surveillance. “They are unable to cry … resentment is building up in their hearts.”

Wihwa island was the worst hit of several islands located near the mouth of the Yalu, another resident, who requested anonymity for personal safety, told RFA.

“The missing and dead number will exceed 1,000, when all of the islands … are accounted for,” he said, adding that many of the flood victims are disturbed by the images of the flooding they are being made to watch.

“Their families were washed away by the current or killed when their homes collapsed due to heavy rain, but they are unable to even show a sad expression on their faces due to surveillance from the authorities,” the second resident said.

But they must still watch propaganda videos and give thanks to their leader for saving them every day, he said.

“The authorities gather the flood victims every morning and show a video of the Highest Dignity commanding the flood disaster site,” he said, using an honorific to refer to Kim Jong Un. “They are continuing the propaganda that the people are fortunate to have such a leader. Some flood victims turned around and expressed their anger.”

Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong.

7. Cuba’s past may be with North Korea but its future is with the South

The Go (or Baduk) board is taking shape,

Cuba’s past may be with North Korea but its future is with the South

It had been Pyongyang’s closest ally in the Americas, but now Havana is cozying up to Seoul.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-and-cuba-establish-ties-08012024163515.html

By Eugene Whong for RFA

2024.08.05

The North Korean and Cuban flags are displayed as Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, not pictured, watch a performance in Pyongyang in this photo released by the North Korean government on Nov. 6, 2018.

KCNA via Reuters

When Cuba and democratic South Korea announced they would establish relations in February, it caught socialist North Korea by surprise.

Since 1960, it was Pyongyang that touted its relationship with what it was calling the only socialist stronghold in the Americas, referring to Cubans as “socialist brethren” of North Koreans and referring to revolutionary leader Fidel Castro as a “comrade-in-arms” to national founder Kim Il Sung.

North Korea did not initially reveal to its people that Seoul and Havana were now on friendly terms, and it even stopped reporting on events in Cuba shortly after the announcement, but news trickled in by word of mouth, shocking many residents who felt as if Pyongyang were being further isolated by the move.

Kim Jong Un's visits dictate flow of N. Korean flood aid - Daily NK English

"I’m sure the people in Sinuiju and Uiju (County) have suffered a lot, but many families in highland villages were nearly buried in landslides," a source told Daily NK

By Seon Hwa - August 6, 2024

dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · August 5, 2024

On August 1, 2024, Rodong Sinmun reported that "Not only in the capital Pyongyang, but also in all workplaces and homes across the country, aid supplies are being prepared with sincerity and continuously sent to the special disaster emergency areas." /Photo=Rodong Sinmun·News1

North Korea’s flood aid has concentrated on Sinuiju and Uiju County following Kim Jong Un’s visit, despite widespread damage across multiple provinces.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK recently that large amounts of relief supplies for the flood victims — including rice, corn, medicine and blankets — are reaching the Sinuiju and Uiju area.

“Relief supplies are being collected around the country to be sent to the flood-stricken areas, and food, clothing and medicine are piling up in Sinuiju and Uiju following a visit by Marshal (Kim Jong Un),” the source said. “Sinuiju and Uiju are receiving high-quality supplies from factories, companies and powerful organizations, including department stores in Pyongyang.”

Rodong Sinmun reported on Aug. 1 that “following reports that General Secretary Comrade (Kim) visited the site of flood damage in Sinuiju and Uiju County in North Pyongan Province, the disaster areas are continuing to receive aid supplies generously donated by families and workplaces not only in the capital of Pyongyang but in areas around the country.” The newspaper also ran a photograph showing a convoy of trucks carrying relief supplies.

But even as relief supplies poured into the parts of North Pyongan Province personally visited by Kim, the source said, farming villages and rugged upland areas that were also hit hard by the flooding have not received any aid, nor have any military units been deployed to help them rebuild.

People in rural areas face severe challenges without aid

According to the source, a resident of the coal mining complex in Kaechon, South Pyongan Province, is still unable to enter his home, which was inundated on July 27, and is dealing with a serious shortage of everything, including food and clothing.

Residents of the mining complex who barely escaped with their lives when their houses were inundated in the rising waters are infuriated by news that aid efforts are underway in Pyongyang and other major cities, the source said.

“Floodwaters rushing violently down a mountain gorge are more frightening than river water spreading over wide fields. I’m sure the people in Sinuiju and Uiju have suffered a lot, but many families in highland villages were nearly buried in landslides.

“With their food supplies running low and their clothing all soaked, these people are in dire need of assistance, but disaster aid remains concentrated in certain areas, much to locals’ frustration.”

Some North Koreans have also criticized the North Korean government for replacing the head of the Ministry of State Security and the party secretaries of North Pyongan and Chagang provinces for failing to prepare for the disaster. Assigning blame for the flood damage is not as urgent, they say, as providing timely assistance to flood victims who have nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep.

Others are concerned that the government’s preoccupation with demoting or sacking responsible officials whenever a problem occurs has the effect of making officials obsess about protecting their positions above all else, the source said.

“The government seems ignorant of what the flood victims need right away. It keeps praising the Marshal for visiting a dangerous flooded area without even providing enough food to people who have lost their homes.”

Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.

Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · August 5, 2024

9. Anti-foreign spy bills floated after alleged leak of agents’ identities (South Korea)

Is Korea mixing up FARA and espionage?

Anti-foreign spy bills floated after alleged leak of agents’ identities

koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · August 6, 2024

“South Korean version of US FARA law” draws bipartisan support

By Kim Arin

Published : Aug. 6, 2024 - 17:22

South Korean spy chief Cho Tae-yong appears at a meeting of the National Assembly intelligence committee on July 29. (Yonhap)

A series of bills targeting foreign espionage were floated in a rare show of bipartisan lawmaking in the National Assembly in the past week, following recent allegations of identity leaks of covert military agents.

The bills seeking to expand the scope of punishable foreign espionage here have been proposed by lawmakers from both ruling and main opposition parties, according to the Assembly website on Tuesday.

Under the existing laws, foreign espionage is restricted to that perpetrated by an “enemy country,” referring solely to North Korea. This excludes individuals or groups working for any other country such as China from being punished for spying on South Korea.

The move to broaden the punishable range of foreign espionage came after allegations surfaced last week that a Defense Intelligence Command official provided military secrets to Chinese hackers believed to be linked to North Korea earlier this year.

The secrets leaked by the South Korean official allegedly included classified information of South Korean agents such as their names and where they are stationed abroad.

The bills against foreign espionage echo calls for similar legislative efforts from Cho Tae-yong, the director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.

Cho asked a July 29 meeting of the Assembly intelligence committee for what he called a “South Korean version of the US’ Foreign Agents Registration Act,” to increase transparency of the presence of foreign agents and their activities in the country.

In June last year, a similar “South Korean FARA bill” was introduced by former lawmaker Choe Jae-hyung but never passed.

Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, on the ruling People Power Party’s supreme council, told a meeting of the party leadership Monday that a swift passage of the bills relating to foreign espionage was “key to preventing a repetition.”

Vice chair of the Assembly intelligence committee Rep. Park Sun-won told The Korea Herald on Tuesday that the support for the anti-foreign espionage bills was “largely bipartisan.”

He said that the alleged leak concerned “not just a single military official,” arguing that a scrutiny of the intelligence community at large may be necessary.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has characterized the alleged leak as a case of a national security failure on part of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

“The extent to which military discipline is being undermined under the Yoon administration is appalling,” the Democratic Party said in a statement Tuesday. The party called for a “thorough investigation” of “the national security disaster unleashed by the conservative administration in charge.”

The Democratic Party said it could “take decades before South Korea’s network of spies and informants can be restored.”

koreaherald.com · by Kim Arin · August 6, 2024

10. Japan rejected S. Korea's call to include term 'forced' in Sado mine exhibits

Historical issues will always intrude on national security and national prosperity.

Japan rejected S. Korea's call to include term 'forced' in Sado mine exhibits

koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · August 6, 2024

By Yonhap

Published : Aug. 6, 2024 - 20:55

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong speaks during a regular press briefing at the ministry building in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

South Korea had proposed Japan use the expression "forced" in the museum exhibits on an old Japanese mine complex linked to its wartime forced labor of Koreans prior to its UNESCO inscription, but Tokyo refused, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry had made the call during the negotiations with Japan on the Sado gold and silver mines as a precondition for Seoul's consent to the site's listing as a UNESCO World Heritage, its response submitted to Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party showed.

"During the negotiation process, we requested the inclusion of historical documents and exhibit texts to contain the term 'forced,' but Japan ultimately did not agree to this request," the ministry said in the document.

The government has come under criticism after the exhibits at the history museum near the Sado mine site turned out to have no description about how thousands of Koreans were taken against their will to toil at the mines during World War II, when Korea was under Japan's colonial rule.

Featuring exhibits at the museum was part of the agreement reached between the two sides before the mine complex won World Heritage status in late July.

Seoul officials have said the government agreed to the inscription as Japan installed the exhibits in advance and promised to carry out its commitments to better reflect the "full" history, as pledged in 2015 when Hashima Island, another forced labor site, was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

But critics have blamed the foreign ministry for not having done enough to ensure Japan properly showed the coercive nature of the forced labor at the Sado mines.

Despite the growing criticism, the foreign ministry had maintained its decision not to reveal the details of the negotiations with Japan and declined to comment whether it specifically asked Japan to use the term "forced" in the exhibits.

The ministry's response Tuesday confirmed that it did.

Earlier in the day, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik issued a statement calling for the foreign ministry to disclose the details of the negotiations on the Sado mines, blaming the government for making a "very wrong" decision.

"We will carefully review the statement and explain to the Assembly over the matter going forward," foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said in a press briefing, without elaborating. (Yonhap)

koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · August 6, 2024

11. North Korean band rocks out to national anthem in unusual show for Kim Jong Un

"Face-melting?"

North Korean band rocks out to national anthem in unusual show for Kim Jong Un

Face-melting rendition of ‘Aeugukka’ may be attempt to go viral but isn’t first DPRK experiment with rock, expert says

https://www.nknews.org/2024/08/north-korean-band-rocks-out-to-national-anthem-in-unusual-show-for-kim-jong-un/

Joe Smith August 6, 2024

Fireworks during the rock performance at Sunday’s military ceremony (left), and former Moranbong Band singer Kim Ok Ju fronting the group (right) | Image: KCTV (Aug. 5, 2024), edited by NK News

A thumping rock beat, driven by the toms and snare. Face-melting guitar solos with screaming distortion. An over-the-top vocal crescendo into the upper limits of the singer’s range.

The music may have sounded like something by an 80s hair metal band, but the lyrics told another story, invoking a 5,000-year history, the spirit of Mount Paektu and a “love of toil that shall never die.”

“As by the people’s will we strive, Korea shall forever thrive!” belted one of North Korea’s most famous singers, as fireworks went off and leader Kim Jong Un and military officials applauded.

A highly unusual performance kicked off a military ceremony in Pyongyang on Sunday, state television footage showed, as a nine-piece band fronted by female musicians in DPRK flag T-shirts played a heavy rock rendition of the country’s national anthem, “Aegukka.”

But one expert told NK News that the performance was not the first time that North Korea has experimented with rock music, even as it cracks down on foreign influence, and may have even been an attempt to build on the “virality” of new pro-Kim propaganda music released earlier this year.

Sunday’s performance took place at the start of a ceremony at the Mirim military parade training complex in Pyongyang, where Kim Jong Un pledged to hand over 250 new “tactical ballistic missile launchers” to “front-line units” on the border with South Korea amid escalating tensions.

Footage appeared to show former Moranbong Band singer Kim Ok Ju leading the group, which also featured a guitarist, bassist, two keyboardists, a drummer and three backing vocalists.

Other former members of the girl group, famous for its novel blend of rock and pop that deviates from other propaganda music, may have also performed on Sunday, though the footage’s low quality makes it difficult to confirm.

The party daily Rodong Sinmun referred to the rockers as the “combined military band” and reported that their “dynamic tune of revolutionary military music” added “joy and militant enthusiasm” to the event.

But while the leader Kim clapped at the end, the blank expressions of audience members during the performance suggested that many were not quite sure what to make of it all.

Peter Moody, a postdoctoral scholar at the George Washington University and expert on DPRK media, told NK News that the performance wasn’t the first time Pyongyang has experimented with “hard rock or metal-sounding music.”

He noted that the Moranbong Band formed in 2012 and the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble from the 1980s both delved into rock music during their careers.

“The DPRK has also been on the receiving end of cultural diplomacy initiatives involving rock and metal for quite some time,” Moody said, citing visits by Japanese drummer Funky Sueyoshi from 2006 to 2012 and Slovenian band Laibach in 2015.

Kim Jong Un’s older brother, Kim Jong Chul, is also known to be a fan of rock music and electric guitars, having traveled abroad to watch British guitarist Eric Clapton perform in both Singapore and London.

“Clearly prominent North Korean musicians have some windows into internationally circulating genres of music, including metal, even if the state attempts to prevent the general population from accessing foreign music.”

The popularity of foreign media inside the country, particularly pop music, movies and television from South Korea, has become a growing concern for Pyongyang in recent years, and the state has moved to suppress the spread of outside culture as part of efforts to promote loyalty to the Kim regime.

Moody explained that during times of “intensified crackdowns” on foreign culture, there is more “incentive for the state to produce local, indigenized varieties of foreign cultural styles to reduce the chances people will look elsewhere to satisfy their craving.”

In April, North Korea released a new song praising Kim Jong Un as the nation’s “friendly father,” and the song was not only reportedly popular among North Koreans but also went viral globally on platforms like TikTok.

Moody said Sunday’s hard rock performance may have tried “to build on the accidental attention” of April’s propaganda release, and it’s possible that this arrangement was partially “planned with an international audience in mind.”

For now, it remains unclear whether the new hard rock anthem will achieve the global success of the paean to Kim Jong Un, but technical problems may limit its appeal: With high-definition broadcasts of North Korean television currently inaccessible, the only readily available version of the performance features slightly garbled audio that likely won’t be music to most people’s ears.

Edited by Bryan Betts

12. North Korea set to increasingly use ‘gray zone’ tactics to challenge US: Report

The fact is the Kim family regime has been a master of the gray zone long before the term was ever coined.

What do you think their political warfare and blackmail diplomacy entails?

North Korea set to increasingly use ‘gray zone’ tactics to challenge US: Report

DPRK and others look to exploit space between diplomacy and conflict to threaten without provoking war, NIC warns

https://www.nknews.org/2024/08/north-korea-to-increasingly-use-gray-zone-tactics-to-challenge-us-report/

Anton Sokolin August 6, 2024

GIFT THIS ARTICLESHARE PRINT

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un | Image: KCNA (July 16, 2024)

North Korea will increasingly exploit the space between peaceful diplomacy and direct conflict to threaten the U.S. without provoking confrontation, according to a new declassified U.S. intelligence report.

The U.S. National Intelligence Council (NIC) predicts that North Korea, along with China, Iran, and Russia, will use so-called gray zone tactics — which include everything from cyberattacks and harassing ships and planes to Pyongyang’s balloon launches — to challenge the U.S. while avoiding direct war through 2030.

By operating in gray zones, these states will create “concrete and intangible threats” to the U.S. and its partners and the international order, according to the NIC report released last week.

NIC analysts highlighted the growing invasiveness of gray zone campaigns, noting that U.S. adversaries are seeking to exploit new domains where detection is difficult and norms of behavior and accountability are vague or not well-established.

The NIC also released an updated lexicon on the use of terms, defining gray zone campaigns as the use of “coercive or subversive instruments of power” by states to achieve political or security goals at the expense of others by “exploiting gaps in international norms,” without provoking direct armed conflict.

Another key term the lexicon outlines is gray zone activities, which are similar to gray zone campaigns but can be carried out by “non-state actors, state actors in wartime, or state actors in isolated incidents not intended to coerce or subvert other states.”

The scope of gray zone activities spans multiple domains, including cyberspace, economics, disinformation, legal measures such as the wrongful detention of foreign nationals, military and security operations and operations in space to damage orbital assets.

The NIC lexicon states that leaders of China, Iran and North Korea view gray zone activities as “routine and legitimate tools of statecraft,” while also accusing the U.S. of similar behavior.

Chinese and Russian leaders “continue to believe that Washington is threatening their states by supporting proxies, conducting provocative military and information operations, and using economic coercion, and they often consider their actions to be mimicking or countering U.S. gray zone activities,” the lexicon states.

Yang Uk, a military analyst at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, told NK News that “gray zone” campaigns refer to acts of political warfare that have always been part of the tactics of Russia, Iran and North Korea.

While the three states all employ gray zone methods, their strategic objectives differ drastically, the expert added.

He explained that China appears to pursue global hegemony threatening the U.S. global role, Iran seeks dominance in the Gulf region and Russia focuses on the European theater.

Meanwhile, Pyongyang is not interested in becoming a global power, as it primarily seeks to drive the U.S. out of the Korean Peninsula with the growing threat of its military and nuclear capabilities, Yang suggested.

He explained that North Korea’s strategy, much like Russia’s in the case of Ukraine, hinges on sowing fatigue among American leaders to achieve its goal.

Yang suggested that Washington’s realization of this fact and the expectation that the DPRK will continue its attempts to undermine the U.S. likely laid the groundwork for the NIC analysis.

Faced with hostile acts, the NIC sees an opportunity for the U.S. to turn such risks to its advantage by “raising their perceived costs, improving U.S. and partner defenses, and strengthening international rules governing these domains,” according to the assessment.

Experts have also argued that North Korea could use gray zone tactics to assert its maritime claims in the Yellow Sea, where the two Koreas disagree on the location of the maritime border.

Meanwhile, the ROK created a new cybersecurity body last week to coordinate its responses to growing DPRK threats to cybersecurity, such as a recent leak of classified military information.

North Korean operatives have especially become active in the cyber domain, carrying out crypto theft and targeting sensitive infrastructure both in the South and in the U.S.

Last month, the U.S. State Department announced a $10 million bounty for a North Korean national who is wanted by the FBI for allegedly hacking health care systems with ransomware and attacking NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

Edited by Bryan Betts

13. North Korean diplomats return from Russia with luxury goods

Surprise, surprise? Nope. No surprise.

North Korean diplomats return from Russia with luxury goods - Daily NK English

Containers loaded with the consular staff’s possessions will be shipped to the port of Wonsan and then transported to Pyongyang

By Seulkee Jang - August 6, 2024

dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · August 6, 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia on Sept. 13 last year, according to the Rodong Sinmun on Sept. 14, 2023. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)

North Korean diplomats in Russia have been recently returning to the North with cutting-edge appliances and pricey musical instruments in their personal luggage, Daily NK has learned.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in Russia told Daily NK recently that a number of North Korean construction workers in Russia were dragooned into packing the personal luggage of North Korean consular staff ordered to return home at the beginning of July.

The consular staff heading back home are diplomats with the foreign ministry who have been serving in Russia for at least four years.

Diplomats’ belongings reveal wealth disparity

The luggage they packed for the journey home includes not only the typical clothing, shoes, bags, cosmetics and blankets but also large numbers of home appliances in their possession, including washing machines, refrigerators and big screen televisions.

The workers called up for the moving job were amazed that all the consular staff seemed to have brand-new models of the sort rarely seen in ordinary North Korean homes. They were also astonished at the profusion of top-shelf musical instruments, including pianos, accordions, violins and flutes.

“One worker recalled that each consular staff member had a shipping container measuring 12 meters (about 39 feet) long, 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) wide and three meters (about 10 feet) high at their disposal, but even that apparently wasn’t big enough to hold all their furniture and appliances,” the source said.

The source explained that the containers loaded with the consular staff’s possessions will be shipped to the port of Wonsan and then transported to Pyongyang.

The consular staff were able to afford the latest furnishings, despite the steep price tags, because of their lucrative foreign currency earnings.

Russia is a cash cow for N. Korean diplomats

Daily NK’s source said that North Korea and Russia are expanding cooperation in the economy and various other areas, giving North Korean consular staff there more opportunities to earn foreign currency than diplomats assigned to other countries. As a result, foreign ministry officials prefer assignments to Russia.

Daily NK previously reported that North Korean consular staff in Russia deliver letters and cash from North Korean workers to their families back home in exchange for a 25% – 30% fee.

However, the North Korean workers who were mobilized to pack the personal luggage of the consular staff apparently did not receive any compensation for a full day’s work.

“It was basically a volunteer job, since we didn’t get anything after working all day long. Nobody would willingly take on such drudgery, but you can’t say no to the company managers when they ask you to come in,” the source said.

Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.

Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · August 6, 2024

14. Flood-destroyed bridges likely to obstruct North Korean nuke program, arms sales

Extensive imagery at the link.

Flood-destroyed bridges likely to obstruct North Korean nuke program, arms sales

New imagery confirms more damage to rail and road infrastructure that links military facilities, impeding production

https://www.nknews.org/pro/flood-destroyed-bridges-likely-to-obstruct-north-korean-nuke-program-arms-sales/

Colin Zwirko August 6, 2024

A broken bridge from 2020 floods | Image: KCTV

The destruction of multiple bridges by flooding and landslides in North Korea will likely disrupt the country’s nuclear program, as well as weapons production and exports to Russia, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery taken in recent days.

The new imagery confirms at least four railroad bridges and two road bridges in Jagang Province collapsed or were damaged in storms around July 26 to 27, cutting rail and road networks that connect a string of weapons and chemical factories linked to the DPRK’s nuclear weapons program.

Some of the repairs are likely to take time to complete given the size of the broken bridges, but authorities are certain to make the recovery project a priority given the importance leader Kim Jong Un has placed on weapons development and apparent export contracts with Russia.

The latest imagery adds to outsiders’ understanding of the effects of the flood destruction in the DPRK, after NK Pro previously found that the humanitarian disaster in Jagang and Ryanggang provinces was likely bigger than reported by state media and that blocked roads would complicate aid efforts.

State media has been more open about massive flooding in Sinuiju and Uiju of North Phyongan Province, but Kim Jong Un claimed there were no deaths there, suggesting his previous comments about “loss of life” refer to the destruction in Jagang and Ryanggang.

This map shows the main rail line (orange) running through Jagang Province from Manpho on the Chinese border down through Kanggye, Songgan and Jonchon. Yellow dots mark important chemical or weapons factories, red square Xs mark broken rail bridges and red circle Xs mark large broken road bridges, though there may be more than just these few. | Image: Google Earth, edited by NK Pro

As the above map demonstrates, a number of major factories north of Jonchon have been completely cut off from Pyongyang in multiple places, while additional facilities in Jonchon are cut off by at least one broken bridge.

Starting at the northern end of Jagang’s weapons corridor in Manpho, on the border with China, there are at least three large factory complexes linked to nuclear or weapons production.

The Manpho Unhwa Factory is located in a valley south of Manpho and lies at the northernmost end of the inter-province rail line.

Researchers at the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ (CSIS) Beyond Parallel publication previously reported that trains have picked up chemicals at the factory that would go on to be used for producing missile propellants, chemical weapons and fissile material, and that it serves a vital role in supplying the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center.

Next on the line is the Amnokgang Tire Factory, which state media has said produces tires for the country’s largest nuclear missile launch vehicles, and possibly for the range of new short-range missile launchers now being mass produced. The No. 13 Explosives Plant lies to the northeast of Manpho and is believed to produce rocket propellants.

None of the largest rail or road bridges leading south from Manpho to the provincial capital Kanggye appear to have been destroyed, but major flooding along the Jangja River between the two cities likely damaged riverside railroad tracks and roads to some degree.

The large rail bridge crossing the Jangja River from the main line on the west bank to the Kanggye Tractor Factory and a branch line on the east side was partially destroyed in the late July floods | Image: Planet Labs (July 22, 2024), edited by NK Pro

This high-resolution image shows the bridge in more detail | Image: Google Earth (Sept. 2, 2022), edited by NK Pro

In the first major blow to weapons transport networks that run south, NK Pro analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery confirms that the Kanggye Tractor Factory on the east side of Kanggye has been completely cut off by rail, as the only rail bridge connecting it to the network has partially collapsed.

A section around 80 meters (262 feet) or longer has appeared missing in imagery taken since July 29, but pylons under the section may have survived, possibly shortening repair times.

The Kanggye Tractor Factory produces 300mm and 600mm multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) shells, which experts believe Russia is interested in acquiring.

Further south in Songgan County is a new factory built in the last year that North Korea says produces “ultramodern precision munitions” weapons.

Experts have said the weapons likely include “smart” guidance systems and could be anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). State media also said in April that a newly built munitions plant is producing the 240mm MLRS, likely ones previously referred to as including “controllable shells and ballistic control systems” — possibly hinting at this factory.

Strong evidence has emerged in the last year of Russia importing North Korean short-range ballistic missiles and 122mm shells. A video recently surfaced suggesting Russia has started to import DPRK-made ATGMs and their launch vehicles as well, suggesting more types of weapons could also show up soon.

There are more munitions factories to the south in Songgan — the February General Steel Enterprise and the Jagang Machine Plant — but it is unclear precisely what kinds of weapons or components they produce.

The human cost of a major landslide in Kwangmyong-ri is likely significant, while it also wiped out small rail and road bridges on the riverside | Image: Planet Labs (July 9, 2024), edited by NK Pro

The human cost of a major landslide in Kwangmyong-ri is likely significant, while it also wiped out small rail and road bridges on the riverside | Image: Planet Labs (July 29, 2024), edited by NK Pro

Blue and other colored objects appeared in a field nearby the disaster site by Aug. 4, indicative of either repair efforts, temporary tent housing for victims or both | Image: Planet Labs (Aug. 4, 2024), edited by NK Pro

This high-resolution shot shows the area in more detail | Image: Google Earth (Aug. 10, 2022)

Nearby Kwangmyong-ri is the Unjong Station area seen here, where a riverside factory was flooded and a separate landslide wiped out more small bridges | Image: Planet Labs (July 9, 2024), edited by NK Pro

Nearby Kwangmyong-ri is the Unjong Station area seen here, where a riverside factory was flooded and a separate landslide wiped out more small bridges | Image: Planet Labs (July 29, 2024), edited by NK Pro

Nearby Kwangmyong-ri is the Unjong Station area seen here, where a riverside factory was flooded and a separate landslide wiped out more small bridges | Image: Planet Labs (Aug. 4, 2024), edited by NK Pro

This high-resolution image shows the area in more detail | Image: Google Earth (Aug. 10, 2022), edited by NK Pro

At the southern edge of Songgan, violent landslides raging down the slopes of Pisambong wiped out an entire village and a possible military installation, before destroying small road and rail bridges as well as paved sections on the ground next to the Jangja River.

Another landslide on a different part of the mountain flowed over small road and rail bridges down the line nearby at Unjong Station, adding to the tasks of repairing networks connecting the above factories to the national network.

Larger transport problems emerge with the complete destruction of two 300-meter long (985 feet) road bridges around between Songgan and Jonchon to the south. This means both rail and road networks at this point are cut, making it harder to establish alternative routes.

The destruction of two 300-meter bridges on the Songgan-Jonchon border means areas to the north have been completely cut off from the capital, meaning repair of the smaller rail bridges may become the priority to get the line back in order | Image: Planet Labs (July 10, 2024), edited by NK Pro

This high-resolution image shows the two road bridges in more detail | Image: Google Earth (May 11, 2019), edited by NK Pro

These small bridges were likely also destroyed or at least damaged in a landslide in Jonchon | Image: Planet Labs (July 9, 2024), edited by NK Pro

These small bridges were likely also destroyed or at least damaged in a landslide in Jonchon | Image: Planet Labs (July 29, 2024), edited by NK Pro

These small bridges were likely also destroyed or at least damaged in a landslide in Jonchon | Image: Planet Labs (Aug. 4, 2024), edited by NK Pro

This high-resolution image shows the area in more detail | Image: Google Earth (Aug. 10, 2022), edited by NK Pro

An additional small rail bridge appeared to be damaged or broken in a landslide in Jonchon down the line from the February 8 General Machine Factory, a facility producing small arms like rifles and possibly other weapons. A small road bridge inside the factory complex itself appeared destroyed, but there are other bridges to cross the stream running through it.

Other small bridges across runoff streams where landslides also appeared to occur along the Jangja river between Manpho and Jonchon were likely also damaged or destroyed, but they are difficult to see without high-resolution imagery.

The city of Huichon to the south, where there are a number of munitions factories, including one newly discovered to be producing surface-to-air missiles, appeared to be spared from any major flood damage.

But the city is cut off from the plants in Jonchon, Songgan, Kanggye and Manpho to the north, meaning they can’t receive components or machine tools produced in Huichon.

Satellite imagery in the coming days and weeks is expected to reveal the scale of rebuilding efforts around the weapons factories in Jagang and their transportation network.

Edited by Bryan Betts

15. Heir of North Korea's tyrant faces 'psychopath' aunt in control fight

We just cannot get enough of the north Korean game of thrones and the succession talk about Kim Ju Ae going up against the evil sister of Kim Yo Jong.

Heir of North Korea's tyrant faces 'psychopath' aunt in control fight

Kim's nuclear family fallout: With North Korea's obese tyrant on the verge of 'collapse', his glamorous 10-year-old heir faces off against her power-hungry 'psychopath' aunt... but, whose finger will be on the trigger?

By Isabelle Stanely For Dailymail.Com

Published: 13:15 EDT, 3 August 2024 | Updated: 08:35 EDT, 5 August 2024

Daily Mail · by Isabelle Stanely For Dailymail.Com · August 3, 2024

Most preteens would rarely deign to be spotted in public with their parents.

Not North Korea's Kim Ju Ae.

After all, she's the daughter of a 'living god' - and, if South Korean spies are correct, the heir-apparent to the nuclear-armed hermit kingdom.

Over the last two years, Ju Ae has been seen accompanying her dad, dictator Kim Jong Un, on unconventional days out; strolling hand-in-hand past long-range missiles, smiling and waving at paramilitary parades and happily observing rocket launches in matching father-daughter leather jackets and Bond-villain shades.

The pair has been pictured together more than two dozen times.

But still, Ju Ae remains a deeply mysterious figure.

The tyrannical Kim family is so secretive that no one knows if Ju Ae is even her real name, or exactly how old she is, with estimates ranging from 10 to 12-years-old.

And despite her youth, she may find herself thrust into a position of power and peril much sooner than she may expect.

North Korea experts say her 'extremely obese' 40-year-old father may keel over at any moment – leaving her at the helm of this bizarre 26 million-strong nation and, perhaps, setting off a fierce succession fight with her notoriously ruthless, 'psychopath' aunt.

Over the last two years, Ju Ae has been seen accompanying her dad, dictator Kim Jong Un. (Above) Kim Jong Un inspecting a military vehicle production plant with his daughter Ju Ae, the photo was released on January 5, 2024

The world only discovered Ju Ae existed in early 2013 after 90s NBA badboy, ex-Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman was invited to a North Korean beach retreat.

The media company, Vice, sponsored Rodman's jaunt to the authoritarian state to take in an exhibition basketball game – and he was received by Jong Un, who has been a fan of the Chicago Bulls ever since he was introduced to the sport as a teenager by his authoritarian father's Japanese sushi chef.

When Rodman returned from his trip full of bonhomie for the dictator, he raved that Jong Un was a 'great guy' and his 'friend for life,' and revealed the existence of Ju Ae.

'The Marshal Kim and I had a relaxing time by the sea with his family,' Rodman told Western media, adding 'I held their baby Ju Ae... He's a good dad and has a beautiful family.'

It was the first time the world had heard of any of Jong Un's children. He is now thought to have three: an older boy, Ju Ae and a younger child of an unknown gender.

After Rodman's disclosure, Ju Ae was not seen in public for another nine years, until her grand unveiling in November 2022.

She was pictured for the first-time wearing a white puffy coat and walking arm-in-arm with her father past an intercontinental ballistic missile theoretically capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland.

Since then, Ju Ae has popped up at over a dozen events, always flanking her dad, in glamorous outfits, with long fur-lined leather coats and matching gloves.

On New Year's Eve 2024, she was filmed tenderly clasping Jong Un's face with both hands, kissing him on the cheek and whispering in his ear to make him laugh.

When Rodman (above with Kim Jong Un in 2014) returned from his trip full of bonhomie for the dictator, he raved that Jong Un was a 'great guy' and his 'friend for life,' and revealed the existence of Ju Ae.

She was pictured for the first-time (above) wearing a white puffy coat and walking arm-in-arm with her father past an intercontinental ballistic missile theoretically capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland.

Ju Ae has popped up at over a dozen events, always flanking her dad, in glamorous outfits, with long fur-lined leather coats and matching gloves. (Above) Undated photo released in November 2022

In North Korean state media, she is referred to as his 'precious' or 'respected' daughter - a clear sign of her favor - and this week, South Korean intelligence services revealed in a closed-door briefing of the country's lawmakers that she has likely been selected as his heir.

Her position comes with extreme benefits in a totalitarian country where almost half of the population is undernourished and an estimated six million are held as slaves in prison camps.

'The children of the great leader, arguably live the most spoiled lifestyle on Earth,' North Korea expert Sung-Yoon Lee told DailyMail.com. 'There are princes and princesses in other countries, but this particular family is very different, they are almost god-like.'

'We don't know exactly how many palatial mansions they have, but at least 20,' Lee said. 'They have huge sprawling estates with horse racing tracks, Olympic-size swimming pools, spas and cinemas,' said Lee, author of the book The Sister about the most powerful woman in North Korea, Jung Un's sister Kim Yo Jong.

As far as schooling goes, Ju Ae will be waited on hand and foot, Lee claimed: 'Kim Jong Un's daughter is pampered, spoiled and has plenty of servile teachers all bowing down to her.'

Jong Un and his siblings were sent to high school in Switzerland, but Ju Ae will not be, he said.

Modern technology, like iPhones and social media, create an untenable risk for that regime that someone may share a picture of Ju Ae and they'd lose control of her carefully curated image, Lee explained.

If the world saw Ju Ae as a young 'brat', it would destroy the 'mystique and aura of the ruling family, that they are all geniuses.'

Instead, the children of high-ranking officials are likely brought into the palaces to play with Ju Ae, provided they 'keep it secret'.

Ju Ae is also likely shielded from the harsh realities of her father's rule and 'maintains some innocence,' Lee said, but 'in time she will grow into the role of the successor of her almighty, powerful daddy and will feel entitled to that role and the luxuries she's used to.'

As Jong Un's weight balloons - reaching an estimated 310 lbs - experts warn his health is declining, creating a new sense of urgency to select a successor.

'Kim Jong Un is extremely obese,' a top South Korean lawmaker, who sits on the legislature's Intelligence Committee, said this week. 'We understand that he has been showing symptoms of high blood pressure and diabetes since his early thirties.

As Jong Un's weight balloons - reaching an estimated 310 lbs - experts warn his health is declining, creating a new sense of urgency to select a successor. (Above) Kim Jong Un and daughter attend commissioning ceremony on Match 15, 2024

Ju Ae is likely shielded from the harsh realities of her father's rule and 'maintains some innocence,' Lee said. (Above) Kim Jong Un and daughter in February 2023

'If he does not improve his current health condition, there is a strong possibility that he may develop cardiovascular disease, of which there is a family history.'

Jong Un's father, Kim Jong il, died in 2011 and it is believed that he suffered a massive heart attack.

Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, said this week that Jong Un's health is so poor that 'it won't be surprising even if he collapses tomorrow.'

However, Ju Ae's path to power is by no means certain and she may yet face a fierce fight with her aunt, Yo Jong, 36.

Yo Jong, who often appears gaunt and pale looming behind her brother, has long been considered the favorite to replace him.

According to Sung-Yoon Lee, she's been lauded as the 'brains behind the operation' and is known for her 'ruthless' streak, taking after her 'psychopath' father.

She has 'the ultimate power of the cruel dictator; the power to play God and decide who lives and who is killed', Lee writes in his book, The Sister.

In 2021, Yo Jong reportedly 'ordered several executions of high-ranking government officials for merely 'getting on her nerves'.'

According to Sung-Yoon Lee, Yo Jong (above, right) been lauded as the 'brains behind the operation' and is known for her 'ruthless' streak, taking after her 'psychopath' father.

Those she found 'less disagreeable' were banished – along with their innocent families – to detention camps and gulags, 'where a life of grueling forced labor, beatings, torture and starvation rations awaited'.

And parricide is not out of the question in the Kim clan either.

Kim Jong Un is suspected of having his half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, assassinated by nerve agent in Kuala Lumpur airport in 2017.

It's not yet clear if Yo Jong would support her niece's rule and Lee told the Mail that he 'can't rule out a power struggle between the two women down the road.

'[Yo Jong] has been playing the role of deputy despot for years now, that gives her an advantage.'

Whatever the future holds, it is assuredly uncertain for both Ju Ae and the world.

For Lee suspects that there is another reason Jong Un may be parading his daughter around.

It's a show of strength from the dynasty, he believes: 'Jong Un is projecting to the West: My nukes are here to stay, to be handed down to my children's generation. We are a dynasty. We have all the time in the world.'

Daily Mail · by Isabelle Stanely For Dailymail.Com · August 3, 2024

16. Kim Jong Un wants Trump back, elite defector tells BBC

Headline aside this is the buried lede.

Rather than waiting for Mr Kim to become ill or die, Mr Ri says the international community has to come together, including North Korea’s allies China and Russia, to “persistently persuade it to change”.

“This is the only thing that will bring about the end of the North Korean dictatorship," he adds.

Mr Ri is hoping that his defection inspires his peers, not to defect themselves, but to push for small changes from the inside. He does not have lofty ambitions, that North Koreans will be able to vote or travel, merely that they can choose what jobs to work, have enough food to eat and be able to share their opinions freely among friends.

For now, though, his priority is helping his family settle into their new life in South Korea and for his child to assimilate into society.

At the end of our interview, he poses a scenario. “Imagine I offer you a venture and tell you, if we succeed we win big, but if we fail it means death.

“You wouldn’t agree, would you? Well that is the choice I forced upon my family, and they silently agreed and followed me,” he says.

“This is now a debt I must repay for the rest of my life.”

I remain skeptical of Ri but I will continue to read what he writes and listen to what he says. He does seem already to be well versed at self promotion.

Kim Jong Un wants Trump back, elite defector tells BBC

BBC

4 days ago

Jean Mackenzie

Seoul correspondent

'Kim Jong Un will even kill all 25 million North Koreans to ensure his survival'

Donald Trump returning to the White House would be “a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity” for North Korea, according to a man in a unique position to know.

Ri Il Kyu is the highest-ranking official known to have defected from North Korea since 2016 and has been face to face with Kim Jong Un on seven separate occasions.

The former diplomat, who was working in Cuba when he fled with his family to South Korea last November, admits to "shivering with nerves" the first time he met Kim Jong Un.

But during each meeting, he found the leader to be “smiling and in a good mood”.

“He praised people often and laughed. He seems like an ordinary person,” Mr Ri tells the BBC. But he is in no doubt Mr Kim would do anything to guarantee his survival, even if it meant killing all 25 million of his people: “He could have been a wonderful person and father, but turning him into a god has made him a monstrous being.”

In his first interview with an international broadcaster, Mr Ri provides a rare understanding of what one of the world’s most secretive and repressive states is hoping to achieve.

He says that North Korea still views Mr Trump as someone it can negotiate with over its nuclear weapons programme, despite talks between him and Kim Jong Un breaking down in 2019.

Mr Trump has previously hailed the relationship with Kim as a key achievement of his presidency. He famously said the two “fell in love” exchanging letters. Just last month, he told a rally Mr Kim would like to see him back in office: “I think he misses me, if you want to know the truth.”

North Korea is hoping it can use this close personal relationship to its advantage, says Mr Ri, contradicting an official statement from Pyongyang last month that it “did not care” who became president.

The nuclear state will never get rid of its weapons, Mr Ri says, and would probably seek a deal to freeze its nuclear programme in return for the US lifting sanctions.

But he says Pyongyang would not negotiate in good faith. Agreeing to freeze its nuclear programme “would be a ploy, 100% deception”, he says, adding that this was therefore a “dangerous approach” which would “only lead to the strengthening of North Korea”.

A 'life or death gamble'

Eight months after his defection, Ri Il Kyu is living with his family in South Korea. Accompanied by a police bodyguard and two intelligence agents, he explains his decision to abandon his government.

After years of being ground down by the corruption, bribery and lack of freedom he faced, Mr Ri says he was finally tipped over the edge when his request to travel to Mexico to get an operation on a slipped disc in his neck was denied. “I lived the life of the top 1% in North Korea, but that is still worse than a middle-class family in the South."

As a diplomat in Cuba, Mr Ri made just $500 (£294) a month and so would sell Cuban cigars illegally in China to make enough to support his family.

When he first told his wife about his desire to defect, she was so disturbed she ended up in hospital with heart problems. After that, he kept his plans secret, only sharing them with her and his child six hours before their plane was due to depart.

He describes it as a “life-or-death gamble”. Regular North Koreans who are caught defecting would typically be tortured for a few months, then released, he says. “But for elites like us, there are only two outcomes - life in a political prison camp or being executed by a firing squad."

“The fear and terror were overwhelming. I could accept my own death, but I could not bear the thought of my family being dragged to a gulag,” he says. Although Mr Ri had never believed in God, as he waited nervously at the airport gate in the middle of the night, he began to pray.

Getty Images

Mr Ri says Mr Kim realises that the relationship with Russia is temporary

Turning to North Korea’s recent closer ties with Russia, Mr Ri says the Ukraine war had been a stroke of luck for Pyongyang. The US and South Korea estimate the North has sold Moscow millions of rounds of ammunition to support its invasion, in return for food, fuel and possibly even military technology.

Mr Ri says the main benefit of this deal for Pyongyang was the ability to continue developing its nuclear weapons.

With the deal, Russia created a "loophole" in the stringent international sanctions on North Korea, he says, which has allowed it “to freely develop its nuclear weapons and missiles and strengthen its defence, while bypassing the need to appeal to the US for sanctions relief”.

But Mr Ri says Kim Jong Un understands this relationship is temporary and that after the war, Russia is likely to sever relations. For this reason, Mr Kim has not given up on the US, Mr Ri says.

“North Korea understands that the only path to its survival, the only way to eliminate the threat of invasion and develop its economy, is to normalise relations with the United States."

While Russia might have given North Korea a temporary respite from its economic pain, Mr Ri says the complete closure of North Korea’s borders during the pandemic “severely devastated the country’s economy and people’s lives”.

When the borders reopened in 2023 and diplomats were preparing to return, Mr Ri says families back home had asked them to “bring anything and everything you have, even your used toothbrushes, because there is nothing left in North Korea”.

The North Korean leader demands total loyalty from his citizens and the mere whiff of dissent can result in imprisonment. But Mr Ri says years of hardship had eroded people’s loyalty, as no-one now expected to receive anything from their “Supreme Leader” Kim Jong Un.

“There is no genuine loyalty to the regime or to Kim Jong Un anymore, it is a forced loyalty, where one must be loyal or face death,” he says.

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The 'most evil act'

Recent change has largely been driven by an influx of South Korean films, dramas and music, which have been smuggled into the North and are illegal to watch and listen to.

“People don’t watch South Korean content because they have capitalist beliefs, they are simply trying to pass the time in their monotonous and bleak lives,” Mr Ri says, but then they begin to ask, “Why do those in the South live the life of a first-world country while we are impoverished?"

But Mr Ri says that although South Korean content was changing North Korea, it would not bring about its collapse, because of the systems of control in place. “Kim Jong Un is very aware that loyalty is waning, that people are evolving, and that’s why he is intensifying his reign of terror,” he says.

The government has introduced laws to harshly punish those who consume and distribute South Korean content. The BBC spoke to one defector last year who said he had witnessed someone be executed after sharing South Korean music and TV shows.

North Korea’s decision, at the end of last year, to abandon a decades-old policy of eventually reunifying with the South, was a further attempt to isolate people from the South, Mr Ri says.

He describes this as Kim Jong Un’s “most evil act”, because all North Koreans dream of reunification. He says that while North Korea’s past leaders had “stolen people’s freedom, money and human rights, Kim Jong Un has robbed what was left of them: hope”.

Outside North Korea, much attention is paid to Kim Jong Un’s health, with some believing that his premature death could trigger the collapse of the regime. Earlier this week, South Korea’s intelligence agency estimated that Mr Kim weighed 140kg, putting him at risk of cardiovascular disease.

But Mr Ri believes the system of surveillance and control is now too well established for Kim’s death to threaten the dictatorship. “Another evil leader will merely take his place,” he says.

Getty Images

Mr Trump met Mr Kim three times during his four years in office

It has been widely speculated that Mr Kim is grooming his young daughter, thought to be called Ju Ae, to be his successor, but Mr Ri dismisses the notion.

Ju Ae, he says, lacks the legitimacy and popularity to become the leader of North Korea, especially as the sacred Paektu bloodline, which the Kims use to justify their rule, is believed to run only through the men of the family.

At first, people were fascinated by Ju Ae, Mr Ri says, but not any more. They question why she was attending missile tests rather than going to school, and wearing luxury, designer clothes instead of her school uniform, like other children.

Rather than waiting for Mr Kim to become ill or die, Mr Ri says the international community has to come together, including North Korea’s allies China and Russia, to “persistently persuade it to change”.

“This is the only thing that will bring about the end of the North Korean dictatorship," he adds.

Mr Ri is hoping that his defection inspires his peers, not to defect themselves, but to push for small changes from the inside. He does not have lofty ambitions, that North Koreans will be able to vote or travel, merely that they can choose what jobs to work, have enough food to eat and be able to share their opinions freely among friends.

For now, though, his priority is helping his family settle into their new life in South Korea and for his child to assimilate into society.

At the end of our interview, he poses a scenario. “Imagine I offer you a venture and tell you, if we succeed we win big, but if we fail it means death.

“You wouldn’t agree, would you? Well that is the choice I forced upon my family, and they silently agreed and followed me,” he says.

“This is now a debt I must repay for the rest of my life.”

Additional reporting by Jake Kwon and Hosu Lee

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North Korea-US relations

17. Kim's flood visit prompts scrutiny of North Korean officials' actions

Blame, blame, blame. The regime must have a scapegoat(s). Kim Jong Un could never take serious responsibility for the suffering of his country.

Kim's flood visit prompts scrutiny of North Korean officials' actions - Daily NK English

Yanggang Province's party committee gathered and submitted time-stamped accounts of local officials' movements to the party on Aug. 4

By Jeong Seo-yeong - August 6, 2024

dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · August 6, 2024

Rodong Sinmun reported July 29 that leader Kim Jong Un personally visited flood-damaged areas in Sinuiju and Uiju County, North Pyongan Province, on July 28. The paper said Kim directly supervised rescue and evacuation efforts in areas affected by heavy rains and those at risk of flooding. /Photo from Rodong Sinmun-News1

North Korea’s leadership is tracking the movements of key provincial, city and county officials during Kim Jong Un’s recent visit to flood-damaged areas, Daily NK has learned.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Monday that the Organization and Guidance Department of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea ordered detailed, hourly reports on the whereabouts and activities of party secretaries and people’s committee chairs during Kim’s July 28 tour of flood sites in Sinuiju and Uiju.

The source said the order was emphasized as a “No. 1 directive” to ensure thorough compliance with Kim’s instructions and strengthen control and reporting systems.

Yanggang Province’s party committee reportedly gathered and submitted time-stamped accounts of local officials’ movements to the party on Aug. 4.

Officials were also required to submit individual activity reports, the source said.

The provincial party announced plans to hold ideological struggle meetings between Aug. 5-7, described as a way to gauge officials’ loyalty by examining how diligently they executed Kim’s orders.

“Yanggang Province is thoroughly implementing the party’s directive by promptly submitting accurate reports and preparing meticulously for the ideological struggle meetings to further strengthen internal unity,” the source said.

The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on July 29 that Kim personally directed flood relief efforts in Sinuiju and Uiju the previous day.

Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.

Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · August 6, 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

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."

Access NSS HERE

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