Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly." – Albert Einstein

"Water appears weak and yielding.

Yet it conquers the strongest and hardest of rocks, wearing through mountains.

This may feel like common knowledge.

Yet common men assume the opposite is true.

Soft subdued strong.

Gentle humbles powerful.

Still the reverse is commonly practiced in the world.

Men stand fast in their original convictions.

While the Tao, unnoticed, sidesteps and continues on."

Interpretive Poem based on the Tai Te Ching by Lao Tau, Chapter 78.

–Shadoe McKee

"Competition is the law of the jungle, but cooperation is the law of civilization."

– Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)

1. Readout of Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Ms. Cara Abercrombie's Travel to the Republic of Korea

2. Washington and Seoul discussing new deal on cost sharing for US troops in South Korea ahead of a potential Trump election victory

3. Defense agency accounts for 700th missing service member from Korean War

4. N. Korea to hold key parliamentary meeting on Oct. 7 to revise constitution

5. S. Korea elected as president of IAEA's 68th General Conference

6. Front-runner for next Japanese leader eyes better North Korean ties

7. N. Korea showcases newly built Western-style beer pub, firework store in Pyongyang

8. The mosquito war between the two Koreas

9. Kim Jong Un reviewed plan to attack South Korean missile command HQ, photos show

10. Breathtaking Night Views From Space: Korea’s Stark Economic Divide

11. Will Korea be swallowed up in the surging risk of nuclear war?

12. Trump Says to Solve 'Most Problems' with N. Korea, Iran through Phone, In-Person Dialogue

13. Homebound traffic remains heaviest on 2nd day of Chuseok holiday

1. Readout of Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Ms. Cara Abercrombie's Travel to the Republic of Korea

Readout of Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Ms. Cara Abercrombie's Travel to the Republic of Korea

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3906623/readout-of-acting-deputy-under-secretary-of-defense-ms-cara-abercrombies-travel/

Sept. 16, 2024 |

Department of Defense Spokesman Lt. Col. Garron Garn, USMC, provided the following readout:

Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Ms. Cara Abercrombie, returned from travel after participating in bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral meetings in the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Last week, Ms. Abercrombie co-chaired the Defense Trilateral Talks with Japan and the ROK, where officials from the three nations held discussions on ways to deepen trilateral security cooperation. She also conducted bilateral engagements with senior ROK leaders, where she reaffirmed our ironclad extended deterrence commitment to the ROK.

During the Republic of Korea-United Nations Command Member States Defense Ministerial Meeting, Ms. Abercrombie underscored the need to develop a positive future vision of the United Nations Command with current member states.

Lastly, Ms. Abercrombie provided remarks at the Seoul Defense Dialogue, where she reinforced the importance of working with allies and partners on defense industrial cooperation, while strengthening technology security and the protection of critical technologies. She also held bilateral meetings with the Ministers of Defense of Finland and Mongolia.

2. Washington and Seoul discussing new deal on cost sharing for US troops in South Korea ahead of a potential Trump election victory

Washington and Seoul discussing new deal on cost sharing for US troops in South Korea ahead of a potential Trump election victory | CNN Politics

CNN · by Kylie Atwood · September 16, 2024

US soldiers participate in the 2nd Infantry Division Best Squad competitions at Camp Casey on May 1 in Dongducheon, South Korea.

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

CNN —

Washington and Seoul may strike a cost-sharing agreement for US forces based in South Korea before the end of the year — even though the current agreement does not expire until the end of 2025 — as both sides feel a sense of urgency to get a new deal solidified before the possibility of a second Trump administration, according to two US officials and two former US officials familiar with the discussions.

The negotiations over the Special Measures Agreement, known as the SMA, strained the US-South Korea alliance during the Trump administration. Former President Donald Trump demanded Seoul pay up to 400% more for the presence of the 28,500 US troops in the country during negotiations over the current agreement.

Advocates argue that a significant US troop presence in the Korean Peninsula is crucial to strengthening the alliance between the two countries. The troops are important to both countries as a means to deter any potential attack from North Korea as Kim Jong Un’s regime continues to build its nuclear arsenal and as a way of bolstering the US presence in the region to counter China’s aggression.

There is more urgency to get the deal done before the end of the year on the Korean side, given the tumult of the previous round of negotiations, officials said. US officials are engaging with South Korean officials on the topic, but some officials fear that getting an agreement done now could trigger criticism from Trump, and they do not want the alliance to be in the former president’s line of fire if he wins the election in November.

Under the current agreement, South Korea pays about $1 billion annually, representing an increase of about 13.9% over previous SMAs. Multiple rounds of talks to renew the agreement have taken place, with the seventh round concluding at the end of August.

A State Department official declined to discuss the specifics of the ongoing negotiations but said that the US seeks a “a fair and equitable outcome” that will “support the readiness of US forces in Korea and strengthen and sustain the US-ROK alliance.”

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign affairs did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump administration officials largely negotiated the terms of the last agreement, but it did not go effect until March of 2021, just months after President Joe Biden took office, which allowed Biden administration officials to make changes that got the agreement to its final state.

During the initial phase of the talks, CNN reported that Trump had asked South Korea to pay $4.7 billion a year, a demand that came out of thin air and sent State and Defense Department officials scrambling to justify the number.

Earlier this year, Trump said that he did not think the South Korea is paying enough based on the last agreement.

“They were able to renegotiate with the Biden Administration and bring that number way, way down to what it was before, which was almost nothing,” Trump said earlier this year during an interview with Time. “Why would we defend somebody? And we’re talking about a very wealthy country. But they’re a very wealthy country and why wouldn’t they want to pay?”

Fast-tracking an agreement is possible, current, and former US officials said. Sources would not detail the current costs being discussed or commit to it getting done before the end of the year, but added that South Korea’s commitment on the topic could drive the negotiations to a conclusion.

One complication is that a deal will have to be approved by South Korea’s national assembly — which is dominated by the opposition party to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The US Congress has no role finalizing a deal on the American side.

Some former US officials have warned South Korea not to move too quickly toward an agreement, because it could backfire if Trump ends up in the White House.

“I think they are pretty close to getting the agreement done and it is a good idea for the US and South Korea to renew the agreement early. But it should not be done as a hedge against the next president. This is the kind of stuff that feeds into concerns about the bureaucracy working against a president’s potential intent,” said David Maxwell, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, pointing out that the agreement could be easily torn apart if Trump wins the election and opposes the terms that are agreed to.

CNN · by Kylie Atwood · September 16, 2024

3. Defense agency accounts for 700th missing service member from Korean War

No one left behind. We will continue to search until the last servicement is returned home.

Defense agency accounts for 700th missing service member from Korean War

Stars and Stripes · by • · September 15, 2024

The Korean War Memorial in Washington on Veterans Day in 2014. (Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes)

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced last week that it has identified the 700th service member listed as missing from the Korean War. More than 7,400 remain missing.

Army Cpl. Billie Charles Driver, 18, of Dallas was identified by the DPAA on Sept. 9. Driver, a member of the 1st Calvary Division, died Sept. 5, 1950, in the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter.

“This is an incredible milestone,” said Kelly McKeague, DPAA director, “It is reflective of the talent and dedication of the Department of Defense personnel who are dutifully serve this sacred mission.”

During the three-plus years of the war, the United States suffered approximately 36,500 casualties. Of the remain missing, the agency’s researchers believe that about 5,300 are located in North Korea.

Since 1982, forensic scientists have analyzed recovered remains to reach this accounting milestone and return fallen Korean War personnel back to their families for proper burial. This number is in addition to the roughly 2,000 Americans whose remains were identified in the years immediately following the end of hostilities when the North Korean government returned more than 3,000 sets of remains to U.S. custody.

“The Korean War Identification Project was established to oversee the identification process for all Korean War laboratory cases,” said Kristen Grow, who leads the project. “Our dedicated team represents the largest project in the DPAA Laboratory and involves remains from varied sources, including unilateral turnovers, field recoveries, cemetery disinterments and cases turned over to us by our esteemed partner organization in South Korea.”

“Don’t give up,” said Sam Storms, the son of Army Maj. Harvey Storms, who died during the Korean War and was identified in 2019, when asked in a 2021 interview what advice he would give to families waiting on the return of their loved ones. “I never expected it happen.”

More than 81,500 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and the Gulf Wars/other conflicts, according to the DPAA. About 41,000 of the missing are presumed lost at sea. The DPAA does not account for the missing from World War I.

The DOD first established an agency to begin identifying missing service members in 1973.

Stars and Stripes · by • · September 15, 2024

4. N. Korea to hold key parliamentary meeting on Oct. 7 to revise constitution

Codify South Korea as the main enemy and remove peaceful unification.

Clearly state that the objective is to dominate the Korean peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.

N. Korea to hold key parliamentary meeting on Oct. 7 to revise constitution | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 16, 2024

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea will hold a key parliamentary meeting next month to mainly amend the country's constitution, state media reported Monday, after its leader Kim Jong-un called for the constitutional revision to define South Korea as its primary foe.

The 11th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) will be convened in Pyongyang on Oct. 7, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In an SPA meeting in January, the North's leader called for revising the constitution to define South Korea as its "invariable principal enemy" and codify the commitment to "completely occupying" the South Korean territory in the event of war.

Kim issued an order to review the constitutional revision in a way that removes unification-related clauses and newly stipulates the country's territorial boundaries, including the maritime border.

At a year-end party meeting in December, he defined inter-Korean ties as relations between "two states hostile to each other" and vowed not to regard the South as a counterpart for reconciliation and unification.

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Jan. 16, 2024, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un delivering a speech at the 10th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly held in Pyongyang the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

South Korea's unification ministry earlier said North Korea may scrap an inter-Korean basic agreement signed in 1991 as its next SPA meeting.

Under the 1991 agreement, inter-Korean ties were designated as a "special relationship" tentatively formed in the process of seeking reunification, not as state-to-state relations.

The KCNA said along with the issue of amending and supplementing the country's socialist constitution, North Korea will discuss the issue of deliberating and adopting laws on light industry and external economic affairs, and supervising the enforcement of the quality control law.

The SPA is the highest organ of state power under the North's constitution, but it actually only rubber-stamps decisions by the ruling Workers' Party.

Meanwhile, North Korea is likely to hold an election before long to pick new SPA deputies, as it announced a decision to convene a parliamentary meeting next month.

As North Korea elected deputies to the 14th SPA for a five-year term in March 2019, it was supposed to pick new deputies in March. But the regime has not even made a public notice for the schedule to elect new SPA deputies.

Experts said North Korea appears to have postponed the election as it was working on reviewing the constitutional revision, as ordered by its leader Kim.

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 16, 2024, shows North Korean members of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) holding a meeting the previous day to unanimously decide to convene the 11th session of the 14th SPA on Oct. 7. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 16, 2024

5. S. Korea elected as president of IAEA's 68th General Conference

I wonder if someone thought they were electing north Korea.

S. Korea elected as president of IAEA's 68th General Conference | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · September 16, 2024

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has been elected to hold the presidency of the 68th General Conference of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.

Ham Sang-wook, South Korea's ambassador to Austria, will hold the office during the IAEA conference, which is being held in Vienna, Austria, until Friday, the ministry said in a release.

The General Conference elects a president at the beginning of each annual session, following consultations among member states before the conference. Last year, Thailand held the position.

This year's conference will address major global security issues, including North Korea's nuclear program, nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and Iran's nuclear issues, it said.

Since joining the IAEA as a founding member in 1957, this is South Korea's second time holding the presidency of the General Conference. The first was in 1989, during the 33rd session.

This photo, provided by the foreign ministry on Sept. 16, 2024, shows the 68th General Conference of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, being held in Vienna, Austria. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · September 16, 2024

6. Front-runner for next Japanese leader eyes better North Korean ties

But does anyone really think that because they are of the same generation it means that Kim Jong Un will want better ties?

Front-runner for next Japanese leader eyes better North Korean ties

Shinjiro Koizumi stressed that he and Kim Jong Un are of the same generation.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/japan-shinjiro-koizumi-north-korea-09162024040705.html

By Taejun Kang for RFA

2024.09.16

Taipei, Taiwan

Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a candidate in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, speaks during a joint press conference at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 13, 2024.

Franck Robichon/Pool via Reuters

Shinjiro Koizumi, the front-runner in the race to become Japan’s next prime minister, vowed to explore new opportunities to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without preconditions, stressing they are of the same generation.

Koizumi, 43, is the son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and a former environment minister. A survey last week showed he was the top choice for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, out of nine candidates, to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

“If I become prime minister, I would like to explore new opportunities to meet the North Korean leader without preconditions, without being bound by the approach taken so far, because we are of the same generation,” said Koizumi during a press conference last Friday, without elaborating.

Kim Jong Un’s exact age has not been officially disclosed, but it is believed that he was born in 1984, making him 40 this year.

Koizumi’s remarks were in response to questions about the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea over the years to help it train its spies. The issue is hugely emotive in Japan and a significant obstacle to any effort to normalize ties between the neighbors.

Japan says it has confirmed the abduction of 17 of its citizens by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s to teach its spies Japanese, and 12 are still in the North.

But the North has said that of the 12, eight had died, and four never entered North Korea, insisting that there is no issue to be resolved.

Candidates of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election pose for a photo session before the start of a joint press conference at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 13, 2024. (Franck Robichon/Pool via Reuters)

On other foreign policy issues, Koizumi said he would strengthen Japan’s alliance with the United States and expand a cooperation network with other like-minded nations to deter China’s growing influence.

“I will inherit the basic direction of the Kishida administration’s foreign and economic policies. Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, we will continue to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance and deepen cooperation with Japan’s partners and countries that share our values,” he said without elaborating.

Kishida has been able to build a close relationship with South Korea after years of fraught relations, resuming a “shuttle diplomacy” policy of holding meetings on the fringes of international conferences and visiting each other as needed.

Their restored relations have also substantially enhanced trilateral security cooperation with the U.S., as all three of the allies warily watch North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and the missiles to carry them.

N. Korea showcases newly built Western-style beer pub, firework store in Pyongyang

The Korea Times · September 16, 2024

A newly built Western-style beer pub in Pyongyang is seen in this image, provided by the Chosun Shinbo, a newspaper run by pro-Pyongyang residents in Japan, on July 30. Yonhap

North Korea has showcased a Western-style beer pub and other various modern facilities in its so-called new town district in Pyongyang.

According to photos and an article released by the Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper based in Japan, the new district features the pub, a fireworks store and several large-scale restaurants along two major streets.

In 2021, North Korea unveiled an ambitious plan to build 10,000 new apartments every year, for a total of 50,000, as part of its new town project. The second phase of the project was completed this year.

The pub, located on Rimhung Street in the center of the Hwasong district, in the northeastern part of the capital, has a Western-style ambiance, complete with an outdoor terrace, according to the newspaper's description.

Another popular spot in the district is the fireworks store, which sells over 30 types of fireworks.

In May, North Korea's state-run Korean Central TV showed footage of fireworks shaped like the Hwasong-17, North Korea's largest intercontinental ballistic missile, displayed on the store's shelves.

However, the newspaper did not provide any details about the interiors of the newly built apartments. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · September 16, 2024

8. The mosquito war between the two Koreas

I wonder if we will have to start taking Malaria drugs to prevent contracting it. Mefloquine Dreams.

The mosquito war between the two Koreas

The demilitarized zone, a no man's land along the border between South and North Korea, is at the heart of a new battle. Seoul is deploying an anti-mosquito arsenal to protect itself from malaria, a disease that is endemic in the neighboring country.

By Philippe Mesmer (Tokyo (Japan) correspondent)

Published on September 14, 2024, at 5:00 pm (Paris) 2 min read

Lire en français

Le Monde · by Philippe Mesmer

A mosquito-catching device near the demilitarized zone in Paju, northern South Korea, in July. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP

On the offensive

North Korea's artillery and nuclear weapons are not the only things threatening South Korea. There are also mosquitoes. Since August, South Korean authorities have stepped up their hunt for these insects, including by using capture devices along the DMZ, the demilitarized zone running along the border between the two Koreas. They work by emitting substances that are naturally present on human skin, or carbon dioxide, to attract the insects. Malaria remains endemic in North Korea, with 4,500 cases recorded between 2021 and 2022, according to the WHO. A lack of resources allegedly prevents Pyongyang from tackling this scourge transmitted by mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus, which can travel up to 12 kilometers and are proliferating due to global warming.

Collateral victims

In an article in the journal Social History of Medicine (May 2016), Oxford University's Kim Jeong-ran recalled that "malaria was widespread in much of the peninsula." South Korea's program to combat the disease dates back to 1959. The resources it deployed led to spectacular results, and in 1979, the WHO recognized the eradication of malaria in South Korea. It reappeared in Paju, a city in the north of South Korea, when a soldier contracted it in 1993. 4,000 cases were reported in 2000. New measures reduced this number to just a few hundred a year, but between 2022 and 2023, it jumped by almost 80% from 420 to 747. And the situation is getting worse. In July 2024, 70 cases were recorded.

Read more Subscribers only Brooklyn's fish pond of discord

Rear base

Due to the lack of cooperation between North and South, "it's not possible to combat parasites in the DMZ," lamented Kim Dong-gun, a biologist at Sahmyook University. Established in 1953, at the end of the Korean War, this 4-kilometer-wide strip of land free of any human presence separates the two Koreas over 250 kilometers from east to west. From the marshlands at the mouth of the Han River on the Yellow Sea in the west to the mountainous terrain in the east, this area includes 90,000 hectares of varied landscapes. A thousand plants, 650 species of vertebrates, reptiles and amphibians and 52 species of mammals survive in it. These "animals serve as a source of blood for mosquitoes to lay their eggs," explained Kim Hyun-woo of South Korea's Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Front line

Faced with the rising number of malaria cases, Seoul issued a nationwide alert this year, calling for an intensification of the mosquito capture and surveillance network set up in the 1990s. In the north-west of Gyeonggi province, Paju is on the front line of this fight. The city, separated from the North Korean municipalities of Jangpung and Kaesong by the DMZ, is home to the village of Panmunjeom, where the Korean War armistice was signed. Considered an integral part of the "Cold War front line," it was turned into a garrison town, and its inhabitants' freedom of movement was severely curtailed. As tensions eased on the peninsula in the 2000s, the region experienced rapid economic growth.

Le Monde · by Philippe Mesmer

9. Kim Jong Un reviewed plan to attack South Korean missile command HQ, photos show

The north Korean Propaganda and Agitation Department is hard at work trying to scare everyone.

Kim Jong Un reviewed plan to attack South Korean missile command HQ, photos show

NK Pro analysis finds North Korean leader looked at old satellite images of HQ as part of infiltration forces training

Colin Zwirko | Jeongmin Kim September 16, 2024

https://www.nknews.org/pro/kim-jong-un-reviewed-plan-to-attack-south-korean-missile-command-hq-photos-show/

Kim Jong Un looks at a satellite image likely taken in 2021 of South Korea's Strategic Missile Command HQ in Wonju | Image: KCNA (Sept. 13, 2024), edited by NK Pro

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a special forces training lesson last week on infiltrating South Korea’s Army Strategic Missile Command (육군미사일전략사령부), according to NK Pro analysis, just months after the U.S. and ROK held key nuclear talks at the site.

Photos released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday show soldiers studying both satellite images and street-level photos of the Strategic Missile Command headquarters located in the city of Wonju in Kangwon Province, NK Pro has determined.

The study session took place during Kim’s Sept. 11 visit to an undisclosed “training base of the special operation armed forces.”

In the photos, around three dozen soldiers sit in a classroom looking at images of the Wonju Strategic Missile Command complex using a program similar in function to Google Earth.

State media released five photos of Kim inspecting the lesson on infiltrating the South Korean missile command base | Images: KCNA (Sept. 13, 2024)

This gallery overlays one satellite image Kim Jong Un was viewing during his visit to the Special Operations Forces base with Google Earth and Planet Labs images of South Korea’s Strategic Missile Command HQ in Wonju, revealing a perfect location match but that North Korea’s image was taken prior to summer 2021 | Images: KCNA (Sept. 13, 2024), Google Earth (April 11, 2021), edited by NK Pro

Laptop and projection screens displaying the satellite images and presentation details were blurred, but major details such as the outlines of roads and buildings remained clearly visible.

One satellite image on the instructor’s screen appears to have been taken between late 2020 and mid-2021, based on a careful comparison with visible buildings and terrain features in satellite imagery provided by Google Earth and Planet Labs.

A different satellite image appears on one soldier’s screen, but it also appears to have been taken before July 2021.

This means the images were not taken with North Korea’s much-touted new military reconnaissance satellite, which was successfully placed into orbit in Nov. 2023.

This raises the possibility that not all DPRK military branches are incorporating imagery from the new satellite into operation plans, despite the fact that more recent imagery could be helpful for planning ground-level infiltration.

However, it’s also possible that new imagery was withheld due to plans to publish the classroom photos.

The lesson did include street-level photography, appearing to teach soldiers a possible infiltration point along the perimeter fence on the east side of the Strategic Missile Command complex.

North Korea’s ground-level photo of the eastern perimeter fence of the Strategic Missile Command does not appear to have been taken from Google Maps Street View, meaning it could have been taken by a DPRK spy | Images: KCNA (Sept. 13, 2024), Google Maps (Feb. 2015), edited by NK Pro

Laptop screens in the classroom showed different but still not recently taken satellite images of the misssile command HQ, as well as a zoomed-out image of the Korean Peninsula in a satellite imagery explorer program | Images: KCNA (Sept. 13, 2024), edited by NK Pro

The photo does not appear to match any of the three available images of the same spot on Google Maps Street View, suggesting it could have been taken by a North Korean agent. South Korean map services do not show the area at all, pretending it is a forest to comply with national security protocols.

Kim was also seen reviewing years-old imagery of a South Korean THAAD missile battery instead of newer images taken by his military satellite during a visit to air force headquarters last December.

North Korea likely published photos showing the Strategic Missile Command with enough visible details to send a threatening message to South Korean military officials.

It follows numerous similar instances in the last few years of Kim Jong Un viewing maps of South Korea and the U.S. during what state media often characterizes as military meetings on “contingency” or “counterattack” plans against the ROK.

This type of threat is not new, as state media also clearly showed him looking at what were likely publicly available satellite images of U.S. and South Korean military headquarters during a visit to a special operations forces base in 2016.

The location of the Strategic Missile Command is not secret, and South Korea’s military is likely aware of security concerns regarding the complex, especially as it was reportedly considered a potential location for the headquarters of the new ROK Strategic Command that has been set up this year.

The Capital Defense Command complex in Seoul’s Gwanak District was ultimately chosen due to being “better equipped with essential infrastructure, such as an emergency command bunker and a command and control system,” the Dong-a Ilbo reported.

Seoul announced plans to form the Strategic Command (STRATCOM) in 2022, envisioning a command that works closely with the U.S. while overseeing the ROK Three Axis strategy, which entails defending against North Korean attacks through preemptive strikes, intercepting missiles and “massive” retaliatory strikes.

U.S. officials visited the Strategic Missile Command HQ in Wonju in June as part of the third round of Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) talks with the ROK, in what one expert said represented a key step toward integrating the allies’ conventional and nuclear weapons.

The location of the Special Operations Forces (특수작전군) base that Kim visited on Sept. 11 is unclear, but it may be in the same area as drills that practiced taking over an ROK guard post, which state media said were held “in the western area” of the country in March, as NK Pro has found that some lower-ranking soldiers appeared at both events.

Edited by Alannah Hill

10. Breathtaking Night Views From Space: Korea’s Stark Economic Divide

These photos never get old. But this is a new one. (See it at the link: https://scitechdaily.com/breathtaking-night-views-from-space-koreas-stark-economic-divide/)

Breathtaking Night Views From Space: Korea’s Stark Economic Divide

scitechdaily.com · September 15, 2024

Photo of the Korean Peninsula acquired from space on January 24, 2024, by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station.

An astronaut captured a striking image of the Korean Peninsula from the International Space Station, revealing the stark contrast in nighttime illumination between North and South Korea.

South Korea, with its brightly lit cities including the sprawling Seoul metropolitan area, contrasts sharply with the near darkness of North Korea, aside from a few small clusters of light around Pyongyang and Yangdŏk. This photo not only highlights the differences in urban development and population between the two nations but also reflects the broader economic disparities, with South Korea being one of Asia’s leading economies.

Nighttime Lights Over Korea

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photo of the Korean Peninsula showing the distribution of nighttime light. North Korea (extending beyond the top of this image) lies on the upper part of the peninsula and is almost devoid of nighttime lights. In contrast, South Korea lies on the lower part of the peninsula and exhibits night lights from many cities of different sizes. The seas on either side of the peninsula appear very dark in nighttime images, although cloudy areas reflect some light.

The largest and brightest cluster of urban lights is South Korea’s capital city, Seoul (population 9.67 million), located on the coast of the Yellow Sea. Only two small clusters of lights are easily visible in North Korea: the capital Pyongyang (population 3.16 million) and Yangdŏk in the country’s center.

The DMZ’s Light Line

Just north of Seoul, a thin line of lights crosses the peninsula from the Yellow Sea to the Sea of Japan, marking the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. The DMZ border, established in 1953 by the United Nations, is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide and 250 kilometers (155 miles) long.

Economic Contrasts Revealed by City Lights

Differences in the brightness and expanse of city lights illustrates the distinction between the population sizes—South Korea with about 52 million people and North Korea with about 26 million—and between the extent of urban development in the two countries. Images of nighttime lights have also been used for studying economies and gross domestic product (GDP). Because of its dynamic industrial growth since the 1960s, South Korea has been termed one of Asia’s four “economic tigers” along with Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Astronaut photograph ISS070-E-80670 was acquired on January 24, 2024, with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a focal length of 24 millimeters. It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by a member of the Expedition 70 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet.

scitechdaily.com · September 15, 2024

11. Will Korea be swallowed up in the surging risk of nuclear war?

Excerpts:

There seems to be little South Korea, a non-nuclear state, can do to halt the nuclear arms race between global powers. However, the South Korean government’s and mainstream media’s silence regarding the aforementioned New York Times report only intensifies the anxiety and sense of helplessness, especially given the global nature of nuclear conflict and the dire nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula. As a responsible member of the global community and a middle power striving to be a “global pivotal state” under President Yoon Suk-yeol, how should South Korea respond?

First, the government should clearly and repeatedly express its opposition to nuclear war. If directly opposing the US or another specific nation is politically sensitive, South Korea could instead call on all nuclear-armed states to earnestly pursue nuclear disarmament, in accordance with the spirit and regulations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Second, South Korea must address the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula. Even if North Korea’s unilateral denuclearization is not possible, reducing the nuclear threat is still achievable. South Korea should question whether it is truly impossible to create a situation where North Korea’s nuclear capabilities no longer pose a direct threat, while still maintaining the long-term goal of denuclearization.

Third, South Korea must decisively abandon the impractical and counterproductive idea of pursuing its own nuclear armament and instead focus on bolstering its diplomatic and technological capacities to strengthen its national security. The more frequently South Korea raises the issue of independent nuclear armament or the deployment of US nuclear weapons on its soil, the greater the potential harm to itself.

Thirty-five years ago, the world seemed to be moving toward an era of post-Cold War peace. Now, the risk of nuclear war is once again rising — and the Korean Peninsula is at the heart of this danger. If even a faint light of reason remains, shouldn’t we strive toward it?

Will Korea be swallowed up in the surging risk of nuclear war?

Posted on : 2024-09-15 07:56 KST Modified on : 2024-09-15 07:56 KST

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As a responsible member of the global community and a middle power striving to be a “global pivotal state” under President Yoon Suk-yeol, how should South Korea respond?

https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/1158544.html

The United States, Russia and China are intensifying their nuclear arms race, and the threshold for using nuclear weapons is becoming alarmingly low. On Aug. 20, The New York Times reported that the US had drafted a top-secret strategy in March, called the “Nuclear Employment Guidance.” To ensure maximum security, the document was reportedly printed only in a limited number of hard copies, with no digital versions. Additionally, only a select few individuals are authorized to give a summary explanation of the document’s content before a public version is released later this year.

What distinguishes this new US nuclear strategy from the Cold War era is the shift in the primary threat from Russia to China. The strategy also identifies “coordinated nuclear challenges” from China, Russia and North Korea. Despite this, the US plans to address these threats mainly by strengthening its own nuclear capabilities rather than collaborating with its nuclear-armed allies. This means that the nuclear armament of South Korea and Japan remains off the table, with the US instead seeking to integrate them into its nuclear operational support system.

Washington aims to both increase the quantity of its nuclear warheads and improve the quality of its tactical and operational nuclear weapons, making them more “usable.”

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US and Russia currently each possess around 3,700 and 4,500 nuclear warheads, respectively, with about 1,700 of those being deployed strategic warheads. Under the 2010 New START treaty, both nations agreed to reduce the number of deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 by February 2026. However, Russia suspended its participation in February 2023. US intelligence estimates that China currently possesses around 500 nuclear warheads, and this figure could grow to 1,000 by 2030, and possibly to 1,500 thereafter.

The lowering threshold for nuclear use

In recent years, nuclear threats have predominantly come from Russia. On Sept. 21, 2022, during a televised speech about the “special military operation” in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the US and other Western nations, “If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will without doubt use all available means to protect Russia and our people — this is not a bluff.” This was a clear signal that Russia would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons.

In response, US President Joe Biden stated, “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis.” In October 2022, NATO conducted its “Steadfast Noon” nuclear deterrence exercise, while Russia held its “Grom” nuclear drills. Putin has since continued to allude to the possibility of using nuclear weapons, with Russia's Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev supporting these claims. In March 2023, Russia agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, with the transfer process beginning in May. These weapons are now believed to be fully deployed.

China, which previously maintained around 300 nuclear warheads under its “minimum deterrence strategy,” has expanded its stockpile to 500 in recent years. If China’s arsenal grows to approximately 1,500 warheads by the 2030s, as US intelligence predicts, it can no longer be considered a minimum deterrence force.

Additionally, if China shifts from launching intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) from cave bunkers on rails to launching them directly from silos, it would significantly reduce operational response times, thus heightening the seriousness of the threat. Although there are no signs that Beijing’s relatively rational “no first use” nuclear policy is changing, it remains difficult to predict the future as the threshold for nuclear use continues to drop.

North Korea declared the “completion” of its nuclear weapons program in 2017 and has since focused on enhancing its nuclear capabilities following the collapse of the North Korea-US summit in Hanoi in 2019. In September 2022, North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly enshrined its nuclear policy into law, establishing a system for preemptive strikes and “automatic” retaliation. In June of this year, North Korea signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia, leading experts to believe that technological cooperation between the two countries on nuclear delivery systems will intensify. Pyongyang, which is estimated to possess about 60 nuclear warheads, is widely seen as having the lowest threshold for nuclear use among nuclear-armed states.

When it comes to nuclear force buildup, no country can rival the US in terms of quantity and quality. The Bush administration began modernizing the country’s nuclear arsenal, which had been aging since World War II, and the Biden administration has continued to expand the program, with a US$1.3 trillion nuclear weapons program set to increase to US$2 trillion by 2030 under the guise of national defense and peacekeeping. Washington is also lowering its threshold for nuclear use by developing tactical nuclear weapons, such as nuclear earth-penetrating bombs, often known as “bunker busters.” While these weapons are classified as tactical, their destructive power can reach strategic levels depending on their yield, which can vary from kilotons to megatons based on the depth of the underground target.

Opposing nuclear war and advocating for NPT compliance

There seems to be little South Korea, a non-nuclear state, can do to halt the nuclear arms race between global powers. However, the South Korean government’s and mainstream media’s silence regarding the aforementioned New York Times report only intensifies the anxiety and sense of helplessness, especially given the global nature of nuclear conflict and the dire nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula. As a responsible member of the global community and a middle power striving to be a “global pivotal state” under President Yoon Suk-yeol, how should South Korea respond?

First, the government should clearly and repeatedly express its opposition to nuclear war. If directly opposing the US or another specific nation is politically sensitive, South Korea could instead call on all nuclear-armed states to earnestly pursue nuclear disarmament, in accordance with the spirit and regulations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Second, South Korea must address the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula. Even if North Korea’s unilateral denuclearization is not possible, reducing the nuclear threat is still achievable. South Korea should question whether it is truly impossible to create a situation where North Korea’s nuclear capabilities no longer pose a direct threat, while still maintaining the long-term goal of denuclearization.

Third, South Korea must decisively abandon the impractical and counterproductive idea of pursuing its own nuclear armament and instead focus on bolstering its diplomatic and technological capacities to strengthen its national security. The more frequently South Korea raises the issue of independent nuclear armament or the deployment of US nuclear weapons on its soil, the greater the potential harm to itself.

Thirty-five years ago, the world seemed to be moving toward an era of post-Cold War peace. Now, the risk of nuclear war is once again rising — and the Korean Peninsula is at the heart of this danger. If even a faint light of reason remains, shouldn’t we strive toward it?

By Moon Jang-nyeol, former professor at Korea National Defense University

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

12. Trump Says to Solve 'Most Problems' with N. Korea, Iran through Phone, In-Person Dialogue

Trump Says to Solve 'Most Problems' with N. Korea, Iran through Phone, In-Person Dialogue

world.kbs.co.kr

Inter-Korea

Written: 2024-09-14 15:38:05 / Updated: 2024-09-14 15:42:33

Photo : YONHAP News

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he will be able to solve "most of the problems" related to North Korea and Iran through "phone calls" and possibly in-person meetings.

Trump made the remarks while responding to a question during a press conference on Friday about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent inspection of a highly enriched uranium(HEU) facility and Iran's missile provision to Russia.

The Republican nominee, who has been highlighting his foreign policy chops in comparison to that of his Democratic rival Kamala Harris, quoted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as saying Trump should be reelected president because Russia, China, and North Korea are "afraid of him."

Referring to the 2021 Kabul airport terrorist attack during the Biden administration's withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. service members, Trump said they were killed by Biden and Harris, and that the administration should not have failed.

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13. Homebound traffic remains heaviest on 2nd day of Chuseok holiday

This is why there has been a paucity of Korean news this weekend and will be until Chuseok ends.

(LEAD) Homebound traffic remains heaviest on 2nd day of Chuseok holiday | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 15, 2024

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

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- Homebound traffic on major expressways remained heaviest Sunday, the second day of the extended Chuseok holiday, with traffic jams expected to be easing late night, according to the expressway operator.

As of 5 p.m., travel time from Seoul to the southeastern city of Busan had been estimated at 5 hours, 4 hours and 30 minutes to the southeastern city of Ulsan, 4 hours to the southwestern city of Mokpo, and 4 hours to the southeastern city of Daegu, according to the Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC).

In the morning, the estimated travel time from Seoul to Busan was 7 hours and 30 minutes, and 6 hours and 40 minutes to Mokpo.

As of 5 p.m., travel time to Seoul had been estimated at 4 hours and 30 minutes from Busan, 4 hours and 10 minutes from Ulsan, 3 hours and 40 minutes from Mokpo, and 3 hours and 30 minutes from Daegu.

The KEC said outbound traffic from Seoul is expected to be heaviest Sunday, with congestion starting at around 5 a.m. and peaking around noon.

It said outbound traffic from Seoul as well as inbound traffic are expected to be easing around 8-9 p.m.

The KEC said 5.96 million vehicles are expected to hit the roads Sunday, including 520,000 traveling from the capital region to the provinces and 420,000 traveling from the provinces to the capital area.

This year's Chuseok, the Korean fall harvest celebration, falls on Tuesday, and the extended holiday runs from Saturday until Wednesday.

Long lines of vehicles jam the Gyeongbu Expressway in Seocho Ward, southern Seoul, on Sept. 14, 2024, the first day of the extended Chuseok holiday. (Yonhap)

hague@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 15, 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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